Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Local organizations received proclamation from Maplewood for upcoming Food Drive.
Rent Party and MEND (Meeting Emergency Needs with Dignity) received an official proclamation from Maplewood township at Tuesday night's Township Committee meeting. Committee member Jerry Ryan presented the proclamation, which cited the work the two organizations are doing in conjunction with the upcoming Neighbor 2 Neighbor Community Food Drive on Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Orange Elks. Chris Dickson and David Wagner accepted the proclamation on behalf of Rent Party and John Pearson accepted on behalf of MEND. The drive is coordinating food donations to distribute to local pantries. Rent Party and MEND have enlisted the participation of various organizations including Prospect Presbyterian Church, Morrow …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Maplewood Township Committee votes in favor of bond ordinance and to authorize the purchase.
The Maplewood Township Committee voted 5-0 Tuesday night on the introduction of a new $1,100,000 bond ordinance for the acquisition of the Maplewood Woman's Club, and also voted unanimously to authorize the purchase of the club. One resident, Kurt Kiley, spoke out against the purchase during the public comment period, saying he believed the township would turn the property into a parking lot and deck. Before the votes were cast, Mayor Vic DeLuca said that after negotiations with the Woman's Club the purchase price had increased from $1,000,000 to $1,004,100. He also said the TC had agreed to the following stipulations from members who wished the club's history to be maintained: to leave a sign up on the property that says "Woman's Club…
Monday, March 4, 2013
What to know about Maplewood's proposed purchase of the historic building, ahead of Tuesday's Township Committee meeting.
The recent announcement by the Maplewood Township Committee that it would move forward to purchase the historic Woman's Club on Woodland Road has raised many questions about why the township should (or should not) purchase the 1930s building and property, what it plans to do with the property and how the move might impact Maplewood and its residents. Ahead of two votes the Township Committee's will take on Tuesday night -- to approve the purchase and to agree to add a bond of $1.1 million to the township's capital budget to fund it -- here are answers to some pertinent questions. What is the Woman's Club and why is it important to the township? The Woman’s Club of Maplewood was founded in December 1916 and was a vital part of the town …
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Citing a "difficult" budget year, committee makes cuts and nixes the idea of a salary increase for themselves.
The Maplewood Township Committee asked Township Administrator Joseph Manning on Saturday to use banked cap from prior years to arrive at an operating budget that will increase taxes by 2.5% in 2013. The decision came during the last in a series of budget meetings at Town Hall. Committee member Marlon K. Brownlee was absent. The final budget is $39,691,141, an increase of 2.03% over last year. Manning had introduced a budget that would increase the tax rate by over 3%, and committee members on Saturday worked to cut expenses to bring the increase down. (The township is allowed to go over the state-mandated 2% tax cap by using cap it has "banked" or saved up in previous years when it raised taxes by less than 2%.) Last year's budget …
Two key meetings -- and votes -- are on the horizon
Here are some stories Maplewood Patch will be following this week: The South Orange - Maplewood Board of Education will hold a special board meeting on Monday, March 4 to discuss and vote on a preliminary 2013-14 budget to send to the county for approval. Members of the public may speak. For more information on the budget, see this Patch article for an overview and this Patch article on proposed personnel cuts, and the district website budget page. You can find the agenda here. The Maplewood Township Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 5. Members of the public may speak. On the agenda: Maplewood Patch will have an upcoming story on plans to introduce a "Walking School Bus" to Tuscan Elementary School. Reminder: the district's …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Part of Maplewood Loves Wellness.
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Tuesday, February 26
The Maplewood Health Department hosted two township employee luncheons Tuesday as part of the Maplewood Loves Wellness initiative. Around thirty township employees enjoyed a tasty lunch and got important information and tips on Heart Healthy Eating from Maureen Smith, cardiac rehabilitation nurse manager at St. Barnabas Medical Center. Smith discussed how to eat for optimal cardiac health; she also answered a variety of questions from audience members on topics including whether organic milk is a good option for the money (answer: not necessarily), and the importance of regular cardiac screening. She was accompanied by Winifred Easterling, community affairs coordinator for St. Barnabas. Health Officer Robert Roe and township committee …
Sunday, February 24, 2013
A look at what's ahead in town.
The South Orange - Maplewood Board of Education will meet on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at 525 Academy Street. The BOE will continue its discussion of the 2013-14 budget, including how to plug a $2.8 million shortfall. If you want to let the board know what you think of the proposed plan to cut teachers, you will want to be at this meeting. Also on Monday, this month's Maplewood Green Drinks event will feature guest speaker Nora Shepard of Safe Routes to School (SRTS), which is helping Tuscan Elementary School pilot a "Walking School Bus" program. Patch will interview one of the parent coordinators of the initiative. Elks Lodge, 220 Prospect Street, 7 p.m. We will also be looking into the continuing discussion of the township's budget, …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Responding to member requests, Township Committee votes 4-1 to start pool season early this year.
The Township Committee voted 4-1 Tuesday night to approve a pilot program to open the Maplewood Community Pool on Memorial Day weekend, and to add an additional $30 to membership rates to cover associated costs. The vote will be memorialized at the next meeting on March 5. Typically, the pool opens on Father's Day weekend. The new plan will mean the pool will be open for a total of seven additional days, or three extra weekends. Before the vote was taken, the four other committee members expressed concerns with the amount of the increase and with raising the membership rates on the heels of last year's 30 percent increase. (Last year, fees increased to pay for more than $1 million in bonds issued to pay for improvements including new …
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Committeeman has served since 2011.
Maplewood Township Committee member Marlon K. Brownlee will run for re-election to a second term, according to an email announcement he made late Tuesday evening. Brownlee was elected to the committee in 2010, beating Republican candidate Bart Albini. "I am privileged and I am thankful for having the opportunity to be on the Maplewood Township Committee for the past two years," Brownlee wrote. "I hope to be able to serve again, and to continue to work with residents and township officials and be a constructive and creative voice in discussions about how to continue moving Maplewood forward!" Members of the Maplewood Township Committee serve three-year terms. The seat currently held by Brownlee will be up for election in November, with …
Chris Dickson
11:51 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Mr. Ryan also suggested that if there were folks in the audience who had not been to a Rent Party that they, "Needed to fix that ... " more ›