COMING THURSDAY: MOOKIE WILSON PODCAST

We caught up with Mets legend Mookie Wilson this week as he promotes his new book on the Mets and his life story. He will be at Words Bookstore on Saturday to sign copies.

He discussed at length his poor childhood in the south, his rise to the 1986 World Championship, his view of teammates, steroids, his bitter departure from the team and other topics.

Hear it all in a lengthy in-depth interview Thursday morning.

SIGNS OF MAPLEWOOD FLOODING TONIGHT

Here is what we found tonight around Maplewood:

Maplewood Country Club

Maplewood Country Club

Memorial Park

Rahway River Memorial Park

TEEN DRINKING PREVENTION MEETING THIS WEEK

From Maplewood Health Director Robert Roe

On Thursday evening at the Baker Street Maplewood Library a program, 7:00pm to 9:00pm, ( sponsored by the Maplewood and South Orange and ADAPT drug abuse prevention alliances), on preventing and handling teenage alcohol abuse will be held. 

The primary speaker is Ms. Alison Steiner, Social Worker at SOMA Schools. There will be time for discussion with CHS Guidance Counselors and Maplewood Police. While alcohol abuse is in the title of the program, other drug abuse problems will also be discussed. The program is for parents and teenagers.
Alcohol and drug abuse prevention is a topic that almost all parents must be able to discuss with their children. This program will help you with this difficult parenting issue. Also, information on summer jobs, volunteer opportunities and camps will be available. Light refreshments will be served. For further info, contact the Maplewood Health Dept. 973-762-8120 x4400.

FLOOD WATCH TODAY AND TONIGHT

From The National Weather Service:

.. FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...
THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR
* PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT... NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK... INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS... IN SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT... SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD. IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY... BERGEN... ESSEX... PASSAIC... UNION... AND HUDSON. IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK... BRONX... KINGS (BROOKLYN)... NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)... NASSAU... QUEENS... WESTCHESTER... RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)... AND ROCKLAND.
* FROM 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
* RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BEFORE ENDING THURSDAY. FLOODING OF URBAN... LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS POSSIBLE AS EARLY AS THE EVENING RUSH HOUR... WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN EXPECTED BY THAT TIME.
* AS THE HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TONIGHT... STORM TOTAL RAINFALL WILL INCREASE TO 3 TO 4 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS... INCREASING THE THREAT OF WIDESPREAD... SIGNIFICANT URBAN... LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING... AS WELL AS FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.

LOST WEEK OF SCHOOL?

All this week, our seventh and eighth graders are taking the NJ ASK state assessment test, and that appears to be all they are doing.

With half days each day, they take the tests, then go home. So should these days count as school days among the 180 required by law?

The tests have no impact on grades, just widely criticized state assessments.

Sixth graders are taking it as well, but for some reason they have a full school day.

The seventh and eighth graders are not learning anything and why must the afternoons be canceled? Students have so many days off already, and then make up a snow day last Friday with many absences.

Not smart management.

STORY DOOR PROJECT

Maplewood/South Orange residents will deepen their connection with neighbors by telling and listening to each other’s personal stories, then expressing those stories using full-sized doors as their canvas. The Story Door Project extends over a five week period, beginning with the kick-off on Wednesday, April 30th and continuing with four workshops each following Thursday from 7:30PM to 9:30PM, April 8 through April 29th. Local, professional artists will lead workshop participants in using collage, photography, mosaic and wood burning/wood carving to create individual and community panels on multiple wooden doors. The finished doors will be on display as part of the 2014 Annual Artists Studio Tour throughout Maplewood and South Orange on Sunday, June 1st. Workshops are free and no previous art experience is required. However, registration is required. To register, go to www.twotowns.org/contact/, complete the information form and enter Story Door Project in the Comments. This event is made possible in part by funds from New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and administered by Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs

BABY LIT AT THE LIBRARY

11:00am Hilton Branch
	Baby Lit (ages birth - 2 ½) Wednesdays @ 11am

SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES NEW BUDGET

The Board of Education voted, 8-1, to approve the 2014-2015 school district budget of $113.5 million last night.

Board member Johanna Wright cast the only dissenting vote, although she had voted to approve the preliminary budget with the same spending plan that includes a 1.97% tax increase.

The district website details:

The $106,563,115 tax levy supports a General Fund budget of $113,568,924. The balance of the General Fund budget is supported through State aid and miscellaneous

revenues.

 

The $3,936,161 tax levy supports a Debt Service budget of $4,171,789. The balance of the Debt Service budget is supported through Debt Service aid. 

 

The Debt Service figures represent a decrease from the preliminary budget figures resulting from a lower interest rate on the March bond sale then originally estimated.

BABY STORYTIME TODAY

Baby storytime

10:30 a.m.

Birth to 2 1/2 years old.

Main Library drop-in

MAPLEWOODIAN WINS POETRY PRIZE

Maplewood's own Tina Kelly, veteran journalist and prolific poet, won a prestigious poetry prize from County College of Morris.

She will receive the Journal of New Jersey Poets’ 2014 Poets Prize on May 13.

Read more HERE.

Way to go Tina !

SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET VOTE TONIGHT

The Board of Education plans to adopt the school budget for the 2014-2015 school year tonight.

See background on it HERE.

Full agenda is HERE.

Show up, ask questions, give your views or just pat them on the back.

Remember, they work for you

HILTON PRE-SCHOOL STORYTIME

11:00 am - 11:30 am ( Repeating Weekly on Mon, until May 12, 2014 )

Hilton Branch * Ages 2 and 1/2 – 5  *

Stories to encourage reading readiness! Valid Maplewood Library card required.

Drop In * No registration required.

JOB HUNT HELP AT MAIN LIBRARY TODAY

10:00 a.m., Judy Scherer, a widely acclaimed career counselor and strategist, who has helped thousands of people in transition land satisfying and successful careers and jobs, will speak with us about “Emerging and Evolving Occupations: Your Next Best Job.” With a masters degree from Harvard in city planning and economic development and a masters in career counseling from NYU, Ms. Scherer is uniquely qualified to clarify clients’ directions, strategies, career development and job searches.

Judy is co-author of the “Geography of the App Economy,” cited by the White House for its analysis of the 500,000+ jobs generated by the app economy since 2007. 

Main Library

ETHICAL CULTURE POETRY EVENT TODAY

Poetry carves a direct path from mind to heart to form. Sylvia Kramer will read original poems on a variety of themes and share her experiences as a teacher and lecturer with groups ranging in age from 3 to 103. A published author, poet, and lecturer, Kramer is also a poetry therapist. For over 40 years, she has conducted workshops and given lectures at colleges, high schools, nursery schools, and nursing homes throughout the state and has bee a frequent guest lecturer for the Poetry Therapy Association in New York City.

The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County is a progressive non-theist religion dedicated to living ethically in a complex world. Founded in l876 and established in Maplewood in l945, over the years the ethical culture movement (known as The American Ethical Union) has been instrumental in launching Planned Parenthood, the NAACP, Visiting Nurses, New York Settlement House, Fieldston School, and National Ethical Service at the UN. The Society began a long-running Ethics for Children program and most recently, Essex Time Exchange (a time bank facilitating the exchange of services) among other initiatives. The Maplewood Society was the first peace site in the country. Its motto is: to act so as to bring out the best in ourselves by bringing out the best in others.
Contact information: 973-763-1905; www.essexethical.org. Join us for weekly programs, discussions, and fellowship Sundays at 11 am. All are welcome.

24 OPEN HOUSES TODAY

Two dozen open houses today give you a lot to choose from.

Go find your next home or see what the market is offering.

Full list HERE.

EARLY REPORTS: FRIDAY SCHOOL DAY A DUD

Early anecdotal reports from Friday's snow day make-up indicate a poor attendance as we predicted.

Several students and teachers have told us most classes were half-full. Hoping to get the full attendance figures Monday.

BIG LIBRARY BOOKSALE WEEKEND

ARBOR DAY IN MAPLEWOOD

Maplewood Township Celebrates Arbor Day

On Friday, April 25, 2014 Maplewood Celebrated Arbor Day by planting three (3) Red Maple trees in front of Town Hall.

Maplewood, NJ was recently named a 2013 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management.

Maplewood achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program's four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

SEVERAL CROSSING GUARDS OUT ON ONE-DAY RETURN

Another fallout from today's one-day return to school during vacation week appears to be a lack of crossing guards.

The police scanner this morning indicates several posts were unattended when crossing guards were supposed to be there. 

Police must now manage those spots, taking them away from other duties.

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR ONE DAY

So get ready for what may be the most useless day in the school year, today's make-up day for too many snow days used earlier this school year.

As you likely know, the school district schedules three snow days in to the annual school calendar. But when more are used -- as they were this year due to so many snowstorms -- the extra days are made up during this week's spring break.

That means, as parents know, students who were off all week, and many who left town on planned vacations, will be required to attend school today.

Past history indicates between 30% and $40 of both students and teachers will likely not attend.

This is not the district's fault completely, it is due to state law that does not allow the last day of school to be changed if it would impact the number of days between the last day and high school graduation. Since the Columbia High School graduation held at Essex County College is set in place for June 25, it also cannot be changed.

Superintendent Brian Osborne confirmed to us also that it does not matter how many students attend today, it will still count as a full day for the district, even if many students are absent.

TEENS CAN GOLF IN MILLBURN

Great news!!!  Maplewood and South Orange children ages 13-17 may now register for the Millburn Par 3 Golf Course.  

 

You may join the Par 3 by registering online at http://register.communitypass.net/millburn. You can complete your registration online and use your Photo ID Badge that was issued you in 2013. 

 

First time members in order to register online, must upload their photo to be eligible for program or can mail in completed application with a close up face color photo (jpg only) and your Photo ID Badge will be mailed to you. You can also email photo to photodoc@millburntwp.org.

 

Registration forms can be picked up as well from the Maplewood Recreation Department on 574 Valley Street in Maplewood.

 

For further information call the Millburn Recreation Department at (973) 564-7097.

BOW WOW BOOK CLUB

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

 Hilton Branch * Ages 3-8 *

Come to Hilton Branch and read to a dog… they LOVE stories! 

Sign up for a specific time or just drop in!

MEDICATION TAKE BACK DAY SATURDAY

National Take Back Initiative Collections

Turn in your unused or expired medication for safe disposal on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the Maplewood Police Department located at 1618 Springfield Ave in Maplewood NJ. Hours of collection are from 10:00am to 2:00pm. For more information visit www.dea.gov

PRE-SCHOOL STORYTIME TODAY

Preschool Storytime (ages 2 ½ - 5)
 
11am 

Main Library

ANIMAL SHELTER PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO HEALTH CODE VIOLATIONS

From Alt Press:

The Jersey Animal Coalition’s attorney entered a not guilty plea in municipal court today on behalf of the shelter on each of the 51 health code violations found during a joint local and state health inspection last month.
 
The violations ranged from minor infractions such as improper storage of cleaning materials to serious health risks including failure to provide sick animals with basic veterinary care and to clean the shelter and its grounds of fecal matter.

Read more HERE.

BABY STORY TIME TODAY

11:00 am

Hilton Branch* Ages birth – 2 1/2 years

Stories, fingerplays, songs and more! Valid Maplewood Library card required.

Drop In * All children must be accompanied by an adult.

WALKING PROGRAM REGISTRATION EXTENDED

Count on Yourself Walking Program

Registration Extended Until Friday, April 25, 2014!

On Monday, April 28th, 2014 Maplewood Loves Wellness together with Risa Olinsky founder of Count on Yourself Coaching who is volunteering her expertise, will offer a 2nd FREE community-walking program utilizing pedometers. The pilot walking program ran last fall and was a huge success.  Pedometers for the program are made possible by a grant from Overlook Medical Center, Atlantic Health System.
Participation in this program is open to 40 new adult Maplewood residents (18 or older).  If you would like to join in, please review and complete the following application and submit to: Deputy Mayor, Kathleen Leventhal, Township of Maplewood, 574 Valley Street, Maplewood, NJ 07040 or fax to 973-761-4061 no later than Friday April 18th.  For questions contact: risa@risaolinsky.com
Overview of the program and participant’s pledge:  
If chosen, I will do my best to participate in as much of this program as possible.  If I choose not to complete the 6 weeks, I will return the pedometer to the Maplewood Township office. I will…

• Complete an informed consent and personal goal-setting questionnaire at the start of the program.
• Attend an initial pedometer set-up time and orientation scheduled for Monday, April 28th at either 1 PM or 7 PM.  (If you are out of town on that day, other arrangements are possible.)
• Attend the educational presentations offered in Maplewood locations to the extent I can.
• Participate in as many of the Maplewood group walking sessions within the 6-week period as possible.
•  Walk on my own as much as possible and keep a daily record of my steps as instructed.
•  Log and report my weekly steps to the coordinator by email or phone.

If the pedometer is lost or damaged within the 6-week program, I agree to notify the program leader and purchase a replacement ($20) in order to complete my participation in the program.  I understand that participation in this program is voluntary and my success depends on my level of commitment.  Upon completing the program the pedometer is mine to keep.

To participate, please complete the application, and return by April 18th. Kathleen M. Leventhal, Deputy Mayor says, “Discover how being part of a group will motivate, inspire and help you stick to your goals”.

Questions? Email or call: risa@risaolinsky.com / 973-761-5758

SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE AND THEFTS MARK POLICE WEEK

From Maplewood Police today

 April 21, 2014; Suspicious Person; At approximately 940 PM, Officers responded to a Revere Ave residence on a report of suspicious juveniles. Several juveniles from Irvington and Newark were stopped fleeing the area. The juveniles were found to be in possession of a bicycle stolen from a Hilton Ave home and were arrested.

April 14, 2014; Theft of Motor Vehicle; Sometime over the previous few days a Dodge Caravan was stolen from the parking lot of 50 Burnett Ave.

 April 17, 2014; Bicycle Theft; During the morning hours a unlocked garage on Boyden Parkway South was entered and a bicycle stolen.

SPRINGFIELD AVE CONES HAVE A PURPOSE

From the Township:

 What are those cones on Springfield Avenue?

In an effort to beautify and improve the streetscape along Springfield Avenue, the Township is considering installing up to four landscaped medians in the road. The medians will be about 7 feet wide and have landscaping and street trees. The intent is to beautify the corridor and provide some traffic calming. These cones will be set up for about two weeks. 

The Township will then decide where or if to install them. If they are installed, they will be done when Springfield Avenue is repaved, which depending upon funding will be this year.

BABY STORY TIME

10:30 am - 11:00 am ( Repeating Weekly on Tue, until May 13, 2014 )
Main Library * Ages birth – 2 1/2 years

Stories, fingerplays, songs and more! Valid Maplewood Library card required.

Drop In * All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Tuesdays @ 10:30 am 4/22 – 4/29 – 5/6 – 5/13

PARK FOOTBRIDGE CLOSED FOR REPAIR

From the Township:

Pedestrian Foot Bridge behind Memorial Library closed for repairs

The pedestrian foot bridge behind the Memorial Library going towards Memorial Park will be closed for repairs for approximately 1 week starting Monday, April 21, 2014. Signs are posted advising residents NOT to use the bridge.

TECH COLUMNIST ALLAN HOFFMAN AT THE LIBRARY TONIGHT

SIX MAPLEWOODIANS IN TODAY'S BOSTON MARATHON

The Boston Marathon is back after last year's tragic ending and we found there are six Maplewood residents in today's race.

They are Patrick Love, Margaret Marbury, Kristy Ranieri, Kim Valente, Jill Zablocki and Tj Zablocki, who was the first among them to finish with a time of 3:05:30. 

Follow their progress HERE.

Marbury, who finished the race last year before the bombs, spoke with us about it soon after. Hear her interview from last year HERE.

SCHOOL DISTRICT REJECTS FREE PROM TICKET OFFER

So we decide to auction off two tickets to the Columbia High School prom in June, a $160 value on us. The event looks like a great party at the wonderful Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park.

A way to offer something to two students who might have better things to spend their money on - like tuition, books, clothes, etc. But when we reached out to the school district, we got a polite "no."
This email from the district:

 Thank you for the offer.  Unfortunately, this is not a promotion which we can participate in, nor approve.
 

We then offered to just pay for the tickets and not require the students to utilize our website and let the school distribute them. This was the response:

Yes, it would be problematic.  This is a school function, and tickets are only sold directly to seniors by the school itself.

Thanks again for your interest, though!

Sorry folks, we tried.

Incidently, it is interesting to find that they allow students to pay in installments, indicating it is a hefty cost. But if you owe any money or fines, or have any poor behavior, you are excluded

From the CHS site: 

You can pay for the Prom during (4) payment periods.  You may pay in installments or the entire amount at once. Sales are after school at 3:15pm in the CHS cafeteria on the following dates:

1st Payment…March 5-6th                  3rd Payment… April 16-17th
2nd Payment… March 19-20th            4th Payment… May 21-22nd
Cash Only Please!  You must have a school ID to purchase Prom tickets!
 
 MONEY PAID TOWARD PROM IS NON-REFUNDABLE!

Students are reminded that excessive tardiness, cuts, missed detentions, excessive disciplinary referrals and certain behaviors will cause you to lose your prom privilege.  Also, all school fines must be paid prior to the prom (including library, cafeteria charges, office arrearages, book fines, etc.).

PRE-SCHOOL STORYTIME TODAY

11:00 am - 11:30 am ( Repeating Weekly on Mon, until May 12, 2014 )

Hilton Branch * Ages 2 and 1/2 – 5  

Stories to encourage reading readiness! 
Valid Maplewood Library card required.

Drop In * No registration required.

NY TIMES ON SOUTH MOUNTAIN DAM

If you missed it last week, The New York Times did a good write-up on the effort to stop the damming of the Rahway River in South Mountain Reservation.

It said, in part:

Striding through the South Mountain Reservation, a patch of wilderness in an otherwise highly developed corner of New Jersey, Fred R. Profeta Jr. does not see the stands of oaks and maples or the shimmering streams so much as their absence.

A lifelong hiker and former mayor of nearby Maplewood, Mr. Profeta is in the vanguard of a movement to stop what he says is the planned destruction of the heart of the reservation, a county park more than a century old through which the west branch of the Rahway River flows.

During Tropical Storm Irene and other major storms, the Rahway, usually more of a creek, caused severe flooding in communities downstream like Millburn and Cranford.

Ever since, local officials have appealed to the United States Army Corps of Engineers to come up with a way to stop the floods, especially in an era of climate change when extreme weather is expected to become more common.

This spring, as part of its study of solutions, the Army Corps released a preliminary analysis of the cost-benefit ratios of seven flood-mitigation alternatives for the Rahway River Basin.

See the rest HERE.

Also stay up with the cause at http://sornj.org/