POST OFFICE PROJECT ACTIVITY TO DISRUPT PARKING TUESDAY

From the Township:

Tree and Stump Removal at Post Office

On Tuesday, March 1, 2016 the Department of Public Works will be removing the stump from the Post Office parking lot.

DPW will also be removing and relocating the trees, community bulletin board, and benches from the front of the building. 

In preparation for potential traffic issues, DPW will be placing barricades on Monday, February 29th. Approximately 15 parking spaces will be affected. The estimated completion time will be six hours. However, DPW will make every attempt to complete the task.

TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS POST OFFICE, REVALUATION AND MORE AT TUESDAY MEETING

Tuesday night's Township Committee has a light agenda, but with two major issues to be discussed. 

The agenda, found HERE, includes discussion items for the purchase of the rear parking lot behind a string of Maplewood Avenue businesses that will be used to run a new sewer line for the post office project.

Also on for discussion is a review of the firms seeking to be hired for the upcoming property value revaluation.

The TC will also approve a resolution for some Maplewood Village changes and procedures to offset impact from the upcoming post office site demolition and construction, as well as hear a Maplewoodstock presentation.

The meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall. 

LOTS OF LIBRARY TODAY: JOB HELP TO BLACK HISTORY

Northern NJ Professionals in Transition

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Main Library – Rising Up
Consultant and Facilitator Terry Seamon returns with a brand new session, in which he will discuss the attitudes and skills needed to bounce back after losing a job.
Network with other professionals who are currently unemployed or looking for new career opportunities. Meetings alternate between guest speakers and career workshops. Programs are free and open to the public. Subscribe to the group here.
More information about Professionals in Transition
2016 Meeting Dates: January 11 & 25; February 8, 22 & 29; March 14; April 11 & 25; May 9 & 23; June 13 & 27; July 11 & 25; August 8 & 22; September 12 & 26; October 3, 17 & 31; November 14 & 28; December 12

Creative Coloring for Adults

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Main Library – Adult coloring is taking the world by storm. Coloring relieves stress, takes you away from your cares for a while, trains your brain to focus, and gives you a sense of accomplishment.  It may even help keep dementia at bay!  Each month, the library will provide a variety of designs and a supply of colored pencils. Just drop in: bring your own coffee and we’ll bring the cookies.

Black History Month Movie

3:15 pm – 5:00 pm

Main Library – We’ll be watching a movie starring Terrence Howard about the events surrounding the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery AL.  Refreshments will be served!

Chef Jesse: Special Black History Month Talk & Demo

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Main Library – Our favorite southern chef, Jesse Jones, will give a short talk about his modern, healthier approach to traditional southern cooking, and will offer a demo and sampling of his pulled pork tacos.  For all ages.  No registration needed

GOV. CHRISTIE AND THE DONALD: ONE BULLY FOR ANOTHER

Just when you thought our governor could not make more of a fool of himself, or show what a crass political hack he is, he comes out this week and endorses Donald Trump.

He appeared on This Week today and, to his credit, host George Stephanopoulos grilled Christie on his own past opposition to Trump, wondering how he could support such a racist, bullying, unqualified hack. Perhaps it takes one to know one.

See below:

MAPLEWOODIANS OF THE WEEK: BOARD OF EDUCATION

The Board of Education this past week, in one of their toughest, emotional votes, approved the hiring of troubled CHS baseball coach Joe Fischetti for another year.

But with the qualification that an outside investigator be brought in to review the findings of bullying and harassment against him. The vote was 6-3, with board members Johanna Wright, Chis Sabin and Board President Elizabeth Baker voting against the coach.

The district plans to spend up to $5,000 for the investigator despite its own internal investigation finding that incidents did occur.

For this news-making event, the school board is our Maplewoodian of the Week.

Reminder, the Maplewoodian of the Week designation is neither a sign of support or opposition to the person named, just an assessment of their newsworthiness for the week,

A GOPRO TOUR OF MAPLEWOOD

Our junior correspondents at Maplewoodian.com got their hands on a GoPro and, well, you'll see below.

Enjoy their first-person point of view tour of some of the Township's sites and places.




 

11 OPEN HOUSES TODAY

Find your next home or just see what the market is offering.

Full list HERE.

WHAT DOES BROWNLEE'S DEPARTURE FROM THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEAN FOR ITS FUTURE?

The recent announcement of Township Committee Member Marlon Brownlee's decision not to run for re-election could be the key move that transforms the governing body for the forseeable future.

Without an incumbent, the upcoming primary election for the Democratic nominee will likely be a hard-fought contest. Brownlee, who will have served two terms when he leaves office next January,  will be the third straight incumbent to leave the board in the span of a year.

The first winds of change occurred this past November when, after incumbent Jerry Ryan lost in the primary and Kathy Leventhal chose not to run again, challengers Nancy Adams and Greg Lembrich joined the committee.

Lembrich's ascent was even more telling because he beat Ryan, the Democratic Central Committee candidate, in the primary. Much of that election, of course, rested on Lembrich's questioning of the post office project and Ryan's support.

Until Lembrich and Adams took office on New Year's Day, the Township Committee had remained unchanged since 2012 when India Larrier took her seat after winning in November 2011. She replaced Fred Profeta, who did not run for re-election that year.

Larrier and Mayor Vic Deluca are up for re-election next year, in 2017. It is unclear if Larrier will run again, or if she could win given her anti-gay marriage stance that was revealed just days before her last last re-election in 2014.

Deluca appears to remain a popular mayor, receiving the highest votes of any candidate in his last few elections. He is also at the beginning of his eighth straight year as mayor. 

Needing only three of the five TC members to support him each year, including himself, Deluca is likely to continue as mayor in 2017 barring some unforeseen occurrence. With Brownlee gone, three of the five committee members will be too inexperienced to likely get the votes.

But in 2017, when Deluca is up again for re-election, it will be interesting to see how much the opposition to the post office plan will affect his efforts. However, the project will likely be completed by mid-2017 and could be welcomed as a success if it is handled well and the public warms to the idea of a new, modern facility. 

That is a long way off and given opposition to it today, it is hard to predict.

Still, given Deluca's overall popularity on many other issues -- gay rights, community involvement, knowledge and experience in local government, and his standing at the state level -- he may be able to beat a challenge in 2017.

But either way, the Township governing body is already undergoing a sweeping change likely to continue for at least a few more years.

CHS AP STUDENT 2 STUDENT EVENT TODAY