SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES ON THE WEB

As the final weeks of the school board campaign heat up, we are planning to post our questionnaires for each candidate next week. 

Meanwhile, here are links to their websites for further reviewing of their positions, issues and events.

Susie Adamson:
http://www.adamsonforboe2016.com

James Davis and Stephanie Lawson-Muhammed: http://www.boe2016.com

Anthony Mazzocchi: http://www.mazzocchiboe2016.com

Johanna Wright http://www.wrightforboe.com

DOCUMENT SHRED-IT DAY TODAY

From the Township:

Shred-It Day is an opportunity for Maplewood residents to shred any personal paper items such as legal documents, private records and files, books, etc. Maplewood Recycling Center, located at 359 Boyden Ave. 8am – 12pm, or until the truck fills up, whichever occurs first.

THIS SERVICE IS STRICTLY FOR MAPLEWOOD RESIDENTS ONLY

SOUTH MOUNTAIN RESERVATION CANINE COSTUME CONTEST POSTPONED TO SUNDAY

The Strut Your Mutt Halloween dog costume contest and walk at the South Mountain Reservation dog park has been postponed to Sunday at 2 p.m.

See more information on it HERE.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG BUY BACK DAY TODAY

From Maplewood Police:

Unused and expired prescription drugs may be dropped off at Maplewood Police Headquarters today between  10 AM and 2 PM.

Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse. Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor's supervision. The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America. 

The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends - and the home medicine cabinet. Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment. Take-back programs are the best way to dispose of old drugs. 

But if you can not make the program: ~ Take the meds out of their bottles; ~ Mix them with something unappealing like used kitty litter or coffee grounds; ~ Seal them in a bag or disposable container, and throw that away. For more information on prescription drug abuse, go to: ~ www.dea.gov ~ www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com ~ www.justthinktwice.com

VIDEO - LATEST SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES FORUM

The five candidates running for three open seats on the school board faced off in the latest debate Thursday night at De Hart Community Center.

Watch the entire debate, courtesy of SOMA TV, below:

SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SET FOR MONDAY ON HEALTH PLAN, SPECIAL SERVICES

The Board of Education will hold a special board meeting on Monday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m., according to an agenda posted today.

It states only that the board will discuss the district employee health plan and the director of special services search. It also includes two action items on those issues, but no specifics.

See the agenda HERE.

There are no further details, but we will seek more and provide them as they become available. Also no word on why these items could not have been considered at the last board meeting last Monday.

STAR-LEDGER'S MULSHINE WEIGHS IN ON OUR LEAF-BLOWERS, AND NANCY ADAMS

TC member Nancy Adams and her favorite unblown leaves. Photo:Star-Ledger

Readers know we have been following the battle over leaf blowers in Maplewood, which came up again on Tuesday as the Township Committee heard the first testimony about the recent three-month pilot program banning them during June, July and August.

The views were mixed as you can see HERE.

Paul Mulshine

But now Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine got into the act, penning a Thursday piece that appears decidedly anti-blower, and pro Nancy Adams. 

She is, of course, the TC member who proposed the ban after finding she could not work in her College Hill home with the ear-shattering noise. (and she was not alone.)

Mulshine, who visited town wrote, in part: 

At one house, two guys with blowers managed to spend 15 minutes pushing around a pile of leaves that could have been raked up in five minutes. I could see a cloud of crud drifting onto the neighbor's porch and onto the sidewalk, where a lady who was walking with a kid had to go through it.

At another house a lone leaf-blower pushed the same tiny pile of leaves around a yard for five minutes, again with little effect. The lady and the kid had to dodge that as well. 

But the best part of the column, agree or disagree, are shots he took of Adams in her leaf-adorned front yard.

Photo: Star-Ledger

MAPLEWOOD POOL MEMBERSHIP UP FOR FIRST TIME IN YEARS

After a troubling few years of declining membership and deficit budgets, the Maplewood Pool saw a bit of a rebound this past Summer with the first membership increase in years, according to the Township.

We reported in May that the pool had seen a steady decline in membership dating back to at least 2010 when there were 8,861 members. That dropped to 8,604 in 2011, 8,003 in 2012, 7,528 in 2013, 7,150 in 2014, and 7,101 in 2015. 

But data for this past summer finds a slight increase to 7,250, according to the Recreation Department. This occurred as the pool celebrated its 50th anniversary and also redesigned its website that is now seen as more attractive and informational.

It also follows a slight change in membership eligibility, which for the first time allowed Township employees who do not live in town to be members this summer.  

That was done, in part, to offset a $140,000 deficit that was seen for the previous three seasons, in part to pay off bonds used for the recent $1 million renovations and new water slides.

Those bond payments are expected to continue for at least the next five years.