MAPLEWOODIAN GROUNDHOG DAY

Meet our groundhog, Maplewoodian Max.

He woke up, looked out at the awful weather today, and when asked if there will be six more weeks of winter, stated: "What do you think."

He then ran back in his hole and went on YouTube.

SCHOOL BOARD TO HIRE CONSULTANT ON RACIAL DISCRIMINATION TONIGHT

Among the items on tap for tonight's Board of Education meeting is approval of a $78,500 agreement to hire Sage Educational Consultants to work with the district as it implements changes related to alleged racial discrimination in student promotion and discipline.

The hiring is part of an agreement with the Department of Education following a determination that minority students were unfairly treated. 

Sage offered up the lowest bid among three bids submitted for the contract:

 

See the entire agenda HERE.

NJ TRANSIT DELAYS, CROSS-HONORING DUE TO SNOW

From NJ Transit:
 
Systemwide cross-honoring of NJ TRANSIT rail, light rail and bus passes/tickets will be in effect on Monday, February 2 due to impending winter storm. Feb 02, 

NJT Rail Hoboken division lines MOBO, M&E, PVL, Main & Bergen and Port Jervis trains are subject to 15-30 min delays due to inclement weather conditions.

TOWN HALL DELAYED OPENING

From the Township today:

Town Hall Delayed Opening - Monday, February 2, 2015.

Maplewood Town Hall will open at 10:00AM on Monday, February 2, 2015 due to inclement weather.

EARLY KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION BEGINS TODAY

Early Kindergarten Registration. Early kindergarten registration begins today, February 2. 

Information on early kindergarten registration is available on the district website. 

Registration packets can be downloaded on the district website or can be picked up from the Office of Registration, at 525 Academy Street in Maplewood, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm. 

 Read the FAQ from the Kindergarten Q&A on Saturday, January 31.

SCHOOLS CLOSED, BUT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IS ON

From the school district today:

District Closed Monday, February 2, 2015

South Orange Maplewood School District and all its schools will be closed today, Monday, February 2nd, due to snow.  

The Board of Education meeting will take place this evening at 7:30pm as scheduled.

Thank you.

 

WINTER STORM WARNING ISSUED

From National Weather Service tonight:

• .. WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM EST MONDAY...
• * LOCATIONS... CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY... INTERIOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY... AND MUCH OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT.
• * HAZARD TYPES... HEAVY SNOW... SLEET... AND FREEZING RAIN.
• * ACCUMULATIONS... SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 4 TO 9 INCHES... ALONG WITH AROUND ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH OF ICE.
• * TIMING... TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. HEAVY SNOW LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING... CHANGING TO A MIXTURE OF SNOW... SLEET... AND FREEZING RAIN... THEN CHANGING BACK TO SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON.
• * TEMPERATURES... IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S.
• * WINDS... EAST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH IN THE MORNING. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH LATE MONDAY.
• * VISIBILITIES... ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING.
• * SNOWFALL RATES... OCCASIONALLY 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING.
• * IMPACTS... HAZARDOUS TRAVEL DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND SIGNIFICANT SNOW... SLEET AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS.
• PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
• A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

SHOTS FIRED IN MEMORIAL PARK?

...Scanner indicates police responding to area of Memorial Park near Baker Street behind the library on report of shots fired from a handgun ...17-year-old white male with a black jacket sought ...