SENIOR SERVICES FORUM TODAY

SOMA - Becoming Age-Friendly Communities

Please join us to discuss services for older adults.
Our goal is to hear more about how our towns can address the changing needs
of residents as they age in our communities.

  Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Location: The Woodland
60 Woodland Road, Maplewood NJ
Light refreshments will be served.
Funded by:
Grotta Fund for Senior Care

WASTE MANAGEMENT CHANGES TO WEEKLY BULK PICK-UP

Waste Management customers in Maplewood received the following notice this week. Is Waste Industries next?

CHS PRINCIPAL FLOCKED: ARE YOU NEXT?

From Columbia High School Principal Elizabeth Aaron's Twitter account.

Elizabeth Aaron ‏@CougarPrincipal Jun 1

We've been flocked and I forgot to buy flamingo insurance! Support Midnight Madness! Thanks, Columbia HSA!
 
A great reminder that the Flocked fundraiser is going strong to raise money for Midnight Madness, CHS' great alcohol-free graduation night party.

See more on how to do it, or pay to avoid it, HERE. Last chance is June 17.

And our interview with the organizers from 2014 HERE.

SOCCERHEAD CAR WASH FUNDRAISER TODAY

IS O'REILLY'S PUB FOR SALE?

An ad on the Cushman & Wakefield website indicates the building that houses O'Reilly's Pub at 2208 Millburn Ave. is for sale.

The ad, seen HERE, states:

Cushman & Wakefield has been retained, on an exclusive basis, to sell 2208 Millburn Ave, Maplewood, New Jersey. The 2-story 8,000 square feet mixed use property has a bar and restaurant on the first level as well as two apartments on the second level. The property is currently occupied by the owner who operates the pub O’Reilly’s. The property is also equipped with ample parking space for the bar/ restaurant. The property is located on the highly traveled Millburn Avenue, located only minutes from Interstate 78 and the Garden State Parkway

But when we asked longtime owner Woody Jeffrey, he said it was not definite.

"We're just testing the waters," he told Maplewoodian.com. "We're not trying to get publicity.

The ad indicates an asking price of $950,000, down from $1.3 million. Calls to Cushman & Wakefield were not returned.

DEAD BODY ON WYOMING AVENUE WAS VICTIM OF HIT AND RUN

Investigators believe the dead body found on Wyoming Avenue on Monday was the victim of a hit and run, but have still not released his identity.

The Essex County Prosecutors Office is also seeking information about what occurred and who the driver of the auto that struck him may be.

See the press release issued this morning below:

Update on Maplewood Homicide

Newark -- Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Maplewood Police Chief Robert Cimino announced today that the male discovered on Wyoming Avenue and Hickory Drive on May 30 at approximately 4 a.m. appears to have been struck by a motor vehicle.

His name is not being released pending notification of next of kin. The driver of the vehicle has not yet been identified.

At this time, the investigation is active and ongoing. The investigation is being handled by the Maplewood Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force. 

It is unclear what links, if any, the victim has to Maplewood.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

CHS BASEBALL COACH INVESTIGATION DELAYED ONCE AGAIN

The investigation into alleged harassment, intimidation, and bullying by Columbia High School baseball coach Joe Fischetti -- which was to have taken no more than one month but has dragged on beyond three months -- is delayed yet again.

District Spokesperson Suzanne Turner said the review by an outside investigator, most recently expected before Memorial Day, will now be delivered no sooner than June 20.

Turner issued this statement to Maplewoodian.com on Thursday:

We expect that a report from Dr. Seitz will be shared with the Board of Education during the executive session on June 20th.  The report itself will not be made public, due to confidentiality requirements. 

At this point, we do not know the contents of the report, so we will have to wait to see if there are any findings which we will be able to share publicly.

Superintendent John Ramos announced last month that the outside investigation into HIB claims against Fischetti would be completed before Memorial Day.

Ramos said then that outside investigator Leroy Seitz had still not completed his review that began in February, more than three months after his hiring.

You may recall that the district hired Seitz, the superintendent of the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District, on Feb. 26 to review its own investigation that had found Fischetti allowed harassment and bullying of at least two former players. 

He was paid $5,000.

Despite that, and a lawsuit filed by one of the former players, the school board on Feb. 22 voted to re-appoint Fischetti as coach this season by a 6-3 vote. Board members Johanna Wright, Chris Sabin and Elizabeth Baker voted against the re-appointment.

At the same meeting, Ramos announced that an outside investigator would be brought in to review the findings. It was later revealed that investigator was Seitz.

Ramos said then it would take two to four weeks. 

But now it appears the report will be at least another two weeks away. The 2016 CHS baseball season recently ended with the team posting a 17-10 record.

The school board's next meeting is set for Monday, June 6.

WILMA AND THE WINGERS AT LIBRARY TODAY

11 a.m. to Noon * Main Library * * All ages * Drop In * Dance, sing, and get your body moving with some upbeat songs.  Live music performed by Wilma Van De Pol and friends.