Maplewood Weekly Update · 2-26-2025
Township of Maplewood, New Jersey sent this bulletin at 02/26/2025 02:49 PM EST
Good afternoon, Maplewood! Snow is melting, March is on the horizon, and your Township is humming. This week's news:
Maplewood Township invites the community to attend a virtual meeting on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 7:30 pm, to discuss the concept of installing bicycle lanes along Parker Avenue, from Maplewood Avenue to Irvington Avenue. This March 3rd meeting will focus on Parker Avenue between Maplewood Avenue and Prospect Street, and we have planned additional meetings on March 10th and 24th to focus on other sections of Parker Avenue.
At the March 3rd meeting, we will present the bike lane concept and then open the meeting up to questions and comments. Accommodating the bike lanes will require the elimination of on-street parking on both sides of Parker Avenue, which would be an impactful change to neighborhood residents. The public meeting offers us the opportunity to present the concept plan & then hear feedback from those affected by the change.
You can access the March 3rd virtual meeting at www.zoom.com or (929) 205-6099, Meeting ID: 832 7918 0298, Passcode: 910975. Public announcements will be made in advance of the March 10th and 24th meetings discussing other sections of Parker Avenue.
Quick! Screenshot this flier and send to all your MAPSO friends with girls* between the ages of 10-20. In honor of Women's History Month, 1978 Arts Center & Division of Arts & Culture are running a call for art from local MAPSO girls*, and the call includes paintings, drawings, sculptures and photography. This is stop-the-press kind of event for our local arts scene - one of the first of its kind in the area for our tweens and teens. Participants can submit work that is already completed - so strip those walls at home & send in submissions today as the March 2nd deadline is fast approaching. As a fun perk, all participants who enter will receive a gift card to our local art supply store, A Paper Hat. (*includes non-binary and all who identify as female)
It's back! In honor of Women’s History Month, Maplewood Village Alliance & Springfield Avenue Maplewood are partnering with Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture to bring back the popular Windows for Women. The pop-up town-wide art gallery will display local female artists in the windows of businesses across Maplewood Village & Springfield Avenue throughout March.
The Township of Maplewood, South Orange Village and SOMA Celebrates Women invites you to join them (dressed in white!) at Maplewood Town Hall on Tuesday, March 4th, at 7:30 pm, at our Township Committee meeting to help kick off Women’s History Month (WHM) with a reading of our annual proclamation. This annual reading and photo offers our towns a moment to pause, acknowledge & reflect on how far women have come – and how far we still have to go! Remember to wear your white, and come ready to smile big for the camera. Head to the SOMA Celebrates Women website or join their Facebook page to learn more about all the WHM events coming up for both towns this March.
Join us Feb. 27 at the Woodland for Harambee Chamber Orchestra Presents Jubilee - A Celebration of Great Black Composers, featuring the Silk City Jazz Collective, the Harambee Chamber Orchestra and more.
To stay up-to-date on this exciting department's incredible lineup of events, subscribe to their weekly Arts & Culture Newsletter.
Join Karen Bloom Gevirtz, author of The Apothecary’s Wife, The Hidden History of Medicine and How It Became a Commodity for a Women’s History Month Author Talk on Tuesday, March 4, at the Hilton Branch at 6:30 pm.
Registration for ESOL classes will be held on Thursdays in March, from 10-12, at our Hilton Branch. Get more info here.
Maplewood Library will also host Digital Device Clinics on Thursdays, from 11-1, at Adult Services, located at 129 Boyden Ave. Drop by for free one-on-one support for using your phone or electronic device.
Maplewood Township recently joined more than 2,000 communities across the country to implement a new Stormwater Utility. With storms increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change, excess stormwater runs off roads, roofs and parking lots into stormwater management systems and waterways. If an adequate stormwater management system is not in place, runoff in large volume and force may cause flooding and damage to homes, businesses and property. Stormwater also carries with it oil, pesticides, chemicals and bacteria that may contaminate waters, potentially making them unsafe for drinking, fishing, and recreational purposes.
The Township Committee's recently established Stormwater Utility will assess properties based on a fair and equitable approximation of the proportionate contribution of stormwater runoff. Initial estimations concluded that 61% of property owners will pay roughly $70 per year; and 21% of property owners will pay roughly $35 per year. The dedicated funding gathered from these utilities will help finance the improvement of stormwater infrastructure, help better control flooding and protect the environment. Visit our dedicated Stormwater Utility landing page to read the full ordinance; review the newly-released Credit & Adjustment Policy Manual; and view links to the Township Committee meetings that helped shape the utility.
Join Walk Bike Ride South Orange, South Orange and Maplewood Police Department (MPD), and JESPY House for the 3rd Annual SOMa Crossing Guard Appreciation Week from March 3-7. During this week, you can thank your local crossing guards with a token of appreciation such as a card (downloadable card template here), a poster, a hot drink, a treat, or just by saying thanks!
MPD is currently offering free (free!) Home Security Surveys to Maplewood residents. These surveys are designed to assist residents with security options they can use to further protect their residences. If you would like to have a survey conducted for your residence, send us an email at blewin@maplewoodnj.gov.
It's always a good time to talk recycling. As a reminder, your recycling cannot be placed at the curb before 5 pm the night before pick-up (too early); or after 6:30 am the day of pick-up (too late). To get the full skinny on our town recycling program, check out our 2025 Curbside Recycling Page & print our handy 2025 Recycling Calendar for your fridge. You can also get reminded via our Township Instagram and Facebook feeds every Sunday; and our very own Mayor Adams uses a cool recycling reminder app called Recycling Coach. Click the link, type in Maplewood, NJ & get the QR code to download right to your phone.
Dreaming of spring home improvement projects? As you hatch your plans, remember that installing or replacing a fence requires a zoning permit. More information on this, along with all the other structural plans that may need a zoning permit, can be found on our detailed Zoning Division web page.
Save the date! Join Essex County's Blood Drive on Friday, March 21, 11-5 pm, at the Essex County Hall of Records Parking Garage. See flier for more details, and use the QR code to book your spot.
Some helpful info on H5N1 Avian Flu. If you encounter sick or dead wild birds, report the finding to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection at 877-927-6337. Sick or dead domestic birds should be reported to NJ Department of Agriculture at 609-671-6400.
On that note, please enjoy the world's cutest chicken poster from our Health Dept. outlining how to license your backyard chicken coop to help us monitor for H5N1 Avian Flu. Email vhoughton@maplewoodnj.gov to start the process today.
COMMUNITY SERVICES - RECREATION & SENIOR PROGRAMMING
Spring Pickleball clinics have arrived! Check out the options below and grab your spot today.
Sunshine & summer camps are right around the corner. Flag Camp, Reading & Writing Camp, Ultimate Camp, and Tennis Camps - the options are endless, but the spots are limited, so read up on them now & register today.
Snow is still blanketing those fields, but kids spring softball signup is in full swing 'til March 15 & Mapso Basketball is coming back to DeHart this spring.
To stay up-to-date on this exciting department's many (many) fun offerings for seniors, kids and adults alike, subscribe to their weekly Community Services Newsletter.
ESSEX COUNTY & BEYOND
Every person who lives in or visits New Jersey has rights regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. The government agency, Office of New Americans, has published an updated guide to immigrant rights & resources for both immigrant individuals and business owners.
Got ideas on road safety? Essex County & the City of East Orange are creating a Safe Streets for All Action Plan to make roads safer, lower the number of traffic deaths, and improve mobility and quality of life for our community. The plan will recommend policies and identify key projects throughout the County and in East Orange to help make our streets safer for all road users. Share your experiences using the streets in Essex County to help them develop strategies to make the streets safer for all via their online survey or join one of two virtual meetings to share your concern.
Stay connected. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, check out our latest job openings, and sign up for email and SMS message updates.
For more information on Town happenings and events, check out our Township Calendar.
You'll find a running list of our township's many resolutions & ordinances, as well as agendas, minutes, upcoming meetings and more, on our town website.
Have a great day, Maplewood — and see you next week!