Essex County Daily Buzz: Jan. 9, 2025

LOCAL NEWS

Free information session about constitutional rights against anti-Muslim discrimination planned by Council on American-Islamic Relations on Jan. 16 in Union City. It is from 1-2 p.m. at Rising Star Academy, 4613 Cottage Pl. It will also include information people should know when attending protests for Palestine.
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Council on American-Islamic Relations

Forest Friends Club event for ages 5-10 planned by Essex County Environmental Center on Jan. 16 in Roseland. Attendees will explore the forest from 4-5 p.m. using using nets, binoculars, magnifiers, and microscopes. Admission is $15 per child. Registration is required online.
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Essex County Environmental Center

Free name change clinic planned by Garden State Equity on Jan. 17 at Rutgers-Newark. Law students will assist N.J. adults with legally changing their names, including drafting name change petitions, explaining how to change identity markers on other documents, and sharing what to expect in the courtroom. It is from 2-6 p.m. Registration is required.
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Garden State Equality

Moderate Income Management Company, a government-assisted housing consultant, will conduct interviews on Jan. 17 for residential candidates applying for affordable housing at The Crossings at Brick Church Station in East Orange. Interviews are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is not required.
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East Orange Public Library

Martin Luther King March of Resistance planned by People’s Organization for Progress on Jan. 18 in Newark. It begins at 12 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Statue, 495 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
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People’s Organization for Progress

Free lecture celebrating the legacies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X with poet and civil rights activist Kevin Powell planned by Newark library on Jan. 18 in the Main Branch. It is from 1-4 p.m. and will draw connections to present-day movements. Registration is required.
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Newark Public Library

Free, virtual application assistance for NJ Family Care, the state’s low-income public health insurance plan, planned by Make The Road NJ starting Jan. 21. Applicants must bring their home address, names and date of birth for all household members, U.S. citizenship or immigration status, income and tax filings for each household member, and Social Security number if applicable. Schedule an appointment online.
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Make The Road NJ

Youth can attend acting classes planned at NJSDA starting Jan. 18 in Montclair. Classes include acting 101, musical theater, and acting for television and film, and improv. All classes are held at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Registration is available online.
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New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts

Free computer basics class for adults planned by Montclair library on Jan. 18 in the Main Branch. It is from 2-4 p.m. and includes lessons on internet use, information literacy, Windows, Word, and other software. Participants can work independently on lessons or with staff guidance. Registration is required. Open to non-Montclair library cardholders.
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Montclair Public Library

Bloomfield residents in grades K-6 can attend a Valentine’s Day-themed craft session at the Bloomfield Civic Center Feb. 14. The drop-off event is from 6-9 p.m. Admission is $20 per child. There will be pizza and juice. Registration opens Jan. 20 on Community Pass.
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Bloomfield Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department

Alumni basketball game supporting Ted Jasieniecki scholarship fund planned by Bloomfield Educational Foundation on Jan. 17 in Bloomfield. The event, scheduled for 7 p.m. at Bloomfield High School. Attendees and former student athletes are welcomed to participate raising scholarship money for Bloomfield High School basketball players. Two middle school team games will precede the alumni game.
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Bloomfield Educational Foundation

Bilingual story time in Spanish and English for children planned at Bloomfield library on Jan. 17. The event is from 11-11:45 a.m. Registration is not required.
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Bloomfield Public Library

Free blood pressure screening planned by Glen Ridge health on Jan. 15. Screenings are from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Glen Ridge Train Station. Registration is not necessary.
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Suburban Essex Chamber of Commerce

Take-home snow globe craft for children age 4-12 available for pick-up at Belleville library on Jan. 18. Crafts are available from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
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Belleville Public Library

Free introductory e-mail class planned by East Orange library on Jan. 16. Attendees will learn how to set up a free e-mail account, how to send e-mails, and how to use Gmail from 10-11:15 a.m. Registration is required.
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East Orange Public Library

Rasta pasta cooking class for youth in grades 8-12 planned by East Orange library on Jan. 17. Participants will make rasta pasta with jerk chicken, from 4-6 p.m. Registration is not required.
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East Orange Public Library

East Orange children ages 5-15 can attend the library’s “Read Up Book Club” literacy tutoring program on Jan. 18. The program is $10 for monthly sessions through June. It meets from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays. Attendees participate in organized reading, learning, and social activities through the book club.
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 East Orange Public Library

Parents and caregivers with children enrolled in Orange school district can attend the winter 2025 PTO retreat on Jan. 11. It is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lincoln Avenue School. It will discuss the district’s visual and performing arts program with supervisor Jonathan Clerie. Attendees are encouraged to share ideas for the PTO. Free lunch, childcare, and Spanish and Haitian Creole translation services available. Registration required.
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Orange Public Schools

Solidarity potluck party celebrating the New Year holiday planned by Orange HUUB on Jan. 13 in Orange. The potluck begins at 6 p.m. at the HUUB, 35 Cleveland St. Attendees are encouraged to bring a dish and a friend. Registration not required.
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The HUUB

Maplewood public works is hiring a full-time jitney bus driver. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED, valid driver’s license, Commercial Driver’s License with passenger endorsement. Background check, drug and alcohol screening, and driver’s license check are mandatory. Resumes accepted by email until Jan. 24.
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Maplewood Township

Free one-on-one electronic device support for adults planned by Maplewood library on Jan. 16 in the Main Branch. The digital device clinic is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Maplewood Public Library

South Orange library patrons can download TumbleBooks, the library’s online catalog of books, graphic novels, puzzles, and language learning resources designed for children. It is available on the App Store and Google Play. Valid South Orange library cards required.
South Orange Public Library

Joe Krakoviak, Joyce Rudin, and Michelle Casalino were sworn in to West Orange Town Council on Jan. 6. Members selected Krakoviak as council president for 2025.
West Orange Patch

Free presentation discussing responsible outdoor lighting practices planned by West Orange library on Jan. 16. Steve Mariconda, a member of nonprofit DarkSky International, will lead the event from 6:30-8 p.m. and offer ways to avoid light pollution. Registration is not required.
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West Orange Public Library

Martin Luther King Jr. trivia and craft for children planned by West Orange library on Jan. 17. It is from 4-5 p.m. There will be prizes for trivia winners.
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West Orange Public Library

Book club meeting for adults planned by West Orange library on Jan. 17. Attendees will discuss “Symphony of Secrets” by Brendan Slocumb from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration is not required.
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West Orange Public Library

Free resume assistance for adults planned by Newark library on Jan. 16 in the Springfield Branch. It is from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Registration is not required.
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Newark Public Library

Public meeting planned by Newark police on Jan. 15 in the Central Ward and online. Fourth precinct substation officers will discuss trends, safety tips, quality of life issues, and upcoming events from 6-7 p.m. at IYO Center, 703 S. 12th St. in Newark.
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Newark Public Safety

Free workshop discussing ways to improve mental health planned by La Casa de Don Pedro on Jan. 16 in Newark. It is from 4-5:30 p.m. at 23 Broadway. Light refreshments served. Registration is required.
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La Casa De Don Pedro

Free resume assistance for adults planned by Newark library on Jan. 16 in the Springfield Branch. It is from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Registration is not required.
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Newark Public Library

Public meeting planned by Newark police on Jan. 15 in the Central Ward and online. Fourth precinct substation officers will discuss trends, safety tips, quality of life issues, and upcoming events from 6-7 p.m. at IYO Center, 703 S. 12th St. in Newark.
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Newark Public Safety

Free workshop discussing ways to improve mental health planned by La Casa de Don Pedro on Jan. 16 in Newark. It is from 4-5:30 p.m. at 23 Broadway. Light refreshments served. Registration is required.
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La Casa De Don Pedro

Irvington High School junior Sharifa Trocard set the school indoor track and field record at the JAMBAR Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational in New York City on Dec. 21. Trocard finished in fourth place. She qualifies for the Nike Indoor National Championships, scheduled for Mar. 13-16.
Essex News Daily

REGIONAL NEWS

NJ Transit is moving 1,600 employees from a building it owns on Raymond Boulevard to eight leased floors at 2 Gateway Center in Newark by the end of January. The agreement is contracted for 25 years and is expected to cost $506 million. Lawmakers, transit groups, and transit riders raised concerns about the timing and cost of the purchase in 2023, the same year NJ Transit announced a 15% fare increase and corporate transit fee to address financial gaps. The lease, signed July 2023, has been at the center of protests organized by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen’s union, which is the last rail union to settle a contract with NJ Transit.
NJ Advance Media