Follow local news and events in East Orange with The Jersey Bee. Here is The Daily Buzz for Dec. 5, 2024 from The Jersey Bee.
LOCAL NEWS
East Orange, Irvington, and Orange residents can attend a virtual listening session planned by Rep. LaMonica McIver on Dec. 10. Participants will share their needs and expectations from U.S. Congress with McIver at 5:30 p.m. Registration is required.
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Rep. LaMonica McIver
Tree lighting and ice skating event planned by East Orange on Dec. 12. The event is from 4:30-9 p.m. at City Hall Plaza. Open skating begins at 5 p.m. and youth ages 5-17 must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Skates provided.
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East Orange City
Non-fiction book club meeting for adults planned by East Orange library on Dec. 12. Members will discuss “The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston at 5 p.m. Register by email.
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East Orange Public Library
Essex County residents can register for English for Speakers of Other Languages online classes on Dec. 12 at Maplewood library. Registration is from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the library’s Hilton Branch. Registration is also from 1-3 p.m. at 90 Broad St. in Bloomfield on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Beginner and intermediate classes are from January to March. Students must show two forms of ID and a Gmail account to register. Registration is $25.
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Maplewood Public Library
Community and labor coalition mixer planned at First Congregational Church on Dec. 12 in Montclair. Community and labor organizations will discuss movement-building at 6 p.m.
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North NJ Democratic Socialists of America
Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission postponed its vote to begin construction on a fourth fossil fuel plant in Ironbound to an undetermined date. Community organizations have sent more than 750 emails urging the PVSC to withdraw its permit application. The next PVSC meeting is open to the public and scheduled virtually for Dec. 12 at 12 p.m.
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Ironbound Community Corporation
REGIONAL NEWS
New Jersey social service workers have seen a 33% increase in caseloads since 2019, but the workforce dropped 3.2%, leading to burnout and a delay in benefits, according to a Communications Workers of America report. The report surveys nearly 600 CWA members and found that low pay is the biggest reason counties struggle to hire and retain workers who help people apply for Medicaid, food assistance, and veterans benefits.
NJ Spotlight News
Eviction is the leading cause of homelessness in Essex County and N.J., according to Monarch Housing Associates’ 2024 “point in time” report. In Essex County, between 2023 and 2024, homelessness by “soft” eviction — being asked to leave a residence — increased nearly 21% and homelessness by eviction increased 76%. The report counted 2,451 homeless people in Essex County in 2024, an increase of 856 people since 2023, which represents nearly 20% of the state’s homeless population.
New Jersey Monitor
