A proposal before the Maplewood Planning Board has renewed concerns about traffic, parking and pedestrian safety along Boyden Avenue.

For nearby residents, those concerns are part of everyday travel, especially when crossing the street.

At a recent discussion, a board member acknowledged the proposal’s potential and neighbors’ worries, while noting that rejecting the application would not fix existing street problems.

The board must distinguish impacts the proposal could cause from longstanding conditions that need a broader response from Maplewood officials.

That means examining how people would reach the site, where vehicles would park and how pedestrians would move nearby.

Residents deserve clear answers about what approval could improve and what would remain unresolved if the application is denied.

Whatever the board decides, Boyden Avenue’s safety challenges will still need attention.

Four candidates are seeking three seats on the nine-member South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education: Trish Azeez, Liz Callahan, Kevin Diaz and Will Meyer.

Former board member Annemarie Maini has endorsed Callahan and Meyer for reelection and Diaz for the third seat.

Maini, who served six years on the board, including two as president, says members need the judgment to question district proposals, weigh limited resources and explain difficult decisions to families.

She points to Callahan’s background in behavioral health and Meyer’s in special education law as strengths in addressing student needs and equitable opportunity.

She backs Diaz for his willingness to listen, learn and consider the wider community.

Azeez is also competing for a seat, giving Maplewood and South Orange voters a choice between returning members and new voices as they consider who will guide the district’s decisions.

At Columbia High School in Maplewood, crowded lunch periods have prompted a plan to give students more room outdoors.

The CHS Cougar Boosters hope to turn an overgrown, little-used courtyard into a place to eat and gather when the weather allows.

Volunteers have cleared vegetation, pruned trees and pulled weeds.

Next, the group plans to remove an old pond, add gravel or pebble ground cover, and install tables and seating.

The courtyard would supplement indoor dining, not replace it.

Because it connects to the auditorium, the space could also welcome families during concert and musical intermissions or serve other school events.

Community contributions would help pay for materials and supplies, though funding needs leave the timeline uncertain.

For students, the payoff would be simple: a comfortable place to sit, eat and take a break from crowded indoor spaces.

Maplewood is remembering Nanci Buscemi, a longtime resident, engineer and devoted neighbor who died October 1 at age 67.

The Township Committee honored her with a moment of silence at its October 6 meeting, where Mayor Vic De Luca described her as part of the Maplewood family.

Buscemi spent more than 30 years in town, raising her family and serving on the Zoning Board and, in retirement, the Historic Preservation Commission.

Born in Brooklyn, she earned a high school equivalency diploma, studied civil engineering at the College of Staten Island and later completed a master’s degree at Columbia University.

Her four-decade career included bridges, transportation projects and major buildings, alongside efforts to encourage young women and people of color to pursue STEM.

Her children, Steven and Allison Pearsall, and grandson, Hudson, were central to her life.

A celebration of her life was held October 10 in South Orange.

Recent collisions involving students traveling to or from school in Maplewood and South Orange have renewed concern about traffic safety.

None of the students was seriously injured, but the South Orange–Maplewood School District and police in both towns are urging families and drivers to take extra care.

Their message is shared: drivers should slow down near schools, watch for children and give crossings their full attention.

Students walking or biking should stay alert, look carefully before crossing and put their phones away.

Families can reinforce those habits at home and talk with children about where to cross and what to do after a collision.

Even without serious injuries, a collision can be frightening.

Safer school trips depend on everyone sharing the road and sidewalk, especially adults behind the wheel, paying attention.

For Maplewood families, Turtle Back Zoo in nearby West Orange offers a chance to see lemurs up close and learn why they need protection.

Opened in July 2026, the new habitat is home to ring-tailed, red ruffed and brown collared lemurs, as well as Aldabra giant tortoises.

In the wild, lemurs live only in Madagascar, where habitat loss and hunting threaten their survival.

The zoo’s commitment reaches beyond the exhibit: two grants totaling $10,900 will support conservation education near Madagascar’s Anja Community Reserve.

Funded through the Turtle Back Biodiversity Fund and a partnership with the Zoological Society of New Jersey, the grants will help provide classroom materials, festival activities and teacher training.

For families, a day at the zoo can spark a conversation about the animals they meet and the people working to protect them.

Tickets have been listed at $22 for adults and $19 for children ages 2 to 12 and adults over 62, with free admission for children under 2.

Check current prices and hours before visiting.