The Village is also in the process of hiring a consultant who specializes in traffic calming and bike- and pedestrian-friendly improvements to update the Village’s bike-lane network and identify where bike lanes should go throughout town.

With rain in the forecast after the heat wave, Mayor Sheena Collum reminded the public that all the work that is left is weather dependent. Since the Village is targeting the first week of July for opening, she said, “Here’s keeping fingers crossed.”

On Monday evening, some residents in South Orange, including Mayor Sheena Collum, were without power and PSEG crews were working to get the power back on while she was in the Village Council’s virtual meeting using her cell phone’s hot-spot for wifi and a back-up battery pack to keep her phone charged.

Township officials affirmed their determination to meet the goal. “We need to start talking about housing production in New Jersey as lifecycle housing,” said TC member Dean Dafis. “Lifecycle housing is housing justice. It’s housing equity.”

Supt. Jason Bing: New district protocols are aimed at supporting student wellness and engagement and improving school climate, minimizing digital distractions and creating a better balance between screen time and face-to-face interactions.

With the school year at an end, a grassroots group of parents have brought the SOMA Bike Bus movement to almost every elementary school in the district and are adding more and more riding events.