Three candidates are running for two Maplewood Township Committee seats in 2024: incumbents Nancy Adams and Jamaine Cripe, and Malia Herman. The primary election is on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. The general election takes place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Read all of our Election Coverage here.
As longtime residents, experienced professionals, and parents of thriving next-generation Maplewoodians, voting in the upcoming Democratic primary is one of the most impactful decisions we can make. To ensure our town government has the leadership in place to move our community forward – with shared Democratic values, yet thoughtful and balanced enough to make the tough decisions that face our community – we encourage you to cast your vote for Township Committee on June 4 for Malia, and only Malia. Malia Herman is that leader.
Our families have lived in Maplewood 24+ and 16+ years, respectively, with kids ranging from 4th grade through college – all homegrown, current, and proud alums of our school district. Youth recreation sports programs have long been a beacon for lifelong skills, friendships and overall wellness and remain a top priority during uncertain times. For the generation of COVID, this was a critical lifeline during and remains especially so after the pandemic. Now it is a frontline tool in combating the screens epidemic and ensuring mental and physical wellness and connection for everyone. Not to mention, our athletic events – through heartache and victory – are some of the best experiences our town has to offer.
We, like many parents, have spent countless hours coaching, leading, cheering… and driving more miles than we can count to get our kids to playable fields. Many of us value physical activity in our daily lives and utilize our green spaces for this purpose. It is joyful to see our parks and recreation areas full of organized sports in Fall and Spring… but it is also beyond disappointing to have so many sunny days, after any rainfall, where we receive countless “Fields Closed” notifications – while just down the road in Union, Irvington, Springfield, Millburn, Livingston, West Orange and Newark those communities are alive and active and able to carry on because those towns have provided their young athletes with reliable playable fields.
We are proud parents of Columbia High School student-athletes who excel in the classroom and on the field, whose character and resilience comes from defeat and victory, but also from having to persevere when presented with cancelled practices, games, and rescheduling – all while their competing rival towns have uninterrupted practice and play, and the ability to improve their skills and bond with teammates.
We have also unfortunately had visits to doctors’ offices healing injuries from trips and falls from the poor conditions of our inadequately maintained local recreation fields – which is where most of our daughters and other female student athletes from CHS have been forced to play due to lack of facilities.
Like us, Malia is a parent of a female student athlete. On the sidelines, she is there – and understands the importance of ensuring our girls have safe access to playable fields that empower and celebrate their spirit and development. Malia supports ensuring equity in sports and our town facilities, as well as recognizing the gap in partnership that currently exists between our town leaders and school administrators. Despite raising a family of her own and juggling multiple responsibilities, Malia chose to run for office because she cares. She is a longtime community volunteer with an impressive background of professional experience covering politics in Washington, D.C. She understands how to balance differing opinions, research facts, and build consensus. She is one of Maplewood’s biggest cheerleaders.
This is why Malia stood with us, the majority of elected officials on both governing bodies in Maplewood and South Orange, the entire nine-person BOE, 12 local youth sports organizations and so many other parents and students to support the installation of a modern multi-purpose turf field on Columbia High School property, which had been overwhelmingly supported by voters in 2019 as part of the Long Range Facilities Plan to expand field access on school property. As reported by the Village Green on March 18, 2024, both of Malia’s opponents in this race voted to block the project.
Ritzer Field is not a Maplewood Park. Ritzer sits on school property at CHS and embodies rare available space that can be better utilized as an all-weather, all-season outdoor field option for CHS physical education classes. As an additional sports field, it would ease the over-use of our town fields as well as Underhill, the school’s only other athletic field. It would also provide a reliable, available year-round field for softball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, ultimate, and marching band as well as the 2000 CHS students who would be able to use it for PE. For years, our female athletes have been relegated to train and play on town fields a mile+ away in South Orange and Maplewood parks. For years the issue has been studied, debated, and researched. Taxpayer money has been spent and our fields have not improved. In 2019, the Board of Education recognized this, voted FOR and already paid for the plans to improve Ritzer through an omnibus bond.
Instead, today Ritzer sits as a hazardous “playing field” with tripping hazards in divots, tree roots growing natural grass and weeds, with ineffective plastic “turf blankets” covering the field in winter months. It is an eyesore along Valley Street that ironically has posters showcasing our pride for Cougar athletes.
Balance and responsible government require leaders who are equipped to navigate complex times, budgets, and our collective priorities. Our town tried organic grass fields, but they are not fiscally attainable, nor do they meet the growing needs of our community, as evidenced by the fact that the town has stopped this practice.
Our fields and outdoor recreation space are meant to be enjoyed and filled with kids laughing and playing – not closed for days on end and covered with plastic sheets. To date, nobody has come up with a plan to make that happen. Malia will be the one to get this done, providing access for all with respect for climate, all abilities, optimal mental health, and wellness, with the high-level recreational facilities our town deserves.
Vote for Malia Herman for Township Committee on June 4, or earlier if you vote by mail or elect to cast your ballot during early voting, starting May 29.
Carol V. Fardin and Dina Roskin, MA, EdS
Maplewood residents
