“I applaud you for continuing to lean into this,” Maplewood Township Committee person Dean Dafis told the Board of Ed, “especially right now in the climate that we’re in — cultural and legal attacks against the LGBTQ community, especially against our trans youth.”

At a special meeting on June 25, Maplewood Township presented a modified design of the all inclusive playground plans for Maplecrest Park.

Officials stressed that Parker Avenue was not being singled out but was the beginning of a network of dedicated bike lanes throughout the town — should the plan move forward.

The NYPD announced a $30,000 combined reward for information leading to the arrest, indictment and/or conviction of a 21-year-old Maplewood man who police allege to have set fire to police vehicles in Brooklyn on June 12.

Work by NJ American Water on lead pipe replacement has prompted full closure of the major access road along its eastern end in Maplewood.

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.