Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: What’s happening on Maplewood Avenue and around town this weekend?

Coming up on the Maplewood Patch calendar: KNIFE: The Attempted Murder of Salmon Rushdie (documentary)

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Greetings Maplewood! We're your go-to source for what's happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • What's happening on Maplewood Avenue and around town this weekend?
  • How Maplewood kids are helping revive the town's historic movie theater.
  • How local middle schoolers got a controversial book bag ban reversed.

Also on today's calendar: KNIFE: The Attempted Murder of Salmon Rushdie (documentary) and 11 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you call a belt that is made of watches? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Mostly cloudy and humid, with a high of 74 and low of 63 degrees.
  • Friday: An afternoon shower in spots, temps: high: 83, low: 58.
  • Saturday: Partly sunny and not as warm, with a high of 71 and low of 52 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Essex County Daily Buzz: Sep. 28, 2026 (jerseybee.org) — Maplewood residents have a busy week ahead, with a youth art workshop at the 1978 Maplewood Arts Center, a Motor Vehicle Commission mobile unit at the Community Center, and Maplewood Avenue closing Oct. 3 for a lively "Summer Streets" pedestrian plaza. The library is also hosting a fiber arts meetup, and families can tap local social-skills programming and more across South Orange and Essex County.
   

2. Maplewood Students Put Local Movie Theater In The Spotlight With New Film (patch.com) — Maplewood middle school filmmakers recently premiered a 15-minute documentary on the historic Maplewood Theater at Maplewood Memorial Library, drawing a standing-room-only crowd. Local leaders shared that renovations are underway and expressed hope the beloved cinema will reopen for its 100th anniversary in 2027, and residents can already watch the student film online.
   

3. With Reversal of Book Bag Ban, South Orange-Maplewood Middle Schoolers Learn Lesson in Advocacy (villagegreennj.com) — South Orange and Maplewood middle schoolers successfully pushed back against a new rule that banned backpacks and tote bags between classes, prompting the superintendent to reverse the policy within 10 days. Students organized petitions, shared concerns about accessibility and privacy, and ultimately won permission to carry string bags, gaining a real-world lesson in advocacy and civic engagement.
   

4. Librarian Jane Folger '81 Knows How to Turn Kids into Readers (princeton.edu) — Maplewood families are saying goodbye to beloved children's librarian Jane Folger, who just retired after nearly 30 years leading kids' services at the Maplewood Public Library. She helped drive a major renovation, built popular reading and art programs like the "Faces of Maplewood" wall, and became known for turning even reluctant readers into enthusiastic book lovers.
   

📸 Around Maplewood

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Maplewood

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • CHS Field Hockey celebrates its 50th year —Nicky Lazar Read on Patch
  • PNC posted a job opening for Part Time Teller in West Orange. Apply here.

Ok Maplewood! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A waist of time. (Thank you Martin L. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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