Highland Park Planet (https://highlandparkplanet.org/category/local-news/page/22/)
In court and in meeting rooms, Highland Park Council members, planning staff, and attorneys have been meeting with the owner of the Buck Woods property (Jack Morris of JSM Properties) and his attorneys in an effort to come to a resolution about how to redevelop the site. i READ MORE
The Reformed Church of Highland Park (RCHP) has made a commitment to pursue GreenFaith’s Water Shield, “an environmental merit badge.” Earning the Water Shield means that a faith-based institution has taken steps to conserve water, protect water quality, and mobilize its members and neighbors to take similar steps in their own households or groups. Pictured is Dr. Catherine Stanford,, one of the volunteers working on earning the Water Shield. READ MORE
Businesses guilty of Wage Theft – or failing to pay their workers the wages the workers have already earned – will be unable to get a business license in Highland Park, thanks to an ordinance passed by HP Council on Tuesday, June 9, 2015. Pictured are audience members at the June 9th council meeting who were advocating for passage of the ordinance. READ MORE
This week’s Borough Briefs column covers the gamut of local news including: a plea for sponsorship of the fireworks; the honoring of and great praise for certain Highland Park police officials; and new trash pickup pilot program; and the swearing in of a new police officer Daniel Ramos (pictured with Police Chief Steven Rizco). READ MORE
Update: The Raspa family would like the funeral on Thursday, June 4 to be open to the public. The initial information from the State Police indicated a closed funeral, but apparently that only applied to the media. The Planet just confirmed this information with the most recent State Police update. Visitation is on June 3, Wednesday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Law enforcement agencies are welcome to send members to join funeral detail. Official Obituary appears in “Milestones.” READ MORE
Memorial Day Celebration
Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler led the community’s Memorial Day salute to our nation’s heroes with the following message:
What is a hero? What is it that makes a man or a woman the kind of person who sacrifices their time, or makes the ultimate sacrifice, in order that we, the residents of Highland Park, should be able to live our day-to-day lives without worry for our safety. What lies behind the character of the person who selflessly rushes out of their comfortable home and into a stranger’s burning home? When an alarm sounds, or a beeper goes off, what is it about the person who stops whatever they are doing and rushes off to help start the heart of a resident in trauma? What is it that makes a person forget about the safety of his or her own life to race into a police car in order to protect the life and property of a victim they do not even know. READ MORE
Quick Takes are local news items brought up at the Borough Council meeting and/or under discussion on the streets of Highland Park and on Facebook. The discussion of the week of May 18 was dominated by the water main break on Raritan Avenue that still has the town under a boil water advisory. READ MORE
Construction of The Habitat for Humanity home on South 10th Avenue is about to begin – thanks to the generosity of the residents of Highland Park which donated the property to Habitat. The project will feature a new online fund-raising mechanism. READ MORE
This week’s blotter item involves a truck fire – no injuries, no charges. READ MORE
Rite Aid, on the corner of Fourth and Raritan Avenues, walled over many of its exterior windows as part of a renovation. READ MORE