Earthquake on April 5 nearly breaks a record but has no tragic consequences

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Yesterday, New Jersey experienced an unexpected geological phenomenon – a 4.7 magnitude earthquake. This nearly broke the record of the 1783 earthquake in Rockaway Township, with a 5.3 magnitude. The April 5, 2024 earthquake was a once-in-a-lifetime event. The magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Tewksbury was the most significant to impact North Jersey since 1884, when an Aug. 10 earthquake somewhere near Jamaica Bay toppled chimneys and moved houses off their foundations as far as Rahway. READ MORE

State to Experience 90 percent Eclipse Monday Afternoon

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New Jersey is not in the path of totality for the solar eclipse that will occur on April 8, 2024, but the state will observe a significant partial eclipse. For about 45 minutes, the majority of the Sun’s disk will be obscured in New Jersey by the new moon as it transits in its orbit around Earth. Cape May Lighthouse will experience 84 percent totality, while locations west and north will see higher totality. High Point State Park in Sussex County will experience 93 percent totality. For comparison, New Jersey experienced between 70-80 percent of totality during the Great American Eclipse of 2017. READ MORE

Highland Park 5k Race & Spring Street Fair Coming on Sunday May 5

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The Highland Park annual 5k race and Spring Street Fair, organized by Main Street Highland Park and the Highland Park Recreation Department, are back this year on Sunday May 5. The 5k race, which is a fundraiser for the Highland Park Public Schools’ PTO, kicks off the day of fun at 9:00 am. Race organizers are seeking race registrants for both the full 5k and kids’ races (Click here to register for the races), event sponsors (Click here to be a sponsor), event volunteers (Click here to sign up to volunteer), and PTO donations (Click here to donate to the HP Schools PTOs). After the race, the Spring Street Fair goes from 11:30 am – 4:30 pm. Head downtown to Raritan Avenue for three full blocks of food, music, performers, vendors, and the annual Earth Day event organized by Sustainable Highland Park! READ MORE

Middlesex College Offers Certificate Program Community Journalism Free Tuition and Open to Anyone Including High School Students

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Middlesex College is launching a certificate program this summer, starting June 2024, to train students to become active contributors to local news in Middlesex County. Middlesex College is one of just four community colleges selected by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) and Journalism + Design at The New School (J+D) to co-develop and launch certificate programs in community journalism across the state. The noncredit program is free and open to anyone interested in participating (including high school students) thanks to a $40,000 grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) and Journalism + Design at The New School (J+D). The program will run as a pilot for two years. The eight-week course will be taught by Middlesex College faculty – History Professor Cristobal Espinoza-Wulach and English Professor Melissa Edwards – and will teach students how to produce compelling content based on the issues that shape their communities. READ MORE

Main Street Highland Park Celebrates Community with its Renowned Winter Farmers Market on Friday March 1 and Fridays throughout March from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Message from Main Street Highland Park:Fresh fabulous food combined with joyful activities defines Highland Park’s Farmers Winter Market on Friday March 1! The Winter Market is open every Friday through March 29 from 11:00 – 4:00. (Starting in April, the Market will be open until 5:00 pm.)   For more updates about the Market throughout the off-season, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

The vendor of the week is Amazing Sourdough.We are excited to welcome a new vendor this week, Amazing Sourdough! This brother and sister team offers delicious home baked sourdough goods. Their breads are hand made in small batches using unbleached and unbromated flour with no additives or preservatives. READ MORE

NJ Motor Vehicle Commission Mobile Unit Coming to Highland Park March 4 through March 8, 2024 for REAL ID and Registration Renewal

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NJ Motor Vehicle Commission and the Borough of Highland Park invite you to the upcoming indoor Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) mobile unit event, Community Center, 220 South Sixth Avenue, Highland Park, NJ 08904, March 4-March 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The MVC event will be dedicated to issuing REAL ID licenses, as well as renewing vehicle registrations. 

No walk-ins allowed. Please register via the links below: first one for REAL ID; second one for vehicle registration. 

REAL ID: https://telegov.njportal.com/njmvc/AppointmentWizard/225

REGISTRATION RENEWAL: https://telegov.njportal.com/njmvc/AppointmentWizard/262

A REAL-ID compliant driver’s license will be needed for persons who want to fly within the U.S. effective May 2025, unless they have a U.S. Passport. To see what documentation is necessary for obtaining a REAL ID, please visit: https://www.nj.gov/mvc/realid/selector.html

 

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Parents and Students Are Tired of Being Tired – Earlier School Start Times for Bartle and Irving Schools Keeps Many Awake at Night with Worry

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Monday night Feb. 26, 7 p.m. (Highland Park Middle School Cafeteria,330 Wayne Street), the Highland Park School Board will hear exhaustive accounts about exhaustion. Bartle Elementary students in particular are exhausted from the very early school opening time that was implemented in September 2023. Their parents are exhausted from waging a long and thus far futile battle against the early opening. And now Highland Park High School students – who are not exhausted thanks to the 9:02 a.m. high school opening – intend to wage a tireless battle to support their younger siblings and friends by persuading the district to give every student a later school opening. READ MORE

Vote by Mail, Vote in Person, just Vote: a Guide to the Rules and Deadlines Pertinent to the June 4, 2024 Primary Election

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The 2024 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The 2024 Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. There are a few changes to New Jersey Vote-By-Mail for 2024. Here’s a brief guide to voting by mail in this year’s elections in New Jersey. Eligibility: All active registered voters are entitled to vote by mail.  Unaffiliated mail-in voters must declare their party affiliation with the Democratic Party or the Republican Party to vote in the June 4, 2024 Primary Election. READ MORE

NJ Senior Freeze Program is Warming Up for 2024 – Get Reimbursed for Property Tax Increases

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The Senior Freeze Program reimburses eligible senior citizens and disabled persons for property tax or mobile home park site fee increases on their principal residence (main home). To qualify, you must meet all the eligibility requirements for each year from the base year through the application year. Eligibility requirements, including income limits, and benefits available for all property tax relief programs are subject to change by the State Budget. 2023 Applications

We began mailing Senior Freeze applications on February 12, 2024. If you do not receive your booklet by late March, you may contact us. READ MORE

New Year Begins with New Grant Program for Real Estate Developers that May Help Highland Park’s Revitalization Plans

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The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board ended the year by approving a new $20 million pilot program to support rising real estate developers. The Emerging Developer Fund will help developers gain access to capital and build additional capacity to expand their existing portfolio. Access to capital for small-scale developers in the real estate development industry continues to be a challenge. These barriers are due to predatory lending, excessive carrying costs, and predevelopment expenses a developer may encounter. These predevelopment costs are necessary for the developer to incur before they can seek short-term construction financing. READ MORE