PARSIPPANY — On Saturday, October 27, in the midst of heavy rains, wind, and flooding, some thirty “Friends of Troy Meadows” gathered on Troy Meadow Road to pay tribute to the late Robert L. Perkins, Jr., founding Trustee and former President of Wildlife Preserves, Inc. During his lifetime, Mr. Perkins acquired and preserved some 6,000 acres of land in New Jersey. He played a vital role in preserving land and protecting wildlife in the Central Passaic Basin, from the Great Swamp to Great Piece Meadows.

A commemorative plaque mounted on a natural boulder was unveiled during a steady afternoon rain shower, while several people took the opportunity to speak of his life and his accomplishments.

Robert (Bob) Perkins was a humble, private man who never relished in taking credit for all the great things he accomplished. He leaves a legacy of thousands of acres of open space, purchased with private funds, at no cost to taxpayers.

The Robert Perkins Monument is located in Troy Meadows in Parsippany-Troy Hills.

Troy Meadows is a mix of meadows, fields, and forests containing a variety of common and endangered plant and animal communities and many biological features, ponds and vernal breeding pools. It is part of the Atlantic flyway and serves as a staging area for migratory waterfowl.  It is an exceptional resource for many species of fauna and flora and contains a dense population of avian and amphibian species, a particular haven for frogs, salamanders, and marsh birds. Troy Meadows is managed as a natural area and wildlife sanctuary and a favorite, famous place for bird watching.

Robert (Bob) Perkins passed away in June, 2017, just a few days shy of his ninetieth birthday.

Robert’s legacy is preserving vast freshwater marshland in the central Passaic River Basin from Great Swamp north to Black Meadows, Troy Meadows, and Great Piece Meadows.

Robert Perkins is the founding father of Wildlife Preserves, Inc., a private, nonprofit land conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of natural areas, open space, wildlife, and wildlife habitats for conservation, education, and research. He was an avid bird watcher and could recognize thousands of birds and hundreds of bird calls.

He was known for walking through swamps with a pair of binoculars and a canoe paddle to blaze his way. During his youth, he attended Putney Boarding School in Putney, Vermont and he graduated Yale University in 1955.

While still in college, he raised funds from, private philanthropists who loved birds; he charmed hundreds of land owners and bought thousands of acres of natural lands under the name of Wildlife Preserves, Inc.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service praised Bob Perkins regarding his accomplishment for consolidating hundreds of individual lots of land into one contiguous parcel at Troy Meadows. A letter written in 1960 by the Fish and Wildlife Service states, “(He) did what no one else was able to do before him.” Wildlife Preserves donated and sold property to other preservation groups, and in some cases its lands were taken by eminent domain to create many parks and forests in the Northeast. Parts of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuges, the Fire Island National Seashore and three Morris County Parks were saved and once owned and by Wildlife Preserves.

Mr. Perkins acquired marshlands from the Delaware Bay in Delaware and southern New Jersey, north through the Pine Barrens, along the central Passaic Basin to the Appalachian mountains of northern New Jersey, through New York State, and as far north as New Hampshire and Maine.

PARSIPPANY — The GFWC Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills is collecting used eyeglasses, hearing aids and jewelry to be donated to New Eyes for the Needy.

New Eyes for the Needy is a not for profit organization founded in 1932 to improve the vision of the poor.

New prescriptions eyeglasses are provided through a voucher program for Children and Adults in the United States who cannot afford glasses on their own. They operate primarily through volunteer efforts and are overseen by a Board of Trustees.

The Woman’s Club has placed collection boxes at Boiling Springs Saving Bank, 66 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha and Cerbo Lumber, 1855 Route 46, Parsippany.

Your donation will help the Woman’s Club help others.  For further information about the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills email womansclubofpth@gmail.com.

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany voters are out in droves voting for the candidates of their choice. Polls will be open until 8:00 p.m. this evening.

Mayor Mimi Letts was at St Christophers Church where she was volunteering as a voter challenger.

Parsippany polling locations:

District 1: Public Safety Training Academy
500 West Hanover Avenue, Morris Plains
Classroom 141

So what is a Challenger?
Challengers are appointed to observe the conduct of an election on behalf of a candidate; a political party or the proponents or opponents of a question.

The County Chairperson of each political party may appoint two challengers per election district. Candidates whose names appear on the ballot are automatically challengers. You have been provided with Candidate Challenger badges.

A candidate for election may appoint two challengers for each election district in which he/she is to be voted for, but only two challengers shall be allowed for each election district to represent all candidates nominated in and by the same petition. Those challengers must stay at the district to which they are appointed.

Unless express permission is given by the Board of Elections, not more than one challenger appointed for a party, candidate or a public question shall be present at one time in any polling place while serving and exercising the powers of a challenger and during the hours when the polls are open for voting. (NJSA 19:7-6.1) If permission is given to one party, candidate or public question, it must be granted to the opposition as well. A County Chairman can appoint up to 24 “at-large” challengers. The “at-large” challenger shall be issued a county-wide permit, which is to be presented to any poll worker within the county. When leaving the polling place the challenger must reclaim the permit in order to gain entry to any other polling place.

Challenger Credentials 
Appointment papers must indicate the challenger’s name, address, and district where they are challenging. Challengers must present their credentials to the poll worker who will post them. The challenger keeps the official challenger badge issued by the Board of Elections and must wear it to show that they are authorized to be in the polling place. Challengers must be registered to vote in the county in which the election is held and no appointed challenger shall serve in any district other than that to which appointed. If a challenger is to be moved to another district, or a new challenger is to be appointed, the original credentials must be returned to the Board of Elections and new credentials will be issued.

Challengers have the right and power to challenge the right of a person to cast a ballot, and the counting or rejecting of any ballot or any part of a ballot. (NJSA 19:7-5) The primary duty of a Challenger is to observe the election, keep a record of who votes, and challenge any voter for whom they have a reasonable basis to believe is not qualified to vote.

PARSIPPANY — The Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany cooked dinner for the clients of Homeless Solutions on Saturday, October 27.

The Kiwanis Club has been providing meals to Homeless Solutions for the past 17 years and have served over 7,000 meals. Members volunteer their time to shop, cook and serve the dinner.

This month, volunteers Ann Cucci, Carol Tiesi, Nicolas Limano and Kiwanis Past-President Frank Cahill prepared a nice hot delicious dinner.

The Littleton School K-Kids designed and made colorful placemats to dress up the tables at Homeless Solutions. They also made festive roll ups using fall decorated napkins. K-Kids Advisor Carol Tiesi also brought candy for the guests to enjoy after dinner.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany purchases all the food used by the volunteers.

The group of volunteers meet at Homeless Solutions to start preparing dinner for the guests in the transitional housing program. The group prepared a fresh fruit salad, tossed salad with a homemade dressing prepared by Ann Cucci, baked ziti with meatballs and rolls and served vanilla cheesecake for dessert. They also served iced tea and coffee. Other volunteer groups such as St. Ann’s Church, Kiwanis Club of Morristown, prepares dinner for the shelter on other days of the month. Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany has been providing meals to Homeless Solutions for the past eleven years.

Interested in learning more about the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, contact President Karen DeChristopher, by emailing karen.dechristopher@gmail.com.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany meets every Thursday at 7:15 a.m. at Empire Diner, 1315 Route 46. Join us for breakfast to learn more about our group of volunteers.

The mission of Homeless Solutions is to offer shelter, services, and supportive housing to homeless and low-income people. For the homeless and working poor in our community, hope begins at Homeless Solutions, Inc. Homeless Solutions is a private, non-profit organization, helping those in need for past 30 years. In 2012, they served 267 people by providing emergency shelter and transitional housing. Their case managers offer the support needed to help the guests rebuild their lives and successfully return to independent living. They also develop permanent supportive housing that is energy efficient for very low, low, and moderate income families and individuals. They provided homes people can afford to 119 people in 2012. By supporting HSI through financial donations or volunteering, they are making a tangible difference in the lives of those most in need in our community. For more information on Homeless Solutions, click here.

Three Reason to Donate to Homeless Solutions:

When you donate to Homeless Solutions, you make a tangible difference in the life of someone in need in our community. Your donations –

Buy milk for children living in shelter.
Pay for childcare so a single parent can work.
Pay for gas for our shelter vans that take guests to public transportation to get to work and to medical appointments.

Click here to make a donation to Homeless Solutions.

PARSIPPANY — Wise Animal Rescue held a “Pancake” Fundraiser at Applebee’s, 1057 Route 46.

Many animal lovers attended the fundraiser and enjoyed the Applebee’s Breakfast consisting of Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage and a beverage.

Wise Animal Rescue (W.A.R.) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the well-being of dogs of all breeds. We are comprised of a network of caring people with a grassroots approach working towards a world where no dog is neglected, abused, or homeless.

W.A.R. rescues dogs of all ages and breeds from unsafe environments as well as those who are abandoned or surrendered. Partnering with veterinary practices that support their work, they are able to save dogs’ lives and restore them back to health. Central to their mission is to ensure that all dogs are spayed/neutered, up to date on shots, and microchipped. Dogs are placed into responsible loving foster homes to be socialized and trained until they can be placed in a safe, permanent home.

W.A.R. invests time and energy into the raising of awareness, education, and advocacy on behalf of neglected, surrendered, and abandoned dogs. Included in their mission is to make the public aware of the myriad of problems resulting from backyard breeding, puppy mills, and the cruel and inhumane practice of dog baiting and dog fighting. Specifically, we are committed to advocating for and educating about dogs categorized as bully breed mixes that suffer an undeserved negative image which results in them facing unwarranted and unjust prejudice.

For more information on adopting or fostering a dog from Wise Animal Rescue, click here.

PARSIPPANY — The GFWC Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills is collecting used eyeglasses, hearing aids and jewelry to be donated to New Eyes for the Needy.

New Eyes for the Needy is a not for profit organization founded in 1932 to improve the vision of the poor.  New prescriptions eyeglasses are provided through a voucher program for Children and Adults in the United States who cannot afford glasses on their own.

They operate primarily through volunteer efforts and are overseen by a Board of Trustees.

The Woman’s Club has placed collection boxes at Boiling Springs Saving Bank, 66 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha and Cerbo Lumber, 1855 Route 46 East.

Your donation will help the Woman’s Club help others.  For further information about the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills email womansclubofpth@gmail.com.