Friday, April 26, 2024
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Robert “Bo” P. Rizzolo, 76, passed away

PARSIPPANY — Robert “Bo” P. Rizzolo, 76, passed away on Friday, April 22 at his home.

He was born in Newark and resided there for 32 years before moving to Parsippany in 1971.

Bo was a dedicated Police Officer. He began his law enforcement career with the Newark Police Department where he worked from 1967 until 1971. He then went on to join the Parsippany Police Department where he worked for 27 years before retiring in 1998 as Detective.

Bo was an avid collector of coins and enjoyed fishing on the lake in his backyard. He loved entertaining in his home and spending time with his family.

He was pre-deceased by his mother and father, Lucille and Peter Rizzolo, and his sisters Jovina Simonelli and Marlena Sanchez.

Survivors include his sons, Peter and his wife, Maria of Randolph, Bobby and his wife, Kelly of Mine Hill and Marc of Parsippany; his daughter, Laura of Montville; his step-children, Lori Ann and Frank Badan; his sisters, Rosemarie Bispo of Edison and Porsha Meoli and her husband, Rocco of California; his grandchildren: Kyle, Brandon, Haley, Nicholas, Julia and Ariana; he is also survived by his many nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Funeral Service at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26, at Par-Troy Funeral Home, 95 Parsippany Road. Cremation: Private. Visiting Hours are on Monday from 4:00 p.m.to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his memory to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. 901 E Street, NW (Suite 100), Washington, DC 20004-2025.

 

Woman’s Club to hold 35th annual Golf Outing

PARSIPPANY — The Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills (WCPTH) will host its 35th annual Tee Off for Education Golf Classic and Luncheon Social on Tuesday, July 12 at the Knoll Country Club West.

Golfers will enjoy a continental breakfast, 18 holes of golf, putting contest, green and cart fees, buffet luncheon and more for only $100.00

Anyone interested in the social and luncheon only is welcome to attend for $35.00 per person.

There will also be a tricky tray and 50/50.

The club is accepting contributions for door prizes or tricky tray baskets, or sponsorships for the fundraiser.

The fundraiser benefits WCPTH’S Scholarship and Education Fund. All of the money raised goes back to Parsippany students (open to both male and female students) in educational programs such as scholarships to graduating high school seniors, Citizenship Awards to graduating eighth graders, and fifth-grade reading awards.

In addition, and for the second year in a row, the club provides a young woman from the Jersey Battered Women’s Services’ network a scholarship to further her education.

To make a contribution or to attend the event, call Lois at (973) 887-6627 or mail a check to: WCPTH Golf Outing, P.O. Box 98, Parsippany, NJ 07054.

The Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills is a member of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs of GFWC (NJSFWC), which is the largest volunteer women’s service organization in the state, providing opportunities for education, leadership training, and community service.

For club information, call Cathy at (973 984-0758 or email the club by clicking here.

You can also visit their website by clicking here.

Township Council passes resolution approving Alpha Dog Solutions

PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council passed a resolution 3-2 approving the services of Alpha Dog Solutions. Council Vice President Robert Peluso and Councilman Paul Carifi, Jr., voted against the resolution.

AlphaDog Solutions, Inc. provides a variety of technical services relating to the installation and maintenance of hardware, software and communications facilities relating to the operation of the Township’s website, www.parsippany.net.

In recent years, the Council voted against using the services of AlpaDog Solutions, although the Administration “negotiated” special terms to fall under the amount of $17,500, which doesn’t require approval of the council.

AlphaDog Solutions is the owner of certain software known as “The Cyber Clerk Program,” which is a combination of proprietary software and internet based applications that facilitate the operations of governmental entities and the interaction of governmental entities with its citizenry. This means that Parsippany-Troy Hills “does not” own the technology and if the Township ever wanted to switch services, the site would have to redesigned.

The contract states “maintain it’s website through December 31, 2016 at a monthly fee of $1,995.00.”  The fee includes a monthly hosting fee of $95.00.  The total value of the resolution is $23,900.00.

According to Ellen Sandman, the Business Administrator, AlphaDog was paid $17,100.00 for services in 2015. The administration can bypass the Council if the total paid to the vendor is under $17,500.00, thus overriding the defeated 2015 resolution.

Council President Louis Valori said “It makes absolutely no sense to replace a website administrator who has a proven history with our township in keeping our information systems current in the most efficient, effective and economical manner as possible.”   

“AlphaDog has consistently been proactive and responsive to the information technology needs of this Township and works in close coordination with our Business Administrator, Chief Financial officers and other executive staff members,” he continued.

In response to voting against the resolution, Council Vice President Robert Peluso said “I respect AlphaDog for their quality of service that several employees noted, but from prior discussions with the Mayor, our contracts should be openly discussed and transparent.  This contract was not put out to bid and shared services were not reconsidered.  After spending close to $24,000, the Council is still not informed who performs and how much our taxpayers pay for social media management and achieving. I strongly believe we need to be 100% transparent to our taxpayers and our online media is a great way to provide our taxpayers with information.”

The resolution states “AlphaDog Solutions, Inc. has submitted a Business Entity Disclosure Certification, which Certification provides that they have not made any reportable contributions to candidate committees, joint candidate committees, joint candidates committees or political party committees representing the elected officials of the Township in the one year period preceding the award of the Contract, and that the Contract will prohibit AlphaDog Solutions from making any reportable contributions through the term of the contract that would bar the award of this Agreement pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.5 et seq.”

It also states “Business Entity Disclosure Certification further provides that AlphaDog Solutions, Inc. has not made any and will not make any contributions or solicit any contribution of money or pledge of a contribution in violation of Township Ordinance 10:02 (Municipal Code Part 1, Chapter 12); and AlphaDog Solutions, Inc. has completed and submitted a Political Contribution Disclosure Form and Stockholder Disclosure Certification, as required pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.6, not later than 10 days prior to entering into the contract.

Requests for comments from Mayor James Barberio, Councilman Michael dePierro and Paul Carifi, Jr., and Councilwoman Loretta Gragnani went unanswered.

AlphaDog Solutions is located at 335 Union Avenue, Belleville and also creates websites for North Bergen Police Department, the Borough of Raritan, Township of Lyndhurst, North Bergen, the Borough of Roselle and North Bergen Public Library as well as other locations.

The Parsippany Board of Education, recently revealed their new website, which was designed by West’s Education group, part of West Corporation, a provider of SchoolMessenger solutions. Thousands of schools and other educational institutions in all 50 U.S. states and Canada depend on SchoolMessenger products and services for community engagement in multiple languages and on any device. West’s Education Group is located in Scotts Valley, California.

 

 

Music Technology Center to Carry Name of College’s Second President

RANDOLPH — The County College of Morris Board of Trustees held a dedication ceremony on Thursday, April 21 to mark the naming of the college’s new Music Technology Center in honor of Dr. Edward J. Yaw, CCM’s second president, who will be retiring this summer.

Attending the celebration were members of the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, faculty, students, staff and friends of the college.

Dr. Yaw (third from left) with CCM Trustees (l-r) Jeff Advokat, Thomas. Pepe, Paul Licitra, Michael Van Allen, Lance Tkacs and Barbara L. Hadzima. Credit: Farlekas Photography
Dr. Yaw (third from left) with CCM Trustees (l-r) Jeff Advokat, Thomas. Pepe, Paul Licitra, Michael Van Allen, Lance Tkacs and Barbara L. Hadzima.
Credit: Farlekas Photography

“It is a pleasure and honor to be dedicating this building to Dr. Yaw, who has served as CCM’s president for 30 years and is currently the longest-serving county college president in New Jersey,” said Paul Licitra, vice chair of the Board of Trustees.

“During his tenure, Dr. Yaw, through his vision and leadership, has guided CCM’s development as one of the top community colleges in the state. As a result of his stewardship and service, CCM has one of the highest combined transfer and graduation rates among community colleges in New Jersey, and our students benefit from first-class facilities, such as those housed in this center, allowing them to take advantage of the most-up-to-date learning opportunities.”

The dedication was marked with the unveiling of a portrait of Yaw that will hang in the first-floor of the Music Technology Center. On behalf of the faculty, Dr. Stephen Kaifa also presented a plaque noting the achievements of Yaw.

Following that presentation, attendees had the opportunity to tour the building and then attend the college’s Spring Music Concert, at which Yaw joined the Chamber Choir’s performance.

“As someone with a deep passion for music and the performing arts, the dedication of the Music Technology Center in my name is particularly meaningful,” said Yaw.

“I am deeply honored that this wonderful facility has been selected to recognize my time here, which has been profoundly rewarding and meaningful. I have been fortunate through the years to work with a dedicated faculty, motivated students and a devoted staff.”

The two-story, 22,500-square-foot Edward J. Yaw Music Technology Center was completed earlier this year and opened this Spring Semester. The facility was constructed at a total cost of $8.5 million.

Of that amount, $5.3 million was provided through the Building our Future Bond Act approved by New Jersey voters in 2012 and additional funding came from the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Included on the first floor of the center are an experimental theater lab with recording studio, a second instructional recording studio, electronic music/aural comprehensive classroom, general classroom, scene shop and dressing room.

Located on the second floor are multiple student practice rooms, piano lab, faculty offices, general classroom, multipurpose room and a seating area.

The academic programs housed in the center are Dance, Electronic Music, Music, Music Recording and Musical Theatre.

 

Limanov featured on CBS News

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany resident Nicolas Limanov was featured on Channel 2 CBS News on Thursday, April 21 at 11:00 p.m. newscast. Click here to view the newscast.

Photo by Anthony Despirito (C) Parsippany Focus
Photo by Anthony Despirito (C) Parsippany Focus

The reporter, Tracee Carrasco, interviewed Nick and Anthony Despirito at Kafe Mozart, 2900 Route 10 on Thursday filming a segment for the evening newscast.  On Monday, Nick jumped into action to rescue a driver from a burning car in the Powder Mill West Shopping Center, as first reported in Parsippany Focus. (Click here to view article).

The newscast from CBS News stated:

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Without thinking twice about their own safety, good Samaritans jumped into action to rescue a driver from a burning car in New Jersey.

A Monday evening shift at Kafe Mozart in Parsippany was anything but routine for 20-year-old Nicolas Limanov and 17-year-old Anthony Despirito.

“I heard a call over my radio that I carry as an emergency responder in town, that there was an unconscious man in the parking lot of our plaza,” Limanov explained, speaking exclusively with CBS2’s Tracee Carrasco.

Limanov, a volunteer with the community emergency response team, and Despirito spotted smoke in the parking lot.

Moments later the Blue 2003 SAAB went up in flames with a 22-year-old man inside.

Limanov didn’t hesitate.

“I was able to do it just in time before a lot of fuel leaked out and the flames got worse, so it was seconds to spare, but it was done,” he said.

Nick will be honored by the Lakeland Hills YMCA  as Parsippany’s Citizen of the Year on Wednesday, May 11.

Nicolas is a volunteer extraordinaire, actively participating in numerous Parsippany activities and organizations. He truly embodies the phrase “service about self” in everything he does.

He is a first responder for the Parsippany Office of Emergency Management, which is under the umbrella of the Parsippany Police Department.

He is a board member and participant with the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce.

Nicolas is also an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, and is the Chairman of “Touch a Truck,” which is one of the largest fundraisers for the club.

He is out in the cold shoveling snow for his elderly neighbors; he clears fire hydrants to help fellow first responders. While focusing on a career in criminal justice, he hopes to one day work in law enforcement. From cooking at Homeless Solutions to saving lives, Nicolas does all this and still hasn’t turned the ripe old age of 21!

Most recently, Nicolas helped save an individual from a car fire, working with another Good Samaritan. He makes Parsippany a better place to live, and is more than deserving of the Lakeland Hills YMCAs Parsippany Citizen of the Year.

Nick is a graduate of Parsippany High School Class of 2013 and currently is attending County College of Morris.

See related article, by clicking here.

 

Think the message is clear?

PARSIPPANY — This Lake Shore Drive, Lake Parsippany, resident, left a message for his mailman and others who walk across the lawn.

Breaking news: Female held hostage in Lakeview Gardens

IMG_8600
Lakeview Gardens

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department received a call at approximately 3:30 a.m. Thursday, April 21 on a female being held hostage by a male with a knife in Lakeview Garden Apartments, 200 Vail Road.

Police from surrounding towns, including Roxbury, Randolph, Morris County Prosecutors Office, Morris County K9 Unit, Morris County Sheriffs Emergency Response Team were called to the scene.

Reports that the male was apprehended and the female was not harmed.

There is no harm to the general public.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department was still at the scene on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m.

As Parsippany Focus receives additional information, we will update this breaking news.

Rockaway’s Iron Masters Support Sierchio for Sheriff

PARSIPPANY — Rockaway Leaders come out to pledge their whole-hearted support for Regular Republican Sheriff candidate, John Sierchio, and ask all those from the Iron Town of Rockaway to do the same.  

Seven of the nine councilmen along with Mayor Dachisen met with Sierchio numerous times over the past weeks and feel confident in his vow to continue the fiscally conservative works laid out by Sheriff Rochford over the last 24 years.

Their concern which prompted the many meetings centered around the fact that most of the residents of the county have lived most of their adult life while Sheriff Rochford has been our Sheriff and thus have enjoyed the shared services approach that Rochford was known for.

The Morris County Sheriff’s Office, ranked in the top 1% of the nations 3.083 Sheriff’s offices, is known as the epitome of Shared Supportive Services which regionalizes the specialties in law enforcement so the individual towns don’t have to fund these units themselves. There has been overtures over the last three years by the Freeholder Board to dismantle the Sheriff’s Office throwing the responsibilities of these special services and their respective costs back to the towns.

Fiscal Rockaway leaders don’t want that and therefore, they are supporting the candidate who is not aligned with these same Freeholders, three of whom are up for re-election on Tuesday, June 7.

“I am not afraid to fight for the agency. It makes fiscal sense to keep the special units such as CIS, K9 and Bomb Squad regionalized. They are expensive units to maintain and there simply is not enough work for any one of those units to be a standalone unit in one or two towns. Like anything else, the skill sets improve with repetition and that’s why our officers make up a nationally ranked agency,” explains Sierchio. 

Councilman Don Reddin further describes Sierchio as the type of Sheriff we need in Morris County to stand up to the midnight deals that have been going on in the county lately. Commenting on Sierchio, “Doing the right thing isn’t always easy and often times puts a target on your back by those who are being exposed. John has proven himself to be the only candidate in this race who has put himself out there to do the right on behalf of the people. He will be a Sheriff for the people of Morris County not the establishment.” 

Councilman Frank Berman states it simply, “John Sierchio is the right man, for the right position, at the right time… I support John Sierchio.”

The Committee to elect John Sierchio as our next sheriff is hosting an open house at the Sierchio for Sheriff headquarters, 2932 Route 10 West, Parsippany, on Friday, April 29 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. All are welcome to come and enjoy some light refreshments and meet John Sierchio.

For more information on John Sierchio, click here

Nicolas Limanov named “Parsippany Citizen of the Year”

Nick Limanov at the RACES communication center
Nick Limanov at the RACES communication center

PARSIPPANY — The Lakeland Hills Family YMCA is proud to announce its annual award recipients, with a Citizen of the Year award for Nicolas Limanov and the high school Educator of the Year award for Parsippany High School’s own Briane DeGironimo.

Nicolas is a volunteer extraordinaire, actively participating in numerous Parsippany activities and organizations. He truly embodies the phrase “service about self” in everything he does.

He is a first responder for the Parsippany Office of Emergency Management, which is under the umbrella of the Parsippany Police Department.

He is a board member and participant with the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce.

Nicolas is also an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, and is the Chairman of “Touch a Truck,” which is one of the largest fundraisers for the club.

He is out in the cold shoveling snow for his elderly neighbors; he clears fire hydrants to help fellow first responders. While focusing on a career in criminal justice, he hopes to one day work in law enforcement. From cooking at Homeless Solutions to saving lives, Nicolas does all this and still hasn’t turned the ripe old age of 21!

Most recently, Nicolas helped save an individual from a car fire, working with another Good Samaritan. He makes Parsippany a better place to live, and is more than deserving of the Lakeland Hills YMCAs Parsippany Citizen of the Year.

Nick is a graduate of Parsippany High School Class of 2013 and currently is attending County College of Morris.

Briane DeGironimo is a math teacher at Parsippany High School by day, and a team track coach by afternoon and evening! Briane is a talented and dedicated educator, teaching challenging courses including AP Statistics. She keeps her students focused and motivated, a task not easily achieved. After school, Briane is the Head Coach for the PHS Cross Country, Winter Track, and Spring Track teams. Under her watch, not only have all the teams improved on their record, they also have more students participating in these sports than ever before. Her commitment to the sports program and her dedication to her students has resulted in historic ways. The Girls’ Cross Country team and the Girls’ Winter Track team both won the first state sectional titles in the history of these programs at PHS. Briane is a role model for her students, and for her student-athletes. She is always selfless and humble, and is the first one to volunteer for PHS extracurricular activities, including class coverage, dances, and even the dunk tank! Briane is that rare educator who always gives her best. She was selected as the Lakeland Hills YMCAs high school Educator of the Year, where only one educator in grades 9-12 is selected from all the high schools, both public and private, in ten Morris County communities. Being chosen is quite an honor, and Briane has certainly done justice to earn the award!

The Lakeland Hills Family YMCA, a community organization located in Mountain Lakes, serves the towns of Parsippany, Boonton, Boonton Township, Denville, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Montville, Mountain Lakes, Pequannock, and Riverdale.

With a mission to strengthen the foundations of community, the Y recognizes individuals, groups, and corporations for their commitment to giving back to others. The Parsippany award recipients will be honored on Wednesday, May 11 at 6:00 p.m. at the Knoll Country Club West.

All honorees, their guests, and the community at large, is invited to attend the dinner. Parsippany is an integral part of the Ys community, not only recognizing Nicolas and Briane, but also is honored to have the Parsippany High School jazz ensemble play during the cocktail hour the night of their Awards Presentation.

Questions regarding the honorees and the Annual Dinner and Awards Presentation may be addressed to Rosemary Linder Day, Community Relations Director, at RosemaryL@Lhymca.com.

Dinner tickets are $50.00 per person and are available through Nancy Dunham at NancyD@Lhymca.com or call the Y at (973) 334-2820.

For a full list of honorees please check the Ys website by clicking here.

Mud Run Coming to Parsippany High School

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany High School will be hosting the school’s first ever Mud Run by partnering with professional race company, Your First Mud Run.  The run will take place on Sunday, May 22.

The goal of this event is to raise money for this year’s senior class prom and to enhance our community and REDHAWK spirit. Anyone, age six and older, is eligible to participate on race day and all are welcome to come and cheer the racers on.  Whether you’re a newcomer to obstacle racing or an expert, Your First Mud Run is sure to provide an experience that will last a lifetime.  To register, click here, go to “register” and choose the Parsippany High School race on Sunday, May 22.

“The mud run is something new and exciting that has never been done before at PHS,” said Senior Class Advisor, Jennifer Fedo. “I think this event will promote a sense of unity among the community all while benefitting the senior class.”

“I really like the concept.  It is something that is not limited to a certain group of people,” said Parsippany High School Principal, Denis Mulroony. “I’m looking forward to racing against PHS students and I strongly encourage others to join us. It’s a can’t miss event!”

The Mud Run offers a unique course that includes a 5k race with 10 obstacles.  The obstacles will cater towards both beginners and experienced runners.  All participants will receive a t-shirt and a medal and are encouraged to enjoy the Kona Ice Truck at the finish line. The online registration fee is $50.00 and walk up registration is $65.00.

All racers will be placed into waves, which will stagger the start times. The first wave will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by a family wave at 11:00 a.m., for those who want to race with their children.

About Parsippany High School
Parsippany High School is a public institution located on the East side of Parsippany.  Founded in 1957, PHS continues to strive to mold their students into well-rounded individuals through academics, community service, athletics, and social events.

Parsippany Goes Green for National Donate Life Month

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany recently kicked-off National Donate Life Month to spotlight organ and tissue donation awareness.

It started with a fundraising dinner at Gourmet Cafe benefitting the New Jersey Sharing Network Foundation. The following day, Venture Crew 890 tied green ribbons around the trees along North Beverwyck Road in Lake Hiawatha.

Each year, at the beginning of April, those volunteering walk from the Foodtown on North Beverwyck to Chesapeake Road, tying green ribbons around trees. Green is the signature color of organ and tissue donation awareness.

The green ribbons are an effort organized by the Morris County Organ Transplant Group working with other community groups. The tying of the green ribbons was a tradition previously performed by Boy Scout Troop 177, a former troop based in the same area. After the troop’s dissolution in 2014, Crew 890 picked up the task.

Other Donate Life Month activities this April include a display at the main branch of the Parsippany Public Library and a guest speaker from the NJ Sharing Network Foundation board at the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany club meeting.

The Morris County Organ Transplant Group is comprised of men and women from Boonton, Denville, Randolph, Butler, Morristown, Morris Township, Lake Hopatcong, Chatham and Parsippany. Members have had transplants, are on the wait list, have donated and their families. The group meets at 7:00 p.m., on the first Wednesday of the month, in the Community Room of the Parsippany Police Station. For more information on the group, contact Nick at (973) 984-6966.

Crew 890, also known as the “Red Eagle Dancers,” is a Venture Crew based in Parsippany. In addition to being a Venture Crew, 890 is also a Native American dance group that travels throughout New Jersey, teaching about Native American dances and cultures. The crew, which is comprised of boys and girls ages 14 to 20 years old from across the state, strives to teach scout and personal skills, while providing many fun and safe camping trips and High Adventure opportunities.

A Boy Named John Premiers Music Video

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany based band “A Boy Named John” has released their first music video!

Parsippany High School Grads Josh Lustig, Christian Singh, Paul Singh, Nick Spillert, Jack Lips and Dean Mulligan of Woodland Park perform their original composition “Sir Rock.”

The band has recently performed live at Starland Ballroom, Dingbatz, Mexicali Live and will be playing Webster Hall on Tuesday, April 26.

Click here to view the video and listen to more original music! A Boy Named John will be releasing a full length album in May.

Charges dismissed against Jason Campbell accused of arson

PATERSON — A former Morris County Sheriff’s officer who was accused of starting two fires while serving as a Parsippany volunteer firefighter, had the arson charges dismissed Monday. Appearing before Judge Adam Jacobs in Passaic County Superior Court, Jason Campbell, 36, of Parsippany, pleaded guilty to one count of child neglect in the fourth degree, relating…

Nicolas Limanov pulls victim from burning vehicle

PARSIPPANY — A 22-year old man fell asleep behind the wheel of his parked car in the Powder Mill Plaza West Shopping Center was pulled to safety by Nicolas Limanov, an employee of Kafe Mozart, when his vehicle caught fire.

At 5:28 p.m. Monday, April 18, Parsippany police received a 9-1-1 call reporting a man sleeping inside a car that had its engine revving and was on fire in a parking lot.

IMG_4339The male was identified as Joseph D. Gerhard.

When Parsippany-Troy Hills Patrolman D. Ross arrived at 2900 Route 10 West, they found a witness had already assisted Gerhard out of the 2003 Saab.

Gerhard was taken to Saint Clare’s Hospital by Par-Troy Emergency Medical Services for treatment of possible smoke inhalation, police said.

Par-Troy Emergency Medical Services, Mount Tabor Fire Department, and Denville and Morris Plains police all responded to the scene.

Limanov said “I seen smoke from a distance and I helped another bystander pull out Mr. Gerhard. Skills that I have learned through Parsippany’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) gave me natural instinct to help the victim.”

Nicolas Limanov is being honored by Lakeland Hills YMCA on May 11 for “Citizen of the Year,” for volunteerism in the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills.

Par-Troy Little League East Opening Day Celebration

PARSIPPANY — Par-Troy Little League East held their opening day celebration for the 2016 season.

A paver in memory of Ashley Cistaro will be placed in front of the concession stand
A paver in memory of Ashley Cistaro will be placed in front of the concession stand

A moment of silence was part of the ceremony in memory of Ashley Cistaro. Ashley, a 9-year-old girl, and part of the PTE family passed away in April. She always had a smile on her face and her favorite colors were pink and purple.  A paver will be placed in front of the concession stand in her honor. Our prayers go out to the Cistaro family. A paver stone will be placed in front of the concession stand in her memory.

A jersey honoring Noah Lorencovitz
A jersey honoring Noah Lorencovitz

Noah Lorencovitz who has been a PTE player since starting T-ball is 2008 is progressing in his recovery. A jersey was placed above home base in his honor.

Noah has been at Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick. In his first week, he has made positive progress. The focus remains one day at a time and we are grateful that he continues to progress in the right direction.

His recovery is expected to take a long time, but what is frustrating is no one can tell exactly how long and how much of his abilities will come back.

Stimulation and familiarity are important components for his recovery. The family encourages friends and family members to continue recording voice messages and sending them to message4noah@gmail.com. (Multiple messages from the same person is ok).

Every opening day they honor a second year major’s baseball and softball player with the Michael Weist award.  Michael was a player who gave his all, had great sportsmanship and teamwork.  This is exactly what PTE and Little League is about.  The managers from major’s baseball and softball from the previous season choose the award recipients. This year on the softball side the recipient is Chloe Budd. On the baseball side there was a tie.  The recipients for baseball are Cal Braga and Eric Maciag.

Last year was another special year for PTE All Star Teams.  The Little League Softball 11/12-year-old all-star team had a fantastic post season by winning the district title, coming from behind to win the sectional title and playing their hearts out in the state finals falling just short of a state title.

The Senior Softball team of girls from ages 13-16 won the district title, sectional title, and redeemed themselves from the previous year by winning the state title. They played in the regional tournament in Worcester Mass and were in the final 4 of that tournament falling just short of a trip to the Senior League World Series. Congratulations to both teams.

The 2016 Executive Board of Par-Troy Little League are:

  • Paul Furfaro – VP Baseball
  • Patsy Feola– VP Softball
  • Dan Preston– League Information Officer
  • Chris Mazzarella – VP Player Development
  • Ed Weiss – Treasurer
  • Tiffany Hiltz- Board Secretary
  • Mike Plescia- Player Agent
  • Safety Officer- Bob Pisillo

Par-Troy Little League East was initially chartered with Little League International in 1962. At that time, there were three chartered Little Leagues in Parsippany; Par-Troy West, Par-Troy North and Par-Troy East. The East and West Little Leagues both played their games at the current Par-Troy East complex. The North Little League played it’s games on, what is now, St. Ann Church on Smith Road.

 

 

Joseph Wentworth named Mayo Performing Arts Student of the Month

PARSIPPANY —  Joseph Wentworth is making his talent known, and he’s only an eighth grade student at Brooklawn Middle School.

Wentworth has been named with eleven others as the Mayo Performing Arts Center’s Music Students of the Month for April.

Wentworth was nominated by his teacher, Joseph Stella, who said: “Joseph is a great musician and wonderful band student. He is not only a talented trombonist in the Brooklawn Middle School 8th grade concert band and jazz band, but is a talented percussionist as well. This year he will be playing the drum set part for the BMS musical production of grease. outside of school, he was recently accepted by audition as the first chair trombonist for the North Jersey Junior Region Intermediate Band and Junior Region Orchestra. He has also been active in music during the summer months for several years attending the Mount Tabor summer music camp in Parsippany.”

The group of honorees was recognized onstage at the Performing Arts Center on April 7.

Daiichi Sankyo moving out of Parsippany

daiichi
Daiichi Sankyo is currently located at Two Hilton Court

PARSIPPANY — Sankyo, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Daiichi Sankyo Company, Ltd., announced that it will establish a new U.S. headquarters, co-locating its commercial and development divisions in Basking Ridge. The move is part of an ongoing effort to realize efficiencies and continue collaboration between the business segments, enabling innovation in its existing and emerging therapeutic areas such as cardiology, oncology, pain and other areas where there are unmet medical needs. Daiichi Sankyo is currently located at Two Hilton Court in the Mack-Cali Business Campus.

“Uniting our New Jersey-based personnel into a single location not only makes us more efficient, but it will also further strengthen collaboration among teams working across the entire life cycle of our medicines,” said Glenn Gormley, MD, PhD, Chairman of the Board and President, Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.  “We have enjoyed being a part of the Parsippany and Edison communities and we look forward to what the future holds in our new headquarters,” he added.

Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. is comprised of U.S.-based development functions, currently located in Edison, as well as all U.S. commercial departments, currently located in Parsippany. The new office will be located at 211 Mt. Airy Road, Basking Ridge.

The company expects to begin moving employees to the new location in 2017.

About Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply of innovative pharmaceutical products to address diversified, unmet medical needs of patients in both mature and emerging markets. With over 100 years of scientific expertise and a presence in more than 20 countries, Daiichi Sankyo and its 16,000 employees around the world draw upon a rich legacy of innovation and a robust pipeline of promising new medicines to help people. In addition to its strong portfolio of medicines for hypertension, dyslipidemia, bacterial infections, and thrombotic disorders, the Group’s research and development is focused on bringing forth novel therapies in cardiovascular-metabolic diseases, pain management, and oncology, including biologics.

For more information, click here.  Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., headquartered in Parsippany is a member of the Daiichi Sankyo Group. For more information on Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., please click here.

 

Lead levels found above threshold in some Parsippany Schools

PARSIPPANY  — Lead levels above the established safety threshold of 15 parts per billion were discovered at locations in Central Middle School and both Parsippany and Parsippany Hills high schools, but were not connected to fountains or other sources of water to be consumed, according to a detailed report released Monday by district officials.

Tests on water sources at Brooklawn Middle School were all below the safety threshold. The district is awaiting reports on the other schools in the district. Those reports are expected within two to three weeks.

“As you may know, as a result of the issue of lead in the schools drinking water in Newark, New Jersey, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District made the decision to have the water tested in all of our 14 schools. As part of the testing procedures, all drinking fountains, food preparation, and Home Economics classrooms were tested,” in a prepared statement released by the Office of the Superintendent.

The district schools are connected to the municipal water supply.

While the testing of all schools is not complete at this time, today we received results for five of our schools. The results are as follows:

Eastlake Elementary School: 
The Eastlake Elementary School showed results above the threshold of 15.0 ppb in the following areas: Hall to gym wc: 22 ppb.
Classroom #5 wc: 16 ppb
Classroom #14 wc: 270 ppb
Classroom # 8 wc: 24 ppb
Classroom #16 wc: 28 ppb Action Plan – As a result, these drinking fountains will be turned off today and we will provide bottled water to the students in these classrooms. The Board of Education will be consulting with the testing company and they met with the Parsippany Department of Health to begin developing a long-term, permanent solution to insure our students have proper drinking water. All other samples in the school were below the threshold.

Parsippany High School
Parsippany High School showed results above the threshold of 15.0 ppb in the following area: Boiler room VF by tank: 200 ppb Action Plan – This valve is not tied to our drinking water. Rather, this is a utility valve and only the custodian and maintenance personnel have access to the value and reason to use it. All other samples were below the threshold.

Central Middle School
Central Middle School showed results above the threshold of 15.0 ppb in the following area: Water pump room UF: 66 ppb Action Plan – This utility faucet is not tied to the drinking water. Rather, this is a utility faucet and only our custodian and maintenance personnel have access to the faucet and reason to use it.

All other samples in the school were below the threshold.

Parsippany Hills High School
Parsippany Hills High School showed results above the threshold of 15.0 ppb in the following area: Boiler room Utility Valve by tank – 100 ppb. Action Plan – This utility valve is not tied to our drinking water. Rather, this is a utility valve and only our custodian and maintenance personnel have access to the valve and reason to use it. All other samples in the school were below the threshold.

Brooklawn Middle School
All samples in the school were below the threshold.

“Please understand that the information we have received is preliminary and not the complete report. The steps taken at this point are precautionary. As we receive additional notifications for the remaining schools and complete testing results for all our schools we will post the information on the District website by clicking here.  The Township website has the most recent State mandated water quality testing program,” the press release concluded.

Click here to review complete report.

CCM Student Newspaper Takes Three First Place Awards

Youngtown 2RANDOLPH — “The Youngtown Edition,” the student newspaper at County College of Morris (CCM), celebrated another year of award-winning journalism at the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association (NJCPA) luncheon on Saturday, April 9.

The publication once again garnered several top-level honors from the NJCPA, this year winning first place awards in Arts and Entertainment/Critical Writing, Layout and Design, and Overall Website in the 2015-16 College Newspaper Contest. The competition includes two-year colleges throughout the state. The newspaper won seven awards in last year’s competition, and six the year before that.

“What I love about ‘The Youngtown Edition’ is, despite the fact that the staff turns over frequently as students graduate and the focus and content shifts with each new regime, the strength and quality of the work doesn’t change,” said Russ Crespolini, adjunct professor at CCM and the paper’s faculty advisor. “Last year we won first place for news writing and sports writing. This year we took top honors for features writing and layout and design.”

Editor-in-Chief Derek Allen, of Florham Park, said he was incredibly proud of the work the team turned in this year and was thrilled to see them recognized.

“As a paper, we have autonomy to decide what we cover and what we publish. To see our choices rewarded like this is a great honor,” said Allen after accepting the second place award for general excellence.

At the luncheon, Allen also accepted the second place award in opinion writing on behalf of Opinion Editor Sandra Riano, of Dover.

“Coming into this year we didn’t have a strong opinion section. Sandra definitely changed that,” Allen said. “She took on broad topics like politics, racism and undocumented citizens and managed to make them relatable to the campus community. Her stories always had people talking.”

Emily Betz, of Long Valley, was awarded first place in Arts and Entertainment/Critical Writing for her treatise on an honor killing documentary.

“Emily is a student in one of my speech classes and is incredibly passionate and expressive when she is trying to get her point across,” Crespolini said. “It is rare to see that kind of energy translate to the written word, but Emily certainly pulled it off. And the judges obviously saw that.”

The design duo of Drew Notarnicola, of Hackettstown, and Frank Eaton, of Rockaway, picked up top prize for Layout and Design.

“Those guys literally are the best,” Allen said. “We wouldn’t have been able to get the paper out at all without them. They single-handedly take the photos, the ads and copy and lay it out. They deserve all the awards we could possibly give them, honestly.”

Managing Editor Beth Peter, of Long Valley, who will ascend to editor-in-chief in the fall after Allen graduates, picked up a pair of prizes for her web work. The first place award attributed to Peter was for overall website and she also earned a second place prize for the social media work she does for the “Youngtown” in the category of special projects.

“I’m proud to have won,” Peter said. “I put a lot of work into the projects I earned awards for and seeing that effort recognized feels really good.”

Peter already has her sights set on repeating the success of this year and adding to it next year.

“We have room for growth and I am hoping we get more talented people on campus to come help us keep the streak alive,” Peter said.

For his part, Crespolini agreed.

“The paper is solely a student production. We are always looking for designers, photographers, writers and editors. If you want to get involved, we will find a place for you. It looks great on your resume, you learn a lot and we have a good time,” Crespolini said. “Anyone interested at all should drop us a line at youngtownedition@gmail.com.”

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