PARSIPPANY — Sophie is a six-month old Border Collie-Spaniel mix, currently weighing 30 pounds. She will be a medium sized dog when fully grown.

She is a complete love bug! She will cover your face in kisses and gently hug you! Sophie has never met a person she hasn’t liked. She is extremely friendly and has a tail that never stops wagging!

Sophie enjoys going on walks and running around the backyard. After a long day, she will cuddle up next to you and fall asleep.

Sophie is working on her basic commands. She currently knows “sit” and “paw”! She is very intelligent and highly trainable. She does well in the crate and is working on her potty training. Sophie would do best in a home with kids above the age of six.

She is very affectionate and loyal, making her the perfect companion. She can’t wait to find her forever home!

If you are interested in adopting Sophie, please fill out an application by clicking here.

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PARSIPPANY — For one day only, Cookies & Crèches, the exhibit of nativities and crèches from around the world will once again take place at the historic Smith-Baldwin House next to St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Parsippany, on Saturday, December 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The collection has been featured on NJN television and in numerous publications.

In what has become an annual tradition in our area, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy an enchanting display of different nativity scenes, and the opportunity to purchase baked goods from an assortment of homemade holiday cookies from a variety of recipes. Admission is free.

The personal collection of over 200 nativities Rev. Susan Sica, keeps growing. New additions this year, include a clay and wire ornament from Uganda and a matchbox sized one from Germany.

The Smith-Baldwin House will be fully decorated for Christmas, adding a touch of nostalgia to the Christmas tradition of displaying a nativity set in a home.  The addition of a scavenger hunt for children encourages them to learn more about each piece, as they must find the different materials used in the making of the set, a particular animal featured, or the country where the set was made.  At the conclusion, participants get special holiday treat!

Christmas “cookie walks” grow in popularity every year, providing visitors with an enjoyable way to get a head start on their holiday baking.  Cookies will be available for purchase at the price of $12.00 per pound.  Hours for Cookies and Crèches are from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m..  Park at St. Gregory’s and walk next door to The Smith-Baldwin House.

The Smith-Historic Baldwin House, part of Parsippany’s Historic District, is located at 460 S. Beverwyck Road next to St. Gregory’s Church. The House was purchased by the Township of Parsippany in 2013 for the purposes of education and preservation.

PARSIPPANY — On Wednesday December 12, at 2:00 p.m., a special community event to foster mental health recovery, “Wellness Through Creative Expression,” will be held at the Morris Wellness Center in Parsippany.

The free event, sponsored by the Collaborative Support Programs of N.J. and Life Center Stage, will feature music, arts, poetry and drumming, as part of an effort to explore the role that creative expression has in helping to deal with mental illness and addictions.

The expressive arts have many health benefits that support mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness.  Singing and drumming promote relaxation, a sense of group identity and a feeling of belonging, providing an opportunity for immediate engagement in a music experience.

At the event, Wellness Center members will perform as a group their original song “Love Each Other,“ and will participate in poetry, a guided drum circle, an art exhibit and more.

The Wellness Center is seeking for visual artists and poets to participate in the event, to showcase their artwork and read their poetry related to mental health or addiction. For consideration, please submit online by clicking here before December 5.

The special event will be held at the Morris Wellness Center, 1259 Route 46, Building 4, Door 4D in Parsippany. It is located in the Troy Hills Office Plaza on Route 46 East, just past the Empire Diner.

For more information call (973) 334-2470 or email jrobbins@cspnj.org

MORRIS COUNTY — The Rotary Clubs in our area are offering an international scholarship for students who are interested in pursuing further study abroad.  Applicants must live in Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union or Warren Counties, and must be interested in planning a career in one of the following subject areas:

• Peace and conflict resolution
• Disease prevention and treatment
• Water and sanitation
• Maternal and child health
• Basic education and literacy
• Economic and community development

Candidates must be accepted to a foreign university at the time of application.  The scholarship is competitive, and the main factors considered are a scholar’s experience, the graduate program of study, and career goals.  Of added importance is having a plan with a clear-cut purpose.  Additional information may be found in the Rotary Foundation Section of  www.rotary.org, or by contacting Eva-Pia Reich at evapiareich@gmail.com

Applicants should send their resume, college transcripts, and proposal (to include the program of study and a description of a career path) to Eva-Pia Reich, 24 South Shore Road, Denville, NJ 07834 or evapiareich@gmail.com

The deadline to apply is May 1, 2019 with interviews to follow.

To learn more about Rotary in your community click here.

PARSIPPANY — Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Jay Webber requiring companies to notify users of online security breaches is once again moving through the Legislature. A-3245 cleared the Assembly financial institutions committee, and a version of the measure unanimously passed the Senate and Assembly last session, but was not signed into law.

The bill expands a list of breaches requiring notification to include user names, email addresses and any identifying information that can be used with a password or security question to access an online account. Driver’s license and social security numbers, account numbers, and credit or debit card numbers are already included.

“Online customers expect their personal and financial data to be secured,” said Webber (R-Morris). “Security breaches can result in financial loss or identity theft for innocent victims, so customers should learn of a breach as soon as it is discovered to allow them to change passwords and monitor accounts for fraudulent activity.”

Data breaches are becoming more frequent and more expensive. On Friday, Marriott announced that more than a half million customer accounts have been exposed to hackers. This year alone, customer data has been compromised at Uber, Facebook, Dunkin’ Donuts, British Airwaves and T-Mobile. The largest online breach occurred in 2013-2014, when the accounts of 3 billion Yahoo users were compromised.

PARSIPPANY — Boy Scout Troop 173 from Parsippany held their annual Turkey in Can campout and dinner this past weekend at the Winnebago Scout Reservation.