PHS Girls Volleyball team raises funds by holding car wash

PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany High School Girls Volleyball team members were washing cars on Saturday, September 5 to raise money to support their activities.

The Parsippany Redhawks volleyball team has an away non-conference match at Morris Hills on Tuesday, September 8 at 4:00 p.m.

(c) 2015 Parsippany Focus
Members of the Parsippany High School Girls Volleyball team washing cars to raise funds
(c) 2015 Parsippany Focus
Team members Julissa Hernandez, Meghan Byrne, Laila Sharafi and Jazmin Lee promoting the car wash.

Parsippany honored with top trophies in Boonton Day parade

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany Rescue and Recovery Vehicle 69-2 took second place for best appearing rescue vehicle today at the Boonton Labor Day parade. Pictured above is member Andrew Ludwig, Lieutenant Rafael Ortiz, Chief John Tranculov, member Andy Zaharopoulos, Captain Louis Yuliano and member Brian Borquist.

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Members of the Rainbow Lakes Volunteer Fire Department District 2
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Rainbow Lakes Volunteer Fire Department displaying their winning trophies

Rainbow Lakes Volunteer Fire Department District 2 won trophies for First Place for Best Appearing Fire Company, Parade Uniform without music; Third Place for T-21 and Third Place for Color Guard in Parade Uniform.

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Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance Squad 65-3.

Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance Squad won 3rd place best appearance ambulance standby.

Rockaway Neck Ambulance Squad won 2nd place best appearance ambulance standby.

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Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance member Breanne Calabrese accepting the trophy from a member of the Boonton Fire Department.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire District 6 won 2nd place Arial and 3rd place marching uniform.

Members of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire District 6
Members of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire District 6
Members of Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire District 6 holding the trophy
Members of Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire District 6 holding the trophy

Lake Hiawatha Volunteer Fire District 4 also received trophies.

 

Gas prices plunge for Labor Day weekend

PARSIPPANY — Although the average gas price in New Jersey is $2.15, Parsippany Focus found at least two stations on Littleton Road selling regular gas for $1.89 per gallon.

The recently opened Raceway Gas Station on the corner of Littleton Road and Halsey Road and the BP Station, 1195 Littleton Road, both are selling regular for $1.89 per gallon (cash).

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According to gasbuddy.com the 76 Gas Station on Route 46 at Bloomfield Avenue is selling regular for $1.95 per gallon, as well as the Gulf Station, located at 400 Route 46 west.

Gas prices on the west coast are averaging at least $1.00 per gallon more, or $2.95 per gallon.

Gasbuddy also indicates the gas prices are still dropping, so let’s see what happens next week.

It’s not too late to plan a day or two down the shore, or your favorite vacation spot because it is easier on your pockets than you were expecting.

Police escort Vikings motorcade to pick up Senior football players: VIDEO

PARSIPPANY — If you were driving around the west side of Parsippany on Friday, September 3 and you witnessed the motorcade of police cars, school buses, and vehicles, then you stumbled upon the Parsippany Hills High School Football team motorcade.

The motorcade started on Rita Drive and went to seven different homes picking up the twenty-one seniors until it finished up in Lake Intervale and then back to the High School to enjoy a barbecue.

Northvail Students Earn 4,000+ Study Island™ “Blue Ribbons”

PARSIPPANY — Study Island™ is a web-based interactive program designed as an instruction, practice and assessment system. The Northvail Elementary School students accepted Principal Jeff Martens’ summer challenge to work on Study Island™ skill lessons this summer from July 1 to August 31.

Their goal was to collectively earn 2,500 Study Island™ blue ribbons and they did it! This is a huge increase from last year when the students earned 2,000 ribbons during the summer. What is a blue ribbon? If a student earns a blue ribbon it means that they have obtained a score considered proficient in a particular skill topic.

A special thanks goes to Principal Jeff Martens, for periodically reaching out and encouraging the students and parents during the summer. Of course, we are grateful to our Northvail parents who understand how important it is to have their child engage in academic activities during the summer.

Well done, students!

Pictured Left to Right: Anikait Sota, Sanjana Medapati, Anusha Jonnalagadda, Diya Patel Pictured here are the students who earned the greatest number of blue ribbons on Study Island™ this summer.

Rixford takes 30 day medical leave

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education Superintendent Scott Rixford has taken a 30-day medical leave of absence, effective immediately.

In the interim, Assistant Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Nancy Gigante will serve as Acting Superintendent effective September 4, 2015.

Additional details were unable at time of publication.

 

Breaking: 5 Rutgers football players arrested on home invasion charges and assault

5 Rutgers football players were arrested Thursday in conjunction on home invasion and assault charges.  The football players arrested were Andre Boggs, 20, of Coatesville, Pa.; Ruhann Peele, 22, and Nadir Barnwell, 20, both of Piscataway; Razohnn Gross, 20, of Franklin Park and Delon Stephenson, 22, of Sayreville.

The Middlesex Prosecutor’s office issued the following statement:

Nine of the 10 defendants were arrested today. One remains at large. The arrests stem from an active and continuing investigation by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Brunswick Police Department.

The investigation began last spring when police were called to a home invasion on Prosper Street in New Brunswick on April 26, 2015 at 11:29 p.m., after three masked men forced their way into the home and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and marijuana from five students at gunpoint.

During an intensive investigation, police arrested Tejay Johnson, 23, of Egg Harbor. The former student was charged with robbery, criminal restraint, theft, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

As the investigation continued, police linked Johnson to a home invasion on Hartwell Street in New Brunswick on April 27, 2015.

Police determined that Johnson and Andre Boggs, 20, of Coatesville, Pa., forced their way into the home and, armed with a bat and a knife, robbed a student of approximately $900 and an undisclosed amount of marijuana.

They were arrested today on charges of robbery, burglary while armed, and conspiracy to commit an armed robbery.

Another student, Dylan Mastriana, 19, of Rio Grande, also was charged with those counts after the investigation determined that he helped plan the robbery.

In a third home invasion, Johnson and Boggs were charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and attempted burglary while armed for trying to force their way into another student’s room in a dormitory complex at Livingston College in Piscataway on May 5, 2015.

The same charges also were filed against Mastriana, Jianan Chen, 19, of New Brunswick, and Kaylanna Ricks, 20, of Perth Amboy. The investigation showed that Mastriana and Chen planned the robbery, while Ricks drove Johnson and Boggs in a getaway vehicle.

Johnson and Boggs entered the dorm, but fled when the students targeted in the robbery resisted by closing and locking the door to their room as Johnson and Boggs attempted to force their way in. Nothing was stolen in that incident.

Police further determined that Johnson was one of six individuals who surrounded a group of at least four other individuals, including a Rutgers student, and assaulted them during an incident on Delafield Street on April 25, 2015.

The six were charged today with aggravated assault, riot, and conspiracy to commit a riot. A 19-year-old male student suffered a broken jaw during the unprovoked attack.

In addition to Johnson, defendants charged in the attack were identified as: Ruhann Peele, 22, and Nadir Barnwell, 20, both of Piscataway; Rahzonn Gross, 20, of Franklin Park, and Delon Stephenson, 22, and his brother, Daryl Stephenson, 23, both of Sayreville. Daryl Stephenson, also a former student at Rutgers, remains at large.

Minutes ago Rutgers Athletic Director Rutgers Julie Hermann minutes issued the following statement:

“The students involved are currently suspended from our program,” Hermann said. “We continue to monitor the situation. We will have no further comment as this is a pending legal matter.”

Ho ho ho. Parsippany company to buy the Jolly Green Giant for $765M

PARSIPPANY — A Parsippany-based food manufacturer and distributor will pay General Mills $765 million to acquire its Green Giants brand. B&G Food, which will also take over General Mills’ Le Sueur brand, expects to close the deal in the fourth quarter of this year. Adding the new brands is likely to increase net sales by $550…

Parsippany resident Nancy Snyder sworn in on Board of Adjustment

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany resident Nancy Snyder was sworn in by Zoning Board Attorney Peter King, Esq. on the Zoning Board of Adjustment. She will serve an unexpired term ending December 31, 2015.  The vacancy was created when long time board member George Kimmey resigned in June.

Snyder married for 19 years, has two children, and has been a Parsippany resident since 1997. She is currently Senior Director of Public Information and Communication for NJ Transit. Prior to NJ Transit, she was a long time radio news and traffic reporter and broadcaster in the New York metropolitan area.

Nancy has been serving on Traffic Citizen Advisory Committee and Transparency Citizen Advisory Committee since 2014.

She has been a Soccer Coach in Parsippany for many years. She also advocates for children with special needs and parents.

She is the recipient of NJ TRANSIT Police Department’s Civilian Commendation Award (2013) for helping the department identify and arrest three suspects wanted in connection with an assault in Newark.

Snyder is also the Past President of Associated Press, New Jersey Chapter.

She joins other Zoning Board of Adjustment members Robert Iracane, Chairman, Bernard Berkowitz, Vice-Chairman, Loretta Gragnani; Brian Kelley; Jonathan Nelson, Sridath Reddy, David Kaplan, and Scot Joskowitz.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment reviews all applications for relief from provisions of the Zoning Ordinance. The Board’s principal duties are to hear appeals, grant variances and rule on “use” applications.

The Zoning Board is comprised of seven regular members and two alternates appointed by the Township Council. All Board Members are Township residents. The Board reviews subdivisions and site plans with variances.

Pictured above: Nancy Snyder, Peter King, Esq. and her two children, Caleigh and Jamison.

Schools are open; Junior High School Students Schedule-less

Davey Smith, 6, will be entering first grade and Andrew Smith, 8, will be starting third grade at Lake Hiawatha School
Davey Smith, 6, will be entering first grade and Andrew Smith, 8, will be starting third grade at Lake Hiawatha School

PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Troy-Hills School District opened for the first day of school on Thursday, September 3.

At least 12 of the 14 schools, students will have a normal day. Students at Central Middle School and Brooklawn started school with no schedules. No English, No Math, No Gym.

The students were advised in a letter dated September 1, signed by Superintendent Scott Rixford, “….providing on site activities that typically occur later in September for all students for the two half day sessions scheduled for this week,” referring to Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4.

Over the past 10 days, the School District’s computer system that creates the students schedules, Genesis, were not producing the students schedules properly.

According to the Genesis Education Services website, “Genesis is the leader in web-based student record data for New Jersey schools. Over 250 school districts rely on Genesis’ Student Information System to manage their student records. The comprehensive feature set caters to the needs of parents and students, teachers, administrators, staff and special education case managers.”

Rixford continued “While we initially attempted to make corrections and apply fixes in real-time, we could not and therefore needed to close that system. We have brought in Genesis experts for guidance and continue to rebuild student schedules for middle school students. However, with over 1600 students involved this requires significant time to remedy. It is a most intricate and detailed process.”

A sample schedule prepared through Genesis provided to students showing their schedule
A sample schedule prepared through Genesis provided to students showing their schedule

He continued “Both middle schools will be providing on site activities that typically occur later in September for all students for the two half day sessions scheduled for this week. A schedule of the two days will be sent out to all parents tomorrow.”

The first day of school for all students are one session days. Junior High School students begin school at 8:00 a.m. and are dismissed at 1:16 p.m.

Click here for the schedule students will follow at Central Middle School.

Click here for the schuled students will follow at Brooklawn Middle School.

A concerned parent wrote:

Dear Mr. Rixford:

As the parent of an incoming 6th grader at Brooklawn Middle School, I am deeply concerned with the ongoing scheduling issues. I have 2 high schoolers who had a great experience at BMS – with the previous scheduling system.

I am wondering why this district has felt the need to reinvent the wheel regarding the middle school curriculum. Test scores were great, kids and teachers were happy and the end result was well-prepared high school students.

Perhaps it is time to abandon this over-complicated schedule and revert back to what we all know worked and worked well.

Now my son will be losing the main reason for 6th grade orientation – which was to walk through his schedule and meet his team of teachers. And, on top of that, he will be missing out on at least two academic days because of this problem.

I certainly hope that I am not the only parent who has complained about this. Time to cut your losses and go back to what works.

Thank you
Donna Hilsinger

Rai Sant Ana wrote: “This has NOTHING to do with a computer glitch. Genesis has no issue with the high school schedules. There has never been an issue before the new schedule plan. This is all about the fact that the schedule won’t work. Go back to the 9 period day, give the students and teachers back their 40 minute lunch and make literacy mandatory at all 3 grade levels.”

Parsippany Focus asked a series of questions regarding the student schedules, but the Board of Education did not provide answers at the time this story was prepared.

The Parsippany Troy-Hills School District has 14 schools, with students in ten elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and an adult education center.

Will the approximate 1600 students at Brooklawn Middle School and Central Middle School receive quality classroom instruction starting Tuesday? Only Genesis will know.