Parsippany Memorial Day Ceremony

PARSIPPANY — The Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills held a Memorial Day Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park.

Master of Ceremonies: Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council President Michael dePierro

Master of Ceremonies: Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council President Michael dePierro

Presentation of Colors: Color Guards of American Legion Post 249 and VFW Command Post 10184.

Invocation: Rabbi Shalom Lubin, Shaya Ahavat Torah

Invocation: Rabbi Shalom Lubin, Shaya Ahavat Torah

National Anthem: Michelle Musolino, Parsippany Resident

National Anthem: Michelle Musolino, Parsippany Resident

Pledge of Allegiance: Girl Scout Troop 95089

Pledge of Allegiance: Girl Scout Troop 95089

Taps: Sydney Spinder, Parsippany Hills High School
Welcome Address: Mayor James Barberio

Welcome Address: Mayor James Barberio

Laying of the Wreaths: Led by Rich Kunze, VFW Post 10184

Laying of the Wreaths: Led by Rich Kunze, VFW Post 10184

Salute: VFW Rifle Squad: John Flavin, Bernie McElwie, Andy Dachile, Bob Hughes, and Gary Erdman, VFW Post 10184

Taps: Sydney Spinder, Parsippany Hills High School

Keynote Speaker: Siobhan Fuller McConnell, American Gold Star Mother, Mother of Derek McConnell, Parsippany War Hero

Keynote Speaker: Siobhan Fuller McConnell, American Gold Star Mother, Mother of Derek McConnell, Parsippany War Hero

Just a Common Soldier: Council President Michael dePierro

Benediction: Reverend Donald A. Bragg, Parsippany Presbyterian Church

God Bless America: Allison Paterno, Bella Brisson, Jade Schaffer, Charlie Love, Dylan Franz, and Jayden Cohen, Parsippany Hills High School

Retirement of Colors: Color Guards of American Legion Post 249 & VFW Command Post 10184.

Councilman Frank Neglia, Council President Michael dePierro, Mayor James Barberio, and Siobhan Fuller McConnell, American Gold Star Mother, Mother of Derek McConnell, Parsippany War Hero

Jessica Reich Named to the University of Vermont Dean’s List

PARSIPPANY — Jessica Reich, Microbiology major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2022 semester at the University of Vermont.

To be named to the dean’s list, students must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 20 percent of their class in their respective college or school.

About UVM

Since 1791, the University of Vermont has worked to move humankind forward. UVM’s strengths align with the most pressing needs of our time: the health of our societies and the health of our environment. Our size-large enough to offer a breadth of ideas, resources, and opportunities, yet intimate enough to enable close faculty-student mentorship across all levels of study allows us to pursue these interconnected issues through cross-disciplinary research and collaboration. Providing an unparalleled educational experience for our students, and ensuring their success, are at the core of what we do. As one of the nation’s first land grant universities, UVM advances Vermont and the broader society by discovering and applying new knowledge.

UVM is derived from the Latin Universitas Viridis Montis (in English, University of the Green Mountains).

Kyra Reich Named to UM Spring 2022 Dean’s Honor Roll

PARSIPPANY — Kyra Reich was named to the University of Mississippi’s Spring 2022 Honor Roll lists. Reich is a 2018 graduate of Parsippany High School.

Reich, majoring in General Business, was named to the Dean’s Honor Roll, which is reserved for students who earn a semester GPA of 3.50-3.74.

In order to be eligible for honor roll designation, a student must have completed at least 12 graded hours for the semester and may not be on academic probation during the semester.

The University of Mississippi, affectionately known as Ole Miss, is the state’s flagship university. Included in the elite group of R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity by the Carnegie Classification, it has a long history of producing leaders in public service, academics, and business. Its 16 academic divisions include a major medical school, nationally recognized schools of accountancy, law, and pharmacy, and an Honors College acclaimed for a blend of academic rigor, experiential learning, and opportunities for community action. Recognized among the nation’s most beautiful, Ole Miss’ main campus is in Oxford, which is routinely acknowledged as one of the country’s best college towns.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library System Joins Libraries Statewide in Telehealth Program

PARSIPPANY — The ongoing pandemic has put a spotlight on inequities in the healthcare system, especially among the most marginalized members of the community.   Those who suffer most are new immigrants, the elderly, and people from lower incomes who lack access to medical care, technology, and health information that is necessary to make informed choices about their health.

They are confronted with barriers to health equity, such as finding health information in a language or reading level that they can understand to ask their medical provider the right questions.  Other barriers, such as the high cost of medical insurance or the need to work irregular shift hours, exclude some people from seeing a doctor during normal office hours. Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library System is playing a role in leveling the playing field through NJHealthConnect@Your Library so that everyone has an equal chance to live the healthiest life possible.

Launched in April 2022, NJHealthConnect@Your Library addresses health inequities in the community by providing iPads that are preloaded with apps and links to telemedicine sites for doctor appointments, multilingual health information, low literacy health resources, places for mental health support for adults and teens, the latest COVID updates, and crisis hotlines in New Jersey.

While not free, telemedicine is a more affordable, portable, and convenient lifeline for people with or without medical insurance to connect with a doctor.  Telehealth is a skyrocketing trend that grew out of the pandemic and is here to stay with its proven patient satisfaction.  It allows people, especially those most vulnerable, to obtain an early-stage diagnosis, prevent illness, seek early treatment intervention, and obtain and renew medications so that health equity is within the grasp of everyone.

To reserve an iPad, contact the library by phone at (973) 887-5150 or online by clicking here.

The New Jersey State Library, an affiliate of Thomas Edison State University, is administering this program. The project is supported by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

“We are thankful for the availability of ARPA funds, which will allow us to support the state’s mission to help people get timely, high-quality health care services. The ongoing pandemic has emphasized a need for health literacy, especially among vulnerable populations, and we’re proud to have public libraries bridge the digital divide by offering telehealth resources to their communities,” said Jen Nelson, New Jersey State Librarian.

Additional information about this state program can be found online by clicking here.

Parsippany welcomes Mexican Antojitos

Roman Sanchez, holding his son Diego Sanchez, Parsippany-Troy Hills Economic Development Committee Chairman Frank Cahill, and Cinthya Hilario

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany Troy-Hills Economic Development Committee welcomed Mexican Antojitos with a grand opening ribbon-cutting celebration.

Mexican Antojitos is located at 122 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha. Phone: (973) 588-4047.

Parsippany Troy-Hills Economic Development Committee Chairman Frank Cahill presented a welcome plaque to the owners, Roman Sanchez and his wife Cinthya Hilario.

For a complete restaurant review click here.

Economic Development Committee Secretary Raj Dichpally, Owner Roman Sanchez, and Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor James Barberio
Appetizers

Maureen Elizabeth Rauchberg Passed Away

RANDOLPH — Maureen Elizabeth Rauchberg (née Raimist), a social media specialist in Randolph, died on May 26, 2022, after complications from an 11-year battle with metastatic non-smoking small cell lung cancer.

Born in Yonkers, NY, on October 20, 1964, Maureen was raised in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and graduated from Gaithersburg High School. She attended the Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park, and was a proud Terrapin.

During her senior year at Maryland, Maureen met her husband, Dr. Alan Rauchberg, whom she later married in 1993. Though she lived in New Jersey for over 25 years, Maureen kept her beloved home state close to her heart. Maureen’s magnetic personality and ability to connect with the people around her led her to pursue communications, marketing, and outreach work. She worked as a social media specialist for Rauchberg Dental Group, her husband’s multi-specialty dental practice in Parsippany.

In addition, Maureen formerly served as the social media officer for the American Academy of Dental Practice. A gifted chef and baker, Maureen wrote her food blog, Spatula, and Wisk, where she shared her latest recipes, family treats, and the stories behind them. She was a dedicated advocate for lung cancer survivors.

Maureen shared her story to support others with lung cancer, including fellow patients at the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center. She was an invited contributor to the Foundation for Lung Cancer’s Survivor Spotlight. Maureen was a devoted mother to her three children.

She was often found on a soccer field sideline cheering on her sons or helping her daughter prepare for speech tournaments. She loved hosting dinners for her friends and family, interior design, and traveling the world.

She is survived by her husband, Alan, a dentist, also of Randolph, and her three children: Jess, of Hamilton, Ontario, Jake, of Atlanta, and Cameron, of Randolph.

She is also remembered by her sister, Pearl Rathman, of Royersford, Pennsylvania, aunt Judi Lichtine, of Voorhees, New Jersey, and cousin Elysia Lichtine of Philadelphia. She is preceded by her parents, Anne Armstrong and Lewis Raimist, and her beloved uncle, Saul Lichtine.

A shiva for friends and family will be held at the family’s home on Sunday and Monday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the John Theurer Cancer Center’s Brain and Spine Research Institute (care of Dr. Samuel Goldlust) or Thoracic Oncology Division (care of Dr. Harry Harper) (https://hackensackmeridianhealth.org) and José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen (https://wck.org).

The funeral service will be held at  12:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 29, 2022, at S.J. Priola Parsippany Funeral Service, 60 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha.

1515 Route 10 Being Demolished to Make Room for Housing Development

PARSIPPANY — The vacant office buildings at 1515 Route 10 are finally being demolished to make room for new housing development.

In December 2020 revisions to the proposed District at 1515 project and a related financial agreement were advanced by Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council which includes nearly 500 housing units.

The project began with a proposed 250 residential units and was approved at 441 before the requested revisions.

The District at 1515 also would eliminate two vacant buildings from Parsippany’s glut of vacant office space.

Under the revisions approved in December 2020, of the 57 units added, 49 would be age-restricted and would not add to any additional burden on the school system.

They are planning a summer 2023 opening of Phase I.

The project is estimated to bring in only $18.6 million through a PILOT program, $11.5 million of which would be generated by the housing-dominated Phase I residential building.

Phase II of this program is on hold due to COVID-19. Moving the retail portion, reduced from 100,000 to 60,000 square feet in the revision, to Phase II would “buy time” for the market to stabilize and produce new tenant partners.

The two office buildings at 1515 Route 10 are in the process of being demolished to make room for housing development. Photo by Brendon Diaz.
The two office buildings at 1515 Route 10 are in the process of being demolished to make room for housing development. Photo by Brendon Diaz.
The two office buildings at 1515 Route 10 are in the process of being demolished to make room for housing development. Photo by Brendon Diaz.

Ajaco Towing Gives Back to the Community

PARSIPPANY — A local Parsippany business, Ajaco Towing gives back to Parsippany.

AJACO provided vehicles and their facilities to Parsippany District 5 Fire Department to perform vehicle extrication training as they always extended a hand to emergency services.

Volunteers from Parsippany District 5 Fire Department perform vehicle extrication training at Ajaco Towing
Volunteers from Parsippany District 5 Fire Department perform vehicle extrication training at Ajaco Towing

They work closely side-by-side during major incidents and continue to train together to learn each other’s jobs to work as one unit.

Ajaco Towing has the highest experience in emergency recovery in the industry. Their onsite technicians inspect are available 24/7 and are prepared to immediately handle every Emergency Recovery Job.

Their competitive rates enable us to provide you with the quickest and most efficient customer service.

AJACO is located at 1029 Edwards Road; They are also located at 305 Manor Avenue, Harrison, and 1052 Route 10, Randolph.

If you are interested in joining Parsippany District 5 Fire Department, click here.

Volunteers from Parsippany District 5 Fire Department perform vehicle extrication training at Ajaco Towing
Volunteers from Parsippany District 5 Fire Department perform vehicle extrication training at Ajaco Towing
Volunteers from Parsippany District 5 Fire Department perform vehicle extrication training at Ajaco Towing
Volunteers from Parsippany District 5 Fire Department perform vehicle extrication training at Ajaco Towing

Memorial Day Parade Road Closures

PARSIPPANY — Monday, May 30, at 12:000 Noon the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills will be holding their Memorial Day Parade on North Beverwyck Road. At approximately 10:30 a.m., numerous roads will be blocked off to maintain a safe and secure parade route. Those roadways will be reopened at approximately 3:00 p.m. Please see the diagram below of the parade route, road closures, and limited access areas.

•Residents of Knoll Gardens and Knoll Manor will be able to access and leave their homes by utilizing the blue route. All entry and exits from Knoll Gardens and Knoll Manor will be limited to the driveway at the very top of Van Wyk Road. Due to the staging of the parade vehicles and marching bands along Knoll Road, the very top driveway will be the only driveway from which vehicles will be allowed to enter or exit.

Please advise any guest that you may be expecting of this limited access as well. All traffic exiting Knoll Gardens onto Knoll Road must make a left turn while the Parade vehicles/Marching Bands are staged on Knoll Road.

Additionally, there will be a police officer and barricades located at the Knoll Road intersection with Lake Shore Drive/Greenbank Road. Kindly inform the officer that you are going to Knoll Gardens/Knoll Manor and not traveling through the closed parade area.

Also, advise any visitors that you may be expecting that they need to enter Knoll Gardens/Knoll Manor from Knoll Road and that they too must inform the officer stationed at Lake Shore Road/Greenbank Road that they are just visiting Knoll Gardens/Knoll Manor. If you are unfamiliar with the Top Exit/Entrance on Van Wyk Road, there will be signs/arrows posted to assist drivers in finding the exit.

Finally, we apologize for the temporary inconvenience that this may cause. We hope that you have the opportunity to watch and enjoy the Parade.

Morris County Honors Its Veterans & Fallen in Memorial Day Observance

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Board of County Commissioners presented their Distinguished Military Service Medals to ten veterans today at the Morris County Annual Memorial Day Observance ceremony outside the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown, where honors also were delivered by state legislators and Congressional representatives.

U.S. Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Thomas Malinowski, Sen. Anthony Bucco, Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, and Assemblyman Christian Barranco also presented honors to the veterans, whose service ranged from the Korean War to Operation Enduring in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen

“These medals are unique to Morris County, and they have been awarded for well over 20 years to veterans or their family members to honor their service to our country. And we are proud to continue our tradition today,” said Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen.

“These medals began when we wanted to honor our Greatest Generation – those who fought inWorld War II. But we expanded the program to cover other times of service by our men and women, including the Korean War, Vietnam, and other conflicts when our armed forces put their lives on the line. Once again, we are officially expanding our program. This year, we will include medals specifically designed to recognize service in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan,” said Selen.

The Guest Speaker was Emerson Crooks of the VFW Post 7333 in Randolph, which is hosting the Vietnam Memorial “Moving Wall” – a half-sized replica of the Washington, D.C. monument – at the County College of Morris from July 7 through July 11. Mr. Emerson spoke of the need to continue to honor veterans, noting that the WWI Memorial and WWII Memorials in Washington, D.C. are getting fewer visitors each year and that he fears the monument to his generation’s service in Vietnam will suffer the same fate.

Father Stepan Bilyk of St. John’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Whippany provided the invocation for the event, beginning with some remarks about Ukraine’s resilience and hope in the face of the ongoing invasion by Russian forces.

Recipients of the Morris County Distinguished Service Medals

Ketankuma “Ketan” A. Shah, Parsippany
Served in the United States Marine Corps in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Living in North Bergen when he joined the Marine Corps, Mr. Shah served beginning in March 2002 after the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. the previous fall. He continued to serve through August 2010, being trained as a machine gunner and receiving commendations that included the Combat Action Ribbon, Overseas Deployment Ribbon, a Marksman Rifle Badge, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M device, and a Presidential Citation.

Mr. Shah now has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, and Finance, and he is currently employed as a corporate tax analyst. He volunteers his time organizing Toys for Tots charity campaigns.

Joseph Bryan Barbato, Boonton Township
Served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom during nearly 15-years of service with the New Jersey Army National Guard.

Mr. Barbato, who grew up in Haskell, began his service in 2008, which included deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Somalia, the Horn of Africa, and within the continental United States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is still finishing his service with the military’s COVID-19 response, which he has been attached to since December 2020.

Mr. Barbato, who has lived in Boonton Township in recent years, is a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device and 10-Year Bronze Hourglass, the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Good Conduct Medal and the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal.

Mr. Barbato received a Masters of Social Work degree from Ramapo College, and he works part-time as a social worker and in private security. He enjoys working out at the gym and football.

Robert Kent Shaw, Boonton Township (posthumous)
Served in the Korean War after being inducted into the U.S. Army on April 11, 1951, and, upon returning from Korea on April 17, 1953, Mr. Shaw was transferred to the Army Reserves and honorably discharged on May 6, 1957.

Born in Yeadon PA on July 20, 1929, Mr. Shaw graduated as a machinist from The Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades in Media, PA before entering the military. He served in Korea as a Private First Class with the 7th Infantry Division, also known as the Bayonet Division.

The 7th Infantry Division defended the line from Mundung-ni to the rim of “Punchbowl,” from October 1951 through March 1952. The 7th Infantry also assaulted and captured “Triangle,” “Sandy” and “Jane Russell” hills in October of 1952. Mr. Shaw was a small arms repairman who put his machinist skills to work when the parts for weapons were in short supply. He convinced his commanding officer to set up a machine shop so he could fabricate the needed parts.

Mr. Shaw received the Korean Service Ribbon with three campaign stars and the United Nations Service Ribbon.

After his honorable discharge, he met and married his wife, Anita, and settled in New Jersey, moving in 1967 to Mountain Lakes, where Bob liked to say that they were on vacation 365 days a year. The couple had a daughter and two sons during their 60-year marriage, and four grandchildren.

Initially, Mr. Shaw worked in the field of industrial pollution control where he became a recognized authority in paper mill wastewater treatment and an officer of the Whippany Paper Board Company. In 1973 he founded Shaw Built Homes and became a leader in the home building industry. He served as president of the Builders Association of Somerset and Morris, and he was inducted into the New Jersey Builders Hall of Fame.

In 2000 he was honored as a distinguished alumnus of the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades. Mr. Shaw inherited a lifelong love of fishing, hunting, boating, and the outdoors. He shared this and his enthusiasm for flying, antique cars, and photography with his family.

David Ernest Brady, Morristown
Served as a U.S Army Medical Corpsman in his term of service, from November 1964 through October 1970 during the Vietnam War.
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William Everett Brady, Morristown
Served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Korea during the Vietnam War from June 1962 through June 1965.

Arthur Charles Schumm, Rockaway Borough
Served with the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War from May 2, 1968, through March 30, 1972.

Carl “Mike” Cabañas, Morristown
Served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom with the U.S. Army from Oct. 1, 2000, through July 21, 2013.

John P. Wagener, Montville
Served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, from June 1957 through May 1969.

Thomas Philip Infusino, III, Montville
Served in the New Jersey Army National Guard, including a tour in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2013.

Nancy M. Jones, Wharton
Served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War from August 1967 through September 1968.

Richard Alan Elfenbein, Flanders (posthumous)
Served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War from 1966 through 1968.

“Look Back On A Fallen Morris County Hero”

The Morris County Commissioners also continued a tradition of including in the annual ceremony a “We do not forget our heroes in Morris County, especially those who fall in combat or during military service.  It is traditional to remember at least one by name at our Memorial Day Observance, and this year we look back on one who suffered through one of the most brutal conflicts of our nation: The Civil War,” said Deputy Commissioner John Krickus.  “Charles Spencer’s life and service to our nation were short, and a story of the sadness and human tragedy found in every war.”