MORRIS COUNTY — New Jersey Department of Labor’s “Return and Earn” takes advantage of New Jersey’s existing On-the-Job Training infrastructure to provide wage reimbursement support to New Jersey employers that hire eligible applicants with identifiable skills gaps. Employers will then be reimbursed for 50% of the wages paid for regular hours worked during the contracted employer-provided training period.
Employers can receive the wage subsidy for up to six months, up to the cap of $10,000 per Return and Earn an employee, and are limited to a total Return and Earn subsidy across all employees of $40,000.
This $500 Return and Earn incentive and On-the-Job Training subsidy will be funded by $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Additional related supportive services will be funded by Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds.
MORRIS COUNTY — Columbus Day is a federal and state holiday marked on October 11 this year and an annual celebration of Italian American heritage.
Senator Joe Pennacchio and Senator Anthony M. Bucco are dedicated to ensuring the long-standing legacy is continued and sponsor a resolution supporting the preservation of Columbus Day as a federal and state holiday. (Click here to read resolution SR-50)
“We’re talking about a holiday that Italian-Americans value very much, and it is important to preserve it for future generations,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “There are extremists who seek to revise history, to tear up the past and rewrite it to fit a new narrative. The fact is that the second Christopher Columbus stepped onto our shores, it was an existential moment in human history. It marked the end of the old world and the beginning of the new.
“Our resolution would defend Columbus Day from future attempts to bleach it out of the nation’s fabric,” said Pennacchio. “This bill was first introduced in 2017. My colleagues march in Columbus Day parades, they pursue the Italian American vote, but they have been unwilling to defend this holiday. I don’t see any reason why this resolution has not received enthusiastic support from the Legislature.”
Recently, dozens of Columbus statues have been removed in cities across the nation, including Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, and Chester, Pa. Only a judge’s decision prevented the planned razing of a Christopher Columbus likeness that has stood for 144 years in a park in Philadelphia.
“As a proud Italian-American, I know how cherished Columbus Day is by those of us who have family roots back to Italy,” said Bucco (R-25). “The Columbus holiday and the granite busts are as much or more tributes to the contribution of Italian immigrants to American society as to Christopher Columbus the man. When Italians emigrated here, they faced a gauntlet of challenges. They were forced to endure prejudice and hatred, and to work twice as hard to prove themselves in the workplace and the community.”
Earlier this year, Bucco spearheaded a successful effort to prevent a local school district from replacing Columbus Day on the school calendar with Indigenous People’s Day. The Randolph Township board of education voted to approve the change in May, joining a half-dozen states and many municipalities.
The Senator, who represents Randolph, spoke at the board meeting in June as the school board voted to remove all holiday names from the calendar in response to an onslaught of complaints from the public. After a boisterous meeting that lasted almost four hours, the panel adopted a motion to restore the calendar to the way it was, reinstating Columbus Day.
“Their attempt to address diversity backfired, and instead created division,” said Bucco. “By trying to make everything vanilla, you lose that sense of diversity. Nobody benefits by destroying a legacy. Progress is made only when we all advance together.
“I am humbled to continue the work of my father, the late Senator Bucco, who sponsored the bill designating every October as Italian-American Heritage Month and fought to fund Italian American heritage cultural and educations programs for the state’s schoolchildren,” Bucco continued.
Pennacchio cited the history behind the holiday day, noting that the first Columbus Day was declared by President Benjamin Harrison in 1892, the year after a mob of thousands lynched 11 Italian immigrants in New Orleans and on the 400th anniversary of the explorer’s voyage in search of a direct route from Europe to Asia.
“We all need to realize there are prejudices in our society – prejudices against everybody,” said Pennacchio. “We have to be cautious not to polarize our nation by targeting one group to elevate another.
“Instead of trying to erase and re-write history, we should focus on challenging ourselves to create a better history for ourselves and our future generations,” Pennacchio emphasized.
PARSIPPANY — Town Council Candidate Judy Hernandez cast her Vote-by-Mail ballot in the General Election by returning it to the Morris County Ballot Drop Box in front of Parsippany Town Hall, on Tuesday, October 5. “I just submitted my Vote-by-Mail ballot in this secure drop box in front of Parsippany Town Hall. Thank you Morris County Board of Elections for a safe, secure, and enjoyable way to vote,” said Judy Hernandez.
Judy Hernandez shows her mail-in ballot before placing it in the DropBox
Judy Hernandez is one of over 5,000 Parsippany voters that requested a Vote-by-Mail ballot for the 2021 General Election. Less than 1,000 Vote-by-Mail ballots have been returned. Hernandez encouraged everyone who still has their Vote-by-Mail Ballot to fill it out and either place it in the mail or bring it to a secure Morris County Board of Elections DropBox. (Click here for a list of DropBoxes)
Judy Hernandez is running for Parsippany Town Council with Cori Herbig for the two open Town Council seats. They are running as a slate with Mayor Michael Soriano who is seeking his second term as Mayor of Parsippany.
Early Voting starts on Saturday, October 23, and runs through Sunday, October 31. Election Day is Tuesday, November 2.
PARSIPPANY — Township Council of the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills has a Regular Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 5.
Regular Township Council Meetings will commence at 7:00 p.m. All meetings will be held on Tuesday evenings. All meetings will be held in the Municipal Building, 1001 Parsippany Boulevard, Parsippany. Formal action may or may not be taken at all scheduled meetings.
Any individual who is a qualified disabled person under the American with Disabilities Act may request auxiliary aids such as a sign interpreter or a tape recorder to be used for a meeting. Auxiliary aids must be requested at least 72 hours prior to the meeting date. Please call (973) 263-4351 to make a request for an auxiliary aid.
MORRIS COUNTY — It is with great pride and anticipation that Harmonium Choral Society opens its 42nd season on Saturday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Church in Madison and Sunday, October 24 at 3:00 p.m. at Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church in Maplewood. This is the first of four subscription concerts and the first Harmonium live performance since March of 2020. The highly acclaimed 25-member Chamber Singers will perform Choral Cosmos, a charmingly eclectic program that includes Russian works from Taneyev, jazz, modern composers Mari Esabel Valverde, Melissa Dunphy and Tarik O’Regan, and Renaissance works from Palestrina to Francesca Caccini.
Come and enjoy the concert; we are sure you will return for the rest of the season with the full 100-member ensemble. Both season subscriptions and tickets to Choral Cosmos may be purchased by clicking here. Click here for more information or to make a donation. Harmonium is committed to making its subscription concerts accessible and safe for all concertgoers; accessibility information for each venue is available on the ticketing website.
All of our singers are vaccinated and we will be following the science for safety protocols all year. Please make sure to check our website harmonium.org for changing requirements of each venue.
Funding has been made possible in part by Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Harmonium Choral Society, based in Morris County, is one of New Jersey’s leading choral arts organizations. The 100-voice choral society has been recognized for its musical excellence and innovative programming and has commissioned and premiered works by Amanda Harberg, Matthew Harris, Elliot Z. Levine, Harmonium’s composers-in-residence Mark Miller, and Martin Sedek, and others.
Directed by Dr. Anne J. Matlack of Madison, Harmonium’s season consists of four subscription concerts normally held in December, March, April, and June, as well as numerous special events and partnerships. Harmonium, known for its eclectic programming, choral excellence, and community spirit, sponsors commissions and musicianship workshops, as well as an outreach chorus that performs in schools, nursing homes, and other venues. Harmonium sponsors an annual High School Student Choral Composition Contest, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season. This innovative program won the prestigious Chorus America Education and Outreach Award. Harmonium has toured internationally to England and Wales, Eastern Europe, Northern Italy, Spain and Portugal, Greece and Turkey, and most recently the Baltics in the summer of 2016. A tour of the Balkans is planned for the summer of 2022.
MORRIS COUNTY — Sheriff James M. Gannon announces the promotions of two Sergeants for the Morris County Sheriff’s Office. Corporal Frank Benevento and Detective Edward Zienowicz were promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Both officers will be assigned to the Court Services Division. The officers were promoted in a ceremony held on September 24, 2021, in the Historic Courtroom of the Morris County Courthouse with family and colleagues present.
Sheriff James M. Gannon began the ceremony by saying, “These promotions are the result of hard work, dedication, loyalty, and most of all, leadership that both of these individuals have demonstrated. Leadership is a combination of honorable character and selfless service to the public and our agency.”
Sergeant Frank Benevento with Sheriff James M. Gannon
Sergeant Frank Benevento Jr. graduated from West Orange High School. He comes from a law enforcement family with his father, Frank Benevento, retiring as a Captain from the Orange Police Department, and his uncle, Anthony Benevento retired as the Chief of Orange Police Department and later retiring as Police Director of Wallington Police Department. Additionally, his brother-in-law, John Rolli, is a Lieutenant with the West Orange PD, and his cousin, Anthony Benevento, is a Morris County Correctional Police Officer.
Sergeant Benevento began his career serving the public with the United States Postal Service and later became a Correctional Police Officer working at the Morris County Correctional
Sergeant Benevento began his Bureau of Law Enforcement career in the Protective Services Division, assigned to the Access Control Section. Then in February 2006 he was assigned to the Process Section of the Court Services Division and was provided the title of corporal in April 2014. Throughout his career with the Bureau of Law Enforcement, he has been closely involved with PBA Local 151 and proudly served as NJSPBA State Delegate for PBA Local 151 from September 2015-November 2018.
In addition to his work life, Frank is a loving father of four children: Frank, Jessica, Nick, and Vincent; and enjoys watching his son’s sporting events and playing softball.
Sergeant John Rospond is a decorated law enforcement officer and veteran. He began his career in law enforcement with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office in 1997 working in the Protective Services Division. In 2005, Sergeant Rospond was transferred to the Emergency Services Section as a K9 Handler. In 2007, Sergeant Rospond returned back to the Protective Services Division and was assigned as a Corporal in 2014. His current duties include supervising Access Control of the Morris County Administration and Records Building, as well as being a Division Training Officer, an active shooter instructor, and a Master of Arts in Justice Studies in 2016.
After being hired by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office in 2005 he successfully completed the Basic Police Recruit Class #66, at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy. After the academy, he was assigned to the Protective Services Division for approximately nine years, where he worked in a uniform capacity primarily conducted security within the Courthouse and protected the Superior Court Judges and staff, as well as assisting other police agencies within Morris County with various law enforcement operations. Additionally, he was a member of the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT), New Jersey State Police Marine Unit, and Morris County Sheriff’s Officer Honor Guard.
After his assignment in the Protective Services Division, Sergeant Zienowicz was placed on loan with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Special Enforcement Unit, and later assigned to the New Jersey State Police Opioid Taskforce Trafficking North Unit. In 2020, Sergeant Zienowicz was recalled from his taskforce assignment and reassigned to the Warrants Section. Recently in 2021, he was again placed on loan with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Special Enforcement Unit.
In his free time, Sergeant Zienowicz enjoys spending time with his wife and their four children, along with hunting and fishing.
Sheriff James M. Gannon commented, “Sergeant Zienowicz is a good man and a good leader. He has been involved in some dangerous situations. He has also represented us well and he will bring the Officers up and show them the way.”
PARSIPPANY —ShopRite, 808 Route 46, sold a Jersey Cash 5 jackpot lottery ticket that netted the winner $243,441 in the Sunday, October 3 drawing. The winning numbers were 02, 08, 12, 16, and 42, with an XTRA number of 02.
The store will receive a $2,000 bonus check for selling a winning ticket. Jersey Cash 5 drawings are held every night at approximately 10:57 p.m.
How to play Jersey Cash 5:
Each Jersey Cash 5 play costs $1.
2Pick five(5) numbers between 1-45.
3If you’d rather have the Lottery computer randomly select your numbers for you, ask your Retailer for a “Quick Pick.” Or if you’re using a play slip, mark the Quick Pick (QP) circle.
4XTRA (optional): Mark the circle to add XTRA for an additional $1 per play, per draw to increase non-jackpot Jersey Cash 5 prizes. If you match three or more of the Jersey Cash 5 numbers drawn, your Jersey Cash 5 prize, excluding the Jackpot, will be multiplied by the XTRA Multiplier. If you match only two numbers, you win a $2 prize!
6Multi Draw (optional): You can play the same numbers for up to twenty-one consecutive drawings. Just mark the number of draws in the “MULTI DRAW” section of the play slip. This will include the current draw, and will not skip any draws in-between.
7If nobody wins the daily jackpot, it “rolls over” and is added to the next day’s jackpot.
PARSIPPANY — New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Jack Ciattarelli held a packed Town Hall at Parsippany Rescue and Recovery on Sunday, October 4.
Parsippany Troy Hills Mayoral Candidate James Barberio introduces New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Jack Ciattarelli
The event was well attended by both Parsippany Republicans and Democrats. Many local dignitaries attended: Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, Parsippany Mayoral Candidate James Barberio, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Senator Joseph Pennachio, Morris County Republican Club Chairwoman Laura Ali, Florham Park Mayor Mark Taylor, Morris County Republican State Committee member Larry Casha, Morris County Commissioner Thomas Mastrangelo, Parsippany-Troy Hills Council President Michael dePierro, Parsippany Republican Council Candidate Justin Musella, Parsippany-Troy Hills Economic Development Member Thomas Williams, Board of Education Member Andrew Choffo, Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Board Member Frank Cahill, Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce Board Member Nicolas Limanov and Town of Dover Police Officer Ilmi Bojkovic.
Parsippany Republican Council Candidate Justin Musella and Parsippany-Troy Hills Economic Development Member Thomas WilliamsTown of Dover Police Officer Ilmi Bojkovic, Aysha Avalos, Luke Ferrante and Stephanie MorettiStanding room onlyStanding room onlyMorris County Sheriff James Gannon, Assemblywoman BerryLou DeCroce, and Senator Joseph Pennacchio listen to the goals of New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Jack CiattarelliStephanie Moretti and Aysha Avalos
You can watch the recent debate between New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Jack Ciattarelli and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Police Department, in partnership with the Police Athletic League of Parsippany, presents Basic Crime Prevention Tips, a seminar and interactive workshop designed to help residents stay safe and informed about how to prevent crime in our neighborhoods.
This informative and informal presentation will take place on Thursday, October 28 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Parsippany PAL, located at 33 Baldwin Road. Registration is open and available now. (Click here). The cost is free, but it’s limited to residents aged 18+.
For more information on the event, please contact the Parsippany PAL at (973) 335-0555.
PARSIPPANY — On Saturday, September 25, 2021, the Township of Parsippany presented a street dedication at 48 Scott Place in Mount Tabor in honor of SPC 5 Robert Ernest Sipe, killed in action during the Vietnam War on September 23, 1967.
Street dedication at 48 Scott Place in Mount Tabor
Sipe was a Specialist 5th Class and medical specialist in the United States Army; Robert was wounded on June 1, 1967, when he was hit by shrapnel from an explosive device and was awarded the purple heart.
Four months later, Robert was killed by a sniper bullet in Vietnam on September 23, 1967, while transporting supplies in the Vinh Binh province. He was killed instantly without suffering. Robert’s body was carried back to the road, and picked up by helicopter, and returned to the United States.
He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery on October 6, 1967.
Mayor Soriano presented a proclamation to his family:
Four months later, Robert was killed by a sniper bullet in Vietnam on September 23, 1967, while transporting supplies in the Vinh Binh province. He was killed instantly without suffering. Robert’s body was carried back to the road, and picked up by helicopter, and returned to the United States.
Mayor Soriano presented a proclamation to his family: