PARSIPPANY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) will hold a telephone town hall meeting on Wednesday, July 7 at 5:00 p.m, to discuss pandemic recovery efforts, including the American Rescue Plan, the upcoming infrastructure package, repealing the SALT cap, and other recovery-related topics. Rep. Sherrill will be joined by local economic, municipal, and medical experts who will help answer questions from residents.
Residents are invited to register to call in the telephone town hall at sherrill.house.gov/live. The town hall will also stream live at 5:00 p.m. directly on Representative Sherrill’s website. To submit a question ahead of the event, please click here.
DETAILS:
WHAT: Representative Sherrill Telephone Town Hall WHEN: Wednesday, July 7, 2021 TIME: 5:00 p.m. LOCATION: sherrill.house.gov/live
HANOVER — Three lucky tickets matched all five numbers drawn splitting the $841,017 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot from the Friday, July 2, drawing. Each ticket is worth $280,339. The winning numbers were: 02, 09, 11, 23, and 27, and the XTRA number was: 02. The retailers will receive a bonus check for $2,000 for each winning ticket sold. Those tickets were sold at the following locations:
PARSIPPANY — Imagine, if you will, a meal that will stimulate all your taste sensations, consisting of substantial food that is distinct with its fresh, strong, diverse flavors, and is healthy, hearty, tasty, and robust? Sounds surprisingly good, doesn’t it? If that piques your interest, you might just want to plan a visit to Up Thai, located in a relatively small strip mall right on Tabor Road in (Parsippany) Morris Plains.
Interior
Thai food with its authentic balance of sweet, bitter, sour, creamy, spicy, and salty flavors, along with generous use of fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices makes this cuisine something special, that will surely wake up your palate and provide a wonderful dining experience. In general, this cuisine which is associated with being hot and spicy can be easily modified to accommodate your personal heat level so you can still enjoy a wide variety of dishes. As for me, I love spicy, hot food. Each dish, as is customary in Thai tradition, is carefully plated to be as visually attractive and enticing as possible. That along with all those aromatic herbs, spices, sauces, as well as many other exotic ingredients common to this cuisine is what I am talking about when I referred earlier to food to stimulate your senses.
Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. Going back to the 13th Century, Thailand’s complex cuisine was heavily influenced by many surrounding countries, including China (noodles and wok), India (spices and flavors), Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, and Malaysia. Today Thai cooking is considered one of the fastest-growing and most popular cuisines in the world.
Up Thai, which opened in June of 2019, is another one of those small storefront places, located on the side of a small strip mall off Tabor Road. It may have only 9 or 10 tables, but it certainly packs a punch. Cozy, comfortable, inviting, impeccably clean, and welcoming, it is a great place for a relaxing lunch or dinner. It is also great for takeout, which was obvious by the ongoing stream of customers coming in to pick up their orders throughout the entire time I was there. The interior, nicely lit by the large storefront window, is nicely decorated with warm, rustic-looking wood paneling covering the walls, tile floors, attractive Thai-related paintings adorning the walls, along with Asian-style lanterns overhanging the wooden tables which are placed along the walls. A good part of the interior is comprised of a customer counter outside the kitchen area to accommodate those outgoing orders.
Hostess Tanya Padilla and Patrick Minutillo
The service is attentive, friendly, and prompt. Our affable hostess, Tanya Padilla, could not have been more accommodating, cordial, and helpful. Our waitress was equally pleasant and made sure to check on our table throughout the meal, in addition to keeping our water glasses topped off, which can come in handy as you dig into those no joke Thai chili dishes. Important note: they will prepare your dish to suit your heat level, even to the point there is no spicy heat at all, so do not worry about those stories you have heard about “make your head explode” spicy food. Personally, I always prefer to kick my food up a bit with a little extra heat, but that is just me.
Steamed Chicken Dumplings
I brought my sister-in-law along since she eats Thai cuisine two or three times a week and absolutely loves it. I wanted to get her insight as a Thai enthusiast. For appetizers We started with Steamed Chicken Dumplings, which were served with a garlic soy sauce; Satay, savory chicken marinated in yellow curry powder and coconut milk, which came with a memorable homemade peanut sauce, as well as a cucumber vinaigrette dipping sauce; and Curry Puffs, fried puff pastry stuffed with minced chicken, potato, caramelized onion, carrot, and yellow curry, which was served with cucumber relish. Everything was savory, fresh, and delicious, plus as we were about to find out, Up Thai is very generous with its portion sizes. Quite frankly, these three appetizers were a fantastic meal in themselves.
Curry Puffs
The menu is enticing and extensive with one delicious choice after another. I was tempted by many of those choices, with plenty of meat, chicken, fish, and vegetable selections to choose from, but I decided to go with Thai’s most popular dish, their Authentic Old School Pad Thai. I understand there are numerous ways to make Pad Thai in Thailand, but it would be hard to beat Up Thai’s version of this delectable noodle dish. Featuring stir-fried thin rice noodles, mixed with a tangy tamarind sauce, combined with egg, tofu, scallion, bean sprouts, and ground peanut, with my choice of beef (you can choose chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu).
Drunken Noodles
This was one rich and flavorful entree, not spicy, and a great introduction if you are new to Thai cuisine. Of course, you know I had to try a variety of dishes, so I also ordered Drunken Noodles; stir-fried flat noodles, with chicken, shrimp, egg, fresh chili, garlic, onion, carrot, pepper, tomato, and Thai basil. This is listed as a spicy dish, and I requested it medium hot as I was not familiar with the heat level at Up Thai. The dish did possess a nice palatable kick and had a reasonable heat level to it (as I said I do like spicy food) and would in all probability suit most diners who prefer that bit of heat. Again, the dish was delicious, satisfying, and filling.
Spicy Chilli Shrimp
We also split the Spicy Chili Shrimp; crispy large-sized fried shrimp topped with chili sauce, garlic, lemongrass, onion, pepper, tamarind juice, and Thai basil. The shrimp were crisp, juicy, and blended harmoniously with the tangy spicy chili sauce to create a taste sensation. It came with a side of Jasmine rice, which served as a great compliment to the spiciness of the dish. This was one of those “eyes bigger than your stomach” situations, but everything was so tasty you did not want to stop. By the way, did I mention that Up Thai is a BYOB restaurant? I brought along some cold Yanjing beer, which turned out to be a good call.
Patrick Minutillo checking out the desserts
By now, a reasonable person would have been done, but I had to try Up Thai’s desserts. We split the Black Sticky Rice with Fresh Mangos and their Banana Nutella Cake. Fresh, new, decadent tastes I have not had before, but I would not hesitate to order either one of them again. Not too sweet and just the right ending to a very flavorful meal.
If you are new to Thai food, Up Thai I would highly recommend this restaurant if you were looking for something different, a bit exotic, and something very affordable. If you are already a fan of Thai food, I feel confident you will be adding Up Thai is one of your go-to places. So, hop on board for an exciting gastronomical adventure, and if you have not done so yet, give Thai a try. I really think you will become a fan.
I almost forgot, my Thai loving sister-in-law thought it was fantastic. Two thumbs up!!
MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy has signed A5820 enabling the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency that had been in place since March 9, 2020.
Immediately following the signing of the legislation, Murphy signed Executive Order No. 244 (2021), ending the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Under the legislation, the majority of executive orders issued that relied on the existence of the Public Health Emergency expire as of July 4, 2021, with exceptions specified in the legislation.
The legislation keeps the following 14 executive orders in place until January 1, 2022, though they can be modified or rescinded prior to that date by the Governor:
Because Executive Order No. 192 (2020) is not specified in the legislation as continuing beyond July 4, 2021, masking, social distancing, and other health and safety protocols originally set forth in the EO will no longer be mandatory across businesses and facilities, regardless if they are open to the public or not. Though these protocols are no longer required by the State, employers, and entities overseeing worksites and other facilities are permitted to craft more restrictive policies that require masking and social distancing, and which continue the implementation of health and safety protocols.
Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Order, masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the U.S. and in transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Travelers are not required to wear a mask in outdoor areas of a conveyance. Masking requirements also remain in effect in certain state-regulated settings, including child care facilities, camps, long-term care facilities, other healthcare settings, homeless shelters, and prisons. These masking requirements, which are consistent with CDC guidance, are included in Executive Order No. 242 (2021), which remains in effect under Section 1(14) of P.L.2021, c.103.
The majority of State offices open to the public, including NJ Motor Vehicle Commission locations, continue to require masking of staff and visitors. Individuals should review setting-specific requirements in advance of arrival. Agency directives and guidance documents can be found at the links below:
PARSIPPANY — Thanks to a generous donation of $75,000 from Onyx Equities, Parsippany was able to enjoy a spectacular 4th of July fireworks show and concert.
The weather was beautiful for this year’s Fourth of July celebration that was held at Parsippany Hills High School on Sunday, July 4.
Township fireworks as seen over Lake Parsippany
The event featured Parsippany’s hometown band Overboard. Overboard plays everything from alternative to oldies and adds their own interpretation (nothing is off limits) to every song.
Flipper, the frontman, lead vocalist, and guitarist has more energy than anyone in the room and makes sure that everyone is exhausted when the show is over.
Karl “The Admiral” Delpiano, Bass guitar, and vocals. You never know what he’ll say or do next. The Admiral’s low strung and ever swaying bass guitar and spot-on vocals will lull you into a false sense of security until the unexpected moment when you realize….”did he just do that?”
Larry “L.S.D.” DeRogatis, on Lead guitar. The original “Shredder”! Can play anything and definitely is a presence on stage!!
Bob Gizzi (keyboards/sax/vocals) is the virtuoso of the band. There is nothing he can’t play and whenever he touches the keys, the stage lights up!
Pete Giso (drums) The original OVERBOARD drummer from back in the day, is always there with a solid groove and his Homer Simpson impressions.
Overboard plays everything from alternative to oldies and adds their own interpretation
Thanks to all the Rainbow Lakes Volunteer Fire Company members who gave their time and expertise on this holiday and all the other Parsippany-Troy Hills Fire Companies who assisted at the Parsippany Hills High School or covered District Two (Rainbow) while they were at the event. A special shout out to Deputy Chief Douglas Reighard for a job well done serving as Incident Commander and Safety Officer.
Parsippany Rescue and Recovery Unit were also assisting with lighting and traffic units in case of any emergency.
Tyson Foods is recalling approximately 8,492,832 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.
The frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between December 26, 2020, and April 13, 2021. Click here for a list of products that are subject to recall. Click here to view the product labels.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-7089” on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools, and Department of Defense locations.
On June 9, 2021, FSIS was notified of two persons ill with listeriosis. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners, FSIS determined there is evidence linking the Listeria monocytogenes illnesses to pre-cooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc. The epidemiologic investigation identified three listeriosis illnesses, including one death, between April 6, 2021 and June 5, 2021. During routine sample collection, FSIS collected two precooked chicken samples from two establishments that are closely related genetically to Listeria monocytogenes from ill people. One of the samples was collected at Tyson Foods Inc. FSIS is continuing to work with federal and state public health partners to determine if there are additional illnesses linked to these products.
Additional information on the investigation may be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.
FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumer and institutional freezers. Consumers should not eat these products. Institutions should not serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website by clicking here.
MORRIS COUNTY — On Saturday, June 26 at Birchwood Elementary School, 1 Art Street, Rockaway, Kiwanis Club of Rockaway Valley, along with other surroundings Kiwanis clubs, carried out Operation: Feeding Morris County.
With the help of surrounding Kiwanis clubs, over 75 volunteers, multiple sponsors, and many more, they were able to distribute over 20,000 pounds of food to over 500 families in need.
Kiwanis Club purchased 20,000 pounds of food to feed over 500 families in needBoxes of food, packed by volunteers to be distributed at Birchwood SchoolPlenty of gallons of milk were includedPallets of food being loaded off the tractor-trailer
Kiwanis Club of Rockaway Valley, a new Kiwanis Club being formed to serve Rockaway Township, Rockaway Borough, Wharton, and Dover, is sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Greater Roxbury.
Local Kiwanis clubs included Kiwanis Club of Greater Roxbury, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, Tri-Town Kiwanis Club, and Kiwanis Club of South Orange/Maplewood. With the help of these clubs, the towns that we’re able to hold food pick-up locations included Roxbury, Rockaway, South Orange, and Maplewood.
Scattered throughout all locations were over 75 volunteers, including Kiwanis Member and Dover Police Officer Ilmi Bojkovic. People who donated their time to help the people who need it most throughout their communities. The day started at 5:30 a.m., volunteers showed up at the St. Therese parking lot, in Succasunna. Volunteers helped assemble boxes, organize food as it came off the 18-wheeler, fill boxes with food, load the transport truck to take food boxes to other pick-up locations, load cars with food that were in line, clean up, and so much more.
Rockaway Township Mayor Michael Puzio and Volunteer Dylan Brookes placing food in a vehicle
“I want to personally thank all the amazing volunteers that took time out of their busy schedules to come to help us. They are what made the event be able to run as smoothly as it did, and they truly make the event come to life,” said Valerie Kuglin, a local Rockaway resident and a new member of the Kiwanis Club of Rockaway Valley.
“Many people may feel like they need to humble themselves because they are asking for help, so we try to alleviate any feelings like that they might have.” Frank Cahill, Lt. Governor Division 9, New Jersey Kiwanis. To date, Kiwanis Club has distributed over 169,000 pounds of food to over 4,200 families with a retail value of over $425,000.
The crew of volunteers helping with the food distribution at Birchwood Elementary School
While we ask for families to register online, this is only for a rough estimate of how much food we need to purchase. The only person who can see that list is the club president. On the day of the distributions, families simply pull up, say if they are registered or not, then a volunteer opens either the trunk or back seat of their car, puts the box of food in, closes the door, and drives off.
Dover Police Officer and Kiwanis member Ilmi Bojkovic at Birchwood Elementary School where the food distribution took place in Rockaway
“We want people to feel as comfortable as possible. We want them to know that Kiwanis is here to help,” said Ilmi Bojkovic, who spent his day volunteering. “The economic damage brought by mass layoffs and business closures is expected to persist long after vaccines become widely available and that means demand for food assistance will remain at the current high level for months or years to come.” Cahill says, “So long as there’s a need, we will continue to do the food distributions every month.”
Bojkovic is one of the many volunteers who helped during the past few months. Senator Anthony Bucco, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Surrogate Heather Darling as well as other police officers, firemen, EMS workers participated in one of our locations. This is definitely a community project.
If you are interested in joining the Kiwanis Club contact Frank Cahill at (862) 346-5100 for additional information.
PARSIPPANY — Neemoe, Chihuahua mix, 12 years old, weighs six pounds is looking for his forever home.
Neemoe will need an owner who can accommodate his current and future medical needs. A quiet home would let this sweet gentleman spend his days in relaxation.
Neemoe has trouble walking with his weak back legs but manages to get around. WISE is going to fit Neemoe for a wheelchair which will ease his trouble!
Children are ok but above the age of 16.
Neemoe would do best with dogs who share his low energy temperament. He will happily co-exist with them. Neemoe also likes cats. He prefers to have free roam of the house when left alone. He is house trained.
Neemoe is the love bug you need! He loves to cuddle and receive pets! His small size makes him the perfect lap dog! He is a couch potato and perfectly content spending the whole day laying next to you. He will let you carry him wherever you go. He is easy to please and very well behaved! His tail never stops wagging when he goes on his short walks outside.
Neemoe was rescued from an overcrowded shelter in NYC. He is now ready for a fresh start! Will you be the Dory to his Neemoe?
If you are interested in adopting Neemoe click here.
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PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Council Meeting will hold a regular meeting, Tuesday, July 7 at Parsippany Municipal Building, 1001 Parsippany Boulevard. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. and portions of the meeting are open for public comments.
PARSIPPANY — Onyx Equities, a real estate investment firm, donated $75,000 to the township for the Fourth of July celebration and fireworks, covering costs for the major event. Onyx has been in Parsippany since early 2000. Recently they purchased a number of properties in the Mack-Cali complex.
This year’s Fourth of July celebration will be held at Parsippany Hills High School on Sunday, July 4 beginning at 6:00 p.m.
The event will feature Parsippany’s hometown band Overboard, followed by a fireworks display beginning at dark. Special thanks to Onyx Equities for helping the township produce this event at no cost to the community.
Gates open for the Fourth of July celebration at 6:00 p.m. The rain date is Monday, July 5.
“Thanks to this public-private partnership between Onyx and our township, there will be no expense to Parsippany residents for putting on this event,” said Mayor Michael Soriano, as the company presented the township a check for $75,000.
Kristen Pappas, Senior Vice President of Property Management
“We’re thrilled to support Parsippany’s July Fourth celebration and other community activities,” said Kristen Pappas, Senior Vice President of Property Management and Construction for Onyx Equities. “We don’t want our interactions with the people who live and work here to be limited to just nine to five and this gave us a great opportunity to be part of something meaningful.”
In September 2020, a joint venture led by Onyx Equities has closed on its $158 million purchase of a 10-building, 1.5 million-square-foot office portfolio in Parsippany and Madison from Mack-Cali Realty Corp. The new addition to their portfolio includes:
The weather was beautiful for this year’s Fourth of July celebration that was held at Parsippany Hills High School on Sunday, July 4.
