PARSIPPANY — The Women and Business Committee of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce is holding a diaper drive from now until Friday, November 20.
They are requesting donations of new diapers from newborn to adult sizes, along with baby wipes to help those in need.
Interested donors can drop off the diapers and wipes at the M&T Bank at 240 Baldwin Road or the Valley Bank at 800 Route 46.
For more information call (973) 402-6400.
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance Junior Squad held a food drive on November 15 at ShopRite of Parsippany which resulted in 136 pounds of food and a check for $250 delivered to the Interfaith Food Pantry.
We are so grateful to the Parsippany residents who were generous in their support of those in our community in need. Many thanks to the PVAS junior squad and to the senior squad members who helped them out. Neighbors helping Neighbors!
MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy today advised individuals traveling to New Jersey from states or territories with significant community spread of COVID-19 to quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of the last contact within the identified state or territory. The updated advisory includes the addition of Vermont, bringing the total to 46 states and territories. The travel advisory applies to any person arriving from a state or territory with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.
As of Tuesday, November 17, there are currently 46 states and territories that meet the criteria stated above: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Florida; Georgia; Guam; Iowa; Idaho; Indiana; Illinois; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Mississippi; Montana; North Carolina; North Dakota; Nebraska; New Hampshire; New Mexico; Nevada; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Puerto Rico; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Wisconsin; West Virginia; Washington; and Wyoming.
Due to the interconnected nature of the region and mode of transport between New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, a 14-day quarantine is not reasonable in all instances. Non-essential travel to and from these states, however, is highly discouraged at this time.
“As we face the second wave of this virus, we need to recommit ourselves to the mindset of personal responsibility that helped us flatten the curve earlier this year,” said Governor Murphy.“We are asking anyone arriving from these 46 states and territories to get tested for COVID-19 and self-quarantine for 14 days.”
Travelers and those residents who are returning from impacted states should self-quarantine at their home, hotel, or other temporary lodgings. Individuals should leave the place of self-quarantine only to seek medical care/treatment or to obtain food and other essential items.
It is expected that individuals will follow the public health advisory to self-quarantine. The list of states will be updated on a rolling basis and is accessible here.
MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 196, which lowers indoor and outdoor gathering limits. Effective Tuesday, November 17 at 6:00 a.m., the indoor gathering limit will decrease from 25 to 10 people.
The outdoor gathering limit will decrease from 500 people to 150 people, effective Monday, November 23 at 6:00 a.m.
“As we have been saying for weeks, this will not be a normal holiday season, and it’s incumbent on all of us to avoid the type of gatherings that have proven to be particularly dangerous places for COVID-19 to spread,” said Governor Murphy. “With the alarming numbers we are seeing right now, we have to take these steps today to preserve and protect public health and to slow the spread of this virus.”
Indoor Gatherings
The limit for weddings, funerals, memorial services, and religious and political activities remain unchanged and will be limited to 25% of the capacity of the room in which the gathering takes place, up to a maximum of 150 individuals.
Indoor sporting competitions and practices will be permitted to exceed the 10 person limit only for individuals necessary for the practice or competition, such as players, coaches, and referees, but may not exceed 150 individuals. For most indoor sports, this will mean that there can be no spectators.
Legislative and judicial proceedings are not subject to the indoor gatherings limits.
Weddings, funerals, memorial services, and religious and political activities are not subject to the outdoor gatherings limit. All other types of gatherings, such as a high school football game or an outdoor concert, will be limited to 150 individuals. Athletes, coaches, referees, and other individuals necessary for a professional or collegiate sports competition are not counted towards the 150 person limit.
Outdoor gatherings continue to be subject to strict social distancing restrictions, including the requirement to wear masks whenever it is not possible to social distance.
For a copy of Executive Order No. 196, please click here.
MORRIS COUNTY — With the upcoming holiday season, the New Jersey Department of Health today issued health and safety guidance for the state’s long-term care facilities, which provides measures for residents who leave the facility for a holiday gathering, including a 14-day quarantine at the conclusion of their visit.
To protect the health of this vulnerable population, the Department strongly recommends against families taking residents out of facilities for holiday celebration events or gatherings. Instead, the Department recommends visitation outdoors or possibly indoors in facilities that meet the requirements for indoor visitation. Long-term care facilities should plan to accommodate increased virtual communications for residents.
“Small family gatherings are a significant driver of increasing cases, and bringing your loved one’s home could put them at risk,” said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “We remain concerned about the number of outbreaks we are seeing in long-term care, so we need to be especially vigilant to protect this population. We continue to partner with the industry to improve quality and infection control in these facilities.”
Long-term care facilities need to develop a plan for holiday visits and gatherings which estimate the number of residents who can be cohorted for a 14-day quarantine period from November 25 through December 31.
Long-term care facilities should create a reservation process tied to the number of individuals the facility can quarantine on their return. Residents who leave the facility for family visits must be quarantined upon return to the facility either in their own room if they have a private room or in an observation room.
A waiting list should be created once the reservation list is full. However, residents and families should be informed that residents who leave without a reservation or while on a waiting list may not be guaranteed readmittance to the facility at the end of their visit.
Residents and families must certify that they will follow masking, social distancing, and hand hygiene practices and that they will notify the facility if anyone who attended the holiday gathering tests positive for COVID-19 or exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 within 14 days of the resident’s visit/stay outside the facility.
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Surrogate Heather Darling announced the Surrogate’s Court has now added eProbate service as an option for Morris County residents to complete the probate process.
Residents with mobility issues can now complete the process from the comfort of their homes or offices, which also is a valuable tool in the era of COVID-19.
The new eProbate filing option may be found on the Surrogate’s website by clicking here.
Since becoming Surrogate in January 2020, Surrogate Darling has focused her efforts on serving the clients of the Surrogate’s Court and to make the process of accessing and navigating the probate system in Morris County easier for grieving citizens.
“As an attorney practicing in the Surrogate’s Court, it was apparent to me that a significant segment of the clients this office serves is subject to mobility issues of varying degrees,” said Darling. “It has been my plan since the day I was elected last year to implement this convenience for the residents of Morris County, and now we have delivered it without any additional expense.”
Darling went on to say, “When I originally forecasted the need, no one would have foreseen the additional urgent need for this service which was brought on by COVID.”
eProbate is one option for Surrogate’s Court clients. The Surrogate’s Court has reopened for in-person appointments and is also utilizing Form A and Form B on our website as a probate-by-mail option, allowing Morris County’s residents a choice in how they want to handle their business with the Surrogate’s Office, their sensitive matters.
“This will be a tremendous benefit to those using our office, clients and attorneys can work up the forms with our probate clerks to streamline the process which can then be completed in the place the probate applicant is most comfortable,” said Chief Probate Clerk Deborah Scott.
Surrogate Darling explained that her office has “beta-tested” the eProbate service with a small group and now will offer eProbate to her office’s entire client base as an option.
The Surrogate commended the vendor, County Business Systems, who she worked with to develop and deliver this service as quickly as possible, even through a pandemic. “eProbate is the next level of service for this client base.
Surrogates in other New Jersey counties have expressed an interest in this service which was designed specifically for Surrogate Darling in Morris County,” said Nick DiPalma, Project Leader, County Business Systems, Inc. “We anticipate other Surrogates may follow the lead by purchasing the program designed to Darling’s specifications.”
PARSIPPANY — The letter brief filed in the Appellate Division on Friday in the case against Gov. Phil Murphy for his violations of the Disaster Control Act, expressed Murphy’s opposition to offering relief to one Sussex County business – now out of business – as a result of the governor’s continual shutdowns.
According to the filing from the attorneys for the business owner, Robert W. Ferguson, Esq., of the law firm of Stern, Kilcullen and Rufolo, LLC of Florham Park and Catherine M. Brown, Esq., of Denville, who asked to additionally expedite the appeal after their client’s business was decimated, defendant Murphy “opposes all relief requested herein.”
Originally filed in the Sussex County Superior Court on September 23, the case first sought a declaratory judgment against Murphy too, as he was mandated under the Disaster Control Act, establish compensation boards in every county, where businesses like Ferguson and Brown’s client JWC Fitness, LLC., could petition for “reasonable compensation.”
With these boards, individuals and businesses could attempt to seek recompense in return for the governor’s taking of their property during the eight back-to-back states of emergency that Murphy has continued to declare since March.
As part of Murphy’s Executive Orders and invocation of the Disaster Control Act, the plaintiff’s business fought for survival under Murphy’s edicts, following a previously fruitful 10-year-run, after Murphy deemed it “non-essential” during the pandemic.
“He’s [Murphy’s] playing carrot and stick with fundamental rights,” Ferguson said.
“The Murphy Administration should be more responsive, instead of giving back the ‘let them eat cake’ approach,” said Donald Dinsmore, Esq., the chairman of Rescue New Jersey, the not-for-profit, non-partisan group that facilitated the lawsuit.
Rescue New Jersey was formed, Dinsmore added, to assist New Jersey individuals and businesses, who deserve timely answers from Murphy’s Administration.
The attorneys described in a Superior Court brief that their client from Franklin Borough, Darlene Pallay – who ran her business as CKO Kickboxing Franklin – as “a law-abiding, taxpaying citizen of this State,” who helped to support her family over the last decade with her business, including her three young children.
“She complied fully with the Governor’s Executive Orders, notwithstanding the personal economic cost to her and her family,” the brief also read. “She won Congressional recognition for COVID-related activities that benefitted her community.”
The letter brief also asked the court to consider moving the case along quickly, based on its merits. “The defendant [Murphy] called upon all of us to comply with his executive orders for the good of the greater, general welfare,” the brief stated.
“Plaintiff’s owner Mrs. Pallay did as she was ordered. But the defendant asked her to give much more to the general welfare than most, her livelihood from a business she has built up over 10 years, and ultimately, the business itself.”
The brief further explained that Pallay currently owes back rent to her commercial landlord and payment for expenses she has become unable to pay. While the Superior Court case sought a declaratory judgment, the Appellate brief indicated, “The winddown of the plaintiff’s business affairs depends entirely on whether the state will compensate Mrs. Pallay for her total compliance with the defendant’s executive orders, as required by the Disaster Control Act.”
For more information about Rescue New Jersey click here.
MORRIS COUNTY — With a heavy heart, I am saddened to announce our campaign has come to an end. I am proud to have joined women up and down the ballot for this crucial moment in time. Our campaign has been focused on amplifying the voices of teachers, essential workers, small businesses, and working families in New Jersey. However, the COVID-19 crisis has shone a light on all of the cracks in our system and we stepped up to fight for sensible leadership.
This campaign is historic because of the support and involvement of women across the state, the South Asian community, and our youth. Collectively, we broke the glass ceiling and opened up many doors for future leaders to come.
To every volunteer, intern, voter, and donor – sincerely thank you. Your support and generosity have brought us to this monumental moment. You showed up to make thousands of calls during these unprecedented times. You put your trust in me to build a better New Jersey for you.
Even if I was the first South Asian woman to run for statewide office in New Jersey, I most certainly will not be the last. We will keep on fighting because representation will always matter.
Congratulations Senator Bucco on your re-election. It is imperative we work together during these challenging times to always put LD-25’s needs first and to truly focus on bipartisan efforts.
Dear Editor:
Parsippany should ask Mayor Michael Soriano when will he start caring about our environment and the image of our township projects to visitors. For far too long, Mayor Soriano has allowed trash to run rampant on the streets making the pride people once felt in Parsippany wane as of late.
Mayoral candidate Lou Valori and township council candidate Justin Musella have collaborated with Jacqueline Corvino, who has been a weekend trash warrior in our township. Mrs. Corvino spends two to three hours every weekend collecting and removing trash throughout Lake Hiawatha as well as the Route 46 corridor.
Lake Hiawatha used to be pristine; considered a crown jewel of the township by most residents. Unfortunately, a clean environment has fallen by the wayside under Soriano’s watch as he prioritizes his personal political agenda over what benefits the residents he is obligated to serve.
Just last weekend alone, volunteers spent three hours cleaning North Beverwyck Road, picking up everything from syringes to rusty scissors along with endless amounts of hazardous waste. Even sadder is the township-funded potted plants lining North Beverwyck are now eyesores, overrun by dead plants and mucky water.
Given that Lake Hiawatha is an economic hub for our township, the denigration of this area is scaring away prospective businesses, hopeful homeowners, and entrepreneurs, not attracting them.
The pollution along one of the town’s main arteries is even worse. This Saturday, volunteers spent two hours on the Route 46 corridor filling six bags of trash with plastics, clothes, and countless unrecyclable waste. Long dead animals were also strewn across both sides of the highway. Where is the township monitoring, oversight, and accountability? Mayor Soriano must be held accountable for permitting this filth, decay, neglect, and dereliction of duty to infect our township.
If a town’s streets and sidewalks are a reflection of its municipal leadership, then the blasé and lackadaisical practices of the inattentive Michael Soriano must be stopped — and Mayoral Candidate Valori and Council Candidate Musella are the team to do it.
Mayoral Candidate Valori
and Council Candidate Musella
MORRISTOWN — As the number of positive cases in Morris County increases, Morristown Memorial Hospital has adjusted its visiting hours and procedures. Morris County has seen an increase of over 600 new positive cases within one week, with 229 cases reported in the past 24 hours. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Morris County had 11,018 cases; 703 confirmed deaths; and 146 probable deaths.
“For the safety and wellbeing of patients, visitors, support persons, and health care professionals, visitor restrictions are in place at our hospitals. This includes Chilton, Hackettstown, Newton, Overlook and Morristown medical centers, as well as Goryeb Children’s Hospital. The policy includes hospital visiting hours, restrictions, and COVID-19 safety measures along with special guidelines for maternity and certain neonatal and pediatric units.”
Once in the hospital or facility, visitors shall remain in the patient’s room (or emergency department bay) as much as possible throughout the visit, except when directed by hospital or facility staff to leave during aerosol-generating procedures or other procedures in which visitors are usually asked to leave. Visitors may use designated eating locations within the medical center and other amenities available to patients or visitors.
Parsippany Focus is a digital news organization that provides news coverage of Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. The organization was founded in 1989 by Frank Cahill, who currently owns and operates the organization. Parsippany Focus covers local news, events, and community issues, and their content is primarily distributed through their website and social media channels. The organization has been serving as a trusted source of news and information for the Parsippany-Troy Hills community for over 30 years.
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