MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County’s Board of County Commissioners announced the county will resume no-cost, COVID-19 testing inside the Student Center at the County College of Morris (CCM) on Monday, January 10 to help meet soaring demand.

Testing is available by appointment only.No one will be permitted to walk into the facility without an appointment, and appointments must be scheduled online by clicking here.

The center will be open seven days per week and appointments will be available between 7:00 a.m. and 6:45 p.m., except for a half-hour between 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.

“We are meeting the increased demand of our residents for more testing facilities, and we want to take a tremendous burden off local hospitals where emergency room personnel have been overwhelmed by people walking in hoping to find tests,” said Commissioner Director Stephen H. Shaw.

Saint Clare’s Health and Morristown Medical Center/Atlantic Health System have noted that a Morris County testing center at CCM will relieve emergency department pressures.

“Our strategic planning committee had discussed the need for testing recently, and despite tight supplies and limited resources, we are pleased the county was able to launch this initiative.  Hopefully, the sharp increases in cases are plateauing, and we will have as sharp a decline,” said Commissioner John Krickus, referring to the board’s COVID-19 Strategic Planning Advisory Committee, of which he is a member.

Testing Center
Morris County and the County College of Morris will again collaborate with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office to operate the testing facility in the same Student Center location where the county-operated its testing center last year. Instead of a saliva test, the center will employ the LabQ Diagnostics nasal-swab PCR tests.

HQ Health, which is the new LabQ brand name for the company’s suite of comprehensive and complete healthcare services, opened a new, 100,000 square foot center in Mount Olive last May. Among other operations, the center will manage four other national data centers for LabQ and employ more than 1,000 people locally.

Because of the massive demand on testing throughout the nation, people looking to be tested are being advised that receiving results may take considerably longer than the usually advertised timetable of 24 hours to 48 hours.

People who schedule a test will not be charged for the service but will be asked to provide information about whether they have health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or no healthcare coverage. Individuals with symptoms or who have a known exposure to COVID-19 should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for isolation or quarantine until they receive their test results.

Please monitor the COVID-19 information page on the Morris County website to learn of any changes in the testing schedule at CCM or updates on other testing programs and the pandemic.

“We’ve met the pandemic head-on since it began. Last year we set up the most successful vaccination center in the state at the Rockaway Townsquare Mall, as well as a testing center. With this recent rise in cases, we are launching the testing center again with the same vigor and level of tenacity as before,” said Commissioner Thomas Mastrangelo, a liaison to the county Department of Law & Public Safety.

“The County College of Morris is always ready to support the county in any way, and we are willing and proud to assist with this endeavor,” said CCM President Anthony J. Iacono.

Directions and Precautions
Parking at CCM for people with appointments will be reserved in Lot 6, where individuals using public transportation to and from CCM also may board or disembark from a bus.  To find directions to CCM and learn more about public transportation options to and from the campus, please go to the CCM website.

Everyone arriving at the campus is required to wear a protective face covering or mask from the time of arrival in the parking lot to the moment of departure.

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council unanimously voted on Wednesday, January 5, to appoint Michael B. Lavery, Esq. as Parsippany’s newest Township Attorney. If appointed by the Council, Mr. Lavery started serving as the township immediately after the vote was conducted.

Michael B. Lavery is the founding partner of Lavery, Selvaggi. Abromitis and Cohen and the director of the firm’s Municipal Government Practice.  Mr. Lavery is considered one of the state’s foremost attorneys in the area of municipal government law.  He presently represents numerous governmental entities and serves as Special Counsel to the County of Warren for Open Space & Farmland Preservation.

Mr. Lavery has been appointed to be the Township Attorney for Hardwick, Lopatcong, Mansfield, Oxford, Greenwich, and Washington (Warren County) Townships, as well as Attorney for the Frelinghuysen Township Land Use Board, the Chester Township Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Warren County Soil Conservation District and Special Counsel to the County of Sussex.

Michael is also a seasoned land use attorney.  He has represented many developers, corporations, and individuals in a variety of applications.  He is recognized by land use boards throughout northern New Jersey and respected for his thorough understanding of the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law and his professional approach when appearing before local and administrative boards.  His knowledge of both land use law and local government law uniquely qualifies him as an excellent choice for those applications that demand a competent and thoughtful strategy.

Mr. Lavery is also an accomplished litigator having represented numerous clients in numerous civil and commercial matters in state and federal courts.  He offers clients zealous representation tempered by a practical and sound approach to effectively resolving disputes.

Mr. Lavery is the former State Chairman for the New Jersey Republican Party and formerly served as General Counsel to the NJGOP from November 2017 – 2020.  He was the Mayor of Hackettstown for two terms from 2005-2011. On June 25, 2015, he was appointed by Governor Chris Christie to serve as a Commissioner for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission and a year later he was elected Chairman of the Commission.  He has also served as Republican State Committeeman for Warren County and as Legislative Aide to then-Senator Leonard Lance (R-23), who formerly served as Congressman for the 7th District.  These experiences enable him to assist those seeking to navigate the often confusing aspects of state and local government.  His counsel is often sought by those trying to secure approvals from regulatory and administrative agencies in northern New Jersey and Trenton.

When not representing clients, Michael serves the community as a member of the Hackettstown Medical Center Advisors Board and is former President of the Hackettstown Medical Center Foundation Board. He also serves on the Centenary University Board of Trustees.   Mr. Lavery is a past President of the Hackettstown Area Chamber of Commerce as well as a founding member of the Warren County Regional Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Lavery formerly served as Chairman of the District 13 Fee Arbitration Committee.

PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany and Kiwanis Club of South Orange Maplewood have teamed up in the distribution of free Winter Children Jackets.

“This has been an annual project, mainly supply jackets to the homeless. This year we decided to supply jackets to area children,” said Gordon Meth.

The jackets are available in assorted sizes and styles. Both Kiwanis Clubs will schedule a day and location to pick up the jackets, and in some cases, our volunteers will be able to deliver them to your home.

To obtain a jacket, please visit kiwanishelps.org and choose the Children Jackets tab, and fill out the form to reserve your jacket. While supplies last.

NJ Kiwanis Lt. Governor Division 9 Frank Cahill said “Kiwanis has been there to help families during hard times, especially during COVID-19. At Kiwanis, we want to ensure that all children have the opportunity to lead healthy, successful lives. We believe that by helping one child, you help the world.”

“I believe in giving back to my community. That’s why I became a member of Kiwanis. When Kiwanis donated surgical masks to my department, I knew immediately I wanted to join a wonderful organization.” said Dover Police Officer Ilmi Bojkovic.

Kiwanis Clubs in Northern New Jersey have been supplying food to local families since December 2020. To date they have distributed 358,000 pounds, serving almost 9,000 families and over 17,000 children. The food distributed has a retail value of over $600,000.  The next food distribution will be held on Saturday, January 22.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Our members, Kiwanians, are service-minded men and women who are united in their commitment and compassion for others.

Working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone. When you help improve a community or give a child a chance to learn experience, dream, and succeed, great things happen!

For additional information contact Frank Cahill at (862) 346-5100. For more information click here.

PARSIPPANY — The Scouts BSA Troop 72 Parsippany held an Eagle Scout Court of Honor at All Saints Academy on Sunday, January 2, to honor three scouts who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout: Arnov Bhardwaj, Neil Deshpande, and Derek Kaiser.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented special challenges to the planning and executing of this event. All efforts were put in place to ensure the safety of the scouts, leaders, and families attending the event including sanitizing all surfaces, social distancing seating by family, wearing masks, and the Kaiser Family outside in a tent due to being currently quarantined.

The pathway to Eagle can be described as a steep trail leading up to three peaks, the highest being that of Eagle Scout. Officially, the trail starts with the Tenderfoot rank and continues through Second and First Class ranks. Then, the mountain climbing begins. The path is marked with merit badges, leadership responsibilities, service projects, and the practice of Scouting skills and ideals. The first peak reached is that of Star Scout, the second is Life Scout, and, finally, Eagle Scout.

The Eagle Scout Award is Scouting’s highest rank and among its most familiar icons. Men who have earned it count it among their most treasured possessions.

Those who missed it by a whisker remember exactly which requirement they didn’t complete. Americans from all walks of life know that being an Eagle Scout is a great honor. The award is more than a badge. It’s a state of being.

The Eagle Scout may have received the badge as a boy, but you earn it every day as a man. In the words of the Eagle Scout Promise, they do their best each day to make their training and example, their rank and their influence count strongly for better Scouting and for better citizenship in the troop, in their community, and in their contacts with other people. And to this, they pledge their sacred honor.

Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young men. Only 5% of the Boy Scouts actually earn this rank.

Arnov Bhardwaj

Arnov began planning his Eagle Project in late 2019 when he reached out to Celebrate the Children, a school for students with special learning needs. He and the school’s representative, Mrs. Cheri Alexander, decided to install fitness stations along a walking path on the school’s campus.

This was to ensure students could participate in physical activity when they were outside, being able to engage in exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and dips. It also contributed to the campus’s aesthetically pleasing array of eagle projects.

Arnov got approval for the project, budgeted, and fundraised online with the help of his parents. He oversaw the assembly of the fitness apparatuses, dug holes in the ground, and anchored the stations with concrete. With the help of many volunteers and school authorities, he was able to complete the project in November 2020 despite the numerous roadblocks created by the unprecedented situation of the COVID pandemic affecting the entire world.

Neil Deshpande

Neil began the process of his Eagle Scout Project in February 2021, reaching out to Cheri Alexander of Celebrate the Children, a non-profit school for children living with autism, and other challenges in relating and communicating. After touring the grounds of the school and being introduced to some of the challenges that students face, Ms. Alexander gave some pointers on where he could help. He opted to build and install two fitness stations: a pull-up station and a balance beam station, to aid in developing motor skills in children, as many attending students lack these. Additionally, he opted to build and install four benches along a small trail, overlooking the lake and surrounding trees, shrubs, and flower bushes. This will be used for many purposes: an area to host small classes when weather is appropriate, given COVID-19 recommendations to gather outdoors; allow a seating area for students to develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination by painting the scenery; and an area for students to relax, with appropriate supervision.

Neil initiated, drafted, planned, and fundraised for the project with guidance from advisors from within his unit: Troop 72. While executing the project, he was helped by many friends, scouts, and other volunteers, during which, he exhibited leadership traits and problem-solving skills. He oversaw the construction and installation of all components, completing the project before the school year. Today, hundreds of students use the fitness apparatus and lakeside benches installed by Neil.

Derek Kaiser

Derek led and organized others to renovate an existing fenced-in area on the property of St. Peter the Apostle Church in Parsippany to become a functional community garden.

Unwanted plants and shrubs needed to be removed so that raised garden beds could be constructed out of lumber and installed.

Then the area was filled with planting soil and gravel walkways so that visitors could grow plants while providing proper drainage for the garden.

The goal of the project was to allow parishioners to come together outdoors to join in fellowship despite the dire situation of COVID-19 while also benefiting the Church’s food pantry.

Troop 72 was founded in 1954 and served the boys of the Parsippany Area until March 12, 2019. On March 12, 2019, Rev. Msgr. Herbert K. Tillyer signed the Scouts BSA New Unit Application for a Scouts BSA linked troop, thereby creating two Troop 72’s.  This opens a new chapter in Troop 72 history, where we can now provide the same outstanding program to both boys and girls.

We have scouts from all parts of Parsippany, and beyond.  Going to school at Brooklawn Middle School, Central Middle School, Parsippany High School, Parsippany Hills High School, and other schools outside of the Parsippany public school system.

Troop 72 is sponsored by Saint Peter the Apostle Church and meets in the cafeteria at All Saints Academy. They attend Scout Sunday at Saint Peter’s, and their annual food drive benefits the Saint Peters food pantry.

Troop 72 participates in community service work with multiple churches and civic organizations. They welcome any requests from the community and are always happy to help.

For more information on Scouts BSA Troop 72 Parsippany, click here.

Reprinted from Parsippany Focus Magazine – January 2022. Click here to view the complete magazine.

PARSIPPANY — This morning, Parsippany-Troy Hills Maintenance Superintendent Joe Jannarone, traveled around Parsippany to change the signs on all Municipal properties.

In the general election held on November 4, James Barberio won the election with 8,467 votes while Mayor Michael Soriano only captured 7,673.

Council members Peterson and McCarthy did not seek re-election and their term ended on December 31, 2021.

Newly elected Council Members are Justin Musella and Frank Neglia.

Republican Musella received the most votes for a council seat, 8,303 while Republican Neglia received 8,012. Democrat Candidates Judy Hernandez (7,301) and Cori Herbig (7,123).

On January 1, 2022, all of the members of the Council will be Republican.

The swearing-in of Neglia and Musella along with Mayor-Elect James Barberio will be held on Saturday, January 1 at 12:00 Noon at the Municipal Building, 1001 Parsippany Boulevard.  The event is open to the public. Masks are required.