PARSIPPANY — Reports of a decomposed body was found behind ShopRite on Friday evening, June 19.
The body was found on a dirt road leading to the back of ShopRite, at the end of Aba Place. The dirt road runs parallel to the power lines. Details are not available and all calls were referred to the Morris County Prosecutors Office.
Parsippany Focus will update this story as details become available.
PARSIPPANY — This Monday, June 22, most personal care businesses will be reopening for service. This includes beauty salons, barbershops, cosmetology shops, medical spas, electrology facilities, hair braiding shops, massage parlors, nail salons, tanning salons, and tattoo parlors. Day spas may also reopen, excluding saunas, steam rooms, and shared bathing facilities. More information on all re-opening requirements can be found in the Administrative Order by clicking here.
PARSIPPANY — Copies of the U.S. Constitution, Legislative certificates and commemorative key-chains were delivered this week to all 2020 graduates of Parsippany High School and Parsippany Hills High School, compliments of Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (NJ-26).
The honors and mementos were personally handed off by the Assemblywoman to Dr. Barbara Sargent, Superintendent of Schools, on June 10 as Frank Cahill, Executive Board Member of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce additionally delivered gift cards from area restaurants and shops. The students will receive the commemorative items as they pick up their diplomas.
“Because the pandemic interrupted their senior year and the normal high school graduation ceremonies and celebrations, I felt it was important to let graduating students in my hometown know we are still very proud of their accomplishments. They should always look back at this time in their lives with real pride. They persevered, overcame adversity, finished their education and they moved on to bigger and greater things. Congratulations, all,” said the Assemblywoman.
Each graduating student is receiving a certificate of “Commendation and Praise” from the citizenry of the 26th New Jersey Legislative District, signed by Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, and a key chain bearing the logo of their individual high schools. As is customary with the Assemblywoman, she also provided each student with a pocket copy of the U.S.Constitution.
“It’s a document I frequently hand to constituents just as a reminder of what America is all about and the important rights we have as United States citizens. These are the rights that define us as a nation, and we must remember to exercise and defend these rights especially in times of hardship and adversity in this great nation,” said Assemblywoman DeCroce.
The Assemblywoman thanked the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce for working with her to honor the students and thanked Dr. Sargent for the Parsippany School Board’s assistance in getting the commemorative items to the students.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council Meeting – June 16, 2020
Click here to view the agenda.
PARSIPPANY — A nostalgic look back through our years at Eastlake, Lake Parsippany, Mount Tabor, Intervale, & Littleton. Then, from Brooklawn, to our senior year at PHHS.
PARSIPPANY — LOST DOG was found. Gabby was lost about this morning, June 18 by Crestview Avenue. She has a purple leash. Please contact Frank Cahill (862) 213-2200 if found.
PARSIPPANY — As businesses look to re-open, many employers are requiring their employees to get tested before going back to work, while many residents may simply want to be tested.
MORRIS COUNTY — Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) released the following statement in reaction to a published report of the launch of an online petition seeking the removal of the Christopher Columbus monument in Parsippany.
A bust of Columbus was installed on a granite base on Parsippany Boulevard in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Italian explorer landing in the Americas.
“Our nation is facing an extremely difficult period and efforts are being made across the board to ensure we come out of this stronger, more unified, and more inclusive of people of all ages, colors, and origins.
“For better or worse, the past is permanent. It is our future that is a blank canvas that will be crafted through the shared vision of varied interests contributing common goals, priorities, and dreams.
“Recently a statue of Abraham Lincoln was defaced in Massachusetts. In England, a statue of Winston Churchill was damaged. In Washington D.C., a monument to the all-Black 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was defaced. To add to these misguided attempts of historical revision is just wrong.
“Italian Americans take pride in their heritage and in the countless successes and contributions they have made in America. Alongside all Americans, they built, fought, and died for this country. To have a statue of Columbus displayed in our community is symbolic of how proud we are of those contributions.
“With few exceptions, every political leader has shared in that pride, marching in annual Columbus Day parades and participating in memorial recognitions. His landing in the new world was an existential moment in human history. It created a bridge from the old world to the new.
“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.”
PARSIPPANY — Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (District 26NJ) organized a Zoom meeting with state, county, and local officials to outline the difficulties people with disabilities face in accessing Internet information about the COVID19 pandemic — and she is leading by example by making her own website more accessible.
The simple website upgrade launched by the Assemblywoman allows people with varied abilities to view and/or navigate her website, AswDeCroceNJ26.com, much more easily while using screen readers and other assistive technology devices created for people with disabilities to access the Internet. The Assemblywoman noted that while the State of New Jersey has made advances in rendering some government websites more accessible, the sites of many other agencies, officials, and local governments remain difficult to access for people with disabilities.
“Most elected leaders are trying to help guide people through the complex requirements of the pandemic shutdown by posting alerts to their websites. But for people with disabilities, navigating the webpages can be almost impossible unless the sites include the proper technology to interface with screen readers and other assistive devices. The update on my site made it far more friendly to people with disabilities,” said Assemblywoman DeCroce.
The Assemblywoman upgraded her website through User1st, a Washington, D.C. company developing and using innovative technologies to make the Internet accessible for persons with varied and changing abilities. John Incantalupo, her digital consultant and a partner at the digital strategy firm DIGITALBRILLIANT LLC, noted the change did not require the Assemblywoman to relinquish control of the website and, aside from an “accessibility” button in the top left corner of the webpage, there was no change to the appearance of the website for other visitors.
“This is a dilemma not widely known by the general public, and yet there are simple technological solutions available that can enhance website access for people with disabilities without changing the look or operation of a website. It only helps people with disabilities, and I seriously urge my elected colleagues on the local, county, and state levels of government to join me by employing these upgrades,” said Assemblywoman DeCroce.
“User1st is thrilled to work with Assemblywoman DeCroce in leading the way for New Jersey to provide constituents with disabilities and varied abilities the information and services they need through digital accessibility,” said Walter Arnold, COO at User1st. “Although reopening has begun, people within vulnerable populations may need to continue sheltering in place. User1st can help government resources make greater digital accommodations for people with disabilities.”
The Zoom meeting also was joined by Mike Marotta of Disability Rights New Jersey, a RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Professional and Director at Richard West Assistive Technology Advocacy Center at DRNJ. The center serves as New Jersey’s federally funded assistive technology project through a subcontract with New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development, assisting people in overcoming barriers in the system and making assistive technology more accessible to individuals with disabilities.
“As the world becomes more digital, we must ensure people with disabilities are provided equal access to electronic information in order to be fully included members of our community,” said Marotta.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 4, or roughly 61 million Americans, “have a disability that impacts major life activities.” It reflects the situation in New Jersey, where 24.6 percent of the adult population has some form of disability. Data released by the Kessler Foundation also suggested that the disability community was disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, with the number of employed people with disabilities has decreased by nearly one million workers from March to April of this year.
People with disabilities also make up 8 million of the small business owners throughout the nation who have had to overcome different state lockdown orders that are forcing many to go out of business.
To learn more about assistive technology and what DRNJ does click here.
To learn more about Assemblywoman DeCroce click here.
PARSIPPANY — On June 16, 2020, Emily Cruz, a student at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y., and Parsippany resident started a petition to remove the Christopher Columbus Statue, which is located at Parsippany Municipal Building. The statue faces Route 46.
Parsippany Resident, Robert Quinn, a graduate of Parsippany High School has started a petition to KEEP the Christopher Columbus Statue.
Click here to sign the petition to keep the Christopher Columbus Statue in Parsippany.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Estimated Third Quarter bills were mailed at the beginning of this week. You should be receiving these in your mail in the next few days. This is the only bill you will receive for the Third quarter.
The bill that is being mailed is the Estimated Third-quarter bill. The term Estimated relates to the Tax rate, not the bill. This bill is calculated using an estimated tax rate of 3.107%. The rate is the same for all fire districts.
The fourth quarter bill will reconcile the total tax owed for 2020. In other words, the amount that is owed minus the amounts that were billed for the first, second, and third quarters will leave the balance owed for 2020 to be payable in the form of the fourth quarter bill. The Final 2020 tax bills should be mailed in September.
For more info contact (973) 263-4252.
PARSIPPANY — Wearing masks, social distancing, and other habits we’ve become accustomed to over the past several months are continuing to work.
PARSIPPANY — Emily Cruz, a student at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y., and Parsippany resident have started a petition to remove the Christopher Columbus Statue, which is located at Parsippany Municipal Building. The statue faces Route 46.
Cruz is a 2017 graduate of Morris County Vocational School of Technology in Denville where she studied in the Academy of Design. She is continuing her education at The College of Saint Rose as a Communications major which a PR/Advertising focus. She intends on pursuing a career in Visual Communications.
“Due to BLM and other minority movements making way across the country, I felt that now was as good of a time as any to make a petition to remove the Columbus statue in Parsippany. We should not, in any way, celebrate or recognize his slaughter and enslavement of indigenous people. This is not someone that our town should be honoring with a statue,” said Cruz on change.org.
To view the petition, click here.
BOONTON – Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker, and Chief David Mayhood of the Town of Boonton Police Department announce the arrest of Andrew Jennings, 52, of Boonton.
It is alleged that between November 2019 and January 2020, Jennings provided alcohol and marijuana to a child. While the child was under the influence, Jennings engaged in sexual conversations with the purpose to seduce the child, and on at least one occasion, Jennings is alleged to have touched the intimate parts of the child.
Jennings has been charged with two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in violation of N.J.S.A 2C:24-4a (1), crimes of the second degree, and two counts of Criminal Sexual Contact in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:14-3b, crimes of the fourth degree.
Anyone with information relating to these incidents or any related incident is asked to call Detective Mary Falzarano of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6230 or Sgt. Christian Trowbridge of the Town of Boonton Police Department at (973) 402-9371.
Prosecutor Knapp would like to thank the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit, the Town of Boonton Police Department, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office – Criminal Investigations Section, whose efforts contributed to the investigation and charges filed in this matter.
Editor’s Note: An arrest or the signing of a criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
PARSIPPANY — Please be advised, the Township Council of the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills is rescheduling its regularly scheduled Township Council Meeting that is to be held on Tuesday, June 23.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:00 p.m. Formal action may or not be taken, and any other action reasonably related thereto may also be taken. Click here to download a copy of the proposed agenda.
Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic Council Meetings will be held via a web conferencing program named ZoHo. This program will allow the public to listen to the meeting and to participate during the public portion session only.
Please be advised that in order for a member of the public to participate they must fill out the registration information using their real name and address, anyone not using their real name and address will not be allowed to speak during the public portion. Click here to access the meeting.
MORRIS COUNTY — The Assembly Labor Committee advanced legislation Monday sponsored by Assemblywomen Serena DiMaso and Aura Dunn capping the fees charged by delivery services like Grubhub and Uber Eats during the public health crisis.
“It’s a margin killer for many of our Main Street businesses,” said DiMaso (R-Monmouth). “They’re keeping 32 percent of the order payment in a restaurant business where margins are maybe 15 or 20 percent.”
The sponsors worked with N.J. Restaurant and Hospitality Association and leading food delivery apps Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Fees would be capped at 20 percent of the order under the bill (A3978); or 10 percent if a third-party is not actually making the delivery, and it’s instead done by a restaurant worker or independent contractor.
The caps would remain effective during any state of emergency longer than seven days and would supersede any local caps already in place.
“Third-party services are no longer fringe experiments, but rather a mainstream piece of the restaurant business,” said Dunn (R-Morris). “For all their hard work to keep afloat, this cap helps those restaurants stay in business.”
MORRIS COUNTY — The New Jersey Department of Health issued guidance on COVID-19 health and safety protocols for outdoor organized sports activities which are set to resume as of June 22.
The guidance permits practices and competitions for low-risk sports (golf, tennis) that do not involve contact, and modified no-contact practices for medium-risk (soccer, baseball, softball) and high-risk (football) sports. Traditional practices and competitions for medium-risk sports are expected to be allowed as of July 6, and on July 20 for high-risk sports. As of now, only outdoor activities will be permitted.
“Sports provide an opportunity for healthy exercise and skill-building,” said state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “This guidance will enable these activities to resume while protecting the players, coaches, and staff – and the larger community – from the spread of COVID-19.”
Under the guidance, (Click here for guidelines) outdoor athletic facilities are permitted to open and be available for organized youth and adult sports activities. Municipalities retain the discretion to open or close municipal fields or facilities for these activities.
Each sports program is required to develop a preparation plan that includes social distancing, staggered schedules, screening, equipment cleaning/sanitation, and face-covering protocols, among other measures. Programs should consider consistent groups of the same staff, volunteers, and athletes, and avoid mixing between groups. Athletes are encouraged to bring their own water bottles and equipment to practices, and equipment sharing should be limited.
Practices and games must follow outdoor gathering limits including athletes, staff, and any visitors or spectators.
Staff and parents/guardians/visitors are required to wear cloth face coverings at practices and games. Athletes are encouraged to wear masks during downtime, but not during physical activity. Nonessential visitors, spectators, staff, volunteers, vendors, members of the media, and activities involving external groups or organizations should be limited as much as possible.
The guidance does not apply to professional sports activities or US national team activities. High school sporting activities under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) must abide by NJSIAA protocols, which shall consider state Health Department guidance, and per Executive Order No. 149, may not resume before June 30.
Youth sports summer camps, which are permitted to open July 6, must follow camp standards in addition to the guidance of the organized sports. (Click here for more information)
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 37 years.
Submit Letters or Press Releases use drop down menu at top. We do not accept material by emails.
© 2025 Zoomus Marketing, LLC.
