PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany Foundation President Frank Cahill presented a donation to Women’s Theater Company Artistic Director Barbara Krajkowski at its meeting of Thursday, March 14.

“We are pleased to donate funding from the Kiwanis Club of the Greater Parsippany to help keep theater alive in Parsippany,” said Foundation President Frank Cahill.

The Women’s Theater Company is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization operating under an Actors Equity Association contract and is a member of the New Jersey Theater Alliance. The 2019/2020 season begins our 27th year of operation. The audiences are diverse and represent a cross-section of northern New Jersey. Indications of the quality of the productions are the positive reviews we continue to receive.

Currently, The Women’s Theater Company, presents God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza. God of Carnage is two sets of parents, one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park. They agree to meet to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. Starring Nancy Kutzer, Scott McGowan, Brian Parks and Andrea Prendamano.

The show runs from March 22-31, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $25.00 for adults and $20.00 for seniors. To purchase tickets online please click here or call (973) 335-3038.

The Women’s Theater Company’s mission is to provide a fertile environment for the advancement of professional women theater artists and to provide quality theater for the community at large.  Through their main stage, educational outreach, and new works development programs, the Women’s Theater Company supports the development of new women artists, promotes new works in the American theater, and provides entertaining and enriching productions for growing audiences.  Women’s Theater Company is located at The Parsippany Playhouse, 1130 Knoll Road, Parsippany.  For more information contact (973) 335-3038, or email [email protected].

Kiwanis International 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.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany picks their own service projects that we feel need our attention. We are all local people that volunteer our time and talents to make our community a better place to live. We, like you, are busy with making a living, church, family, and many other activities. however, we have found that Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany gives us not only a chance to give back to our community in a meaningful way, but we enjoy the fellowship, networking, and fun aspects as well.

You are invited to attend a meeting every Thursday morning at 7:15 a.m. at Empire Diner, 1315 Route 46, Parsippany. We hope you will be able to join us to learn more about Kiwanis and see how you fit into the picture. Newcomers and visiting clubs always welcome! For more information click here.

PARSIPPANY —One of the Seven Grand Initiatives of the 2018-2020 General Federation of Women’s Clubs Administration is for GFWC members to donate 1000 pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls or Nike Reuse a Shoe.

Members of the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills answered the Federation call by donating 95 pairs of gently used shoes. The shoes were delivered to Soles4Souls in Franklin, New Jersey earlier this week, Soles4souls is a nonprofit social enterprise that creates sustainable jobs and provides relief through the distribution of shoes and clothing around the world. Founded in 2006, the organization has distributed more than 30 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes in 127 countries.

To find out more about Soles4Souls click here.

The Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills is a member of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs, which is the largest volunteer women’s service organization in the state, providing opportunities for education, leadership training, and community service. General Meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month from September to April at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Parsippany Rescue & Recovery, 100 Centerton Drive.

For more information call Marilyn at (973) 539-3703, e-mail the club at [email protected], click here or follow the club on FACEBOOK.

PARSIPPANY — Meet Piggy, a two-year-old English Bulldog/Staffy mix who recently got svelte for the spring, losing 15 lbs, and now weighs in at just 50 lbs.

Piggy currently resides in one of Liberty Humane Society’s foster homes and has been looking for her forever home for quite a while. We can’t understand how no one has scooped this smooshy face up yet!

She’s a gorgeous dog who loves nothing more than to be pet and cuddled with. She is very affectionate and loves to cause trouble with her toys. Food is her number one motivation so make sure you have lots of snacks in the house! Her big adorable eyes will touch your heart. 

Piggy could live in a home with another, calm dog but would prefer a home without cats and children. She is truly a “golden girl” stuck in a young girl’s body. What can we say? Piggy loves her peace and quiet! She is happiest snuggled up in your lap on the couch.

To adopt or to receive more information, please fill out an application on LIBERTY HUMANE SOCIETY’S website by clicking here.

Follow Wise Animal Rescue on Instagram by clicking here.
Follow Wise Animal Rescue on Facebook by clicking here.

The following is an open letter from Councilman dePierro to Parsippany residents.

With the Governor and a contingency of Legislators in Trenton about to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey, we must address this issue in Parsippany. How do we protect our quality of life, how do we protect our children? What action is best for our Township?

An article in the Daily Record dated March 12, 2019 points out that illicit marijuana locations already exist, will continue to exist, and will definitely expand when New Jersey legalizes recreational marijuana. The article describes “tables overflowing with marijuana products in every form imaginable. Huge jars are half-filled with dried marijuana flowers. Eight-ounces of pot are sold in vacuum-sealed, professionally packaged, odor-proof bags. There are chocolate bars with spoof ‘“Wonka”’ packaging, and home-made rice cereal and Marshmallow treats – some with colorful cereal pieces, some with cookie dough, all with weed baked into them”.

One woman in New Jersey is quoted as saying that she bakes nearly three hundred brownies per month. As she sees it, she will always have customers. She, and others in this business, anticipate that their illicit businesses will flourish when New Jersey legalizes recreational marijuana. People will be flocking to New Jersey from every direction.

While I don’t object to strictly regulated medical marijuana, I strenuously oppose legalizing recreational drugs and allowing its sale in our community. Parsippany is the cross-roads of northern New Jersey and intersects multiple interstate highways. Given our abundance of quiet, peaceful neighborhoods and parks where our children play, do we want people from out of town, or out of state traveling to our township to frequent dispensaries here?

The health and safety of our Township will be at risk and our quality of life will suffer with impaired drivers and additional traffic on our roads, an additional burden to our emergency units, more police action, and possibly more court activity. Many towns have wisely “Opted Out”, to protect their towns.

I would like to introduce an ordinance in Parsippany that would Opt Out of all phases of Marijuana … No growing, No processing, No distributing, and No dispensaries. Before I introduce an ordinance, I would like to hear from our residents.

Michael J. dePierro
Councilman
Parsippany, NJ 07054
[email protected]

PARSIPPANY — Governor Phil Murph’s budget proposed fiscal year 2020 budget will do nothing to help the middle class and will likely do more to harm the state’s economy said Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R- Morris, Essex Passaic).

DeCroce said the governor’s plan to increase spending and taxes and broadening programs, such free county college tuition, will not reduce property taxes — the number one issue for the middle class in New Jersey.

“The governor says repeatedly he wants to help the middle class, but he actions do not back up his statements,” said DeCroce.

“The governor wants the state to spend more money; he wants to expand programs and increase school funding. But the state cannot afford the programs it has now, so how is increasing taxes and spending more money help the middle class?” asked DeCroce.

The assemblywoman noted that under the current state school aid formula – any proposed increases in state aid will go disproportionately to the districts that are already getting the lion’s share of state aid — and the middle class, mostly suburban districts will get no meaningful increase in state aid.

“The reality is that any increase in school aid that would go to Parsippany or West Milford will be so small – and will be offset by increases in salaries and other expenses – that the impact on property taxes will be nil,” said DeCroce.  In the proposed FY 2020 budget West Milford will lose $950,000 in state aid, Jefferson will lose $1.19 million while Parsippany will receive a modest $561,000 increase to offset its $150 million school budget – or 0.37 percent of the district’s budget that is supported by local taxpayers.

“The governor is intent on raising taxes and spending more of our tax money without bothering to find out where our tax money is going now. Three times in the last year I have asked the governor to work with me to audit education spending in New Jersey and find out where $28 billion of our tax dollars are going before spending more money. But the governor refuses,” said DeCroce.

Murphy’s budget proposal includes adding $283 million in funding for the Homestead Benefits program which is supposed to offset property taxes. DeCroce said that the program reaches few people in the middle class and offers minimal tax relief. The program cuts off benefits for non-senior households that earn more than $75,000 and senior households that make more than $150,000.

But the average household income in NJ is over $100,000 and the median income is $76,000 – making most new Jersey homeowners ineligible for the Homestead program. DeCroce also noted that the program calculates taxes at their 2006 level, is two years behind in granting the rebates which average only a couple hundred dollars and are paid, not as tax rebate, but as a tax credit.

“The home benefits tax credit program is another smokescreen from this administration to make it appear that they are providing help to the middle class; in reality the Homestead tax credit is inaccessible to the majority of middle-class homeowners in the state,” said DeCroce. ” What the homeowners need is comprehensive tax reform, and that starts with cutting spending, not increasing it.”

Finally, said DeCroce the governor’s plan to “tax the rich” is self-defeating.

New Jersey already has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the country and the highest property taxes and a tax surcharge on those making over $5 million; now the governor wants to add a millionaire’s tax, which, as history shows, has not worked.

DeCroce said taxing high earners, who are often job producers, is counterproductive, as New York State is learning. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo whose state is facing a $2.3 billion budget hole was recently lamenting the fact that increasing taxes on high earners has spawned an exodus of wealthy people from his state

“This is the flip side. Tax the rich, tax the rich, tax the rich,” Cuomo said in a published report last month. “We did. Now, God forbid, the rich leave.”

PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Member Scarano-Debrossy and Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany President Karen DeChristopher volunteered their time this morning during Parsippany’s IHOP’s ‘National Pancake Day.”

This year, the restaurant will “Flip it Forward” and raise money for kids in need. Customers will have the ability to donate to help children battling critical illnesses during the promotion. Guests will be able to get their free pancakes until to 7:00 p.m. Offer valid for dine in only.

PARSIPPANY — The three Republicans on Parsippany Township’s Council voted to slash Democrat Mayor Michael Soriano’s proposed property tax increase by nearly 40% over the objections of the two Council Democrats, protecting township residents already overburdened by the reckless tax and spend Murphy Administration in Trenton.

Councilman Mike dePierro, Council President Paul Carifi, Jr. and Councilwoman Loretta Gragnani said Mayor Soriano’s second consecutive tax increase budget demonstrated why Parsippany taxpayers can’t afford to have Democrats take control of Township Council this November.

“Elections have consequences and, unfortunately, the result of a Democratic Mayor in town hall and a Democratic Governor in Trenton is that Parsippany taxpayers are under constant assault,” said Councilman Mike dePierro. “I am proud to say that Paul, Loretta and I stuck together, proposed real spending cuts, and significantly reduced the tax bite in this Democratic budget. It’s clearer than ever that the Republican majority on Council is the only thing standing between residents and massive tax hikes in Parsippany.”

On the heels of his proposed 6% property tax increase budget last year, that Republicans then cut in half, Mayor Michael Soriano proposed a 4.72% property tax increase in this year’s budget and was backed up by the Council’s two Democrats, Janice McCarthy and Emily Peterson, who voted against the Republican cuts.

“This administration needs to stop looking at Parsippany taxpayers as an ATM machine for his big government agenda and Hudson County-style patronage hires,” “Elections have consequences and, unfortunately, the result of a Democratic Mayor in town hall and a Democratic Governor in Trenton is that Parsippany taxpayers are under constant assault,” said Council President Carifi, Jr. “We have thirteen positions currently unfilled in township government and government is still functioning just fine. That’s why I made a motion that we not fill those spots, saving taxpayers $862,000 in salaries, benefits and pension payments in the process.”

Councilwoman Gragnani said that on top of Mayor Soriano’s fiscally irresponsible decision to defer $3 million from the water and sewer utility to the general fund – jacking up water rates in the process – another big tax increase budget was a non-starter with the Republican Council.

“Just like Governor Murphy and the Democrats in Trenton, Mayor Soriano apparently thinks local residents aren’t taxed enough and that government is some beast that needs to be fed continually,” said Councilwoman Gragnani. “We disagree. Enough is enough. Government needs to live within its means and stop squeezing taxpayers for every last penny. If the last two years of Murphy and Soriano have shown voters anything, it’s that unchecked Democratic control of our state and town is untenable. It’s critical we maintain a Republican check and balance in Parsippany this November.”