PARSIPPANY — Mayor Pulkit Desai will host a Community Town Hall Meeting on Monday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m. at Eastlake Elementary School, providing residents with an opportunity to hear updates on township initiatives, ask questions, and share feedback directly with local officials.

The meeting is open to all Parsippany-Troy Hills residents and is designed to encourage community engagement and open dialogue between township government and the public.

Residents will have the opportunity to learn about ongoing township projects, discuss issues affecting their neighborhoods, and provide input on matters important to the community.

“Community participation is essential to effective local government,” Mayor Desai said. “This town hall offers residents a chance to stay informed, share their perspectives, and become more involved in shaping the future of Parsippany-Troy Hills.”

The meeting will take place at Eastlake Elementary School beginning at 7:00 p.m. All residents are encouraged to attend and participate in the discussion.

Event Details

• What: Community Town Hall Meeting with Mayor Pulkit Desai
• When: Monday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m.
• Where: Eastlake Elementary School
• Who: Open to all Parsippany-Troy Hills residents

The event is part of the township’s ongoing effort to maintain communication with residents and gather community feedback on local issues and priorities.

SPARTA — A sergeant with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has been charged with theft after allegedly taking a photojournalist’s camera equipment while the journalist was being treated at a hospital following a protest at Newark’s Delaney Hall.

Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability announced Tuesday that Sgt. Darryl Brown, 43, of Sparta Township, has been charged by complaint summons with third-degree theft.

The charge stems from the disappearance of camera equipment belonging to a photojournalist who was covering a protest at Delaney Hall on May 30. According to investigators, the journalist was injured at the scene and dropped a camera bag containing an estimated $10,000 worth of cameras and related equipment before being transported to a nearby hospital.

The journalist later tracked an Apple AirTag attached to one of the missing items, with the signal leading investigators to a residence in Sparta Township. The AirTag was subsequently recovered several miles from its original location by a friend of the victim. Investigators determined the original destination of the device was Brown’s home.

Brown had been assigned to the Delaney Hall area in his official law enforcement capacity on the day of the protest. Body-worn camera footage showed him interacting with a dark-colored bag consistent with the description of the journalist’s belongings, according to the complaint.

On June 3, investigators executed a search warrant at Brown’s residence and recovered several of the items reported missing — some of which allegedly still bore the victim’s name and phone number on identification labels.

“When an officer does what is alleged in this case, it is a disservice to the profession and the public,” Attorney General Davenport said. “Absolutely no one is above the law. We will hold law enforcement accountable when they abuse the tremendous position of public trust that they occupy and choose to break the law.”

Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said Brown has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. “Conduct that undermines the public’s trust in law enforcement is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Stephens said.

A third-degree theft conviction carries a potential sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

Editor’s Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

PARSIPPANY — Motorists should be aware of an overnight ramp closure on I-80 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris County, from 10:00 p.m. Friday, June 5, until 5:00 a.m. Saturday, June 6.

— The I-80 eastbound Express Exit 47A ramp to I-280 eastbound/I-80 eastbound Local will be closed for concrete deck repairs on the I-80 eastbound bridge over Route 46.

In addition, the I-80 eastbound Local left lane will be closed at Milepost 46.3. The I-80 eastbound Local Exit 47A ramp to I-280 eastbound will remain open.

Detours

I-80 eastbound Express Exit 47A to I-280 eastbound: Motorists will be directed to take Exit 45 (Lake Hiawatha/Whippany) to access the I-80 eastbound local lanes, then take Exit 47A to I-280/The Oranges/Newark.

I-80 eastbound Express Exit 47A to I-80 eastbound Local: Motorists will be directed to take Exit 45 (Lake Hiawatha/Whippany) to access the I-80 eastbound local lanes.

This work is part of a $12.3 million state-funded maintenance project to repair concrete structures across Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties. These repairs improve rideability and safety while prolonging the structure’s service life.

The precise timing of this work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check https://ow.ly/Euzr50Z7IOz for real-time travel information. For NJDOT news, follow New Jersey Department of Transportation on X (Twitter), or visit the NJDOT Facebook page or @NewJersey.DOT on Instagram.

Retirement used to feel distant for a large portion of working adults. It existed somewhere far beyond mortgages, school schedules, rising grocery bills, and monthly rent payments. People contributed to retirement accounts because they were told they should, but the emotional urgency often stayed low until later in life.

That emotional distance has changed. Retirement anxiety now appears much earlier, even among people in their thirties and forties. Inflation, unstable housing costs, layoffs, healthcare concerns, and economic uncertainty have altered how people think about long-term security. What makes the shift especially noticeable is how quietly it affects daily behavior. People are not necessarily talking about retirement constantly, but their spending decisions increasingly reveal deeper concerns about future stability.

Small lifestyle choices now carry more financial calculation behind them than they once did. Vacations get shortened. Restaurant habits change. Furniture purchases take longer. Subscription services are reevaluated. The emotional tone surrounding spending has become more cautious, even among households that appear financially comfortable from the outside.

Passive Income Became Part of Everyday Conversation

Retirement fear has also pushed passive income into mainstream thinking in ways that would have sounded niche years ago. Conversations that once centered entirely around salaries and promotions now include dividends, investing apps, side businesses, digital products, and additional income streams.

A large portion of that interest comes from uncertainty surrounding traditional retirement expectations. Pensions disappeared for many workers long ago. Social Security concerns continue appearing in public discussions. Younger generations grew up watching recessions, layoffs, and unstable housing markets reshape entire careers.

As a result, investing no longer feels reserved for financial professionals. Even people with little prior market interest now spend time researching long-term investing strategies and income-producing assets. Someone reading about dividend stocks for passive income is usually responding to something deeper than simple curiosity about the stock market. The underlying motivation is frequently tied to control, stability, and reducing dependence on a single paycheck later in life.

That emotional shift matters because it changes how people evaluate money itself. Spending starts competing mentally against future investment opportunities in ways it may not have before.

People Are Thinking About Long-Term Comfort Differently

One subtle shift happening inside American households is the growing focus on purchases that feel durable and lasting rather than temporary or impulsive. People still spend money, but the reasoning behind purchases has changed noticeably.

Items connected to comfort, stress reduction, and long-term home use have gained stronger emotional value because home itself feels more central to future planning. Instead of chasing constant upgrades or status purchases, some homeowners are redirecting spending toward spaces they expect to use for years. Wellness-focused home additions, outdoor recovery spaces, and quieter personal routines now feel easier to justify emotionally than expensive short-term luxuries.

That mentality partly explains why products tied to home relaxation continue attracting attention even during financially uncertain periods. A backyard sauna or recovery-focused outdoor setup may look expensive initially, yet some homeowners view those purchases through the lens of long-term lifestyle value rather than temporary entertainment. Companies such as SaunaKits.com exist within a broader shift toward creating home environments that people feel comfortable staying in long term. The emotional calculation is less about indulgence and more about sustainability.

Small Luxuries Now Come With More Internal Debate

One of the clearest signs of financial anxiety is how ordinary purchases can suddenly feel emotionally complicated. Buying something expensive no longer carries just excitement. It also creates internal negotiation.

People hesitate longer before upgrading cars, replacing electronics, or booking expensive trips. Even financially stable households now describe feeling guilty after large purchases despite being able to afford them comfortably. The emotional pressure comes from uncertainty rather than immediate financial hardship.

Retirement fear intensifies this tension because future costs feel harder to predict than ever before. Healthcare alone creates enormous anxiety for many Americans approaching middle age. Housing costs, assisted living concerns, inflation, and market instability all contribute to a feeling that future financial needs may be far larger than expected.

As a result, people increasingly divide purchases into emotional categories. Some spending feels irresponsible and temporary. Other spending feels practical, health-focused, or likely to improve quality of life over many years. The distinction shapes modern consumer behavior far more than people openly admit.

The Dream of “Stopping Work” Feels Less Realistic

Another major cultural shift is that retirement itself no longer looks the same as it once did. Previous generations commonly imagined retirement as a clean stopping point. Work ended, routines slowed down, and life entered a more relaxed phase supported by savings and benefits accumulated over decades.

That image feels less believable to many workers today. Instead of imagining complete retirement, people increasingly expect to continue earning income in some form far later into life. Freelance work, consulting, part-time digital businesses, investing income, and remote contract work all appear regularly in discussions about aging and financial planning.

This expectation changes current spending decisions because people are no longer planning solely for a future without work. They are planning for flexibility. A person may tolerate a smaller house, simpler lifestyle, or reduced luxury spending now if it creates more freedom later.

The emotional goal has shifted away from pure retirement and toward reducing financial pressure over time. That difference may sound subtle, but it changes how people organize their lives.

Financial Independence Carries Emotional Weight

Much of the modern obsession with saving and investing is not purely mathematical. It is emotional. Financial independence represents safety in a world that feels unpredictable.

People want options. They want the ability to leave toxic workplaces, survive layoffs, support aging parents, recover from health issues, or simply slow down later without panic. Those emotional concerns now sit underneath countless everyday financial decisions.

This mindset also explains why some spending categories continue growing despite broader caution elsewhere. Purchases connected to health, stress management, home comfort, and long-term personal stability tend to survive economic uncertainty better than trend-based luxury spending. People may cut back on impulsive entertainment purchases while continuing to invest heavily in environments and habits that make everyday life feel calmer or more sustainable.

Retirement fear rarely appears dramatically in everyday conversation. Instead, it quietly reshapes routines, priorities, and emotional reactions to money over time. People spend differently not because they suddenly stopped enjoying life, but because the future feels less guaranteed than it once did.

PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Farmers Market opens a summer season at Smith Field Park on Friday, June 5, launching another season of fresh produce, specialty foods, artisan products, and family-friendly entertainment.

The market will be held every Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. through September 11 at Smith Field Park, Route 46, Parsippany. Admission and parking are free, and the event is both family-friendly and pet-friendly.

Opening day vendors include Crop Stop Farm, Mediterranean Farm, Jerzey Girl Pickles, Treat Me Sweet Cookies, Kippy’s Donuts, Liz’s Cookie Co., Kirsten’s Kitchen LLC, Shelby’s Creations, Saint Rocco’s Treats, The 201 Sauce Company, Totally Nutz, I Am Black Orchid, Kariba Farms, Just Roasted Coffee LLC, and Hear Here Events.

Visitors can browse farm-fresh produce, homemade baked goods, specialty sauces, gourmet coffee, handcrafted items, and unique local products while supporting small businesses and local entrepreneurs. Live entertainment will be provided by Mars Gig, adding to the festive atmosphere.

The Parsippany Farmers Market has become a popular summer destination for residents seeking fresh foods and community connections. Organizers note that vendor participation may vary from week to week, offering visitors something new throughout the season.

The market is organized by Hear Here Events and continues to provide a welcoming gathering place where residents can shop local, enjoy live music, and spend an afternoon outdoors with family and friends.

PARSIPPANY — Residents are invited to attend an informative presentation by attorney Robert A. Bernstein, Esq., on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Parsippany Community Center, 1130 Knoll Road, Lake Hiawatha. (If using GPS, enter Boonton.)

Bernstein, who has more than 35 years of experience in elder law, estate administration, trusts and estate planning, and special needs planning, will discuss strategies to help protect seniors’ assets and avoid costly legal and medical issues. Topics will include the importance of properly executed Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies, Advance Medical Directives, and planning for situations involving aging spouses and long-term care concerns.

A former Deputy Attorney General for the State of New Jersey, Bernstein is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Disability and Elder Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. The presentation is designed for seniors, caregivers, and adult children concerned about protecting family assets and planning for future health care and financial decisions.

For additional information or to schedule a consultation, contact Robert A. Bernstein, Esq., LLC, 1719 Route 10 East, Suite 204, Parsippany, at (973) 434-3300 or via email at [email protected].

We tend to treat wellness as something we apply to the surface, the right serum, the perfect manicure, the polished exterior that signals we have it together. But anyone who’s chased that surface-level version for long enough eventually runs into the same truth: what’s happening on the outside is almost always a reflection of what’s happening on the inside.

Glowing skin, strong nails, steady energy, and a clear mind don’t come from products layered on top. They come from a body that’s genuinely well underneath. Real, lasting wellness works from the inside out, and once you understand that, you stop fighting symptoms on the surface and start addressing their actual sources. Here’s why the inside-out approach changes everything.

Your Nails and Skin Are Telling You Something

The visible parts of us, skin, hair, and nails, are often the first place internal imbalances show up. Brittle, peeling nails, dull skin, and thinning hair are frequently signals that something deeper needs attention, whether it’s nutrition, hydration, stress, or gut health. Treating these signs purely as cosmetic problems to cover up misses what they’re actually telling you.

Take nails as an example. People often struggle with manicures that won’t hold, and while application technique is a real factor, this guide on https://www.plapro.com/ covers the prep and adhesion mistakes that cause gel extensions to lift and pop off prematurely, the underlying health of the natural nail matters too. Nails weakened by poor nutrition or dehydration simply don’t provide as good a foundation, no matter how skilled the application.

The lesson generalizes across all of our visible features: you can and should address the surface properly, but lasting results come when the surface is supported by genuine internal health. The outside reflects the inside, so it’s worth listening to what your body is showing you rather than only painting over it.

Gut Health Is the Foundation of Everything

If there’s one system that exemplifies the inside-out principle, it’s the gut. Research over the past decade has increasingly shown that gut health influences far more than digestion, it’s connected to immunity, mood, energy, skin condition, and even cognitive function. The trillions of microbes living in your digestive system play a role in processes throughout the entire body, which is why an unhealthy gut can show up as problems that seem completely unrelated to digestion.

Supporting gut health is one of the highest-leverage things you can do for overall wellness. Eating a diverse range of whole foods, getting enough fiber, and staying hydrated all feed a healthy microbiome. Many people also turn to probiotic and gut-support supplements, and a brand like Resbiotic focuses on this area of inside-out wellness.

As with anything you add to your routine, it works best as one part of a broader approach built on real dietary fundamentals rather than as a standalone fix, and it’s worth checking with a healthcare provider if you have specific concerns. When the gut is functioning well, the benefits ripple outward to nearly every other system, which is exactly what inside-out wellness looks like in practice.

Nutrition Builds the Body You Live In

You are, quite literally, built from what you eat. Every cell, every repair process, every bit of energy your body produces depends on the nutritional raw materials you provide it. This is the most fundamental expression of inside-out wellness: the quality of your inputs determines the quality of your outputs, including the way you look and feel day to day. No external product can compensate for a diet that doesn’t supply what your body needs to function.

Rather than chasing restrictive trends, the inside-out approach focuses on consistently giving your body real, nutrient-dense food. Adequate protein for repair and maintenance, healthy fats for hormones and skin, complex carbohydrates for steady energy, and a wide range of vegetables and fruits for the micronutrients that countless processes depend on. The results of eating well show up everywhere, in your energy, your skin, your mood, your resilience, precisely because nutrition is the foundation those things are built on.

Sleep Is When the Real Work Happens

Wellness culture often glorifies effort, the workouts, the routines, the discipline, while overlooking the time when your body actually does most of its repair and restoration. Sleep is when the inside-out work happens. During quality sleep, your body repairs tissue, consolidates memory, balances hormones, and clears metabolic waste from the brain. Skimp on it and no amount of surface-level effort compensates.

Protecting your sleep is one of the most powerful wellness investments available, and it costs nothing. Consistent sleep and wake times, a cool and dark room, and a genuine wind-down period before bed all improve sleep quality dramatically. The visible payoff is real, well-rested people look better, with brighter skin and clearer eyes, but the internal benefits run far deeper, touching nearly every system in the body. Treating sleep as non-negotiable rather than expendable is a hallmark of anyone serious about wellness from the inside out.

Stress Lives in the Body, Not Just the Mind

We often think of stress as a purely mental experience, but it’s profoundly physical, and chronic stress undermines inside-out wellness as surely as poor diet or sleep. Persistent stress disrupts hormones, impairs digestion and gut health, weakens immunity, and accelerates aging in ways that show up clearly on the surface. Managing it isn’t a luxury or a soft concern, it’s a core part of physical health.

The body needs genuine recovery from stress, not just the absence of new stressors. Practices that activate the body’s relaxation response, slow breathing, time in nature, movement, meaningful connection, or whatever genuinely calms you, actively counteract the physical toll of chronic stress. Building these into your life isn’t indulgent; it’s maintenance for a body that wasn’t designed to run in a constant state of alarm. Address stress at its physical roots and the benefits show up throughout your whole system.

Movement Keeps the Whole System Running

The human body is built to move, and regular physical activity supports nearly every aspect of inside-out wellness. Exercise improves circulation, supports gut health, regulates mood and hormones, strengthens the immune system, and improves sleep, a cascade of internal benefits that no external product can replicate. The visible effects on physique are real, but they’re almost a side benefit of everything happening internally.

The key is finding movement you’ll actually sustain rather than punishing yourself with routines you dread and abandon. Consistent, moderate activity does more for long-term wellness than sporadic intense efforts. Walking, strength training, swimming, dancing, what matters is that it’s regular and that you can keep doing it. Movement is one of the most reliable ways to keep your internal systems functioning well, and the inside-out benefits compound over years.

Bringing It All Together

The inside-out philosophy isn’t about rejecting external care, there’s nothing wrong with a good manicure, quality skincare, or wanting to look your best. It’s about recognizing the right order of operations. When you build genuine wellness from the inside through nutrition, gut health, sleep, stress management, and movement, the external results follow naturally and last.

The surface-level efforts then become enhancements to an already-healthy foundation rather than desperate attempts to compensate for what’s missing underneath. Stop chasing symptoms on the surface and start supporting your body at its source, and you’ll find that real wellness, the kind you can see and feel, was always an inside job.

PARSIPPANY — What began as a family investment in Indian dining has grown into a multi-location restaurant group across New York and New Jersey, and this month, Jashan by Dhaba owner Ankush Punhani brought that story back to Parsippany with a special culinary event featuring celebrity chef Ajay Chopra.

Punhani hosted Chopra, the well-known Indian chef and former MasterChef India judge, at Jashan by Dhaba, located at 252 Route 46 West, on Friday, May 15, as part of a four-day chef series across the Dhaba restaurant family.

The series began on Thursday, May 14, at Dhaba NYC, continued on Friday, May 15, at Jashan by Dhaba in Parsippany, moved to The Imperia by Dhaba in Somerset on Saturday, May 16, and concluded on Sunday, May 17, at Social Hub by Dhaba in Parsippany.

For Punhani, the event was about more than one dinner. It represented the next step in a family restaurant journey that has expanded from New York City into Parsippany, Somerset, and beyond.

Punhani is an attorney by profession, but restaurants have become a major part of his life. Public profiles of Fine Indian Dining Group describe him as having established his law firm early in his career before investing in Indian restaurants and bringing his father, Vijay Punhani, back from retirement to help build the restaurant business. The group has been associated with several Indian dining concepts, including Dhaba, Sahib, Chote Nawab, Malai Marke, Dhaba Express, Jashan by Dhaba, and others.

Vijay Punhani has also been publicly identified as a co-founder of Fine Indian Dining Group and as Ankush Punhani’s father. One profile of Jashan Caterers describes Vijay as a seasoned entrepreneur with decades of industry experience who works alongside Ankush in the family’s restaurant operations.

That father-son story is part of what shaped the group’s growth. Ankush brought legal and business experience, while Vijay brought years of entrepreneurial and restaurant knowledge. Together, they helped grow a family-run operation into a restaurant group with locations in both New York and New Jersey.

Jashan by Dhaba became one of the family’s key Parsippany locations. The restaurant opened in 2019 after Punhani took a chance on a space that others warned him against.

“A lot of people told me, ‘Don’t do this location. It’s jinxed. Restaurants have failed,’” Punhani said. “But I had run restaurants in the city at that point, so I had a level of confidence that if we gave good service, good quality food, and ran it like a professional organization, we could make it work.”

Six years later, Jashan has become one of Parsippany’s recognizable Indian dining destinations. Best of NJ has described Jashan as part of a group of restaurants owned and operated by Punhani’s family, with the word “Jashan” meaning “to celebrate” in Hindi.

Punhani said the restaurant’s focus has remained consistent.

“Good service and good food, that’s essentially what our focus is,” Punhani said. “Consistency in the product is very important.”

That same approach carried into the Chef Ajay Chopra event. Chopra created the recipes and menu, while Jashan’s culinary team handled the preparation and execution.

“It was his recipes, but our team came together to make the food,” Punhani said. “At the end of the day, we did all the production.”

The menu gave guests a chance to experience something beyond the standard Indian restaurant dinner, leaning into regional flavors, chef-driven presentation, and dishes not always found on everyday menus.

“People appreciated trying something new,” Punhani said. “It was not just your everyday paneer or standard dishes. It was something different.”

The collaboration with Chopra began through a personal connection. Punhani said one of his college friends had moved back to Mumbai and knew Chopra. After seeing the connection online, Punhani reached out.

“I saw that they were best friends, and I said, ‘Wait, how do you know Chef Ajay Chopra?’” Punhani said. “He connected us, and we were talking for about six months. I said, ‘If you want to come to the U.S., let’s do something.’”

That conversation became the four-stop culinary series across Dhaba NYC, Jashan by Dhaba, The Imperia by Dhaba, and Social Hub by Dhaba.

Punhani said the timing reflects a larger shift in the American food scene. Indian cuisine, he said, is being understood more broadly than it once was.

“Indian food is more accepted right now than it has ever been,” Punhani said. “It used to be that the mainstream American audience thought Indian food was just spicy curry. Now people are more accepting of it.”

The family’s restaurant group has continued to build on that change by introducing different concepts, regional cuisines, private dining, catering, and special events. A 2023 Best of NJ profile noted that LaZeez by Dhaba was the ninth restaurant for Punhani and his family, with locations in New York City and New Jersey.

For Jashan, the Ajay Chopra dinner was both a special event and a reflection of the Punhani family’s larger vision: to keep growing while giving diners new ways to experience Indian food.

Some dishes from the Chopra dinner may return occasionally as specials, though Punhani said the evening was designed as a unique pop-up experience rather than a permanent menu change.

With additional openings planned in New York City, Woodbridge, and Somerset, Punhani said the goal is to continue building on the same foundation that helped Jashan succeed in Parsippany: quality food, strong service, and a willingness to bring something new to the table.

“This was something new, something different,” Punhani said. “And people appreciated it.”

PARSIPPANT — Families are invited to explore language, culture, and storytelling during a special Spanish Bilingual Storytime at the Mount Tabor Branch Library. The event will be held on June 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

The program is designed to introduce children to both English and Spanish through stories, songs, interactive activities, and early literacy experiences in a fun and welcoming environment. Children and caregivers will have the opportunity to enjoy bilingual storytelling while learning new words and phrases in Spanish.

Library officials say bilingual storytimes help young children build language skills, encourage cultural awareness, and promote a love of reading at an early age. The program is ideal for both Spanish-speaking families and those interested in introducing a second language to their children.

The event will be held at the Mount Tabor Branch Library, located at 31 Trinity Place in Mount Tabor. The branch regularly offers children’s programming focused on literacy, creativity, and community engagement.

Storytime programs remain among the Parsippany Library System’s most popular family offerings, providing opportunities for children to develop social skills, participate in interactive learning, and discover the joy of books in a supportive setting. Caregivers are encouraged to attend and participate alongside their children.

The Parsippany Library continues to expand its multilingual programming, offering families opportunities to experience different languages and cultures through educational and engaging activities.

Click here to register for the event.

PARSIPPANY — Readers looking for lively discussion, great books, and a welcoming community atmosphere are invited to join the Lake Hiawatha Branch Library’s popular Bagels & Books Club.

The monthly book club meets at the Lake Hiawatha Branch Library, located at 68 Nokomis Avenue, bringing together local residents to discuss a variety of fiction and non-fiction titles while enjoying conversation and refreshments. The program is designed for adults who enjoy reading and sharing perspectives on literature in a relaxed setting.

The Bagels & Books Club is part of the Parsippany Library System’s growing lineup of book clubs and adult programs aimed at encouraging lifelong learning, community engagement, and a love of reading. The group explores a wide range of genres throughout the year, offering participants the opportunity to discover new authors, revisit classics, and connect with fellow book enthusiasts.

Meetings are typically held on the first Saturday of each month at 9:00 a.m. at the Lake Hiawatha Branch Library. Registration is required, and participants are encouraged to obtain a copy of the selected book in advance through the library system.

Library officials note that book clubs continue to be among the most popular adult programs offered by the Parsippany Library, providing residents with opportunities to engage in meaningful discussions, make new connections, and explore different viewpoints through literature.

In addition to the Bagels & Books Club, the Parsippany Library System offers several other specialty book clubs, including historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, cookbook discussions, and literary fiction groups.

Click here to register for the event.

PARSIPPANY — Residents are invited to attend an informative presentation on the importance of proper posture and alignment on Tuesday, June 2, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Parsippany Library’s Main Branch, located at 449 Halsey Road.

The free program, presented by Professional Physical Therapy, will feature Clinical Director Meera Bajaj, who will discuss how physical therapy can help improve posture and overall well-being.

During the presentation, attendees will learn about common posture-related issues, the effects of poor alignment on the body, and simple strategies to improve the way they sit, stand, and move throughout the day. The session will also explore how proper posture can help reduce discomfort, prevent injuries, and improve mobility.

Whether working at a desk, spending long hours on electronic devices, or simply looking to improve overall health, participants will gain practical tips that can be incorporated into their daily routines.

The workshop is free and open to the public. Registration information is available through the Parsippany Library.

Event Details

What: The Importance of Proper Posture & Alignment: How Physical Therapy Can Help
When: Tuesday, June 2, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: Parsippany Library, Main Branch, 449 Halsey Road, Parsippany
Presenter: Meera Bajaj, Clinical Director, Professional Physical Therapy

PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Library will kick off a series of events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States with a special live podcast recording on Wednesday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m.

Community members are invited to attend the recording of Beyond the Green, a history-focused podcast hosted by Peter Barbounis that explores the rich history of Morris County and the Morristown area.

The featured episode, titled “The Secrets of American Cookbooks,” will examine how written recipes from early America reveal much more than instructions for preparing meals. These historic cookbooks offer insight into cultural influences, family traditions, home remedies, and even the occasional bit of colonial-era gossip.

Joining Barbounis for the discussion will be Melanie Bump, Curator of Collections and Exhibits for the Morris County Park Commission. Bump will share stories and discoveries found within handwritten eighteenth- and nineteenth-century recipe books, highlighting what these documents can teach us about daily life in Colonial America.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to view several handwritten historic recipe books and antique cooking tools, providing a hands-on look at how food was prepared and recipes were preserved during America’s earliest years.

The program is part of the library’s ongoing commemoration of America’s 250th birthday and offers residents a unique opportunity to explore local and national history through the lens of food, culture, and tradition. Click here for additional information or contact Heidi Jensen at [email protected] or call (973) 887-5150 ext. 204.

The event is free and open to the public.

PARSIPPANY — The GFWC Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills celebrated the installation of its new officers for the 2026-2028 administration during a special Installation Dinner held in May. The evening also recognized scholarship recipients from Parsippany High School and Parsippany Hills High School while welcoming new members to the organization.

The event featured a special guest, Susan Chambers, President of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs (NJSFWC), who attended the proceedings and met with club members. Outgoing President Cathy Haney presided over a brief business meeting and was honored with gifts from the club in recognition of her dedication and leadership during the past two years.

Several scholarship recipients from Parsippany High School and Parsippany Hills High School attended the dinner, giving members the opportunity to meet the students and learn about their future educational plans and fields of study. Seven of the club’s thirteen scholarship winners were present for the celebration.

The club also welcomed two new members, Jenn DeStefano and Yagna Parmar, who were installed by outgoing Membership Officers Janice Carrubba and Ginny Scala. With the addition of the new members, the club’s membership now stands at 51.

The installation ceremony was conducted by Highlands District Vice President Joan Garbarino, a longtime member of the Parsippany club. New officers installed for the 2026-2028 term included Nanda Sanichar as Treasurer, Susan Byrne as Secretary, and Diana Craig and Jennifer Biondo as Co-Second Vice Presidents responsible for Membership. Cathy Haney and Chris Sinner were installed as Co-First Vice Presidents responsible for fundraising. Marianne Burke and Ivy Ertle were installed as Co-Presidents. Following the ceremony, Haney presented the ceremonial gavel to the incoming co-presidents.

Founded in 1954, the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills is a member of both the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs. The organization supports numerous community service projects, educational initiatives, and charitable programs throughout the year.

The club holds general meetings on the fourth Monday of each month from September through April and welcomes women interested in community service, leadership development, and volunteerism.