MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp announces that Frank LaRocca, 40, pled guilty to an Accusation charging him with one count of second degree Theft by Unlawful Taking in violation of N.J.S. 2C:20-3(a).
Defendant was a bookkeeper who was hired by the victim to pay his bills and manage his bank account. In pleading guilty, the defendant admitted to unlawfully taking funds belonging to the victim, in the amount of $170,805.61. During his plea, the defendant admitted that he unlawfully took funds from the victim’s account to pay for his own personal expenses knowing that he was not authorized to do so.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the defendant agreed to sign a consent judgement and pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $170,805.61. The State will recommend that the defendant be sentenced to a three year prison term.
Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Francine S. Ehrenberg represented the State in this matter.
The Honorable James M. DeMarzo, J.S.C., presided over the plea. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced May 13, 2016.
The defendant’s wife, Jennifer LaRocca, 40, Hackettstown, pled guilty on February 10, 2016 to one count of third degree Theft in violation of N.J.S. 2C:20-3(a).
Under the terms of Mrs. LaRocca’s plea agreement, she signed a consent judgement and will pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $170,805.61, for which both defendants are jointly and individually responsible.
Mrs. LaRocca is scheduled to be sentenced on April 1, 2016.
Prosecutor Knapp thanks the Financial Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office who assisted in the investigation and the resolution of this matter.
BOONTON — Judge Edward V. Gannon died Tuesday evening at Morristown Medical Center after suffering a head injury from a fall last week outside a deli in Boonton, the Daily Record is reporting. He was life support at Morristown Medical Center.
Gannon, 63, was appointed to the Morris-Sussex Vicinage in 1991 and has handled civil, criminal and family division matters during his tenure on the bench.
James Gannon, the judge’s younger brother is a current candidate for Morris County sheriff.
It was reported that Judge Gannon was on a set of steps outside a delicatessen in Boonton on Friday and fell backward on a step, striking his head.
The judge was on a ventilator at Morristown Medical Center since Friday and was removed from all life support Tuesday, and died.
Judge Gannon has two sons, Rory and Mike.
“The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders offer their deepest sympathy to the family of Superior Court Judge Edward V. Gannon, who regrettably passed away, at age 63, on Tuesday.
Judge Gannon served with honor and distinction on the bench in Morris, Sussex and Passaic counties over three decades, handling criminal, civil, and family cases. He took a strong interest in juvenile matters, particularly in trying to prevent troubled youths from moving to lives of crime.
Judge Gannon, who grew up in Boonton Township, had long-standing personal and professional ties to Morris County, where he served as municipal prosecutor in Chester and Parsippany before being appointed to the state Superior Court, serving initially on the bench in Morristown.
The freeholders deeply regret the passing of Judge Gannon and offer condolences to his family.’’
Funeral arrangement will be handled by the Codey-Mackey Funeral Home in Boonton.
PARSIPPANY — Legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican Jay Webber to provide direct relief to property taxpayers cleared the State and Local Government Committee today. Webber’s bill (A-302) increases money to municipalities from the energy tax receipts program, and requires towns to subtract the additional aid from its adjusted tax levy to benefit property taxpayers.
“It’s time to use the energy tax receipts to provide its intended relief for property taxpayers,” said Webber, R – Morris, Essex and Passaic. “The money was a promise of relief for property taxpayers, and using it for anything else is unacceptable. Restoring funding can keep that promise and begin lowering property tax bills.”
The bill increases the distribution from the energy tax receipts aid. Phased in over a five-year period, the increase restores approximately $331 million in reductions to consolidated municipal property tax relief aid and energy tax receipts.
A-302 IMPLEMENTATION
Year 1: $67,425,727 -(20%)
Year 2: $134,851,453 -(40%)
Year 3: $202,277,180 -(60%)
Year 4: $269,702,906 -(80%)
Year 5: $337,128,633 -(100%)
Data specific for Parsippany-Troy Hills in Legislative District 26:
FY17 +20%
FY18 +40%
FY19 +60%
FY20 +80%
FY21 +100%
$270,981
$541,781
$812,672
$1,083,562
$1,354,453
Assemblyman Webber’s extended comments about the bill, appearing in a weekend opinion piece, are here:
Here is a simple principle: something named a “Property Tax Relief Fund” should do what it says and actually bring relief to property taxpayers. Too often, however, funds collected by our state government for “property tax relief” really just fuel more spending at the local level and bring no real relief for beleaguered taxpayers.
We have seen this with the New Jersey Income Tax, where billions of dollars annually are put into the “Property Tax Relief Fund” and then transferred to local governments, where the money is spent rather than sent to property owners for tax relief. The cruel result of that chicanery is that New Jerseyans are left with both high income and high property taxes.
Another example is the state government’s Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund, which contains the collected fees paid by utilities for usage of public right-of-ways for sewer, water, gas, and electricity lines. As its label suggests, that fund is supposed to provide property tax relief to our residents. But it doesn’t. Instead, for years state government has diverted those energy receipts into its general fund to spend at the state level.
Many municipal officials object to that practice, claiming that those energy receipts should go to their local budgets, ostensibly to reduce the local property tax burden. But that’s not what will happen. If the money is given to municipalities without restriction, the vast majority of it will just be spent, like so much of the income tax dollars that go back to school boards, and property taxpayers will be left out in the cold again.
Local elected officials face many challenges, and no one should minimize the difficulty of their jobs or the significance of their efforts to balance their budgets. It’s understandable that public officials on the local level would be tempted to seek state subsidies to ease their budgetary pressures. But the “it’s-our-money” mindset is wrong and is one of the reasons New Jersey has the nation’s highest property taxes.
There is a better approach. Scheduled for consideration in Trenton next week is a bipartisan bill that I sponsor that would send the energy receipts back to municipalities, but with a crucial mandate: the funds must go to a direct reduction in property taxes. This initiative dictates direct relief for taxpayers, and gives local officials no option to spend the money. It puts taxpayers first, where they belong.
The bill would mean a real cut in the state’s property taxes, not a reduction in their growth. It would provide more than $325 million annually in direct property tax relief from just this one fund — $2.6 million in annual tax relief for Freehold taxpayers; $1.35 million in annual tax relief for Parsippany residents, and $2.3 million annual tax relief for Bridgewater residents, to cite just a few examples.
Sending money directly back to taxpayers (or, better, letting them keep more of it in the first place) is the path to real property tax relief. Sending money from the state to a lower level of government and hoping property taxes decline is not working — and never has. If there is one thing we have learned, it is that when government gets its hands on our money — at any level — it spends it.
Of course, this energy-receipts initiative alone is not a magic-bullet fix for the property tax crisis, and we should not be satisfied with stopping at this one proposal. Nevertheless, this new policy is the first of its kind to dictate that state aid to municipalities translate directly to tax relief for property taxpayers. Also, importantly, the initiative demands a mindset change among public officials who chronically spend taxpayer money and call it “property tax relief.” And with that, the bill holds the hope of even more substantial property tax relief going forward.
For more than a decade, New Jerseyans rightly have cited crushing property taxes as their number one concern. Let’s take the opportunity to lower property taxes now, before even more of our families and neighbors read this sort of opinion piece online from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Florida.
How many can remember when attending school two holidays; Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays? This changing of our first Presidents birthday to Presidents day is a form of tampering with past for private concerns; let me explain. The idea of a holiday is to have an extra day to spend with family or one’s own liberty with time. Washington’s day of birth February 11, 1731 this time period had the Julian calendar in effect. In 1752 the Georgian Calendar replaced the Julian thereby changing Washington’s birth to February 22, 1732. Skipping the exact reason here of why the inaccuracy of days occurred between the two measures of year or our accurate days in complete rotation around the sun then about 10-days, we still have Washington’s Birth; however because of the Ninetieth Congress in 1968; determined to create a uniform system of federal Monday holidays, Congress voted to shift three existing holidays to Mondays and expanded the number further by creating one new Monday holiday.
Washington’s Birthday was uprooted from its fixed February 22 date and transplanted to the third Monday in February, followed by Memorial Day being relocated from the last day in May to the last Monday in May. One newly created holiday—Columbus Day—was positioned on the second Monday in October, as Veterans Day—ousted from its November 11 foxhole—was reassigned to the fourth Monday in October (although rebellion by veterans’ organizations and state governments forced the 1980 return of Veterans Day to its historic Armistice date of November 11). That Washington’s birth date—February 22—would never fall on the third Monday in February was considered of minimum importance. After all, who could ever forget all that George Washington meant to this country?
In fact, Nixon issued an executive order on February 11, 1971, proclaiming the third Monday of February a holiday. That order, however, referred to the holiday as nothing other than Washington’s Birthday. Claims that Nixon had changed the holiday to the more generic Presidents Day apparently stemmed from an inaccurate newspaper account.
Nonetheless, in the final decades of the 20th century, an increasing number of people embraced the term “Presidents Day.” Some states have even adopted Presidents Day as a state holiday in lieu of Washington’s Birthday.Still, the federal holiday on the third Monday of February legally remains “Washington’s Birthday” to this day.
In conclusion, we have the father our country being thrown into a batch of other men called presidents because of the office held. One other seeming observation is one of the Monday Holidays added to the calendar Columbus Day, calls this man by name, and alleges his discovery of the new world, despite the fact that people were here already. Columbus himself never in his five voyages set foot in North or South America, and spelt the beginning of the genocide of native peoples and the theft of their lands or habitats.
So a foreigner Columbus in name is proclaimed above that of our first President, Commander and Chief of the American Continental Army, the very “iron core of the republic”. Columbus day should then be Native American Day.
The underlying reason for this is a private not only newspaper media hype taken hold, but the idea of a consumers holiday of shopping; so we go from Washington birthdays sales to the sensational Presidents day sales; indoctrinating us into a transition from citizen to consumer and misleading us into our own history as somehow the office of president is no different in time and space from Washington time, as democracy itself without considering of actual changes marches on in some order and exceptional way, after all it takes is to be American.
New Jersey Being one of the first colonies and the third State to ratify the Federal Constitution should go back to calling it, Washington’s Birthday, not Presidents day. It is a fact Washington spent most of the War Years 1775-1783 right here in New Jersey. The Holiday is Federal Not State and thereby must not be altered by private economic motives, a mere shopping sale day. No State of the Union formed in 1789 or any after should have the prerogative to change the name of this Day, be it the change to the third Monday be sufficient.
Lincolns Birth February 12 was a State Holiday, many states of the old south did not recognize it, and were allowed to do so, because of the subversion of the 13th & 14th Amendments and the establishment of Jim Crow in the old confederacy. During my grammar school days, we did recognize both men on their day. Being 10-11 years old in 1961 we were made to “celebrate” be somewhat educated and made aware of 100 years since the civil war, plays, songs, hats both Yankee and rebel, civil war cards, battles but little of slavery; even less were we taught about Washington and the dynamic of his rise to power and his problems with human nature at the time; or how American Indians played such a large part in our Nations beginnings.
In the final decades of the 20th century, an increasing number of people embraced the term “Presidents Day.” Some states have even adopted Presidents Day as a state holiday in lieu of Washington’s Birthday.Still, the federal holiday on the third Monday of February legally remains “Washington’s Birthday” to this day. In our age of the demise of good government through vested interest, like SuperPacs and elected officials who work to degrade rather enforce civil and common concerns, we need Washington’s Birthday to be restored as such, as he still is for his time and position of birth a great example of a leader, always giving not taking, risking his life and returning the power of the Army to civilian control. It is we who have failed him and our nation for selfish reasons. In the year 2016 the American experiment in my opinion is a failure, as private economic concerns have replaced our quest for good government in the establishment of a democracy; of which we are not. The Great man himself experienced the short-coming of human nature, we fail to honesty examine ourselves, what are we really all about? Don’t believe anyone really knows anymore as our souls, and spirits have been contaminated by corporate power and the influence of money, which is not the value of life itself.
When one President is not unlike any other we only prolong our own problems and fail to see into ourselves, progress without evolution has allowed people to serve technology rather than technology serving the people. 2016 looks like Washington made a big mistake; he however is none the less for it as his example can still inspire those who wish to call themselves American. Ideas of Liberty and actual needs shall not be replaced with motives of overly exceeding profits
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Food Pantry needs your help. They are seeking non-perishable food items. Donations from caring individuals help our most needy residents and families here in Parsippany. Individuals and groups such as schools, church groups, clubs, and scouts are welcome to donate. The most needed items are:
Dry goods: beans, cereal, pasta, rice, dried potatoes Miscellaneous items: peanut butter, jelly, prepared tomato sauce, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, powdered milk, juice boxes and condiments such as salad dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and spice.
Household items are also appreciated such as: toilet tissue, laundry detergent, bath soap etc.
Supermarket gift cards are also readily accepted.
The Parsippany Emergency Food Pantry is located at the Parsippany Community Center, 1130 Knoll Road, Lake Hiawatha. The Food Pantry is open Monday thru Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
PARSIPPANY — The College of Saint Elizabeth Police Studies Institute held its Second Annual Black History Month Awards Celebration on campus. Undersheriff William Schievella was proud to honor five outstanding law enforcement officers for their outstanding contributions to our profession. Chief Norma Hardy, Port Authority NY/NJ Police Department; Supv CBP Officer Eboni Phillips, US Customs & Border Protection; Sgt. Allan Griffin, Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department; Detective Greg Brooks, Morris County Sheriff’s Office and Police Officer Jamal Poyner, Millburn Police Department.
Yvonne Ballard of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives was presented with Excellence in Justice Awards from the College.
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany High School Academic Decathlon Team recently participated in the New Jersey Regional Competition. The team placed first in the region and won the Super Quiz. There are nine team members and seven alternates who will continue to the state competition, held at Ramapo Hills High School. Team members are: Will Chen, Anne Cheng, Joyce David, Rohan Khajuria, Nikita Kolotov, Hugh Kwong, Katherine Yang, Adam Ye and Ellie Xu, Overall, the Parsippany High School team took home 69 awards for the regional competition.
Academic Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic competition for high school students. The events include math, science, social science, literature, economics, art, music, speech, essay and interview. This year’s theme is India. Team coaches are Nancy Lennon, science teacher and Stacy Cozin, media specialist.
PARSIPPANY — Carly Rose Serrecchia, 23, passed away on Thursday, February 11 with her loving family by her side at Morristown Medical Center.
Carly was born in Dover and lived all her life in Parsippany.
Carly attended Regional Day School in Morris Plains.
Survivors include her parents: Joseph P. and Ann (nee-Ferguson); her brothers: Joseph P. Jr. and his wife, Kristen, Robert and Scott; her sister, Christine Haggerty and her husband, Tom; and her niece, Giuliana Rose Serrecchia.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend her Funeral Service at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 17 at Par-Troy Funeral Home. Interment will be held at Montville Reformed Church Cemetery, Montville. Visiting hours will be on Tuesday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Par-Troy Funeral Home, 95 Parsippany Road. In lieu of flowers please make donations in her memory to the NJ Elks Association Special Children’s Committee. c/o Pia Grant, P.O. Box 1596, Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095. (Please put “Carly Serrecchia” on the Memo line).
PARSIPPANY — Representatives of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar present a check for $231,917 to the U.S. Marines Corps in support of its Toys for Tots program. The funds were raised during Applebee’s annual Breakfast with Santa events held in New Jersey and Long Island in which one hundred percent of the proceeds benefitted underprivileged children in local communities during the holiday season. Over the past 17 years, Applebee’s locations owned and operated by Doherty Enterprises in New Jersey, Long Island, Florida and Georgia have raised more than $3.6 million for the Toys for Tots initiative, helping to spread holiday cheer to over 230,000 deserving children.
Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar is located at 1057 Route 46, Troy Hills Shopping Center.
MORRISTOWN – Morris County Sheriff Ed Rochford today announced his full endorsement of John Sierchio in this year’s election for County Sheriff.
Sheriff Rochford, who yesterday announced that he will not be seeking re-election to a ninth term this year, focused on Sierchio’s law enforcement experience and record of saving taxpayer dollars as the basis for his endorsement.
“With 24 years of experience as Sheriff, I know exactly what it takes to protect the safety of Morris County residents and the wallets of taxpayers,” said Sheriff Rochford. “I also know this: there is no one better qualified than John Sierchio to fight for the families, seniors, and taxpayers of Morris County as our next Sheriff, and that’s why I’m proud to endorse his candidacy today.”
“Like all residents of Morris County, I am deeply disappointed Sheriff Rochford will not be seeking re-election this fall because he has served us all with the honor and respect the office deserves,” said Sierchio. “I am proud to receive Sheriff Rochford’s endorsement because no one will fight harder than me to keep Morris County’s families safe and run the office in the fiscally responsible manner taxpayers deserve.”
Sierchio has 27 years experience in law enforcement, serving in the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the Essex County Police Department, and in the Bloomfield Police Department. Sierchio also served as Chairman of the state’s Police and Fireman’s Retirement System, where the Star-Ledger called him a “crusader” for saving millions of taxpayer dollars by exposing fraudulent pension claims.
“John has dedicated his life to law enforcement, and he’s been on the frontlines every single day fighting to keep our communities safe,” noted Rochford. “As our next Sheriff, John will use his 27 years of real world, on-the-ground experience to protect the families of Morris County.”
“My experience has prepared me to be ready on Day One as our next Sheriff to fight the growing drug epidemic in our communities and confront the new realities of crime in Morris County,” said Sierchio. “At the same time, I know how to manage a budget, save taxpayer dollars and do more with less, so taxpayers know I’m the fiscal conservative they can trust.”
John is married with four children and lives with his family in Boonton Township, where he has served as a Member of the Board of Education since 2008. He served five years as Chairman of the state’s Police and Fireman’s Retirement System and twelve years total on its Board of Trustees. Sierchio was appointed by Governor Chris Christie to serve as a Member of the Governor’s Transition Team in 2009, where John served as a member of the Law and Public Safety Subcommittee. John is a member of many organizations, including the New Jersey State PBA, the Italian American Police Society, and a Life Member of the National Rife Association.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany Hills High School graduate and Parsippany resident, Roger Kfoury is currently attending Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.
Roger is a Junior majoring in Marketing and Legal Studies and participates in Drexel’s co-operative education program, working full-time for six months in a professional position in his field of study.
To gain further knowledge and experience outside the classroom, Roger applied for, and was accepted into a consulting course with real-world application. Experiential learning is in the DNA of Drexel University and LeBow has taught programs such as this course for over 20 years.
Roger is a member of a student-created and operated consulting firm of fourteen students, called META Consulting, working as a coordinator. As a member of META, Roger is consulting for the Department of Justice on the Peer 2 Peer: Building Community Trust Initiative. The firm will be working with teens between the ages of 13 to 19 to dispel mistrust between the community and law enforcement. They will be obtaining primary research in order to support new programming for this group of teens. META will be launching the RETIRE It Movement, which is an acronym for Real Education to Inspire the Right Engagement. META will be advised by former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, Brian Michael from the Department of Homeland Security, and Detective Eric Rios from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. META will also be partnering with Covenant House and West Catholic High School as community partners. You can support Roger by following their efforts on Facebook “RETIRE It Movement”, on Twitter @RETIRE_IT, and on Instagram @RETIRE_IT.
Last Friday, February 12, NBC World News Tonight reported that three federal agencies have agreed to investigate the safety of rubber crumb artificial turfs. Those three agencies are the Environmental Protection Agency, the Center for Disease Control and the Consumer Products Safety Commission and their charge is to determine once and for all if rubber crumb turf fields pose any health threat to young athletes and to take a clear public position on the issue. To their credit the Synthetic Turf Council, which is the industry group advocating for the continued construction of rubber turf fields, announced their support for the federal effort.
While we wait to learn from the scientists, who will be undertaking this investigation, to determine what chemical compounds are contained in the turf fields and if those chemicals are released when an athlete comes into contact with them, we also continue to wait for the Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education to explain to parents what independent investigation they conducted as to the safety of turf fields prior to spending millions of tax payer dollars to install them at both high schools. The Board’s continued refusal to provide that information suggests that they did not conduct any such investigation and are now hoping that the investigation by the three federal agencies will get them off the hook. Hopefully the Board Of Eduction gets lucky but if it doesn’t then hopefully they will have the courage to admit their mistake, tear up the turf fields and restore the grass fields. After all, it’s all about the kids.
PARSIPPANY — Dr. Haney will relinquish his position as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Emory & Henry College, a liberal arts college in Southwest Virginia. He arrived there four years ago after nine years atAppalachian State University where he was English Department Chair and then Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. This followed 12 years as a faculty member at Auburn University. He spent a year in Spearfish, South Dakota, as Provost at Black Hills State University and Regents Fellow with the South Dakota Board of Regents. He began his administrative career as Dean of Students at the Cambridge School of Weston, an independent secondary boarding and day school in Weston, Massachusetts.
At Emory & Henry College he has led the development of a strategic initiative for project-based liberal education, supported by a $100,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Much of his effort as Chief Academic Officer has been dedicated to the expansion of the college through graduate programs in health education, including the development of a school of health sciences on the campus of a former hospital, whose first program, a doctorate in physical therapy, began in fall 2015. He raised $600,000 to hire a founding Dean and helped secure a $5 million commitment for support of health sciences programs. He has played a leadership role in the acquisition of an equestrian program, the development of an environmental field station, the establishment of a partnership with the Rensselaerville Institute, the expansion of community engagement initiatives, the growth of the honors program and the expansion of international education. He has also led an academic program prioritization process and several strategic planning initiatives and he has worked on regional and professional accreditation issues.
He holds an MA and PhD in English from the University at Buffalo and a BA in English from Macalester College, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. His scholarship has focused on British Romantic poetry and the philosophical connection between interpretation and ethics, with two monographs on Penn State Press’s Literature and Philosophy series, as well as articles on British Romanticism, literature and philosophy and higher education. Dr. Haney played bluegrass music professionally in the 1980s withJoe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys, and he and his spouse, Lisa Baldwin, occasionally perform together.
“Dr. Haney has the stellar reputation of being an excellent administrator and an effective, collaborative leader,” says Wolfgang Gstattenbauer ’84/13HA, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee Chair. “He has a strong reputation for openness, collegial decision-making and integrity. He also brings a wealth of knowledge of institutional fundraising and an understanding of the equine business. We are pleased to have Dr. Haney serving at the helm of this institution as we fulfill our future goals over the next decade.”
A Presidential Search Committee was established by Gstattenbauer ’84/13 HA after Dr. Barbara-Jayne Lewthwaite announced inJune 2015 that she was stepping down after being named President in 2009. The Board of Trustees retained the services ofThomas B. Courtice and Dr. Jim Davis of AGB Search, Washington, DC, to assist with the search. Dr. Courtice’s ten years and Dr. Davis’s seven years of successful search experience, with particular emphasis on the leadership needs of private liberal arts colleges, helped guide the Committee through the process. Dr. Haney was selected from 70 applicants because of his strong background in higher education.
“I am extremely honored to be chosen as the 13th president of Centenary College,” says Dr. Haney. “I admire the work that the College has done to remain a thriving, forward-looking institution that prepares students for the challenges of working, living, and contributing to society in the challenging world of the 21st century, and I am excited about continuing that work in partnership with students, staff, faculty, and trustees. Everyone from Centenary and Hackettstown has been very welcoming during the entire search process, and my wife Lisa and I are eager to become active members of our new community.”
Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary College’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.
Centenary College’s main campus is located in Hackettstown with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County). The Centenary College School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in two locations: Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey.
Forecasters and transportation officials warned drivers Monday to take it slow and be on the alert for icy patches that could quickly form as snow picks up and then mixes with sleet. “This is a storm that people need to take seriously,” said Steve Schapiro, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation. “People need to…
PARSIPPANY — This cat was found this morning, Saturday, February 13 at Lincoln Gardens in Lake Hiawatha. No microchip but they can tell had been wearing a collar by the mark in the fur. Cat is safe at the animal shelter. If this is your cat or you recognize it, please contact the Parsippany Animal Shelter at (973) 263-7083.
Please note that if you wish to contact the Parsippany Animal Control and Shelter please contact them via email at shelter@parpolice.com or by phone at (973) 263-7083.
In an emergency, an Animal Control Officer can be reached by calling the Police Department at (973) 263-4300.
Last week I received a flyer from the teacher’s union lobbying the public to support its position in the ongoing teacher contract negotiations.
I have no doubt that the statistics listed in the flyer are true. However, I found many of them to be either irrelevant to the negotiations, or selectively presented in such a way as to be misleading. In some cases they also took advantage of the public’s inexperience with the teacher salary scale and the school budget in general.
For example, at first glance I thought that teachers averaged only 0.8% salary increases over the last five years. It took a second reading before I decided that they were only talking about teachers who were at or close to the maximum negotiated salary for a teacher. Every job in the school district is subject to some maximum salary amount, starting right at the top with the superintendent. Why would it be any different for the teachers? The public understands the concept of limited raises or even no raises for employees who are making the maximum allowable salary for a particular job position. Why didn’t the flyer state the average for “all” teachers for the past five years instead of just “senior” teachers. Not doing so was misleading.
Another statistic says that senior administration received an average increase of 3.5% in 2014-2015. Most likely that number represents the highest raise that senior administrators have received in recent years. The fact that the flyer shows the highest rate for administrators rather than an average rate over a period of time, and the flyer never shows an average rate for all teachers which could be used for comparison purposes, again seems to be misleading.
The statistic that the superintendent received a one year 11% increase in salary falls into the irrelevant category. Even with that 11% increase, the superintendent position is being paid 20% less today than five years ago. How does a position whose absolute salary has gone down over recent years draw away budget dollars that could be used to pay teachers? It doesn’t.
The next statistic relies on the public’s lack of familiarity with how the school budget works. On the surface, taking $500,000 from the “Teacher Salary” account sounds like a terrible thing. But in reality, budget money is routinely shifted from areas where actual expenses are less than budget estimates to areas where actual expenses exceed estimates. Budget estimates are set before the beginning of the fiscal year. In most cases there is no way to know how much will actually be spent on any given line item. As a result, budget amounts are usually estimated a little on the high side to protect against unforeseen expenses. Last year the district paid the teachers every dollar that they were contractually entitled to. The fact that the Board put aside more money than they needed to accomplish this should be of no concern to the teachers. The Board met its obligation. What remains should either go into surplus or be returned to taxpayers.
As a taxpayer, I totally approve of the $40,000 for a negotiating attorney. The last time that the Board tried to save money by negotiating without assistance resulted in disaster. It was around 2009 at a time when the Great Recession had just begun to take hold. The governor had already frozen the wages of state employees and there were massive layoffs in both the public and the private sectors. But the Parsippany district contract gave teachers raises of 4 – 4 ½%, leaving the public in disbelief. A few months later when nearby towns were negotiating contracts in the 2-2 ½% range, it became clear just how bad the Parsippany contract was. Today, because of the 2% cap on the budget, the Board cannot simply pass on the costs of a 4% increase to the public. Any amount beyond 2% must come out of other budget items such as building maintenance or iPads. The Board’s main obligation is to the students, and under current budget rules the Board can no longer afford to enter into a contract that would disproportionately reduce student related line items. A negotiating attorney is necessary to insure that the Board does not enter into a contract that would be detrimental to the students.
The 2015-2016 budget will increase by about $2.5 million as a result of the 2% cap. The flyer asks “Where does the money go?”, yet it omits one of the biggest expenditures. The increase in Medical Benefit premiums alone will eat up almost half of the 2% cap. The remaining half is all that is left to support increases for all the other budget categories including teacher salaries.
In order for the public to determine whether the teachers have been treated fairly or not, meaningful statistics must be provided. For this purpose, I ask the Board to provide the following information at the next Board meeting, and in the Q&A section of the Board website.
What is the average salary increase received by Parsippany district administrators over the last five years?
What is the average salary increase received by Parsippany district teachers over the last five years?
How do the average teacher salaries for the Parsippany district compare to the average teacher salaries for other K thru 12 districts in Morris County, adjusting for differences in average length of service?
MOUNTAIN LAKES — Come to the Lakeland Hills YMCA with your friends and enjoy an evening just for you – sixth through eighth graders!
Swimming, Kids Zone, Gym Games, Music, Dancing, and snacks are all available to you. Mark your calendar for Saturday, February 20, from 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
It’s FREE for members, non-members welcome at $5.00.
PARSIPPANY — Nicholas Lopez, a 2015 graduate of Parsippany Hills High School was named to the Deans List for Fall Semester at Montclair State University.
Nicholas is employed at the Parsippany International House of Pancakes (IHOP).
Montclair State University is committed to serving the educational needs of New Jersey with programs characterized by academic rigor and currency in the development of knowledge and its applications. The University will offer a comprehensive range of baccalaureate, master’s, and certificate programs and a focused portfolio of doctoral programs that are closely aligned with the University’s academic strengths and the needs of the state.
The University will recruit faculty with exceptional academic or professional credentials and a deep commitment to the pursuit of their development as teachers and scholars. The University will admit to study with this faculty students who have demonstrated the potential for high achievement, diligence in the pursuit of their education, and high aspirations for using their education. The University will be inexorably committed to the maintenance of a learning community that is deeply and broadly reflective of the diverse population of New Jersey.
All University programs will develop in students the ability to discover, create, evaluate, apply, and share knowledge in a climate characterized by tolerance and openness in the exploration of ideas. Curricular and co-curricular programs will cultivate the ability to think critically, to act ethically, and to become informed citizen-participants prepared to assume leadership roles in a democracy. Recognizing the increasing connectedness of the world, the University will ensure that all students develop an understanding of global issues and of their responsibilities as citizens of the world.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Dispatchers received a 911 call reporting that there was a bomb at the Holiday Inn located at 707 Route 46 at 3:40 a.m. on Thursday, February 11.
Multiple Patrol Officers responded to the location, along with Morris County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Units.
A check of the area was completed and no suspicious items or bombs were found. This incident is still under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Investigative Division at (973) 263-4311.
MORRIS COUNTY – With the recent announcement that Sheriff Ed Rochford would not be seeking re-election this year, John Sierchio officially announced his candidacy to seek the Republican nomination for Morris County Sheriff.
Sierchio has devoted his life to serving and protecting his community, rising from Sheriff’s Officer to Detective Sergeant in his 27-year law enforcement career. Sierchio also served as Chairman of the state’s Police and Fireman’s Retirement System, where the Star-Ledger called him a “crusader” for saving millions of taxpayer dollars by exposing fraudulent pension claims.
“First and foremost, the job of Sheriff is to keep us safe, and my 27 years on the job every day – whether as a Sheriff’s Officer, Police Officer, Detective or Detective Sergeant – provides me the real world, on-the-ground experience to confront the new realities of crime in Morris County in 2016,” stated Sierchio, who served on the Bloomfield Police Department, the Essex County Police Department, and as an Essex County Sheriff’s Officer. “There’s no one better equipped to fight the explosion of drugs, infiltration of gangs, and the crimes associated with these threats in our communities than me, because I’ve been doing it my entire life.”
“Other people may talk about saving taxpayer dollars and reforming government, but I’ve already been hard at work doing both,” said Sierchio, who served five years as Chairman of the state’s Police and Fireman’s Retirement System and twelve years total on its Board of Trustees. “By shining a light on fraudulent pension claims, I saved millions of dollars for taxpayers and protected the savings of law-abiding citizens.”
Sierchio was appointed by Governor Chris Christie to serve as a Member of the Governor’s Transition Team in 2009, where John served as a member of the Law and Public Safety Subcommittee.
On Day 1 of being sworn in as Sheriff, John Sierchio will:
Institute a forensic, line-by-line auditing report of the Sheriff’s budget to investigate areas for saving taxpayer dollars; the report will be due within 100 days, at which time its findings will be acted upon
Immediately convene a Sheriff’s Committee to combat the county’s growing opiate and heroin crisis, consisting of local officials, law enforcement, community leaders, and experts in the field of drug abuse prevention and recovery; the task force will issue its report with concrete recommendations within 100 days
Meet with all local police chiefs to share intelligence, increase efficiencies, and enhance coordination of law enforcement resources in our towns, neighborhoods, and schools
Continuing Sheriff Rochford’s practice of refusing to accept the full Sheriff’s salary, John will accept only the minimum salary allowed by law
John is married with four children and lives with his family in Boonton Township, where he has served as a Member of the Board of Education since 2008. John is a member of many organizations, including the New Jersey State PBA, the Italian American Police Society, and is a Life Member of the National Rife Association.
Dear Editor:
PARSIPPANY — Dr. Haney will relinquish his position as Vice President for Academic Affairs at 
PARSIPPANY — This cat was found this morning, Saturday, February 13 at Lincoln Gardens in Lake Hiawatha. No microchip but they can tell had been wearing a collar by the mark in the fur. Cat is safe at the animal shelter. If this is your cat or you recognize it, please contact the Parsippany Animal Shelter at (973) 263-7083.
