PARSIPPANY — The Woman’s Club of Parsippany–Troy Hills (WCPTH) is conducting its Annual Back-to-School Collection to benefit the children at the residences of Jersey Battered Women’s Service (JBWS) of Morris County.  JBWS provides a safe house and transitional living accommodations for victims of domestic abuse and their children.  Items needed are $10.00 or $20.00 Walmart, Target or Kohl’s gift cards, which their mothers can use to buy school clothes and shoes for the children. Additional suggestions include school and after-school snacks, such as granola bars, pretzels, goldfish crackers, and beverages such as small, non-breakable bottles of water or juice, or juice boxes. The collection ends August 10.

To donate, please contact Cathy H. at (973) 335-9769.

For additional information on JBWS please contact info@jbws.org.

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.  WCPTH has demonstrated its commitment to the community through an impressively wide range of community service endeavors. The Club has served the township and the state with initiatives to support not only education, but also home life, conservation and more. WCPTH is very proud to have been instrumental in the founding of the Parsippany Library and the Parsippany Child Day Care Center.  Today the Woman’s Club is involved with the Parsippany Food Pantry, American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Jersey Battered Women’s Service and Child Abuse Prevention – NJ. The club also supports Boatsie’s Boxes for the military serving overseas, UNICEF, Heifer International and other worthy and charitable causes.

The next General Meeting is Monday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Parsippany Rescue & Recovery Building, 100 Centerton Drive. For more information call Cathy at (973) 984-0758, e-mail the club at womansclubofpth@gmail.com, or click here to visit their website.

Meeting schedule is subject to change.  Please contact Cathy if interested in attending a meeting or to confirm date and time.

PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany President Frank Cahill was honored with a “Ruby K pin” presented by Club Secretary Karen Gajewski.

Kiwanis Club International recognize members for inviting new members—from five to 100 people.

Since Cahill became President in October 2017, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany has increased the clubs membership to 70 members. Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany is
ranked 1 out of 79 in the New Jersey district for net growth (net gain of 24 members) and is ranked 1 out of 79 in the district for percentage growth (52.2000%). It is also the second largest club in the state of New Jersey.

Cahill said “I did not do this alone. It was with the help of our active and dedicated members. Our group is part of this global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.”

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany currently supports nine K-Kids clubs: Lake Parsippany Elementary School; Eastlake Elementary School: Mt. Tabor Elementary School; Littleton Elementary School, Lake Hiawatha Elementary School, Troy Hills Elementary School, Northvail Elementary School, Knollwood School and Rockaway Meadow Elementary School, two builders clubs, Central Middle School and Brooklawn Middle School; two Key Clubs, Parsippany Hills High School and Parsippany High School and one Aktion Club.

Just recently Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany submitted an application to Kiwanis International to include Intervale Elementary School as part of the K-Kids program, and Seton Hall University as part of the Circle K International.

They also raise funds and donates to the Parsippany Food Pantry, Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library, Parsippany PAL Youth Center, Parsippany High School Scholarship Program, Parsippany Hills High School Scholarship Program, Parsippany Child Day Center, Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey, Camp Nejeda, NJ Sharing Network, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Parsippany, Parsippany Project Graduation, Jersey Battered Women’s Services, Family Promise of Morris County, Parsippany Little League West, Parsippany Little League East to name a few.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany meets every Thursday at 7:15 a.m. at Empire Diner, 1315 Route 46. For more information on Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany click here.

PARSIPPANY — Rupesh Patel, owner Kona Ice Central Morris County, presented a check to Touch-A-Truck Chairman Nicolas Limanov for $220.00 as a donation to the club. Kona Ice was a vendor during the Kiwanis Touch-A-Truck event held on Saturday, June 16.

Kona Ice of Central Morris County brings an amazing product experience with over 40 different flavors! Rupesh Patel said “We feel it’s vitally important to give back to our community. We would like to partner with you for your fundraising activities – a school, sports team, church, or any other community fundraiser. We also do private events.”

MOUNTAIN LAKES — Governor Chris Christie was the keynote speaker on Tuesday, July 17, at the Morris County Republican Club Unity Breakfast held at Zeris Inn.

The fundraiser was billed as a unity breakfast after a contentious race for county chairman.  Ron DeFilippis, who was Christie’s appointee to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, defeated Rob Zwigard.

Christie has been keeping a low public profile since leaving the Governors Office on January 16, but with Democrats making much noise in his home county of Morris, the former governor couldn’t stay silent.

Christie began his political career in Morris County when he won a seat on the Board of Freeholders in 1994. He lost a Republican primary for State Assembly in 1995 and was defeated in his bid for re-election to a second term as freeholder in 1997. He won huge pluralities in Morris County when he ran for Governor in 2009 and 2013.

More than 250 people attended the breakfast, including virtually all county and state elected officials representing parts of Morris County.

Two Morris County congressional seats are in danger of flipping Democratic: the 11th, where Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen is retiring, and the 7th, where Representative Leonard Lance faces a tough re-election campaign. In the 11th district Jay Webber is running against Democrat Miki Sherill. Three freeholder seats are up in November, as well as what is becoming an interesting race for county clerk.  Democrats haven’t elected a county clerk since before the Civil War.

Christie said “I’ve been a winner in this county and a loser. I’ve supported winners who won county committee votes by one vote and I supported losers who lost county committee votes by two votes. It’s never fun to lose, it sucks. Winning’s always better. Believe me, it’s always better, but I’ll tell you what’s worse. Losing in November is always worse than losing in June. When you lose in June, there is still light at the end of the tunnel for you and there are people who are on our county ballot this year that can prove that. Won before and lost before. If you’re persistent, if you have good ideas, if you got good energy, you can always come back and because of our open system, you’re not precluded from doing that. There’s not a group of people will sit in the corner of that room over here and decide your day is over. You have the right to run, but by the same token everybody, if you have that, then you got to be with the people who the people support.”

“I want you to remember this and whenever any Democrat comes up to you and talks about how our party is finished in New Jersey and we are relevant and there’s nothing for us to do any more, remind them of this. There hasn’t been a two term democratic Governor in 40 years, but there’s been three two term Republican governors. Think about that. Why? Because in the end we need a Democrat every once in awhile as Governor to remind the people in this day just how good we are,” he said.

“Losing in November is always worse than losing in June,” Christie said.

PARSIPPANY — During April the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany participated in Child Abuse Prevention Month by setting up pinwheel gardens and displays, with the first one set up at the Parsippany Town Hall and followed by a second display set up at the Parsippany IHOP on Route 46. They planted a total of 13 pinwheel gardens throughout Parsippany.

Karen DeChristopher, Co-Chair of Young Children Priority One, presented Pamela Stalcup with a $1,000 donation to Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey in support of “Great Childhoods” for all New Jersey children. Pictured with Karen is Committee person Joyce Garrow, Carol Tiesi, Julie Scarano-Debrossy, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany Foundation President Greg Elbin, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany President Frank Cahill. Co-Chair Nicolas Limanov is not pictured.

And while the pinwheel can do many things — bring smiles, lift spirits, call for healthy starts for all children — the one thing it cannot do is move on its own.  Be the force that makes it move, bringing about real change for children in the United States.  Protecting our children is everyone’s job…it’s your turn to make a difference!

Since 1983, April has been a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse.  As we look upon the faces of the many children in our communities and think about all of the children around the world that suffer at the hands of others, let’s remember that April may be Child Abuse Prevention Month, but unfortunately abuse happens every day.  That is why every year, during the month of April, communities across the country come together to focus on this startling issue and on the need for widespread prevention and public awareness campaigns to reduce the number of children who, sadly, are victims of abuse.  Close to 700,000 children were victims of child abuse; and almost 1,700 children died as a result of abuse or neglect.

Karen DeChristopher, President-Elect and Co-Director of the Kiwanis “Young Children Priority One” program who has lead this campaign for the past four years explained, “As an organization that focuses on children, there is one goal that we are looking to achieve…to raise awareness of the many ways people can get involved in the fight against child abuse:  First, we can get educated, so you can learn to recognize the signs of child abuse, so you can be that one person with courage to step up for these children and report abuse when you suspect it.  Secondly, you can volunteer or support your child advocacy centers (Prevent Child Abuse-NJ) by calling to determine how you can support them, because every children’s advocacy center can benefit from your support for their programs and services they provide to child victims of abuse and neglect.  And lastly, but most importantly we must help break the silence surrounding child abuse by raising awareness and spreading the word.  These children deserve a voice, because this problem has been overlooked for far too long and you can open the doors on this crime of secrecy, because we can all make a difference for these children.”

To learn more about what you can do to help prevent child abuse, contact Pamela Stalcup, Director of Development & Communications for Prevent Child Abuse-NJ at (732) 246-8060 or click here.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.  It is not religious based or partisan in any way. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany meets every Thursday at 7:15 a.m. at the Empire Diner, 1315 Route 46.  We are 70 members strong and growing.  New members are always welcome. (Click here for more information on Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany).

MORRIS COUNTY — Setting a new record for New Jersey U.S. House races, Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill announced a second quarter fundraising total of nearly $1.9 million dollars. The quarter brings Sherrill’s total raise to $4.2 million and she heads into the general election with $2.9 million cash on hand.

“The priorities of our campaign continue to resonate in this community,” said Sherrill. “Tax relief, quality and affordable healthcare, and growing New Jersey’s economy are top concerns for the people of New Jersey. I am incredibly honored to have the support of so many Americans who are ready for new leadership in Congress that puts people first. Our campaign is going to continue working hard to talk to all residents of the 11th District and earn their vote in November.“

The report further highlights Sherrill’s strong fundraising abilities. She previously set the New Jersey fundraising record for U.S. House candidates by raising $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2018.

As a U.S. Navy veteran, former prosecutor, and mother of four, Mikie Sherrill is focused on bringing new leadership to Congress. She will work with Republicans and Democrats to restore the full state and local tax deduction for New Jersey taxpayers, work to fix the Affordable Care Act to bring down health care costs, and focus on creating good paying jobs in New Jersey.

RANDOLPH — Furever Home Dog Rescue needs foster homes!  As a shelterless rescue, we don’t have a building where our dogs are housed until they get adopted.  We are lucky enough to have loving foster families who open their hearts and homes to our dogs until they are placed. However,  we need more foster homes so we can save more dogs! You can try it once and see how rewarding it can be, you even get to pick the puppy or dog you want to foster!

Fosters open their homes (usually a month or two on average) to foster a pup until they are adopted to their furever homes.  Fostering is a rewarding experience and you will help save a dogs life. There are puppies, young dogs, adult dogs and special needs dogs of different breeds that need foster homes, and our foster families choose the type of pup they want to foster.

Every month we save dozens of wonderful dogs from the southern kill shelters or the Caribbean kill shelter and place them in safe, nurturing homes.  Please consider joining us in the effort to help even more of these wonderful dogs get a second chance, we would love to have you!

With your help, we can save more dogs from being euthanized simply because there is a lack of space at the shelter. If you would like to be a part of our rescue efforts and are interested in short term fostering, please email Camille at FHDR@att.net.

The more fosters we have, the more dogs we can save!