PARSIPPANY — Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills recently held its “Annual Tricky Tray for Education” fundraiser at the Parsippany PAL.  With a sold out crowd of over 300 attendees,  and over 160 baskets, the evening was full of excitement and fun.

Organized in 1954, the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills (WCPTH) is an active member of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs (NJSFWC) the largest volunteer women’s service organization in the state, providing opportunities for education, leadership training, and community service.

NJSFWC is a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.

Women's Club Successful Tricky Tray

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Over the years, WCPTH has been honored at the District, State and National levels for our Club activities. 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 education, home life, conservation and more. They are very proud to have been instrumental in the founding of the Parsippany Library and the Parsippany Child Day Care Center.

WCPTH supports the Parsippany Food Pantry, American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Jersey Battered Women’s Service and Child Abuse Prevention – NJ. They also support Boatsie’s Boxes for the military serving overseas, UNICEF, Heifer International and other worthy, charitable causes.

The Annual Tricky Tray for Education funds the Club’s many educational opportunities for area students including a spelling bee, reading awards for 5th graders, citizenship awards for middle school students and scholarships for graduating high school seniors.

In addition, the Club will make a significant monetary donation to the General Federation of Women’s Clubs’ Success for Survivors Scholarship which assists those impacted by intimate partner violence to pursue higher education.

The Club also has an active social side. They have fun helping others while making new friends. With Bunco nights, a Book Club, holiday parties, crafting sessions and more, Club members keep busy.

Please consider joining this dynamic group of women! For Club and membership information call Janice C. at (973) 713-6114 or Ginny S. at (973) 887-0336, e-mail the Club at womansclubofpth@gmail.com, or visit www.parsippanywomansclub.org, or follow on Facebook.

PARSIPPANY — A muggy and buggy night did not deter visitors to Troy Meadows Nature Preserve, as experts from Rutgers’ Wildlife Conservation and Management Program dazzled once again at their recent Bat Walk, giving guests entertaining insight into the night life of Parsippany’s bats!

Fifty attendees from Par-Troy and the surrounding area joined the outdoor presentation, organized by the Parsippany Bat Protection Project (PBPP), as egrets and herons flew overhead. Children were quizzed on bat facts and trivia by researchers Evan Drake, Erin McHale, and Morgan Mark, who charmed listeners with their obvious love of bats and their work at Rutgers. “I study their poop,” admitted McHale, eliciting laughter from the audience. Her work on resident bats’ diets may seem surprising, but it is important to understand the way bats survive in the wild and how that changes over time. McHale is currently investigating whether the invasive spotted lanternfly is on the menu for any of New Jersey’s bats. Evan Drake uses spatial information to identify current and future bat habitat, and how North America’s native chiroptera, or bats, use forested landscapes.

The educators shared not just their enthusiasm for bats but respect for nature in all its forms. Returning from the walk under the night sky McHale pointed to an egg-laden spider on the trail, urging children to study but not disturb. “She’s just out looking for her dinner,” mused Erin, “she’s probably tired and hungry like we all are, so we don’t want to disturb her — she’s had a long day.”

Alex Matarazzo of Montville, 4, wore a Halloween-themed shirt for the occasion. He enjoyed the bat-themed crafts and activities – including some coloring pages and games with small prizes – as he waited for the presentation to begin. Even the youngest visitors seemed captivated by the humorous, interactive lecture – – and came away with a greater understanding of our native bats. Alex, for one, learned that baby bats are called “pups” and now refers to bats as “sky puppies.” He also enjoyed practicing his own batlike shrieks during a demonstration on echolocation, using a Rubbermaid storage lid as a larger and more human-appropriate target.

The Parsippany Bat Protection Project, an initiative of the Parsippany Green Team, strives to educate residents on the ecological significance of bats and the importance of preserving and enhancing their environment in the wake of habitat loss and the devastating white nose syndrome fungus that has plagued bat populations in recent years. To that end, the PBPP has sponsored projects to install maternal bat boxes and native trees in several Parsippany parks, and last October held the first of its kind Bat-apalooza and Green Fair at the Parsippany Main Library. These events were also supported by the work of Wildlife Preserves Inc., the Parsippany Environmental Advisory Committee, and Morris County 4-H.

The PBPP has planned another Bat Night at Troy Meadows on Saturday, August 6 (rain date Friday, August 12) To request tickets click here.

Nighttime programs at Troy Meadows are limited to scheduled events, but the property is open to the public from dawn to dusk and is known as a haven for migratory birds. For entry points and guidelines (no motorized vehicles or dogs off-leash) click here.

For more facts about New Jersey’s bats and the Rutgers Wildlife Conservation Management Program click here.

To learn more about the Parsippany Bat Protection Project click here.

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 19.

Regular Township Council Meetings will commence at 7:00 p.m. All meetings will be held on Tuesday evenings. All meetings will be held in the Municipal Building, 1001 Parsippany Boulevard, Parsippany. Formal action may or may not be taken at all scheduled meetings.

Click here to download the agenda.

Any individual who is a qualified disabled person under the Americans with Disabilities Act may request auxiliary aids such as a sign interpreter or a tape recorder to be used for a meeting. Auxiliary aids must be requested at least 72 hours prior to the meeting date. Please call (973) 263-4351 to make a request for an auxiliary aid.

Click here to download the 2022 agenda schedule.

Mayor and Council

Mayor James R Barberio
Council President Michael J. dePierro
Council Vice-President Loretta Gragnani
Councilman Paul Carifi Jr.
Councilman Frank Neglia
Councilman Justin Musella

PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills Office on Aging is now accepting applications for the 2022 Socolowski Senior Citizen of the Year Award.

Do you know an older Parsippany resident who has gone above and beyond volunteering their time to improve the lives of others? Then don’t delay in nominating them for th􀀂 “2022 Socolowski Senior Citizen of the Year Award.” The Township of Parsippany’s Office on Aging will be honoring one resident volunteer, aged 60 and over, who has offered their time and experience to worthwhile projects, causes, or activities which enhance people’s lives. The nominee may be employed, but it will be volunteer work that will be considered. If you know an older Parsippany resident who has contributed through volunteer work, then don’t delay in filling out the application, and nominating them for this award.

Thanks to the Estate of Jean D. Socolowski, they will be able to award a monetary prize to the winning volunteer.

Applications are available in the Office on Aging at the Parsippany Senior Center, 1130 Knoll Road, Lake Hiawatha, NJ, 07034, click here to download and by mail by calling (973) 263-7352.

Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2022. Completed applications can be faxed to (973) 299-1349, emailed to mpicone@parsippanv.net, or submitted by mail or in person to the above address.

Parsippany Township employees and elected officials are not eligible.

Call 973-263-7163 with any questions.

PARSIPPANY — There is a critical need for blood donations and so the Parsippany PAL is teaming with the New Jersey Blood Services to host a blood drive on Wednesday, August 9 at the PAL building. You can still donate from 8:30 a.m. to until 2:30 p.m.

The Parsippany PAL is located at 33 Baldwin Road.

To schedule an appointment, visit njbc.org/njdrive Sponsor Code: 64380

MORRIS COUNTY — United Way of Northern New Jersey is seeking help from volunteers and donations of new school supplies for its annual United Way Tools for School drive, which provides students with the basic tools needed to succeed in the classroom.

As students return to school in the fall, children will need basic school supplies. The drive typically seeks to benefit nearly 10,000 elementary and middle school children of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) workers and those in poverty throughout the northern New Jersey region.

United Way Tools for School aims to alleviate the budget strains on families struggling to afford the basics and who are now impacted by rising inflation.

“ALICE families and households in poverty were unable to make ends meet before the pandemic and continue to struggle as the cost-of-living skyrockets,” said Kiran Handa Gaudioso, CEO of United Way of Northern New Jersey. “The United Way Tools for School drive offers our community the opportunity to provide some much-needed financial relief to families while giving children the tools they need to succeed.”

Through a partnership between United Way and YouGiveGoods.com, donors can make an online purchase of needed supplies that will be delivered automatically to United Way or a partner school in the five counties served: Morris, Somerset, Suburban Essex, Sussex, and Warren. Donations can be made by clicking here.

Based on the needs expressed by local educators, United Way is collecting packed backpacks and the following school supplies: hand sanitizer, masks, backpacks, lunch boxes, binders, three-ring notebooks, book covers, filler paper, pocket folders, composition and spiral notebooks, index cards, calculators, pencils, pencil cases, pencil sharpeners, erasers, pens, highlighters, crayons, markers, colored pencils, construction paper, glue, tape, rulers, and scissors.

Donations of individual supplies and new, age-appropriate backpacks can also be made. In addition, school nurses have asked for personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant, and kindergarten and first grade-aged children’s underwear and socks. Gift cards that can be used to purchase items such as shoes and clothing are also appreciated.

Last year, with the help of 65 volunteers, hundreds of backpacks and supplies valued at $54,000 were collected and distributed to 40 local schools and 10 nonprofit agencies throughout the northern New Jersey region.

For more information about making donations, holding a United Way Tools for School drive, or volunteering with sorting supplies, click here, email Sean.Hyland@UnitedWayNNJ.org, or call (973) 993-1160 x405.

*Suburban Essex County towns served by United Way of Northern New Jersey include the Caldwells, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Millburn-Short Hills, Montclair, Roseland, and Verona.

United Way of Northern New Jersey is a nonprofit organization fighting to improve life for families and individuals in our five-county footprint who are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) or in poverty. We believe that by securing racial and economic equity for ALICE we can improve life for all. We’re investing in ALICE’s future in the workplace, at home, and across the community. We do this through our initiatives that fill gaps in services, community partnerships, public policy work, and volunteer efforts. United Way of Northern New Jersey serves Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties as well as portions of suburban Essex County including the Caldwells, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Millburn-Short Hills, Montclair, Roseland, and Verona. To learn more, call (973) 993-1160 or click here.

PARSIPPANY — As many of you know, I left the state legislature at the end of the session in January 2022 after narrowly losing my primary. While, in hindsight, there were things I would do differently, I am not writing to you to look backward, rather, I am looking forward to the rest of 2022 and ahead into 2023. Elections are about the future, not the past. Not to mention, spending more time with my family and grandchildren has been a blessing.

We have important congressional and county elections this year and our focus as a party needs to be on stopping Joe Biden’s radical agenda of rising inflation, crime, and taxes. I, for one, look forward to working with both Tom Kean and Paul DeGroot on their campaigns for Congress in Morris County, as well as our slate for County Commissioner.

On a personal note, I have been overwhelmed and humbled by the number of people encouraging me to run for the legislature again in the “new” 26th District next year, where voters will be getting an opportunity to choose their representatives for the first time following the once-every-decade legislative redistricting that occurred earlier this year.

As of writing this letter, I am leaning strongly toward running, and look forward to speaking to many of you in the weeks and months ahead, while being sure not to distract attention from good Republicans on the ballot right now.

My record in Trenton – and service to the Republican Party over the past decade – are a great source of pride, and I am eager to advance issues near and dear to my heart, such as:

• • Fighting to lower taxes, spending, and debt – all soaring under Governor Phil Murphy
  • Restoring parental control of the classroom and ending ‘woke’ school curriculum
  • Expanding domestic energy production, especially natural gas, to reduce prices
  • Protecting the unborn and blocking Phil Murphy’s extreme pro-abortion agenda
  • Defending gun rights to ensure law-abiding gun owners are not scapegoated
  • Fixing our election laws to ensure voting is fair, secure, trustworthy, and transparent
    Honoring our veterans and their families for their sacrifice and service to our country

I look forward to talking about these key issues with you over the next several months, while out on the campaign trail for our 2022 candidates. Together, we can build a stronger, more successful Republican Party that advances the conservative ideals we hold dear.

Please feel free to contact me at (973) 540-0762 or DeCroceForAssembly@gmail.com with any questions or to share your concerns and ideas with me.