MORRIS COUNTY — Each month, thousands of New Jersey Lottery players claim winning tickets of all prize values in a variety of ways. While many of our prizes may be cashed at any lottery retailer, those lucky players with big winning tickets should be aware of the options to claim prizes.

Prizes under $599.50

• These tickets can be redeemed for cash instantly at any lottery retailer throughout the state. Simply present the ticket to the retailer and receive the prize.

Prizes over $599.50

For these prizes, players will need to file a claim to receive a check for their prize. Claim forms can be found at any retailer or printed from the lottery website, by clicking here. Tickets that are damaged, questionable, or otherwise unable to be claimed at a retailer may also be submitted using the claim form. Claims take around 4-6 weeks for processing, and claims are processed in the order they are received. All options have equal processing times.

• Over 90% of players opt to mail their winning tickets to our office in Lawrence. The completed claim form and winning ticket can be mailed to:

NEW JERSEY LOTTERY
Attn: Validations
P.O. Box 041
Trenton NJ 08625-0041

• If a player prefers to drop their claim and winning ticket off in person, they may visit their office (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday) where a secure drop box is available to leave the claim. Claim forms are available at the office. Their address is below:

Lawrence Park Complex
1333 Brunswick Avenue Circle
Trenton, NJ 08648

• If a player has won a jackpot, other large prizes (approx. $25,000 or more), or otherwise feels more comfortable filing their claim in person with a Lottery representative, they may request an appointment by calling 1-800-222-0996.

Players can visit their website at NJLottery.com or call 1-800-222-0996 for more information.

PARSIPPANY — Santa visited Parsippany Elks on Saturday, December 11, courtesy of Team Martone.

In addition, Team Martone collected non-perishable foods to be donated to St. Peter’s Food Pantry.

“We got to witness priceless moments with families and collected a very generous amount of food for the food pantry. We want to give a huge thank you to the Parsippany Elks club for all they did to help. Working together really made a special event,” said Andrea Martone.

PARSIPPANY — The above home located on Bridgeton Road, Lake Parsippany, is decorated for the holidays.

Send your photos to news@parsippanyfocus.com; Please include location and photo. Place in subject line Holiday Homes.

MORRIS COUNTY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined a press conference to highlight the critical importance of tax relief for New Jersey families, including teachers and first responders, and urge the Senate to include an adequate fix to the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap in the Senate version of the reconciliation package.

Rep. Sherrill was joined at the press conference by the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Rep. Tom Suozzi (NY-03), President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten, and President of the International Association of Fire Fighters Edward Kelly.

Before the SALT deduction was capped in the 2017 tax bill, 54 percent of NJ-11 families took the deduction.

“It’s wonderful to be here with such a great group of colleagues and friends to talk about this critical deduction,” said Rep. Sherrill. “When we’re standing here today and we see our teachers here, when we see our firefighters here, we’re talking about the backbone of the organizations that got us through COVID. These are people that we really couldn’t have made it through the darkest days of the pandemic without. And to see that they’re getting kneecapped by the SALT cap is really devastating. Not only are our middle-class families paying the price, but our communities are paying the price – and they’re paying for it with the services we all rely on. That’s why we are calling on the Senate to ensure the SALT deduction is addressed in the final version of this bill.”

“We are here today to fight for tax cuts for the hard-working families we represent, like the firefighters, teachers, and first responders who support communities across the country and in Northern New Jersey. By reinstating the State and Local Tax deduction, we will be putting money right back into the pockets of hard-working Jersey families and families around the country,” said Rep. Gottheimer. “Now, I am again asking our Senate colleagues to keep moving forward, to include restoring SALT as part of their legislation.”

“New York State has one of the highest levels of union membership in the United States. The SALT cap caused union families to see a tax increase,” said Rep. Suozzi. “More importantly, the cap has accelerated a race to the bottom where wealthy taxpayers flee our state for lower tax jurisdictions that not only have low union membership but are openly hostile to unions. We must address this and ensure the Senate-passed version of the Build Back Better Agenda includes a SALT fix that we in the House can support.”

“In 2017, when Republicans were trying and failing to repeal the Affordable Care Act, they also silently raised taxes for hardworking middle-class families,” said Rep. Beatty. “By imposing a $10,000 SALT cap, small-minded politicians kneecapped middle-income families in the places where they were already struggling. It’s time to correct their mistake and reinstate the SALT deduction.”

“We’re fighting for the revival of SALT because working families need it. The first tax code in the USA had state & local tax deductions in 1913. Why? Because they knew then what we should know now: We have a federal system, services are developed by the states,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. “Let’s deliver for the middle class. This is a way of putting the incentive system back in place to invest in localities, in sewer systems, in fire systems, and in schools.”

“In 2018, the previous Administration signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which neither cut taxes nor created jobs. Despite the name of this law, it put enormous, unnecessary strain on cities and towns all across America, and it’s made it even harder for us as firefighters to do our jobs protecting the citizens. That financial strain has made funding levels unsafe. This critical funding is needed to ensure that firefighters and paramedics and teachers and police officers have the staffing, training, and equipment we need, not only to educate our kids, not only to police our streets, not only to fight the fires…but also to take care of the most vulnerable amongst us, our elderly, our children,” said Edward Kelly, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters. “I call upon our members in the Senate to support this initiative, to support your firefighters, to support your teachers, support the children and the elderly and the people who make this world, our world, that we all took an oath to serve, better.”

PARSIPPANY — Hanging up your holiday lights only to plug them in and find they don’t work!?

Don’t throw them out! The Parsippany Green Team is happy to sponsor a Holiday Lights Collection of non-working and working string lights. Drop-off bins will be at the Parsippany Recycling Center and the Parsippany PAL building through the middle of January.

Members of the Green Team will collect the lights and properly dispose of them.

Thank you to the Parsippany administration and employees at the Recycling Center and PAL for working with us so we can prevent the lights from going straight to the landfill.

Happy Holidays from the Green Team!

MORRIS COUNTY — New Jersey Native, Small business owner, Pastor, and former Gubernatorial Candidate Phil Rizzo announced his campaign for Congressional District 11.

“The people of New Jersey are ready to take back our state. We’re tired of being told we don’t have a voice in our kids’ education, our health decisions, our livelihoods, our speech, our safety, and our elections,” said Rizzo.

Phil is no stranger to facing setbacks and beating them. As a kid growing up in Morris County, he lost his right arm at the elbow during a home accident. For an energetic child with a love of sports, this was devastating. But Phil bounced back despite his injury and went on to star in athletics, attend college, raise a family, start a small business, a church, and a school, and run for Governor of New Jersey – sparking a statewide movement still growing today.

“I’m running for Congress because empowering New Jersey didn’t end with the Governor’s race. Now it means standing up to the federal government and radical, out-of-touch Leftist politicians and unelected bureaucrats trying to tell New Jerseyans how to live our lives,” Rizzo explained. “It also means bringing appropriate federal accountability to New Jersey’s state government when it oversteps our Constitutional rights.”

“I will fight for New Jersey’s values and freedoms – for education that prepares our kids for life, not activism; for strong borders, law and order; for elections, we can trust; and for lower taxes, a balanced budget, fewer regulations, and a stronger workforce so New Jerseyans can actually afford groceries, gas, and electricity,” Rizzo promised.

“The challenge ahead will take a fighter with the true spirit of New Jersey — someone who won’t be pushed around, who doesn’t take no for an answer, and who won’t back down when it comes to defending the freedoms of our people and lifting the voices of New Jerseyans.”

“With such overwhelming enthusiasm, momentum, and energy,” says Rizzo, “New Jersey’s best days are ahead.”

Congressional District 11 includes the following towns in our readership area: Boonton Town, Boonton Township, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Madison, Morris Plains, Mountain Lakes, and Parsippany-Troy Hills.

MORRIS COUNTY — Leslie T. Bensley, who built the Morris County Tourism Bureau from a mere idea in 1997 into a driving economic force in the region, was honored by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners upon the announcement of her retirement as Executive Director of the agency after 24 years.

Commissioner Director Stephen H. Shaw presented her with a framed Resolution of Honor on behalf of the board, followed by state Sen. Anthony M. Bucco, who issued a state honor during the board’s public meeting.

“We are forever indebted. You put Morris County on the map and helped the local economy. It is phenomenal what you have done. Once again, on behalf of this board, and all the residents of Morris County and all the people who visit Morris County, it’s my privilege and honor to present you with this resolution, and to thank you,” Shaw said.

The Beginning
Bensley has been at the helm of the Tourism Bureau since it opened its doors across the street from the historic Morris County Courthouse with the support of the board, then known as the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and particularly then-Freeholder Frank Druetzler.

“I am very humbled and honored to have been the executive director for nearly a quarter-century,” said Bensley, praising Druetzler for having the foresight to invest in the Tourism Bureau.

“I remember when Frank hired me in 1997, he did something so remarkable. He saved and salvaged tourism because when it had started before, it had petered out, and he felt it was too important to this county not to do something,” Bensley explained.

Shaw noted that Bensley initiated the Bureau’s efforts to promote Morris County’s exceptional historic, cultural and recreational opportunities, helping Morris County tourism to grow four-fold and generate more than $2.3 billion in annual economic activity in 2019. The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism estimates the county averaged 6.5 million annual visitors at the time.

Bensley initially focused on Morris County’s historic links to the Revolutionary War in luring visitors to the area through “heritage tourism.”

“That’s been my guiding star. That’s my loadstar. It says, tell the destination story,” Bensley explained. “No matter who else has American Revolutionary history, or Gustav Stickley history, or Thomas Nast history or the magnetic telegraph history, our story is unique to us. So as long as you are true to that, you will find an audience because it is worthy.”

Force of Nature
Bensley’s heritage tourism focus was so effective, she was appointed in 2010 to the Governor’s Task Force for Heritage Tourism, where she served as vice-chair and worked on the publication of the Heritage Tourism Plan for New Jersey. The document served as a roadmap for heritage tourism development throughout the state.

“Leslie is a force of nature. She can move anything, and she could probably solve climate change,” said Druetzler, who attended the meeting. “What was the visitor’s center before she came? In the lobby was a bulletin board with some flyers on it. That was it. … Morris County is really the true capital of the American Revolution and she made people realize that.”

Number One Cheerleader
Bucco referred to her as “the number one cheerleader of Morris County.”

“Not only did you represent millions of people that were coming into the county, but billions of dollars in economic revenue that your office helped to generate around the county — and that is so important for the economic growth of this area,” Bucco said. “So tonight I’m honored to also present a Senate and General Assembly Citation recognizing your work. I also have a Senate resolution which will be adopted on the floor of the Senate and the Assembly recognizing all of your achievements, so good luck and God bless you.”

The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism honored the Morris County Bureau of Tourism’s marketing campaigns on many occasions over the years. Bensley was additionally honored with the 2013 Award of Recognition by the New Jersey Historical Commission for her many years of support, advocacy, and promotion of Morris County’s history and historic sites.

A Tour of the Tourism Bureau
Under Bensley’s tutelage, the Bureau grew by creating a membership program and obtaining grants beyond the county contributions. She also established historic kiosks and walking tours, as well as destination signs to guide visitors, and frequently created public events to attract attention to Morris County’s historic locations.

During her tenure, Bensley also served as the Treasurer of the Advocates for New Jersey History, co-founded the Coalition of New Jersey Destination Marketing Organizations, and served on the boards of both the Crossroads of American Revolution Heritage Area and the New Jersey Travel Industry Association.

Bensley lives in Morris Township with her husband of 36 years, Charlie, with whom she had two children, Eliza and Sam. She said she plans to spend more time in retirement being a tourist as well as spending time in Morris County with a new addition to her family: grandson, Graham McKenzie Folsom.

Visit the Morris County Tourism Bureau website.

PARSIPPANY — Athos is a Sato — a mutt from Puerto Rico who is similar in body type to a Shiba Inu/Chihuahua mix! He is eight months old.

Athos is searching for a loving, patient family who takes their time letting him adjust to their home as he can be a bit fearful. He craves affection but needs to be taught that it’s safe and ok! He would thrive with a canine companion to help show him the ropes.

He gets along with other dogs but is not sure about cats. He is house trained and has good leash manners.

He is up to date on all of his vaccinations and is very healthy.

Athos is five years old and weighs forty pounds. Athos likes children above the age of 16 because sometimes he gets spooked by loud noises or fast movements.

If you are interested in adopting Athos click here.

PARSIPPANY — The Patriots Path Council, Boy Scouts of America, honored five Parsippany individuals on Thursday, December 2, at the Hanover Manor. The individuals Mohammed Ahmed, Chrissy Cianci, Chris Mazzarella, Jennifer Thurkauf, and Laura Wohland were among the honorees. Robert Peluso, President of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce was the dinner chairman. Parsippany Hills High School Junior Jonah Lance presented “What Scouting Means to Me.” (Click here to read Jonah’s journey in Scouting)

Laura Wohland

Laura Wohland, President Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany Foundation, is a quality and compliance leader with deep luxury goods experience across jewelry, diamonds, gemstones, leather, eyewear, baby goods, and home accessories. Laura held the position of director of quality assurance operations while working at Tiffany & Co.

She held that role for eight years. Laura currently manages customer experience for Open Road BMW Service Department in Morristown. She is the immediate past President of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany and current President of Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany Foundation and has been a member of the club for three years.

Jennifer Thurkauf

Jennifer Thurkauf is Manager, Patient Access Morristown Medical Center; Past Chief, Life Member Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance Squad.

Jennifer Thurkauf was born and raised in Parsippany. She is currently the manager of patient access at Morristown Medical Center. A graduate of Parsippany Hills High School, she is currently finishing her Bachelor of Science degree at William Paterson University. Jennifer is also a life member, past chief, and past president of the Parsippany Volunteer First Aid Squad and currently serves on many committees.

After having children, Jennifer remembered her amazing experiences as a Girl Scout and volunteer EMT for the Boy Scouts, and she wanted her children to have the same experience. Jennifer is now serving as the Cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 177, and the service unit manager for the Parsippany Girl Scouts, sharing her past joy of Scouting with her children and others. She is also an alumnus of The Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation.

Jennifer is married to P.J. Thurkauf, who owns two local UPS Stores. She met her husband while he was volunteering on the Rockaway Neck Fire Department and Rockaway Neck First Aid Squad. They have two children, Abigail and Alexander, who both plan to volunteer in the community when they are old enough.

Volunteering has been a way of life for Jennifer since she was young. Starting with helping at local swim meets and at her church, she realized early on in life the importance of giving back to the community that gave to you. After spending years on the Parsippany recreation track team, Jennifer then became one of the coaches, helping to allow other children to have the same amazing experience she had. After joining the first aid squad, Jennifer became a CPR instructor. The 28 years on the first aid squad have proven to her time and time again the importance of the squad motto: Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

Chris Mazzarella

Chris Mazzarella: Creator Parsippany Supporting Our Town Facebook Group and President Par-Troy East Little League.

Chris Mazzarella grew up in Union, and along with his sister, Jamie, was raised by his single mother, Cathy. He graduated from Union High School in 1992, and shortly after graduation became a produce manager at A&P. In 2002 Chris became a produce/floral supervisor and eventually a store manager. He left A&P in 2009 to become a district manager at ShopRite, and in 2015 moved into his current position as a produce specialist for Stop and Shop.

In 2005 Chris met his wife, Diana, who was born and raised in Parsippany and is a Parsippany High School graduate. They married in 2007. Chris and Diana’s first child, Dylan, was born in February 2009 and they moved to Morris Plains from Bridgewater in 2010. The couple had their second child, Ava, in April of 2012, and moved to their current home in Parsippany in 2012 as well.

Chris joined Par-Troy East (PTE) Little League in 2013 when Dylan started tee-ball, became information officer in 2015, and in 2017 became PTE president. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Chris was able to team up with Rich Leitner, Dennis Murphy, and his wife, Diana, to start the “Parsippany Supporting Our Town” Facebook page. The page was a spot to help the town with many different things from fundraising and food drives to advertising local businesses.

At the same time, Chris joined friends Ted Scanziale, Rob Zwigard, Nick Kraus, and Justine Roche to form “Front Line Morris,” and together they raised well over $100,000 in cash and donations to serve over 10,000 meals to front line workers, first responders, orphans and families at the Jersey Battered Women’s Shelter. “Front Line Morris” became an official nonprofit organization as of December 2020.

Chrissy Cianci

Chrissy Cianci is Division Director of Parsippany Soccer Club. Chrissy is currently leading a team of solution architects and technology specialists at Red Hat. Prior to this role, she led global IT teams that built healthcare and digital marketing software systems. She started her career with a master’s degree in computer science and a bachelor’s degree in literature. Chrissy is on the board of directors for the Parsippany Soccer Club and enjoys traveling with her family.

Mohammed Ahmed

Mohammed Ahmed is Religious Director ICCC (Islamic Community Cultural Center). Dr. Mohammed Ibn Ahmed is a behavioral psychologist and psychiatrist working at Norristown State Hospital in Pennsylvania. He also runs five outpatient clinics in New Jersey.

Ahmed serves as executive director of Islamic Chaplaincy and is a founder of a philanthropy organization called ”Be a Mercy Foundation.’ He is also the Muslim chaplain of Bergen County and Somerset County sheriff’s offices, and he established and worked with many religious organizations throughout the tri-state area. Lastly, along with Tajammul R. Khokhar. Ahmed founded the Islamic Community Cultural Center (ICCC) in Parsippany and serves as religious advisor and director.

Previous Good Scout Award Recipients included: 1994: Bruce T. Benson, and F. Huston Taylor;1998: Carol Dadaian, Mimi Letts and David Schaffer; 1999: Nicholas Cerbo, James William Kelly, Kathryn McDonagh, and Lois Plust; 2000: Loretta S. Viglione, David L. Bahn, Jayne Beline, Timothy C. Brennan Ed.D., and Michael J. dePierro; 2002: Elaine Britcher, Robbie Furman, and Robert J. Peluso; 2017: Frank L. Cahill, Tony Cerbo III, Karen DeChristopher, Frank lannetta, MD, FAAFP, and  Casey (Kaushik) Parikh.

2018: Mo Abdelhadi, Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, Al Goldberg, Carlos Guzman, Adam Bahaa Kandil, and Carol Tiesi; 2019: Catherine “Cathy” Cerbo, Silvia E. Cooper, Patrolman Remo D’Alessandro, Stephen J. Priola, Rev. Msgr. Herbert K. Tillyer, P.A. and Randy F. Tortorello; 2020: 1UMMAH, Patricia “Miss Pat” De Vita, Leonard A. Fariello, June Madia, Gordon Meth, P.E. and Anthony Franco’s Pizzeria.