PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany welcomed new member Gary Martin and its weekly meeting held at Fuddruckers.
Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany President Laura Wohland welcomed new member Gary Martin during its weekly meeting on Thursday, July 8 at Fuddruckers. Gary was sponsored by member Justin Musella.
Justin Musella “pins” Gary Martin with the official Kiwanis pin,
Wohland said “Kiwanis is something so good that each of us loves to share it. What better way to show our love for our club and our community than to welcome a new member to our club? Today we’re very pleased to welcome Gary to our club. We welcome Gary to our global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.
Martin said “I am honored to become a Kiwanis member. Community service and giving back have always been the two most important things in my life. Joining Kiwanis will allow me to further expand upon the contributions I make in the Parsippany area. I have been volunteering during the many Food Distributions Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany sponsored. I look forward to all of the great programs and ideas this organization has planned for the betterment of our community in Parsippany.”
Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany is one of the largest Kiwanis Club in the State of New Jersey with 69 members. New members are always welcome. (Click here for more information on Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany). Kiwanis members dedicate more than 6 million volunteer hours and invest more than $100 million in service projects that strengthen communities and serve children every year. Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany ensures that all children have the opportunity to lead healthy, successful lives. They believe that by helping one child, you help the world.
PARSIPPANY — After a year of canceled and postponed events, The Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills is pleased to announce the return of summer concerts at Veterans Park.
While there will only be two performances this year, the Township is excited to bring back this staple outdoor summer celebration.
“This outdoor concert series brings us back to some normalcy,” said Joe Plescia, Superintendent of Parsippany’s Recreation Department. “It gets people back to the park and gets folks together with one another who they maybe haven’t seen in over a year in some cases. It’s just so important that people be reminded that they’re a part of this wonderful community.”
This Thursday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m, Parsippany welcomes Morris County favorites Street Hassle to Veterans Park, playing anything from classic rock to today’s hits, with a full horn section and an incredible live performance sure to get the audience up and dancing. These shows are sponsored by Provident Bank. “I know I’m not alone in thinking that this year’s Independence Day Concert and Fireworks was a long-overdue celebration that our town needed,” said Mayor Soriano. “I want our residents to be able to share in the joys of living here and to take pride in all of their ongoing efforts to keep themselves and their loved ones safe after a year and a half of uncertainty. We all knew this time would come, and it’s finally here.”
These shows will be presented at no expense to residents thanks to a sizeable donation from Provident Bank, a long-time supporter of the township’s outdoor concert series. “Provident has been involved for as long as I can remember,” said Plescia.
“We can’t thank them enough for their generous support over so many years, it’s really made a difference.” Concert-goers are encouraged to continue wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and washing their hands frequently, even if they have been vaccinated. Health officials across the country are still recommending with highly transmissible variants continuing to spread across the country that it’s on everyone to protect themselves even at outdoor festivities this summer.
“I think our township continues to show through the data that we’re exceeding expectations on responding to this pandemic,” said Mayor Soriano. “With vaccination rates hovering around 70% of eligible recipients, and with outbreaks of new cases continuing to remain low, Parsippany residents clearly take their health and safety seriously, and we all deserve to get back to enjoying life the way we’re accustomed.”
For more information on the summer concert series, please contact the Parsippany Recreation Department at Recreation@parsippany.net, or call (973) 263-7257.
PARSIPPANY — Starting Monday, July 12, West Hanover Avenue will be milled and paved on weekdays between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Detours will be posted and delays are expected. Please plan an alternate route.
When Milling and Paving the East Bound Lanes the detour will be as follows:
Westbound traffic will be reduced to one (1) lane and will travel in the right westbound lane.
Eastbound traffic will be reduced to one lane via a cone taper starting near the Public Safety Training Academy as they travel toward the Koch Avenue/Ketch Road intersection.
Eastbound vehicles will be detoured at this intersection by turning left onto Koch Avenue
Vehicles will continue on Koch Avenue to the Old Dover Road intersection. Vehicles will then turn Right onto Old Dover Road.
Vehicles will continue on Old Dover Road to the Collins Road intersection where they will turn right on to Collins Road.
Vehicles will continue on Collins Road to the Stop Sign at Central Avenue. At that point, the vehicles will continue straight through the stop sign onto Central Avenue.
Vehicles will continue on Central Avenue to the Stiles Avenue Intersection where they will turn right onto Stiles Avenue and continue to the West Hanover Avenue intersection.
At this point, they will turn left onto West Hanover Avenue and ending the detour.
When Milling and Paving the West Bound Lanes the detour will be as follows:
Eastbound traffic will be reduced to one lane via a cone taper starting near the Public Safety Training Academy as they travel toward the Koch Avenue/Ketch Road intersection.
Eastbound traffic will be reduced to one lane and will travel in the right eastbound lane.
Westbound vehicles will be detoured at the intersection of Stiles Avenue/Burnham Road by turning right onto Stiles Avenue.
Vehicles will continue on Stiles Avenue to the Central Avenue Intersection where they will turn left onto Central Avenue.
Vehicles will continue on Central Avenue and bear right onto Collins Road.
Vehicles will continue on Collins Road to the Old Dover Road intersection. Vehicles will then turn left onto Old Dover Road.
Vehicles will continue on Old Dover Road to the Koch Avenue Intersection. Vehicles will then turn left onto Koch Avenue.
Vehicles will continue on Koch Ave to the West Hanover Avenue intersection.
At this point, they will turn right onto West Hanover Avenue and ending the detour.
PARSIPPANY — One of the most important responsibilities of the Mayor of the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills is to submit an annual budget to the Council. This typically occurs each year in late winter or early spring. So far this year, Mayor Michael Soriano has been derelict in his duty by refusing to provide the Council with a legal budget. Even the Democrats on the Council have checked their political hats at the door to lend a voice to his incompetence. The process is clear – the Mayor submits a budget to the Council and then the Council has a series of public budget meetings before making adjustments and adopting it. The budget process is usually completed by now. But this year, it hasn’t even begun. This prompts a very important question, which I pose directly to Mayor Soriano. Where is your budget?
So far, Mayor Soriano has been attempting to blame the Council and others for what he is responsible for. That is not leadership! It is time for Soriano to do his job and submit a budget.
Based on the public documents I have reviewed, it appears that Parsippany is in financial trouble due to Soriano’s financial mismanagement. My review shows that Soriano has squandered approximately $16 Million of surplus in our utilities since he took office. No wonder Soriano increased water and sewer rates by 39%. That is outrageous! Imagine what Soriano’s tax increase could be?
Soriano’s team is deserting him. His business administrator suddenly resigned without explanation. His planning board attorney suddenly resigned. Our non-political CFO resigned and went to work for another town. The police Chief just abruptly “retired”.
Councilman dePierro’s advice to Parsippany’s first term Mayor hit the mark when he stated “If the Administration is looking for advice on areas to cut, I would recommend all of the new Administrative positions that have been created in the past three years. The salary, pension, and benefits of many of those positions exceed six figures.”
Soriano’s tact of governing by spin is wearing thin on Parsippany voters – and his inability to do the job is becoming more apparent every day. But first things first. Mayor Soriano, this is your fourth year in office. Submit your budget and be man enough to own it.
This press release was submitted by James Barberio, Republican Candidate for Mayor
PARSIPPANY — It’s the 66th year the club has given students end-of-year awards. The club started the 8th-grade citizenship awards in 1955, just a year after the club was founded. This was followed by scholarships a few years later and finally the reading awards.
Reading awards were given to one student in the 5th grade from each of the ten public elementary schools. The award consisted of a certificate and a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. Citizenship Awards have been provided to Central Middle School, Brooklawn Middle School, and All Saints Academy. Two students from the 8th grade (one male and one female) in each school received a certificate and a $50 check.
Four graduating seniors from Parsippany High and Parsippany Hills were awarded a $1,000 scholarship and certificate. The well-deserving students are:
Parsippany High: Sarah Katz and Mia Petrolino
Parsippany Hills: Taylor Zetelli and Disha Partel
The Woman’s Clubs extends Congratulations to all the award winners and wishes them continued success in the years to come!
These awards and many of the other educational projects the club pursues each year are made possible with the proceeds from the annual “Tee Off for Education Golf Classic and Luncheon” held each July. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the club canceled this fundraiser again in 2021. Several other fundraisers were held in 2020 and 2021 to allow us to continue with these awards. We hope to be back in 2022 with the Golf Classic bigger and better than ever!
New members are always welcome to join the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills, established in 1954. Our club is one of over 200 clubs that make up the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs of GFWC. NJSFWC is the largest volunteer women’s service organization in the state, providing opportunities for education, leadership training, and community service. For more information call Marilyn at 973-539-3703, e-mail the club at womansclubofpth@gmail.com, check us out on the web www.parsippanywomansclub.org .or follow the club on FACEBOOK, Twitter, and Instagram.
PARSIPPANY — Alexyss Panfile, 24, will compete for the title of MISS NEW JERSEY TEEN USA 2021 from July 30 to August 1, 2021, at The Hilton Parsippany Hotel. Miss Panfile is an alumni of Parsippany High School’s graduating class of 2015. She received her bachelor’s in Communication and Media Arts from Montclair State University in 2019.
Her sponsors for the pageant are Sal’s Tire and Auto Center of Kinnelon and Hot Bagels Abroad Deli of Hackettstown.
The Miss New Jersey USA® and Miss New Jersey Teen USA® pageants are the Official Preliminaries to the Miss USA® | Miss Teen USA® pageants. The contestant chosen as Miss New Jersey USA 2021 will go on to represent the state of New Jersey in the 2021 MISS USA® pageant.
PARSIPPANY — Aarin Feliz of Lake Hiawatha has earned a Master of Education degree in Counseling from Springfield College for studies completed in 2021. Aaron is a graduate of Parsippany High School, Class of 2015.
Springfield College concluded its 2021 Commencement Weekend ceremonies with eight separate in-person ceremonies at Stagg Field on the Springfield College main campus, four on Saturday, May 15, and four on Sunday, May 16.
“To the Class of 2021, I congratulate you and I thank you, you have made us proud in more ways than we can count,” said Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper. “Please remember to stay connected to us and to each other. Through the Springfield College network, great things can be accomplished. And remember to come back and visit us. You will always have a home here. All the best as you continue your journeys.”
Springfield College is an independent, nonprofit, coeducational institution founded in 1885. Approximately 4,100 students, including 2,500 full-time undergraduate students, study at its main campus in Springfield, Mass., and at its regional campuses across the country. Springfield College inspires students through the guiding principles of its Humanics philosophy – educating in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others.
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). ASBO International recognizes districts that have met the program’s high standards for financial reporting and transparency. The school district earned the Certificate of Excellence for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended 2020.
“The COE’s mission is to promote and recognize excellence in financial reporting,” ASBO International Executive Director David Lewis says. “The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report informs stakeholders about the financial and economic state of the district, making it an important communications tool for building trust and engaging with the school community.”
By participating in the COE program, school districts demonstrate their commitment to financial transparency. Applicants submit their reports for review by a team of financial professionals who provide feedback to improve future documents. If the report meets the requirements of the program, it may receive the Certificate of Excellence. A district’s participation in the COE program can facilitate bond rating and continuing bond disclosure processes.
Alison Cogan, Board of Education Vice-President and Chairperson of the Finance Committee, acknowledged the award and stated, “This award confirms our District’s true commitment to being transparent with our finances and reporting. It is an affirmation of the hard work put into carefully balancing the needs of our students, facilities, and taxpayers while maintaining the high educational standards our community expects.”
PARSIPPANY — On Sunday, June 27 Chef Matthew Pierone celebrated the 14th Anniversary of the Gourmet Café Italian Restaurant.The Gourmet Café, located on Baldwin Road, has become one of the most popular go-to Italian restaurants in Parsippany, not only because of Chef Matt’s creative and innovative, and mouth-watering dishes, but because of the above and beyond sincere hospitality, warmth, and attentiveness of the staff, and of course Chef Matt.One visit to this cozy, comfortable, and classy restaurant, and most likely you will instantly feel at home and anxious to return.
Matt with his two children, Sophie and Dean
As a way of saying “thank you” and express his gratitude to all his loyal and supportive customers and friends who offered their continued support and encouragement throughout this past year, the Chef hosted an Anniversary open house/cocktail party on Sunday, June 27, where assorted complimentary Hors D ’Oeuvres were served (Zucchini Roll-Ups,Eggplant Caponata, Bruschetta, Asiago Cheese and Olives, and for a sweet and decadent ending, Tiramisu) and, of course, a variety of vino was on hand to compliment the tasty treats.
Frank and Kelly Robertazi, Delores dePierro, Council President Michael dePierro, Chef Matt Pierone and Mike and Nancy Eger celebrate Gourmet Cafe’s Anniversary
It was a nice function, and in addition to those who attended, hundreds more sent their regards and congratulations through texts, emails, and social media.Chef Pierone stated, “I must thank all my wonderful customers for all the support, especially grateful for all of you who got us through this past year with your takeout and gift purchases.I always believed we would survive the pandemic and come out of it even stronger!With renewed appreciation and determination to continue to improve, we look forward to the coming years.”The chef went on to give a special shout-out to his staff of Armando, Cristina, and Cesar who stuck with him and who worked practically every day throughout the pandemic.
Cristina Santiago, Matt, Carly Holmer, Morgan Amato and Armando Luna
It should be noted that despite the hardships he had to endure for the past year, as did all small businesses, Chef Matt continued his support for others through his ongoing generosity supporting several local charities.Chef Matt and the Gourmet Café have truly proven to be an asset to the Township of Parsippany.
Patty and Ralph O’Shea
Congratulations to Chef Matt and the Gourmet Café for 14 outstanding years. Hope to see you on your 28th Anniversary!
David, Beverly and Claudia Fitzy with Chef MattChef Matt and Patrick Minutillo
PARSIPPANY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) will hold a telephone town hall meeting on Wednesday, July 7 at 5:00 p.m, to discuss pandemic recovery efforts, including the American Rescue Plan, the upcoming infrastructure package, repealing the SALT cap, and other recovery-related topics. Rep. Sherrill will be joined by local economic, municipal, and medical experts who will help answer questions from residents.
Residents are invited to register to call in the telephone town hall at sherrill.house.gov/live. The town hall will also stream live at 5:00 p.m. directly on Representative Sherrill’s website. To submit a question ahead of the event, please click here.
DETAILS:
WHAT: Representative Sherrill Telephone Town Hall WHEN: Wednesday, July 7, 2021 TIME: 5:00 p.m. LOCATION: sherrill.house.gov/live
HANOVER — Three lucky tickets matched all five numbers drawn splitting the $841,017 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot from the Friday, July 2, drawing. Each ticket is worth $280,339. The winning numbers were: 02, 09, 11, 23, and 27, and the XTRA number was: 02. The retailers will receive a bonus check for $2,000 for each winning ticket sold. Those tickets were sold at the following locations:
PARSIPPANY — Imagine, if you will, a meal that will stimulate all your taste sensations, consisting of substantial food that is distinct with its fresh, strong, diverse flavors, and is healthy, hearty, tasty, and robust? Sounds surprisingly good, doesn’t it? If that piques your interest, you might just want to plan a visit to Up Thai, located in a relatively small strip mall right on Tabor Road in (Parsippany) Morris Plains.
Interior
Thai food with its authentic balance of sweet, bitter, sour, creamy, spicy, and salty flavors, along with generous use of fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices makes this cuisine something special, that will surely wake up your palate and provide a wonderful dining experience. In general, this cuisine which is associated with being hot and spicy can be easily modified to accommodate your personal heat level so you can still enjoy a wide variety of dishes. As for me, I love spicy, hot food. Each dish, as is customary in Thai tradition, is carefully plated to be as visually attractive and enticing as possible. That along with all those aromatic herbs, spices, sauces, as well as many other exotic ingredients common to this cuisine is what I am talking about when I referred earlier to food to stimulate your senses.
Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. Going back to the 13th Century, Thailand’s complex cuisine was heavily influenced by many surrounding countries, including China (noodles and wok), India (spices and flavors), Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, and Malaysia. Today Thai cooking is considered one of the fastest-growing and most popular cuisines in the world.
Up Thai, which opened in June of 2019, is another one of those small storefront places, located on the side of a small strip mall off Tabor Road. It may have only 9 or 10 tables, but it certainly packs a punch. Cozy, comfortable, inviting, impeccably clean, and welcoming, it is a great place for a relaxing lunch or dinner. It is also great for takeout, which was obvious by the ongoing stream of customers coming in to pick up their orders throughout the entire time I was there. The interior, nicely lit by the large storefront window, is nicely decorated with warm, rustic-looking wood paneling covering the walls, tile floors, attractive Thai-related paintings adorning the walls, along with Asian-style lanterns overhanging the wooden tables which are placed along the walls. A good part of the interior is comprised of a customer counter outside the kitchen area to accommodate those outgoing orders.
Hostess Tanya Padilla and Patrick Minutillo
The service is attentive, friendly, and prompt. Our affable hostess, Tanya Padilla, could not have been more accommodating, cordial, and helpful. Our waitress was equally pleasant and made sure to check on our table throughout the meal, in addition to keeping our water glasses topped off, which can come in handy as you dig into those no joke Thai chili dishes. Important note: they will prepare your dish to suit your heat level, even to the point there is no spicy heat at all, so do not worry about those stories you have heard about “make your head explode” spicy food. Personally, I always prefer to kick my food up a bit with a little extra heat, but that is just me.
Steamed Chicken Dumplings
I brought my sister-in-law along since she eats Thai cuisine two or three times a week and absolutely loves it. I wanted to get her insight as a Thai enthusiast. For appetizers We started with Steamed Chicken Dumplings, which were served with a garlic soy sauce; Satay, savory chicken marinated in yellow curry powder and coconut milk, which came with a memorable homemade peanut sauce, as well as a cucumber vinaigrette dipping sauce; and Curry Puffs, fried puff pastry stuffed with minced chicken, potato, caramelized onion, carrot, and yellow curry, which was served with cucumber relish. Everything was savory, fresh, and delicious, plus as we were about to find out, Up Thai is very generous with its portion sizes. Quite frankly, these three appetizers were a fantastic meal in themselves.
Curry Puffs
The menu is enticing and extensive with one delicious choice after another. I was tempted by many of those choices, with plenty of meat, chicken, fish, and vegetable selections to choose from, but I decided to go with Thai’s most popular dish, their Authentic Old School Pad Thai. I understand there are numerous ways to make Pad Thai in Thailand, but it would be hard to beat Up Thai’s version of this delectable noodle dish. Featuring stir-fried thin rice noodles, mixed with a tangy tamarind sauce, combined with egg, tofu, scallion, bean sprouts, and ground peanut, with my choice of beef (you can choose chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu).
Drunken Noodles
This was one rich and flavorful entree, not spicy, and a great introduction if you are new to Thai cuisine. Of course, you know I had to try a variety of dishes, so I also ordered Drunken Noodles; stir-fried flat noodles, with chicken, shrimp, egg, fresh chili, garlic, onion, carrot, pepper, tomato, and Thai basil. This is listed as a spicy dish, and I requested it medium hot as I was not familiar with the heat level at Up Thai. The dish did possess a nice palatable kick and had a reasonable heat level to it (as I said I do like spicy food) and would in all probability suit most diners who prefer that bit of heat. Again, the dish was delicious, satisfying, and filling.
Spicy Chilli Shrimp
We also split the Spicy Chili Shrimp; crispy large-sized fried shrimp topped with chili sauce, garlic, lemongrass, onion, pepper, tamarind juice, and Thai basil. The shrimp were crisp, juicy, and blended harmoniously with the tangy spicy chili sauce to create a taste sensation. It came with a side of Jasmine rice, which served as a great compliment to the spiciness of the dish. This was one of those “eyes bigger than your stomach” situations, but everything was so tasty you did not want to stop. By the way, did I mention that Up Thai is a BYOB restaurant? I brought along some cold Yanjing beer, which turned out to be a good call.
Patrick Minutillo checking out the desserts
By now, a reasonable person would have been done, but I had to try Up Thai’s desserts. We split the Black Sticky Rice with Fresh Mangos and their Banana Nutella Cake. Fresh, new, decadent tastes I have not had before, but I would not hesitate to order either one of them again. Not too sweet and just the right ending to a very flavorful meal.
If you are new to Thai food, Up Thai I would highly recommend this restaurant if you were looking for something different, a bit exotic, and something very affordable. If you are already a fan of Thai food, I feel confident you will be adding Up Thai is one of your go-to places. So, hop on board for an exciting gastronomical adventure, and if you have not done so yet, give Thai a try. I really think you will become a fan.
I almost forgot, my Thai loving sister-in-law thought it was fantastic. Two thumbs up!!
MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy has signed A5820 enabling the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency that had been in place since March 9, 2020.
Immediately following the signing of the legislation, Murphy signed Executive Order No. 244 (2021), ending the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Under the legislation, the majority of executive orders issued that relied on the existence of the Public Health Emergency expire as of July 4, 2021, with exceptions specified in the legislation.
The legislation keeps the following 14 executive orders in place until January 1, 2022, though they can be modified or rescinded prior to that date by the Governor:
Because Executive Order No. 192 (2020) is not specified in the legislation as continuing beyond July 4, 2021, masking, social distancing, and other health and safety protocols originally set forth in the EO will no longer be mandatory across businesses and facilities, regardless if they are open to the public or not. Though these protocols are no longer required by the State, employers, and entities overseeing worksites and other facilities are permitted to craft more restrictive policies that require masking and social distancing, and which continue the implementation of health and safety protocols.
Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Order, masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the U.S. and in transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Travelers are not required to wear a mask in outdoor areas of a conveyance. Masking requirements also remain in effect in certain state-regulated settings, including child care facilities, camps, long-term care facilities, other healthcare settings, homeless shelters, and prisons. These masking requirements, which are consistent with CDC guidance, are included in Executive Order No. 242 (2021), which remains in effect under Section 1(14) of P.L.2021, c.103.
The majority of State offices open to the public, including NJ Motor Vehicle Commission locations, continue to require masking of staff and visitors. Individuals should review setting-specific requirements in advance of arrival. Agency directives and guidance documents can be found at the links below:
PARSIPPANY — Thanks to a generous donation of $75,000 from Onyx Equities, Parsippany was able to enjoy a spectacular 4th of July fireworks show and concert.
The weather was beautiful for this year’s Fourth of July celebration that was held at Parsippany Hills High School on Sunday, July 4.
Township fireworks as seen over Lake Parsippany
The event featured Parsippany’s hometown band Overboard. Overboard plays everything from alternative to oldies and adds their own interpretation (nothing is off limits) to every song.
Flipper, the frontman, lead vocalist, and guitarist has more energy than anyone in the room and makes sure that everyone is exhausted when the show is over.
Karl “The Admiral” Delpiano, Bass guitar, and vocals. You never know what he’ll say or do next. The Admiral’s low strung and ever swaying bass guitar and spot-on vocals will lull you into a false sense of security until the unexpected moment when you realize….”did he just do that?”
Larry “L.S.D.” DeRogatis, on Lead guitar. The original “Shredder”! Can play anything and definitely is a presence on stage!!
Bob Gizzi (keyboards/sax/vocals) is the virtuoso of the band. There is nothing he can’t play and whenever he touches the keys, the stage lights up!
Pete Giso (drums) The original OVERBOARD drummer from back in the day, is always there with a solid groove and his Homer Simpson impressions.
Overboard plays everything from alternative to oldies and adds their own interpretation
Thanks to all the Rainbow Lakes Volunteer Fire Company members who gave their time and expertise on this holiday and all the other Parsippany-Troy Hills Fire Companies who assisted at the Parsippany Hills High School or covered District Two (Rainbow) while they were at the event. A special shout out to Deputy Chief Douglas Reighard for a job well done serving as Incident Commander and Safety Officer.
Parsippany Rescue and Recovery Unit were also assisting with lighting and traffic units in case of any emergency.
Tyson Foods is recalling approximately 8,492,832 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.
The frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between December 26, 2020, and April 13, 2021. Click here for a list of products that are subject to recall. Click here to view the product labels.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-7089” on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools, and Department of Defense locations.
On June 9, 2021, FSIS was notified of two persons ill with listeriosis. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners, FSIS determined there is evidence linking the Listeria monocytogenes illnesses to pre-cooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc. The epidemiologic investigation identified three listeriosis illnesses, including one death, between April 6, 2021 and June 5, 2021. During routine sample collection, FSIS collected two precooked chicken samples from two establishments that are closely related genetically to Listeria monocytogenes from ill people. One of the samples was collected at Tyson Foods Inc. FSIS is continuing to work with federal and state public health partners to determine if there are additional illnesses linked to these products.
Additional information on the investigation may be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.
FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumer and institutional freezers. Consumers should not eat these products. Institutions should not serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website by clicking here.
MORRIS COUNTY — On Saturday, June 26 at Birchwood Elementary School, 1 Art Street, Rockaway, Kiwanis Club of Rockaway Valley, along with other surroundings Kiwanis clubs, carried out Operation: Feeding Morris County.
With the help of surrounding Kiwanis clubs, over 75 volunteers, multiple sponsors, and many more, they were able to distribute over 20,000 pounds of food to over 500 families in need.
Kiwanis Club purchased 20,000 pounds of food to feed over 500 families in needBoxes of food, packed by volunteers to be distributed at Birchwood SchoolPlenty of gallons of milk were includedPallets of food being loaded off the tractor-trailer
Kiwanis Club of Rockaway Valley, a new Kiwanis Club being formed to serve Rockaway Township, Rockaway Borough, Wharton, and Dover, is sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Greater Roxbury.
Local Kiwanis clubs included Kiwanis Club of Greater Roxbury, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, Tri-Town Kiwanis Club, and Kiwanis Club of South Orange/Maplewood. With the help of these clubs, the towns that we’re able to hold food pick-up locations included Roxbury, Rockaway, South Orange, and Maplewood.
Scattered throughout all locations were over 75 volunteers, including Kiwanis Member and Dover Police Officer Ilmi Bojkovic. People who donated their time to help the people who need it most throughout their communities. The day started at 5:30 a.m., volunteers showed up at the St. Therese parking lot, in Succasunna. Volunteers helped assemble boxes, organize food as it came off the 18-wheeler, fill boxes with food, load the transport truck to take food boxes to other pick-up locations, load cars with food that were in line, clean up, and so much more.
Rockaway Township Mayor Michael Puzio and Volunteer Dylan Brookes placing food in a vehicle
“I want to personally thank all the amazing volunteers that took time out of their busy schedules to come to help us. They are what made the event be able to run as smoothly as it did, and they truly make the event come to life,” said Valerie Kuglin, a local Rockaway resident and a new member of the Kiwanis Club of Rockaway Valley.
“Many people may feel like they need to humble themselves because they are asking for help, so we try to alleviate any feelings like that they might have.” Frank Cahill, Lt. Governor Division 9, New Jersey Kiwanis. To date, Kiwanis Club has distributed over 169,000 pounds of food to over 4,200 families with a retail value of over $425,000.
The crew of volunteers helping with the food distribution at Birchwood Elementary School
While we ask for families to register online, this is only for a rough estimate of how much food we need to purchase. The only person who can see that list is the club president. On the day of the distributions, families simply pull up, say if they are registered or not, then a volunteer opens either the trunk or back seat of their car, puts the box of food in, closes the door, and drives off.
Dover Police Officer and Kiwanis member Ilmi Bojkovic at Birchwood Elementary School where the food distribution took place in Rockaway
“We want people to feel as comfortable as possible. We want them to know that Kiwanis is here to help,” said Ilmi Bojkovic, who spent his day volunteering. “The economic damage brought by mass layoffs and business closures is expected to persist long after vaccines become widely available and that means demand for food assistance will remain at the current high level for months or years to come.” Cahill says, “So long as there’s a need, we will continue to do the food distributions every month.”
Bojkovic is one of the many volunteers who helped during the past few months. Senator Anthony Bucco, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Surrogate Heather Darling as well as other police officers, firemen, EMS workers participated in one of our locations. This is definitely a community project.
If you are interested in joining the Kiwanis Club contact Frank Cahill at (862) 346-5100 for additional information.
PARSIPPANY — Neemoe, Chihuahua mix, 12 years old, weighs six pounds is looking for his forever home.
Neemoe will need an owner who can accommodate his current and future medical needs. A quiet home would let this sweet gentleman spend his days in relaxation.
Neemoe has trouble walking with his weak back legs but manages to get around. WISE is going to fit Neemoe for a wheelchair which will ease his trouble!
Children are ok but above the age of 16.
Neemoe would do best with dogs who share his low energy temperament. He will happily co-exist with them. Neemoe also likes cats. He prefers to have free roam of the house when left alone. He is house trained.
Neemoe is the love bug you need! He loves to cuddle and receive pets! His small size makes him the perfect lap dog! He is a couch potato and perfectly content spending the whole day laying next to you. He will let you carry him wherever you go. He is easy to please and very well behaved! His tail never stops wagging when he goes on his short walks outside.
Neemoe was rescued from an overcrowded shelter in NYC. He is now ready for a fresh start! Will you be the Dory to his Neemoe?
If you are interested in adopting Neemoe click here.
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PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Council Meeting will hold a regular meeting, Tuesday, July 7 at Parsippany Municipal Building, 1001 Parsippany Boulevard. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. and portions of the meeting are open for public comments.
PARSIPPANY — Onyx Equities, a real estate investment firm, donated $75,000 to the township for the Fourth of July celebration and fireworks, covering costs for the major event. Onyx has been in Parsippany since early 2000. Recently they purchased a number of properties in the Mack-Cali complex.
This year’s Fourth of July celebration will be held at Parsippany Hills High School on Sunday, July 4 beginning at 6:00 p.m.
The event will feature Parsippany’s hometown band Overboard, followed by a fireworks display beginning at dark. Special thanks to Onyx Equities for helping the township produce this event at no cost to the community.
Gates open for the Fourth of July celebration at 6:00 p.m. The rain date is Monday, July 5.
“Thanks to this public-private partnership between Onyx and our township, there will be no expense to Parsippany residents for putting on this event,” said Mayor Michael Soriano, as the company presented the township a check for $75,000.
Kristen Pappas, Senior Vice President of Property Management
“We’re thrilled to support Parsippany’s July Fourth celebration and other community activities,” said Kristen Pappas, Senior Vice President of Property Management and Construction for Onyx Equities. “We don’t want our interactions with the people who live and work here to be limited to just nine to five and this gave us a great opportunity to be part of something meaningful.”
In September 2020, a joint venture led by Onyx Equities has closed on its $158 million purchase of a 10-building, 1.5 million-square-foot office portfolio in Parsippany and Madison from Mack-Cali Realty Corp. The new addition to their portfolio includes:
MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy announced that Andrew Bruck will serve as Acting Attorney General for the remainder of the Governor’s four-year term, following the departure of Attorney General Gurbir Grewal on July 16. Bruck currently serves as First Assistant Attorney General and has been part of the executive leadership team at the Attorney General’s Office since January 2018.
“I am pleased to announce that Andrew Bruck will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General and continue the office’s mission of fighting for equal justice for everyone who calls our state home,” said Governor Murphy. “Andrew’s wealth of experience will serve him well in this role and his historic appointment reflects our continuing commitment to ensuring that our state government reflects the rich diversity of our people.”
Before joining the Office of the Attorney General, Bruck spent five years at the U.S. Department of Justice. During that time, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and held several roles in the office of Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, including Senior Counsel, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Acting Chief of Staff. Before joining the Department of Justice, Bruck worked as a litigation associate in the New York office of Davis Polk & Wardwell and clerked for Chief Justice Stuart Rabner of the New Jersey Supreme Court. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Stanford Law School.
Bruck is a New Jersey native who grew up in Montclair and Mendham. He currently resides in Trenton with his husband Adam and 8-month-old daughter, Libby. Bruck will be the first member of the LGBTQ+ community to serve as Attorney General of New Jersey.
“I thank Governor Murphy for the confidence that he has Aplaced in me, and I am honored by the opportunity to continue the groundbreaking work of Attorney General Grewal,” said First Assistant Attorney General Andrew Bruck. “I share their commitment to protecting public safety, building public trust, and ensuring the rights of all New Jerseyans. I look forward to working with our Department’s 7,700 extraordinary public servants to carry out our vital mission.”
“I am thrilled that Governor Murphy has selected Andrew Bruck to lead the Attorney General’s Office for the remainder of my term,” said Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. “Andrew is one of the sharpest legal minds and finest public servants that I have ever met. We entered office together on January 16, 2018, and since that day he has worked tirelessly to stand up for the rights of New Jerseyans, having helped shape some of our office’s most important policies and respond to many of our state’s most complex legal challenges. The people of New Jersey and the dedicated public servants in the Department of Law and Public Safety will be well-served by his leadership.”
“Andrew Bruck has the unique ability to lead by genuinely listening to all sides of issues, crafting bold, principled, and practical solutions, and then giving everyone else credit for it,” said former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates.
AHe is trusted by both the civil rights and law enforcement communities because of his track record for forging much-needed meaningful reforms to our criminal justice system while respecting the difficult and crucial role of law enforcement. He is a public servant in the truest sense of the words, and the people of New Jersey can be confident that he will take his responsibility to represent them to heart.”
The weather was beautiful for this year’s Fourth of July celebration that was held at Parsippany Hills High School on Sunday, July 4.
