MORRIS COUNTY — Surrogate Heather Darling delivered a webinar covering the first round of enhancements to her e Probate online process.

The one-hour webinar was designed specifically for the attorneys that work with probate and administration of estates in Morris County. Since its roll-out in November of 2020, significant improvements have been integrated with e Probate to enhance the client experience, making it more efficient and convenient to complete the probate and administration process for an estate online.

The Surrogate’s office has processed over 700 e Probate cases since its introduction in November of 2020, in addition to in-person appointments and mail processing. The details of the current e Probate application were discussed and Surrogate Darling had an exchange of ideas with the many participating attorneys regarding their experience and future enhancements that will be forthcoming.

This service was developed out of an idea Surrogate Darling presented when running for the Office of Surrogate. She said, “As an attorney practicing in the Surrogate’s Court, it was apparent to me that a significant segment of the clients this office serves is subject to mobility issues of varying degrees.” Darling went on to say, “When I originally forecasted the need, no one would have foreseen the additional urgent need for this service which was brought on by COVID.” A video of the webinar is available online at the Surrogate’s website click here.

PARSIPPANY — Music is seeking a patient owner who will build trust with him. He can be frightened at times so he would benefit from a quiet household. Kids age 16 or older are preferred.

Yes, Music can be shy at first greeting but once he gets to know them he does not mind their company. Music gets along with cats. Music is crate trained and enjoys spending time in the crate. Music will have occasional accidents but has been improving as he adjusts to a routine.

Music walks perfectly on the leash!

Prepare your laps for this bundle of love! Music is a snuggle bug who could spend all day in your company. When he is not cuddling with you, he is playing with his toys! He takes pride in showing off his toy collection and leaves you with the honor of picking them up. He enjoys going on walks around the neighborhood. Music takes time to become comfortable with new people and his surroundings, but once he acclimates, he will show you all the love he has to offer!

Music was surrendered to Wise at no fault of his own. His previous owner got a new job and no longer had the time to care for him. He is looking forward to his new journey of finding a forever family!

If you are interested in adopting, please click here to fill out an application.

Follow Wise on Instagram by clicking here.
Like Wise on Facebook by clicking here.

PARSIPPANY — The COVID pandemic has resulted in plummeting tax revenues and dramatically increased service expenditures putting significant strain on Townships finances. However, there is still an underlying structural deficit that needs to be addressed to avoid further damage to residential tax rates. The past three years have seen some of the worst government mismanagement of anywhere in the state. Most of us have already noticed our utility bills skyrocket from the improper usage of utility surplus to artificially limit tax increases. Soriano made the elimination of this practice a central promise of his 2017 campaign but made little progress in addressing this. As a result, the Township no longer has any surplus money to draw from and is forced to make this revenue up in this budget through either increased taxation, budget cuts, or a more creative solution that will only postpone the crisis.

Soriano has proposed issuing a five-million-dollar bond to supplement revenues and prevent a sizable tax increase from slamming residents this year, an election year. The Township Council, none of whom are running for re-election this year, have questioned the need to patch our budget with this loan. We believe the Mayor should work with the Council to address their concerns and present a budget that is appropriate to deal with the crisis. Unfortunately, it seems Mayor Soriano would rather pass the buck onto the Council, threatening layoffs and service cuts if he doesn’t get his way and spreading rumors among employees that the Township Council will be to blame. This kind of behavior is unnecessary, unproductive, and beneath the dignity of the office. As Mayor, Soriano only has one constitutional role. It isn’t posting photo ops on Facebook or cutting ribbons, it’s proposing a budget, answering any resulting questions to the Council, and getting it approved.

PARSIPPANY — Hundreds of people from all different religions, races, and political affiliations came together for the “People for Palestine” rally and teach-in at Smith Field Park on the corner of Route 46 and Baldwin Road. The rally was organized by four Morris County high school students: Sumaiya Rehman (Parsippany High School), Nicole
Piccininni, Noor Zaman, and Medina Kandil (Morris County School of Technology).

The teens set out to create a peaceful rally and teach-in for Palestine after witnessing through social media over two weeks of Israeli onslaught of Palestinians and witnessing the death of hundreds of innocent civilians. The youth organizers were joined by Jabari Jackson from the Respect My Life Foundation, who organized a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest of his own last summer. The students felt an obligation to mobilize and build awareness and even provide a voice to those across the world who do not have one. The girls’ voices were heard by the several hundred who attended the rally on an extremely hot Sunday afternoon.

Amongst the crowd were individuals of many different ethnicities, religions, and several
backgrounds. Everyone rallied and stood together for the same cause: fighting for humanity.

Several vehicles passing along Route 46 honked and waved with solidarity and support.

The several cars passing by in attendance lifted the spirits and energy of the crowd.
The situation happening in Palestine is nothing new but now with independence and social
media, it has attracted global attention and has caused an uproar throughout the country
for people to come together and go into action for what is right. The Parsippany-held event
is one of the many held across New Jersey. In the last month, 230 Palestinians have been
killed by Israeli forces, including 65 children as well. Within the last month, in a holy area
(Jerusalem) for which, for centuries, has been the site of all three Abrahamic Faiths to
peacefully worship, had been invaded as congregations peacefully prayed the last Friday
prayer (Jum’uah) of Ramadan.

The crowd that gathered at Smith Field was not there for the sole reason to support the local youth and their efforts. Everyone attended to support the cause and fight for the justice of Palestinians. After Aziz Al-Qoalak, the San Diego Palestinian-American who lost 21 of his extended family members while Gaza was under attack mourned for days, after the attacks on Masjid Al-Aqsa, the third holiest worshipping site for Muslims, and the endless deaths of children and families in Palestine, what is happening in there is not a cause to back down from. “The fight should continue and should not end until our brothers and sisters across the world can sleep safely in their homes without the fear of waking to their homes destroyed or lives lost around them,” says another youth organizer, Medina Kandil.

People from all backgrounds and spectrums came together to unite on a hot afternoon to
support the humanitarian crisis that has been ongoing, as Palestinians grapple to rebuild their desolated infrastructure that was barely rebuilt since the last bombing. People united and came together with decorated posters, Palestinian flags, and the energy and spirit to fight for the right cause. Parsippany High School junior and one of the lead organizers of the rally, Sumaiya Rehman emphasized, “There is no reason to thank the four of us youth for what we have done. What we did needed to happen; regardless of how far across the world we are.

In a time of injustice, our efforts need to be seen and executed with the right intention.”
Sumaiya is one of the organizers alongside three of her friends.

Throughout the event, there were a series of speakers. Dijuan Higgins from the Respect My
Life Foundation, Madelyn Hoffman, Green Party candidate for Governor of New Jersey, and
Morris County youth came together along with Palestinian Americans to speak out for the
the humanitarian crisis and grave injustice that their Palestinian brothers and sisters are suffering.

Additionally, Hafsa Habbeh from American Muslims for Palestine and Imam Basel Hamdeh,
from the Jam-E-Masjid Islamic Center in Boonton, were amongst the speaker lineup as well.

Americans from all walks of life and all different backgrounds stood in solidarity with
Palestine, here in Parsippany, which has the largest Muslim and Palestinian population in
Morris County.

The four youth organizers encourage Morris County and New Jersey to speak up for what is
right. In a time of injustice, unity is what we need. The youth encourage everyone to look into resources and access ways to teach themselves about the ongoing situation in Palestine.

MORRIS COUNTY — The announcement that masks will not be required indoors comes about a week after Murphy rejected similar mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying he wanted “more time on the clock” for people to get vaccinated.

Businesses can still require masks:

-Murphy said businesses and entities overseeing indoor spaces may continue to require face masks for employees, customers, and/or guests

Masks will also still be required in:

-Health care settings, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters

-On airplanes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation

-In transportation hubs such as airports and stations

-Public-facing state offices, such as NJ MVC agencies

-Worksites that are closed to the public, including warehousing and manufacturing facilities

-Child care centers and facilities

Those who are not fully vaccinated are still “strongly encouraged” to follow CDC guidance and wear a face mask in any indoor setting.

“Please be responsible and do the right thing – for your own safety and your community’s safety,” Murphy said.

Also on Friday, the state is lifting the requirement for maintaining six feet at all indoor and outdoor businesses such as restaurants, retail stores, gyms, and casinos.

Also on Friday, May 28:

-Requirement for maintaining six feet of social distancing in indoor and outdoor settings will be lifted, but businesses can still require social distancing if they choose

-Prohibition on dance floors at bars and restaurants will be lifted

-Prohibition on ordering and eating/drinking while standing at bars and restaurants will be lifted

Effective June 4:

-State will remove all indoor gathering limits.

-State will also lift the 30% limit on large indoor venues with a fixed seating capacity of 1,000 or greater.

“The steps we’ve announced today are the clearest signs of our commitment to carefully and deliberately reopening our state,” Murphy said. “We continue to trend in the right direction with every indicator and our vaccination numbers have increased dramatically over the last two weeks.”

-Youth summer camps

-Public, private, or parochial preschool program premises

-Elementary and secondary schools, including charter and renaissance schools

Nearly 4.1 million New Jersey residents have been vaccinated. That’s nearly half of the state’s population.

MORRIS COUNTY — In honor of Veteran’s Appreciation Month, Jersey 1st has partnered with Backpacks for Life to host a “virtual” supplies drive for veterans in need. “We are thrilled to support the mission of Backpacks for life and help Veterans as they transition from military life to civilian life. We learned about the difficulties that veterans face today- and especially throughout the pandemic from Backpacks for life Founders Alexa Modero and Brett D’Alessandro when they joined us Jersey 1st TV and shared their mission. We are honored to help our veterans- one backpack at a time” said Rosemary Becchi, President and Founder of Jersey 1st.

See the full Jersey 1st / Backpacks for life interview by clicking here.

Backpack For Life’s Mission is to provide unique and personalized support to homeless and at-risk veterans currently struggling to reintegrate into civilian life. Whether it’s supplying a backpack filled with daily essentials or providing guidance through their mentorship program, there is nothing they won’t do for our veterans, military spouses, and family members.

The supplies drive will run through the end of May. All goods ordered online will be delivered to Backpacks For Life after the drive ends.

Jersey 1st is a non-profit committed to identifying, educating, and advocating for economic and social policies that put the interests of New Jersey families and businesses first.

For more information on Backpacks for Life click here.

Click here to donate to the drive click here.