PARSIPPANY — This year’s Memorial Day is unlike most of us have ever known, and hopefully unlike any of us will see again.

We are commemorating this solemn day dedicated to the people who gave their lives for American liberty at a time when our nation is facing the most destructive economic and social dislocation since the Great Depression of the 1930’s.

Like the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the coronavirus blindsided America with the psychological and economic impact of a military invasion We were caught off guard…all of us. But we did not crumble. We are fighting back, and we are winning.

Like the young soldiers who throughout our nation’s history went off to war to defend freedom, we have embraced sacrifice and suffered casualties during the pandemic. Today our front-line soldiers are nurses and doctors in hospitals and people working nursing homes. Our troops today include the people who keep our supermarkets open, maintain our food supply train, produce medicines, and educate our children.  They answered the call to duty, as we all have.

This response is no accident. The civic DNA of America stems from generations of soldiers, sailors, pilots, and nurses who put their lives on the line to fight tranny around the world. They believed their duty was not to themselves, but to their country and their countrymen. That DNA, that heroism that we commemorate on Memorial Day has been passed down to us today – and we all the better for it.

The spirit of Memorial Day lives with us this year, even if the traditional ceremonies are absent. There will be no parades, fewer ceremonies, and limited celebrations this year. Social distancing is the order of the day now. But no amount of distancing and precautions should cause us to forget to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We can honor them this Memorial Day by working together to defeat the viral enemy that has taken so many lives, destroyed businesses, and disrupted families.

And let us remember too that wars and sacrifice are not eternal. Just a few scant months ago the U.S. economy was booming; unemployment was at an all-time high; people were prospering, companies were hiring, wages were increasing and dreams were being realized.

We can get there again. We will get there again. Because the American Spirit cannot be defeated!

Enjoy Your Memorial Day
BettyLou DeCroce

PARSIPPANY — Front Line Morris has available 200 dinners available and over 250 lunches to be given out to anyone that needs lunch or hot dinner for Memorial Day. The meals were donated by Randy Grieco from Sterling Affairs Catering and Events.

The meals are available on Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day), from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pick up the meals at Par-Troy Little League East, located at 10 Eileen Court (Off Vail Road)  Proceed behind Northvail School and up the hill, to the parking lot at the Little League. You can either park in the lot or drive down the hill to the concession stand for pickup.

MORRIS COUNTY — Rob Zwigard and Teddy Stanziale, volunteers from Front Line Morris, along with Bednar Landscape Services, Inc. worked very diligently in cleaning up the pool and tuning the filter at St. Peters Orphanage.

The pool hasn’t been open for the adolescent boys for the past few years due to a lack of maintenance of the pool and surrounding area.

Front Line Morris is looking for additional volunteers to help in the final steps of getting the area in shape for the summer months. If you are interested in participating in this or other Front Line Morris volunteer opportunities please email Stanziale01@gmail.com.

To donate to Front Line Morris GoFundMe fundraiser, click here.

St. Peter’s Orphanage is located at 170 Diamond Spring Rd, Denville. Phone: (973) 627-0212.

St. Peter’s Orphanage is a residential treatment facility for adolescent boys, whose parents, for a variety of reasons are unable to care for them. Their boys have mild to moderate emotional, behavioral or social problems Although St. Peters is a residential facility, they work very hard to assure our residents an atmosphere that is truly non-institutional, and more like a large family.

St. Peter’s Orphanage is always looking for donations. Donation Line proudly accepts vehicle donations for St Peter’s Orphanage. We have towing agents in all areas of the United States ready to pickup your car donation ASAP. Non-Running, junk, and salvage cars are also accepted. In addition to auto donations we accept donations of boats, trucks, RVs, motorcycles, jet skis, snowmobiles, planes, and real estate. Click here for more information.

There are many volunteer opportunities for schools, businesses, community organizations, and individuals at St. Peter’s Orphanage. The residence is set on nine acres and houses more than sixteen young men so they can always use landscaping assistance and contracting type maintenance/upgrades in the plumbing, painting, electrical, heating/cooling, and carpentry areas. Community organizations/groups and schools can volunteer time with grounds clean up, smaller-scale on-site projects, fundraising for specific needs related to the residents (e.g., camping/sporting equipment, clothing or furniture, etc.). Corporate sponsorship is another way local, state, and national/international business can improve both the quality of life for these young men and the facility they live in.

St. Peter’s Orphanage also has a wish list that can be ordered directly from Amazon. Click here for more details.

PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council voted to introduce the 2020 Township Budget, on Tuesday, May 19. The final budget will be voted during the June 16, 2020 (rescheduled) Township Council meeting.

Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic Council Meetings will be held via a web conferencing program named ZoHo.  This program will allow the public to listen to the meeting and to participate during the public portion session only.

Please be advised that in order for a member of the public to participate they must fill out the registration information using their real name and address, anyone not using their real name and address will not be allowed to speak during the public portion.  (Note: Parsippany Focus will update this article with the link to access the meeting)

Click here to download a copy of the 2020 Introduced Budget.

PARSIPPANY — Partners Nick Mirabella and George Verdis, of Brick and Mirror Beauty Bar, say they will reopen their salon despite Governor Phil Murphy’s executive order that prohibits it.

Their salon located at 750 Route 46 in the Arlington Plaza Shopping Center will open up June 1 with or without permission. Murphy’s Executive Order 107, issued March 21, closed nonessential businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. It specifically listed personal-care services, which, by their very nature, result in noncompliance with social distancing guidelines.

In an interview with CNN, “What it comes down to is we have families to feed and our employees have families to feed,” George Verdis said. “At the end of the day we were told by Gov. Murphy we were going to be 15 days, this was in March, then it went to 15 more days and then 30. There obviously isn’t a plan from his end to open up.”

In a prepared statement from Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department “In response to Brick and Mirror Beauty Bar’s announcement that they plan to open their business on June 1, 2020, in direct violation of NJ Governor Murphy’s Executive Order #107, they were formally advised by Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department (PTHPD) that if that opening were to occur, the violation would be reported to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, who would review the matter to determine applicable charges.”

“While Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department understands the social and economic difficulties with the COVID-19 Health Emergency and applicable NJ Executive Orders, we are duty-bound and will continue to enforce NJ Executive Orders. Whether being made aware of planned violations or observed on-view, PTHPD will similarly respond to NJ Executive Order violations. As we all continue to safely, although painstakingly, emerge from this health crisis, PTHPD and all Emergency Service personnel respectfully ask for your understanding and patience,” said Parsippany Police Chief Andrew Miller.

Another local business, Puff City and its owner Sadik Kocaoglu, 40, of Lafayette, was charged on April 23 by Parsippany-Troy Hills Police for operating in violation of the emergency orders. Puff City is located at 1220 Route 46. (Click here for article)

Parsippany resident Rita A. Lacis, 61, was charged with violating the Governor’s executive emergency orders on Saturday, April 4, by the Rockaway Borough Police Department. Police had given Lacis a warning after they learned that she was continuing to operate her dog grooming service.  Then she was charged when officer saw two customers drop off a dog a short time later.

Although humans may not be able to get a haircut, their pets can. Pet grooming services along with pet day care and pet boarding businesses are able to operate in line with social distancing guidelines in a wave of clarifications to Murphy’s executive order, which went in effect May 4.

In another developing story, a South Jersey gym that reopened on Monday in defiance of Governor Murphy’s stay-at-home executive order has been shut down by the state and county, officials announced Thursday, May 21.

The New Jersey Department of Health signed an order shutting down Atilis Gym in Bellmawr on Wednesday night, Camden County Spokesman Dan Keashen said Thursday morning. The order was then posted outside the gym by county officials.

“Atilis Gym has continued to operate in non-compliance with Executive Order No. 107, thus posing a threat to the public health by failing to adhere to the measures taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” the order signed by New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli reads, in part.

On Friday, May 22, the gym once again reopened in defiance of Governor Phil Murphy’s stay-at-home executive order after it was shut down by the state and county.

PARSIPPANY — Please be advised, the Township Council of the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills is rescheduling its regularly scheduled Township Council Meeting that is to be held on Tuesday, June 23.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:00 p.m. Formal action may or not be taken, and any other action reasonably related thereto may also be taken.

There will also be the regularly scheduled Agenda meeting on Tuesday, June 9 at 7:00 p.m. Formal action may or not be taken, and any other action reasonably related thereto may also be taken.

Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic Council Meetings will be held via a web conferencing program named ZoHo.  This program will allow the public to listen to the meeting and to participate during the public portion session only.

Please be advised that in order for a member of the public to participate they must fill out the registration information using their real name and address, anyone not using their real name and address will not be allowed to speak during the public portion.  Click here to access the meeting.