HANOVER TOWNSHIP — New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials announced the ramp from Route 10 westbound to I-287 northbound, and one lane in each direction on Route 10, will be closed this weekend as a roadway improvement project advances in Hanover, Morris County.

Beginning at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, May 8, until 7:00 a.m. Monday, May 11, NJDOT’s contractor, Crisdel Construction Group, Inc., is scheduled to close the ramp from Route 10 westbound to I-287 northbound, as well as one lane on Route 10 in each direction in the vicinity of the I-287 interchange in Hanover.  This closure will allow the contractor to complete a full-box reconstruction of the roadway. One lane of traffic will be maintained at all times during the weekend closures. Additional lane closures on Route 10 westbound are scheduled for next weekend as the roadway reconstruction continues.  The following signed detour will be in place this weekend:

Route 10 westbound to I-287 northbound detour:

• Motorists traveling on Route 10 westbound wishing to take the ramp to I-287 northbound will be directed to continue on Route 10 westbound
• Take Ridgedale Avenue South U-turn (Dryden Way/Ridgedale Avenue/Cedar Knolls exit)
• Stay left for Ridgedale Avenue/Cedar Knolls
• Keep right and take the ramp to Route 10 eastbound
• Take the ramp to I-287 northbound

The $4.5 million state-funded project will reconstruct a half-mile portion of Route 10 westbound, which is in poor condition.  The project also includes the installation of improved overhead signage and guiderail replacement, which will be completed during the week following the completion of weekend closures.

Advance warning and variable messaging signs are being utilized to provide advance notification to the motoring public of all traffic pattern changes associated with the work.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.  Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NJDOT_info or on the NJDOT Facebook page.

PARSIPPANY — Co-Chairs Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Pete King (NY-02) today led a meeting of the Regional Recovery Task Force with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to discuss the region’s plans to reopen the economy.

The Members of Congress and the Governors underscored the need for cooperation and communication at the state and federal level to help the Northeast. They also addressed specific areas where officials could work together, including contact tracing and testing, infrastructure investment, support for small businesses, and support for state and local governments.

“Our task force is built upon the simple fact that it is going to take all of us working together to address the needs of our region as we look to reopening the economy,” said Rep. Sherrill. “That means not only working with members across the aisle, but also working closely with our state partners. I thank Governor Murphy and Governor Lamont for speaking with the Regional Recovery Task Force and emphasizing key areas where more coordination between the states and Congress can help our region move forward.”

“I truly thank Gov. Murphy and Gov. Lamont for the cooperation they have given New York and the entire Northeast region,” said Rep. King. “I made it a point to assure both Governors that our Task Force addresses this terrible pandemic not as blue states or red states but as Americans.”

“Staying in contact with state officials in our region is paramount to successfully reopening our country,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “If one state or locality in our region doesn’t safely open, it puts us all in jeopardy. I am grateful that this Task Force has continued to organize these discussions, and I look forward to continuing to work with our colleagues at the local, state, and federal levels as we work to safely open up our country.”

“States and municipalities are going to need to do an enormous amount of testing and contact tracing to get us to the point where we can safely reopen,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “As the Task Force’s only member of the Appropriations Committee I’m committed to ensuring that we have the resources necessary to keep our residents safe.”

“We need to ensure a regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic and leverage the full resources of the federal government during this unprecedented time,” said Governor Murphy. “I’m proud to work with the Congressional COVID-19 Regional Recovery Task Force, especially Co-Chairs Representative Sherill and Representative King, to guarantee the tri-state region receives its fair share of direct federal assistance.”

“Communication and coordination among states and between states and the federal government has never been more important than it is now,” said Governor Lamont. “Connecticut shares a border with three other states, but is part of a much larger and interconnected regional economy. And we know that this virus doesn’t care at all about our borders. So I applaud Representatives Sherrill, King, Himes, and all the other members of this bipartisan Task Force for banding together on a regional basis to consider what more Congress and the federal government can do to support our state and local governments. Their leadership is commendable. And I was pleased to participate in their meeting along with my friend and colleague, Gov. Murphy.”

Rep. Sherrill and Rep. King formed the Regional Recovery Task Force with Representatives Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jim Himes (D-CT), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). The task force is working with leading experts across key fields to put forth bipartisan recommendations and policy proposals for near- and medium-term efforts to get Americans back to work, and address critical questions facing the United States in the coming weeks and months, particularly in the Northeast.

Click here to download The Regional Recovery Task Force’s first report.

PARSIPPANY — The County of Morris has identified an additional 14 Parsippany residents presumptively tested positive for COVID-19, since it was last reported on Tuesday, May 5.

The number of presumptive positive cases in Parsippany-Troy Hills stands at 643 individuals. (This data is as of 3:13 p.m., Wednesday, May 6).

Morris County has risen to 5651 an increase of 48 cases since last reported on Tuesday, May 5. A total of 491 deaths have been reported in Morris County. In New Jersey a total of 131,890 presumptively tested positive cases with a total of 8,549 deaths.

The County of Morris, in partnership with Atlantic Health, is offering drive-thru COVID-19 testing at the County College of Morris, Dover Chester Road, Randolph, NJ, in parking lot 1. Testing is scheduled beginning at 9:00 a.m. and is for Morris County residents only. There is no fee for the test.

To sign up for an appointment online click here for details.

For more information about COVID-19, please visit www.covid19.nj.gov or call 211.

For a complete breakdown of Morris County total presumptively tested positive cases, click here.

PARSIPPANY — John Sheppard is organizing this fundraiser for Friends & Family For Felix Torres Jr. Reprinted from GoFundMe.

To donate click here.

I have never posted anything personal on FB. This is as personal as it gets for me.
My cousin Felix Jr., who is like my little brother, though he was more like my big brother. Felix Jr. needs our help once again. Please let’s be there for Felix like he has been there for those who know him all their lives.

Felix has been battling colon cancer for the last six years, which is now STAGE 4 colon cancer. He has braved this battle head-on and fought every step of the way. Felix has a loving wife, Meghan, who has been there every step of the way but also suffers from her own medical conditions. Felix also has 5 loving children (Ryan, Ilana, Angelica, Matthew, and Rachel) who adore him dearly as does everyone who has ever met Felix.

Last week Felix was hospitalized with complications due to cancer. He was told that there was nothing more that they could for him and was sending him home with no more plans for treatment. As they feel that anything they try at this point will be more harmful than good.

Felix was told to go home and contact HOSPICE.

Those that know Felix, know how much of a great guy he is and is always there to help. How much Felix is loved and needed by his family and friends. They know Felix is a ray of light that is always there with a joke, a song to cheer you up, or that infectious smile of his.

Felix and his family need a little bit of our help! The same way he was there for us, PLEASE let’s be there for him and his family.

PLEASE IF YOU KNOW FELIX, SEND A LITTLE HELP. PLEASE HELP ME HELP HIM A LITTLE.

Thanks,
John Albert

PARSIPPANY — Rainbow Lakes and Fox Hill Neighbors United to hold a food collection drive for Parsippany Food Pantry on Wednesday, May 6 from 12:00 Noon to 2:30 p.m.

Many people in Parsippany need our help. Due to the coronavirus many local people are out of work, have had their hours cut, and thus are having difficulty putting food on their families’ table.

Troy Rhodes of the Hub Lakes Church has volunteered his truck to help transport donated items to the pantry to the collection site at the Rainbow Lakes Club House Parking Lot at 20 Rainbow Trail. A special thank you to Charlie Damian for allowing the use of the Club House Parking Lot. The need is for canned goods, cereals, pasta, beans, tuna fish, peanut butter which is important at this time.

Just walk up or drive by and place the items in the truck or our van in a plastic bag. Please do not donate outdated or dented goods; The volunteers will keep their distance and wear a mask. Thank you for your assistance and the goal is to fill the van and the pickup from the Rainbow Lakes and Fox Hill Community.

If you would like to make a monetary donation please make checks payable to Parsippany Food Pantry and drop it off at the clubhouse or mail to Parsippany-Troy Hills, 1001 Parsippany Boulevard, Parsippany, NJ 07054, Attn: Ann Cucci.

PARSIPPANY — Regional Recovery Task Force Co-Chairs Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Pete King (NY-02) led the first session of the bipartisan group last week to hear from former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who is currently advising the governments of Maryland and Massachusetts on their COVID-19 responses. Sherrill and King, alongside members from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, are leading an effort to address recovery efforts, including reopening the Northeast in a safe and responsible way.

“Dr. Gottlieb is a leading expert on how the nation should respond to and recover from COVID-19,” said Rep. Sherrill. “He provided members of the task force with crucial information, from science-based predictions regarding the course of the virus to recommendations for actions our states and Congress can take to get the country back on its feet as safely as possible.”

“Dr. Gottlieb has an extraordinary record of achievement,” said Rep. King. “The insight and analysis he provided regarding the Coronavirus pandemic was exceptional and much appreciated.”

“It was great to hear from former Commissioner Gottlieb on what has been working in Maryland and Massachusetts as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “It is critical that we learn from the successes and failures of other parts of the country, to have every option on the table. Our efforts to safely reopen the country need to be coordinated at the local, state, and federal levels. I look forward to continuing to work with this Task Force as we prepare for the eventual reopening of our country.”

“Dr. Gottlieb, who I had opportunities to meet with personally in early March, has been an influential voice since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Meuser. “His analysis was helpful in determining how to get America back to work while ensuring our workers and families stay safe.”

“It was valuable for the Northeast Regional Task Force to hear directly from Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a leading expert in medical policy and public health,” said Rep. Stefanik. “His recommendations for how Congress can work to respond to COVID-19 from a public health perspective while getting people back to work on a regional basis were extremely helpful in this time of uncertainty. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with my bipartisan colleagues on solutions based on the experts we hear from.”

Members of the task force bring a wide array of experience based on their backgrounds, on their work on the ground in their districts, and from their committees of jurisdiction in Congress. Based on this experience and their conversation with Dr. Gottlieb, the task force highlighted key opportunities for federal action:

Supporting state and local investments in mobile testing capabilities to reach high-risk communities and employees in work settings. Additionally, encouraging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to draft and release guidelines that will allow businesses to safely remain operational if a positive case is identified;

Federal investment to ensure the creation of a more robust contact tracing infrastructure and isolation facilities;

Supporting alternatives to mass transit where possible and having mass transit authorities enforce social distancing and regularly clean surfaces with disinfectants.

Rep. Sherrill and Rep. King formed the Regional Recovery Task Force with Representatives Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jim Himes (D-CT), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). The task force is working with leading experts across key fields to put forth bipartisan recommendations and policy proposals for near- and medium-term efforts to get Americans back to work, and address critical questions facing the United States in the coming weeks and months, particularly in the Northeast.

The Regional Recovery Task Force’s first report can be found by clicking here.