PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany High School Lady RedHawks won the Mayor’s Trophy against Parsippany Hills 5-4, on Saturday, May 11. The team has two more regular season games this week before opening up the state tournament at home on Thursday.
Reminder: Tom Madas Memorial Golf Classic to be held on Tuesday
PARSIPPANY — Join the Parsippany Education Foundation and our presenting sponsor, Doyle Alliance for a day of fun on the links at Knoll West Country Club. Contests and prizes all day including the chance to win a luxury automobile from Trend Motors of Rockaway in our Hole in One Challenge.
Registration is open for the annual Tom Ladas Memorial Golf classic to be held at the Knoll Country Club West on Tuesday, May 14 starting at 11:30 a.m. Individual registration includes green fees & cart, locker room, premium gift bag, contests, on course beverages, lunch and dinner with a donation of $175.00. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place scramble teams, Ladies’ & Men’s Longest Drive, Ladies’ & Men’s Straightest Drive, Ladies’ & Men’s Closest to the Pin Putting Green Contest and the Hole in One Prize of a 2019 Luxury Automobile Sponsored by Trend Motors. Individual and foursome registration forms are available at pef4kids.com and sponsorships are still available.
The Parsippany Educational Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization established in 1996 to enrich the opportunities and experiences of students in the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District. The Foundation has contributed over $350,000 to the district raised through private donors, its annual spring golf outing and events held through the year. Its Board of Directors consists of volunteers committed to developing a community of learners. For more information, the Foundation may be reached by clicking here or emailing pef4kids@aol.com.
Czar Alexei Sepe was awarded the Omar A. Aggad Travel and Research Fellowship
PARSIPPANY — Czar Alexei Sepe, a Lake Parsippany native and a rising junior at Boston College studying political science and history, was recently awarded the Omar A. Aggad Travel and Research Fellowship by the Boston College Islamic Civilizations and Societies department and the Office of International Programs, for his project proposal, “The Politics and Culture of Christianity in Lebanon.” He will be traveling to Beirut, Lebanon over the summer to complete a six-week intensive language acquisition and cultural immersion program at the Lebanese American University (LAU).
The Omar A. Aggad Fellowship seeks to “to inspire BC graduate and undergraduate students to expand their understandings of the Arab world, and of the relationships between Arab societies and the West.” Fellows in the past have gone to Doha, Qatar, Cairo, Egypt, Israel and Palestine, and Barcelona, Spain to study pressing political and social issues in the Arab world.
The Islamic Civilizations and Societies (ICS) department at Boston College is “an interdisciplinary program for undergraduates interested in the breadth and depth of the Islamic World,” that prepares students for “careers in diplomacy, journalism, international business, government, social service, think tanks and policymaking as well as graduate academic or other professional study.” If you want to learn more about the ICS department at Boston College by clicking here.
Aarin Feliz Receives Physical Education and Health Education Distinguished Award
PARSIPPANY — Springfield College Senior Aarin Feliz earned the Springfield College Physical Education and Health Education Department’s Distinguished Senior Award. Aaron is a graduate of Parsippany High School, Class of 2015.
Feliz received the honor at the recent Springfield College Academic Awards held on campus. The Distinguished Senior Awards are presented annually to graduating students who have performed consistently well in the classroom. The award recipients are chosen by their respective peers in their individual department.
Springfield College is an independent, nonprofit, coeducational institution founded in 1885. Nearly 5,000 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.
Sagar Patel Inducted Into Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society
PARSIPPANY — Sagar Patel, a B.S. student in Life Sciences, has been inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society at New York Institute of Technology. Only students who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher during their first year qualify for membership. Patel graduated Parsippany High Hills School, Class of 2018.
Phi Eta Sigma is the oldest and largest honor society in the United States for first-year college students. Since the society’s founding in 1923, more than a million scholars have been inducted, including more than 2,000 at NYIT. There are currently 378 Phi Eta Sigma chapters across the United States.
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in more than 50 fields of study, including computer science, data, and cybersecurity; biology and biomedical studies; architecture and design; engineering; health professions and medicine; IT and digital technologies; management; communications and marketing; education and counseling; and energy and sustainability. A nonprofit, independent, private, and nonsectarian institute of higher education, NYIT welcomes more than 9,000 students worldwide. The university has campuses in New York City (Manhattan) and Long Island (Old Westbury), New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as programs around the world.
NYIT embraces its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, give all qualified students access to opportunity, and support research and scholarship that benefit the larger world. More than 100,000 NYIT alumni comprise an engaged network of doers, makers, and innovators prepared to change the world, solve 21st-century challenges, and reinvent the future. For more information click here.
Morristown Doctor Found Guilty in Health Care Fraud
MORRIS COUNTY — Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that medical doctor Paul J. Mathieu and physical therapy doctor Hatem Behiry were each found guilty of participating in a $30 million scheme to defraud Medicare and the New York State Medicaid Program. The defendants were convicted following a six-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said “These corrupt doctors betrayed their medical training, their professions, and their Medicare and Medicaid billing privileges. They chose not to heal, but to harm, the taxpaying public – the real victims of this scheme.”
According to the evidence presented during the trial and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:
Between 2007 and 2013, Mathieu fraudulently posed as the owner of three of six medical clinics in Brooklyn (the “Clinics”), which were all in fact owned by co-conspirator Alexksandr Burman. During that time period, the Clinics fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid approximately $30 million for medical services and supplies that were medically unnecessary and/or not provided. Throughout this time period, Mathieu fraudulently posed as the owner of three of those clinics, in order to satisfy a New York State law requirement that medical clinics must be owned and operated by a medical professional.
For the last three-and-a-half years of the scheme, Mathieu also directly participated in the fraudulent billing practices of the Clinics, by visiting several of the Clinics on a weekly basis, where he would sign stacks of false and fraudulent medical charts, and issue referrals for expensive additional testing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, including for physical therapy purportedly provided by defendant Behiry. During this time period, Mathieu saw no patients at all, simply falsifying enormous stacks of phony medical records falsely stating that he had seen and treated such patients.
Behiry similarly participated in the fraudulent billing practices of the Clinics, by pretending to provide physical therapy to many of those same patients, most of whom were receiving cash kickbacks for coming to the Clinics. In fact, Behiry was engaged in an empty charade designed to create the appearance of physical therapy, while almost no therapy was actually being provided to many patients. To further the fraud, Behiry also prepared and oversaw the preparation of a huge quantity of phony medical and billing records. Among other things, Behiry completed thousands of fabricated reports, in which patients were described almost identically, and with little or no regard for actual medical conditions or needs. As with Mathieu, many of the charts were for patients whom Behiry and his team had not evaluated or provided therapy to at all.
In addition to his role in the Clinics, Mathieu also wrote unneeded prescriptions for adult diapers and other incontinence products, which were filled at Universal Supply Depot, a medical supply company also owned by Burman’s wife. Mathieu was so prolific in this regard that, throughout the period of the fraud, he was regularly a top prescriber of adult diapers in the State of New York. Mathieu continued to write such prescriptions, even after the Clinics were closed down because Medicare stopped paying any of the clinics’ claims.
Mathieu and Behiry bring to fifteen the number of defendants convicted in this and related cases. The other defendants include: Aleksandr Burman, 57, the leader of the scheme, who was sentenced in a related case on May 8, 2017, to 120 months in prison; Marina Burman, 56, the former wife of Aleksandr Burman and the owner of Universal Supply Depot, was sentenced on May 17, 2018, to 36 months in prison; Mustak Y. Vaid, 45, a physician, was sentenced on August 1, 2018, to 18 months in prison; Ewald J. Antoine, 68, a physician, was sentenced on August 21, 2018, to 18 months in prison; Asher Oleg Kataev, 50, a Burman business partner, was sentenced on May 31, 2018, to 36 months in prison; Alla Tsirlin, 49, a Clinic office manager, was sentenced on June 5, 2018, to a year and a day in prison; and Edward Miselevich, 46, and Ivan Voychak, 39, Burman partners who jointly ran a related ambulette company, were sentenced on June 12, 2018, and July 19, 2018, respectively, to 36 months in prison each. In addition, Lina Zhitnik, 52, and Dina Cabana Rubenstein, 39, occupational therapists, Valery Volsky, 60, a bookkeeper, Olga Kharuk, 47, and Natalya Grabovskaya, 48, office managers, have each also pled guilty for their participation in this scheme and are awaiting sentencing.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Raymond Lewis, Stephen J. Ritchin, and Timothy V. Capozzi are in charge of the prosecution.
Casey Parikh appointed Treasurer of Kiwanis Club
PARSIPPANY — Kaushik (Casey) Parikh was named Treasurer of Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany effective May 1. Casey is filling an unexpired term of Connie Keller, which ends September 30, 2019.
The members of the nominating committee, also nominated Casey to continue for the term of October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020.
For more information on Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, click here.
Privacy protections for Internet users strengthened under Webber legislation
PARSIPPANY —Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Jay Webber requiring companies to inform users of online security breaches was signed into law.
Webber’s measure (S52/A3245) protects consumers by expanding a list of breaches requiring notification to include more online-oriented, but no less important, information, such as user names, email addresses, and any identifying information that can be used with a password or security question to access an online account. Driver’s license and social security numbers, account numbers, and credit or debit card numbers were already included.
“Digital security breaches can result in financial loss or identity theft for innocent victims just as much as breaches concerning traditional tools of identity theft,” said Webber (R-Morris). “Customers should be informed of any breach that threatens their online accounts as soon as it is discovered to allow them to change passwords and monitor accounts for fraudulent activity. Online customers rightfully expect their personal and financial data to be protected, and this new law will help meet that expectation.”
More than five billion records were exposed by breaches in 2018, according to a report released in February by security intelligence vendor Risk Based Security.
Recently, Marriott announced that more than a half million customer accounts were exposed to hackers. Last year, customer data was compromised at Uber, Facebook, Dunkin’ Donuts, British Airwaves and T-Mobile.
The largest online breach occurred in 2013-2014, when the accounts of three billion Yahoo users were jeopardized.
Update: Morris County School of Technology lockdown
DENVILLE — Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon Immediately deployed the highly-trained, tactical Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT), the K-9 Section and Bomb Unit upon learning the Morris County School of Technology went into lockdown mode at 7:35 a.m. Friday, May 10, based upon what police believed at the time was a credible threat of violence targeting the Denville-based school.
Denville Police at 7:35 a.m. Friday received information reporting that an act of violence was going to occur at the School of Technology, and almost simultaneously, the school itself received similar information from a second source.
As both staff and students were arriving on campus for the school day, an immediate decision to ensure the safety of the students, staff and campus was made and the school was placed on lockdown. Students and faculty on site initiated lockdown procedures by securing themselves in classrooms. All arriving students and faculty were turned away to return to their sending districts, home or to a supervised staging area to await further instructions from the school.
Sheriff Gannon immediately responded to the school on Route 53 and Morris County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Mark Spitzer, who oversees the Bureau of Law Enforcement, went to the area designated for parents to gather.
The Morris County Sheriff’s Office SERT team, K-9 and Bomb Unit detectives remained on the premises while a Sheriff’s Officer assisted Denville police in conducting a room by room search that lasted more than 100 minutes before the premises were deemed to be safe.
As soon as the school was placed in lockdown, an intensive investigation into the initial reports, which originated on the Snapchat social media platform, was conducted with the assistance of the Butler Police Department and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities determined that a current threat did not exist at the Morris County School of Technology and the search concluded around 9:20 a.m., when the lockdown was lifted. School administrators determined that school would continue for the day but students were free to leave, under parental supervision.
Standing alongside Morris County School of Technology Superintendent Scott Moffitt, Denville Police Captain Jeff Tucker, Principal Lynn Jackson, and School Resource Officer Kristian Sandman, Sheriff Gannon addressed parents and students in the school cafeteria around 10:30 a.m.
“We take these incidents extremely seriously. Our most vulnerable populations are in schools. They’re our students. They’re our grandchildren. They’re our children. They’re professionals, paraprofessionals, teachers, all the people who make it work,” Sheriff Gannon said to the students and parents.
The Sheriff praised the response of the school district and the Denville Police Department to what was treated as a credible threat to the lives of students and faculty at the Morris County School of Technology.
“A threat came in this morning. It was deemed a credible threat by the police department. An unknown actor and the time of it was around 7:35 a.m., which was consistent with students arriving at the school. There was no other decision to make than the decision that was made. And everyone stands by that,” Sheriff Gannon said.
Sheriff Gannon, in collaboration with the Morris County Chiefs of Police Association, Morris County school districts, and mental health professionals, in 2018 founded the RSVP-3 program, which stands for Responsible School Violence Prevention, Preparation, Protection.
RSVP-3’s components include tactical training for police departments so they are fully prepared to enter schools in the event of violence and developing a system of assessing threats so that none fall through the cracks. The federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and the Morris County Board of Freeholders have contributed $75,000 each to the RSVP-3 program.
lso responding to the incident at the school were the Denville Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Denville Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Task Force, Denville Township Office of Emergency Management, New Jersey State Police, Parsippany Police Department and the Montville Township Police Department.
Letter to the editor: The choice is clear: Vote dePierro, Carifi, Jr. and Gragnani for Council
Dear Editor:
After reading Democratic Council Vice-President Janice McCarthy’s recent letter to the editor (“The Financial Harm the 2019 Budget Causes,” April 26, 2019), one thing is very clear- the Parsippany Democrats know they screwed up and now they are desperately seeking someone to blame.
Mayor Michael Soriano and the Democrats on Council again put forward a budget this year that proposed a big tax increase on local residents. Last year it was about a 6% increase and this year taxes were slated to rise 4.7% – each well above the statewide average.
Luckily, the three Republicans on Township Council said “NO” and did their best to reduce the tax hit on residents by reducing the size of government. The Republicans also rightfully called out Mayor Soriano for crying poor in his budget, but still finding the money to hire his former political staff to patronage jobs in town hall that they are vastly under qualified to do.
The election this year in Parsippany means a lot. If Democrats win, there will be nobody to stop Soriano from raising taxes every year and then spending our hard-earned money pursuing the same liberal fantasies that Governor Murphy does in Trenton. The choice is clear: Vote dePierro, Carifi, Jr. and Gragnani for Council.
Susanne Parisi
Morris County Tech Placed On Lockdown, Students Report Shooting Threat
DENVILLE — The Morris County School of Technology is lockdown this morning as police investigated a shooting threat.
Parsippany Police issued the following statement:
Morris County Vocational Technical School (Denville Campus) implemented a Lockdown this morning. Parsippany students being transported on buses were rerouted to Parsippany Hills HS and are safely there. Those students who are shared time will either remain at PHHS or be transported to PHS for the remainder of their classes today. Parsippany Police are assisting with security at our district schools.
While the Denville Police Department conducts their investigation, will have an increased Police presence at area schools. The increased presence is strictly precautionary and no threats have been made towards any school in the district.
At the same time, Parsippany Hills High School was on lockdown.
In response to a perceived student threat at Parsippany Hills High School, the school implemented a lockdown. The situation has been secured and Parsippany Police are handling the matter. The lockdown has ended and students and staff have returned to regular instruction. A student sustained minor injuries during the lockdown and is being treated by EMT. The injuries the student sustained were caused when the student attempted to exit through a first floor window and cut himself.
This lockdown is separate from the MCST lockdown.
Parsippany Christian School to shut its doors after 49 years
PARSIPPANY — Since 1970, children of all ages and from regions beyond the greater Parsippany area have assembled for not just a Christian education, but a launching pad for their future. The brick building on the Northbound side of Littleton Road, between the corporate campuses and the on-ramp to Route 80, is home to Parsippany Christian School (PCS).
Schools are often looked at for their academic prowess, sports dominance and extra-curricular offerings. All those things are good, but for the majority of us school is about the relationships made and the experiences that prepare you for what’s next. And often enough, what’s next is rarely something you can learn in a textbook.
For PCS, what’s next is the end of a story that spans nearly five decades. At the end of this school year, PCS will close its doors in a bittersweet goodbye.
Declining enrollment and the variety of alternative educational opportunities have impacted PCS for the last few years and this year it came to a point that financially the school could not keep its doors open.
Teachers will be seeking other employment. Parents are left to make new plans for their kids. Students are having to prep for a future outside of PCS. And I just happen to be one of them.
You see PCS is more than just a school. It’s a family. Whether you like it or not those who walk through the doors there are connected to it. There was a point in time where I was embarrassed about going there, but like most things the foolishness of a junior high boy turns into a more realistic view of the world with age. “Mrs. Christman, who teaches second grade, has known me since I was nine and has taught my three eldest sons. Mr. and Mrs. Van Riper have been teaching there since I was in high school and now have my oldest who is a freshman. Everyone knows everyone by name. Doesn’t matter the difference in grade. Parents who only see each other at programs and sporting events are able to pick up conversations left off weeks earlier. It’s a Christian community of people who genuinely care for each other, said David Marine.
This is more than just a school closing. It’s saying goodbye to family, possibly for good. While the faculty and students have come to deal with the changes ahead as we approach the end of the school year, things will suddenly become more real.
PCS, however, will not quietly exit. The last two months have seen some unprecedented achievements. In the Garden State Association of Christian Schools (GSACS) Fine Arts competition, PCS students brought home more first place trophies in speech than any year before and saw all of them compete at a national competition held at Bob Jones University where one student, Logan Marine, was able to place second nationally in the Bible Memory category.
On top of that at the GSACS Junior High Fine Arts competition, PCS took home 1st place in total points in its division and won the Quality Award which takes into the account the amount of points per student competing. This marks the first time in over a decade that PCS has won both of those awards in the same year.
While small in number, the talent at PCS is bigger than one might think. That’s why on May 17th at 7 pm PCS will present a Farewell Concert showcasing speeches from its winning students, musical performances and a special tribute from the faculty.
If you’ve ever darkened the doors of PCS, they want to personally invite you to come back one last time to support these students and say goodbye to an institution that, whether you want to admit or not, has shaped who you are.
James 1:17 says that ” Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” PCS is a good gift from God that for 49 years has not just educated children, but aimed to shape Godly individuals to be kind, loving and faithful citizens that our world so desperately needs right now. While the lights may be turned off and students find other institutions of learning, those involved with PCS can and should appreciate the ministry they’ve been a part of.
As the saying goes, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. I’m sure that sentiment will set in for many of us, but let’s not wait that long to celebrate it. Come to the Farewell Concert on May 17 at 7:00 p.m. You know the address…
…but in case you forgot it is 1179 Littleton Road in Parsippany.
Police Officers have Trading Cards … Collect all 53
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Police Department’s Community Policing Division and Youth Services Section have teamed up to create a “Police Officer Trading Card Program.”
Earlier this year, Youth Services Counselor, Ms. Sullivan-Fullerton presented the idea and once the department got the program rolling, 53 of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Officers decided to join in on the fun.
They encourage all kids, including teenagers in our community to introduce themselves to a Parsippany Police Officer to get one of their trading cards. Officer Robert Smolen had an opportunity to speak to two year old Jackson Kobeszko and give him one of his card at Lake Parsippany Park.
After a conversation with the Officer, they will give you one of their trading cards. If they don’t have one, that’s okay too, you made a new friend! Parsippany is a wonderful community and we are excited that our Officers can interact with the children on a friendly and positive basis.
Here is a list of the officers participating in this program. You can click here to download the list, print it out and collect all 53 cards.
Sherrill Votes to Protect New Jerseyans with Pre-Existing Conditions
PARSIPPANY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) voted to protect New Jersey residents living with pre-existing conditions. H.R. 986, the Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, rescinds guidance issued by the administration that promotes junk insurance plans that lack coverage for pre-existing conditions, limits access to comprehensive coverage, and raises healthcare costs. The bill also prohibits any similar future guidance from being proposed.
“New Jerseyans and their loved ones who live with a pre-existing condition should not have to worry whether or not their health insurance plan will cover them,” said Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. “We need to strengthen our healthcare system, not weaken protections for our residents, or open the floodgate to junk health insurance plans. The 300,000 residents in my district living with pre-existing conditions deserve no less.”
This vote follows Representative Sherrill’s votes yesterday in favor of two bipartisan bills to lower the price of prescription drugs and to remove barriers to generics coming to market.
Parsippany Retro Fitness closes abruptly
PARSIPPANY — The sign on the door of Parsippany Retro Fitness says this location is permanently closed. Customers were not informed and the location closed abruptly on May 5. The interior was clean out very quickly. When customers arrived on the morning of May 6 they were informed by the sign taped to the door that said this location is permanently closed.
If you are a current customer, your membership has been assigned to Retro Fitness, 60 South Jefferson Road, Whippany. The Whippany location can be reached by email at whippanynj@retrofitness.net or by phone by calling (862) 701-2560.
Parsippany Retro Fitness was located at 1440 Route 46.
Detective George Tsimpedes promoted to Sergeant
PARSIPPANY — Mayor Michael Soriano promoted Detective George Tsimpedes to the rank of Sergeant, on Thursday, May 9.
Sergeant Tsimpedes graduated from the Passaic County Police Academy in 2006 and began his career with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office. He transferred to the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department in January, 2008.
He started his career in Parsippany assigned to the Patrol Division and was later transferred to the Investigative Division. While assigned to the Investigative Division, he began working with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Unit as a Task Force Officer.
Tsimpedes received numerous awards throughout his career to include the Combat Cross, Meritorious Service Award, Unit Citations, Command Citations, Lifesaver Awards, NJ PBA Valor Award, 200 Club Valor Award and the 2016 Narcotics Detective of the Year Award. He has also received numerous commendations from the New Jersey Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
He received his Master’s Degree in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from St. John’s University. He is also a certified Alcotest Operator and has advanced training in narcotics investigations. He will return from his assignment as a Task Force Officer and be assigned to the Patrol Division.
When asked what he likes most about serving the Parsippany Community, he stated he appreciates the diversity of the residents he serves and their overwhelming support for Parsippany Police Officers.
BAPS Charities Walk Green helps plant 61,000 trees
PARSIPPANY — All news on nature isn’t bad. Looking at the enthusiasm and effort of BAPS Charities Walk Green 2019 participants, one can certainly say, there is hope.
Shivani Patel, 19, of Parsippany will be taking part in the event for the fourth time. “It’s about doing something to raise funds to plant trees and bringing awareness about the environment,” Patel said. “For the first time in human history, our environmental impacts are happening at a scale that is affecting life on Earth. It gives me solace participating in the walk and doing something about it.”
BAPS Charities Walk Green 2019 in Parsippany was an event to raise funds for The Nature Conservancy, and Carol G. Simon Cancer Center. This year, BAPS Charities supported The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to plant one billion trees by 2025 through their Plant a Billion Trees initiative. Generations of changemakers from 6-year-old first-time fundraisers to senior citizens—came together, with over 250 members of the community participating in total.
“It’s amazing and heartwarming to see how much support has been generated for the walk and how much it has grown over the years,” said Nilkanth Patel, President, BAPS Charities. “This year over 23,000 walkers in over 76 cities in North America joined the walk to help us protect our environment – for our generation and for generations. The collective actions of the community have helped plant helped The Nature Conservancy plant 61,000 additional trees in 2019. During the last four years, from 2016 to 2019, BAPS Charities Walkathons have helped plant a total of 361,000 trees.”
“It means a lot to us that your support is made possible by the thousands of BAPS Charities volunteers who believe like we do, that a healthy planet is critical to building healthy communities where both nature and people can thrive,” said Mark Tercek, President and CEO of The Nature Conservancy.”
In addition to fostering a spirit of service across generations of participants to support a cause touching the world, BAPS Charities involved young adults in high school and college in business sponsorship initiatives. The youth participants worked to secure partnerships from local businesses to support the Walkathon efforts.
Chandu J. Bhoraniya, Walk participant, said, “I was inspired to see so many teenagers participating, not just in the walk but also in the opening ceremonies, and management of the walk. Engaging the next generation is very crucial, and I am glad BAPS Charities shares that commitment.”
Gilbert Baez, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, said, “Baps Charities is really an important part again in commitment we have to community.”
Drashti Patel, event lead said, “I thank all the sponsors, the individual fundraisers and all who came out today morning to take part in this walk. We greatly appreciate your support.”
In addition to the annual Walkathon, BAPS Charities actively supports environmental sustainability efforts throughout the year through recycling projects, water conservation and utilizing solar power. BAPS Charities also organizes other humanitarian events throughout the year like Health Fair, Blood Donation Drive, Food Drive, and Children’s Health and Safety Day. The activities of BAPS Charities are centered on improving the quality of lives of individuals and their families. For additional information on BAPS Charities and its philanthropic activities click here.
Letter to the editor: I support Mike dePierro, Paul Carifi, Jr and Loretta Gragnani
Dear Editor,
Democratic Council Vice-President Janice McCarthy has said ” it’s understandable that taxpayers are angry at Mayor Soriano for raising our property taxes again.” She also indicated that she supports taxes for the upcoming years! I am very concerned about this mindset and policy taking control of Parsippany government.
Mayor Soriano and the Democrats have supported a local budget that contained significant property tax increases while blaming the previous administration for the Township’s financial position. However, the current administration has spent hundreds of thousands of additional monies creating jobs throughout the township’s government for political supporters. Also, some of the existing positions have removed qualified people and replaced them with unqualified people.
The Mayor supports the policies of his Political ally Governor Murphy. He has been committed to raising taxes which has resulted in chasing jobs out of New Jersey. People are leaving New Jersey more than any other state, and it is because of the heavy tax burdens on our residents.
Here is the bottom line. If voters elect just one Democrat to the Council in November, it will give the administration complete control of the government. Our township needs balanced government and a check on the agenda of both the Mayor and the Governor.
That is why I am proudly supporting Mike dePierro, Paul Carifi, Jr and Loretta Gragnani. They will be the Republican team that we need.
Eric Densmore
Delta Dental sponsored special performance to clients at Matheny’s Adult Day Center
PARSIPPANY — Todd Deremer, Matheny Adult Day Habilitation Coordinator at Hillsborough, with Randy Stodard, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Delta Dental of New Jersey, Dennis Wilson, President and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey, and two New Jersey Symphony Orchestra musicians who performed recently for clients at Matheny’s Adult Day Center in Hillsborough. The concert was sponsored by Delta Dental of New Jersey.
Clients from Matheny’s Adult Day Center in Hillsborough are pictured with bass-player Jonathan Storck from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra; Dennis Wilson, President and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey; violinist Fran Storck from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra; and Randy Stodard, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Delta Dental of New Jersey. Delta Dental of New Jersey recently sponsored a performance Jonathan and Fran gave to clients at Matheny. The Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation has awarded nearly $1 million over the past 17 years to support Matheny’s dental center located in Peapack.
Friends’ Prom Dress Sale Gives Back Twice
PARSIPPANY — If you’ve visited the Parsippany Main Library, 449 Halsey Road, in February, you might have seen prom dresses in the lobby or even grabbed one for a steal at the sale. There’s a great story behind the bargains, however, that the Friends want to share with the community.
This year’s prom dress sale raised over $2000 for the library’s teen programming and collections, which is especially critical in this time of mandated funding not being able to cover all of the needs voiced by the community. In order for the library to continue offering quality free programs and the latest materials, fundraising like this is essential.
In addition to local young women receiving dresses at a fraction of their retail cost, the Friends were able to connect with the Paterson Neighborhood Assistance Office. All remaining dresses were donated and were being given away at no cost to young women in the area who would not otherwise be able to afford a dress for their prom.
Since 1984, The Friends of the Parsippany Library have been committed to improving our libraries by raising funds that may be used in various ways, such as to sponsor events and programs; supplement children’s programs; and purchase books, computers, software and audio visual materials.
Funds come from book sales, revenue from “The Book Nook” (the Friends’ used book store) and various fundraisers. The remainder of the budget is made up of annual dues paid by the membership (whether individual or corporate), donations, and grants.
To learn more about how you can contribute to the growth of Parsippany’s libraries, visit the Friends of the Parsippany Library website by clicking here.