PARSIPPANY — Debbie King was seven years old in 1963 when her father, James Ryan, co founded a nonprofit to help people heal from mental illness and cope with life’s challenges. But it would be years before King grasped the powerful, lasting impact NewBridge Services would make in local communities.

She recalled a day in her mid-20s when the family drove past the nonprofit’s day treatment program for adults with serious mental illness, now called NewBridge Crossroads. King pointed out the odd scene of tropical plants on the property, which sits close to Newark-Pompton Turnpike in Pequannock.

“My father explained they were part of the horticultural therapy program, which was really helping clients,” she said. “That’s when I started to understand what NewBridge was all about.”

King is now president of NewBridge Services Board of Trustees, just as her father had been.

“I really believe in the mission of NewBridge, and I think my father would be very proud and happy that I’m continuing in his footsteps,” the lifelong Pequannock resident said. Ryan, a highly decorated World War II veteran, served several terms as board president, and remained an avid supporter until his death in 2005, at age 84.

NewBridge began as the Pequannock Valley Mental Health Center, providing mental health services to seven eastern Morris County towns. It continually expanded its scope and service areas, taking the name NewBridge Services in 1998, the year it earned national accreditation. NewBridge now provides counseling, housing and education to more than 7,200 children, adults and seniors in five northern New Jersey counties.

A longtime NewBridge supporter, King became an active volunteer when she retired from a 34-year career in retail. She spent 23 of those years as vice president and division merchandising manager of women’s shoes for Bloomingdales. She recently stepped down as chair of the Fashion Footwear Association of New York, and still serves on its board.

King joined the NewBridge Gala Committee in 2015, the year she and her husband, George, donated $5,000 to NewBridge Jobs Plus, the nonprofit’s alternative education and career program. (Bloomingdales made a matching donation.) NewBridge dedicated a classroom to her father and mother, Marie.

“My father really believed in education,” she said, noting he earned a dual degree in chemical engineering from Saint Lawrence University in New York and Massachusetts Institute of Technology after World War II. A first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Ryan earned a Purple Heart, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster.

King has been a hands-on leader since joining the board of trustees in 2018. She is involved in revitalizing the Enrich horticulture program, and challenged another nonprofit’s decision to adopt the nearly identical name to NewBridge. She is chair of the Legacy of Hope Gala, which will be held May 9 at The Legacy Castle in Pequannock. (Click here  to buy purchase and take advantage of sponsorship and ad journal opportunities.)

“Jim and Marie Ryan made such a positive impact on the lives of people with mental illness and their families, and we are fortunate Debbie is carrying their torch forward,” NewBridge CEO Robert L. Parker. “Debbie brings to the table leadership and business acumen that is helping to ensure a vibrant future for NewBridge and all the people it serves.”

The other members of the 2019 NewBridge officers are: Vice President David Crapo, Treasurer Isobel Wayrick and Secretary Rich Paliwoda.  

NewBridge Services, a 501c(3) nonprofit, is a leading provider of counseling services, housing and educational programs in northern New Jersey serving 7,200 adults and seniors last year alone. NewBridge treats mental illnesses and addictions; teaches skills for coping with stress, grief and challenging relationships; helps children who have been abused and neglected — and their families — heal; builds and manages affordable housing; offers school-based programs that teach children and adolescents resiliency skills for healthy emotional development; helps young adults succeed in their education and prepare for careers; and supports seniors so they can remain independent. Throughout its 56-year history, NewBridge has remained true to its mission of bringing balance to people’s lives by tracking shifts in communities’ needs and providing innovative, effective programs to meet them.

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Council President Paul Carifi, Jr., is reminding residents of the upcoming regular council meeting on Tuesday, April 2 starting at 7:00 p.m.

The public is invited to attend all meetings. A portion of each meeting will be set aside for public comment. Formal action may or may not be taken at all scheduled meetings. Ending time is approximate.

Any individual who is a qualified disabled person under the American with Disabilities Act may request auxiliary aids such as a sign interpreter or a tape recorder to be used for a meeting. Auxiliary aids must be requested at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. Please call (973) 263-4351 to make a request for an auxiliary aid.

PARSIPPANY — How do you spell generosity?  TBA!  Member families and Parsippany ShopRite supplied all the ShopRite “building blocks” needed to build Noah’s Ark.

On Sunday March 24, volunteers, led by Stu Bauer of Temple Shalom, built the Ark in the lobby of Temple Beth Am.

The “builders” painstakingly assembled the ark from food taped together, from the base of spaghetti to the roof of Mac N Cheese.  The “tunafish” are swimming in bottles of water, and the animals are aboard ready to set sail.

PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany installed two new members on Thursday, March 28.

President Karen DeChristopher introduced Laura Wohland and Julie Carifi who recently joined the club. Both new members were sponsored by Past-President Frank Cahill.

Karen DeChristopher said “We welcome Julie and Laura to this global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.”

“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 members into our club? Today we’re very pleased to welcome Julie and Laura to the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany,” said President Karen DeChristopher.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany supports ten K-Kids clubs, Lake Parsippany Elementary School, Eastlake Elementary School, Lake Intervale School, Mt. Tabor Elementary School, Littleton Elementary School, Lake Hiawatha Elementary School, Troy Hills Elementary School, Northvail Elementary School, Knollwood School and Rockaway Meadow Elementary School, two builders clubs, Central Middle School and Brooklawn Middle School; two Key Clubs, Parsippany Hills High School and Parsippany High School and one Aktion Club. In addition, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany supports a Circle K Club at Seton Hall University.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany raises funds and donates to the Parsippany Food Pantry, Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library, Parsippany PAL Youth Center, Parsippany High School Scholarship Program, Parsippany Hills High School Scholarship Program, Parsippany Child Day Center, Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey, Camp Nejeda, NJ Sharing Network, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Parsippany, Parsippany Project Graduation, Jersey Battered Women’s Services, Family Promise of Morris County, Parsippany Little League West, Parsippany Little League East to name a few.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany meets every Thursday at 7:15 a.m. at Empire Diner, 1315 Route 46. For more information on Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany click here.

PARSIPPANY — Insurance options for New Jersey consumers remain limited and costly. Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce wants to allow residents to purchase policies from any other state in the country.

“Trenton tells us to shop around for the right coverage, but the choices are few and far between and policies can be unaffordable,” said DeCroce (R-Morris). “We should be able to travel out-of-state to save some money.”

Residents and employers under the bill (A5274) may purchase any insurance policy sold in another state, including health, auto, and worker’s comps provided they meet state requirements.

“More alternatives create competition within the marketplace. Buyers benefit from better coverage and cheaper premiums,” DeCroce said. “It’s a global economy today. People shop online, buying clothes, tools and shoes from anywhere in the country. Insurance shouldn’t be any different.

“A handful of powerful corporations control insurance in our state. That’s not the best situation for the little guys, the families, small business people, and retirees. This will give residents an opportunity to cut expenses on some of the most costly items in their annual budgets,” DeCroce concluded.

MORRIS COUNTY —  The Morris County Board of Freeholders adopted county government’s 2019 budget, which slightly increases the average tax levy to pay for enhanced social services, public safety, education, modern technology, and a strong emphasis on maintaining the county’s vital road, bridge, and facilities infrastructure.

County homeowners will pay an average of just $11 more annually, or 0.94 cents per month, in county taxes this year to finance programs and services included in the county’s $315.3 million 2019 county budget.

“We carefully scrutinized county operations to make sure we run a modern, efficient and cost effective county government,’’ said Freeholder Director Doug Cabana. “This is fair and balanced budget, which incorporates all current critical needs of our residents while taking a far-reaching look at the county’s future.’’

The operating budget incorporate important public safety and social services initiatives, offered in many cases with nonprofit providers, and dealing with school safety, the opioid epidemic, childcare, emergency medical services, and other services for the county’s most vulnerable residents.

The budget positions the county to address emerging challenges and needs by partnering with its 39 municipalities, constitutional offices, nonprofits, and others entities on a variety of programs and projects.

It also addresses the need to maintain the county’s roads and bridges, and its technology, law enforcement, public safety, educational and recreational infrastructure that are key to the county’s high quality of life.

“This  2019 budget ensures that our county will remain the premier place in New Jersey in which to live, work, and raise a family,’’ said Freeholder Heather Darling, chair of the freeholders’ budget subcommittee. Other members are Freeholders Kathy DeFillippo and Deborah Smith.

“It was developed in coordination with the county’s strategic plan, adhering to guiding principles developed in that plan, in concert with the county’s municipal, school, business, healthcare, nonprofit and community leaders.’’

While maintaining a tight rein on spending, the 2019 budget invests in key programs and initiatives that maintain the high quality of life in the county:

• Maintains and expands public safety initiatives;
• Sustains all human services programs;
• Enhances Stigma-Free tools to deal with opioids and mental health issues;
• Addresses the needs of our military veterans.
• Continues the preservation trust fund that finances open space, farmland and historic preservation, and funds recreational trails and flood mitigation projects.

The budget also supports countywide economic development, protects the top-ranked Triple A bond rating, and preserves a stable level of fund balance required for well-run county governments.

Some new and expanded programs, to be done through partnerships, include:

• Expanding Morris County’s EMS Initiative, to offer two additional backup units for as-needed emergency response service to all 39 Morris County municipalities;
• Rolling out “Navigating Hope,’’ which will deliver critical social services programs into the community, and will partner with the Sheriff’s Hope One opioid initiative;
• Expanding investments in community based Human Services programs operated and managed by nonprofit agencies within the county;
• Creating a Ballistics Laboratory in the Sheriff’s Office, to support law enforcement;
• Supporting the Responsible School Violence Prevention Program for school districts;
• Developing a new services-oriented county website, and new electronic online forms system for public interaction with county government;
• Increased funding for the county park system;
• Addressing the Emerald Ash Borer countywide tree infestation.

The 2019 budget strategically authorizes $33.5 million to responsibly deal with critical infrastructure needs, including county roads and bridges; public safety technology and security enhancements; parks, education and building maintenance needs.

This portion of the budget was reviewed by a subcommittee of the Freeholder Board that included Freeholders Tom Mastrangelo, John Krickus and Stephen Shaw.

$18.8 million is dedicated for public works initiatives and includes:

• Resurfacing of 25.3 miles of county roads;
• Construction of six bridges and design of nine bridges;
• Morris View Healthcare, Historic Courthouse and other facilities maintenance projects.

The planned $7.8 million earmarked for bridge projects (combined with federal and state dollars) is the highest amount allocated for bridge repair and replacement in six years. Projects will target the county’s lowest rated bridges to ensure continued safety.

Some other major capital funding:

• $6.7 million: County College of Morris campus upgrades, including construction of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center;
• $6.6 million: 9-1-1 Communications Center technology upgrades;
• $2.2 million: Information Technology equipment and upgrades;
• $1.9 million: Park Commission improvements, including renovation of Lees Marina;
• $1.6 million: Morris County School of Technology upgrades;
• $1.2 million: Head Start Program expansion and renovation (loan to be repaid);

View the county’s 2019 budget by clicking here.