MORRISTOWN — On Friday, January 18 through Sunday, January 20, six of Mennen Sports Arena’s very own skaters will be heading to Detroit Michigan to participate in the United States Figure Skating Juvenile Nationals. It is the first year Mennen Sports Arena has skaters entered in each of the four different disciplines.

The hard work and countless hours on the ice for Dalila DeLaura and Isabella Bickenbach of Chatham, Drake Ton of Forest Hills, NY, Ryan Xie of Hillsborough, Antonio Manaco of Whitehouse Station, and Ava Ziegler of Dover has officially paid off as they join the best of the best from across the country this upcoming January.

Ranging from ages 11 – 13, these talented skaters are all members of The Skating Club of Morris headquartered at Mennen Sports Arena or train at Mennen Sports Arena in Morris Township and have traveled across the country to compete. But that’s not all! The young athletes dedicate up to 20 hours per week on the ice and participate in off-ice fitness, such as yoga and ballet training to help with strength and flexibility.

“The dedication and passion these skaters bring at such a young age is truly an inspiration,” says Whitney Trif, Skating School Administrator at Mennen Sports Arena. “We are already so proud of what they have accomplished, and this is just the beginning.” Mennen Sports Arena will be sending 6 out of the total 48 competitors nationwide!

Juvenile Pacific Coast Sectional Silver Medalists Isabella Bickenbach and Drake Tong will be competing in the Juvenile Dance Team category, while Juvenile Eastern Sectional Gold Medalists Dalila DeLaura and Ryan Xie represent the Juvenile Pairs Team. Competing in the Juvenile Boys category is Juvenile North Atlantics Bronze Medalist and Juvenile Eastern Sectional Bronze Medalist Antonio Manaco, and Juvenile North Atlantics Gold Medalist and Juvenile Eastern Sectional Gold Medalist Ava Ziegler represents Juvenile Girls.

The Morris County Park Commission features one of the region’s best park systems in the state of New Jersey. It currently protects and maintains 20,197 acres at 38 distinct sites plus offers a year-round calendar of events and activities for all to enjoy!

MORRIS COUNTY — Holiday gift-giving can be fun and generous and rewarding …. and the materials those gifts are wrapped in can easily outsize your trash cans. The boxes and paper and protective wrap produce an extra 1 million tons of trash across the nation, and Morris County is not immune.

To help make this a more environmentally friendly holiday season, especially as we approach Christmas Day, the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority urges county residents to use the general guide below to reduce the load. Be sure to check out your town’s website or go to www.mcmua.com for a listing of material that is acceptable in your curbside recycling program.

Holiday trash causes an extra 1 million tons of trash.
Recycle curbside — or reuse

• • Paper gift wrap – without sparkles, raised pattern or foil look
  • Sheets of tissue paper
  • Boxes, both corrugated and gift
  • Plastic bottles and containers coded 1, 2 or 5
  • Clean and dry aluminum cans, food trays and pie plates
  • Loose metal caps and jar lids
  • Glass jars and bottles
  • Cartons and boxes for milk, juice and soup

 Trash — or reuse

• • Ribbon and bows
  • Gift wrap with sparkles, raised patterns or foil look
  • Bubble wrap (Some small shippers will reuse.)
  • Packing peanuts (Some small shippers will reuse.)
  • Uncoded plastic of any type
  • Plastic containers coded 3, 4, 6, or 7
  • All plastic caps
  • ALL paper plates, cups, plastic lids, straws and utensils, even if they are unused.
  • To-go coffee cups and lids. Please get a reusable one.
  • Plastic rings from 6-packs

Special recycling:

Clean, dry plastic bags can be dropped off at many area grocery stores where they are sent to a recycler who manufactures them into composite lumber. Click here to find a location. Please do NOT put plastic bags into curbside recycling, where they end up damaging recycling machinery, costing taxpayers money.

E-waste (electronics) recycling such as TVs, computers, tablets, laptops, monitors, desktop printers and desktop faxes is mandated by state law. They are banned from the garbage; please do not leave them at the curb where scavengers can rip out valuable metals and leave a hazardous waste mess behind. The MCMUA, many municipalities, and several retail outlets provide free e-waste recycling. Visit the website for more information.

Battery recycling and disposal: The MCMUA and most towns now advise putting disposable alkaline AA and AAA in the garbage. For more information visit MCMUA.com or click here. Rechargeable batteries can be brought to Parsippany Recycling Center, 1 Pumphouse Road.

Natural Christmas trees:  In Parsippany, you can leave your Christmas trees out on your normal recycling day. Check with your municipality for guidelines. MCMUA does not recycle trees from homeowners.

Strings of holiday lights are accepted by some scrap metal dealers, but call first. Recycling guidelines vary. Click here  to check with your municipality.

For ideas and information on recycling, visit Earth911.com, DEP wastewise.

“The amount of trash that haulers collect increases dramatically during the holidays,” said Chris Vidal, of the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority’s Recycling Department. “Much of that is gift wrap and packaging that can be reused or recycled.” For more information on single stream recycling at MCMUA by clicking here.

PARSIPPANY — Representative-Elect Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) named Ethan Saxon, a 12-year veteran of the legislative branch, as her Chief of Staff, senior campaign staff Kellie Doucette and Jill Hirsch as District Directors, and Jackie Burns as Communications Director.

“We’re building a team of skilled, passionate, and committed people who are dedicated to serving the people of our community,” said Congresswoman-Elect Sherrill.  “I’m thrilled to have Ethan (Saxon) join our team and to have Jill (Hirsch), Kellie (Doucette), and Jackie (Burns), who played such vital roles during our campaign, continue their work on behalf of the 11th District.”

Ethan Saxon (Chief of Staff) the former Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), brings experience, knowledge, and expertise to the Congresswoman-Elect’s office. Saxon previously served as Democratic Staff Director of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and as senior advisor to two former members of the House Armed Services Committee. His work as an Analyst on the BRAC Commission supports the Congresswoman-elect’s commitment to protecting Picatinny Arsenal.

Kellie Doucette (Morris and Sussex Counties; office outreach) served as the campaign’s Constituency Director, coordinating outreach to various groups across the district. In 2017, Doucette served as the campaign manager for three Democratic candidates for Chatham Township Committee, and prior to entering the political sphere, she spent over 15 years working as both a healthcare policy analyst and as an healthcare actuary.

Jill Hirsch (Essex and Passaic Counties; casework and constituent services) helped launch the Sherrill campaign in May 2017 and served as the Political and Outreach Director. Hirsch holds a joint degree in Law and Social Work and worked as a Law Guardian at the Legal Aid Society in New York City, bringing her years of experience helping others to oversee the office’s constituent services.

Jackie Burns (Communications Director) joined the Sherrill campaign in the fall of 2017 and will join the Congresswoman in her D.C. office. Burns spent five years on Capitol Hill at the House of Representatives’ Office of the Historian.

MORRIS COUNTY — The Assembly advanced legislation to improve school bus safety by requiring school district transportation supervisors to complete a training program. Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco sponsored the bill (A2436) following a rash of school bus crashes, including a fatal wreck involving a Paramus school district bus.

“Creating a culture of school-bus safety begins with supervisors at the top,” said Bucco (R-Morris). “Recent accidents raise serious concerns about the supervision of the drivers entrusted with the lives of our children. Well-trained managers will ensure their drivers are dedicated to obeying the rules and protecting their young passengers.”

New hires and those with less than 11 years’ experience are required to complete the 138-hour Rutgers transportation rules and best practices course.

The Assembly passed Bucco’s bill in June, and voted today to adopt Senate amendments that set deadlines for course completion. The legislation now goes to the governor for his consideration.

MORRIS COUNTY — The New Jersey Senate has passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio and Senator Shirley Turner to create a commission that would develop reforms and create a pathway to justice for those who have been wrongfully convicted in New Jersey.

“Our innocence commission would address a wide variety of issues facing people who have been wrongfully convicted – from reintegrating back into society, to getting the compensation they deserve,” Senator Pennacchio explained. “The commission would also consider establishing a permanent panel that could review cases when our system fails.

“Innocent people should not spend a single day behind bars, but it happens all the time – even in New Jersey. I hope that our colleagues in the Assembly will listen to the stories we have shed light on throughout our journey to pass this bill. These people shouldn’t have to wait a moment longer for justice,” Pennacchio added.

Senators Pennacchio and Turner introduced S-406 more than a year ago, following  reports of wrongful conviction cases in New Jersey. The legislators have worked diligently with advocates and exonerated prisoners to highlight the need for their commission.

“Being forced to plead guilty, knowing you’re innocent, is one of the worst things that could happen to an innocent person,” Rodney Roberts, a New Jersey exoneree whose story has been highlighted by the Innocence Project, said. “But it happens more than you think. Then to find out later that, despite being exonerated, your guilty plea will keep you from getting compensation, is like being punished a second time for a crime you didn’t commit.”

Nationwide, more than 2,000 wrongfully convicted persons have been exonerated since 1989, according to the National Registry on Exonerations. However, the Registry estimates that there are tens of thousands of false convictions annually, with many more piling up over time.

“Nothing can return the time lost with loved ones or milestones missed when a wrongful conviction steals years from an innocent person’s life,” Senator Turner (D-15). “While we often consider the impact this has on an individual’s personal life, we need to remember it also stifles their potential lifetime earnings as well as threatening the financial security of themselves and their families. This legislation will help us identify how to prevent wrongful convictions and create an avenue to better address wrongful convictions when they do occur. We must do everything in our power to ensure those who have been wrongfully convicted are given justice, restorations, and the tools they need to successfully reenter society.”

About Pennacchio/Turner’s S-406: “The New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission”

The “New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission,” as established by S-406, would review all aspects of criminal cases involving wrongful conviction in New Jersey and recommend reforms to reduce the likelihood of wrongful conviction occurring in the future.

Under S-406, the commission must consider a specific recommendation for establishing a permanent panel before which a person who believes they have been the victim of a wrongful conviction could request a review of their own conviction, including those that are currently incarcerated.

The commission’s responsibilities would also include:

• Identifying the main causes of wrongful conviction and studying existing research on these causes;
• Recommending best practices to appropriate constituencies
• Examining the existing system of restitution to compensate wrongfully convicted persons
• Studying successful programs that assist with reintegration back into society following release

S-406 has received the support of a number of advocates, including Lesley Risinger, the founder and director of The Last Resort Exoneration Project at Seton Hall Law School, which provides pro-bono legal and investigative services to wrongfully convicted people in New Jersey.

“Conviction of the innocent is an abject failure of any criminal justice system,” Risinger said. “Creating the New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission would be an important step in addressing this problem. We believe in a collaborative approach that should take into account the views of all who have participated in the exoneration of the innocent in New Jersey, as well as the views and experiences of the exonerated innocent themselves. If this bill passes, we will of course stand ready to assist the commission as they move forward to study the ways in which our criminal justice system fails the innocent, both before and after conviction, and we look forward to providing our insights on measures to alleviate this problem.”

The legislation has also received the support of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference.

“The New Jersey State Conference of the NAACP is in full support of Senate Bill 406 which looks to create the New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission,” Safeer Z. Quraishi, administrative director of the NJ NAACP, said. “It is obvious that nobody should feel the devastating effects of incarceration if they did not commit the crime. We are looking forward to seeing the recommendations made by the Commission to reduce wrongful incarceration in New Jersey.”

“Rodney Roberts languished in prison for 17 years. AJ Nash was there for 10. This is a travesty of the highest magnitude. Policy changes like bail reform are meaningless, if we aren’t solving the systemic issues that allow innocent people to stay locked up,” Pennacchio added. “Our search for justice should know no bounds. Now that our bill has passed the Senate, I hope that the Assembly will take up the measure immediately. If this isn’t a time sensitive piece of legislation, I don’t know what is.”