PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany High School Marching Band won Second Place with a score of 82.725 at MetLife Stadium Yamaha Cup Competition on Saturday, September 26.
John Fox, 18 Year Sheriff of Morris County, dies at 73; Funeral Services Set
PARSIPPANY — Former Morris County Sheriff John M. Fox, Sr., 73, passed away peacefully at his home Saturday, September 26, surrounded by his loving family.
John was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and moved to East Orange as a young child. He lived in Livingston before settling in Parsippany in 1955.
John began his career in public service as a police officer in 1965 with the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department, later rising to the rank of detective. In 1975, he was elected Sheriff of Morris County and spent the next 18 years turning the office into a support center for local enforcement. His accomplishments include creating the Crimestoppers program, Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program (S.L.A.P ), K-9 unit, Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (S.E.R.T.) and the criminal investigation division.
After his retirement in 1992, John continued his life of public service by serving as a Morris County Freeholder, a Parsippany-Troy Hills councilman, and most recently as a commissioner of the Morris County Board of Elections.
John has been the recipient of numerous awards, including mostly recently the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award from the State Troopers Coalition.
While his professional accomplishments are many, his greatest joy was his family.
“As a young Sheriff, John Fox had the vision to start Crimestoppers, SLAP, a K-9 Unit, a Bomb Squad and our Criminal investigative Services Unit. His vision laid the foundation for what the Morris County Sheriff’s Office has become today; an award-winning, nationally recognized law enforcement agency. All of our officers and employees have Sheriff Fox’s family in our thoughts and prayers. May they find comfort knowing he has left such a wonderful legacy in the county he loved so very much,” said Sheriff Ed Rochford.
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen said “John Fox was an old friend who I first met when I got out of the Army back in 1971. He was a great Morris County sheriff and freeholder and left a positive mark on law enforcement in our community , especially his work to establish the Morris County Police and Fire Academy.”
Parsippany-Troy Hills Council President Paul Carifi, Jr., said “I had the honor and the privilege to work for John Fox while he was Morris County Sheriff. Not only was he a visionary but a true leader. The Morris County Sheriff’s Office would not be what it is today if it were not for John Fox. He may be gone but never forgotten.”
Morris County Administrator John Bonanni stated “The entire Morris County family mourns the loss of Sheriff Fox and extends our sincerest condolences to his Family. Sheriff Fox was a natural born leader whose many contributions will remain with Morris County forever to both protect its citizens and symbolize his legacy. He had a unique and instinctive manner that simply and naturally commanded respect. He fostered, maintained and developed a culture of “dedicated creativity” that resulted in the continual development and implementation of so many programs and services designed to keep Morris County safe. Whether serving as Sheriff or Freeholder, John Fox assumed each position with a deep understanding of critical issues and a determined committment to always make improvements were needed. All of his wonderful qualities were topped off with nothing less than a great sense of humor, which kept all of us who worked with him coming back for more. May God Bless Sheriff Fox and his family.”
“Sheriff Fox will be truly missed I had the honor and privilege to work for him for approximately five years. He was a mentor to me and a role model for the Law Enforcement community. Sheriff Fox was an exceptional leader who’s vision had made the Morris County Sheriffs Department what it is today,” said Councilman Louis Valori, Jr.
“John Fox played an important and successful role as a Police Officer/Detective and as the Sheriff of Morris County. One of his goals was to start and grow Crime Stoppers here in Morris County and to this day it is a successful and interactive instrument in fighting crime and allows individuals to be involved and inform law enforcement of any information they may have without the worry of being exposed. I worked with Sheriff Fox at the Morris County Sherriff’s department during his tenure as Sheriff of Morris County. Years later I was his Campaign Chair for his Council seat here in Parsippany. Knowing John and his family has been a long time friendship. Congressman Dean Gallo and my late husband Republican Leader Alex DeCroce were close confidants and John played a large roll in their political careers as well as they did in his. My first thought was sadness for his family and knowing how proud he was to be a grandfather and how unfair it is that he will not be able to see his grandchildren growing up. I know Maryann and the family will make sure they know how important their grandfather was to Morris County and the State of New Jersey. May God Bless him and his family,” said Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce.
Mr. Fox is survived by his devoted wife of 49 years, Mary Ann (nee-Japko), his loving children: John and his wife, Deanna, Michelle Theobald and her husband, Darren, and Karie Golenda and her husband, Michael, and his dear brother and sisters: Vincent and his wife, Cora, Barbara Bullwinkel and husband, Bill and Susan Turner; he is also survived by his five adoring grandchildren: Sienna, Michael, Matthew, Natalie and Ryan.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Liturgy of Christian Burial to be offered at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 30 at St. Christopher R.C. Church, 1050 Littleton Road. Interment: Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover.
Visiting hours are on Tuesday Evening from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Par-Troy Funeral Home, 95 Parsippany Road.
In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the 200 Club of Morris County. P.O. Box 1743, Morristown, NJ 07962-1743.
Clear skies, warm temperatures on tap for rest of day
The first weekend of fall is nearly over in the Garden State, but locals can expect another day of cool air and clear skies. The National Weather Service predicts temperatures will peak at 71 in Newark, 73 in Trenton and 74 in Cape May, with slight breezes throughout the day. Clouds are expected to move in…
Fifth grade students at Littleton School holds car wash
PARSIPPANY — The fifth grade class at Littleton Elementary School held a car wash to raise fund for end of year activities.
The students had fun washing and drying all the cars that came to the event.
Parsippany Councilman slated to be appointed to County Park’s Commission
MORRISTOWN — The Morris County Freeholders are expected to vote in a new County Parks Commissioner at their next meeting scheduled meeting set for October 14. At a prior meeting of the Freeholders, a majority including Hank Lyon, David Scapicchio, John Krickus and Thomas Mastrangelo indicated that they would be in favor of appointing Parsippany Councilman Dr. Louis Valori to the post.
Former commissioner Judith Schleicher vacated her position in July and Valori’s appointment will fill her unexpired term which ends December 31, 2017.
“I feel honored to be considered,” Valori told Parsippany Focus.
The Morris County Parks Commission was established in 1956 by voter referendum. Lewis Morris County Park in Morris Township was the first park dedicated in March 1958 with 350 acres. The second park acquired was 75 acres and is now known as James Andrews Memorial Park in Randolph.
Morris County is the largest county park system in New Jersey based on acreage and is steward to over 18,730 acres of parkland. It includes 38 facilities: historic sites, golf courses, outdoor educational and recreational facilities, arboreta, conservation areas, 150 miles of trails, ice skating arena, and an artificial turf field complex with two inline hockey rinks. More than 3.5 million visit the parks each year.
The Morris County Parks System staff includes 156 full-time and 149 seasonal and part-time employees. Hundreds of volunteers contribute more than 13,000 hours each year.
There are 9 volunteer Park Commissioners serving 5-year terms selected by the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Each Commissioner serves on several committees to oversee the Park System’s activities. The Commission has public meetings monthly, except for August.
PHHS Project Graduation has fundraiser at Applebee’s
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Hills High School Project Graduation committee held an Applebee’s fundraiser on Sunday, September 27.
Seniors served breakfast to the guests. The breakfast included pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and beverages.
Project Graduation is a program offered to Parsippany High School students, in which organized, adult-supervised and alcohol-free activities are offered as part of a post-graduation party, as an alternative to student-run events involving alcoholic beverages or other drugs. The event last through the night and is held at MetLife.
Say Hi to Felix!
Say Hi to Felix! Felix is about 12-14 weeks old his name should be Freckles! This is because Felix has a really beautiful unique coat, it’s white with brown spots and lot of brown freckles!
Felix was rescued along with his sister Felicia, from a high kill shelter in North Carolina and they are now living in a wonderful foster homes in New Jersey.
Felix foster mom says….” Felix is very loving and loves to be with people. He is so cute when he climbs on our laps to snuggle. And, he will lay on our daughter’s bed when she is doing her homework. Felix is a curious puppy who enjoys exploring in the yard. He is having fun playing with our dog, he likes to follow her around and run with her in the yard. Felix also enjoys playing with toys, especially kong and nylabones. He is a smart fellow who is learning his name, knows the commands “no” and “leave it”. Felix walks on the leash nicely and he is doing very well with house training. Felix is very sweet, playful, yet calm puppy and he is not a barker. Just a perfect little puppy!”
We are sure when Felix looks at you with those sad puppy dog eyes, you will fall in love! If you have a furever home for this pet, please e-mail FHDR@att.net and request an adoption application. To see more photos & a video clip of the pup and to see our other adoptable rescue pups, please go to www.fhdr.petdinder.com
Atlantis Sports Club renews membership in Parsippany Chamber
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce Board members Ildiko Peluso and Robert Greulich, CPA with Atlantis Sports Clubs and Spa manager Diana Gil (left). The three are holding Atlantis’ renewal plaque.
Each member of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce receives a plaque each year they renew the membership in the organization.
Atlantis Sports Clubs and Spa is located inside Parsippany Sheraton Hotel, 199 Smith Road.
For more information on Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce, click here.
Kiwanis Club volunteers feed dinner to over 40 homeless individuals
PARSIPPANY — The Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany cooks dinner once a month for the clients of Homeless Solutions, 540 West Hanover Avenue, Morris Township.
This month, Kiwanis Volunteers Joyce Garrow, Frank Cahill and Nicolas Limanov was joined by Aktion Club members Kevin Curtis White, Matt Rodaman and Kevin Luecht.
The menu consisted of Baked Ziti, delicious Meatballs, Tossed Salad, rolls, fruit salad and chocolcate cake.
They served dinner to over 40 homeless individuals, which included females, males and young children.
Homeless Solutions provides shelter for 25 homeless men, 10 homeless women, 10 families and 20 Safe Haven guests. Their guests receive services including case management, transportation to work and necessary appointments, money management and employment assistance, housing search assistance and daily living skills training. Referral services for counseling, substance abuse intervention, and prevention are also provided.
Homeless Solutions, Inc. employs 49 staff, 36 full-time and 13 part-time. Homeless Solutions, Inc. is governed by a Board of Trustees and is incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of New Jersey.
Aktion Club is the only service club for adults with disabilities, with more than 12,000 members worldwide.
Aktion Clubs draw members from various organizations that support individuals with disabilities, as well as other community programs. Aktion clubs can also be established at churches, libraries, YMCAs, lodges or similar facilities. A Kiwanis club, composed of like-minded, service-oriented people from the community, serves as the club’s sponsor.
Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany chooses service projects that we feel need attention. They are all local people who volunteer their time and talents to make our community a better place to live. Members, like you, are busy with making a living, church, family, and many other activities. However, they have found that Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany gives not only a chance to give back to our community in a meaningful way, but enjoy the fellowship, networking, and fun aspects as well.
Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany meets weekly on Thursday at 7:15 a.m. at Empire Diner, 1315 Route 46.
For more information click here.
PHS hold service night; Students decorated pillow cases for Valerie Fund Children’s Center
PARSIPPANY — The students at Parsippany High School participated in a service night and decorated pillow cases for the children at Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Morristown Medical Center. The first service night of the new school year brought nearly 100 students to the cafeteria to participate in decorating pillow cases.
Fundraiser for Brian Bramley was held
PARSIPPANY — A fundraiser for Brian “Mouse” Bramley, 49 was held at Mount Holleran Town Tavern to help pay for his recovery from open heart surgery, on Saturday, September 26.
Bramley had open heart surgery on July 31. He’s doing well and will continue to be out of work for several months as he recovers.
The event had a suggested donation of $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for children between 15 and eight years old. Children under seven years old are free.
The “Have a Heart for Mouse” event featured free food and 50/50 and basket raffles. Joe Jannarone, President Sons of Italy 2561, was present and made a donation on behalf of the organization. Also supporting the event was Council President Paul Carifi, Jr., and Councilman Brian Stanton.
Additional monetary donations for Bramley can be sent through PayPal to xmas2567@verizon.net.
‘We’re going to be brothers forever’; teammates, coaches mourn Warren Hills QB
Several cards were placed among the flowers at a memorial at Warren Hills’ football stadium – one branded with a large Superman emblem. It was clear on Saturday morning that Evan Murray was a superhero, and more, to the Warren County community. The high school senior died on Friday night after being injured during a home…
A papal miracle? N.J. woman gets new kidney in Philly during pope’s visit
PHILADELPHIA — The police called it divine intervention. A South Jersey woman anxiously awaiting some important news experienced her own personal miracle Saturday during Pope Francis’ visit to Philly. At 11 a.m., the New Jersey State Police received a phone call from the Department of Health. A Berlin woman in need of a kidney transplant had…
Mayor to provide attorney to Council in Inglesino investigation
PARSIPPANY — At the September 22, 2015 Township Council meeting, Parsippany Mayor James Barberio informed Council members that he would provide the legislative body with an attorney by October 6 who would represent the Council in lawsuit brought on against himself.
In April 2014, the Council voted to retain attorney Wilfredo J. Ortiz, II from the law firm of Dario, Albert, Metz & Eyerman to provide legal assistance in its investigation of the billing practices of Township Attorney John Inglesino. When Mayor Barberio refused to authorize the contract, the Council sued. Mayor Barberio counter-sued, arguing that the Council had overstepped its authority and that two Council members were conflicted from voting, thereby rendering the original resolution null and void.
Morris County Superior Court Assignment Judge Stuart Minkowitz ruled in August that Parsippany’s Council did not have the authority under the Faulkner Act to unilaterally chose its own attorney, but he also noted that the Township Council required legal representation and had the legal authority to approve or disapprove of any attorney Barberio may put forward to the Council. In his decision, Judge Minkowitz ordered the mayor to provide the Council with an attorney and should the Council not approve his selection, the mayor must continue to put forth a name until the Council agrees.
Under the Faulkner Act the powers vested with the Township Council include:
a. The override of a veto of the mayor;
b. The exercise of advice and consent to actions of the mayor;
c. The conduct of legislative inquiry or investigation;
d. The expression of disapproval of the removal by the mayor of officers or employees;
e. The removal of any municipal officer for cause;
f. The adoption of rules for the council;
g. The establishment of times and places for council meetings;
h. The establishment of the council as a committee of the whole and the delegation of any number of its members as an ad hoc committee;
i. The declaration of emergencies respecting the passage of ordinances;
j. The election, appointment, setting of salaries and removal of officers and employees of the council, subject to any pertinent civil service requirements and any pertinent contractual obligations, and within the general limits of the municipal budget;
k. Designation of official newspapers;
l. Approval of contracts presented by the mayor;
m. Actions specified as resolutions in the “Local Budget Law” (N.J.S. 40A:4-1 et seq.) and the “Local Fiscal Affairs Law” (N.J.S. 40A:5-1 et seq.); and
n. The expression of council policies or opinions which require no formal action by the mayor.
John Fox, Former Morris County Sheriff, Dies
Parsippany Focus has learned that former Morris County Sheriff, John Fox has died. Fox, first elected sheriff in 1975, served in the post for 18 years. Fox also served as a Morris County Freeholder, Parsippany Councilman, and most recently as a commissioner of the Morris County Board of Elections.
Parsippany Focus will update with a more complete obituary as more information becomes available.
Groundbreaking Ceremony for new ISKCON Temple draws hundreds
PARSIPPANY — The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) had a groundbreaking ceremony for its new temple today at 180 Troy Road, at the corner of Troy and Baldwin Road.
Hundreds of people participated in the event.
This will be the first ISKCON temple in the Northeast that will be built in a traditional, Vedic architectural style and will feature elements such as shikhars (domes) and jharokhas (decorative windows) among others.
ISKCON is also celebrating its golden jubilee, 50 years since its inception in 1966 by Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, when he brought Lord Krishna’s teachings to America.
Confusion, concern and disbelief over Warren Hills Regional High School quarterback’s death
Everyone knew Evan Murray. “He is an amazing kid,” said Taylor Coughlin, a 16-year-old junior at Warren Hills Regional High School. “He was in the National Honor Society. “He was an amazing student and an amazing athlete. He stood out in his athletics, his academics — everything.” Murray, a Warren Hills senior, died after being injured…
Breezy Saturday for much of N.J., flooding for the Jersey Shore
Coastal flooding and strong rip currents are expected along the Jersey Shore Saturday, but those inland can expect a cool and breezy weekend. Much of the Garden State will be dry, cloudy and breezy on Saturday with temperatures in the low to mid 70s, according to the National Weather Service. RELATED: Weekend weather in N.J. looks…
Sunday will be last chance to see a Super Blood Moon until 2033
For the first time in more than 30 years, you can witness a supermoon in combination with a lunar eclipse. Late on Sept. 27, 2015, in the U.S. and much of the world, a total lunar eclipse will mask the moon’s larger-than-life face.
Watch NASA’s live stream from 8:00 p.m. until at least 11:30 p.m. EDT broadcast from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., with a live feed from the Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, Calif. Mitzi Adams, a NASA solar physicist at Marshall will discuss the eclipse and answer questions from Twitter. To ask a question, use #askNASA.
Throughout human history, lunar eclipses have been viewed with awe and sometimes fear. Today, we know that a total lunar eclipse happens when the full moon passes through the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, the umbra.
Sunday’s supermoon eclipse will last 1 hour and 11 minutes, and will be visible to North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific. Weather permitting, you can see the supermoon after nightfall, and the eclipse will cast it into shadow beginning at 8:11 p.m. EDT. The total eclipse starts at 10:11 p.m. EDT, peaking at 10:47 p.m. EDT.
The moon does not make its own light; it reflects light it receives from the sun. During a lunar eclipse, the moon appears less and less bright as sunlight is blocked by the Earth’s shadow. As totality approaches, sunlight reaches the moon indirectly and is refracted around the “edges” of Earth, through Earth’s atmosphere. Because of this, almost all colors except red are “filtered” out, and the eclipsed moon appears reddish or dark brown. This filtering is caused by particulates in our atmosphere; when there have been a lot of fires and/or volcanic eruptions, lunar eclipses will appear darker and redder. This eerie — but harmless — effect has earned the phenomenon the nickname “blood moon.”
The live feed from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will offer views of the eclipse from not only the Griffith Observatory, but the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Fernbank Observatory in Atlanta and other locations across the United States. The live feed is an alternative for those experiencing less-than-optimal weather or light-polluted night skies.
If you miss this event, you’ll have to wait a while — the next supermoon eclipse won’t occur until 2033.
Weekend weather in Parsippany looks mainly dry, but breezy
The first weekend of fall in New Jersey is shaping up to be mostly dry with seasonable temperatures. Expect a partly sunny Friday with temperatures in the low to mid 70s, according to the National Weather Service. This evening should be partly cloudy with lows dipping into the 50s. It remains rain-free Saturday, though conditions are…