MORRISTOWN — The case against a 22-year-old Mountain Lakes man accused of killing a Kentucky family of three in a motor vehicle crash on Route 80 in Rockaway Township is headed for a grand jury. Bhavuk Uppal has been charged with death by auto, driving while suspended and driving while intoxicated in the July 11 crash.…
Morris County Office of Health Management Joins State “Hot Car’’ Campaign
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County health officials are joining the state campaign this summer to get the word out that leaving unattended children in cars is a bad idea at any time, but can be a health danger to kids in the hot summer months.
You may think your errand will just take just a few minutes, but running an errand while leaving your child – or your pet — alone in a car often stretches longer, putting your child at risk of heatstroke and even death.
Striving to educate parents that the risk far exceeds any convenience, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) has partnered with statewide business organizations to raise awareness about the dangers of leaving children alone in vehicles.
DCF has been distributing window stickers to retail stores, supermarkets, financial institutions, insurance agents, state-licensed child care centers, and more featuring a simple but important message: Never leave your child unattended in a car. Not even for a minute.
“A hot car can become like a hot oven in just a matter of minutes on summer days,’’ said Carlos Perez, Jr, Health Officer for the Morris County Office of Health Management. “The rule of thumb should be never to leave your children or pets in a hot car, even for what you think will be a minute or two. It’s a bad idea.’’
“We urge Morris County residents to heed this common sense message and avoid potential problems,’’ said Morris County Freeholder Doug Cabana, who is the county governing board’s liaison on health issues. “Maybe they’re grabbing a gallon of milk or using the ATM and think it won’t take much time, but it’s never okay to leave a child alone in a car,” said DCF Commissioner Allison Blake.
The Department of Children and Families has produced an online video alerting parents and caregivers to the danger.
Last year, according to DCF, 31 children nationwide died from heatstroke because they were left unattended in vehicles. Since 1998, 12 children in New Jersey have died from vehicle-related heatstroke. Vehicle interiors hit unbearable temperatures quickly. A relatively cool day at 60 degrees outside could heat a car to 110 degrees inside. Parents and guardians can take easy steps to avoid leaving children unattended in cars. Adults can leave a stuffed animal in the child’s unoccupied car seat. Once caregivers place the child in the car seat, they can move the stuffed animal to the front seat. The stuffed animal will act as a visual reminder to remove the child from the vehicle upon reaching the destination. Other steps adults can take to keep young children safe include:
• Removing kids from the vehicle before unloading groceries or other items;
• Looking inside at the vehicle’s front and back seats before locking the door and walking away;
• Not allowing children to play in or around an unattended vehicle;
• Always lock your car and secure the keys so children can’t get to them;
• Installing a trunk release mechanism to avoid kids getting trapped inside the trunk; and
• Calling 911 immediately if you see a child unattended in a vehicle.
For more information, click here.
For more on Morris County health issues, click here.
Details of $1M on Christie travel can remain state secret
TRENTON — Details of nearly $1 million spent by State Police troopers to protect Gov. Chris Christie while he’s traveling the country can remain a state secret, a state Superior Court judge ruled. Judge Mary Jacobson issued an order Friday that will keep past expenses incurred by Christie’s Executive Protection Unit out of the public eye.…
Woman thrown from SUV on Route 80 in Parsippany wasn’t wearing seat belt
PARSIPPANY – A 68-year-old Dover woman who wasn’t wearing her seat belt was ejected onto the highway after the sport utility vehicle she was a passenger in struck a guardrail on Route 80 Monday evening, State Police said. Shortly before 6 p.m. state police received a report of a serious motor vehicle accident on Route 80…
How a surprise letter from Frank Gifford touched a young Parsippany football player
For some, Frank Gifford will be remembered as the player who made professional football matter in New York for the Giants. For others, he’ll be thought of as the broadcaster who helped bring the NFL into living rooms on Monday night as a tempered voice to go along with the bombastic Howard Cosell. But for Chuck…
Registration for Fall Classes Continues at County College of Morris
RANDOLPH — There is still time to enroll at County College of Morris (CCM) for the Fall Semester. Those who would like to take classes this fall should apply online and register for classes now at www.ccm.edu to get the best choice of classes.
The college also will be holding final in-person registration sessions later this month on its main campus at 214 Center Grove Road, Randolph. Once they have applied, students can register in-person in the Student Community Center during the following dates and times:
Tuesday, August 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 26, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 27, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Full-time students can save up to $50,000 or more by starting their first two years at CCM. Along with that savings, CCM students benefit from smaller class sizes and a selection of more than 50 associate degree programs, along with a full slate of certificate programs.
Students should apply to the college prior to the final in-person registration dates. A $30.00 application fee is required. Those who apply late and have not completed the testing process may be limited in the courses they can select.
This is Bradley! Bradley is looking for a new home
MORRIS COUNTY — Bradley is a cool dude! He is friendly, playful and fun! Bradley was rescued from a high kill shelter in North Carolina and is now living in a foster home in New Jersey.
Bradley is about 9 to12 months old and he weighs about 30 pounds, which is a small size for a labrador. As you can see, he is a handsome pup, with a beautiful shinny black coat and white on his chest.
This is what Bradley’s foster family has to say about him “Bradley is a happy pup and when he wags his tail (always) he wiggles his whole back side. Bradley enjoys playing with balls, plaything with other dogs and he is willing to go for walks or go for a run. He is gentle with our young children and he is a pleasure to have in our home.”
Bradley is quite the character and he will charm you!
If you are interested in adopting this puppy, please email FHDR@att.net for an adoption application. To see more photos of Callie or to see our other adoptable pets, click here.
Sweet Callie needs a home. Interested?
Looking for a bright little button to add smiles to your life? Then Callie is the puppy for you! Callie is about 10-11 weeks old and has a beautiful unique look. Her legs are brindle, her body is black, she has a long thin tail, she has the cuties long ears and she has whiskers!! Just cute as a button!
Callie a happy puppy because she is now living in a nice foster home in NJ after being rescued from a high kill shelter in North Carolina. Her foster family says “Callie is a playful and friendly puppy. She likes meeting people and she has a nice sweet personality. Callie spends her days exploring in the yard, playing with toys, going for walks and playing with our dog. Callie is good with our young daughter, she is playful yet calm. Callie is so sweet, we know when you meet her you will fall in love!”
If you are interested in adopting this puppy, please email FHDR@att.net for an adoption application. To see more photos of Callie and/or to see our other adoptable pets, click here.
Rock n’ Roll Ball raises funds for K9s For Warriors and Community Hope
MORRIS PLAINS — Rock n’ Roll Ball and VFW Post 3401 raises funds for K9s For Warriors and Community Hope with a benefit concert at the VFW Post in Morris Plains on Saturday, August 1. Lindsay Klein, John Hodorovych, and the WDHA street team were present.
“Two great organizations to get behind,” said Dan Glenn, co-promoter for the event along with Joe Gorgolione.
Rock n’ Roll Ball is an organization where quality bands and musicians unite and network with one another, while the audience experiences the results.
K9s For Warriors is dedicated to providing service canines to our warriors suffering from post-traumatic stress and/or traumatic brain injury, as a result of military service post 9/11. Their goal is to give a new leash on life to rescue dogs, and military heroes, empowering warriors to return to civilian life, with dignity and independence.
Community Hope is an outreach program providing housing and many other essential services to transitioning veterans.
The mission of the VFW is to foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts. To serve our veterans, the military and our communities. To advocate on behalf of all veterans.
The bands performing during the event were Audio Empire, Bubba Grouch, Subcommittee, Till Now, The Jake Mosca Band with members of Suitable for Transfer and Eli.
ELI is an alternative rock band from Parsippany. ELI was formed in 2010 by Conor Schaar and Mike Sliker on Halloween night. After bonding over Seether and Slipknot in a high school cross-country practice, they had a jam session and clicked right away. They quickly built up their chemistry to become a very tight rhythm section. Paul Machado taking influence from classic rock such as Led Zeppelin and grunge rock such as Nirvana, he made an interesting fit into the duo’s sound. Members of the band include: Conor Schaar – Bass & Vocals; Paul Machado – Guitar & Vocals and Michael Sliker – Drums & Percussion. For more informaton on ELI, click here.
Sponsors of the event included WDHA 105.5, Bednar Landscape Service, Music Den, Anthony & Sons Bakery, Wash N Wiggle, Garden State Harley, California Closets, Arthur’s Tavern, Breaking Games, Denville Animal Hospital, Frank’s Red Hot Pepper Sauce and Morristown Agway.
Volunteers participate in Rockaway River Cleanup
PARSIPPANY — The Deptartment of Public conducted the 9th Annual Rockaway River Clean-up on Saturday, August 8. Volunteers met at the Lake Hiawatha Swim Club at 8:00 a.m. The Township supplied gloves and cleaning materials to facilitate in the clean up.
The team cleaned up areas around the Rockaway River, along Lake Shore Drive, Knoll Road, Vail Road and Greenbank Road.
Over a dozen bags of trash were collected and other debris removed. This is the first time in several years that Rockaway River has been cleaned from the other side of the wall.
Clean Communities Coordinator Eddie Celardo and Department of Public Works Director Greg Schneider led the teams.
Bobbi Kristina Brown died from ‘toxic cocktail,’ lawsuit alleges
Controversy surrounding the death of Bobbi Kristina Brown continues to swirl. The administrator of her estate amended a wrongful death lawsuit to claim her boyfriend, Nick Gordon, gave the daughter of late pop singer Whitney Houston a “toxic cocktail,” according to The New York Post’s Page Six. The lawyer for her estate filed the lawsuit in…
Hamstrung IRS allows big money donors to stay hidden | Editorial
If you ever wonder just how self-defeating the political process can be, consider this: The dark money spent by shadowy tax-exempt groups will continue to pour down like silver over political campaigns, because the agency in charge of policing those private donations has decided that it is no longer worth enforcing the rules. This is not…
N.J. poll Christie blasted helped get him into 2016 debate | The Auditor
Gov. Chris Christie wasn’t the only one from Jersey to get a prominent presidential debate spot in the eyes of Fox News. The Monmouth University poll also made the cut: It was one of five national polling organizations Fox used to determine the top 10 Republicans who fought it out in their first debate on the…
Weekend weather: Pleasant days giving way to early-week rain
Get those outdoor plans taken care of this weekend because rain is expected to move into the region for the first couple of days next week. Pleasantly warm days are expected Saturday and Sunday, with highs mostly in the low- to mid-80s, according to the National Weather Service. A low-pressure system coming in from the Great…
PACC hosts “Staples Small Business Showcase”
PARSIPPANY — On Saturday, August 8, Parsippany Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Eye Level participated in “Staples Small Business Showcase,” sponsored by the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce.”
Parsippany OEM members Nicolas Limanov, Al Goldberg and Robert Beck were distributing literature, demonstrating ham radio equipment and answering questions from the public.
Parsippany OEM was recruiting new members during the event. If any one is interested in joining OEM, please email Eric Hubner, director, at cert@parsippany.net.
![eyelevel](https://i0.wp.com/parsippanyfocus.com/uploadedmedia/2015/08/eyelevel.jpg?resize=696%2C464&ssl=1)
In addition, Eye Level of Morris Plains, was distributing information about the education center and had give-a-ways to all the children.
Frank Cahill, Executive Board Member, said “This is a great opportunity for chamber members to display their goods and services to the customers of Staples and to increase their brand awareness.”
This monthly event, “Staples Business Showcase” is available to all PACC members and local non-profit groups.
For more information on “Staples Small Business Showcase” please contact Frank Cahill at (973) 402-6400 or email flcahill@parsippanychamber.org.
Investigation into Barberio, Inglesino moves forward
MORRISTOWN — Parsippany Mayor James Barberio and the Township Council were back in court this morning for oral arguments in the case Township Council vs. Mayor James R. Barberio. At issue was whether the Township Council is permitted to hire its own attorney to assist in an investigation of Mayor Barberio, Township Attorney John Inglesino and the billing practices of his law firm.
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. When Mayor Barberio refused to authorize the contract, the Council sued. Mayor Barberio counter-sued, arguing that the Council had over-stepped its authority and that two Council members were conflicted from voting, thereby rendering the original resolution null and void.
During a conference in Superior Court in Morristown on July 10, Assignment Judge Stuart Minkowitz asked both sides to meet with their respective lawyers to come up with a list of attorneys that might perform the investigation. Judge Minkowitz recommended that Barberio provide a list of three possible candidates that the Council would chose from. The Council agreed, as did Mayor Barberio in comments made to the Star Ledger at the time.
Ultimately, Barberio refused to the compromise which led to oral arguments in front of Judge Minkowitz this morning.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Minkowitz relied primarily on a 2005 case which landed in front of the NJ Supreme Court, MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK v. SHARPE JAMES. In that case, the Newark Council had attempted to hire its own attorney without mayoral approval. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of James stating that the Council had over-stepped its authority under the Faulkner Act.
Judge Minkowitz ruled today 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.
Monica Kaden named Trustee of the Healthcare Foundation
![Monica Kaden](https://i0.wp.com/parsippanyfocus.com/uploadedmedia/2015/08/Kaden-Monica-19_pp.jpg?resize=250%2C376&ssl=1)
PARSIPPANY — Monica Kaden, MBA, ASA, Director, Marks Paneth LLP, was recently named a Trustee of The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.
The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey has an endowment of $170 million and grants between $7-$8 million to healthcare organizations in Newark and Essex and Morris counties.
“It is a great pleasure and honor to be a trustee for this prestigious foundation that works hard to improve the healthcare of vulnerable populations,” states Ms. Kaden.
Every year the trustees of the Foundation have the responsibility to evaluate grant applications from not for profit health care organizations, meet with grantees, and then make decisions regarding the allocation of grant funds.
According to Ms. Kaden, ” this Foundation does great work and last year donated almost $8 million to programs for veterans, children, those with disabilities, and more.”
Ms. Kaden is an accredited senior appraiser (“ASA”) with the American Society of Appraisers. She has been performing business valuations for two decades and has focused her valuation practice in the healthcare industry. She specializes in valuing medical practices, ambulatory surgery centers and other health care entities, and has been qualified as a healthcare valuation expert. Her articles have appeared in various business and trade publications and she is a frequent presenter at accounting, legal and other professional organizations.
Ms. Kaden’s practice provides services to hospitals, physicians, free standing ambulatory centers, and other entities that must comply with health care regulation.
The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, originally called The Beth Israel Foundation, was established in 1996, when Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC) was sold to the Saint Barnabas Corporation after a proud history of providing quality care and a humanistic environment to people of all backgrounds in greater Newark who came to the hospital for treatment or for employment. The Foundation attempts to enhance and provide a new perspective on healthcare and health-related problems and, where appropriate, seeks to provide leadership in identifying problems and in seeing that such problems are studied. The Foundation seeks collaborations with organizations and institutions in both the Jewish and general communities to study problems, develop solutions, and provide funding to make those solutions a reality. To achieve these ends, and to ensure that Foundation funds are used as effectively as possible, the Foundation has developed and from time to time refines standards for the consideration of proposals and the evaluation of results. Flexibility is key: not only to respond to developments in healthcare with appropriate grants, but to identify new areas of concern and different approaches to improving the health of vulnerable populations and create funding initiatives to meet those new concerns.
Overnight Route 80 Ramp Closures due to paving
PARIPPANY — Due to paving on Route 80 between 9:00 p.m. Friday, August 7, and 5:00 a.m. Saturday, August 8 the following ramps will be closed. Please follow detour signs.
- Smith Road to Road 80 Eastbound
- Route 287 Northbound to Route 80 Eastbound
- Route 80 Eastbound Express to Route 80 Easebount Local Cross over Ramp at Mile Post 44.0
- Route 80 Eastbound Local Exit 45 to Beverwyck Road
CVS drops Viagra, other drugs from coverage
CVS is dropping more than two dozen drugs from its prescription plans including Viagra, according to reports. The chain pharmacy store will remove 28 drugs in total from its CVS/Caremark insurance coverage, narrowing the list of approved drugs to lower costs for companies that pay for its employees’ benefits, CNN reports. “For those drugs that are…
Report: Defense attorney says man arrested near movie theater had guns legally
MORRISTOWN — The defense attorney for the man who was arrested for allegedly carrying concealed guns near a movie multiplex in Morristown said he possessed the guns legally, according to a report in the Daily Record. The family of defendant Andrew Pfitzenmayer, 26, of Peapack-Gladstone, has retained Montville attorney Frank Pisano to represent him, according to…