During the first year of the Christie administration, a team of prosecutors in Hunterdon County was pursuing a criminal investigation of some of the governor’s political pals. It was not a huge case. The local sheriff was accused of hiring deputies without conducting proper background checks and making employees sign loyalty oaths. Her deputies were accused…
Fire District 6 holds car wash fundraiser
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Fire Distrct 6 held a boot drive and car wash fundraiser on Saturday, July 25.
To volunteer and be a member of Parsippany Troy-Hills Fire District 6 call (973) 335-0144 or click here to e-mail Wayne Seelinger, Recruitment Officer. They also have a Junior Firefighter program-age 16 and up.
Other fundraising events to support District 6 are Amazon and Groupon. Click here for more information.
JCP&L Reminds Customers to Register for Programs to Help Stay Informed During Summer Storm Season
MORRISTOWN — With the summer storm season underway, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) reminds customers who depend on private well water, or use electrically operated life support equipment, to register their account with the company to receive updates on potential service interruptions, such as weather-related outages.
JCP&L maintains a list of homes and businesses that depend on electrically operated private wells for water. These customers are notified if a power outage is expected to affect their electric service for more than 24 hours, in which case they would be advised of locations where water and ice are available. JCP&L currently has more than 45,000 customers on this list. Those who have previously signed up for this service do not need to contact the company again.
In addition, JCP&L has a list of more than 2,800 critical care customers who depend on electrically operated life support equipment. These customers would be contacted should an outage affect their electric service for more than 24 hours. To be included on the list, critical care customers should contact JCP&L to obtain an authorization form that needs to be signed by their physician every year.
“We have made great strides over the years in communicating with our critical customers, but it is important they work with us to ensure their accounts are properly registered in our system,” said Mark Jones, JCP&L vice president of External Affairs. “As an added safeguard, we also provide the well water and life support system lists to county and municipal Offices of Emergency Management.”
To receive additional information, authorization forms, or register for JCP&L’s special account programs, customers should call 1-800-662-3115.
JCP&L also reminds customers that it offers a number of ways to report power outages and receive restoration updates. To report a power outage customers can:
- Call 1-888-LIGHTS (1-888-544-4877)
- Visit the 24/7 Power Center at www.jcp-l.com
- Visit JCP&L’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JCPandL
- Sign up for the company’s interactive text messaging service
- Download the JCP&L smartphone app for Apple®iPhone and Android™ devices
The company also provides current outage information, including when crews have been dispatched, when they are working on a repair and when additional crews or equipment are needed to complete restoration on its 24/7 Power Center map. More information about all of JCP&L’s communications tools, including how to sign up for text messaging service, is available atwww.firstenergycorp.com/connect.
Woman gets 11 years for robbing elderly lady who was stuffed in car trunk in Parsippany
MORRISTOWN — A 54-year-old East Rutherford woman was sentenced Friday to 11 years in state prison for working with a friend to rob a New Hampshire woman who was locked in her car trunk while they went on a shopping spree with the victim’s credit cards. Marilyn Nadeau pleaded guilty in April to one count of…
Police director: ‘I was illegally detained’ by the Port Authority police
NEW YORK, N.Y. — After a Puerto Rico-bound flight was held up at JFK International Airport for several hours Friday afternoon, a law enforcement source said the cause was a dispute over the Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale’s oversized luggage. But Speziale said in an interview Friday night he’s not to blame for the delayed flight…
23-year-old man killed in Route 280 crash
WEST ORANGE — A 23-year-old Pennsylvania man was killed in a multi-vehicle wreck on Route 280 Friday afternoon, State Police said. Matthew Kachurak, of Mountaintop, Pa., was driving a white BMW westbound near mile-marker 7 at about 11:12 a.m. when his vehicle crashed into a construction vehicle, State Police spokeswoman Trooper Alina Spies said. Kachurak lost…
Boy Scouts releasing Parsippany troop’s ‘perversion files’ after blockbuster court ruling
HACKENSACK — Four former Boy Scouts suing the Boy Scouts of America over alleged abuse by their troop leader have won the release of secret “perversion files” kept by the organization, The Record reported. The ruling, from a state judge in Hackensack, is an apparent first in New Jersey and will provide thousands of records the…
Kiwanis Club to hold Golf Outing
PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany is hosting its 22nd Annual Golf Outing, on Friday, September 25 at Knoll County Club, Parsippany.
Golfers will enjoy a day of golf, golf cart, lunch and dinner for $150.00 per player.
Check-in and lunch is at 12:30 p.m., and shotgun start at 1:30 p.m.
Prizes for closest to the pin, longest drive and par 3 hole in one.
Contact Joe O’Neill for additional information at (973) 335-3131, email jaoneill@garofalopa.com, or download more information on the golf outing.
For more information on Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany visit www.parsippanykiwanis.org.
Knoll Country Club is situated on 360 beautiful wooded acres in the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, the Knoll Golf Club consists of two 18-hole golf courses, the Knoll East and Knoll West. Conceived in the Roaring Twenties by a few extremely wealthy men who wanted a superb private course for their personal pleasure, the 339-acre Knoll Golf Club West is today one of the finest golf courses in the state of New Jersey. The Knoll Golf Club West was established in 1929 as a champion course designed by Charles H. Banks. It is a par 70 course playing 6,752 yards from the blue tees and 6,479 from the white tees. This course is semi-private. Over the years, The Knoll Golf Club West has grown to more than 900 members strong and while it has gone through some minor alterations, the course remains virtually unchanged since its beginning.
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915.
Kiwanis clubs focus on changing the world by serving children, one child and one community at a time.
Parsippany Town Council adopts 2015 budget
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council adopted the 2015 municipal budget on Tuesday, July 14, a month after the budget had been approved on first reading.
The 2015 budget contains a slight decrease in total anticipated revenue at $93,194,939.93, and an increase of $363,784.69 in total Appropriation for Service (i.e. general government, land use administration, public safety, health and human services).
With regards to total property taxes, the estimated amount raised by taxes is $196,504,780.63. Last year’s total tax levy was $193,896,015.39.
Of assessed property values, those properties deemed taxable, including vacant land, residential, farm, commercial and industrial properties, a total of 15,450 parcels of land for a total assessed value of $7,160,610,050. The largest assessed value stemmed from residential housing, $4.3 billion.
Personnel cost totaled $43 million, while health benefits for local employees and retirees came to $9,501,800. Elected officials did not get budgeted in heath benefits. Lastly, the gross debt for the year of $167 million, minus deductions, came to a net debt of $75,303,289.47.
Council President Paul Carifi, Jr., said “Again I am proud to say that myself along with Councilman Valori as part of the finance Committee recommended cuts to the Mayors budget this year to the rest of the council and Council Vice President Peluso and Councilman Stanton agreed with these recommendations. These cuts saved the town hundreds of thousands of dollars and did not affect a single service to the residents of our town. I will always continue to do my do diligence for each and every resident of our town.”
Councilman Valori told Parsippany Focus that he was “very pleased that the Council was able to cut over $1,000,000 from the mayor’s budget while maintaining all the services our residents deserve.”
To view a copy of the final budget, click here.
Delightful weather to stick around Parsippany for most of weekend
The pleasant weather New Jerseyans have enjoyed the past two days isn’t going away quite yet. The forecasts for Friday and Saturday are nearly identical. A chance of rain could complicate outdoor plans for Sunday, though. In the meantime, the next two days are expected to be sunny with highs in the mid 80s, according to…
New photo of Pluto Dazzles in False Color
New Horizons scientists use enhanced color images to detect differences in the composition and texture of Pluto’s surface. When close-up images are combined with color data from the Ralph instrument, it paints a new and surprising portrait of the dwarf planet. The “heart of the heart,” Sputnik Planum, is suggestive of a source region of ices. The two bluish-white “lobes” that extend to the southwest and northeast of the “heart” may represent exotic ices being transported away from Sputnik Planum.
Four images from New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with color data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced color global view. The images, taken when the spacecraft was 280,000 miles (450,000 kilometers) away, show features as small as 1.4 miles (2.2 kilometers).
Union City Mayor voted most effective mayor; Parsippany’s Barberio near bottom of list
PARSIPPANY — Political insiders across New Jersey look to the Observer Media Group owned website PolitickerNJ.com for daily insights on what is happening in politics across the Garden State. PolitickerNJ recently created a list of 13 well known mayors and asked it’s readers who they thought was the most effective mayor of the group.
Mayor Brian P. Stack of Union City overwhelming won the vote with 30% of the vote with Mayor Jon Hornik of Marlboro coming in a distant second.
Parsippany’s own Mayor James Barberio came in tenth place with 2.12% of the vote just edging out Mayor Vauss of Irvington, and Mayor Guardian of Atlantic City.
For the entire results, click here.
Meadowlands waterpark would dwarf the massive one proposed in A.C.
A proposal to redevelop the former Atlantic Club casino includes a plan to build what would be one of the biggest indoor water parks in New Jersey. The project in Atlantic City by an affiliate of the Pennsylvania-based Endeavor Property Group, which received preliminary and final site plan approval this week, calls for building a roughly…
Truck hits utility pole; down wires and closes North Beverwyck Road
PARSIPPANY — Mr. Nicolas Baskinger, 19, Fairfield, was driving a 2006 Ford LCF (Low Cab Forward) Box Truck, and attempted to park in front of 88 North Beverwcyk Road, when he stuck a utility pole, causing the pole to split in half and brought utility wires down, and spread over the truck and North Beverwyck Road. This incident occurred on Wednesday, July 22 at approximately 5:00 p.m.
Police investigation revealed the driver was at fault for driver inattention. The investigation was conducted by Parsippany-Troy Hills Officer Gian Cacioppo.
The truck was owned by American Jersey Improvement.
There were no injuries reported, and at the time of this article no summons were issued.
The road was closed until JCP&L removed the wires from the truck and the street.
Stacey Slaughter Made Ramapo College Dean’s List
PARSIPPANY — Stacey Slaughter, currently a senior at Ramapo College of New Jersey made the Spring 2015 Dean’s List.
Ms. Slaughter is majoring in Social Work with a Minor in Substance Abuse. She is a graduate of Parsippany High School class of 2011.
Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include nursing and social work.
In addition, Ramapo College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels. The College also offers eight graduate programs as well as articulated programs with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New York Chiropractic College, New York University College of Dentistry, SUNY State College of Optometry and New York College of Podiatric Medicine.
Undergraduate students choose to concentrate their studies in one of five schools with more than 539 course offerings and 36 academic programs. Ramapo College boasts an average student/faculty ratio of 18:1 and average class size of 23, affording students the opportunity to develop close ties to the College’s exceptional faculty.
Township Council passes ordinance for Little Vikings Football
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills Council passed an ordinance on Tuesday, July 21 to Little Viking Football, Inc., to continue its use of Jannarone Park, by a 5-0 vote.
The facilities utilized by the Little Vikings include the concession room and the storage room.
The ordinance was a request from Little Viking for a license to continue the use of certain facilities. The term of the license is for ten years with an option to renew for an additional ten years.
Under the terms of the resolution, Little Viking shall annually (no later than January 1) submit a report to the Business Administrator setting forth the use to which the premises was put during each year, the activities of Little Viking undertaken for the public purpose which the license was granted and an affirmation of the continued tax exempt status of Little Vikings.
The term of the agreement will commence on August 1, 2015, at a nominal fee of $1.00 for the license of the premises, which is to be for the sole purpose of providing recreational activities.
Parsippany Redhawks Football Seeking Donations for Tricky Tray
PARSIPPANY — Wondering what to do with those unopened household gifts and toys that just don’t work in your home?
Worried about re-gifting items received to the same person/family that gave it to you?
PAL Football is planning a Tricky Tray on Friday, November 6 and would love to have any of your new, unwanted items that your family is willing to part with. Don’t forget the baskets they came in, they welcome them as well! If you work for a company known to donate items, money, or services please let us know who to contact.
The money collected from the fundraiser will help support the PAL Redhawks Football program. Their goal is to be able to purchase all new uniforms for the team. They also use the donations to fund upgrading our safety training, equipment, and coaches certifications.
PAL Redhawks Football program is beginning a new culture of Parsippany Football and thoroughly joining the youth teams with the High School as a cohesive sports program.
Start looking for those items and then on Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26 anytime during the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. drop them off at PAL Youth Center, 33 Baldwin Road.
They promise to put each and every item to good use for a very good cause!
Morris County Prosecutor Announces Extended Scholarship Deadline for Morris County Law Students
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp is advising current and potential law school students from Morris County that the deadline for a series of scholarships has been extended to August 15, through the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey.
The Oscar W. Rittenhouse, Andrew K. Ruotolo, Jr., Harris Y. Cotton and the John H. Stamler Memorial Scholarships are awarded annually by the County Prosecutors Association, which to law students, college and graduate students.
Each scholarship is a one-year grant in the amount of up to $3,500 that is paid directly to recipients. Scholarship recipients from previous years are ineligible.
To be eligible for the Oscar W. Rittenhouse Memorial Scholarship, an applicant must be a New Jersey resident who has been accepted for admission to a law school. The applicant must have an interest in pursuing a career as a prosecutor. The applicant must demonstrate financial need.
To be eligible for the Andrew K. Ruotolo, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, an applicant must be a New Jersey resident who has been accepted for admission to a law school or graduate school. The applicant must exhibit an interest in, and commitment to, enhancing the rights and well-being of children through child advocacy programs. The applicant must exhibit financial need.
To be eligible for the Harris Y. Cotton Memorial Scholarship, an applicant must be a New Jersey resident who has been accepted for admission to a law school. The applicant must have an interest in pursuing a career as a prosecutor with an emphasis in domestic violence or hate crime prosecutions. The applicant must demonstrate financial need.
To be eligible for the John H. Stamler Memorial Scholarship, an applicant must be a New Jersey resident and sworn law enforcement officer who is seeking educational advancement on a college or graduate level to improve his or her effectiveness as a law enforcement officer. The applicant must demonstrate financial need.
The extended deadline for submitting applications is August 15. Applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision in October, 2015. Applications can be downloaded by clicking here.
Morris County Freeholders and Sheriff Reach Agreement on County Jail Operation
The Morris County Freeholders have reached an agreement with Morris County Sheriff Edward V. Rochford that would allow him to have a key supervisory role in management of the county jail after the county administration assumes control of the county corrections facility on Sept. 1.
Under terms of the discussions, the sheriff and freeholders would work together on a smooth transition of jail oversight to the freeholders.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the sheriff and freeholders was formally approved unanimously by the freeholders last night after a meeting with Sheriff Edward Rochford and some of his top staff.
To view the Memorandum, visit: http://morriscountynj.gov/pdfs/150722res-final.pdf
The Memorandum of Understanding will guide the two parties until a formal contract is signed next week.
The freeholders on Wednesday night also agreed to Sheriff Richford’s request to consider potential measures that could be employed to help retain newly hired corrections officers, to help reduce staff turnover that he says makes it difficult to efficiently operate the jail.
Under terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, the sheriff will supervise and guide the warden, advising him on policy, procedure and personnel matters in the day-to-day operations at the county jail. The freeholders will control finance, labor negotiations and personnel matters.
The freeholder board announced the agreement at their meeting on Wednesday night in Netcong, where they met with Sheriff Rochford. A statement read by Freeholder Director Kathy DeFillippo and Freeholder Doug Cabana, can be viewed athttp://morriscountynj.gov/pdfs/FreeholdersAnnounceAgreement–7-23-15.pdf
“We are pleased that Sheriff Rochford has agreed to work with the freeholders and will continue to be involved in running the jail, which has long had a positive record of accomplishment and professionalism,’’ said DeFillippo.
“It’s in the best interest of county residents that we have been able to work out an agreement with Sheriff Rochford and to have a smooth management transition at the jail,’’ said Freeholder Cabana
“While the Freeholders and I have had differences on this matter, and I still have reservations about the agreement I will work collaboratively with the Freeholders not only for the benefit of the dedicated correction officers and staff, but also for the benefit of the residents of Morris County,” said Sheriff Rochford.
The freeholders voted on June 24 to take control of the jail – Freeholder John Cesaro abstained, suggesting a need for more review on the issue.
To view the freeholder’s June 24th resolution, please visit:http://morriscountynj.gov/pdfs/resolution%20jail%20takeover.pdf