PARSIPPANY — Whether it’s helping kids with much-needed school supplies, providing gift cards for local families in need, providing donations to the Morris County Battered Women’s Shelter, local churches, food pantries, the Parsippany Day Care Center, or just helping whenever to help is needed, Morris County Sons of Italy – Lodge 2561 is always willing to give a hand. Almost every penny raised through the organizations’ charitable fundraising events is funneled back into such community needs.

Whether it’s helping kids with much-needed school supplies, providing gift cards for local families in need, providing donations to the Morris County Battered Women’s Shelter, local churches, food pantries, the Parsippany Day Care Center, or just helping whenever to help is needed, Morris County Sons of Italy – Lodge 2561 is always willing to give a hand. Almost every penny raised through the organizations’ charitable fundraising events is funneled back into such community needs.

The organization’s latest fundraising event was held on Sunday, June 4, at the Gourmet Café in Parsippany. The Sons of Italy and Chef Matthew Pierone, owner of the popular Italian restaurant and an active member, coordinated the sell-out event. Chef Matt (as he is affectionately known) is always willing to lend a hand in helping local causes.

The eatery was packed, as almost 50 attendees enjoyed many of the restaurant’s most popular dishes while sharing great camaraderie with fellow members, supporters, friends, and local dignitaries. In attendance were Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor James Barberio, Council Members Frank Neglia, and Paul Carifi Jr., all current members. Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi, and family, were also on hand to join in the festivities.

Following the feast, Lodge President Robert Adamo and the Executive Board presented Chef Matt with a Custom Boxed Magnum of Wine in recognition of his generosity and hospitality that evening and the ongoing charity events he regularly holds at his restaurant.

The fundraiser proved a memorable success and may become an annual event. Let’s hope so!

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MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director Christine Myers and Commissioner Stephen H. Shaw joined Morris Habitat for Humanity, Randolph Township officials, and other dignitaries and supporters for a dedication ceremony to welcome thirteen families into their new homes this week at the Crossings at Bennett Avenue.

“It’s not just a home these families are opening the door to, but it’s the opportunity of our schools, businesses, clubs… Congratulations to all the families who now have the opportunity to live, work, and become a part of Morris County. Welcome home,” stated Deputy Director Myers.

Blair Schleicher Wilson, chief executive officer of Morris Habitat for Humanity, presided over the event held Thursday at the Randolph site, where speakers included U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Senator Anthony M. Bucco, Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, Randolph Mayor Lou Nisivoccia and Tom Hayes, Director of Customer and Community Relations for New Jersey Natural Gas Company (NJNG). Randolph Township Managers Gregory Poff and Stephen Mountain were also in attendance. They were recognized for contributing to the project and Randolph Councilmembers Mark H. Forstenhausler, Christine Carey, and Joe Hathaway.

Commissioner Shaw praised Morris Habitat for Humanity and Randolph Township for the undertaking, reflecting on the progress and challenges overcome in turning a former E.A. Porter industrial site on the border of Victory Gardens into a picturesque neighborhood of 25 townhomes that will enhance the surrounding residential community.

“The date was October 18, 2021, and it was the groundbreaking for this historic project, the largest in Habitat’s 38-year history. It involved a redevelopment that would have been challenging even for a contractor like myself, and this was accomplished by volunteers—what an amazing accomplishment! Randolph’s leadership also deserves credit for the vision and foresight they had to donate this property to (Morris) Habitat,” said Shaw.

He continued, “So here we are, 4,000 volunteers and 18,000 hours later, a huge achievement for (Morris) Habitat and the families moving into these affordable, energy-efficient homes. I want to thank all the volunteers, donors, sponsors, and staff. You are all the heart and soul of this organization, and you have shown what can be done when we all work together towards a common goal.”

The dedication ceremony of the 13 units and a community center marked the completion of phase 1 of the project on Bennett Avenue, which will provide affordable housing for low-to-moderate-income families. The 25 units planned consist of seven 3-bedroom homes, fourteen 2-bedroom homes, and four 1-bedroom homes built across four buildings. First-floor condominiums are ADA-accessible, and all buildings are ENERGY STAR certified for energy efficiency, EPA WaterSense certified for water efficiency, and EPA Indoor AirPlus certified for health protection. Residents will have access to a picnic area, play area, and a bike path to stores and restaurants on South Salem Street.

The 2.5-acre property was acquired by Randolph Township in 2008 through tax foreclosure and was donated to Morris Habitat. The township was responsible for environmental remediation, demolition of existing structures, site design, approvals, and permitting. The Randolph Township Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Community Funding Grant and HUD Funding SHOP Grant, and additional funding from business sponsors, including Bayer, Lakeland Bank, GAF, and NJNG, are funding the project. Local businesses, organizations, and individuals have donated construction materials and professional services.

Morris Habitat for Humanity hosts a fundraising effort for the project that allows donors to buy bricks – every 4-by-8 inches and costs $125 – to create the pathways between the residential buildings into the new community. At their Senior Service Day in June 2021, the Mountain Lakes High School Class of 2021 raised over $10,000, and the Randolph High School Brick-by-Brick Campaign raised $7,500 in 2022. Anyone wishing to contribute to the Buy a Brick fundraising campaign can purchase their personalized brick on the Morris Habitat for Humanity website.

To date, 3,991 volunteers have donated 18,126 hours to help build the homes.

PARSIPPANY — The Republican candidates, Martin and Desai, hosted their second successful Meet and Greet event. This gathering provided an excellent opportunity for community members to meet and interact with the candidates. Attendees had the chance to learn more about Martin and Desai’s campaign platforms, discuss important issues, and ask questions directly to the candidates. The positive turnout and engagement at the event reflect the growing support and interest in their candidacy. The Meet and Greet event was crucial in connecting the candidates with the community and building momentum for their campaign leading up to the upcoming election.

The event witnessed the enthusiastic support of many new faces who turned out to back the two candidates in their campaign for the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council. With the upcoming June 6 primary, Desai and Martin will compete against incumbent Councilmember Paul Carifi Jr. and newcomers Adam Kandil and Matt McGrath.

The event served as a platform for the candidates to connect with voters and build momentum for their campaigns leading up to the primary election.

Martin & Desai Meet and Greet

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MORRIS COUNTY — The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 6. Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

These are the current locations of Early Voting locations in Morris County. These sites will be open for the 2023 Primary Election from June 2 through June 4.

Boonton Township Early Voting Location –  155 Powerville Road, Boonton Township – Friday, June 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Central Park of Morris County Early Voting Location –  2 Executive Drive, Morris Plains – Friday, June 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Denville Early Voting Location – 1 Saint Mary’s Place, Township of Denville  – Friday, June 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Hanover Early Voting Location – 15 North Jefferson Road  – Friday, June 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Madison Early Voting Location – 50 Kings Road, Madison – Friday, June 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Morristown Early Voting Location – 200 South Street, Morristown – Friday, June 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Mount Arlington Early Voting Location – 18 North Glen Avenue, Mount Arlington – Friday, June 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Mount Olive Early Voting Location – 204 Flanders-Drakestown Road, Mount Olive – Friday, June 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

In-person Mail-in ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections or deposited in an Official Ballot Drop Box by 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6.

Mail-in ballots sent by the United States Postal Service must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, June 6, and received by Monday, June 12.
 
To find your polling location on Primary Day, click here.

PARSIPPANY — After considering the last-minute invitation to a debate proposed to the DeCroce For Assembly campaign, we have concluded that we will not be part of a desperate campaign ploy b y Brian Bergen and his supporters.

The offer is unfair to LD-26.

The debate parameters were made without our campaign’s knowledge and with zero DeCroce For Assembly team input. The operators of two websites that are friendly toward Bergen and his running mates – conspired with Mr. Bergen, his running mates, and his advisors to create a debate format and present it to us only a few days before Memorial Day.  

Never in the history of politics has one side worked secretly with debate forum operators to devise a debate without the knowledge or input from his or her rival. We will not be the first to do that.

Any objective review of the proposed candidate “debate” and its presentation to us via a candidate press release would conclude that the forum has been rigged to favor Brian Bergen, who is desperately trying to hang on to his seat in the Assembly. Curiously, Mr. Bergen sent out a press release about the debate offer BEFORE the DeCroce campaign was notified there was an offer.

At previous forums during the Primary campaign before Republicans in Morris and Passaic counties, Mr. Bergen has proved to be uncontrollable, insulting, and unwilling to abide by the forum’s rules. At one such forum, Mr. Bergen admitted to the Republican leader that “I am a narcissist” as an excuse for his uncontrolled desire to monopolize the forum and ignore its rules.    

The objectivity of the two moderators of the debate is questionable.  One has written just two articles about the Assembly contest in five months, and both were negative attacks on BettyLou DeCroce.  One was published on Wednesday, May 24. It parroted Bergen’s spin that BettyLou DeCroce was somehow supporting the opponent of her running mate Tom Mastrangelo for State Senate. That’s a ridiculous lie – but it plays into the hands of the Bergen campaign. Incidentally, Mrs. DeCroce was never consulted by the SaveJersey blogger to get her side of the story. 

The SaveJersey blogger who wrote Wednesday’s piece for Bergen is known as an obsequious sycophant of Bergen’s running mate Assemblyman Jay Webber  – who undoubtedly played a part in this political charade. 

The other so-called moderator of the forum —  David Wildstein  — has also written just two articles that we know of on the Assembly race, although they were more balanced than the SaveJersey smears.

After many decades in politics, Mr. Wildstein should know better than to put his integrity on the line by participating in such an obvious campaign stunt on behalf of one troubled candidate.

For these reasons, BettyLou DeCroce will not participate in a so-called debate that will do nothing to enlighten voters and will only be a spectacle.

PARSIPPANY —  Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council candidates Gary Martin and Dharmesh Desai have broken the law by failing to file required disclosure statements with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). Election regulations require that candidates for a New Jersey primary election file financial statements by certain deadlines, including disclosures of any political contributions above $300. This year, the pre-primary deadlines are May 8 and May 26. According to public records on ELEC’s website, neither Martin nor Desai has filed any required registration or disclosure statements. ELEC has no record of either candidate’s campaign finances or political fundraising activities.

Having run for both Board of Education and Township Council seats in the past, Martin, a former police officer, has filed several disclosure statements with ELEC and is well aware of the filing deadlines. Running under the banner “Real Republicans,” Martin and Desai have called for greater fiscal accountability and transparency from the Township Council. Their campaign, on the other hand, is anything but accountable or transparent.

“We believe the purpose of our campaign finance laws is to protect the integrity of our elections.  Candidates who violate our campaign laws, such as Gary Martin and Danny Desai, cannot be trusted with taxpayer money.  Why are Martin and Desai hiding their contributors?   Who is contributing to them, and how much are they contributing? Who has paid for their mailers, lawn signs, videos, and fundraisers?  Failure to disclose campaign contributions raises the question of what was promised and to whom.  We are running to represent the people of Parsippany.  Martin and Desai are running to benefit some undisclosed special interest,” stated Carifi, Kandil, and McGrath.      

“In light of Gary Martin and Danny Desai’s unlawful actions, we call on the Attorney General and the Morris County Prosecutor to conduct a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of Martin’s and Desai’s illegalities. They should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” stated Carifi, Kandil, and McGrath”