MOUNTAIN LAKES — Where can you have two hours of free, fun activities for the entire family? Why, at Lakeland Hills Family YMCA, of course! Everyone can enjoy two hours of free family fun on Saturday, March 25, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Discover the activities, games, and interactions waiting for your family. The afternoon includes a family long-jump competition, Connect Four basketball inflatable challenge, temporary tattoos, a hot shot contest with beach balls, basketball knockout, and hot-shot contests. That’s not all! There is also a family dance party, water hoops in the pool (bring your swimsuits), open swim time, and basketball-themed arts and crafts.

The Ys summer camp directors will be available to answer any questions regarding their summer camp program. Additionally, member-service associates will gladly provide tours of the Y facility, including the health and fitness center, free-weight area, teen training center, aquatic center, and Early Childhood Learning Center. In addition to all the great activities, you will also have the opportunity to meet our community partners, including SportsCare Physical Therapy, Sunrise Senior Living at Mountain Lakes, Mental Health Association, Edge, Love More Judge Less, and M&T Bank.

From sports competitions to arts and crafts, there is something for everyone to enjoy. The hot shot with beach balls and water hoops in the pool also sounds like a great way to have fun. It’s also nice that community partners will be present, which allows families to learn more about local organizations and resources. Overall, it’s a great way to spend quality time with family and have fun together.

The YMCA is a nonprofit organization aiming to build community, develop youth, and create a safe experience for all. The Y strives to strengthen individuals, families, and communities by promoting wellness, mental health, and enrichment through various programs and services. Lakeland Hills Family YMCA focuses on Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility. As a result of their dedication to these three areas, the Y impacts the community by providing quality services to everyone. The Y doesn’t just focus on physical fitness; it strives to improve mental and emotional health by offering programs and resources that promote overall well-being.

The Y builds relationships, celebrates achievements, and inspires a healthier community. For over 100 years, Lakeland Hills Family YMCA has been the leading community organization serving thousands of people. For more information on Lakeland Hills Family YMCA, please visit their website by clicking here, or email Rosemary Linder Day, Vice President of Marketing and Membership, at rosemaryl@lhymca.com. No one serves the community as powerfully as the Y does every day.

PARSIPPANY — Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills next General Meeting is on Monday, March 27, at 7:00 p.m.

The meeting is at the Lake Parsippany Rescue & Recovery Building at 100 Centerton Drive.

The guest speaker, Curtis Springstead, is a member of the AARP NJ Speakers Bureau. Curtis will present “Fraud Watch Network – Your Identity, Staying Connected & Protected.”

The presentation will be followed by a business meeting, where you can learn more about what we do.

For more information, email us at womansclubofpth@gmail.com, access their website at parsippanywomansclub.org, or call Ginny at (973) 887-0336. Hope to see you there!

PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Hills High School Key Club had the opportunity to serve dinner to a crowded room of Senior Citizens in the PHHS Cafeteria on Wednesday, March 8.  The Senior Citizens then saw the 2023 PHHS Spring Musical “The Music Man.”

The Parsippany Hills High School Players presented “The Music Man” on March 9 – 11.

Trailer for the 2023 PHHS Spring Musical, “The Music Man”. Edited and Produced by Asher Paterno.

PARSIPPANY — During the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council meeting, it was announced that a weekly Farmers Market is coming to Parsippany.

The Farmers Market will be located at Veterans Memorial Park from May through October.

The Summer Concert series will be part of the new engagement.

Megabyte Events will manage the weekly markets. Megabyte Events has been working with the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany bringing the Food Truck festival.

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council Meeting will be held on March 7, 2023.

Regular Township Council Meetings will commence at 7:00 p.m. All meetings will be held on Tuesday evenings. Council meetings are held at Parsippany Municipal Building, 1001 Parsippany Boulevard. Formal action may or may not be taken at all scheduled meetings.

Click here to download the agenda.

Any individual who is a qualified disabled person under the Americans with Disabilities Act may request auxiliary aids such as a sign interpreter or a tape recorder to be used for a meeting. Auxiliary aids must be requested at least 72 hours before the meeting date. Please call (973) 263-4351 to request auxiliary aid.

Click here to download the 2023 agenda schedule.

Mayor and Council

Mayor James R Barberio
Council President Loretta Gragnani
Council Vice-President Michael J. dePierro
Councilman Paul Carifi Jr.
Councilman Frank Neglia
Councilman Justin Musella

MORRIS COUNTY — New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti today announced that the annual statewide campaign to repair potholes across New Jersey will begin on Monday, March 6.

While New Jersey saw below-average snowfall this winter, temperatures continually fluctuated between above and below freezing. Potholes are created by water seeping into cracks in the asphalt and then expanding when it freezes, so this weather pattern still takes a toll on state highways.

“The New Jersey Department of four is began the annual pothole campaign on Monday, March 6, and will continue for the next couple of months until we have repaired the most significant potholes from this winter,” Commissioner Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “NJDOT crews work year-round to repair potholes and keep our highways in good condition, but at this time of year, it becomes a primary focus.”

To deal with potholes most aggressively and efficiently, the Department will allow crews throughout the state to close travel lanes during daytime hours.  Where possible, crews will limit their daytime work hours to 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will try to avoid working in travel lanes carrying traffic during peak times.

NJDOT will use Variable Message Signs to alert motorists of the campaign and lane closures that could result in temporary travel delays to the extent possible. Detailed current repair locations will be posted continually on www.511nj.org.

As the weather warms up and asphalt plants reopen, our crews will perform permanent patch operations on particularly problematic sections of the roadway. This is more extensive work that includes milling and paving a small road area and generally will be done overnight.

In the past five fiscal years (FY18 – FY22), NJDOT has repaired an average of approximately 190,000 potholes per year. So far, in FY23 (July 1, 2022 – February 28, 2023), NJDOT has repaired about 80,000 potholes, with the busiest pothole repair season just starting.

It is important to slow down in work zones so NJDOT crews can safely make repairs. New Jersey’s Move Over law requires motorists to move over if it is safe when approaching an emergency or service vehicle stopped on the side of the road.   If you cannot safely MOVE OVER, PLEASE SLOW DOWN.

In addition to our crews monitoring and reporting potholes that need repair on state highways, we encourage motorists to report potholes as well.  Motorists may call 1-800-POTHOLE or go online to report potholes on state roads using a new mapping feature to help identify the exact location of the pothole. To report potholes on county roads, contact the appropriate jurisdiction.

The Department responds as quickly as possible, especially to reports of potholes that create safety concerns based on size and location. For NJDOT news, follow us on Twitter @NewJerseyDOT and our Facebook page.

PARSIPPANY — Three Senior Parsippany-Troy Hills School District (PTHSD) STEM Pathways students officially presented their Community Impact Projects to earn their Distinction endorsement on March 1.

STEM Pathways is a co-curricular program at both PTHSD high schools that allows students to explore various areas of STEM.  Completing this four-year program earns students a special endorsement on their high school transcript and invaluable experiences.  Students earning the Distinction level of the endorsement are passionate students who push themselves above the program’s minimum requirements.  For this endorsement, students must partake in more rigorous classes, obtain a higher GPA, and choose between participating in an internship or completing an impact project.

Three Pathways students pictured above from left to right are Romila Deodhar (PHS), Antara Rajgopal (PHHS), and Ananya Shrivastana (PHHS). With the guidance of our STEM Pathways advisors, Fatema Sheikh (PHHS), Megan Barry (PHS), Ellesa Jala (PHHS), and Briane DiGeronimo (PHS), these three students implemented the engineering and design process to research and design a potential solution to an identified problem within our local and/or global community.

Romila Deodhar’s project addresses water shortage due to wastage and water pollution.  She created a household water filtration system prototype that could enable water reuse. By reusing household water, Romila’s prototype could reduce a household’s annual water consumption by 30%. Romila’s plans in STEM include attending a university where she will major in Biophysics and minor in Music.  Romila is looking forward to the continued pursuit of her passion for protecting our environment.

Antara Rajgopal designed a website using computer programming, machine learning, and AI technology to help identify pneumonia in patient chest x-rays. Antara’s plans in STEM include attending Virginia Tech, majoring in Engineering with additional studies in Computer Science.  Antara also plans to develop her website further to help identify additional illnesses, such as tuberculosis.

Ananya Shrivastana created a chatbot using computer programming.  Her chatbot was designed to help people by providing an avenue to chat about their mental health with technology. Through AI, the chatbot can provide the user with mental health resources. Ananya’s plans in STEM include attending a university where she will major in Computer Science and continue to develop this project and her passion for mental health and wellness.

From research to prototyping to taking courses to learn more about their particular STEM areas of interest, our Parsippany students have worked hard and put in extensive time and energy over multiple years to accomplish their goals. Ultimately, our students could make working prototypes of each of their designs and truly embrace all components of STEM. The Parsippany-Troy Hills School District is proud of the accomplishments of our student’s impact projects and knows they have a bright future ahead. Congratulations on an outstanding accomplishment!

PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Greater Parsippany held its first “Annual Lunch Fundraiser” focused on benefiting the organization’s mission at the Gourmet Café on Sunday, March 5.  As anticipated, the tickets sold quickly, filling the venue with members and supporters.

Kiwanis, an international service club whose motto is “Serving the Children of the World,” empowers service-minded, committed community members to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children, fight hunger, and address and serve an array of community needs.

The fundraiser was the brainchild of Charter President, and Chairman of the Fundraiser, Nicolas Limanov, who, along with Kiwanis Division 9 Lt. Governor Frank Cahill, organized and coordinated the highly successful luncheon, which is sure to become an annual event.

The event certainly did not disappoint, as the room was filled with fun conversations, laughter, outstanding food, and live music. Gourmet Café Chef Matt created a top-notch menu for the event, consisting of a mouth-watering selection of Meatballs and Caesar Salad for the first course, followed by Penne Vodka topped with Ricotta, then a selection of entrees, including Lobster Ravioli, Linguine White Clams, Eggplant Parmigiana, and Chicken Marsala.  Followed by Tartufo and Coffee.

Live music by critically acclaimed vocalist and recording artist Gian Faraone, kept the mood festive and lively, with Italian favorites and oldies throughout the event. Dancing and singing along with many songs were all part of the afternoon’s fun.

Local dignitaries included Council President Loretta Gragnani, Council Vice President Michael J. dePierro, and Councilman Justin Musella. All had a great time.

PARSIPPANY — BettyLou DeCroce recently held a fundraiser at her residence. Many local dignitaries and friends attended the packed house and enjoyed delicious food, including sushi, mini burgers, and steak, among other items catered by Brownstone, Paterson.

BettyLou DeCroce served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2012 to 2022 and is seeking to reclaim the 26th district State Assembly seat.

“We desperately need to elect effective conservatives to the state legislature,” DeCroce said.  “Speeches on the statehouse floor are not changing anything, but an informed and energized electorate will.”

The state continues to slide deeper into trouble under Democratic leadership,” said DeCroce.  “Working people need representatives in Trenton who will put in the extra work it takes to make positive changes in their lives.  I am committed to making those changes.”

“Government is what I do,” she said. “Government is what I love, what I know best. I know it inside and out.”

The new District 26 includes the following municipalities: Morris  County: Boonton Denville, East Hanover, Hanover, Florham Park, Lincoln Park, Mountain Lakes, Montville, Morris Plains, Parsippany, Pequannock, and Riverdale. In Passaic County: Bloomingdale, Pompton Lakes, Ringwood, & Wanaque.