PAL Redhawks preparing for Sunday’s Championship game

Frank L. Cahill
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PAL Redhawks preparing for Sunday’s Championship game

PARSIPPANY — A little snow didn’t stop your PAL Redhawks on Friday evening. In spite of the weather the boys completed a final walkthrough before their Championship game this Sunday. The boys met at Diamond Gymnastics in East Hanover and looked sharp as they ran through their plays at both half and full speed.

Speaking with their Offensive Coordinator, “We run a big playbook, the boys are ready to go deep into our bag of tricks.” Starting Quarterback Jarrett Behnke, is expected to play a huge role on Sunday as he has all week. With his tandem running backs in place and no shortage of big athletic receivers, the Offense will be counted on heavily to put up numbers this weekend.

Also, look for standout linemen Giovanni Collins on both sides of the ball.
“Giovanni, has been a leader on both sides of the line and with his play both the Offensive and Defensive lines have been solid units that have made plays all year.” said Commissioner Will Musto.

The boys Head Coach made a point to say “Our motto all year has been, Do Your Job. The boys have shown up each and every week and made it a point to handle business.”

The game will take place this Sunday against Richmond Boro from Staten Island. The game is expected to be a physical one, but our boys are up to task.

Game time is Sunday at noon, Kehler Stadium Westfield.

JFK Medical Center Foundation’s “A Gala Reimagined”

Frank L. Cahill
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JFK Medical Center Foundation’s “A Gala Reimagined”
Donna Meade, president of the JFK Medical Center Foundation, and Steve Fleischer, chief sales officer at Delta Dental of New Jersey, at JFK Medical Center Foundation’s “A Gala Reimagined” at Liberty Science Center on November 2, 2018. Dennis Wilson, president and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey, received the 2018 Honoree Award which Steve accepted on his behalf.
Representatives from Delta Dental of New Jersey with the award that Dennis Wilson, president and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey, received as this year’s honoree of the JFK Medical Center Foundation’s “A Gala Reimagined”, held at Liberty Science Center on November 2. Pictured from L to R: Steve Fleischer, chief sales officer, Lois Nagie, human resources director, Amy Lehrer, director of account management, and Dr. Keith Libou, chief clinical officer.

Snow, Snow, Snow….

Frank L. Cahill
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Snow, Snow, Snow….

PARSIPPANY — The National Weather Service’s predicts rain, wind, snow is on track to hit the Morris County area starting Thursday afternoon creating the potential for many power outages.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Schools will have an early dismissal.

Forecasters predict 3 to 5 inches from 12:00 Noon. to 6:00 p.m. then tapering off throughout the evening.

 

MedExpress opens in Rockaway

Frank L. Cahill
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MedExpress opens in Rockaway

ROCKAWAY — MedExpress Urgent Care held their official ribbon cutting grand opening celebration on Tuesday, November 6.

They are located at 346 Route 46. They are open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. They can be reached by calling (973) 627-4870.

The MedExpress Rockaway center is part of a collaboration with Atlantic Health System. If MedExpress patients need follow-up or specialty care, they can choose to be connected to Atlantic Health System’s network of physicians, hospitals, and care sites. This makes it easier than ever for patients to get the care they need.

For more information click here.

MedExpress Urgent Care is a member of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce.

 

Letter to the editor: The District at 1515

Letters to the Editor
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Letter to the editor: The District at 1515

parsippany focusDear Editor:

On Tuesday, November 20, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council will vote on whether to approve a PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) agreement between the township and the developer of the District at 1515 project, which consists of 441 apartment units and 112,000 sq. ft. of retail space.

Under this type of agreement, rather than being taxed like other real property in the township, the developer is taxed according to the negotiated terms specified in the PILOT. A fair PILOT would compensate the developer for the lost income from having to construct affordable housing units, while at the same time maximizing the amount of tax revenue that the township will receive.

The township tax assessor estimates that if the District at 1515 project contained no affordable units and was taxed at the full market rate, then the estimated tax would be about $3.8 million annually. However, 15% of the units in this project are affordable units. If the remaining 85% of the regular units were charged at the regular rate, and the affordables were not taxed at all, Parsippany would still receive $3.2 million in taxes. Compare that to the estimated $1.1 million that Parsippany will receive under the PILOT and it is obvious that the township is getting a bad deal.

To make matters worse, the $1.1 million that Parsippany will receive in tax revenues does not cover the cost of municipal services that the township must provide. As I wrote in a previous article, the development is expected to send between 80-100 students to our schools. This number is based on a ratio of 19 students per 100 apartment units, which was calculated from 2015-2016 school year statistics for the 7,000 apartments that existed in Parsippany at that time. The 80-100 estimate is further supported by real numbers from that year for the Powder Mill Heights apartment complex, which has fewer units than the District at 1515 but sent 97 students to our schools. Lastly, the student estimate is also supported by common sense. The vast majority of District 1515 renters are expected to be millennials of childbearing age, and 177 units in the development have either two or three bedrooms. Given that combination, an estimate of 80-100 students may actually be on the low side.

The cost of educating a student in Parsippany in the 2015-2016 school year was $22,000, according to the N.J. Department of Education. At that rate the cost of educating students from the District at 1515 will be in the neighborhood of $2 million, which means that education costs alone will exceed total tax revenues from the PILOT by about $1 million.

Parsippany cannot afford to agree to a PILOT that will cost at least $1 million more than the taxes it will bring in. At a minimum, any PILOT that is agreed to must be tax revenue neutral. If the council were to approve this PILOT in its current form, they would be doing a great disservice to the taxpayers of this township.

Bob Venezia  

Parth Bhagat Received a Physical Therapy White Coat from University of the Sciences

Frank L. Cahill
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Parth Bhagat Received a Physical Therapy White Coat from University of the Sciences

PARSIPPANY — Parth Bhagat, graduate of Parsippany High School Class of 2015, and a doctor of physical therapy student at University of the Sciences, received a white coat at Annual Physical Therapy White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, September 8. The White Coat Ceremony is an annual rite of passage for students entering the professional phase of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Bhagat continues on the path to receiving a doctor of physical therapy degree in May 2021. Donning their white coats, the more than 70 student-physical therapists recited the Oath of a Physical Therapist, a gesture to reinforce their commitment to working with patients compassionately and to enhancing their health and well-being.

University of the Sciences has prepared students to be leaders and practitioners in the healthcare and science fields for nearly 200 years. Key to our distinctive education is a tradition of hands-on research and experiential learning that is evident in every graduate who has walked its campus. Since its founding in 1821 as Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, the first college of pharmacy in North America, USciences has grown to more than 30 degree-granting programs from bachelor’s through doctoral degrees in the health sciences, bench sciences, and healthcare business and policy fields. Discover how USciences students are proven everywhere they go by clicking here.

“Head for the Holidays” USATF 5K Run/Walk to raise funds

Frank L. Cahill
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“Head for the Holidays” USATF 5K Run/Walk to raise funds

PARSIPPANY — On Saturday, December 1 the Children’ Brain Tumor Family Foundation (CBTFF) will be holding its inaugural “Head for the Holidays” USATF sanctioned 5K Run/Walk to raise funds for research focused on rare and inoperable pediatric brain tumors.

The event will be held at the Mack-Cali Business Complex on Campus Drive in Parsippany with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the CBTFF (Children’s Brain Tumor Family Foundation), a volunteer based 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding research underway at the Children’s Brain Tumor Project of the Weill Cornell Medical Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

The Head for the Holidays 5K run/walk is a fun way to get decked out and be festive, while racing to raise funds and awareness to support a very important cause. Runners and walkers of all levels and ages are invited to participate, and strollers are welcome.

Holiday attire is not required but is highly encouraged. Runners can stay after the race and shop. There will be a vendor and craft fair/holiday boutique available after the race until 3:00 p.m.

A virtual event has been established for those that don’t live in New Jersey or can’t attend the event on December 1. Those participants can sign up for the virtual 5K online and they will be shipped a race day t-shirt to wear when they run or walk at a location and time of their choosing.

Awards will be presented to runners age 14 & under as well as 5-year age groups starting at age 15 and ending at age 80+.  The race is being held on the USATF certified course and will be timed by Best Racing Systems.

All participants that register by November 17 will receive a free T-shirt. After this date T-shirts are not guaranteed and will be limited to those sizes on hand race day. T-shirts will be available for pick-up the day of the race prior to start time.

The CBTFF was founded in 2015 by families united in tragedy and heartbroken from the experience of watching their children and loved ones battle a devastating diagnosis.  Even though brain tumors have the highest death rate of all childhood cancers, they have one of the lowest levels of research funding.

Eleven year old Sean Ries

The organization is designed to help grieving and frustrated communities convert their passion and anger into awareness, support, and donations for research that is critically underfunded and highly dependent upon financial contributions from the private sector.

There are three local families who serve on the board of the CBTFF. The Ries family rally around “TeamSean” locally and have a son named Sean who is currently a sixth grader at Parsippany’s Brooklawn Middle School and battling a DNET tumor.

The Clayton Family of Rockaway lead “TeamJoey” which honors the memory of their son Joey who died in 2016 at age eight of a high-grade astrocytoma brain tumor. And, the Donnelly family of Caldwell who lost their daughter Juliana at the age of six to a DIPG in August of 2013.

Click here for more details on the event. From the web-site you can register on-line, sign-up for the virtual event, become a sponsor or register as a vendor.

The Children’s Brain Tumor Family Foundation is a volunteer led 501C3 founded by six families impacted by pediatric brain tumors. The organization is dedicated to raising funds for the Children’s Brain Tumor Project.

The Children’s Brain Tumor Project is a research effort at Weill Cornell Pediatric Brain and Spine Center, co-directed by Dr. Mark Souweidane and Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield. The project is “powered by families” and donations made by the families, friends, and supporters of the children, teens and young adults who confront the heartbreaking diagnoses of rare and inoperable pediatric brain tumors such as DIPG, Gliomatosis cerebri, AT/RT, and thalamic gliomas.

Employment Horizons has Successful Month of Fundraising

Frank L. Cahill
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Employment Horizons has Successful Month of Fundraising

CEDAR KNOLLS — This October, Employment Horizons hosted two fundraising events to support their programs and to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month. On Thursday, October 18, Employment Horizons celebrated 61 years of success at its Annual Recognition Dinner at Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park.

Honorary Chair Angela Guy (L’Oreal). Photo courtesy of Michelle Zevallos

The dinner featured a 50/50 raffle, a basket auction, and a silent auction. All proceeds benefit the programs here at Employment Horizons. Angela Guy, Senior Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion at L’Oreal USA, served as Honorary Chair, and honorees Mayo Performing Arts Center for Employer of the Year; Kiehl’s Since 1851 for Fulfillment Customer of the Year; and Solix, Inc. for the Corporate Champion Award.

The President’s Award was awarded to Kevin White, an Employment Horizons program participant, and the William Huber Achievement Award was given to program participant Barbara Klien. Kevin has found success in his career at ShopRite, while Barbara has made a name for herself at Schindler Elevator Corp.

On Sunday, October 28, Employment Horizons secured Hanover Lanes in East Hanover to celebrate Halloween with the annual Halloween Bowl-A-Thon. Over 130 attendees enjoyed an afternoon of fun, food, and a costume contest, and raised funds to support employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Title Sponsors included Matthjissen, Inc., Mandelbaum Salsburg, P.C., Rubenstein Properties, and the Steven and Beverly Rubenstein Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Best Family Costume Winners (Yarbough Family as Dominos); Most Creative Costume Winner (Alek Rodriguez as a Pope), Employment Horizons Executive Director Matt Putts, Scariest Costume Winner (Mark Kasiski as a Zombie). Photo courtesy of Nisha Mistry

Employment Horizons thanks all of our sponsors, donors, attendees, staff and volunteers for making the Annual Recognition Dinner and the Halloween Bowl-A-Thon a success. Founded in 1957, Employment Horizons, Inc. is the premier not-for-profit agency providing high-quality competitively priced services to the business community. These services provide work opportunities for hundreds of people with special needs. To learn more click here.

Delta Dental Recognized at NJBIA’s 2018 Awards for Excellence Reception

Frank L. Cahill
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Delta Dental Recognized at NJBIA’s 2018 Awards for Excellence Reception

PARSIPPANY — The Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc., was honored to receive a Community Service Award at New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA)’s 2018 Awards for Excellence Reception on October 24. The NJBIA commended the Foundation’s efforts in providing dental services and education to the underserved and the uninsured. Delta Dental of New Jersey was one of 13 executives and businesses recognized at The Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset award reception.

The award recognized the various ways the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation and Delta Dental’s employees gave back to the community by contributing to food and clothing drives, building homes for Habitat for Humanity, and participating in fundraising walks for oral and breast cancer awareness. This year, the Foundation awarded nearly $1 million to 34 New Jersey and Connecticut non-profit organizations dedicated to improving dental care. In 2017, the Foundation’s grants provided nearly 10,000 children, seniors, and developmentally disabled individuals with dental services and education.

“It brings me great joy to see Delta Dental of New Jersey and our Foundation recognized by NJBIA for giving back to the community and ensuring our state’s most at-need populations receive the oral health care they require,” said Dennis Wilson, president and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey.

Key 2018 Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation events and initiatives included:
• Observing National Children’s Dental Health Month in February by partnering with KinderSmile Foundation for “Give Kids a Smile” Day and celebrating Children’s Dental Health Awareness Day by partnering with Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and Hudson County Dental Society with an oral health themed carnival at Liberty Science Center;
• Hosting its 28th Annual Golf Classic in May that raised $77,000 for Special Olympics of New Jersey (SONJ);
• Teaming up with Zufall Health and the New Jersey Dental Association in November to provide veterans with free dental care at the second annual Smiles for Our Heroes Event.

Dr. Gene Napoliello, chairman of the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation Board, accepted the Community Service Award on behalf of Delta Dental of New Jersey. Zufall Health Center, the New Jersey Dental Association, KinderSmile Foundation, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Hudson County Dental Society, and Special Olympics New Jersey were also acknowledged for the role they played in helping Delta Dental of New Jersey achieve the award.

Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc. is New Jersey’s leading dental benefits company, providing or administering coverage to more than 1.7 million people through contracts with groups in New Jersey and Connecticut. In Connecticut, Delta Dental of Connecticut, Inc. is a licensed insurer that writes dental coverage on an insured basis, and Delta Dental of New Jersey administers self-funded dental benefit programs. For more information click here.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir celebrates the Hindu festival of Diwali

Frank L. Cahill
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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir celebrates the Hindu festival of Diwali

PARSIPPANY — A glittering array of twinkles filled the night as traditional candles were lit by devotees. The ancient tradition of lighting candles, or divos, during Diwali symbolizes the transition from darkness to light. While the divos lit on Diwali erase physical darkness, the festival’s rich traditions and rituals go deeper – inviting individuals to make efforts in removing darkness in the forms of anger, envy, greed, arrogance, and resentment.  Diwali presents a time to reflect and introspect.

The five days of Diwali (including the Hindu new year) are rich in cultural traditions and rituals that symbolize new beginnings and a renewed commitment to family. The bright colors of Rangoli (intricate designs made of colored powder), the lighting of divos, and the elaborate variety of vegetarian foods offered to God (in a display called an Annakut), all mark a renewal of the good within and the goodwill towards everything around us. Diwali presents Hindus with an opportunity to connect with and celebrate the traditions of their roots with great fanfare.

Offering his prayers to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, guru and President of BAPS, prayed for devotees around the world for continued personal, and professional growth in this new year. Mahant Swami Maharaj took the occasion of Diwali to remind individuals and families about the importance of leading spiritually-centric lives, grounded in strong values and increased attachment to God.

This year, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandirs across North America marked the auspicious festival of Diwali and its associated five days of celebrations with an elaborate Annakut, lighted divos, fireworks, and even a special children’s Diwali celebration.

The celebrations were open to all. Visitors participated in celebration activities, offered prayers for new beginnings and had the opportunity to taste in the delicious offerings of the Annakut.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a worldwide spiritual and humanitarian organization that is dedicated to community service, peace, and harmony. Motivated by Hindu principles, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for societies, families, and individuals. Through various spiritual and humanitarian activities, BAPS endeavors to develop better citizens of tomorrow with high esteem for their roots and culture. Its 3,300 international centers support these character-building activities. Under the guidance and leadership of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is free of addictions as well as morally, ethically and spiritually pure. For more details click here.

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is the sixth and current spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He was ordained a swami by Yogiji Maharaj in 1961 and named Sadhu Keshavjivandas. As he was appointed the head (Mahant) of the Mandir in Mumbai, he became known as Mahant Swami. His devout, humble and service-focused life earned him the innermost blessings of Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Mahant Swami Maharaj travels throughout the world inspiring people through his insightful spiritual discourses and disciplined conduct. His virtuous lifestyle and profound devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and gurus are ideals toward which devotees strive. Mahant Swami Maharaj became the guru and President of BAPS upon Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s passing in 2016.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Under his leadership, BAPS grew into an international spiritual and humanitarian organization with over 3,300 centers worldwide. He dedicated his life to the well-being of others, traveling throughout the world to foster love, peace, harmony, righteousness, faith in God, and service to humanity. With genuine care and compassion, he reached out to all members of society irrespective of class, color, or age. Recognized and respected as one of India’s greatest spiritual teachers, he lived by and promoted the principle: “In the joy of others, lies our own.”

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