Morris County Clerk Launches Gold Star Parent ID Card Program 

Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi

MORRIS COUNTY —  Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi announced the launch of the Gold Star Parent ID Card Program, which will get an official kickoff at a ceremony scheduled for Thursday, May 17, at Morris County’s Frelinghuysen Arboretum.

The Gold Star Parent ID Program recognizes Morris County parents, legal guardians or other legal custodians of members of the Armed Forces of the United States who perished while on active duty protecting our country.

The program provides Gold Star Parents with the ability to access certain benefits, such as discounts extended to military families.

Gold Star Parents can now take advantage of the Morris County Clerk’s existing “Operation Give Back Program,” said County Clerk Ann Grossi.  Established in 2015, Operation Give Back is a merchant discount directory, with more than 275 local businesses offering discounts to veterans.

“The Gold Star Parent ID Card Program is a small way to honor and recognize the ultimate sacrifice that members of our armed forces have made to preserve our way of life,’’ said County Clerk Grossi. “We recognize their honorable service and offer our heartfelt thanks and respect to their parents. Morris County is proud of its veterans and this ceremony honors their memory by providing this special card to their parents.”

The Gold Star Parent ID Card is offered free of charge. It displays a gold banner with the words “Gold Star Parent,” a gold star insignia, includes the cardholder’s name and branch of the armed forces of the service member person who lost his or her life, plus other identifying information.

To receive a Gold Star Parent ID Card, applicants must provide either of the following:

  • Certification from an organization formed for the support of parents of members of the United States Armed Forces who lost their lives while on active duty, confirming that the applicant is a parent, legal guardian or legal custodian;
  • The service member’s federal DD Form 1300, Report of Casualty, which identifies the member of the Armed Forces who died while on active duty for the United States, plus documentation showing the applicant’s relationship to the service member.

County Clerk Grossi will welcome and honor Gold Star Parents and meet with participating “Operation Give Back” merchants and leaders of veteran groups, plus state legislators at Thursday’s event, which will run from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. County residents are invited to attend.

For more information, contact Maria May at mmay@co.morris.nj.us or (973) 285-8216.

You may also apply for the Gold Star Parent ID Card by visiting the Morris County Clerk’s Office, located on the first floor of the Morris County Administration and Records Building, 10 Court Street, Morristown, NJ 07963.

For more information click here.

 

Parsippany’s Memorial Day Parade

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills will hold their annual Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 28. The parade will kick off at 12:00 Noon at the corner of North Beverwyck Road and Katherine Drive.

The parade will travel down North Beverwyck and end at the reviewing stand on North Beverwyck Road, right near Volunteers Park.

Come out and support the marchers as they salute the Men and Women of the US Military that gave their lives in service to our country

For additional information contact (973) 263-7257.

Parsippany Police to conduct Seat Belt Enforcement and Education

PARSIPPANY — Law enforcement officers from the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department will join with police from around the country in cracking down on unbuckled motorists and passengers as part of the national “Click it or Ticket” campaign.

Beginning Monday, May 21 and running through Sunday, June 3, the annual “Click It or Ticket” national mobilization utilizes high visibility seat belt checkpoints and saturation patrols, in combination with local and national publicity efforts, to reiterate the life-saving value of seat belts.

Gary Poedubicky

“Using a seat belt is the simplest way for a driver and his or her passengers to protect themselves when traveling,” said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “In 2016, it is estimated that more than 14,500 lives were saved nationally by the proper use of seat belts.” Poedubicky added that a key focus of this year’s campaign is to promote seat belt usage by adults in all seating positions in the vehicle, both front AND rear seats. The front seat belt usage rate in New Jersey currently stands at 94.07%.

However, adults riding in rear seats are buckling up at a significantly lower rate, only 48% in the most recent survey. “For whatever reason there seems to be a disconnect with people feeling they don’t need to buckle up when riding as a passenger in rear seats, and this is a concern,” he said. During the 2017 “Click it or Ticket” campaign, 350 New Jersey police agencies participated in the two-week initiative. As a result of the effort, law enforcement officers issued 17,792 seat belt citations, 6,363 speeding summonses and made 976 impaired driving arrests.

Book Launch event to be held at PAL

PARSIPPANY — Heartfulness Trainer and Author Joshua Pollock, will be at the Parsippany PAL Youth Center, 33 Baldwin Road on Saturday, June 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Heartfulness Way is building on ageless oral tradition, Kamlesh D. Patel – widely known as Daaji, the fourth guru in the Heartfulness tradition – traces a seeker’s journey as he examines the nature of spiritual search. Through a series of illuminating conversations between a teacher and a student, Daaji reveals the principles of the Heartfulness practice and philosophy to Joshua Pollock, a Heartfulness practitioner and trainer. “In this simple and elegant book, Daaji reveals the ancient secrets of Heartfulness mediation for a well-integrated life. A must read for anyone interested in incorporating meditation into their life style.”

Kamlesh Patel is known widely as Daaji. His teachings arise from his personal experience on the path of Heartfulness, while reflecting his deep spirit of enquiry and respect for the world’s great spiritual traditions and scientific advancements. Daaji practiced pharmacy in New York City for over three decades before being named the successor in a century-old lineage of spiritual masters. Fulfilling the many duties of a modern-day guru, he travels widely, extending his support to spiritual seekers everywhere. A self-professed student of spirituality, he devotes much of his time and energy to research in the field of consciousness and spirituality, approaching the subject with scientific methodology – a practical approach that stems from his own experience and mastery in the field.

Joshua Pollock is a Heartfulness trainer and practitioner from the United States. An accomplished Western classical violinist, he has performed and taught throughout the world, including multiple collaborations with composer A.R. Rahman. Pollock is a dedicated spiritual aspirant, and is enthusiastic about sharing his passion for meditation, frequently lecturing at private seminars, holding practical demonstrations in corporate, educational and governmental settings, and providing ongoing individual support to local seekers. Pollock holds a Bachelor of Musical Arts degree from Indiana University and two master’s degrees from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He currently resides in India with his wife and their two children.

“The Heartfulness Way is a work of art. Daaji beautifully captures the essence and power of spirituality. This authentic book will transform your life,” said Partha Nandi, MD FACP.

There will be a group meditation and an opportunity to purchase the book and have the author autograph it.

For additional information click here or email varsha.taskhedkar@gmail.com or parsippany.heartfulness@gmail.com

Successful Coffee with a Cop held at Starbucks

Patrolman Remo D’Alessando serving coffee at the drive through window during Coffee with a Cop
Parsippany-Troy Hills Lieutenant Daniel Bandas and Starbucks employee Melissa LaGreco
Parsippany-Troy Hills Patrolman Matt Ruggier serving coffee to a guest
Parsippany-Troy Hills Patrolman Matt Ruggier, Chief Andrew Miller, Mayor Michael Soriano and Starbucks Manager Angela Franchino-Fischer
Patrolman Dave Cavaliere
Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Chief Andrew Miller, Mayor Michael Soriano, Starbucks Managers Angela Franchino-Fischer and Mark Frank
Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Chief Andrew Miller and Nicolas Limanov
Betty Wyka and Mayor Michael Soriano

PARSIPPANY — The Starbucks located at 1429 Route 46 held the 4th successful Coffee with a Cop event on Thursday, May 10.

Building and maintaining community trust is one of the most important challenges facing law enforcement today. This was the opportunity to engage in an open discussion with members of the Parsippany Police Department.

Coffee With A Cop is a national program which has been widely successful. The program is a very informal one, the hope is to bridge the gap between police and community in an open forum to talk about anything.

As budget is being prepared, Administration, Sandman prepare for her departure

PARSIPPANY — As a candidate Michael Soriano promised change at town hall once elected.

Mayor Soriano kept that promise on January 1 replacing controversial former township attorney John Inglesino with James Lott.

While not an issue during the campaign, Mayor Soriano promised other sweeping changes, including selecting a new business administrator to replace Ellen Sandman, a holdover from the Barberio administration.

Soriano has stated publicly several times that a new business administrator would be selected once the 2018 budget was adopted, most likely sometime in June. It has been reported in other news outlets that Sandman is considering a second run for mayor of Denville or possibly a run for Assembly in the 25th district to replace longtime member Michael Patrick Carroll.

While the five member Parsippany Council is often times split, the Council appears unified in it’s displeasure that this years budget process is taking longer than prior years and that Sandman and Township CFO Ann Cucci have been slow in providing the Council with documents needed to evaluate the budget.
When Parsippany Focus questioned Sandman regarding the budget, she responded “Tomorrow we will be meeting with the Mayor and the Finance Committee and we will advise.” Parsippany Focus also asked “Can you tell me if there is a proposed tax increase this year, and how much, or will it be like last year a zero tax increase?” and Sandman did not respond.
An email request for comment from CFO Ann Cucci went unanswered.

David Michael Samuel graduates Monmouth University

PARSIPPANY — David Michael Samuel graduated Magna Cum Laude on Wednesday, May 9 from Monmouth University. David was a Dean’s List student his entire four years there graduating with an overall 3.8 GPA.

David has a BA in Political Science and will be attending Rutgers Law School this fall.

David is the son of Dr. Cynthia Samuel and the late David M. Samuel Jr.

Mr. Samuel is a Class of 2014 graduate of Parsippany High School.

Monmouth University offers a welcoming and dynamic setting for student development. Innovative academic programs, individual faculty attention and nationally ranked Division One athletics make our private university a great place to find your future.

Monmouth’s beautiful coastal campus sits at the heart of a vibrant culture rich in history, the arts, technology and entrepreneurship. Just one hour from New York and Philadelphia, we take pride in preparing students to succeed in life after Monmouth. Our renowned faculty are actively involved in advancing academic research nationwide while encouraging meaningful community involvement and critical thinking for self-fulfillment. For more information click here.

Nicholas Lopez earns Scholarship at Montclair State

PARSIPPANY — The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board announced the recipients of $10,000 merit-based scholarships that are intended to encourage accounting students to pursue careers in audit.

Nicholas Lopez has been selected as this year’s recipient of the $10,000 PCAOB Scholarship at Montclair State University’s 2018 Accounting and Finance Award Ceremony. Nicholas is a Graduate of Parsippany Hills High School Class of 2015.

Nicholas and his mom, Mabette Lopez

This year, the PCAOB will provide an award to one student at 167 colleges and universities. This is the seventh year the PCAOB has funded the scholarships.

“This award continues to provide financial assistance to future accountants and we hope it inspires them to pursue a career in auditing and advance investor protection,” said PCAOB Chairman James R. Doty. “The achievements of nearly 600 students have been recognized since the inception of the scholarship program.”

The PCAOB scholarship program was created to identify students eligible for the scholarships and award the funds through the students’ educational institutions.

Each participating educational institution nominates a scholarship recipient from students enrolled in its accounting degree programs. To qualify, students must:

  • Be enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s degree program in accounting at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university
  • Demonstrate interest and aptitude in accounting and auditing
  • Demonstrate high ethical standards

Nicholas is an Assistant Manager and Server at Parsippany IHOP.

 

 

 

 

Volunteers Needed to work blood drives

MORRIS COUNTY —  NJ Blood Services, which supplies blood to 60 hospitals throughout the state, is in need of volunteers, to work blood drives. The blood mobile volunteer is an integral member of the blood collection team whose task it is assist donors with registration, perform canteen duties and make appointments for their next donation.

Volunteers should have the ability to relate to the public, be able to perform different jobs as needed and have the willingness to follow the rules. For additional information contact, Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Manager of Community Relations & Volunteer Services Jan Zepka at (732) 616-8741.

Founded in 1964, the New York Blood Center Network (NYBC) is a nonprofit organization that is one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers in the world. NYBC, along with its partner organizations Community Blood Center of Kansas City, Missouri (CBC), Innovative Blood Resources (IBR), Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD), and Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC), collect approximately 4,000 units of blood products each day and serve local communities of more than 45 million people in the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT), Mid Atlantic area (PA, DE, MD), the Kansas City metropolitan area, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Southern New England. NYBC and its partners also provide a wide array of transfusion-related medical services, including Comprehensive Cell Solutions, the National Center for Blood Group Genomics, the National Cord Blood Program, and the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, which—among other milestones—developed the Hepatitis B vaccine and a patented solvent detergent plasma process innovating blood-purification technology worldwide.

Rockaway Meadow Talent Show 2018

PARSIPPANY — The Rockaway Meadow School Talent Show was held on Friday, May 4. Video-on-the-go filmed the event.