Hydrant Flushing To Begin This Weekend In Parsippany

PARSIPPANY — The Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills Water Department will be flushing its distribution system beginning Sunday, April 16.

Crews will begin working overnight and finish each day at 6:00 a.m. The program is scheduled to last until May 19.

This program is critical for water system maintenance because it involves water officials systematically opening fire hydrants to increase water flows, allowing them to flush any minerals and deposits from the water mains.

Residents may experience temporary low pressure or discoloration during the flushing period. Run cold tap water until it clears to rid the discoloration.

This is normal and does not pose a health risk.

If water pressure or water volume seems low after flushing has been completed, residents are asked to check their faucet screens for trapped particles.

Questions about the hydrant flushing in your area can be directed to the Water Department at (973) 263-7099 Monday through Friday from 7:000 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Lakeland Hills Family YMCA Sends 24 Swimmers to National Swim Championship

MORRIS COUNTY – YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), the national resource office for the nearly 2,600 YMCAs across the country, was proud to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the YMCA National Short Course Swimming Championship, April 3-7 in Greensboro, NC. Over the past 100 years, this event has hosted thousands of spectacular swimmers – many who have gone on to compete at the collegiate, professional, and masters levels, as well as in the Olympic Games – many of whom brought home medals.

The first YMCA National Short Course Swimming Championship occurred in Brooklyn, NY in 1923 with 80 athletes. That original meet included seven individual events and a relay, including a 150-yard backstroke and Fancy Diving event, two disciplines no longer offered at the championship. As the championship has evolved, the size has grown too.

Today, this event hosts over 1,200 athletes from across the country, ages 12-18, competing in over 48 separate events. While most clubs participating in this year’s YMCA National Championships are dual-sanctioned with USA Swimming, the growth of the meet shows the YMCA’s continued importance in the sport – not only in athlete development but as a provider of a massive global network of competitive swimming pools.

Lakeland Hills Family YMCA has a long and storied history of competitive aquatic excellence. Last week, this year’s competitive swim team sent 24 individuals to the Short-Course Championship. Here is the list of all participants: Kai Batchelor, Max Connelly, Finn Coogan Russell, Zoe Davies, Serena Dickey, Carly Frank, Ela Habjan, Gus Hann, Evangeline Iman, Olivia Jastrzab, Connor Johnson, Anna Kilponen, Will Kilponen, Mira Marino, Owen Markowitz, Zach McKatten, Lorelai Page, Ben Papendick, Tyler Roer, Bridget Rynkiewicz, Cooper Voss, Tara Wiarda, Sophia Yousuf, and Victoria Zjawin.

Additionally, the Y Long-Course Championships, as do tryouts for Lakeland Hills YMCA’s competitive swim team, take place later this summer.

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.

Morris County Supports Flood Risk Reduction Feasibility Study

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Commissioners Stephen Shaw and Tayfun Selen joined a press conference earlier today with U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill on the banks of the Whippany River in Morristown, where she presented a $300,000 check – federal funds provided to the Army Corps of Engineers to initiate a “Flood Risk Reduction Feasibility Study.”

State Sen. Anthony Bucco addresses the crowd

The Commissioners appreciated the opportunity to join the Congresswoman, local mayors, and community leaders to publicly address ongoing efforts to mitigate the flooding that has long impacted communities along the Whippany River.  

Morris County Commissioner Stephen Shaw and Florham Park Mayor Mark Taylor.

Commissioner Shaw spoke on his involvement starting roughly two years ago when Hanover Township Mayor Ace Gallagher invited him to participate in a task force to develop solutions to relieve chronic flooding in the Whippany and Passaic rivers basins. “Just yesterday, some task force members toured sites along the Whippany River to see firsthand the extent of the obstructions in the river that cause the river to back up during rain events … With these watershed study dollars, along with the Whippany River Regional Improvement Initiative funding and ongoing municipal cooperation, we can and will make a difference for those homes and businesses that are subject to chronic flooding,” stated Commissioner Shaw, who is also the liaison to the Morris County Flood Mitigation Program. The groundbreaking program celebrated its 11-year anniversary in March 2023, with 86 flood-threatened homes purchased and restored to Open Space.

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill; Morristown Mayor Timothy Dougherty; Morris County Commissioner Tayfun Selen; state Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris; Morris Plains Mayor Jason Karr; Col. Matthew Luzzatto, commander of the New York District of the Army Corps of Engineers; Morris County Commissioner Stephen Shaw; Florham Park Mayor Mark Taylor; Assemblywoman Aura Dunn

Two-Car Accident Sends One Driver to Hospital

PARSIPPANY — Mr. James Dadzie, 33, Teaneck, was traveling north on Waterview Boulevard and failed to obey the traffic signal at the intersection of Route 46 and collided with a vehicle driven by Ms. Karen Wolke, 69, Parsippany, was traveling west on Route 46. The collision occurred on Friday, March 31, at 10:20 p.m. 

Mr. Dadzie’s vehicle, a 2022 Hyundai Tucson, overturned and collided with the curb before coming to a rest. Ms. Wolke was driving a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. Mr. Dadzie was transported to St. Clares Hospital, Denville.

Ms. Wolke was driving a 2020 Hyundai Elantra.

Mr. Dadzie was issued a summons for failure to obey traffic control devices.

Both vehicles were towed from the scene by Eagle Towing.

Volunteers at the scene of the accident.

Two Trucks Burnt at Statewide Striping

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hils Police Sgt. Peter Kolln, Patrolmen Jason Ferreira, and Guy Bocccardi responded to 499 Pomeroy Road on a report of a vehicle fire on Tuesday, April 4, at approximately 7:10 p.m.

Upon arrival at 499 Pomeroy Road, the Statewide Striping Corporation, two trucks were fully engulfed in the rear of the building. The first truck was a 2012 International, and the second was a 2018 Hindustan truck.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire District 6 Fire Department was actively fighting the fire. Robert Wilson, the owner of Statewide Striping Corporation, arrived on the scene and advised us that his security cameras worked. The owner will turn over the video to Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department.

He contacted his IT employee, who could access the video footage remotely. The video shows epoxy left on the ground between the two trucks spontaneously combusting and ultimately catching the two trucks on fire.

The fire was put out, and District 6 Fire Chief Petito deemed the scene safe.

The Morris County Sheriff’s Office CIS team arrived on the scene to take pictures at the request of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

There were no injuries reported.

County College of Morris VP Named National Marketing Council’s Rising Star

MORRIS COUNTY — Melissa Albright, the vice president of marketing, public relations, and enrollment management at the County College of Morris (CCM), has been named the 2023 Rising Star by the National Council of Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR). The award recognizes an up-and-coming communication professional at a two-year college who has demonstrated creativity and ability in college marketing and public relations and has shown evidence of a promising future.

After two years in higher ed marketing leadership, Albright uses her relationship-building skills to help 25-year industry veterans grow. She has years of experience in the corporate world and as a middle school teacher, and the lessons from those items on her résumé help her in her current role. But it’s perhaps her time teaching special education helps the most, she says, both in her vice president duties and as an employee celebrating the success of community college students. Her seven years teaching special ed taught her a level of compassion and understanding not to put ceilings on any students she worked with, she says.

Albright prioritizes employee learning, speaking of one employee who has been with the college for a quarter century. She recently told Albright, “I’ve been doing my job for 25 years and doing it the same way for 25 years. I thought I was pretty good. Then you came along, and you invested in me. You’ve taught me to collaborate differently, and now I feel like I’m doing my best work.”

CCM recently was named one of 10 finalists for the Lumina Foundation’s Million Dollar Community College Challenge. As a finalist, CCM will receive $100,000, which it will use for a website redesign. Albright co-wrote the college’s submission and developed strategies for the challenge.

“She is also responsible for a huge morale boost within marketing and communications,” writes CCM president Anthony Iacono, who nominated Albright for the award. “Today, we have a team that is proud of their work, each other, and our college. Melissa has taught them their importance and value as people and professionals, and their results have exceeded anything we could have imagined.”

DeGroot Campaign Challenges Petitions of Agliata and Snyder

MORRIS COUNTY — The DeGroot campaign formally objected to the candidacies of Robert Snyder for Commissioner and Andrew Agliata for County Clerk. “Our campaign is aware that their petitions were improperly circulated and notarized. This was confirmed by eyewitness testimony and video evidence,” said a spokesperson for the DeGroot Campaign.

Eyewitness testimony and video evidence of the petition signers confirmed that the circulator was not present when Republican voters signed the petitions for Snyder and Agliatta. It was circulated instead by a woman who was identified as an Executive Board Member of the Morris County Republican Committee and a Montville School Board Member, also an elected Morris County Committee Woman. The Morris County Republican Committee had previously chosen their “Line” candidate for Commissioner Tyfun Selen.

DeGroot stated, “This shady scheme of collecting signatures for these two “last day to file” candidates was solely to create confusion among Republicans and to hurt DeGroot’s campaign by pushing his bracket further off the ballot and diluting DeGroot’s chances for victory. Make no mistake, shady things are going on, and schemes were hatched to protect Selen and the Line.”

“This woman did not identify the candidates she was collecting signatures for and misled the signers as to who they were signing for. One signer stated that this woman requested they sign the petition twice but did not inform them that it was for two candidates. Further, this woman did not sign the petition as the circulator; however, a young man did sign the petition under oath, knowing he was not the circulator.”

“Paul DeGroot is supported by the real Republican voters of Morris County, who will not fall for the establishment’s last-minute ballot-fixing schemes for their gain.”

“Collusion with phantom candidates to manipulate the ballot is a shocking and grave threat to voter integrity and a dirty trick. The Republican Party has long opposed the Democrat’s careless election schemes. We cannot allow fraudulent petitions and back-door deals to manipulate the ballot in our own Party. We must do better.”

“As a former Chief Assistant Prosecutor of the Public Integrity Section, his unit sought out and prosecuted corruption. When elected to the Board of County Commissioners, DeGroot will be a breath of fresh air and shine a bright light to expose backroom deals and prevent things like this from happening,” stated DeGroot.

Last week,  a slate of off-the-line candidates running in the Republican primary received Column 1 after the deputy county clerk Anna McMahon conducted a ballot draw. Column 1 is headed by Paul DeGroot, a former Passaic County Prosecutor, and 2022 Congressional candidate now seeking a county commissioner seat.

That placed Tom Mastrangelo (R-Montville), a county commissioner seeking the GOP nomination for State Senate, at the top of the ticket in Morris County.  Mastrangelo is joined in Column 1 by BettyLou DeCroce (R-Parsippany), who seeks to regain the Assembly seat she lost two years ago, and another Assembly candidate, former Parsippany Councilman Robert Peluso.

 

What is Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

All You Need to Know About Compensation in Nursing Home Abuse Claims

If you’ve been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, it can be daunting to take legal action. Many steps must be taken to ensure justice is served, but perhaps the most important one involves seeking compensation. The amount of possible financial restitution varies depending on factors like the severity of the injury and how much wrong was done to you; however, familiarizing yourself with what to expect is an essential part of taking care of yourself in such a stressful situation. In this blog post, we’ll break down all aspects concerning compensation for nursing home abuse claims so that if zeroing in on financial gain is your main priority, you’ll know exactly where to turn next and have accurate expectations from start to finish.

What is Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Nursing home abuse and neglect are serious issues facing the elderly today. Unfortunately, it is estimated that over 10% of nursing home residents are victims of some form of abuse. Abuse can be both physical and emotional, including hitting and verbal threats. In addition to physical abuse, neglect can take forms like inadequate healthcare or nutrition, unsanitary living environments, being left alone for extended periods of time, or even exploitation for financial purposes. It’s important to recognize these troubling behaviors as signs of mistreatment, so family members and caretakers remain vigilant and can intervene quickly to protect vulnerable loved ones from any harm that may come to them.

Understanding Compensatory Damages and Reimbursement Claims

Compensatory damages and reimbursement claims are financial compensation offered to those who have suffered severe harm or injury due to another entity’s negligence. Nursing home falls resulting in serious injuries, like broken bones and traumatic brain injuries, are considered liable losses that could lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth in compensation. If you or someone you know has suffered an injury due to someone else’s carelessness, be sure to understand more about compensatory damages and reimbursement claims so that they can pursue their legal rights and receive the justice they deserve.

Identifying Qualifying Victims of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Identifying victims of nursing home abuse and neglect can be daunting, particularly when their diminished mental or physical state makes it difficult for them to report the wrongdoing. Family members and friends of patients in nursing homes must remain vigilant and observe behavior that could indicate abuse or neglect. Such behaviors could include avoidance of eye contact with staff, frequent changes in attitude towards the facility, unexplained absences from activities, sudden weight loss/gain, depression, anxiety, or other emotional expressions of discomfort. In addition, any bruising or other physical injuries should prompt further inquiry into the patient’s well-being. Early detection of potential issues can help ensure that vulnerable nursing home residents are properly cared for and protected from harm.

Statute of Limitations on Filing a Claim for Compensation in a Nursing Home Abuse Case

Survivors of nursing home abuse may take comfort in knowing that the statute of limitations to bring a compensation claim is typically generous. Depending on the state and jurisdiction, they may have as many as two or four years or more in some cases. Generally speaking, however, serious injuries – such as those due to acts of willful misconduct are usually subject to shorter filing periods and could require filing a claim within one year. Knowing when the statutes of limitation run out is key for survivors attempting to sue for compensation for their losses. It’s important to review applicable federal and state laws to determine the time limit since the statute of limitations can vary from case to case. With diligent scholarship on behalf of survivors, an experienced attorney can ensure that no potential compensation window is overlooked.

Proving Negligence and Liability in Nursing Home Abuse Cases

Proving negligence and liability in nursing home abuse cases is a complex process. Often, witnesses are few, as elderly victims can become disoriented or afraid to speak up for fear of retribution. In some states, the legal system requires that multiple sources of evidence and testimony must be provided to win a case. This can prove challenging when covering up and intimidation tactics are used against victims, making it hard to find and trust others willing to testify. Fortunately, due to the rise in awareness of the severe nature of nursing home abuse, governments have begun imposing strict regulations on these facilities with stiff penalties for those found guilty. With an experienced attorney and thorough examination of records, including financial statements and hiring practices, survivors and their families may finally be able to bring justice against those responsible.

Calculating the Amount of Compensation You Can Receive for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect

When it comes to calculating the amount of compensation you can receive for nursing home abuse or neglect, there are a few factors that you need to take into account. The severity of the abuse or neglect is one of the first things that need to be assessed, along with any medical expenses you incurred. It’s also helpful to examine whether the abuse or neglect caused long-term physical or emotional suffering. Furthermore, looking into state and federal laws concerning residents’ rights in nursing homes can help determine if punitive damages are available for compensatory rewards. Ultimately, getting legal representation from an experienced attorney in this area can help you get all appropriate legal compensation for your suffering and loss.

Concluding Thoughts

Taking the necessary steps to prevent nursing home abuse and neglect is critical in providing safe and quality care for those most vulnerable. By understanding the specifics of a nursing home abuse and neglect case, victims can seek compensation to cover their damages. Awareness of the damages that can be covered and who qualifies as a victim is essential in making informed decisions on filing claims. Proving negligence and liability are vital components when calculating compensation. Finally, it’s important to note that claims must be filed within specific deadlines or statutes of limitations to be considered valid. Researching potential abuse or neglect before committing to a facility, or even having someone frequently stay with your loved one if admitted into one, will provide optimal protection from such atrocities. It’s our social responsibility to ensure that those who require close watch receive competent care so they can live safe and happy lives.

Two Parsippany Residents Honored with the Socolowski Senior Citizen of the Year Award

PARSIPPANY — The Township of Parsippany’s Office on Aging honored two resident volunteers, aged 60 and over, who have offered their time and experience to worthwhile projects, causes, or activities that enhance people’s lives. The nominees may be employed, but the volunteer work was only considered.

On Tuesday, April 4, Mayor James Barberio honored two residents: Karen DeChristopher and Karl Riffel.

Karl Riffel with Mayor James Barberio

Karl Riffel has selflessly volunteered his time, talents, and skills for over forty-five. years for, among others, the Lake Parsippany Property Owners Association, Girls Scouts of America, the Parsippany PAL Color Guard, and the Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance Squad. 

Karl joined the Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance Squad along with his Nan in an effort to give back to the community. He helped wherever needed, whether driving the ambulance, patient transport, moving equipment, or supporting the EMS team.

Karl continues his volunteerism at the Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance Squad at the clubhouse, where he is known as the “handyman,” providing upkeep and maintenance on the property.

Also honored was Karen DeChristopher. Karen DeChristopher has selflessly volunteered her time, talents, and skills for over twenty years for, among others, the Parsippany OEM Emergency Response Team, Family Promise, Jersey Battered Women’s Shelter, Kiwanis Club of Parsippany, Woman’s Club of Parsippany and the American Cancer Society; and in 2006, Karen joined the Parsippany CERT Team and, as Senior Leader, volunteered countless hours during Super Storm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, winter storms, flooding events, downed electrical wires, and various other Township emergencies and events.

As a three-time cancer survivor, Karen has volunteered her time to The American Cancer Society in an effort to help others battling the disease, and her passion for volunteering in support of women’s and children’s causes is inspiring and infectious.

Michele Picone, Director of Parsippany Health and Human Services, presents Karen DeChristopher with a check. Mayor James Barberio looks on. Thanks to the Estate of Jean D. Socolowski, they can award a monetary prize to the winning volunteers.

 

Fundraiser for Coach Brad Wilbur

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Assistant Superintendent of Schools Denis Mulroony and Parsippany High School Coach Jason Hurta organized a fundraiser to help the former football coach and friend Coach Brad Wilbur and his family through a very difficult and tragic time.

Sadly, Coach Wilbur is currently (and bravely) battling cancer. Consequently, his family faces financial hardships due to this medical situation.

While they need your thoughts and prayers, Mulroony and Hurta decided to create a GoFundMe page and share it with friends, fellow coaches, former players, colleagues, etc.. to provide some much-needed financial support.

If you can, please consider donating any amount you’re comfortable with.

Click here to donate.