26th Annual Sparkle of Hope Gala Is Back in Person

MORRIS COUNTY — Community Hope’s Sparkle of Hope Gala is returning to an in-person event after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic on Tuesday, November 15 at 5:30 p.m.

The gala is one of the largest fundraising events in New Jersey and benefits Community Hope’s programs to assist more than 1,000 veterans and veteran families annually with housing stability and mental wellness. The gala also supports Community Hope’s residential programs serving more than 100 individuals daily in recovery from mental illness. This year’s gala will be held at the Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains, and more than 500 people are expected to attend.

Community Hope is proud to present the Sparkle of Hope Award this year to two well-deserving honorees, Aaron Graff, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Ferring Pharmaceuticals, and Joseph Papa, Chief Executive Officer at Bausch+Lomb. These dynamic industry leaders are being recognized for their Corporations’ support of Community Hope for over a decade as well as their personal commitment to the organization’s mission and their advocacy for those served by the charity.

Fred Hassan

This year’s event is led by Fred Hassan, Chairman of the Caret Group and Director, Warburg Pincus. The Sparkle of Hope event has raised more than $18 million since 1997 and continues to grow into an event that brings together pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and other related industries in support of a common cause.

This will be among Community Hope’s largest galas in the 26 years since Fred Hassan, then-Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacia & Upjohn, founded the charity event to enhance community-based services to coincide with pharmaceutical advances in mental health treatment.

Aaron Graff

The 2022 Honorary Co-Chairs are Robert Bradway, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Amgen, Terrie Curran, Chief Executive Officer and President of Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Kenneth Frazier, Executive Chairman of Merck & Co., Adele Gulfo, Chief Commercial, and BD Officer at Sumitovant Biopharma, Thomas Kendris, US Country President at Novartis Corporation, Catherine Owen, Senior Vice President and General Manager, US Commercial at Bristol Myers Squibb, Tarek Rabah, Chief Executive Officer of Otsuka America, Inc., and Brent Ragans, President of Ferring US. Corporate Sponsors of the event include Accenture – Life Sciences, Amgen, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Arnold & Porter, Bayer, BD, Bausch+Lomb, Bausch Health, Bristol Myers Squibb, The Boston Consulting Group, CommVault, Davis Polk Wardell, LLC, Deloitte, Embecta, Ferring, Freshfields Bruckhause & Deringer, Goldman Sachs, IQVIA, J. Knipper & Company, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan, Lowenstein Sandler, Matthijssen, Inc., McKinsey & Co., Merck, Morgan Stanley, Mutual of America, NJM Insurance, Norton Rose Fulbright, Novartis, Ogilvy Health, P360 Optiks Solution, Otsuka, Paul Boudreau & Associates, Pfizer, Inc., Peabody Properties, PhRMA, Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Prometheus, Inc., Roivant Sciences, RSM US, SAGE Broadview Wealth Management, Sanofi US, Spencer Savings Bank, Sumitovant Biopharma, Tandym Group, The Cheeley Consulting Group, Tris Pharma, Venable, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz, Warburg Pincus, The Westfield Group, USA and Withum.

To purchase tables and tickets or to make a donation to the Sparkle of Hope Gala, visit the events section of Community Hope’s click here or contact Peggy Banko, Development Director at (973) 463-9600, extension 303 or (973) 444-0364.

Community Hope, an NJ non-profit organization, provides housing and support services over 1,000 veterans, veteran families, and people living with mental illness each year. Since 1985, our team of over 150 employees has provided clinical case management, housing (emergency, transitional, and affordable), and homeless prevention services enabling thousands to recover from mental illness, homelessness, substance use, and poverty.

Driver Fell Asleep; Crashed into Utility Phone

PARSIPPANY — Florence Church, 32, Parsippany, was traveling east on Edwards Road, on Sunday, November 6 at 9:31 a.m. and fell asleep while driving.

Ms. Church’s vehicle struck the curb located in front of Rockaway Meadow School, 160 Edwards Road, then struck the curb in front of 149 Edwards Road, drove off the road and onto the front lawn of 149 Edwards Road, then the front lawn of 169 Edwards Road, prior to crashing into a utility pole located between 149 and 169 Edwards Road before coming to final rest on the front lawn of 169 Edwards Road.

She was driving a 2019 Black Nissan Pathfinder.  The vehicle became disabled and was towed from the scene by Eagle Towing.

Officer Ed Banks determined the cause of the crash was the driver falling asleep while operating a motor vehicle.

There was no summons issued at the time of the investigation.

 

 

Aruna Vaddiraju Promoted at Lakeland Bank

PARSIPPANY — Aruna Vaddiraju was promoted to Senior Vice President of Business Analysis and User Experience at Lakeland Bank.

Vaddiraju joined the Bank in 2021 as Vice President, Business Analysis, and User Experience Lead.

Prior to that, she was the Lead Business Analyst at Prudential Group Insurance in Roseland. Vaddiraju holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration degree from Andhra University. She is an ICAgile Certified Professional and is a resident of Parsippany.

Lakeland Bank is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Lakeland Bancorp, Inc., with over $10 billion in total assets. With an extensive branch network and commercial lending centers throughout New Jersey and Highland Mills, NY, the Bank continues to build on its infrastructure of financial strength, profitability, efficiency, and quality service as it moves into the future.

Business services include commercial loans and lines of credit, commercial real estate loans, loans for healthcare services, asset-based lending, equipment financing, small business loans and lines, and treasury management services. Consumer services include checking and savings accounts, digital banking, home equity loans and lines, mortgage options, and wealth management solutions. Lakeland is proud and honored to be recognized as one of America’s Best-In-State Banks by Forbes and Statista, rated a 5-Star Bank by Bauer Financial, and named one of New Jersey’s 50 Fastest Growing Companies by NJBIZ.

For over 50 years, Lakeland Bank has been serving our local community as both a trusted financial service provider and a strongly committed corporate citizen. As a community bank, Lakeland Bank is connected to the neighborhoods they serve through its volunteer efforts and contributions. They invest time, talent, and resources in organizations that help make local communities better places.

Complaints About Voting Machines; Machines Were Not Working Properly

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Commissioners spent nearly $5 million to replace its 20-year-old voting machines. But some of those machines rolled out to local polling districts for Election Day are malfunctioning while other towns are struggling to accommodate a large voter turnout with half the voting machines they have received in the past.

At the Lake Parsippany Firehouse, when a Parsippany Focus reporter arrived to vote, both machines were not working and voters were patiently waiting to vote.  After about 45 minutes, one machine was reprogrammed and the line of voters started moving. By the end of the night, when the doors were locked at 8:00 p.m. there were approximately 40 voters waiting in line to vote.  The final vote was cast at about 8:35 p.m.

This experience was voiced across many voting districts in Morris County.

Election workers in Parsippany trying to fix the voting machine in District 12
Voters waiting patiently at Lake Parsippany Firehouse while election workers were fixing the machines

Morris County Commissioners Unofficial Election Results

MORRIS COUNTY — The three Republican Candidates for Morris County Commissioners received most of the votes in Tuesday’s election. Current Commissioner Kathryn A. DeFillippo decided not to run for re-election.

The total ballots cast was 181,864 (45.75%), and there are 397,485 registered voters in Morris County.

Thomas ‘T.C.’ McCOURT Democrat 72,353 14.26%
Judith HERNANDEZ Democrat 74,708 14.72%
Baramdai ‘Alicia’ SHARMA Democrat 72,094 14.21%
Doug CABANA Republican 95,478 18.82%
Christine MYERS Republican 96,798 19.08%
Tom MASTRANGELO Republican 95,640 18.85%
Write-In 348 0.07%
Total Votes Cast 507,419

Early Voting results & Mail-In Ballots received before the close of polls are included.

Timely postmarked Mail-In Ballot results are pending

Provisional Ballot results pending

Results are updated as they become available and are subject to change until all ballots are counted.

Results don’t become official until Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi certifies them.

Revised November 9, 2022, 12:00 p.m.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education Unofficial Results

PARSIPPANY — The results of the Parsippany Board of Education election:

Three seats were up, each for a three-year term.

Andy Choffo 5,340
Jack S. Raia 5,647
Yvonne Ferise 3,597
Alison C. Cogan 5,495
Kendra Von Achen 4,311
Michelle Shappell 6,248
Falgun Bakhtarwala 3,832
Write In 113

 

The Board of Education comprises nine registered voters of Parsippany-Troy Hills Township elect.  Members are elected to three-year terms. The Board President and Vice-President are elected by the majority vote of their fellow Board members.

 

Revised December 12, 2022.

Kiwanis Club Holds Food Collection Drive at ShopRite

PARSIPPANY — The Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany with assistance from Parsippany High School Key Club, and Parsippany Hills High School Key Club teamed up and conducted a food drive at ShopRite, Parsippany on Sunday, November 5.

Kiwanis Club Vice President Carol Tiesi, President Nicolas Limanov and Michele Picone, Director of Health and Human Services

The food was collected for the Parsippany Food Pantry. In addition, they received $110.00 in Shop Rite gift cards
$250.00 in donations.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany President-elect Carol Tiesi said “When I was sworn in October, one of my initiatives is to work with the Key Club on their goal of collecting food for the needy. We started in Parsippany and will continue throughout next year and collect as much food as needed.” The Key Club is comprised of passionate, hard-working high schoolers dedicated to serving their homes, schools, and communities. We strive to make the world a better place through service and caring.

The Parsippany Emergency Food Pantry is located at Parsippany Community Center, 1130 Knoll Road, Lake Hiawatha. For more information call (973) 263-7163. Their hours are Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information on the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany click here.

Anyone interested in joining the new Kiwanis Club please contact Nicolas Limanov at (917) 499-7299.

Kiwanis Club collected food at ShopRite to be donated to Parsippany Food Pantry
Kiwanis Club collected food at ShopRite to be donated to Parsippany Food Pantry

Morris County Sheriff’s Office Promotes Three

MORRIS COUNTY — Sheriff James M. Gannon is pleased to announce the promotions of three members, Detective Lieutenant Tracy Medwin, Detective Sergeant Greg Lukaszyk, and Sergeant Travis Somerville.

Detective Lieutenant Tracy Medwin was hired by the Sheriff’s Office in December of 2000. She has previously been assigned to the Protective Services Division, the Research and Planning Section of the Administration Division, and the Process Section of the Legal Services Division. She will assume command of the Community Outreach and Planning Section of the Office.

Detective Sergeant Greg Lukaszyk joined the Morris County Sheriff’s Office in January 2008 and attended the 71st Basic Police Academy Class. He spent the first 12 years of his career in the Protective Services Division, with additional assignments to the Marine Patrol Unit and as an agency firearms instructor. During these years, He also served in the NJ Army National Guard until retiring, at the rank of Sergeant First Class, with 22 years of service in 2018. In September 2020, he was selected to become a Detective in the Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab, with special emphasis on Ballistics and Firearms Examination. Detective Sergeant Lukaszyk has since attended the New Jersey State Police Forensic Investigations Course, along with numerous firearms training and armorer courses. With his current promotion, Detective Sergeant Lukaszyk will supervise the new Ballistics and Firearms Section within Crime Scene Investigation Services.

Sergeant Somerville earned an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice and went on to study at the College of St Elizabeth where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2012. He was hired by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office in July 2013. He successfully completed his police academy training in December 2013. After his academy graduation, Sergeant Somerville was assigned to the Protective Services Division, working in Criminal Courts and Holding until April 2016 when he was reassigned to the Community Outreach and Planning Section. While assigned there, his responsibilities included the Explorer Program, Project Lifesaver, Crime Stopper, and the agency’s CALEA Accreditation function. He is also a member of the Marine Patrol Unit and agency Search and Rescue Operations. With his current promotion, Sergeant Somerville will now supervise the Community Outreach and Planning Section.

Chief Sheriff’s Officer Kelley Zienowicz stated, “I am so proud of these three stand-out members. They bring experience and knowledge to their well-deserved new ranks and will continue to be a benefit to the agency in their new roles.” The Morris County Sheriff’s Office recognized these individuals and their accomplishments in a promotional ceremony held in the historic courtroom at the Morris County Superior Courthouse this Monday, November 7, 2022. Sheriff Gannon said, “It is my honor to promote Detective Lieutenant Tracy Medwin, Detective Sergeant Greg Lukaszyk, and Sergeant Travis Somerville today. I’ve witnessed each of these great leaders professionally serve the citizens of Morris County every day. I am very confident in their collective knowledge, skills, and abilities to further advance the goals and objectives of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.” These promotions will enhance the professionalism of the Community Planning and Outreach Section and the Criminal Investigation Services Division of the Sheriff’s Office.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Zoning Board of Adjustment – November 2, 2022

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Zoning Board of Adjustment – November 2, 2022. Please note there is no video due to technical difficulties, you can just hear the meeting.

The announcement is made that adequate notice of this meeting has been given and that it is being conducted in accordance with N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq. of the New Jersey “Open Public Meetings Act”

Click here to download the agenda.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Zoning Board of Adjustment
2022 Members and Term Dates

  • Robert Iracane    Chairman    12/31/22
  • Dave Kaplan    Vice-Chair       12/31/23
  • Bernard Berkowitz    Member      12/31/24
  • Scot Joskowitz    Member        12/31/25
  • Nancy Snyder    Member        12/31/23
  • Sridath Reddy    Member        12/31/22
  • Davey Willans    Member        12/31/24
  • Casey Parikh    Alt. No. 1        12/31/23
  • Chris Mazzarella    Alt. No. 2        12/31/23
  • John Chadwick, Planner, John T. Chadwick IV P.P.
  • Chas Holloway, Engineer, Keller & Kirkpatrick
  • Peter King, Attorney, King Moench Hirniak & Collins, LLP
  • Nora O. Jolie, Board Secretary

 

 

Motor Vehicle Offices Closed for Holidays

MORRIS COUNTY — All NJMVC facilities will be closed in observance of the state holidays on Tuesday, November 8, and Friday, November 11.

Click here anytime, 24/7 — for online services, appointment scheduling, and more.