Morris County Prosecutor Swears In New Detectives

Frank L. Cahill
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Morris County Prosecutor Swears In New Detectives

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker announce the hiring of Jenna Powers and Gregory Federici as Detectives for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.  Both were officially sworn in at the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office on October 31.

Chief Kimker; Lincoln and Nicole Federici; Det. Federici; Prosecutor Carroll; First Assistant Prosecutor Calderwood

Prior to joining the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Detective Powers was as a Detective for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office since 2020, serving in the Special Victims Unit and Adult Trial Section.  Before serving in that position, she was an Assistant Prosecutor for that same office from 2016 until 2020, was an attorney for a private law practice from 2015 to 2016, and was an Assistant Prosecutor for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office from 2012 to 2015 serving in the Domestic Violence Unit and Specialized Services/Megan’s Law Unit.  Detective Powers possesses a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Washington College in Maryland, and a Juris Doctorate Degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan.  She has been assigned to the Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit, within the Tactical Division of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prior to joining the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Detective Federici was a police officer in Cranford, Union County, New Jersey since 2013, where he served in patrol operations and in the Community Policing Unit.  Before serving as a police officer, Detective Federici was a Communications Officer with the Cranford Police Department from 2011 until 2013, a Personal Trainer in 2010, and a Substitute Teacher and Football Coach at Cranford High School from 2008 to 2010.  Also, from 2008 to 2013, he served as a volunteer Auxiliary Police Officer for the Cranford Police Department.  Det. Federici possesses an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Union County College.  He has been assigned to the General Investigations Unit, within the Courts & Administration Division of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutor Carroll said, “The addition of Detective Powers and Detective Federici to our office brings a valuable cross-section of talent and experience.  We welcome both and anticipate that they will contribute positively to the effectiveness of our operation.”

Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting November 2, 2022

Frank L. Cahill
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Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting November 2, 2022

PARSIPPANY — Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting on November 2, 2022 will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building, 1001 Parsippany Boulevard, Parsippany.

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

Morris County 4-H Rocketry Team Makes the NASA Cut

Frank L. Cahill
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Morris County 4-H Rocketry Team Makes the NASA Cut

PARSIPPANY —The Morris County 4-H “ResistoJets” Rocketry Club is one of only 18 middle-and-high school groups nationwide to qualify for this year’s NASA Student Launch Initiative and the only team from New Jersey. More than 50 college-age teams will also participate.

During the NASA Student Launch Initiative, or SLI, student teams design, build and launch a rocket and payload according to NASA’s specifications as part of a rocketry competition. The goal of this year’s challenge is to simulate photographing the surface of a planet. The team will design and build an 8-foot-tall rocket that will lift its payload to over 5,000 feet.

During the pandemic, club president and team Captain Sean McConoughey of Califon pursued rocketry as a hobby with his father, Luke. When he learned about the NASA challenge, he approached 4-H to sponsor the team, which includes Brian Sun of Belle Mead, Holt Englander of Morristown, Mya McConoughey of Califon, and Sahisnu Santhosh of Lake Hiawatha. New team members are welcome.

“When I first heard about the NASA Student Launch program I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn and grow after running out of ideas for my own projects,”  said McConoughey. “However, we quickly found out we had to qualify first, in our case through TARC. In hindsight, I think that was a great thing that helped prepare us a lot for the Student Launch. What’s driven me over the last year, since starting the competitions, has been everything I’ve learned and the experiences I have to look forward to.”

4-H rocket team with rocket on launchpadTo qualify for the 2023 NASA SLI, the ResistoJets Rocketry Club’s five members had to compete and succeed in the prerequisite American Rocketry Challenge (TARC) last year, designing a rocket to transport two eggs to a certain altitude before landing them safely on the ground — intact. Their design was successful on a competitive launch day in Virginia, which enabled the 4-H group to progress.

Now that they are officially accepted into the SLI program, the team interacts with NASA along the lines of a contractor by writing and submitting precise proposals for their rocket, specifying the design, ultimate altitude, and performance. Accurate estimation of the rocket’s performance is an important piece of the proposal, said 4-H Program Assistant Britt Wagner.

The competition will take place in April at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. This phase of the challenge is built around the current Artemis NASA mission.

Team Photo

The team is currently in the preliminary design review phase and working to give a 30-min presentation on design and performance to the NASA team in early November. The next steps are to build a smaller-scale model of the design, then launch, test, and fine-tune it. The challenge also includes requirements for media presence for each team as well as a STEM education plan to reach more than 250 students in the area.

“This competition has the potential to transform students into well-qualified professionals for the modern-day workplace,” said Fred Kepner, activity lead for Student Launch at Marshall. “Many former students now work with NASA or our industry partners across the nation, some supporting the next chapter of space exploration, the Artemis program.”

“I am very proud of what the team has accomplished so far, and I look forward to everything that lies ahead,” McConoughey said.

For more information email resistojetrocketry@gmail.com.

Halloween at the Hills was “Scary and Fun”

Frank L. Cahill
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Halloween at the Hills was “Scary and Fun”

PARSIPPANY — Halloween reared its creepy head Friday night at the annual Halloween at the Hills event. This safe and controlled holiday effort is intended to be a safe trick-or-treat event for local elementary school kids.

Jalen Mui and Andy Adubato
Parsippany Hills Key Club Advisor Kristine Bushong with former Key Club Advisor
Bonnie Sturm and Lauren Sturm

The Student Council, Interact Club, Kiwanis Key Club, Project Graduation, Asian American Club, Peer Buddies, Indian Cultural Club, Erase, DECA, FBLA, Drama Club, French Club, Asian American Club, Anime were among some of the clubs participating in “Halloween at the Hills”.

The children dressed in costumes had fun playing games to win candy.  By the end of the evening, all the children’s bags were full to the top with a variety of candies.

The Interact Club conducted a food drive to be donated to Interfaith Food Pantry.

Members of Interact Club: Vidhi Shah, Nick Spada, Nola Anderson, Bridget Skenien, and Brielle Wallace were giving out candy to the children
Viking Nation
The Interact Club conducted a food drive to be donated to Interfaith Food Pantry.

Reprinted from Parsippany Focus Magazine, November 2022. Click here to read the magazine.

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New Jersey Globe 11th District Congressional Debate

Frank L. Cahill
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New Jersey Globe 11th District Congressional Debate

PARSIPPANY — Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill and her Republican challenger, former Assistant Passaic County Prosecutor Paul DeGroot, faced at the New Jersey Globe 11th District Congressional Debate on Sunday, October 23, hosted by David Wildstein.

Stabbing at Hilton Hotel During “Chiller Theatre”

Frank L. Cahill
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Stabbing at Hilton Hotel During “Chiller Theatre”

PARSIPPANY — On Sunday, October 30, 2022, at approximately 12:18 p.m., Parsippany Police responded to the Hilton Hotel, One Hilton Court, on a report of a stabbing during the “Chiller Theatre” event.

David C. Knestrick, 47, of Norwalk, Connecticut was arrested in connection with a stabbing.

A private security officer who was working during the event was stabbed with a knife while intervening in an altercation between Knestrick and other patrons at the event.

The victim of the stabbing was transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment, and as a result of the investigation, Knestrick was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault, a crime of the second degree; Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, a crime of the third degree; and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, a crime of the fourth degree.

The Defendant was charged on a warrant complaint and remains in custody pending a court appearance.

“The incident today is a criminal matter under investigation by the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department and Morris County Sheriff’s Department. We appreciate the concern of those asking about the status of our friend and colleague affected, but please understand he has a family and it is not for us to discuss anything regarding his health,” organizers said in a statement on social media.

Chiller Theatre was a three-day event held at the Hilton. Friday, October 28 through Sunday, October 30. The autograph-signing convention draws thousands around Halloween and again in the spring to the Hilton.

Police have not yet given details about what sparked the altercation or how many people were involved.

If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department at (973) 263-4300 or the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200.

Editor’s Note: An arrest or signing a criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Story Map Launched to Celebrate 20 Years of Historic Preservation

Frank L. Cahill
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Story Map Launched to Celebrate 20 Years of Historic Preservation

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund by launching an interactive, online story map of all historic sites found in the county, specifically offering background information, photos, video, and geographic data on all sites that benefited from county historic preservation grants.

“We hope this story map can make the public more aware of the many historic treasures that are in our midst, and also acknowledge the strong support the Commissioners have shown toward historic preservation that contributes to the high quality of life here in Morris County,” said Ray Chang, Historic Preservation Program Coordinator for the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation.

The story map was created by the Office of Planning and Preservation to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the grant program.

The Historic Preservation Trust Fund was established by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners after voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum on November 5, 2002, to allow a portion of the Morris County Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to be used for historic preservation

Morris County has now awarded 512 grants amounting to $45,945,925 to assist in the preservation, protection, and restoration of 122 historic properties since 2003 when grants were first issued for protecting historic sites through Morris County’s Preservation Trust Fund. The sites are located in 34 towns around Morris County.

King Homestead Museum cropped.jpg
The King Store Museum, an 1825 general store and post office at Drakesville Historic Park in the Ledgewood section of Roxbury Township. The site has received 17 grants for planning and restoration since the Historic Preservation Trust Program began

“This has been an exceptionally successful and well-received program, with nearly $46 million being committed to assist in the preservation, protection, and restoration of 122 historic properties since the first grant was issued in 2003,” said Commissioner Stephen Shaw, the board liaison to the county Office of Planning and Preservation.

“Almost everywhere you go in Morris County, you can point to a place, a building, or a monument that represents a specific era in American history, from the days Native Americans lived here and Europeans began to settle in, to the American Revolution, the industrial revolution and beyond. Morris County has a wealth of sites and structures embodying the American story, and our trust fund has helped to preserve that,” he added.

Little-Red-Schoolhouse.jpg
The Little Red Schoolhouse in Florham Park has received 10 grants from the fund since it began

The story map is based in part on digital mapping data provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Geographic Information System, as well as data on historical properties compiled by the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office. A legend is provided identifying various levels of historical determinations afforded different sites.

However, the story map dives deepest into Morris County historic sites, specifically the 122 sites afforded grants through the Historic Preservation Trust Fund over the past 20 years. Using the GIS mapping, visitors may navigate to all 122 Morris County sites easily and view photos, background information, and, where available, videos and audio presentations that provide a fuller understanding of the site’s significance.

The Historic Preservation Trust Fund considers grants for the acquisition, stabilization, rehabilitation, restoration, or preservation of historic resources by municipalities, qualified non-profits, and the county. Many sites have received multiple grants over the years for various stages of preservation, from planning to actual construction.

Applications are reviewed by the volunteer members of the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board, and the board ultimately recommends each year to the County Commissioners what projects should be provided grants and the amount of each grant.

The new story map introduces visitors to the 11-member review board. Click here to view the story map.

Historic resources must be listed or certified as eligible for listing on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, in order to be eligible for the program.

The Seward House, and 1865 farm house in Mount Olive, was among the sites approved in 2022 for grant dollars and is currently undergoing renovations

2nd Annual DEA National Take Back Held in Parsippany

Frank L. Cahill
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2nd Annual DEA National Take Back Held in Parsippany

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Councilman Justin Musella visited the “2nd Annul DEA National Take Back event” held on Saturday, October 29. The collection of unwanted/unused medication was held at Morris Hills Shopping Center (outside Harmon Face Value). Pictured with Musella are Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Officer Remo D’Alessandro and Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Sergeant Craig Brooks.

Liquid Church Hosted “Run for Rwanda 5k & Fun Run”

Frank L. Cahill
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Liquid Church Hosted “Run for Rwanda 5k & Fun Run”

PARSIPPANY — Liquid Church, one of New Jersey’s fastest-growing churches, is raising awareness and funds for its signature Clean Water Cause by hosting the Run For Rwanda 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run on Saturday, October 22.

“Rwanda is a country with an ambitious goal – to be the first in Africa with 100% access to clean water. Clean water has the potential to transform lives, and here at Liquid Church, we’re committed to helping Rwandans reach this milestone,” said Tim Lucas, lead pastor and founder of Liquid Church. “Right now approximately 25% of Rwandans have no other choice but to drink dirty water that carries waterborne diseases and makes families ill. By hosting the Run For Rwanda, we’re not only drawing attention to this crisis, but we’re raising funds that can be used to effect real change in Rwanda.”

Liquid and its overseas partner Living Water International have been working together in Rwanda since 2015. To date, Liquid has helped to open over 360 clean water wells in 9 nations, bringing clean water to over 130,000 people across the globe. Of those wells, 153 clean water wells have been opened throughout Rwanda. Funds raised through the Run For Rwanda on October 22 will help to complete the WASH program (water access, sanitation, and hygiene) in the Ruhango and Busasamana regions of the country.

“We invited the community to join us to run, walk, or even bring a stroller to participate with little kids. Everyone is welcome.  No matter how you participate, when we come together, we can make a big impact for this beautiful ‘land of a thousand hills!’” added Lucas. “For the millions of thirsty people in Rwanda, safe water can ultimately transform their health, safety, education, and livelihoods!”

The Run For Rwanda is a chip-timed race, and all ages, stages, and abilities are welcome to lace up and join the 5K or 1 Mile Fun Run that will take place on the wide open roads surrounding Liquid Church’s location at 299 Webro Road.

To learn more about Run For Rwanda or to get answers to Frequently Asked Questions click here. To learn more about Liquid Church’s Clean Water Cause click here.

Liquid Church is one of New Jersey’s fastest-growing Christian churches. Officially launched in 2007 by Lead Pastor Tim Lucas, the church’s vision is to “Saturate the State with the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” with seven physical campuses in Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, and Union Counties. Each week, about 5,000 people experience Liquid Church’s worship services in New Jersey and around the globe through Church Online. As part of its global outreach, Liquid provides clean drinking water to those in need, with hundreds of completed wells in Africa and Central America. Liquid Church’s innovative approaches to outreach and ministry have been spotlighted by CNN, FOX News, and TIME magazine. For more information click here.

Letter to the Editor: I Support Andy Choffo, Jack Raia, and Yvonne Ferise

Letters to the Editor
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Letter to the Editor: I Support Andy Choffo, Jack Raia, and Yvonne Ferise

Dear Editor:

I am encouraging voters to support Andy Choffo, Jack Raia, and Yvonne Ferise for the Parsippany Board of Education. I have known Andy for many years, having had children of similar ages in the Parsippany School District. Andy and I share a similar perspective on a substantial number of topics, including the impact of education on children and society. I am confident that Andy’s running mates share these points of view.

Andy, Jack, and Yvonne want a school district that will focus on student achievement. The Parsippany school district recently posted student achievement results. The decline in student learning is alarming. You can go to the district website and view the presentation by clicking here.

The Parsippany Board of Education needs to have the administration focus on educating students. I am confident that as Board Members, Andy, Jack, and Yvonne will concentrate on student achievement, while providing a commonsense approach to educating children. They will also ensure that all students are provided an equal opportunity to succeed, directing resources where necessary.

Parsippany needs volunteers like ANDY CHOFFO, JACK RAIA, and YVONNE FERISE on the Board of Education. Please vote for Board of Education rows 1, 2, and 3 on Tuesday, November 8.

John Staudinger
Parsippany

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