PARSIPPANY — QuickChek, 170 Parsippany Road, Green Hill Plaza, reopened its doors this morning at 6:00 a.m. after fifty percent of the shopping plaza was destroyed by fire on January 4. (Click here to read related article)
The fire broke out early in the morning Jan. 4 in the Parsippany Road plaza. Firefighters worked through the day to extinguish the blaze that significantly damaged several businesses.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor James Barberio, Parsippany-Troy Hills Economic Development Advisory Committee Chairman Frank Cahill, Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce President Robert Peluso, Morris County Commissioner Stephen Shaw, including members of the Chamber and members of Economic Development joins in celebrating Dean Marra with the grand opening of Mr. Marra’s Music School and Studio.
Mr. Marra’s Music School and Studio is located at 100 North Beverwyck Road.
You can learn more about Mr. Marra’s by clicking here.
Reprinted from Parsippany Focus Magazine, March 2022. Click here to view the complete magazine.
PARSIPPANY — “Everything You Need to Know About Buying Your First Home” will be presented at Parsippany-Troy Hills Main Library, 449 Halsey Road, Parsippany, on Wednesday, March 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The meeting will take place in Meeting Room A.
The goal is to get you ready and EXCITED to buy your first house.
Chirag Mehta Esq. will present on Real Estate Law and the Attorney Review process.
Joe Grasso from North Pointe Bank will present on getting set up with a mortgage and all things finance.
Anthony Coppola of Two Rivers Title Company will provide information on title and escrow topics.
David Blinder from eXp Realty will present on Real Estate Trends and select the very best home.
To register for the event click here.
PARSIPPANY — On arrival at Rajni for the first time, you might think you had just entered a storefront, local eatery somewhere off the streets of Mumbai on your way to pick up an order of Chicken Biriyani. Rajni could certainly be described as a low-key, modest, unpretentious eatery where one would stop in for a casual, relaxing lunch or dinner, either alone, with family, or a group of friends. Nothing fancy, formal, or elegant here, just some genuine, delicious, homemade southern Indian cuisine. The kind of food craved by many discerning diners looking for that familiar taste from their homeland.
Rajni opened in 2011 and features truly authentic cuisine from the state of Tamil Nadu. Upon entry, you first encounter the shrine of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu elephant god who symbolizes wisdom, understanding, and a discriminating intellect that one must possess to attain perfection in life. A perfect symbolic introduction to the culinary experience within. The restaurant is named after a Tamil movie star, producer, and screenwriter, “Rajni” Kant. According to Rajni’s website, their uniqueness lies in recapturing the flavor of homemade food and ambiance. They tout their belief in the three pillars of Quality, Affordability, and Impeccable Service.
You may have passed Rajni a hundred times while traveling along Route 46 and never gave it a thought, as it is somewhat hidden alongside the rear of the small Meadow Plaza strip mall. Rajni does not face the highway, so you will have to keep an eye out for the blue signage leading into the parking lot. Once there you will find adequate off-street parking. As you pull up to their attractive brick and glass building you will see the cute little elephant in front.
As my foodie group started to arrive, the very friendly and hospitable staff warmly welcomed us. Our table was immediately prepared while we joked and bantered with Moses, the manager, and Yoga (Doctor) Guna, brother of the owner Jey Guna, who unfortunately was not available on this visit. As we found our seats and perused the extensive and unfamiliar menu, we all had questions for the staff, which they were happy to address politely and patiently.
We found the interior to be clean, organized, and surprisingly spacious; with comfortable looking, red leather booths lined along the walls, and well-spaced tables, covered with white plastic tablecloths arranged throughout the dining area. The offset tones of the yellow and brown walls, wood tiled floors, lofty ceiling lined with silver metal paneling, a few Indian pictures and artifacts, and a large screen TV complete the simple, casual, homey ambiance that is Rajni.
Large glass windows along the full length of one side of the restaurant keep the interior bright and airy. A smaller secondary room is located adjacent to the main dining room and looks like it would be perfect for a small gathering or business meeting.
Sadly, the once-popular buffet area, along the far wall, now sits unused because of pandemic concerns; hopefully, the buffet will once again become a feature of Rajni in the near future.
Rajni’s focus is on South/North Indian specialties, with a primary focus on South Indian cuisine. They also offer Indo-Chinese cuisine, a distinct fusion culinary style combining aspects of both Indian and Chinese food and flavors.
In fact, Indianized Chinese food is extremely popular throughout India. Spicy, rich, flavorful, and diverse is the way most people describe Indian food, regardless of which section of India we are talking about, but on my visit, I was interested in exploring the South Indian culinary style which is much spicier than its Northern neighbor. South Indian food is considered extremely healthy and is mostly vegetarian, but there are plenty of non-vegetarian accompaniments to deliciously complement your meal.
The generous use of chili and tamarind helps to make Southern dishes spicy hot and tangy. Also, rather than naan or roti, rice is heavily favored in Southern Indian food.
Northern Indian cuisine tends to be less spicy and uses milder to more moderate spices in their dishes. So, if you are new to this culinary style when ordering is mindful that the food can be quite spicy. Do not hesitate to inquire about the heat index of each dish and inform your waiter of your heat preference. Most novices to this cuisine, as am I, are generally much more familiar with Northern style Indian food, which leaves the Southern-style largely unexplored by most, which is too bad, as Indian food consists of a lot more than chicken tikka masala, vindaloo, and naan.
With the help of our server’s advice, we chose a variety of appetizers to share as a group. One by one, out came the Melagai Podi Idli; (a soft, pillowy steamed savory cake made from rice and lentil batter and a perfect complement to the assorted chutneys that it was served with); Karimeen Tawa Fry (a full pomfret fish grilled with onion, chili, and ginger sauce) which tasted delectable, delicate and slightly sweet with a nice texture, tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, with a gentle kick of heat; Fish-65 (Tilapia pieces marinated with chili paste and curry leaves) this was a crispy and tasty treat with boneless marinated fish that was deep-fried; Onion Pakora (fritters with mild spices and served with assorted chutneys) pieces of onion, battered in spices and deep-fried; and Chicken Chettinadu (boneless chicken cooked with Chettinad special sauces and coconut).
These were quite an interesting start to our exploration of this cuisine. The consensus of the group is that they enjoyed the interesting variety of tastes, textures, and spiciness of each of the individual dishes. All the dishes came with a selection of chutneys (dipping sauces that really enhanced every bite).
Our gluttonous appetites were fairly satiated after our appetizers, but now it was time to order our entrees. I selected, on my friend’s recommendation, the Kothu Parota Chicken (a South Indian popular street food delicacy prepared using parotta, egg, and chicken in a spicy sauce), parotta shredded into small pieces, stir-fried, and cooked with shredded or minced chicken and served with raita, a yogurt-based condiment to cool the palate, as this is a spicy dish. It is definitely worth trying. That friend went with the Kothu Parota -Lamb, which he loved.
Others in the group went with the Hyderabad Goat Dum Biriyani (spicy flavored basmati rice cooked with goat meat, with special Southern spices, then served with raitha and Rajni’s special salna sauce). This is a key dish in Hyderabadi cuisine; the Lamb Tikka Masala (Lamb cooked with a creamy tomato sauce, and a slightly spicy and earthy tasting dish). Several in the group chose the Chicken Dosa (a large, and I mean exceptionally large, a flavored crepe made from fermented rice batter and black lentils and filled with vegetables, chicken, onions, and crushed red pepper). They all thoroughly enjoyed their dosas.
With no room left for desserts, the staff was kind enough to pack up some complimentary Gulab Jamun (Cheese balls in a honey sauce) a beloved Indian dessert, for us to take along and enjoy at home. There are plenty of non-alcoholic Indian beverages and on the menu as well, including Madras coffee, Nilagiri Tea, and Lassi’s, but as usual, since Rajni is a BYOB, I brought along a complimentary beverage, in this case, some Kingfisher Beer, the most popular beer in India, and it certainly did go perfectly with the spiciness of the assorted dishes.
Overall, a fun, interesting, and enjoyable dining experience. Tasty food, friendly, hospitable service, and very reasonable prices. If you have not yet been to Rajni, and you enjoy Indian cuisine and a comfortable, casual atmosphere, I would suggest stopping by and giving them a try.
“Food is medicine, medicine is Food” (Unavu maruntu, maruntu unavu); Dine-in – Curbside pickup – No-contact delivery – BYOB. Off-Street Parking. Closes 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Extensive modern online menu. All poultry and meat products are halal. Available for on-site dosa parties and catering.
Rajni Indian is located at 296 Route 46 West, Parsippany. Phone: (973) 396-8666. Website: http://www.rajnis.com/
MORRIS COUNTY — Assemblyman Brian Bergen said he is disappointed that the mask mandate will remain in effect at the statehouse.
At its Tuesday meeting, the eight-member State Capitol Joint Management Commission dropped all Covid-19 mitigation measures, save masking. Everyone entering the statehouse must continue to wear a cloth face-covering in public areas or be denied entry.
The updated rules take effect on February 25.
“The Republican conference stood firm against these discriminatory and illogical policies when they were adopted late last year by the Democrat-controlled commission,” Bergen (R-Morris) said. “While I’m pleased the commission dropped most of the rules, I’m disappointed they are clinging to the masking theater. Let’s free our faces! Personally, I miss seeing Speaker Coughlin’s smile.”
Even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend indoor masking for anyone ages 2 and older, most states that had mask mandates have dropped or are in the process of dropping them, even in schools. Gov. Phil Murphy announced on February 7, 2022, that school districts would be permitted to drop masking in early March.
While masks inside the statehouse have been required since summer 2020, the commission did not require proof of vaccination or negative Covid-19 tests to enter the building until December 2021. Republicans pushed back, arguing that the policy discriminated against the unvaccinated since vaccinated persons could still catch and spread the virus. Democrats eventually capitulated and required all legislators, employees, and visitors to provide a negative test to enter the Assembly and Senate chambers. Many Republican legislators, including Bergen, also chose to go maskless inside the statehouse.
“Let me be clear: no one should be shamed for their masking choices. But I firmly believe masking should not be mandated but left up to the individual,” Bergen added. “Besides, we’ve been safely unmasked in restaurants, shopping malls, fitness centers, and very soon, schools. What makes the statehouse particularly unsafe still?”
PARSIPPANY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Christoph K. Kimker, Parsippany-Troy Hills Acting Police Chief Richard Pantina, and Morris County Sheriff James Gannon announce that a person who was initially reported missing in Parsippany-Troy Hills, was later found deceased.
On Friday, February 18, 2022, at approximately 10:29 p.m., the Parsippany Police Department was notified by Care One Nursing Home 100 Mazdabrook Road that a resident was missing. The resident, identified as John Eschenbach, age 79, was reported missing from that facility by the staff. Attempts were made by various agencies to locate Mr. Eschenbach. On Saturday, February 19, Mr. Eschenbach was found deceased in a tree line along Route 80 at approximately 12:00 noon. There was no indication of foul play and nothing suspicious was reported.
There is no further information to be released at this time.
PARSIPPANY — We live in a complex world today where our lives depend on many material things. We need electricity, transportation, water, clothing, and food, only to name a few resources. While going about our daily lives, most of us do not pay much attention to how these resources are brought to us. The whole process from production to transportation to distribution leaves a large footprint on the environment. Our consumption habits aggravate the issue and if we are not mindful of them, we could potentially be doing a lot of damage all around us.
Let us analyze one aspect of our lives, the food we consume. Within food, let us take a deeper look at the meat we eat. Most people fail to recognize the connection between meat and climate change. In fact, the meat industry is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture and livestock sector.
More than half of U.S. grain and nearly 40 percent of world grain is being fed to livestock rather than being consumed directly by humans. Just 55 percent of the world’s crop calories are actually eaten directly by people. Another 36 percent is used for animal feed. And the remaining 9 percent goes toward biofuels and other industrial uses. Some of that animal feed eventually become food but it takes about 100 calories of grain to produce just 12 calories of chicken or three calories worth of beef.
Enteric methane, produced from the intestines of cows, is a Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) and has a life span of 12 years in comparison to carbon dioxide (CO2), parts of which stay in the atmosphere for many hundreds to thousands of years. Methane traps 84 times more heat than CO2 over the first two decades after it is released into the air. Even over a 100-year period, the comparative warming effect of enteric methane is 34 times greater than carbon dioxide (per kg). Therefore, reducing the rate of enteric methane emissions would help reduce the rate of global warming in short term, and if emission reductions are sustained, can also help limit peak warming. [fao.org]
Soils play a key role in the carbon cycle by soaking up carbon from dead plant matter. Plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and pass carbon to the ground when dead roots and leaves decompose. Deforestation to create agricultural lands can cause this soil carbon to get released at a faster rate than it can be replaced. This net release of carbon to the atmosphere further contributes to global warming.
Beef production is resulting in massive deforestation in the Amazon. There are many issues here. With deforestation, we are losing trees that act as sinks for greenhouse gases. The burning down of these forests to create pastures for grazing cattle is releasing more CO2 into the environment. Beef and soy production is driving more than two-thirds of the recorded habitat loss in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Demand for soy is closely connected to demand beef and other animal proteins. Between 70 percent and 75 percent of all soy becomes livestock feed.
Being disturbed by how a lot of human beings have shed their responsibility of taking care of the very environment they depend on, Anika Arora, a freshman at Parsippany Hills High School, and Divya Arora, a Seventh grader at Brooklawn Middle School, decided to take action. In 2020, they decided to launch an awareness campaign to educate their community on the adverse effects that the meat industry is having on Climate Change.
With the support of Parsippany-Troy Hills superintendent of schools, Dr. Barbara Sargent, and Brooklawn Middle School principal, Ms. Carly Stout, they started spreading the word at their school encouraging students to sacrifice a meat meal each Monday. With the full support of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Environmental Advisory Committee, led by Laura McCluskey, Judy Hernandez, and Lisa Plevin, they have done several presentations at the town library, set up a booth at the town’s ‘Green Fair’ and also presented to the Town Council Members.
Anika and Divya hope that by starting this grassroots movement in their community they will be able to inspire a lot more people to spring into action. Today, they continue to work with their school communities to raise awareness on the importance of ‘Meatless Mondays’.
As Herbert Spencer once said, “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action”.
Follow Anika and Divya’s blogs on @_simply.green_
PARSIPPANY — On Friday, February 11, the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills (WCPTH) held its Sixth Annual Spelling Bee after a year’s hiatus due to COVID.
Twenty-four fifth-grade students representing all ten of the Parsippany Public Elementary Schools participated in the Spelling Bee, which was held in the Parsippany Hills High School (PHHS) auditorium.
Over 125 parents, family members, and friends watched the students as they approached the microphone to spell each word. Judging the event were Dr. Matthew Thompson, Parsippany Hills High School Principal, Melissa Kuzma, Director of Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library System, and William Westhoven, a reporter at Gannett NJ Daily Record.
Mary Ann Coyne, WCPTH club member and chairman of the Sixth Annual Spelling Bee, was the Moderator and club member Marianne Burke was the Pronouncer. After 16 nail-biting rounds, a winner was declared. The winning word was “journal.”
Taking First Place was Vidyut Srinivas Santhanakrishnan from Mount Tabor Elementary School. Second Place was captured by Sristi Vaidya from Northvail Elementary School. Saumyaa Patel, from Eastlake Elementary School, came in Third Place.
All three winners are invited to participate in the New Jersey State Federated Women’s Club (NJSFWC) Highlands District Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 19 in Rockaway. The District winners will then be invited to the State Championship at the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs of GFWC (NJSFWC) Headquarters on Saturday, April 9 in New Brunswick.
Events like these are made possible by the various fundraising activities the Woman’s Club conducts throughout the year. Please consider supporting our club with these efforts so we can continue to support various community organizations. The Woman’s Club will be having a Tricky Tray to support our Education/Scholarship Fund on July 12 at the PAL on Baldwin Road. This will be our major fundraiser for the year, so please stay tuned for more information and ways you can help us make this a successful event.
Baskets or monetary donations are especially welcome!
The Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills is a member of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs of GFWC, which is the largest volunteer women’s service organization in the state, providing opportunities for education, leadership training, and community service. New members are always welcome! Come to our next General Meeting on Monday, February 28 to see if our club is right for you. For more information call Marilyn at (973) 539-3703, e-mail the club at womansclubofpth@gmail.com, check us out on the web www.parsippanywomansclub.org or follow the club on FACEBOOK or Twitter.
PARSIPPANY — Rosa had been struggling with serious dental issues for many years. She approached nourish.NJ to ask for help finding affordable care.
We referred her to numerous places, but they offered no affordable solutions. Hearing of Rosa’s plight from the Outreach team, our Director of Development, Nancy Rudgers, had an idea.
She reached out to one of our partners, Alan Rauchberg, the owner of Rauchberg Dental Group.
Amazingly, Dr. Rauchberg offered for him and his team of specialists to do the work Rosa needed absolutely free of charge. Rosa was in tears when we told her that she would finally be receiving the life-changing care she’d been waiting for for years.
Everyone is involved with nourish.NJ, including our partners and friends, are an integral part of helping us transform the lives of our guests for the better.
MORRIS COUNTY — The NJ Coalition for Education and Positive Choices is rapidly becoming a household name in Morris County. Word is spreading about the many initiatives being instituted by this unique, powerful group that provides the community with facts and information in the fight against drug and alcohol abuse. Everyone is quickly realizing the benefit to families when they sign on. The importance of introducing kids to new activities and promoting substance-free events that keep them occupied (such as sports, exercise, career days, teen dances, and activities with law enforcement) is of paramount concern when it provides ways to uphold a child’s self-esteem. The Coalition is a pro-active team compromised of elected officials, law enforcement, educational leaders, and concerned citizens who are up to date on the latest crazes and abuses that are plaguing our children.
Please join officers and police departments from all over the state at the Coalition’s Annual Law Enforcement Night. It is at this event that youngsters get to see firsthand how law enforcement officers are positive influences in our community. Law Enforcement Night has been known to further develop these relationships often providing career opportunities for teens who might not have ever considered such a path.
The equipment on display at this event is known to even awe adults. Never will one see such an array of machinery like this at one location. Kids are able to ride the horses provided by the Park Police, see the Morris County Hope Van, peruse ambulances, emergency vehicles of every shape and size, wearing riot gear, try on handcuffs and comingle with the law enforcement community in a fun atmosphere.
The important aspect to remember here is that law enforcement is trained to make these kids feel safe and important. Confidence and self-esteem go a long way in helping a child say no to his peers when the time arises.
Law Enforcement Night will be held on March 11 starting at 7:00 p.m. Doors Open 6:45 p.m. Th event will be held at Mennen Sports Arena, 161 E. Hanover Avenue, Morristown.
Parsippany Focus is a digital news organization that provides news coverage of Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. The organization was founded in 1989 by Frank Cahill, who currently owns and operates the organization. Parsippany Focus covers local news, events, and community issues, and their content is primarily distributed through their website and social media channels. The organization has been serving as a trusted source of news and information for the Parsippany-Troy Hills community for over 30 years.
Contact us: news@parsippanyfocus.com
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