PARSIPPANY — Newly elected Councilman Justin Musella held his first annual “Valentine’s Day Celebration” fundraiser on Thursday, February 10 at Bruno’s Italian Bistro.
The event was sold out with standing room only showing the support for Justin. Justin was the highest voter getter in the November 2021 general election.
Musella joins Mayor James Barberio, Council President Michael de Pierro, Council Vice President Loretta Gragnani, and Councilmen Paul Carifi, Jr., and Frank Neglia.
MORRIS COUNTY — Cops murdered and attacked; rioting and looting running rampant in American cities, defunding police and revolving door justice. This is the legacy of Joe Biden and the Progressive Democrats such as Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ CD-11).
Their misguided approach to crime is to treat it as social justice issue, which forgives bad actors for their crimes because of their race, poor upbringing or lousy schooling. As a so-called former prosecutor, Mikie Sherrill should know better.
Millions upon millions of minorities and poor people go through life without committing crimes. But they are often the victims of crimes by the same people that the liberal Democrats are trying to protect.
Just last month (January 2022) an innocent honor roll student, Robert Cudra, was shot through the head on a Paterson street by a stray bullet as he was taking in groceries for his grandmother. (Click here)
The response from the left was a deafening silence. No NBA or NFL stars came forward to denounce the senseless killing or console the family. Nothing from our Democrat leaders.
Paterson is not some far-off country. It is a town that is only minutes away from where your family and mine live. Paterson is the city where I made my living as a county prosecutor for 25 years. I devoted each day to putting bad guys in jail.
I care about Robert and many thousands like him because I know this young man deserves a chance in life, a chance that he is not getting because progressive policies are hurting, not just the people who live in Paterson, but people in your community. Emboldened criminals are spreading out to the suburbs, stealing cars, breaking into houses, and flouting the law. Last year there were 350 reported burglaries in Morris County and 213 stolen cars in Parsippany. Recently police stopped a man walking down the street in Caldwell; he was carrying a loaded handgun with the serial number scratched off.
Confounded by the failure of their liberal policies such as bail reform, to keep people and property safe, the Democrats are floundering for answers. They keep coming up with the wrong ones.
Neither President Biden nor Congresswoman Sherrill can bring themselves to blame the people responsible. The criminals themselves. Sherrill has been silent on crime except to support The Justice in Policing Act of 2020: which was spearheaded by notorious and preachy liberal U.S. Sen. Cory Booker – the failed mayor of Newark. The Act does nothing to help police fight crime, but it does put a tremendous onus on police officers who are trying to fight crime. The Act makes police suspects from the start.
Recently our often-confused President took to the airwaves to share his thoughts on how to reduce violent crime in cities such as New York (452 murders in 2021) Philadelphia (562 murders) and Chicago (800 murders) where liberal officials have been engaging in crime-excusing and failing to prosecute criminals. The President’s approach is at best naive, at worst dangerous to Americans no matter where they live.
Like most liberals, Biden can’t bring himself to blame individuals for crime. Instead, he blames inanimate objects. It’s the guns that are a problem – not the people using them. The solution: get guns off the streets and shut down rogue gun makers?
As a career prosecutor, I’m not sure what the president means by rogue gun makers, where they are or what their role is in murder. Neither is he nor Rep. Sherrill, I bet.
Gun buy-back programs have been tried in cities small and large. They are mostly publicity stunts that garner a lot of old and forgotten weapons and a few photo-ops. Hardened criminals and gang members are NOT going to turn in their guns for a few dollars.
Besides, many serious crimes are committed with knives and bats. Recently a woman in the liberal bastion of Seattle was struck violently in the back of the head by a man wielding a baseball bat. Are bats the problem? (Click here)
Democrat politicians are slowly waking up to the idea that their soft-on-crime policies are unpopular everywhere. So, in New Jersey they have come up with a quick legislative solution: keep people who commit crimes with guns in jail before their trials. I’m sure the ACLU will have a problem with that.
The proposed Jersey legislation is another quick public relation hit. Why deny bail or set incredibly high bail limits only for people who use a gun to commit a crime. How about using the same logic – that these people are a danger to others — and applying it to all sorts of violent offenders. The liberal excuse-makers will never take it that far.
As a prosecutor who actually worked to punish criminals, I know that if there are no consequences for criminal activity, we get more crime – whether it is looting, burglary, or shootings.
The certainty of punishment reduces crime and takes bad actors off the streets. As your congressman, I will make sure America does not continue its drift into lawlessness. I can’t say the same for Rep. Sherrill.
This press release was submitted by Paul DeGroot. He served as a Passaic County Prosecutor for 25 years. He is now a lawyer in private proactive and lives in Montville, Morris County
The New CD- 11 Includes the following Municipalities from Morris, Essex, and Passaic Counties: Belleville, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair (part), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, South Orange and West Caldwell in Essex County; Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham, Chatham Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Twp (part), Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Rockaway Township and Victory Gardens in Morris County; Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne (part) and Woodland Park in Passaic County.
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, Chief of Detectives Christoph K. Kimker, and Rockaway Township Police Chief Martin McParland announce that a jury has found Kyriakos Serghides, 41, of Rockaway Borough guilty of one Count of Second Degree Sexual Assault; one Count of Second Degree Attempted Kidnapping; one Count of Second Degree Luring; one Count of Second Degree Attempted Sexual Assault; and two Counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Serghides was acquitted of one Count of Third Degree Terroristic Threats; one Count of Third-Degree Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purposes; and one Count of Fourth Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
The charges arise from incidents that occurred in August and September of 2015 in Rockaway Township. On August 28, 2015, while at the Rockaway Townsquare Mall, Serghides touched the private area of a five-year-old boy in the food court restroom within the Mall.
In addition, on September 10, 2015, Serghides lured another five-year-old boy and attempted to leave the Target Store in Rockaway Township with him. Serghides was arrested on September 11, 2015, on charges related to these incidents. The charges against Serghides were tried before a jury between January 31, 2022, and February 10, 2022. The Honorable Robert M. Hanna, J.S.C. presided over the trial, and the State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Reema Sethi Kareer and Assistant Prosecutor Jacqueline Marotta. The jury returned its verdict on February 10, 2022. Serghides is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, 2022.
He remains in custody at this time. Prosecutor Carroll would like to acknowledge the Rockaway Township Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit for their efforts in this investigation and prosecution.
Editor’s Note: An arrest or the signing of 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.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany Zoning Board of Adjustment Special Meeting – February 9, 2022.
Click here to download the agenda.
Parsippany-Troy Hills Zoning Board of Adjustment
2022 Members and Term Dates
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker, and Jefferson Township Chief of Police Paul Castimore announce that Kelvin Briggs, 64, formerly of Nevada, has been sentenced to 24 years in New Jersey State Prison.
On September 1, 2021, a Morris County jury returned a verdict finding Briggs guilty of multiple offenses including Endangering the Welfare of a Child (production of sexually explicit images and video of a child engaged in a sexual act), Sexual Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child (distribution of sexually explicit images of a child), Endangering the Welfare of a Child (engaging in sexually explicit conversations with a child), Invasion of Privacy, and Stalking. These incidents occurred over a period of time from August through November 2017 while the defendant was a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, and the victim, a 13-year-old female, was a resident of Jefferson Township.
On February 10, 2022, the Honorable Stephen J. Taylor, P.J.Cr. imposed an aggregate sentence of 24 years in New Jersey State Prison. The first 16 years of the sentence are subject to the No Early Release Act, which makes the defendant ineligible for parole until he has served 85% of 16 years. The defendant will be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Megan’s Law and will also be on Parole Supervision for Life. Prosecutor Carroll would like to thank and acknowledge the agencies that participated in the investigation that led to the successful guilty verdict, including the Jefferson Township Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Sex Crimes and Child Endangerment Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
PARSIPPANY — Frank B. Priore passed away Monday, February 7, 2022, at Morristown Medical Center. He was 73.
He was born in Passaic and grew up in Clifton. Frank moved to Parsippany in the early 1970s where he has lived since.
Frank was a self-employed photographer. He also proudly served as mayor of Parsippany from 1982 to 1994.
Survivors include his wife: Joyce De Spirito; his daughter: Jennifer Kilinowski and her husband Kurt; his brother: Barry; and his two Grandchildren: Annalisa and Isabella.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Liturgy of Christian burial at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 12, at St. Peter the Apostle R.C. Church 179 Baldwin Road, Parsippany.
Cremation: Private. Visitation will be on Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Par-Troy Funeral Home 95 Parsippany Road, Parsippany (973) 887-3235.
In lieu of flowers please make donations in his memory to New Jersey Sharing Network Foundation 691 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ 07974, or click here.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Planning Board Meeting – February 7, 2022
Click here to download the agenda.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council Agenda Meeting – February 1, 2022.
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PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Zoning Board of Adjustment will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss Application 19:21, Pacific Outdoor Advertising, 299 Littleton Road, Block: 395 Lots: 1 Zone: B-2, Preliminary, and Final Major Site Plan w/‘C’/‘D’ Variance to construct a billboard. This meeting is carried from December 15, 2021.
The applicant is seeking permission to construct a billboard adjacent to Route 80 consisting of a monopole and two display panels, one facing Route 80 Eastbound and one facing Route 80 Westbound. Each panel will be 14 feet high by 48 feet wide (672 square feet panel). The height to the top of the billboard will be 60 feet. The billboard meets all New Jersey State Department of Transportation (“NJDOT”) requirements, and an Outdoor Advertising Permit has been issued by the NJDOT.
The property is located at 299 Littleton Road, is designated as Block 395, Lot 1 on the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills Tax Map, and is located in the B-2 Zoning District.
The applicant is seeking the following approvals, variances, and waivers: Use Variances pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70(d)(1) for the proposed use and two principal uses on the Property which is not permitted in the zone under the Zoning Ordinance; Variance pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70(d)(6) for sign height of 60 feet where the Zoning Ordinance allows a maximum of 35 feet; Variance pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70(c) (1 & 2) to permit rear yard setback of 5 feet where a minimum of 30 feet is required.
PARSIPPANY — During these economic times, Parsippany Focus has decided to hold a contest to give away one year of advertising in Parsippany Focus Magazine.
Just complete the form below and submit it by March 31, 2022. The winner will be announced in Parsippany Focus.
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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