Bucco bill increasing school bus safety moves to governor’s desk

Frank L. Cahill
-
0
Bucco bill increasing school bus safety moves to governor’s desk

MORRIS COUNTY — The Assembly advanced legislation to improve school bus safety by requiring school district transportation supervisors to complete a training program. Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco sponsored the bill (A2436) following a rash of school bus crashes, including a fatal wreck involving a Paramus school district bus.

Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco

“Creating a culture of school-bus safety begins with supervisors at the top,” said Bucco (R-Morris). “Recent accidents raise serious concerns about the supervision of the drivers entrusted with the lives of our children. Well-trained managers will ensure their drivers are dedicated to obeying the rules and protecting their young passengers.”

New hires and those with less than 11 years’ experience are required to complete the 138-hour Rutgers transportation rules and best practices course.

The Assembly passed Bucco’s bill in June, and voted today to adopt Senate amendments that set deadlines for course completion. The legislation now goes to the governor for his consideration.

Pennacchio/Turner Innocence Commission to Aid NJ’s Wrongfully-Convicted Passes Senate 

Frank L. Cahill
-
0
Pennacchio/Turner Innocence Commission to Aid NJ’s Wrongfully-Convicted Passes Senate 

MORRIS COUNTY — The New Jersey Senate has passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio and Senator Shirley Turner to create a commission that would develop reforms and create a pathway to justice for those who have been wrongfully convicted in New Jersey.

“Our innocence commission would address a wide variety of issues facing people who have been wrongfully convicted – from reintegrating back into society, to getting the compensation they deserve,” Senator Pennacchio explained. “The commission would also consider establishing a permanent panel that could review cases when our system fails.

“Innocent people should not spend a single day behind bars, but it happens all the time – even in New Jersey. I hope that our colleagues in the Assembly will listen to the stories we have shed light on throughout our journey to pass this bill. These people shouldn’t have to wait a moment longer for justice,” Pennacchio added.

Senators Pennacchio and Turner introduced S-406 more than a year ago, following  reports of wrongful conviction cases in New Jersey. The legislators have worked diligently with advocates and exonerated prisoners to highlight the need for their commission.

“Being forced to plead guilty, knowing you’re innocent, is one of the worst things that could happen to an innocent person,” Rodney Roberts, a New Jersey exoneree whose story has been highlighted by the Innocence Project, said. “But it happens more than you think. Then to find out later that, despite being exonerated, your guilty plea will keep you from getting compensation, is like being punished a second time for a crime you didn’t commit.”

Nationwide, more than 2,000 wrongfully convicted persons have been exonerated since 1989, according to the National Registry on Exonerations. However, the Registry estimates that there are tens of thousands of false convictions annually, with many more piling up over time.

“Nothing can return the time lost with loved ones or milestones missed when a wrongful conviction steals years from an innocent person’s life,” Senator Turner (D-15). “While we often consider the impact this has on an individual’s personal life, we need to remember it also stifles their potential lifetime earnings as well as threatening the financial security of themselves and their families. This legislation will help us identify how to prevent wrongful convictions and create an avenue to better address wrongful convictions when they do occur. We must do everything in our power to ensure those who have been wrongfully convicted are given justice, restorations, and the tools they need to successfully reenter society.”

About Pennacchio/Turner’s S-406: “The New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission”

The “New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission,” as established by S-406, would review all aspects of criminal cases involving wrongful conviction in New Jersey and recommend reforms to reduce the likelihood of wrongful conviction occurring in the future.

Under S-406, the commission must consider a specific recommendation for establishing a permanent panel before which a person who believes they have been the victim of a wrongful conviction could request a review of their own conviction, including those that are currently incarcerated.

The commission’s responsibilities would also include:

  • Identifying the main causes of wrongful conviction and studying existing research on these causes;
  • Recommending best practices to appropriate constituencies
  • Examining the existing system of restitution to compensate wrongfully convicted persons
  • Studying successful programs that assist with reintegration back into society following release

S-406 has received the support of a number of advocates, including Lesley Risinger, the founder and director of The Last Resort Exoneration Project at Seton Hall Law School, which provides pro-bono legal and investigative services to wrongfully convicted people in New Jersey.

“Conviction of the innocent is an abject failure of any criminal justice system,” Risinger said. “Creating the New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission would be an important step in addressing this problem. We believe in a collaborative approach that should take into account the views of all who have participated in the exoneration of the innocent in New Jersey, as well as the views and experiences of the exonerated innocent themselves. If this bill passes, we will of course stand ready to assist the commission as they move forward to study the ways in which our criminal justice system fails the innocent, both before and after conviction, and we look forward to providing our insights on measures to alleviate this problem.”

The legislation has also received the support of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference.

“The New Jersey State Conference of the NAACP is in full support of Senate Bill 406 which looks to create the New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission,” Safeer Z. Quraishi, administrative director of the NJ NAACP, said. “It is obvious that nobody should feel the devastating effects of incarceration if they did not commit the crime. We are looking forward to seeing the recommendations made by the Commission to reduce wrongful incarceration in New Jersey.”

“Rodney Roberts languished in prison for 17 years. AJ Nash was there for 10. This is a travesty of the highest magnitude. Policy changes like bail reform are meaningless, if we aren’t solving the systemic issues that allow innocent people to stay locked up,” Pennacchio added. “Our search for justice should know no bounds. Now that our bill has passed the Senate, I hope that the Assembly will take up the measure immediately. If this isn’t a time sensitive piece of legislation, I don’t know what is.”

Wendy Walker Named General Manager of Chewsi

Frank L. Cahill
-
0
Wendy Walker Named General Manager of Chewsi
Wendy Walker

PARSIPPANY — Chewsi, a first-of-its-kind service that connects patients directly with dentists for significant savings on dental care, is proud to announce that Wendy Walker has been named general manager, overseeing the New Jersey and Connecticut markets. In her new role, Wendy will be responsible for launching Chewsi in bothstates.

Chewsi will allow patients with or without insurance to realize significant savings on dental procedures, including cosmetic, without paying premiums or monthly fees. Patients will be able to find a Chewsi dentist, know costs before their dental appointment, and pay their dentist all through the Chewsi free app.

Wendy is the former business capabilities architect at Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc., where she implemented and ensured that strategic corporate goals, and business and technology decisions were met and aligned. Throughout her 26 years as an employee of the Parsippany-based dental benefits provider, Wendy first started as a customer service agent and has held a variety of Operations positions, including customer service supervisor, claims administrator, and director of System Quality Assurance and Business Analysts.

Chewsi™ is a free app that helps patients find the right dental services from the right dentist at the right price.  It’s simple – download the Chewsi app, find a conveniently located Chewsi dentist, and call the dentist to make an appointment.  Patients experience significant savings, and pay right in the dentist’s office through the Chewsi app.

For more information about Chewsi click here.

Wise Animal Rescue hosts Holiday Party for Volunteers

Frank L. Cahill
-
0
Wise Animal Rescue hosts Holiday Party for Volunteers

PARSIPPANY — Wise Animal Rescue held its First Annual Holiday Party, thanking all of their volunteers and fosters for a very successful year in making a difference in the life of a rescued pet.

Parsippany resident Guest DJ’s Guru and Shil kept the crowd busy all evening. They are available for all types of parties. (For more information, click here.)

Roxbury High School graduate and current County College of Morris student Madison Pisani performed with her unbelievable voice. Madison is an extremely talented 18 year old singer and songwriter. (For more information visit Madison on Facebook by clicking here.)

The wonderful evening was held at the Lake Parsippany Clubhouse.

Wise Animal Rescue is dedicated to rescuing dogs of all ages and breeds from places where they are no longer wanted or are not being properly cared for. By partnering with veterinary practices that support their work, they are able to save dogs’ lives and restore them back to health.

Central to their mission is to ensure that all dogs are spayed/neutered, up-to-date on shots, and microchipped. Prior to adoption, all of the dogs are placed into responsible loving foster homes to be socialized and trained rather than put in a shelter environment.

Wise Animal Rescue is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the well-being of dogs of all breeds. They are comprised of a network of caring people with a grassroots approach working towards a world where no dog is neglected, abused, or homeless.

Dedication – Wise Animal Rescue is run by a team of dedicated volunteers who see this as more than just a volunteer opportunity, it’s our life. They take pride in every aspect of what they do and know that, with hard work and dedication, they can make a difference.Education – While saving homeless animals is their primary mission, they also believe education is at the core of everything they do. They strive to educate members of the community on the importance of adoption, spay/neuter, and vaccination. By doing so, they hope to encourage others to get involved and to also take care of their pets at the highest level possible.

Integrity – The reason Wise Animal Rescue was founded was because they care. They put their rescue work first, whether that means driving in the middle of the night to rescue a dog in need or responding to their future and past adopters promptly to answer any questions they may have. They support our adopters, foster, volunteers, and, most importantly, the dogs to the best of their ability and take pride in what they do.

For more information on adopting, fostering or becoming involved with Wise Animal Rescue, click here.

IHOP’s Holiday Pancakes Are As Green As The Grinch

Frank L. Cahill
-
0
IHOP’s Holiday Pancakes Are As Green As The Grinch
Grinch’s Green Pancakes: two Grinch-green buttermilk pancakes topped with sweet cream cheese icing, red candy hearts, and green whipped cream

PARSIPPANY — The Grinch’s tagline may be “It’s never too early to be annoyed by Christmas,” but we all know how that story ends. Your heart doesn’t have to grow three sizes to get excited about IHOP’s new Grinch-inspired menu.

In celebration of the new Dr. Seuss film, the breakfast joint rolled out a special menu, and it’s staying in restaurants through the end of the year. As you might guess, there’s plenty of green involved, plus a new omelette and French toast stack that both sound fit for an indulgent holiday meal.

Here’s what you can expect from the IHOPxGrinch menu:

  • Grinch’s Green Pancakes: two Grinch-green buttermilk pancakes topped with sweet cream cheese icing, red candy hearts, and green whipped cream
  • Minty Who Hot Chocolate:hot chocolate with mint syrup topped with creamy green whipped cream and red candy hearts
  • Who-Roast Beast Omelette: an omelette filled with shredded beef, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, sautéed jalapeños, onions, and golden hash browns topped with BBQ sauce, more shredded cheese, and a Serrano pepper; it comes with THREE buttermilk pancakes, too
  • Whoville Holiday Cheesecake French Toast: two King’s Hawaiian rolls, French-toasted, and layered with creamy cheesecake filling, raspberry topping, and whipped cream.

There are special additions to the kids menu, too: A Mt. Crumpit Kids Combo, which comes with a Grinch green buttermilk pancakes topped with cream cheese icing, red candy hearts, and green whipped cream, plus one scrambled egg, one bacon strip, and one sausage link. Also, a Young Grinch Minty Who Hot Chocolate, which is just a kid-sized version of the drink.

Parents, if you bring your kids to IHOP between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. during the promotion, kids 12 and under can get a free entrée from the kids menu with the purchase of any adult entrée!

For an at-home The Grinch treat, try making our festive Kranky Cupcakes! They’re perfect for a holiday movie night or to bring to a Christmas party.

Click here to have your meal delivered by Doordash.

IHOP is located at 792 Route 46, Arlington Shopping Center.

Kiwanis prepares Breakfast with Santa at Parsippany Child Day Care Center

Frank L. Cahill
-
0
Kiwanis prepares Breakfast with Santa at Parsippany Child Day Care Center

PARSIPPANY — On Saturday, December 15 the children at Parsippany Child Day Care Center enjoyed a breakfast and a visit from Santa sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany.

Kiwanis members Daniella DeLuca, Joe Jannarone, Jr., Bob Young, Casey Parikh volunteered and prepared the breakfast which consisted of scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, pancakes, bagels and muffins.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany invites Santa and cooks up a breakfast and supplies gifts for the children every year.

Santa elves Kendall Amato, Morgan Amato, Daniella Strano, Brieanna Lomelo and Isabella Lomelo helped Santa giving out gifts to the children.

Kiwanis is a worldwide service organization in over 96 nations. The major emphasis is serving the children of the world.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany picks service projects that need attention. The Club is all local people that volunteer time and talents to make our community a better place to live. We, like you, are busy with making a living, church, family, and many other activities.

The children received wooden puzzles, coloring books and crayons from Santa as well as a goodie bag.

The Parsippany Child Day Care Center was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1968. They opened with 20 children and expanded to meet the growing need for quality child care in our community. In 1980, they moved into a new building specifically designed for child care and owned by the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills. During the 1990s, the building was renovated with two additions to the building, which made room for infants and young toddlers. They are governed by a Board of Trustees, who are volunteers from our community. Earlier this year, Parsippany Child Day Care Center, celebrated their 50th Anniversary.

The facility was designed specifically for the care of children, and was built with HUD funding. The center has a total of seven classrooms, a large multipurpose room, a full service kitchen, offices, adult and children’s lavatories.

The center is comprised of a diverse population of families and staff. They come from a variety of backgrounds and speak multiple languages from all over the globe.

A very unique relationship exists between the center and Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills. Parsippany built the original building and owns it. A self-renewing contract allows for joint responsibility for repairs and building upkeep. Primarily the center maintains the building and the town maintains the property. They also have strong ties with civic organizations within Parsippany, including but not limited to the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills and the Sons of Italy.

Parsippany Child Day Care Center is located at 300 Baldwin Road. For more information, click here.

 

Santa arrives at Lake Parsippany Firehouse

Frank L. Cahill
-
0
Santa arrives at Lake Parsippany Firehouse

PARSIPPANY — Santa arrived at Lake Parsippany firehouse on Saturday, December 15 to greet the children, take pictures, find out their wish list and give gifts.

Angela Maliakal embarks on undergraduate career at Tufts University

Frank L. Cahill
-
0
Angela Maliakal embarks on undergraduate career at Tufts University

PARSIPPANY — Angela Maliakal, from Parsippany, has joined more than 1,500 undergraduate students from around the world as they begin their academic careers at Tufts University, located in Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts. She is a 2018 graduate of The Kent Place School

In all, only 14.6 percent of a record breaking 21,501 applicants were admitted to the university, the second-lowest acceptance rate in university history.

The university’s Class of 2022 is the most diverse class ever, the beneficiary of the largest commitment of financial aid in university history, and a trailblazer in gender parity among engineering students – all while maintaining Tufts’ status as one of the most selective universities in the country.

Thirty-seven percent of first-year U.S. undergraduates identify as students of color, a Tufts record. The 1,544-member undergraduate class received $25.8 million in need-based grants, a new mark for financial aid commitment by the university. And the incoming engineering class nearly reached gender parity, with 49 percent of students identifying as women.

“We often talk about creating an intentional community,” said Karen Richardson, dean of admissions and enrollment management at the Class of 2022’s matriculation ceremony. “With the Class of 2022, we have put together a group of learners who will contribute not only academically but also to our community’s social fabric.”

Tufts University, located on campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville and Grafton, Massachusetts, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions. A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs across the university’s schools is widely encouraged.

The Kent Place School is a highly selective all-girls independent college-preparatory day school serving students in preschool through twelfth grade in Summit.

Letter to the editor: Parsippany will vote on Highlands Regional Master Plan

Letters to the Editor
-
0

parsippany focusDear Editor:

As one of the most densely populated municipalities in the New Jersey Highlands, Parsippany-Troy Hills, with its abundant commercial corridors along Routes 46 and 10 and elsewhere, has not disproved the trend that the towns with the most development have the highest taxes. The ratables chase that has led much of its land use decisions has resulted in congestion, damaged lake ecologies, a stressed water supply, flooding, high taxes and other quality of life challenges.

Parsippany-Troy Hills has a chance right now to begin a process of transformation, to channel its redevelopment opportunities towards a coordinated vision that is smart, which enhances rather than depletes its water supply, reduces flooding and that re-establishes a sense of place and community. Rather than developers dictating the needs of the community, the community will invite compatible development to fulfil its needs according to a unified, thoughtful vision. This will be supported by outside grant funding and planning expertise that will shine a bright light on the process, forcing the kind of transparency that prevents back room deals and favors to developers.

On Tuesday,  December 18 the Parsippany Town Council will vote on whether or not to get back on track with Conformance to the Highlands Regional Master Plan, the process that will enable this positive transformation. Come hear about Conformance, what it really means for Parsippany and what it has done for other Highlands municipalities that have opted in to Conformance. Please urge the council to pass a resolution to request Parsippany’s participation in the conformance process.

This is a great opportunity to make a difference in the future of Parsippany. Please be a part of it.

Ken Dolsky

Please help the family of Nicole Coleman

Frank L. Cahill
-
0
Please help the family of Nicole Coleman

PARSIPPANY — Nicole Coleman a 42-year-old mother of three and a professional child care specialist. She made a career out of her passion, dedicated to her craft; she sought out families with medically fragile (twins, triplets) managing the unexpected challenges that come with multiple children at the same time. The accolades that the families left after each job on care.com are a few stories that clearly describe her patience and natural kindness.

Aside from her love of children comes her infatuation, with butterflies. Butterflies have been a part of Nicole’s entire life. Nicole enjoyed anything with a butterfly on it. She went as far to have a tattoo of one on her arm and enjoyed the story of the butterfly.

Starting in mid-October Nicole began experiencing headaches. Her hair was very long, and she thought maybe it was time to donate her hair, so she did, 11” was donated to be used for a wig for cancer patients going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments. That was not enough to relieve the pain, so she went to the doctor and was given migraine strength medication and was sent home. The side effects of the medicine left her unable to carry out a typical daily schedule. Nicole was brought to the hospital a couple of weeks later, underwent a cat scan and shortly after, Nicole was diagnosed with butterfly gliomas, a form of glioblastoma, the same brain cancer that took the life of Edward Kennedy and John McCain. When the doctor explained to the family what was happening, the doctor described the tumor as if it was in a cocoon and now it’s spreading its wings like a butterfly. He recommended surgery which she never was able to recover and passed on Thanksgiving Day.

The celebration of life gathering was a great testament to my sister’s love for everyone and butterflies. The void Nicole’s departure leaves is tremendous, her brother Bradley set up a fundraising campaign. The campaign was able to collect over $20,000.00 from friends and family, but more donation is needed to help her struggling family.

The story has been covered in local publications like Parsippany Focus and TAPinto Roxbury. Given the local angle, holiday spirit, and touching story, your readers would be interested in this story. To see the campaign and story, click here.

1...592593594...1,144Page 593 of 1,144