PARSIPPANY — A message from Mayor Michael Soriano:

This past Monday, on a solemn day, meant to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, we were all exposed to a horrifying and disturbing video across news platforms and social media sites.

The shock and condemnation of George Floyd’s murder in broad daylight has been strong, swift, and nearly universal. And yet it seems that the underlying issues that have led to his and so many other needless deaths have yet to be addressed.

I cannot help but feel that, given the wrong time and place, I could have been George Floyd. I have been profiled several times in my life. While walking in the neighborhood I grew up in I was slammed onto the hood of a police car with a loaded service pistol pointed to my head, I sometimes wonder if things may have turned out worse that evening if I wasn’t wearing my Boy Scout uniform under my jacket. I still recall the horror I felt when I saw how badly my little brother’s face was beaten when he was in custody while handcuffed. Any of those incidents could have ended the same way – and without a camera to record it.

At the same time, I remember the compassion of the police officers that consoled my mother when my little brother passed. I have worked with police officers as a member of advisory boards, civic associations, and as Mayor. I studied Criminal Justice in college. I know and respect so many police officers. I have friends and family in law enforcement, and I worry about them, and I pray for all of those serving in law enforcement to return home safely after their shifts. But that doesn’t ease the pain I’ve felt with so many other people of color this week and so many other weeks in the past.

I have not known what to say since watching that video in horror several days ago. So many questions are raised that I do not have answers to. How can you push your knee into his neck for 8 minutes? How can the other officers just stand there? What if this wasn’t being filmed? Will we ever learn?

There is so much to be done at the federal and state levels across this country. Here in Parsippany, since taking office at a time when the Parsippany Police did not utilize body cameras, our department is now partially outfitted with them, with a full and complete rollout coming soon.

My heart aches for George Floyd’s family, which has grown to include millions of people this week, and I worry about those that are peacefully protesting each day and I pray that they return home safely. We have been thrust into a time of national mourning, and we are deeply in need of national healing. I hope you’ll join me in continuing to reflect on the events in Minneapolis and listening to those who have been most impacted by this violence. Please stay safe, take care of each other, and may God bless you.

-Mayor Michael Soriano

PARSIPPANY — Gourmet Cafe will be donating 10% of all orders to purchase a Shop Rite Gift Cards to supply to the Parsippany Food Pantry. It’s a win-win situation. Great meal for you and your family while supporting local families in need!

Gourmet Cafe is located at 136 Baldwin Road.  Click here to view their website.

Currently, they are operating under special hours, open from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. seven days a week.

PARSIPPANY — Assemblyman Brian Bergen signed on as a prime sponsor to an Assembly resolution urging Congress to fully re-establish the state and local tax deductions, commonly known as SALT, that homeowners were permitted when filing their federal tax returns until a cap was imposed by federal law. The resolution notes the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on the Garden State population and its economy and requests the homeowner tax deduction be restored for the 2019 federal tax filings due July 15.

“People in New Jersey are already taxed more than residents in almost every other state and they have suffered more from the pandemic than residents of almost every other state,” said Bergen. “Reinstating the SALT deduction for this tax season would go a long way toward helping Garden State families get through this crisis.”

Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce introduced AR163, noting the state’s economy was already sputtering prior to the COVID-19 crisis and that residents of New Jersey need tax relief immediately.

The resolution asks Congress to waive the $10,000 cap imposed by the federal tax cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on the amount of state and local taxes homeowners can deduct from their federal tax bill. High cost-of-living states, such as New Jersey, were uniquely impacted by the cap because combined state and local taxes incurred annually by many Garden State homeowners easily exceed $10,000.

MORRIS COUNTY — Montville Reformed Church will be holding a drive-up food drive for Fishes & Loaves Food Pantry on Saturday, June 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Montville Reformed Church is located at 9 Church Lane, Montville.

They are in desperate need of Rice (max 3-pound size), Shelf Life Milk, Canned Chicken or Turkey, Pancake syrup, Ketchup and Mayonnaise, Salad Dressings, Juice, Cold Cereal, Coffee, Tea, Sugar, Flour/Baking Items and Evaporated Milk. Personal Products: Shampoo, Bar Soap, Diapers, sizes 4, 5 & 6, and Baby Wipes.

Fishes & Loaves Food Pantry is located on the ground level of the First Presbyterian Church of Boonton. Access from the parking lot at 513 Birch Street, Boonton NJ 07005. Open to all those with food insecurities in Boonton and surrounding communities. Loaves and Fishes Pantry hours are Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

MORRIS COUNTY — Senator Joe Pennacchio today said more serious questions have been raised at the New Jersey Department of Health and “the lack of leadership has been glaring at the highest levels of state government during the COVID crisis.”

Pennacchio’s comments come after a published report of heated arguments between the health commissioner and high-level staffers on the Governor’s team, and an attempt to sign a $500,000 contract with a politically-connected consultant firm for four weeks of work with nursing homes.

“These are serious issues – 6,000 souls died in state-regulated nursing homes,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “The state forced the virus into these long-term nursing facilities while keeping their loved ones out. A pandemic is devastating the state economy and has killed 12,000 state residents, half of the seniors in long-term care.

“Leadership is most evident in the midst of a crisis, and the pandemic has exposed damning weaknesses at upper levels of the state’s chain of command,” Pennacchio said. “The very people New Jerseyans relied on to keep them safe have repeatedly shown they were overwhelmed and under-qualified.”

A day earlier, another story reported the termination of the assistant commissioner of Public Health Infrastructure, Laboratories & Emergency Preparedness who oversaw emergency medical services and the state office of disaster resilience within the Department of Health.

Christopher Neuwirth claimed in a Facebook post that he “was blatantly scapegoated and fired.”

“These issues, coupled with the loss of 6,000 residents in nursing homes that were forgotten by the Administration and abandoned by state inspectors, demand answers,” said Pennacchio.

“The problems may have been worse than we imagined. The Senate should immediately convene a special committee with subpoena power to investigate the pandemic response and get to the bottom of this mess. If these were traffic issues on the George Washington Bridge, subpoenas would already have been issued,” concluded Pennacchio.

PARSIPPANY — Effective June 1 the Recycling Center will reopen FOR RESIDENTS ONLY with the following changes:

1. The number of people allowed in the recycling center at a time will be reduced. They do expect this to cause delays getting into the center, please be patient and wait in line in your vehicle. Please have your driver’s license readily available for verification.

2. Face coverings and social distancing are required. For the health and safety of our employees and residents while in the recycling center please wear a face covering (such as; non-medical masks, bandanas, scarves, cloth) and keep six feet apart.

3. No commercial vehicles, contractors, or trailers will be allowed until further notice.

4. Please review your Township calendar or the Township webpage for what material is acceptable. Should you have unacceptable material in your vehicle, you will NOT be allowed to enter the Recycling Yard.

The Recycling Center will be open regular hours Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

More information on acceptable materials to recycle, guidelines, and neighborhood pickup schedules can be found by clicking here.

PARSIPPANY — This two-year-old American Bulldog/Pit mix is an absolute love and will be your favorite dog ever!

Mac loves to cuddle, give kisses, and go for walks. He’s a total mush just like his name!

Due to Mac’s hard past, he currently struggles with some fear issues. New people scare him, as do new situations, and he will need a patient family who helps him understand that he is safe and loved now.

Mac is good with other dogs and kids 16+. He is potty-trained and walks well in a harness. He also knows “sit” and “come!” Mac is very eager to please.

Mac is also happy to help his foster family finish their meals and loves snacks. What can we say, his name is on point!

If you’re looking for a big snuggle bug to add to your home, apply to adopt Mac today!

If you are interested in adopting Mac, please fill out an application by clicking here.

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PARSIPPANY — Many families have been scrambling to either do without child care or to try to find alternative care so they can work. Assemblyman Brian Bergen and Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce urged Gov. Phil Murphy to immediately open daycare facilities across the state.

“Businesses are starting to open and with more openings forecasted in the next several weeks, we have to start to address child care,” said DeCroce (R-Morris).  “Working parents need time to plan and enroll their children so they can get back to work as soon as possible.”

Daycares, preschools, and child-care providers nationwide are facing a tough road as they attempt to provide safe, quality care to children while navigating the ever-changing challenges posed to their businesses. And, experts say that many providers may not make it.

Murphy has allowed a handful of centers to remain open for children of essential workers throughout his shutdowns. Now that demand is likely to increase, those who were not initially granted an exception are being shut out of the market.

Many child care providers worry they may never be able to reopen.

“It was suggested that PPP loans would be forgiven if we employed our staff and used it to pay our rent,” said MaryEllen Soriano, owner of Morris County EduCare.  “We did our part but now we might not even have a chance if we can’t reopen in time.  At this point, we would have to reopen by June 1 just to have a chance to meet those commitments.”

Not acting decisively to help the industry could have dire consequences said Bergen.

“Child care is expensive to operate, yet families are largely left to pay for it themselves while providers eke out a living on meager profits,” said Bergen (R-Morris).  “The economics are fragile even in good times.  When a crisis like this hits, it is devastating.  Some should not be open and while others cannot.”

In mid-May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally issued guidance (which still defers largely to local guidelines) to help child care centers, as well as camps, restaurants, bars, and other operations, decide if they can safely reopen.

The two lawmakers also announced a plan with more than 30 small-business owners from Morris County last week that outlined a road map to open businesses safely and immediately.