PARSIPPANY — The Puddingstone Community Club will be hosting a “Meet the Candidates Night” on Tuesday, May 23 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
There are four candidates running for Mayor and eight candidates running for the two open Township Council Seats.
Democrats and Republicans will be discussing their qualifications and platforms as well as taking questions from the audience.
Republican candidates for Mayor are James Barberio and Robert Peluso. Candidates for Township Council are Brian Stanton; Christopher Martino and Casey Parikh (Peluso Team); and Louis Valori and Vincent Ferrara (Barberio Team).
Democrat candidates for Mayor are Michael Soriano and Thomas Fulco. Candidates for Township Council are Janice McCarthy and Emily Peterson (Soriano Team); and Katherine Cassidy.
The Puddingstone Community Club is located at 24 High Ridge Road.
For additional information and RSVP please call Phil Eden at (862) 251-0281 or email at phil.eden@edenscastle.com or Tom Williams at (973) 540-9691 or email at tomwms@optonline.net.
The primary will be held on Tuesday, June 6. To find your voting location, click here.
PARSIPPANY — LaurenO’Herlihy, a 2013 graduate of Parsippany High School, has been named to the Elmira College Dean’s List for the Winter 2017 Term. Full-time students who achieve a grade point average of 3.600 or higher at the end of any Term I or Term II are placed on the Dean’s List at the college. Lauren is majoring in Speech And Language Disabilities.
Elmira College is a private, coeducational, Phi Beta Kappa college founded in 1855, located in Elmira, New York. The College has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 1,200 full-time mostly-residential students, and is the guardian of Quarry Farms where Mark Twain summered for decades and where he wrote many of his most iconic novels and is today a research center for visiting Twain scholars. The College has been ranked as a Best College in the Northeast by the Princeton Review and a Top Tier national liberal arts college by U.S. News & World Report, which also ranked Elmira College as a leading college, nationally, for student internships. The Philadelphia Inquirer cited the Elmira College campus as ‘picture postcard perfect.’
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills School District plans to eliminate 14 teaching positions from the middle school and cut the school’s reading and writing program, according to the Daily Record. The district adopted the proposed cuts at the Thursday board meeting in response to severe budget deficits resulting from the hard cap limit of 2-percent increase…
PARSIPPANY — Boy Scouts of America, Patriots’ Path Council honored seven local citizens at the 2017 Parsippany Good Scout Award Dinner held on the evening of Tuesday, May 9 at Embassy Suites.
The event recognizes these seven outstanding citizens for their community service, as evidenced by their leadership and interests within the Parsippany community, and for their embodiment of the values of the century old Scout Oath and Law in their personal and professional lives.
The event chair was Council Vice President of the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, Robert Peluso.
“We are truly blessed to live in a community where so many people give so much back and serve as outstanding role models for our future leaders. I am honored to bring back the Parsippany Good Scout Awards after 15 years. The Scouting community considers service as one of its core values and I congratulate all of Parsippany’s honorees who display these values. Boy Scouts of America, Patriots’ Path Council considers all honorees heroes of character and compassion, dedication and devotion, selflessness, and service to the betterment of others. Scouting supports a world class Anti-Bullying Program and I am proud to be part of these youth programs” said Robert Peluso, Chairman of Good Scout Awards.
Boy Scouts of American 2017 Parsippany Good Scout Awards
1 of 20
Opening Ceremony Flag Detail presented by Boy Scout Troop 72 and Boy Scout Troop 173
Karen DeChristopher delivering her speech
Robert Peluso presenting Karen DeChristopher with the "2017 Parsippany Good Scout Award"
Nicolas Limanov introducing Frank Cahill
Robert Peluso presenting Frank Cahill with the "2017 Parsippany Good Scout Award"
Frank L. Cahill, Publisher, Parsippany Focus
Council Vice President Robert Peluso and Carlos Guzman
Eric Hubner, Director of Emergency Management and Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce Board Member Nicolas Limanov
Robert Peluso congratulating the Cerbo Family
Robert Peluso, Joe Cerbo, Cindy Cooper and Tony Cerbo III
Dr. Arnold Pallay presented Dr. Frank Iannetta
Dr. Frank Iannetta
Robert Peluso presents Dr. Iannetta with the "2017 Parsippany Good Scout Award"
Dr. Carol Parikh introduced her father, Casey Parikh
Dr. Carol Parikh, Robert Peluso and Casey Parikh
Honorees Frank Cahill, Karen DeChristopher and Casey Parikh, all members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany
Frank Cahill and Joyce Garrow
Casey Parikh with his friends and family
Kiwanis members Karen Gajewski and Joyce Garrow
Honorees Karen DeChristopher, Frank Cahill, Tony Cerbo III, Cindy Cooper, Joe Cooper, Casey Parikh, Dr. Frank Iannetta and Council Vice President Robert Peluso
Peluso continued “Over 360 youths are served by nine scouting units under the leadership of 148 volunteers. In Parsippany we have five Packs for Cub Scouts two Troops for Boy Scouts sponsored by Saint Peter the Apostle Church, and Sedgefield Civic Association, one Venturing crew, and one police explorer post. Scouting teaches the passion for reaching goals without a me-first attitude of self-importance, and how to be a team member along with lifesaving First Aid skills that can save a life anywhere. Scouts use the EDGE Method by explaining, demonstrating, guiding, and enabling. This youth movement provides ideals that speak to life-values and teaches skills. The Boy Scouts of America provides a solid STEM program for first through twelfth grades. As Scouts, our children can pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and their sub-disciplines with in each of these as career paths or hobbies.”
This years honorees were Frank Cahill; Tony Cerbo III, Cindy Cooper, and Joe Cerbo; Karen DeChristopher; Frank Iannetta, MD, FAAFP; and Casey (Kaushik) Parikh.
Frank L. Cahill, Publisher, Parsippany Focus
Frank L. Cahill, Publisher, Parsippany Focus
Frank Cahill has been an outstanding individual serving the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills for over 25 years. He volunteers his time with the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, Homeless Solutions to name a few. Frank is owner and publisher of Parsippany Focus. Parsippany Focus was first published on October 1, 1989.
Frank is dedicated to Parsippany. He attends many high school football games, Plays, Concerts, Pancake fundraisers for organizations raising funds, Boy Scout events, Girl Scout events, and elementary school through high school. He is there making sure everyone gets the coverage and publicity they deserve.
He also donates website design and hosting to numerous Non-Profit Organizations such as Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills, American Legion, Kiwanis Club, Parsippany Chamber of Commerce and others.
On September 30, 1992, The Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills named that day as “Frank Cahill Day” in Parsippany. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen congratulated Frank Cahill on January 30, 2012 as being selected recipient of the 2012 Board Member of the Year Award from Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce.
On October 1, 2015, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Council named that day as “Parsippany Focus Day.”
The Parsippany-Troy Hills Rotary nominated Frank Cahill as Small Business Person of the Year and was honored on February 28, 2015. Cahill was honored with a prestigious ‘Courage Under Fire’ award on Saturday, June 27 from Society of Professional Journalists.
Frank Cahill has volunteered on the following non-profit organizations:
Board Member of New Jersey Chapter of Cooley’s Anemia Foundation for over ten years
Board Member, Vice President, President-elect Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce
Volunteer for Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
Volunteer Homeless Solutions
Volunteer Children’s Cancer Foundation
Current President-Elect Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, and Past Vice President Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany
Frank Cahill has the ability to relate to all ages and has open ears to listen to everyone and never closes a door on any individual.
Karen DeChristopher
Division Marketing and Customer Relations Administrator Western Pest Services
Robert Peluso presents Karen DeChristopher with the “2017 Parsippany Good Scout Award”
Karen DeChristopher is a resident of Morris Country for over 22 years. She develops life-long mentoring relationships with many of the people she comes in contact with. Inspired by her life experiences, understanding of the needs of people in distress and the desire to encourage others guides Karen throughout her life for a history of giving back. She continuously offers her talents, knowledge, financial, and emotional support to help make a difference in the lives of others for many organizations that she is involved with. Karen is involved in many local community efforts and non-profits. Currently, she is the Senior Community Emergency Team (CERT) Leader for the Parsippany Office of Emergency Management; the Board Vice President of Family Promise of Morris County; Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany; Chair of the American Cancer Society Luminaria Committee and Event Lead Co-Chair for Relay for Life of Central Morris County; and a member of the Woman’s Club of Parsippany Troy-Hills Karen somehow also finds time to support and advocate for the Jersey Battered Women’s Services, Prevent Child Abuse-NJ, Parsippany Food Pantry, and the Center for Hope Hospice. In her professional life, she has worked for over 24 years as the Division Marketing & Customer Relations Administrator at Western Pest Services in Parsippany. She is the Program Director and Parliamentarian on the Executive Committee of the Rollins Employee Relief Fund. She has been nominated for Western’s “Circle of Excellence” award eight years in a row and won every other year. In 2004, Karen was awarded the “Legion of Honor” award by the Chapel of Four Chaplains, which honors outstanding members of society whose lives model the giving spirit and unconditional service to the community. In September 2011, Karen received the company’s exclusive and prestigious “President’s Club Award,” and in April 2012, she was the recipient of Western’s second annual “Women of Distinction Award.” Outside of work, DeChristopher has just as many accomplishments. In November 2011, Karen was honored as the first recipient of Family Promise’s Community Impact Award and received a citation and resolution issued by Senator Anthony Bucco and the N.J. State Legislation for all that she does for Family Promise and her community. In addition, Karen along with the entire CERT & RACES groups were recognized by the mayor of Parsippany and the town council with a certificate for their efforts during Hurricane Irene. In June 2016, Karen was presented with the “Eternal Flame Award” which was presented by the American Cancer Society in recognition of Karen taking her “cancer experience” and turning it into something positive by helping others facing the disease. Then on January 10, 2017, Karen received the George F. Hixon Fellowship Award presented by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany for all her contributions to the betterment of the club. Being one of ten siblings, an important aspect of Karen’s life is her family — Karen’s tireless and selfless efforts would not be possible with out the support of her husband Ralph and her three children.
Casey (Kaushik) Parikh – Past Chairman Parsippany Planning Board
and Retired Director of Data Communications ADT/TYCO
Casey Parikh with his friends and family
Casey is a honest, courteous, and generous person with high moral values. He is an active volunteer and provides selfless service to the Parsippany community. He mentors the younger generation and works with seniors to improve their quality of life. He always looks for the opportunity to serve the community. Casey has been a resident of Parsippany for over 30 years. He lives with his wife Rita. His daughter Coral lives with her husband Krishna in New York. His son Emil, also in NY, is an IT professional. Casey graduated as an Electrical Engineer from the University of Bombay, India. He earned his Masters and MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology. Casey worked at Kennedy Space Center, FL for NASA as a launch team member of the Space Shuttle. At Tyco International he served as Director and recently retired to dedicate his full attention to community service. Casey served as chairman of the planning board for 24 years. He was a member of the Rotary Club and currently is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany. He is one of the founders of the Parsippany Indian Association. He has served on the Board of Education demographics committee; as board member of the Parsippany Day Care; and the Attorney Ethics Committee and as an advisor to Morris county seniors. He is always looking for opportunities to help others.
Honorees Tony Cerbo III, President; Cindy Cooper and Joe Cerbo, Vice Presidents
Joe Cerbo, Cindy Cooper and Tony Cerbo III receiving their award from Robert Peluso
Cerbo’s Parsippany Greenhouse & Garden Center has spent over a century serving the town and surrounding communities. From a simple roadside stand established in 1913, Cerbo’s has grown into full service garden center that takes pride in growing plants and nursery stock that thrive in Morris County. As a family-run business, Cerbo’s takes pride in strong family values instilled by Anthony Cerbo Sr. and his son Tony Cerbo, Jr. Now, as Tony Cerbo III, alongside his sister Cindy and brother Joe, have taken over daily operations, they are working closely with a fourth generation of Cerbos to reinforce the understanding that taking pride in your work and educating the consumer is what makes the garden center thrive. Whether the family is working on plant sales for a local school or encouraging Arbor Day tree plantings, they are conscious of the community. And, with rain gardens and sustainable agriculture, the Cerbo family has the future in mind with environmental awareness.
Frank Iannetta, MD, FAAFP,
Associate Medical Director, Vanguard Medical Group in Montville
Robert Peluso presents Dr. Iannetta with the “2017 Parsippany Good Scout Award”
Dr. lannetta received his medical degree from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 1987. He then finished a three-year residency at Mountainside Hospital, and was chief resident during his final year. He has been in practice in Montville for over 26 years. He has been a guest speaker on local cable and radio stations on a multitude of medical topics. Dr. lannetta is an assistant Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 72 of Parsippany, and has been involved in Scouting for over 15 years. He is currently a member of the risk management committee. During his free time, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and six children, four of whom were adopted from foster care. They have cared for more than 60 other children since 1996. He also spends time updating his computer skills, reading science fiction and fantasy and tending to his extensive comic book collection.
PARSIPPANY — Multiple Parsippany Police Officers responded to a residence near the intersection of South Beverwyck Road and Edgewood Court for a noise complaint on Saturday, May 6 at 11:40 p.m.
Upon arrival, officers spoke to Adam Gill, 21, Oak Ridge. He was advised of the complaint and that the 400+ guests should disburse.
While speaking to Mr. Gill multiple physical altercations began to occur on the rear deck and inside the residence between partygoers.
When the Officers attempted to break up one of the fights on the deck, they were encircled by the crowd who began pushing the officers.
Additional Parsippany Police patrols responded to the scene, along with other nearby jurisdictions. With assistance from Officers from the below jurisdictions the partygoers were disburse without further issue.
No injuries were reported during the incident.
The jurisdictions that assisted were:
New Jersey State Police, Hanover Police Department, East Hanover Police Department, Morris Plains Police Department, Morristown Police Department, Denville Police Department, Wharton Police Department, Morris County Park Police, Fairfield Police Department, Rockaway Police Department, and Montville Police Department.
Adam Gill along with James Moran, 22, Waldwick, who are both tenants of the premise, were both issued Local Ordinance violations for the Noise complaint.
They were both released on their own recognizance pending their court date.
TRENTON — New Jersey’s unemployment rate continued its decline for the fourth consecutive month in March, falling for the seventh time in the past eight months, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which fixed the rate at 4.2%. It marks the state’s lowest unemployment rate since May 2007, and it was again below the national average, which was 4.5% in March.
The BLS household survey data showed more New Jersey residents, 4,331,300, reported to be working in March than at any other time in state history, and the lowest number of people, 190,700, reporting to be unemployed since July 2007. However, the BLS data was mixed, with preliminary employer survey data for the month showing total nonfarm wage and salary employment contracted by 17,500 to reach a seasonally adjusted level of 4,111,000 (-19,100 private, +1,600 public).
Looking at the longer term BLS data, New Jersey’s private-sector employers have added 54,100 jobs over the past year (March 2016 – March 2017). Since February 2010, the low point for private-sector employment during the most recent recession, private-sector employment in the Garden State has increased by 306,500 jobs.
“New Jersey’s economic recovery continues, with a 10-year low unemployment rate that is better than the national average and a record number of employed New Jerseyans,” said James Wooster, Chief Economist for the state Department of Labor & Workforce Development. “On a month-to-month basis, the payroll employment numbers often demonstrate a certain instability, especially for the initial estimates. However, the overall trend of growth and recovery shows no real sign of abating.”
Based on more complete reporting from employers, previously released February estimates were revised by 1,700, to show an over-the-month (January – February) total nonfarm employment gain of 10,900 jobs. Preliminary estimates had initially indicated an over-the-month gain of 12,600 jobs. The state’s February unemployment rate also was revised from 4.4%, which was originally reported, to 4.5%.
In March, job gains were posted in three of nine major private industry sectors: manufacturing (+300), information (+300), and education and health services (+200). Sectors that recorded losses included: leisure and hospitality (-6,300), professional and business services (-5,000), trade, transportation, and utilities (-4,300), construction (-2,800), other services (-1,200), and financial activities (-300). Over the month, public sector employment was higher by 1,600, with all of the advance occurring at the local government level (+1,700).
PARSIPPANY — Marco Lima, CFP, and Adam C. Anderson, CFP, CRPC, Private Wealth Advisors with Morris Retirement Advisors, a financial/private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Parsippany and Sparta, have qualified for the company’s Circle of Success annual recognition program and will be honored for this achievement in 2017.
To earn this achievement, Lima and Anderson established themselves as two of the company’s top advisors by consistently demonstrating exceptional commitment to financial planning and superior client service. Only a select number of high-performing advisors earn this distinction.
Adam Anderson, CFP, CRPC
As Private Wealth Advisors, Lima and Anderson provide financial advice that is anchored in a solid understanding of client needs and expectations, and provided in one-on-one relationships with their clients. Morris Retirement Advisors has served the Parsippany area since 2014 and the Sparta area since 2015. For more information, please contact Carol Kupetz at (973) 917-3905 or visit the Ameriprise office at 3799 Route 46.
About Ameriprise Financial At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 120 years. With a network of 10,000 financial advisors and outstanding asset management, advisory and insurance capabilities, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of consumer financial needs. For more information, visit ameriprise.com or www.ameripriseadvisors.com/marco.x.lima/
PARSIPPANY — Letter carriers across the country will take part in their 25th Annual “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive” on Saturday, May 13.
The drive, sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), is America’s largest one-day food collection event that provides millions of pounds of food to local hunger relief agencies.
Place non-perishable food items in a bag next to the mailbox before the letter carrier arrives on Saturday, May 13 and the letter carrier will do the rest. Food collected is donated to local food pantries.
In the Morristown area, the food will be donated to the Interfaith Food Pantry. Some of the items most needed are canned soup, canned fruit, canned tuna, evaporated, dry or shelf stable milk, pasta sauce in cans or plastic jars, canned beans, pasta and cereal.
In 2016, the Interfaith Food Pantry served nearly 10,000 people across Morris County, distributing more than one million pounds of food. Food Pantry clients include low-income working families and their children, senior citizens living on fixed incomes, people with disabilities and others unemployed or in crisis.
For more information click here or call (973) 335-2587.
PARSIPPANY — Officer Marc Fernandez responded to a residence on Warren Drive for a barking dog complaint at 6:49 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3.
Upon arrival he spoke to Karen Shutta-Cullen, 49, Parsippany.
After being advised of the situation she brought the dogs back into the residence. While walking back to his patrol vehicle the dogs were again let outside and began barking unprovoked for approximately thirty minutes.
While preparing the Local Ordinance violation Summonses, he found an active traffic warrant for Mrs. Shutta-Cullen issued by East Hanover Municipal Court with a bail amount of $1,000.00.
Patrol Officer Fernandez again made contact with Mrs. Shutta-Cullen, issued her two Disturbing the Peace Local Ordinance violations Summonses for the barking dogs, and placed her under arrest.
She was transported back to Parsippany Police Department were she was processed and released on her own recognizance pending her new court date.
PARSIPPANY — Patrol Office E. Elston responded to the CVS, 3503 Route 46 on a reported shoplifting on May 3 at 3:40 p.m.
After a brief investigation it was determined that an unknown female suspect exited the store without paying for approximately $200.00 worth of merchandise.
After leaving the store the suspect fled the area with the merchandise in an unknown vehicle.
This incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Parsippany Police Department’s Investigative Division at (973) 263-4311.
PARSIPPANY — Patrol Officer C. Deloatch responded to Police Headquarters to speak to a victim of a theft. It was determined that the victim’s wallet was stolen from their unsecured locker at Planet Fitness, 2956 Route 10 between 3:15 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on April 28.
Numerous personal items, gift cards, credit cards, and cash were inside the wallet.
This incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Parsippany Police Department’s Investigative Division at (973) 263-4311.
PARSIPPANY — Joshua M. Grayson, formerly of Parsippany, will receive his PhD in musicology on May 12 from the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California. The subject of Dr.Grayson’s doctoral dissertation is the music of Arnold Schonberg and how his rediscovering his Jewish identity because of Nazism affected the music he wrote.
Dr. Grayson, who graduated from both Parsippany Hills High School and the Julliard School of Music pre-college in 2002, also attended Indiana University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Bachelors of Music in Performance. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
MORRIS COUNTY — Timothy J. Runo, 21, Vernon man was sentenced to 270 days in jail in addition to probation and community service for crimes related to a 2016 fatal motor vehicle crash in Butler in a case brought by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp.
Runo was imposed by Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor in Morristown. In addition to jail time, Runo will be on probation for four years, must perform 150 hours of community service and pay restitution in an amount yet to be determined to the victims. Additionally, his driver’s license was suspended for one year upon his release from jail.
The charges stem from a motor vehicle crash that occurred on Route 23 eastbound at approximately 11:30 p.m. on July 29, 2016. Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that the defendant was driving his vehicle with two other passengers at the time of the crash. The crash resulted in injuries to all three of the occupants.
One of the passengers sustained serious bodily injury. The other passenger sustained serious bodily injuries that ultimately resulted in his death on August 9, 2016. The investigation revealed that Runo had been operating his vehicle recklessly by driving at an excessive speed.
Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn, who represented the state, stressed during sentencing the importance of deterring individuals who drive too fast. Noting widespread concern about those who talk on the phone or text while driving, Schellhorn said, “We have almost forgotten that speed kills.”
The defendant entered guilty pleas in February to two counts of assault by auto, which are crimes of the fourth degree. He was taken into custody at the time of the plea and remanded to jail pending sentence.
Members of the Butler Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Section, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit contributed to this investigation and prosecution.
PARSIPPANY — Wyndham Worldwide has been named among the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity, ranking in the top 25 for the first time. Wyndham’s corporate headquarters is located in the Mack-Cali Business Complex at 22 Sylvan Way.
As #24 for 2017, Wyndham Worldwide is also among the Top Companies for Diversity Councils and LGBT Employees. This is the fifth consecutive year Wyndham Worldwide has been included among the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity. The consistent recognition reflects the values and the overall mission of the global hospitality company and its 38,000 associates take in enabling more travelers to visit and experience more cultures and places than anyone else.
Stephen P. Holmes
“As a global hospitality company, diversity is at the heart of what we do,” says Stephen P. Holmes, chairman and chief executive officer, Wyndham Worldwide. “Travel enables people of varied nationalities and backgrounds to meet and experience different cultures, raising our collective understanding and appreciation for each other around the world. For Wyndham Worldwide, diversity isn’t a program – it’s how we do business.”
One of the largest global hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide provides travelers with access to a collection of trusted hospitality brands and established market leaders in hotels, vacation ownership, and unique accommodations including vacation exchange, holiday parks, and managed home rentals.
Wyndham Worldwide has been named among the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity, ranking in the top 25 for the first time. As #24 for 2017, Wyndham Worldwide is also among the Top Companies for Diversity Councils and LGBT Employees (May 3, 2017). (PRNewsfoto/Wyndham Worldwide)
“For Wyndham Worldwide, diversity and inclusion is a business imperative,” adds Holmes. “That means starting in the corporate boardroom and infusing different perspectives throughout every level of our organization to reflect our customer base and enable us to grow.”
Recognizing the value to its business growth in maintaining vibrantly diverse workforce, policies, and supply chain, Wyndham Worldwide has the support of its board of directors in advancing diversity as part of the Company’s overall business strategy, and implements the vision through a global diversity council, its dedicated diversity and inclusion team, as well as its growing number of associate business groups dedicated to women, Latinos, African Americans, LGBT and allies, veterans, and multi-generations.
Recent diversity and inclusion-led initiatives have included: recruitment and development events for associates who are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces; business-wide discussions on the Hispanic marketplace’s rapid growth and opportunities for the Company to reach this powerful demographic; and a US-based national scholarship program for supporting minority and economically challenged students. In addition, the Company partners with local organizations focused on at-risk youth and those faced with challenges to provide mentoring and guidance to the future workforce.
“We are thoughtful about diversity and have made it part of how we operate,” says Patricia A. Lee, senior vice president and chief diversity officer at Wyndham Worldwide. “Being open and welcoming to people of all backgrounds, and applying the same level of strategic thought to attracting, retaining, and developing individuals of diverse backgrounds provides us with a strong talent pipeline to fuel our growth.”
Wyndham Worldwide has also been recognized by the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, named a Top 50 Company for Latinas by LATINA Style, and among FORTUNE’s Most Admired Companies. Additionally, the Company maintains strong partnerships with organizations such as the National Diversity Council, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, National Society of Hispanic MBAs and National Association of Black, Hispanic, Asian and Women MBAs.
DiversityInc also announced a number of Specialty Lists. Wyndham Worldwide was named among the Top Companies for Diversity Councils (#6) and LGBT Employees. DiversityInc’s annual survey – tracking the nation’s top companies when it comes to hiring, retaining and promoting women, minorities, people with disabilities, LGBT and veterans – is the most rigorous, data-driven survey of its kind, gauging detailed demographics based on race/ethnicity and gender at some of the largest U.S. employers.
About Wyndham Worldwide:
Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) is one of the largest global hospitality companies, providing travelers with access to a collection of trusted hospitality brands in hotels, vacation ownership, and unique accommodations including vacation exchange, holiday parks, and managed home rentals. With a collective inventory of nearly 130,000 places to stay across more than 110 countries on six continents, Wyndham Worldwide and its 38,000 associates welcomes people to experience travel the way they want. This is enhanced by Wyndham Rewards®, the Company’s re-imagined guest loyalty program across its businesses, which is making it simpler for members to earn more rewards and redeem their points faster. For more information click here.
PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education announced the selection of Dr. Barbara Sargent as Superintendent of Schools.
Dr. Sargent has more than thirty years years of experience in education, most recently serving as the Superintendent of Schools in Readington Township.
Prior to that, she was the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in Madison School District.
Dr. Sargent will officially assume responsibility for her new role commencing no earlier than July 1 but no later than August 1 dependent upon the date Dr. Sargent is released from her present contract. “Our selection process cast a wide net resulting in seven highly-qualified candidates.
We narrowed the field down to three, before unanimously selecting Dr. Sargent,” the Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education said in a statement.
“We congratulate Dr. Sargent on her appointment, and we are confident that her vast experience, deep knowledge of curriculum, management skills and love of education will both nurture and expand the quality of education throughout the district. She possesses a realistic vision, a clear sense of priorities and a strong advocacy for high expectations. We look forward to partnering with her, as we work collectively to address the challenges and to embrace the opportunities of continuing to provide the high quality of education that the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District has come to expect.”
Dr. Sargent has served many roles in public education during her career, including Superintendent of Schools in Readington for six years.
She also served as Assistant Superintendent, Principal, K-12 Language Arts Supervisor, and as middle school teacher. Dr. Sargent received a Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, a Master’s degree from Rider University in Reading/Language Arts, as well as a Doctorate from Seton Hall University in Educational Administration and Supervision.
Dear Editor:
The other day, in Parsippany Focus, I read a “Letter to the Editor” by a Mr. William Felegi which argued that Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce was not a conservative because Americans for Prosperity (AFP) had given her a “D” grade. The writer seems to miss the fact that AFP is not a conservative organization, but rather a libertarian one. Ideologically, there is a great difference.
When I was a Reagan delegate, back in 1980, the founder of AFP was the Vice Presidential candidate on a ticket opposed to Ronald Reagan, running on a platform of unrelieved social liberalism and international defeatism. Thank God they were not successful and Reagan was. President Reagan broke the Soviet Union and consigned Marxist Leninism to the dustbin of history.
The American Conservative Union is a conservative organization. For the same period as that rated by AFP, it gave Mrs. DeCroce an 84% — hardly a “D”. To show you just how ideologically different AFP is, here are a few comparisons:
Legislator
AFP
ACU
Jon Bramnick (R-21)
F
95%
Joe Pennacchio (R-26)
B
95%
Nancy Munoz (R-21)
C
91%
Mike Doherty (R-23)
A+
89%
Michael Patrick Carroll (R-25)
A+
89%
BettyLou DeCroce (R-26)
D
84%
Tom Kean, Jr. (R-21)
A
75%
Dawn Marie Addiego (R-8)
F
75%
Jennifer Beck (R-11)
B
70%
Ron Dancer (R-12)
B
59%
Chris Brown (R-2)
B
23%
Nia Gil (D-34)
D
0%
Assemblywoman DeCroce received an Award for Conservative Achievement from the American Conservative Union (ACU). Obviously, the libertarian AFP is pursuing a very different agenda from that of the conservative ACU.
Under the leadership of Steve Lonegan, New Jersey’s AFP affiliate did take a more traditional conservative path. That was all due to Lonegan. I know, I worked for Lonegan. Much to the chagrin of national AFP, Steve pursued a vigorous conservative agenda on social issues, the Second Amendment, and illegal immigration. But Lonegan is long gone from AFP, and as its latest scorecard makes clear, AFP is back to being libertarian and not conservative.
Even so, AFP took credit for the work done by Assemblywoman DeCroce. AFP State Director Erica Jedynak wrote that the tax reform legislation Mrs. DeCroce supported “saved state taxpayers $1.4 billion in tax cuts-once completely phased in-in the final omnibus bill, including a repeal of the estate tax which saved taxpayers $320 million alone and will protect families from the government raiding inheritances when a loved one dies.”
The conservative taxpayer advocacy group, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), wrote that the tax reforms Assemblywoman DeCroce supported “abolished the state death tax, cut the state sales tax and reduces income taxes on retired New Jersey voters.” ATR called it “a victory for taxpayers.” Forbes magazine called her tax cuts one of the “5 best state and local tax policy changes of 2016” nationwide. Further praise came from the Tax Foundation, the oldest such conservative organization in the nation.
Mr. Felegi goes so far as to call Mrs. DeCroce a “liar” for stating, quite truthfully, that she “ensured money for roads and bridges will be dedicated for their intended purpose rather than pet projects.” The Assemblywoman supported the ballot question that accomplished that in the face of stiff opposition led by radio talk show host Bill Spadea.
The Assemblywoman’s voting record, her ratings by ideologically conservative groups, plus her 100% Pro-Life rating and her endorsement by the NRA, make her, on balance, a conservative in the humble opinion of this old winger.
PARSIPPANY — Ryan Vyskocil, a Economics BA major from Parsippany, was recognized for his outstanding academic achievement. He was honored with The Economics, B.A., Major Field Award and the Outstanding Academic Athlete Award. Ryan is a 2013 graduate of Parsippany Hills High School.
Founded in 1937, Siena College is a private, Catholic Franciscan, residential, liberal arts college with a student body of about 3,000. Siena College offers 31 degree programs, 80+ minors and certificate programs, and professional curricula in teacher preparation/education, pre-medical, pre-law and social work. A student-to-faculty ratio of 11-to-1, average class size of 21, rigorous academics, Division I athletics, intramural sports and widespread service and advocacy experiences nurture each student’s personal growth while providing the education of a lifetime.
MONTVILLE — Montville Township Police are asking residents for assistance in identifying an elderly man found walking along River Road in Montville near the Parsippany border Wednesday morning, stated Captain Andrew Caggiano.
Caggiano reported that the man was unable to provide his name or home address and had no identification with him. Police described him as being 5′ 6″ tall and about 160 pounds with blue eyes and is balding.
He appears to be in good spirits, Caggiano said.
Anyone who recognizes him, or has any information is asked to call Montville Township Police at (973) 257-4300.
As the 2017-2018 Parsippany School Budget will soon be finalized, I would like to shed some light on a line item budget cut that, in my opinion, will have a major impact on all elementary schools within the district. In order for the district to comply with budget caps, they are required to slash the budget. On the chopping block is the elimination of five elementary media secretaries. From an outsider looking in, it may seem logical to cut such a position. However, having observed the responsibilities of the individuals who work in our school first hand, I fear these cuts will have a major impact on our children’s educational experience.
As a proud parent volunteer at Intervale Elementary, I have spent seven years and countless number of hours helping as a library volunteer at Intervale. During this tenure, I have seen library times being adjusted from once a week, to every other week, back to every week with reduced library time. Having watched both my kids start off by checking out picture books when they first started school, as each year passed and their reading skills improved, so did their choice in reading materials. Luckily, they did not do this alone and had the help of some great Media Specialists as well as Media Secretaries. With a classroom full of students, it is not possible, or practical, for one person to assist all the students with their questions or concerns in a short amount of time. This is where the Media Secretaries in the district go above and beyond their job description and work with our children to ensure our kids go home with appropriate material.
The Media Secretaries are an integral part of the library and if these five positions are eliminated, my prediction is the elementary libraries will quickly fall into disrepair. While I have not had the privilege of meeting other media secretaries within the district, I can say with confidence that Mrs. Rodino, who has since retired from Intervale, and Mrs. Russell, Intervale’s current Media Secretary, have dedicated themselves to the district and have been a great asset to the district. Even with parent volunteers in the district helping out during library time, there is still a lot of work to do. Books must be ordered, books must be repaired, old books need to be taken off the shelves, books that have been put on the wrong shelf must find the proper home, overdue books have to be tracked down, books need to be checked in and out, books need to be put back on shelf once checked in, and children need guidance in finding library books. As one class leaves the library another class is entering the library leaving no time in between for processing and preparing lessons as it is. These are just some of the major responsibilities that a local elementary library faces. In addition to those listed, I am sure there are other things that also need to be done on a daily basis. It is my belief that the Media Specialist will be overburdened in trying to manage all aspects of the library. In my opinion, these added responsibilities will result in a decrease in library time for our students. I should stress that the Media Specialists and secretaries within the district are split between several schools and that they are only in any given school for part of the week. There is a lot of work to be done to have a successful library in the district. While looking to save money, the board does not realize what impact this will have. With these cuts, I can only predict that a weekly trip to the school library will be a thing of the past because the Media Specialists will be faced with more responsibility and will not have time to do their job; therefore. our children will suffer. With that, for those who are reading this with kids in Elementary school, I request that you ask your child about the media secretary in their school. I am confident that you will realize that the title assigned is anything but a secretary.
Eastlake – Mrs, Asaro Intervale School – Mrs. Russell Knollwood – Mrs. Huncken Lake Hiawatha – Mrs. Bunk Lake Parsippany – Mrs. Asaro Littleton School – Mrs. Russell Mt. Tabor – Mrs. Bunk Northvail – Mrs. Magdits Rockaway Meadow – Mrs. Huncken Troy Hills – Mrs. Magdits
I urge you to reach out to those we elected and share any and all stories that you may have recently learned about these dedicated district employes. The next school board meeting is Thursday May 4th and the district needs to know that the decision to eliminate the five positions is wrong.
In addition to the topic I just wrote about, another crucial budget cut is the possibility of restructuring of the Reading and Writing Program within the middle schools. Brooklawn and Central having highly qualified teachers that provide our children skills that will be used for years to come. It is to my understanding that with the plan to restructure the middle school, the Reading and Writing classes will be eliminated and these skills will be drastically reduced. This will have an impact on our children and once the plug is pulled, there is no turning back the clock.
It is time for our voices to be heard. While we all live busy and hectic lives, please consider taking time to attend the next Board of Education meeting to let our elected officials know that these issues are concerns that we have. The Boards Members need to know that the proposed decisions are really not in the best interest of the district.
If you can not fit a meeting into you schedule, I ask that you at least express your concern by reaching out to the board members. For your convenience, here are the email addresses that you can contact them at. I’m sure they would love to hear from you!
I thank you taking the time in reading this and urge to let your voices be heard. Please help bring this matter by sharing this with your friends within the district to prevent the district from moving forward with the proposed plan.
Dear Editor:
MONTVILLE — Montville Township Police are asking residents for assistance in identifying an elderly man found walking along River Road in Montville near the Parsippany border Wednesday morning, stated Captain Andrew Caggiano.