PARSIPPANY — Lake Hiawatha Volunteer Fire Department District #4 took delivery of their new 2015 Pierce Rescue on Tuesday, September 8.
This 2015 Pierce replaces a 1994 Marion command unit.
The video was produced by Lake Hiawatha Fire Department District #4.
Dear Editor:
This letter will be read during the Board of Education meeting on Thursday, September 10
While there are many parents here this evening addressing the epic systemic failure of our new Middle School Programing this year, I am directing my comments towards how we got to this point.
While it is true that Mr. Rixford, Dr. Gigante and other supporting Supervisors hired this year are responsible for this mess, so to is the Board of Education.
We are at a critical moment, a watershed moment, for each and every one of you sitting on the Board this evening. We didn’t get here with one or two bad decisions. We are all human and admittedly, make mistakes. BUT we should also learn from them.
This odyssey began last fall with the Board rushing to approve a Middle School Redesign that clearly wasn’t even remotely close to a sensible approach. Why did you let that happen? Didn’t enough of you have “skin in the game” with children at the middle school level with which you decidedly gambled with their academic experience?
At the same time, scores of additional administrative overhead positions were proposed. The New Cabinet was presented by our Superintendent using an extremely compact flow chart. It was difficult to decipher at best. Even more difficult to understand was how to pay for it. The Board approved these positions, time and again, with little discourse or debate. Most of these positions were paid using “borrowed time and money”. They were funded through the District’s receipt of Extraordinary Aid received from the State of NJ because of the myriad of paperwork they completed documenting their Special Education population.
Extraordinary Aid is a one-year grant, which can vary greatly from year to year. Previous Superintendents would consider this “gift” money and be careful to use it only on expenses in the district that they KNEW were NOT reoccurring. How are we going to pay for these salaries in the year’s budget?
This Superintendent spent countless hours enforcing a new dress code, sent a bus full of newly-hired “middle-management” to scour every school to enforce of hastily-rolled out policies and showed very little regard for parent volunteers and the PTA organization in our District.
But the saddest and most destructive effect of the past year, is that this redesign has abused our students and faculty. The “Back-to-School” enthusiasm was decimated by the scheduling confusion. The teachers were summarily thrown into courses at different grade levels with no regard for their professional experience. As brave a face as they put on, kids could sense the confusion . They want to be learning in school, not just sitting around playing ice-breaker games and filling out learning surveys.
My message is: fix it. Fix it now. Do what we strive to teach our children every day. Take responsibility for your mistakes, fix them and move on. Please.
Anya Shellaway Sheiffele
Dear Editor:
I find it very apropos that you should be taking responsibility for the middle school scheduling failure at the Board of Education meeting this Thursday, September 10, 7:00 p.m. at Parsippany High School. I expect you will provide a substantive, yet biased report to the Board of Education and answer questions superficially as to what went wrong with the Middle School scheduling debacle.
I, having served on the Middle School Scheduling Committee, feel that there is no excuse for this disaster. I specifically recall that you and Eileen Hoehne were in a big hurry to change the middle school schedules. You simply wanted to know if our committee recommended 8 or 9 periods a day.
We, as a committee of dedicated professionals and parents had the students’ quality of education first and foremost in our minds. We brought to the table numerous concerns, then asked for another year for our committee to research solutions; followed by a realistic timeline for a small trial implementation of the proposed scheduling plan. This was denied.
When making a drastic change in middle school scheduling, if you had truly taken the time to read all of our extensive research, to heed our insight into the plethora of complicating factors that exist, and to competently and responsibly prepare a plan for this transition, based upon your and staff members’ longitudinal knowledge of how our middle school functions, I believe you would have never ended up in this situation.
You have achieved an utter fiasco: eliminating recess, reducing physical education, reading and writing, chorus, band, and significantly limiting the number of new electives that the children can actually fit in their schedules. Now instead of engaging in active learning for 8 classes 5 days a week, children have to sit 10 minutes longer in each period. They have 3 or 4 classes that only meet 3 days per week and/or numerous study halls, where there is nothing available to put in their schedules.
Do you realize how much stress your hasty, action, with lack of preparation has placed upon the students, guidance counselors, and teachers? I am not fooled by your semantic deception. Grouping children together in several classes is not defined as team. I understand the new schedules have essentially dissolved the core teaching teams that each grade had. Teachers have little to no prep time nor time to meet because there is no team in their schedules. Some are teaching three or four new, different core curriculums, to not only different teams, but also across different grade levels.
I am giving you this opportunity to prepare a detailed, objective statement on just how many children actually received full middle school schedules with the new electives that they were promised? How much extra is it costing the district to design these schedules and now have Genesis and PTHSD personnel, attempt to correct all the problems that you still have not solved? Most importantly, can you please explain how your new scheduling system has improved the teaching team model and quality of our students’ education?
Arlene M. Sklow
Concerned Parent and Educator
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County elections officials are looking for a few good men and women – to help in the electoral process as poll workers in all 39 Morris County towns, starting in this year’s Tuesday, November 3 general election.
New poll workers will be partnered with more seasoned poll veterans this year at some of the county 396 polling places, and could gain enough experience in elections over the next 14 months to become valued poll workers in the nation’s president election in 2016. And you could make $200.00 per day in the process.
“We are always looking for smart, interested people who have the time and desire to take part in the elections process,’’ said County Board of Elections Administrator Dale Kramer. “It’s not always an easy job, but it certainly is a key one in our democratic process.’’
How do you become a Morris County poll worker?
There are a series of six training classes that will be conducted in October at the Morris County Public Safety Academy, Parsippany. You can choose the day that is most convenient for you. Once an individual has completed the training, he or she will be been assigned to work at the polls.
Election workers must report to assigned polling places at 5:15 a.m. on Election Day and prepare for voting, which starts at 6 a.m. Workers must also help close polling locations at or about 8:00 p.m.
What are poll workers required to do for $200?
For more information on becoming a poll worker or signing up for poll worker classes, including online classes, click here or call (973) 285-8350.
PARSIPPANY — The first general meeting of the new 2015-2016 club year for the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills will be held on Monday, September 28, at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Parsippany Rescue and Recovery Building, 100 Centerton Drive.
The meeting is open to all area women interested in learning about the club and its involvement in the local community.
With arts and crafts, conservation, domestic violence awareness and fundraising for scholarships for high school seniors, the club offers something for everyone.
The Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills is a member of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs of GFWC (NJSFWC), which is the largest volunteer women’s service organization in the state, providing opportunities for education, leadership training, and community service.
For more information, call Cathy Cerbo at (973) 984-0758, email the club at womansclubofpth@gmail.com or visit their website by clicking here.
PARSIPPANY — Patrol Officer J. Chmura responded to a residence on Marmora Road for a report of a stolen motor vehicle. Upon his arrival, the victim advised the Officer that unknown suspect(s) stole his 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee from his driveway.
The victim further advised the Officer that the unknown suspect(s) also entered his 2014 Dodge 3500, where the keys to the Jeep were located.
The victim believed that the theft occurred between 11:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 28 and 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 29.This incident is still under investigation.
On Wednesday, August 29 at 1254 p.m., Patrol Officer J. Williams responded to a residence on Marmora Road for a report of a burglary to a motor vehicle. Upon his arrival, the victim stated an unknown suspect(s) broke into his vehicle. He further stated he came outside of his residence and found his 2010 Toyota Corolla passenger side door open along with a set of sunglasses missing. No damage was seen on the passenger side door. The victim advised the Officer that he believed the incident occurred between the evening of Tuesday, August 28 and morning of Wednesday, August 29. This incident is still under investigation.
On Wednesday, August 29 at 1:14 p.m., Patrol Officer J. Williams responded to a residence on Marmora Road for a report of a burglary to a motor vehicle. Upon his arrival the caller stated an unknown suspect(s) broke into his vehicle between the evening of Tuesday, August 28 and morning of Wednesday, August 29. The victim stated the vehicle was locked and the unknown suspect(s) stole various pieces paperwork from the vehicle. No damage was seen on the vehicle.
These incidents are under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Investigative Division at (973) 263-4313.
PARSIPPANY — Patrol Sergeant A. Keiser, Patrol Officers G. Tosh, A. Clark, L. Nicos and Z. Koch responded to the parking lot of 80 New Road for a male breaking into a vehicle on Thursday, September 3 at 4:28 a.m.
Upon arrival of the Officers, the caller informed them that he exited his apartment, notified the victim and her boyfriend in the neighboring apartment, at which time they all went outside and verbally confronted the suspect.
The suspect then dropped the items he removed from the victim’s vehicle and fled the area on foot. The Morris County Sheriff’s Department CID responded to the scene to process the vehicle, while a Morris County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit assisted in searching the area.
The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’07, and wearing grey sweatpants along with a grey shirt. This incident is still under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Investigative Division at (973) 263-4313.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany Police Chief Paul Philipps held the swearing in of Patrol Officer Pasquale Parisi, on Tuesday, September 8.
Officer Parisi, 27 years old, transferred to the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department from the Bloomfield Police Department where he served as a Police Dispatcher for five years prior to becoming a Police Officer in January 2014.
He is a 2006 graduate of the Bloomfield High School. Parisi attended Essex County College and graduated from the Bergen County Police Academy in 2014.
Officer Parisi will be assigned to the Parsippany Police Patrol Division.
PARSIPPANY — Are you a high school or college student looking for an internship experience with a news organization? Are you a parent that follows all the games and likes to write?
Do you study journalism or another writing major and are interested in learning about community news or high school events?
If so, Parsippany Focus is for you. Focus is currently in the process of interviewing and hiring interns for the fall semester. Our interns work hand-in-hand with our editorial staff, photographers, covering news, events, sports and other local stories for an all-online newspaper.
Student-interns will gain valuable experience in the world of community news. We put candidates right into the field where they will gain first-hand knowledge on the ins-and-outs of online newspaper business.
High School interns will be covering news and sports for their own school.
Focus internships are as hands-on as you can get, where no two stories are alike. At first, interns will follow their supervisor as they cover their assigned Parsippany town meetings, events and might even write a feature story on a high-ranking official.
Focus college internships are all unpaid and students must receive academic credit.
During the semester, interns must complete a minimum amount of hours per week that correlates with the requirements of their college or university.
Any student interested in applying for one of internship opportunities should reach out to Frank Cahill, publisher Parsippany Focus, flcahill@parsippanyfocus.com.
PARSIPPANY — Town of Boonton Patrolman Colombo observed a red Volkswagen traveling at a high rate of speed south on Myrtle Avenue with no headlights, on Sunday, September 6 at 1:59 a.m.
Patrolman Colombo followed the vehicle onto interstate 287 south where the vehicle continued at a high rate of speed. The driver stopped and Patrolman Colombo called in the vehicle stop. Before approaching the vehicle the driver abruptly accelerated away continuing south on 287.
The driver abruptly tried to exit the highway at exit 42 for Parsippany Boulevard. The vehicle crashed into a guardrail and fence located behind Embassy Suites.
The driver was identified as Santiago Maldonado, 23, Denville.
Mr Maldonado was charged with Eluding police, Reckless Driving and Driving while intoxicated. He was transported to Morristown Memorial Hospital.
On release from the hospital he was processed and transported to Morris County Jail in default of $50,000 bail with no 10% option.
The blazing heat across New Jersey is expected to continue for one more day, forecasters says. Much-needed rain is on the way, though. A partly sunny day with highs in the low 90s is likely to give way to rain later Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The chance of showers and thunderstorms will increase…
PARSIPPANY — The office of the Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi will be on the road making it easier for veterans, many of whom are older, to come to Parsippany Municipal Building to sign up for the program. The dates they will be in Parsippany are Thursday, September 17 and Tuesday, October 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Operation Giveback, is a program initiated by Ann Grossi, County Clerk. The program establishes discounts for participating veterans in Morris County.
To get discounts, veterans would be required to show an ID card which can be obtained by going to the Office of the County Clerk in Morristown.
As a courtesy to the courageous men and women that have served in the armed forces, the Morris County Clerk’s Office is proud to offer free ID cards to honorably discharged veterans. All that is required is one form of identification proving Morris County residency and the original or certified copy of the DD 214 discharge papers. If there has been a legal name change from the name found on the discharge document, a certified copy the legal name change document, such as a marriage certificate or final judgment from the court, will be required. If the DD 214 is already on file with our Registry Department, the original is not necessary. We will be happy to look up the record.
These cards not only provide an additional form of identification but also discounts at many businesses in Morris County. County veteran ID cards are not designed to replace the federal veteran identification needed to access government programs such as VA hospitals and clinics.
If the original discharge document has been lost or damaged and is not already on file with us, you may obtain a certified copy with a raised seal by contacting the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO, by clicking here or calling 1-866-272-6272. For discharge records prior to 1953, click here.
All original or certified copies of discharge papers that are not already on file with our Registry Department will be permanently recorded and returned to the veteran. All discharge documents filed with our office are considered confidential and can only be accessed by the veteran or a member of their family.
Visit the Morris County Department of Human Services website for more information on services and resources offered to veterans by clicking here.
PARSIPPANY — As previously reported in Parsippany Focus (click here for previous article), Mr. Mitchell Morris, 54, Parsippany, was traveling south on Littleton Road when he crossed the median, continued in the on-coming lane of traffic, and left the roadway to the left striking a utility pole and coming to a stop. Ms. Linda Carubia, 57, Basking Ridge, was traveling north and was unable to avoid striking the Morris vehicle. Mr. Morris was driving a 2015 Black Jeep Cherokee, owned by Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Ms. Carubia was driving a 2012 Volkswagen Passat.
Both vehicles were towed from the scene by C & L Towing. There were no summons issued at the scene.
The road remained closed until after Midnight while Jersey Central Power and Light were repairing the down wired and replaced the utility poles.
PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department responded to the Fairfield Inn Suites, Route 46 and Cherry Hill Road on Saturday morning after a vehicle crashed into two lobby windows near the entrance to the hotel.
Mr. Michael Williams, 61, Brewster, MA was driving a 2009 Honda CRV when his foot slipped off the brake while parking. He drove over the curb and into a plate glass window causing damage to both his vehicle and the glass windows.
The accident occurred some time at 10:21 a.m. on Saturday, August 29. A Parsippany police officer responded to the scene along with a Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance squad.
A hotel employee said two window panels were damaged. No one was injured.
BOONTON — It was a busy four days over the Labor Day weekend in Boonton. Starting on Thursday and Friday, the carnival was in town at the Boonton High School.
Then on Saturday, the parade started at 1:30 p.m. (click here to read article) and then trophies were awarded at 6:00 p.m. (click here to read article), along with the carnival and the final day on Sunday, the carnival was open until midnight and there was a Pig Roast at 5:00 p.m., Fireworks at 10:00 p.m. and the Super 50/50 drawing was held at 10:30 p.m.
Each night also featured a live band.
MORRISTOWN — A 61-year-old Dover man is headed for trial later this month on a vehicular homicide charge in the death of a pedestrian in 2012 on Route 10 in Parsippany. Fabio Aristizabal was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when he struck and killed Richard Oberst, 64, of Morris Plains on Dec. 22, 2012. Oberst…
Mother Nature seems determined to squeeze every last drop out of the last few weeks of summer. Temperatures soared into the upper 90s today, breaking daily high temperature records in places like Newark and New Brunswick as the Garden State’s bout with hot, dry conditions continued. Newark reached an unofficial high of 97 degrees, which would…
PARSIPPANY — NewBridge Services has opened a 15,320-square-foot, centralized service center providing counseling, substance abuse treatment and other programs to better serve Morris County residents.
“NewBridge has long served Morris County, but with the opening of this center in the county’s most populous town, near the crossroads of routes 80 and 287, we’ve greatly improved accessibility,’’ NewBridge CEO Robert L. Parker said. “Throughout the region, residents have had to endure long waiting lists to get the care they need, but NewBridge has the capacity to accept new clients immediately,” Parker noted.
Located in the in the Troy Office Center off eastbound Route 46 in Parsippany, the facility has 20 counseling rooms and spacious group therapy rooms, as well as a drop-in center for clients. It’s also the new home of NewBridge Jobs Plus, a free program that has helped more than 3,000 young adults earn their high school diplomas and prepare for careers.
NewBridge has made significant investments in its information technology to meet federal health care requirements and changes to state funding formulas, and expanded its evidenced-based practices. Last fall, NewBridge opened a 13,000-square-foot center in the Haskell section of Wanaque Township, expanding the nonprofit’s presence in Passaic County.
“NewBridge has a strong reputation for innovative programs and community responsiveness, and our new center in Parsippany gives Morris County residents easy, immediate access to our highly regarded services,’’ Parker said.
NewBridge is hosting an open house on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 4-6 p.m., at the center, located at 1259 Route 46, Building 2. At 5 p.m., NewBridge will dedicate one of the two NewBridge Jobs Plus classrooms to the memory of founder Jim Ryan and his wife, Marie, both champions of people with mental illnesses. For more information, visit newbridge.org or call (973) 316-9333.
PARSIPPANY — This afternoon, the Board of Education released the following information: “All Middle School students were given updated copies of their schedules this morning. A small percentage of students still needed assistance in completing their academic core (Language Arts/Reading and Writing, Math, Social Studies, Science) schedules. For the balance of this week students will be given updated schedules that may or may not contain schedule changes. The Genesis student information portal is fully working as expected. We have focused all of our resources on our students and their schedules, said Joan F. Benos, Chief of Staff/Public Information Officer.”
Over the weekend, the district released another statement, claiming the Genesis portal is not the issue, rather a longer-range problem: “We would like to inform you that the issues we are having with our middle school schedules do not have anything to do with our student information system software, Genesis. The design of the middle school schedule presented our district with various problems when it came time for implementation. When solutions were chosen as a means to correct the problem, the staff at Genesis was completely supportive and willing to help. They came to our district, conferenced with key personnel on the phone, and answered questions as they arose. Genesis remains fully capable of handling all of our student information needs, including scheduling, and we are grateful to them for their assistance throughout our efforts to correct this problem.”
Meanwhile, on Friday, September 4, on the second day of the new school year, Dr. Nancy Gigante, Assistant Superintendent, stated Scott Rixford is taking a 30-day medical leave of absence effective immediately. Calls to Mr. Rixford’s cell phone went to voice mail, and the voice mail box was full.
Parents and students were able to obtain their schedules over the weekend, although many have complained to missing classes or missing teachers assigned to classes.
The statements and updates released by the Board of Education regarding the issues weren’t enough for students and parents. Parents didn’t understand the problem since schedules were completed by families in January 2015, giving the district some seven months to iron out the problems.
Parents are urging everyone to attend the Board of Education meeting on Thursday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m. to be held at the Parsippany High School, 309 Baldwin Road.
CEDAR KNOLLS — Clothing and fashion accessories for men, women and children will be collected as Employment Horizons holds its annual fall clothing drive September 30 to October 2. The fall clothing drive offers an opportunity to get a fresh start for fall while helping to raise money to assist people with disabilities.
Items to be collected also include stuffed animals and hard toys, such as dolls and action figures (must be below 14” in size), as well as household linens (blankets, sheets, curtains, etc – no fabric scraps or carpet). All items should be placed in well-tied plastic bags. Shoes, boots and sneakers will be accepted. No single shoes, please.
All donated items will be distributed to needy families overseas. The clothing will be turned over to a company that will in turn pay Employment Horizons for each pound collected. Our goal is to collect 5,000 pounds!
Bags may be dropped off at Employment Horizons, Inc. at 10 Ridgedale Avenue, Cedar Knolls from September 30 to October 2, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Donations are to be placed in a box truck marked “Clothing Drive” located in the Employment Horizons rear parking lot. Items may not be dropped off until Wednesday.
Employment Horizons is a local not-for-profit organization which serves individuals with disabilities, empowering them to earn a paycheck and live as productive citizens in the greater Morris County area.
For more information, contact Maria Florio, Director of Community Relations at (973) 538-8822 ext. 240 or at mariaflorio@ehorizons.org.
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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