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Morris County Marks 25th International Overdose Awareness Day, Honors Advocate Carol Egan

By
Frank Cahill
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State Senator Anthony Bucco emcees Morris County's 25th International Overdose Awareness Day ceremony, leading a tribute to longtime advocate Carol Egan and honoring families affected by the overdose crisis.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County officials joined families who lost loved ones to overdose, people in recovery, and community service providers outside the Morris County Human Services Complex in Parsippany Township to observe the twenty-fifth International Overdose Awareness Day.

Morris County Commissioner Christine Myers speaks at the county’s 25th International Overdose Awareness Day ceremony, honoring advocate Carol Egan and renewing the county’s commitment to preventing future overdose deaths.

The ceremony, organized by the Morris County Division of Community and Behavioral Health Services, marked the seventh consecutive year the county has held the observance at the Human Services Complex. Surrounded by photos of those who died, attendees renewed the county’s commitment to preventing future overdose deaths while paying tribute to longtime advocate Carol Egan, who died earlier this year.

Morris County Sheriff James Gannon joins Hope One team members and community partners at the county’s Overdose Awareness Day ceremony, highlighting the mobile outreach program’s role in connecting residents to treatment and lifesaving naloxone training.

“Carol was here from the beginning, and she stood on this very spot to lead the remembrance of those that we have lost,” said Morris County Commissioner Christine Myers. “She gave families remarkable hope and the courage to grieve together. The best way we can honor her memory is to continue what she started, to show up, to serve, to never stop believing that recovery is possible for every person.”

Morris County’s Department of Human Services’ Navigating Hope team, from left: Katelyn Rivera, Jacquelyn Fennell, Naomi Cherisme, Maria Fischel, Ana Garcia, Rewaida Muheisen (Outreach Supervisor), Cynthia Castor and Ty Moreno.

State Senator Anthony Bucco, who sponsored the legislation designating August 31 as Overdose Awareness Day in New Jersey, emceed the ceremony and led a tribute to Egan. He noted that Egan worked alongside Kathleen Hyland for more than three decades, together helping establish New Jersey’s first Municipal Alliance in 1990 and developing substance prevention programs in Morris Township and Morristown.

Maria Stoker, recalls the day she lost her son, Thomas, to overdose on July 12, 2023.

Chloe Finnerty, now seventeen, spoke at the ceremony. She was seven years old when her brother, Justin, died of an overdose in 2016, and stood beside her mother at the county’s first Overdose Awareness Day ceremony in 2020. “Addiction doesn’t define who you are,” Finnerty said. “There’s so much more to people than their struggles.”

A Decline in Overdose Deaths, But Continued Concern

New Jersey continues to see a significant decline in fatal drug overdoses. The state recorded 1,312 suspected overdose deaths in 2025, a 27 percent decrease from 2024 and more than a 50 percent decrease from the pandemic-era peak of 3,047 in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Fatal drug overdoses in Morris County are declining. This is worth celebrating,” said Morris County Sheriff James Gannon. “It tells us that our collective efforts, education, outreach, treatment and support are making a difference. But it also reminds us that our work is far from over, and every single loss is one too many.”

The county has responded to the crisis through programs including Hope One, Hope Hub, Community Connections, the Hope Wing at the Morris County Correctional Facility, and Navigating Hope, a mobile outreach partnership between the county’s Department of Human Services and Family Promise of Morris County. Since launching in 2017, Hope One has made approximately 77,000 community contacts and provided nearly 15,000 trainings on the emergency use of naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses. Gannon said the program has recorded 196 lives saved through those trainings and generated more than 2,300 referrals to services, and has since been replicated in nine other New Jersey counties.

Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Kelly, representing the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, described the office’s two-pronged approach of connecting people struggling with addiction to treatment while pursuing those who distribute dangerous narcotics, including through the Morris County Recovery Court program.

Personal Stories of Loss and Recovery

The ceremony included memorial banners displaying the names and photographs of Morris County residents who died from overdose, drawn from the Drug Epidemic Memorial, a virtual international wall whose creation was spearheaded by Egan.

Maria Stoker, whose son Thomas died from an overdose in 2023, shared her experience of losing a child to addiction. Carmine Pizzo, a recovering addict who now works with Market Street Mission, spoke about his path from addiction and homelessness to recovery. Timothy Gulick, a certified peer recovery specialist with Prevention Is Key, spoke about the effects of stigma on those struggling with addiction, recalling a line from another speaker at a past ceremony: “My brother did not die from an overdose; he died from shame.”

The program opened with a prayer from Rabbi Inna Serebro-Litvak of Temple Shalom in Roxbury Township and closed with a prayer from Pastor Chuck Corradino of Butler Church of the Nazarene.

The first Morris County Overdose Awareness Day ceremony was held in 2020, when the county planted a weeping cherry tree at the site in honor of lives lost to addiction and overdose. “Each year, as the cherry tree blossoms and grows, it reminds us that renewal is possible,” Myers said. “There is life after loss, and the work we do together matters.”

Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of Detectives Retires

By
Frank Cahill
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Morris County Sheriff’s Office Plaque Presentation, Sheriff James M. Gannon (left) & Chief McNally.

MORRIS COUNTY — Chief of Detectives Robert “Bob” McNally of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is retiring after more than 30 years in law enforcement, marked Friday with a walkout ceremony at the Morris County Administration and Records Building.

The ceremony was attended by Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, members of the Prosecutor’s Office and Sheriff’s Office, the Morris County Police Chiefs Association, local police departments and other colleagues. Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw presented McNally with a framed Resolution of Honor on behalf of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, recognizing his law enforcement career and his service to the United States as a Marine.

Presentation of Retirement Credentials. From left, Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief Bob McNally & First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood.

“Since being appointed Chief of Detectives in 2023, Chief McNally has led the entire investigative division, keeping our county safe while managing state and federal partnerships,” Shaw said, also noting McNally’s role with the Police Pipes and Drums of Morris County. “On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners and a deeply grateful community, we thank him for his extraordinary lifetime of service.”

Carroll called McNally’s career one of “achievement, dedication and integrity,” saying his knowledge of violent crime investigations and complex cases earned him recognition as a leader respected across law enforcement.

A Career Spanning Federal and County Law Enforcement

McNally began his law enforcement career in 1996 with the United States Customs Service in Newark following his honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps, where he served as a sniper team leader and completed three deployments. As a federal officer, he made numerous arrests and seizures involving narcotics and currency violations, including a $1 million currency seizure tied to narcotics smuggling.

Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw (left) presents the framed Resolution of Honor to Chief Bob McNally.

He joined the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in 2003 as a detective, serving in the Intelligence and Professional Standards and Internal Affairs units before transferring to the Major Crimes Unit. Over roughly 12 years there, he investigated homicides, bank robberies, suspicious deaths, fatal fires and police-involved shootings. In 2007, he was named Morris County Detective of the Year by the Morris County Detectives Association for his work as lead detective on a homicide investigation involving human remains discovered in a remote part of the county.

McNally rose through the ranks as sergeant, lieutenant, captain and deputy chief of investigations before Carroll appointed him chief of detectives in February 2023. In that role, he led the office’s investigative division and served as a point of contact for Morris County’s 37 police departments, the Sheriff’s Office, the New Jersey State Police and federal partners.

“Bob has always been a talented, dedicated detective whose work made the Morris County community safer and brought closure to countless victims of crime and their families,” said Calderwood, who worked alongside McNally for 23 years.

Throughout his career, McNally served as a firearms instructor, hostage and crisis negotiator, and a member of the Tactical Narcotics Team. He completed the West Point Command and Leadership Program, FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association courses, and Crisis Mental Health Intervention Training, among other programs.

Sheriff Gannon praised McNally’s professionalism and integrity, saying his expertise in major crime investigations “set a benchmark for excellence.”

A longtime member of the Morris County Police Pipes and Drums, McNally has regularly performed at the county’s Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies. He is married to Sarah, a longtime employee of the Prosecutor’s Office, and they have three sons.

Morris Plains’ Christopher Langsdorf Graduates From Lebanon Valley College

By
Frank Cahill
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Chris Langsdorf

MORRIS PLAINS — Christopher Langsdorf of Morris Plains was among 51 undergraduate and graduate students who received degrees from Lebanon Valley College in August.

Langsdorf, a graduate of Morristown High School, earned a bachelor of science degree in digital communications.

Lebanon Valley College, founded in 1866 in Annville, Pennsylvania, offers fifty majors across the health professions, sciences, education, business and digital media, and the arts and humanities, with an emphasis on hands-on learning, internships and research. The college enrolls about 1,600 undergraduate and more than 400 graduate students on its 370-acre campus.

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish to Hold Three-Day Rummage Sale

By
Frank Cahill
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JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — St. Thomas the Apostle Parish will hold a three-day rummage sale next month, with proceeds benefiting parish ministries and the church’s Hardship Fund, which supports community members in need.

The sale will run Friday, September 18, from noon to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, September 20, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 5635 Berkshire Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

Items for sale will include clothes, household goods, seasonal items, toys, tools, garden supplies, vintage finds, jewelry, small furniture and sports equipment.

Organizers are seeking donations, which can be dropped off after Mass through the time of the sale. The parish is accepting clothes, household items, seasonal decor, toys, tools, garden items, vintage pieces, jewelry, small furniture and sports equipment, but is not accepting televisions, electronics, or anything too large to fit in a small two-door car.

Volunteers are also needed to help sort, price, set up, staff and clean up after the sale.

For questions, text (917) 405-0596.

Oak Ridge, West Milford Presbyterian Churches Launch Weekly Bingo Night

By
Frank Cahill
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Bingo!

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — The Oak Ridge and West Milford Presbyterian Churches are launching a weekly Bingo Night, starting Friday, September 11, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and continuing every Friday.

The event will be held at Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church, 321 Oak Ridge Road in Oak Ridge.

Admission is $25 for ten bingo sheets, with six cards on each sheet. Players must be age 18 or older to participate.

Dunn Selected for National Leadership Role in Women’s State Legislators Group

By
Frank Cahill
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Assemblywoman Aura Dunn

MORRIS COUNTY — Assemblywoman Aura Dunn is the only New Jersey lawmaker elected to serve on the executive board of the Women’s Legislative Network of the National Conference of State Legislatures, a professional development organization for women state legislators from across the fifty states, territories and the District of Columbia.

Dunn will be one of two lawmakers representing the eastern United States as a regional member of the twenty-member executive board.

“It is an honor to be selected to elevate the voices and experiences of women legislators from the region in this national forum,” said Dunn, a Republican representing the Twenty-Fifth District, which includes parts of Morris County. “I look forward to bringing the New Jersey perspective to the Women’s Legislative Network executive board, learning from my colleagues, and empowering the future women leaders of state government.”

Board members serve one-year terms and are elected by the network’s membership at its annual meeting. Dunn has been an active member of the National Conference of State Legislatures since 2019.

Hamilton Exhibit, Schuyler Sisters Talk Coming to Morris County Library

By
Frank Cahill
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MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Library will host a traveling exhibit and companion talk this month exploring the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton.

“Alexander Hamilton: Immigrant, Patriot, Visionary” opens at the library on Tuesday, September 1. The traveling exhibit explores the founding era through Hamilton, who played a central role in shaping the economic, constitutional, social, journalistic, political and foreign policy templates of modern America. Organizers note that Hamilton, an immigrant, statesman and innovative thinker, helped shape the country Americans live in more than two hundred years later.

A companion presentation, “The Schuyler Sisters & the Hamilton Musical,” follows on September 15 at the library. The talk examines the story of the four daughters of General Philip Schuyler, three of whom ran away to elope with wealthy men, while Elizabeth Schuyler instead married Alexander Hamilton, a penniless orphan immigrant, for love. The presentation explores whether that story is more complicated than it first appears.

Denville Acquires First 17 Acres of Historic St. Francis Property

By
Frank Cahill
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Mayor Thomas Andes signed the closing documents to secure the property on Thursday, August 27

MORRIS COUNTY — One of the largest land preservation efforts in Denville’s history reached a major milestone as the township officially acquired the first 17 acres of the historic St. Francis property, marking the start of a permanent preservation effort covering nearly 50 acres.

Mayor Thomas Andes signed the closing documents to secure the property on Thursday, August 27. The newly acquired parcel, located at the corner of Diamond Spring Road and Pocono Road, is the first phase of a landmark acquisition intended to protect one of Denville’s most recognizable and historically significant properties from future development.

The township expects to complete the purchase of the remaining 33-acre parcel in October. That second phase includes the property’s historic barns, athletic fields and festival grounds, bringing the total preserved acreage to approximately 50 acres.

The acquisition was made possible through grants from the Morris County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, the New Jersey Green Acres Program and the Denville Open Space and Recreation Trust Fund.

“This is truly a once-in-a-generation achievement for our community,” Andes said. “Preserving a property of this size and importance in the center of Denville is an opportunity that may never come again. Thanks to our funding partners and the commitment of Denville residents to open space preservation, this remarkable property will remain a public asset to be enjoyed for generations to come.”

A Property With Deep History

The property’s significance in Denville’s history goes back more than 130 years. It was known as Rockaway Farms when it was part of the historic Glover estate, and was later associated with Jeremiah G. Hamilton, the prominent nineteenth-century Wall Street investor, and Louis Fenn Wadsworth, one of the “Forefathers of Baseball.” In the early twentieth century, the property became home to the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother and later the St. Francis Residential Community. For decades, the Pocono Road property and festival grounds hosted Saint Clare’s Hospital and St. Francis festivals.

Although most of the institutional buildings were demolished following the property’s sale in 2022, the historic barns, open fields, woodlands and scenic landscape remain. Township officials say the preservation effort is meant to ensure the historic landscape continues to serve the public rather than give way to development.

Beyond its historical value, the acquisition protects one of the township’s last remaining large open spaces, along with wildlife habitat, environmentally sensitive land and scenic views.

Township officials envision the property becoming a destination that blends conservation with recreation, including preserved athletic fields on the Pocono Road property, walking trails and passive recreation on the St. Francis property, and the eventual restoration of the historic barns as a potential future community center.

“This acquisition is more than preserving land,” Andes said. “It is about preserving Denville’s history, protecting our environment, expanding recreational opportunities, and creating a place where future generations can gather, celebrate, and enjoy everything that makes our township special.”

Andes also thanked Springpoint, Morris County and the State of New Jersey for their partnership in making the acquisition possible.

“This investment protects not only open space, but an important piece of Denville’s identity,” Andes said. “It is a legacy that today’s residents are preserving for tomorrow.”

Schenck, Price, Smith & King Welcomes New Partner to Commercial Litigation Group

By
Frank Cahill
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Owen J. Lipnick

FLORHAM PARK — Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP has announced that Owen J. Lipnick has joined the firm as a partner in its Commercial Litigation Practice Group.

Lipnick brings more than 20 years of experience representing clients in commercial, banking, consumer finance, real estate, unfair competition, employment, bankruptcy, insurance, corporate and partnership, fraud, and contract dispute matters. He has practiced in federal and state courts in both New Jersey and New York and has represented clients in arbitrations and administrative proceedings, including obtaining emergency injunctions to preserve clients’ businesses and securing favorable summary judgment rulings that resolved matters without trial. His clients have ranged from financial institutions, real estate developers and other large companies to individuals involved in shareholder disputes and other legal matters.

He is admitted to multiple bars in the state and federal courts of New Jersey and New York.

John E. Ursin, the firm’s managing partner, said Lipnick brings a wealth of complex litigation experience and is well respected by judges and adversaries alike, adding depth to the litigation department. Ursin also noted Lipnick’s standing in the community.

Beyond his legal practice, Lipnick is a past vice president of the Board of Trustees and finance committee chair of the Unity Charter School. He has organized fundraising projects supporting research into Sudden Unexplained Death in Children, and started his own nonprofit corporation focused on the cause. Before becoming a lawyer, he served as captain and number one singles player for the Rutgers University tennis team.

Lipnick earned his law degree from George Washington University and his bachelor’s degree in political science from Rutgers College. Before joining Schenck Price, he worked at law firms in Bergen and Essex counties, and spent several years as an assistant general counsel and vice president at JPMorgan Chase Bank, where he helped direct the bank’s mortgage litigation, with a focus on appellate matters, and defended the bank in various consumer finance cases.

Founded in Morristown in 1912, Schenck, Price, Smith & King is a full-service law firm with offices in northern New Jersey and Manhattan, now employing more than 80 attorneys serving businesses and individuals across a range of practice areas.

Morris County Marks One Year of Countywide ARRIVE Together Expansion

By
Frank Cahill
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MHA ARRIVE Director Deanna Ackerman clinicians Kimberly Blewett, , Giulia Licitra. Andrea Hammerle

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Board of County Commissioners marked the first anniversary of the countywide expansion of the ARRIVE Together program during a special presentation by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the Mental Health Association.

ARRIVE stands for “Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation.” Supported by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, the Morris County program was established in November 2023 through a partnership between the Prosecutor’s Office and the Mental Health Association.

The program pairs law enforcement officers with licensed Mental Health Association clinicians to help de-escalate situations when police respond to emergency calls involving people experiencing mental or behavioral health crises. Clinicians respond alongside or shortly after officers to assess the situation and connect individuals and their families with appropriate services. Follow-up outreach is also coordinated when an on-scene response isn’t possible.

As of August 5, more than 20,000 ARRIVE interactions have been recorded statewide, with Morris County accounting for 3,669 of them, the most of any county in New Jersey.

“ARRIVE Together has become an important partnership between law enforcement and mental health professionals, helping residents experiencing mental and behavioral health crises connect with appropriate care and services,” said Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said the partnership allows police responses to draw on clinicians who can offer counseling or mental health support as an alternative to relying solely on criminal justice measures. He credited Chief Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez and Mental Health Association ARRIVE Director Deanna Ackerman for leading the program locally, along with Mental Health Association CEO Bob Davison, Nadine Venezia and the organization’s clinicians. He also thanked Morris County Sheriff James Gannon and Morris County Police Chiefs Association President and Madison Police Chief John Miscia for welcoming the program into local departments.

From Pilot to Countywide

The program began in March 2024 with pilot efforts in eight municipalities: Morristown, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Madison, Montville, Denville, Parsippany-Troy Hills and Roxbury. Hanover and Randolph were added later that year, and the program expanded to most of Morris County by July 2025.

Rodriguez described one recent incident in which a clinician and two officers responded to a call involving a person threatening self-harm from a parking garage ledge, and were able to talk the individual down safely. In another case, a clinician helped a police stop involving an autistic driver end peacefully by helping the driver process the situation, avoiding the need for officers to forcibly remove him from his vehicle. Clinicians have also provided support following traumatic incidents, including counseling for a group of young lifeguards who were unable to save a swimmer, and have assisted with cases involving substance use, family issues, domestic violence, grief counseling and connecting residents with community resources.

Miscia said use of force during mental health calls has declined significantly since the program’s implementation, and thanked the clinicians and participating agencies for their collaboration.

Davison said the Mental Health Association and law enforcement partners respond together and evaluate each case individually to connect people with the services and support they need. Gannon called the program an example of effective public-private partnership, noting that officers and emergency room staff once had few resources to draw on when responding to people affected by mental health crises.

The Prosecutor’s Office and Mental Health Association also support the ARRIVE Critical Incident Model, which provides access to a qualified mental health professional around the clock for certain high-risk incidents requiring medical or mental health intervention.

Following the presentation, Director Shaw presented two framed Resolutions of Honor to members of the Prosecutor’s Office and Mental Health Association on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners in recognition of the program’s first year of countywide operation.

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