JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — The Jefferson Township Board of Education approved its preliminary budget for the 2026-2027 school year on March 23, taking what officials described as a difficult but necessary step as the district continues to grapple with a major funding shortfall.
After receiving actual State and Preschool Aid figures, making cuts considered least harmful to students, and reviewing all other expenditures, the district reduced its projected deficit from $4.8 million to $2.9 million.
District officials said the budget gap is being driven largely by a loss of $1,166,583 in state aid and nearly $2.9 million in increased healthcare costs.
To respond to the shortfall, the Board approved a three-part strategy aimed at closing the gap while avoiding the most severe cuts to student programs.
The preliminary budget includes a 2 percent tax levy increase, which officials estimate will cost the average homeowner about $18.66 per month, or $223.92 annually.
It also includes what district leaders called “distasteful” budget cuts totaling about $403,000. Those reductions include staffing adjustments based on enrollment, as well as cuts to travel, professional development, and instructional technology. Officials said the reductions were made reluctantly and with an effort to minimize the impact on students.
In addition, the district will submit an unbalanced budget with a $2.9 million deficit to the New Jersey Department of Education, reflecting what school officials say is the financial reality facing Jefferson Township.
According to the district, this strategy avoids far more damaging reductions that were considered but ultimately not recommended, including eliminating basic skills instruction for students needing academic intervention in math and language arts, athletics, after-school programs, and courtesy busing.
As part of its continued advocacy efforts, district leadership is participating in a series of upcoming state budget hearings in an effort to push for additional support.
On March 24, district officials planned to provide virtual testimony before the Senate Budget Committee. On March 25, student leaders and district representatives were scheduled to travel to Trenton to testify before the Assembly Budget Committee. District representatives were also set to testify in person before the Senate Budget Committee on March 30.
The Board of Education is scheduled to adopt its final budget on April 27, 2026.
School officials noted that the preliminary budget could still be adjusted if new information becomes available before that date. However, the state is not expected to approve its budget for the coming fiscal year until the end of June or later. Any changes in the state budget related to PK-12 education funding could affect Jefferson Township’s final financial plan for 2026-2027.
The annual Fireman’s Carnival will return to Oak Ridge for four days of family fun featuring rides, games, food vendors, fireworks, and community entertainment in support of local firefighters and emergency services.
MORRIS PLAINS — St. Virgil’s Parish will celebrate a major milestone this spring as its annual parish carnival returns for its 50th year, bringing four nights of rides, games, food, and family entertainment to Morris Plains. The carnival is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6 through Saturday, May 9 on the church grounds at 250 Speedwell Avenue.
Carnival hours will be 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, with extended hours on Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Organizers are promising a festive atmosphere for all ages, complete with amusement rides, midway games, and traditional carnival favorites.
To help mark the 50th anniversary, the parish is planning added entertainment throughout the week. A DJ will perform each night, and special character appearances are expected from Bluey, Mario, Mickey, and Minnie, giving families even more to enjoy during the celebration.
Pay One Price ride wristbands, valid for unlimited rides on the day of purchase, will be available on Wednesday and Thursday nights, May 6 and May 7. In addition, discounted pre-sale ride credits are now being offered through Magic Money at $30 for 60 credits, which the parish says reflects a 50 percent savings.
A longtime tradition in Morris Plains, the St. Virgil Parish Carnival has welcomed generations of families from across Morris County, including visitors from Parsippany, Denville, and Morristown. More information, ticket details, and updates are available by clicking here.
BOONTON — Grace DiCarlo was among the 41 University of Scranton students inducted into Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society for communication. The national honor society was founded in 1985 to encourage high levels of scholarship and leadership in the field of communications. The University’s chapter was established in 1999.
DiCarlo is a senior pursuing a marketing degree at at the Jesuit university.
The University of Scranton is a Jesuit university located in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
DOVER — Montclair State University has announced the students named to the Fall 2025 Dean’s List, recognizing academic excellence among its Red Hawks.
The Dean’s List, issued after the close of the Fall and Spring semesters by the academic deans, honors students who achieve a semester grade point average of 3.50 or higher, complete a minimum of 12 credits contributing to their GPA, and have no incomplete grades for the semester.
The following students from the Dover Focus coverage area were recognized:
Aidan Flores Alex Brown Alyssa Correa Angelina Ortiz Daniela Salazar Orozco Emily Gudino Erica Leon Genesis Rodriguez Medina Jessica Wagner Juliana Rojas-Arias Karla Maya Les Santos Luis Rivera Rosa Manuel Jimenez-Fontana Matthew Lombardi Matthew Olson Michelle Estacio Natalia Maldonado Nathalie Garcia Arequipa Nicole Angeles Nicole Hache Diaz Rick Garcia Selma Mera Sophia Meola Thyara Alvarez-Inestroza Tyler Skelly Yuliana Carmona
Founded in 1908, Montclair State University has grown into a nationally recognized R2 research institution and is ranked among the top 100 public doctoral universities in the nation. The University serves approximately 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offers more than 300 doctoral, master’s, and baccalaureate programs across 14 colleges and schools.
Located on a 252-acre campus just 12 miles from New York City, Montclair State combines the resources of a large public university with a supportive and personalized academic environment.
MORRIS COUNTY – Morris County officials will host their annual Memorial Day observance at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, May 20, honoring local veterans and marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The ceremony will take place on Court Street between the historic Morris County Courthouse and the Administration and Records Building in Morristown. The event is open to the public and will also be livestreamed on the county’s Facebook page.
The program will include the presentation of Morris County Distinguished Military Service Medals to local veterans. In recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the ceremony will also feature a special commemoration honoring Continental Army soldiers who died at Jockey Hollow.
James Ferguson, a Vietnam veteran and Mountain Lakes resident, will serve as keynote speaker. Ferguson served on active duty in the U.S. Navy from 1963 to 1966, including time supporting Army and Marine Corps operations in Europe and the Caribbean, and later volunteered as an officer aboard Swift boats patrolling coastal waters and rivers in Vietnam. He later completed his service in the Naval Reserve, attaining the rank of lieutenant.
Ferguson received several honors for his service, including the Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba) and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon.
The Morris County Distinguished Military Service Medals are unique to the county and recognize veterans across multiple eras of service, including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Each medal features the county seal and includes a ribbon representing the era in which the veteran served, along with a certificate of honor.
Since the program began in 1999, more than 10,000 medals have been presented to veterans or their families.
In addition, the Morris County Office of Planning & Preservation is seeking submissions for its Veterans Compendium project ahead of the 25th anniversary of the start of the War in Afghanistan on October 7, 2026. Veterans and their families are invited to submit information about local service members, including names, hometowns, branch of service and additional details.
Submissions can be sent to Jan Williams, cultural and historic resources specialist, at [email protected].
Galvanized pipes are typically a dull, silver-gray color. One way to identify them is by using a magnet, as strong magnets will usually cling to galvanized material.
Copper pipes have a distinct color similar to that of a copper penny, making them relatively easy to recognize.
Plastic pipes are usually white and rigid, and they are commonly joined to the water supply piping with a clamp. However, they can also appear in other colors, including blue and black.
Lead pipes are also a dull, silver-gray color but can be distinguished because they are soft and easily scratched with a coin. Unlike galvanized pipes, strong magnets will not stick to lead.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — The Township of Hanover has issued a strong statement opposing a proposal by the Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority (SMCMUA) that would place the financial burden of replacing lead and galvanized service lines on individual property owners.
Mayor Thomas “Ace” Gallagher made it clear that the Township disagrees with the Authority’s position, arguing that the responsibility should remain with the entity that operates the water system.
According to the statement, SMCMUA collects rates from all customers and is responsible for delivering safe drinking water. Township officials contend that the cost of maintaining and upgrading that system, including replacing hazardous lead and galvanized lines, should be covered by the Authority rather than passed down to residents.
The Township further noted that state law allows utilities to structure replacement programs without charging individual homeowners, and that many water systems across New Jersey, including both investor-owned and municipal utilities, have already done so successfully.
Officials also pushed back on claims that covering the full cost would be legally or financially impractical, stating that comparable systems have demonstrated otherwise.
The Township is encouraging residents who share these concerns to contact the SMCMUA directly via email at [email protected] or by calling (973) 326-6880.
Hanover officials emphasized they will continue advocating for residents and pursuing all available channels to ensure the Authority assumes responsibility for the replacements.
Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — On March 14, 2026, Hanover Township Police Officer Mamdouh Hassan arrested Gabrielle Sommers, 23, of Lake Hiawatha, for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Officer Hassan and Officer Manney responded to Justin Court on a report of a female sleeping behind the wheel of a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle and observed it running with open containers of alcoholic beverages inside. The driver was awakened and identified as Ms. Sommers.
While speaking with Ms. Sommers, officers observed signs of intoxication. Standardized field sobriety tests were conducted, after which she was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated and transported to Hanover Township Police Headquarters for processing.
Her vehicle was impounded in accordance with John’s Law. Ms. Sommers refused to provide breath samples for testing.
She was charged with driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to breath testing, possession of an open container of alcoholic beverages in a motor vehicle, and several additional traffic offenses. Ms. Sommers was released to a responsible driver pending a future court date.
Editor’s Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Jefferson Focus, filed numerous Open Records Public Act (OPRA) N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq, requests with Deputy Township Clerk, Amanda L. Nevins for information regarding Atlantic Communications.
OPRA is a state law that was enacted to give the public greater access to government records maintained by public agencies in New Jersey.
EDITOR’S NOTE: On Monday, April 20, at approximately 10:00 a.m., we received correspondence from Deputy Township Clerk Amanda L. Nevins indicating that her previous email had been blocked from our server. Jefferson Focus utilizes Google for all email services and does not block incoming emails. If Google determined that emails from Jefferson Township were restricted, we will contact Google to seek a resolution. As of this writing, we have received numerous documents pertaining to our OPRA request.
Jefferson Township Police Chief Paul Castimore
After this publication received numerous letters regarding the relationships between Jefferson Township Mayor Eric F. Wilsusen, Jefferson Township Police Chief Paul Castimore, who reports directly to the Mayor and Atlantic Communications owner, Gary Davieau, we started an investigation into the business dealings of these three individuals.
Jefferson Township MayorEric F. Wilsusen is married to Kristine A.Wilsusen; Atlantic Communications owner, Gary Davieau is married to Pam Davieau; and Jefferson Township Police Chief Paul Castimore is married to Shannon Meade-Castimore.
Their personal relationships began over twenty years ago.
•In a deed filed in the Ocean County Clerk’s office, a property located at 26 West Mohawk Drive, Little Egg Harbor filed on March 15, 2006 lists Gary and Pam Davieau, husband and wife; Paul Castimore and Shannon Meade-Castimore, husband and wife; and Eric and Kristina A. Wilsusan, husband and wife; as purchasers the property.
•According to the State of New Jersey a Limited Liability Company was formed on September 29, 2015 for a company called “PES LLC.” The members of PES include, Pamela Davieu, and Shannon Meade-Castimore. A Certificate of Amendment was filed with the New Jersey Division of Revenue on February 7, 2017, adding Eric Wilsusen as a member of PES LLC.
Editors Note: Eric Wilsusen retired from the Jefferson Township Police Department in 2016. He served for 31 years, concluding his career as the Deputy Chief of Police before later becoming the Mayor of Jefferson Township.
Eric Wilsusen pension with “Police and Firemen’s Retirement System” was effective January 1, 2017.
Eric Wilsusen became the Mayor of Jefferson Township, winning his first election in 2018 and taking office on January 1, 2019.
•According to public records, PES LLC purchased property at 664 Route 15 South in January 2016 for approximately $400,000. •Ironically, Atlantic Communications, is a tenant at 664 Route 15 South, Jefferson Township.
On March 23, Jefferson Focus, submitted an Open Records Public Act (OPRA) request to the Deputy Township Clerk, Amanda L. Nevins, for “All invoices for the year 2026, 2025, 2024 and 2023 from Vendor of services rendered or services performed by AtlanticCommunications Electronics, Inc.“
According to OPRA regulations, the documents should have been produced on or about April 2, 2026.
Deputy Township Clerk, Amanda L. Nevins Responed: Due to the voluminous nature of the potentially responsive records, an extension is required. A response will be provided to you on or before April 8, 2026, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(g).
Then on April 8, Amanda Nevins wrote regarding: “Due to the voluminous nature of the potentially responsive records, an additional extension is required. A response will be provided to you on or before April 17, 2026 pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(g).”
Jefferson Focus replied that we do not grant an additional extension and wanted access to the documents immediately.
Note: Ironically here’s a clear, concise summary of N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(g):
“Public agencies must use a standard request form (set by the Government Records Council) for anyone seeking access to government records. The form collects basic contact information and a description of the records requested. Requests can also be submitted via letter or email if they include all required details. Custodians may deny requests that are incomplete or overly unclear, but anonymous requests are allowed (though anonymous requestors cannot file legal appeals). Requestors must indicate if the records will be used for commercial purposes. The form must outline procedures, fees, response timelines, appeal rights, and provide space for both the requestor and custodian to sign. Agencies may require deposits for requests costing more than $5. If available, agencies can accept and respond to requests electronically and must provide instructions on their website for submitting such requests.”
Jefferson Focus believes the response is merely a smoke screen intended to buy additional time and does not legitimately apply to the extension that was requested.
On April 17, 2026, after Deputy Township Clerk, Amanda L. Nevins, never supplied the requested documents, Jefferson Focus sent an email reminding of the April 17, 2026 deadline. Jefferson Focus did not receive a response to the email, nor did Jefferson Focus receive any documents relevant to the OPRA request.
What is Jefferson Township officials hiding?
On or about March 30, Jefferson Focus, submitted an Open Records Public Act (OPRA) request to Deputy Township Clerk, Amanda L. Nevins, for “All Candidate Disclosure Form for the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026forEric F. Wilsusen, RobertBirmingham, Melissa Senatore,JoshKalish, Barbie Garruto and Dan Schultz. Ms. Nevins, responded “There are no documents responsive to your request.”
A Search of “Local Government Ethics Law Financial Disclosure Statement” does list PES, LLC of a business organization in which an interest was held. This document was filed on March 31, 2026.
Ironically, when EricWilsusan was Deputy Police Chief, PES LLC was not listed as a business organization in which he held an interest. The report was filed April 19, 2016. On the report dated January 10, 2019, PES was finally listed.
We also filed an OPRA request for “Any and all related to Atlantic Communications contract in Jefferson Township, the most relevant disclosure required, Stockholder Disclosure Certification and Business Entity Disclosure Certification (Pay-to-Play).
Response from Deputy Township Clerk Amanda L. Nevins on March 20: There are no documents responsive to your request.
In a Letter to the Editor dated, March 9, Gary Davieau stated “As President of Atlantic Communications, I want to make it clear that my company operates with integrity and in full compliance with all applicable contracting requirements. Approximately 95% of our work is performed under New Jersey State contracts or cooperative purchasing agreements, which establish fixed pricing and strict oversight. These structures ensure transparency and prevent the type of pricing practices that have been implied.”
Prior to bidding on any government project , Gary Davieau, the owner of Atlantic Communications, is required by law to have municipalities sign a non-collusion affidavit. When Jefferson Focus receives all of the invoices that were requested through OPRA, we will request affidavits for all invoices.
We also filed an OPRA request on March 23 under the New Jersey Open Public Records (OPRA). The request sought access to “All invoices, purchase orders issued to Metro Communications during 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026”
Response from Deputy Township Clerk Amanda L. Nevins There are no documents responsive to your request.
Metro Communications is a similar business located in Jefferson Township offering the same services as Atlantic Communications.
On “Local Government Ethics Law Financial Disclosure Statement” filed on April 20, 2023, this was the first year that the property in Little Egg Harbor was not listed as having an interest in the property.
Disclosure of Certain Contributions by Business Entities (N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.26‚ 20.27):
A for-profit business entity that has received $50‚000 or more through government contracts in a calendar year must file the Business Entity Annual Statement (Form BE) electronically with the Commission to report contract information and reportable contributions it has made. The due date for the annual disclosure report is March 30th for disclosure of information for the prior calendar year.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Two individuals were arrested following a disturbance at the Red Carpet Inn on March 5, 2026, according to Hanover Township Police.
Patrol officers responded to the motel after receiving a report of a female running through the hallway and yelling. Upon arrival, officers encountered Yensi Hernandez, 20, of Morristown, who reported that she had been assaulted by a friend but also admitted that cocaine use contributed to her condition.
While speaking with Hernandez, Hanover Township Patrolman Jake Crane observed a baggie containing a white powder residue on her person. She was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and disorderly conduct.
During the investigation, Hanover Township Patrolman Mamdouh Hassan located and interviewed Armando Perezlemus, 19, of Whippany. He was also placed under arrest and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance.
Both individuals were transported to Hanover Township Police Headquarters, where they were processed and later released pending their court appearances.
Editor’s Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — On March 3, 2026, Hanover Township Patrolman Joseph Dambra arrested Yensi Hernandez, 20, of Morristown, on multiple charges following an incident at a local motel.
Officers responded to the Scottish Inn on a report of an intoxicated female attempting to enter multiple rooms. Upon arrival, Hernandez was located inside a room and escorted back to her assigned room by officers.
While inside, officers observed visible damage to items in the room, including a television, microwave, and lamp. During their interaction, Hernandez appeared to be under the influence. Police also observed a baggie containing a suspected controlled dangerous substance in her possession.
She was placed under arrest, and a search revealed additional baggies on her person and on the floor of the room.
Hernandez was transported to police headquarters, where she was processed and charged with criminal mischief, possession of cocaine, being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, and disorderly conduct. She was released pending a court appearance and transported back to the motel.
Editor’s Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
