MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood announce the promotion of Robert McNally to Chief of Detectives of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Chief Robert McNally is a United States Marine Corps Veteran who served as a sniper team leader in a Marine Infantry Battalion. Chief McNally completed three deployments during his military service and was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1994.
Chief McNally began his law enforcement career in 1996 with the United States Customs Service. During his basic police academy training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, he received the high pistol shooter award and the top physical fitness award for his class. As a federal officer, he made numerous arrests and seizures for federal narcotics and U.S. currency law violations. From 1996 through 2003, Chief McNally received numerous recognitions for his work as a federal officer, including his direct involvement in a one-million-dollar currency seizure related to narcotics smuggling.
Chief McNally is a twenty-five-year-plus veteran of law enforcement who is a graduate of the West Point Command and Leadership Program, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association courses, a recent graduate of the Crisis Mental Health Intervention Training, and has completed numerous other supervisory and management courses.
A formal promotion ceremony was held on February 1, 2023.
MORRIS COUNTY — Are you a small business in Morris County? Did you claim your free Morris Now listing? What are you waiting for?
It’s easy to claim your free listing by visiting www.morrisnow.com.
Need help? We will have a Zoom meeting on Friday, February 17, at 2:30 p.m.
The webinar is free, and you will receive a valuable guide entitled “2023 Marketing Campaign.” This guide will help you plan inexpensive local or free advertising opportunities that you may not even be aware of.
Once you register, you will receive the link for the event.
The Morris Now mobile app is more than just supporting our beloved locally-owned businesses. It’s about our entire community and the local residents making the Morris County, New Jersey area a special place to live and work daily!
All the upcoming local events, venues, news, weather, school alerts, and local push notification messages will keep you fully informed about everything in the Morris County, New Jersey area. All-in-one, easy-to-use mobile app on your phone at no cost to download.
Our strong passion is also about supporting locally owned businesses, too! We encourage you to download our local app and use it to locate and support the men and women who own local businesses in our town. By working together as a community, we can keep the local revenue from leaving the Morris County, New Jersey area by using our proximity-based technology!
Join us in making the Morris area a smarter community to live in a while creating closer relationships within our community!
Please also know that our mobile app is proudly owned and operated right here in Parsippany, New Jersey!
To download our free app, visit the Apple Store or Google Play or click here.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Hofstra University congratulates Robert Wilcox of Cedar Knolls, whose major is Video/Television, on the Fall 2022 Dean’s List for outstanding academic achievement. To make the Dean’s List, students must earn a grade point average of at least 3.5 during the semester. Students to be honored from the local area include:
Hofstra University is an internationally ranked and recognized private university in Hempstead, N.Y. Hofstra is a dynamic community of nearly 11,000 students dedicated to civic engagement, academic excellence, and becoming leaders in their communities and careers. Our campus is a leafy oasis just a quick train ride away from New York City and all its cultural, recreational, and professional opportunities. They offer small classes and personal attention with a large university’s resources, technology, and facilities. Students can choose from more than 165 undergraduate program options and 175 graduate program options in the liberal arts and sciences, education, health professions, and human services, the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, the Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, the Maurice A. Deane School of Law, the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
MADISON — College of the Holy Cross congratulates the following students named to the Fall 2022 Dean’s List for outstanding academic achievement during the fall semester of the 2022-23 academic year.
Aidan Bergin, member of the class of 2025
Emma Puglisi, member of the class of 2024
Meghan Webbe, member of the class of 2025
To qualify, students must pass four or more letter-graded courses with no failing grades during the semester and earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., is among the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions. Holy Cross, a highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 3,100 students, is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Since its founding in 1843, Holy Cross has positively impacted society by graduating students who distinguish themselves as thoughtful leaders in business, professional and civic life.
MORRIS PLAINS — Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced that Audrey Pagan, a member of the class of 2026 majoring in Environmental Engineering (BS), was named to the university’s Dean’s List for academic excellence for the fall 2022 semester.
A total of 2,069 undergraduate students achieved the criteria required for WPI’s fall 2022 Dean’s List. The criteria for the WPI Dean’s List differs from that of most other universities as WPI does not compute a grade point average (GPA). Instead, WPI defines the Dean’s List by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects.
“WPI’s academic programs are rigorous and require a level of independence beyond what is required in traditional courses. WPI students work on open-ended problems for communities around the world. The problems are important, and the impact is real,” said dean of undergraduate studies Arthur C. Heinricher. “Some of this nation’s best and brightest students come to WPI to study engineering, science, business, and the humanities. Those named to the Dean’s List have excelled in their work, and we are exceptionally proud of these outstanding students.”
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier technological university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, WPI’s pioneering project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 70 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs across 18 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, social sciences, humanities, and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; and more. www.wpi.edu
MOUNTAIN LAKES — Mountain Lakes Borough Council Budget Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 1, at 7:00 p.m. at Mountain Lakes High School, 96 Powerville Road.
The agenda for the Borough Council meeting includes 1) Discussion of the 2023 Budget.
The complete Agenda is available by clicking here.
MORRIS PLAINS — JMF Properties announced that its newest residential community, The American, is nearing completion, with leasing expected to launch in early 2023.
Located at 1000 The American Road, The American will deliver a collection of 125 luxury rental residences to the historic borough of Morris Plains. As part of the development process, JMF completed a new pedestrian walkway that connects The American to downtown Morris Plains, providing residents with direct access to an array of neighborhood shops, restaurants, and NJ TRANSIT’s Morris Plains train station.
Residents of The American will also be less than a mile from two premium retail properties JMF and partners are developing, Morris Marketplace, which will deliver 140,000 square feet of retail space and a variety of community-oriented attractions, and Cedar Village, where a brand-new 7-Eleven with gas is rising on a property anchored by Lowe’s Home Improvement.
In addition to the well-connected location, the community will provide a well-balanced lifestyle with plush, modern residences and generous amenities.
For more information or to join The American’s waitlist, prospective renters can click here or call (973) 354-5555. Guests who join the waitlist will be among the first invited to take a private tour of the building and the first to receive information on the community’s opening rental rates and limited-time incentives.
“We are happy to announce that The American will make its debut in early 2023, bringing an entirely new type of luxury housing to Morris Plains,” said Joe Forgione, the Founder, and Principal of JMF Properties. “The American will feature an exceptional location near the train station and charming downtown shops and restaurants, which we were able to enhance by providing direct pedestrian access from The American Road to downtown Morris Plains, where no connection was previously available. With new-construction suburban rentals in high demand in today’s market, we believe this will be a popular choice for Morris County renters and an important asset for the Morris Plains community for many years to come.”
The American was designed to keep residents’ quality of life in mind, offering an upscale living experience focused on convenience, comfort, and daily enjoyment. JMF’s signature “inside out” approach to development, which places the resident experience at the center of all decision-making, will deliver a variety of spacious one- and two-bedroom residences, including den layouts and private outdoor space in select homes.
The residences will offer up to 1,390 square feet of living space and include features such as nine-foot ceilings, seven-inch composite plank floors, energy-efficient LED light fixtures, Energy Star-certified appliances, and oversized windows with custom shade treatments. In-unit washer/dryer combo, Moen faucets, shower fixtures, marble mosaic showers, porcelain bath floors, a high-performance heating/cooling system, and a Saflok Saffire entry locks with Bluetooth remote feature option are among the many additional finishing touches included.
The gourmet kitchens at The American will stand out for their combination of elegance and high-performance features. Renters will find European-style two-tone kitchen cabinetry, quartz countertops with under-mount stainless steel sink and faucet, glass tile backsplashes, Whirlpool stainless steel gas burner cooktops, XOC stainless steel glide out visor range vented hoods, Samsung stainless steel refrigerators, and Blomberg dishwashers in every home.
JMF Properties integrated more than 20,000 square feet of dedicated indoor and outdoor amenity space into The American’s design, with the goal of enhancing resident wellness, enjoyment, and quality of life. Upon entering, residents and guests will be greeted by a luxe lobby and lounge with an iron and glass vestibule, polished porcelain Statuary tile, and a fireplace. The cutting-edge fitness center will feature state-of-the-art Matrix equipment and a separate personal training studio with a TRX system, kettlebells, a pro boxing punching bag, and yoga equipment. A business center with a coffee bar, conference rooms, and private enclosed workspaces, a second-floor lounge with a fireplace and coffee bar, a theatre room, a golf simulator, and a billiards room round out the amenity offering.
Outside, a courtyard with various seating and dining areas, a fire pit, BBQ grills, and intricate landscaping details will allow residents to relax in the fresh air. A controlled access main entry, electronic doorman, onsite covered garage parking, additional exterior parking, onsite management, private storage lockers, and other conveniences and services will also be available to residents.
Situated in the heart of Morris County, Morris Plains is a charming borough of nearly 6,000 residents. Its town center is just a short walk from The American, where restaurants and eateries such as Arthur’s Tavern, Carmel Haifa Middle Eastern, Time for a Bagel, Tony’s Pizza, and Scoop Station Ice Cream line attractive Speedwell Avenue. The many restaurants, shops, festivals, and cultural attractions of downtown Morristown are just a 2.5-mile drive away. Central Park of Morris County, a massive 420-acre recreation complex, is situated directly on the western border of Morris Plains, giving residents easy access to athletic fields, roller hockey rinks, sand volleyball courts, a five-acre dog park, children’s play areas, a natural amphitheater, disc golf course, and 11 miles of trails.
Nearby Morris Marketplace will soon welcome retail businesses such as Burlington department store, Lidl grocery, Starbucks, Restore Wellness, Hand & Stone, Scenthound, Mattress Warehouse, Optimum, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Habit Burger, AT&T, Orangetheory Fitness, European Wax, Panda Express, Taco Bell, Wells Fargo, and more. More than just a place to shop, Morris Marketplace will also offer children’s play areas, pocket parks, splash pads, seating areas, outdoor dining areas, and other active and passive recreation spaces.
Nestled between Morristown, Morris Township, Parsippany, and Hanover Township, Morris Plains offers easy access to highways such as Route 287, Route 80, Route 202, Route 24, and Route 10. Manhattan is a 30-mile drive away or commutable via NJ TRANSIT’s Morris Plains station, which offers direct service to New York Penn Station. Morristown is also accessible by train, just a four-minute ride away.
MORRIS COUNTY — The Harmon chain of stores has begun shutting down for good as Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. continues to struggle with its massive debt.
The Union-based company announced additional closures on Friday.
The remaining 30 Harmon stores statewide had going-out-of-business sale signs up in time for the weekend, spurring customers to stock up on beauty supplies, vitamins, sunscreen, and other health and wellness items.
In addition to the Harmon chain closing, another 87 Bed Bath and Beyond flagship stores would be closed.
It was not immediately known if that would include any of the 26 Bed Bath & Beyond stores left in New Jersey and the remaining eight Buybuy Baby stores in the state.
The latest closures came just over two weeks after the company had announced it was shutting down four stores in NJ — two Harmon and two Buybuy Baby locations.
Harmon Face Values 392 Route 10 West, Castle Ridge Plaza, East Hanover, NJ 07936.
Harmon Face Values 1711 State Route 10 East, Morris Plains, NJ 07950.
MORRIS COUNTY — The proprietors of a popular eatery in downtown Lake Hiawatha state on their website, “Bosphorus Restaurant has been open since 1995. Everything we offer is made from scratch in our kitchen, and it’s made fresh every day. We hope that the warm, intimate atmosphere and our delicious homemade food will make your experience delightful.” That’s saying a lot; don’t say it if you can’t live up to it. I’m glad to report that based on my visit to this long-standing, family-owned and operated Turkish / Mediterranean / Middle Eastern restaurant, they can clearly back up this claim and even exceed it in many ways.
This month’s review led me to Bosphorus and my usual crew of enthusiastic foodie friends. I had always heard positive comments regarding Bosphorus, and I cannot explain why it took me so long to get here, especially since I live within walking distance. But like they say, better late than never.
Located on North Beverwyck Road (across from the 7-Eleven), you will find this relatively small restaurant on the end of a small group of businesses. The exterior is simple but attractive and welcoming. Step inside, and you are immediately met with a spotlessly clean, warm, cozy, and comfortable atmosphere. The cute little eatery has a welcoming ambiance, with about ten tables and a capacity of 35 people.
The ten tables are carefully situated around the room, offering comfortable spacing for diners. Tables covered with white linen tablecloths, floral Turkish table runners, sparkling glasses, small dishes, and a soft color scheme of wood and faux brick enhance the experience and set a calming mood. Wall decorations, hangings, and accents are simple, except for the large, framed picture of Turkey’s significant Bosphorus Bridge, which is the focal point of one wall. The picture of the suspension bridge is certainly appropriate since the restaurant takes its name in recognition of that bridge. It is one of three suspension bridges in Istanbul, which spans the Bosphorus strait and connects Europe and Asia. Since Faruk and Serap Sahin, owners of the establishment, fare from Istanbul, the honored photo on the wall is certainly understandable.
Two large windows on the face of the building provide comfortable natural lighting, as soft music plays in the background as you peruse Bosphorus’ tantalizing menu. Our very personable and friendly server, Yahya Pinar, immediately addressed our needs as he prepared our chosen table. Service was quick, attentive, and professional. As the group looked over the lunch and dinner menus, Yahya was happy to answer any questions we may have had. By now, this group was familiar with this cuisine based on our previous visits to many of the general area’s excellent choices of Turkish/Mediterranean restaurants.
The menu offers a wide selection of soups, salads, appetizers, hot appetizers, entrees, combinations (lamb, chicken, or a combo of both), sautés (which require a 30-minute cooking time and includes choices of chicken, spinach, calamari, and shrimp), and desserts. Many of your traditional Turkish dishes are listed: Manti, Falafel, Kibbeh, Kebab, Adana, Gyro, Shrimp, Salmon, Bronzini (whole fish), etc., all available. Everything was appealing, and choosing one dish over another was not easy. It was decided to share a couple of appetizers before moving on to the entrees. The hummus was our starting point, with a side of flatbread, Fried Eggplant, and Shepard Salad.
The Hummus (Mashed Chickpeas seasoned with fresh garlic, lemon, tahini, and herbs) was melt-in-your-mouth delectable. A Creamy, light, rich garlicky dip oozing with rich umami flavors, which went perfectly with the pillowy soft Turkish Flatbread. No wonder it’s a Turkish staple. The Fried Eggplant (Sliced eggplant, pan-fried in olive oil, and served with yogurt sauce), a classic Turkish appetizer, had a soft, mild, creamy texture and a fantastic earthy flavor. Our other shared appetizer was their highly praised Shepherd Salad (a mosaic of freshly chopped tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and cucumbers with red wine vinegar and olive oil and topped with feta cheese).
The story goes shepherds would go to their farms, taking some of their daily crops, including cucumbers, tomatoes, and other delicious ingredients, and mixing them together into a salad. From then on, this common dish was named after the shepherds who made them. The salad was light and healthy, and you could clearly tell that the vegetables were as crisp and fresh as the day they were picked. The flavors of the seasonings, lemon juice, and olive oil enhanced this very tasty and refreshing appetizer.
For an entrée, we decided to share a large Bosphorus Mixed Grill (Combination of Shish, Adana, Chicken Adana, Meatballs, Gyro, Cop Shish, and Lamb Chops). The Bosphorus Mixed Grill is a generously sized platter of food listed on the menu as a serving of three. We made a special request that it be modified to meet the needs of the five of us, and they were more than happy to accommodate our request. Our impressive and visually stunning platter of assorted delicacies arrived quickly, and there were abundant savory choices. The aroma of the dish itself was a treat. I should note that everything we had was beautifully plated, perfectly seasoned, and expertly prepared. Turkish cuisine is noted as always being hearty, flavorful, and unpretentious, and that was evident in this wonderful meal.
The Mixed Grill included grilled lamb chops that were sweet, juicy, and delicious; fragrant and tender shish kebab; earthy and savory Adana kebab, a spicy, long lamb mince kebab, roasted and beautifully spiced gyros; wooden skewered cop shish, a lamb shish kebab, all marinated to perfection, making every bite flavorful through and through, and perfect to go with the accompanying hot and tzatziki sauces. And all these juicy, tender, and enticing portions of assorted meats came nestled upon a bed of fluffy white rice and vegetables. A highly satisfying dish, and we all agreed, a great selection.
We finished our meal with a Turkish coffee. Kunefe is a classic Turkish dessert. A warm, sweet, crisp, decadent cheese-filled pastry made from shredded dough and topped with powdered pistachios. I’ve never had it before, but I would not hesitate to order it again. The coffee’s strong, bold, bittersweet taste paired well with the Kunefe and was similar to finalizing a meal with an espresso.
After dinner, I had an opportunity to sit down with Chef/Owner Faruk Sahin. The very personable Mr. Sahin told me that “his greatest satisfaction in owning Bosphorus is seeing his customers enjoy their food and leave his restaurant happy. When customers leave happy, it makes me happy”! Mr. Sahin immigrated to the United States (New Jersey) from Istanbul, Turkey, in 2018, and he and his wife Serap acquired Bosphorus in 2019. He said he learned everything about the business from his predecessor, Muzaffar Elmas, whose tutelage and mentorship have maintained the same high-quality standards for the restaurant’s food and service. In fact, Bosphorus has had the same Head Chef, Mehmet Kaja, for the past 12 years.
All the dishes at Bosphorus are homemade and fresh. Their produce is sourced from local farmers’ markets every two days. Their meat is sourced regularly from a couple of different distributors, ensuring quality and freshness. As previously stated, Turkish cuisine, distinctive for its variations in tastes, is known to be inherently healthy, highly seasonal, highly nutritious, and fresh-tasting food. Bosphorus definitely hits home on all those qualities. Bosphorus provides a great dining experience, delicious food, a casual yet classy ambiance, friendly service, reasonable prices, and fresh, healthy food made with care. If you have not stopped in yet, or want to try Turkish cuisine for the first time, I recommend stopping in and giving them a try.
Aflyet Olsun! (Enjoy your Meal); Dine In – Takeout – Curbside pickup – No Contact Delivery; Halal – Vegetarian Options – Catering – Special Events. BYO – Takes Reservations-Limited Off-Road Parking.
Hours: Tuesday to Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Bosphorus Restaurant (Turkish Restaurant) is located at 32 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha. (973) 335-9690. https://bosphorus-nj.com.
Reprinted from Parsippany Focus Magazine, February 2023. Click here to view the magazine.