BOONTON — The Boonton Elks, BRP, Boonton Coffee and other local organizations will be hosting FriendsGiving!
As beautiful as this time of year can be, the holidays can be very difficult for many people, particularly those who have no place to go to celebrate.
That is why Boonton Elks Lodge #1405 and Boonton Rainbow Pride are excited to host Friendsgiving on Saturday, November 12 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the lodge.
Entry is pay what you are able (suggested donation of $20) and all proceeds will go towards Boonton Elks Lodge #1405, Boonton Rainbow Pride, and EDGE NJ.
They aim to bring in people who have no place to go for Thanksgiving as well as people who want to support these causes by contributing financially.
Additionally, they will be collecting canned goods at Boonton Coffee. These cans will be used as centerpieces for Friendsgiving and will be donated to Boonton’s local food pantry Loaves and Fishes.
If you are interested in attending, we highly recommend pre-registering. To do so, simply click here.
Chief Kimker; Det. Powers; Prosecutor Carroll; First Assistant Prosecutor Calderwood
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker announce the hiring of Jenna Powers and Gregory Federici as Detectives for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. Both were officially sworn in at the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office on October 31.
Chief Kimker; Lincoln and Nicole Federici; Det. Federici; Prosecutor Carroll; First Assistant Prosecutor Calderwood
Prior to joining the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Detective Powers was as a Detective for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office since 2020, serving in the Special Victims Unit and Adult Trial Section. Before serving in that position, she was an Assistant Prosecutor for that same office from 2016 until 2020, was an attorney for a private law practice from 2015 to 2016, and was an Assistant Prosecutor for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office from 2012 to 2015 serving in the Domestic Violence Unit and Specialized Services/Megan’s Law Unit. Detective Powers possesses a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Washington College in Maryland, and a Juris Doctorate Degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan. She has been assigned to the Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit, within the Tactical Division of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prior to joining the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Detective Federici was a police officer in Cranford, Union County, New Jersey since 2013, where he served in patrol operations and in the Community Policing Unit. Before serving as a police officer, Detective Federici was a Communications Officer with the Cranford Police Department from 2011 until 2013, a Personal Trainer in 2010, and a Substitute Teacher and Football Coach at Cranford High School from 2008 to 2010. Also, from 2008 to 2013, he served as a volunteer Auxiliary Police Officer for the Cranford Police Department. Det. Federici possesses an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Union County College. He has been assigned to the General Investigations Unit, within the Courts & Administration Division of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor Carroll said, “The addition of Detective Powers and Detective Federici to our office brings a valuable cross-section of talent and experience. We welcome both and anticipate that they will contribute positively to the effectiveness of our operation.”
Sean McConoughey checks out the launch pad set-up of the team mentor's rocket just before launch
MORRIS COUNTY —The Morris County 4-H “ResistoJets” Rocketry Club is one of only 18 middle-and-high school groups nationwide to qualify for this year’s NASA Student Launch Initiative and the only team from New Jersey. More than 50 college-age teams will also participate.
During the NASA Student Launch Initiative, or SLI, student teams design, build and launch a rocket and payload according to NASA’s specifications as part of a rocketry competition. The goal of this year’s challenge is to simulate photographing the surface of a planet. The team will design and build an 8-foot-tall rocket that will lift its payload to over 5,000 feet.
During the pandemic, club president and team Captain Sean McConoughey of Califon pursued rocketry as a hobby with his father, Luke. When he learned about the NASA challenge, he approached 4-H to sponsor the team, which includes Brian Sun of Belle Mead, Holt Englander of Morristown, Mya McConoughey of Califon, and Sahisnu Santhosh of Lake Hiawatha. New team members are welcome.
“When I first heard about the NASA Student Launch program I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn and grow after running out of ideas for my own projects,” said McConoughey. “However, we quickly found out we had to qualify first, in our case through TARC. In hindsight, I think that was a great thing that helped prepare us a lot for the Student Launch. What’s driven me over the last year, since starting the competitions, has been everything I’ve learned and the experiences I have to look forward to.”
To qualify for the 2023 NASA SLI, the ResistoJets Rocketry Club’s five members had to compete and succeed in the prerequisite American Rocketry Challenge (TARC) last year, designing a rocket to transport two eggs to a certain altitude before landing them safely on the ground — intact. Their design was successful on a competitive launch day in Virginia, which enabled the 4-H group to progress.
Now that they are officially accepted into the SLI program, the team interacts with NASA along the lines of a contractor by writing and submitting precise proposals for their rocket, specifying the design, ultimate altitude, and performance. Accurate estimation of the rocket’s performance is an important piece of the proposal, said 4-H Program Assistant Britt Wagner.
The competition will take place in April at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. This phase of the challenge is built around the current Artemis NASA mission.
Team Photo
The team is currently in the preliminary design review phase and working to give a 30-min presentation on design and performance to the NASA team in early November. The next steps are to build a smaller-scale model of the design, then launch, test, and fine-tune it. The challenge also includes requirements for media presence for each team as well as a STEM education plan to reach more than 250 students in the area.
“This competition has the potential to transform students into well-qualified professionals for the modern-day workplace,” said Fred Kepner, activity lead for Student Launch at Marshall. “Many former students now work with NASA or our industry partners across the nation, some supporting the next chapter of space exploration, the Artemis program.”
“I am very proud of what the team has accomplished so far, and I look forward to everything that lies ahead,” McConoughey said.
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, and Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker, announce that on October 28, the Honorable Noah Franzblau, J.S.C., sentenced Tajinder Tung, 61, of Stewartsville, to 60 days at the Morris County Correctional Facility as a condition of a 3-year probationary term.
On September 22, a Morris County jury returned a verdict finding Tung guilty of Stalking a Mount Olive High School student beginning in 2017 and continuing until May 2019. Tung was a teacher at Mount Olive High School when he committed this crime. Forfeiture of his public employment was also ordered at the time of sentencing.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, and Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker thank the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Professional Standards Unit, the Mount Olive Township Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Greenwich Township Police Department for assisting with this investigation and prosecution.
The Prosecutor also credited the Trial Team: Assistant Prosecutor Noelle V. Fiorentino and Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Tolentino for their professional and dedicated service, and commended MCPO Professional Standards Unit Sgt. Marshall Wang for his contributions to the investigation and successful prosecution in this case.
PARSIPPANY — On Sunday, October 30, 2022, at approximately 12:18 p.m., Parsippany Police responded to the Hilton Hotel, One Hilton Court, on a report of a stabbing during the “Chiller Theatre” event.
David C. Knestrick, 47, of Norwalk, Connecticut was arrested in connection with a stabbing.
A private security officer who was working during the event was stabbed with a knife while intervening in an altercation between Knestrick and other patrons at the event.
The victim of the stabbing was transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment, and as a result of the investigation, Knestrick was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault, a crime of the second degree; Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, a crime of the third degree; and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, a crime of the fourth degree.
The Defendant was charged on a warrant complaint and remains in custody pending a court appearance.
“The incident today is a criminal matter under investigation by the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department and Morris County Sheriff’s Department. We appreciate the concern of those asking about the status of our friend and colleague affected, but please understand he has a family and it is not for us to discuss anything regarding his health,” organizers said in a statement on social media.
Chiller Theatre was a three-day event held at the Hilton. Friday, October 28 through Sunday, October 30.
If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department at (973) 263-4300 or the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200.
Editor’s Note: An arrest or signing a criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boonton Ironworks, built in 1830, was largely responsible for the existence of the Town of Boonton. The large rolling mill produced iron products which were shipped via the Morris Canal to Elizabeth and Jersey City. A 2021 grant was approved for completion of a preservation plan and an archaeological assessment involving remnants of the old blast furnaces
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund by launching an interactive, online story map of all historic sites found in the county, specifically offering background information, photos, video, and geographic data on all sites that benefited from county historic preservation grants.
“We hope this story map can make the public more aware of the many historic treasures that are in our midst, and also acknowledge the strong support the Commissioners have shown toward historic preservation that contributes to the high quality of life here in Morris County,” said Ray Chang, Historic Preservation Program Coordinator for the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation.
The story map was created by the Office of Planning and Preservation to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the grant program.
The Historic Preservation Trust Fund was established by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners after voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum on November 5, 2002, to allow a portion of the Morris County Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to be used for historic preservation
Morris County has now awarded 512 grants amounting to $45,945,925 to assist in the preservation, protection, and restoration of 122 historic properties since 2003 when grants were first issued for protecting historic sites through Morris County’s Preservation Trust Fund. The sites are located in 34 towns around Morris County.
The King Store Museum, an 1825 general store and post office at Drakesville Historic Park in the Ledgewood section of Roxbury Township. The site has received 17 grants for planning and restoration since the Historic Preservation Trust Program began
“This has been an exceptionally successful and well-received program, with nearly $46 million being committed to assist in the preservation, protection, and restoration of 122 historic properties since the first grant was issued in 2003,” said Commissioner Stephen Shaw, the board liaison to the county Office of Planning and Preservation.
“Almost everywhere you go in Morris County, you can point to a place, a building, or a monument that represents a specific era in American history, from the days Native Americans lived here and Europeans began to settle in, to the American Revolution, the industrial revolution and beyond. Morris County has a wealth of sites and structures embodying the American story, and our trust fund has helped to preserve that,” he added.
The Little Red Schoolhouse in Florham Park has received 10 grants from the fund since it began
The story map is based in part on digital mapping data provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Geographic Information System, as well as data on historical properties compiled by the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office. A legend is provided identifying various levels of historical determinations afforded different sites.
However, the story map dives deepest into Morris County historic sites, specifically the 122 sites afforded grants through the Historic Preservation Trust Fund over the past 20 years. Using the GIS mapping, visitors may navigate to all 122 Morris County sites easily and view photos, background information, and, where available, videos and audio presentations that provide a fuller understanding of the site’s significance.
The Historic Preservation Trust Fund considers grants for the acquisition, stabilization, rehabilitation, restoration, or preservation of historic resources by municipalities, qualified non-profits, and the county. Many sites have received multiple grants over the years for various stages of preservation, from planning to actual construction.
Applications are reviewed by the volunteer members of the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board, and the board ultimately recommends each year to the County Commissioners what projects should be provided grants and the amount of each grant.
The new story map introduces visitors to the 11-member review board. Click here to view the story map.
Historic resources must be listed or certified as eligible for listing on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, in order to be eligible for the program.
The Seward House, and 1865 farm house in Mount Olive, was among the sites approved in 2022 for grant dollars and is currently undergoing renovations
MOUNTAIN LAKES — Healthy Living Movement classes and lectures help you discover how to live well and equip you with the tools needed to improve your life. All classes are free and are open to Y members and non-members as well. No registration is needed for the series; just drop in. Bring a friend and share in this informative series, which takes place on the following Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.:
Thursday, November 10: Total Mobility
Healthy Living Director Darlene Kievit leads you through movements that focus on taking your joints through their full range of motion. Dress in comfortable clothes.
Thursday, November 17: Nervous-System Regulation
Integrative Yoga Health Coach Ivette Desai hosts this program on learning how to manage stress and anxiety using nervous system regulation tools such as rhythmic breathing and meditation.
For more than 100 years Lakeland Hills Family YMCA Y has been the leading community organization serving thousands of people, with its focus on Healthy Living, Youth Development, and Social Responsibility. For more information on Lakeland Hills Family YMCA please visit their website at www.lakelandhillsymca.com or email Kelly Horvath at kellyh@lhymca.com. No one serves the community as powerfully as the Y does every day.
Lakeland Hills Family YMCA is located at 100 Fanny Road, Mountain Lakes.
MORRIS COUNTY — As the weather begins to get colder, the Market Street Mission in Morristown is preparing for its 32nd annual Coat Giveaway event. On Saturday, November 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. they will be handing out free winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves on the Morristown Green.
Men’s, women’s, and children’s coats will be available, and anyone in need of winter gear is free to join us.
As they lead up to the giveaway, they are collecting new and gently used winter coats, as well as hats, gloves, and scarves, from now through the end of October. Winter gear can be dropped off at our thrift store at 25 George Street, Morristown. Donation hours are Monday to Saturday (except Wednesdays) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Our Coat Giveaway is a great opportunity for community outreach, and are expected to serve hundreds of people on Saturday, November 5. They are grateful to everyone who donates and participates to make sure families have what they need to stay warm this winter!
For more information on our coat collection and giveaway event, please visit their website by clicking here.
The Market Street Mission and its Jersey Shore Rescue Mission location are an experienced organization with a proven method of helping to fight alcoholism, substance abuse, hunger, and homelessness in northern and central New Jersey. As a private non-profit we rely on the charitable support of compassionate donors to provide more than 110,000 meals and 30,000 nights of shelter per year. For more information on our emergency services, free addiction recovery program, community counseling services, and thrift stores please visit by clicking here.
MORRIS COUNTY — Help would be a phone call away for state residents who struggle to complete New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission transactions online under legislation sponsored by Senator Anthony M. Bucco and endorsed by the Senate Transportation Committee.
“In an effort to re-establish credibility with New Jersey drivers, MVC has transitioned many of its services to the internet,” said Bucco (R-25). “Unfortunately, many residents have found the process confusing and annoying.
Senator Anthony Bucco
“By requiring the commission to provide a call center where live representatives are standing by to help, this bill will alleviate much of the public’s frustrations,” the Senator added. “The hotline will ensure a higher level of customer service.”
The bipartisan bill, A-3663/S-1633 would require MVC’s call center to be available to the public on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at a minimum.
In addition, Bucco’s bill would require MVC to collect and publish online its quarterly performance reports, including information on the number of calls and wait times.
“MVC was roundly criticized for poor performance during the pandemic. Drivers felt abandoned and disrespected as long lines wrapped around facilities and agencies frequently closed for extensive sanitization and cleaning,” Bucco said. “With the creation of a responsive, effective phone center, this bill will help restore some of the public’s trust.”
Since introducing an online system for customers to make appointments for in-person services at motor vehicle agencies two years ago, MVC has expanded the site, adding options for getting licenses, registrations, and titles; and commercial driver’s license renewals. The commission now boasts that 80 percent of its motor vehicle services are available through its website.
Marlene Zwigard cuts the ribbon to Little Village Country Day Shcool
MORRIS COUNTY — Little Village Country Day School celebrated the Ribbon Cutting of its new location, on Wednesday, October 26.
Little Village Country Day School is located at 1447 Sussex Turnpike, Randolph.
Marlene Zwigard, Rosalie DeMassi & Annette Steele
Their educational curriculum fosters children’s development to enrich their knowledge and love of learning using developmentally appropriate lessons and hands-on, unique experiences.
Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Marlene Zwigard, Assemblyman Anthony Bucco, and Lou Nisivoccia
Marlene Zwigard has owned and operated childcare facilities for over 40 years. Rosalie has worked closely with Marlene as Co-Director for 15 years. Annette came on as another Co-Director and Music Director over 10 years ago.
Marlene, Rosalie, and Annette are actively involved in their parents and children’s lives and always strive to give their best.
They offer both full-time and part-time care for children ages two through six and are open Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Marlene has recently been honored with New Jersey’s distinguished Columbian Foundation award for outstanding achievements in the cultural, educational, economic, and social welfare of New Jersey citizens and institutions.
Their comprehensive, full-year program including Summer Camp, strives to give your children the best quality education possible. Their lively and educational atmosphere allows your child to learn and make decisions as they relate to the world around them.
Little Village employs fully trained, caring, certified teachers who teach your children academics as well as personal skills in a loving, nurturing environment. Their educational curriculum fosters children’s development to enrich their knowledge and love of learning using developmentally appropriate lessons and hands-on, unique experiences.
They offer both full-time and part-time care for children ages two through six and are open Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. They are currently scheduling tours and registering. Come in for a tour today!
To qualify for the 2023 NASA SLI, the ResistoJets Rocketry Club’s five members had to compete and succeed in the prerequisite American Rocketry Challenge (TARC) last year, designing a rocket to transport two eggs to a certain altitude before landing them safely on the ground — intact. Their design was successful on a competitive launch day in Virginia, which enabled the 4-H group to progress.
