MORRIS COUNTY — Following an inquiry into a deer’s demise due to a dart, Morris Township authorities identified a Morristown man facing charges related to unlawful weapon possession, creating hazardous conditions, and weapon discharge, all in violation of a local ordinance.
Jalen O’Neal, 26, was charged last week and released pending a court hearing, as stated by Township Police Capt. James Perruso.
The incident was reported by a caller who discovered a deceased deer with an orange dart in it near Speedwell Avenue and Mill Street on the morning of August 22.
Perruso noted, “The investigation confirmed that the deer was indeed struck with a dart, and a second dart was found nearby. Further examination revealed that the ‘dart’ was a projectile from a ‘blow dart’ type weapon.”
Authorities encourage anyone with additional information to reach out to Detective Kevin Yarzab at (973 326-7433 or the Morris Township Police Detective Bureau at (973) 326-7480. Perruso emphasized the importance of residents remaining vigilant and promptly reporting any suspicious activities.
MORRIS COUNTY — The weather held as first responders, public officials, and residents gathered under cloudy skies Sunday evening for Morris County’s Annual 9/11 Remembrance ceremony in observance of the 22nd Anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
First responders and officials head up to the ceremony on West Hanover Avenue under a giant American flag.
People gathered around the Morris County 9/11 Memorial in Parsippany Township while the sounds of a classical guitar and flute, played by Darren O’Neill and Patricia Lazzara, filled the air. At 5:55 p.m. a color guard of police, fire and rescue, and emergency personnel began marching up West Hanover Avenue led by flag bearer Kevin Dunn, Deputy Fire Chief of the Randolph Fire Dept. Included in the procession were members of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), the Police Pipes and Drums of Morris County, the U.S. Naval Cadet Sea Corps of Picatinny Arsenal, and first responder agencies from throughout Morris County.
Keynote speaker Nick De Gregorio, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, raised and lowered the flag at the memorial with MCSO Capt. Walter Rawa, as U.S. Reps Mikie Sherrill and Tom Kean placed bouquets of red, white, and blue flowers. Deputy Fire Chief Dunn conducted the pledge of allegiance, while the Morris Choral Society sang the national anthem and Rev. Herman Scott read a special invocation.
“Our guest speaker could have taken a familiar, safe path in life. Instead, inspired by the events of 9/11 and knowing the challenges our country would face he traveled a difficult path. Becoming a Marine Corps infantry officer, deploying four times, and giving a decade of his life in service to our country,” said Morris County Commissioner Director John Krickus as he opened the ceremony.
Major De Gregorio, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, was 16 years old and sitting in a New Jersey classroom when the terrorist attacks unfolded just 12 miles away. The events inspired him to enlist in the Marines after high school, and he was deployed four times into combat during his nine years of service.
“My mother and I walked up to the lookout point in our town to bear witness to the New York City skyline. What we found was much more than a landscape of wreckage and black smoke. Dozens of people were already there. They stood in tearful silence, acknowledging us with head nods as we all peered out to see what we did not want to see,” stated De Gregorio.
“Those of us on that lookout point went up there thinking we were searching for a glimpse of the aftermath, but I think we came back down realizing that what we had really been searching for was each other,” he added.
Parsippany resident Loretta Viglione read a poem written about her brother Tommy Sabella, who perished responding to the attacks. His crew, Engine 22, Ladder Company 13, made the first rescue trip to the Twin Towers. When he returned for a second rescue trip, Tower I collapsed, and the 44-year-old firefighter never made it out. He was among a group of firefighters from that team who died and were later designated the Yorkville 9 from the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
The ceremony included a candle-lighting vigil, which was conducted with a musical accompaniment: “The Last Rose of Summer,” a poem written by Irish poet Thomas Moore sung to the tune of a traditional Irish ballad.
Candles in hand, ceremony participants listen to the names of the lost being read.
“The poem laments the waning days of Summer, but touches more deeply on the importance of love in our lives and the loss of that love,” stated Commissioner Tayfun Selen as candles were being lit.
In keeping with Morris County’s 9/11 ceremony tradition, the names of each of the 64 people from Morris County who died in the attacks were read aloud, as a bell was struck by Morris County Fire Marshal James Davidson. The Morris County residents were among 2,977 people killed on 9/11, and all the victims’ names are etched into the Morris County Memorial.
The ceremony included a rendition of Amazing Grace, a 21-gun salute, and ended with Taps being played by Larry Schillings, N.J. State Director of Bugles Across America.
“We all, as Americans, must embrace our common identity more now than ever before. Remember, the cowardly acts that bring us together here, year after year, were attacks on all Americans and the free society by which we pursue our different paths in life to achieve our different goals,” said Commissioner Deborah Smith, in closing the ceremony.
Raindrops started to fall, just as the ceremony concluded.
Morris County thanks all the participants and residents who make the 9/11 ceremony possible each year. The dedicated support of our community members helps ensure the victims’ names always live on, and that we never forget the tragic events that occurred on that fateful day in our nation’s history 22 years ago.
First responders and cadets encircle the Morris County 9/11 Memorial during the ceremony.
MORRIS COUNTY — Lidl, the German grocery store chain that has expanded to more than 30 countries since its founding 50 years ago, will open its first location in Morris County this week.
The grand opening of Lidl’s newest store is set for Wednesday at 191 East Hanover Avenue in Morris Township. The first 100 customers will receive Lidl gift cards ranging from $5 to $100, while patrons can get other free samples and store deals throughout the day.
Located within the recently opened Morris Marketplace shopping center, this Lidl store will be accessible daily from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., offering a wide range of high-quality products, including fresh produce, meats, baked goods, and household items. Shoppers can look forward to new deals every Wednesday. The construction of this 140,000-square-foot marketplace began over two years ago, transforming the former Colgate-Palmolive corporate campus site.
Lidl, known for its value pricing, already boasts over 20 stores in New Jersey, with North Jersey locations in Belleville, Pompton Lakes, Bergenfield, Elmwood Park, and Park Ridge. Its roots trace back to its founding in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in 1973, and it has since expanded across Europe in the 1990s. The company established its United States headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, in 2015, and two years later, it opened its first American store.
Lidl is also planned for Livingston, but no open date has been set.
This 42,000 square foot former Toys R Us is not all going to LIDL, but most of the space is.
In 2021, the Parsippany Planning Board approved an application from the supermarket chain Lidl for a proposed new supermarket on the site currently occupied by the 30,600-square-foot, family-run Super Foodtown.
According to property records, Lidl US Operations LLC purchased the building from the property’s owner, Holly Gardens LLC, who leases it to Super Foodtown. The sale was completed in March 2022 and the site was purchased for nearly $7 million.
Hanover Park High School, located at 63 Mount Pleasant Avenue in East Hanover, serves students from East Hanover and Florham Park as part of the Hanover Park Regional High School District.
EAST HANOVER — School Superintendent Maria Carrell, informed the district that Hanover Park High School will resume normal operations on Monday, September 11.
Severe thunderstorms on Friday prompted changes to school activities and schedules over the weekend. These storms resulted in fallen trees and power lines at Hanover Park High, leading to power outages until Sunday, September 10.
Mayor Joe Pannullo of East Hanover, Mayor Ace Gallagher of Hanover Township, together with East Hanover’s Police, Fire Departments, and Office of Emergency Management, collaborated with the school district’s administration and staff for a swift cleanup.
Schools will welcome students on Monday, September 11.
DOVER — The Town of Dover Mayor and Board of Aldermen Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 12, at Dover Town Hall, 37 North Sussex Street. Executive Session to begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Regular Meeting at 7:00 p.m.
This meeting is being held in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, also known as the Sunshine Law, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6. Notice of the meeting was sent to the Daily Record and Star-Ledger on January 4, 2023, and published in the Record and Ledger on January 7, 2023. Notice of Meeting Date and Time change was sent to the paper on June 18, 2023. Notice was also posted on the Bulletin Board of the Municipal Building.
The Town of Dover highly values the input of residents in making important decisions that affect the residents of our community. We also believe in the rights of residents to observe Governing Body Meetings. To ensure that all of our residents have the opportunity to offer comments, each statement/comment shall be held to a time of five minutes.
MORRIS COUNTY — Centenary University’s 15th president, Dale Caldwell, brings a rich background in education and innovation.
As the first African American to hold this role, he values education deeply, with a history of leadership in academia and public service. He’s set on creating a more inclusive and growth-oriented atmosphere on campus.
Under his leadership, the university is expanding its programs and institutes, providing more opportunities for students in fields like nursing and computer science. Caldwell’s official induction ceremony is slated for October, marking an exciting new chapter for the university.
Centenary University was founded in 1867, Centenary University has created and has maintained a number of signature programs (including equestrian, fashion, theatre, Degree Completion, and Working BA). The University is proud to bear the distinction of being the first college within the State of New Jersey to require service education as a condition of graduation.
Centenary University has locations in Hackettstown, Edison, and Parsippany.
MORRIS COUNTY — Residents and visitors of Morris County are endlessly fascinated by the sight of Seeing Eye dogs in training on the streets of Morristown. However, opportunities to explore the inner workings of this renowned 93-year-old nonprofit organization are rare.
On Saturday, September 23, the Seeing Eye will open its doors to the public with an open house event from noon to 4:00 p.m.
This event, taking place at its expansive 60-acre campus in Morris Township, marks the first time in a decade that visitors can embark on a self-guided tour of its unique facilities.
Attendees will have the chance to witness training demonstrations, interact with Seeing Eye dog handlers and puppy raisers, and engage in conversations with instructors. It’s a special occasion not to be missed.
To attend this event, tickets are required, priced at $10.00 per person, while children aged 8 and under can enter for free. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
For additional details, feel free to reach out by calling (973) 539-4425 or sending an email to [email protected]. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the world of Seeing Eye dogs and their training.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio lambasted Democrats and the governor’s administration’s handling of State-run veterans homes after a DOJ investigation revealed constitutionally deficient care for residents at memorial homes at Menlo Park and Paramus.
MORRIS COUNTY — Senator Joe Pennacchio lambasted Democrats and the governor’s administration’s handling of State-run veterans homes after an investigation conducted by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed constitutionally deficient care for residents at memorial homes at Menlo Park and Paramus.
This administration failed our veterans. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of our heroes have died due to inadequate medical care and a lack of effective management and oversight,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “This report is so damning that even Joe Biden’s DOJ can’t spin how badly our Veterans homes were handled. After three years of inaction from Democrats in the Legislature stonewalling calls for a comprehensive investigation, it is now time to hold this administration accountable for the harm done to veterans and nursing home residents.”
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced today that there is reasonable cause to believe that residents at two State-run Veterans homes were subject to unreasonable risk and harm.
Specifically, the investigation found that veterans as a result of inadequate infection control practices, inadequate medical care, and a lack of management and oversight which subjected residents of these veterans homes to serious and often deadly infections.
Senator Joe Pennacchio sponsored a resolution, SR-32, to form a special legislative committee with subpoena power to conduct a legislative investigation. On six separate occasions, Senator Pennacchio urged lawmakers to approve his legislation and form the select committee only to be rejected by Democrats each time.
Former Senate President Steve Sweeney agreed to form a bipartisan Review and Recovery Committee in 2020 to investigate the administration’s response to the pandemic, but never followed through and the committee was never formed.
“This DOJ report is devastating. Our veterans risked their lives to defend this country but were left defenseless by this administration’s disastrous management of veterans homes during the pandemic,” Pennacchio added. “They should be ashamed of themselves and so should every Democrat who stonewalled legislative attempts to investigate these atrocities. The great veterans of New Jersey deserve so much better.”
HANOVER — The NJ MVC Mobile Unit next visits Morris County Library on Tuesday, September 26. Please scroll down for links to make an appointment. At the time of this posting, there are 130 open REAL ID appointments and 50 open registration renewal appointments, however, they fill up!
Below are all upcoming dates the Mobile Unit will visit the library with appointments available for appointment.
Tuesday, September 26
Thursday, September 28
Thursday, October 19
Monday, November 20
➡️ click here to make a REAL ID appointment:
https://ow.ly/ttmK50PJ5Hc
➡️ click here to make a registration renewal appointment:
https://ow.ly/Wysf50PJ5H9
License plates and handicapped placards can be returned to the Mobile Unit without an appointment.
MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Nutrition Program seeks volunteers to assist in the kitchen and deliver meals to Morris County Seniors.
The program has nutrition sites throughout Morris County that serves more than 1,200 seniors Monday to Friday.
There are two types of volunteer opportunities: kitchen assistants and drivers to help deliver meals.
Volunteer kitchen assistants assist with setting up in preparation for delivery, serving meals to congregate seniors, and cleaning up. There is no cooking of meals but portioning and preparing of bags for delivery.
Volunteer drivers deliver meals to homebound seniors in the local community. Driver must have a valid driver’s license and the use their own car.
Volunteers must be 18 or older and available weekday mornings. To sign up to volunteer, please call (862) 219-9125 or email [email protected].
Morristown Nutrition Site:
Volunteer Kitchen Assistant
Days needed: Tuesday and Thursday Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Volunteer Driver
Days needed: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Dover Nutrition Site: St. John’s Episcopal Church, 11 South Bergen Street
Volunteer Kitchen Assistant
Days: Mondays and Thursdays
For more information and additional locations where volunteers are needed, click here to visit the Morris County website.
