MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Retirees Education Association Philanthropic Fund (MCREAP) will proudly award twelve $2,000. scholarships to Morris County students who are pursuing a career in education.

First-year recipients of this award include Arianna Granda, Morris Knolls High School; Anna Marina Accumanno, Hanover Park High School; Caroline Berardo, Parsippany Hills High School; Nicole Kahwaty, Morris County School of Technology who received her MCREAP Scholarship funded by Visions Federal Credit Union; Ashleigh Paige Muth, Hanover Park High School who received her MCREAP Scholarship funded by the Estate of Ann Korinda; McKenzie Shea Lynch, Mt. Olive High School who received her MCREAP Scholarship funded in the memory of Tina Antalek and finally Katie Elizabeth Berger, Boonton High School who received her MCREAP Scholarship funded by the Executive Board of Morris County Retirees Education Association.

Second-year recipients include undergraduate Anna Lenger of Kutztown University (Chatham High School); Arianna Lee of The College of New Jersey (Morris Knolls High School); Courtney Graf of Shippensburg University (Roxbury High School); Savannah Jenks of St. Joseph’s University (Chatham High School) who received her MCREAP Scholarship funded by Visions Federal Credit Union and finally Avianna Miller of Drew University who received her MCREAP Scholarship funded by the Estate of Ann Korinda.

We wish these deserving young people well as they prepare to enter the moat rewarding and challenging profession.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp and Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker presented a commendation to Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Luis Goncalves for intervening while off-duty, saving the life of a woman.

Detective Goncalves was traveling on Route 3 in Lyndhurst on May 20, returning from an investigation.

Detective Goncalves observed a female sitting on the edge of a high bridge with her feet dangling off the bridge. Fearing she was attempting to commit suicide, Detective Goncalves contacted the Lyndhurst Police to report his observation.

Detective Goncalves identified himself as a detective with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and told the dispatcher that he would standby and render further assistance. The female got off the ledge and attempted to walk towards the busy highway.

She was stopped from entering the highway, and Detective Goncalves assisted with the translation of the Spanish language. He detected that she had slurred speech and was incoherent.

Upon a search of the woman, a controlled dangerous substance was retrieved and she was secured by Lyndhurst Police officers for further investigation.

Prosecutor Knapp said “The heroic lifesaving actions of Detective Goncalves while off-duty undoubtedly prevented a tragedy from occurring. He and all of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office detectives are unreservedly dedicated to protecting and preserving the safety of our residents. I am very proud to recognize Detective Goncalves for his service under very adverse circumstances.”

TRENTON — Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 150, permitting outdoor dining starting on Monday, June 15, with an accompanying Executive Directive from the New Jersey Department of Health that lays out health and safety standards that food or beverage establishments are required to follow. In addition, the Governor announced a special ruling by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control creating a pathway for liquor license holders to expand the premises on which they may serve alcohol.

“Restaurants and bars throughout New Jersey have been immensely cooperative with necessary public health measures that were placed upon them while battling the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Allowing outdoor dining and the expansion of alcohol-serving areas will allow restaurants and bars to begin welcoming customers back while continuing to comply with necessary social distancing guidance.”

Executive Order No. 150 allows outdoor dining at food or beverage establishments in New Jersey starting on Monday, June 15. Establishments will be required to follow a number of COVID-19 health and safety protocols issued by the Department of Health, including a limit of eight customers per table, and requirements of at least six feet of distance between parties. In addition, for as long as indoor dining is not permitted, food or beverage establishments are required to prohibit smoking in any outdoor areas designated for the consumption of food and/or beverages.

The Order further notes that municipalities are permitted to use their existing authority to allow food or beverage establishments to expand their footprint to outdoor areas, both within their property and among municipally-governed areas, including but not limited to sidewalks, streets, or parks.

Additionally, a special ruling by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) will temporarily permit establishments with liquor licenses to expand their licensed premises into outdoor areas that are either contiguous or non-contiguous to their permanently licensed premises. Establishments may apply through the POSSE ABC Online Licensing system, and if approved will be issued a temporary permit effective on June 15^th that will run until November 14, 2020. ABC will not take action on any application until it receives an endorsement or approval by the appropriate governing body officials, and it is the responsibility of the licensee to comply with local ordinances and site plan requirements.

Click here for a copy of Executive Order No. 150

Click here for a copy of DOH Executive Directive on Outdoor Dining

>Click here for a copy of NJ ABC Special Ruling

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County has risen to 6,385 presumptively tested positive cases. A total of 616 deaths have been reported in Morris County. In New Jersey, a total of 160,918 presumptively tested positive cases with a total of 11,721 deaths.

Morris County COVID-19 Cases

Note: Case numbers are updated in the afternoons on Monday-Friday. For statewide numbers, visit the State of NJ COVID-19 Dashboard.

The figures reflect COVID-19 positive cases as of the date and time indicated, some cases which may be pending, or have yet to be entered into the system.

Please note the following limitations and provisos related to the data above:

• COVID-19-related deaths are not included in this data. Visit the State of NJ COVID-19 Dashboard for a summary of death totals.
• Pursuant to HIPAA, specific identifying health information of persons testing positive or who have passed due to the virus will not be released.
• Data reflects COVID-19 positive cases on dates and times indicated; some cases may be pending and are not yet entered.
• Data may not include cases with incomplete or incorrect street addresses or PO boxes. Such cases require additional investigation by local health officials.
• Figures do not include persons under quarantine/isolation due to exposure and who have not tested positive.
• The numbers, especially higher numbers, do not necessarily reflect community spread in a specific town. Various factors may be related to high numbers, such as increased testing and facilities with high-risk populations.
• This data should not be used to gauge if heightened precautions are needed in specific towns. Social distancing, hand hygiene, and preventive steps must be followed at all times regardless of the number of cases in a municipality.

MORRIS COUNTY — As part of his restart and recovery plan, “The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health Through Public Health,” Governor Phil Murphy announced that New Jersey will enter Stage Two on Monday, June 15.

Guided by strict protocols from the New Jersey Department of Health, as well as input from the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Commission and complementary Advisory Councils, Stage Two will include outdoor dining for restaurants and indoor, non-essential retail as of Monday, June 15.

Beginning on Monday, June 22, barbershops and salons will be able to reopen. In the period to follow, New Jersey will work toward the gradual opening of personal care, gyms, and health clubs, at reduced capacities as the stage progresses. All of these activities will be allowed pursuant to strict health and safety guidelines that will be issued in the coming days. New Jersey ended maximum restrictions and moved to Stage One on May 18, 2020.

“As we move through Stage One of our strategic restart and recovery process, public health data continues to demonstrate our collective success in flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,” said Governor Murphy. “It is with these favorable metrics, coupled with expanded testing capacity and contact tracing, that we can responsibly enter Stage Two of our multi-stage approach to recovery. Our economic restart must instill confidence among our residents and visitors that their safety, and that of their families, is our number one priority. I encourage all New Jerseyans to continue their vigilance in keeping themselves and their communities safe by social distancing, wearing face coverings, washing hands frequently, and limiting gatherings.”

STAGE 2:
Restrictions are relaxed on activities that can be easily safeguarded.

Phased-in businesses and activities, with adherence to safeguarding and modification guidelines, include:

• Outdoor dining (beginning on June 15)
• Limited in-person retail (beginning on June 15)
• Hair salons and barbershops (beginning on June 22)
• Youth summer programs (beginning on July 6)
• In-person clinical research/labs
• Limited fitness/gyms
• Limited in-person government services (e.g. – Motor Vehicle Commission)
• Museums/libraries

All workers who can work from home should continue to work from home.

Precautions that apply across all stages include:

Clinically high-risk individuals who can stay at home should continue to do so.

• • • All residents and businesses should follow state and federal safeguarding guidelines:
    • Wash hands
    • Wear masks in public
    • Respect social distancing
    • Minimize gatherings
    • Disinfect workplace and businesses
    • Minimize gatherings
    • No mass gatherings
    • New Jersey will move toward subsequent stages based on data that demonstrates improvements in public health and the capacity to safeguard the public, including:
    • Sustained improvements in public health indicators, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, individuals in intensive care, and ventilator use;
    • Substantial increase in testing and contact tracing capacity;
    • Sufficient resilience in New Jersey’s health care system to include adequate bed capacity, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and workforce;
    • Widespread safeguarding of workplaces;
    • Widespread safeguarding and capacity of child care, schools, and mass transit;
    • Continued public compliance.
    • If public health indicators, safeguarding, or compliance worsen on a sustained basis, New Jersey will be prepared to move back to more restrictive stages as well.

  For a one-page summary of Governor Murphy’s multi-stage approach to restart New Jersey’s economy, click here

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MORRIS COUNTY — Life is so very precious and fleeting. We are only on this earth for a short time and the time of our departure is generally unknown. We try to make the most of our lives during the time we have – to love, to cry, to hope, to dream. Unfortunately, there are times when the end of life is not a natural one.

The death of George Floyd is one such death. This despicable and heinous taking of life by the arresting police officer and the inaction of those other officers who could have stopped it, are not acceptable in our society and are not representative of the majority of the law enforcement officers who protect and serve within our communities. Regardless of your politics, this blatant disregard for the life of one of God’s Beloved children is unacceptable.

We are better than this. Our country must be better than this. When we see injustice we must act swiftly and with informed precision to address, dismantle, and redress its inequities.  We cannot remain silent or simply offer gratuitous platitudes time and again in hope that things will change, nor in our anger and frustration, must we use violence and unlawfulness to respond in-kind. We must find a way to heal through open and honest dialogue – together, as one people. I stand firm in my belief that as difficult as it may be, we can, and will find a way.