MORRIS COUNTY — All NJMVC facilities will be closed in observance of the state holidays on Tuesday, November 8, and Friday, November 11.
Click here anytime, 24/7 — for online services, appointment scheduling, and more.
Audrey Kuo Named to Governor’s STEM Scholars
MORRIS PLAINS — Audrey Kuo of Morris Plains was named to Governor’s STEM Scholars.
The Governor’s STEM Scholars 2023 class is comprised of 128 Scholars from 20 New Jersey counties. 64 percent of the class identify as female and 83 percent as students of color. When they graduate in May 2023, they will join an alumni cohort of over 700 Scholars.
Audrey Kuo is a senior at the Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering in Morris County. This past summer, she interned at NASA to conduct air quality research concerning the effect of particulate matter levels on public health and vegetation.<
Audrey is also doing cyberpsychology research at the New Jersey Institute of Technology using eye tracking to analyze the effects of visual clutter on attention, along with machine learning research at Stanford University using algorithms to predict stock performance. Her paper on the effect of canaries’ songs on neurogenesis and their potential applications for Alzheimer’s Disease patients was named a runner-up in the New York Times STEM writing contest. She has also presented at conferences with the New Jersey Highlands Council and helped to develop a New Jersey Highlands Economic Sustainability Plan, which has been published on nj.gov. In her school community, Audrey is chapter president of Junior State of America, as well as class Vice President and choir board vice president.
She is a saber fencer and state individual fencing championship qualifier, as well as a member of her school’s cross-country team. She is also a two-time Carnegie Hall performer and member of the All-State Mixed Choir. Her future STEM interests lie in the field of neuroscience.
Yash Samat and Ryan Lalani Named to Governor’s STEM Scholars
MOUNTAIN LAKES — Two high school students from Mountain Lakes, Yash Samat and Ryan Lalani have been admitted to the Governor’s STEM Scholars, a cohort made up of 128 high school and college science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students in New Jersey.
Ryan Lalani is a junior at Mountain Lakes High School and is involved in mentoring and serving his community. As an active member of his school district, Ryan serves as the Student Government Executive Board Treasurer, Peer Counselor and Leader, School Climate and Safety Representative, Founder and President of the Computer Science Club, and Varsity Swim Team Member.
In his role as a Teaching Assistant and Coordinator for the Mountain Lakes Public Library Makerspace, Ryan is responsible for community outreach and mentoring of elementary and middle school students in the areas of coding, 3-D printing and design, strategic chess skills, digital movie-making, and all things STEM.
As part of his commitment to public service, Ryan is an Environmental Commission Member for the Borough of Mountain Lakes and is a Firefighter for the Junior Fire Department. Ryan is currently working with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Empathy Driven Engineering internship through the National Science Foundation, where he is working with St. Joseph’s School for the Blind on developing accessible projects that are functional, engaging, reproducible, and open source.
In his free time, he is a state-level competitive swimmer for the Lakeland Hills YMCA and a volunteer swim coach and instructor. In the future, Ryan would like to use his STEM skills to create a more accessible and environmentally sustainable world.
Yash Samat is a junior at Mountain Lakes High School (MLHS). In 2021, he published the results of two bioinformatics research projects on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. As a volunteer firefighter and the Secretary of the MLHS Key Club, he is very interested in community service.
Yash incorporated STEM into this interest by teaching middle and high school students Python programming in association with the North South Foundation. He also earned the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 41 of Mountain Lakes, NJ. His Eagle Scout Project focused on environmental engineering as he designed and led a team of scouts to build artificial fish habitats, which were placed in two lakes in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. The habitats help the ecosystem by providing a safe environment for fish to nurse.
In turn, this would keep the lakes cleaner by naturally reducing the number of algae instead of using chemical treatment. The MIT Think program also recognized him as a semifinalist for a project proposal in extension to his fish habitat project.
Yash aspires to pursue a career in aeronautical engineering and information systems while continuing his passion for community service.
Police Seeking Public’s Assistance with Identifying Man Wanted for Robbery
MORRIS PLAINS — The New Jersey State Police and the Morris Plains Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance with identifying a suspect wanted for allegedly scamming and robbing a victim in Morris Plains.
On Friday, October 21, at approximately 5:15 p.m., the suspect called the victim pretending to be a New York prosecutor and advised that a family member had been in a car accident with a pregnant woman.
The suspect stated that the family member needed cash for bail money and instructed the victim to meet him at the Morris Plains Municipal Building with the cash.
The suspect later changed the meeting location to the Dunkin Donuts located on Speedwell Avenue.
When they met, the suspect took the cash and brandished a firearm that he was wearing on the inside of his jacket before fleeing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Morris County Sheriff’s CrimeStoppers at (973) 267-2255 or click here to visit the website.
Anonymous tips are welcome.
FriendsGiving! will be hosted on November 12
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.
Morris County Prosecutor Swears In New Detectives
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.
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.”
Morris County 4-H Rocketry Team Makes the NASA Cut
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.
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.
For more information email [email protected].
Mount Olive High School Teacher Sentenced for Stalking a Student
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.
Stabbing at Hilton Hotel During “Chiller Theatre”
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.
Story Map Launched to Celebrate 20 Years of Historic Preservation
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.
“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 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.
