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Garden Club of Mountain Lakes Plant Sale Blooms Again, May 8

By
Frank Cahill
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High School student volunteers Christian Shepherd (Left) and Lukas Wolkenstein (middle) assist shopper Maria Hunter in transporting the treasure trove of perennials she purchased at the Garden Club of Mountain Lakes 2019 Plant Sale

MOUNTAIN LAKES — The Mountain Lakes Garden Club Plant Sale will sprout again — bigger and better than ever after a one-year hiatus due to COVID. Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 8, the day before Mothers Day, for this veritable “toy store” for gardeners of all ages, featuring:

  • Lush perennials that are glorious year after year
  • Native plants that help sustain our environment
  • Fresh flower bouquets for Mom, Grandma… and yourself, too. Arranged by Garden club members, these bouquets sell out every year so get yours early!
  • Fairy garden created by the Junior Nature Club of Wildwood elementary students
  • The Mountain Lakes Green Team environmental preservation educational displays and
  • Nature-themed robotics projects from The Laker Makers Club, a youth group that focuses on STEM (science technology, engineering, and math) exploration

The Garden Club of Mountain Lakes’ Annual Plant Sale runs from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., Saturday, May 8th on Island Beach at the intersection of Boulevard and Tower Hill Road, Mountain Lakes – rain or shine!

“The Garden Club of Mountain prides itself on providing multi-faceted inspiration to be creative and eco-friendly in caring for our home landscapes and the environment around us,” stated Janet Horst, Plant Sale Co-Chair. “Whether you have sun, shade, dry or wet conditions, the Plant Sale’s broad selection of hostas, ferns, peonies, daisies, ornamental grasses, and other perennials, natives, herbs, and shrubs are certain to flourish in Morris County gardens because they have been thriving in the gardens of Club members who are sharing their bounty.”

“If you’re looking for a focal point to add to an existing landscape or adding a new garden bed, the Plant Sale is the perfect place for plants, inspiration, and advice from veteran NJ gardeners,” stated Patty McElduff, Plant Sale Co-Chair. “Experienced gardeners are on hand to identify plants ideal for your situation, as well as share tips on plant combinations and care that will help you create your own stunning oasis. We’re thrilled to have three Mountain Lakes organizations spanning multiple age groups contributing their talents and knowledge as additional motivation for us to think beyond traditional concepts for enhancing our environment.”

Proceeds of the plant sale, the Garden Club’s largest fundraiser, and hundreds of volunteer hours are allocated to maintain Mountain Lakes’ parks and public areas, operate the Junior Nature Club after school at Wildwood Elementary, host educational presentations and flower shows, and decorate the NJ Governor’s Mansion for the holidays. For more information or membership click here or email [email protected] or [email protected]

Seasons 52 Springs Into Morris County

By
Frank Cahill
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Fernando Moreno Executive Chef Partner, Rich Liptak Sales Manager, Lisa Sias Managing Partner, Jerry Murphy Service Manager and Liviana Linquito Sous Chef. Liptak is holding the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce Membership plaque

MORRIS COUNTY — Seasons 52, a fresh grill and wine bar, is opening in Hanover Township on Friday, May 14. Featuring seasonal ingredients and an ever-changing menu, the restaurant offers guests the freedom to enjoy its balanced approach to food and wine.

The Seasons 52 kitchen specializes in oak-fire grilling and brick-oven roasting to be flavorful and light, with all dishes fewer than 595 calories. Menu items are handcrafted using 100 percent fresh, never frozen, whole produce, and carefully sourced meats and seafood. Simply prepared dishes to encourage guests to feel good about their choices at every course, with options including an assortment of flatbreads, such as Pesto Chicken and Lobster & Fresh Mozzarella, as well as freshly prepared entrees, like Cedar Plank-Roasted Salmon, Caramelized Grilled Sea Scallops and Wood-Grilled Filet Mignon. Mini Indulgence desserts offer the perfect amount to satisfy a sweet tooth, with selections including Cookies ‘N’ Cream and Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cannoli.

The restaurant’s menu changes four times a year to offer ingredients sourced at peak freshness and flavor. Upon opening, Seasons 52 on Dryden Way will feature its spring menu, with seasonally inspired offerings such as Kona-Crusted Lamb Loin, Buffalo Cauliflower Flatbread, and a Coconut Cream Pie Mini Indulgence.

The Wine Bar pours from an award-winning list designed to complement the menu and allow for discovery, with a service style that helps guests pair the right wines with their dining experience. Offerings include acclaimed labels by the bottle and glass in six and nine-ounce pours. Guests have the freedom to explore new styles with “Drink Them Before They’re Famous” – a collection of wines from up-and-coming producers.  In addition, guests can enjoy seasonal rotating wine flights, currently highlighting pours by Paul Hobbs and the Caymus family of wines. The Wine Bar also serves cocktails made with fresh ingredients for exceptional taste. Signature cocktails include Cucumber Basil Smash and Rosé Lemonade, as well as the spring menu exclusive Strawberry Basil Martini. A lively Happy Hour offered Monday through Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. features $6.00 glasses of wine and $12.00 wine and flatbread pairings.

Seasons 52 Parsippany is located at 1402 Route 10 at Dryden Way. The new restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sundays, Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Reservations are recommended, but not required. Indoor dining and outdoor seating are available, in addition to takeout.

The restaurant is hiring experienced hospitality professionals to staff the new restaurant. Roles to be filled include servers, bartenders, and hosts, among others. To find more information and submit an application click here.

More information about the restaurant’s safety commitments to guests is available on the Seasons 52 website.

ABOUT SEASONS 52
Seasons 52 is a comfortable and stylish fresh grill and wine bar offering a refreshingly balanced approach to dining where guests are free to enjoy, knowing any choice they make is one they’ll feel good about. The menu changes with the season to feature ingredients at their peak, from whole produce that arrives and is kept 100% fresh, never frozen, to carefully sourced meats and pristine seafood. Entrées are oak-fire grilled or brick oven-roasted, without a fryer insight, to be flavorful and naturally lighter, and the Wine Bar pours world-class wines by glass and signature cocktails. Lunch and dinner daily, happy hour Mondays to Thursdays. Click here for more information.

Rotary International to host Stigma-Free Walkathon

By
Frank Cahill
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MORRIS COUNTY —  Rotary International District 7475 will host a series of 4 walkathons bringing attention to mental health stigmas on Saturday, May 22.

Rotary has declared District 7475 to be stigma-free as of March 2021. The goal now is to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders through education and creating public awareness.

Rotary seeks to create open working relationships with its towns and communities to help people overcome the resistance to seeking help and by eliminating the stigma that often makes people feel overwhelmed.

To learn more about how you can support stigma-free, register online and join one of the four, one- mile walks on Saturday, May 22. Free T-shirts to the first 150 who register online at njrotary.org

Locations for the May 22 walkathon are: Denville at Gardner Field from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon; Madison at Ambulance Corp from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon; Clinton at Red Mill Museum from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and Robbinsville at Gazebo at West Town Lake from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon/

Democratic Candidates for Morris County Commissioner Announce Formation of Joint Candidate Committee

By
Frank Cahill
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Aaron “A.J." Oliver

MORRIS COUNTY — T.C. McCourt, A.J. Oliver, and Dina Mikulka announced the formation of their joint candidate committee, A Stronger Morris. The committee will be the primary fundraising and messaging vehicle for the Democratic candidates’ campaign for Morris County Commissioner.

T.C. McCourt

Candidates McCourt, Oliver, and Mikulka released the following joint statement:

“Campaigns cost money. A lot of money. And they require an army of volunteers. By forming this committee early, we will be able to maximize our fundraising potential and more effectively build the campaign infrastructure that we will need to win in November.”

“The three of us are running for County Commissioner for some pretty simple reasons. While our opponents think everything is perfect and that there is no room for improvement, we profoundly disagree. We believe Morris County can be better.  We believe Morris County can be stronger. Over the course of the next six months, we intend to prove that to the people of Morris County, and give them the opportunity to make a change.”

A Stronger Morris is proud to have Leslye Moya serve as Campaign Chair. Moya is the Political Director of the Morris County Democratic Committee and Secretary of the Morris County Young Democrats. A resident of Butler, Moya previously led the field organization that helped to elect Dover’s first Black and first female Mayor in 2019.

Serving as Treasurer will be Austin Ashley. Ashley has been a resident of Mountain Lakes, where he lives with his wife Laura and their three children, since 2016. He is a former resident of the Borough of New Milford in Bergen County, where he served on the Borough Council from 2011 to 2015.

“We are so proud of the team we’ve assembled thus far.  Through Leslye and Austin’s participation, we are two steps closer to victory in November. And as the team grows, so will our potential to win.”

A Stronger Morris is presently interviewing applicants for the position of Campaign Manager, which they intend to fill at the beginning of June.

The campaign will soon announce the details of its upcoming virtual kickoff event.

To find out about the candidates, sign up to volunteer, or make a donation click here. You can also follow A Stronger Morris on Facebook and Instagram.

Morris County Maintains AAA Financial Rating

By
Frank Cahill
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MORRIS COUNTY — Moody’s Investors Service again issued its top, AAA rating of Morris County’s financial stability in its review of $5.2 million in county guaranteed bonds offered through the Morris County Improvement Authority in connection with a Whippany Firehouse project.

“For the 46th straight year, and probably the toughest year, Morris County earned the AAA rating by being proactive in the face of the pandemic.  Moody’s recognized our strong governmental and financial management, whereby Morris County delivers outstanding services while keeping county property taxes significantly lower than neighboring counties,” said Director Stephen Shaw of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners.

“The strategic planning task force was very important in Morris County’s comprehensive pandemic response, including our number one vaccination rate in the state, while maintaining county operations to save lives and livelihoods,” he added, referring to a task force that monitored economic impacts and planning early on in the pandemic.

RATING RATIONALE

Moody’s explained its assessment of Morris County finances in a report issued earlier today:

“The AAA rating reflects the county’s substantial tax base, strong and diverse economy, healthy reserve levels, and modest debt burden. The rating also reflects a long trend of strong, proactive financial management Although the pandemic has had a negative impact throughout the state, Morris County’s credit quality has not been impacted.

The county created a Covid-19 Strategic Planning Advisory Committee, which meets regularly and has implemented a variety of measures to reduce the impact. The county’s largest revenue, property taxes, is guaranteed by its constituent municipalities.”

SAVINGS FOR TAXPAYERS

The AAA rating benefits everyone in Morris County by allowing the county to take advantage of the best possible interest and financing rates when borrowing or bonding is needed for major projects, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.  The rating permits the county and local government agencies within Morris County to take advantage of those low bonding and borrowing rates. It is akin to having an exceptional personal credit rating because it reflects the ability of the county to meet its financial commitments. Obligations that are rated AAA are determined to be the highest quality, with the lowest credit risk.

RATING OUTLOOK

Moody’s also rated Morris County with a stable outlook.

“The stable outlook reflects our expectation that the county’s financial position will remain strong over the near term and that the county will continue to benefit from its substantial and diverse tax base and above-average wealth levels.”

REPORT

The bonds that were subject to the rating are being issued to currently refund the Improvement Authority’s County Guaranteed Governmental Loan Project Notes, Series 2020 issued by the Authority in the amount of $5,885,000 on August 3, 2020.  They were originally issued to provide funds to make a loan and to purchase the Bond Anticipation Note (in 2019) of the Fire District #2 in the Township of Hanover, where the design and construction of a new firehouse on Fire District-owned property were financed.

Francesca Kaspar Recognized at Academic Excellence Ceremony at DeSales University

By
Frank Cahill
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Francesca Kaspar

HANOVER — Recently Cedar Knolls resident Francesca Kaspar, who majors in Health Science, was one of 79 students at DeSales University who was recognized for academic achievement in an on-campus celebration. Students who have a 3.75-grade point average on a 4.0 scale while having more than 54 graded credits qualified for the honor.

DeSales University, in Center Valley, PA, is a private, coeducational, four-year liberal arts Salesian, Catholic university, under the leadership of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales. Founded in 1965, the 550-acre suburban campus is located 50 miles north of Philadelphia and about 90 miles southwest of New York City.

A total enrollment of nearly 3,500 includes undergraduate day and evening students, and graduate students. DeSales has approximately 135 full-time faculty members and offers more than 40 bachelor’s degrees, twelve graduate programs, and over 20 certificate programs in a wide range of disciplines; many of these can be completed fully online.

For further information click here.

Preschool Advantage & Burnt Mills Cider Company join forces to support early education for local families

By
Frank Cahill
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0

MORRIS COUNTY — Preschool Advantage, a Morristown-based nonprofit organization, raises funds to open the doors of preschool and unlock the possibilities beyond by providing preschool tuition assistance to children from struggling local families. Preschool Advantage students attend a full school year of preschool at one of 28 partner schools.  High-quality preschool education gives young children the tools to begin kindergarten prepared to learn and to have a fair chance to succeed throughout their education.

Preschool Advantage will hold a reception on Wednesday, May 12, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the property of the Burnt Mills Cider Company in Bedminster (rain date, May 19).  Both Burnt Mills Cider Company and Preschool Advantage are dedicated to the vibrancy and strength of the greater Morris and Somerset community, and hope the event will introduce new audiences to the work Preschool Advantage are doing to improve access to high-quality early education in our area.

The open-air venue will offer a safe opportunity for guests to enjoy live music from the multi-talented singer-songwriter, Stephen Bard, premium hard ciders brewed on-site, and sandwiches from Angry Archie’s, the Jersey City-based food truck.

The highlight of the evening will be remarks from an alumni parent who will share her experience sending her children to preschool with support from Preschool Advantage, and the impact this has had on her entire family.

For more information and to purchase tickets click here, email [email protected], or call (973) 532-2501

Another Great Project by Boonton Main Street Design Team Volunteers

By
Frank Cahill
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BOONTON —  Thanks to the hard work of Boonton Main Street, Inc. Design Team members Suzanne Guerin, Mark Hettrich, and Dave Woodhull, a beautiful new planter bed now greets visitors as they enter Boonton’s historic downtown district at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Main Street.

These dedicated volunteers spent their Thursday beautifying Boonton by giving the planter a much-needed facelift: breaking down the old planter bed’s weathered railroad ties and rebuilding its walls with a charming gray rumble stone. Passersby honked and waved with encouragement as they drove past throughout the day. Community member Jimmy Hodgins even dropped in to lend a hand for a while, which was greatly appreciated by the volunteers. Boonton DPW pitched in by placing traffic cones to keep the work zone safe and by disposing of the old materials.

Assemblyman Brian Bergen, who was visiting small business owners in the area, stopped by to give volunteers some words of encouragement. “I was so impressed with the work these volunteers were doing for their community, I wanted to stop and express my gratitude. I believe volunteerism is part of what makes a great community, and the people I met on Main Street yesterday are setting a great example.”

The planter bed has been maintained by BMS for many years. It is sponsored by Jane Conway, who originally donated its perennials and regularly mulches, weeds, and waters the bed to maintain its beautiful flowers all season long. Jane is a longtime volunteer with the organization and currently sits as the vice president of the BMS Board of Trustees.

The Highland Avenue planter is only one of a number of landscaping initiatives managed by BMS volunteers. They maintain additional planters at the Plane St parking lot entrance, Essex Ave barrels, Overlook at Grace Lord Park, War Memorial on Main Street, post office round and bench planters, and organize the donation of plants and labor to the large flower beds in front of the post office, graciously donated annually by Kohut and Sons Landscaping.

Finally, BMS provides three-season flower urns (at cost) to storefronts along Main Street. If you are interested in beautifying the historic downtown district of Boonton or would like to volunteer your time and talents in other ways, please contact Laura Wagner, BMS Executive Director, at [email protected]. Share how you would like to be a part of the organization. Boonton Main Street, Inc. is a stand-alone 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to increasing awareness and foot traffic to benefit Boonton’s historic downtown district.

Chick-fil-A Announces True Inspiration Scholarship Winners

By
Frank Cahill
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MORRIS PLAINS — John Velazquez, Alexander Masi, Abby Mahoney, and Gabrielle Trinker! are part of Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Scholarship winners. These young people make a difference in the lives of others.

Chick-fil-A is located at 1711 Route 10, Briarcliff Plaza, Morris Plains.

John Velazquez with Drew Blind
Gabrielle Trinker with Drew Blind
Abby Mahoney with Drew Blind
Alexander Masi with Drew Blind

The 200 Club Awarded Fifteen $5,000 Scholarships

By
Frank Cahill
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Amanda Cortright

MORRIS COUNTY — The 200 Club of Morris County announced that it will award fifteen $5,000 scholarships to high school seniors who are family members of first responders or training to become first responders.

The nonprofit continues to support local and state police, fire, and EMS personnel who protect the families in Morris County. Since 1971, The 200 Club has given more than $5 million to first responder families, either in the form of death benefits and dependent awards when a first responder dies in the line of duty or college scholarships to their family members.

“Every day, our first responders leave their homes and risk their own lives to protect our families,” said Jim Rizzo, president of The 200 Club of Morris County. “We believe we should stand up for their families. Our annual scholarship awards are part of the promise we make to those who care for us.”

The 200 Club of Morris County has provided more than $2.3 million in scholarships since 1996. To date, 682 scholarships have been awarded.

Matthew R. Mauro, Madison

The other recipients are:

Matthew R. Mauro, Madison

Amanda P. Cortright of Whippany

Rahul Makkena, Rahul Patel, and Rohan Savani, of Parsippany

Priscilla Wong of Lake Hiawatha

Griffin G. Smolar, Montville

Kailey A. Pasquariello and Victoria E. Richards, both of Lake Hopatcong

Evangeline A. Veletto, Long Valley

Alexis M. Caffrey of Montague

Maya E. Slaughter of Morristown

Emily E. Schmidt, Oak Ridge

Rachel D. Delaney of Kinnelon

Walker Heller, Washington

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Morris Focus was founded in 2017 and is published in print and online formats. Its mission is to provide timely and accurate news coverage to Morris County residents and promote community engagement and involvement. The newspaper covers various topics, including local government, education, business, and sports. We can be reached by calling (973) 559-6000—a member of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce and the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.

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