MORRIS PLAINS — Christopher Langsdorf of Morris Plains was among 51 undergraduate and graduate students who received degrees from Lebanon Valley College in August.
Langsdorf, a graduate of Morristown High School, earned a bachelor of science degree in digital communications.
Lebanon Valley College, founded in 1866 in Annville, Pennsylvania, offers fifty majors across the health professions, sciences, education, business and digital media, and the arts and humanities, with an emphasis on hands-on learning, internships and research. The college enrolls about 1,600 undergraduate and more than 400 graduate students on its 370-acre campus.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — St. Thomas the Apostle Parish will hold a three-day rummage sale next month, with proceeds benefiting parish ministries and the church’s Hardship Fund, which supports community members in need.
The sale will run Friday, September 18, from noon to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, September 20, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 5635 Berkshire Valley Road in Oak Ridge.
Items for sale will include clothes, household goods, seasonal items, toys, tools, garden supplies, vintage finds, jewelry, small furniture and sports equipment.
Organizers are seeking donations, which can be dropped off after Mass through the time of the sale. The parish is accepting clothes, household items, seasonal decor, toys, tools, garden items, vintage pieces, jewelry, small furniture and sports equipment, but is not accepting televisions, electronics, or anything too large to fit in a small two-door car.
Volunteers are also needed to help sort, price, set up, staff and clean up after the sale.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — The Oak Ridge and West Milford Presbyterian Churches are launching a weekly Bingo Night, starting Friday, September 11, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and continuing every Friday.
The event will be held at Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church, 321 Oak Ridge Road in Oak Ridge.
Admission is $25 for ten bingo sheets, with six cards on each sheet. Players must be age 18 or older to participate.
MORRIS COUNTY — Assemblywoman Aura Dunn is the only New Jersey lawmaker elected to serve on the executive board of the Women’s Legislative Network of the National Conference of State Legislatures, a professional development organization for women state legislators from across the fifty states, territories and the District of Columbia.
Dunn will be one of two lawmakers representing the eastern United States as a regional member of the twenty-member executive board.
“It is an honor to be selected to elevate the voices and experiences of women legislators from the region in this national forum,” said Dunn, a Republican representing the Twenty-Fifth District, which includes parts of Morris County. “I look forward to bringing the New Jersey perspective to the Women’s Legislative Network executive board, learning from my colleagues, and empowering the future women leaders of state government.”
Board members serve one-year terms and are elected by the network’s membership at its annual meeting. Dunn has been an active member of the National Conference of State Legislatures since 2019.
MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Library will host a traveling exhibit and companion talk this month exploring the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton.
“Alexander Hamilton: Immigrant, Patriot, Visionary” opens at the library on Tuesday, September 1. The traveling exhibit explores the founding era through Hamilton, who played a central role in shaping the economic, constitutional, social, journalistic, political and foreign policy templates of modern America. Organizers note that Hamilton, an immigrant, statesman and innovative thinker, helped shape the country Americans live in more than two hundred years later.
A companion presentation, “The Schuyler Sisters & the Hamilton Musical,” follows on September 15 at the library. The talk examines the story of the four daughters of General Philip Schuyler, three of whom ran away to elope with wealthy men, while Elizabeth Schuyler instead married Alexander Hamilton, a penniless orphan immigrant, for love. The presentation explores whether that story is more complicated than it first appears.
Mayor Thomas Andes signed the closing documents to secure the property on Thursday, August 27
MORRIS COUNTY — One of the largest land preservation efforts in Denville’s history reached a major milestone as the township officially acquired the first 17 acres of the historic St. Francis property, marking the start of a permanent preservation effort covering nearly 50 acres.
Mayor Thomas Andes signed the closing documents to secure the property on Thursday, August 27. The newly acquired parcel, located at the corner of Diamond Spring Road and Pocono Road, is the first phase of a landmark acquisition intended to protect one of Denville’s most recognizable and historically significant properties from future development.
The township expects to complete the purchase of the remaining 33-acre parcel in October. That second phase includes the property’s historic barns, athletic fields and festival grounds, bringing the total preserved acreage to approximately 50 acres.
The acquisition was made possible through grants from the Morris County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, the New Jersey Green Acres Program and the Denville Open Space and Recreation Trust Fund.
“This is truly a once-in-a-generation achievement for our community,” Andes said. “Preserving a property of this size and importance in the center of Denville is an opportunity that may never come again. Thanks to our funding partners and the commitment of Denville residents to open space preservation, this remarkable property will remain a public asset to be enjoyed for generations to come.”
A Property With Deep History
The property’s significance in Denville’s history goes back more than 130 years. It was known as Rockaway Farms when it was part of the historic Glover estate, and was later associated with Jeremiah G. Hamilton, the prominent nineteenth-century Wall Street investor, and Louis Fenn Wadsworth, one of the “Forefathers of Baseball.” In the early twentieth century, the property became home to the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother and later the St. Francis Residential Community. For decades, the Pocono Road property and festival grounds hosted Saint Clare’s Hospital and St. Francis festivals.
Although most of the institutional buildings were demolished following the property’s sale in 2022, the historic barns, open fields, woodlands and scenic landscape remain. Township officials say the preservation effort is meant to ensure the historic landscape continues to serve the public rather than give way to development.
Beyond its historical value, the acquisition protects one of the township’s last remaining large open spaces, along with wildlife habitat, environmentally sensitive land and scenic views.
Township officials envision the property becoming a destination that blends conservation with recreation, including preserved athletic fields on the Pocono Road property, walking trails and passive recreation on the St. Francis property, and the eventual restoration of the historic barns as a potential future community center.
“This acquisition is more than preserving land,” Andes said. “It is about preserving Denville’s history, protecting our environment, expanding recreational opportunities, and creating a place where future generations can gather, celebrate, and enjoy everything that makes our township special.”
Andes also thanked Springpoint, Morris County and the State of New Jersey for their partnership in making the acquisition possible.
“This investment protects not only open space, but an important piece of Denville’s identity,” Andes said. “It is a legacy that today’s residents are preserving for tomorrow.”
FLORHAM PARK — Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP has announced that Owen J. Lipnick has joined the firm as a partner in its Commercial Litigation Practice Group.
Lipnick brings more than 20 years of experience representing clients in commercial, banking, consumer finance, real estate, unfair competition, employment, bankruptcy, insurance, corporate and partnership, fraud, and contract dispute matters. He has practiced in federal and state courts in both New Jersey and New York and has represented clients in arbitrations and administrative proceedings, including obtaining emergency injunctions to preserve clients’ businesses and securing favorable summary judgment rulings that resolved matters without trial. His clients have ranged from financial institutions, real estate developers and other large companies to individuals involved in shareholder disputes and other legal matters.
He is admitted to multiple bars in the state and federal courts of New Jersey and New York.
John E. Ursin, the firm’s managing partner, said Lipnick brings a wealth of complex litigation experience and is well respected by judges and adversaries alike, adding depth to the litigation department. Ursin also noted Lipnick’s standing in the community.
Beyond his legal practice, Lipnick is a past vice president of the Board of Trustees and finance committee chair of the Unity Charter School. He has organized fundraising projects supporting research into Sudden Unexplained Death in Children, and started his own nonprofit corporation focused on the cause. Before becoming a lawyer, he served as captain and number one singles player for the Rutgers University tennis team.
Lipnick earned his law degree from George Washington University and his bachelor’s degree in political science from Rutgers College. Before joining Schenck Price, he worked at law firms in Bergen and Essex counties, and spent several years as an assistant general counsel and vice president at JPMorgan Chase Bank, where he helped direct the bank’s mortgage litigation, with a focus on appellate matters, and defended the bank in various consumer finance cases.
Founded in Morristown in 1912, Schenck, Price, Smith & King is a full-service law firm with offices in northern New Jersey and Manhattan, now employing more than 80 attorneys serving businesses and individuals across a range of practice areas.
MHA ARRIVE Director Deanna Ackerman clinicians Kimberly Blewett, , Giulia Licitra. Andrea Hammerle
MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Board of County Commissioners marked the first anniversary of the countywide expansion of the ARRIVE Together program during a special presentation by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the Mental Health Association.
ARRIVE stands for “Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation.” Supported by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, the Morris County program was established in November 2023 through a partnership between the Prosecutor’s Office and the Mental Health Association.
The program pairs law enforcement officers with licensed Mental Health Association clinicians to help de-escalate situations when police respond to emergency calls involving people experiencing mental or behavioral health crises. Clinicians respond alongside or shortly after officers to assess the situation and connect individuals and their families with appropriate services. Follow-up outreach is also coordinated when an on-scene response isn’t possible.
As of August 5, more than 20,000 ARRIVE interactions have been recorded statewide, with Morris County accounting for 3,669 of them, the most of any county in New Jersey.
“ARRIVE Together has become an important partnership between law enforcement and mental health professionals, helping residents experiencing mental and behavioral health crises connect with appropriate care and services,” said Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said the partnership allows police responses to draw on clinicians who can offer counseling or mental health support as an alternative to relying solely on criminal justice measures. He credited Chief Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez and Mental Health Association ARRIVE Director Deanna Ackerman for leading the program locally, along with Mental Health Association CEO Bob Davison, Nadine Venezia and the organization’s clinicians. He also thanked Morris County Sheriff James Gannon and Morris County Police Chiefs Association President and Madison Police Chief John Miscia for welcoming the program into local departments.
From Pilot to Countywide
The program began in March 2024 with pilot efforts in eight municipalities: Morristown, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Madison, Montville, Denville, Parsippany-Troy Hills and Roxbury. Hanover and Randolph were added later that year, and the program expanded to most of Morris County by July 2025.
Rodriguez described one recent incident in which a clinician and two officers responded to a call involving a person threatening self-harm from a parking garage ledge, and were able to talk the individual down safely. In another case, a clinician helped a police stop involving an autistic driver end peacefully by helping the driver process the situation, avoiding the need for officers to forcibly remove him from his vehicle. Clinicians have also provided support following traumatic incidents, including counseling for a group of young lifeguards who were unable to save a swimmer, and have assisted with cases involving substance use, family issues, domestic violence, grief counseling and connecting residents with community resources.
Miscia said use of force during mental health calls has declined significantly since the program’s implementation, and thanked the clinicians and participating agencies for their collaboration.
Davison said the Mental Health Association and law enforcement partners respond together and evaluate each case individually to connect people with the services and support they need. Gannon called the program an example of effective public-private partnership, noting that officers and emergency room staff once had few resources to draw on when responding to people affected by mental health crises.
The Prosecutor’s Office and Mental Health Association also support the ARRIVE Critical Incident Model, which provides access to a qualified mental health professional around the clock for certain high-risk incidents requiring medical or mental health intervention.
Following the presentation, Director Shaw presented two framed Resolutions of Honor to members of the Prosecutor’s Office and Mental Health Association on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners in recognition of the program’s first year of countywide operation.
MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris Choral Society is calling for singers to join the ensemble ahead of its upcoming holiday program.
The group performs all forms of choral music, including works by composers such as Handel, Orff, Verdi, Poulenc, Brahms and Vaughan Williams. Its next program, titled “Home for the Holidays Goes to the Movies,” will be held at two locations over a weekend in December: 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 11, at Assumption Church in Morristown, and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 13, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Morris Plains.
The group is open by audition and attracts members of all ages and backgrounds. Interested singers should attend a rehearsal on September 14, 21, or 28, at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 131 Mountain Way in Morris Plains. For questions or to arrange an audition, call (973) 723-6424.
MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation requiring data centers to disclose their water and energy use during an event Thursday morning at the South Brunswick Public Library auditorium, completing a four-part data center plan she first outlined in May.
The event, framed around a theme of giving power back to communities, brought the statewide debate over rapidly expanding data center development directly to South Brunswick, a township where the issue is not theoretical. Mayor Charlie Carley said during the event that two data centers have operated in the township for decades, while a newer data center development reflects the changing landscape facing municipalities across the state.
“Decisions about the future of our communities should be made here, not in boardrooms or backrooms in Silicon Valley,” Sherrill said. “We don’t have to choose between innovation and accountability, and we won’t.”
Four Guardrails Now in Place
Sherrill first announced the state’s data center strategy on May 27, describing four priorities: requiring data centers to pay their fair share of energy and infrastructure costs, increasing transparency, helping municipalities secure community benefits, and creating good-paying jobs. Two of those priorities have now been enacted through legislation.
The first, the Data Center Fair Share law, was signed July 7. It establishes a separate electricity rate structure for large data centers so that residential and other utility customers are not left subsidizing the power and grid infrastructure needed to serve them. Utilities must develop rules assigning data-center-related costs directly to those customers, with financial protections in place in case a project ultimately uses less electricity than expected.
The second measure, signed Thursday, requires data center owners and operators in New Jersey to report their water and energy usage to the state Board of Public Utilities every six months. The reports must detail total energy consumption, electricity used by information technology equipment, on-site power supplies, total water use, and where that water comes from. The reporting requirement runs for three years initially, after which the board can decide whether to make it permanent.
Sherrill said residents deserve that information before large developments move forward. Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, a sponsor of the legislation, said municipalities have too often had to evaluate major projects using information supplied mainly by the developers themselves. Assemblyman Michael Venezia, an Assembly sponsor, said the consistent reporting will give state and local government a clearer picture of the industry’s demands.
Community Benefits and Labor Standards
The third piece of the plan centers on Community Benefits Agreements, which allow municipalities to negotiate legally binding terms with developers to address local impacts and secure benefits for their communities. Rather than new legislation, the state implemented this piece through guidance from the Department of Community Affairs and a new Data Center Municipal Resource Hub launched by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which offers municipalities technical assistance on grid and interconnection filings, water use projections, tax impact estimates, and benefits agreement terms.
The fourth priority addresses labor standards. The administration has issued guidance calling for prevailing wages on qualifying data center construction projects and encouraging project labor agreements on larger developments.
No Statewide Moratorium
Much of the question-and-answer portion of the event focused on whether New Jersey should go further and pause large data center development statewide, an approach New York has taken with a one-year moratorium on certain projects. Sherrill rejected that idea, saying municipalities already have the authority to make their own decisions and, if they choose, impose their own local restrictions. She said some towns with large industrial areas may see data centers as a good fit, while others may not.
Sherrill said there is no single statewide threshold for acceptable water or electricity use, since conditions vary by community, and that those questions need to be worked out during project review and negotiation, followed by state oversight to ensure developers follow through on their commitments.
Allison McLeod, interim executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, said transparency is essential for officials to understand the industry’s effect on electricity, water, and the environment, and that families and small businesses should not have to absorb higher energy costs created by some of the world’s largest electricity consumers.
