MORRIS COUNTY — County College of Morris (CCM) alumni have another reason to celebrate. Along with being ranked #1 in New Jersey four years in a row based on their earnings, CCM ranked 44 out of over 1,100 community colleges in the U.S. for alumni who earn the best salaries, as reported by Newsweek in“Community Colleges Whose Graduates Earn the Most Money.” By attending CCM, students can receive a free or very affordable higher education and be amongst the highest paid employees in the nation. As noted in the Newsweek article, considering time spent, financial cost and earning potential, community colleges that offer programs on the forefront of career development are “the most viable financial option for many.”
“These reports confirm the value and high ROI of a CCM education,” remarked Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, president of CCM. “We’re proud of the success of our alumni and to be recognized for the high-quality, career-focused programs and services CCM provides so students can reach their potential, earn good salaries and make a positive impact in their workplace and communities.”
To learn more about enrolling in one of CCM’s degree, certificate or training programs that translate into better salaries click here or email [email protected] or call (973) 328-5100.
MORRIS COUNTY — The cancellation of Assembly committees for the third time this month is facing criticism from Assemblyman Brian Bergen.
“All business is halted because people of the same party can’t get their act together,” said Bergen (R-Morris). “It’s embarrassing.”
Early Thursday morning five Assembly committees were cancelled the day after a Senate Judiciary Committee was also cancelled for a second straight day over a disagreement between Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders on underage penalties for marijuana use.
Committees were also cancelled on February 8 and Wednesday’s meetings were moved to Monday next week all to buy Democrats more time to come to an agreement.
“It should not be lost on anybody that the marijuana legalization fiasco represents the clear fact that Democrats are failing to help people because politics is their priority,” continued Bergen. “This isn’t a policy disagreement. This is a lack of leadership.”
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Clerk Ann F. Grossi, Esq. presents the 2021 Morris County Manual Cover Contest Award Ceremony. County Clerk Grossi states, “We would like to thank all of the students, teachers, and judges that participated in this year’s cover contest. We are happy to present our top three winners and look forward to hosting the 2022 Manual Cover Contest as well.”
• First Place, Conner Everett, Morris Catholic High School: $500 Scholarship
• Second Place, Ariana Eschrich, Morris Hills High School: $200 Scholarship
• Third Place, Alessandra Dotzman, Morris Catholic High School: $100 Scholarship
The Morris County Manual is published annually by the Office of the Morris County Clerk and is used extensively as a resource by government officials and county residents. Our earliest records indicate that the manual was established by the Morris County Clerk’s Office in 1906. Each year the Morris County Clerk’s Office hosts a competition where Morris County high school students can submit their artwork for judging.
This year we received hundreds of submissions from high schools throughout the county. The top winners’ pictures and artworks will also appear on the back cover of this year’s manual. These awards are offered to participants in order to encourage students to pursue their dreams. We hope the competition allows high school students to express themselves artistically and encourage a creative mindset.
Please be sure to follow our social media accounts in order to receive information on how to participate in next year’s cover contest.
MORRIS COUNTY — Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey continues to expand its free virtual offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic, as two foundations support the nonprofit’s outreach efforts.
VLANJ’s winter 2021 session offers 13 weekly Beyond Sight wellness classes that run through April 9, plus several shorter skills training and enrichment opportunities for adults with vision loss.
“The pandemic only heightened feelings of isolation for people with vision loss, but our virtual classes give them access to information, wellness opportunities, and each other,” VLANJ Program Director Elsa Zavoda said.
The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation awarded VLANJ $15,000 to run the virtual programs on Zoom, the popular video conferencing service. The Grotta Fund for Senior Care, which funded VLANJ’s fall 2020 virtual programming, awarded VLANJ another nearly $10,000 to help keep it going in 2021.
“We’re so grateful to the foundations for helping us remove barriers so people with vision loss can access programs and interact with peers and our professional staff,” Zavoda said. The grants allow VLANJ to run online classes, support groups, and educational and enrichment programs at no charge to adults with vision loss.
Grotta Fund Executive Director Renie Cariol applauded VLANJ in the fall for serving “an at-risk population with opportunities for physical and mental wellness and social connectedness, and to learn technology.”
Two hundred people registered for at least one virtual offering, and most are taking two or more, Zavoda said. “We’re able to serve a lot more people than we ever had,” she said, noting former participants living in distant counties and out of state, homebound seniors, and people lacking transportation are able to participate. Enrollment in VLANJ programs has tripled since they went virtual.
“All these Zoom classes have helped keep me sane. They keep my body and my brain active,” said Delores ‘Dee’ Eliassen, who’d had to give up driving due to her deteriorating vision last February. The 76-year-old widow takes eight VLANJ virtual classes a week.
Healing Rhythms is a new evening class that incorporates elements of neuropsychology, music therapy, neurology, and other mental wellness interventions. Favorites like Now & Zen yoga, Fitness Fun with Joannie, and Inquiring Minds are all back. Click vlanj.org/program-schedule to see the winter schedule and a description of each class.
One new monthly program is STRIVE (Strength Through Relationships, Insights, Values, Education), designed to provide information and guidance to people with vision loss, as well as sighted people who are helping someone who has lost sight. STRIVE is held the second Wednesday of each month. The popular Tech Talks webinar series runs the fourth Wednesday of each month, addressing issues such as smart technology, shopping apps, and an introduction to screen reader technology.
Living Independently For Tomorrow (LIFT), which began Feb. 3, is a virtual version of VLANJ’s effective in-person Essential Low Vision course. LIFT provides basic training in daily life activities over four weeks. The 90-minute sessions cover kitchen safety and organization; orientation and mobility; optical aids, lighting, and contrast; and simple solutions for managing money, medications, and writing. LIFT will be offered every other month throughout the year, Zavoda said.
Also back is the Technology Learning Lab, which focuses on computer skills that can help participants gain employment. The five students currently enrolled receive four hours a week of one-on-one training in Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, using JAWS, a screen reader, or Fusion, a combination screen reader and text magnifier.
While VLANJ plans to resume in-person programs once the coronavirus is no longer a risk, virtual classes will continue as a means to serve people who cannot get to VLANJ, Zavoda said. Transportation has long been a challenge for people with vision loss, she noted. For more information about enrolling or supporting VLANJ, contact VLANJ Senior Program Manager Linda Groszew at [email protected] or (973) 627-0055, ext.1312.
The National Eye Institute projects the number of people with visual impairment or blindness in the U.S. will double to more than 8 million by 2050. Started in 1943, VLANJ is one of the state’s longest-serving nonprofits for adults who are blind or visually impaired. The organization builds participants’ independence and confidence and creates a space for friendships to flourish. VLANJ also educates the wider community about the challenges of vision loss and how sighted people can serve as advocates. For more information click here.
MORRIS COUNTY — James Madison University is pleased to announce that the following students made the dean’s list for the fall 2020 semester.
Katherine Antmann of Madison, who is majoring in undeclared.
Olivia Bucciarelli of Parsippany, who is majoring in engineering.
Gabrielle Christie of Madison, who is majoring in political science.
Alison Padula of East Hanover, who is majoring in marketing.
Jennifer Scavone of Madison, who is majoring in media arts and design.
Madeleine Stein of Madison, who is majoring in health sciences.
Jordyn Sterkel of Madison, who is majoring in kinesiology.
Martina Wulf of East Hanover, who is majoring in health sciences.
Established in 1908, James Madison University is a community of 22,000 students and 4,000 faculty and staff, nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. JMU offers 124-degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels keep classes small with a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and have the highest six-year graduation rate among its peer institutions at 84%. JMU is quickly gaining a national reputation and ranks as the most recommended university in the nation by students. As the No. 2 Best Public Regional University in the South, students enjoy unusually engaged relationships with world-class faculty, access to top-notch NCAA Division 1 athletics, and state-of-the art amenities. Once students graduate they join an esteemed network of around 140,000 Dukes across the globe, giving of their time, talent, and treasure to the university.
St. Vincent Martyr Church’s Father George Hundt (left) joins Troop 7 Boy Scouts and Pack 7 Cub Scouts along with their families at Summerhill Park to celebrate Scout Sunday. Photo by Grace Diao
MADISON — Madison BSA Troop 7 and Madison Cub Scout Pack 7 celebrated Scout Sunday at Summerhill Park last Saturday, February 6 with a campfire prayer service organized by its chartered organization, St. Vincent Martyr Church. Over the course of the afternoon, nearly forty Scouts and their parents built campfires, cooked their meals, enjoyed the park, and prayed together.
The campfires were the center of lots of activities. Scouts played in the snow, hiked the trails, and enjoyed the cold sunny day. The Boy Scouts set up an “ax yard,” a roped-off area where experienced Scouts supervised younger Scouts in how to safely use an ax to chop firewood.
Everyone gathered around the fire for the prayer service. Father George Hundt, Pastor of St. Vincent Martyr Church, led the group in the Lord’s Prayer, and reflections on the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. The Scout Oath is:
On my honor, I will do my best
to do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
to help other people at all times;
to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
The Scout Law is: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
Troop 7 Boy Scout Greg Brown and Pack 7 Cub Scout Jeffrey Brown also performed a skit that explained what each part of the Lord’s Prayer means.
With supervision from adult leaders, Cub Scouts started the campfires, and Cub Scouts and their family members cooked their lunches. Later, Boy Scouts took responsibility for maintaining the fires, cooked dinner, and put out the fires, making sure the area was safe and clean when they were done.
Scout Sunday is an annual event to celebrate the birthday of Scouting which dates back to 1908 and where Scouts reaffirm the Scout Oath.
Pack 7 and Troop 7 hold weekly meetings on Mondays on the grounds of St. Vincent Martyr Catholic Church in Madison. Information about Troop 7 is available online by clicking here, and young men ages 11-18 are welcome to observe a meeting or join at any time. Pack 7 serves younger boys in kindergarten through grade 5. Information about joining Pack 7 is available by clicking here.
This article was written by Patrick Roberts, Troop 7 Scribe
PARSIPPANY — After a day or two of digging out from two feet of snow, courtesy of mother nature, it was time for another Parsippany culinary adventure. Decided to try out a little Latino restaurant on Parsippany Road, El Rincón Colombiano – Latino, brought to my attention by another local foodie on social media. I planned on meeting a few friends for dinner, but first, since El Rincón is a BYOB, I decided to pick up some Modelo, a popular South American Cerveza, to compliment that region’s delicious cuisine.
Upon entering El Rincón, you notice that their self-described ambiance was right on the money.
El Rincón (translates to the corner) describes itself as a casual eatery serving tacos, arepas, rotisserie chicken, and other Latin staples in small, homey digs, serving homemade, authentic Colombian and Mexican food. Sounded good to me! This is that place that you pass by a hundred times and never notice that it is there; I know I have. With a few off-road parking spaces in front, (additional parking in the rear), and a very nondescript façade, the restaurant, unfortunately, seems to get lost among the rows of other small stores and eateries that line Parsippany Road. To be honest, the exterior does not exactly entice you in but do not let that stop you, it just might be the right time to put this one on your local food destination list.
Hostess Araceli with Patrick Minutillo
Family owned and operated by Arnulfo Gomez and opened in 2002, this is a well-established eatery in our township. According to our hostess, all the dishes at El Rincón are traditional and prepared just as you would have them south of the border. One of our group members has spent considerable time in Colombia and confirmed that. Unfortunately, Mr. Gomez, the owner, was not available during my visit, but our genuinely nice hostess, Araceli, was open and accommodating, answering all my probably annoying inquiries despite somewhat of a language barrier. Mostly Spanish spoken here. But not to worry, all the menu items are English-friendly, and the food speaks for itself. I would be remiss if I did not mention that El Rincón Colombiano does offer a wide and impressive selection of both Colombian and Mexican fare on their menu.
Bistec Encebollado
Upon entering El Rincón, you notice that their self-described ambiance was right on the money. Nothing flashy, small, casual, clean, light, and spacious, with a welcoming and comfortable vibe. The simple and no-frills décor, upfront counter with a colorful menu displays overhead, Colombian, and Mexican artifacts adorning the walls, and simple table settings, are basically what one would expect in this type of authentic, traditional, ethnic establishment, tables are aligned along the walls for those who choose to dine in, and all required pandemic rules are adhered to. Our group was warmly greeted upon our arrival by our, smiling, amiable, and attentive hostess, Araceli, who immediately made us feel at home.
Chicken Empanadas
Latino food is as complicated as it is interesting, it derives its complex flavors and cooking styles from various cultural influences, including Native American, African, European, and Asian. As it is in many other countries, the various dishes vary greatly from region to region. Fortunately, that leaves us with a wide range of delicious food selections to choose from, with new, exciting ingredients, and flavors with a South and Central American influence to entice your palate, which seems to be the focus of El Rincón. If luxurious, elegant, or romantic dining is what you are looking for, you might want to look elsewhere. This is not some Tex-Mex/South American chain-style restaurant either, this is real, traditional, home-made food. If it is tasty, healthy, hearty, and reasonably priced authentic Latino food you are after, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this might just be the place for you.
Bandeja Paisa
For Aperitivo’s we went with Chicken Empanadas for the group to share, which were delicious, fried to a nice crunchy, crispy, golden-brown crust, and filled with moist, juicy, shredded chicken, with a side of what I believe was a mildly spicy home-made Chimichurri sauce. Also, had the Chorizo con Arpita, a tasty, spicy, flavor-packed Spanish sausage with a nice smoky flavor, accompanied with a cornbread paddy (arepa); and Chicharrón; nicely seasoned, decadently delicious, crunchy, fried pork rinds, which offered a nice salty and succulent complement to the other dishes.
Arepas De Chicharron
For my entrée, I was anxious to try El Rincón’s signature dish, and probably the most popular and typical dish in Colombia, Bandeja Paisa (grilled steak, sausage, fried egg, fried pork, grinds, sweet plantain, avocado, rice & beans, with a salad). This nicely sized, perfectly prepared, proportioned, and the plated meal was delicious, packed with all sorts of great levels of flavor and texture. Everything from the properly seasoned and prepared, tender, savory marinated steak, the perfectly fried egg, the crunchy, salty Chicharrón, the sweetness of the plantain, creaminess of the avocado, to the rice and beans, it all came together perfectly to create a delicious, satisfying, and enjoyable dinner. By now, after the assortment of appetizers and this nice-sized entrée, I was done for the evening. Of course, I finished it all and enjoyed every bite.
Carne de Res A La Plancha
Others in my group ordered both the Bistec Encebollado (grilled steak with onions, rice, beans, sweet plantains, and salad), and Carne de Res A La Plancha (grilled steak, French fries, rice, plantain, and a salad). Everyone was equally pleased and impressed with their meals, overall comment was that the steaks were deliciously marinated, juicy, and tender. The Bistec Encebollado was covered with nice, caramelized onions and served with a portion of very fluffy white rice, served alongside a red bean gravy, which reportedly perfectly complemented the rest of the dish. Our group left satiated and happy at the end of the evening, promising to return soon.
I am glad to say that El Rincón Colombiano–Latino Restaurant seems to have hit the mark with its delicious, authentic food, generous portion sizes, its welcoming and hospitable service, pleasant and clean environment, and very reasonable prices. When you are up for a casual, satisfying, and filling breakfast, lunch, or dinner I would suggest stopping in and giving it a try. Buen Provecho!
Dine-In, Take Out, Delivery, BYOB, Parking Available (front and back), Catering.
Mondays to Saturday – 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Closed Sundays.
El Rincón Colombiano – Latino is located at 295 Parsippany Road, Parsippany.
MADISON — Grace McCulloch has been named to Purchase College’s Dean’s List for the fall 2020 semester. McCulloch is studying Acting.
To be eligible for the Dean’s List, students must carry a semester GPA of 3.5 for Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs and 3.75 for Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music Performance programs. They must take a minimum of 12 credits.
Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of 64 universities and colleges, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspiration for Purchase was to create a dynamic campus that combined conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences, in order to inspire an appreciation for both intellectual and artistic talents in all students.
Today, Purchase College-SUNY is a community of students, faculty, and friends where open-minded engagement with the creative process leads to a lifetime of intellectual growth and professional opportunity. For more information about the College click here.
MORRIS COUNTY —Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 222. The Order extends the Public Health Emergency that was declared on March 9, 2020, through Executive Order No. 103, which was previously extended in 2020 on April 7, May 6, June 4, July 2, August 1, August 27, September 25, October 24, November 22, and December 21, and again in 2021 on January 19. Under the Emergency Health Powers Act, a declared public health emergency expires after 30 days unless renewed.
“Extending the public health emergency allows the Department of Health to continue its vaccination efforts, including prioritizing high-risk individuals, promoting adequate staffing at vaccination sites, and overseeing second dose administration,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Today’s action gives us the ability to continue our ongoing COVID-19 mitigation efforts while also vaccinating New Jersey residents as quickly and safely as possible.”
Executive Order No. 222 extends all Executive Orders issued under the Governor’s authority under the Emergency Health Powers Act. It also extends all actions taken by any Executive Branch departments and agencies in response to the Public Health Emergency presented by the COVID-19 outbreak.
MORRIS COUNTY — Virtual Summer Camp Fair is NOW open to families for free registration. Held this Sunday, February 21, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Welcoming all families who looking for a safe and rewarding experience for their child.
Summer Camps are expected to re-open this summer whether it is an in-person, hybrid, or virtual camp. This day will be a FREE educational resource, guaranteed to give you LIVE face-to-face meetings with high-quality camps. You’ll find local New Jersey camps as well as camps from the surrounding Northeast region (PA, NY, CT) and travel camps beyond.
They will do the best to match you near you, as well as sleep-away camps, sports, adventure, travel, community service, academic, art, robotics, gymnastics, college prep, performing arts, language, nature, etc.
Upon registration, you will receive a ticket to enter the fair online on February 21. Expect to:
● meet LIVE with camp directors and staff
● see Camps In Action Videos
● read about, download information, and even apply for camp
● learn about Open Houses, camp promotions, early-bird discounts
● ask questions via LIVE CHAT
Our platform will be ready to connect you on February 21 at 10:00 a.m. Start planning for an amazing summer 2021!
For over 35 years, the NJ Camp Fairs and the ACA have been connecting kids to great camps. Please register by clicking here. Admission is free. For more information contact (973) 303-3027, or email [email protected].
The Morris County Manual is published annually by the Office of the Morris County Clerk and is used extensively as a resource by government officials and county residents. Our earliest records indicate that the manual was established by the Morris County Clerk’s Office in 1906. Each year the Morris County Clerk’s Office hosts a competition where Morris County high school students can submit their artwork for judging.
