Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
DOVER — A 38-year-old Dover woman was charged with assault by auto and driving while intoxicated after police said she struck a parked vehicle that was pushed onto the sidewalk and hit a pedestrian, then drove away from the scene early Sunday, September 20.
At approximately 1:57 a.m., Dover police were dispatched to a hit-and-run crash near 6 South Warren Street. According to the crash report, Raquel L. Orama was driving a blue 2004 Lexus GX west on West Blackwell Street and was turning left onto South Warren Street when her vehicle struck a parked 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The impact pushed the Jeep partially onto the sidewalk, where it struck a 30-year-old Mine Hill man who was walking. A third parked vehicle, a 2015 Jeep Compass, sustained minor front-end damage. The Lexus’s airbags deployed, and the vehicle left the scene.
The injured pedestrian was transported to St. Clares Dover.
Officers later located the Lexus on Franklin Road near Washington Place with heavy front-end damage that left it inoperable. Orama was sitting in the driver’s seat.
According to the report, Orama told officers she had three beers at a bar on East Blackwell Street and had taken an over-the-counter pain reliever before driving. She told police her foot may have gotten stuck on the accelerator while making the turn and that she panicked and left after the crash. She said she believed she had only struck one vehicle and told officers she had never been involved in a crash before; police later determined she had been the driver in two prior crashes.
Officer German Liranzo administered standardized field sobriety tests. According to police, Orama swayed throughout the testing, lost her balance during instructions, stepped off the line, missed heel-to-toe steps, used her arms for balance and put her foot down several times during the One-Leg-Stand test.
Officer Renzo Guzman placed her under arrest. A search of her vehicle turned up an unopened can of beer. She was transported to police headquarters, where an Alcotest recorded a blood alcohol content of 0.13 percent, above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Orama was charged with the following:
Assault by Auto (N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1c(2))
Driving While Intoxicated (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50)
Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Personal Injury (N.J.S.A. 39:4-129a)
Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Property Damage (N.J.S.A. 39:4-129b)
She was released to a family member, who signed the responsible party form. She is scheduled to appear in Morris County Superior Court on Wednesday, October 14, on the assault by auto charge.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Photo for illustration purposes only. The actual incident may not reflect the photo.
DOVER — A 21-year-old Dover man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated early Sunday, August 30, after a traffic stop on Livingston Avenue, according to Dover police.
At approximately 2:26 a.m., Sergeant Joseph Dodd conducted a motor vehicle stop of a gray 2009 Honda Civic in the area of Livingston Avenue. Officer Ulises Corona responded to assist, and Officer Rubens Moreau was also on scene.
Officer Corona identified the driver as Olvin D. Martinez Hernandez, 21, of Dover. According to the report, Martinez Hernandez admitted he had been driving, and Officer Corona detected the odor of alcohol. Police said he walked staggeringly and slowly while leaning for balance.
Officer Moreau administered the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, and Officer Corona then conducted the Walk and Turn and One-Leg-Stand tests. According to police, Martinez Hernandez stumbled, took more steps than instructed, did not count his steps out loud, failed to turn as instructed and raised his arms for balance. During the One-Leg-Stand test, police said he failed to count properly and leaned to his left. Officer Corona stopped the test and placed him under arrest.
A search of his person and the vehicle for contraband was negative. The vehicle was impounded by Bunky’s Towing, and Martinez Hernandez was transported to police headquarters for processing.
At headquarters, Martinez Hernandez agreed to provide breath samples. Following a 20-minute observation period, the Alcotest instrument recorded a blood alcohol content of 0.23 percent, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Martinez Hernandez was charged with the following motor vehicle offenses:
Driving While Intoxicated (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50)
Driving While License or Registration Suspended or Revoked (N.J.S.A. 39:3-40)
Reckless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-96)
Careless Driving (N.J.S.A. 39:4-97)
Obstructing Passage of Other Vehicles (N.J.S.A. 39:4-67)
He was released to a family member after signing the required liability warning.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Kiwanis Club of Jefferson Township members Donna Vander Ploeg, Christine Mercado and Kate Segear with shopping carts full of food collected at the Acme in Oak Ridge for the New Hope Food Pantry.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Members of the Kiwanis Club of Jefferson Township conducted a food collection at the Acme on Berkshire Valley Road in Oak Ridge on Sunday, October 4, to benefit the New Hope Food Pantry.
Throughout the day, Kiwanis members greeted shoppers and invited them to pick up an extra item or two for neighbors in need. Donations of nonperishable food and household essentials were collected and delivered to the pantry to help keep its shelves stocked as the colder months approach.
The New Hope Food Pantry at Milton United Methodist Church offers food distribution two times a month for families in need in the community. The church is located at 316 Dover-Milton Road, Oak Ridge.
The food collection is one of many hands-on service projects the Kiwanis Club of Jefferson Township has taken on since organizing in January. Even before its official start, members were donating winter jackets and toys for local families. Last month, the club was recognized at the New Jersey District Kiwanis Convention as the number one new club in the United States for achieving the highest number of member registrations at its organizational meeting.
Kiwanis International’s mission is to empower communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children. Kiwanis clubs bring together neighbors who want to give back through service projects, youth programs and fundraising efforts that support local families, schools and charities. Members also build lasting friendships while working side by side to strengthen their hometown.
The Kiwanis Club of Jefferson Township welcomes new members of all ages and backgrounds. There is no special experience required, only a desire to help others. Whether you can give a few hours a month or want to take a leading role in planning projects, there is a place for you in Kiwanis.
Shopping carts filled with cereal, canned goods, peanut butter, pasta sauce and other groceries collected by the Kiwanis Club of Jefferson Township at the Acme in Oak Ridge on Sunday, October 4, for the New Hope Food Pantry.
Residents interested in getting involved or joining the Kiwanis Club of Jefferson Township are encouraged to email [email protected] or call Kate at (973) 879-8928.
MADISON — The Madison Rotary Club hosted a Peace Pole Dedication Ceremony on the International Day of Peace, which was Monday, September 21. The ceremony took place at James Park, on the Park Avenue side of the train tracks.
A Peace Pole is a monument that displays the message “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in the language of the country where it is placed. The Madison pole displays this message in seven additional languages (plus Braille) that club members felt were meaningful to the Madison area.
The message is referred to as an affirmation of peace, and its placement furthers Rotary’s goal of building a culture of peace throughout the world.
The message was authored by the late Masahisa Goi of Japan after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There are more than 250,000 Peace Poles throughout the world.
Rose House residents Rachel and Billy welcomed Nicky’s Firehouse patrons at a previous dine-to-donate event. Photo courtesy of Rose House.
MADISON — Nicky’s Firehouse Pizzeria & Restaurant will donate 10 percent of its sales on Wednesday, October 21, to Rose House, a nonprofit organization that creates homes for individuals with special needs throughout Morris County.
The fourth annual “Rose House at the Firehouse” event will be held from 11:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Takeout and delivery orders will be included, and outdoor seating will be available, weather permitting.
“The past three dine-to-donate events at Nicky’s Firehouse have raised a total of $1,400,” said Rose House Chief Executive Officer Tom Mitchell. “This act of kindness and generosity from the restaurant and community has helped us expand housing opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, and we can’t thank everyone enough.”
All proceeds from this year’s fundraiser will go to Rose House’s “Forever Home Project,” its capital campaign to build a new, affordable housing complex for adults with special needs in Chester Township. Expected to be completed next year, the complex will provide safe housing for an additional 12 individuals and will be the organization’s seventh forever home in Morris County.
Nicky’s Firehouse Pizzeria & Restaurant is located at 15 Central Avenue. For more information, click here.
The Sleepdemic Solution: The 7-Day Reset to Fix Your Sleep, Restore Your Metabolism and Lose Weight Without Fighting Your Body, by Erin Palinski-Wade, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist.
After nearly two decades helping people improve their nutrition, blood sugar and metabolic health, New Jersey registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade noticed one factor was frequently missing from the conversation: sleep.
That observation became the foundation for her newest book, The Sleepdemic Solution: The 7-Day Reset to Fix Your Sleep, Restore Your Metabolism, and Lose Weight Without Fighting Your Body, released Tuesday, September 15.
“We tend to think of sleep and nutrition as completely separate parts of health, but they constantly influence one another,” said Palinski-Wade. “When you don’t sleep well, it can impact hunger, cravings, blood sugar, energy and even how easy or difficult it feels to make healthy choices the next day.”
Rather than introducing another restrictive diet, Palinski-Wade’s approach focuses on helping readers work with the body’s natural rhythms. The book introduces her SLEEP System, which addresses meal timing, light exposure, foods that support melatonin, blood sugar and energy balance, and preparing the body for restorative sleep.
Palinski-Wade is a nationally recognized registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, bestselling author and TEDx speaker. Her expertise has been featured by national media outlets including Good Morning America, Today, The New York Times, USA Today and TIME.
“There’s so much frustration around weight and metabolism,” she said. “I want people to understand that the answer isn’t always trying harder or restricting more. Sometimes we need to look at what the body is missing. And what is often missing is sleep.”
The Sleepdemic Solution is available at book retailers nationwide in paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook formats. For more information, click here.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Isabella Florio has joined Newmark Associates, CRE, one of New Jersey’s leading commercial real estate brokerage firms. Florio brings a background in commercial real estate research and finance, along with experience analyzing industrial markets, serving clients in fast-paced hospitality environments, and developing digital marketing and promotional content. She will serve clients in Morris County and the surrounding markets, as well as Monmouth County.
Florio began her real estate career as a summer intern on Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Portfolio Solutions team, where she used platforms such as CoStar to research and analyze industrial locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. She gained further exposure to the industry by shadowing commercial real estate professionals at Cushman & Wakefield in Midtown Manhattan and at CBRE in Monmouth County.
Prior to joining Newmark Associates, Florio honed her communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills in the hospitality industry, thriving in client-focused roles at a restaurant and entertainment venue. There she also gained hands-on experience in content creation, social media marketing, and promotional strategy – skills she now applies to connecting with clients and marketing properties.
“Isabella combines strong analytical training with a genuine talent for building relationships. We are excited to welcome her to the team and look forward to the fresh perspective she will bring to our clients,” said Nancy Glick, Chief Operating Officer of Newmark Associates.
Florio holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Real Estate from Monmouth University’s Leon Hess Business School and Kislak Real Estate Institute, where she received the Leon Hess Business School Academic Achievement Award in Finance and Real Estate. She holds a New Jersey Real Estate Salesperson license.
A native of East Hanover, Florio spent her childhood summers in Mantoloking and returned to the Jersey Shore during her years at Monmouth University, where she continues to spend time year-round. Outside of real estate, she enjoys singing, music, and event production, and plays volleyball.
Newmark Associates, CRE, located in Cedar Knolls, is certified as a woman-owned business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and is an affiliate of CRESDA (Commercial Real Estate Supplier Diversity Alliance), servicing the supplier diversity requirements of Fortune 100 companies across the country. Celebrating more than 35 years in the commercial real estate industry as one of the top brokerage companies in the state, Newmark Associates has been recognized repeatedly with awards by both NJBIZ magazine and the CoStar Commercial Real Estate organization. Newmark specializes in lease and sales transactions of office, industrial, retail, land, healthcare, and mixed-use properties.
Founded in 1804, with a history that includes federal forges, lumber and farming, ships’ anchors and circus showmen, Jefferson Township’s 45 square miles are also home to the George Chamberlain House and Miss Elizabeth’s Garden.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — The Jefferson Township Museum, “The George Chamberlain House,” and “Miss Elizabeth’s Shoppe” will be open for tours on Sunday, October 4, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The museum is open the first Sunday of each month from April to October, making this the final open house of the season.
This year the museum is featuring the exhibition “Deconstructed Foundations: Taking Apart War and Clothing in Jefferson 1775-1865,” in conjunction with the anniversary of the United States. The exhibit features the Colonial War and Civil War as they relate to the Township of Jefferson.
A special section of the exhibit focuses on the clothing of those eras, featuring outer and undergarments worn at those times. Many of the items on display are authentic, with some reproductions.
Period-dressed docents and guides will be available to help visitors through the exhibit. Miss Elizabeth’s Garden is labeled for self-guided tours.
Miss Elizabeth’s Shoppe, located in the original kitchen, will also be open during these hours, offering vintage and new items for sale. Proceeds from the shoppe fund the historical society’s yearly scholarships.
The museum is located at 315 Dover-Milton Road in the Historic Milton Village section of Jefferson Township.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Jefferson Township will hold a lien sale of properties for non-payment of taxes and other municipal charges, according to a public notice issued by Tax Collector Kathleen Hammond.
The sale will be held at public auction on Thursday, October 22, at 10:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers of the Jefferson Township Municipal Building, 1033 Weldon Road, Lake Hopatcong, or at such later time and place to which it may be adjourned.
A total of 78 parcels on which taxes, water, sewer and other municipal charges remain unpaid for 2025 and prior years will be exposed for lien sale, subject to New Jersey statute. Amounts owed range from $28.79 to $27,957.99, totaling $220,541.41. The properties will be sold subject to redemption at the lowest rate of interest, but in no case will the rate exceed 18 percent per year.
All persons wishing to participate in the sale must make full payment by cash, money order, certified check or bank cashier’s check prior to the conclusion of the sale.
Property owners may pay the amount due on any parcel by cash, money order, certified check or bank cashier’s check at any time before the sale, together with interest and costs incurred up to the time of payment, and the pending sale will be canceled. To avoid a lien being placed on their property, payment in certified funds must be made on or before Wednesday, October 21. Residents should contact the Tax Department for the amount to be paid.
Tax Assessor Raymond Tighe can be reached at (973) 208-6105 or by email at [email protected].
Industrial properties may be subject to the Spill Compensation and Control Act, the Water Pollution Control Act and the Industrial Site Recovery Act. In addition, the municipality is precluded from issuing a tax sale certificate to any prospective purchaser who is or may be in any way connected to the prior owner or operator of the site.
The township makes no representations as to the physical characteristics of the properties or the quality of title. Prospective purchasers with questions are advised to seek independent legal advice.
If a property owner is currently on active duty with the United States military or has served actively within the past six months, the Tax Collector should be notified immediately.
The Tax Lien Sale list is also posted on the township’s Legal Notice page under Tax Department. Click here to view the Tax/Utility Legal Notices. It is also posted on the Tax Department’s Lien Sale page. Click here to view the Tax Lien Sale page.
The properties listed for sale, the names of the persons assessed as owners and the total amounts due are as follows:
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Route 181 will be closed on Wednesday, October 7, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).
The roadway will be closed from 9:00 a.m. until about 5:00 p.m. between Route 15 and Prospect Point Road as the New Jersey Natural Gas project is set to be completed.
Motorists are advised to slow down and use caution when driving through the work zone.
The project’s precise timing is subject to change due to weather or other factors, NJDOT says.
