MORRIS COUNTY — As part of an ongoing effort to strengthen ties with the New Jersey’s Indian community and in recognition of India’s longstanding global peace initiatives, Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) has introduced legislation urging the United Nations to seat India as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

“As the largest democracy in the world, India has proven to be a worthy partner in our efforts to maintain peace and security throughout the globe. The United Nations Security Council was established with this noble goal in mind. It’s time for the Council to recognize what the U.S. has long held to be true: that India is one of our strongest allies in that fight,” Senator Pennacchio said. “We have reaped the rewards of this international friendship in New Jersey, where more and more Indian-Americans continue to grow and prosper in the land they now call home.

“I urge the UN Security Council to honor this bond of friendship, by immediately instating India as a permanent member of the council. We cannot continue to take their military and economic contributions for granted. India is certainly deserving of a seat at the table.”

The United Nations Security Council is currently composed of 15 members. The five permanent members include: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. There are also 10 non-permanent members, with nonconsecutive two-year terms, that are elected on a regional basis.

Although India has been a member of the United Nations since the UN’s inception in 1945, India has only served as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for seven terms. This is despite the fact that nation has been a strong participant in many multilateral international and regional organizations, such as the G20 Summit and the World Trade Organization.

With more than 1. 3 billion citizens, India represents one-sixth of the global population. India has the second largest military and the second largest labor force. They are also one of the fastest-growing major economies worldwide.

The Trump Administration expressed its support of making India a permanent member of the UN SEC as recently as last September.

Senator Pennacchio’s resolution, SR-114, is also sponsored by fellow Senate Republican, Senator Sam Thompson (R-12), a longtime advocate for Indian-Americans in New Jersey.

“The New York-New Jersey metro area is home to the largest concentration of Indians in the United States, making our State Legislature an appropriate advocate for granting India a seat on the UN Security Council,” Senator Thompson noted. “The nuclear challenges we are facing from abroad, and the tenuous circumstances in the Middle East, mandate that the United States maintain strong, strategic partnerships with allies that are loyal and committed to our cause. We cannot continue to address these challenges on a united, global scale without establishing India as a permanent member of the Security Council. For the sake of our world and the health and welfare of future generations, I hope that the U.N. heeds our call to action immediately.”

The resolution has also received the support of the Consul General of India.

“As an organization, the United Nations must evolve and adapt itself to a rapidly changing environment and to serve better the needs of the world community,” Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India, said. “It is India’s belief that no reform of the United Nations is complete without the composition of the Security Council changing to reflect contemporary realities of the 21st century. This requires expansion in the membership of the Security Council in both the permanent and non – permanent categories. By any objective criteria, such as population, territorial size, GDP, economic potential, civilizational legacy, cultural diversity, political system and past and ongoing contributions to the activities of the UN — especially to UN peacekeeping operations — India is eminently qualified for permanent membership. India has affirmed its willingness and capacity to shoulder the responsibilities of permanent membership.”

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Board of Freeholders introduced a $1.2 million ordinance for the rehabilitation of space at the county’s Central Avenue Complex in Parsippany to create new and expanded quarters for children who attend the Head Start Community Program of Morris County in the Morristown region.

The new facility would double Head Start’s capacity in this area, allowing it to accommodate additional underprivileged children in the program, which currently operates in space provided by the county, for a minimal annual fee, at its Morris View building in Morris Township.

The Freeholder Board should consider final adoption of the ordinance at its February 27 meeting, which could lead to a bidding process for the construction project by late March or early April. The new center likely would open in late 2019 or early 2020.

“Head Start offers a very important services to some of Morris County’s most in need children and families,” said Morris County Freeholder Director Doug Cabana. “We have been working closely with Head Start so we can improve their space and offer this important program to even more of our Morris County children.”

“Head Start is very grateful for our longstanding partnership with Morris County, which enables us to provide life-changing services for the area’s most vulnerable children and families,” said Head Start of Morris County Executive Director Susan O’Donnell.  “This project leverages county, state and federal resources that work together to break the cycle of poverty for the neediest families in our community,” she added.

O’Donnell explained that with the opening of this new Head Start facility in the county’s Central Avenue Complex, twice as many families in the general Morristown area would be able to access free early childhood programs.

These families also could connect to a wide array of human services available at the same location.

Financing approved by the Board of Freeholders for the construction work is a loan to Head Start, which would reimburse county taxpayers for the project.

The county and Head Start will negotiate an annual lease for the new space. Head Start now pays the county just $8,000 annually for its Morris View location.

Since 2005, Head Start has leased space from the county to provide services for preschoolers from low-income families in the Morristown area. It currently occupies three classrooms in a second-floor wing of the Morris View Healthcare Center, in addition to the program’s main site in Dover.

The new facility would serve 90 preschoolers, including children with special needs. Free, full-day preschool services would be offered through a Federal Head Start grant and a preschool education expansion aid collaboration with the Morris School District.

Wrap-around childcare and summer programming also is planned to support working parents.

The mission of Head Start Community Program of Morris County, founded in 1965, is to partner with families to provide comprehensive support for child development and school readiness, from prenatal through kindergarten ages, for the community’s most vulnerable children.

The organization serves 245 families countywide, providing free programs for expectant mothers, infants, toddlers and preschoolers in Morris County. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to the ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage of each child and family.

The agency’s early childhood programs have achieved 4-star quality ratings through Grow NJ Kids, the state’s quality rating system for early care and education programs.

Information about services is available by calling Head Start at (973) 989-1430, or through the organization’s website by clicking here.

PARSIPPANY — With more than 1.3 million drones registered with the FAA and possibly as many unregistered, the potential for criminals or terrorists to arm an unmanned aircraft and use it to threaten, injure, or kill people is sky high.

That danger was realized by Assemblyman Jay Webber, who sponsors legislation (A1739) criminalizing weaponized drones.  It unanimously passed the Assembly Homeland Security Committee today.

“This is a situation where the law should keep pace with the technology,” said Webber (R-Morris). “While recreational drones have many harmless and fun uses, a weaponized drone in the wrong hands is just plain dangerous.  The U.S. military has had great success with pilotless planes on the battlefield. The potential grows for bad guys using armed drones to turn a crowded event into a crime scene, and our law should be updated to deter and punish the weaponizing of drones.”

The bill prohibits unmanned aircraft mounted with explosives, firearms, or projectiles that could injure or kill.  Violations are punishable with fines of $10,000 and 18 months in prison.