MORRIS COUNTY — Efforts by Assemblyman Jay Webber to reopen state parks and forests is gaining support across party lines and geographic areas.

An online petition that Webber posted on April 7 to rescind Governor Phil Murphy’s executive order to close all state parks had gathered more than 10,000 signatures as of Tuesday.

During an Assembly telephonic session Monday, Webber suggested at that state parks could reopen with reasonable limits that include abiding by social distancing protocols, keeping facilities like bathrooms and picnic shelters closed, banning non-New Jerseyans until the crisis is over or asking people to wear masks.

He noted that some Hudson County and Jersey City officials were also hoping to get Murphy to reverse his decision while neighboring states continue to keep their parks open.

“We are find ourselves as a real outlier in the county,” continued Webber. “The parks and forests remain open in all of our neighboring states.”

He noted that N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo waived all fees for state, local and county parks in March. Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut’s parks also remain open.

“We’re not asking for the parks and the forests in the state to be open without restrictions. What we’re asking for is to help craft a common-sense policy on our parks and forests,” said Webber (R-Morris). “We have 9 million residents in the most densely populated state in the Union and it simply can’t be that the safest number of residents who can use those parks, over a half million acres, is zero. There has to be a number between zero and 9 million that makes sense for the people of New Jersey.”

At the Assembly session, Webber moved to force a vote on his resolution (AR151), which he sponsors with 14 members of the Assembly, asking the governor to reopen all state parks and forests and county parks, but it was tabled by Democrats with a 52-27 vote.

MORRIS COUNTY — MPAC’s next Facebook Live concert will take place on April 17 at 12:30 pm, featuring vocalist Lauren Davidson. Davidson will perform for 20-30 minutes.

The concert can be viewed on MPAC’s facebook page by clicking here.

MPAC launched its Friday Facebook Live series on April 10 with a performance by the jazz duo Acute Inflections. MPAC plans to air a new live concert every Friday for the near future.  Concerts are recorded and can be viewed at later dates.

CMA artist Lauren Davidson is an NYC/NJ based urban country singer-songwriter with one powerful voice.  Since the age of ten, she has been performing professionally by putting her unique voice on display. Lauren comes from a musical family, singing and performing with her father since childhood and later writing songs together. She continues to co-write with him today in addition to other writers on the music scene.

Lauren is inspired daily by artists of many different genres of music including Contemporary Country, Rock, and Pop. She burst on to the country music scene and has become a popular and loved name where she has carved out a niche as an established singer-songwriter. Lauren frequently travels to Nashville and immerses herself in the music city scene as well as both an artist and a songwriter. She writes and collaborates with many writers in town and continues to play shows and share her music.

The country singer has opened for significant Country Music Acts such as Old Dominion, LOCASH, Carly Pearce and Justin Moore among many others. Lauren’s recent release “Ballads EP” has been exclusively featured on The Boot and she was named Nash FM 94.7’s Nash Next Top 10 finalist. Her single, “I’ll Drink To That,” was named the Digital Journal’s Top 5 Female Country Radio Singles in 2017. Lauren most recently sang the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden for the Sold Out 2019 PBR tour.

MORRIS COUNTY —  Morris County has risen to 3169 and increase of 487 cases since last report from Friday, April 10.

The figures reflect open COVID-19 positive cases as of the date and time indicated, not cases which have been closed, some cases which may be pending, or have yet to be entered into the system.

The County of Morris, in partnership with Atlantic Health, is offering drive-thru COVID-19 testing at the County College of Morris, Dover Chester Road, Randolph, NJ 07869, in parking lot 1. Testing is scheduled beginning 9:00 a.m. and is for Morris County residents only. There is no fee for the test.

To sign up for an appointment online click here for details.

The figures reflect COVID-19 positive cases as of the date and time indicated, some cases which may be pending, or have yet to be entered into the system.

Please note the following limitations and provisos related to the data above:

• COVID-19-related deaths are not included in this data. Visit the State of NJ COVID-19 Dashboard for a summary of death totals.
• Pursuant to HIPAA, specific identifying health information of persons testing positive or who have passed due to the virus will not be released.
• Data reflects COVID-19 positive cases on dates and times indicated; some cases may be pending and are not yet entered.
• Data may not include cases with incomplete or incorrect street addresses or PO boxes. Such cases require additional investigation by local health officials.
• Figures do not include persons under quarantine/isolation due to exposure and who have not tested positive.
• The numbers, especially higher numbers, do not necessarily reflect community spread in a specific town. Various factors may be related to high numbers, such as increased testing and facilities with high-risk populations.
• This data should not be used to gauge if heightened precautions are needed in specific towns. Social distancing, hand hygiene, and preventive steps must be followed at all times regardless of the number of cases in a municipality.

MORRIS COUNTY — The Legislature voted to approve a measure (S2342/A3915) sponsored by Assemblywomen Aura Dunn and Yvonne Lopez and Assemblyman Brian Bergen to allow nonprofit corporations to hold meetings in part, or solely, by means of remote communication during a state of emergency.

Dunn, who has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector working for Sesame Workshop (the nonprofit board for Sesame Street), Jump Start: Children First (an early education organization), and Morris Habitat for Humanity, said she was made aware of a law that treated for-profit and nonprofit corporations differently. For-profit corporations had already been afforded the ability to meet virtually, but there was no law extending that right to nonprofits.

“When the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey brought this lack of parity to my attention, I immediately authored this legislation to level the playing field,” said Dunn (R-Morris). “The truth of the matter is, nonprofits are doing the work of the people 24/7 during this crisis. My bill now prevents any unnecessary interruptions in the delivery of their services.”

The bill amends the New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act to remove the requirements that meetings be held in a physical location during a state of emergency. Under current law, meetings of members must be held in-person and there is no provision to allow members to participate remotely.

“Non-profit organizations are often times the backbone of our communities, whose collective efforts make a difference in the everyday lives of our residents,” said Lopez (D-Middlesex). “Every one of us, including these organizations, must find ways to continue to do work from a safe place, practicing social distancing and helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This small technical change in the law will aid organizations who continue to do their best to help those in need.”

During states of emergency, nonprofit corporation members participating remotely would be deemed present and allowed to vote.

“With the technology we have today, remote meetings are not only possible, but very practical,” said Bergen (R-Morris), a member of the VFW and American Legion. “It allows nonprofits to save money and time on reserving physical space and increases accessibility to these meetings. We have to keep up with the times and evolve under the current circumstances.”

If signed by the governor, the act would take effect immediately.

MORRIS COUNTY — County College of Morris (CCM) has received a $235,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the launch of a Data Science Certificate program.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there is a high demand for data scientists, whose work involves managing, analyzing and interpreting large sets of data. The BLS 2018 projections indicated that data science analytic jobs will grow by 34 percent by 2026, much faster than the average for most other industries.

The CCM Data Analytics Certificate will consist of five courses for a total of 15 credits that could be completed over the course of two semesters. Students in the program will learn R, Tableau, Python and SQL. The first course Introduction to Data Science will be offered this fall. One of the chief goals of the new program is to increase the number of women and other underrepresented students studying data analytics.

Kelly Fitzpatrick, assistant professor of mathematics at the college, has been spearheading the initiative to provide a pathway to data science careers for Morris County residents and beyond. Prior to joining the CCM faculty, Fitzpatrick worked in hedge fund management as an execution trader with Trigon Investment Advisors. Her other experience includes derivatives and equity strategy at MLC International and credit and global risk management at Lehman Brothers.

“Businesses across all industry sectors, both small and large, are increasingly looking for ways to leverage the era of big-data to make strategic, marketing, sales and other operational decisions,” notes Fitzpatrick. “This grant is a fantastic opportunity to offer students cutting-edge courses for in-demand careers and for the college to be recognized at the national level for advancement in data science education.”

The NSF grant includes funding to support the Women in STEM club at the college, networking and supplemental learning activities for students in the program, and professional development opportunities for faculty.

Individuals interested in the program, first need to apply to the college. Applications can be submitted online by clicking here.

The Admissions office also can be reached at [email protected] or (973) 328-5100.

MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy has signed Executive Order No. 123, extending grace periods during which certain insurance companies, including health insurers, life insurers, and property and casualty insurers, will not be able to cancel policies for nonpayment of premiums during the COVID-19 crisis. (Click here to read Executive Order 123)

“We know the stringent measures we’ve put in place to combat COVID-19 have resulted in a loss of income and financial hardship for many,” said Governor Murphy. “However, no New Jerseyan deserves to lose their insurance during this emergency, and we cannot leave people in a weaker position once it ends.”

Governor Murphy’s Executive Order makes the following changes:

Extends minimum grace periods

• A minimum 60-day grace period is required for health and dental insurance policies.
• A minimum 90-day grace period will be required for life insurance, insurance premium-financing arrangements, and property and casualty insurance, which includes auto, homeowners, and renters insurance.
• Insurance companies must notify policyholders of this emergency grace period and to waive certain late fees, interest, or other charges associated with delays in premium payments as directed by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance.
• Insurers are required to provide each policyholder with an easily readable written description of the terms of the extended grace period.
• The extended grace periods does not apply to employer-funded health plans, which under federal law, are regulated exclusively by the federal government.

Requires insurance companies to pay claims during the grace period

• Insurance companies are required to pay any claim incurred during the emergency grace period that would be covered under the policy.
• The Order further prohibits insurance companies from seeking to recoup any claims paid during the emergency grace period based on non-payment of premiums.

Ensures that unpaid premiums are made payable over a lengthy period

To ensure that policyholders are not required to make a lump sum payment on unpaid premiums at the end of the grace period, any unpaid premium will be amortized over the remainder of the policy term or a period of up to 12 months, as appropriate and as directed by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance.

MORRIS COUNTY — As a result of anticipated weather for Monday, April 13, the Morris County drive-thru testing site located at the County College of Morris will be closed.

Anyone who had an appointment scheduled on Monday can reschedule for Tuesday, April 14. Morris County Office of Emergency Management staff is working to contact all of the persons Monday appointments to assist with rescheduling.

Appointments now can be scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, April 14 and 15. For information and to make an appointment visit click here.

IMPORTANT: To be tested, you must be in a vehicle, must have identification, must have an appointment and must have a prescription from a medical provider.

The Morris County COVID-19 drive-thru testing site is located at CCM, Center Grove Road, Randolph, NJ 07869. Residents with appointments must use the Center Grove Road entrance (see map) to access the site.

The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook, including a high winds watch, which is in effect tomorrow April 13 from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The current forecast also calls for rain from about 4:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m., with totals of 1½ to 2 inches.

Some thunderstorms — with a risk of strong-to-severe storms — are forecast between about 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.m.

The severe storm chance is 30 percent with wind gusts of 50-to-65 mph possible. Background winds will be strong from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and strongest between about 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Sustained winds: 15-30 mph; frequent gusts: 40-50 mph; peak gusts: 55-60 mph.