EAST HANOVER — Costas Portuguese Bakery celebrated a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting on Thursday, February 13.
Costas Portuguese Bakery is located at 160 Ridgedale Avenue. They can be reached by calling (973) 585-4601.
They are open seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Click here to view website.
PARSIPPANY — Assemblyman Jay Webber announced he will introduce legislation that would require local school districts to implement best practices and expand the authority of the state auditor to ensure safeguards against fraud and abuse in New Jersey’s education system.
The results of recent state auditor assessments of school districts in Pemberton and Ridgefield Park highlight the importance of the legislation.
“Our school children, parents, taxpayers, and educators all have great stakes in the best and most efficient use of our educational resources,” said Webber (R-Morris). “The state auditor consistently finds, however, that through carelessness or worse, school districts all too often waste that money. Laptop computers disappear. Health insurance bought for the wrong people. Failures to perform basic criminal background checks. New Jersey needs to beef up its ability to review and monitor our schools, and we need to do it now.”
The investigation of Pemberton schools revealed that administrators purchased 703 extra Chromebooks beyond the total teacher and student population, costing taxpayers $313,000. In addition, district administrators could not account for where they went. In Ridgefield Park, the auditor uncovered $3.6 million in unnecessary health insurance liabilities and multiple conflicts of interest on the part of school board members.
The New Jersey state auditor, an independent agency within the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services, conducts random, in-depth performance audits of school districts. A performance audit targets and analyzes how well a government institution is allocating resources and then prescribes corrective action for identified failures.
“A performance audit may be the only current vehicle that evaluates the actual performance of government institutions, and we should be looking to expand it for that very reason,” continued Webber. “It is a more powerful tool to identify waste and fraud than routine fiscal audits. Students and taxpayers are the ultimate beneficiaries of the corrective actions from these audits.”
Assemblyman Webber’s legislation will direct the state auditor’s office to release a compendium report based on past audits. The report will include a collection of past problems identified in school districts, as well as the best practices to avoid problems encountered in other districts. Each school district will have to affirmatively certify that they are in compliance with those best practices, and the state auditor’s office will have the authority to conduct further audits on school districts to ensure all are in compliance.
EAST HANOVER — Preschool Advantage is delighted to announce a new partnership with a preschool program in East Hanover for the 2020 -2021 academic year.
The East Hanover Child Care Center, 55 Eagle Rock Road, will work with Preschool Advantage to provide access to a high quality preschool education for families who could not otherwise afford preschool for their children.
The Preschool Advantage School Committee visited East Hanover Child Care and was impressed with the quality preschool program at the school. Preschool Advantage considers the following principal factors when partnering with a new preschool: teacher and child interaction, curriculum, family involvement, staff qualifications and professional development, and management of the school.
The Preschool Advantage School Committee is comprised of numerous current and former preschool directors and teachers who care deeply about early childhood education.
Members volunteer to visit the Preschool Advantage partner schools on a three-year cycle to ensure quality is maintained. A checklist has been developed using National Association of the Education of Young Children guidelines, the Grow NJ Kids program, and the considerable experience of the Preschool Advantage committee.
Early childhood education encourages brain development and builds the emotional and social skills children need in school. Quality early education is important for all children because 85% of a child’s brain development happens before the age of five. “There are many families who are unable to afford to pay for early education due to the high cost of living in the region, said Molly Dunn, Executive Director for Preschool Advantage, “and their children will be behind their peers in kindergarten. Preschool Advantage is committed to addressing this need one child at a time.”
Preschool Advantage has provided families with financial assistance for early education since 1995, with over 1,500 tuitions paid throughout the organization’s 25 year history.
Applications are now being accepted for the 2020-2021 academic year, with priority funding given to families who apply by March 1. The application form and list of 28 partner schools can be found by clicking here, or call (973) 532-2501 or visit the office at 25 Lindsley Drive, Suite 307, Morristown.
EAST HANOVER — Chasse Rush earned the distinction of Faculty Honors for Fall 2019 at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This designation is awarded to undergraduate students who have a 4.0 academic average for the semester.
One of the nation’s leading research universities, the Georgia Institute of Technology is in the business of Creating the Next – the next idea, the next technology, and the next legion of agile minds well equipped to imagine and engineer our future.
More than 36,000 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled, and Georgia Tech is ranked among the nation’s top five public universities by U.S. News & World Report.
For more information click here.
MORRIS COUNTY — Tayfun Selen of Chatham Township has taken his oath of office as Morris County’s newest member of the Board of Freeholders, and participated in his first meetings on Monday, joining in a county governing board work session and public meeting.
Selen, a 19-year resident of the Chathams, is a Turkish immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1996 and worked his way up from pumping gas in Madison to serving as a successful business executive, mayor and now county freeholder.
He was elected by the County Republican Committee on February 1 to replace Freeholder Heather Darling, who stepped down at the end of the year after winning election as the new Morris County Surrogate.
“Morris County has been a great place to live and raise a child and, eventually, a place to retire,’’ said Freeholder Selen. “I want to continue giving back to the nation that gave me the greatest opportunity of my life. I am ready to work hard as your freeholder.’’
Freeholder Selen is married with one daughter and has lived in the Morris County for the past 23 years.
He quietly took the oath of office for freeholder on February 10 so he could participate in this week’s meetings. He will have a ceremonial swearing in on February 26 at the Freeholder Board meeting in Morristown, where Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce will administer the oath of office.
Freeholder Selen is Senior Vice President of Administration for Lincoln Educational Services, which is the leading vocational training school group in the nation, with a presence in the 15 states. He is a member of the company’s Executive Team.
Prior to his role at Lincoln, he served as Global Director of Project Management for CB Richard Ellis, which is the largest real estate development company in the nation. In that role, he oversaw real estate functions for Hertz Corporation and Bank of America.
He also was Vice President of New Store Development for CB Richard Ellis and served as Assistant Managing Director at Montclair State University.
The new freeholder says he strongly believes in community engagement. He has served as a member of the Chatham Zoning Board of Adjustment, and a member of the Chatham Township Committee and Mayor of Chatham Township.
He also is a member of the Morris County Republican Committee and Chairman of the Chatham Township Republican Committee.
As mayor, Selen said he was responsible for reducing municipal property taxes, helping the township maintain a AAA credit rating, and helped reduce municipal spending by more than $200,000.
Selen has a seat on the Montclair State University School of Business Advisory Board, New Jersey Board of Nursing, and is President Elect of Madison Rotary Club. He holds Bachelor of Science in Architecture Degree from Istanbul Technical University and an MBA from Montclair State University, and he has achieved certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt from Rutgers University and Lockheed Martin.
In addition, he is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional certified by U.S. Green Building Council, a certified public accountant (CPA), and a certified Six Sigma Black Belt from Rutgers University and Lockheed Martin.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — On Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Whippanong Library, Master Gardener Brian Monaghan will discuss the selection of the right grass seed for specific needs and soil conditions plus give other lawn care tips.
MUST PRE-REGISTER. For more information or to register, check out the library website by clicking here or call the Whippanong Library, located on 1000 Route 10 in Whippany, at (973) 428-2460.
MOUNTAIN LAKES — This Saturday, February 15 the Y is sponsoring a trip to the Community Food Bank in Hillside to help sort and package food for the homeless.
Bus transportation is being provided and we will depart from the Y at 10:30 a.m. sharp. They will be working from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This is the perfect opportunity for adults, seniors and teens (12-17 years old along with their parent) to share quality time helping others. The event is free but please register by clicking here.
Lakeland Hills Family YMCA is located at 100 Fanny Road, Mountain Lakes.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Flames were shooting from the roof of 161 Bee Meadow Parkway on Monday Evening, February 11.
The property, according to Trulia, was just recently sold in January 2020.
Reports from the scene indicate that the new owners were not home at the time of the fire. The home was built in 1974, contained 3,281 square feet of living space on a 0.69 acres lot. The previous owners, according to Rehold.com were the Popkin family.
There are no details available on how the fire started.
MOUNTAIN LAKES — The Morris County Board of Freeholders honored Brian and Susan Marshall of Garden Magic and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and Rev. Michael Muller, all of Mountain Lakes, with county resolutions for a unique rain garden project that garnered a 2019 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Are you a trained dispatcher? Do you want to work for the Hanover Township Police Department?
Township of Hanover Police Department is currently seeking applicants for a full-time, civilian Police Dispatcher position to work in the Township of Hanover Communications Center on a schedule approved by the Support Services Division Commander and the Chief of Police.
The dispatcher’s overall responsibilities are to relay information from the public to the respective areas of the police department and coordinate all emergency response vehicles to a given scene. Basic Telecommunicator Certification, Emergency Medical Dispatch, and current CPR certification are required for this position. This position has a minimum educational requirement of a high school diploma or GED. An Associate’s Degree, or higher, is preferred but not required.
General Skills and Ability:
• Ability to type at a reasonable rate of speed.
• Ability to speak distinctly.
• Ability to deal with the public under stressful conditions and remain calm.
• Ability to operate standard office, data entry, and computer equipment.
• Ability to operate two-way radio communication systems.
• Ability and willingness to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Township personnel, associates, and the general public.
Starting salary of $50,000.00/year plus fringe benefits.
Applicants must submit a resume and completed Hanover Township Police Department (HTPD) Employment Application. HTPD Employment Application and additional information can be located on the Police Department’s by clicking here.
Completed applications must be submitted by mail or in person to:
Township of Hanover Police Department
Attn: Captain David White
1000 Route 10
Whippany, NJ 07981
Morris Focus was founded in 2017 and is published in print and online formats. Its mission is to provide timely and accurate news coverage to Morris County residents and promote community engagement and involvement. The newspaper covers various topics, including local government, education, business, and sports. We can be reached by calling (973) 559-6000—a member of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce and the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.
Contact us: [email protected]
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