BOONTON — The next phase in the creation of a property management plan to protect the Boonton Reservoir and improve passive recreational access at the site will formally begin this month, as the Open Space Institute (OSI) and its partners begin a series of scheduled meetings with local municipalities.

The “Boonton Reservoir Protection and Trail Project” property management plan will create a blueprint for passive recreational access and water quality protection for the 1,300-acre Boonton Reservoir site in Morris County which has been the primary water supply of Jersey City since 1904.

“The Boonton Reservoir Protection and Trail Project lays the groundwork for creating a key public recreational opportunity that will be enjoyed for generations to come, while ensuring long-term protection of Jersey City’s drinking water,” said Terrence Nolan, OSI’s senior vice president.

At the public meetings, which will take place starting in October, local officials will be presented with a proposed, full property management plan, outlining details including the creation of an approximately eight-mile trail loop around the reservoir for walkers and nature lovers; installation of new drainage solutions and native plantings to reduce stormwater runoff; and making the land publicly accessible to the approximately 15,000 local residents who live nearby.

The dates of the public meetings are:

• October 1, Parsippany – 7:00 p.m. (1001 Parsippany Blvd, Parsippany, NJ 07054)
• October 2, Jersey City – 6:30 p.m. (280 Grove St, Jersey City, NJ 07302)
• October 21, Boonton  – 7:30 p.m. (100 Washington St, Boonton, NJ 07005)

Additional meetings will take place in Jersey City. The times and dates of these meetings will be announced via the OSI Twitter account (@openspaceinst).

During the final meeting at the Jersey City Council, council members are expected to conduct a final vote on whether to move forward on the project. At each meeting, experts from the environmental consultancy Greener by Design, OSI’s consultants in developing the plan, will be in attendance.

In September 2018, the Jersey City Council passed a city ordinance authorizing the execution of a 40-year lease agreement with the Morris County Park Commission to develop and manage a trail at the Reservoir. The ordinance also authorized creation of a master plan to determine public use of the property.

The Boonton Reservoir site is located in Boonton and Parsippany-Troy Hills Townships. Fed by the Rockaway River, the 700-acre reservoir serves as the primary source of drinking water for Jersey City. On its way to Jersey City, the water passes from the reservoir through a treatment facility which purifies an average of 50 million gallons a day.

For decades, OSI has been a leader in conserving land for drinking water protection. OSI has protected over 11,000 acres through easements in the Beaverkill Valley and over 20,000 acres of New York City’s watershed lands in Delaware County — including around the Ashokan Reservoir, New York City’s deepest drinking water reservoir, which is also ringed by scenic, celebrated hiking, and biking trails.

Within the Delaware River Watershed Basin, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, OSI has also built upon this decade-long experience using scientific knowledge to drive on-the-ground land conservation work.

Through its Delaware River Watershed Initiative, OSI has approved grants totaling over $7.6 million to protect almost 20,000 acres of land to ensure water quality in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In addition, OSI has supported efforts to integrate watershed science in public and nonprofit planning initiatives to channel funding to protect important watershed lands.

MORRIS COUNTY — Rainbows For All Children is a peer support program for children who have experienced grief through a death or divorce in the family.

Fall registration is now being accepted. Sessions will continue every Tuesday through November 19.

The meetings are held at Saint Francis Residential Community Center from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., 122 Diamond Spring Road, Denville.

Small groups are formed for children ages five years and up. There are no fees to parents. Call Diane Thormann at (973) 627-2134 or Wendy Spector (973) 625-3352 for registration information or click here for more information.

Rainbows for All Children is dedicated to being the premier source of support for all youth as they navigate grief and heal from loss, whether from death, divorce, deployment, or other trauma. Rainbows fosters awareness that youth require support to heal. They nurture a community of effective Rainbows-trained Facilitators, supported with a repository of resources designed to guide youth in their grieving process.

MORRIS COUNTY — County College of Morris (CCM) recently was recognized by two key state business groups for its excellence in preparing students and employees to meet the needs of industry and for serving as an educational leader and valued business partner.

Recently the college was presented with an Industry Leader Best Practice Award by the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ). This marked the second year in a row CCM received a CIANJ Best Practice Award. Once again, the award recognized CCM for the strength of its programs offered through its Center for Workforce Development and the construction of an Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center, slated to open in 2010.

A panel of judges, including Dale Caldwell, executive director of the Farleigh Dickinson University Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Robert Stramara, chief operating officer of the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP); Dean Paranicas, CEO of the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey and CIANJ President Anthony Russo, reviewed the submissions and selected the most extraordinary ones to be honored at the conference.

CCM President Anthony J. Iacono served as the opening keynote speaker for the awards ceremony held at Nanina’s in the Park in Belleville. During his remarks, Iacono said that the college’s success relies on the strength of its partnerships with business and industry and other organizations.

“As I like to say, CCM does great things every day, but we do even greater things with and because of our partners,” said Iacono.

Included among those partnerships is an online course the college is providing in conjunction with NJMEP to provide food safety training for employees in the food production and manufacturing industry. CCM also is the lead organization in a consortium, supported by a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, to develop apprenticeship models for the advanced manufacturing industry.

The second recognition was presented to Iacono by NJBIZ, which named him to its Education Power 50 list. One of the leading business publications in the state, NJBIZ in its September 23 issue praised Iacono for the college’s work to provide skilled professional for the manufacturing industry. In the article, Iacono noted, “Our work is to help others to do their work better.”

MORRIS COUNTY — Main 233 in Chatham graciously hosted a wine tasting event with Reasons Wine on Thursday, September 12 for the local neighborhood to participate in.

Winemaker Ned Morris spoke to a packed crowd about how he began his career as a Sommelier in Southern Australia, earned his Masters Degree in Food Chemistry and Fermentation Science, and became a winemaker in Washington State.

Ned strives to create wines that are brilliantly balanced to serve with any meal. Chef John Carrino’s passion for perfectly prepared food pairs beautifully with all of Reasons Wines.

That night, John featured a 16-ounce Berkshire Tomahawk Pork Chop (with a bourbon fig glaze),  an 8-ounce Filet Mignon (with a merlot pear reduction), and a Bone-in French Cut Chicken Breast (with a pancetta demi-glaze).

Seafood lovers chose the Blackened Pan-Seared Tuna (with a mango pineapple salsa and tropical collisions) or the Coconut Crusted Wild Salmon (with sweet chili grilled asparagus and mango ketchup). Quickly the town of Chatham is learning that John’s talent as a chef impresses everyone who dines at Main 233.

Lunch is served Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and dinner is served Tuesday through Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Main 233 is available for corporate events, private dining and catering. Click here for upcoming events.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Sheriff James Gannon and the Sheriff’s K-9 unit will visit the Little Village Country Day School on Thursday, October 3.

Sheriff Gannon and his staff will be teaching the parents and students about safety and strangers, very important lessons.

Little Village County Day School is located at 26 West Hanover Avenue, Randolph.