MADISON — The Madison Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its first Summer Camp Fair on Sunday, March 24, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Madison Community Arts Center, 10 Kings Road. They are seeking local businesses and area camps to participate.
“The Camp Fair is a summer fun resource fair for families in the area,” said Chamber executive director Karen Giambra. “Parents are invited to come and gather valuable information and options to keep their children enriched and entertained during the summer months”. Admission is free for consumers.
The Camp Fair is being sponsored by The Madison Area YMCA and Madison Soccer Club.
Other exhibitors include: A Day Camp, Bits Bytes Code, Campus Kids Summer Camp, Madison Area YMCA-Quest Camps, Madison Community House, Madison Mud Clay Studio, Madison Public Library, Moment Institute, Morristown Beard Day School, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Step Right Up Studio, Think Tutoring and the Wharton Institute of the Performing Arts.
The Chamber is still accepting applications for exhibitors. Please contact Madison Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, Karen Giambra at [email protected] or (973) 377-7830.
EAST HANOVER — The East Hanover Health Department and the Roseland Board of Health will conduct a Men’s Cancer Screening Program from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 at the Senior Citizens Center, 96 Mount Pleasant Avenue, East Hanover Township.
The emphasis at this screening is the detection of early signs of prostatic, testicular and colorectal cancer. The American Urological Association states this Screening is most appropriate for men age 50 or older, and for those under 50 who have added risk factors. Those at higher risk are men who are African-American and men who have a family history of prostate cancer. There is no cost for this program.
Residents interested in the program are encouraged to call the East Hanover Health Department (973) 888-6035 for more information to register.
Sen. Joe Pennacchio has introduced legislation urging the United Nations to seat India as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, pictured in the photo above. The resolution has received the support of India’s Consulate General
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.
Senator Joe Pennacchio
“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.
Head Start children at breakfast
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.
PARSIPPANY — Meet Bella, a one-year-old Beagle! This beauty was unfortunately surrendered to Wise Animal Rescue because her family did not want to exercise, train, or take care of her. While her previous situation was sad, we are so happy to have her in the rescue to find her forever home!
Bella is a petite princess who gets along with just about everyone and everything! She has attended playgroup before and was professionally trained. She is potty-trained and not destructive when left alone.
Since she is a young dog, she will need a family who loves to play with her and continue her training. Bella is super smart and super affectionate–happily accepting pets from anyone she meets!
If you’re looking for a young, happy dog to add to your family, apply to adopt Bella!
If you are interested in adopting Bella, please fill out an application by clicking here.
Follow Wise Animal Rescue on Instagram by clicking here.
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BOONTON — U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson awarded $1.8 million to dozens of public housing authorities in New Jersey to continue helping public housing residents participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program and/or reside in public housing to increase their earned income and reduce their dependency on public assistance and rental subsidies. This grant is part of a national award totaling $74 million.
These grants renew HUD’s support of 689 public housing authorities through the Department’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS). HUD’s FSS Program helps local Public Housing Authorities to hire Service Coordinators who work directly with residents to connect them with programs and services that already exist in the local community. The program encourages innovative strategies that link housing assistance with a broad spectrum of services that will enable participating families to find jobs, increase earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for rental and/or welfare assistance, and make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency.
“One of the most important things we can do as public servants is to help HUD-assisted families achieve their dreams,” said Secretary Carson. “Working with our local partners, HUD is connecting families to educational opportunities, job training, childcare and other resources that allow them to get higher paying jobs and, ultimately, become self-sufficient.”
“Few things feel better than taking control of your own life and crafting your future, and the Family Self-Sufficiency Program is an invaluable tool for public housing residents achieve to just that,” said Lynne Patton, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. “Families make the commitment; and HUD and housing authority staff are there every step of the way to assist with guidance to ensure residents remain on the pathway to financial independence.”
FSS participants sign a five-year contract that requires the head of the household to obtain employment and that no member of the household will receive certain types of public assistance at the end of the five-year term. These families have an interest-bearing escrow account established for them. The amount credited to the family’s escrow account is based on increases in the family’s earned income during the term of the FSS contract. If the family successfully completes its FSS contract, the family receives the escrow funds that it can use for any purpose, including debt reduction in order to improve credit scores, educational expenses, or a down payment on a home.
The average household income of FSS participants more than doubled during their time in the program, from $10,000 at the time of entry to more than $27,000 upon program completion.
Nineteen University of Scranton education majors are serving as student teachers during the spring semester at eight different local schools. First row, from the left are: Cyan Scarduzio, Emily Carr, Emilie Tronoski and Devan Pecoraro. Second row, from the left are: Kaitlin Fivek, Jennifer Gold and Briana Cieszko. Third row, from the left are: Elizabeth Tolley, Erika Maxson, Amanda Iacono and Matthew Criscione. Fourth row, from the left are: Nate Goberdon, Thomas Doyle, Brian O'Connor and Richard Hembury. Absent from photo are: Courtney Boag, Caitlin Nicosia, Emma Percival and Rebecca Silverman
FLORHAM PARK— Thomas Doyle is among nineteen University of Scranton education majors serving as student teachers during the spring semester at eight local schools in the following seven school districts: Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit, Mid Valley, Forest City Regional, North Pocono, Bear Creek Charter, Valley View and Dunmore.
Doyle, a senior, will serve as a student teacher at Mid Valley Secondary Center in the Mid Valley School District. Doyle, is majoring in secondary education history at the Jesuit University.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — On Wednesday, February 6, Hanover Township Police Officer Stephen Manney arrested Mr. Andriy Blyednov, 42, Whippany for Trespassing.
Officer Manney was called to the Wegmans, 34 Sylvan Way, for an individual attempting to enter the store unlawfully due to incidents in the past.
Upon arrival, Officer Manney located and arrested Mr. Blyednov and then transported him to Police Headquarters for processing.
Mr. Blyednov was charged with Trespassing and Providing false information. A $1,000.00 warrant was also discovered during processing.
Mr. Blyednov was released pending his new court date.
Editor’s Note: A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, the defendant is presumed innocent until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — On Friday, February 8, Hanover Township Police Officer Erick Magley responded to Windemere Court for a stolen motor vehicle report.
According to the vehicle owner, she observed her headlights turn on and observed the vehicle being backed out of the driveway at approximately 6:00 a.m.
The vehicle, a 2017 Lexus IS 300 was equipped with a GPS locator and was located a short time later in Newark.
Newark Police Department was advised of the approximate location and advised they located the Lexus and were attempting to apprehend the violators who fled on foot.
The victim states the vehicle was unlocked and most likely had a set of keys left inside the vehicle . Investigation is pending.
PARSIPPANY — Meet Bella, a one-year-old Beagle! This beauty was unfortunately surrendered to Wise Animal Rescue because her family did not want to exercise, train, or take care of her. While her previous situation was sad, we are so happy to have her in the rescue to find her forever home!
