MORRIS COUNTY — The storm forecast continues to be complicated. We are expecting snow this afternoon/evening beginning around 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and continuing through midnight, at which point we may see a switch to freezing rain and sleet. Moderate to heavy rain and then a freezing rain/snow mix will continue until midday Sunday.
Some of the models have decreased snow totals to 2-5″, while others are holding with the 3-6”. We may also see ice totals between 0.10-0.25″. Timing and amounts can and probably will change, moving forward, so keep that in mind (icing could occur longer). Regardless, we expect that we will have a high risk of a flash freeze Sunday morning due to rain followed by sharply falling temperatures. Temperatures will be all over the place. 30’s today through tomorrow morning (but for any ice timing you can infer a temperature of about 30-32F), dropping into the 20s Sunday afternoon, then down to a low of 8F Sunday night.
Here is our public concern for Sunday, when you look out and see that the snow has tapered off and the roadways appear drivable the roads may be covered in ice and that is where we (first responders) potentially will see our issues escalate with increased motor vehicle accidents, injuries etc.
The road crews will aggressively be taking care of our roadways, plowing, salting etc. That does not however mean that you should get into a vehicle and drive. We all need to be vigilant and maintain a good situational awareness of all of the weather conditions. We all need to pay attention to the temperatures and refreeze issues and be smart about any possible travel plans that may be best to be placed on a temporary hold until it is safe.
BOONTON TOWNSHIP — Skylar Wintemberg who was sworn on Monday, January 14 as a Patrolman in the Boonton Township Police Department. Skylar is a tremendous young man. A special congratulations to the Wintemberg and Wolfson Families.
The mission of the Boonton Township Police Department is to serve our citizens by enforcing the laws of the State of New Jersey and the ordinances of Boonton Township, preserve the public peace, protect life and property, promote traffic safety, and engage in activities that benefit all in our community, from our youth to our senior citizens, through programs of education and crime prevention, and to accomplish these goals by adhering to the core set of values of Integrity, Honesty, Fairness, Respect, and Compassion.
Integrity is the hallmark of the Boonton Township Police Department and they are committed to the highest performance, moral standards, ethical conduct, and trustworthiness in all relationships.
They hold themselves accountable for their actions both on and off duty and take pride in a professional level of service and fairness to all.
EAST HANOVER — A total of 1,513 students have been named to the Dean’s List at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU) for the Fall 2018 semester of the 2018-2019 academic year, according to Joanne Bruno, J.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Students eligible for the Dean’s List are those who have attained a 3.50 quality point average or better and are enrolled full-time. The letter grade “B” earns 3 quality points per credit, and the grade “A” earns 4 quality points per credit.
Dickenson Clayton of East Hanover was among those recognized for this academic achievement.
East Stroudsburg University, one of the 14 institutions in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, opened in 1893 as East Stroudsburg Normal School. Today, ESU is a comprehensive university in northeastern Pennsylvania offering 55 undergraduate programs, 22 master’s programs and one doctoral program.
More than 6,800 students are enrolled for the high quality, affordable, and accessible education ESU provides. Nearly 30,000 ESU alumni live in Pennsylvania.
MORRIS COUNTY — Five Star Professional is pleased to announce Caryl Stollmack-Cozin of RE/MAX Neighborhood Properties, as one of New Jersey’s Five Star Real Estate agents in 2019.
The Five Star award program is the largest and most widely published awards program in the Real Estate industry. The award is based on a rigorous, multifaceted research methodology, which incorporates input from clients, industry experience and a thorough regulatory history review.
“I am honored and excited to be recognized for my client service. My commitment to providing both expertise and ongoing communication to Home Buyers/Sellers remains my single most priority and my clients’ needs are always at the forefront of every transaction,” said Caryl Stollmack-Cozin.
Caryl is a former Marketer/VP in the Cosmetics Industry, having spent over 20 years creating Billion Dollar brands world-wide and even appearing on Home Shopping Channels. She is an award-winning Marketer and, since joining the Real Estate Industry in 2015, has been a consistent award winner in the marketing and selling of homes, servicing all of New Jersey. A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Caryl has lived in Montville Twp for over 25 years.
Methodology: The Five Star Professional research team contacts thousands of recent homebuyers throughout the United States, as well as other consumers. Clients may also submit evaluations online. Phone, mail and online respondents rated their service professional on criteria such as overall satisfaction and whether they would recommend the provider to a friend. The research process incorporates a statistically valid sample in order to identify the professionals in the local market who score highest in overall satisfaction. The research methodology allows no more than seven percent of professionals to receive the objective eligibility and evaluation criteria.
TRENTON — Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin announced an agreement on legislation to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15.00 per hour. The agreement is the result of months of deliberative and thorough negotiations between the Governor’s Office, Senate, and General Assembly to institute a $15.00 per hour minimum wage, raising wages for over one million workers and promoting broad-based economic growth.
“We are taking a historic step to provide more than one million New Jersey workers a stronger foothold in the middle class,” said Governor Murphy. “No one working a full-time job should ever live in poverty. Putting the minimum wage on a clear and responsible path to $15.00 per hour is good for workers, good for our businesses, and good for our economy. A higher minimum wage strengthens all of New Jersey. I thank Senate President Sweeney and Speaker Coughlin for their commitment to this issue, and look forward to signing this legislation into law.”
Under the bill, the minimum wage for the vast majority of workers would increase to: $10.00 per hour in July; $11.00 per hour in 2020; $12.00 per hour in 2021; $13.00 per hour in 2022; $14.00 per hour in 2023 and $15.00 per hour in 2024.
BOONTON — Kiernan McCormick, a resident of Boonton, has been named to the Emerson College Dean’s List for the Fall 2018 semester. McCormick, who is majoring in Journalism, is a member of the class of 2022. The requirement to make Emerson’s Dean’s List is a grade point average of 3.7 or higher.
Located in Boston, Massachusetts, opposite the historic Boston Common and in the heart of the city’s Theatre District, Emerson College educates individuals who will solve problems and change the world through engaged leadership in communication and the arts, a mission informed by liberal learning.
The College has 3,750 undergraduates and 750 graduate students from across the United States and 50 countries. Supported by state-of-the-art facilities and a renowned faculty, students participate in more than 80 student organizations and performance groups. Emerson is known for its study and internship programs in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., the Netherlands, London, China, and the Czech Republic.
A new, permanent facility on Sunset Boulevard for its L.A.-based program opened in January 2014. The College has an active network of 39,000 alumni who hold leadership positions in communication and the arts. For more information click here.
MORRIS COUNTY — While full-term classes have begun at County College of Morris (CCM) for the Spring Semester, there is still time to enroll in the college’s mini session courses.
A 13-Week spring session runs from February 8 through May 16. Classes being offered during this session include Biology, Business, Communications, Computer Information Systems, English, Mathematics, Nursing, Psychology and more.
A Late 7-Week session starts on March 18 and runs through May 4. Classes being offered during this session include Accounting, Biology, Business, English, Photography and more.
Also being offered are 2 Week sessions in English Skills Review. Mid Start 2 Week begins February 4 and runs through February 16. Late 2 Week runs from February 18 through March 2.
To see what classes are being offered during what days and time, and to register, click here.
Prior to registering for courses, students 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. Walk-ins, too, are welcomed. The Admissions office is located in the Student Community Center, 214 Center Grove Road, Randolph, NJ 07869.
With more than 45 Associate Degree programs, 150-plus transfer agreements and a wide range of certificate programs, CCM offers numerous opportunities to obtain a high-quality education designed to meet career goals.
Visit www.ccm.edu and discover how you can “Start Right … Finish Strong.”
MORRIS COUNTY — Project Homeless Connect, a daylong, consumer focused, one-stop event designed to provide an array of resources and support to those experiencing homelessness in our Morris County community, will be held on Thursday, January 24 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 70 Maple Avenue, in Morristown.
An Opening Ceremony is planned for 9:00 a.m. with doors opening at 10:00 a.m. The event runs until 2:00 p.m.
“Project Homeless Connect is a county-wide partnership designed to provide some of our community’s most adversely affected individuals with resources, referrals and support,” said Bob Davison, Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris, which is the lead agency coordinating the event.
“It is important for people facing such basic challenges as not having a roof over your head or knowing where your next meal is going to come from to be welcomed and treated with dignity and respect,” he added.
Project Homeless Connect began in 2004, when the city of San Francisco organized a special day dedicated to providing necessary services to the homeless. The Morris County Project Homeless Connect event began in 2008 under the leadership of the Mental Health Association and typically serves about 200 people each year.
Some 43 community-based service providers will participate in the upcoming Morris County event and provide resources free of charge to all who attend. Project Homeless Connect guests can obtain mental health information, substance abuse treatment, health screenings, housing information and veteran’s resources.
Morris County Freeholder Kathy DeFillippo
Agencies collected donations throughout the year and many goods will be given out at the event including clothing, coats, hygiene products, backpacks, gift cards, food and more. Other services will include free haircuts, skincare with Mary Kay and medical services including free flu shots and health screenings for homeless residents.
“We strongly support this program and also strongly back the efforts by our Human Services team, the Mental Health Association and other nonprofit agencies in Morris County to help county residents find appropriate housing,” said Morris County Freeholder Kathy DeFillippo, who is the county governing board’s liaison on social services.
“It’s an especially important issue during this time of year, when some of our less-fortunate residents without homes spend bitterly cold nights at our Code Blue warming centers.”
This year Morris County also is launching Everyday Connect, a project that offers a way for services to come to those who need them throughout the year instead of just at one annual event. Service providers will be visiting the Dover and Morristown drop in centers, Edna’s Haven and Our Promise on a rotating basis throughout the year. This will allow homeless individuals to access services at locations they visit daily without an appointment, instead of having consumers seek out services.
A Point in Time Count also will take place during Project Homeless Connect. It is a street and shelter count to determine the number of people experiencing homelessness within Morris County.
In 2018, NJCounts found 9,303 homeless men, women and children (300 in Morris County) in 6,982 households across New Jersey. This number increased by 771 persons, or nine percent, from 2017. Click here for the NJCounts 2018 reports and the Morris County report.
“This count is important to us because it helps us to know how many people are in need. Once we know the homeless population we can create programs to address their needs to lift them out of homelessness,” said Danielle Pera, who is director of the Mental Health Association’s PATH program, which provides direct outreach to homeless individuals.
“In the past, we’ve seen veterans, chronically homeless individuals with undiagnosed medical issues and even entire families take advantage of the resources available during the event. Homelessness is very real and can affect anyone so we hope to send that message and let them know help is available.”
“We may not be able to provide each of our attendees with an immediate solution to their problems, but we can let them know that Morris County is a community with a myriad of available resources and compassionate service providers who are there to assist them, not just on Project Homeless Connect Day, but throughout the year,” Davison said.
To learn more about Project Homeless Connect, residents can contact Danielle Pera at (973) 334-3496.
MORRIS COUNTY — Auditions for MPAC’s 7th annual Spring Musical, Grease, will take place beginning February 10 at the Theatre.
MPAC is seeking musical talented and diverse performers ages 15-25 for Principle roles and Ensemble. Performers should be excellent actors who sing and dance.
Grease will be directed by MPAC Education Director Cathy Roy. Charles Santoro will serve as Musical Director. Performance dates are May 31-June 2. Tickets will go on sale in April.
Individuals interested in auditioning should prepare 16-32 bars of a song in the style of the show. Musical Theatre, Pop or Rock and Roll songs are acceptable. Please bring sheet music in the appropriate key, hole punched, double sided and in a binder for the accompanist. All lyrics must be memorized. If you do not have sheet music, you can purchase music online at www.musicnotes.com or www.sheetmusicplus.com. ABSOLUTELY NO ACAPELLA SINGING. **If you have an audition book, please bring it in case you’re asked for another selection. If you have one, please bring a copy of your headshot/picture and resume.
MPAC Spring musicals present a unique opportunity for young performers to participate in a fully professional production in which they work with a professional crew and guest Equity artists. Previous MPAC Spring productions have included Shrek the Musical (2018), West Side Story (2017), Mary Poppins (2016), Les Miserables (2015), Hairspray (2014) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2013).
For more information about the musical, auditions, roles and a show synopsis, click here.
Morris Plains Volunteer Fire Department Chief Kevin Rongo, IHOP Manager Mariella Mendiola and Assistant Chief John Downs
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — IHOP, located at 102 East Hanover Avenue, recently donated $1,000 to the Morris Plains Fire Department. IHOP also made a donation to the Cedar Knolls Fire Department.
Accepting the check from IHOP Manager Mariella Mendiola was Chief Kevin Rongo and Assistant Chief John Downs.
IHOP donated to the Morris Plains Volunteer Fire Department and Cedar Knolls Fire Department for their quick in responding to a kitchen fire that occurred at the newly opened restaurant.
Owner Sobhy Abdelhady said “We wanted to show our appreciation to the volunteer fire department for the job they did in putting out our kitchen fire, and kept damage to a minimum. If it weren’t for their quick response, the damage could have been much worse. We are very thankful for our volunteers.”
A kitchen fire at the Cedar Knolls IHOP occurred on Friday, November 23. IHOP. Mutual Aid departments assisted with response and manpower.
There were no injuries and everyone was evacuated safely by restaurant management.
