Our Montville

Montville Democrats sue over loss of meeting place

A few months after the Montville Democratic Club announced its intent to take the township to court after the club was barred from its monthly meeting place, the organization has made good on its threat.

The club, which comprises members of the township's minority party, sued the township in U.S. District Court in Newark in mid-September, claiming the township ordinance that ultimately led to the ban is unconstitutional.

Municipal officials ousted the club from the Senior House — where it met on a monthly basis — after the group refused to submit its annual finances to the township by June 12.

Continue Reading Daily Record.

Montville students to help build schools in Afghanistan, Pakistan

Humanitarian Greg Mortenson stresses the importance of education, particularly for young girls. The     results of educating them, he believes, are more far-reaching than educating boys and he frequently quotes an African proverb to illustrate that point.  "If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community," he said.

For the next month, the estimated 1,000 students at Robert Lazar Middle School can deposit their spare change into large containers for "Pennies For Peace," a program put in place in many schools that raises money (mostly pennies) to build schools in impoverished villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The program is run by an organization Mortenson founded called the Central Asia Institute.

While children deposit mostly pennies, other denominations will gladly be accepted at the Montville middle school, said Cheryl Zanone, a life science teacher who serves as co-chairperson for the school's Pennies for Peace Committee.

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MTWC Breast Cancer Pillow Project Reaches A Milestone

Montville Township Women’s Club member Alexandria Sarra the Cancer Care Pillow Program founder and 2nd Vice President has announced that over 4,300 pillows have been handmade and donated to local hospitals all over Morris County .

The donated pillows are gifted to women going through breast cancer procedures in area hospitals and breast care centers. The soft pillows have been lovingly hand crafted by ladies from the Montville Women’s Club since April 2004.

October is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” to remind ladies all over the state to remember to do a home breast exam, get their mammograms and check-ups annually.

(attached photo) L-R, Mimi Gelbman Volunteer Coordinator Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, Michele Caron President, Montville Township Women’s Club, Marge Bidgood pillow recipient, Alexandria Sarra, 2nd VP Montville Township Women’s Club, Kathy Lynch RN Director of Nursing, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center

Little Learner Academy is Now Open!

Little Learner Academy, located at 330 Changebridge Road, has opened in Montville! 

 

Harriet Lerner, Past President of the NJ Childcare Association and a N.J. Small Business Person of the Year, looks forward to greeting each and every student at her new Pine Brook school, which is Little Learner Academy’s fourth location in Morris County.

Bayer among top 100 companies for working mothers

CHEER: To the Bayer Corp., which has been recognized by Working Mother magazine as one of the 100 best companies for working moms. Bayer's Healthcare Division is in Pine Brook.

What We Love
Eager to become a global employer of choice, this Pittsburgh-based health-care, materials and nutritional products company is dedicated to helping women grow with the support of its women’s networks. Though just one third of its employees are female, management is determined to see women rise up the corporate ladder. A new HealthCare Women’s Leadership Initiative is designed to help attract and develop high-performing women and has set a goal of 25 percent of women in senior leadership roles by 2012. To help other departments achieve that end, senior managers look at succession plans to ensure talent development is on track; compensation audits are also conducted. To further level the playing field, the company offers alternative work options (telecommuting, four-day weeks, job-sharing), which help employees find the time they need to get everything done.

Friday Commentary: Doctors Quit Medicine

Some physicians, fed up with the costs of their practice, are ready to hang up their stethoscopes and shift careers. - Some 5,000 patients suddenly found themselves without an ob/gyn last November when Dr. Tara Wah closed her practice in Tallahassee, Fla.  Wah, 55, informed her patients in a letter that she could "no longer afford to make ends meet."

After 24 years, "I'm working longer hours than ever," she wrote. "Insurance payments for patient care have stayed virtually the same for the last 15 years, while the cost of doing business, including health insurance, staff salaries and supplies have risen."

The rising cost of malpractice insurance, particularly for her specialty, was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"My malpractice insurance was $125,000 a year, and going up," said Wah. "The only way to get the extra money was to cut back on my salary."  See CNN.

MONTVILLE WATER RATES ARE GOING TO INCREASE Significantly

In a letter to Longview at Montville residents, Steve Samitt, Director and Treasurer, Changebridge at Montville Condominium Association and President, The Coalition of Montville Condominium Associations explains:

The Montville Water Utility is losing money and must raise both water rates for our home usage and the rates paid for our Condominium sprinkler watering.
 
There are several NEW RATE proposals being suggested. The one released so far by Montville Township is a "tiered" rate structure.  The proposed tier rates would be based on 1,000 gallon usage.  If you use less than 10,000 gallons per quarter your rate will be the same as the old rate of a $5.00 quarterly flat fee plus the same $3.25 per 1,000 gallons used.  If you use between 11,000 to 40,000 gallons per quarter, the rate would be a $15.00 quarterly flat fee plus $4.00 per 1,000 gallons. Most families would be in the $3.25 or $4.00 tier levels.  There are however, two higher tier levels,  of $5.00 per 1,000 gallons between 40,000 to 50,000 gallons of usage and the highest rate of $6.00 per 1,000 gallons for usage over 50,000 gallons.

The final decisions on the new water rates will be on the agenda at the next Township Meeting on Tuesday September 22nd, beginning at 8 PM.  The final decision on the rates is scheduled to be made that night or at the October 13th meeting.

See full letter attached Download Water_rate_increase_hearing_notice_9_2009

See also The Neighbor News "Residents can wade through the water plans"

Consultant to test power line electromagnetic fields at Montville middle school

See School board seeking measurement independent of PSE&G. 

With little fanfare, the school board voted Tuesday to hire a consultant to test the level of the electromagnetic fields emanating from power lines near Robert R. Lazar Middle School that some feel pose a health hazard to children and staff.

Board President Jon Alin said the board has no faith in the reading taken in August by Public Service Electric & Gas Co., who is seeking approval from the state Board of Public Utilities to build a 500-kilovolt line from Susquehanna, Pa., to Roseland.

“Trusting PSE&G doesn’t seem like a good idea to all of us because they are their wires,” Alin said. “We want to have the levels tested independently as soon as possible.”

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See previous articles "As Fredon fights utility, Montville pays close attention" Daily Record and "Fredon school settles with PSE&G over power line, playground" Daily Record.

 

Committee considers sharing, dog park lock

The joint municipal court project still needs some “retooling,” reported Administrator Frank Bastone at the Tuesday, Sept., 8 meeting of the Montville Township Committee. Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, and Pequannock were considering sharing court services with Montville, but Pequannock has since reported that it is not to their benefit to do so. Art Daughtry suggested reaching out one last time to the elected body of Pequannock.  “I think that dialogue needs to take place, from elected official to elected official,” he stated. Bastone expects the joint municipal court to be finalized before the end of 2010.

Two representatives from Montville’s Dog Park Committee spoke in favor of the installation of a programmable gate lock in order to better regulate use of the park. Dog park members could activate the lock with the use of a key fob. Hopes include preventing those who do not have proper dog tags from entering, as well as regulating the influx of non-members from neighboring towns with grass parks that typically occurs after a heavy rain.  Safety issues are also a main priority. Children under 8 years of age are not allowed in the park, and parents who are not members typically are not aware of or do not abide by this rule. Half the money for the lock will come from fundraising efforts, and the other half from membership money. The Dog Park Committee is also planning to increase the annual registration fee, from $15 to $20 for residents, and $20 to $25 for out-of-town members.
Continue Reading The Neighbor News.

N.J.'s median income down $7,214, biggest drop in nation

New Jersey's median household income declined by $7,214 between 2006 and 2008, the largest dollar decrease in the nation, according to newly-released U.S. Census Bureau statistics, and that is providing campaign fodder for Republicans to attack Gov. Jon Corzine's economic recovery efforts.

The state 10.1 percent decline in median income was exceeded only by Vermont's 10.3 percent. No other state declined by more than 6.4 percent including neighboring Delaware, a 4.5 percent decline; New York, 2.2 percent, and Pennsylvania, 1.1 percent.  See NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM.