Morristown NJ Real Estate & News

Loan Modifications

2009-03-21T07:16:00.001-04:00

Here's a company that does loan modifications. Reprinted with permission.

GreenTree Capital Partners helps people who are unable to meet their current mortgage obligations and may be considering a short-sale or foreclosure. We can provide homeowners with a responsible and legitimate means to modify their loans. We are able to quickly determine if they qualify for an affordable loan modification that can significantly reduce their payments and allow them to stay in their homes.

The ideal candidates meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Are behind on one or more payments on their mortgage
• Have an adjustable rate mortgage
• Have a mortgage balance greater than the market value of their home
• Are at risk of missing mortgage payments

Anyone interested in pursuing a loan modification at no obligation should contact Scott Selverian at GreenTree Capital Partners, at 973-495-7299.

Automatic Oil Deliveries

2009-03-17T20:42:00.002-04:00

An interesting story about automatic oil deliveries.

Today was an unbelievable day. I am using a large well-known oil company and they wanted to deliver oil today. Since I had oil delivered last month, I asked them to stick the tank before they delivered the oil. So the guy comes and says the tank is empty, and can't understand how I could have gone through so much oil.

He checked my sump pumps for oil and one was almost filled and had a rainbow film at the top. He told me to call a plumber, so I put a call into my home warranty company to come fix or replace the sump pump. He also thought I had a leak in the oil tank. I had tank insurance but didn't know to switch it to the new company. I thought when you renewed the policy you just tell them you have a new oil company.

The insurance people let me renew the insurance. I started to freak out because the insurance company said I would have to remove the tank to check. If there's a leak they pay. If not, I just removed and replaced an oil tank for nothing. I couldn't even remove it and switch to gas, because the insurance company said you need to keep oil for the policy to stay in effect. I couldn't believe it!!!

The guy decided to stick the tank for a third time, and this time he said "Me bad." I didn't think that sounded very positive. He hadn't gone down far enough. I actually had 200 gallons of oil in the tank.

I made the guy go back and check the sump pump. Thankfully, I thought to switch the plug to another outlet, and the sump pump started working. I took a water sample to the firehouse and they said it was NOT oil.

How is that for a story.

Morristown NJ St. Patrick's Day Parade

2009-03-17T06:56:00.009-04:00

Here are some photos from the Morristown NJ St. Patrick's Day Parade this past Saturday. I was on the Office of Emergency Management truck with a great view!!!

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

2009-03-17T06:49:00.002-04:00

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers will be playing at Morristown High School on March 26th. There's a senior citizen performance that day.

Roselle Park NJ Homes

2009-03-11T22:42:00.001-04:00

If you're looking for Roselle Park NJ Homes, I just listed 626 Faitoute Avenue for $235,000. It has high ceilings, wood floors, large rooms, loads of potential. For more information contact me.

Roselle Park NJ Land

2009-03-11T22:41:00.001-04:00

I just listed Roselle Park NJ Land at 630 Faitoute Avenue for $75,000. Please let me know if you would like more information.

Where is George Suen?

2009-03-07T09:27:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I went to Aura's in Morristown, NJ for a haircut. I see George Suen, who used to be at Aniki's before it closed down on Speedwell Avenue in Morristown. Aura's is right next to Century 21's, across from Headquarters Plaza.

George asked me to get the word out since he is not techi at all. His website is http://www.aurasalonandspa.com/. They have alot of specials this month for March madness, which I thought was only something my husband told me about during basketball season.

Tell George Denise sent you and have a great haircut!!!!

Midtown Direct Train to NYC

2009-03-05T19:26:00.001-05:00

If you are taking the Midtown Direct train to NYC from Morristown, think about Convent Station. There was much more parking.

Morris County School Closings

2009-03-01T10:14:00.001-05:00

For Morris County School Closings go to this link:

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/schoolClosings?cnty=Morris&state=nj&st=wabc

Morris County Library Schedule

2009-02-21T18:17:00.000-05:00

This Morris County Library schedule has been reprinted with permission.

The March schedule of events and classes at Morris County Library has been
posted.
http://morriscty.blogspot.com/2009/02/march-mcl.html

Among the special events are:
COMMUNITY
Senator Lautenberg is trying out a series of mobile offices. His staff will be here
from 10AM-2PM, March 17th, Tuesday.
Central Morris AARP and Family Services of Morris County have combined in a
project to prepare Easter baskets for the children of military families. We are the
collection point for anything you might be able to donate, March 15-28.
http://morriscty.blogspot.com/2009/02/easter-baskets-for-military-
families.html
ARTS
Two concerts, Saturdays at 3PM, piano on March 7th and South American flute and
guitar on March 21st.
Irish films will be shown Fridays, 2PM, all month.
http://www.mclib.info/music/programs.htm
CHILDREN
Our Dr. Suess Birthday Party/Read Across America Day is March 3, Tuesday, 10AM.
Light refreshments will be served for the little ones.
Both March sessions of "Crafts with Teri" are full. Please sign up early for April-
June.
http://www.mclib.info/kid/spring.html

Saint Francis of Assisi Church, W. 31st St., NYC

2009-02-17T09:08:00.000-05:00

Last Monday I had a meeting at the American Cancer Society and came upon Saint Francis of Assisi Church on W. 31st St., NYC. My dad used to tell me whenever you go into a church for the first time you make a wish. I wished for a job that would fulfill my need to help people.

I couldn't believe how interesting this church was. There is a shrine to St. Anthony there. The last time I was in a church in Manhattan was when I was a teenager, or at least in my early 20s. Funny thing about some churches. You can go in there 20 years later and they are exactly the same.

Their website is http://stfrancisnyc.org and phone number is 212-736-8545.

When I grew up in Brooklyn, I went to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. It was the same church I got married in and had my Dad's funeral mass. When I went to Saint Francis' church, time just melted away.

Alternatives to Foreclosure

2009-02-17T07:42:00.002-05:00

I read this great article on Alternatives to Foreclosure. I didn't even know about the short refinance. If you have any questions please call me at 908-477-9450 or if you would like a CMA.

http://rismedia.com/2009-02-16/how-to-help-distressed-homeowners-by-offering-free-cmas/

Lisa Bonfiglio, Morris County Sheriff's Office

2009-02-15T15:09:00.001-05:00

I read on the NJSPBA site that Lisa Bonfiglio, a member of the Morris County Sheriff's Office, recently died of cancer. I would like to express my condolences to her friends and family. I live right around the corner from the Sheriff's Office but didn't know Officer Bonfiglio. This blog will have a day of silence in her memory.

Morris Plains Train to NYC

2009-02-12T08:51:00.003-05:00

I took the Morris Plains train to NYC on Monday. Since it was my first time, I allowed myself some extra time to find parking. The train I took was the 9:06 arriving at Penn Station at 10:03. Being a long time rider of the Long Island Railroad from Sayville, I couldn't help but compare the two.

Of course I noticed the fire extinguisher right when you get on the train (I'm a volunteer firefighter). The train cars were clean and the transit workers were very pleasant, even though it was MONDAY morning. Parking your car at Long Island stations is much easier than in most places around where I live. However, there was a flyer posted stating that you can park at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Morris Plains, which is only about 3 blocks from the train station. For more information call 973-538-7606 or go to http://tlcmp.com.

My husband commutes to lower Manhattan everyday but he has decided to drive through Union and leave his car in Roselle Park and jump on the Path. If you're commuting to Penn though you can't ask for an easier commute. The midtown direct has consistent trains and I loved the fact that we went directly from Summit to Newark and then Penn Station. I was thinking...I could do this everyday. After a 2-1/2 hour commute each way from eastern Long Island, time on my ride just flew by.

Morris Township Committee January Newsletter

2009-02-06T19:46:00.003-05:00

This Morris Township Committee January Newsletter has been reprinted with permission.

January 2009 Newsletter

Dear Neighbors,

I am pleased to be sending you this latest update in a series of E-newsletters containing commentary on our Township Committee meetings and other helpful information about our municipality. If you did not see the prior newsletters, you can view them at www.JeffGrayzel.com. Click on the newsletter”link.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to any (and all) of your friends & neighbors. There are many people who still do not get the newsletter and who surely would be interested in what goes on in our Township. They can subscribe to the newsletter by sending an e-mail to Jeff@JeffGrayzel.com . You can let them know that I only send one e-mail per month and do not use their address for any other purposes.
This edition covers the month of January including the two Township Committee meeting of 1/7/09 and 1/21/09, and also provides updates on some community issues. Make sure you catch all of the upcoming events in our community. See the listing under “Other items of interest” near the end of this newsletter.

Click links below for newsletter topics:

January 7
Township Committee MeetingOther Commentary from
Township Committee Members

January 21
Township Committee Meeting Building Applications
Around Town
Public CommentaryUpdate on the Mount Kemble
Recreation Complex Proposal
Jeff's CommentaryOther items of interest
Upcoming Committee Meeting

January 7 Township Committee Meeting…
You can view a copy of the agenda via a link to our Township website:
http://morrisTownship.com/agendas/Townshipcomm_01-07-09.pdf

The first meeting of the year is known as the annual Reorganization” meeting. As can be seen from the agenda the two new Committeemen, Ray Snyder and Dan Caffrey, were sworn in. A vote was taken amongst the Committee to elect the acting Mayor for the year. (Of note, in our form of government the Mayor is selected annually from one of the five Committee members and this is voted on at the annual Reorganization meeting). Scott Rosenbush will be our Mayor for 2009. Newly-elected Committeeman Dan Caffrey was elected Deputy Mayor. The new Mayor then gave the annual Mayoral Address.

Several procedural matters were then voted on. These included:

Appointments of Township Committee members to sub-committee assignments. See this link for Standing Committee appointments: http://www.morrisTownship.com/Townshipcommittee.asp

Appointments of various outside professionals to various people to various contracted positions (e.g. legal counsel).

Appointments of citizen volunteers to our board and committees. See this link for a listing of these committees and the members on each: http://www.morrisTownship.com/boards.asp

A detailed copy of all of our appointments and resolutions can be obtained by contacting the Township Clerk’s office at 973-326-7430. No new ordinances were proposed at this meeting.

January 21 Township Committee Meeting…

You can view a copy of the agenda via a link to our Township website:
http://morrisTownship.com/agendas/Townshipcomm_01-21-09.pdf

Ordinances for Final Consideration…

Our meetings usually start with “Ordinances – Public Hearing, Final Consideration, and Adoption”. This pertains to ordinances introduced at a prior Township Committee meeting. However, since no new legislation was proposed at the prior meeting there were no ordinances up for final consideration.

Ordinances for Introduction…

At the January 21st meeting there were no new ordinances for introduction.

Resolutions…

Several Resolutions were then passed. The title of each of these resolutions can be viewed on the agenda:
http://morrisTownship.com/agendas/Townshipcomm_01-21-09.pdf

These are usually routine and without controversy. However, this time there was some discussion. I would like to provide the following additional information:
Resolution 23-09 appointed a municipal bond counsel, and this is the same person who has been our counsel for many years. Jeff Grayzel made the comment that he had read several articles in the newspaper recently about the municipal bonding process and how it is an inefficient market. I then made the suggestion that we re-word the resolution so that it allows us to put any municipal bonds out to bid and not have us locked into using our primary counsel/broker for our bonds. The Township Committee was agreeable to this and the wording of the resolution was changed to reflect my suggestion.

Resolution 15-09 and 31-09 dealt with appointments to the open space committee and the recreation advisory committee respectively. Ron Goldberg asked that we vote on each of these resolutions individually instead of as a block. His intention was to ask the Mayor a question about these appointments which are completely controlled by the Mayor. However, instead of separating out the resolutions Mayor Scott Rosenbush pulled them from the agenda. After the other resolutions were voted on, Rosenbush used Mayoral prerogative to declare appointments and he therefore avoided discussion of the two resolutions.

It should also be noted that Resolution 26-09 appointed a new municipal auditor. If you recall, last year I admonished our previous auditor for not being more diligent in his analysis of our sewer operations, which ultimately caused a 25% increase in our sewer fees. I must also add that I am unsure how this new auditor was selected and must simply hope they will do a good job for us.

Copies of all resolutions passed may be obtained from our Township Clerk.

Public Commentary…
Every Township meeting has a “public commentary” portion during which any member of the public can make a statement concerning anything related to Township matters, or ask the Township Committee anything they wish.

There were no public comments made at the January 7 meeting (since this was a reorganization meeting of mostly procedural matters).

At the January 21 the following comments were made:

The first resident spoke about the recently erected cell tower at Collinsville firehouse which has red-and-white striping (to look like an oversize barbershop pole). She gave a history of the approval process and stated that the project was discussed over several years but that the striping was not included until the very last meeting when the project was approved. She was told that the striping was done because of the proximity of this tall pole to the Morristown airport.

Eight additional citizens then got up with remarks that were also against the cell tower. Their comments included:

It is an eyesore.
Concerns about health risks since it is right next to several homes.
Adverse affect on real estate values since this eyesore is directly adjacent to several homes.
Request made that no new antennas be added to the pole.
Having this at the doorstep of Morris Township does not make us look good.
The next resident who spoke asked two questions: 1) Commented that the public portion of meetings in other towns are conducted at the beginning of meetings instead of at the end as we do it in Morris Township. He asked that we consider moving the public commentary potion to the beginning of the meeting so that citizens do not have to wait until late in the evening to get a chance to speak.
2) Noted that during the local elections in November that Mr. Caffrey and Mr. Snyder were in support of Morris Township putting their meetings on cable TV or internet streaming, and wondered if that were still the case. He hoped that this would be accomplished this year so that he could watch the proceedings on television at home instead of having to come to town hall.

The final resident to speak commented on the new configuration of the intersection at Normandy Parkway and Columbia Road. She complained that the timing of the lights did not allow for many cars to get through the intersection. Jeff Grayzel stated that the new timing pattern for the lights was supposed to have gone into affect this past week but seems to have been delayed. (Note: new light timing pattern has since gone into affect)

I urge more citizens to come to the Township meetings to ask questions and to air their comments. Doing so at a public forum gives you the opportunity to get an immediate response from the Township Committee, and often times helps the Committee improve regulations related to the issues at hand.

Jeff’s Commentary…

The final portion of each meeting allows for each member of the Township Committee to make any general comments they please. Since there were two meeting in the month of January I will combine commentary from both meetings into this single summary. I made the following comments at these two meetings:

I wished Mr. Caffrey and Mr. Snyder well in their new positions on the Township Committee, and I offered my assistance to help them get up to speed on any matters on which they needed help.

I stated that I looked forward to my various roles in the coming year, including those as Fire Commissioner, Deputy Police Commissioner and as a representative on the Recreation Committee. With respect to each of these committees I made the following comments:

Fire: A comprehensive Fire Department review will be conducted in 2009 by an outside consultant. I want both our citizens and our fire-fighters to know that we will not sacrifice service nor will sacrifice the safety of our firefighters. We just want to make sure the department is running efficiently and has the equipment needed to do their job.

Police: For many years now, from when I first began running for elected office, I have spoken about speeding in our town and the safety of our pedestrians. I look forward to working with our police department on this and other safety matters.
Recreation: In Morris Township we have very strong baseball, soccer, and football leagues. I want to help our existing sports leagues thrive and try to expand our basketball program.

With regard to the cell tower, I too was shocked at what it looks like. I noted that this application was approved by the Board of Adjustment. I made the suggestion that I had also made last year that the Township implement legislation that would allow a super-majority of the Township Committee to overrule a Board of Adjustment decision. Right now the Board of Adjustment acts as an independent entity. But they are an appointed group whereas the Township Committee is elected and should have the final say.

I The Good Citizens Breakfast was started about 7 years ago and occurs twice a year at Frelinghuysen Middle School. Approximately fifty 5th , 6th & 7th grade students (15 from each grade and 5 ESL students) are nominated by their peers, teachers, school administrators and our School Resource Police Officers as demonstrating good will, compassion, helpfulness and respect towards their fellow students and teachers. The students are invited to the breakfast with their parents. A guest speaker talks about the traits exemplified in the program and commends the students for receiving the recognition. Each student receives a certificate from the Police Department acknowledging their accomplishment. I congratulate all of these students on their achievement and hope for their continued good citizenship in our community.
The police department reported that the police program titled “Over the Limit Under Arrest 2008 Year End crackdown” was a success. This program ran for just under 4 weeks at year-end and resulted in 9 DWI arrests, 2 drug arrests, 1 wanted person arrest and approximately 75 traffic violations.

I The Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 campaign was set up in the Kitchell Road neighborhood from the middle of December through the Holidays. This program consists of signs that are placed throughout a neighborhood, and are primarily lawn signs being placed on individual front yards of as many residents in a neighborhood as possible.

As a reminder of my previous commentary on this subject, the mission of this organization is to reduce child death and injury on our roadways by promoting driver awareness. We previously placed these lawn signs on Sherman Avenue and the surrounding Fairchild neighborhood and we will move them to other neighborhoods around the township in the spring. For more information on this program, and to order your own lawn signs if you wish, please visit http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/

Other Commentary from Township Committee Members…

Ron Goldberg made the following comments:

I welcome our new members, Ray Snyder and Dan Caffrey, and look forward to working with them.

The Combe Landfill consent decree was filed yesterday. Morris Township has prepared for this event and is ready to meet its obligation and move on.
In 2009, Morris Township will continue to shape an agreement with the County Housing Authority to share responsibility to provide affordable housing and meet Morris Township’s COAH growth share obligation. We are on very solid footing. We have also identified third party grant opportunities for this type of project.

In first half of 2009, Morris Township seeks to reach final understanding with Harding Township and purchase 15 acres off Mt. Kemble Avenue for athletic fields. After the purchase is accomplished, we will make the land ready for play in a fiscally responsible way.

In 2009, we will investigate private and county financing opportunities for solar panel installation. Incentives to participate in such programs are becoming attractive to municipalities. We are looking for a program that makes economic sense in tough economic times.

In 2009, we will look very hard at ways to spend less money, at service sharing opportunities, and for reciprocation from other governments or institutions to which we provide services.

It's going to be an interesting and challenging year.

Ray Snyder made the following comments:

Noted that there was a parking lot committee meeting in the coming week.
Thanked the Committee members for their warm welcome.

Dan Caffrey made the following comments:
Agreed that the cell tower at the Collinsville fire house does not look good.
Commended our police and fire departments, as well as the Minute men, for their work at a car collision on Hanover Ave. This was a double entrapment. The occupants of both cars had to be extracted, but only suffered minor injuries.
Mayor Scott Rosenbush made the following comment:

Gave the annual Mayoral Address at the January 7 meeting.
Stated that this will be a difficult year financially and everything is on the table.
Regarding the cell tower, what it is now was surely not what was expected.
Commended the DPW for the great job they did keeping our roads safe and clear during the recent snowfalls.
Closed Session…
The Township Committee then recessed into “closed session” which occurs when there are legal or personnel matters that cannot be discussed in public. Minutes of the closed session are released to the public when the matters discussed are resolved.
There was no closed session after the January 7 meeting. At the January 21 meeting the Township Attorney John Mills announced at the Township Committee meeting (prior to recessing into closed session) that the closed session would deal with personnel, land acquisition, real property, and legal matters.
After returning from January 21 closed session the Township Committee passed a resolution affirming our participation in the settlement of the Combe South Landfill settlement. This suit, which is over 20 years old, involves 93 municipalities and several corporations. Our share of damages will be $315,000 plus legal fees. The money had already been set aside in previous budgets so it will not impact this year’s budget. We hope to get much of this back from the insurance company covering the Township during the time period in question.
THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS GENERAL INFORMATION
ABOUT HAPPENINGS AROUND MORRIS TOWNSHIP.
Building Applications Around Town…
This section provides the community with some information about building projects around town. There are always new projects and continuing projects that come before the Planning Board and the Board of Adjustment. I will only highlight the larger projects and not get into details on the minor ones, such as a homeowner adding a front porch to their home).
If residents encourage or are opposed to certain types of developments, they need to voice their opinions in-person at the hearings.
The Board of Adjustment held a regular meeting on January 26. The agenda for this meeting can be found online at the township website: http://morrisTownship.com/agendas/boa_01-26-09.pdf
There was one major and one minor item on the agenda, the major item being the hearing for the Madison Avenue Gas Mart (Dunkin Donuts) project. This application to turn the 3 service bays at the gas station into a “mini-mart” serving Dunkin’ Donuts was denied.
The next regular Board of Adjustment meeting will take place on February 23. The meeting agenda will be available on the township website several days before the meeting.
The Planning Board held a regular meeting on January 12, and this agenda can be found online:
http://morrisTownship.com/agendas/plbd_01-12-09.pdf

The first portion of the meeting was spent on annual reorganization”matters (see agenda). The Board then heard three applications. The first was for the Atlantic Health Systems building at 475 South treet where they propose to install a large emergency generator. This hearing will be continued on March 2. The second application was for the medical office building at 310 Madison Avenue where an updated parking plan (parking space layout) was presented. This was continued to March 2. The last application was for the installation of new chemical holding tanks at the Colgate-Palmolive Corporate facility on Hanover Avenue. This application was approved.

The next planning board meeting is scheduled for February 2. Of note, the hearing of the application by Joel Meer to subdivide a property on Shadyside Road will be heard on this date. This applicant proposes to subdivide the property into three lots, two of which are proposed for new construction. Applicant also seeks several other variances for insufficient lot depth and setbacks and waiver relief for steep slope disturbance are also being requested.

Planning Board Special Meeting on Thurs.,
Feb. 26
The Planning Board will also hold a Special Meeting on Thursday February 26 to hear a new application from Delbarton School relating to the “North Fields” project. These are the fields off Mendham Road. They are going to re-turf a field, add a track, tennis courts, and a field house.

All of the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment meetings start at 7:30pm at our municipal building and are open to the public. As with all public meetings, I urge our residents to attend so that they can have a say in how our township is managed and how it is developed.

Update on the Mount Kemble Recreation Complex Proposal

As some of you may have already read about in the newspaper, the Harding Township Committee has now denied our proposal for lighting the two proposed playing fields to be built on private land in Harding (land that adjoins Morris Township and located behind an office park on Mount Kemble Ave). Previously they had already denied our proposals for them to be artificial turf (Harding wants only natural grass in their town) and for there to be bleachers. Various reasons were given, which I will not go into at this time. We are all greatly disappointed with this result given the tremendous need for new playing fields in our community. Our Mayor is looking into possible alternative options to take back to the Harding Township Committee. If you are unfamiliar with this proposal, more details can be found on the township website at: http://morrisTownship.com/notice-MtKembleLand.html
More detailed news can be found in the latest issue of the Morris Newsbee newspaper:
http://www.recordernewspapers.com/morris_news_bee/
or
http://www.recordernewspapers.com/articles/2009/01/30
morris_news_bee/news/doc49824e3709354921227270.txt
Other items of interest…
Sign-up for several Spring sports leagues is commencing soon. Please note the following dates for that each sport will begin taking registrations: GIRLS’ SOFTBALL SIGN-UP FOR GRADES 2 – 5 has commenced. For more information: http://morrisTownship.com/pdfs/softball09.pdf

T-BALL (BOYS/GIRLS AGES 5-7) SIGN UP:
FEBRUARY 7 FROM 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M
AT THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING
More information: http://morrisTownship.com/pdfs/tball09.pdf

NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE (AGES 7 AND UP) SIGN -UP:
FEBRUARY 7 FROM 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M
AT THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING
More information: http://www.mnll.org/
AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE (AGES 7 AND UP) SIGN -UP:
FEBRUARY 7 FROM 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M
AT THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING
More information: http://www.maall.net/

Valentine’s Day Rose Sale: The volunteer members of Morris Township Office of Emergency Management Heavy Rescue will again be selling roses for Valentine's Day. They have teamed with a local florist and distributor this year.
Rose's will be on sale at Hillside Firehouse at 132 Western Avenue in Morris Township. Dates: Feb 12, 12PM to 7PM; Feb 13 8AM to 8PM; & Valentine's Day 8AM to 8PM
One dozen high-quality red long stem for $25.00 or two dozen shorter stem roses in various colors for just $25.00 . Also available will be vases, stuffed animals, candy, and greeting cards.

Orders recommended if you want a special color but orders not a requirement. Just stop in. Call Patty for orders, directions or just e-mail order to Patriciasimms207@hotmail.com . Please come support this volunteer organization that supports the entire community.

New program for seniors at the Morris Museum: The Morris Museum is offering a new program titled

"Senior Fridays" for senior citizens, which combines art and conversation. Each program will include a highlights tour through a featured exhibition and discussion. Programs will be held at 1 p.m. on Jan. 16, "The Guinness Collection of Mechanical Musical Instruments & Automata"; Feb. 20, "Rembrandt's Etchings"; and March 20, "The Life and Work of Grace Hartigan." The program is free with museum admission of $7 for seniors. Registration not required. For more information, call (973) 971-3700 or visit www.morrismuseum.org

Families are invited to the Morris Museum’s Chocolate Festival on Sunday February 8 from 1-4pm. Watch chocolate making demonstrations and sample colonial chocolate from the American Heritage Chocolate Company. Learn how chocolate was enjoyed during colonial times (Did you know it was consumed as a beverage and enjoyed by George Washington?) and participate in candy-inspired arts & crafts activities. For more information, please call 973.971.3718.

Have you recently lost your job? The Morris County Career Network, part of the Morris County Professional Services Group, has begun holding twice-a-month networking meetings at St. Peters Church located at 70 Maple Ave in Morristown. They meet the 2nd and 4th Mondays from 9 – 11am. They can help refine your interview skills, learn strategies for career change, generate leads, and more. For more information go to: http://www.doverpsg.com/

As many of us who have been caregiving for years already know, being a caregiver is quite an overwhelming responsibility that effects are physical, emotional. mental and even financial health. One of the best ways of assisting ourselves as we walk through our caregiving situations is to attend a Caregiver Support Group. Caregiver Support Groups provide us with a listening ear, a professional facilitator, stories of other caregivers, ideas and resources on each of our specific caregiving situations and a general feeling of being helped and heard.

Caregiver's Coalition of Morris County sponsors 4 caregiver support groups. Facilitator Carolann Roberto is a trained professional with years of experience facilitating caregiver support groups. There is no need to preregister and there is no fee at all. Just show up. The schedule is :
- Sunrise Assisted Living, Madison on 1st Tuesday of the month 6:30 - 8:00 PM
- Sunrise Assisted Living, Morris Plains on 1st Wednesday of the month 6:30 - 8:00 PM
- Arden Courts, Whippany on 1st Thursday of the month (dementia specific) 6:30 - 8:00 PM
- Sunrise Assisted Living, Basking Ridge on 1st Saturday of the month 12:30 - 2:00 PM

For more information please contact Bill Cramer, Caregiver Volunteer Coordinator, at bcj1226@optonline.net

The census Bureau will be hiring individuals to assist with Address Canvassing during the Spring of 2009. Interested individuals can make an appointment to apply for these openings, and for other temporary employment opportunities that the Bureau will need to fill from now up through Census Day, April 1, 2010. Pay rates range from $13-$20 per hour. If interested please contact the Bureau’s toll free employment information number, 1-866-861-2010 or the Census Bureau’s website. Visit the Census Bureau on-line at http://census.gov/2010census
Home heating aid available to Morris residents: The State's Home Energy Assistance Program is now taking applications from eligible Morris County residents who may be having trouble paying their heating bills. The HEA Program helps individuals and families who pay their own heating bills or who have their heating included in their unsubsidized rent. Applications are evaluated by household size, monthly gross income, heating bills and several other criteria. The HEA Program is administered by the New Jersey departments of Community Affairs and Energy through the Morris County Organization for Hispanic Affairs, which for the past eight years has been designated by the state as the county agency to receive the applications for assistance. Applications for the HEA Program are being accepted now to April 30. For more information or to request an application, contact the Morris County Organization for Hispanic Affairs at its 120-122 Speedwell Ave. office in Morristown at (973) 644-5627.
Morris Township Dog and Cat license applications are due by January 31. (Yes, all pets are required to be registered)
Upcoming Committee Meeting...

The Next
Meeting:
February 18th
There are two Township Committee meetings scheduled for the month of February which will take place on Wednesday February 4th and Wednesday February 18th. Please try to attend one of these meetings to see how your local government operates. Your presence improves the quality of the proceedings, and your questions require the Township Committee to be responsive to our citizens.
Other Township meetings and events can be found online on our municipal calendar:
http://plus.calendars.net/morrisTownship

Please feel free to forward this e-mail on to others. If you know someone who would like to subscribe, please have them contact me at Jeff@JeffGrayzel.com.

As always, if you have any questions about any of the above or if you have a comment you would like to share with me, then please send me an e-mail to Jeff@JeffGrayzel.com
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Thank you for taking the time to read through this newsletter. I hope it has helped you be more informed about what is going on around our town.
JEFF
Committeeman, Morris Township

Morris Township Office of Emergency Management Heavy Rescue Squad Roses Fundraiser

2009-02-06T19:01:00.001-05:00

ROSES FUNDRAISER

Morris Township Office of Emergency Management Heavy Rescue Squad
Hillside Firehouse 132 Western Avenue Morris Township
Feb 12th 12-7: Feb 13th 8-8: & Friday Feb 14th 8-8.
$25.00 for One dozen RED or Two dozen other colors
Vases, cards, and other Valentine items also for sale
Call Pat if any ? or for directions 973-538-1281, cell 973-714-7481 or e-mail Patriciasimms207@hotmail.com
Orders are not necessary

Stimulus Bill

2009-02-06T18:47:00.000-05:00

U.S. Senate Takes Action on Stimulus Bill, reprinted with permission from http://njar.com.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan amendment, offered by senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the economic stimulus bill, creating a $15,000 tax credit to individuals who purchase a home in the next year. While the final details of the stimulus bill are still being debated, it is clear the bill will contain a number of provisions designed to benefit the housing market. More information can be found online.

Foreclosure Prevention

2009-01-26T08:30:00.003-05:00

The government has come out with a report on Foreclosure Prevention. Here's the link: http://www.fhfa.gov/webfiles/404/Q308ForeclosurePrevention.pdf. If you're looking for a realtor to help with selling your home in a short sale situation (pre-foreclosure), please don't hesitate to contact me. I've recently successfully closed on a short sale with a home in Morris Township, NJ and will help you negotiate all the paperwork.

Morristown NJ Real Estate

2009-01-25T22:03:00.002-05:00

I showed some Morristown NJ real estate and Jefferson NJ real estate today to a young buyer looking for his first home. He started looking at foreclosures, and then we saw two cute homes right near a lake - Cozy Lake in Jefferson was one of them.

I explained that when homes are really low in price like in the $200s or high $180-190s, if they are marked drastically below value, an investor would most likely pick the home up and renovate to sell. If $200K is stretching the budget, than I wouldn't advise buying a home that needs alot of work just because it's in foreclosure.

I don't like working foreclosures because to be honest it makes me very sad to see people lose their homes. On the flip side though, it gives a new buyer the opportunity to afford a home they normally wouldn't be able to afford.

If you are interested in my realtor expertise, please contact me at 908-477-9450 or watch my video at http://www.homes.com/Content/AgentContactForm.cfm?agentid=1702695.

Morristown High School Swim Team

2009-01-23T21:12:00.002-05:00

The Morristown High School Swim Team is having a fundraiser on January 27th through Primavera Restaurant in Morris Plains, NJ. Please get your dinner from Primavera from 5-10 p.m.

Finding the right insurance company

2009-01-19T20:27:00.003-05:00

I was told by my mortgage company that one of the reasons my mortgage went up again this year was because of my homeowner's insurance.

I called my agent, Rob Schielke, of NJ Driver in Cranford, NJ. Rob is the best insurance agent I have ever worked with, personally and as a realtor. He explained that my insurance didn't go up by more than $25 and the mortgage company was wrong. I then asked why my premium of $2,200 was so high.

He said my carrier, Chubb, provides the best coverage one could get. I could shop around but the security in knowing the replacement costs would be top quality is worth the extra money. He explained that the company surveys about 5 local contractors in each county to find out replacement costs - if steel has gone up or lumber, etc.

Not all companies are alike, and that goes for the people that work for those companies. If you're looking for someone to insure your home or auto, look up http://njdriver.com. The help is there if you need it.

Morristown High School Spotlight Newsletter

2009-01-15T15:01:00.001-05:00

Here is the January 2009 version of the Spotlight, Morristown High School's newsletter for the Parent's Advisory Committee:

http://www.morristownhighschool.org/main_pdfs/spotlight_jan09.pdf

Networking at the Famished Frog in Morristown, NJ

2009-01-15T14:50:00.002-05:00

Networking at the Famished Frog in Morristown, NJ
Reprinted with permission

As a member of the Business Resource Council (BRC), I wanted to let you know about an exciting networking opportunity on Tuesday, February 3, 2009. We are hosting this event at the Famished Frog in Morristown as a way to get business owners and decision makers together to network and hopefully do business with one another. Below is a link to the details of the event and a registration page. I hope you can make it to this event to meet people and learn more about the BRC.

http://brcevents.eventbrite.com

Sincerely,

David Beck, D.C.
12 James Street
Morristown, NJ 07960
(973)683-1110

FHA Downpayment Requirements

2009-01-13T10:07:00.002-05:00

Reprinted with permission about FHA Downpayment Requirements

Dear Business Partners,

Investors have already priced an economic meltdown of epic proportions into the mortgage market pushing rates to their current lows. Therefore, it is unlikey that any additional weak economic reports released during the remainder of this month, such as, December retail sales, will have any effect on moving rates lower. However, mortgage investors will be keeping a watchful eye on stock trading. In the event that stock prices drop and there is a sell off in the Dow, expect the mortgage market to rally (investors looking for safety) pushing rates lower.

FYI, Effective 1/01/09, FHA (Federal Housing Authority) has increased their down payment requirements to 3.5% of the purchase price, up 1/2 percent from 2008. Seller contributions are still permitted up to 6% of the selling price.

Reminder: 2009 FHA and Conventional loan limits in high cost markets have been reduced to $625,500.00, down from 2008 limits which were $729,900.00.

Thank you for your business!

Bob

Robert Scarzella
Home Loan Consultant
Circle of Excellence 2004-2007
Countrywide Home Loans
138 Orlando Drive
Raritan, NJ 08869
908-252-3958 Office
908-303-7714 Cell
908-707-9445 Fax
Robert_Scarzella@countrywide.com

Morristown Agents on Magic Mountain

2009-01-10T20:50:00.000-05:00

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...January 10, 2009

I am in Vermont today with my two sons and their friend. My RE/MAX owner has graciously offered some of the agents free rooms, ski rentals and lift tickets at Magic Mountain. He owns the Inn here, and the kids and I so needed to get away.

I decided to snowtube as I don't ski...only tried it once about 25 years ago. I went to the top of what I thought was a HUGE hill and looked down and said uh uh. No way was I going down that hill in that tube on packed snow. I walked down halfway, with my leather jacket on and all, knowing that the two guys working the hill were scratching their heads thinking I was crazy. I then gingerly got on the tube and down I went.

I did this for about a half hour and then caught up with my 15 year old. He has coordination issues and has avoided any type of sport his whole life. He said he "hates outside sport, hates the winter, hates skiing, hates ski boots" yada yada. So I told him a story. I said you know when I had to climb the 35 foot ladder I wouldn't do it. I reminded him that I had gone half way up then was just going to quit everything because I was intimidated. He listened and just said I'll meet you inside and gave back his equipment without a word.

Being a teenager, he then ate a chili dog and a huge dish of cheese fries, and said he would take a look at the snow tube hill with me. So there we went, and he went to the top and swoosh came down like a pro. I still went halfway up but he at least didn't scratch his head when he saw me.

Point of the story...I didn't complain that he took five minutes to give up, but gave him a glimpse of something that was more within his reach that he could master. And I know it made him gleeful that he was able to do something in the winter, in the snow.

Will I go to the top tomorrow? Heck no. I have to drive home, and he certainly can't do that. Those big stoppers aren't there for nothing and I saw enough people flip today.

With love from Vermont,

Denise