The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority will conduct a Household Hazardous Waste Disposal and Computer/T.V. Drop-off event on Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, formerly the Firefighters and Police Academy, 500 West Hanover Ave., Parsippany.

Morris County residents will be able to drop-off unwanted hazardous materials and electronic devices including computers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines and televisions from their homes.

Although there is no charge for most of the materials, there is a per component demanufacturing fee for computers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines and televisions, with the fee based on the size of the item.

A $5 per item fee will be charged for barbeque-sized propane cylinders.

This event is for all Morris County residents. Businesses will not be permitted to attend this disposal event.

Acceptable materials include pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, oil-based paints, stains, paint thinners and removers, solvents, automotive fluids, batteries, pool chemicals, darkroom chemicals, aerosol cans(not empty), propane and helium cylinders, small quantities of asbestos(wetted, double bagged and sealed with duct tape), driveway sealant, roofing tar, fluorescent bulbs, PCB-ballasts, mercury thermometers and switches, household cleaning products, muriatic acid, computers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines and televisions.

Latex paint will not be accepted.

Explosive or highly reactive materials, such as picric acid or nitro compounds, will not be accepted. For information about safe disposal of explosive or reactive material, call (973)-631-5109.

Household Hazardous Waste Disposal and Computer/T.V. Drop-off events have also been scheduled for Sept. 13 at the Academy, and Nov. 2 at the Jefferson Township Department of Public Works.

For more information about these events, call (973) 285-8394, or visit www.MCMUA.com.

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You don't have to travel to the Jersey shore to enjoy a day at the beach.

Here in Morris County, picturesque Sunrise Lake Beach Club in Lewis Morris Park offers fun in the sun for everyone!

In addition to swimming, visitors can enjoy boating on the lake, with pedal boats and row boats available for rental.

This summer, with gas prices as high as they are, stay close to home and make a splash at Sunrise Lake on Mendham Road in Morris Township.

Sunrise Lake is now open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., and weekends and holidays through Labor Day weekend from 11 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Birthday party packages that include lunch, lake admission and activities are also available. For more information or to schedule a party, please call (973) 829-8257.

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The Morris County Department of Planning, Development and Technology GIS Division has released its latest version of the Morris County Public Resource Interactive Mapping Application, a free, web-based interactive mapping application.

A number of enhancements have been made to the application's previous release, MCPRIMA 2.1.

With the addition of an interactive legend in 3.0 Beta, users have the ability to turn on/off individual map layers and search on those layers' attributes, above and beyond tax parcel information.

Allowing increased access to data has led to improved data mining tools, new reports and forms, more multimedia including pictures, videos and documents, integrated help documentation and advanced data flagging capabilities.

MCPRIMA will make additional layers of data available in the coming weeks.

The objective of MCPRIMA is to create a platform independent interactive mapping application for the county that will provide powerful and secure tool sets for public and private consumption.

Special attention to a cross-platform, reusable component design ensures that as the county infrastructure changes over time, the application will not become obsolete.

The application may be accessed through www.morrisgis.org.

For more information contact the GIS Division at mcgis@co.morris.nj.us or call 973.829.8120.

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The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders will observe the 7th anniversary of the tragic events that took place Sept. 11, 2001, with a public Remembrance Service and Candlelight Vigil on Sunday, Sept. 7.

The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at the Morris County September 11th Memorial on West Hanover Avenue in Parsippany-Troy Hills, across from Morris View Healthcare Center, formerly Morris View Nursing Home.

The county's September 11th Memorial pays tribute to all of those who died in the terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C., placing special emphasis on the 64 victims from Morris County.

The observance will include remarks by New York firefighter John Fila, whose firehouse, Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, had all 15 of its firefighters on duty the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, killed in their World Trade Center rescue efforts.

The names of all of the Morris County residents who were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks will be read during the observance, and paving stones that are engraved with the names of each of the nearly 3,000 people who died that day, and which encircle the Memorial, will be dedicated.

The freeholders invite the general public to attend the memorial service and remember those who lost their lives that day.

The freeholders also invite police and fire departments and rescue squads from across the county to participate by sending one apparatus per department and assembling at 6 p.m. at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, 500 West Hanover Ave., Parsippany-Troy Hills. From there, a procession will be held to the Memorial.

For more information, please call the county government's public information office at (973) 285-6015.

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The 25 historic sites funded this year under the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund are now available for viewing on the Preservation Trust Web site, www.MorrisPreservation.com.

The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders in June approved spending $2.1 million from the trust fund to help preserve 25 historic sites in 17 municipalities.

The freeholders approved the grants based upon the recommendation of the county's Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board.

Of the grants approved, 16 were for construction or restoration projects and 9 grants were non-construction projects, which may include acquisition and the development of plans for preservation.

Among the sites receiving grants and which may be viewed on the Preservation Trust Web site, www.MorrisPreservation.com, are the Oscar A. Kincaid Home of History in Boonton Township; the Ralston Cider Mill in Mendham Township; the Montville Schoolhouse; the Millington Schoolhouse in Long Hill Township; and the Glenburn House in Riverdale.

More information about the Historic Preservation Trust Fund may be obtained by calling Ray Chang at the Morris County Department of Planning, Development and Technology at (973) 829-8120.

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The Morris County Youth Shelter, which is collecting diapers for distribution to needy Morris County families, has extended its drive to Aug. 8

Kristen Lewin, adolescent counselor at the shelter, said the inspiration for the drive came after the youth and staff volunteered at the Interfaith Food Pantry and saw families who needed not only the food, but also diapers and other essentials for their children.

"We all were inspired to try to help in some small way, and the diaper drive seemed like a great way for us to give back to the community," Lewin said.

Diapers may be dropped off at the Morris County Library through Aug. 8. The diapers will benefit clients of the Interfaith Food Pantry, the county's Office of Temporary Assistance and Child & Family Resources, all of whom partner in the community to help needy families.

Interfaith Food Pantry is located in the Morris View complex and provides food for thousands of individuals and families each year.

The Office of Temporary Assistance on Hanover Avenue provides Food Stamps and other benefit assistance to families in emergency situations or to those who have lost their jobs.

Child & Family Resources, the county's premiere child care referral agency, also has played a major role in diaper collections and distributes them to their agency's clients, as well as other local nonprofits serving children.

Unopened packages of disposable baby, toddler and adult diapers may be brought to the Morris County Library, 30 East Hanover Ave., in Whippany.

Additional information may be obtained by calling (973)-285-2970.

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The Morris County Agriculture Development Board has permanently preserved the Maria Young Farm, which spans the border of Chester and Mount Olive Townships.

ThE purchase by the Morris CADB restricts the land from non-agricultural uses, thus permanently preserving the 90-acre farm on Pleasant Hill Road.

The Young Farm is the 106th farm to be permanently preserved in Morris County. The property straddles two designated areas of the Highlands region with the Mount Olive portion located in the Planning Area, and the Chester Township parcel in the Preservation Area.

The farm is currently leased to Alstede Farms, which produces a variety of fruits, vegetables and melons.

In addition to its agricultural contribution to local farm markets, the farm provides beautiful views with its large tile silo, multiple barns, milk house and carriage shed.

The Maria Young Farm purchase was made in conjunction with a grant from the State Agriculture Development Committee, which provided 56 percent of the $2,550,028 acquisition price, with 44 percent funded by the Morris County Preservation Trust Fund.

In contrast to open space preservation, the landowner retains ownership of, and may even choose to sell, the preserved land with a deed restriction ensuring that the land will not undergo non-farm development. Agricultural development of the farm is permitted and the type of farming activity can change in the future.

The preservation of the Maria Young Farm brings the total area for preserved farmland in Morris County to 6,865 acres or the equivalent of 10.7 square miles.

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As part of the new Central Park of Morris County in Parsippany, the Board of Chosen Freeholders announced on July 23 that the county owned facility formerly used by the nonprofit Angel Connection has been awarded to Interfaith Council for the Homeless, the Eric Johnson House, and Hope House.

These three nonprofit organizations are collaborating to use the space to provide increased services to their clients, homeless families and those suffering from HIV and AIDS.

The Angel Connection facility became available when that organization's director retired and the agency moved out of the 3,500 square foot building on Executive Way.

With the increasing need for nonprofit space in the community, the freeholders decided that this space should again be home to another nonprofit organization.

Under the leadership of Freeholder John Murphy, human services liaison, a bipartisan citizen advisory committee was formed and developed criteria for putting out a proposal to the nonprofit community for use of the space.

A Request for Application was sent to all local human service organizations in March, and 12 agencies submitted proposals to use the building, many in collaboration with others.

The advisory committee then developed rating criteria based on the collaborative effort, with a higher preference given to agencies collaborating in the space.

The criteria also included the agency's fit to the wellness and recovery mission of the Central Park Nonprofit area; the enhancement of services for clients; and the ability of the organization(s) to fiscally and physically maintain the space.

Advisory committee members independently reviewed and ranked the proposals, then met to review the rankings and to make their recommendations to the freeholder board, which accepted them July 9.

The collaborative proposal submitted by Interfaith Council for the Homeless, the Eric Johnson House and Hope House received the highest ratings overall, and was the only proposal that combined the work of three different organizations.

Their collaborative also demonstrated a real need for the space, particularly since the Interfaith Council for the Homeless was in jeopardy of losing its space. The Eric Johnson House also had a great need to expand its capacity to house and provide counseling to residents with HIV and AIDS, and Hope House was in desperate need of space for its AIDs testing van.

The new facility in the Central Park of Morris County complex will provide a safe, healing and therapeutic environment in which these three organizations can help their clients. The agencies anticipate moving into their new home after Labor Day.

The county is in the process of addressing some structural issues at the facility, at a cost of approximately $50,000. In lieu of rent, the three agencies will be paying the capital cost back to the county over a 10 year time period.

This award marks the first step in the development of the nonprofit complex within the Central Park of Morris County. Other nonprofit development includes the ARC, which is already housed on the site, as well as plans for a new warehouse and program facility for the Interfaith Food Pantry.

Nonprofit development will also occur at the Central Avenue Complex, which will host a new human services mall to provide "one stop" access to services. This development will be underway now that the patients have been moved to the new Greystone Psychiatric Hospital.

The work is slated to be completed and agencies moved into the remodeled facility in 2010.

The Morris County Department of Human Services provides a wide range of help to those in need in the county including welfare and emergency benefits; help for families struggling with mental illness or substance abuse; youth services, including the Juvenile Detention Center and Youth Shelter; and the county's inter-library loan and library services through the Morris County Library.

For more information, contact the department at (973) 285-6868 or visit the website at www.morrishumanservices.org.

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Morris County has unveiled its own version of Central Park. Central Park of Morris County is the name the Morris Freeholders have given to the 306-acre recreation and nonprofit mall complex the county is developing on former Greystone property.

The Central Park of Morris County name became official at a ceremony July 23 during which two in-line roller rinks and a Challenger Field for mobility-impaired individuals were dedicated.

The freeholders also turned the management of the park in Parsippany over to the Morris County Park Commission.

The freeholders purchased the land from the state for $1 in 2003. The freeholders first discussed the possibility of acquiring the Greystone property soon after the state announced in April 2000 that it was going to close the psychiatric hospital and build a smaller facility on half of Greystone's nearly 700 acre campus.

Freeholder Director Margaret Nordstrom said the freeholders and officials from surrounding communities feared the state would sell the land to developers.

"Needless to say, the freeholders and elected officials from surrounding towns could not let that happen," Nordstrom said. "We wanted active and passive recreation opportunities, open space and room for some of our nonprofit agencies."

Besides the in-line roller rinks and the Challenger Field, plans call for the development of a cross country course, an outdoor amphitheatre, trails and hiking paths and an off-leash dog park.

Freeholder John Murphy said nonprofit development will also occur on the property.

Murphy said the Central Avenue Complex, which had been housing Greystone patients until recently, will be renovated to host a new human services mall for nonprofit agencies to provide their clients with "one stop" access to their wellness and recovery services.

The county decided against keeping Greystone in the name, opting to get away from the image the old psychiatric hospital evokes and to move on to the more tranquil and relaxing picture suggested by Central Park.

"Within the new park there are a number of venues that may be named in the future, including the non-profit mall," Murphy said. "These other naming opportunities will give us the chance to honor various groups such as our veterans and perhaps some individuals who have played a significant role in the county’s history."

Among those participating in the dedication ceremony were former Governor Donald DiFrancesco, former New York Yankee Steve Balboni and former New York Jet Bruce Harper.

DiFrancesco signed the legislation that allowed the county to purchase the land for $1; Harper is a founder of Heroes and Cool Kids, a mentoring program for youngsters involving athletes and peer leadership training that also has a substance abuse prevention component; and Balboni volunteers his time with youth leadership programs.

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The Morris County Agriculture Development Board on July 2 permanently preserved Oakeside Farm, the first farm to ever be preserved in Rockaway Township.

The purchase by the Morris CADB restricts the land from non-agricultural uses, thus permanently preserving the 93-acre farm on Charlottesburg Road.

Oakeside Farm has been in the Oakes Family for 65 years and is currently operated as an equine and cattle farm. Several buildings on the farm are between 150 to 200 years old. Located in the Highlands Preservation Area, this farm also adjoins the Split Rock Reservoir.

The purchase was made in conjunction with a grant from the State Agriculture Development Committee, which provided 59 percent of the $2,578,086 acquisition price. The Morris County Preservation Trust funded the remaining 41 percent.

In contrast to open space preservation, the landowner retains ownership of, and may even choose to sell the preserved land with a deed restriction ensuring that the land will not undergo non-farm development.

Agricultural development of the farm is permitted and the type of farming activity can change in the future.

Oakeside Farm is the 105th farm to be permanently preserved in Morris County, bringing the total area for preserved farmland in the county to 6,778 acres or the equivalent of 10.6 square miles.

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Morris County is planning to host a visioning workshop this fall as part of a region-wide effort to develop a long-range transportation plan for northern New Jersey.

The workshop will be one of a series held in each county in the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority region.

The NJTPA, which is the metropolitan planning organization for 13 counties in New Jersey, conducts long-range transportation planning, authorizes all federal transportation spending in the region and prioritizes project funding.

"We face many transportation challenges today and will face many more in the years to come," said Morris County Freeholder Gene F. Feyl, who represents the county on the NJTPA Board of Trustees and serves as board secretary. "This workshop will give us an opportunity to steer Morris County - and the larger region beyond our borders - on a sensible and sustainable course to the future."

Workshop participants will consider potential future transportation scenarios and look at how investment, policy, global forces and land use decisions can shape the future of travel in Morris County and the rest of the region.

The result of the workshops and other public involvement will be Plan 2035, an updated Regional Transportation Plan, as required by Congress. All transportation projects in the region that receive federal funding must be included in the plan.

The NJTPA kicked off this public discussion in June with a well-attended symposium of national and state transportation experts, who discussed the long-range impact of many current trends, including rising energy prices, a rapidly globalizing economy, changing demographics and other regional, national and international factors.

Details on the Plan 2035 workshop in Morris County, including the date, time and location, will be released later this summer.

More information on the development of the Regional Transportation Plan, including audio files of symposium speakers, can be found at www.njtpa.org.

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A total of 228 students graduated in June from the Morris County School of Technology in Denville and from the school's Academies of Morris County.

The School of Technology's class of 2008 saw 134 students graduate from the shared-time program at the school.

The students completed their course work in programs ranging from culinary arts, business information technology, computer drafting and graphics to carpentry, electrical trades and child related careers.

There were 94 students graduating from the 12 Academies of Morris County.

These full-time four-year public high schools are the Academy of Automotive Sciences; the Academy of Construction Arts; the Academy of Networking Information Technology & Communications; the Academy for Health Care Sciences; the Academy for Finance and International Business; the School of Cosmetology; the School of Culinary Arts; the Academy for Mathematics, Science and Engineering; the Academy for Visual & Performing Arts; the Academy for Law & Public Safety; the School of Child Related Careers; and the School of Veterinary Science.

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The Morris County Department of Senior, Disability and Veteran Services has prepared a packet of information for returning Gulf War veterans that is designed to help them proceed easily through the Veterans Administration.

The packet includes a roster of important telephone numbers to call for assistance, including contact information for the VA hospitals in Lyons and East Orange and the veterans clinic in Morristown; a New Jersey Veterans Guide; an application for enrollment into the VA Health Care System; and information about disability benefits for wounded veterans.

"We understand that navigating through a government agency can, at times, be frustrating," said Freeholder William J. Chegwidden, freeholder liaison to veterans services.

"The information contained in the packet is intended to make it easier for Morris County's veterans to learn about and obtain the services they have earned."

Other items in the packet include details about Morris County’s Distinguished Military Service Medal Program.

An information packet as well as additional information pertaining to veterans programs may be obtained by contacting Charles Jurgensen, Morris County Veteran Services Coordinator, at (973) 285-6866.

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