Tree Branch Crashes Into Lake Parsippany Home

Homeowners get a rude awakening Sunday night.

Bad luck came crashing down for a Lake Parsippany couple living on Flemington Drive. A number of heavy branches from an old tree in the home's backyard unexpectedly broke free and fell Sunday night, damaging the house, a storage facility and a boat. Joe Petro and his wife had no idea what was happening when the incident occurred. "At about 9 o'clock, we were sleeping when all of a sudden we heard this loud 'booooom,'" Petro told Patch. "It scared the hell out of us." According to Petro, four neighbors came running to find out what was happening and to make sure the couple was safe. He said it didn't take long to figure out what was wrong. Standing in the backyard, the homeowner pointed up toward a huge oak tree that showed visible damage…

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Downed Wires Knock Out Power in Lake Hiawatha

Power has been restored.

JCP&L reports that Parsippany homes that lost power Monday night due to downed wires on Minnehaha Boulevard in Lake Hiawatha have all had electricity restored. It is believed that only homes on Minnehaha were affected. Sgt. Allan Griffin of the Parsippany Township Police Department said last night that it appeared outages did not spread to surrounding areas. The police received the initial call that wires were down around 8 p.m. and as of 9 p.m., the police and firefighters were still waiting for Jersey Central Power & Light to begin fixing the wires, said Griffin. Griffin said that it appeared a blown transformer caused the outage.   Let Patch save you time. Get local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone each day …

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Par-Troy's Radio Responders: Ready When Needed

Ham radio enthusiasts volunteer their efforts to keep Parsippany safe.

In an emergency, fire, police and rescue responders need information—even when power is gone, phone systems are dead or the Internet is down. At those times, Parsippany's Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service exists to make sure that no matter what, comunications go on so that citizens can be protected. R.A.C.E.S. (pronounced ray-SEIZE) is an all-volunteer group of 14 amateur radio operators that is acitivated by the Parsippany Police Department or the local Office of Emergency Management in times of need. Two recent examples where the group stepped up to serve were the August 2011 appearance of Hurricane Irene and the surprise snowstorm that appeared in October last year.  The organization, which can be found all over the nation, was …

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Parsippany Preps for Projected First Snow of 2012

DPW director says crews will be ready, whatever happens.

The National Weather Service says Parsippany could see 3-6 inches of snow starting late tonight in the first  blast of winter weather of the new year. A winter weather advisory is in place for the area from 1 a.m. through 5 p.m. Saturday., with a prediction of snow ultimately turning into a mix of snow, sleet and rain. Local officials say township responders will be ready for whatever happens. "For planning purposes, I have now loaded all trucks with salt and put plows on," said Greg Schneider, director of the township's Department of Public Works, adding that plows are necessary for snowfalls that exceed 1 1/2 to 2 inches. "Initial manpower for any storm is about 10 to 12 men to man the salt trucks. If the storm looks like it will require…

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Parsippany Thanks Irene Responders with Pasta and Meatballs

Hundreds gathered at All Saints Academy to receive thanks from a grateful town.

The township of Parsippany showed its thanks for the kindness of neighbors Friday evening. Mayor James Barberio and a host of community groups came together to put on a spaghetti dinner for all of the volunteers, township workers and emergency responders who played a part in getting Parsippany through the nightmare of Hurricane Irene's floods last August. The event was held at All Saints Academy on Baldwin Road thanks to the combined efforts of the mayor's office, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany (along with its Key Club youth group), the Rotary Club of Parsippany, the Woman's Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills, and the Morris County chapter of the Sons of Italy, Parsippany Lodge #2561 (whose members crafted meatballs worthy of the …

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Mayor: 'We're Doing All We Can'

Mayor Barberio continues his rounds and reports that the post-snow cleanup continues.

Parsippany's chief executive is tired. Driving around the township all day to monitor the progress of road crews after Saturday's surprise snowstorm, Mayor James Barberio says he is both inspired and concerned. "The trees that fell—it's unbelievable how much damage has been done," he said. "At the same time our crews have been working hard and, as always, the people of Parsippany have come together to help each other." The mayor says he understands people's frustrations with the loss of heat and power. "We lost power and heat at my home too. It's difficult," he said. "There is a lot of work to be done before things get back to normal. We're doing all we can." Barberio said he will continue to monitor the situation hour by hour, checking in…

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Parsippany Gets Ready for Emergency Preparedness Classes

The town's Office of Emergency Management wants citizens to be prepared in case disaster strikes.

Have you seen green and white signs all over the township lately? If not, you haven't been paying attention. The signs advertise the town Office of Emergency Management's Ready Parsippany campaign, a locally funded effort to make residents aware of the urgent need for everyone to be prepared in case of an emergency situation.  Ready Parsippany is connected to the state and federal Ready programs. Aug. 28 gave the town tangible proof of why residents need to be ready. Hurricane Irene rained all over Parsippany, leading to flooding that still impacts thousands of residents, many of whom suffered unimaginable losses. That the town is dealing so well with the disaster is because of the ongoing work of OEM and its citizen-action wing, the …

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Remembering 9/11 - 10 Year Anniversary

For Parsippany’s OEM Chief, It's All About Planning

Eric Hubner coordinates responses to just about every type of emergency.

In a post-9/11 world, more planning makes us better prepared--and safer. Such is the philosophy of Eric Hubner, the coordinator of Parsippany's Office of Emergency Management. Whatever the situation--flooding, pandemics, oil spills, threats to local security--Hubner has a plan.  He says he spends most of the time planning and working to prevent incidents.  In a post-9/11 world, according to Hubner, more planning makes us better prepared.   “My job is make sure that everyone knows who is responsible ahead of time, who has the authority, and how we’re going to communicate before the emergency happens,” Hubner said.  He also spends much of his time working to prevent emergencies in an effort to keep the township safe from any threat, be it al…

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PHOTOS: Responders At Work

Patch offers a peek at the men and women giving time and energy to help those flooded out of their homes.

Three days after Hurricane Irene hit Parsippany-Troy Hills, many men and women are still hard at work dealing with the chaos left in the storm's wake. Patch found examples of heroism, sacrifice and compassion in workers from Parsippany Rescue and Recovery, the town's Office of Emergency Management, Parsippany Police, township staff, the Community Emergency Response Team, Lake Hiawatha Fire Department District 4—even a helper canine. 

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UPDATED: Parsippany Officials Present Irene Community Information Sessions Wednesday

Police say all residents are welcome to the event being held at the Police Athletic League building.

Parsippany residents hungry for information on effects Hurricane Irene had on the township have an opportunity to get it. Parsippany Police say the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills will present two informational sessions on Wednesday at the Police Athletic League building at 33 Baldwin Rd. Police initially said the event would take place at the Community Center in Lake Hiawatha; at 7 p.m. they announced a venue change to the PAL Center. A police department news release says members of all township departments will provide critical information regarding the relief and recovery from effects of Hurricane Irene. Topics to be discussed include flooding and traffic problems. The first session will take place at 10 a.m. An evening session is …

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