Acupuncture in Mine Hill, NJ

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Rutgers Pond/Sunset LakePhoto Credit: TAPinto Roxbury

By Fred J. Aun

Last UpdatedAugust 3, 2022 at 9:15 PM

ROXBURY, NJ – Rutgers Pond, also known as Sunset Lake, was formed by decades of quarrying.

Now, Roxbury-based County Concrete Corp. wants to return to that hole on the Roxbury/Mine Hill border some material long ago removed.

The company has applied to the state for permission to fill in a section of the pond and to reroute a piece of the Black River through the reclaimed area. In an application describing the plan, County Concrete says the river would be returned to its “natural channel” instead of going through the man-made pond as it does now.

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The project is outlined in a 597-page application filed with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) which refers to the plan as the “Black River Restoration.” County Concrete is seeking from the DEP a flood hazard individual permit and an open water fill individual permit.

“The Black River … currently routes through man-made Rutgers Pond in Roxbury and Mine Hill Townships,” says the application. “The proposed project will reestablish the natural channel of the river, disconnecting it from Rutgers Pond. This will be accomplished by mainly using fine-grained materials that were separated from aggregates removed from the pond to build up land surface along the southwest edge of the pond.”

The pond is the body of water that includes Mine Hill Beach on the eastern shore across the water from County Concrete’s plant in Kenvil.

A River Runs Through It

County Concrete proposes to build a “naturalized stream channel” through the filled-in area that would “directly connect the Black River to itself” below the pond. That new channel would be shored-up with gravel and vegetation, according to the letter. “Landscaping and shade trees will be implemented along both sides of the new stream channel,” it notes.

The company proposes filling-in about 16 acres of the 56-acre pond, with about nine acres of the filled area rising above the water. If approved, the project would take seven to 10 years to finish, according to the paperwork.

“To date, there have been no attempts to restore or stabilize the Black River channel through the project site,” says the application. “The causes of ecological degradation that led to the Black River connecting to Rutgers Pond were mechanical quarrying operations. Quarrying operations are no longer active in the project area, and this mechanical removal of restored stream channel and banks is not a concern.”

The document asserts that replacing the material into the pond “is the only way to restore the Black River Channel to a typical cross-section,” adding that the river’s channel “has been drastically reconfigured due to the historical quarrying operations.“

The project is the only viable alternative, asserts the application, suggesting County Concrete is running out of room at its Kenvil site to store unwanted material it can't sell. If not allowed to proceed “County Concrete would have to either “haul and properly dispose of the sifted native soils at an offsite location,” continue to store it on site or buy new land to conduct its operations, it says.

“The materials have no market or resale value,” says the document. “Relocating this material would require significant truck transportation of the material, resulting in increased truck traffic and air pollution. Disposing of this fill at regulated facilities would also incur significant costs.”

County Concrete President John Crimi did not return a message.

The application seemed to come as a surprise to Mine Hill Mayor Sam Morris and to Roxbury Township Manager John Shepherd. Both said they had no idea it was coming.

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MORRISTOWN — The former treasurer of the Mine Hill Fire Department was sentenced today to three years in prison for stealing $330,000 from the department over a six-year period.

Lisa Ayers, 40, of Mine Hill, pleaded guilty in October to theft, admitting that she embezzled the money regularly from 2007 through 2013 and used it for personal expenses, including her family’s mortgage and two car loans.

Under terms of the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge Stuart Minkowitz in Morristown, Ayers must pay $228,631 in restitution and must serve nine months before she will become eligible for parole.

She may also apply for admission into the state’s Intensive Supervision Program, which would allow her to be released from prison a few months earlier than her parole date.

Ayers’ attorney, Paul Selitto, had asked that Ayers serve probation only, noting that she has already repaid more than $100,000 and stole the money only because she was “desperate to provide for her family,” which includes her husband and two daughters.

Crestfallen by the judge’s ruling, Ayers wept profusely as she was placed in handcuffs afterward. “I love you all,” she told numerous family members who were crying in the courtroom.

Earlier, Ayers had apologized to the court for her actions, saying, “I made a huge and terrible mistake.”

Deputy Attorney General Anthony Picione had asked for a five-year sentence. He said Ayers embezzled the money hundreds of times and the discrepancies were discovered after she failed to repay a loan for a new roof at the fire station.

The thefts included 53 checks totaling $77,661 to pay the mortgage loan on her home, more than $22,000 in payments for two car loans and 224 ATM withdrawals totaling $68,000, Picione said.

“People do various things when they are in a financial hardship,” Picione said. “Not everyone chooses to steal.”

• Mine Hill woman admits embezzling $330K from fire department to pay her mortgage, cars loans

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@LorraineVAsh

ROXBURY Home Instead Senior Care is offering local businesses, free of charge, employee training in how to recognize and respond to customers with dementia in all kinds of workplaces — from banks to drug stores to restaurants.

The Alzheimer’s Friendly Business program, started in August, is a national innovation available through all Home Instead Senior Care offices, of which there are 12 in New Jersey. So far, the idea is catching on like wildfire in Morris County.

“We’re trying to demystify dementia for businesses,” said Andrea Sussman, co-executive director of the Succasunna office, which covers Morris and Passaic counties.

“There is a growing need for education about dementia,” she added. “We see that on a day-to-day basis with inquiries that come into our business.”

To date, Home Instead has made several presentations for, among others, a real estate office in Passaic County and, in Morris, a custom homebuilder and a restaurant. Currently, the company is talking with, or setting up training for, several banks, supermarkets, a rehabilitation center, a shopping mall and a major player in the pharmaceutical industry.

A business whose staff completes the 30-minute training receives an “Alzheimer’s Friendly Businesss” decal to place in the window. That’s what the NJ Bar and Grill on Randolph Avenue in Mine Hill did last week when its managers and wait staff took the course.

Right in the restaurant, during off-hours, Home Instead community educator Steve Tyburski spoke about the signs and symptoms of dementia and ran through several scenarios likely to take place in a restaurant setting.

“A person with Alzheimer’s may have trouble communicating or may make an inappropriate comment,” Tyburski said. “React by trying to change the subject. Redirecting is important, especially if they just keep going around in circles and are becoming agitated. Remember, it’s the disease — not them — doing the talking.”

Forgetting to pay

In a restaurant, he added, another scenario might be that a person with dementia forgets to pay the bill.

NJ Bar and Grill floor manager Janice Cacchio appreciated the training, saying staffers can see the slow decline in some longtime customers and want to be sensitive to them.

“Sometimes there’s a shortness of temper with people who just weren’t like that in the past,” she said. “You know there’s something going on, and their health is failing and possibly, with that sort of behavior, their mind.”

Waiter Nathanael Putnam is happy to have a procedure to follow when he encounters dementia again.

“I have had times where I’ve been flustered by a customer,” Putnam said. “I wound up just going in the back and saying, ‘What just happened? I have no clue.’

“Now I would use a comforting tone of voice and respect the feelings of the customer,” he added. “If they can’t figure out what to eat, I would offer just a couple of suggestions, making it simpler so they can understand.”

If he got to a point where he still couldn’t obtain an order, Putnam said, he’d discuss the order with family members, if they were present, or get a floor manager.

Mike Fausto, owner and manager of the NJ Bar and Grill, sought out the Sussmans to get the training.

“This is traditionally known as the hospitality industry,” Fausto said, gesturing around his restaurant, “and we have to be hospitable to everyone who walks in, including people with special needs.”

Compassionate community

Tyburski walks trainees through different scenarios that vary with different workplaces. In a bank, for example, a customer with dementia may demand to withdraw a substantial amount of money — even more than is in his account —for a stated unusual purpose.

In a grocery store, a customer with dementia may wander around, lost and afraid. In a restaurant, a customer may become angry when his meal arrives because he forgot what he ordered.

Police officers need to know how to recognize and handle dementia patients, too, according to Tyburski. A woman who hears voices and is convinced someone is in her apartment when she is, in fact, alone, may be experiencing the paranoia that can accompany dementia.

The end goal of Alzheimer’s Friendly Business program is to educate the community and, in so doing, end the stigma often associated with people who have dementia, according to Andrea Sussman.

“It’s not just the person suffering with the dementia who feels the isolation,” said Steve Sussman, co-executive director of the Succasunna office of Home Instead Senior Care. “It’s actually the family members who withdraw. They don’t take their loved one out. They used to go to dinner all the time. Now they don’t. They used to go to the movies all the time. Now they don’t.

“They do fewer errands and frequent fewer businesses because they’re a little embarrassed,” he explained. “They themselves may not know how to handle a situation with their own loved one.”

Knowing there are businesses who understand, he added, gives families peace of mind: they know there are places to go that welcome them.

The training doesn’t just cover customers, Tyburski said. Sometimes employees, once educated, recognize the signs and symptoms in colleagues and even themselves.

“We did a training recently,” Tyburski said, “where somebody realized their co-worker had some of these signs.”

Good for business

A byproduct of Alzheimer’s Friendly Business program, he suggested, is a boost in customers for businesses that go through the training.

“This really could have a financial impact on local businesses, as the disease grows in our community because now people aren’t coming out,” Tyburski said. “They’re almost afraid to come out. They are concerned about their loved one acting up.”

This year, there are an estimated 5.1 million Americans age 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, which projects that number will triple to 13.8 million people by 2050.

While the program bears the name Alzheimer’s, the most well known of the dementias, it applies to all dementias. Less well known but just as devastating are vascular and frontotemporal dementias as well as dementia with Lewy bodies and those due to Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome and Huntington’s disease.

Home Instead Senior Care, a founding member of United Way of Northern New Jersey’s Caregiver Coalition of Morris County, offers a day-and-a-half program for its caregivers and a shorter, hour-and-a-half version for family members in the community who are caring for loved ones with dementia.

“The family program is open to all families,” Andrea Sussman said. “They don’t have to be our clients.”

The half-hour training for businesses, offering highlights and basics, is the most scaled-down version the company presents.

Staff Writer Lorraine Ash: 973-428-6660; [email protected]

Learn more

? Want to have an Alzheimer’s Friendly Business? program at your Morris County business? Call Home Instead Senior Care at 973-970-9250 to set up a training.

? Family Education Workshop

WHAT: Presentation for people caring for a relative with dementia; light dinner provided

WHEN: 6-8 p.m. Nov. 11

WHERE: Home Instead Senior Care Senior Solutions Center, 109 Main St., Succasunna, NJ (next to the Roxbury Public Library)

COST: Free

INFO/RESERVATIONS: 973-970-9250

County Concrete wants to fill in about 16 acres of this pond on the Roxbury/Mine Hill border and Roxbury officials want inputPhoto Credit: TAPinto Roxbury

PublishedSeptember 8, 2022 at 5:16 PM

ROXBURY, NJ – Taken by surprise by County Concrete Corp.’s plan to fill in part of a local lake and reroute the Black River, the township recently peppered the state with 22 questions and comments about the project.

The concrete company has asked the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for permission to fill in a section of Rutgers Pond, also known as Sunset Lake. The body of water, created by many years of quarrying, lies on the Roxbury/Mine Hill border adjacent to County Concrete's Kenvil facility.

In its nearly 600-page application with the DEP for project permits, County Concrete proposes to spend seven years to 10 years filling in about 16 acres of the 56-acre pond. It wants to use, as fill, “sifted native soils” currently being stored at its Kenvil plant.

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'Additional Land Mass?'

In a letter to the DEP, Roxbury Township Manager John Shepherd said town officials have many “questions and concerns with respect to the application” and he asked the state to take Roxbury’s input into consideration prior to the issuance of any permit.

The first question asked in Shepherd’s letter relates to potential uses for the “new land” that would be created.

“The fill activity will enlarge three existing residential developed and zoned properties,” he wrote. “Will the additional land mass provide an opportunity for further development of the properties and/or residential subdivision? Can the new land be taxed (currently farmland assessed) or does any DEP regulation prohibit additional taxation?”

Shepherd’s letter notes County Concrete currently has three quarry/mining/extraction operations taking place in Roxbury. It said the company should be required to complete those operations before winning approval for the new project “so the disruption to adjacent residents can cease” to occur.

“The Township is concerned that fill for these projects will be diverted for the Black River Restoration and the impacts to the Roxbury residents will continue for a longer period,” wrote Shepherd. “The Township is opposed to any material being used for fill which has been generated at some location other than the County Concrete quarrying operations in Roxbury and Mine Hill townships.”

The township also wants to know the source of topsoil that would be used once the fill material is in place. “While the fill material may come from sites in Roxbury or Mine Hill townships, where is the source of topsoil coming from? Organic matter will be needed for plant and seed installation. In addition, clay material is specified to stabilize the channel bed and banks,” says the letter.

Thousands of Trucks

Shepherd says town officials are concerned about truck traffic on local roads. He notes that County Concrete proposes to use nearly 600,000 cubic yards of fill material for the project. “That amount equals approximately 30,000 to 35,000 truckloads or 60,000 to 70,000 truck trips,” says the letter, adding that the use by those trucks of Green Lane would be a big problem.

“Green Lane is a narrow, residential road which is in poor condition and would be heavily damaged by this significant truck traffic,” Shepherd wrote. “As such, Roxbury Township is opposed to the utilization of Green Lane or any other township street which has residential property uses for accessing the site via truck. The Township is concerned with the wear and tear on any road within the township over the course of a 7- to 10-year time frame.”

The letter says Roxbury also “objects to any work at the site, including delivery of material, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. It asks for details about the “landscape restoration” being proposed, as well as a plan for future site maintenance.

“How are downstream properties protected from flooding and erosion as the stream embankments become established?” Shepherd asks. “Continuous monitoring and maintenance are necessary over the anticipated 7- to 10-year construction period to establish the embankment. The construction duration is concerning since there will be significant time periods where there will not be any construction activity, especially between May 1 and July 31, to protect spawning fish in the pond. Any control measures which have been compromised will have negative sediment deposition downstream of the project area.”

Water Table Worries

The final point raised in Shepherd’s letter relates to the project’s potential impact on private wells in the area. It points out that County Concrete proposes pumping up to 750 gallons of water per minute of water.

“Will pumping lower the water elevation for an extended period?” asks Shepherd. “If so, will there be a negative impact to the existing private wells in the area? Roxbury Township private well owners have, recently, experienced negative impacts from water pumping activities related to County Concrete mining/pumping operations.”

In an email, Shepherd said there has been no direct communication between County Concrete and the township about the project. Town officials have expressed their unhappiness.

"They want to reroute the Black River and that certainly goes through my ward," said Roxbury Deputy Mayor Jaki Albrecht, a Kenvil resident, at the Roxbury Township Council's Aug. 9 meeting. "I'm not pleased with that at all."

At that meeting, both Roxbury Mayor Jim Rilee and Shepherd said the town was taken by surprise by the proposal. "I have spoken with Russ (Stern), our planning director, who is looking at the project as possibly land development, soil moving and something that would go in front of our planning board," Shepherd told the council.

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MINE HILL, NJ – It’s an exciting time when the furniture delivery truck pulls up outside, and it was no different on Monday morning when Suburban Furniture’s truck arrived at the Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department.

This time, though, the truck came with donations for the fire house: Two sofas and a chair for the volunteers to use while they await calls.

“It’s the least we can do,” said Suburban Furniture General Manager Kenny Luthy. “The Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department has been serving the local community for over 100 years, and we are very happy to support the brave men and women who volunteer their time.”

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Brian Daboul, currently the assistant chief for the fire department and the past chief for the last four years, had this to say about the donation: “Our town is fortunate to have so many people volunteer their time for the department, and we are thankful for places like Suburban Furniture that support all of these volunteers. We are looking forward to being more comfortable in the firehouse.”

This is the latest of several charitable efforts by the 70-year-old, Succasunna-based furniture store. Recent efforts included the support of a charity raffle by the Dean Michael Clarizio Cancer Foundation, a food drive in support of the Roxbury Food Pantry and contributions to several local schools and charitable organizations.

About the Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department The Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department was founded in 1915 and has aided the community for more than 100 years. Its dedicated, volunteer team is on call 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Learn more about the department by visiting www.minehillfiredept.org.

About Suburban Furniture

Suburban Furniture has been serving the Roxbury Township, Morris, Warren and Sussex County and Northern New Jersey areas for more than 70 years. Our customers value us for our large selection, beautiful showroom, fair prices and immediate delivery. Still family owned after 50 years, we are committed to providing a unique, family friendly, comfortable place to shop for your home. Our caring staff, combined with affordable, in-stock furniture will help you furnish your home in hours, not months. Learn more by visiting www.suburbanfurniture.com/.

Editor's Note: This advertorial content is being published by TAPinto.net as a service for its marketing partners. For more information about how to market your business or nonprofit on TAPinto, please visit TAPintoMarketing.net or email [email protected]. The opinions expressed herein, if any, are the writer's alone, and do not reflect the opinions of TAPinto.net or anyone who works for TAPinto.net. TAPinto.net is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the writer.