Video: Soldier flag from Afghanistan to fly in Morristown today
Army Staff Sgt. Mickey Mays of Morristown visited town hall on Friday to deliver a special gift to police: A flag that recently flew over a U.S. outpost in Afghanistan.
Today, that flag will fly at town hall.
Sgt. Mays, 36, is with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. He has served two tours in Iraq, and returns soon for a second stint in Afghanistan. Meet him in this video. (Runtime: One minute and 38 seconds.)
Morristown police Capt. John Kruse, an Army veteran, accepts flag from Army Staff Sgt. Mickey Mays, home on leave from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. The flag flew over a U.S. outpost in Afghanistan, and will fly at Morristown town hall on Memorial Day. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Rain, Rain, Go Away
There’s more to marching bands than meets the eye. In this series, Jason Wicks of Morristown High School ‘09 & Appalachia State University will take us behind the scenes as he participates in a top 12 World CLass Drum and Bugle Corps in his quest for marching and musical perfection. –Doug Rutan, Morristown High School Music Department
By Jason Wicks
Hey guys, it’s Jason! The updates for this blog will be either typed by me or transcribed by Mr. Rutan from voicemails I leave him, so a big thanks to him because writing down what you hear in a voicemail that goes all over the place is quite challenging!
Anyways, it’s finally been seven days of practicing today, and what a week it has been. Apparently there is a storm around the southeastern and northeastern part of the US so rain is expected pretty much everyday here, which has caused much interference with rehearsals. I think the last time I called was Tuesday night, and since then we have had a few more staff members fly in to help and learned a few more drill sets (drill sets are what make the shapes you see on the field). We have all been working very diligently and smart, so the staff gave the whole Drum Corps an extra two hours for our lunch break on Wednesday, which was quite possibly the best thing to happen to us yet. A lot of people took naps and just hung out in the dorm lounge watching tv and talking.
Thursday was a pretty normal day, it was probably the hottest it’s been so far, at least 95 degrees in the sun. There was no cloud in the sky Thursday, so we went on with rehearsal as per usual, but Friday was a different story. Thunder was rolling in as we were walking to our first block of the day after breakfast, but nothing happened other than the threatening clouds in the sky taunting us. If you’ve ever been outside for extended periods of time in hot weather, you can understand how nice it is to have the sun behind the clouds with a cool breeze, and luckily that happened today. During the afternoon block, more storm clouds moved over us and we started to see lots of lightning and rain and hear all the thunder, so we moved inside for the rest of the block. After dinner, the whole Corps started to practice together on one of the fields, but no more than an hour had passed when it started to storm again, so we were forced to relocate inside.
Since there are no indoor fields or stadiums at Gardner Webb University, each section had to do their own thing, so the brass line did some core workout and conditioning and talked over what we know so far in the show. We finished the night with a real special moment, one that reminds everyone why they do Drum Corps, because sometimes it can get very hard and be a big struggle. All of the brass went on the bleachers of the gym that the color guard was practicing in and they performed for us what they knew so far, and in return, we all sang through the whole show and ended with the Corps song, Band of Brothers. Singing Band of Brothers is very emotional because we sing it at the end of every day after the last rehearsal to remind us that we’re all very close and will do anything to get through things as a “family.”
Kinnelon resident challenges six-time Morris County Sheriff in heated Republican primary
MORRIS COUNTY — In a feisty Republican primary campaign, Morris County Sheriff Ed Rochford is being challenged for nomination to a seventh term by Paterson Police Detective Steve Olimpio, a Kinnelon resident. Rochford, 65, of Morris Plains, touts his record...Some scenes from the Morris Plains Memorial Day Parade
A solemn moment at Roberts Garden, prior to the Morris Plains Memorial Day Parade on Saturday. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Morris Plains calls itself the Community of Caring, and anyone who has marched in the borough’s Memorial Day Parade believes it. Our thanks to Mayor Frank Druetzler, parade organizer Steve Welsh and everyone at the VFW for making us feel welcome once again.
Here are some images from Saturday’s memorial ceremony, and from the parade route:
And special thanks to the good folks who took time from their holiday weekend to march with MorristownGreen.com: Jim Hicks on bagpipes; the young stars of Timeless Jazz, Gus and Peter Bacas and Anthony Galante; Deanna & Miranda Quinones; and Sharon Sheridan, a new member of the MG family. Anyone would be honored to march with this team, by George!
Morristown boarding house fire ruled arson
An early morning fire at a Speedwell Avenue boarding house in Morristown was “a deliberate act of arson,” said Capt. Jeffrey Paul, spokesman for Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi.
No injuries were reported, and the structure on 271 Speedwell Avenue suffered minor fire- and smoke damage from the basement fire, to which Morristown police and firefighters responded around 12:42 a.m., Capt. Paul said.
The American Red Cross relocated multiple residents from the residence. The Cedar Knolls Fire Department and the Morristown Ambulance Squad also responded to the fire, which was investigated by the prosecutor’s arson unit and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Section.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Morristown Police Department at (973) 538-2200, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200 or the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crimestopper Program at (973) COPCALL.
This is the second arson case on Speedwell Avenue this month. A Honduran teen believed to be in this country illegally has been charged in connection with a May 16 house fire. The owner of that residence has been cited by town officials who say the place was overcrowded.
Morris Plains pizzeria damaged by fire, ruled an accident
A fire that damaged a Morris Plains pizzeria this afternoon was caused by a wiring malfunction, said the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
A customer reported smoke coming from a dining room wall at Tony’s Pizzeria on Speedwell Avenue shortly after noon. The restaurant was evacuated, and it took firefighters 20 minutes to control the blaze. Morris Plains Fire Chief Michael Geary told The Star-Ledger that his firefighters had to rip through walls to get at the fire:
The neighborhood pizzeria has been in business for more than 30 years. But with that kind of damage, Geary said, “they’re going to be closed for a while.”
The prosecutor’s arson unit, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Section, and the Morris Plains police investigated the fire, which was caused by old “knob and tube” wiring that overheated, said Capt. Jeffrey Paul, a spokesman for Prosecutor Robert Bianchi.
The blaze occurred about an hour after the Morris Plains Memorial Parade marched down Speedwell Avenue.
No planes, no worries: Morris Plains Memorial Parade is memorable for all the right reasons
Liliana Hemenetz, 3 1/2, enjoys the Morris Plains Memorial Day parade with the Morris County Voiture organization. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Okay, so the promised jet fighters never flew over. (Weather concerns and air traffic control.) And your correspondent marched through something green, deposited by what must have been a large creature.
At least we’re pretty sure it wasn’t a bear–that was two years ago. And empty skies this morning were welcome, after last year’s excitement with a low-flying chopper. A pair of horses behind us inspired modest anxiety, but these critters behaved much better than their brethren did a year ago in the VFW parking lot.
It all added up to a marvelous Memorial Day Parade in Morris Plains.
This morning’s ceremony at Roberts Garden hit all the right notes in honoring our servicemen and women. And the spirit along the parade route and at the VFW cookout afterward was festive, with families and friends celebrating the freedom bought by our fallen heroes.
Vietnam veteran Art Grant summed it up well in his remarks. The greatest gift that our armed forces have given us is time: Time to grow and enjoy the good things in life. Like spending a Saturday morning with people we love. For that, we are forever grateful.
See you at the parade, 9:30 in Morris Plains!
A pair of F-16 fighters will fly over the Memorial Day Parade on Saturday in Morris Plains
Morris Plains always has interesting parades. So please come out this morning and salute all those who have served our country. MorristownGreen.com is proud to be marching in Division III… hope to see you there!
Buffalo man is accused of running N.J. Lucchese crime family’s online gambling operation
Arrest adds another defendant to the criminal prosecution of Lucchese crime familySoldier’s flag from Afghanistan to fly outside Morristown town hall on Monday
Morristown Police Capt. John Kruse, Army Staff Sgt. Mickey Mays, and Mayor Tim Dougherty outside town hall, where Sgt. Mays delivered a flag that flew over an Army combat outpost in Afghanistan. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Army Staff Sgt. Mickey Mays gave Morristown police a special gift today: A U.S. flag that recently flew in Afghanistan.
The flag will fly in front of town hall on Memorial Day.
The Morristown resident, who returns to Afghanistan next month, said he feels good knowing his mother and brother are well protected here in town.
Army Staff Sgt. Mickey Mays and family friend Regina Liparoto outside Morristown town hall. Photo by Kevin Coughlin.
“Anytime I ever needed anything, this police department has always been top notch. It makes me feel better when I’m down range, to know my family is well taken care of,” said the sergeant, 36. He is a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. He has done two tours in Iraq in addition to duty in Afghanistan, where this flag flew over combat outpost Garcia in the Nangahar Province on May 3.
Sgt. Mays, who was accompanied by family friend Regina Liparoto, presented the flag to police Capt. John Kruse, an Army veteran from the Vietnam era. Capt. Kruse expressed admiration for today’s soldiers.
“Guys in my day only had to go once. These guys go back two, three, four times,” the officer said.
Mayor Tim Dougherty and Police Chief Pete Demnitz thanked Sgt. Mays for his service. Sgt. Mays said the troops’ morale remains high.
“The men coming in want to get out there and do their job. This is what we spend 365 days a year training for,” he said.
How can victory be achieved?
“The only way to fix it is to get involved with the people of Afghanistan, and show them we’re there to help them and not hurt them.”
Morristown Police Chief Pete Demnitz, Capt. John Kruse, Army Staff Sgt. Mickey Mays and Mayor Tim Dougherty outside town hall, where Sgt. Mays presented a U.S. flag that flew in Afghanistan. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
