By Berit Ollestad
This week’s Morristown council meeting was short and sweet, with the emphasis on sweet.
On a night when more donations were delivered for the Elm Street fire victims, Firefighter Nick Prizzi was honored by the U.S. Marine Corps and the town for a decade of support for Toys for Tots.
Prizzi has “acted as the vital link between both of our efforts for many years and … continues to live by the Marine Corps’ motto of Semper Fidelis,” First Sgt. C.A. Piazza said in a letter to Mayor Tim Dougherty.
The Marine thanked the town and the fire department for “truly making a difference in the lives of America’s less fortunate children.”
Fire Chief Robert Flanagan praised Prizzi, a former Marine, as a firefighter who “brings his heart to the fire bureau and to the community at large.”
Responding to a standing ovation from the council and audience, Prizzi expressed gratitude to generous residents, the town and fellow firefighters for making Toys for Tots a success in Morristown.
“I remember being a kid and waking up to nothing on Christmas. I suppose I’ve just never wanted for a child to feel the way I did on Christmas morning,” Prizzi said.
MOMENT OF SILENCE
The Mayor also asked for a moment of silence to honor Chef Melody McGinley Whitelaw, radio personality and longtime owner of The Main Event catering business on Washington Street. Chef Melody passed away earlier this month.
“There were some of you that may not have known her. But she had a strong commitment to the community and she will be missed. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts,” the Mayor asked.
Mayor Dougherty also thanked the public works department and the police and fire departments for their efforts during this long bout of freezing weather.
“All the town workers should be commended for working around the clock in the conditions they’ve had to deal with for such a long time now. Let’s continue to be wary of the cold weather and to be vigilant, since it looks like we have a couple more weeks of these low temps to deal with,” said Dougherty.
The Mayor also extended kudos to Assumption School, which recently was recognized with a National Blue Ribbon School Award, for academic excellence, by the U.S. Department of Education.
SO LONG, TIM
Councilwoman Alison Deeb also spoke fondly of her experience raising her first puppy for The Seeing Eye Inc. Soon she must return Tim, her constant companion for the last year.
“Many people often ask me how can I give him back? Well he’s not mine to keep and I signed a contract with the Seeing Eye and he’s getting ready to go back” for guide dog training, the Councilwoman said, noting the comical reaction she got from people who mistakenly assumed that “bringing Tim” to events meant bringing the Mayor.
Deeb said she did not name her canine friend.
“The Seeing Eye has a process where they move through the alphabet in a chronological order. I was asked to provide a list of names and Timothy was on the list. I was kind of hoping for Thor since I’ve always liked Roman gods, but Tim is fine,” said Deeb.
Tim’s farewell party was held last weekend; the Councilwoman compared it to sending a child off to college. She said she has raised $1,650, which will accompany Tim when he returns to the Seeing Eye early in the spring.
Deeb gave special thanks to her council neighbor, Michelle Dupree Harris, for her understanding as Tim sat at her feet chewing on his Nyla-bone during council meetings.
“We are looking forward to our next one, and I’m kind of hoping for a golden retriever once we get it worked out at home,” Deeb said.
MORE DONATIONS FOR FIR VICTIMS
Meanwhile, donations keep coming in for victims of January’s Elm Street fire.
Councilman Michael Elms, a Rotarian, presented a $2,500 check from the Rotary to the relief fund.
The Woman’s Club of Morristown also has announced contributions of $4,500, in the form of $500 Walmart gift cards to nine affected households. The money came from the Operation Holiday fund, a charity co-sponsored by the Woman’s Club and the Daily Record.
Town Administrator Michael Rogers said more than $40,000 in cash donations have been made to help the 23 displaced residents.
All have been relocated, he said, encouraging these residents to provide him with documentation of items that need to be purchased, so he can reimburse them.
“Come into our office and talk with us. We are here to help anyone that needs it,” said Rogers.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has not released findings of its investigation into the cause of the blaze. Two buildings sustained so much structural damage that they must be demolished, Rogers said.
Clothing donations received on behalf of the fire victims have been distributed to many organizations in and around town, Rogers said. They include:
- Morristown Neighborhood House
- Market Street Mission
- St. Margaret’s Church
- Bethel AME Church.
- First Baptist Church
- Union Baptist Church
- Community Soup Kitchen at Church of the Redeemer
- Catholic Charities of Morris
