DUI Lawyers in Sandyston, NJ

SANDYSTON — Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s brought hundreds of residents out for a day of fun, to salute farmers and support the local fire department during the annual Sandyston Tractor Parade Saturday.

Attendees lined up in front of the township municipal building and on connecting roads to watch 90 tractors — a record for the event — travel a 7-mile loop around Sandyston. Visitors of all ages excitedly waved at the passing vehicles, many of which featured American flags or banners in support of President Donald Trump.

Following the parade, the public was invited to the neighboring Sandyston Township Volunteer Fire Department for a dinner to benefit the firefighters.

What started as a small parade among a handful of Sandyston residents roughly two decades ago has evolved into one of the township’s signature annual events. But given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there was no guarantee that it would be held this year.

“We struggled with whether we should cancel it or whether we should do it,” said Sandyston township clerk Amy Lobban, whose sons Patrick and Parker help organize the parade. “It was a big decision.”

The township chose to hold the event with safety protocols in place, such as a request to practice social distancing and the presence of a sanitizing station at the municipal building. In addition, the fire department did not provide wagons for the public to use as in years past.

Tunya Kyzer, of Montague, and her son Kellen, 9, have been regulars at the parade. The two showed their appreciation for Saturday’s event with signs highlighting the agricultural community, with one calling farmers “the original essential workers.”

“We come out every single year,” Kyzer said. “I just like seeing the community come together to support not only the firehouse, but also our farmers.”

Kyle Morel can also be contacted on Twitter: @KMorelNJH, on Facebook: Facebook.com/KMorelNJH, or by phone: 973-383-1292.

Staff Writer

New Jersey Herald

Montclair State University will close the New Jersey School of Conservation, located in Stokes State Forest in Sandyston, and return the property to the state July 1 as it braces for negative financial impacts worth millions related to the coronavirus pandemic, university authorities said in a statement Thursday.

After nearly 40 years, the university will return management of the school's buildings and land in Sandyston to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The school’s 18 full-time employees and two part-time employees will be laid off later in July in compliance with their collective bargaining agreements, according to the statement.

The university in March saw a 26% cut to its operating appropriations from the state. And like colleges and universities across the nation, Montclair State is struggling to reconcile the economic toll of the COVID-19 crisis, which so far has cost it $24 million.

“In an era when both the science of conservation and the education of future generations about conservation is critically important, it is a matter of genuine and considerable regret to the university that we can no longer maintain the school,” said Montclair State University President Susan Cole. “The New Jersey School of Conservation is yet one more casualty of the coronavirus, and it is a circumstance of great disappointment to me personally and to the university community that we must take this action.”

The conservation school was established in 1949 due to the efforts of the late Sen. Alfred Littell, the father of the late Sen. Robert Littell, of Franklin. The school sits on a 240-acre site in Stokes State Forest, roughly 50 miles from Montclair State’s main campus. The state transferred management of the school to the university in 1981 and funded its operation and maintenance.

The school celebrated its 70th anniversary last year with a two-day event filled with outdoor activities and panel discussions, including one by Virginia Littell, the wife of Sen. Robert Littell.

The university used the school as a field research station, and the school offered environmental programming for K-12 and college students. It was the site of assistantships for the university’s graduate biology students and hosted AmeriCorps positions.

In 2014, two teams from Kittatinny Regional High School and one from Sparta High School took part in the 21st annual New Jersey Envirothon at the school, joining roughly 37 high school teams from around the state. The competition is held in different locations each year and offers students the opportunity to gain environmental skills.

After 2010, the state eliminated funding for the school. Montclair State continued supporting its operating costs “in an effort to sustain this important educational and historical state asset,” university authorities said.

“Without any investment by the state over the past nine years, the university has found itself increasingly unable to sustain the quality of activity deserving of the school and the students,” Cole said. “With the current severe cuts to the university’s budget in fiscal year 2020, we simply cannot maintain it any longer.”

Alexis Shanes is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. Email: shanesa@northjersey.com Twitter: @alexisjshanes

SANDYSTON -- There is a sense of comfort, a feeling of home, when one walks into the Mountain House Tavern and Grill.

With a fireplace roaring in the dining area, flatbread pizza and mac and cheese specials on the menu and local diners catching up as they sip on a cocktail -- perhaps a special concoction that changes daily? -- it's no wonder the restaurant already has a strong local following.

Located off Route 206 in Sandyston, the cozy establishment was purchased by husband-and-wife duo John and Dawn Jorgenson in May 2017 and they officially opened the doors on Oct. 11, 2017.

Now with a year under their belts, the Jorgensons are excited for the future, which will include, for the first time this spring and summer, a fully-staffed outdoor dining area that overlooks the serene Kittatinny Lake.

It was a spontaneous decision, at first, purchasing the former Stokes Steakhouse, Dawn Jorgenson said, after driving by the and seeing it was for sale.

They weren't really looking for another restaurant, since they already own the Dimmick Inn in Milford, Pa., but they decided to just go for it.

"We figured, why not?" said John Jorgenson.

The restaurant's opening was the culmination of several months of hard work, whether it was ripping up over four inches of flooring to reveal the original hardwood floors to unveiling the upper portion of a fireplace, which was hidden with wood paneling.

"We didn't realize what we had to do but we wanted to make sure we did it all right before we opened," said Dawn Jorgenson.

While they had no theme in mind as they underwent just short of an entire overhaul of the building, the Jorgensons said it "all just kind of came together" when the finished product revealed a rustic, cozy atmosphere, donned with large wall clocks, hand-designed light fixtures and even wooden condiment holders with the restaurant name painted on the front.

In fact, the duo even pondered, but quickly nixed, the idea of opening it up as a B-B-Q place since they didn't want to limit themselves.

"(John) and I would sit down and talk it through, but we had no ultimate plan or goal, it just kind of evolved," Dawn Jorgenson said.

Thanks to her detailed mind and a lot of creative friends, Dawn Jorgenson said a lot of what is seen at the restaurant has been created by-hand with a personal touch.

Dubbed a classic American tavern and grill with a modern twist, the restaurant is a hidden gem along Route 206 and offers visitors near and far a variety of options, including the always popular cheeseburger along with some of their most popular items such as fish and chips, penne vodka and a juicy DelMonaco steak.

Head Chef Kyle Udvarhely, who has cooked his entire life and professionally for the past 12 years, is free to create his own concoctions but also sticks to the tavern's brand-new menu, which came out last week.

While patrons were welcome to take their food to-go and sit outside near the lake this past summer, the Jorgensons were excited to announce that their outdoor patio will be fully staffed this spring and summer.

"Who doesn't like lakeside dining and drinking?" John Jorgenson laughed.

As for drinks, patrons are excited to try out the "drink of the day," where bartenders have mixed up unique drinks. Many of their drinks are seen on their social media pages and have over the past several weeks included such concoctions as their winter mojito, a mix of spiced rum and club mint, or a ‘Nawlins infamous French 75, which blends together gin, simple syrup, lemon juice and champagne.

As for dessert, the tavern offers patrons from-scratch desserts, including pies, from the Hainesville General Store, located just down the road.

The desserts have been so popular, Dawn Jorgenson said, they have trouble keeping them in stock.

John and Dawn Jorgenson married 25 years ago in Brooklyn, where they both resided, before they moved with their children to Milford, Pa. in 1999. Their children, Julia, 23, Christian, 20, and Daniel, 16, have always played a part in the family's two restaurants, whether it was bussing or waiting tables or, for Julia, bartending.

In 2007, John Jorgenson, who had a business background, and his brother, Andrew, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, were searching for a restaurant they could open and chose to purchase the Dimmick Inn on East Harford Street in Milford, Pa. They opened in 2008.

Dawn Jorgenson said that while she didn't play a vital role in the Dimmick Inn, she kept busy raising the couple's children along with attending school, obtaining her bachelor's degree in elementary education.

With a staff of just around 10, the Jorgensons aim at keeping it "all local," from the desserts they sell to the musicians that play every Friday night.

"Everyone gets to know each other and all of our regulars are close already," said Dawn Jorgenson.

Oh, and as for the tavern's name, the Jorgensons said they did a little research about Kittatinny Lake and found, while information was limited, the lake historian, Jeff Walter, who was able to supply them with not only photos, many of which hang in their bar area, but with a great deal of history.

What they found was that the property where their tavern stands was called The Mountain House in the 1920s, and according to a New Jersey Herald article, the lake, which was man-made over 90 years ago, had the full name of the Kittatinny Lake of the Mountain. The Kittatinny Mountains, which run along the eastern portion of Sandyston, overlook Kittatinny Lake.

The Mountain House Tavern and Grill is located at 19 Route 206 south, Sandyston, on the shore of Kittatinny Lake. The current hours are 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; closed Tuesday; and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant also offers on-site and off-site catering. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/mountainhousetavernandgrill or Instagram page "MountainHouse-TavernandGrill," call 973-250-3300 or email info@mountainhousenj.com.

SANDYSTON — A Sandyston-Walpack school board member is accusing the board president of rigging the search for a new superintendent by excluding her and other members from being involved in the process.

Nina Vassallo, a second-year member of the board, made the accusation publicly last week and is continuing to stand by it. Her comments followed the announcement by Superintendent Jeanne Apryasz in November that she would resign effective Feb. 15 after a proposed salary increase for Apryasz was nixed by the state because of New Jersey’s per-pupil administrative spending caps.

"As we all know, the only person the Board of Education is responsible for directly hiring is the superintendent, as they are the head of our district," Vassallo said. "It is the single most important job that we have as board members and directly affects the direction in which our school is headed.

"All of us should be involved in the entire hiring process of our new superintendent, not just the president and the select few that have been chosen to be on the personnel committee,“ she added. ”It is completely inappropriate, lacks transparency, and I don’t appreciate being kept in the dark on the most important decision we will make as board members."

Despite her plea, the board refused last week to consider a motion put forth by Vassallo and seconded by board member Christopher Bellflowers to include all eight of its members in the entirety of the interview process.

Falchetta, claiming it was an "inappropriate" matter for public discussion and should be relegated to executive session, said in a phone conversation Monday that it was a personnel matter and that "historically, no motion makes it to the floor unless it's been vetted by the policy committee."

However, with the last several policy committee meetings having been canceled and with the current superintendent departing in just over four weeks, Vassallo said she has been kept from raising the issue and that raising it in public was her only opportunity to do so.

Bellflowers, meanwhile, has argued that if there is anything "inappropriate" taking place, it is the insistence by Falchetta on holding the discussion regarding the superintendent hiring process behind closed doors in the first place. It's one thing, he said, for legitimately confidential matters involving specific employees to be discussed in private, but "information regarding the hiring process of the superintendent is public information."

Currently, according to Falchetta, a personnel committee of four board members — himself, Stevie Collins, Jo-Ann Williamson, and Alexandra Brex — is conducting the superintendent interviews. He said once the field of candidates is narrowed, the full board will have an opportunity to meet the finalists.

That, however, does not appear to be placating an increasingly restive public.

"The superintendent hires our teachers and is the public face of our school, and I think every board member should have input— that's why we elected them, and all of them should have a say," said Laura Bellflowers, who is married to Christopher Bellflowers. "It shouldn't just be three or four people."

Bellflowers said she can't accept the idea of a select committee of board members wielding disproportionate influence over such an important decision. "You made a bad decision last time and it didn't work out, so I can't trust your judgment," she said.

Raj Sinha, a Sandyston parent, has urged the board to consider its public perception and not try to dictate the process behind closed doors.

Vassallo, meanwhile, said that if she is not meaningfully involved in the process and given the chance to meet the candidates beforehand, she will refuse to vote for whichever candidate the personnel committee recommends.

"Taking your word for it that he or she is the best candidate for our children just isn't good enough," she said. "Every incoming superintendent deserves the assurance of knowing he or she has the full support of the board, but it is not reasonable for me to be asked to make such an important decision so blindly."

SANDYSTON - One month after Sandyston-Walpack School Superintendent Jeanne Apryasz appeared well on her way to getting a hoped-for salary increase, she now says she'll resign her position and retire Feb. 15, 2020.

Her announcement, which she made official with her letter of resignation last week, has occasioned glowing praise from Board of Education President Joseph Falchetta and board members Alexandra Brex, Joshua Bellardo and Jo-Ann Williamson, all of whom have credited Apryasz with instilling a renewed emphasis on academics in the district she has led since July 2016.

Apryasz, in turn, thanked them and board members Stevie Collins and Colleen Hewitt, as well as former Board Vice President Patricia Coogan and former members Kelli Pastor and Brenda Cucchiara, for their support.

“It has been an honor serving as the chief school administrator of Sandyston-Walpack during this era of transformation and a pleasure working with you to lead the school in a new direction,” Apryasz wrote in her letter.

Her planned departure, however, has also brought to the fore an undercurrent of discontent by district parents alienated by what they perceive as her autocratic leadership style and who say the district needs to do better with whoever succeeds her.

Apryasz, who currently earns $117,300 and whose contract wasn't due to expire until June 2023, had the support of a majority of her board for granting her a raise last month following Gov. Phil Murphy's repeal of superintendent salary caps in July, an action that predictably has led to a number of superintendents since then asking for more money.

However, as the chief school administrator of Sandyston-Walpack - a one-school, K-6 district whose last reported enrollment was just 133 students, and whose only other administrator oversees the business office - Apryasz has since run into another, lesser-known cap in the form of the per-pupil administrative spending limits that the state began imposing several years ago as a way to contain districts' overall costs and prod smaller districts into regionalizing.

Apryasz - whose salary puts her among the lowest-paid superintendents in the county, if not the state - all but conceded last week that the administrative spending limits were what led to her proposed salary increase being denied by the executive county superintendent, whose required approval in these matters is normally a foregone conclusion.

As a result, the circumstances that have prompted Apryasz's planned exit - a decision that she has acknowledged is about money - could factor into how much of a salary the board will be able to offer her successor.

In her letter of resignation, Apryasz also blamed other factors for her decision to leave including the impact of state regulations that she said make it "nearly impossible for one individual to fulfill all administrative roles in a modern school" yet, because of the state's administrative spending limits, prevent small schools like Sandyston-Walpack from adding administrative positions that might relieve this burden - a situation she called "unsustainable."

Still, she said, "I expressed to the board on several occasions that I am no longer willing to commit to staying in the chief school administrator position at my current salary when I could pursue other professional interests."

Apryasz said she's proud of having presided over an improvement in Sandyston-Walpack's state rank from 29th to second among all Sussex County schools. The rank is derived from a composite score that the state assigns to all schools based on standardized test scores and chronic absenteeism rates, which Apryasz said have fallen in Sandyston-Walpack from 13% to 4% since she first came here three years ago.

Nevertheless, the board is facing pressure from vocal parents who are unhappy with changes Apryasz has made. Several of them last week accused her of ignoring their children's needs and blamed her for driving growing numbers of them to pull their kids out of the district altogether, a set of circumstances not unlike those that preceded her departure as Sussex-Wantage superintendent in June 2016.

One parent, Holly Chadwick, openly accused Apryasz of turning her back on her son when, according to Chadwick, he started expressing at 9 years old that he wished he had never been born - a situation she believes was partly due to the environment in school. Chadwick said when a social worker tried to make arrangements to visit the school, the social worker was refused access even though she had all the required credentials.

"The social worker told her case manager she had never seen this before from a school district," said Chadwick. "As a parent of a child who was completely and utterly failed by this board and this superintendent, all I am asking is that you keep him safe, and that was failed."

Chadwick said the school district under Apryasz later refused payment on an invoice for an independent evaluation of her other child, to which the district had previously agreed, and that it was resolved only after she filed a complaint with the state.

"Jeanne (Apryasz) can sit on her high horse all she wants, but that's not an effective administrator," Chadwick said. "Your job is to administrate and you failed."

Another parent, Lora Bellflowers - whose husband, Christopher, sits on the school board and, along with Nina Vassallo, was conspicuously absent from the list of current and former board members whom Apryasz thanked by name in her letter of resignation - said she hoped the school would see fewer students leaving for private, parochial and choice schools under a new superintendent.

"My hope is to one day have all of our town residents' children go to our school again, that the faith in our school that has been lost can be regained, and that no child is faced with going to a new school because their needs are not being met here," Bellflowers said.

However, parent Jennifer Lubeck begged to differ. "The bottom line is it does come down to academics, and the changes that started in kindergarten for my third-grader to what she is now is thanks to Dr. Apryasz.,“ Lubeck said.

Board member Jo-Ann Williamson said academics as measured by test scores, while not the only measure of a good school, are the only criterion the state allows to evaluate school performance and that, on this basis, Apryasz more than deserved a raise.

"The uproar last month about giving the superintendent a much-deserved increase was unbelievable," Williamson said. "Dr. Apryasz has earned a raise. The rude behavior and lack of respect shown by some of the public to the office of superintendent and to Dr. Apryasz personally is an embarrassment to our community."

Apryasz, 49, has worked in New Jersey public education for 26 years.

Under the state's rules for early retirement, which is available to public school employees who accrue at least 25 years of service credit before reaching age 60, Apryasz is eligible to start collecting a state pension of about $45,000.

She could also legally supplement her pension by accepting employment as an out-of-state superintendent or by making herself available to New Jersey school districts as an interim superintendent.

Under state law, retired school administrators may work for up to two years in a New Jersey school district while still collecting a state pension, and can serve longer with the state education commissioner’s approval or else take another two-year stint in another district. Other education professionals, such as teachers, are not allowed to continue collecting their pensions if they go back to work.

Falchetta, the Sandyston-Walpack board president, said the board has already begun the search for a successor by advertising for the position. He said the board could end up hiring a full-time superintendent or appointing someone on an interim, part-time or shared-services basis with another district.