Home Care In East Hanover, NJ

Swiss drugmaker Novartis is laying off 103 employees at its U.S headquarters in Morris County, the company stated in public filings with state regulators.

The layoffs in East Hanover are part of a reorganization effort by the pharmaceutical giant, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN notice, filed with the state on Aug. 18. The layoffs will go into effect on Nov. 24 this year, the company said.

Michael Meo, a spokesperson for Novartis, said in an email that the reductions were part of an “ongoing organizational evolution” that was being undertaken to improve the speed and success of drug development.

Last year, Novartis cut 285 positions across New Jersey, according to a WARN notice. There are roughly 4,100 people that work at the Novartis property along Route 10, Meo said.

In April, Novartis said it was cutting 8,000 positions from its global workforce, or roughly 7% of its staff. Amid rising costs, the company said it aims to save $1.5 billion by next year.

The company is spinning off its generics and biosimilars unit Sandoz later this year, according to a report by trade publication Fierce Pharma.

Novartis, and before it Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, has operated from the campus overlooking Route 10 and Ridgedale Avenue since the 1940s. But it has been downsizing the site for years. In 2021, it sold off 62 acres of the property, including its signature eight-story tower. A developer announced plans to demolish the tower and construct industrial space there.

More:Novartis HQ tower in East Hanover to be demolished; developer will build industrial space

Novartis isn’t the first New Jersey pharmaceutical and life sciences company to cut its workforce this year.

In Nutley, Eisai Inc. cut 91 jobs this April, while Bristol Myers Squibb announced 48 layoffs at its Princeton offices in May, with another round of 108 cuts set to occur across the state this November. Laboratory and diagnostics company BioReference Health LLC of Elmwood Park, cut 71 jobs in June.

Consulting firm BDO reported earlier this summer that 13% of life sciences companies were considering layoffs and furloughs as a cost-cutting measure this year, as the industry reacts to rising interest rates and a demand for higher profitability among investors.

Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.

East Hanover/Florham Park Little League represented New Jersey in the Metro Region Tournament in Bristol, Connecticut.

The Hornets captured their first New Jersey Tournament title last week when they defeated Holbrook (Jackson), 4-3, in a winner-take-all championship game at Buchmuller Park in Secaucus.

Previously known as the Mid-Atlantic Region, the new Metro Region was introduced by Little League in 2022 and includes the state champions from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island

The winner of the tournament represents the region at the Little League World Series, Aug. 16-27 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Here's everything you need to know about the Metro Region Tournament. This file will be updated all tournament long.

Metro Region Tournament

When: Aug. 5 - 11

Where: A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center, 335 Mix Street, Bristol, Conn.

Teams: New Jersey (East Hanover/Florham Park), New York (Massapequa Coast), Rhode Island (Smithfield), Connecticut (East Lyme)

How to watch: All games will be televised on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPN+

Schedule and scores

Game 5 - Wednesday, Aug. 9

Rhode Island (Smithfield) 10, New Jersey (East Hanover) 5

East Hanover’s run to the Little League World Series came to an end on Wednesday night in a 10-5 loss to Rhode Island (Smithfield) in an elimination semifinal.

It was the Hornets' second straight loss after suffering a 10-1 setback to New York (Massapequa Coast) on Monday in the double-elimination tournament.

After Rhode Island scored three runs in the first inning, East Hanover (19-4) tied it with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. But Rhode Island went on to score two runs in the second, one in the third and broke the game open with four runs in the fifth.

Rhode Island out-hit New Jersey, 13-7. Braden Edelle led the Hornets with two hits and Ryan Cheringal, RJ Gossweiler, Charlie Dorst, Liam Wood, and Chike Orjiekwe had one hit apiece. Cheringal led East Hanover with two RBIs, and Gossweiler, Dorst and Orjiekwe had one RBI each.

Game 4 - Monday, Aug. 7

New York (Massapequa Coast) 10, New Jersey (East Hanover) 1

East Hanover Little League lost its first game, falling to New York (Massapequa Coast), 10-1 in a semifinal game Monday night.

New York scored seven runs in the bottom half of the first inning and three in the third to move to 2-0 in tournament play.

New York, the defending Metro-Region champions, advances to Friday’s championship game, while East Hanover drops to Wednesday’s semifinal elimination contest (7 p.m. ESPN 2) where they face Rhode Island.

East Hanover (19-3) will need to win its next game to advance to the championship game.

New York collected nine hits to New Jersey’s four hits and scored four of its runs on four errors by East Hanover. The Hornets committed seven errors in total.

Ryan Cheringal, Dante Elwood, Liam Wood and Paul Carsillo all collected hits for East Hanover, who dropped its first game since July 27.

Game 3 - Sunday, Aug. 6

Rhode Island (Smithfield) 2, Connecticut (East Lyme) 0

Game 2 - Saturday, Aug. 5

New York (Massapequa Coast) 10, Rhode Island (Smithfield) 1

Game 1 - Saturday, Aug. 5

New Jersey (East Hanover) 3, Connecticut (East Lyme) 0

East Hanover won its opening-round game, defeating Connecticut (East Lyme), 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.

The Hornets scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and tacked on another run in the third to move to 1-0 in tournament play.

East Hanover will play New York (East Massapequa) on Monday at 7 p.m. in the winner's bracket. New York defeated Rhode Island, 10-1, on Saturday in the opening round.

The Hornets scored two runs in the bottom of the first when RJ Gossweiler hit a line drive to right field, scoring AJ Rossi from second base. Anthony Abrantes made it 2-0 when he scored from third base on an error by the Connecticut catcher.

East Hanover increased its lead to 3-0 in the third on a based-loaded walk by AJ Rossi, scoring Paul Carsillo from third base.

Starting pitcher Abrantes earned the win, throwing 4 ? scoreless innings, giving up two hits with nine strikeouts. Gossweiler earned the save, throwing 1 ? innings in relief, giving up one hit, no runs and one strikeout.

Game 6 - Friday, Aug. 11 (championship game)

New York (Massapequa Coast) vs. Rhode Island (Smithfield), 7 p.m. on ESPN

How they got here

New Jersey: East Hanover/Florham Park beat Holbrook (Jackson), 4-3, in Sunday's winner-take-all game at Buchmuller Park in Secaucus. A day earlier, the Hornets defeated previously-undefeated Holbrook, 2-0, in a potential elimination game. East Hanover (18-2), the Section 1 and District 1 champions, is just the seventh Morris County team to capture a Little League state title since the tournament was first held in 1957, and the first since Parsippany-Troy East won it in 2012.

Connecticut: East Lyme, last year’s state runner-up, captured its first state title after holding off three-time Connecticut state champion Shelton, 4-1 in Monday’s winner-take-all final in Trumbull. The Section 3 and District 10 champion went 3-1 in state-tournament play and outscored its opponents, 25-8.

New York: Massapequa Coast, the defending Metro-Region champion, captured its third-straight New York state title by defeating Section 3 champion East Greenbush Castleton, 4-3, on Saturday in the eight-team tournament at South Shore Little League (Staten Island). Last summe,r Massapequa Coast reached the Little League World Series, becoming the first Long Island team to get there since Rockville Centre in 1978.

Rhode Island: Smithfield needed seven innings to defeat South Kingstown, 2-1, in Sunday’s winner-take-all final at Kimberly Ann Rock Memorial Complex in Rumford. The three-time Rhode Island state champion edged South Kingstown, 5-4 a day earlier in a potential elimination game. Smithfield will play in its first region tournament since 1967.

Joe Cheringal, along with fellow coaches Andy Rossi and Alan Elwood, knew they had something special when they assembled the East Hanover/Florham Park Little League 12-year old team this past spring.

Cheringal, who has spent the last eight seasons coaching baseball in town, has fielded some competitive and talented teams over the years, but the 49-year old manager realized there was something different about this summer’s dozen.

“There was a lot of talented players to choose from, but Little League allows for just 12 players on a roster,” said Cheringal, who is also the vice president of the East Hanover/Florham Park Little League. “Around 10 of the 12 kids have played together for quite a few years. But still, you don’t really know what a team is all about until you get all the kids on the field and see how they mesh and play together. We were pretty confident we had a team that was going to compete and win games.”

Last Sunday, East Hanover/Florham Park captured its first-ever New Jersey Little League state title by stunning state power Holbrook (Jackson) in consecutive games. East Hanover is just the seventh Morris County team to capture a Little League state title since the tournament was first held in 1957, and the first since Parsippany-Troy East won it all in 2012.

Next stop for the East Hanover 12s is the Metro Region Tournament in Bristol, Connecticut, which starts this weekend. The winner of the tournament goes to the Little League World Series.

Read more:What to know about the Metro Region Tournament, how to watch

Here's what you need to know about each player:

No. 00: Liam Wood

Position: Pitcher, first baseman, outfielder

Bats: Left | Throws: Left

Favorite hobby: Sports

Favorite MLB player: Babe Ruth

No. 3: Chike Orjiekwe

Position: Outfielder

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Sports

Favorite MLB player: Juan Soto

No. 5: Braden Edelle

Position: Pitcher, third baseman, outfielder

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Baseball

Favorite MLB player: Aaron Judge

No. 7: Dante Elwood

Position: First baseman, second baseman, third baseman

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Baseball

Favorite MLB player: Giancarlo Stanton

No. 11: Anthony Abrantes

Position: Pitcher, First Baseman, third baseman

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Baseball

Favorite MLB player: Bryce Harper

No. 16: Ryan Cheringal

Position: Pitcher, catcher, third baseman

Bats: Left | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Sports

Favorite MLB player: Aaron Judge

No. 17: AJ Rossi

Position: Pitcher, first baseman

Bats: Right | Throws: Left

Favorite hobby: Baseball

Favorite MLB player: Shohei Ohtani

No. 18: Anthony Sansonetti

Position: Outfielder

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Baseball

Favorite MLB player: Aaron Judge

No. 24: RJ Gossweiler

Position: Pitcher, second baseman, third baseman

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Baseball

Favorite MLB player: Ken Griffey, Jr.

No. 25: Tyler Ciasullo

Position: Pitcher, shortstop

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Baseball

Favorite MLB player: Derek Jeter

No. 27: Charlie Dorst

Position: Catcher, first baseman

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Playing sports

Favorite MLB player: Aaron Judge

No. 28: Paul Carsillo

Position: Pitcher, second baseman, third baseman

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Favorite hobby: Baseball

Favorite MLB player: Cody Bellinger

Manager: Joe Cheringal

Coach: Andy Rossi

Coach: Alan Elwood

4-minute read

Mary Ann Koruth

NorthJersey.com

The state Attorney General's Office has filed a civil rights complaint against the Hanover Township school district and requested an emergency court order to stop the district from implementing a policy adopted Tuesday night that would require teachers to disclose to parents the gender identity and sexual orientation of LGBTQIA+ students.

The school district has, in turn, challenged the state, saying it will "vigorously defend" this policy which it says "protects parental rights and ensures the safety of all school children."

Schools in New Jersey are required to accept a student's preferred gender identity and pronouns without parental consent, according to the state's Law Against Discrimination and the state Department of Education's Transgender Student Guidance issued in 2018. The Attorney General's lawsuit says that the new policy adopted by Hanover Township violates state law and is in contradiction with its own existing transgender student policies.

The policy, titled "Parental Notification of Material Circumstances," requires teachers in the 1,200-student K-8 school district to notify parents if they are aware of "any facts or circumstances that may have a material impact" on a student’s well being because of a range of factors, such as bullying, depression, self-harm, athletic and academic performance and gender identity.

Local:Hanover school board favors policy to notify parents of student's LGBTQ identity

The state's lawsuit only challenges inclusion of language in the policy on gender identity, LGBTQ+ and transitioning students which it says violates state law by discriminating against the protected categories of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“We will always stand up for the LGBTQ+ community here in New Jersey and look forward to presenting our arguments in court in this matter,” said Attorney General Platkin in a statement Wednesday. "We are extremely proud of the contributions LGBTQ+ students make to our classrooms and our communities, and we remain committed to protecting them from discrimination in our schools.”

The state's lawsuit against the Hanover Township Public schools and its board of education asks the Morris County Superior Court for an order of "temporary restraint" to enjoin or stop the district's implementation of the policy, while its legal challenge plays out.

Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted his support for the Attorney General's move, saying "Hanover Township Board of Education's new policy requiring staff to 'out' LGBTQ students to their parents violates the rights of our students — jeopardizing their well-being and mental health."

Members of the public at a board meeting in April questioned the legality of the policy and whether it violated the state's law against discrimination. A teacher of 26 years in the Hanover Township district asked board members if it was legal for the new policy to require faculty to report any concerning student behavior as it relates to a list of issues mentioned in the policy, ranging from academic performance to gender identity, and what the consequences would be if they did not do so. The policy was not in violation of any state law, board attorney Matthew Giacobbe told the speakers.

Polarizing battles in NJ

The lawsuit comes at a time when many school boards across the state and nation are already polarized over issues relating to LGBTQIA+ students, resulting in conflicts within boards and in schools as right-wing and conservative activists clash with progressive and liberal groups over school library books, display of the "pride" flag in classrooms, and how far the state can go in mandating what is taught in schools about gender and sexual orientation.

This has resulted in calls to ban books that discuss gender identity, and bitter fights in school board meetings over implementing the Murphy administration's 2020 standards for health and comprehensive education in school districts which moved lessons on gender stereotyping and sexual behavior to earlier grades than in previous years.

About a 100 community members, donned with red shirts and pride flags, came out to express frustration with the board for questioning standards set by the state and their comments about LGBTQ families in an April board meeting at Westwood Regional High school. Other school boards in the state have been the center of similar demonstrations for and against including discussions about LGBTQ people.

"We are pleased to see that Attorney General Platkin has taken action and is recognizing the importance of the rights of students in our districts that are under attack by a radical right agenda," said Michael Gottesman, director of the New Jersey Public Education Coalition, a grassroots group that organizes to counter other groups that it says are eroding trust in public education by accusing the state of "indoctrinating" school children with its curriculum standards.

Gottesman said members of his organization met with staffers in the governor's office and the Attorney General's Office on April 27 to discuss a trend of school board members elected on "parental rights" platforms working to reject the state's health standards in elementary and middle school.

Republican state Senator Holly Schepisi (R-Bergen), who advocated to repeal the sex-education piece of the state department of education's 2020 health and physical education standards, was not immediately available to comment on the Attorney General's lawsuit.

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Hanover Township district responds

The policy does not unlawfully discriminate against "any student on the basis of any protected status whatsoever," the Hanover Township school district said in a statement released Wednesday night. "Simply put, it requires that staff members' say something to the parents and appropriate school administrators," if they see something that could affect their children and to keep parents "fully informed" about "all material issues that could impact their children."

The policy is "expressly targeting students for disparate treatment" says the Attorney General's legal complaint, because it includes state-protected characteristics of “sexual orientation; transitioning; gender identity or expression," in the “facts or circumstances” that school staff must disclose to a student’s parents and to administrators in connection with the student’s safety.

Unidentified members of the public had alerted the Division of Civil Rights in the Attorney General's Office about the policy when it was being proposed, which led to the lawsuit.

The legal complaint can be found here: AG Platkin Announces Filing of Civil Rights Complaint and Application Seeking to Immediately Prohibit Implementation of Hanover Township Board of Education’s LGBTQ+ Parental Notification Policy - New Jersey Office of Attorney General (njoag.gov)

New Vernon Equities is building up its Arena complex in East Hanover, adding a 17-acre parcel newly acquired from Novartis.

The Morristown-based commercial real estate developer and investor announced the acquisition of 135 Route 10 Nov. 2. According to the firm, the 150,000-square-foot office building will be redeveloped for science and technology users.

“We are thrilled to become a part of one of Morris County’s premier sites and continue our focus on top tier science and technology property development,” Peter Gilpatric, head of development for NVE, said in a statement.

Regarding the repositioning efforts, NVE noted the strength of Morris County for serving smaller office, labs and light manufacturing tenants. With redevelopment work already under way, Gilpatric told NJBIZ in a statement that the property is actively being marketed.

NVE’s Arena is centered on, now, three East Hanover buildings. Gilpatric said the firm envisions the campus as a more than 200,000-square-foot 21st Century workplace with a focus on science, technology and innovation.

The new addition 135 Route 10 is complemented by 30 and 31 Farinella Drive. The former is a 75,000-square-foot biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility fully leased to GenScript ProBio, according to NVE. Currently under development, 31 Farinella Drive is expected to deliver 50,000 square feet of high tech/science space by the end of 2023.

In March, the East Hanover Land Use Planning Board voted to deny an application from Novartis to subdivide approximately 17 acres for sale at the corner of Route 10 and Ridgedale Avenue. At the time, New Jersey Hills reported that Novartis East Hanover Site Head Gregory Struckus said during the March 23 meeting that the company had entered into a memorandum of understanding with NVE for the property.

NVE declined to comment on the impact the denial had on the purchase process. In a statement accompanying news of the acquisition, Gilpatric spoke positively about its work with the municipality and the seller.

“Our strong working relationship with the Township of East Hanover Township and Novartis allows us to collaborate in making this part of the Township a work, play, learn hub for ideas and innovation within a 21st Century workplace,” he said.

Evolving needs

“Novartis continues to transform the East Hanover, N.J., campus to ensure we are using our office spaces as effectively as possible. As part of this initiative, we have divested an additional 17 of our 140 acres on the east side of the campus, including one office building,” the Swiss pharmaceutical giant told NJBIZ in a statement.

The transformation of the working space at Novartis’s East Hanover U.S. headquarters pairs with an “ongoing organizational evolution” across the company. At the end of the summer, Novartis disclosed plans to lay off 130 employees in East Hanover, which serves as its U.S. headquarters. That followed news from the end of 2022 that the company would cut 285 jobs at the site.

“Our efforts to transform the East Hanover campus are part of a multiyear, worldwide Novartis global initiative to improve and adapt work environments in many of our larger sites,” Novartis added. “The work we are undertaking will also enable us to become more responsible with our footprint today and in the future.”

That idea was echoed by remarks Struckus made at the March planning board meeting.

“Like many other companies, we’re moving to a hybrid working model which offers better collaboration for our associates and provides our associates with more flexibility,” he said, as reported by New Jersey Hills. “But the new model also is a more efficient use of space. And therefore, we don’t require all of the buildings that we currently have to accommodate our employees. And also by reducing our real estate footprint, it helps us achieve some of our energy and sustainability goals.”

Novartis shrunk that footprint by a sizeable amount in 2021 when a joint venture of Onyx Equities LLC and Russo Development acquired 62 acres from the company with plans to eliminate vacant office buildings in lieu of building up more than 800,000 square feet of industrial space at the site. Demolition was paused in April, with the partners, working as R&O East Hanover, announcing they would propose a smaller project, according to a report from the Daily Record.

Like NVE’s plans, the move would remove extra office space from the market and add more square footage in a sector with rising demand, particularly in recent years.