Home Care In Kenvil, NJ

ROXBURY, NJ – The return of a Barnes & Noble bookstore to Roxbury should take place by mid-January, said a company official.

The decision to again have a presence in the township comes about three years after the company closed its former store in Ledgewood, a site it occupied for 26 years. The building was subsequently razed by the developers who converted the former Ledgewood Mall into The Shops at Ledgewood Commons.

The new store will be in unit B300 at Ledgewood Commons, situated between DSW and Ulta Beauty in renovated space that formerly was part of a Sports Authority store. The new bookstore will be about 14,000 square feet, “a bit bigger than the old location,” said Barnes & Noble Senior Director of Store Planning and Design Janine Flanigan.

“We are excited to return to this market,” she said. “It is an area that has always done well for us, and we are thrilled to be able to come back into the community and provide them with our beautiful, newly designed bookstore.”

The decision to have a presence in Roxbury comes about three years after the company pulled out of the township and told the Ledgewood Commons developers it wasn’t coming back. The structure that housed the bookstore for 26 years was subsequently razed.

“The store will feature a new release shop, book rooms, bright cheerful paint colors,” Flanigan said. “We will have seating to encourage customers to sit and enjoy their new store … The store will carry all the best books, toys, games and gifts that our customers would expect to see.“

Related TAPinto Roxbury stories:

Barnes & Noble Quits Roxbury After 26 Years in Ledgewood

Bulldozer for Roxbury Barnes & Noble; But Bookworms Needn't Panic

Don’t miss any Roxbury news! Click here to sign-up for our free daily e-newsletter.

Please “like” and “follow” us on Facebook and check out our Twitter feed.

TAPinto Roxbury is free to read, funded entirely by business advertising.

To get your business in front of thousands of readers in Roxbury and beyond, become a TAPinto sponsor! Call 862-259-2448.

To send press releases, classified ads, items for the event calendar, “Milestones” announcements, etc., look for the “Submit Content” link on the homepage.

Thank you for reading TAPinto Roxbury!

By Fred J. Aun

PublishedOctober 25, 2023 at 1:54 PM

ROXBURY, NJ – The massive warehouse project proposed for the former Hercules explosives site in Kenvil would be a great thing for Roxbury according to some local construction workers.

The assertion was made by five men during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s Roxbury Mayor and Council meeting. They addressed the council even though the warehouse proposal is being heard by the Roxbury Planning Board, not the council.

Three of the men, including John Irwin of Succasunna, identified themselves as union workers. Irwin, a father of three and a Roxbury Junior Gaels football coach, noted he’s been a Roxbury resident since 1969.

Sign Up for FREE Roxbury Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

“This seems like a good project for the town and its residents,” he told the council. “I think this will increase the tax revenue by millions of dollars. Hopefully, the town could use the increase of commercial ratables to provide some tax relief for the residents … Most of the taxes would go to the school system which would help everyone.”

Tax relief was also mentioned by Christopher Caccavella of Ledgewood, a Plumbers Local 24 apprentice. “I do believe this project (is) a great idea for the town,” he said. “I feel like it would create a lot of new jobs for the residents of Roxbury and be a great tax ratable for the town … I also don’t understand why the Planning Board has such a problem with this project.”

Pros and Cons

That comment prompted a response by Roxbury Mayor Jim Rilee, who also sits on the planning board.

“Have you seen the plans?” he asked Caccavella. “Do you know how many trucks are coming into town? How many square feet are the warehouses?”

Caccavella conceded he did not know those details.

To be situated on the largest undeveloped tract of commercially zoned land in Morris County, the 2.5 million-square-foot "Roxbury Commerce Center" is being proposed by Hartz Mountain Industries of Secaucus. The company needs zoning ordinance variances to proceed and has been appearing before the planning board for a year as part of its effort to convince the board about the project’s overall feasibility.

“The planning board is not giving them hard time,” Rilee told Caccavella. “They are presenting a case to justify what they want to put up there. That’s what the planning board is there for.”

Noting that the board’s hearings are continuing, the mayor said he and his colleagues on the board “go in there with a white slate and listen to what’s testified to and base our decision on that.”

While the project could have benefits to the township, the board must weigh the good against the potential bad, Rilee said. “If you want to just give me a pile of money on a tree and not have any issues that can hurt the township in another way, I’m happy to do it” he said. “I think we have to know what impacts it can have on the town before we just say it’s good.”

After that, three other men came to the microphone to tell the council the warehouses will benefit Roxbury. One, a Mount Arlington resident who is an IBEW Local 102 electrician, focused on Hartz Mountain’s proposal to leave much of the site undeveloped and turn it over to the state for recreational use.

“Residents will have access to hundreds of acres of recreation,” he said. “More local walking trails sounds great to me and my kids and dogs.”

To that point, Rilee noted that the area where the trails are envisioned “is still contaminated, so you might want to get rid of that first.”

'Roxbury Will Not Be The Same'

Roxbury Councilman Bob DeFillippo, who is also on the planning board, also weighed-in on the issue.

“I’m just going say, very briefly, that I certainly do understand the promise of good union jobs, I swear I do,” he said. “The planning board’s job is to look at this project that will transform Roxbury for decades and decades ... after the union jobs are gone and the project is built.”

DeFillippo said the planning board would be “irresponsible” if it didn’t scrutinize Hartz Mountain’s plan “because, when it’s done, Roxbury will not be the same, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

The planning board’s next hearing on the project is scheduled for Dec. 6.

More TAPinto Roxbury coverage:

Roxbury Fears Impact on Town of Hercules Site Warehouses

Don’t miss any Roxbury news! Click here to sign-up for our free daily e-newsletter.

Please “like” and “follow” us on Facebook and check out our Twitter feed.

TAPinto Roxbury is free to read, funded entirely by business advertising.

To get your business in front of thousands of readers in Roxbury and beyond, become a TAPinto sponsor! Call 862-259-2448.

To send press releases, classified ads, items for the event calendar, “Milestones” announcements, etc., look for the “Submit Content” link on the homepage.

Thank you for reading TAPinto Roxbury!

ROXBURY, NJ – The Roxbury house that won this year’s Roxbury Recreation Department Holiday Home Decorating Contest was adorned with its over-the-top treatment because a young boy who lives there might soon lose up to half his vision.

The child, Charlie Weynberg, 5, was diagnosed earlier this year with a form of epilepsy that might require a brain surgery procedure, an operation that could render him legally blind. Facing that possibility, Charlie’s father, Steve, decided to make their home at 3 William Court in Succasunna as visually epic as possible this year, according to Charlie's mother.

“My husband went all-out for Charlie because the chance of him having vision loss next year is pretty high," said Danielle Weynberg, a 32-year-old, lifelong Roxbury resident. She said her husband, who never before decorated the house exterior, “did it all for Charlie” and entered the decorating contest only after a friend recommended it.

Sign Up for FREE Roxbury Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Being the first-place winner of the contest was a happy moment for the Weynberg family, one that caps a year filled with stress, sadness and expense. As explained by Weynberg on a GoFundMe page launched by her work colleague, Suzanne Moran, 2023 has been a “long, scary ride.”

Silent Seizures Every Minute

She explained that, from January through mid-summer, a local hospital’s efforts to treat Charlie’s seizures with medication failed. Taking the boy to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) also didn’t work as the youngster “progressively worsened with a major, grand mal seizure occurring in September,” Weynberg wrote.

The family’s next move was the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where Charlie “has undergone multiple tests, EEGs, MRIs, metabolic testing, genome sequencing and much, much more, all trying to solve the root cause of the issues and stop them,” according to Weynberg. She said her child undergoes seizures lasting more than 30 seconds each minute, episodes that produce no outward manifestations.

The result of all this remains to be known, but surgery - and potential vision loss - remains an option.

“We just met with the neurosurgeon this morning,” Weynberg said earlier this week. “We’re still going through what’s the best option in the new year … we haven’t been able to come up with a solid decision yet.”

Although the Weynbergs have health insurance, they need help paying for repeated trips to Minnesota and other uncovered expenses. Because Charlie’s condition rules out air travel, the clinic visits are done by car. The family stays at the Ronald McDonald House.

“Another big thing is we have to apply for an epilepsy therapy dog, a trained service animal specifically for him,” said Weynberg. The dog, which will be able to tell when Charlie is having a seizure, will cost about $10,000, she said.

Hoping to help her brother, Charlie’s 9-year-old sister, Theresa, started a collection at Kennedy School of aluminum pull tabs to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Pop Tab Program. Although school is now closed for the holidays, Weynberg said people can help by dropping off tabs at her house.

As of today, the GoFundMe page created by Moran has raised almost $7,000 of its $50,000 goal.

"Your donation will help Charlie's family be able to afford the incredible cost of the surgeries, the trips to Minnesota, the ability to miss work and not stress about daily living costs, and ultimately enable Charlie, the sweet-cheeks little baby, to have his family close to him during a very scary time, having brain surgery as a child," wrote Moran in creating the fundraiser.

Additionally, the Weynberg family created the "Charlie's Epilepsy Crushers" fundraising page on the Epilepsy Foundation website. It can be accessed here.

Don’t miss any Roxbury news! Click here to sign-up for our free daily e-newsletter.

Please “like” and “follow” us on Facebook and check out our Twitter feed.

TAPinto Roxbury is free to read, funded entirely by business advertising.

To get your business in front of thousands of readers in Roxbury and beyond, become a TAPinto sponsor! Call 862-259-2448.

To send press releases, classified ads, items for the event calendar, “Milestones” announcements, etc., look for the “Submit Content” link on the homepage.

Thank you for reading TAPinto Roxbury!

ROXBURY, NJ - Describing it as a great way to "make room for new books for the holidays," the Friends of the Roxbury Public Library is inviting people to support the library by donating and purchasing gently used books at its upcoming book collection and sale.

The used book collection will take place at the library on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., said the non-profit organization.

“It’s time to clear out the old books and make room for new ones,” said Friends of the Library President Stu Bauer. “The Friends of the Library needs your book contributions for resale so it can support all the incredible youth and adult programs the Library hosts all year long.”

Sign Up for FREE Roxbury Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Not all materials are appropriate for the collection and sale, noted the organization. It said it cannot accept books that are outdated or not in sellable condition. People also are discouraged from bringing VHS tapes, encyclopedias, reference books, text books prior to 2020, magazines or Reader’s Digest Condensed Books.

The book sale will take place Saturday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. during this year's Home for the Holidays celebration and it will run the entire week, ending on Sunday, Dec. 10.

“Check out the book sale for your holiday shopping,” said Bauer. The book sale is a perfect way to stock up on great gifts or refresh your personal stack of books to enjoy. You’d be surprised at how many of our gently used books and DVDs are very recent and in excellent condition, suitable for gifting.”

All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Roxbury Public Library, which funds the Library’s substantial program offerings all year long, according to the Friends.

“Funds from the sale support all the youth and adult programming our library is renowned for all year long," Bauer said. "Things like the Tiny Art Show, countless crafts and STEAM activities for kids, concerts as well as virtual and in-person enrichment programs for adults. If you like a good sale, come pick up some fantastic reads at a fraction of what you’d pay online or at a bookstore. And come back and experience how we spin the proceeds into golden programming that benefits us all.”

Cash, checks or credit cards are accepted. The library is asking participants to park in the back lot or on Main Street and to bring their own reusable bags.

“Our Friends run a book sale that is an absolute treasure trove,” said Roxbury Public Library Director Radwa Ali. “Come out and support the Friends and the book sale and go home with gifts, readable goodies for your own self-care and something for everyone on your holiday list. Do some good for the library!”

Each year, Roxbury Public Library serves more than 23,000 residents and neighbors with more than 200,000 check-outs and engagements through offerings of educational and enriching programs, concerts, lending books and audiovisual materials and by offering a wide array of digital content that allows community members to access a vast array of books, audiobooks, music, and film on their personal devices via their library card.

The library also offers expanded digital services, virtual, in-person and hybrid programs, passport services by appointment, an inventive Library of Things and an abundance of helpful resources. Visit the library online by clicking here.

Editor's Note: The Roxbury Public Library is a TAPInto Roxbury sponsor. To become a sponsor, call 862-259-2448.

Don’t miss any Roxbury news! Click here to sign-up for our free daily e-newsletter.

Please “like” and “follow” us on Facebook and check out our Twitter feed.

TAPinto Roxbury is free to read, funded entirely by business advertising.

To send press releases, classified ads, items for the event calendar, “Milestones” announcements, etc., look for the “Submit Content” link on the homepage.

Thank you for reading TAPinto Roxbury!

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 on TAPinto, please email [email protected].

ROXBURY, NJ – Tractor-trailers coming and going from a massive warehouse project being proposed for the former Hercules site in Kenvil will need fuel.

Roxbury Planning Board Chairman Charles Bautz fears that fact.

His concern, one of several expressed by Bautz and other board members during a recent meeting, is that truckers will not simply come and go from Route 80, as the project’s developers contend. When their rigs need diesel fuel, those drivers will likely venture onto local roads, Bautz said.

Sign Up for FREE Roxbury Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

“I feel we’re making a lot of assumptions,” he told representatives of Hartz Mountain Industries, the developer proposing the 2.5-million-square-foot warehouse project on Howard Boulevard.

The developers predict most trucks headed to the site will come from the east on Route 80 westbound. Hartz Mountain believes the drivers will get off at the Howard Boulevard exit, make their deliveries to the warehouses and head right back onto the interstate.

As a means of preventing big trucks from doing otherwise, Hartz Mountain proposes signs barring truckers leaving the site from turning left on Howard Boulevard (to head southbound toward Route 46). But Bautz suggested the real problem will not be when the trucks depart. It will be when they arrive.

“Most truckers are going to need fuel,” he said at the Sept. 6 board meeting. He said drivers will want to top-off their tanks before making their deliveries, possibly at the Kingtown Truck Stop on Route 46 in Ledgewood.

Roxbury Mayor Jim Rilee, who also sits on the planning board, agreed. “They’ll come off (Route 80) at the Netcong exit,” get fuel at Kingtown and take Route 46 through Ledgewood to Howard Boulevard, he said.

Hartz Mountain’s traffic engineer, Daniel Disario, conceded he did not try to predict truck fueling scenarios when writing his traffic study. The accuracy of that study was something else the planning board questioned at the meeting, contending traffic counts used by Disario were outdated.

“We’re wasting time on 5-year-old numbers,” Bautz said, questioning Disario’s reliance on counts taken years ago by county and state agencies. He said Hartz Mountain should have conducted new tallies before filing its application.

“You knew what you were coming in for,” he said. “You could have said, ‘Screw the state. Screw the county' ... You’re coming in with a humongous application with counts of 4,306 trips per day just into your site. Why wouldn’t you take the approach to do something last September before we started? Why weren’t (you) proactive. Every board member’s saying it. It just seems silly to me.”

Disario disagreed. “I take issue with your characterization of all the work we put into this,” he retorted. “In what I’ve submitted to you, we identified what we think is the traffic this project is going to generate. The fact is, the amount of traffic this development is going to generate as a warehouse development is not significant.”

Hartz Mountain needs a zoning variance to build the so-called "Roxbury Commerce Center" on about 200 acres of the 1,000-acre site. It contends the warehouses will bring fewer vehicles to Roxbury than would an office park that would not need such a variance.

What About Mt. Arlington?

A fear that truck traffic will not simply go between the site and Route 80 was also expressed at the meeting by residents of adjacent Mount Arlington. Among those expressing that concern was Mount Arlington Mayor Mike Stanzilis.

“I completely agree with you wanting to prohibit the left-hand turn to go into Roxbury,” he said. “I don’t want them to go into Mount Arlington.”

Bautz agreed about the potential impact on Mount Arlington from truckers that need local services.

“We are trying, best we can, to get them back onto Route 80 eastbound with the least amount of impact,” he said. “I have concern about items they may need to get back on the road. Obviously, do we want them going into Mt. Arlington? No. We want them to go onto Route 80.”

The board will continue to review the proposal at its Oct. 4 meeting.

Don’t miss any Roxbury news! Click here to sign-up for our free daily e-newsletter.

Please “like” and “follow” us on Facebook and check out our Twitter feed.

TAPinto Roxbury is free to read, funded entirely by business advertising.

To get your business in front of thousands of readers in Roxbury and beyond, become a TAPinto sponsor! Call 862-259-2448.

To send press releases, classified ads, items for the event calendar, “Milestones” announcements, etc., look for the “Submit Content” link on the homepage.

Thank you for reading TAPinto Roxbury!