Mayor Joe Nicastro had the opportunity to congratulate our recently promoted law enforcement officials from Mount Olive, namely Captain Lou Sanchez, Lieutenant Eric Anthony, and Sergeant Tyler Mullooly. The ceremony took place at town hall during the council meeting.  The audience was filled with many police officers who have served and who are still serving the community.  Family and friends also joined in the celebration.

MOUNT OLIVE TWP. – Township Council members are getting an earful about the residential rent hikes in the township.
In short: They’re skyrocketing to the point where Council President Joe Nicastro wants to have a sit down with apartment complex owners to see what can be done to mitigate the increases.
In a statement he sent out to residents, Nicastro said enough was enough.
“With rents around New Jersey skyrocketing, up an average of 32.86 percent year over year, according to a May 2022 survey by rent.com, this has become an issue for many renters in Mount Olive,” he said, adding he’s asked the owners of the township’s apartment complexes to come in for a sit down “to discuss what can be done to help the most vulnerable people that live in their apartment complexes.
“I know these are unprecedented times with unprecedented increases across the board from utilities to food,” he added, “but now more than ever they need to take into consideration how large of an increase is really necessary.”
Nicastro said “I will do what I can to work with the owners to come up with a solution that can work for everyone.
Nicastro said he has been receiving calls “and ran into people who rent and have asked why we cannot do something about the increases.”
He said those on fixed incomes “ have a very difficult time with the amount of the increases and are causing a hardship on their ability to pay for everyday expenses including food.”
Nicastro, who is a publisher and, therefore, a business owner himself, said he could see why rents were on the rise, but still wanted to find relief.
“I understand that every business needs to make money and pay the bills. The owners are not bad people,” he said.
“I have nothing against any of them as they are just running their businesses. I am just requesting that we sit down and see what can be done to help those who need it.”
Nicastro, however, said rent control was out of the question, saying “businesses should decide what the market will pay, but they also need to take into consideration residents who are on a fixed income and how it affects them.
https://www.newjerseyhills.com/mt_olive_chronicle/news/how-much-is-too-much-mount-olive-officials-question-rent-increases/article_aff4d3e4-6e6d-11ed-a6c0-af5817fd2246.html

MOUNT OLIVE TWP. – Mary Lalama and Joe Nicastro may need a long, post-prandial nap now that Thanksgiving Day is over.
And not from overeating. Lalama and Nicastro – more formally known as Mr. and Mrs. Joe Nicastro – on Thursday, Nov. 24, did what they have done for several years now – host a Thanksgiving dinner for seniors, those who can use a little fiscal relief, and for those who just want to come out and celebrate with others – at the township’s Senior Center in the township’s municipal Flanders-Drakestown Road municipal complex.
While always popular, even during the pandemic, when meals were home-delivered, the event was more so this year. More than 230 meals were ordered, the couple estimated during Thursday’s fun, including the 60 served at the center.
The meal was bountiful in more ways than one.
Besides the traditional fare of everything from turkeys to pasta to salads, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry, pies – and more pies was served.
And, there was the layer of satisfaction that overlaid the predictable exhaustion that comes from planning and executing an event the size of a formidable wedding,
It took a village to stage this dinner. Lalama and Nicastro had help thanks to several volunteers, including members of Grace Church in Randolph, which had advertised the event. In fact, the dinner drew participants from all over the area, from Mendham to Stanhope to Hackettstown, including veteran diner Mary Azagra of Stanhope.
Azagra, who serves as second vice president for the Mount Olive Seniors Club, said she’s been coming for about four years. “I come for the camaraderie, I come for the warmth,” she said. “It’s just fun.”
While Lalama cooked some of the turkeys, she got a little help from businesses, including Longhorn’s and Budd Lake Bagels. Ashley Farms donated pies and a few large boxes of Philly’s Pretzels were walked in by franchise owners Carl and Erica Boos of Flanders.
Also pitching in where those “behind the scenes” cooks, a.k.a. Longhorn’s, which cooked up a flock of turkeys, and Ashley Farms, which donated many pies. Weis, Tronix, Jeffrey Kalafut of The Kalafut Group also pitched in with donations.
The Nicastro tradition of helping out during the holidays doesn’t stop with Thanksgiving. Lalama is now compiling a list of families who could use a little Christmas help.
Anyone who would like to sponsor a child can call her at (973) 768-1815.
https://www.newjerseyhills.com/mt_olive_chronicle/news/turkey-with-all-the-trimmings-served-as-mount-olive-thanksgiving-day-tradition-continues/article_cd035818-6d08-11ed-b493-eb049bdce970.html

MOUNT OLIVE TWP. –
‘Blessed’
Meanwhile, Lalama and Nicastro are busy planning the dinner started several years ago.
As Lalama recalled, the event was born several years ago, when the family was enjoying a postprandial mull of leftovers. “We felt we were so blessed for what we had, we thought, what can we do for others?” she said.
The result: The sit-down meal for anyone, elderly or alone, who had no one to share the holiday with.
Thanks to the pandemic, the 2020 dinner was delivery only – an event that drew 170 takers, more than double the 60 who attended the 2019 sit-down. Last year, diners were able to sit-down or pick-up or have the meals delivered.
No matter the dining method, however, everyone gets the same meal: a full turkey dinner complete with appetizer, salad, pasta, desert and all the trimmings.
Of course, turkeys and other donated food items are welcomed. For more information – or to reserve a meal for drop-off on Nov. 23 – call Lalama at (973)768-1815 or email mary.lalama@gmail.com.
https://www.newjerseyhills.com/mt_olive_chronicle/news/mount-olives-holiday-season-starts-with-old-new-events/article_f83221a1-b8b7-56d0-ab24-e17b9925f0bf.html

On Thursday , March 17, 2022 Shift Manager Eileen Lindsley ,Council President Joe Nicastro and  John Geiger Mount Olive Foreman  have arranged to have Weis Markets of Flanders be another location to continue KEEPING MOUNT OLIVE GREEN, by dropping off plastic bags in designated bins for the recycling program . Together we will make a difference. Thank you Weis Markets of Flanders.

On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Council President, and Council Vice President were invited to the Senior Citizen St. Patrick’s Luncheon. Full was had by all.  Many  Blessings

MOUNT OLIVE TWP. – Long-time Republican Township Councilman Joe Nicastro isn’t wasting any time.
While his term on the dais expires at the end of 2023, Nicastro on Thursday, March 3, kicked off his campaign for township mayor before 125 supporters at the Lakeside Tavern.
On Monday, March 7, asked why he chose not to wait to run for the four-year post, Nicastro said that it wasn’t feasible to wait until the last minute to begin campaigning.
“Getting a campaign for mayor requires a lot of coordinating,” said Nicastro, who, likened all members of the present dais, is a Republican. “Getting everything in place from website to marketing material takes time.
“I did my kickoff in 2022 so people are aware that I will be running in 2023.”
Nicastro well-wishers at his event included now Mayor Robert Greenbaum, who has already said he is not seeking another term come next year.
In fact, Nicastro said in his remarks that he decided to run for mayor thanks to Greenbaum’s guidance, saying the mayor “took me under his wings” when he began his tenure on the dais. Council Vice President Alex Roman and Councilman Dan Amianda were also in attendance.
“We have a good team,” Nicastro told the crowd.
According to his website, nicastroformayor.com, Nicastro first ran in 2011, and has served as council president for eight years. He, his wife, Mary Lalama, and their five children moved to the township in 2004. He lives on Vista Drive in Flanders.
The planks in his platform include fiscal responsibility, stable taxes, safe communities, transparency, green energy, open space and senior issues.
“When you serve in a local community it is about keeping residents safe, providing the services as well as representing all residents that live in our great township,” he says on the website.
“I want to keep Mount Olive the great community it is by working on bringing green and renewable energy programs to the community as well as keeping and improving on our open space and parks for our residents to continue to enjoy.,” he added in hits website remarks.

https://www.newjerseyhills.com/mt_olive_chronicle/news/with-year-and-a-half-to-go-mount-olives-nicastro-announces-mayoral-bid/article_90d6f583-ed49-54ac-92c9-29f96990c2f1.html

On Wednesday, March 9, 2022 Antonella McGee from Navigating Hope, Office of Temporary Assistance visited the Senior Center to assist many of  Mount Olive residents.  They were able to provide help to 15 families. We will be scheduling them again in the very near future.

In  photo Council President & 2023 Mayoral Candidate Joe Nicastro  and Antonella McGee  Office of  Temporary Assistance Navigating Hope.
 

https://mountolivetownshipnj.new.swagit.com/videos/123071

https://mountolivetownshipnj.new.swagit.com/videos/121869

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