Thank you to Kevin Soutar, President of KS Entertainment, for a job well done on the live stream of the Morris Plains Memorial Day Parade on May 29, 2021 in the adverse conditions.
Watch the Recorded Livestream Here
Read the May 2021 Edition of Plains Talk (PDF), including information about the Memorial Day parade.
The Borough of Morris Plains will set aside the first hour of its public meeting on Thursday, May 6, from 7:30PM to 8:30PM to educate residents about local action the Borough must consider regarding permitting or not permitting cannabis business licenses under the recently enacted state law legalizing marijuana. There also will be an opportunity for residents and business owners to comment.
The agenda for the forum includes a presentation on the recently enacted law, a review of the business licenses which can be permitted, and the actions the Borough Council must take prior to August 22, 2021 deadline to either open Morris Plains to such businesses or prohibit their establishment. Residents and business owners will have an opportunity to comment only on the licensing issues or can send comments for consideration to the Borough Clerk at rdenman@morrisplainsboro.org prior to the meeting up until 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. All public comments submitted in advance must include the individual’s name and address.
Due to COVID-19 public health concerns and the Governor’s Executive Order on social distancing and spacing requirements, reservations are being accepted for fifteen (15) in-person attendees at the meeting. Please call the Borough Clerk to reserve at 973-538-2224. Members of the public who do not have a reservation are invited to attend remotely via Zoom. Zoom meeting information will be included in the official meeting notice posted on the Morris Plains Borough website 48 hours before the meeting.
View PowerPoint Slides from the meeting
In November, 2020 New Jersey voters approved an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution to allow for the legalization of marijuana possession and use for adults at least 21 years of age.
On February 22, 2021, Governor Murphy signed into law P.L. 2021, c.16, known as the
New Laws New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act (the “Act”) legalizes the recreational use of marijuana by adults over 21 years of age establishes a REGULATORY, LICENSING AND TAXING scheme for commercial recreational (adult use) cannabis OPERATIONS, USE and POSSESSION.
The Borough has formed a subcommittee to research and gather information and community input with the goal of making recommendations to the Morris Plains Borough Council regarding allowing cannabis-related businesses to operate in the Borough. The subcommittee consists of the following members:
| Name | Role |
| Nancy Verga | Councilmember, Ordinance Committee Chair |
| Sal Cortese | Councilmember, Ordinance Committee Member |
| Dennis Wagner | Councilmember, Ordinance Committee Member |
| Michael Koroski | MPPD Police Chief |
| Dave Schulz | MP Board of Adjustment |
| Annette Wolff | Chair, Morris Plains Municipal Alliance Committee |
| TBA | Board of Health |
The subcommittee meets weekly to share and discuss research and will make a recommendation to the Council in June.
Learn about the Silky Dogwood that residents were able to take home from the Arbor Day Celebration below!
Silky dogwood is a large shrub, often 6-10 feet in height. The growth habit is upright rounded, but where stems are in contact with the ground, roots are formed. This behavior creates thickets. Young dogwoods have bright red stems in the fall, winter and early spring, which turn reddish-brown in the summer. You could effectively use these for hedgerows and windbreaks, or even as a specimen plant. One would look terrific at the back border of your garden, and they even work well for erosion control.
Your Silky Dogwood has attractive greenish-white flower clusters that appear in flat-topped, 2.5-inch clusters in the spring. The flowers mature to berry-like drupes that begin white but slowly transform to a lovely blue for the fall. The fruit is eaten by game birds, and is especially important as a source of food for migrating songbirds. The glossy, medium-green leaves are up to 5-inches long with noticeable veins and silky hairs on their undersides (thus this Dogwood’s name).
The Silky Dogwood grows to be 6′ – 10′ feet in height. It will mature to 6-8 feet tall with an equal spread, but can be trimmed to any size. It has no serious insect or disease issues and is relatively fastgrowing.
The stems and leaves of the silky dogwood tree remain a favorite food for deer, especially in the winter. Some gardeners use the trees to provide food for deer so they stay away from other areas of their garden. Others use the tree to welcome deer to their wildlife-friendly yards.
Store seedlings in a cool, humid location in their unopened bundles until they are planted. Root cellars, crawl spaces, basements, and unheated barns work well for short time periods. Never allow seedlings to freeze or expose seedlings to temperatures above 60 degrees. During storage, check bare-root seedlings every two to four days to insure the roots and sphagnum moss packing material remain moist.
Prepare site for planting. Favorable seedling sites have high soil moisture levels; little competing vegetation; and soil with high organic matter, proper Ph, good aeration or texture, and good moisture retention. On most planting sites, water is the greatest limiting factor to survival.
Do not expose seedlings to direct sun and air during handling and preparation for planting. Only take the seedlings that can be planted in one day to the site. Use a hydroscopic root dip on seedlings – do not let seedling sit in dip, and do not shake the dip off roots. Then wrap roots in wet burlap. This will help protect roots from heat and drying.
Plant in early spring for high soil moisture levels and cool temperatures. The ideal temperature range to plant is 33 to 50 degrees. If it is warmer than 60 degrees or becomes windy, it is best to stop planting and wait for conditions to improve. A planting bar works well for digging narrow, deep holes. Each planting hole must be large enough to accommodate the root system in a natural form. Place the seedling in the hole spreading the roots downward and horizontally. Do not bunch roots at the bottom of the hole or fold them so that the roots ends are directed toward the surface. Incorrect planting depth is another cause of poor seedling survival. The root collar (soil surface line when the seedling was in the nursery beds) must be located at the soil surface when finished. After backfilling the hole with planting bar, check for correct root collar depth.
Fertilizer use on first-year seedlings is generally not recommended. After the first year, small applications of slow-release fertilizers with equal parts nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus will aid plant growth. Follow recommended rates carefully.
Give each seedling one to two gallons of water immediately after planting. Regular irrigation for the first two to three years can increase survival and greatly increase growth rates. Periodic deep watering is better than frequent light watering. Irrigate each plant with one to two gallons of water every one to two weeks during the summer. Gradually reduce irrigation in late summer to allow the seedlings to harden off for winter. Do not water if the ground is frozen.
Woven weed fabric is the best mulch for seedlings. It controls all weeds, reduces evaporation from the soil around the roots, and allows water and air to pass through. Other good mulch materials are wood chips; bark chips, straw, and composted sawdust. Mulch should be no deeper than three inches. Grass clippings seem to attract rodents and are not recommended.
Information provided by NJ Tree Nursery 370 East Veterans Hwy Jackson, NJ 08527 (732) 928-0029 New Jersey Tree Nursery NJ Forest Service Division of Parks and Forestry Department of Environmental Protection