Medical Weight Loss in New Milford, NJ

Heavy smoke from wildfires in Rockaway and Jefferson continues to blanket parts of West Milford, officials said Friday, Nov. 1.

Drivers on parts of Route 23 may have poor visibility because of the smoke, the township Office of Emergency Management (OEM) warned.

Burn bans remain in effect and will be strictly enforced, the OEM said.

On Saturday morning, Nov. 2, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported that it has made substantial progress in containing a wildfire burning near Notch and Green Pond roads in Rockaway.

As of 10 a.m., all evacuation orders had been lifted and the Craigmeur Lookout Wildfire, covering 170 acres, was 50 percent contained.

Sixteen structures were threatened, and Green Pond Road was closed near the Craigmeur Ski Area.

The Forest Fire Service has fire engines, bulldozers and ground crews as well as a helicopter capable of dropping 350 gallons of water.

Structure protection was being provided by local fire departments in Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Sussex, Morris and Warren counties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Red flag warnings were in place Friday because of strong winds along with the dry conditions.

New Jersey has imposed a Stage 3 campfire restriction because the danger of wildfires is considered extreme.

All fires in wooded areas are prohibited unless contained in an elevated stove using only propane, natural gas, gas or electricity.

No charcoal fires are allowed.

Reservoir lowered

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, officials of Ringwood State Park said water is being released from Monksville Reservoir into the Wanaque Reservoir by the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission because of the recent stretch of dry weather.

As a result, Monksville Reservoir is expected to be lowered 6 feet or more, depending on the length of the drought.

Boaters should use caution when launching in lower water levels and be aware of navigable hazards, such as logs and stumps, that may be more common during the drawdown period.

New Jersey remains under a drought watch, which was declared Oct. 17. The watch is intended to increase awareness of the stress on water supply sources and to encourage voluntary water conservation measures.

If conditions do not improve, a drought warning or a drought emergency with mandatory water use restrictions may be declared.

Playing the stock market involves complex data, high-stress decisions and can be a full-time endeavor. Imagine doing it all while still in middle school.

This was the case for students at David E. Owens Middle School in New Milford.

Eighth grader Eden Clark and seventh grader Sebastian Camaj were among the winners of this year's annual Investwrite competition. Eden finished first and Sebastian third in the national competition.

Their teacher, Diana Daley-Picardo, said she was beyond excited because there had never been more than one winner per competition. About 20 years ago, Daley-Picardo joined the Bergen County teachers' program, when she took part in the Stock Market Game. The competitions are nationwide, reaching various elementary, middle, and high schools.

Participants from multiple grades can compete, all forming teams in their classrooms and learning how to play the stock market. By investing “money,” they learn how to navigate the complex but rewarding world of stocks.

In this case, Daley-Picardo’s gifted and talented class was put to the test with the simulation. She started them off by teaching them about stock exchanges, financial literacy, and the profile of a stock, via Yahoo Finance. Over eight to nine weeks, the students went through trial and error, attempting to win big. Their ranks would change every day, based on how many teams were playing in the northern area.

Ranks did not matter when it came to deciding a winner. Kids had to write an essay based on prompts to qualify for the prize, with thousands of submissions being sent from various grades. The prize for first was a $750 gift card and a $100 gift card for being first in the nation. The prize for third was a new laptop, and both winners received medals, trophies, and certificates for their parents to display. Daley-Picardo also received a gift of $750, which she used toward the class pizza party.

The winners said they were ecstatic about their accomplishments.

“It’s surreal, its weird to think about how everyone thought my essay was the best in the country,” Eden said.

Sebastian had a more direct approach to his victory.

“I feel kind of surprised but also glad. I won third place in the nation!”