By Lynn Nixon

RANDOLPH, N.J. – The Morris County Solar 2 Program, which prompted solar panels being installed over the County College of Morris parking lots in 2012, is implementing phase two of the project in an attempt to further reduce the county’s energy costs. In 2016, solar panels will be installed at five public schools, the county library, the county Public Safety Training Academy, the county’s Office of Temporary Assistance and at the municipal complex in Chester, New Jersey.

“We have 10 solar projects on nine sites planned to be built this year and completed by Dec. 31,” said Larry Ragonese, County of Morris communications director. “There had been some financial setbacks in the first phase of the solar project, but phase two has been scrutinized in a very conservative manner. Only sure bets to generate positive revenue and save entities costs on their power needs have been included.”

According to the Request for Proposal issued by the Morris County Improvement Authority, “the county anticipates 27 percent reimbursement for site construction from the federal government through the Federal 1603 Program, which requires work to be completed by Dec. 31.”

The RFP noted that the Morris County Improvement Authority sold $33.1 million in bonds to help finance the Morris County Solar 2 Program. However, due to numerous factors, including a legal battle between renewable energy program’s developer and contractor, the Solar 2 Program is facing financial deficits.

Therefore, the county strategically chose locations for phase two that would generate enough solar power revenue to help pay off phase one debt and provide long-term energy cost savings for the locations that will host the solar panels.

According to CCM’s website, the solar panels installed on campus during phase one of the project are expected to “generate about 45 percent of the college’s yearly energy usage, which would power about 340 homes per year.”

In addition to saving energy and money, the solar panels over the CCM parking lots have provided a bonus to the professors and students parking under them — protection from the weather.

“Parking under the solar panels in the bad weather is awesome because they keep the snow off my car,” said Professor Evren Gulistan, a CCM adjunct algebra professor. “I think it’s a great idea for saving electricity and cutting the costs on the electric bill.”

But the panels have not worked as well in the rainy weather.

“I get drenched when I park under the solar panels in the rain,” said Marvin Vivanco, a CCM liberal arts major. “The rain is like a waterfall over the edges of the panels. It falls directly onto me and my car as I try to get in and out, but they are great in the snow and also great for the environment and helping to reduce energy costs.”

Whether the panels are sheltering cars from the snow, power washing them during the rain or saving the county thousands of dollars on its electric bills, it is safe to say the Solar 2 Program was a smart investment.

By Lynn Nixon

RANDOLPH, N.J. – For some students, algebra can be a painful subject, but having a patient and compassionate professor can make a difference. Professor Evren Gulistan is a new adjunct professor in County College of Morris’ math department. While this is only his second semester teaching algebra at CCM, Gulistan’s dedication to helping those struggling with math has already had a positive impact on CCM’s students.

“Professor Gulistan spent a lot of time with me and some of the other students before and after our algebra class last semester,” said Ryan Stampfl, a CCM business student. “He encourages you to ask questions and makes sure you understand everything before he moves on to the next problem. He definitely helped me improve my grade last semester.”

Gulistan enjoys working with students and helping them succeed in math. “What I like most about teaching is being able to inform students of knowledge that they can use to better themselves,” Gulistan said.

He offered the following advice to struggling math students: “Practice makes perfect. Consistent practice with homework problems will improve your skills.”

In addition to teaching algebra at CCM, Gulistan is a full-time high school teacher at Bergen County Technical School. He has been teaching math there for the past five years, including algebra classes for students struggling with High School Proficiency Assessment testing.

It was Gulistan’s strong teaching background that made him a good candidate for CCM’s adjunct position.

“I like the fact that he has teaching experience,” said Associate Professor Doreen Sabella, the assistant chairperson of CCM’s math department. “Especially since he is teaching at CCM part time, so he is comfortable in a classroom. I am very happy with his progress and glad to hear the students like him.”

While Gulistan excelled in math as a student, he didn’t know he wanted to be a teacher until his junior year of high school. “My pre-calculus honors teacher had a unique teaching style and a sense of humor that made the class fun and educational at the same time,” Gulistan said. “It was then that I had found my calling.”

Gulistan graduated from William Paterson University with a bachelor’s degree in math while taking part in the K-12 teacher education program. He then obtained a master’s degree in math with a concentration in math education from Montclair State University.

Gulistan lives in New Jersey with his wife, who is also a math teacher, and their 4-year-old son. In his spare time, he is attending Montclair State University to obtain a master’s degree in special education.

“I noticed a lot of my colleagues have special education degrees,” Gulistan said. “So I wanted to broaden my background.”

Currently, Gulistan is teaching CCM’s College Algebra class on Saturday mornings.

“I was always interested in teaching at the college level,” Gulistan said. “So when the opportunity came to work at CCM, I jumped at the chance. So far it has been very rewarding and a great experience.”

By Lynn Nixon

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which was founded in 1981 to promote awareness of crime victim issues and the rights that victims have through the criminal justice system, was April 10-16. Counties and municipalities throughout New Jersey held events in recognition of the time-honored tradition and to support its crime victims and their families.

In New Jersey, “a violent crime is committed every 21 minutes and 30 seconds,” according to the New Jersey State Police 2013 Uniform Crime Report. “There were 192,914 offenses in 2013 — 401 of which were reported murders — resulting in 21.8 victims for every 1,000 permanent inhabitants of the state,” according to the report.

“Based on the number of reported crimes in our area, anyone can be a victim, and it has a huge impact on the people in our communities,” said Joan Nixon, coordinator of the Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy for the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. “Family members, co-workers, friends and neighbors of crime victims get thrown into a life-altering situation that can be emotionally devastating. They often don’t know about the resources available to help them through the healing process.”

The New Jersey Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office held two events to bring the Passaic County community together.

The Family Violence and Crime Victims’ Summit took place Wednesday, April 20. The event was hosted by Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and was structured to educate attendees about victims’ rights, legal issues surrounding family violence and the services and resources available to victims and their families.

The Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy hosted its 19th Annual Candlelight Vigil Sunday, May 1. The event was designed to honor and support those whose lives have been affected by crime.

“These events are an opportunity for all segments of the community to come together and show support for victims of crime in Passaic County,” Nixon said. “We encourage law enforcement, the faith-based community, advocates, elected officials, students, victims and victim survivors to attend.”

The Candlelight Vigil included words of welcome from the county prosecutor, Camelia M. Valdes, testimonials by three victims or survivors and a candle-lighting ceremony to acknowledge those whose lives have been lost due to a violent crime. About 250 people attended the vigil with the majority in attendance being family members of homicide victims.

“One of the things that family members of homicide victims go through is that no one wants to talk about what happened,” Nixon said. “So part of the goal when you have someone stand up and share their story is to empower them and also to empower the audience to see that, while their lives are never going to be the same, they can move forward, and they are not alone.”

At the conclusion of the vigil, the overhead lights were darkened and the attendees lit their battery-operated candles which illuminated the auditorium. The room fell still as the candles flickered, and the names of all Passaic County homicide victims from the past year were read aloud. Tears streamed down the cheeks of many while each victim was honored. Strangers bonded over their shared grief, and new friendships were born.

“It’s a moving moment; I cried like a baby,” said Diana Garrera, an annual attendee of the vigil. “It feels painful and hopeful at the same time. I think these events really provide something for these people as they deal with their loss.”

The theme of this year’s NCVRW was “serving victims, building trust, restoring hope.” Passaic County, New Jersey, is well on its way to accomplishing just that.