Good News Around Chatham: Great Teachers + Cancer Awareness

CHATHAM, NJ — The world can be frightening. However, it is also full of humor, inspiration, and beauty. Let us concentrate on the second part. Here are some recent good news stories from Chatham and the surrounding area.

High School Business Teacher Is Morris County's 'Teacher Of The Year'

A Whippany Park High School teacher was selected to represent Morris County as part of the state's "County Teacher of the Year" program. The NJDOE named business education teacher Andrea Ritacco of Whippany Park High School, Hanover Park Regional High School District, as the Morris County Teacher of the Year.

Nearly $6K Raised For Cancer Through Upcoming Chatham Basketball Game
Through participation fees and donations, the Chatham B+ Club has raised nearly $6,000 for pediatric cancer research for its upcoming basketball tournament on Saturday, Aug. 20. All proceeds from the 3v3 tournament, which begins at 10 a.m. on the newly resurfaced Garden Park basketball courts next to Chatham Middle School, will benefit the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.

20K Dogs And Counting, Madison Shelter Flying Pups To Forever Homes

St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, a humane animal sanctuary, will fly its 20,000th dog one step closer to her forever home next week as part of a huge milestone celebration. The lucky 20,000th passenger is named Sweetie Johnson, and she is a 5-year-old terrier mix from Louisiana.

The Fight To Save The Drew Forest Makes Its Way To Morristown

An environmental organization based in Morristown has officially joined the fight to prevent the overdevelopment of the Drew Forest, which is home to some of Morris County's oldest trees. The Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) is one of the most recent organizations to officially join the campaign to save the Drew Forest from development.

Madison Woman Given 'Mayor's Hero Award' After Saving Stranger's Life

A Madison resident was recently recognized at the Madison Borough Mayor and Council meeting for her efforts in saving the life of a stranger. While driving into town on an early June morning, Anne Berger passed a man jogging along the roadside. Not long after, Berger, a cardiac nurse, decided to turn her car back around after sensing that something "did not look right."

Choking Woman Saved By Morris Co. Eatery Employee

When 21-year-old PrimoHoagies worker Danielle Buccielli realized a customer she had served had started choking in the restaurant, she acted quickly to perform the Heimlich maneuver, potentially saving a woman's life. Buccielli's Thursday shift at PrimoHoagies in the Rockaway Townsquare Mall complex began like any other.

Officials Turn Chatham Teal For Ovarian Cancer Awareness

Teal ribbons will be tied around Chatham Borough trees in September to honor a Chatham resident while also raising awareness about ovarian cancer. Chatham Borough Council will adopt a resolution in September for the 16th year to "Turn The Towns Teal," a campaign inspired by Gail MacNeil, a Chatham resident who battled ovarian cancer for a decade.