Program offers seniors a way out of town

Stanhope-Stanhope wants to take its citizens for a ride … no, literally. The borough is joining hands with its Morris County neighbor, Netcong, to offer bus service to its seniors. The Dial-A-Ride program, which is already available to Netcong seniors, provides transportation to doctor appointments, meal centers and even shopping in the Stanhope, Chester and Mount Olive area. The program has been in existence for several years and was recently upgraded with the acquisition of a new 17-passenger, wheelchair accessible vehicle. Participating seniors make an appointment a day in advance and are picked up at their door. Once a week, the van offers shopping trips to stores in the immediate area. "We have a state-of-the-art, sible van which doubled our capacity and that allowed us to offer this opportunity to Stanhope residents," said Netcong Borough Administrator Marvin Joss. Stanhope officials are now trying to gauge interest in the program among borough residents. Depending on the response, they will finalize discussions with the borough of Netcong including the "financial aspects" of offering the program to Stanhope seniors. "We look forward to Stanhope using that service. It's an extra benefit that the community can offer its citizens and it's a good thing to have," said Joss. Stanhope residents interested in taking part in the Dial-A-Ride program can call (973) 347-0159, exten