‘Food for Thought’: Green film series starts Jan. 3 in Morristown
Seriously, can you stand another bowl game?
By the time Jan. 3, 2013, arrives, we’re betting you will be begging for intellectual stimulation. Grow It Green Morristown has the Ingredients… that’s the movie that launches the Food for Thought film series in Morristown.
It starts at 7 pm at the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, at 14 Maple Ave., and costs just $5. Here’s the scoop from Grow It Green…
FROM GROW IT GREEN MORRISTOWN:
Event: Food For Thought Film Series
Date & Time: Thursday, January 3rd at 7 pm
Location: The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, 14 Maple Ave., Morristown, NJ
The Foodshed Alliance of Blairstown, NJ, and Grow it Green Morristown of Morristown, NJ, are partnering together to present an extraordinary film series focused on the intersection of farming practices, our food supply, and how we are nourishing our families.
Each film will be followed with a discussion, led by community leaders whose expertise is specifically linked to the film’s subject matter. The Series will be a unique opportunity for participants to see cutting edge documentaries, engage in meaningful discussion with fellow community members, and enjoy “a night out” in downtown Morristown.
The series will take place at the offices of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation at 14 Maple Ave., Morristown, platinum LEED certified building.
Light refreshments will be offered. Seating is limited and advanced ticket purchase is required. Tickets are $5 per person, per film. MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW
Screenings will take place on the first Thursday of the month in January, February, March & April
Doors open at 7 pm & screenings will begin at 7:15 sharp. Films for Feb. 7, Mar. 7, and April 4 to be announced.
Our First Film in the “Food for Thought” Film Series…
At the focal point of this movement, and of this film, are the farmers and chefs who are creating a truly sustainable food system. Their collaborative work has resulted in great tasting food and an explosion of consumer awareness about the benefits of eating local.
Attention being paid to the local food movement comes at a time when the failings of our current industrialized food system are becoming all too clear. For the first time in history, our children’s generation is expected to have a shorter lifespan than our own.
The quality, taste and nutritional value of the food we eat has dropped sharply over the last 50 years. Shipped from ever-greater distances, we have literally lost sight of where our food comes from and in the process we’ve lost a vital connection to our local community and to our health.
A feature-length documentary, INGREDIENTS illustrates how people around the country are working to revitalize that connection. Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth, the film takes us across the U.S. from the diversified farms of the Hudson River and Willamette Valleys to the urban food deserts of Harlem and to the kitchens of celebrated chefs Alice Waters, Peter Hoffman and Greg Higgins. INGREDIENTS is a journey that reveals the people behind the movement to bring good food back to the table and health back to our communities.
Showtime! First Night Morris 2013 starts at 7 pm in Morristown
‘Barynya,’ one of the world music acts that will perform at First Night Morris 2013:
Nobody likes hard decisions. But once a year, First Night Morris presents a pleasant predicament:
Which great shows will you see?
Some 80 performances are scheduled tonight, Dec. 31, 2012, at 24 venues across downtown Morristown for First Night Morris 2013, the 21st annual edition of this holiday treat.
Top names from virtually every musical genre will be here (see video of ‘Barynya,’ above), along with first-rate comedians, actors, dancers, kiddie acts and reptiles.
Yes, reptiles. Really big ones.
“First Night’s tremendous variety of performances caters to all preferences at an unbelievably affordable price,” says First Night Chairman Michael Schmidt. “It’s about community, education, and broadening our perspectives while having a really enjoyable time.”
A $25 badge ($90 for a four-pack) gets you into everything. Realistically, that translates to four events, punctuated by two fireworks displays (9:15 pm and midnight) over the historic Morristown Green. Here are details to help you plan a family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve that you will never forget:
RESTAURANTS WITH ‘FIRST DINE’ DISCOUNTS
BUY BADGES AT:
- The Command Center, Hyatt Conference Center at Headquarters Plaza, 3 Speedwell Ave.
- The Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St.
- The Morristown & Township Library (after 4 pm), One Miller Road
- The Morristown Green
IF YOU ORDERED TICKETS ONLINE…
You must present your receipt at WILL CALL to fetch your badges. WILL CALL will be at the Mayo Performing Arts Center until 4 pm. After 4 pm, WILL CALL will be at the Morristown Library’s South Street entrance, directly across the street from MPAC.
PARKING:
All Morristown Parking Authority lots are free for First Night Morris 2013 events. The event map identifies free parking sites with a “P.” Metered parking is free after 8 pm.
FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE
Free shuttles, provided by Atlantic Health, will stop at nine locations throughout the night. Shuttle stops are identified on the event map.
FIRST NIGHT PROGRAMS…
Are available online and at:
- The Command Center in the Hyatt Conference Center at Headquarters Plaza
- The Mayo Performing Arts Center,
- The Morristown & Township Library
- Morristown High School,
- The Morristown Green.
SHARE YOUR PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND IMPRESSIONS…
Send ‘em here and we will include them in our First Night coverage!
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF FIRST NIGHT MORRIS 2013
A flavor of First Night Morris…
Hockey: Donofrio, Brown lead Morristown to Jefferson Holiday Tournament title
Line of Donofrio and Jack and Cam Szary account for all four goalsSanta scrapbook: Scenes from the 2012 Morristown pub crawl
We know, these photos are slightly after-the-fact. But MG contributor Aaron Karlsruher has a valid excuse:
“I’ve been at Grandma’s with no internet.”
We all can relate to that, can’t we?
Without another moment’s delay, here are Aaron’s snaps from the seventh annual Morristown Santa Pub Crawl, featuring stops at Tavern Off the Green and Hennessey’s Washington Bar on Dec. 22:
Photos by Aaron Karlsruher. Please click icon below for captions.
SEA OF SANTAS: Morristown's Tavern Off the Green is awash in faux fur during the seventh annual Santa Pub Crawl. Photo by Aaron Karlsruher
Hurry up and vote! LAST CHANCE to crown Battle of Bands winner for First Night Morris 2013!
First Night Morris 2013 is tomorrow night…but you still have a few more hours today, Dec. 30, 2012, to choose a Battle of the Bands winner!
Click the graphic above to cast your online ballot!!! Voting ends just before midnight.
Six acts are vying for a $250 top prize and instruction at Morristown’s Original Music School. The top four bands–also based on your voting–will perform at Morristown High School during First Night.
The competitors are:
- Ben Rhodes
- ELI
- The Angry Politicians
- Rachael Clinton & Becca Johnson
- Room 4 Three
- Faithless Loyalties
Watch videos of the bands and CAST YOUR VOTE HERE.
Nearly 80 performances by top-name entertainers from virtually every genre are scheduled for 24 venues in downtown Morristown, between 7 pm and midnight on New Year’s Eve. There will be a free shuttle bus, and two fireworks shows, too!
Your $25 badge gets you into every event! Buy a four-pack for $90.
RESTAURANTS WITH ‘FIRST DINE’ DISCOUNTS
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF FIRST NIGHT 2013
Six acts played preview sets at the Morristown Deli for Morristown's Battle of the Bands. This is Rachael Clinton and Becca Johnson. Photo by Craig Schlosser
Free parking for residents in Morristown decks for storm, Dec. 29-31
With three- to five inches of snow predicted for Saturday, Dec. 29, Morristown once again will offer free parking in Morristown Parking Authority garages for its residents.
The Morristown Parking Authority's DeHart Street garage, and other MPA garages, are free to residents during the storm so snow plows can clean town streets. File photo by Kevin Coughlin
Mayor Tim Dougherty’s office announced on Friday that the free parking will be in effect from 4 pm on Saturday through 9 am Monday. Motorists may be asked to show their drivers licenses to prove local residency before exiting.
Here is a map of town parking facilities.
Garages are at DeHart Street, Ann Street, Cattano Avenue and the Vail Mansion. By parking in the garages instead of on streets, residents will allow snow plows to clean streets more easily during the snowstorm.
A winter weather advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for 6 am to 7 pm on Saturday.
Sandy and Honeywell, Ringo and Snooki, bars and obits made 2012 year to remember–and forget–in Greater Morristown
It’s been a tumultuous year in Greater Morristown.
Sandy, which introduced the term “super storm” to the public vernacular, tested residents whose psychic scars still were raw from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
Yet what could have been a new low–Sandy knocked out power for about 80 percent of Morristown residents and darkened even more households in Morris Township and Morris Plains–proved to be one of the region’s finest hours.
Using lessons gleaned from Irene, Morristown emergency responders and volunteers ramped up efforts to share information with the public. Warming stations at town hall and the fire station won praise from visitors. Area churches banded together to provide meals and good cheer for people who felt isolated in their dark, chilly homes.
Although some residents lost electricity for two weeks, deprivations were tempered by the realization that fellow Jerseyans at the Shore had suffered devastation of near-Biblical proportions. Relief drives quickly emerged and residents of Greater Morristown responded with generosity.
Please click icon below for captions.
TRAGEDIES AND LOSS
Morristown High School was stunned in March by the suicide of freshman Lennon Baldwin, whose tragic death at his Morris Township home focused attention on the issue of bullying in schools. Two juveniles where charged in connection with a robbery of Lennon, described by authorities as a bullying victim. A third suspect, Michael Conway, 19, was indicted on a charge of lying to investigators.
The community was shocked again in December when the 2011 Morristown’s Got Talent winner, Stasz Klinge-Loy, a 21-year-old violinist, was killed by a train in an apparent suicide in Morris Plains.
And time caught up with a series of Morristown icons.
Banner whips in the wind as Hurricane Sandy blows through Morristown. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Former Alderman Harry Hoyt, 97, died in March. Remarkably, Harry self-published a translation of Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin while in his 10th decade.
John Cunningham, author of more than 50 books about state and local history, was just shy of his 97th birthday when he passed away in June. He too was writing almost to the end.
In September, Morristown lost popular councilman and baseball coach Anthony Cattano Jr. to cancer. Former alderman and World War II airman Tom Zenick also died that month, as did retired Morristown Postmaster Bob Tracey, a veteran of two wars who for decades advocated on behalf of ailing veterans.
A pair of former Mayors died next: David Manahan, a Navy veteran of Iwo Jima in World War II who helped lay the groundwork for today’s renaissance in Morristown, and Emilio Gervasio, a former detective who lived to 102.
BAR WARS…AND PERSONNEL PECULIARITIES
Arguably, bars were Morristown’s hottest issue in 2012. They now attract up to 2,000 young people to the downtown on busy weekend nights, according to police estimates. While that’s good news for bar owners, some local residents and business owners are not happy about the mess left behind by drunken revelers.
Citizens made their displeasure known at council hearings throughout the summer. Police tapped their budget to increase weekend patrols outside the bars, while town officials continue grappling with how to coax bar owners to pick up the tab.
The town council upped fines for public urination to $500 for first offenders and shot down a bar/bowling alley proposed for DeHart Street. Another sports bar for Latinos, proposed for Early Street, won preliminary approvals but died of natural causes. The Iron Bar, meanwhile, was permitted to expand its South Street operation to add a Mexican bar/restaurant.
For its part, town hall experienced some peculiar twists and turns in ’12. Morristown Chief Housing Inspector Tommy Alexander, a town employee for 35 years, quietly retired in November after being convicted of cruelty to his dog. Tommy’s lawyer said the conviction would be appealed.
In a pending case, town Zoning Officer John Fugger, a veteran of nearly 25 years in town hall, was suspended without pay in the fall after a female employee accused him of harassment.
And the Morris School District board perplexed some parents and students by reassigning Morristown High School Principal Linda Murphy just days after the 2012 graduation ceremony. Citing privacy laws, the board offered no explanation beyond asserting that the move was not a response to the suicide of freshman Lennon Baldwin, who authorities say was a victim of bullying.
REDEVELOPMENT, ANYONE?
Several projects that will dramatically alter the local landscape advanced in 2012. Two years of meetings in Morris Township culminated in October with the municipal committee’s approval of controversial Honeywell plans to revamp its corporate headquarters on Columbia Turnpike.
The 147-acre property was rezoned to allow 235 townhouses along with additional office and lab space; the state granted a $40 million tax break to keep 1,000 jobs from moving elsewhere. A citizens group raised environmental and traffic concerns, however, and two residents are challenging the township vote on technical grounds in hopes of overturning the zoning approval.
In Morristown, a decade of attempts to redevelop the Speedwell Avenue neighborhood finally took shape as the town began relocating its public works department to make room between Early Street and Atno Avenue for 268 apartments. The housing was intended as the first of four redevelopment phases, but stage four leapfrogged to the front of the line with swift approvals for a CVS pharmacy at the corner of Speedwell and Spring Street.
CVS aims to have the drive-through pharmacy in place by the summer of 2013. It’s an event eagerly anticipated by many local residents and by Mayor Dougherty, whose support trumped opposition by the town historic preservation commission and by Councilwoman Rebecca Feldman, who voiced concerns about pedestrian safety.
Owners of adjoining parcels between Morris Street and Ford Avenue, meanwhile, joined forces to win approval for 74 apartments. The town also set its sights on redeveloping a parking lot by the train station, and 18 townhouses sprouted in a parking lot on Maple Avenue.
But the developments weren’t all about bricks-and-mortar. Grow It Green Morristown and the town secured about $2 million in grants to acquire land that has been home to the Early Street Community Garden for the last four years. The municipal purchase will enable Grow It Green to expand the garden and create a park near the entrance.
The nonprofit also initiated efforts to create a community garden on Martin Luther King Avenue; that proposal was thorny in the Second Ward. Look for talks to continue in 2013.
Look for organic change at the supermarket, too. The Health Shoppe closed after more than four decades in Morristown; Grassroots Natural Market of Denville is scheduled to replace it at 66 Morris St. early in the new year. And the A&P on Washington Street is expected to say goodbye in 2013, eventually to be replaced by a Whole Foods Market store.
BEATLE TOPS THE BILL; SNOOKI A NO-SHOW
Happy 75th Birthday: The Community Theatre opened as a South Street movie palace on Dec. 23, 1937.Later it fell on hard times. With much help from community volunteers and civic leaders, it was reborn in the mid-1990s as a world-class entertainment venue now known as the Mayo Performing Arts Center. Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Bernadette Peters and numerous other legends have played there.
A Beatle graced its stage in June, when Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band came to town.
Morristown had plenty of other big events to celebrate in 2012–and at least one non-event.
Jersey Shore star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi contemplated shooting episodes of a new show, Snooki & JWoww, in downtown Morristown during the summer. But her production company thought better of it, to the relief of some residents who feared the town’s reputation would have suffered from such an association.
“I think it’s safe now for Morristown people to come out at night,” Mayor Tim Dougherty deadpanned at the time.
Longtime civic activist Steve Wiley was honored in May for spearheading establishment of the Morris School District 40 years ago–a move many credit with preserving Morristown’s viability as a diverse, desirable community. The Morris Educational Foundation, another Steve Wiley initiative, turned 20.
The MorristownGreen.com Film Festival celebrated its fifth anniversary, as did Morristown’s Got Talent!, a fundraiser for local school programs.
MG also hosted its second poetry night, as part of the Spring Arts Festival at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The Mayor’s Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival and Marty Epstein’s Gran Fondo NJ cycling day attracted huge crowds in their sophomore years.
The Arts Council of the Morris Area pulled off its second annual pumpkin illumination–on the eve of a hurricane. And it partnered with Sustainable Morristown and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to launch Creative Morristown, a brainstorming organization comprising residents, town officials, business people and social service providers.
Morristown also heard its first Merry Tuba Christmas, on the historic Morristown Green.
On New Year’s Eve, First Night Morris will celebrate its 21st year of festive family entertainment. Nearly 80 performances by first-rate acts will fill 24 venues across downtown Morristown, as we usher in 2013. See you there!
What are your picks for Greater Morristown’s top stories of 2012?
Fallen pole and wires close Granniss Avenue in Morris Plains
No estimated time for repairs, traffic official says‘Fantasy’ Morristown Christmas lights raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation
Woman hopes 25,000 lights put revelers in giving moodGreater Morristown weekend preview: First Night Morris turns 21…join the party!
A flavor of First Night Morris
Our post-Christmas preview is a little lighter than usual, as Greater Morristown catches its collective breath in anticipation of the holiday grand finale: First Night Morris 2013.
It’s a New Year’s Eve with something for everyone. From American roots to Zydeco, virtually every musical genre will be showcased in Morristown on Monday, Dec. 31, during a family-friendly evening guaranteed to start your new year with a gigantic smile. And the entertainment is not limited to music.
We also can highly recommend Trout Fishing in America, a wildly inventive duo being presented on Friday, Dec. 28, in Morris Township by the Folk Project.
Details about these events and more are below; for additional activities, check out our handy calendar. In the meantime, let us add one more thing…
Happy New Year!
THURSDAY, DEC. 27, 2012:
From Nickelodeon’s Shining Time Station and Fred Penner’s Place, balloon artist Allyn Gooen fills the Bickford Theatre in Morris Township with extraordinary balloons on a colorful Journey to Candy Land, at 11 am and 1:30 pm. Admission is $12. The Bickford is at 6 Normandy Heights Road. Call 973-971-3706 for more details.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey concludes its 50th season with Trelawny of the Wells, by Arthur Wing Pinero. Director Bonnie J. Monte presents this romantic comedy about 19th-century British stage life as her “love letter” to all the actors who have appeared at the Shakespeare Theatre during the last half century. Shows at 2 pm and 8 pm, with five more performances through Sunday. Tickets $44-$48. At the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre at Drew University, at 36 Madison Ave. in Madison. Call 973-408-5600 for more details.
Quick-change actors Jim Ligon and Michael Irvin Pollard play 22 characters in A Tuna Christmas, at 7:30 pm at the Bickford Theatre in Morris Township. This comic production is co-produced with the Playwrights Theatre of Madison. Additional performances on Friday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. Reserved seats are $45 for the general public, $40 for senior citizens, $38 for Morris Museum and Bickford Theatre Guild members, and $20 for students (18 or under or with valid college ID). Group rates are available for groups of 10 or more. Call 973-971-3706 for more details. The Bickford is at 6 Normandy Heights Road.
Don’t forget to vote in the First Night 2013 Battle of the Bands! Six acts are vying for top honors–which includes a $250 prize and instruction at Morristown’s Original Music School. You can watch video clips of the performers–teens and young adults who hail from Greater Morristown and Princeton–and cast your ballot at the link above. The top four bands will play at First Night Morris on New Year’s Eve.
FRIDAY, DEC. 28:
Trout Fishing in America
The Folk Project presents a special concert at 8 pm: Trout Fishing in America brings its smart, funny, tuneful bag of songs to the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, at 21 Normandy Heights Road in Morris Township. Trout Fishing pairs 6-foot-9 Ezra Idlet on guitar with 5-foot-5 (and 1/2) Keith Grimwood on bass.
“The power of their music,” according to the Folk Project, “is that they write kids’ songs that grownups can share without feeling embarrassed or lowbrow. And they write grown-up songs that don’t bore kids.” Admission: $20 at the door. Minstrel special passes are not valid for this concert.
SATURDAY, DEC. 29:
Winter Vacation Day Workshops for kids are offered at noon at the Morris Museum in Morris Township. Prepare for New Year’s Eve by making a glitzy ball. Cost: $3 per child, plus museum admission. At 6 Normandy Heights Road. Call 973-971-3700 for more.
SUNDAY, DEC. 30:
Ever wonder what items Revolutionary soldiers carried throughout the war? A Park Ranger at the Wick House at Jockey Hollow will help you discover what would have been inside a soldier’s knapsack. Talks at 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm. For more details about the Morristown National Historical Park, call 973-539-2016 x 210
MONDAY, DEC. 31:
Rising Nashville stars Cia Cherryholmes and Stetson Adkisson join a strong lineup at First Night Morris 2013.
First Night Morris celebrates its 21st anniversary on New Year’s Eve with nearly 80 performances at venues across downtown Morristown, punctuated by two fireworks shows above the historic Green.
Top acts from virtually every musical genre will play during this alcohol-free evening, which starts at 7 pm.
There will be comedy, too, and kids acts, and even a reptile show and flea circus. Admission badges are $25, or $90 for a four-pack, available online or at the Mayo Performing Arts Center.
Guitar virtuoso Frank Vignola is among the great performers coming to First Night Morris.
