And that’s just for starters. Greater Morristown is a beehive of entertainment options this weekend. Ten historic sites are opening their doors for free on Sunday in the annual “Be Our Guest” tourist promotion.

The Morris School District, meanwhile, celebrates its 40th anniversary with music and sports at Morristown High School.

If the thought of all this fun makes you feel guilty, start your weekend with a talk about the future of the Catholic Church by someone who’s been there. Boston Globe columnist and ex-priest James Carroll takes the podium at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on Thursday.

Need more options?  Check out our handy calendar.

THURSDAY, May 17, 2012:

The 106-year-old Salaam Shrine Circus returns to Mennen Arena in Morris Township with shows at 11 am and 7 pm. Enjoy jugglers, big cats, high-wire heroes and more. The circus performs at the same times on Friday, and on Saturday at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm, and on Sunday at 2 pm and 7 pm. Tickets: General admission: $15,  reserved $20. At 161 East Hanover Ave. Call 973-992-2860 for more.

Author James Carroll

At 6:45 pm, the  Silents are Golden film series continues at the Morristown & Township Library with Charlie Chaplin’s Easy Street and The Cure and Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. Admission: Free. Doors open at 6 pm; light refreshments will be served.

Award-winning journalist and former Catholic priest James Carroll brings a provocative topic to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown at 7:30 pm: Beyond nostalgia and survival – an alternative agenda for the Church. The Boston Globe columnist has written 10 novels and six nonfiction works,  including the acclaimed Jerusalem, Jerusalem: How the Ancient City Ignited Our Modern World.  Admission: $15. The church is at 70 Maple Ave. A reception and book signing in the Parish Hall will follow the lecture. Register here.

Best-selling cookbook author and TV chef Lidia Bastianich talks food at Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Tickets: $42-$77. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008 for more.

FRIDAY, May 18:

The Salaam Shrine Circus takes over Mennen Arena in Morris Township at 11 am and 7 pm. See Thursday entry for details.

DON'T BLINK! There goes the Human Cannonball, the Sensational Shawn Marren, of the Shrine Circus. The circus visit Mennen Arena from May 17-20. Photo by Hal Crosthwaite.

At noon the Fridays-on-the-Green concert series serves some kiddie fun from Travels with Tricksters, “globebetrotting adventurers from the Bond Street Theatre,” at the Presbyterian Church in Morristown. The 35-minute concert is free, and a light lunch will be available for purchase afterward. At 57 Park Place. Call 973-538-1776.

The Relay for Life cancer fundraiser starts its overnight event at 6 pm at the Frelinghuysen Middle School, at 200 West Hanover Ave. in Morris Township. The festivities run through 6 am on Saturday.

Folk Project favorites Frank and Hank–Frank Sole and Hen3ry Nerenberg–headline at  the Minstrel in Morris Township at 8 pm. Their opener, Bill Griese of Morris Plains, has been a favorite at several MorristownGreen.com events. He’s also winning fans with timely novelty songs, like his tribute to Tim Tebow. (See video.) Admission: Adults $7; children 12 and under, free.  At the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship,
21 Normandy Heights Road. Jersey Arts cardholders: Show your card at the door for two-for-one admission. Call 973-335-9489 for more details.

Bowfire brings its top-notch fiddle and violin virtuosos  to the Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Jazz, bluegrass, classical, Celtic, rock and world music meet choreography, dramatic lights and costumes in a show for all ages. Tickets: $37-$62.  Call 973-539-8008 for more.

SATURDAY, May 19:

Feel like rummaging around?  The place to be is St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown, scene of the  St. Peter’s Youth Group Rummage Sale from 9 am to 3 pm. Discover furniture, housewares, toys, sports equipment, electronics, home decor and more, at heavenly prices– to support the 2012 St. Peter’s Youth Group Mission Trip to Topsail, N.C., where the kids will do home repairs and carpentry for elderly members of the community.

where they will be doing home repairs and carpentry for elderly members of the community.

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The Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt runs from 9 am to noon, starting and ending at the Kitchell Pond Pavilion in the Loantaka Brook Reservation, at 75 Kitchell Road in Morris Township. Pick up clues to send you on your hunt, and return at 4 pm for prizes and refreshments. Cost: Free. Call  973-538-3500 for more details. Hosted by the Great Swamp Watershed Association and several environmental agencies.

The lawn of historic Acorn Hall will be the site of the fifth annual Vintage Bazaar from 9:30 am to 2 pm.  Browse through vintage and antique merchandise of all descriptions. Admission: Free. Sale proceeds will benefit the Morris County Historical Society.  At 68 Morris Ave., Morristown. Call 973-267-3465 for info.

The Salaam Shrine Circus takes over Mennen Arena in Morris Township at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm. See Thursday entry for details.

Getting hungry?  Devour all the spaghetti you can eat, from 5 pm to 8 pm at the Masonic Lodge at 39 Maple Ave. in Morristown. Over age 10, the cost is $10; under 10, it’s $4. Proceeds benefit Morristown Babe Ruth baseball. The league still needs players, too, ages 13-15.

Roller Derby action rolls from 7 pm to 9 pm at InLine Morristown, where the hometown Jerzey Derby Brigade will battle Strong Island Derby from the Isle of Long. The local ladies will try to win this one for Lady Oh No, who will be competing in a beauty pageant. Admission: $12. Doors open at 6:30 pm at 38 Dumont Place, Morristown. Tickets are available online or at the bout.

A block from the roller derby, the New Jersey Ballet will perform Giselle at 8 pm in the Mayo Performing Arts Center. Tickets: $32-$42. Call 973-539-8008.

Coro Lirico will perform Cavaleria Rusticana and excerpts from Pagliacci at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Morristown at 7:30 pm. Guest conductor Francesco Santeli will lead the performance at 36 South St, with orchestra and soloists Emily Johnson, Marc Deaton, James Bobick, Rebecca Schuessler, and Sarah Miller. Tickets are $30 and $25, with a $5 discount for students and seniors. A reception will follow the concert. Call 973-887-6336 for more details.

Susan Werner (see video below) is one of the most entertaining singer-songwriters on planet earth. Pair her with David Wilcox and you have an inspired evening of music at the Sanctuary series in Chatham, starting at 8 pm. Tickets: $25. At 240 Southern Blvd. Call 973-376-4946 for details.

SUNDAY, May 20:

SUPER-DUPER HEROES! The Superhero Half Marathon aims to break a record for most superheroes in one place, on May 20 in Morris Township.

Ever dream of being a superhero?  Now’s your chance! Strap on a cape and soar over to the third annual Superhero Half Marathon at Ginty Field Morris Twp., where you might make history. Organizers hope to assemble more than 1,580 caped runners, to eclipse the Guinness World Record for superheroes trotted out at a Hollywood promotion of the 2010 movie Megamind. Registration starts at 7 am and costs $70; another $10 buys you a cape and a shot at Guinness immortality. Some proceeds will benefit Meals on Wheels and the American Cancer Society.

Ten historic sites around Morris County are opening their doors for free between noon and 4 pm, courtesy of the Morris County Alliance for Tourism. The annual “Be Our Guest” promotion celebrates National Tourism Week. Call 973-631-5151 or download the map. Participating venues:

• Acorn Hall, 68 Morris Ave., Morristown. Special exhibit: Over Here and Over There: Morris County’s Role in World War II.
• Community Children’s Museum, 77 East Blackwell St., Dover. A hands-on children’s museum for children 10 and younger focusing on art, science, and world cultures.
• Dover History Museum House, 55 West Blackwell St., Dover.  The 1890s home of Dr. Arthur W. Condict is said to be haunted by his daughter, Dorothy, whose secret love letters were discovered during renovations.
• Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, 73 Kahdena Road, Morris Township. A restored dairy cattle farm depicts life in the early 20th century.
• Macculloch Hall Historical Museum and Gardens, 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown. Ten period rooms and four exhibit galleries include the country’s largest collection of cartoonist Thomas Nast. Special exhibit: Gone for a Soldier: Jerseymen in the Civil War.
• The Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, is celebrating 100 years.  Featured exhibition: Harmony in Clay: The Elegance and Refinement of Song Dynasty Ceramics, praised as the top spring exhibit by Star-Ledger critic Dan Bischoff.
• Morristown National Historical Park, 30 Washington Place, Morristown. Washington’s aides will discuss Revolutionary weather at 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm.
• Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, 9 Main St., Madison. More than 8,000 hand tools and their products tell the stories of life before the Industrial Revolution.
• The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, 2352 Route 10 West, Morris Plains. The former home of  famed  turn-of-the-century designer Gustav Stickley is now a national historic landmark.
• The Schuyler-Hamilton House, 5 Olyphant Place, Morristown. Betsy Schuyler dallied there and was courted by Alexander Hamilton, who married her.

JOEY GATTO will emcee Morris School District 40th anniversary bash. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Sing Happy Birthday to the Morris School District, which celebrates its 40th birthday from 1 pm to 4 pm at Morristown High School. MHS stars Joey Gatto, Captain Lung and Art of Play are among the scheduled performers, along with bands from Frelinghuysen Middle School and the Thomas Jefferson School. Demos and mini-clinics geared for young kids will be hosted by high school athletes. The festivities will mark the merger of the Morristown and Morris Township school systems–highly controversial four decades ago–and the 20th anniversary of the Morris Educational Foundation, the fundraising organization that runs Morristown’s Got Talent!

Pinocchio comes to Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center at 1:30 pm–and that’s no lie!  Featuring the New Jersey Ballet and storyteller narration. For ages 4 and up. Tickets: $12-$15. Call 973-539-8008.

Chinese music, dance and opera fill the Morris Museum in Morris Township at 2 pm, with Chinese classical opera performers Shu Ho and Yung-hong Jia and the Celadon Youth Plum Ensemble Group, the Chinese Harp Ensemble and Asian Classical Dance performed by Celadon Youth. Tickets:  $10 for members; $12 for non-members. At 6 Normandy Heights Road. Call 973-971-3706.

The Salaam Shrine Circus concludes its run at Mennen Arena in Morris Township with shows at 2 pm and 7 pm. See Thursday entry for details.

Like they said in the Wild West: Draw!  Come to Morristown’s Zebu Forno café armed with pencil and pad and sketch live models from 6 pm to 9 pm. For $10 you also get pizza and the camaraderie of other quick-draw pencil-slingers. Call 770-853-9727 for more about the Open Drawing Session.

A truckload of rain barrels (for watering your lawn) and composters will be delivered on Saturday, May 19, to Morristown Town Hall at 200 South St. from 8 am to noon, and to the Borough School at 500 Speedwell Ave. in Morris Plains from 1 pm to 4 pm.

The “truckload” approach saves money for the consumer – there are no shipping costs.

It’s $80 for the rain barrel and $60 for the basic composter; customers who pre-order will get a free kitchen compost collector.

Pre-orders will be accepted by fax or via email until noon on Friday, May 18.  The email address is SustainMorristown@yahoo.com, the fax is 973-796-1995.

Download order form.

Start making your video for the Fifth Annual MorristownGreen.com FILM FESTIVAL!!!

Our theme this year: COMEDY.

Humor, satire, parody, knock-knock jokes… all are fair game.  Just keep ‘em CLEAN, keep ‘em under 5 MINUTES, and get ‘em to us by JULY 15.

As always, chosen entries will be screened UNDER THE STARS, with GREAT PRIZES for BEST PICTURE, as VOTED BY THE AUDIENCE!

The FESTIVAL is coming in August…stay tuned for more details!

Preferred FORMAT: Quicktime, .MOV.

ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS:

Mark entry: “MG Film Fest 2012″

Send disc or thumb drive to:

MorristownGreen.com

Attention: Kevin Coughlin

c/o 70 Maple Ave.

Morristown, NJ 07960

Include: Contact info, short bio, summary of video

Videos cannot be returned

Be entering, you consent to MG use of your video for promotional purposes.

QUESTIONS: MorristownGreen(AT)gmail(DOT)com, 973-944-0530

VIDEOS & MORE FROM THE 2011 MG FILM FEST

VIDEOS & MORE FROM THE 2010 MG FILM FEST

Here are some scenes from the 2011 MG Film Fest:

After the show, which is free and lasts about 40 minutes, reasonably-priced lunches are available for purchase in the back hall of the church.  C’est Cheese is providing special kid-friendly treats in addition to the sandwich and salad selections which are available every Friday.

Saxophonist Rob Middleton joins the Steve Hess Band performing cool jazz on May 25

Stay tuned for a new batch of cartoons from Matt Keown, who is hard at work fine-tuning the world of Joe Mahoney.   Mahoniacs can enjoy their daily dose at JoeMahoneyComics.com

Please click to enlarge

By Matt Keown

Joe Mahoney is about a powerful and driven CEO struggling to groom his free-spirit son to someday take over the family business. Matt believes in Mahonifest Destiny, which is the view that all literate Americans from sea to shining sea should read Joe Mahoney every week. He brings this comic to MG with hopes of converting the good citizens of Morristown into Mahoniacs.

Now the Y is putting itself back into Morristown.

The Greater Morristown YMCA of Cedar Knolls has leased space at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on South Street, an event that signals two important comebacks:

• The return of the Collinsville Child Care Center, a preschool that left the church campus in 2010 after 38 years. Last fall the Y assumed management of the struggling operation, which had moved to a facility on Route 10 in Whippany.
• This fall, the Y plans to offer a range of community programs in Morristown for the first time since it left town in 1981. Zumba, pilates, yoga, music, lectures–all are envisioned in what marks a homecoming for an organization with downtown roots stretching to 1874.

“This was a tremendous opportunity for us. We had been looking for years for a space like this,” said Carol Armour, president and CEO of the Greater Morristown YMCA.

“In years to come, the sky’s the limit in terms of what people can make happen here,” said the Rev. Janet Broderick, rector of St. Peter’s, who hopes the church campus becomes a cultural center akin to New York’s 92nd Street Y.

Please click icon below for captions.

Janet believers the partnership will help St. Peter’s better serve the town, a mission she outlined when she arrived three years ago.

“There is a population here that wants to have community,” the priest said. “They want to have valuable, meaningful experiences, and they want to be healthy.”

“And they want to help other people,” added Carol, during a visit to the Collinsville preschool in the church annex.

This month 38 preschoolers between the ages of 3 and 5 began attending daylong sessions there. Collinsville may accommodate up to 90 youngsters–applications are being accepted–after the Y renovates the church basement, known as the undercroft.  The target date is September; state and local approvals must be obtained before the renovations can begin.

When the preschool moves into the undercroft, Carol said, it will free up annex space for community activities by the Y.

Carol Armour, president and CEO of the Greater Morristown YMCA, and the Rev. Janet Broderick, rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, with preschoolers. From left: Frank Carvajal, Matthew Roman, Emily Dutan, Aquila Shaw, Brianna Santos, Kylah Diaz and Amy Tirado. Front row high-fives: William Quiceno. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Eventually, the Y also hopes to launch an after-school program for Morristown students. The Morristown Neighborhood House has been scrambling to keep alive its STARS after-school offerings at the Frelinghuysen Middle School since state cutbacks closed its major sponsor, New Jersey After 3.

Other preschools serving the area include Children on the Green at the Morristown United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church Nursery School in Morristown and the Joyful Noise Nursery School of the Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains, and the Morris School District’s Lafayette Learning Center Preschool  in Morristown.

Fundraising by the Y enables it to offer scholarships to needy families who cannot afford the YMCA’s  $180 weekly preschool fee, Carol said. The Y also is ready to accept children under 3 who are not fully toilet-trained, she said.

Morristown YMCA History

• Born in 1874 at Baptist Church, on corner of Park Place and Speedwell Avenue.
• Founders seek place for men to “do great things through concentrated actions instead of be lured by evil.”
• Night school teaches men reading, writing and arithmetic.
• Locations move from rented walkup at the Woods Estate on Park Place to 13 South St. (1888) to corner of Washington Street and Western Avenue (1913).
• Early gym considered a marvel, boasting electricity, showers with hot water and bowling alley.
• Women are granted part-time membership during World War I.
• In 1981 the Y moves to 79 Horsehill Road in Cedar Knolls; 13 acre-campus and 48,000-square-feet of space include Olympic pool and Richard Blake Child Care Center.
• 2011: “Morris Center YMCA” becomes “Greater Morristown YMCA.”
• 2012: Y re-establishes Morristown presence, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

Carol said the United Way approached the Y last year about helping Collinsville, which had parted ways with St. Peter’s and moved into beautiful classrooms on the campus of the United Jewish Communities of Metrowest. The Route 10 location posed transportation challenges for disadvantaged Morristown families, she said.

“From my perspective, this is the only place they should be,” Carol said, referring to St. Peter’s.

Collinsville is one of five child care programs managed by the Greater Morristown YMCA.  The list includes a local program of the Atlantic Health System, parent of Morristown Medical Center.

Nationally, the YMCA is the largest provider of child care, Carol said, noting that the local chapter is certified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, an organization that sets professional standards. Only 7 percent of child care providers are accredited by the NAEYC, she said.

“We’re bringing an enormous amount of expertise to this little child care center,” Carol said of Collinsville. The Y management team includes Ashley Kindberg, executive director of childcare, and Assistant Director Laura Guzik.

Collinsville kids also have the benefit of some familiar faces. Collinsville instructors Bea Yuan, Charles Johnson, Dorothy Lewis and Bill Stern have brought continuity to the transition.

“It’s good to be back in town,” Bea said this week. “It’s good for the kids to see their neighbors and their town.”

That film only has six superheroes.

SUPER-DUPER HEROES! The Superhero Half Marathon aims to break a record for most superheroes in one place, on May 20 in Morris Township.

You want real firepower, head to Morris Township’s Ginty Field on Sunday, May 20.  The third annual Superhero Half Marathon is gunning for a Guinness World Record: Race organizers hope to assemble more than 1,580 caped runners, to eclipse the number of superheroes trotted out for a Hollywood promotion of the 2010 movie Megamind.

Chris Russo said he and his race partner, Heather Gardiner of the Running Company in Morristown, came up with the superhero theme as a tribute to Christopher Reeve, the late star of the Superman movies who was paralyzed in an equestrian accident.

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation was a charity beneficiary of the first half-marathon. This year’s charities are the local Meals on Wheels program and the American Cancer Society. Chris and Heather also contribute to a scholarship at Ridge High School, a source of volunteers for the event.

You can register to run right up until race time on Sunday morning. It’s $70 to enter, and if your mom threw out your   superhero costume along with your fourth-grade report card, you can buy a cape for another $10.

Participants in the 13-mile race–which winds through the Loantaka Brook Reservation, Chatham and Harding– receive a timing system, a t-shirt and goodie bag.

If the real Captain America shows up, he can race for free, Chris said.

Chris Russo in superhero mode, as the Green Thumb, in last summer's hit film 'The Last Ride of Sustainable Man.' Photo by Kevin Coughlin

“But I hope he has more important things to do–like saving the world!”

From UFOs, perhaps? In another life, Chris, a Morris Plains resident who works as a pharma rep, shook up Morris County with a spaceship hoax that forever changed our view of little green persons.

He also appeared in the late soap opera All My Children, and last summer he starred in the MorristownGreen.com Film Festival as — what else? — a litter-fighting superhero dubbed the Green Thumb.

Of course, superheroes love to recount their exploits. So the Famished Frog will offer Happy Hour specials after the race. Tito’s Burritos will have race discounts, too. Superheroes require plenty of fuel, after all.

And if you’ve been leaping tall buildings in preparation for race day, here is the most important number of all:

1:15.

Chris said that’s the course record, set by Karl O’Reilly in 2010.  So strap on your cape and give the Avengers something to talk about at Happy Hour!

HOW MANY SUPERHEROES DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB? We don't know; but it will take 1,581 of them to set a record on May 20 at Ginty Field.

Welcome to another episode from Morristown cartoonist Paul Laud.

This week: The Last Civil Right

Paul Laud is the author of  ‘Laughing Out Laud, Tripping Over Party Lines’!

And check out our podcast with Paul.

Please click to enlarge

gay marriage, obama, civil rights, paul laud, laudable, may 2012

NEXT! It's a tough job being a rock star--even in the 8th grade. But Domenico Randazzo of Art of Play tries to accommodate his fans. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Art of Play, the eighth-grade rockers from Greater Morristown, put on a good show last week at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater.

Although they did not advance in the Amateur Night competition, the boys can hold their heads high–as you can see in this video from the band. 

DIANA ROSS, WHITNEY HOUSTON, HANNA NEIL: The Apollo Theater has heard some great ladies. Hanna Neil, a 6th grader from the Frelinghuysen Middle School, added her voice last week. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Domenico Randazzo sings lead and plays guitar, accompanied by Ricky Webber on keyboard, TJ Coon on bass and Tyler Volk on drums.

Special kudos to Domenico’s Cousin Fred, who was called onstage to show off his dance moves.

Hanna Neil, the sixth-grader who sang so well at Morristown’s Got Talent!, also was invited to sing a couple of lines and acquitted herself well.

FLYING HIGH: Domenico Randazzo of Art of Play finishes with a flourish at the Apollo Theater, as TJ Volk watches with approval. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

He will succeed Anne Aronovitch, who is retiring after four years leading the council, on May 21.

Here is the announcement.

FROM THE ARTS COUNCIL OF THE MORRIS AREA:

The Board of Trustees of the Arts Council of the Morris Area is delighted to announce that Tom Werder will succeed Anne Aronovitch as Executive Director of the Arts Council, effective May 21, 2012. His selection caps a thorough search and review of many highly qualified candidates.

Tom Werder, new executive director of the Arts Council of the Morris Area

“We are delighted that Tom is joining the Arts Council of the Morris Area. The timing could not be better, given that we are in the process of completing a five-year strategic plan and that next year marks our 40th Anniversary,” said Alan Levitan, President of the Arts Council’s Board of Trustees.

Werder brings broad-based and extensive experience at the helm of nonprofit arts organizations to the Arts Council. He served as the Managing Director of Two River Theater Company in Red Bank, as Executive Director of the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, based in Union, and as Managing Director of George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick.

Prior to that, he was the Managing Director of Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine, where he was also a member of the Executive Committee for the Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance, an organization charged with the creation of a Downtown Arts District and credited with the revitalization of the city’s downtown area.

On a national level, he was twice an Executive Committee member of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT) and a member of numerous collective bargaining committees. He has served on the board and executive committees of Dance/USA and Dance New Jersey. Tom received his MFA in Theatre Management from the Yale School of Drama and his BFA from Purchase College (SUNY) where he was lighting designer and stage manager.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Arts Council of the Morris Area. I’ve admired the Arts Council’s work for years and I’m excited to work with the community, the dedicated board and talented staff to continue to find creative ways to bring the arts to the center of community life in Morris County.”

The Arts Council of the Morris Area is a private nonprofit organization founded in 1973 and dedicated to bringing the arts to the center of community life.

Using the arts to inspire, connect and engage, the Arts Council serves as a resource for the arts in Morris County with a special focus on arts programming in the schools and in the community, arts advocacy, and support of the Morris Area community of artists and arts organizations.

Enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and sample the restaurant’s new “local/seasonal/fresh” menu from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Sustainable Morristown will talk about the town’s campaign to upgrade its Sustainable Jersey rating. Bike-Walk-Morristown will have details about its Bike-o-Rama Month. You can order rain barrels and compost bins, and discuss utility bill savings with Viridian Energy.

For more, call 973-796-1928 or drop a line to SustainMorristown@yahoo.com.

But don’t despair!  Two front-row seats to the June 27 show are being auctioned online, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Mayo’s youth arts education and community outreach programs.

The former Beatle will be bringing an All-Starr Band that features Todd Rundgren, Steve Lukather (Toto), Gregg Rolie (Journey, Santana) and Richard Page (Mr. Mister).

Bidding ends on May 21 at 10 pm.  The winner receives a pair of front-row tickets, VIP parking and a cocktail reception in the theatre’s Starlight Room before the show.

Crack open your Yellow Submarine piggy bank. The bidding was at $800 on Monday afternoon.

So if you were a Girl Scout in Morristown this year, you’ve probably participated in the year long hunger awareness and healthy eating community service project called Nourish: mind+self+community. More than 500 of the approximately 725 scouts in the Morristown area participated.

The goal was to increase awareness at every level, from the youngest Daisies through high school Ambassador scouts, about the food challenges faced by members of our schools and the community at large. About 28.2 % of Morristown students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, and many families in our neighborhoods faced with job losses or underemployment turn to the Interfaith Food Pantry for help.

Morristown Service Unit Manager Lisa Kelly had an idea… a big one. To address this issue and to create a project meaningful to the girls and the community at large, she created the NOURISH project. The goal was for the girls to discover what hunger and nutrition means to individuals and our community at large (mind), to connect in a personal way (self), and then take action (community). They were challenged by Kelly and their leaders to collect 100 lbs. of food for each of the 100 years of Girl Scouting – A Centennial Celebration of Community Impact.

Not unlike the scouts of the decades before, the girls took part in farm aid programs, grew victory gardens or packed supplies for soldiers overseas, or called for action in support of the environment. It is a continuation of the spectrum of scouting linked intimately with service.

The Morristown Service Unit reached out to four main partners: the Interfaith Food Pantry, the Community Soup Kitchen, America’s Grow a Row and Grow it Green Morristown. Leaders were introduced to these partners and to the various activities in which they could involve their scouts. The charge to leaders was simple: find three age appropriate and meaningful activities that would nourish their mind, self and community.

So during the course of the year, Girl Scouts in Morristown:

• Made hundred of seed packets for the seed collection and redistribution activities of Grow It Green. Many troops visited the garden and learned about healthy eating, gardening, plants and bugs. Other troops are building birdhouses and feeders.

• Collected and assembled 465 “breakfast in a bag” kits for the guests of the Community Soup Kitchen, (approximately 767 lbs of food)

• Some troops collected items for the Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry. Others collected hats and gloves for guests. Some made decorations and centerpieces for the Community Soup Kitchen and Market Street Mission.

• At the Interfaith Food Pantry, troops toured the facility and volunteered there, sorting and repackaging food. With school based drives and a one-day, community-wide drive at six supermarket locations they collected and donated 8,545 pounds of food to the agency.
• They created holiday baskets for those in need and elderly.

• Participated in a gleaning project with America’s Grow a Row and the Farmers Against Hunger – collecting 3,700 lbs of apples for distribution to food pantries around the state.

• Baked cookies for emergency room patients at Morristown Memorial Hospital and for soldiers. They also sent 3,500 boxes of cookies overseas.

• Created and implemented Bronze, Silver, Journey and Leader in Action projects around the theme, giving back to the community and to other younger scouts.

• Many troops focused attention on healthier snacks at meetings, learning about nutrition and healthy choices.

• They logged on to Freerice.com. (A program of the United Nations World Hunger Program) to learn and give.

To date, the girls have collected and distributed nearly 16,000 pounds of food to help their neighbors in need. Last year Girl Scouts USA launched a campaign asking “What did you do today?” If you ask a Morristown GS they could answer – I MADE A DIFFERENCE – A BIG ONE!

Girl Scout Troop 457 of Normandy Park School donated over 200 jars of peanut butter and jelly to the Interfaith Food Pantry

Troop 2070 collects food outside Kings Supermarkets in Morristown.

Four Morristown Troops, from Daisies to Cadettes gathered together at Sussex Avenue School in Morristown to assemble “breakfast bags” for the Community Soup Kitchen.

In her welcoming remarks, CSE President Sister Francis Raftery encouraged the graduates to “move forward with great joy. You have the possibility of being such an influential person that the world will be better because you were here. Pledge to make a difference.”

Sister Rosemary Moynihan, general superior of the Sisters of Charity and chair of the CSE board of trustees, also addressed the graduates. “The theologian Meister Eckhart said, ‘If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is thank you, that would suffice.’ This whole day is a prayer. This whole day is a thank you.”

This year’s Commencement address was given by Sister Margaret Ann O’Neill, S.C., M.A., Ed.D., the director of Centro Arte para la Paz (Center of Arts for Peace), a regional educational cultural center promoting peace through dance, art, and theological reflection, in Suchitoto, El Salvador.

In her remarks, she told her audience, “You will walk out of here today with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds people with your same degree and there will thousands doing what you plan to do for a living. But my friends, you will be the only person alive who has the sole custody of your own life … your own entire life. Not just your work life, not just your stock portfolio, your bank account, or the life of your mind. I am talking about the life of your heart, the life of your soul. I am talking about your deepest center… You have to listen to what is inside yourself and discover your own fire … and not only do you need your own fire, but so does the whole world.”

She continued, “…Don’t amputate your creativity, your ambitions, your possibilities. You must risk … so peek around corners. Travel and stare at other cultures, other kinds of scarcities. Go to those places where there are palpable longings for justice and peace.”

Sr. Peggy, a Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth since 1956, has been living in El Salvador for the past 25 years, during which time she was an active member of the Pastoral Team, Santa Lucia Parish Suchitoto.  She works toward building a culture of peace using the arts as a vehicle. A highly respected long-time peacemaker, Sr. Peggy has received many honors and awards including the 2008 Peacemaker Award of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, recognizing her many years of peace efforts in El Salvador and honoring her “contribution to peace making and work for justice.” Also, in 2008 she received the Ciudadana Ilustre Award, for her work on behalf of social and cultural development in Suchitoto.

Sister Peggy earned a Master of Arts Degree in Theology from Marquette University and an Ed.D. in Religious Education from New York University. A life-long educator her entire professional career in both the USA and El Salvador, Sr. Peggy served as assistant professor of Augsburg College, Center for Global Education and at Santa Clara University, Casa de Solidaridad in the Jesuit University, El Salvador. For many years she also served as associate professor of Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y.

In recognition of her remarkable humanitarian work and vision in promoting a culture of peace through the arts in a country that has been torn by war, poverty and violence, the College of Saint Elizabeth awarded Sr. Margaret Ann O’Neill the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa.

The College awarded Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, to Maud Peper Dahme, a Holocaust survivor and the subject of a documentary film, The Hidden Child. She is the past president of the New Jersey State Board of Education, where she served from 1983 to 2007. She is a highly respected leader in the field of education who has dedicated her life to the Holocaust and genocide education. As a member of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education since 1982, Dahme uses her own life story to ensure that the Holocaust never be forgotten by teaching students to accept their differences.

In April 2011, during a special education program co-sponsored by the College of Saint Elizabeth Holocaust Education Resource Center, Dahme shared her own story of courage, bravery, and hope with a special screening of the NJN-produced film of a one-hour documentary, The Hidden Child. The film tells the story of six-year old Dahme who, along with her sister, was separated from their parents and spent the entire German occupation of their native country, The Netherlands, in hiding. In 2007, the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education founded the Maud Dahme Award. This award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated the moral courage and sense of humanity as an “up stander” in defending others.

In addition to her Holocaust work, Dahme is a champion for children of migrant workers and served as a member of the Interstate Migrant Educational Council, which she chaired in 1998 and 2007.

For her work in advancing human and civil rights, she received the Martin Luther King Human Rights Award in 2001 from the New Jersey Education Association. Dahme also received the H. Council Trenholm Award from the National Education Association and many other rewards. In recognition of her extraordinary leadership in education, the College of Saint Elizabeth awarded Maud Dahme the degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa.

Student Speakers Address Their Peers

LaTisha Prophete of Orange, N.J., was the CSE Women’s College student Commencement speaker. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies and Philosophy. During her years at CSE, she served in the Student Government Association as recording secretary and as vice president of Women United in Color. She was treasurer of the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, Alpha Phi Sigma Lambda Pi and served as CSE Student Ambassador since 2009 and as an Equal Opportunity Fund Peer Leader/Tutor. She is a recipient of the CSE Presidential Scholarship and member of the Honor Program at CSE for four years. Upon graduation, Prophete will pursue a para legal position with a law firm while applying to law schools.

In her remarks entitled Still Standing, she told her classmates, “We have established a bond that does not only hold us together as graduates and faculty of the College of Saint Elizabeth, but also as a sisterhood of “Superwomen” on a quest to achieve a common goal. We sit amongst each other as empowered leaders, dedicated brothers and sisters, persistent parents, and many other titles. But most importantly, we sit amongst each other as graduating seniors, the next group of women to leave our legacies here and do as our fore-sisters and fore-mothers have done: pick up our sacks, advance toward our dreams and take our rightful seats at the table of the world.”

Adult undergraduate and graduate students were represented by CSE student speaker, Monina A. Franco-Tantuico, of Union, N.J., who received her Master of Science in Nursing Education. A native of the Philippines, Franco-Tantuico obtained a bachelor of science in medical technology from College of the Holy Spirit in Manila and graduated magna cum laude from New York University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Currently, she is the assistant faculty advisor to the Student Nurse Association and the coordinator of Learning/Simulation Center at Trinitas School of Nursing, where she coordinates and oversees the daily operation of the center. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, and Who’s Who Among Colleges and Universities.

In her speech,

The College of Saint Elizabeth graduated one of the largest classes at the 110th Commencement, Saturday, May 12, 2012.

she said to her fellow students, “Now as we finish our journey of studying, let us start a new journey committed to helping those in need, and to be leaders and role-models who exemplify the CSE mission and its values of faith, courage, caring, justice, and respect. I strongly
believe that simple acts of kindness, understanding and caring can a rippling effect that can promote global peace and happiness. Let us all continue our passion for life-long learning and become good role-models to everyone we meet and touch especially the young and all of our loved ones.”

Commencement Capped a Week of Events

The CSE Commencement ceremony concluded a series of events including the baccalaureate mass, which took place the night before and incorporated the hooding of undergraduates and graduate students. A separate hooding ceremony took place May 8 for the doctoral graduates. The hood signifies rank and academic area of expertise.

Students who wish to purchase photos taken during commencement ceremonies on May 12 should contact: American Candids at www.americancandids.com, for individual student photos with diploma on stage; and Kathy Cacicedo at www.kcphotographer.ifp3.com, for casual/candid shots of students and families.

A recap of Commencement 2012, including speeches and photos, as well as information about related events, is available for viewing at www.cse.edu/commencement.

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, N.J., the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate, and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

Does Mrs. Mendham Township wear elbow pads with her tiara?

'Mrs. Mendham Township,' Shenoa Scullin. Photo: Facebook

Shenoa Scullin, a.k.a. Lady Oh No, is a member of the Jerzey Derby Brigade, in Morris County’s all-female roller derby league. Her fans are used to seeing her whip around the rink wearing skates, elbow pads and a helmet.

But on May 19, Lady Oh No will be wearing a tiara and gliding down a runway at Monmouth University, where she will be competing as Mrs. Mendham Township in the 2012 Mrs. New Jersey United States Pageant.

There have been some questions raised regarding the validity of the title “Mrs. Mendham Township.” The Mrs. New Jersey United States Pageant is the organization that awarded Shenoa that title.

When an individual becomes an official contestant, she receives a local title, either on the “city, township, borough, region or county level,” according to the pageant’s website.

What will happen to Mrs. Mendham Township if Lady Oh No winds up with a black eye during a roller derby bout?

“Bruises are a guarantee in roller derby,” acknowledges Shenoa, who is hanging up her skates during the pageant competition. That could be an extended leave of absence if she wins the Mrs. New Jersey title. She then would go on to the Mrs. United States pageant in Las Vegas.

Shenoa has been married to her husband Liam for more than six years. She became Lady Oh No about a year ago, after attending one of the Jerzey Derby Brigade’s bouts. It looked like so much fun, she had to give it a try. Which persona is Liam most proud of–Lady Oh No or Mrs. Mendham Township?

“I think he is equally proud of both. He always encourages me to do things that make me happy,” Shenoa says.

The Jerzey Derby Brigade in the St. Patrick's Parade in Morristown. Photo by Sean Hale.

Roller Derby is a contact sport that got its start in the 1930s. It’s under consideration for the 2020 Olympics. There are 1,208 teams worldwide, with 10 of them in New Jersey. The Jerzey Derby Brigade has two teams, Corporal Punishers and the Major Pains, with more than 50 members between them. Roles include skaters, referees, non-skating officials, and volunteers.

Voldeloxx, a member of the Jerzey Derby Brigade in Morristown. Photo by Sean Hale.

The Roller Derby season runs from April until November. This dedicated group of ladies put its all into a very physical sport. Members of the Jerzey Derby Brigade range in age from 20 to 50.

They welcome anyone interested in having a good time to come to a bout. What qualifications would you need to join the team?

“You need a positive attitude, a willingness to learn and be a part of not just a team, but a sisterhood as well,” says Jen Setteducato (Baked Beanz), co-captain of the Major Pains.

It’s a diverse bunch. Jen says team members “come from all professions: Teachers, lawyers, artists, mothers, hair stylists, writers, web and graphic designers, college and grad school students, members of military families, etc! The list goes on. It’s truly amazing to have so many people from different backgrounds come together for a sport we all love.”

The next bout at InLine Morristown is on May 19–the same date as the 2012 Mrs. New Jersey United States Pageant. You can be sure the Corporal Punishers and the Major Pains will be playing their hardest for Lady Oh No. Just don’t expect them to trade their helmets for tiaras that day; these ladies are tough!

Members of the Jerzey Derby Brigade in the St. Patrick's Parade in Morristown. Photo by Sean Hale.

Hollywood stars may seem to be all glitz and glamour, but behind the scenes, larger-than-life celebrities put their pants on one leg at a time and pedal their bikes just the same as the rest of us.

Author Steven Rea is rolling to Marty's Reliable Cycle on May 17 to discuss his new book, 'Holloywood Rides a Bike.'

The proof comes in the form of a new book by Steven Rea, Hollywood Rides a Bike: Cycling With the Stars, a collection of vintage candid and promotional photos of silver screen stars taking to two wheels.

If you cruise over to Marty’s Reliable Cycle in Morristown on May 17, you can meet Rea and get your own autographed copy. The event starts at 6 pm and books will be available for $20.

Sparked by a photo of Shirley Temple riding her bike, captured by Rea’s great-great uncle, the author’s personal collection of movie stars on bikes eventually was turned into a Tumblr blog entitled Rides a Bike, as a way to share his collection with a wider audience.

After the blog’s seemingly overnight success, Rea knew he was onto something.

“Before that first holiday weekend was over, there were well over 2,000 Facebook “Likes” and hundreds of Tumblr followers,” explained the author. “I was stunned.”

The book, which follows in the footsteps of Rea’s blog, features photos from the 1930s up until the ’60s and combines the Philadelphia Inquirer film critic’s love for bikes and movies.

“There were fleets of bicycles on the studios’ back lots for stars and crews to use to get around,” explains the author. “The bike was – and still is – a fixture in the world, period. And so its ubiquity in Hollywood, where the weather is accommodating most of the year, wasn’t, and isn’t, surprising.”

Even as technology has progressed by leaps and bounds in both Hollywood moviemaking and everyday life, bikes have never faded from our culture.

“I ride to and from work, and to movie screenings, just about every day,” says Rea. Bikes have remained popular because they represent “a desire for freedom, an emphasis on health and fitness, [and] a return to simpler times. I think those were prevalent attitudes back then, and again in our lives today.”

The author of 'Hollywood Rides a Bike' will speak at Marty's in Morristown, May 17.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown became an artists’ colony on Saturday. Make that a young artists’ colony.

Some 55 kids ages 6-13 participated in a Children’s Day of Art, rotating through workshops in cartooning, drama, eco-sculpture, music, poetry and pottery–with a lunchtime break to create “food art.”

POTTERY APP? No, ain't nothing like the real thing, baby, at the Children's Day of Art at St. Peter's. Photo by Paul Hausman

Each session lasted about 45 minutes. Many of the youths wanted to stay longer.

“We joked a bit about this being ‘speed art.’ But wonderful things happened during those 45-minute classes,” said MG Kids Editor Sharon Sheridan, who ran the poetry sessions in addition to organizing the art day.

It was part of a two-week MG Kids Art Show by MorristownGreen.com and St. Peter’s that included more than 300 artworks by area students, a jazz concert, poetry night and an art walk. The Children’s Day of Art was made possible by donations from dozens of people who pledged about $5,500 via Kickstarter.org. There also was a $20 student fee for the daylong program, which ran smoothly thanks to 30 volunteers.

Ten-year-old Matthew Ellerthorpe experienced the potter’s wheel for the first time. “I made a beautiful vase for my Mom for Mother’s Day,” he said.

“Clay is my favorite art to work with, although I enjoy trying new art forms,” added Libby Owen, 12.

Photos by Paul Hausman. Please click icon below for captions.

The Rev. Janet Broderick, rector of St. Peter’s, led the pottery workshop. Before heeding the call to faith, she owned a pottery shop in New York’s East Village and sold special order items to Tiffany’s, Barneys and architects.

On Saturday she wanted young people to see her as a potter and not just as a priest. The Children’s Day of Art, she said, was about a different form of worship.

“The way children worship is by working with their hands, voices and what they see,” Broderick said.

Her experience working with clay is that it teaches patience. That virtue came in handy when a young pupil put the pedal to the metal on the pottery wheel, spraying brown clay all over the white walls of the church classroom!

Lunch was colorful, too, with Chef Melody McGinley Whitelaw of the Main Event and WOR Radio teaching kids how an artful presentation can add excitement to a meal. Rice cakes, cream cheese, cucumbers, carrot muffins and Fruit Loops were ingredients for some eye-popping creations. For one day at least, children had permission to play with their food.

In the church “undercroft,” MorristownGreen.com cartoonist Paul Laud demonstrated how a few well placed lines can convey a world of emotions. In no time, his rapt students were sketching superhero versions of themselves.

Solange DeSantis, who blogs about the theater, conducted drama classes that made the most of a limited props budget. With some imagination, children quickly transformed a humble ruler into a scissors, a doorstop, a sword, a golf club and a conductor’s baton, among other things.

A couple of classrooms away, Darryl Roland, the new music director at St. Peter’s, had kids singing with perfect pitch and posture, scoring points in a fun game that taught basics of sight-reading and vocal technique.

On the Great Lawn of St. Peter’s, artist Myndi Smithers set children loose with an array of household junk–everything from old computer screens to golf bags to plastic bottles and film canisters.

“I want you to learn how to make all this stuff come alive. Create a little town of creatures,” she instructed.

Soon the expansive lawn was covered with “eco-sculptures” of all shapes and sizes, an exhibition that should not be missed. One girl attached a cereal box to a computer monitor. What was that?

“A commercial for Fruit Loops!” she explained with a big grin.

Photos by Scott Schlosser and Kevin Coughlin. Please click icon for captions.

Sheridan, who spent months planning the Children’s Day of Art with St. Peter’s Assistant Rector Melissa Hall, said variety was the aim.

“One of the thoughts we had in structuring the day as we did was that we wanted to let children experience several different kinds of art. We wanted them to try things they might not have had the opportunity to try before and to discover new ways of expressing their creativity,” Sheridan said.

A future possibility is to let children choose their preferred activities, and offer longer classes, she said.

“I think the breadth of Saturday’s offerings was a plus, allowing children to experience everything from drama to pottery to poetry. I hope some of the discovered new talents they didn’t realize they had.”

Pottery seemed to be the universal favorite.

“If messiness correlates to fun, the extent of the cleanup the pottery room needed offers proof!” Sheridan said.

Everyone kept things clean in her poetry sessions. Sheridan said she was amazed at the depth and quality of the children’s poems. Like this one, composed after the class scampered around the lawn to burn off energy:

spring in morristown

sun is hot
a breeze
hot and cold mixed together
crazy people begging
trucks moving and honking
i smell gas from trucks
grass and air
screaming, running
out of breath
fall down.

Kevin Coughlin contributed to this report.

Theater instructor Solange De Santis, left, and volunteer Michael Hazlett lead kids through drama exercise at Children's Day of Art in Morristown. Photo by Paul Hausman

The performance starts at  7:30 pm, at 36 South St., under the direction of guest conductor Francesco Santeli, with orchestra and soloists Emily Johnson, Marc Deaton, James Bobick, Rebecca Schuessler, and Sarah Miller.

Tickets are $30 and $25, with a $5 discount for students and seniors.

A reception will follow the concert.  For tickets and further information, call 973-887-6336. Interested and experienced singers are invited to attend the rehearsal. For more about that, call 732-412-6668.

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