Twenty children taken to hospital after school bus accident in Morris Township

Some 20 schoolchildren were taken to Morristown Medical Center  after an accident involving a school bus on Wednesday morning in Morris Township.

“At this time, all the injuries appear to be minor,” said hospital spokesperson Pam Garretson. She said 20 children were in the emergency department as of 11:20 a.m.

A car rear-ended the bus on Columbia Turnpike in what township Police Chief Dennis Reilly described as a “minor crash.”

The children, who were en route to the Normandy Park School, were transported to the hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries,” said the chief.

Chief Reilly praised efforts by the responders, who included the police department, the Morris Minutemen, the township fire department, and area mutual aid ambulance squads.

“I thought it was a relatively calm scene… They safely and efficiently removed the kids from the bus. It was a very well run operation,” said the chief.

The accident occurred around 9 a.m. on the turnpike just west of Normandy Parkway, as the bus was heading to the K-5 magnet school.  The bus had stopped in traffic when it was struck from behind at slow speed, the chief said. The driver of the car was not injured, the chief said. Police are investigating the accident.

Columbia Turnpike was closed for a time because of the accident, causing traffic backups.

 

 

 

Glynallyn Castle in Morris Township: A spectacular ‘Mansion in May’ for charity tours

By Marie Pfeifer

Being called “medieval” isn’t a good thing–unless you’re a castle.

Glynallyn, the star of this year’s Mansion in May fundraiser, was inspired by an English Tudor manor built in 1481. The devil is in the details, and they are impressive. Stained glass windows, stone arches, gargoyles, a slate roof and brick walls make this Morris Township castle an ideal decorating show house for the Women’s Association of Morristown Medical Center.

The association has pledged $1 million toward construction of a $5 million hospice and palliative care center at the medical center, formerly known as Morristown Memorial Hospital.  Much of that pledge money is anticipated to come from next month’s tours of Glynallyn, which has been renovated inside and out by more than 40 designers who have donated their services for the exposure and prestige of participating in the 16th annual Mansion in May celebration.

Glynallyn Castle, now residing on 7.5 acres, was constructed between 1913 – 1917 by George Marshall Allen, a New York businessman who made his fortune from color printing patents and investments in utilities, whiskey distilleries and a starch conglomerates. This portfolio enabled him to spend an estimated $500,000 to build his 32,000-square-foot dream home in what was then known as Morristown’s “Millionaires’ Row.”

He commissioned the renowned New York architect, Charles I. Berg, to replicate the regal Compton Wynates manor in Warwickshire, England. Allen chose the wooded land in Convent Station because it reminded him of the rolling English countryside.

MIM Surprises from Scott Seibold on Vimeo.

Allen wanted his castle to look 400 years old. This was achieved by carefully choosing materials like hand-made bricks with rough edges and uneven and varying colors, laid in irregular lines. Pitted, stained, unevenly textured limestone also was used, along with rough timber from old ships and skids.

The unique and elaborate carvings on the exterior of the house are in keeping with the badges of English royalty, such as gargoyles and caricatures. The edifice has a full complement of turrets, battlements, crenelated parapet walls and gables.

Mansion in May designers creatively and skillfully incorporated the castle’s rich architecture with their own decorating themes. The results often are stunning. Incredibly, many of the masterful new creations will be dismantled after the month-long exhibition.

The Great Hall, re-imagined by Barbara Ostrom Associates, freshens the Tudor theme already set  in place by the rustic beamed walls, soaring ceiling, and gothic stained-glass windows.

A four-centuries-old beer cask head inspired the stylish treatment of a passageway dubbed “Beer and Nature on Tap,” said Connie Matsumoto.

Click icon below for captions.

“The Grande Gourmet” by Morgan House Interiors is a kitchen and butler’s pantry that fulfills the dreams of any gourmet.

If jazz makes you dance around the house then you’ll be right at home descending the stairwell, designed by Lane’s End, into the Dungeon, where a jazz club has been designed by Spring Street Dezigns and haute bungalow.

Another noteworthy room is “Pippa Middleton’s Private Office” by Linda Benson Interiors. This is the designer’s solution to the need for every modern woman to have her own office–especially the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge. Cool blue tones, soft pale yellow walls with a touch of red at the windows, and comfortable chairs and desk are conducive to the business of tending to philanthropy, email, and, of course, one’s social calendar.

GLYNALLYN BY THE NUMBERS

• 32,000 square feet
• 575 windows
• 185 doors
• 66 rooms
• 19 fireplaces
• 16 chimney stacks

 

Gacek Design Group tapped into the architectural vibe of the “Priest’s Room”–nobody is sure how that name originated–with an arched, trussed ceiling and faux skylight, the perfect space for a cartographer.

“The Man’s Cave” by Houndstooth Interior Design, “A Woman’s Cave” by Jodie O’Designs LLC, “Silver Anniversar”y by Diane Durocher Interiors Inc. and “The Ladies Lair” by Interiors at 40 Main all use color and furnishings with panache that is impressive and imaginative.

Landscaping touches are just as enchanting as the interiors. This castle is complete with a moat.

“The moat and the massive circular stone walls creating a grotto effect were all here. Beneath years of neglect we discovered a garden tucked into the hillside that was built in the 1920s,” said Ron Cording of Cording Landscape Design.

Designers aren’t the only heroes at Mansion in May. A brigade of volunteers will keep the crowds moving–and informed.

“The Mansion in May is one of the few show houses that are 100-percent volunteers,” said Beth Wipperman, president the Women’s Association. “For me the pleasure is taking an old mansion that has a significant history and putting myself into it.

“I am grateful for the many volunteers we have.  We have wonderful teamwork throughout the entire organization.  They couldn’t be more dedicated if they were paid employees,” she said.

Glynallyn Castle, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is open to the public every day in May. Hours from Monday to Saturday are 10 am – 3 pm; on Sundays, it’s 11 am – 4 pm. Admission is $30; seniors get in for $25.

Parking is at 44 Whippany Road, with continuous free shuttles to Glynallyn during tour hours.

Oh, and if you would like to give the tours yourself, the castle can be yours. A Bergen County bank is asking $5.7 million for it.

Kevin Coughlin contributed to this report.

 

Video preview: ‘Oklahoma!’ at Normandy Park School

All that’s missing from the Normandy Park School’s production of OKLAHOMA! is about 100 ponies.

Otherwise, Director Paul M. Bangiola Jr. and his cast of K-5 singers and dancers seem to have everything covered. Showtime is 7 pm on April 27 and April 28 at the school in Morris Township; admission is $5.

Read all about this lively musical right here.

Greater Morristown Weekend Preview: Kids Art, T-Rex, gilded mansions, and more music than you can shake a baton at

If you can’t find entertainment in Greater Morristown this weekend, you’re not in Greater Morristown!

Our first stop, of course, will be the MG Kids Art Festival.  A two-week exhibition of fabulous art, from preschoolers to high schoolers, will fill the Great Hall of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church starting on Friday, April 27.

Festivities begin at 3 pm with three hours of kids art activities hosted by our friends from the Family Success Center of Morris County.

At 7 pm, the Peter Moffitt Medicine Show, a gifted group of New York be-boppers, will keep things festive with a Jazz Coffeehouse. Both events are free, so please stop by St. Peter’s.

And come back on Tuesday, May 1, for WordPlay II, an evening of poetry and improv!

There truly is something for everyone all weekend in Greater Morristown, as you can see below.  And even more options await you on our handy calendar.

Happy Spring!

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THURSDAY, April 26, 2012:

Love Shakespeare?  Now’s your chance to see the Bard up close and personal–as a volunteer at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. At 6 pm learn more at an open house at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, on the campus of Drew University at 36 Madison Ave., in Madison. Help with ushering, concessions, and the gift shop for the Theatre’s 50th Anniversary Season, which begins May 30, and receive vouchers to shows throughout the season.  Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte will be on hand to field questions.  For more information, call 973-408-3694 or email: jmccrostie@ShakespeareNJ.org.

Ricky Nelson Remembered: Ricky Nelson’s twin sons Matthew and Gunnar from the band Nelson perform hits of America’s original teen idol, including Hello Mary Lou, Travelin’ Man and Garden Party, in a multimedia musical event at Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Tickets: $37-$57. Call 973-539-8008 for details.

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FRIDAY, April 27:

The second annual MG Kids Art Show kicks off at 3 pm with three hours of kids arts activities, sponsored by the Family Success Center of Morris County, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 70 Maple Ave. in Morristown. More than 300 artworks by area youths–from preschool to high school–will be displayed in the Great Hall of the church through May 13. Admission: Free!

The Simon Gallery on Bank Street in Morristown welcomes Newark artist Andrew Baron with a reception from 6 pm to 8 pm. Andrew’s first solo exhibition of oil paintings at the gallery runs through May 26. The gallery describes his “narrative abstractions [as] unapologetic black holes of feelings that weave text into complex and painterly surfaces. Atmospheric and mysterious varieties and shades of color, seen both in darkness and light, delve into themes of impermanence, desire and defeat. Working through endless possible permutations his intuitive approach plays out complications and facts, incorporating the fluid and the undeviating in paintings that manifest both the theoretical and what is indisputable.” The reception is free to the public.

 

 

The Morristown Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. celebrates 25 years of good works for the community with a gala dinner at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany, starting at 6:30 pm. The chapter will present annual scholarships and honoraria to Morris County students pursuing post-secondary education. Tickets: $125.00

Hard to believe, but another month has flown off the calendar. Which means… it’s time for the end-of-the-month ride by Bike Morristown. The leisurely half-hour spin through Morristown departs from behind town hall (200 South St.) at 6:30 p.m.

At 7 pm a free jazz coffeehouse, featuring the Brooklyn-based Peter Moffitt Medicine Show, celebrates the start of the MG Kids Art Show at St. Peter’s in Morristown. Peter’s be-bop quintet will add musical color to the artist’s vibrant paintings and sculptures. And mark Tuesday, May 1, on your calendar: WordPlay II, an evening of poetry and improv, continues the art show happenings at the church. That’s free, too, and all are welcome.

They’re too young to drive that pretty little surrey with the fringe on top. But that won’t stop K-5 students at the Normandy Park School from singing and dancing up a dust storm in OKLAHOMA! The show starts at 7 pm, with an encore performance on Saturday night. Admission: $5. Here’s a video preview.

The Minstrel features champion flatpicking guitarist Orrin Star at 8 pm. Orrin, also an accomplished mandolinist, plays bluegrass, Celtic and swing tunes, along with novelty songs and some originals. Opening the show is Fibonacci, a homegrown act that describes its classic bar band repertoire as: House of the Rising Smoke on the Stairway to Free Bird. At the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township. Admission:  Adults $7, children 12 and under are free. Call 973-335-9489 for more.

 

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SATURDAY, April 28:

The Interact Club at Morristown High School is hosting the Rockstar Ronan Charity Event, a crafts boutique in the cafeteria from 9 am to 3 pm to benefit the Ronan Thompson Foundation for pediatric cancer research. More than 40 vendors are lined up, along with some great gift basket raffles. Admission is $5. The high school is at 50 Early St.

Stare down a Tyrannosaurus at the Morris Museum’s Dino Day Family Festival, from 11 am to 4 pm.  Look for special dinosaur visits to the Bickford Theate stage between 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm, along with a Dinosaur Troubadour, a 15-foot-long T-Rex, and other dinosaur activities. It’s all included with museum admission: $10 for adults,  $7 for children, free for children under 3. While you’re there, check out the museum’s permanent Digging Dinosaurs exhibit. At 6 Normandy Heights Road (at the corner of Columbia Turnpike) in Morris Township. Call 973-971-3700 for more.

Celebrate Earth Day with activities at Lewis Morris County Park, at 270 Mendham Road in Morris Township, from 11 am to 4 pm. Live animal shows, music, food, games and crafts, green product demos, and more. Admission:  $3 for adults, $2 for children 12 and under, children under 2 FREE.

At 7 pm, Morristown High School presents Aqua Dance, the school’s eighth annual spring dance and music production. Enjoy ballet, jazz, tap, modern and lyrical dance and concert pianists in this 90-minute show. Refreshments at intermission. Admission: $10.

More than 100 K-5 students at the Normandy Park School pay a musical visit to OKLAHOMA! at 7 pm. Admission: $5. See Friday entry for a video preview.

Spring is something to sing about–and that’s what the New Philharmonic of New Jersey and the choirs of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church plan to do at 7:30 pm. Spring Awakenings will include choral works by C. Hubert H. Parry, John Rutter and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, featuring baritone Jonathan Scott. Orchestral works will include Handel’s Organ Concerto, Opus. 4, No. 4, in F Major.  Conductor Leon Hyman will be joined by choirmaster Darryl Roland and organist Matthew Boatmon.  The church is at the corner of South Street and Miller Road in Morristown. Tickets, available in advance or at the door, are $25. Students and children: $10.  For more information contact Darryl Roland, at: droland@stpetersmorristown.org or 973-538-0555 x 18.

Bill Griese, the Morris Plains singer-songwriter whose musical tributes to the Giants and Tim Tebow scored big on the internet, brings his originals to Morristown’s Dublin Pub at 8 pm. He will be accompanied by several musical guests. This should be an entertaining evening on Pine Street.

Landing on a “Most Wanted” list is a bad thing–unless you are an opening act at the Sanctuary concert series in Chatham. Audience members voted for openers they wanted back as headliners. And so Julie Gold, Amy Speace, and Seth Glier will share the stage starting at 8 pm. Julie won a Grammy for her song From a Distance, Amy was “discovered” by Judy Collins and has advanced from Hoboken to Nashville, and Seth wins plaudits for his Tin Pan Alley songwriting style. Admission: $15. The Sanctuary is at the Presbyterian Church on Green Village Road. Call 973-376-4946 for more.

 

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SUNDAY, April 29:

Civil War buffs can meet an expert from 1 pm to 4 pm at Morristown’s Macculloch Hall Historical Museum. Author David Martin will be signing copies of his books about Gettysburg, Bull Run, Chancellorsville and Shiloh. It’s part of the museum’s yearlong exhibit, Gone for a Soldier: Jerseymen in the Civil War. Admission: Adults $8; seniors and students $6; children 6-12,  $4. Members and children under 5 are free. The museum is at 45 Macculloch Ave. For more, call 973-538-2404 x 10.

Travel back to the Gilded Age at 3 pm at the Mansion at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison. Authors Carol Bere, Sam Convissor and Walter Cummins will be signing copies of their new book, Florham: The Lives of an American Estate, available for $25, and giving tours of the former estate of Florence and Hamilton Twombly, which has been the centerpiece of the school’s Florham campus since 1957. For information call 201-692-7008 or email: mcconvil@fdu.edu.

What are “container gardens,” and how do you make one? Find out at a free talk by Grow it Green Morristown, 3 pm in the seniors center at Morristown Town Hall (third floor), at 200 South St.

Music at St. Peter’s presents Musica Bella, an OLCO International Classical Concert, at  5 pm in the Great Hall of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, at 70 Maple Ave. in Morristown. Enjoy arias and duets by Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Hulak-Artemovsky and more, featuring baritone Oleg Chmyr, soprano Luba Shchybchyk and pianist Richard Duncan. Admission: $30. Call  973-993-8090 for details.

The Open Drawing Session runs from 6 pm to 9 pm at Zebu Forno, 9 South St., Morristown. Sketch live models with friendly artists and eat pizza, for $10.  Call 770-853-9727 for more information.

 

Princeton director helps K-5 students at Normandy Park School lasso ‘Oklahoma!,’ April 27 and 28

Let’s see. You’ve just graduated from Princeton, and have some time to kill before heading to Beijing for a year.  What to do?

If you’re Paul M. Bangiola Jr., you volunteer to direct a Broadway musical… starring 100 K-5 students at the Normandy Park School in Morris Township.

OKLAHOMA! gallops onto the gymnasium stage at 7 p.m. on April 27 and 28.  Admission is $5.

Paul’s last directorial credits were a Morristown High School production of the David Ives comedy, Words, Words, Words, and a Princeton production of The Merchant of Venice by some British guy.

How do kindergartners stack up against Ivy League thespians?

“The kindergarteners are on time. They show up. They hit their marks. They don’t have opinions on what things mean,” Paul said this week, before a dress rehearsal in which pint-sized players skittered to and fro like kernels in a popcorn machine.

Please click icon below for captions.

Firmly but nicely, the director got everyone’s attention and channeled the kids’ after-school energy into a series of warmup stretches and vocal exercises, with a little help from his mom, Nancy Bangiola. In addition to running the Morris County Bar Association and serving on the school- and library boards, Nancy sings with the Harmonium Choral Society.

To the young actors at Normandy Park, they are simply Mr. B and Mrs. B.

“One of the kids thought we were married,” Nancy said with chuckle.

It’s her sixth production as music director at Normandy Park, dating to her daughter Gloria’s appearance in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. Doing musicals with little kids is “incredibly rewarding,” Nancy said. “They’re inventive and creative. They still know how to pretend….They take chances, because in this room, nobody is allowed to laugh at anyone, only with someone.”

Paul said he wanted to tackle a sophisticated musical with multiple lead characters. So he tossed The Jungle Book and narrowed the choice to Annie and OKLAHOMA!, the first play he ever saw. His selection, a Rodgers and Hammerstein love story set out west in the early 20th century, was enthusiastically supported by school Principal Kelly Harte.

“This play is so much about community and the way people support each other. It’s the perfect play for a K-5 school that’s based on community-building,” Kelly said. Normandy Park is a magnet school that pairs grade levels: K-1, 2-3 and 4-5. Admission is via lottery.

The principal considers Paul the ideal director for this age group.

“He’s so organized, so patient and supportive,” Kelly said. “I’m so impressed with how willing he is to coach kids. And he’s so talented himself. He’s a great model.”

At Princeton, Paul studied politics and East Asian studies while taking teacher prep courses. Theater was an extra-curricular activity. He is working as a paralegal (both his parents are lawyers) until the fall, when he takes a one-year teaching fellowship in China.

Isn’t OKLAHOMA! kind of. . . traumatic for elementary school? At least one character, Judd, meets a bad end in the movie.

“Judd makes a reappearance in our version,” Paul said with a grin.

 

 

 

JCP&L rolls out new outage reporting system for web, mobile phones

Not user-friendly. Inflexible. Clunky.

On Wednesday that’s how Jersey Central Power & Light described its online system for reporting outages.

It’s old system, that is.

Pilloried last year for its response to Tropical Storm Irene and the October Nor-easter, JCP&L has rolled out a new online platform intended to give more accurate and timely outage information to customers on computers, iPads and mobile phones.

“JCP&L heard the concerns of customers, and we responded,” Dennis O’Boyle, vice president for external affairs, told a press briefing at the utility’s Morris Township headquarters.

The site, redesigned by iFactor Consulting, strives to improve upon the old color-coded outage maps by adding pop-up windows to explain the problem and, in some cases, estimate when power should be restored.

Many customers complained last year that they were unable to access JCP&L’s website because their home computers had no electricity during the outages.  So the system was tweaked to perform better on smartphones, said spokeswoman Tricia Ingraham.

And the information now resides in “the cloud”–on Amazon.com servers–so it will remain accessible if power failures knock out Jersey Central’s local computer servers, she said.

JCP&L new outage reporting site

Report outage by phone: 1-888-544-4877 (1-888-LIGHTSS).

The new system also tries to simplify reporting of outages by customers. That’s crucial, Dennis said, because no New Jersey utility has the technology to remotely track outages.

“If people do not notify us, we don’t know they’re out of power,” said Dennis. As people alert JCP&L, the company’s predictive software can estimate outage patterns, he said.

Outages can be reported online and by calling 1-888-544-4877 (1-888-LIGHTSS).

Installing automated tracking technology for 1.1 million customers “would have an impact on rates… It’s not as simple or straightforward as folks would think,” he said.

Tricia said future online improvements may include:

• Text- and email notifications to customers, possibly later this year.
• More detailed descriptions of power restoration efforts.
• Interactive reporting of street light outages.
• Outage maps that can be exported and embedded on town websites.
• Views of outages on a neighborhood level, not just a town level.

Morristown customers lost power for days after Tropical Storm Irene because the Whippany River flooded a substation on Ridgedale Avenue. Debris in the river was blamed for that mishap. Dennis said JCP&L and the town will monitor the river closely during future storms to prevent history from repeating itself.

A spokesman also said JCP&L has been making progress addressing issues identified by an investigator hired by state regulators to study recurring problems with Morristown’s underground electrical network.

But the utility had nothing new to report about what caused a May 2010 explosion at the Morristown & Township Library. As the library prepares for next month’s celebration of its recently reopened 1917 wing–badly damaged in the blast–an insurance company continues its investigation.

“Our equipment was not involved in the event at the library,” Dennis said.

MORE ABOUT JCP&L

 

Morristown & Township Library to mark reopening on May 5, two years after unsolved explosion

Nancy Bangiola, president of the Morristown & Township Library board, is lobbying for lemonade at the  ceremonial re-opening of the library’s 1917 wing on May 5.

It would symbolize the staff’s determined efforts to turn a pile of lemons–actually, a pile of rubble from a still-unsolved explosion on May 3, 2010–into a refreshing treat, a remodeled wing that never looked better.

“I can’t tell you how blessed we are to have such a hard-working, good-humored, supportive staff at the library,” Nancy said.

Please click icon below for captions.

That staff kept library services operating at assorted locations for months when the entire building was closed after the basement blast that buckled the floor, shattered windows and splintered desks and bookshelves.

Sensing something was amiss, employees evacuated the place moments before the explosion, averting tragedy.

They still have received no explanation for the incident, despite promises from public officials and an ongoing investigation by the library’s insurance company. There were no public disclosures after a 1994 library explosion, either.

“We’re still where we were six months ago. It’s slow and frustrating,” Nancy, who serves as executive director of the Morris County Bar Association and vice president of the Morris School District board, said of the probe. “I’m glad we’re moving forward. But it would be nice to know what happened. I guess we’ll know someday.”

“We are all frustrated that a cause has not be identified yet,” added library Director Maria Norton. “I hope  eventually we will know, but I know  it might take some time.”

Maria said she was “enormously proud” of her staff.

“Our Library staff are incredible- -they worked hard and kept their sense of humor and were very supportive of each other during this time of renovation,” she said.

The 1917 wing, which was the library’s original building thanks to Morristown resident Grinnell Willis,  re-opened quietly in March.

An estimated $4.5 million in renovations included new desks, tables, shelving and computers. Two broken windows were replaced, a cracked skylight was fixed, wood paneled doors were added to an office, and a tiled floor at the wing’s South Street end will simulate a café, where patrons can bring their coffee, according to Maria.

Insurance has covered most of the repairs. But a new hot water heating system, a gas detection system and new balcony shelving and millwork have come from the library’s coffers. The heating upgrade, replacing a less efficient steam system, cost about $116,000, Maria said in March.

The Friends of the Library paid to spruce up the golden eagle that has kept watch over generations of library patrons.

Electricity now is fed through an above-ground line instead of via the basement, and gas lines now enter a separate area of the library–in hopes of averting any future disasters. Jersey Central Power & Light and Public Service Electric & Gas each have denied responsibility for the 2010 explosion.

Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty and Morris Township Mayor Peter Mancuso are scheduled to speak at the re-opening ceremony, set for 11 am on Saturday, May 5.  Music, a children’s performer and a Friends of the Library book sale also are planned, said Chad Leinaweaver, assistant director of the library. And patrons can visit an exhibit about the history of the 1917 wing at the second floor gallery.

“We are all feeling good about getting the entire library open,” Maria said. ” Two years is a long time, but I am pleased we were able to re-open different parts of the library as soon as we could.  Now we can move forward and focus on other projects.”

Those projects include an increasingly busy schedule of public events, like an upcoming series of classic silent films and talks on alternative health.  At 7 pm on May 2, Christine Volinsky of Scented Journeys will discuss essential oils as natural remedies. And on May 23, Morristown acupuncturist Dana Holmes will describe the ins and outs of her ancient profession.
MORE ABOUT THE MORRISTOWN & TOWNSHIP LIBRARY

 

 

 

 

The eyes have it… The Seeing Eye wins ‘Coins for a Cause’ in Morris schools

By Berit Ollestad

The votes are in and The Seeing Eye pawed its way to the top, winning the Coins for a Cause fundraiser in an election by students in the Morris School District.

With pomp and circumstance and some ice cream, the winner was announced last Tuesday in each of the participating schools. Although it fell just short of last year’s total, an impressive $13,551.16 was collected from students bringing in spare change during the eight-week contest. The district serves elementary school students from Morristown and Morris Township.

“It’s a civics lesson in democracy and it coincides with the school board vote,” said Jane Kurek, community relations manager for Provident Bank.

‘Coins for a Cause’ pep rally, by Berit Ollestad. Please click icon below for captions.

Provident Bank provides the voting machines that the children use to cast their ballots. It also sponsors the ice cream social held the night that the winner is announced. And the bank donates $1000 to the cause.

“We are so delighted that these young people work as hard as they do and put so much effort into the Coins Fundraiser, and then to be selected as the benefactor of all their hard work is very touching. It’s nice to have the recognition from the community and to be appreciated for what we do,” said Jim Kutsch, president and CEO of The Seeing Eye.

As a thank you, Kutsch is offering children in the district a chance to name a future Seeing Eye dog.  Donations of $5000 or more automatically give an individual or corporation naming rights to a puppy.

While the Interfaith Food Pantry and the Morristown Neighborhood House may have fallen short in the coin contest–it’s hard to compete with puppies!–there is no denying that Morristown clearly is the winner with organizations such as these operating in the community.

Greater Morristown weekend preview: Rooftop concert, sustainable expo celebrate the Earth

As far as we’re concerned, there is only one place to be this weekend: The MorristownGreen.com Music & Arts Showcase, and its sister celebration, Earth Day Experience 2012.

Okay, that’s actually two places to be. But they are both in the same DeHart Street Parking Garage.

From noon to 6 pm on Sunday, we will be on the garage roof  (one level down, if it’s raining) introducing some great local singers and musicians. We’re working with Sustainable Morristown and WDHA Radio, while Sustainable Morristown is orchestrating a variety of Earth Day exhibitions and tours along with a town-wide tag sale.

Of course, lots of other stuff is going on. Highlights are below; even more options await your persual on our handy calendar.

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THURSDAY, April 19, 2012:

Celebrate Leonardo da Vinci’s 560th birthday with the Arts Council of the Morris Area, from 5:30 pm to 7 pm at the Hyatt Morristown’s Qube Lounge. It’s also National Creativity Week, so bring a bright idea with you to the cash bar!

Religion in the Civil War: The North Jersey Civil War Roundtable tackles this meaty subject at 7:14 pm, at the Haggerty Education Center of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 53 E. Hanover Avenue, Morris Township (opposite the Morris County Library). John Fea, history chairman at Messiah College in Pennsylvania is the guest speaker. His topic: BOTH PRAYED TO THE SAME GOD. “The Civil War was not a war of religion, but both sides believed that God was on their side. Many of the soldiers carried the bible, read from it and prayed from it; it this aspect of religion that Dr. Fea will develop. Reread Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address to fully appreciate this lecture.”  Admission: $5.  First time guests and students: Free.

Comedy Central comedian Gabriel Iglesias comes to Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Tickets: $67-$37. Call 973-539-8008

 

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FRIDAY, April 20:

The 12th annual Canine Cotillion to benefit homeless pets at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center starts at 7 pm at the Westin Governor Morris at 2 Whippany Road in Morristown. It’s a chance to party with your pooch, eat and bid on silent auction items. Cost: $275 (includes one dog). Call 973.377.7094.

Songwriters won’t want to miss this twin-bill at the Minstrel in Morris Township: Don Henry and Craig Bickhardt are two of Nashville’s finest. Both can tug at your heartstrings or your funny bone. Don’s repertoire includes Harley, Mr. God and Beautiful Fool. Craig’s 800 songs include numbers recorded by Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Showtime is 8 pm, at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship at 21 Normandy Heights Road. Admission:  Adults $7, children 12 and under are free. Jersey Arts cardholders get two-for-one admission. Call 973-335-9489 for more.

Everyone’s favorite roller derby team, the Jerzey Derby Brigade, dares you to step up to the mic at 8 pm and sing out against cancer.
Call it Karaoke for a Cure:  The music plays for two hours at Tiffany’s, at 231 Speedwell Ave. in Morris Plains. It’s a fundraiser for Relay for Life. Just sing what the ladies tell you, and nobody gets hurt.

The Dance Theatre of Harlem dances into Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. Tickets: $27-$57. Call 973-539-8008.

 

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SATURDAY, April 21:

It’s that time of year again: Spring cleaning.  The Morristown Clean Communities Committee needs volunteers for two hours to tidy up parks, playgrounds, parking lots and roads. Individuals, families and groups are invited to meet at 9 a.m. behind Morristown town hall, at 200 South St.  Assignments will be divvied up, and light refreshments will be served. Heavy rain date: April 22. For more details, contact Kathleen O’Neill Margiotta at 973-644-4363 or k-margiotta@townofmorristown.org.

Want to become a blacksmith? Historic Speedwell in Morristown offers a daylong beginner’s course, starting at 9 am, for ages 13 and up. Cost: $15. Call 973-285-6535.

Benedict Arnold went from hero to zero… but how?  Find out at 10 am at  Washington’s Headquarters Museum, at Washington Place in Morristown. Learn how Arnold became synonymous with treason right here in Morristown. Cost: $4 per adult.

Celebrate Earth Day at Lewis Morris Park in Morris Township from 11 am to 4 pm with games, music, food, live animal shows and nearly 100 vendor booths featuring green-themed products and services.

Sona Thirteen in Morristown is hosting a special birthday party at 7 pm. Kristin Dunn just turned 30–a happy milestone for someone with cystic fibrosis. The Eric Hayes Band will help Kristin celebrate–and raise money for research to find a cure. Tickets are $65 in advance and $75 at the door, with all proceeds going to cystic fibrosis research.

Choirs from Morristown’s Methodist and Presbyterian churches join the Morris Choral Society at 7:30 pm for America Sings, an evening of historical songs  at the Morristown United Methodist Church under the direction of June Van Thoen. Suggested donation: $15 for adults, $12 for seniors.  For advance tickets ($12 adults/$10 seniors) call 973-538-2132.  Students with ID are admitted free. The church is at 50 Park Place, on the Green.  A reception follows the show.

 

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SUNDAY, April 22:

Captain Lung will close Sunday’s rooftop concert in Morristown.

Noon to 6 pm:  The MorristownGreen.com Music & Arts Showcase offers something for everyone, in a concert atop the DeHart Street Parking Garage at DeHart and Maple in Morristown. Rock, country, jazz, roots, R & B –you name it, we’ve got it, performed by some of the best young talent in Greater Morristown! From Morristown High School, there is Captain Lung, a prizewinning indie rock trio from Morristown’s Got Talent!  Another eye-opener from that contest, sixth-grade singing sensation Hanna Neil, joins a roster that includes 23-year-old saxophone star Brian Cunningham, who has been making joyful jazz at the Bethel A.M.E. Church.  We’re also pleased to welcome Art of Play, competing next month for top amateur honors at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater. Morristown’s Original Music School is sending its answer to Taylor Swift, teenaged singer-songwriter Lauren Smith. 1st Ave will charm you with its shimmery pop, while Hub Hollow — the pride of Morristown-Beard–promises a foot-stomping lesson in old-timey fun.  Morristown High alum Ben Rhodes, who performed at our first rooftop show in 2009, returns with a new band, Untitled, and new compositions. We’ve got soul and R&B covered, thanks to Amor, a teen group that blends youthful verve with grownup talent. So bring lawn chairs and dancing shoes. The rooftop concert is FREE, hosted by MorristownGreen.com in association with Sustainable Morristown and WDHA Radio. Rain? We’ll just move the show down one level in the parking deck!  It’s all part of Earth Day Experience 2012…  see below!

THE MG MUSIC & ARTS SHOWCASE LINEUP:

Noon:   Hanna Neil
12:15:    Lauren Smith/ Ridiculous
1:00:     Untitled
1:45:     Hub Hollow
2:30:    Art of Play
3:15:     1st Ave
3:45:    Brian Cunningham
4:30:    Amor
5:15:     Captain Lung

Noon to 6 pm: Enjoy Earth Day Experience 2012 inside Morristown’s DeHart Street Parking Garage.  While we showcase promising young musicians and artists from Greater Morristown on the solar-paneled rooftop, lower levels of the parking deck will feature a town-wide garage sale and an electric-hybrid car show, both co-hosted by the Daily Record. WMTR’s Green Divas Radio Show co-hosts a sustainable living expo, and Patch is co-hosting a healthy foods festival. The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, meanwhile, will lead tours through the Morristown Parking Authority’s adjoining headquarters at 14 Maple Ave., a LEED-certified, geothermal marvel of environmental design. Sustainable Morristown orchestrates this eco-symphony, which plays rain or shine.

Author Robert Sheridan will be at Morristown’s Macculloch Hall Historical Museum from 1 pm to 4 pm to sign copies of his book, Iron from the Deep: The Discovery and Recovery of the USS Monitor.  The event is associated with the museum’s current exhibit, Gone for a Soldier: Jerseymen in the Civil War.  Admission: Adults $8, seniors $6, students (over 12) $6, children (6-12) $4. Members and children 5 and under are admitted free. Call 973-538-2404 x 10 for more details.

Speaking of the Civil War, that’s what Joe Bilby will be doing at 2 pm, at the Morristown & Township Library at 1 Miller Road. Specifically, Joe will be discussing his book, New Jersey Goes to War. Admission: Free.

Lyrica Chamber Music concludes its 25th season at 3 pm, in the Presbyterian Church at 240 Southern Blvd. in Chatham. Two compositions will be premiered. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, students are free. Call 973-309-1668 for more.

Catskills on Broadway, a Borscht Belt comedy revue, visits Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center at 3 pm. Tickets are $42-$67. Call 973-539-8008 for more.

The Presbyterian Church in Morristown presents Collage Concert–One World, One Language, at 4 pm. Julie Ramseyer directs this unusual production in which hoedowns, Indonesian folks songs and 17th century Spanish dances flow into each other from all corners of the church. Soloists, musicians, choirs and handbells are followed by culinary treats. Admission: Free. The church is at 57 Park Place. Call 973-538-1776 for more.

After all the Earth Day fun, unwind with pizza, pads and pencils. The Open Drawing Session runs from 6 pm to 9 pm at Zebu Forno, 9 South St., Morristown. Sketch live models with friendly artists and eat pizza, for $10.  Call 770-853-9727 for more information.

 

 

Morris School District continues streak with another budget victory

By Marie Pfeifer

Thomas Ficarra, superintendent of the Morris School District, had reason to smile on Tuesday night. Voters from Morristown and Morris Township approved the $101.2 million 2012-13 school budget by nearly a 3-to-1 margin. The superintendent has never lost on election night.

“I want to thank the community for its support,” he said. “The school is only as good as the support it receives from the school community, and the Morris School District continues to support the school overwhelmingly, and the kids are the winners.”

An increase in state aid, coupled with cost-cutting and other efficiencies, enabled the board to craft a budget with a 0 percent increase over the present spending plan. The $464,375 in additional state funding is being earmarked for tax relief.

However, due to a change in the equalized value of property in the two communities, school taxes will increase $135 per year on the average home ($390,000) in Morris Township while decreasing $71 per year in Morristown on an average home ($354,000).

Incumbent Ann Rhines and Fran Rossoff garnered 1160 and 988 votes, respectively, to fill two available board positions. Newcomer Helene S. Barsamian trailed with 410 votes.

Ann Rhines, a retired teacher, plans to continue her work as curriculum committee chair and liaison to the Morris Educational Foundation.

“I plan to continue securing grants that enhance our educational programs at MSD,” she said. “I would like to see our top-notch educational system continue because of my love of teaching and working with the youth in the district.”

Fran Rossoff has been active for years in the Morris Educational Foundation, which raises funds for school programs via the annual Morristown’s Got Talent!  competition.  She aims “to help ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed. We still have some challenges ahead of us but I feel that I have something to offer the children in the district.”

Jeannette Thomas ran unopposed, winning with 36 votes. “I am honored to represent the Hispanic/minority sector in the community, coming from a different perspective,” she said.

Leonard Posey, also unopposed, collected 949 votes, winning the right to fill Marie Fornaro’s unexpired term.

Voter turnout was down by 30 percent from last year, according to Supt. Ficarra.

 

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