Scenes from Charter Day, Rain and Shine

Kids of all ages eat, play and enjoy a day in Basking Ridge

The streets of Basking Ridge were filled with the callouts of children, the smells of sausages, onions and other tempting foods, and the sounds of music Saturday as Bernards Township's 19th annual Charter Day was celebrated.  Much of the event was on South Finley Avenue in downtown Basking Ridge, closed to traffic, and spilled onto the Henry Street parking lot and field behind the Oak Street Elementary School. Although a few showers punctuated much of the day, few people seem to be discouraged into leaving the community's biggest annual celebration — the commemoration of the founding of the Township of Bernardston on May 24, 1760, by order of King George II of Britain. Here are more scenes from Charter Day.

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Zumba, Jazz Piano, at Watchung Arts Center This Weekend

Free Zumba Class on Saturday, Rio Clemente to perform Friday.

The Watchung Arts Center, at 18 Stirling Road in Watchung, has an active weekend coming up, to include a free Zumba dance session on Saturday morning and a performance by jazz piano player Rio Clemente to wrap up the center's "Jazz in the Gallery" series. Clemente, a Morristown native will present the ImpresaRIO Concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 16. When Clemente hits the stage, he brings fire and passion and with him talented musicians to tantalize jazz enthusiasts and music lovers alike, according to his fans. As a master pianist, educator, composer, arranger and recording artist, Clemente mixes a strong classical background with a rich knowledge of jazz history, then adds a sense of creativity and interpretation. Clemente has played jazz…

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Three Moms Take a Comic Look at Parenthood in 'Moms the Word'

Temple Beth-El to host special show May 4.

Submitted by Gail Solomon On May 4, enjoy Broadway-quality theater without enduring NYC traffic or paying NYC prices. “Mom’s the Word,” a cabaret-style musical comedy about the challenges of motherhood, will be performed at Temple Beth-El for one night only. This event, which makes a perfect pre-Mother’s Day gift, starts at 7 p.m. with a wine and cheese reception. Written by Dana Covey, Ellen Cohen and Erika Radin, three Moms who also star in the show, “Mom’s the Word” turns a comic eye on the ups and downs of parenthood. The show covers such topics as tantrums, finding a reliable babysitter, excessive whining, overscheduled extra-curricular activities, managing homework, puberty, sagging body parts and much more.  Based on real-life …

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Great Escape

Piano Player Adds Atmosphere at Bernards Inn

You can slip into The Bernards Inn most Thursday evenings for a drink and a little jazz piano with John Bianculli.

Sometimes there's just not enough days to go around, but each week we'll give you an idea of something to do to relax, spend time with family and just take some time for yourself. This week, we've got an escape that you can enjoy many times over. Almost any Thursday evening, you can head on over to The Bernards Inn in downtown Bernardsville to hear piano player John Bianculli play it again — and again — as you enjoy some dinner, a drink or just a quick nibble while you listen to some sophisticated music. Bianculli is a musician and music teacher from New Jersey who last year was invited to perform at the Bernardsville Library as part of the Friends of the Bernardsville Library's Sunday at Three series. Bianculli performed that concert …

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Bernards Artist's 'Evolving' Series at Millburn Gallery

Serena Bocchino, part of Somerset Hills art scene as well as displaying work nationally and internationally, has show through May 31.

Community Art Show Highlights Local Talent

Mayor awards individuals and ARTsee group, which is planning next art studio tour through Basking Ridge and Bernardsville.

The 23 artists who produced pieces for a Bernards Township Community Art Show that will be on display at the Environmental Education Center through April 28 were on hand at a reception to open the exhibit, and for this year's Mayor's Arts Awards. The show was sponsored and organized by the Bernards Township Department of Parks and Recreation. One of Mayor Carolyn Gaziano's awards went to the ARTsee Tour group, which for its third year is planning to arrange a visit of artists' studios on a mapped tour through Basking Ridge and Bernardsville. Caren Frost Olmsted, one of ARTsee's original organizers, said she was hoping that some of the participating artists at the Community Art Show would open sign up for the ARTsee tour planned for Sept. …

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Join Poet for Tea and Talk at Bernardsville Library

Tap into your literary side by enjoying tea, conversation and a reading with an award-winning poet.

Sometimes there's just not enough days to go around, but each week we'll give you an idea of something to do to relax, spend time with family and just take some time for yourself. This week, those who wish to enjoy a literary experience can attend tea and conversation with award-winning New Jersey poet Anne Marie Macari at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 24, at the Bernardsville Public Library at 1 Anderson Hill Road in Bernardsville. Julie Maloney of Mendham, director of Women Reading Aloud, will conduct an up-close and personal interview with the poet, a Lambertville resident. WRA and the library are co-hosting Macari's appearance. Audience members also will have a rare opportunity to ask the author questions about her work and her writing …

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Farmstead Arts Flourishes As Restorations Continue

Sunday's concert also is occasion to showcase progress on restoring pre-Revolutionary barn at township-owned arts center.

As Bernards Township's Farmstead Arts began this year's concert schedule with Heather Mulvey's St. Patrick's Day performance of Celtic, American and folk songs, the event also was an opportunity for arts center to unveil improvements to the historic farmhouse and major progress in restoration of a pre-Revolutionary War barn. A Somerset County cultural heritage grant was used to install windows and outdoor sidewalks, as well as to make structural changes in the basement of the farmhouse, already in use since the arts center officially opened in October 2010 on the historic Kennedy Martin Stelle property, said Ann Rosenblum, president of the Farmstead Arts. An English-style barn on the property dating back to the 1730s to 1740s has not yet …

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Somerset Kids Get Moment in TV Spotlight on 'Dance Moms'

Young dancers from Premiere Dance to be featured on Lifetime network reality show.

Young dancers from Somerset County will glide into the television spotlight later this year when they appear on Lifetime's "Dance Moms." Students from Premiere Dance of Bridgewater as well as the studio's Flemington location recently taped an episode of the show at Bernards High School in which they competed against students from the prestigious Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh, Pa. “When my mom told me we were going to be competing on Dance Moms, I was so excited, I was screaming and jumping around,” said Kylie Glinsky, 11, of Hillsborough, who performed a solo and with a small group. “It was so much fun! I got autographs and pictures from most of the girls. They were so nice.” Michael Cuomo, owner of both Premiere Dance locations, …

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