Local History Day Luncheon |  |
The Heritage Trail Association and Somerset County Historical association are jointly sponsoring a free, open public program for the county’s history community. The event will be an opportunity to meet representatives from many of the county's history organizations, learn more about the resources available in the county, and find out about several recent preservation initiatives.
Special guest speaker: Arthur Green
Topic: "The Continental Soldier"
Topic: "The Continental Soldier"
Using examples from his extensive collection, Mr. Green will discuss the firearms, equipment, and uniforms used by the soldiers of the New Jersey Soldiers of the Continental Line, 1775-1782, known as the “Jersey Blues.”
Mr. Green is an historian and collector of military arms and equipment. He is the Borough of West Long Branch’s Historian, life member of the Long Branch Historical Society, and care taker of an extensive collection of original military items spanning from mid-19th century to WW II.
The free event will be held at historic Van Horne House, 941 East Main St., Bridgewater, NJ 08807, just across from the Patriots Ballpark. Free parking is available behind Target and at the ballpark.
Space is limited and reservations are required. Call (732) 356-8856 for reservations, or sign up online: reservation+++++++++++++++++++++++
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Reserve by Saturday, March 22 for April 5th Dinner Auction,
On April 5th, 2014, The Fellowship for Metlar House hosts its 23rd Annual Dinner Auction to benefit
the Metlar-Bodine House Museum. This event will be held at The Fireside Room, Busch Dining Hall,
Rutgers University Busch Campus, 608 Bartholomew Road, Piscataway. Tickets are $90 per person if
reserved by March 22nd, $100 at-the-door.
Doors open at 5:00 p.m. for an hour-long reception accompanied by hors d’oeuvres and a pasta
station. An open wine & beer bar is offered throughout the event. The fast-paced evening of fun begins
at 6:00 p.m. and, in addition to the live auction, includes a silent auction. Presented by auctioneer Joe
Bodnar, guests will have the opportunity to bid on items such as dinners at many of the area’s fine
restaurants, theater & sporting events tickets, antiques, collectibles, services of a sommelier, vacation
packages, art, jewelry and much more.
To complement the evening’s festivities, live music will be provided by the New Brunswick Jazz Project,
which, since 2010, has been making Central New Jersey a destination for great jazz, bringing renowned
veteran musicians and emerging talent to local venues.
Prior to the auction, updates on items will be posted on the museum’s Facebook site
at: http://www.facebook.com/MetlarBodineHouseMuseum and bids can be placed on Bidding for
Good, an online auction program that assists nonprofit organizations nationwide with maximizing their
auction’s impact. Anyone with internet access can view and bid on the outstanding items available.
A fire on the night of July 17, 2003, destroyed a portion of the museum and many irreplaceable objects
with area provenance from its permanent collection. What remained of the State and National
Registered Historic Site and surviving artifacts was severely damaged by smoke, heat and water.
Fundraisers, like the annual benefit dinner auction, have helped the museum in its recovery after the
fire. $2.5 million has restored the building, and a $340,000 handicap accessible entrance with ground
floor restrooms will be completed this spring, and the museum will, once again, be open to the public.
For information and reservations, call the museum at: 732-463-8363.
Walking tour of D&R Canal set for March 22
The Delaware & Raritan Canal Watch will hold another in a series free interpretive walking tours of the D&R Canal on Saturday, March 22.
The walk will explore the 5.3-mile section of the canal park from South Bound Brook to East Millstone. There will be an option for a shorter walk of 3.1 miles.
The walk will be conducted by Canal Watch board member Bob Barth, who will point out historic sites and canal structures along the way.
For further information and weather-related updates, call Mr. Barth at 201-401-3121 or e-mailbarths@att.net
Reminder: The D & R CANAL WATCH 23rd ANNUAL 5K FUN RUN IS SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014!
Come on out, as a runner or race volunteer! See attached run form. All proceeds benefit the D & R Canal State Park!
For further information and weather-related updates, call Mr. Barth at 201-401-3121 or e-mailbarths@att.net
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Snow forces the NJ DEP to postpone this clean-up
From Andrew Still :
March 13, 9.30- am till noon
On March 13th, NJDEP will hold a press event and cleanup to kick off a new illegal dumping prevention initiative.
The event will be held at 77 Blackwells Mill Road in Franklin Township, which is a large illegal dump site.
The press event is scheduled for 10am and the cleanup will follow immediately.
Commissioner Bob Martin from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and press will be present to kick off the new initiative and to commemorate Americorps week.
The WMA 9 and 10 Americorps Watershed Ambassadors are helping to coordinate this event. We would be very happy if Rutgers Students could join us for the cleanup.
Please contact Katie Barnet at 609-707-4821 or Katie.Barnett@dep.state.nj.us to confirm your involvement.
Date: March 13, 2013 Time: 9:30 am-12:30 pm Location: 77 Blackwells Mill Road, Franklin Township
If you have any questions, please contact me (Cameron Black) using my contact information below.Thank you.Cameron Black AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador-WMA 9 NJ Water Supply Authority 74 East Main Street Somerville, NJ 08876 Phone: (908) 685-0315 ext. 224 Fax: (908) 685-0195
+++++++++++++++++++++++++The event will be held at 77 Blackwells Mill Road in Franklin Township, which is a large illegal dump site.
The press event is scheduled for 10am and the cleanup will follow immediately.
Commissioner Bob Martin from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and press will be present to kick off the new initiative and to commemorate Americorps week.
The WMA 9 and 10 Americorps Watershed Ambassadors are helping to coordinate this event. We would be very happy if Rutgers Students could join us for the cleanup.
Please contact Katie Barnet at 609-707-4821 or Katie.Barnett@dep.state.nj.us to confirm your involvement.
Date: March 13, 2013 Time: 9:30 am-12:30 pm Location: 77 Blackwells Mill Road, Franklin Township
If you have any questions, please contact me (Cameron Black) using my contact information below.Thank you.Cameron Black AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador-WMA 9 NJ Water Supply Authority 74 East Main Street Somerville, NJ 08876 Phone: (908) 685-0315 ext. 224 Fax: (908) 685-0195
Sunday, February 23 1 - 4 p.m.
Jacobus Vanderveer House and Museum
River Road Park, Bedminster
At 2 p.m.:
Free presentation about the Pluckemin Cantonment, site of the nation’s first military training academy. The presentation is intended for audiences 14 and up. There is no charge for admission, but registration is suggested by phoning (908) 396-6053.
Dr. John Seidel, Director, Center for the Environment & Society at Washington College in Chestertown, MD and lead archaeologist on the Pluckemin Archaeological Project, will present a 3D visualization of the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment, recently commissioned by the Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House. The one-hour presentation will also highlight the significance of the cantonment to the Continental Army, its abandonment and eventual discovery in the 1970s, the archaeological dig that ensued, and the wealth of artifacts that were uncovered.
“Lacking the presence of a physical site to visit, the Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House felt it was important to use digital technology to tell the story of America’s first military academy, the remarkable leadership of General Henry Knox and Somerset County’s central role in the American Revolution,” remarked Sean Blinn, president of the Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House Board of Trustees.
Working with Dr. Seidel, historical geographer Stewart Bruce, other historians, and students at Washington College, the Friends authorized the use of sophisticated mapping software to create a 3D visualization of the lost Pluckemin cantonment (now located in the Hills Development) in a series of digital animations that is interpreted and narrated byscholars. The animated visualization of the 1778-79 cantonment depicts buildings (officers’ quarters, armorers’ shop, artificers’ quarters, tin smith’s shop, etc.) as well as the physical materials, tools and daily activities of life on the site.
The 21st century digital presentation complements the Friends’ more traditional interpretive programs – authentic artifacts, beautiful period rooms, history center, museum displays, art works, maps and printed materials. The virtual cantonment is presented on-site at the Jacobus Vanderveer House Museum, and excerpts are posted on the museum’s website and Facebook page. For more information and a sneek peek at how history meets high-tech in telling the story of Pluckemin’s long lost cantonment, visit: http://www.jvanderveerhouse.
Funding support for the 3D visualization was provided by two recent grant awards: a grant of $45,000 from the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission and a grant of $10,000 from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
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Saturday, February 22 - Light rail trip.
Join Barbara Ross for a tour by light rail into the 19th century. Meet at the Bordentown RiverLINE light rail station at9:15 am (turn left into parking lot at 100 W. Park Street at Prince Street, above the boat landing), purchase tickets, and receive a brief introduction before boarding the train for Trenton. The train follows the path of the D&R Canal from Crosswicks Creek to Trenton. See the abandoned canal, Watson's Creek and the Abbott Marshlands. In the City of Trenton, where Rt. 129 is on the former route of the canal, remains of the industrial and commercial buildings can compared with earlier photos. Participants will get an overview of places that are difficult to see any other way, but anyone expecting a leisurely guided tour will be disappointed. In Trenton, participants may opt for a guided walk (3/4 mile round trip) to the State Street Bridge over the former canal (now the Trenton Freeway). Two-hour tickets are $1.50 ($.70 for seniors). Please bring exact change. Pre-registration is strongly advised; call 609-924-2683 after February 12th. This D&R Canal Watch trip is co-sponsored by the Friends for the Abbott Marshlands and D&R Greenway Land Trust.
Saturday, February 22 - 1:00 p.m. George Washington Birthday Hike -
To honor our nation's first president, join the historian of the Washington Crossing State Park and naturalist of the D&R Canal for a 5-mile hike starting at the site of the famous 1776 Christmas crossing. The group will meet at the Washington Crossing State Park parking lot along Route 29 and hike along the D&R Canal towpath, discussing the historical importance and nature of the area. Please be prepared for a moderate-paced hike with good footwear and water. Free; registration is required. Call Stephanie Fox at the D&R Canal State Park at 609-924-5705.
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Blackwell Mills Canal House Programs
| Mar. 8: | ALPACA DEMO AND SALE: Experience wool carding and spinning into thread and how that thread becomes beautiful finished products. Many interesting products will be available for purchase. HOURS: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
| April 12: | SCAVENGER HUNT Come and find treasures. Registration required - call the Canal House at (732)-873-2133 or Barbara at (908) 369-0357. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Refreshments for everyone. In the event of inclement weather, a rain date will be assigned. HOURS: Saturday ~ 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. |
| May 3: | PLANT SALE: Perennial and annual plants available. Professional consultants will be on hand to answer any questions regarding care and maintenance. Donations from your garden are welcome - call the Canal House at (732)-873-2133 or Barbara at (908)-369-0357. HOURS: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. |
| June 14 & 15: | WATERCOLORIST DISPLAY AND SALE: Princeton watercolorists return with their unique art work for your enjoyment and purchase. HOURS: Saturday ~ 11 - 4 p.m. Sunday ~ 11 - 4 p.m. |
| June 28 & 29: | ART AND CRAFT EXHIBIT AND SALE: Enjoy the art of Biff Heins available for viewing and purchasing. Also, the crafts of Sue Heins are available for purchase. HOURS: Saturday ~ 11 - 4 p.m. Sunday ~ 11 - 4 p.m. |
Why not sign up as a member of the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association and get in on the fun? Your membership will help to preserve this small part of the Delaware and Raritan Canal's important past! Why not help polish this historic old gem to the lustre it deserves and make sure it continues to serve its mission of education and be a source of community pride. If you are interested, please click the link below to access a copy of our membership form which can be downloaded or printed and then sent to the Canal House Association. If you have any questions about our group or becoming a member, please call either of the following telephone numbers to obtain further information:
908-369-0357
732.297.5548
Blackwells Mills Canal House Association Membership Form
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732.297.5548
Blackwells Mills Canal House Association Membership Form
Saturday, March 15 - Canal Clean-up
I am an AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador for your municipality tasked with watershed education and preservation along the Delaware River from Trenton to Frenchtown. I am planning a large-scale clean-up of the D&R Canal on March 15th (time still TBD, but probably from around 10 a.m.-2 p.m.). I'm hoping to get multiple groups of volunteers who love the canal to spread out all along its 30-mile path through our area. I'll also be posting some flyers along the canal with the park's express permission to promote the event to the people who use and appreciate the canal every day.
I want this to be a fun day for people to get out and walk along the canal, interacting with their neighbors and fellow community members and picking up trash. Gloves and trash bags will be provided, and I will arrange for its disposal. If you have contact information of girl scout/boy scout groups, special community groups, biking groups, you name it, anyone who you think would be interested in helping to make our canal beautiful, please forward me their contact info and I will spread the word! Let me know if any of you also have any ideas/tips or want to get further involved in the cleanup, everyone is welcome!
Thanks so much, and I hope this is a great community service event for all of us! I've decided to create on online sign up! Hopefully this will make it easier to spread along and get people involved.
Please forward this along to anyone and everyone. There will be four launch sites for volunteers: Kingwood Boat Launch, Bulls Island Park, Lambertville (near the bridge) and the Washington Crossing State Park. Volunteers will sign up at a site, and we need one or two people at each site to help me because I can't be at each station at once! I just need someone at the beginning of the day making sure volunteers sign in upon arrival and are given gloves and trash bags. Let me know if you or anyone you know might be interested in helping! And please don't hesitate to call or email with any ideas or questions. I really want to make this day a success!
Lindsay Blanton, 25 State Police Drive, West Trenton, NJ 08628; 609-477-7246;americorps@drbc.state.nj.us
Saturday, March 22 - 10 a.m. Hike 5.8 miles on the D&R Canal towpath from Lock 11 in South Bound Brook to East Millstone. Meet at East Millstone, where the canal intersects Amwell Road; then we will travel to the starting point. A shorter, 3.1-mile hike will be available. Free, but donations are welcome and appreciated. Questions? Contact Bob Barth at 201-401-3121 or barths@att.net. This is the second interpretive hike on the historic D&R Canal.
Saturday, March 29 - 10 a.m. D&R Canal Watch 5K Fun Run and Walk. Register on our website, www.canalwatch.org. Questions? Contact Bill Valocchi, 609-989-1931, or Barbara Ross,609-924-2683.
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Honey Bee Seminar in Franklin Township
March 17, 2014, 7 pm
Franklin Township Municipal Building
The Franklin Township Environmental Commission is pleased to have Tim Schuler, the New Jersey State Apiarist from NJ New Jersey Department of Agriculture giving a Honey Bees presentation in the Municipal Council chambers on March 17th at 7PM. Tim is a 1982 graduate of Delaware Valley College in Doylestown Pa. He was involved for 18 years in regulatory animal health with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health. During this time he began a part time beekeeping business, Schuler’s Bees, which he still maintains as a sideline business that provides pollination service to New Jersey fruit and vegetable growers and also produces New Jersey wild flower honey for sale. In 2007 Tim took the position of State Apiarist with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Division of Plant Industry. He is the primary person responsible for the health of honey bees in NJ. Tim has worked with beekeepers in New Jersey, Haiti and Malawi in Africa, and he teaches a semester long apiculture class at Rutgers University. Every year Tim inspects several thousand honey bee colonies for health and strength. Tim’s presentation will include challenges facing honey bees and bee keepers including bees dying off, how honey is made, and other interesting topics. There will be time for questions during the presentation.
For more information see the Bee Inspection portion of the NJ Department of Agriculture website
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The Event will include poetry readings by our two featured authors -
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When: Sunday, March 30, 2014
Time(s): 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Location: Franklin Township Library 485 Demott Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873
Time(s): 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Location: Franklin Township Library 485 Demott Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873
FREE EVENT!
The Event will include poetry readings by our two featured authors -
Daniel A. Harris and Elizabeth Pallitto
followed by Q & A, light refreshments and conversation.
Daniel A. Harris
writes dramatic poems with rhythmic design
that move from the diurnal to the explosive.
followed by Q & A, light refreshments and conversation.
Daniel A. Harris
writes dramatic poems with rhythmic design
that move from the diurnal to the explosive.
Elizabeth Pallitto
translates and edits Tullia D'Aragona's
Poetry of Dialogue. Given the title the "courtesan poet",
Tullia's poetry initiated her lover's desires.
Reservations may be made by
Emailing Alvin Levine at alvinplevine@gmail.com
translates and edits Tullia D'Aragona's
Poetry of Dialogue. Given the title the "courtesan poet",
Tullia's poetry initiated her lover's desires.
Reservations may be made by
Emailing Alvin Levine at alvinplevine@gmail.com
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