Guide Me Home to Chatham, NJ

This year’s Harding Township Holiday House Tour will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on December 8, 2011.  The day kicks off with a breakfast at Spring Brook Country Club in Morristown, New Jersey from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by a tour of selected houses in the Harding area. The homes chosen have been decorated for the holidays with the help of local florists and home décor businesses.   Proceeds from this event benefit the Kemmerer Library.

If you are unable to join the tour, you can head directly to the Kemmerer Library’s lower floor for a Holiday Boutique opportunity. The following stores are participating:

• East End Foodies
• Jardiniere Fine Flowers
• Mia Dennis
• Pamela Cassidy Designs
• Patchpoint
• Seasons
• Seasons Gift and Home.com
• The Candy Store of Harding

So come out and enjoy some pre-holiday cheer--you might even cross some gifts off your list! Plus, you will be supporting a wonderful community service, our public library.

Posted by:  Lois Olmstead

Halloween is approaching fast! This year’s spectacular fall weather is perfect for a drive in the country to visit local farms to enjoy some apple picking and fresh cider, or visit a pumpkin patch to get the perfect jack-o’-lantern for Halloween.

Take a relaxing drive through this beautiful part of New Jersey to witness the lovely fall foliage. It’s all happening right now in Harding Township, New Jersey. For those of you in pursuit of these fall activities and in need of the perfect Halloween pumpkin, we have many choices in the area.

Below are some popular spots in or near New Vernon, New Jersey:

• Wightman’s Farm in Harding Township is always a good place start. They have apple orchards for picking, a pumpkin patch, country pies, cider and a corn maze for the children to roam.
• Hillview Farms is in nearby Gillette on Meyersville Road. They have wonderful tractor rides to the apple orchards and pumpkin patch. You can get cider there too!
• Melick’s Farm and Cider Mill in Oldwick is on King Street. They sell apples, pumpkins, and cider made on premises.

Posted by:  Lois Olmstead

There are four distinct areas along Loantaka Brook which create the Loantaka Reservation – part of the Morris County Park System. The Reservation includes Seaton Hackney Stables, South Street Recreation Area in Morristown, Loantaka Brook Park at Kitchell Road in Convent Station, and the Loantaka Way trail access area in Chatham Township.

The area encompasses more than 570 acres, and is adjacent to one of the more populated urbanized areas of the country. There are nearly 5 miles of trails in the park which provide biking, walking, jogging, hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.

The Loantaka Reservation provides 3 ball fields for softball and baseball. The South Street Recreation Area has a group shelter, large parking lot, and a Joint-Use Exercise Cluster which is accessible to all. Picnic facilities are available for rental.
 

Currently, efforts to preserve the Loantaka Moraine, wetlands, and other sensitive areas adjacent to the Reservation are under way. Applications to the Green Acres Program and the Morris County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund are being submitted to fund this project. These parcels will form a greenway to protect Loantaka Brook, and to connect the Great Swamp National Refuge with the Reservation.

Posted by:  Cynthia Edgar

Looking for delicious Jersey Fresh produce? Check out these great local farmers markets. You can enjoy Jersey fresh foods from Tuesday through Sunday in the following towns, or search the New Jersey Farmers Market Directory for a farm market near you.

Tuesdays:

Millburn/Short Hills Farmers Market

Runs: June 14 until October 25, 2011

Time: 8 a.m.to 2 p.m.

Place: Municipal Lot # 1 corner of Main and Essex Street.

Thursdays:

Madison Farmers Market

Runs: June 23 until October 29, 2011

Time: 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Place: Waverly Place off Main Street

Saturdays:

Chatham Farmers Market

Runs: June 25 until November 19, 2011

Time: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Place: Railroad Plaza South off Fairmont Ave.

Sundays:

Summit Farmers Market

Runs: June 5 until November 20, 2011

Time: 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Place: Park and Shop Lot #2 Maple and Deforest Avenue.

Posted by:  Lois Olmstead

As the excitement of Halloween costumes and candy ebbs, thoughts of the holiday season start to emerge. It seems far away, but before you know it we will be sitting around the Thanksgiving table giving thanks while Christmas is close behind! With this in mind, Madison has a tradition of festivities throughout the holiday season.

November 26th is a big day starting with free musical performances throughout the day. There is also a Christmas Walk and Parade where merchants will be offering free hot cider, cookies, popcorn, hot dogs and a scavenger hunt. The Christmas Parade and tree lighting are the highlight of the day beginning at 5:30 pm.
 

Other events sponsored by the Madison Chamber of Commerce:

Gift certificates redeemable at any Madison business may be purchased at reduced rates while supplies last: $50 gift certificates for $45 are available for purchase at Cramers Carpet One on 73 Main Street. $20 gift certificates may be purchased for $19 through the elementary school PTO.
 

Holiday Shopping Days allows for extended holiday hours, special in-store incentives, strolling carolers, visits from Santa and the Morris County Park Police Mounted Unit. There will be a holiday savings book and shopper of the day prize patrol. If you have a shopping bag and button, you could be the next winner!

Santa’s hours:

December 1-20 12:30-5pm Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

December 21-23 12:30-5pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Until next time.

Posted by:  Lois Olmstead

Even though we’ve had the hottest summer in recent memory, I still love the summer time. I love the way the shade trees line the streets. I love the sound of kids at the pool. It seems like endless enjoyment can be had just jumping into the pool, swimming, and playing Marco Polo for hours.

I love the smell and freshness of a summer day, garden’s in full bloom, fresh cut grass, butterfly bushes covered with swallowtails, and darting hummingbirds. Our area towns; Madison, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Summit, Harding Township and Bernardsville are all well situated for a quick getaway or vacation.  There are many pools, parks and golf clubs in these areas to enjoy as well.

In other parts of our area, the Jersey shore beckons to the south, or the great city of Philadelphia, home of the Phillies. North in the Bronx, you will find the Yankees, the famous Bronx Zoo, the Catskill Mountains and destinations in New England. The east will take you to New York City, Long Island beaches and the Mets. West on Route 80 offers great rafting and wonderful Pocono Mountain destinations.
 

Barbecue’s, baseball, ice cream and movies also remind me of summer. A little closer to home is the Somerset Patriots minor league baseball stadium.

There is no greater summer pleasure than relaxing in a special spot to read a book. While most students have summer reading lists, a host of titles may be found at your local library. Why not ‘check out’ the Madison, Harding, Summit and Chatham libraries.

Posted by:  Lois Olmstead

Chatham, New Jersey has its very own theatre, where live productions of Broadway plays (and original works) are performed each season by the Chatham Community Players.

Many local residents participate in the productions. The Players began in 1922 at the Parish House of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chatham. Their first production was “the Finger of God,” followed by the balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet.” In 1930, the Players moved to the Lum Avenue School. Props and scenery were stored in a barn on Fairmount Avenue, until it burned down in 1948.

In the early 1960’s, the Players moved again to Chatham High School, and stored props and scenery at the Chatham Women’s Club on the corner of Washington Avenue and Main Street. Finally, in 1967, they purchased the American Legion Hall on North Passaic Avenue, where they are located today. They completely renovated the space, and opened their doors for great community theater!

The original mission of the Chatham Community Players was to “produce high quality theater for a diverse audience, while elevating the standard of excellence, and providing a creative outlet with educational opportunities and outreach programs.” Today, the Players consist of five different groups: The Chatham Players Mainstage, Fantasy Theater, Jersey Voices, Outreach, and the Joint Theater (Intern) Program.

Funding for the Chatham Community Players has been made possible in part by funds from the Arts Council of Morris Area through the New Jersey Council on the Arts.

Posted by:  Cynthia Edgar

The Madison Farmers Market is now open on Waverly Place every Thursday from 2:30-7pm. Stop by and check out the fresh local produce, plus they have added a few surprises this year!

The schedule for farmer’s markets in other towns may be found by clicking here.

A rare treat in Madison is the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. This summer they are running several interesting shows. Click on the link above for more details about the entire season. I did want to highlight the outdoor presentation which is running from June 23 to August 1. This years’ play is Moliere’s: The Servant of Two Masters. The show is performed at the Greek amphitheatre on the College of Saint Elizabeth campus in Morris Township right next door to downtown Madison. Last year, we saw people picnicking before the show, playing Frisbee and just enjoying the night while waiting for the show to start. Some people brought pizza, while others went upscale with chairs, blankets and more elaborate food choices. It pays to get there early to claim a spot on one of the rows surrounding the stage as it is first-come first-served. The atmosphere was friendly with some late arrivals bringing food to their seats. If you keep the weather in mind, bring a blanket to sit on and food/drink, you may be pleasantly surprised by a live performance under the stars. We look forward to going again this year.

Until next time,

Posted by:  Lois Olmstead