DEER CROSSING?

I've lived here in this same house for 50 years. I've looked across at that same lawn, for the school, for my whole entire life. I have NEVER seen a deer on that lawn before. Shocked the heck out of me, to tell you the truth.

Stay Cool!

Nasty Water - but it's safe...

1:30 PM, 6/24/13:  I just ran a tub full of water and realized that the stuff coming out of my pipes here in Iselin is nasty brown.  I checked the Middlesex Water Company website ....nothing.  So, I called the Middlesex Water Company's "Hotline."

The phone rang a while before I got someone to answer, but when they answered they were extremely helpful.  The guy said that they are only doing routine maintenance, flushing the pipes, in the area.  The brown stuff is iron deposits.  If I understood it right, the iron deposits build up in the main and need to be flushed out once in a while, but they are not harmful.  Just very unattractive and unappetizing. 

The water company guy assured me that there is NO boil water advisory, and no need for one.  He said the stuff would dissipate soon.  (A lot of it just dissipated into my tub.)

So I guess I have a good excuse for not doing laundry today.

BEAUTY RECONSTRUCTED: Art Show going on now!

Woodbridge, New Jersey– The Barron Arts Center presents Beauty Reconstructed: The Art of Marcel Truppa.  The exhibit runs June 8-25, 2013.

Marcel Truppa is an experimental artist who works in collage, watercolors and oils at his Rahway, NJ studio; his hometown since the 1930’s.  Known mostly for his found object assemblage--pieces that recall the great masters of art history--Truppa received his formal training at the Pratt Institute in NYC and is also a graduate of The Newark School of Fine & Industrial Art in New Jersey. In addition to his private works, he enjoyed a long career of Graphic Design & Art Direction in NYC.

His collages present a unification of modern design and traditional art elements; mostly reconfigured masterworks with found objects embellishments.  Inspired by our “throw-away culture,” Truppa assembles a perfect blend of the old & new. Influenced by Cornell, Braque, Schwitters, Man Ray & the Renaissance School, Truppa retrieves, sorts and reconstructs “beauty” from manipulated pieces of tradition & modern culture.

Truppa’s Barron Arts Center Show will showcase the artist’s collages as well as his watercolors and oil works and his most recent bottle collages.

Beauty Recontructed: The Art of Marcel Truppa runs June 8-25, 2013.   RESERVATIONS NOT REQUIRED.

The Barron Arts Center is located at 582 Rahway Avenue in Woodbridge, NJ.

Gallery hours are Monday thru Friday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m.-4 p.m.

The exhibition is sponsored by The Woodbridge Township Cultural Arts Commission chaired by Dr. Dolores Capraro Gioffre with support from Mayor John E. McCormac.

About the Barron Arts Center – Woodbridge Township’s Center for the Arts

The Barron Arts Center, listed on the national Register of Historic Places, recently celebrated its 130th Anniversary. With the support of the Woodbridge Township Cultural Arts Commission and under the direction of Cynthia Knight, the Barron Arts Center offers programming to the public free of charge.

Donations are appreciated and are essential to the continuation of free quality arts programs and exhibits. The Barron Arts Center always accepts donations for

The Mayor’s Food Bank & The Woodbridge Animal Shelter

** Please become a “fan” of the “Barron Arts Center” on our Facebook page to get all of the latest information on upcoming programs and events. Follow us on Twitter for art news from Woodbridge & around the world!**

For more information or directions, please call (732) 634-0413.

ISELIN RESIDENT COMPLETES EAGLE PROJECT

An Eagle Scout Service Project has just been completed at Matthew Jago School in Sewaren, by Iselin resident Jonathan Schmalenberger of Troop 44, Edison. Now that he has completed his Eagle Project, he hopes to be ready to attain the rank of Eagle early this fall.   Jon attends JFK High School. 

Jonathan choose P.A.C.E., (Program for the Advancement of Children's Education,) and Matthew Jago School for the project because of his affection for the autistic community.

Having family members with Autism and other disabilities and his desire to be a neurologist, it all just gels together to him wanting to make a difference to the special needs community.   He has volunteered for P.A.C.E. for the last 3 years, doing well over 60 hours each of the last 2 years.  Students from all over Woodbridge Township attend special programs at Matthew Jago School.

Jonathan planned the project and organized a group of volunteers, including members of his Troop 44, and members of Troop 143.  They took an empty courtyard and created a safe and attractive play space for the Autistic Preschool there.  He and his volunteers removed weeds and dirt and installed safe rubber mulch, a play house and a climbing toy, and a picnic table for the children to use.  They also painted the panels under the windows, using the colors of Autism.

This courtyard is being dedicated to the P.A.C.E. Program in honor of Charles Shaughnessy who was a member of the Colonia Knights of Columbus, and who did a lot for P.A.C.E.





There will be a ceremony at Matthew Jago School next Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00pm to dedicate the new play space, and it is expected that the Mayor and the Shaughnessy family will be attending, in addition to the Principal, Mr. Patten, and other School District representatives, and members of Troop 44.

Some of the volunteers -- from right, Mary Karafa, Co-President of P.A.C.E; Zack, Preston, Russell, Jake, Jon, Scott Kampe - Eagle Advisor, T44; Michael, Jim Crowell, Scoutmaster, T143; Anthony Calantoni, ASM, T143; Howard Kendrick, ASM, T44; Mel Jellison, Scoutmaster, T44; Krista, Kayla, Peter Romanienko, ASM, T44; Stewart Schmalenberger, ASM, T44; and, in the playhouse, T44's Committee Chair, Manny Coelho.

PHOTO CREDIT for this article - KIM SCHMALENBERGER