Cranford Patch: New Events

Earth Hour in Fanwood

2010-03-19T15:48:04-04:00

Location: Fanwood Borough Hall
75 N Martine Ave, Fanwood, NJ

When: March 27, 2010
Time: 8:30pm–9:30pm

Turn out, Take Action!

The Fanwood Environmental Commission urges you to turn your lights off for one hour on March 27^th between 8:30-9:30pm and join the Borough of Fanwood and a growing list of supporting communities that are committing to take a stand by turning the lights out on pollution and creating a cleaner, safer and more secure future. The Borough of Fanwood made a proclamation earlier this month to be a part of this global event sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. They will be turning off lights at the Borough Town Hall, Carriage House, and all non-essential lighting in town for Earth Hour, and encourage their residents to do the same.

Earth Hour, which takes place Saturday, March 27^th at 8:30 p.m. local time, is an event in which millions of Americans and more around the world will turn out their lights for one hour. 2010 marks the third year of the event, which attracted more than 80 million participants in the U.S. last year, and nearly a billion people around the world, as lights dimmed on such global icons as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney's Opera House, the Great Pyramids of Gaza and New York's Empire State Building.

Notable U.S. landmarks such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, St. Louis' Gateway Arch, Sea World in Orlando, the strip in Las Vegas, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Washington D.C.'s National Cathedral, California's Santa Monica Pier and the Space Needle in Seattle are among the hundreds of sites that will turn off non-essential lighting for the hour, in what is expected to be the largest-ever call to action on climate change.

This is your opportunity to participate in a positive action for your environment. So flip that switch, and be the change! Visit www.fanwoodec.org and follow the Earth Hour link for more information.

Website: http://www.fanwoodec.org

Email: fanwoodec@fanwoodec.org

Mothers' Center Open House

2010-03-18T21:27:13-04:00

Location: 341 Spruce Ave, Garwood, NJ 07027

When: April 5, 2010
Time: 9:30am–11:00am

MOTHERS' CENTER ANNOUNCES SPRING OPEN HOUSE

Calling all moms… The Mothers' Center of Central New Jersey will hold their Spring Open House on Monday, April 5^th from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Garwood Presbyterian Church at 341 Spruce Avenue in Garwood.

What is a Mothers' Center? It's a place to meet other moms in a warm, welcoming setting that is attuned to the changes and challenges that come with motherhood. It is a place where friendships blossom for both mother and child.

Founded in 1978, The Mothers' Center of Central New Jersey offers discussion groups, craft groups, book clubs, social events and playgroups. Our on-site childcare allows mom to dedicate a small amount of time to herself knowing that her child is socializing in a supervised, caring, fun atmosphere. Our eight week spring session begins in April and includes the following groups:

On-site babysitting is available for the following daytime groups.

"Knitting", led by a skilled knitting instructor this group is designed for those interested in learning to knit, or those wanting to improve their knitting skills,

"A-Z" offers 90 minutes of uninterrupted time to devote to projects such as organizing photos, clipping coupons, scrap-booking, balancing the checkbook or reading the newspaper while you chat with other moms.

"Gardening" a four-week gardening course led by a Master Gardener. Green thumbs not required.

"Women's Forum" is our signature discussion group that explores the many roles of womanhood. The topics will be set each week by the group members, and focuses on finding joy everyday, building friendships, and living beyond a routine.

The following daytime groups are dedicated to giving the mother and child an opportunity to play and socialize together:

"Morning Playgroup", Moms and kids enjoying each others' company in free play in the childcare room filled with age-appropriate toys, puzzles, coloring, and books.

"Kids Art" Mom and Child have fun together with art based activities appropriate for children 18 months to 5 years old.

"Mom & Baby", If you are a mom who'd like to get together with other new moms and their babies then this is the group for you. Informal discussions focused on moms with 0-9 month olds. We support breast and bottle-feeding.

The Mothers' Center of Central New Jersey is non-profit, non-sectarian organization and is a member of the National Association of Mothers' Centers. New members are welcome at any time. For more information, call (908) 561-1751 or visit our website at http://westfieldnj.com/mccnj.

Website: http://westfieldnj.com/mccnj

Phone: (908) 561-1751

Email: mccnj@westfieldnj.com

Mike Vecchione this weekend at THE COMEDY COVE @ Scotty's!

2010-03-18T19:13:27-04:00

Location: Scotty's Steak House & Comedy Cove
597 Morris Ave, Springfield, NJ

When: Daily from March 19, 2010 until March 20, 2010
Time: 9:00pm–11:00pm

Suppose you've got a Master's degree in Special Education and you teach underprivileged kids in Philadelphia. What's your next career move? If you're Mike Vecchione, you give it all up to become one of the hottest new comics in NYC. Mike has been seen on ABC and Comedy Central, and appears regularly in the best clubs across the country. He has wowed The Comedy Cove crowd every time he's been here with his smart, albeit twisted, sense of humor and infectious grin. Mike's unique perspective and razor sharp wit leave audiences rolling in the aisles.

Also featuring this weekend with mike is Joe Bubblewicz & Christine Grillon

Website: http://www.scottyssteakhouse.com

Phone: 973-376-3840

Email: laurielle@scottyssteakhouse.com

Price: $12.00

Easter Egg Hunt For Savings At The Best Friend Thrift Shop

2010-03-18T14:34:25-04:00

Location: 1750 E 2nd St, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

When: March 23, 2010
Time: 10:30am–4:30pm

Best Friend Dog and Animal Adoption will hold an Easter Egg Hunt at the thrift store from Tuesday March 23rdthrough Saturday April 3rd. Simply come into the store and draw an Easter Egg filled with a savings discount. You can save 20%, 30% or even 50% on each shopping trip you make to the store. The store is located at 1750 East Second Street, Scotch Plains and is open from 10:30-4:30 everyday except Sunday and Monday. For information call 732-388-8930.

We have a lovely selection of Easter bunnies and items for sale. In addition we have new hats, scarves, belts, hair accessories, perfume and jewelry for the Spring season. Step into Spring and save on new items for yourself at a good value. We are also currently in need of new or slightly used items to sell in the store. If you are doing some Spring cleaning and find something you cannot use, please drop it off at the thrift store. We can use jewelry, collectibles, records, CD's, DVD's, books, seasonal clothing, small furniture, and gardening items to name a few of the things we accept.

The group is also accepting donations of dog and cat food, litter for their foster animals in need. Let's help to make their life brighter while they wait for their permanent home, thorough adoption.

Best Friend is a not for profit, all volunteer rescue group that operates the shop in order to help rescue animals from the pound where there is no hope. We also provide veterinary care and foster the animals until a permanent home can be found. You can

visit our pets available for adoption at www.bestfriend.petfinder.com

A tax deductible donation can be mailed to

PO BOX 335, Cranford, NJ 07016.

Website: http://www.bestfriend.petfinder.com

Phone: 732-388-8930

Email: bfdaaa@gmail.com

Carsie Blanton & Victoria Vox Perform at the Watchung Arts Center!

2010-03-18T12:24:03-04:00

Location: 18 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ 07069

When: April 3, 2010
Time: 8:00pm–11:00pm

The Watchung Arts Center's "Powerful Woman of Song" Series

Proudly Presents...

Carsie Blanton & Victoria Vox

Give a listen on Myspace

Carsie Blanton

Victoria Vox

Check out a short video on YouTube

Carsie Blanton

Victoria Vox

Carsie Blanton is a young singer-songwriter who grew up in rural Virginia and landed in Philadelphia in fall of 2006. Since then, her soulful, playful, intelligent music has earned her national respect. In her brief time as a performing songwriter, Carsie has shared the stage with nationally hailed acts Amos Lee, Nellie McKay, John Oates and Leon Redbone, and frequented noteworthy venues from The Birchmere (Alexandria, VA) to the Hotel Café (Los Angeles, CA). In 2008, Carsie toured with Loudon Wainwright III, and with Blue Note recording artists The Wood Brothers.

"In all truth, she blew me away... one of the best singer-songwriters in the business." - Gene Shay, WXPN Philadelphia

"Carsie Blanton is a rare talent as a modern songwriter. Her sly wit and urbane imagery reminds me of a folky, female Cole Porter. I'm really happy to know that classic songwriting is in good hands with Carsie Blanton." - Singer/Songwriter John Oates (of Hall & Oates)

Victoria Vox began writing songs when she was 10. Following her dreams, Vox graduated from The Berklee College of Music with honors and a degree in songwriting -- releasing a handful of guitar-driven albums before a friend gave her an 'ukulele.

Vox, who lives in Baltimore, MD now, has been averaging 125+ dates for over 6 years, performing at a mixed bag of venues and festivals across the country, Europe, and Canada. Not that Vox is the only current artist to slip in a little ukulele -- but, the singer-songwriter is dedicated to the tiny instrument, and maybe, just maybe helping make it cool again. She is also known to employ the "mouth trumpet" which she was invited to perform on the Jay Leno Show (Meal or No Meal, Dec. 2009). She has shared the stage with and opened for Jackson Browne, Jane Weidlin (the GoGo's), Mindy Smith, Tom Chapin, and Jake Shimabukuro.

Website: http://blantonvox.eventbrite.com/

Phone: 908-412-9105

Email: ahrre@ahrre.com

Price: $19 in advance on-line, $23 at the door

Christine Lavin & Don White perform in Westfield

2010-03-18T12:14:28-04:00

Location: First United Methodist Church of Westfield
1 Lincoln Plaza, Westfield, NJ

When: March 20, 2010
Time: 8:00pm–11:00pm

The Coffee With Conscience Concert Series

Proudly Presents.....

Christine Lavin & Don White

Proceeds from this show will benefit Habitat For Humanity

Don White... Listen to a few of his songs on M y s p a c e !

Christine Lavin's smart and funny sense of irony and wit, nail our lives and foibles on the head! Her delightfully skewed songs cover a lot of territory: RELATIONSHIPS ("What Was I Thinking?") and LIFE'S INJUSTICES ("Attractive Stupid People") to name a few.

Don White comes from the world of stand-up. He's a family man whose concerts turn what happens in his home into an onstage biopic! His funny and often touching songs like "How to Get Your Kids to Leave Home" go straight to the heart.

"When Don and I work together, it's a very powerful one-two punch that leaves audiences gasping for air (from all the laughter), and reaching for tissues from the unexpected serious songs." ~ Christine Lavin

******************************************************

Christine Lavin and Don White by Scott Alarik

    Over the last 20-odd years covering folk music for the Boston Globe, I have often sung the praises of Christine Lavin and Don White, perhaps the two funniest performers on the folk circuit today.

   Hearing that they are doing shows together is a dream-come-true for me, along with thousands of their other fans. That is not merely because they promise an evening of such fun and laughter. It is because of what they share, how they meld their comedic gifts with the best instincts of modern folk music.

   I have laughed as hard at Don and Christine as I have at any comedians I have seen on stage, but I have never heard either of them tell a mean, scornful, or bitter joke. Always, their humor is fueled by the same empathy, kindness and universality that fuels their songwriting. Always, they look for the lyric, the poetic image, the gag, that reminds us what we share, not what sets us apart. Both their music and comedy is driven by a desire to tell the truth about the lives they live, and to find where those lives intersect with ours.

   As you watch Christine and Don, you tend to feel like you're making a friend, rather than admiring some distant star. I can assure you that is no illusion. Don and Christine are very much what they appear to be on stage: genuinely goodhearted people who use their abundant talents to show us how much we have in common, as we all bumble and stumble through our own day-to-days.

   Christine is renowned for treating her audiences less like fans than chums at a sleepover. It is a brave, almost naked, informality that only master entertainers can pull off; and it only works if it's genuine. Christine is able to treat her audiences that way, because that's how she feels about them. In her eyes, they are simply friends she doesn't know yet.

   Don mines his workaday life as parent and husband, finding humor in the bad moments as well as the funny ones, always finding ways to make his experiences feel like ours. And somehow, once he lets us laugh at our dark moments and mundane struggles, they don't seem so dark, or so mundane.

   Many comedians today offer their jokes at other people's expense: the convenience store clerk with the funny accent, the cab driver with the funny name, the stupid flight attendant on the airplane. The laughs that kind of humor produces are sharp, but fade quickly, followed by a certain feeling of emptiness, aloneness. We have laughed as an expression of how different - how apart - we are from each other. And we can't help but wonder if a comic like that would laugh at us, too.

   Christine and Don, on the other hand, are both masters of the shared laugh. They turn their keen comical eyes on the foibles and pitfalls we all share. Where did I put my glasses this time? Why doesn't my daughter think I'm cool anymore?

   As we laugh that shared laugh, we often eye those next to us, nodding in recognition: "You're that way, too," our eyes say? Then we nod and grin, suddenly feeling that warm, convivial pleasure that comes from knowing we're not quite as alone in this world as we sometimes think we are.

   I have often noticed that the laughter Christine and Don receive lasts longer than it does for most comedians. I think that's because we enjoy the sound of all these people around us, expressing by our laughter that we are sharing something about ourselves, something that connects us to one another. The very sound of the laughter proves how much our experiences, our annoyances, peeves, and daily struggles, bind us together.

   Because of that, when Christine Lavin and Don White make us laugh, there is always a warm shimmer of community beneath the silliness. Of all the gifts great entertainers can bring to the stage, I think this is perhaps the rarest and most valuable. Many can dazzle us; but only the very, very best can befriend us, and remind us that, in the end, we are all wary acrobats in the great human circus. And really, when have we ever needed laughs like that more?

Scott Alarik
Folk music writer, the Boston Globe, Sing Out, NPR
Author, Deep Community: Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground

Website: http://lavinwhite.eventbrite.com/

Phone: 908-412-9105

Email: ahrre@ahrre.com

Price: $24 in advance on-line, $27 at the door

Spiders and Salamanders - 18th Century Kitchen Gadgets

2010-03-18T11:49:55-04:00

Location: Miller Cory House Museum
614 Mountain Ave, Westfield, NJ

When: March 21, 2010
Time: 2:00pm–4:00pm

Program featuring discussion and display of unique 18th century cooking tools. Program includes 18th century open hearth cooking as well as tours of the Miller Cory farmhouse.

Website: http://www.millercoryhouse.org

Phone: 908-232-1776

Email: millercorymuseum@gmail.com

Price: $2.50 - adults; $1.00 - students; under four free

Young Women's Hadassah & J Connection Havdallah and Dinner for Families

2010-03-18T10:45:15-04:00

Location: Jewish Community Center of Central NJ
1391 Martine Ave, Scotch Plains, NJ

When: March 27, 2010
Time: 4:00pm–6:00pm

Family Havdalah and Dinner

Join us as we say goodbye to Shabbat with a fun, casual havdalah and dinner for families with children 5 years and younger, babies welcome! Meet other young families, create your own spice boxes and learn about all of the exciting opportunities Hadassah and J Connection have for you.

This event is FREE.

RSVP by Sunday, March 21 with the number of adults attending and the number and age(s) of the child(ren). To sign up or for more information, contact mindy@cartonpr.com or 908.222.9229.

Phone: 908.222.9229

Email: mindy@cartonpr.com

Price: Free

J Connection Matzah Magic

2010-03-18T10:40:16-04:00

Location: Jewish Community Center of Central NJ
1391 Martine Ave, Scotch Plains, NJ

When: March 21, 2010
Time: 3:00pm–5:00pm

J Connection's Jewish Discovery Zone presents MATZAH MAGIC!

Don't miss this exciting program where families will learn about Passover and create fantastic keepsake crafts to decorate the Passover table. As always, there will be wonderful songs, stories, puppets and food!

Fees: 1st child $15, each additional child $10 by Thursday, March 18 At the door, space permitting: 1st child $20, each additional child $15 Adults FREE

Price includes snacks, innovative crafts, a light supper and enrichment materials. Space is limited. Sign up today!

For more information and to register, contact Leslie Klieger, J Connection Director, at 908.889.8800 ext. 259 or jconnection@jccnj.org. Go to http://jccnj.org/jconnection.html to learn more about J Connection programs.

Website: http://jccnj.org/jconnection

Phone: 908-889-8800 ext. 259

Email: lklieger@jccnj.org

Price: See description

Block Out Epilepsy

2010-03-18T08:42:48-04:00

Location: 1401 State Route 10, Whippany, NJ 07981

When: April 10, 2010
Time: 7:00pm–11:00pm

Block Out Epilepsy is a fund raising event. All proceeds benefit the Pediatric Epilepsy Center at Goryeb Children's Hospital at Morristown Memorial Hospital and the Goryeb Children's Center at Overlook Hospital. National epilepsy spokesperson and all-pro guard for the New York Jets, Alan Faneca, along with Mark Sanchez, Nick Mangold, and other Jets players and coaches will be at the event to support the cause. This is a 21+ only event featuring hors d'oeuvres and cocktails with silent and live auctions. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please visit website for more information.

Website: http://www.blockoutepilepsy.org

Phone: 800-247-9580

Price: $250