BUS TRIP TO BROOKLYN MUSEUM & BOTANIC GARDEN

Thursday, April 7^th (8:00 am to 5:00pm)

Join the Friends of the Metuchen Library for a bus trip to the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The Botanic Garden will be celebrating Hanami, the month-long Japanese celebration of cherry blossoms. 

Cost: $45/person. Cost includes: Bus trip, museum and garden admission fees, gratuity for the driver. The museum has a cafeteria where lunch can be purchased.

Make checks payable to: "Friends of the Metuchen Library." We only accept payment by check. Drop off your check at the Desk of the Metuchen Library. No refunds, unless there is a waiting list.

Event Contact Info: Metuchen Public Library, 480 Middlesex Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840. 732-632-8526. Flyers about the trip are available at the Library. http://www.metuchennj.org/library.html

JEFFERSON STARSHIP 40th Anniversary Show

Thursday, March 31st 8 p.m. (Tickets $40 and $35)

Founders Paul Kantner and David Freiberg lead the Jefferson Starship on their 40th Anniversary tour. Longtime drummer Donny Baldwin, Grammy-nominated Broadway singer Cathy Richardson, lead guitarist Slick Aguilar, keyboardist Chris Smith and other special guests will belt out all the greats, including "White Rabbit," "Miracles," "Jane," "Somebody To Love," and more. Plus, EACH ticket holder WILL RECEIVE A FREE SOUNDBOARD DOWNLOAD OF THE SHOW, courtesy of Jefferson Starship!

The Raconteur Presents THE GREEN HORNET: A STAGED RADIO PLAY/RENT PARTY!



8 PM, Fri. & Sat. April 1 & 2
 -- With Gwen Owens, Laurence Mintz, Mike Jarmus, Peter Yao as Kato, and Carlyle Owens as the "Hornet."
The Green Hornet is an American radio and comic book masked vigilante created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. 

Distinguished by its use of classical music, not least "Flight of the Bumblebee" for its title theme, it was one of radio's best-known and most distinctive adventure shows. Since his radio debut in the 1930s, the character has appeared in film serials (in the 1940s), a network television program (in the 1960s), multiple comic book series (from the 1940s on), and, just this past January, a feature film starring Seth Rogen. The Hornet is the alter ego of newspaper publisher Britt Reid. He is accompanied by his similarly masked partner, confidant, and chauffeur, Kato, who drives their technologically advanced Studebaker, the "Black Beauty." SOUND FX! COSTUMES! THEATRICAL LIGHTING. This is our version of a "rent party" and, accordingly, there's a suggested donation of $10.00 (but no one will be turned away). To reserve a seat for either Fri or Sat, email The Raconteur at raconteurbooks@gmail.com with your name, the number in your party, and the evening you wish to attend (radio plays are among our most popular events and reservations are strongly suggested). ALL AGES!

Frontiers | The Journey Tribute

Saturday, April 2nd, 8 p.m. (Tickets $16)

Frontiers | The Journey Tribute is THE national full-time touring tribute to Journey. Performing over 150 shows yearly at some of the most prestigious music venues, halls, and theatres in the country, Frontiers has become one of the most sought after tribute acts in the nation. The band regularly headlines sold out shows throughout the country. In addition to their extensive work with Live Nation, Frontiers has become a festival favorite, with a demanding schedule that keeps them on the road four to five days weekly throughout the entire year. The key to the band's success is an unparalleled ability to live and breathe the music of Journey onstage ? and a unique back-story that blurs the line between tribute and reality.

from the Citizens for Quality Education

Dear Metuchen Resident:

Do you wonder whether your child's schoolwork is challenging?

Many people move to Metuchen for the reputation of our school district and are extremely interested in the issue of rigor in the curriculum. Challenging curriculum matters as much for elementary or middle school children as it does for high school students.

Highly regarded as the benchmark for rigor in a high school curriculum by colleges across the country, Advanced Placement classes are the most challenging classes that most public high schools offer.  Good scores on AP tests earn college credit at minimal cost and provide evidence to college admission boards that a student is well prepared for college work. CQE believes that the quality of the K-12 education in Metuchen is such that more of our students should be prepared to take Advanced Placement courses, and to pass the AP exams, than the number who currently do.        

This Weekend at the Forum: Barney's Version



Starring 
Paul Giamatti, Minnie Driver and Dustin Hoffman 



Paul Giamatti stars in this picaresque and touching story of the politically incorrect, fully lived life of the impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky. Follow Barney, a hard-drinking, cigar-smoking, foulmouthed 65-year old hockey fanatic and television producer, as he reflects on his life's successes and (numerous) gaffes and failures as the final chapters of his own existence come sharply into focus.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/barneysversion/


Showtimes Friday 7:30 Saturday 5pm & 7:30 Sunday 3 & 5:30



Rated R Running time 2hr 12m.


Tickets $9 Seniors 65 and over $8



Don't forget to purchase tickets to Jefferson Starship Live! Thursday March 31st at 8pm
You can go to www.forumtheatrearts.org to order tickets today

Since early January, a group of local residents has worked together to expand the Metuchen Farmers' Market and establish Saturdays as Metuchen Market Day to promote Metuchen's terrific downtown restaurants and other businesses.  As part of the process, we NEED  your input about how to make the Farmers' Market in Metuchen a rich and memorable experience.   We hope you take a few moments and share your thoughts with us via this survey which can be found at: www.metuchenmarketday.com.   And as an extra incentive, a random winner will be chosen from the survey respondents; the winner will receive a $25.00 gift certificate to the Metuchen Chamber of Commerce and can be used at any business that is a member of the local Chamber.

The Religious School of Temple Emanu-El of Edison is having an open house on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 from 4:15-6:00pm.  Visit their K-3 classes in session and learn about our exciting curriculum for Grades K-12 including accommodations for individual learning styles. The school's goal is to offer a meaningful Reform Jewish education including knowledge of Jewish history, traditions, holidays, language and culture. You are invited to join their warm and welcoming community. Packets are now available for membership starting July 1, 2011. If you would like to observe other grades in session or if you need to make an appointment for a different day to visit, please call Principal Jill Santoni at 732-549-4442 x5. Visit the website at www.edisontemple.org  Rabbi Deborah K. Bravo.  We are located at 100 James St, Edison.

THE FIGHTER


Starring 
Mark Wahlberg and Academy Award Winners Christian Bale and Melissa Leo 

The Fighter, which was nominated for Best Picture, is a drama about boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs and crime.



Showtimes Friday 7:30 Saturday 5 & 7:30 Sunday 4pm


Running time 116m

College friends reunite for a funeral, and love, betrayal, hope, and despair combine to create a rich blend of pathos and humor, in this award-winning play by P. J. Gibson, directed by Donniee Barnes and presented by The Arts At St Luke's. The production benefits Amandla Crossing, a transitional housing program for single-parent families in Edison. Reserve your tickets by calling 732-548-4308, ext 10.    

Long Time Since Yesterday debuts on Friday, March 11 at 7:30 pm. Performances continue March 12, 18 and 19th at 7:30 pm and March 13 and 20 at 3 pm. There is a refreshment reception following the performances on March 11 and 20. Tickets are $20 each. The performance takes place in Fryer Hall, 17 Oak Avenue, Metuchen. 

This play won five Audelco awards for excellence in black theatre, including those for the best dramatic production and playwright of the year. 

Citizens for Quality Education invites all Metuchen residents to their next public meeting, Wednesday, March 16th in Borough Hall, Room 225, covering the following agenda items.

•                Recap of the CQE Story Time Program at Campbell Elementary School

•                2011 CQE Scholarship

•                CQE By-Laws for Voting Endorsements

•                Continuing discussion on the rigor of the curriculum across all grades and academic levels

Additional info can be found at www.metuchenschools.org to learn about CQE's advocacy over the years.  See "CQE Advocacy" and "Supporting Literature" on the right sidebar.

At the Forum:



JEWS AND BASEBALL: AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY explores the connection between Jewish Americans and baseball, our nation's most iconic institution. More than a film about sports, it is a story of immigration, assimilation, bigotry, heroism, the passing on of traditions, and the shattering of stereotypes. Narrated by Dustin Hoffman


All seats $12

 March 26th at 8 p.m. and March 27th at 2 p.m.


Metuchen Matters and the Metuchen Public Library present Graphic Novels Day on Sunday, March 13 at 2 PM at the Library, 480 Middlesex Avenue.  Join us for a visit from three popular graphic novelists: Colleen Venable, Chris Giarrusso, and Misako Rocks!

Ms. Venable is the author of the Guinea Pig Pet Shop Private Eye Series, which includes Hamster and Cheese and And Then There Were Gnomes. Giarrusso's work features his G-Man character in two volumes: Learning to Fly and Cape Crisis, as well as Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection.  Ms. Rocks!'s specialty is manga and her books include Detective Jermain, Rock and Roll Love and Biker Girl.                                     

Individual presentations by the artists will be followed by a panel discussion led by Janna Morishima, a former director at Diamond Books (a leading distributor of graphic novels) and a founding editor of Scholastic's Graphix imprint.  The audience is encouraged to bring their own artwork for critique. The free program is open to the public and is appropriate for all ages, 9 to 99!  Graphic Novels Day is paid for by the Friends of the Metuchen Public Library.  Visit www.metuchenmatters.com  or write Kliss@Lmxac.org for more information.

The Raconteur Presents



8 PM, Sat. March 12


WESLEY STACE (John Wesley Harding) & JONATHAN COE


Reading/Signing/Live Music
CHARLES JESSOLD, CONSIDERED AS A MURDERER & THE TERRIBLE PRIVACY OF MAXWELL SIM


Rolling Stone Magazine hailed John Wesley Harding, the first opening act for Bruce Springsteen in 20 years, as "a literate and ironic neo-folkie with enough bile to win over a younger, hipper audience not attuned to folk music." CREEM said "His eloquence can be gut-wrenching," and The Los Angeles Times dubbed him "one of the great rock artists of the 90s." His best known work includes "I'm Wrong About Everything", which was featured on the High Fidelity soundtrack. Under his real name, Wesley Stace, he wrote the international best seller Misfortune and 2007's by George, a multigenerational story about a performing British family and their ventriloquist's dummy. His latest book is Charles Jessold, a twisty tale of music and murder unfolding with Nabokovian precision during Britain's early twentieth-century folk revival. And, yes, Stace/Harding will have his guitar.



A humane satire and modern-day picaresque, The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim by fellow Brit Jonathan Coe is a gently comic novel about the paradoxical difficulties of making genuine attachments in a world of communication technology and rampant social networking. A product of the social media boom, the eponymous Sim is, according to Coe, "the sort of person with hundreds of Facebook friends but no one to talk to when his marriage breaks up." Coe has written biographies of both Bogart and Jimmy Stewart and his novels include The Rotters' Club, Dwarves of Death and What a Carve Up! The Rotters' Club was adapted for television and broadcast on BBC Two, Dwarves of Death was filmed as Five Seconds to Spare, and Jeremy Dyson, founder/creator of British cult comic quartet The League of Gentlemen, is adapting What a Carve Up! for Channel 4. FREE! Comp wine. Books on sale at event.


From Metuchen Youth Service Board & Municipal Alliance
--CALLING ALL ARTISTS: In 2009 the idea of a Safe Sober Prom and Graduation lawn sign campaign was posed at a Municipal Alliance meeting as an innovative way to increase awareness of the dangers of underage drinking during the high risk Prom and Graduation season. We were very fortunate that first year and again last year to have local two different local artists donate their art to create great sign campaigns. We are opening submissions this year to ALL local artists.

Our criteria has been a sign which can be produced using two color process, the purpose to draw attention to the danger of underage drinking and or substance abuse, to stimulate awareness and create an opportunity for parents and teens to communicate about the subjects.

For additional information contact irenepatriciamorris@hotmail.com
Or call 732 887-2785 Irene Morris Nann. Submissions can be sent electronically to metuchenysb@gmail.com

From August 23 - August 28, the greatest golfers in the world will be competing for a $10,000,000 top prize at the Barclays 2011 Tournament at the Plainfield Country Club in Edison. You can be part of this spectacular event by volunteering to help at the tournament. You get close to the action; create memories of a lifetime, and best of all, you help the YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy Send a Kid to Camp Campaign.

The Barclays makes a donation to the YMCA for each volunteer who signs up through their volunteer program. Register and support the Send a Kid to Camp Campaign. There are over 20 committees from which to choose. Be sure to select YMCA - Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge in the affiliation drop down menu to ensure that the Y gets credit for your registration!

Join baseball historian Rich Puerzer when he presents Big League Baseball in a Small Town: Metuchen and the Summer of 1936 on Sunday, April 3 at 2 PM at the Metuchen Public Library, 480 Middlesex Avenue. Mr. Puerzer's presentation includes original photographs and news clippings about the 1936 semi-pro baseball team from Metuchen and their most famous game of the season when they played the St. Louis Cardinals, whose team included five future Hall of Famers.

Rich Puerzer is a Ph.D in Industrial Engineering and the Chairperson of the Engineering Department at Hofstra University, where he's worked since 1996. Over the past eleven summers, Mr. Puerzer has presented papers at the Cooperstown Baseball Symposium.  The free program is open to baseball fans and other interested folks, ages 9 to 99! The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session and a baseball trivia competition for children and adults.  Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Metuchen Public Library.  For more information, call the John McBride on 732.632.8526 or write Kathy Liss at KLiss@Lmxac.org.

8 PM, Thurs. March 10 
EDWIN FRANK


Editorial Director of NYRB Classics
 Discussion/Q&A


"How many of us, at the end of our working days, will be able to say with certainty that something we did made the world a better place? Edwin Frank is one of the lucky few..." The Washington Post. The NYRB Classics series is designedly and determinedly exploratory and eclectic, a mix of fiction and non-fiction from different eras and times and of various sorts (literature high, low, unsuspected, and unheard of). The series includes new translations of canonical figures; fiction by modern and contemporary masters; tales of crime and punishment; masterpieces of narrative history and literary criticism, poetry, travel writing, biography, cookbooks; and unclassifiable classics on the order of J. R. Ackerley's My Dog Tulip. Last fall they published their first graphic novel, Poem Strip by Dino Buzzati, translated into English for the first time. Two of their 2010 publishing highlights are William Lindsay Gresham's noir opus, Nightmare Alley; and The Road, the first English language translation of selected writings by Vasily Grossman. The New York Times called The New York Review of Books (the prestigious periodical connected to the series) "the country's most successful intellectual journal." Taken as a whole, NYRB Classics is a series of books of unrivaled variety and quality for discerning and adventurous readers. FREE! Comp wine. NYRB books on sale at event. 

8 PM.

Participants can now register in person for the Fuce 5K at Runner's High on Main Street.  The Third Annual Fuce 5K Family Fun Run/Walk will be held on Saturday, June 18, 2011 and raise money for the Fuccile Foundation, a non-for-profit organization providing support for resident families in need.  "We are thrilled to have Runner's High join our race team," stated Michael Bradley, Race Director.  "They are truly enhancing the experience for our participants."

In addition to offering a third registration option, Runner's High will be providing gift certificates for the top finishers which many runners have looked for in past events.  Runner's High will also provide a 10% merchandise discount when registering in the store and allow runners to check in and pick up their race packets prior to race day. 

The race, the Fuce 5K Metuchen Family Fun Run/Walk, will be held Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 8:30 a.m.  The course will begin and end at the Pearl Street parking lot in downtown Metuchen and will wind race participants through the community.

The YMCA is adding new enrichment classes for parents and children on the weekends! For full information, check out this link.

The Professional Staff includes:

Lindy Rutter  - Lindy studied Early Childhood Education at The College of NJ
. She taught various age groups at Lakeview School in Edison
. She also worked for Edison Board of Ed
and is currently teaching at Centenary Early Learning Center
.

Elizabeth West - 
Elizabeth enjoyed a 10-year career as a professional ballet dancer, working with diverse companies throughout the United States. She began her professional career at 16 as an apprentice with Ballet 
Oklahoma and then performed with Oregon Ballet Theater, Portland Musical Theater Company, St. Louis Ballet and Terra Firma Ballet. Her teaching credits include professional instruction at the Edmond School of Ballet, University of Central Oklahoma, and Reed College.

 

Kim Adlerman - Kim Adlerman has been an 
author and illustrator of children's books for
almost twenty years. Some of her books include
: Africa Calling (a New Jersey State Library "Pick of the Decade 1995-2005"), the critically-
acclaimed Mommy's Having a Watermelon and Oh No, Domino!




Christine Bodwitch - Christine Bodwitch has been a choreographer, dancer and teacher for over twenty years. Since 1999, she has been a Master Teaching Artist with Young Audiences of New Jersey and was an instructor from 2003-2008 at The Artist/Teacher Institute at Rutgers University. She has taught in more than a hundred schools and organizations and currently teaches creative movement, yoga and clowning throughout the tri-state area.

The Metuchen Cultural Arts Commission invites the public to a reception for artist Krista Svalbonas on Sunday March 6th from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.  at the Rotunda Gallery in Metuchen's Borough Hall.   At 2:30 p.m. Ms. Syalbonas will give a talk about her process and her work.

According to the artist, the work on display  "mirrors the conscious and subconscious struggle of thought."  Her process involves the use of encaustic paint, pigment mixed with bees wax and resin to combine color, shape and form with the subtle translucence of paper.

Ms. Syalbonas' regionally shows have included exhibitions at the George Segal Gallery in Montclair, the Summit Art Center and the Viridian Gallery in New York. 

The Rotunda Gallery is located in Borough Hall at 500 Main Street at the corner of Route 27 in Metuchen, NJ.   The reception on March 6^th begins at 2:00 p.m.  Ms. Syalbonas is scheduled to speak at 2:30 p.m.  No reservations are necessary.

For more information about the reception, contact Nancy Goldberg at (732)632-8502.  For more information about artist Krista Syalbonas,  go to www.kristasvalbonas.net.  

BLUE VALENTINE 
Starring 
2009 Oscar Nominee Ryan Gosling and 2011 Oscar Nominee Michelle Williams



The film centers on a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.

"Derek Cianfrance, the film's writer and director, observes with great exactitude the birth and decay of a relationship. This film is alive in its details."
          --Roger Ebert Chicago Sun Times



Friday 7:30 Saturday 5 & 7:30 Sunday 4 & 6pm . Rated R . Running Time 112m
 . 732.548.5600
  http://www.bluevalentinemovie.com/



The Stop & Shop Family Foundation has made a generous grant of $75,000 to the YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge and South Amboy. The grant will support programs to combat childhood obesity. 

The YMCA and Stop & Shop will implement a three-phase programming plan through the their Healthy Futures Initiative and the YMCA's commitment to Activate America, the YMCA's response to the epidemic of childhood obesity by creating community-based, collaborative programs that increase physical activity and improve nutritional habits in children and families.

"Stop & Shop is committed to providing healthy food to families and helping parents teach their children about the importance of nutrition and balanced diet," said Amy Murphy, Director of Marketing and External Communications of Stop & Shop NY Metro Division. "The YMCA is on the front line of providing quality programming and hands on training to children. This grant will prove to be money well spent."

"We are so pleased to partner with Stop & Shop to positively change the lives of hundreds of children and families," stated William Lovett, YMCA Chief Executive Officer. "I applaud Stop & Shop for their commitment to the health of our citizens and to having a meaningful impact on the epidemic of childhood obesity."