URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
Winter 2016
THE NEW WORLD TRADE CENTER TRANSPORTATION HUB The International Rescue Committee Bruce Springsteen Exhibit Economist Alan S. Blinder Woodstock Farm Sanctuary Destination Morristown
WINTER 2016 UA_CVR_Holiday2016FINAL.indd 1
12/8/16 9:55:53 AM
UA_adtemplate.indd 4
11/30/16 10:59:35 AM
Dreaming of a new home for 2017? Make it a reality. A RealtorÂŽ has the key. njrealtor.com/StartHere UA_adtemplate.indd 5
11/30/16 11:00:03 AM
Happy Holidays from The Stockton Inn. Where the Past is Always Present. w in t er 2 01 6 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lynn Adams Smith CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jorge Naranjo art DIRECTOR Jeffrey Edward Tryon
PAINTING BY MIKE MANN
Over the river and through the woods... a hot toddy, glowing candles, crackling fireplace, comfort cuisine by celebrated 4-star Chef Alan Heckman in a cozy historic inn. Where better to celebrate this holiday season than at the Stockton Inn? Our new hybrid menu allows you to dine traditionally or order a variety of smaller plates designed to be shared. The Dog & Deer Tavern is Open Daily and offers our 1710 Specialty Burger Mondays through Wednesdays. Enjoy our new Daily Happy Hour. | Reservations 609-397-1250 or online: stocktoninn.com | 1 Main Street, Stockton, NJ 08559
GRAPHIC DESIGNers Matthew DiFalco Erica Cardenas CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Ellen Gilbert Anne Levin Stuart Mitchner Ilene Dube Sarah Emily Gilbert Taylor Smith ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Robin Broomer ACCOUNT MANAGERS Jennifer Covill Kendra Broomer Charles R. Plohn Monica Sankey Erin Toto OPERATIONS MANAGER Melissa Bilyeu URBAN AGENDA magazine Witherspoon Media Group 4438 Route 27 North Kingston, NJ 08528-0125 P: 609.924.5400 F: 609.924.8818 urbanagendamagazine.com Advertising opportunities: 609.924.5400 Media Kit available on urbanagendamagazine.com Subscription information: 609.924.5400 Editorial suggestions: editor@witherspoonmediagroup.com
Char-Grilled Octopus Crispy Fingerlings | Avocado Purée Radish | Pickled Red Onion | Mole A Future (January 2017) Tesla Destination Charging Station Urban Agenda Magazine. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. To purchase PDF files or reprints, please call 609.924.5400 or e-mail melissa.bilyeu@witherspoonmediagroup.com. ©2016 Witherspoon Media Group
2
URBAN AGENDA Magazine
UA_MASTHEAD_Holiday2016.indd 2
winter 2016
12/8/16 10:04:44 AM
BORREGAARD
Fine Art, Amazing Antique Furniture and Curious Objects, From Cool Equestrian to Fabulous Vintage, Astounding Curiosities, Drinking and Smoking Accessories, Real & Faux Throws and Rugs and so much more! NYC COOL WITHOUT THE ATTITUDE www.borregaardinteriordesign.com @borregaardesign 908-375-8558
Untitled-3 1
210 Main Street, Peapack & Gladstone, NJ, 07934 Curated Collection by ASID Allied Interior Designer E. Herman
Member NYMetro and NJ Chapters We Cater to the Trade, Especially ASID Members. info@borregaardinteriordesign.com
12/1/16 5:02:40 PM
CONTENTS
46 36
6
Inspiration In The Big Apple: The New World Trade Center Transportation Hub BY ELLEN GI LBERT
6
The Roots of Christmas BY SAR AH EMI LY GI LBERT
20
Q&A With Economist Alan S. Blinder BY LYNN ADAMS SMI TH
28
The International Rescue Committee BY ELLEN GI LBERT
30
Destination Morristown
54
BY SAR AH EMI LY GI LBERT
36
Peace, Love & Activism At Woodstock Farm Sanctuary
WINTER 2016
BY TAYLOR SMI TH
4
40
Intimate Moments With The B oss
30
BY I LENE DUBE
46 ———
28
Shop Urban & Suburban 12
Calendar 44
A Wel l-Designed Life 54
20
Cover Image: The New World Trade Center Transportation Hub, designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava, is now the third largest transportation center in New York City. Photograph courtesy of Westfield.
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_TOC_Holiday2016.indd 2
WINTER 2016
12/9/16 10:11:52 AM
Now in your Neighborhood! The Hills 1 Robertson Drive
Far Hills
Douglas Rd
206 n ta
S ch ley Mo u
R
on D obe r ts r
Bedminster
Rd
Rd
22
n
le
idge ar R Rd er v i R
Bernards Al
C ed
287
in R d
202
652
Hill s Dr
Information & Scheduling Burnt M il l s
Rd
Cou ntr y
Rd ub Cl
620
Washington Valley Rd
78
21
Green Knoll
202 206
908.470.3690 800.758.5545 universityradiology.com 620
Bridgewater
MRI • ULTRASOUND • MAMMOGRAPHY • DXA • X-RAY Bedminster • Bridgewater • East Brunswick • Edison • Elizabeth • Forked River • Freehold • Hillsborough • Metuchen Monroe • Neptune • New Brunswick • Nutley • Oakhurst • Point Pleasant • Somerset • Teaneck • Tinton Falls • Warren
UA_adtemplate.indd 1
9/22/16 10:15:22 AM
INSPIRATION
BIG APPLE
THE NEW WORLD TRADE CENTER TRANSPORTATION HUB ELLEN GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.
BY
630
URBAN AGENDA URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_WTC_Hub_Holiday2016.indd 2
winter 2016 HOLIDAY 2016
12/8/16 10:14:28 AM
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF WESTFIELD.
esigned by the Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub is now the third largest transportation center in New York City. It serves 250,000 Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) daily commuters and millions of annual visitors from around the world. At approximately 800,000 square feet, the Hub's concourse will ultimately connect visitors to 11 different subway lines; the PATH rail system; the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal; the National September 11 Memorial & Museum; World Trade Center Towers 1, 2, 3, and 4; and Brookfield Place (formerly known as the World Financial Center), which houses the Winter Garden. A spectacularly-constructed “Oculus” is intended to serve as the
centerpiece of the Hub. A placard for this year’s 9/11 memorial event explained that, weather permitting, the skylight of the Oculus will be opened “to allow the sun to fill the entire space” on this day each year. Envisioned by Calatrava “to symbolize a dove released from a child’s hand,” the Oculus is situated at an angle in contrast to neighboring buildings and even the entire grid of the city, thereby allowing the light to shine directly overhead and for the sun to move across its axis exactly on September 11 each year. “There's no doubt about it: Calatrava's Oculus is an awe-inspiring piece of architecture,” writes Amy Plitt in nycurbed.com. “While the design has changed from its original incarnation (when the wings that make up the Oculus were meant to open and close, similar to the architect's design for the Milwaukee Art Museum), it's no less impressive for it. The steel rafters create a cathedral-like effect, letting in an abundance of light; the glass skylight at the tip of the Oculus, which can indeed open and close, adds to the feeling of airiness.”
winter 2016 HOLIDAY 2016
UA_WTC_Hub_Holiday2016.indd 3
URBAN MAGAZINE AGENDA URBAN AGENDA
317
12/8/16 10:14:49 AM
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WESTFIELD.
830
URBAN AGENDA URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_WTC_Hub_Holiday2016.indd 4
30
winter 2016 HOLIDAY 2016
12/8/16 10:15:26 AM
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESYCOURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. PHOTOGRAPHY OF WESTFIELD. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF WESTFIELD.
30
URBAN AGENDA
UA_WTC_Hub_Holiday2016.indd 5
winter 2016 HOLIDAY HOLIDAY 2016 2016
URBAN MAGAZINE AGENDA URBAN AGENDA
319
12/8/16 10:16:11 AM
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.
The new structure also includes some 78,000 square feet of multi- level retail and dining options, with concourses emanating from the Oculus that link the entirety of the site above and below grade. It has been described as “the most integrated network of underground pedestrian connections in New York City.” Like any big project, the new hub has generated a certain amount of controversy. In addition to cost overruns, critics say that the presence of so many commercial enterprises detracts from the Oculus. A true “transport hub,” they say, is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include train stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stops, airports and ferry slips. New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman is among those who emphatically don’t like the new, all-encompassing version of the term. “It’s not really a hub,” he reports. “A maze of underground passages connects the site to far-flung subway lines, but there are not free transfers. The place is a glorified PATH station for some 50,000 weekday riders commuting to and from New Jersey.” Kimmelman describes “The Port Authority’s stegosaurus-skeleton of a Path Station” as “a $4 billion shopping mall and ego trip by Calatrava”. Calatrava is used to controversy, though. A 2014 fastcodedesign.com article by writer Karrie Jacobs asked whether Calatrava might be “the world’s most hated architect.” Critics “blast Calatrava for wildly overbudget projects,” writes Jacobs. Still, she is willing to wonder if, perhaps, he is “just misunderstood.” The real problem, suggests Jacobs, “may have less to do with budgets and more to do with who and what Calatrava is. He’s an architect whose reputation is based on form, not function. In this era, the grand aesthetic gesture is deeply suspect.”
CALATRAVA’S VISION “This is much more than a station, isn’t it?” suggests the architect. Interviewed in Architectural Digest last March, Calatrava talks about creating the new space. “New Yorkers will take this and will use it and I hope they use with all their forces and with an enormous intensity because it has been done for them,” he says. “Finding the way in a station is essential. I wanted to create a place that delivers to people a sense of comfort and also a sense of security.” Calatrava says that he envisions a “person coming to New York one day to work very hard. He may be living in a very modest house at a very modest job. For me this person is very important; they are an important person in our community. This thing is here for you.” A respondent to Joann Gonchar’s assessment of the new World Trade Center site in a recent issue of The Architectural Record was not so sure it was there for him. “Try walking 300 feet to get from the PATH to the escalators
10
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_WTC_Hub_Holiday2016.indd 6
when you are 80 years old, like I am,” he wrote. “Too bad 4 billion dollars didn't buy a shorter walk for commuters; same old narrow PATH platforms, fancied up with marble crowded as hell. Didn't anyone think about the distance between the WTC station and the Fulton Street station? Is it too late for a tram or moving sidewalk or perhaps an elevator to ground level and then a cable car to Vesey Street?” Gonchar herself is willing to be impressed. After describing the “ballooning price tag” and various delays that beset the project, she notes that “even in its not-quite-finished state, the Oculus’s interior should wow people who pass through the elliptical, cathedral-like space. Its gleaming white steel ribs soar 160 feet, and during daylight hours the sun streams between the bone-shaped structural elements and down from a 330-footlong central skylight, making it hard to believe that the pristine white marble floor sits two stories below the street.” “Unfortunately,” she adds, “this subterranean drama doesn’t translate into coherence above ground. Outside, the Oculus ribs transform into outstretched wings that in Calatrava’s first schemes pivoted to open the glazed skylight. Although the operable skylight survived value engineering, the movable wings did not. But kinetic or fixed, these elements are too literal—intended to suggest a flying dove. And the building, which has been likened to everything from a stegosaurus to a porcupine to a Thanksgiving turkey carcass, is ill at ease on its site.” Calatrava’s second project-in-progress at Ground Zero, a replacement for the century-old St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church also lost on September 11, has fared somewhat better. To prepare for turning a small local church into a national shrine, Calatrava visited the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and studied its famous mosaics. When the first concrete was poured on August 28, 2015, Archbishop Demetrios, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, expressed the hope that the “nondenominational bereavement center” would “project something that will open a window to eternity.” It looks promising: when it is finished in 2017, the $35 million domed structure will glow at night. Materials used in its construction include a veneer of white Pentelic marble from the same vein in Greece that was quarried to construct the Parthenon.
“INSTAGRAM CATNIP” The World Trade Center Transportation Hub is “sure to be Instagram catnip,” according to writers like Amy Plitt. There are, she writes, “cantilevered balconies that allow visitors to take in the expansive view from above, and “it’s all rather lovely.” Still, she can’t help describing it as “somewhat sterile—if it's possible to feel both stunned by the beauty of something while also underwhelmed by it, that's what this inspires.” U
winter 2016 HOLIDAY 2016
URBAN AGENDA
31
12/8/16 10:16:31 AM
J AY S . S CHUSTER, DDS
winter white sale! ZOOM! Chairside, regularly $695
now $495
Tray Whitening, regularly $495,
THE ONLY MORRISTOWN GENERAL DENTIST CHOSEN BY HIS PEERS AS A NEW JERSEY MONTHLY TOP DENTIST SINCE 2009 AS WELL AS A U.S. topDentist.
now $249
smile special!
TM
Invisalign
Invisalign-Preferred provider R
Complete Case $500 off
E4D single-visit crowns, onlays and veneers R
DIAGNOdent laser diagnostics + Intraoral cameras R
complimentary cosmetic consultation!
Dental Implants + Mercury-free restorations DEXIS CariVu for advanced caries detection TM
($275 value)
R
ZOOM! teeth whitening
Actual patient
brating
25
L O G O T Y P E+ F U L L V E R S ICreating O N Healthy, Ce l e
expires 3/31/17
expires 3/31/17
Smile with Confidence!
Years
E FRE NG! I K PAR
Natural Looking Smiles
GROOMING MEN FOR GREATNESS
METRO DENTAL ASSOCIATES, LLC 29 Elm Street Morristown, NJ 07960
973-538-2563 metrodentalassociates.com
Francis Truefitt first established his gentlemen’s hairdressing and perfumery business in 1805, the year of Nelson’s victorious battle fought at Cape Trafalgar. Our gentlemen’s toiletries are carefully blended with natural and discreet fragrances to stimulate, soothe and refresh the skin. Many of our fine preparations have been formulated for over 200 years and are still sold to the nobility, whose families have been aware of Truefitt & Hill’s tradition as purveyors of excellence throughout the generations.
15mm minimum - 45mm maximum H A I R C U T S | S T R A I G H T R A Z O R S H AV E S | C O L O R | FA C I A L S W E D D I N G D A Y S P E C I A L | P R I V AT E P A R T Y S P E C I A L
18 MT. BETHEL RD | WARREN, NJ | 908.251.5222
WINTER 2016
mmendedUA_adtemplate.indd to use the 3full version of the logo whenever possible, which includes the use
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
11
12/9/16 9:40:28 AM
Black Bordeaux Grand Cru & Black Champagne Glass, Riedel Sommeliers Series, $135.15/glass; www.houzz.com Art House, Assouline, $85; www.assouline.com Stainless Steel Grand Cru with Red Strap, Sablier, $2,100; www.hamiltonjewelers.com
PRODUCT SELECTION BY SARAH EMILY GILBERT
SHOP URBAN Go Taxi Flats, Kate Spade, $278; www.katespade.com Cherchez La Femme Throw, Aelfie, $149; www.aelfie.com Leather Lock-Cuff Gloves, Red, $145; www.berdgorfgoodman.com Scalloped Trim Wool Cape, Red Valentino, $1,100; www.redvalentino.com
Thebes Pet Bed, Haute House, $1,905; www.hautehousehome.com Black Jade Goldfish Ring, Manya & Rouman, price upon request; www.manyaandroumen.com
12
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
HolidayShops.indd 2
WINTER 2016
12/9/16 10:07:40 AM
NYC Transit Authority Graphics Book, Need Supply Co., $55; www.needsupply.com California Guitar Case, Saint Laurent, $3,605; www.ysl.com
2016 Mini Cooper S Clubman in Red, BMW, price upon request; www.prestigemini.com
Driade Kosmo Tenochtitlan Candleholder, Vicctoria Locatelli, $256.44; www.connox.com
Vintage City Map Wool Throw, Faribault Woolen Mill Co., $180; www.faribaultmill.com
Mia 2 Keith Haring Facial Cleansing Set - Pop, Clarisonic, $149; www.barneys.com
Eat Cake for Breakfast Thermal Mug, Kate Spade, $18; www.katespade.com
WINTER 2016
HolidayShops.indd 3
Leather-Bound Manicure Set, Czech & Speake, $575; www.mrporter.com
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
13
12/8/16 10:19:39 AM
Adel Chefridi Necklace is a special edition Paraiba Tourmaline with sterling silver and 14K gold on 16" sterling chain, $895 www.galleryofbliss.com Rossclair Parka, Canada Goose Inc., $900; www.canadagoose.com 4-Piece Shaving Set, D R Harris, $282.91; www.drharris.co.uk Fair Isle Shawl Dog Sweater, Ralph Lauren, $95; www.ralphlauren.com
Women’s Saltwater Duck Boot, Sperry, $120; www.sperry.com Laces Hat, Hatch Boutique NYC, $40; www.shoptiques.com 2017 Cooper S Convertible in Black, price upon request, www.princetonmini.com Phantom 3 Professional Drone, DJI, $999; www.store.dji.com
The Runwell Chronograph 47mm, Shinola, $875; www.hamiltonjewelers.com
14
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
HolidayShops.indd 4
PRODUCT SELECTION BY SARAH EMILY GILBERT
SHOP SUBURBAN
WINTER 2016
12/9/16 10:08:00 AM
Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker with Built in Speakerphone, Dwell Studio, $299; www.stelleaudio.com Men’s Shoe Shine Kit, Mark & Graham, $99; www.markandgraham.com Maple Stick Candles, Stick Candles, $38; princetonmagazinestore.com Chess Board and Chess Pieces by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, price upon request; www.stillfried.com Pasta book by Antonio Carluccio, Chronicle Books, $29.95; www.chroniclebooks.com
Tiffany & Co. Vintage Platinum Sapphire and Diamond Earrings, H1912, 104 Nassau St. Princeton, $8,500; www.H1912.com Johnnie Walker Tasting Kit, Astor, $5000; www.tumi.com Leather Banded-Fur Gloves in Burgundy/Chianti, Gala Gloves, $155; www.neimanmarcus.com Striped Mohair & Wool Sweater, Max Mara, $525; www.luisaviaroma.com
WINTER 2016
HolidayShops.indd 5
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
15
12/8/16 10:20:11 AM
Is quality dental care something you dream of, but turns into a nightmare every time you think about it?
Give yourself or someone you love the gift of a beautiful smile for the holidays. From whitening to complete smile makeovers, we can help you have the smile you dream of having.
Gift certificates available. More than half the population does not receive adequate dental care, because fears, medical issues or emotions prevent them from obtaining it. Dental fear, whether caused by needles, noises, smells, prior bad experiences, gagging issues, or no rational reason, are very real and nothing to be ridiculed. Dr. Jerry Strauss makes quality dental care available and accessible, and a comfortable, pleasant experience for everyone, regardless of the nature of their fears. With extensive training in providing dental care to sedated patients, there are many avenues Dr. Strauss can take to relax patients. Oral sedation allows patients to be completely relaxed, and often very groggy throughout their treatment. For patients who want a deeper sedation, an anesthesiologist provides IV sedation right in Dr. Strauss’s dental office. This is a wonderful option for anyone who wants to be completely “out of it” for dental care, is taking certain medication, for children, and for those who have extenuating health issues that require medical management during dental procedures. Don’t let dental fears stop you from getting the care you need, or the smile you dream of having. There is no longer any reason to put off getting care. Dr. Strauss can even relax you just for cleanings!! No matter how bad you think your mouth is, we guarantee that we have seen worse. We are not judgmental, and just want to help you improve your situation. For a complimentary phone consultation to answer your questions about sedation dentistry, call 973-227-8998.
DENTAL CARE
Blending technology & artistry to create beautiful smiles. 336 Union Blvd. Totowa NJ 07512 | (973) 227-8998 UA_adtemplate.indd 1
12/2/16 2:26:33 PM
2017 NJ Summer Camp Fairs ...Connecting Great Kids with Great Camps Meet Camp Directors from All Kinds of Summer Camps and Programs... Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017 - Bridgewater Marriott, Bridgewater Sat., Jan. 14, 2017 - The Outlets at Bergen Town Center, Paramus Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017 - The Grand Summit Hotel, Summit Sat., Jan. 21, 2017 - Quaker Bridge Mall, Lawrenceville Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017 - The Sheraton Parsippany, Parsippany Sat., Jan. 28, 2017 - Menlo Park Mall, Edison Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 - Livingston Mall, Livingston
FREE ADMISSION Noon to 3pm
BRING THIS AD FOR FREE GIFT! One gift per family. Limit first 100 families.
All camp fairs will run from Noon to 3pm
morrisanimalinn.com
Morris Animal Inn 120 Sand Spring Road Morristown, NJ 07960
973-539-0377
NJKIDSONLINE.COM
For More Information and Directions go to: www.NJCampFairs.com
Joyful learning leads to a lifetime of achievement. It begins here, at Hun Middle School.
Release your inner nerd.
THE HUN SCHOOL OF PRINCETON Serving grades 6 through 12 and post graduates • www.hunschool.org (609) 921-7600 WINTER 2016
UA_adtemplate.indd 3
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
17
12/9/16 9:38:55 AM
YMCA CAMP MASON OVERNIGHT CAMP ANYWHERE FROM HERE
OPEN HOUSES 3/26, 4/22, 5/20 1pm start
Overnight Camp for ages 7-16 Ranch Camp - Adventure Trips - Leadership Programs Heated Pool - Skatepark - Archery - Boating - FREE Daily Trip Options Campers & Staff from Around the Globe - Ropes Courses - Music Program Horseback Riding - Nature/Farm Program - Mountain Biking- Hiking Modern, Comfortable Lodging - Superior Staff - So much more!
Open November 25 - December 23 Tuesday - Sunday | 9 am - 4 pm (closed Monday)
We offer Wagon rides, hot drinks and food, Santa visits on the weekends Our Trees: White Pine • Norway Spruce • Blue Spruce Fraser Fir • Canaan Fir • Douglas-Fir
77 Jackson Valley Rd. Washington, NJ 07882 908-835-0557
www.campmason.org 908-362-8217 information@campmason.org
18
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_adtemplate.indd 2
www.EvergreenValleyChristmasTrees.com
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 9:36:52 AM
WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN TO START For some, having a baby can take more time, especially once you’re in your mid-30s. If you’re having trouble getting or staying pregnant, don’t wait. With a 63.2% success rate, well above the national average,* and treatment times measured in months—not years—the leaders at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey can help now. Now with 25 expert physicians, we offer convenient appointment hours at ten locations: Basking Ridge, Eatontown, Englewood, Freehold, Hamilton, Morristown, Somerset, Springfield, West Orange, and now in Marlton.
Speak with a personal patient liaison and start finding your answers today. Call 973-656-2089 or visit www.rmanj.com.
*SART 2014; Cumulative Outcome Per Intended Retrieval; Preliminary Chance of Live Birth Per Cycle. Please note: A comparison of clinic success rates may not be meaningful because a patient’s medical characteristics, treatment approaches and entrance criteria for assisted reproductive technology (ART) may vary from clinic to clinic. Visit www.sart.org to learn more.
www.rmanj.com/contact-us | 973-656-2089 | UA_adtemplate.indd 1
11/30/16 1:19:02 PM
THE R TS F CHRISTMAS
ARE IN NORTH JERSEY’S TREE FARMS
BY
20
SARAH EMILY GILBERT
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_Tree Farms_Holiday16.indd 2
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 10:23:58 AM
image courtesy of shutterstock.com
N
othing can replicate the scent of a freshly cut Christmas tree. Perhaps that’s because it is more a memory than a smell. With that sweet-piney aroma comes Dad’s slushy boots walking through the living room with the tree in tow, dust billowing off ornaments as they’re unwrapped for the season, and decorative lights waiting to guide Santa Claus. Our local tree farms help preserve these old-fashioned family traditions by providing the quintessential choose and cut Christmas tree experience. If you’re pining for the holidays, plan a trip to one of the North Jersey tree farms outlined in our directory. Wyckoff’s Christmas Tree Farm 249 County Road 519, Belvidere, NJ 908.475.4508 wyckoffs.com
Hours: Daily, 8AM – 4:30PM through December 24 Services: Choose and cut Choose and cut trees: Douglas Fir, Blue Spruce, Fraser Fir, Norway Spruce, White Pine, Concolor Fir Wyckoff’s Christmas Tree Farm is White House approved. The 170-acre family owned and operated farm presented Michelle Obama the Blue Room Christmas Tree after receiving the 2013 National Christmas Tree Association’s Grand Champion Award. Additionally, the White House staff handpicked four 10-foot Fraser Firs from Wyckoff’s to display on their grounds. On weekends, customers can go on a narrated tour of the grounds or visit the holiday gift shop, which is open from 9AM to 4:30PM.
Shale Hills Christmas Tree Farm 98 Pond School Road, Sussex, NJ 973.875.4231 shalehillsfarm.com Hours: Weekends, 10AM – dusk through December 25 Services: Choose and cut and precut trees Choose and cut trees: Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Douglas Fir, Concolor Fir Owner Mike Garrett has lived on Shale Hills Farm since he was three years old, and in that time, he’s mastered the art of Christmas. The weekend after Thanksgiving, the farm practically becomes the North Pole. While Mrs. Claus makes everything from warm pretzels to cinnamon rolls in her Candy Cane Cottage, “The Real Olde World Santa” stops by for photos in his Throne Room. Live baby animals frolic in a heated 19th-century barn and children watch a free Christmas movie in the hayloft. There’s one popular activity at Shale Hills that’s often not associated with Christmas: tailgating. According to Garrett, families park their cars and spend the day at the farm snacking and socializing, even in the most frigid temperatures.
WINTER 2016
UA_Tree Farms_Holiday16.indd 3
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
21
12/8/16 10:24:18 AM
Dixiedale Farm
Dixiedale Farm 347 Hillside Avenue & River Road, Chatham, NJ 973.507.4344 dixiedalefarms.com
Dower Christmas Tree Farm 4 Todd Avenue, Peapack, NJ 908.781.5407 dowerfarm.com
Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 9AM – 3:30PM through December 23 Services: Choose and cut and precut trees Choose and cut trees: Norway Spruce
Hours: Daily, 9AM – 4PM through December 25 (appointment requested on weekdays) Services: Choose and cut and precut trees Choose and cut trees: Canaan Firs, Norway Spruce, Douglas Fir
Since 1911, the Averett family has offered its customers old-fashioned hospitality, complete with hot cider, cookies, and a fire pit to warm up. For the past 22 years, John Sweeney has managed the 10-acre farm that’s only 30-40 minutes from New York City. Dixiedale is not just family-friendly, but also dog-friendly; Sweeney is known to hand out biscuits to canine visitors helping their owners pick out a Christmas tree.
22
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_Tree Farms_Holiday16.indd 4
The 65-acre Dower Tree Farm has close to 1,000 trees ready to be hand cut for Christmas. While this alone is a sight to see, it’s the view of the Peapack Hills that makes Dower Farm such a spectacular place. A family-owned farm for over 100 years, Dower was named an officially preserved farmland in 2010. The architectural firm responsible for the New York Public Library also designed the farm’s original house and grounds in collaboration with the landscape architect responsible for the Lincoln Memorial. Today, the farm is owned by Mark and Anne van den Bergh, and managed by John Jablonski.
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 10:24:42 AM
Hidden Pond Tree Farm 4 West Field Road, Mendham, NJ 973.865.6362 hiddenpondtreefarm.com
Wolgast Tree Farm 176 Bennetts Lane, Somerset, NJ 732.873.3206 wolgattreefarm.com
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 8AM – 5PM (call ahead for Monday hours) through December 20 Services: Choose and cut and precut trees, wreaths Choose and cut trees: Canaan Fir, Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Meyer’s Spruce
Hours: Weekends, 9AM – 5PM through December 24 Services: Choose and cut trees Choose and cut trees: White Pine, Scotch Pine, Austrian Pine, Canaan Fir, Douglas Fir, Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce
As the President of the New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association, Chris Nicholson is always thinking of the holiday season. That’s why the motto of his tree farm is, “Where Christmas grows all year round.” Nicholson has owned and operated the Hidden Pond Tree Farm since 2000 with the help of his wife, daughter, and his parents. In addition to choose and cut trees, Hidden Pond offers larger precut Fraser Firs that were harvested from their farm in Pennsylvania. For the first time this year Nicholson will be selling Meyer’s Spruces, a smaller tree native to China that has recently risen in popularity. Nicholson explains that the tree is particularly fitting for his customers living in New York City apartments. “Hidden Pond sells the experience just as much as the tree,” he says. In accordance, Nicholson’s farm offers hot cocoa, hayrides, a bonfire with marshmallows, and lots of holiday cheer.
“I’m all about the bees and Len is all about the trees,” says Cathy Blumig, co-owner of Wolgast Tree Farms. In 1977, Blumig and Len Wolgast turned their passion for nature into a business. Wolgast, a Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Ecology and Management at Rutgers University, runs the tree farm, and in recent years, Blumig has taken up beekeeping. Along with a variety of choose and cut trees, customers can purchase homemade honey and honey products such as soap, lotion bars, and lip balm. Like most farmers, Blumig and Wolgast use a variety of methods to thwart off deer in order to protect their trees. However, to Blumig’s amusement, one of their customers requests a tree with buck rub each season.
Hidden Pond Tree Farm
WINTER 2016
UA_Tree Farms_Holiday16.indd 5
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
23
12/8/16 10:24:56 AM
Circelli Tree Farm
Simonson Farms
Circelli Tree Farm 334 Skillman Lane, Somerset, NJ 732.873.3757
Simonson Farms 260 Dey Road, Cranbury, NJ (choose and cut trees) 120 Cranbury Neck Road, Cranbury, NJ (choose and cut trees) 118 Dey Road, Plainsboro, NJ (precut trees) 609.799.0140 simonsonfarms.com
Hours: Weekends and Black Friday, 9AM – 5PM through December 24 Services: Choose and cut and precut trees Choose and cut trees: Douglas Fir, Blue Spruce, Fraser Fir, Concolor Fir Since 1997, Circelli Tree Farm has attracted families in pursuit of the perfect Christmas tree, not to mention free hot chocolate and cookies. The farm’s family-friendly atmosphere is rooted in their family-owned and operated business. Although all three of Rita and Anthony Circelli’s children are out of the house, they come home to assist their parents each holiday season. They handle everything from the tree farm’s Facebook page to its handmade grave blankets. Circelli Farm can also provide a scenic backdrop for this year’s family portrait. According to Rita, a local photographer often brings her clients to the farm for photo sessions. In addition to trees, customers can find wreaths, holly, and firewood at this Somerset locale.
24
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_Tree Farms_Holiday16.indd 6
Hours: 260 Dey Road: Weekends, 9AM – dusk through December 23 120 Cranbury Neck Road: Monday–Friday, Noon – dusk through December 23 118 Dey Road: opens Noon – 7PM on weekdays through December 24 Services: Choose and cut and precut trees Choose and cut trees available: Exotic Firs, Douglas Fir, Concolor Fir, Canaan Fir, White Pine, Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, White Spruce Simonson Farms has three locations, four generations, and more trees than you can count. Rodger and Samantha Jany currently run the family owned and operated business, but their children, ages three, four, and eight, think the fifth generation has already taken over. Although a tad small to tow trees, the Jany kids try their best to assist their parents, cousins, grandparents, and the rest of the clan with the farms’ Christmas operations. At Cranbury Road, visitors take a holiday-clad covered wagon to select and cut their tree of choice. It’s also the location of their annual Candy Cane Hunt, where Santa Claus acts as the event’s biggest cheerleader. In addition to precut trees, the Dey Road location offers food trucks, homemade popcorn, and a Christmas shop.
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 10:25:14 AM
Tree Tips: Like all living things, freshly cut trees require special attention and care. The National Christmas Tree Association offers tips to keep your tree healthy throughout the holidays. They suggest using a tree stand that can hold one quart of water per inch of stem diameter. By cutting a 1/2-inch disk from the bottom of the trunk, a tree’s water uptake can be improved. They also warn to never let the water level go below the base of the tree. According to the experts, a tree lasts longer in cooler temperatures, so it should be kept away from major heat sources. Once the tree is dry, it becomes a fire hazard, and should be removed from your home. For more tree care tips, visit the National Christmas Tree Association’s website at www. realhchristmastrees.org.
Evergreen Valley Christmas Tree Farm 77 Jackson Valley Road, Washington, NJ 908.835-0557 evergreenvalleychristmastrees.com Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 9am – 4pm through December 23 Services: Choose and cut trees Choose and cut trees: Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, White Pine, Canaan Fir, Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce As the winners of the Grand Champion prize at the New Jersey State Christmas Tree Contest, it’s clear that the Alpaugh family takes the oldfashioned choose-and-cut experience into a modern arena. Aside from wagon rides, Santa Claus, homemade wreaths, and tailgating, this third generation farm shares extensive information online. Their website simplifies the tree-selection process by providing photos of each species, along with a close-up of its branches, to help customers identify their tree of choice. This is particularly useful at this vibrant tree farm as they offer over 10,000 trees each season. In keeping with its name, Evergreen Valley has undying Christmas spirit. Throughout the winter, you’ll find their loyal clientele making holiday memories alongside their friends and family—and even their dogs.
Dear Clients and Friends, Recently, you may have heard two troubling stories in the media about how big “mega” banks approach servicing their clients. Coming on the heels of the Great Recession, these reports have caused me to become quite concerned about the state of the financial industry. So many institutions, especially strong, locally based banks like Peapack-Gladstone Bank, continue to have our hard work and commitment to our clients tarnished by these reports. The first report is about a large bank whose employees opened nearly two million accounts that may not have been authorized by clients, reportedly in order to achieve sales goals placed upon them. These actions resulted in clients paying unauthorized fees and bank staff members receiving bonuses. After nearly four decades in this business, I see this as nothing short of outrageous. The second story reported on an approach being taken by the private banking division of another large bank to require clients to have a minimum of
$10 million in investible assets in order to receive access to its top-tier platform, services and advisors. It’s as if helping clients get to $10 million isn’t worth their time. I’ve spent most of my career at big financial companies. I moved to Peapack-Gladstone Bank four years ago to be closer to clients and to work collaboratively with them to improve their financial situations. All of our bankers at Peapack-Gladstone Bank joined the Bank for the same reason—to help our clients achieve their financial goals in a thoughtful and unbiased way. Peapack-Gladstone Bank was founded in 1921 with the goal of serving its clients better. We don’t sell for the sake of selling. We have been providing thoughtful financial advice and solutions to clients for generations. We are successful because our clients trust us. Trust is the foundation of banking; it is the foundation of any meaningful relationship.
If you feel that you are just another customer of one of those mega banks and you know that it doesn’t have your best interests in mind, maybe it’s time to reconsider your options. A great local bank like Peapack-Gladstone Bank will always have you and your family’s best interests in mind. This may ultimately determine whether you achieve your financial goals over your lifetime. Sincerely,
Doug Kennedy President & CEO of Peapack-Gladstone Bank
500 Hills Drive • Suite 300 • P.O. Box 700 • Bedminster, NJ 07921-0700 • (908) 234-0700 • www.pgbank.com
winter 2016
UA_Tree Farms_Holiday16.indd 7
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
25
12/8/16 10:25:34 AM
Visual Arts Center of New Jersey We are offering through 12/24/16
20% Off
Give the Gift of Art this Season
on all of our fine jewelry.
Come and see our beautiful collection and check out all our other jewelry at all price ranges.
Consider an Art Center gift certificate that can be enjoyed throughout the new year. Visit www.artcenternj.org or call 908.273.9121.
25 South Finley Ave. | Basking Ridge, NJ | 908.696.1088 Mon-Fri: 10:00am - 5:30pm | Saturday: 10:00am - 5:00pm
609.333.9200 www.BrickFarmTavern.com 130 Hopewell-Rocky Hill Road Hopewell, NJ 08525
Seward Johnson, On Poppied Hill, ©1999 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. photo by David W. Steele
MAKE IT A WONDERFUL WINTER AT GFS Experience the beauty of Grounds For Sculpture all
winter long! All tickets purchased online through March 31st are only $10. As always, admission for members and kids 5 & under is free. Be sure to stop by the Museum Shop this holiday season for unique one-of-a-kind gifts – no admission necessary!
HOLIDAY SHOPPING MADE EASY
THE GIFT OF GFS Provide a day at GFS including admission for 2, a personal one-hour guided tour, and a $50 gift card to the Zagat-rated Rat’s Restaurant. $125 GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP Give a unique gift that lasts year-round! Members receive free admission, exclusive invitations to members-only previews and events, plus discounts on programs, dining, shopping, and more! starting at $60 ANYTIME PASS (15pk) Anytime Passes to GFS make the perfect stocking stuffer. Available in packs of 15 for smart savings! $180 Purchases can be made at the Museum Shop or online at groundsforsculpture.org/shop
Restaurant Hours Tuesday-Sunday 5:30-9:30pm Sat & sun 11:30am-2:00pm
26
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_adtemplate.indd 2
Bar Hours Tuesday-Friday 5:00-11:00pm Sat & Sun 11:30am-11:00p
Hamilton, NJ | groundsforsculpture.org
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 9:38:47 AM
95 years of attention to every detail.
Advice and Planning • Investment Management • Trust and Fiduciary • Private Banking
John P. Babcock • President of Private Wealth Management 908-719-3301 • jbabcock@pgbank.com • pgbprivatebanking.com Member FDIC
UA_adtemplate.indd 1
*Nondeposit investment products are not insured by the FDIC; are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, Peapack-Gladstone Bank; and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.
11/30/16 11:01:02 AM
QA &
With Economist Alan S. Blinder by Lynn Adams Smith
A
lan S. Blinder is the Gordon S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, now on leave as a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He served as the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors from 1994 to 1996, was a member of President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors, and is an informal policy adviser to the Hillary Clinton campaign. Dr. Blinder is a regular columnist for the Wall Street Journal and appears on PBS, CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, and elsewhere.
Hackers were found to have targeted election systems during the Presidential campaign. Is our financial system at all vulnerable to hackers? I think everyone knows by now that our financial system, like all of our IT systems, is vulnerable. Indeed, we have seen several major banks successfully hacked, despite prodigious efforts on cybersecurity. Your book about the history of the 2008 financial crisis; After the Music Stopped: The Financial Crisis, the Response, and the Work Ahead was a New York Times bestseller and has been praised for making complicated economic issues understandable to the lay reader.
Wells Fargo was recently fined $185 million for opening accounts without customer’s knowledge, going back to at least 2011. Are some banks simply too big to regulate? And are smaller community banks overwhelmed by regulations, resulting in an increased number of consolidations?
In the book, you wrote about “The Ten Commandments for the Future of Finance.”
I don’t think any bank is too big to regulate, though no one should expect regulators to see everything— especially if the bank is not forthcoming.
1. Thou Shalt Remember That People Forget. 2. Thou Shalt Not Rely on Self-Regulation.
We may well have gone too far with regulating smaller banks. Ironically, they have been the victim of Washington’s extreme obstructionism. Both parties agree, I think, that the regulatory burden on community banks could and should be lightened. I have some hope that something might be done after the election.
3. Thou Shalt Honor Thy Shareholders. 4. Thou Shalt Elevate the Importance of Risk Management. 5. Thou Shalt Use Less Leverage. 6. Thou Shalt Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Please comment on the recent agreement between Governor Chris Christie and Democratic leaders to raise the gas tax 23 cents to fund the transportation program. The deal includes eliminating the estate tax, a slight reduction in sales tax, and increasing the income tax credit for low income workers. As a citizen, my reaction is: “it’s about time.” No one likes higher taxes, but the money has to come from somewhere. It’s too bad the estate tax had to be part of the ransom.
28
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_AlanBlinder_Holiday16.indd 2
7. Thou Shalt Standardize Derivatives and Trade Them on Organized Exchanges. 8. Thou Shalt Keep Things on the Balance Sheet. 9. Thou Shalt Fix Perverse Compensation Systems. 10. Thou Shalt Watch Out for Ordinary Consumer-Citizens.
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 10:28:23 AM
Today, have we fully recovered from that crisis and are we doing a good job at living by those ten commandments? We have almost fully recovered financially and economically—but not psychologically. But I’d say we’ve done only a so-so job, at best, of adhering to these commandments. For example, we have a long way to go on regulating derivatives; rating agencies continue to get paid by the companies that issue the rated securities; and some banks continue to do outrageous things. Yet Republicans still want to repeal Dodd-Frank.
main story is that technology has worked to the benefit of top earners and against low-skilled workers. This is not easily reversed, but—and this is very good news—real wages have been climbing lately as labor markets have tightened. So we don’t have to wait for 2017 to see improvement. It’s happening already. What should be the number one economic priority for the next President? It would be a sharpening of your previous question on wages. The truth is that the wages of the lower 99 percent have been doing poorly. The economy is delivering for the top 1 percent, but that’s not nearly enough. Governments should take numerous steps to help the lower 99 percent, including raising the minimum wage, making the Earned Income Tax Credit more generous, creating more apprenticeship programs, and making high-quality pre-K education a reality for all. That’s just a few things; more are needed.
Could you explain why real wages have been flat and do you see that improving in 2017? I can’t, entirely. Neither can anyone else. A little bit is statistical illusion, but the plain fact is that real wages on average have done poorly and real wages on the bottom rungs of the ladder have done dreadfully. A bit of it is due to import competition, though that is frequently exaggerated. Another bit is due to the decline of unions. A third bit can be traced directly to government decisions, such as not raising the minimum wage. But I think the
P R I S M S!
P r i nPrinceton c e t o n IPrinceton n tInternational e r n a International t i o n a l SSchool cSchool h o o l of o Mathematics f Mathematics M a t h e mand a t Science i cand s a nScience d Science of A N e w S T EA M S Tf E oM c ufsoec d io r dainnd gD aaynHdi g hD Sa cyh oH u s, e dI,nItnet errn n aatti o n anl aBl o aBr doian g o li g h S c h o o l
A STEM focused, International Boarding and Day High School
• STEM 3.0 education including two years of original research requirement. • Small class size taught by best in field faculty with research experience. • Our students are currently attending the following colleges and universities: Brown, Caltech, Cornell, Duke, MIT, Notre Dame, Oberlin, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rhode Island School of Design, UC Berkeley, University of Michigan and many others.
For more information or to schedule a visit, please contact the Admissions Office at (609)454-5589 or see the PRISMS website at www.prismsus.org
Congratulations to the Class of 2016, our first graduating class, with college admissions to:
MIT, CalTech, Duke, Cornell, Brown, UCBerkeley, UCLA, University of Michigan, Notre Dame, University of Illinois, Harvey Mudd, and 70+ more. WINTER 2016
PRISMS HP Sept 16.indd 1
UA_AlanBlinder_Holiday16.indd 3
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
29
8/18/16 5:03:14 PM
12/8/16 10:28:58 AM
The International Rescue Committee: Getting Past the “Wall of Bureaucratic Measures” by Ellen Gilbert
6
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_IRC_Holiday16.indd 2
winter 2016
12/8/16 10:30:39 AM
(opposite) Makbola and her daughter, Turkiya, pictured at the border camp in northern Greece, Idomeni. There are currently over 10,000 refugees stranded in Idomeni, uncertain of their futures. Photo courtesy of Jodi Hilton/IRC. (below) David Miliband in Niger, parched refuge for Nigerians fleeing attacks by militants. Photo courtesy of IRC.
“W
ith America and the world now facing what can only be described as a global exodus of people fleeing war, supporting refugees is more necessary than ever.”
– David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) seeks to bring attention to forgotten or neglected crises, and to pressure governments and international organizations to take action to help and protect refugees, displaced people, and other victims of conflict. It began in 1933 at the suggestion of Albert Einstein, who foresaw a New York City-based committee, with counterparts in cities on the periphery of Nazi-occupied states. While it is true that Einstein began to work on his unified field theory soon after he settled in Princeton, his preoccupations—then and always — weren’t just those of a physicist. He was a refugee with profound humanitarian instincts. The IRC’s work has grown exponentially over the years. At the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies’ 2008 Spring Colloquium on Refugees and Forced Migration, then-IRC President George Rupp described a “global challenge rooted in myriad local conflicts.” Since then, the situation has only grown more acute. “We are again seeing a double assault against some of the world’s most vulnerable people,” writes IRC President David Miliband in a recent article in The New York Review of Books. “Their character and intentions are often impugned and they are denied dignified refuge.”
“A Deeply Religious Non-Believer” Einstein was quick to take action in 1933. He organized a committee of 51 prominent American intellectuals, artists, clergy, and political leaders who formed a branch of what was then called the International Relief Association in New York. Its mission, as The New York Times reported on July 24, 1933, was to “assist Germans suffering from the policies of the Hitler regime.” Founding members of the group included the philosopher John Dewey, the writer John Dos Passos, and the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Momentum built. Another group of leaders formed the Emergency Rescue Committee when Paris fell to the Nazis in 1940, and as the crisis deepened into World War II, the two groups merged. Eleanor Roosevelt came on board a year later, in apparent response to Einstein’s expression of “deep concern” at policies being followed under her husband’s watch as President. In his letter to Mrs. Roosevelt Einstein described a “wall of bureaucratic measures, alleged to be necessary to protect America against subversive, dangerous elements.” In a forward to The Cosmic View of Albert Einstein, Alice Calaprice, compiler and editor of The Ultimate Quotable Einstein (Princeton University Press, 2010),
winter 2016
UA_IRC_Holiday16.indd 3
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
31
12/8/16 10:30:50 AM
The IRC provides direct assistance for people as they try to feed their families and find a safe place to live, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Photo courtesy of IRC.
photos courtesy of irc
non-believer,” Fagin observes. As a “one-worlder,” another of Einstein’s suggestions was the creation of an armed international federation of nations, where no one nation would have more military might than another. Despite his pacificism, Einstein knew that the Germans were close to developing nuclear weapons and, as a result, encouraged their development in the United States. “If he’d have known that the Germans couldn’t do it, he would never have supported developing them here,” says Fagin. And despite being a “one-worlder,” Einstein became an American citizen in 1940 believing that democracy was the world’s best hope. Calaprice observes that Einstein “was wise enough to change his mind as circumstances and the passage of time dictated, both in his physics and in his worldview.” Einstein’s admiration for democracy, however, went hand-in-hand with his sensitivity to injustices that were occurring right in his neighborhood. As a result of his active interest in civil rights, Einstein became a friend of Paul Robeson and saw in Princeton, says Fagin, “a little of what he left in Germany: the different treatment and even prejudice based upon a people’s culture from one group to another.”
writes about what Einstein described as his “cosmic religion,” suggesting that he “most likely meant to convey that it is possible to be religious—that is, not an atheist—without belief in the ‘personal’ God that most societies throughout the world see as the ‘real’ God. “Einstein was interested in the world,” agreed Princeton resident and selfdescribed “avid historical hobbyist” Tim Fagin in a recent interview about his favorite historical figure. “He read lots of philosophy, loved talking politics and cared deeply about society.” Most of all, says Fagin, a guide with the Princeton Tour Company and recent speaker at the Monthly Meeting of The Women’s College Club of Princeton, “he himself was a refugee who had an interest in all matters concerning civic life.” An avowed pacifist, Einstein was a member of the “Two Percenters” who believed that if two percent of those considered eligible refused military service, it would be enough to preclude wars. “He was a deeply religious
32
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_IRC_Holiday16.indd 4
IRC Help Over the years At the end of World War II the IRC initiated emergency relief programs and began refugee resettlement in Europe. In 1956, it began relief and resettlement efforts for thousands of Hungarian refugees who were uprooted when a revolt against Soviet rule was crushed by the Red Army. In the 1960s, the IRC’s first resettlement office outside of New York opened in Miami, to assist Cuban refugees fleeing the Castro dictatorship. Also in 1962, when 200,000 Angolans
winter 2016
12/8/16 4:30:13 PM
photo courtesy of irc
escaped their country’s colonial government during the war of independence, the IRC launched its first programs in Africa. From 1954 to 1975, the IRC worked aiding Vietnamese refugees displaced by conflict. Following the Vietnam War, the IRC took a lead role in the largest refugee resettlement program in American history. Within weeks of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the IRC rushed to aid Afghan refugees who poured into Pakistan. More than three decades later, it continues to provide to a country still riddled by conflict. The IRC began work in the former Yugoslavia in 1992 following the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 1993, it has resettled over 20,000 refugees from the Balkans in the United States. In 1994, as a result of the Rwandan genocide and civil war, the IRC established emergency programs to aid Rwandan refugees. In the years following, the IRC helped to reunite families separated in the chaos. After a tsunami hit Indonesia on December 26, 2004, IRC mobile relief teams arrived to provide emergency aid to those affected—including providing child friendly spaces for children displaced by the disaster. As the conflict in Darfur displaced thousands, the IRC was one of the only organizations assisting refugees pouring into Chad at the beginning of the conflict. More than a decade later, millions remain displaced. Since the outbreak began in 2014, the IRC has been on the forefront of the fight to stem the spread of the Ebola in Sierra Leone and Liberia while working closely with local partners to help communities to rebuild and recover.
IRC deployed an emergency team to the Greek island of Lesbos in July 2015 to aid thousands of refugees arriving to Europe from Turkey. It continues to work in Europe and in the Syrian region to assist Syrian refugees fleeing their country’s brutal civil war.
Widening Gap In addition to bureaucratic roadblocks and problems with the public’s perception of refugees today, there is a desperate need for funds. “The gap between needs and resources is widening,” writes Miliband. “In 2015, the United Nations appealed for $20 billion in order to address global humanitarians needs; it received just $11 billion.” This shortfall compromises the ability of agencies like the IRC to do its work of responding to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. “The more than a dozen conflicts that have broken out or reignited since 2010 are behind much of the growth in global displacement,” Miliband notes. New horrors only compound old ones. “Today’s conflicts burn for an average of 37 years,” reports Miliband. Some 27 million Afghans and 1.1 million Somalis have been exiled for decades, and the global numbers only get worse. On average, 34,000 people were forced to flee their homes every day of 2015. “As in the 1940s, the longer the delay, the worse the reckoning,” writes Miliband.
winter 2016
UA_IRC_Holiday16.indd 5
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
33
12/9/16 10:29:18 AM
Experience College This Summer n
Challenge Yourself with Ivy League Academics
n
Prepare to Succeed in a College Environment
n
Meet Exceptional Students from Around the World
n
More than 300 Academic Courses
n
College Credit Courses
n
Sessions 1 to 7 Weeks in Length
n
STEM Programs for Middle & High School Students
n
Summer Sports Camps
Application Opens December 1
www.brown.edu/summer
A coeducational independent day school
Middle School Grades 6 - 8 A Place of Possibilities
2 Upper School Grades 9 - 12 Powerfully Prepared for Learning and for Life
MIDDLE SCHOOL INFORMATION SESSION
UPPER SCHOOL INFORMATION SESSION
Tuesday, January 24, 2017 / 9:00 - 11:00 AM
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 / 9:30 - 11:30 AM
Come visit us and discover the possibilities. www.mbs.net 34
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_adtemplate.indd 2
973.539.3032
/morristownbeard
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 9:40:34 AM
Th
Prepare to climb.
PR
IS
M
S
IN
V
IT AT I
O
N
A
L
M
AT H
Th
EV
EN
T
PRISMS Invitational Math Event
Sat. Jan. 14 2017 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The PRIME is a crazy fun math competition for middle school students grades 6-8! Spend the day with students like YOU who love all things math. Hang out with Math Gold Medalists, including a special appearance by Peter Peng, PRISMS Student and Gold Medalist, US Math Olympiad Team!
Middle Schoolers Grade 6-8 Sign up at prismsevents.com Teams and individuals welcome
DELBARTON.ORG Prepare yourself.
Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science Princeton, NJ
Alexis Maybank Peck Class of 1989 Founder, Gilt Founder, Project September Revolutionized the landscape of luxury ecommerce and online shopping MBA from Harvard University Member of the Council on Foreign Relations A member of The Peck Pride
The journey begins at The Peck School. A K-8, co-educational private day school in Morristown, NJ.
247 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960. www.peckschool.org. (973) 539-8660.
WINTER 2016
UA_adtemplate.indd 3
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
35
12/8/16 9:42:17 AM
Acorn Hall
Destination Morristown
Birthplace of the telegraph and home to NJ’s best meatballs. by sarah emily gilbert
Morristown, New Jersey has the conveniences of a city and the charm of suburbia. Along with access to mass transit and a walkable downtown, the Morris County town boasts Victorian-era homes, respected public schools, and historic sites. Among its estimated 18,594 residents are young professionals happy to find a culturally vibrant area where they can raise their families and arrive at Penn Station in an hour’s time. 36
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_Morristown_Holiday16.indd 2
winter 2016
12/8/16 10:33:14 AM
A
Jockey Hollow Dining Room
long with commuters, Morristown attracts serious foodies. Eclectic restaurants, bars, and eateries line the downtown area. This includes Millie’s Old World Meatballs and Pizza, or as locals call it, “Home to New Jersey’s Best Meatballs.” The town is also home to three national landmarks: political cartoonist, Thomas Nast’s home, “The Birthplace of the Telegraph” or Historical Speedway, and the Morristown National Historical Park, which consists of three sites pivotal during the American Revolution. Another spot that warrants a visit is the oldest existing guide dog school in the world, The Seeing Eye. The Morris County Tourism Bureau offers guided tours throughout the town on various topics including “Gilded Age Morristown,” “Secrets and Lore of Morristown’s Historic District,” and “Morristown in Three Centuries.” Their free walking tour app, complete with professional narration, is available for download on iTunes. The interactive app guides users through the town’s historic district, highlighting the gravesites of prominent Morristown founders, its architecturally unique churches, and other notable landmarks. The Historic Green, a 2.65-acre park at the heart of town, perhaps best explains Morristown’s fusion of old and new. In existence since 1715, “the Green” commemorates the town’s rich history with plaques and statues. Among them is “The Alliance,” a statue of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette that honors their 1780 meeting in Morristown. Today, the Green is the meeting place for social happenings and community events. It is ringed by luxury condominiums like The Monroe and The Metropolitan at 40 Park, along with boutiques, offices, and restaurants.
Morristown Historic Speedwell
Proving its versatility, the Green becomes a winter wonderland during Morristown’s annual Christmas Festival. Beginning in late November, the Historic Green is the epicenter of holiday cheer as it hosts a myriad of seasonal activities and events, including the arrival of Santa Claus. As Morristown begins to wrap its lampposts in ribbon and decorate its town tree, start planning a visit to this historical town. Whether you’re looking for a weekend getaway or a day with the family, the lively streets of Morristown are ready to welcome you this holiday season.
winter 2016
UA_Morristown_Holiday16.indd 3
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
37
12/8/16 10:33:32 AM
Morristown Courthouse
Villa Fontana House
Enjou Chocolat
Frelinghuysen Arboretum
Dine Out
molds), custom logo chocolates, homemade ice cream, gift baskets, corporate gifts as well as wedding and party favors. 8 Dehart Street, 973.993.9090; enjouchocolat.com
The Grand Café The Grand Cafe, located right off the Green in Morristown, offers French and American specialties and a vast wine list in an elegant venue. It is an ideal place for special occasions and offers reasonably priced lunches. 42 Washington Street, 973.540.9444; thegrandcafe.com Millie’s Old World Enjoy meatballs and over 30 options of wood-fired and coal-fired pizzas at this local hotspot. Their meatball recipe comes straight from the kitchen of the family’s grandmother, Millie. BYOB and eat either indoors or outdoors. While the food is traditional, the décor and ambiance of Millie’s is thoroughly modern. 60 South Street, 973.267.9616; milliesoldworld.com Blue Morel Restaurant and Wine Bar Blue Morel combines the finest seasonal ingredients from local, regional, organic and sustainable farms. Nestled in historic Morristown, the restaurant creates a farm-to-table experience serving New American Cuisine, sushi and a seafood raw bar. The restaurant is located in The Westin Governor Morris Hotel. 2 Whippany Road, 973.451.2619; bluemorel.com
Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth Enjou Chocolat Using its secret recipe, Enjou Chocolat has been specializing in fine chocolates since 1983. They make gourmet chocolate assortment pieces, custom shaped chocolates (with an inventory of over 50,000 different
38
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_Morristown_Holiday16.indd 4
Carlo’s Bake Shop The name speaks for itself. Made famous from the TLC hit show, Cake Boss, Carlo’s Bake Shop is world renowned for its impressive cake designs and Italian pastries. Grab a treat to go from their Market Street location, or schedule a consultation for a one-of-a-kind cake for a special occasion. 40 Market Street, 973.998.7771; bakeshop.carlosbakery.com
Shop ‘Til You Drop Boutique 161 This boutique carries chic, easy to wear fashions for every woman. From BB Dakota to Adam Scott Jewelry, their merchandise features the trendiest styles with an urban bend. 161 South Street, 973.267.0067; boutique161.com Just Jersey A unique retail shop featuring handcrafted housewares, jewelry, fashion accessories, and artisan foods—all made right here in the Garden State. 163 South Street, 973.670.9730; justjerseygoods.com
Get Outside Frelinghuysen Arboretum The beautiful 127-acre Frelinghuysen Arboretum offers a serene place to learn more about plants well suited for the soils and climate of Morris
winter 2016
12/8/16 10:33:55 AM
County. Take a one-mile hike along the Whippany River to Acorn Hall past the secret Revolutionaryera Powder Mill, the Morris County Historical Society at Acorn Hall. Open dawn to dusk. 353 East Hanover Avenue, Morris Township. 973-3267600. arboretumfriends.org
Morristown offers 21 contemporary meeting rooms with approximately 31,000 square feet, including video conferencing capabilities and in-house audiovisual services. Pets allowed. 3 Speedwell Avenue, 973.647.1234; morristown.regency.hyatt.com
Transportation & Parking Tips
Seaton Hackney Stables Saddle up and ride through Morris County. The stately Seaton Hackney Stables complex is situated on a 38-acre fenced property. It includes an indoor barn, outdoor barn, and 50 straight and box stalls of various sizes. Other amenities include two large fenced riding rings, a dressage ring, a driving and galloping half-mile long track complete with a judges stand, a Meeting/Scoring Room for shows, parties and special events, as well as plenty of turn-out space. 440 South Street, 973.644.3355; seatonhackney.com
Morristown is always bustling, but during the holidays, parking is particularly hard to find. Our Morristown insiders suggest heading to the Ann/ Bank Street Parking Garage at 30 Schuyler Place or the DeHart Street Parking Garage at 14 Maple Avenue to avoid the crowds. The Morristown Train Station, located at 112 Morris Street, provides direct NJ Transit Rail Service from Hackettstown to New York Penn Station and Hoboken. It’s not uncommon for people to take the train to a neighboring town in Morris County, as it is another steadfast way to avoid metered parking and city traffic.
Stay Over Hyatt House Morristown Located in the rolling hills and broad valleys of northern New Jersey, the Hyatt House Morristown offers travelers access to popular local attractions. It is also an excellent option for business travelers, as well as college students and their guests. 194 Park Avenue, 973.971.0008; morristown.house. hyatt.com
Images and Directory courtesy of Morris County Tourism Bureau. 6 Court Street Morristown, NJ 07960
Lamp post on the Morristown Green
973.631.5151
Hyatt Regency Morristown Set amid a prime business center, this hotel is the ideal downtown base for business and leisure travelers. The newly renovated Hyatt Regency
www.morristourism.org; info@morristourism.org.
Grief is g ood .
TM
www.good-grief.org 38 Elm Street, Morristown, NJ winter 2016
UA_Morristown_Holiday16.indd 5
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
39
12/8/16 10:34:11 AM
PEACE, LOVE & ACTIVISM AT
WOODSTOCK FARM SANCTUARY BY
TAYLOR SMITH | PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WOODSTOCK FARM SANCTUARY
JEFF LYDON, INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT WOODSTOCK FARM SANCTUARY
30 40
URBAN AGENDA URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_woodstock_farm_Holiday16.indd 2
winter 20162016 HOLIDAY
12/8/16 10:40:09 AM
T
MOBY AND THE TINIEST HERD, PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG ABEL.
he heart of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary’s mission is to rescue farm animals and to allow those animals to become ambassadors for compassionate living. Many people may not realize that cattle, roosters, turkeys, chickens, pigs, sheep, ducks, rabbits and goats are very worthy animals—just as worthy as domesticated cats and dogs. As Jeff Lydon, Interim Executive Director at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary states, “these animals are just as sentient and loving as cats and dogs. Despite years of abuse, they can and do grow to love and trust human beings during the course of their rehabilitation.” To better understand the perspective of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, one need only consider their “Thanks-living” event in which turkeys are the guests of honor. At “Thanks-living,” visitors celebrate the turkeys in all their glory, feeding them a full-course vegan meal including delicious pumpkin pie. Promoting and educating the public about veganism is a core mission at the Sanctuary. Every employee abides by the rules of veganism while working at the Sanctuary (no turkey sandwiches are allowed). They also travel to schools throughout Hudson County, NY bringing awareness to students and the general public over the wastefulness and cruelty of factory farming and the harvesting of animals.
winter 20162016 HOLIDAY
UA_woodstock_farm_Holiday16.indd 3
URBAN MAGAZINE AGENDA URBAN AGENDA
3141
12/8/16 10:41:26 AM
ERIC, AND CLYDE, THE ROOSTER.
ATTICUS THE GOAT.
LEXI THE PIG.
30 42
URBAN AGENDA URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_woodstock_farm_Holiday16.indd 4
winter 20162016 HOLIDAY
12/8/16 10:43:29 AM
CLYDE THE ROOSTER, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELISSA CACIOPPO.
It becomes immediately apparent that above all, employees at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary view themselves as caregivers. It is their mission to provide these abused and traumatized animals with a sense of peace and happiness. One nationally known case is Kayli the “beef breed” cow who escaped from the holding pen of a live poultry market in the Philadelphia area. Lydon becomes emotional speaking about Kayli’s “strong spirit” as she literally ran for her life. Kayli was captured by the local police force and it took the help of Philadelphia attorney Marianne Bessey (an animal activist) for Kayli to receive an official pardon from the governor of Pennsylvania so that she could be transported to her new home in the Catskill Mountains. On July 11, 2011, Kayli was greeted by both “cheers and tears” at Woodstock. Woodstock Sanctuary could not run without the help of volunteers and interns. With over 340 rescued animals to take care of, that is a lot of barns, coops, and pastures to clean! Volunteers are welcome throughout the year and may volunteer for the day (Woodstock requests a minimum commitment of 3 hours). All volunteers must attend a 10:30 a.m. orientation. Typical volunteer activities include cleaning the pastures, mucking barns and coops, and raking. All volunteers must be at least 14 years of age (volunteers who are ages 14 or 15 require a parent/guardian supervision for the day). Interns are required to work a 40-hour work-week over a two to three month period of time. All applicants must be 18 years of age. Internships are unpaid but clearly rewarding. According to Woodstock’s website, “the commitment of interns helps us to rescue, provide care and advocate for suffering victims of food animal production.” Potential interns come from all sorts of backgrounds—some are looking for an escape from the daily grind while others are interested in immersing themselves in a vegan lifestyle. Whatever the reason, Woodstock seems to attract extremely sensitive and passionate individuals. While the daily farmwork is physically intensive (and often muddy), the human-animal interactions are priceless. For example, Dolly the llama is particularly known for her warm nuzzles. Dolly came to the sanctuary from an inhumane at-home petting zoo situation where she was confined to a small, concrete enclosure. In contrast, at Woodstock, Dolly roams acres of land and serves as a natural protector and “big sister” to her sheep companions. Like many of Woodstock’s rescues, Dolly is naturally curious and often comes right up to visitors. Another heartwarming tale is Lexi the pig. Lexi was born at a small farm in
New Jersey that specializes in farm-to-table meat. Matthew, a culinary student at the time, was working at the farm and learning how to raise the animals for slaughter. The experience changed Matthew’s entire life path. Not only did he quit culinary school, he also convinced the farmer to sell him the entire litter of piglets (including Lexi), which were then brought to Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. Lexi is now a very large, happy pig with an evident “lust for life.” It took Clyde the rooster no time at all to assert himself as being large and in charge at Woodstock, earning him the nickname, “Clyde the Character.” Clyde was rescued from the streets of New York City where he is estimated to have escaped from a storefront “live kill” market. Thanks to the efforts of one good Samaritan, Clyde feels safe and secure enough to tolerate occasional hugs! Beyond volunteer and intern opportunities, Woodstock welcomes animal sponsorships. Each sponsorship provides an animal with feed, shelter, and care for one year. The sponsorships also make a great holiday gift. Recipients are given a personalized photo and note from their particular animal, including the animal’s name and background information. In addition to monetary gifts, Woodstock welcomes the donation of items from their Amazon wish list (visit woodstocksanctuary.org/donate-goods-and-more), vehicle donations, Amazon Smile, professional skills, and more. 100 percent of funds and donations go towards the feeding, care, and safety of Woodstock’s animals. Currently, all gifts will be matched dollar for-dollar by a very generous anonymous donor. By “doubling the love,” Woodstock will continue to grow their education and outreach programs. To donate today, simply visit donate.woodstocksanctuary.org. The open season for group tours will resume in April 2017 and run through October 2017. For non-volunteers, the farm is open on weekends only from 11AM to 4PM. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids/seniors (toddlers and Woodstock members are free). While guided tours are not mandatory, they are highly recommended. There is no additional charge for the tour which generally run around 90 minutes. During the tours, visitors will be allowed to enter the pastures and yards to socialize with the animals. It’s suggested that visitors bring weatherproof clothes and boots. Woodstock also encourages visitors to bring their own lunch, but out of respect for the animals, no meat or dairy is allowed. Lastly, don’t forget to give the animals a few cuddles before you leave! U WOODSTOCK FARM SANCTUARY, 2 RESCUE ROAD, HIGH FALLS, NY WOODSTOCKSANCTUARY.ORG
winter 20162016 HOLIDAY
UA_woodstock_farm_Holiday16.indd 5
URBAN MAGAZINE AGENDA URBAN AGENDA
3143
12/8/16 10:51:07 AM
CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS Friday, December
9
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season during a Classic Horse & Wagon Ride through downtown Red Bank, NJ (through December 24). www.redbank.org Free holiday entertainment and family fun at Pier Village in Long Branch, NJ (throughout December). www. visitlongbranch.com Art exhibit “IN FLUX” features the intriguing works of eleven diverse artists at Gallery at 14 Maple in Morristown, NJ (through February 16, 2017). Friday Night Skate at William G. Mennen Sports Arena in Morris Township, NJ (repeats weekly through June 2017). www.morrisparks.net
Last weekend to visit Storm King Art Center in New Windsor, NY until the outdoor sculpture park re-opens in April 2017. http://stormking.org Gardening Lessons: Designs for the Dramatic Workshop at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. www.bbg.org “Undaunted Spirit: Native American Art” exhibit at the Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, NJ (on view through December 31). www. montclairartmuseum.org
Monday, December
12
“Curious George: Let’s Get Curious” exhibit on view at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City (through January 8, 2017). http://lsc.org The Mall at Short Hills Holiday Music Series featuring classical pianists, harpists, string duos, and more (full performances occur through December 24). www.shopshorthills.com
Thursday, December
15
Tour the Log House at The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains, NJ. Using holiday greens, pinecones, and the home’s forest palette, the decorations bring nature indoors and spotlight the Arts and Crafts movement (repeats weekly throughout December). www. stickleymuseum.org Young Friends Hanukkah Party at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. www.mjhnyc.org
St. Nick’s Holiday Party at 4JG’s Vineyard in Colts Neck, NJ (also on Sunday, December 11). www.4jgswinery.com
JAN. 15
DEC. 18
DEC. 12
DEC. 19
Saturday, December
Image: Mark Oberndorf, Lyndhurst Diner, Oil on linen, 2009.
Friday, December DEC. 15
DEC. 10
10
Learn to climb at The Gravity Vault Indoor Rock Gym in Upper Saddle River, NJ. Options available for children, adults, novices and experienced climbers. www.gravityvault.com The Dey Mansion/Washington’s Headquarters in Wayne, NJ celebrates the season with a Dutch-style Christmas. View re-enactors, musket, military drills, colonial dancers, 18th C. music, and more. http://discoverpassaiccounty.org
44
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_Calendar_Holiday2016.indd 2
Tuesday, December
Woman’s Dress, ca. 1880-1900, Great Plains, Sioux. Hide, glass beads. Montclair Art Museum: Gift of Mrs. Henry Lang in memory of her mother, Mrs. Jasper R. Rand, 1931.485.
Sunday, December
11
16
“Andy Warhol: The Original Silkscreens” exhibit on view at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City (through August 1, 2017). http://manacontemporary.com
13
Take a winter stroll through the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo this holiday season under the sparkling lights of over 50 winter and animal characters (through January 2, 2017). http:// turtlebackzoo.com
Wednesday, December
14
Say “Woof!” at Paramus Park Mall in Paramus, NJ during Pet Night with Santa (also on Monday, December 12). www.paramuspark.com
Alec Baldwin’s Here’s the Thing Podcast Live with Patti Smith at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, NJ. www.mayoarts.org
NY Giants vs. the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. www.giants.com
Brooklyn Nets vs. the Los Angeles Lakers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. www.nba.com/nets/
A Rhino Christmas Musical at Rhino Theatre in Pompton Lakes, NJ. www. smilingrhinotheatre.com/home.html
Saturday, December
17
Garden Exploration Saturdays at Van Vleck House and Gardens in Montclair, NJ. An environmental educator will discuss subjects related to nature and history, and a simple craft will be offered (repeats weekly). http://vanvleck.org Graham Cracker Gingerbread House Decorating at Abma’s Farm in Wycoff, NJ. www.abmasfarm.com Nature Storytime for children ages 3-7 at the Tenafly Nature Center in Tenafly, NJ. www.tenaflynaturecenter.org
EXTERIOR VIEW OF LOG HOUSE 2014 BY KRISTEN H. SENSENIG
DECEMBER
DEC. 16
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 10:56:18 AM
Sunday, December
18
Pictures with Santa at The Galleria in Red Bank, NJ. www.redbank.org Direct from Ireland, Padraig Allen’s McLean Avenue Band & Joanna Barry Connolly’s Irish dance group, Emerald Fire, perform dazzling Irish music, song, and dance at Shea Center for the Performing Arts at William Patterson University in Wayne, NJ. www.wpunj.edu
Monday, December
19
Thursday, December
“Icons of American Culture: History of New Jersey Diners” exhibit at Morris Museum in Morristown, NJ (through December 31, 2016). www. morrismuseum.org
22
The Wellmont Theatre in Madison, NJ presents A Charlie Brown Christmas Live. https://wellmonttheater.com
Tuesday, December
Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes (through January 2, 2017). www.radiocity.com
27
Annual Menorah Lighting at Red Bank Train Station in Red Bank, NJ. www. redbank.org
Andrea Bocelli in concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. www. prucenter.com
Wednesday, December
28
Wednesday, January
11
Cirque Eloize Saloon: A Musical Acrobatic Adventure at the State Theatre of NJ in New Brunswick (also on January 12). www.statetheatrenj.org
Friday, January
13
New York Rangers vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden. www. thegarden.com
Menorah Lighting and Hanukkah Celebration at Tice’s Corner Marketplace in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. www.ticescorner.com
JAN. 11 DEC. 17
DEC. 10
Saturday, December DEC. 19
31
Supernova Ball Drop New Year’s Eve Celebration at Novotel New York in Times Square. www.novotel.com/ newyork Ring in 2017 at the NYRR Midnight Run. The 4-mile run will begin at the stroke of midnight and ends with a spectacular fireworks display. www.nyrr.org
Monday, January
2
“America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far” exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (through January 31, 2017). http://cmom.org
Saturday, January
7
Start of the Summit Winter Farmers Market in Summit, NJ (through April 8, 2017). www.summitdowntown.org
WINTER 2016
UA_Calendar_Holiday2016.indd 3
Sunday, January
15
JANUARY
DEC. 31
Join Charles Osgood for an evening of storytelling and music reflecting on his remarkable life and the people he has encountered at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. www.92y.org
Saturday, January
21
Start of the 37th Annual Juried Show at the Ridgewood Art Institute in Ridgewood, NJ (through February 5, 2017). www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org C.S. Lewis’s novel The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe comes to life on the South Orange Performing Arts Center stage through dance. www.sopacnow.org
Wednesday, January
25
Seton Hall men’s basketball vs. Butler at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. www.shupirates.com
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
45
12/8/16 10:56:52 AM
UA_Springsteen_Holiday16.indd 2
12/8/16 10:58:42 AM
BRUCE SPRINSTEEN PERFORMING AT HARVARD SQUARE THEATER, CAMBRIDGE, MASS, ON MAY 9, 1974. BY BARRY SCHNEIER (TOP). “BORN TO RUN” ALBUM SESSION BY ERIC MEOLA, 1976 (LEFT).
f you missed the MetLife concert or any of his four-hour, sold-out stadium performances, there’s still a chance. If you were not among the thousands who waited all night to be in line for one of his recent book signings, you can see The Boss in Princeton. Morven Museum & Garden is now exhibiting Bruce Springsteen: A Photographic Journey. Traveling from the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, the exhibition, on view through May 14, 2017, features more than 40 photographs, as well as video interviews with the show’s five photographers: Danny Clinch, Ed Gallucci, Eric Meola, Pamela Springsteen, and Frank Stefanko. Capturing his off stage vulnerability, the images take viewers inside Springsteen’s career as a front man and songwriter, and document the American musical legend who, like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan before him, created songs that tap into the American psyche and
become instruments for change. And with Dylan winning the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition,” the art form has been elevated to a new realm. Springsteen’s recording career spans more than 40 years, beginning with the Columbia Records release Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. in 1973. In brief, he has released 18 studio albums, garnered 20 GRAMMY Awards, won an Oscar, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was a 2009 recipient of Kennedy Center Honors and named 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year. While the majority of the exhibit focuses on Springsteen off-stage, four additional live performance photographs by Barry Schneier depict the Springsteen concert at Harvard Square Theater about which Rolling Stone music journalist Jon Landau uttered the now legendary statement, “I have seen the future of rock and roll, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.”
winter 2016
UA_Springsteen_Holiday16.indd 3
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
47
12/8/16 10:59:33 AM
Forty-two years later, rather than succumb to the safe and secure, Springsteen, 67, continues to “poke...a finger in the chest of our national leaders and demand...answers as to why we’ve come to a place where the American dream is in jeopardy of losing its soul and promise,” writes biographer Robert Santelli. The roots of the Freehold native and Colts Neck resident’s social justice concerns were likely formed in the 1980s, when he met a labor organizer in Pittsburgh while on the Born in the U.S.A. tour. He saw how the area had been affected by deindustrialization; a food bank was being set up for unemployed steel workers, and he knew he wanted to do more than just perform and leave town. Guthrie and Dylan had shown how such emotion could be channeled into melody and lyrics. Being an avid reader helped. Santelli noted the musician’s book collection—American history, politics and art, as well as music—during a visit to his Colts Neck home in the ’90s. While traveling to Washington, D.C., with Pete Seeger to sing Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” for President Obama’s 2009 inauguration, Springsteen was inspired by the folk legend’s version of American history, and his tales of how “We Shall Overcome” moved from a labor movement song to a civil rights song. Five years later, in a tribute at Seeger’s 90th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden, Springsteen recounted how Seeger always sings all the verses of Guthrie’s song, as “he reminds us of our immense failures as well as shining a light toward our better angels and the horizon where the country we’ve imagined and hold dear we hope awaits us.” “Perhaps more than any other recording artist today, Bruce Springsteen celebrates the power and glory of the gospel of rock and roll,” writes Santelli. “After more than 40 years of strapping on a guitar and fronting a band, Springsteen has reached a point in his career where he could rest on his laurels and few would blame him. Only he hasn’t. And won’t.” Biographer Santelli first got to know Springsteen in 1973, when he
interviewed him for the Asbury Park Press. “I had a first-row seat to see him go from a local artist to one of America’s greatest recording artists,” he said from his office at the GRAMMY Museum, where he is executive director. Previously vice president of education and public programs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Santelli, a Point Pleasant native and blues and rock historian, has been a close friend of Springsteen since writing Greetings From E Street: The Story Of Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band (Chronicle Books, 2006). In selecting the photographers for this traveling exhibition from among the many who have immortalized Springsteen in silver halide and pixels, Santelli looked for those who could tell a unique story through different points along his career: off stage, singer/songwriter, American citizen. “We worked with each to select images, whether artistic or never seen before,” says Santelli. Among the behind-the-scenes photographers is Springsteen’s sister, Pamela. A one-time actress (she played the serial killer Angela Baker in low-budget cult films Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers and Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland), Pamela Springsteen has photographed Olivia Newton-John, Roseanne Cash, Alison Krauss, Ice Cube, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bill Maher, Dolly Parton, Tom Hanks, Ellen Burstyn, Keith Richards, and Neil Young. Photographing her brother is different, she says, in that she is not limited to an eight- or 10-hour photo shoot. “It’s much more casual. There’s no hair, there’s no makeup, there’s no wardrobe and no assistants, it’s just me and him and a camera. We go out, we enjoy ourselves, it’s not results oriented, it’s just fun, and what comes of it comes of it.” She spends a lot of time preparing up front so everything will run smoothly. “Then you can let it happen.” A Photographic Journey shows us the artist “in various moods, in different stages of the artistic process, a man who is deep in thought, or celebratory, in a way that provides a broader picture of how and why Bruce Springsteen is one of America’s greatest rock and roll artists,” says Santelli.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN WITH E STREET BAND, BY ED GALLUCCI.
48
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_Springsteen_Holiday16.indd 4
winter 2016
12/8/16 10:59:54 AM
FILM STRIP BY ED GALLUCCI (TOP). BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AT HIS WRITING DESK, BY PAMELA SPRINGSTEEN (BOTTOM).
winter 2016
UA_Springsteen_Holiday16.indd 5
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
49
12/8/16 11:00:12 AM
IN COLTS NECK, N.J., 2006, BY DANNY CLINCH.
“With all the attention on his tour and book, it’s a great opportunity to add a dimension to understand him and his music.” Not surprisingly, Born to Run (Simon & Schuster) is well written, beginning with the first paragraph of the forward: “I come from a boardwalk town where almost everything is tinged with a bit of fraud. So am I. By twenty, no race-car- driving rebel, I was a guitar player on the streets of Asbury Park and already a member in good standing amongst those who ‘lie’ in service of the truth...artists, with a small ‘a.’ But I held four clean aces. I had youth, almost a decade of hard-core bar band experience, a good group of homegrown musicians who were attuned to my performance style, and a story to tell.” And tell the story he does, beginning “on the evenings before air-conditioning, [I] watched the porches fill with neighbors, seeking conversation and respite from the summer heat” and “waiting for the evening bells of the ice-cream man.” We learn how he rented his first guitar, hitch-hiked until he learned to drive in his 20s, about his grandmother who raised him and his mostly unemployed bus driver father. We read about his immersion in Catholicism and a fortuneteller’s wisdom, “marinating” in a family with mental illness and taking Klonopin for depression, the failure of his first marriage to actress Julianne Phillips and the success of his second to band mate Patti Scialfa. Like Springsteen’s concerts, the book runs long—508 pages. He worked on it for seven years, and a companion album, Chapter And Verse, contains 18 songs that trace his musical history and tell a story that parallels the book. Morven’s Director of Development Barb Webb first became smitten when she was 15, growing up in Vineland. She and her then boyfriend listened to eight-track cassettes of Greetings from Asbury Park in the finished basement of a friend. “I remember thinking, ‘this is the greatest music ever,’” she recounts. Webb first saw him perform at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia New Year’s Eve 1975, and most
recently, along with 90,000 fans, at the Meadowlands. “His high energy brought me back,” she says, and hopes the photographs at Morven will do the same for others. The exhibit fits with Morven’s mission, to interpret the cultural history of New Jersey. It was through photographer Richard Speedy, whose photographs of the Pine Barrens were exhibited at Morven three years ago, that Webb learned about one of the show’s photographers, Ed Gallucci. Born in Brooklyn, raised in New Jersey and now a resident of Roanoke, Virginia, Gallucci was one of the first photographers to shoot Springsteen, with images going back to 1972 that document his struggle to make a name for himself. Gallucci’s first session with Bruce was at Kenny’s Castaways in New York’s West Village. Springsteen was so unknown at the time that his name was misspelled on the marquee, Gallucci recounts, and there were six people in the audience. A week later Gallucci was called back to do another shoot in West Long Branch, then went to Springsteen’s Bradley Beach apartment and met his girlfriend, for whom he wrote the song “Rosalita.” Fans at Springsteen’s recent book signings in Freehold (“My Home Town”), Philadelphia and New York told him how he’d helped them avoid therapy and even cure cancer. So just what is it about Bruce that makes him so adored? “As a live performer, he makes you feel, though you are just one out of thousands, that he’s performing just to you,” says Santelli. “All great artists have this ability, but he has it in spades. He has his finger on the pulse of the underbelly of America and writes about it in a way that is convincing, powerful, emotional and lasting. His songs are timeless reflections of the American experience.” “I just wrote about what was around me,” Springsteen told Fresh Air’s Terry Gross, “which is kind of something I’ve done for most of my life.” U
A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHERS WILL BE HELD SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2017. BOB SANTELLI WILL MODERATE. CHECK MORVEN.ORG FOR DETAILS AS THEY DEVELOP.
50
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_Springsteen_Holiday16.indd 6
winter 2016
12/8/16 11:00:30 AM
Enjoy the magic of MORVEN Museum & Garden’s
Festival of Trees
Lawrenceville Lawrence Summer Scholars Lawrenceville
Sc SummerLawrenceville Scholars Summer Summer Scholars • RESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR
Lawrenceville Summer Scholars
• HALF DAY CLASSES
November 26 through January 8 • HALF DAY CLASSES Museum Hours: Wed. - Sun. •10 - 4OPTIONS FULL DAY 2016 MUSEUM DECORATORS Contemporary Garden Club Dogwood Garden Garden Club of Princeton Keris Farms Jazams McCarter Theater Princeton Public Library Princeton Symphony Orchestra Stony Brook Garden Club VanDerveer Designs West Trenton Garden Club Morven Museum & Garden
Love Learning. Live Learning.
CHART YOUR OWN COURSE PROGRAMS • 25+ OFFERINGS
CHART YOUR OWN COURSE 3 OR 6 WEEK 3 OR 6 WEEK PROGRAMS • 25+ OFFERINGS • RESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR
CHART YOUR OWN COUR 3 OR 6 WEEK PROGRAMS • 25+ O
• HALF DAY CLASSES • FULL DAY OPTIONS
CHART YOUR OWN COURSE 3 OR 6 WEEK PROGRAMS • 25+ OFFERINGS
2017 Course Offerings Now Available! summerscholars.lawrenceville.org
Questions? 609-620-6683
Baxter Construction, Inc. Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP PNC Wealth Management
2017 Course Offerings Now Available! summerscholars.lawrenceville.org
2017 Course Offerings Now Available! summerscholars.lawrenceville.org
4484 Route 27, Kingston, New Jersey | 609.497.1777
www.enoterra.com
WINTER 2016
UA_adtemplate.indd 3
• HALF DAY CLASSES
• FULL DAY OPTIONS
listen G s p o t e e r T e h Come to Where t Sponsored by: 55 STOCKTON STREET • PRINCETON, NJ 609.924.8144 • MORVEN.ORG
• RESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR
• FULL DAY OPTIONS
• RESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR
2017 Course Offerings Now Available! summerscholars.lawrenceville.org Questions?
609-620-6683
Questions? 609-620-6683 Restaurant & Enoteca
The best destination is just minutes from downtown Princeton. A great venue for meetings and celebrations! Plenty of parking. URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
51
12/8/16 9:43:19 AM
Versatility and Value in Princeton!
On meticulously landscaped and gated 1.7 acres, this pristine sprawling Contemporary offers versatility in lifestyle suitable for extended families, home schooling, home office, and nanny/guest quarters. Six to eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms and two powder rooms spread among three distinct living quarters make the home ideal for harmonious multi-generational living with room to spare! Special features include vaulted ceilings, gleaming oak floors, covered porches, in-ground pool, and 60,000 watt whole house generator. Extraordinary value at $2,375,000
Barbara Blackwell Broker Associate (609) 915-5000 bblackwell@callawayhenderson.com For more information about properties, the market in general, or your home in particular, please give me a call.
52
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_adtemplate.indd 2
4 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542 • 609-921-1050 Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Subject To Errors, Omissions, Prior Sale Or Withdrawal Without Notice.
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 9:44:21 AM
only a half hour from the Princeton area, located right off of I-295
over tax-free
All morning Appointments receive a $50 Gift Card! Appointments only available at 10 am, walk-ins welcome all hours, appointments get rewarded for shopping early! *appointments receive a $50 Accessory Gift Card
Alterations on Premises Layaway + Financing available over 50 Trunk Shows for 2017 see trunk show dates online
style 117D75
shop the rest then try the best
established 1974
UA_adtemplate.indd 1
20,000+ Dresses online
12/6/16 4:57:03 PM
A WELL-DESIGNED LIFE Branson shielded torch wall sconce; $540 ralphlaurenhome.com
Wall mounted ďŹ reside tools designed by Peter Maly; $1,550 hivemodern.com
Common hare decoupage oblong tray; $108 johnderian.com
Aeon peacock chair; $1,243 modishstore.com
Athena boot; price upon request oldgringoboot.com Antique Kurdish wool rug; $2,650 abchome.com
Fresh magnolia wreath; $128 shopterrain.com Heath andirons; $1,200 arteriorshome.com Iron pyramid log holder; $448 shopterrain.com
PRODUCT SELECTION BY LYNN ADAMS SMITH
Jada satchel; $198 sundancecatalog.com
Gold Z stool; price upon request blissstudio.com
54
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_WDL_Holiday.indd 2
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 11:03:02 AM
UA_adtemplate.indd 1
2/25/16 3:00:59 PM
A WELL-DESIGNED LIFE Bliss Home chain mirror; $825 laylagrayce.com Edith pendant, artieriorshome.com Katerina Psoma bird rosary necklace; $258 luisiaroma.com Pierre Magnol candle drip set of 4; price upon request blisshomeanddesign.com
PRODUCT SELECTION BY LYNN ADAMS SMITH
Maxine Snider Bibliothèque cabinet; price upon request thebrightgroup.com Darcy daybed in slub velvet; $1,698 anthropologie.com Tom Ford lace up metallic python sandals; $1,950 net-a-porter.com Maxine Snider Varenne writing desk; price upon request thebrightgroup.com Vintage Karl Lagerfeld matte gold sunflower brooch; $450 1stibs.com Alexander McQueen butterfly skull leather wallet on chain; $995 neimanmarcus.com
56
URBAN AGENDA MAGAZINE
UA_WDL_Holiday.indd 4
WINTER 2016
12/8/16 11:03:18 AM
Discover the rich visual and narrative traditions of South Asia through four centuries of paintings and the classic stories that they illustrate
always free and open to the public artmuseum.princeton.edu
Epic Tales from India: Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art has been organized by the San Diego Museum of Art Makara (Mughal, 16th century), Lava and Kusha Battle Lakshmana and Rama’s Army (detail), 1598–99. The San Diego Museum of Art. Edwin Binney 3rd Collection
UA_adtemplate.indd 1
UrbAgenda_103112_final.indd 1
11/30/16 11:08:06 AM
11/9/16 1:11 PM
The Mall at Short Hills
973.379.5500 • Garden State Plaza
201.226.9666
SIDNEYTHOMAS.COM
UA_adtemplate.indd 1 ST Urban Agenda Mag House Ad_Holiday.indd 1
11/30/16 11:08:39 AM 10/19/16 5:02 PM