Flemington: Bianca Centamore

I may only be 5 but traditions are important to me.

A lot of things come in my mind... I love decorating with my mom. I decide where the ornaments will go on the tree. Then all the pretty lights are lit and the tree is sparkling. When we shop it's like an adventure finding the perfect gift for everyone. Buying gifts makes me happy. It's fun to wrap too. I put fancy bows on all of the presents. We use my grandmother's cheesecake recipe and lasagna recipe and I roll all of the meatballs. I then help mom set the table because everyone comes to our house on Christmas day. On Christmas Eve we have a seafood dinner at my grandparents house. We eat, and eat, and eat, and eat. Then we go to church for midnight mass. The church music makes me tear. Only the candles are lit when we celebrate Jesus' birthday. To me, the best part of Christmas is being with all of my family and of course the presents because I like to be surprised. On Christmas morning my dad puts on cool Christmas music that I like to sing to. Then he prepares the antipasto and I snack on olives, mozzarella, prosciutto, and stinky cheese. Then we get ready for our family to come. I put on my favorite dress and shiny shoes. When Christmas is all over, I realize how happy it made me feel. By: Bianca Centamore Kindergarten Three Bridges School Flemington

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6th Annual ACA SUMMER CAMP FAIR

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Sixth Annual ACA-NJ Camp Fairs

Noon-3 p.m.

…connecting great kids with great camps…

FREE ADMISSION…Come find a great summer camp!

Bridgewater Marriott

700 Commons Way, Bridgewater

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Hunterdon Chamber to hold Holiday Wine Tasting

The Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce will be holding a Holiday Wine Tasting Event on Saturday, December 5 from 1:00-5:00pm at Liberty Village Premium Outlets in Flemington, NJ. Arranged by Central Liquors, there will be over 20 distributors present and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Flemington Food Pantry.

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Children’s Kwanzaa Celebration Coming Up

Do you know what Kwanzaa is? Contrary to some beliefs, Kwanzaa was not created to replace any other December holiday. Kwanzaa was created as a celebration of the African culture that was stolen away from slaves when they were unwillingly brought here.

Therefore Kwanzaa was created as a week-long secular holiday to celebrate family, community, culture and tradition. The name “Kwanzaa” comes from the Swahili word for “first fruits”. Many of the symbols, phrases and traditions for Kwanzaa are derived from various African cultures.

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DESIGNER TRUNK SHOW COMES TO FLEMINGTON & BRIDGEWATER

FLEMINGTON, NJ Roman Jewelers will be hosting a Simon G. Trunk show. The event is being held Saturday, September 5th in the Flemington location at 39 Renaissance Plaza and the next day at their Bridgewater mall store. The event is from 1-4 pm both days and will feature the award-winning designer’s full product line, as well as some special limited-edition pieces.

“Interestingly, one of Hollywood’s biggest designers is also one of Roman Jewelers biggest designers,” said Sophie Shor, co-owner and Vice President. Roman Jewelers has been carrying Simon G’s jewelry for the last ten years, and Mrs Shor adds that, “Simon G. has been one of our customer’s favorites for a long time because of his passion for creating designs with tremendous attention to detail.”

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James Mullen of Flemington, Brick graduates basic military training

Air National Guard Airman 1st Class James F. Mullen graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. He is the son of Shirley Mullen of Brick, and James Mullen Sr. of Flemington.

Mullen is a 2008 graduate of Brick Township High School.

Cub Scout Pack 61 of Flemington Remembers and Honors our Troops

The Cub Scouts of Pack 61 in Flemington got to welcome home marine Staff Sergeant, Jason Adams from his deployment to Afghanistan. Sgt. Adam’s son Joshua, is a member of Pack 61. The Cub Scouts also collected and presented to American Legion Post 159 hand held games, word puzzles, decks of cards, hot chocolate and hot cider packs, snacks, travel size toiletries and holiday cards for “deployment” to a platoon in Afghanistan that includes a local soldier.

Lebanon Township man critically burned after smoking near oxygen tank

A 59-year-old Lebanon Township resident was listed in critical condition Friday after suffering burns in a house fire at 46 Musconetcong River Road on Thanksgiving afternoon.

Paul Drake, who is in the Burn Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, was smoking near an oxygen tank in his bedroom when the fire started, police said.

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Lebanon Township man burned, family displaced in Thanksgiving Day house fire

A Lebanon Township resident is listed in critical condition after he was injured in a fire at his Musconetcong River Road residence on Thanksgiving afternoon.

Paul Drake is at the Burn Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. The fire, which started shortly before 3:30 p.m., displaced four adults and three teenage children, who were provided with assistance from the American Red Cross of Central Jersey.
Preliminary reports indicate that Drake may have been smoking in bed.

Results and photos from the Flemington Turkey Trot 2009

These photos were taken by Keith Muccilli of MyCentralJersey.com of the Johanna Foods Turkey Trot 5K Run and 2-Mile Fitness Walk to benefit the Center for Education Advancement.  You’ll find the Flemington Turkey Trot 2009 results here.

Were you at the race? Tell us about it or post your own photos.

Readington police blotter

WARRANT ARREST, Nov. 21. Sgt. Christopher DeWire went to the Wall Township Police Department to pick up Frederick Hirsch, 40, of Bayville, who was wanted on an outstanding warrant from Readington Municipal Court for $2,500. He was lodged in the Hunterdon County Jail in default of bail.

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Annual Turkey Trot in Flemington aids education center

Thousands of Hunterdon County runners and walkers kicked off their Thanksgiving on Thursday at the starting line of the 17th annual Center for Educational Advancement and Johanna Foods Turkey Trot 5K Run and 2-Mile Fitness Walk.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Center for Educational Advancement, a borough-based nonprofit organization that provides employment, job and social skills preparation, and support to people with disabilities or other social disadvantages.
This year’s race was expected to draw about 5,000 participants — more than 2008’s, which registered about 4,044 walkers and runners.
Among the many local businesses sponsoring the event were Johanna Foods, Snickers Marathon, borough-based Mercedes-Benz, Investors Savings Bank and Basil Bandwagon.

For more local news or to share your own news, visit our new Flemington site!

Hunterdon County opens registration for three more H1N1 clinics

The Hunterdon County Health Department has opened registration for three additional clinics to dispense the H1N1, or swine flu, vaccine, the department announced Wednesday.

Those wishing to obtain the swine flue vaccine must preregister via the county’s Web site at www.co.hunterdon.nj.us.health/htm.

The three clinics are open to those 10 to 24 years old, caregivers of infants 6 months or younger, health-care providers, EMS workers and adults ages 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes or immune suppression concerns.

The clinics will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Dec. 3 at South Hunterdon Regional High School in West Amwell, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Holland Brook School in Readington, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 6 at Voorhees High School in Lebanon Township, said Carl Rachel, Health Department spokesman.

Residents with children younger than 10 are urged to contact their private medical care providers about scheduling H1N1 vaccinations, Rachel said.

Family business recognized

Roman Jewelers recently was recognized at the NJ Family Business of the Year 2009 Awards at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston.

Established in 1993, the award honors family businesses whose innovative practices and policies have had a positive impact on both business and community.
With stores in Flemington and Bridgewater, Romans Jewelers was honored as a semi-finalist.
The store is celebrating their 20th year in business this year. For more information, visit www.romanjewelers.com.

Hunterdon County receives more swine-flu vaccine; scheduled clinics on way

Hunterdon County expects to begin scheduling a series of H1N1, or swine flu, clinics in the near future after receiving a significant shipment of the vaccine, county Health Director John Beckley said Wednesday.

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Course map for Flemington Turkey Trot

A user asked about parking (wherever you can find it) for tomorrow’s popular Flemington Turkey Trot.  In researching the parking, I found the course map for walkers and runners.

Have a great run, everybody, and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Post pictures or tell us how your race was!

Dinner and a movie

The Dunellen Theater is a unique hybrid of tavern and movie theater, and in fact bills itself as “New Jersey’s only cinema cafe.” The neighborhood tavern supplies bar food while the refreshment stand in the lobby supplies favorite movie snacks such as popcorn and candy. On the screen are new Disney films and other family fare; check it out.

Last week, popular Food Network TV star Ellie Krieger brought her easy and healthy style of cooking to Hunterdon Medical Center for a demonstration and booksigning, and our correspondent Dominic Serrao was there.

Draft Picks columnist Mark Spivey reflects on how his Irish DNA predisposes him to be a fan of Guinness.

See what else is happening on the Central Jersey food scene and dig into the Foodbasket.

Food Network’s Ellie Krieger signs books in Flemington

Eating healthy shouldn’t be stressful, according to Ellie Krieger, noted Food Network television personality and registered dietitian: “It should be one of life’s pleasures!”

The passionate food lover, who’s currently on a nationwide book tour promoting her newest cookbook, “So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week,” held a book signing and cooking demonstration for a sell-out crowd in the auditorium of the Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington on Thursday, Nov. 19.

“I was born a food lover,” said the host of “Healthy Appetite” on the Food Network in an interview, adding that she has a great passion that fuels everything she does.

Even if one is trained and very comfortable in the kitchen, “you still need fast options that are special and flavorful,” she said. “The recipes are certainly that, and they are also planned out so that they are super simple.”

Prior to starting her cooking demonstration, “Hit Refresh On Lunch,” which featured fresh ideas for lunch-on-the-go, Krieger said to the enthusiastic audience, “People know what they need to do with regards to eating. They know the broad strokes, anyway. They know they should be eating more vegetables and less pepperoni pizza.”

But for some reason, healthy eating is not always happening, she said.

“I began to see my role as a bridge between knowing and doing,” she said, and this book bridges the gap by addressing every meal of the week.

“It gives you a viable delicious solution, no matter how busy life gets. And no matter what your skill in the kitchen really is,” she said.

Frenchtown resident Maggie Purcell agreed. She said Krieger’s recipes are very simple and healthy.

“We have already tried a few recipes from this new book, and they are tasty,” she said. Purcell was looking forward to meeting the author and getting an autograph, in addition to “some helpful hints” during the demonstration.

Tate Brunner, also of Frenchtown, said it’s nice to see some easy recipes.

“You don’t have to go to culinary school to figure out how to do them,” she added.

The book includes recipes for grab-and-go breakfasts, lunches that actually have been road-tested in a cooler pack, decadent desserts and a month’s worth of rush-hour dinners — all meals that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes.

Krieger’s previous book, “The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life,” a New York Times best seller, won the 2009 James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Cookbook with a Healthy Focus.”

As part of the demonstration, Krieger made a curried chicken salad with chicken chunks in a creamy yogurt-based curry sauce with halved red grapes and a sprinkling of toasted almonds. She was assisted by Michelle Moder, nutritionist at Hunterdon Medical Center. Providing a fresh take on turkey sandwiches, she created pitas stuffed with turkey, feta cheese, lettuce and English cucumber.

After the demonstration, Krieger signed copies of her book for more than an hour. About the audience, she said, “The people today were so nice and warm. I could feel their warmth radiating toward me.” In the audience, Purcell returned the compliment: “She is such a pleasant person to watch during the demos,” she said.

Krieger said she feels like she’s in people’s kitchens with them and cooking for them.

“I feel I’m part of their lives. It feels wonderful to me to be able to impact people in this way. It’s truly gratifying.”

Readington Township: Aidan. M. Beardsley

My favorite holiday is Christmas!

This is what the holiday means to me. First, my family gets out the holiday decorations. Next, I write a present list and a letter to Santa too. Then, we cut down our tree. After we pick a big, tall and wide tree, we bring it home and put lights and ornaments on it. Next, we decorate the house with wreaths, ribbons and more. Then we bake big, small, wide, thin, thick, colorful and plain cookies. Next, we buy presents for many people. Last, we have tons of family parties with cakes, presents, and lots, lots more. That is what Christmas means to me. By Aidan. M. Beardsley Readington Township Three Bridges School Grade #3

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Readington Township: Julia Friedhoff

The day after Thanksgiving we start decorating for Christmas.

We decorate because mom won't shop on Black Friday. We start by putting up the tree and hanging lights. My one year old sister, Erica, might just climb the ladder and hang some ornaments this year. I climb up even higher and put on the star. We sometimes put a train on the tree and we also put one around the bottom of the tree. We'll bring out wreaths, garland, and nutcrackers. Daddy wanted to make a cozy fire while we decorated last year but he set off the smoke alarm. This year we will try it again and hopefully we won't be sitting on the front porch. We also will hang a mistletoe. But we are not doing as much as we usually do because mom is pregnant and the baby will come out on Christmas Day. By Julia Friedhoff Readington Three Bridges School Grade 2

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