The 10th annual Tour de Montclair took place today and we couldn’t have wished for a more beautiful day. Brookdale Park was packed with families of all ages. And there was something for everyone: a 4 mile walk , trike-a-thon, 1 mile loop, 8 mile ride and the Big Kahuna— a 12 mile scenic route through town.
My 8 year old rode the 1 mile loop in her first Tour de Montclair today and was beaming with pride. Thanks to our good friend Ciru who let her tag along with her and her son. My 4 year old proudly rode her 2-wheeler with training wheels and my husband and I chased after her.
When Circle Line said that its Kids Cruise Kick-Off would be a huge party, they weren’t kidding. All around Pier 83 were entertainers, like a really cool uni-cycle, juggler guy who spoke like a pirate, Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows, such as Freckleface Strawberry, Rock of Ages, and Spiderman and Justin Timberlake!—made of wax from Madame Tussaud’s Museum.
But the real party was on the boat. Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell and her family band, You Are My Flower, performed the entire cruise. They sang lots of fan favorites, like John Kanakanaka, but the highlight of the concert was when we were right in front of the Statue of Liberty. They started singing an impromptu This Land Is Your Land and everyone joined in. It was a special moment.
After touring the Hudson, and learning fun facts from the guide on the boat, we docked back at Pier 83 and each child was given a Circle Line goodie bag filled with special treats, but the best of all was the disposable camera. My girls went crazy with the “old-fashioned” camera and ended up taking all the photos within 20 minutes. I had to explain to them why they couldn’t see the photos immediately, since they had no idea that all cameras were not digital.
The chances are if you have school-age children, you’ve already done more than your fair share of bake sales.
Me? I love a good bake sale and after several tours of duty, now consider myself a veteran.
I’ve learned through experience that the golden oldies are the true crowd pleasers: usually anything with chocolate, brownies or chocolate covered pretzel sticks, all go down a storm. While I personally love an organic sea-salt and lavender cookie, I appreciate that they’re not guaranteed to make the top 10 list.
Anywho, here’s a great recipe that may not be the healthiest, but is still a good way to use up leftover Halloween candy you might have.
If you don’t have Snickers, then Twix or Almond Joy are good alternatives.
Chanthia C. Ma, a graduating senior at Millburn High School has been named one of approximately 550 semifinalists in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The semifinalists were selected from more than 3,300 candidates on the basis of superior achievements, leadership qualities, personal character and involvement in community and school activities.
In April, Ma, along with two other Millburn High School seniors, William Krinsman and Henry Meng, were selected as candidates for the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Candidates were selected based on exceptional scores on either the SAT or the ACT college admission test. Semifinalists were chosen by a panel of distinguished educators after a review of students’ essays, self-assessments, descriptions of activities, school recommendations, and school transcripts. Among her many achievements, Ma was a semifinalist in the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search Competition as well as a National Merit Finalist and she received an Honorable Mention for her Senior Portfolio in the 2012 Scholastic Art and Writing Competition.
The Montclair Academy of Dance and Laboratory of Music (MADLOM) will hold an Anansi the Spider Peace Quilt Workshop for all ages. it will be a fun afternoon of an afternoon of art and literature, with live drum accompaniment. (Saturday, May 19)
The annual Family Garden Party at Presby Iris Gardens is on Saturday. It’s the perfect time because it’s peak season and the gardens will be filled with beautiful irises. The garden will also be filled with entertainment, refreshments, activities and art from talented school students.
Take the family—this is one of those must-do events:
Who says just because you’re a “kindie” rocker that you aren’t a rock n’ rolling, hotel crashing, wild and crazy musician? This video of 17 kindie musicians who performed at KindieFest 2012 proves that you can be both:
At Kindiefest 2012, 17 Kindie Artists converged in a hotel room for a historic song recording. This is it. Featuring: Ralph Covert of Ralph’s World, Mr. Steve of Steve Songs, Mindy Thomas of Sirus XM Radio, Lee Overtree of Story Pirates, Big Bang Boom, Bari Koral, Zak Morgan, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Miss Amy and Alex Otey, The Not Its, Aaron Nigel Smith and Alisha Gaddis. And they all have a name…
Back in April, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, together with Teen Ink, a national magazine written by teens and for teens, asked for essays about “bullying, being bullied, witnessing bullying or ideas about how to address this issue.” His goal, in addition to awareness, was to allow the experts – teenagers – to explain the problem of bullying to adults through their own experiences. He received over 1,200 essays, which were then narrowed down to 59 finalists. Yesterday, Mr. Kristof announced the winning essays, and out of the four winners, Montclair High School junior, Lena Rawley came away with the grand prize-winning essay: Teenage Girls; the Cruel Super Humans from Outer Space.
In her essay, Lena admits to having been a “teenage mean girl” and bystander to bullying herself. And, as those who watched Heathers in a previous generation will recognize, she was later targeted by the same girls as the “weakest link” or “the wounded gazelle.”
Art Without Borders is a group of dedicated Montclair High students who believe that it is very important for children to grow up with the influence of art in their lives. The group will be holding its first annual art show and sale on Saturday, May 19 at Gallery U in Montclair.
The show features an eclectic combination of works created by Montclair High School students and local professional artists. Aiming to spread art directly with art, all exhibited pieces will be for sale, with 100% of the funds going towards purchasing art supplies for the children of Simon Bolivar school.
At the exhibit, enjoy a performance by Montclair High School’s a cappella group, The Passing Notes.
If you have any art supplies that are not being used, please donate them at the show. You will be providing the artistic foundation for so many students.
The group says, “Montclair is such a warm town filled with artistic vibrance. Help us share our compassion and talent with another country. Art can do so much good in the world, join us in harnessing its power!”
Find out more about Art Without Borders in the video below:
Musician Earl Slick, best known for his touring and studio work with David Bowie, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, The New York Dolls, and many more, will join student musicians from School of Rock Montclair in a tribute show called “The British Invasion” on Sunday, May 20 at Just Jake’s in Montclair.
The two-hour concert will feature performances by Earl and the School’s young musicians of some of the biggest hits of the mid 1960s by such bands as The Kinks, The Beatles, Spencer Davis Group, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, and more.
“To have a musician of Earl’s status meet our students and join them in ‘The British Invasion’ show is an unbelievable privilege,” says Maurice Watson, general manager of School of Rock Montclair. “As our students learn more about the history of rock as well as Earl’s close involvement with the biggest superstars, they’ll be blown away that they had the honor of sharing the stage with him.”
The young musicians who’ll be performing with Slick are between the ages of 7 and 17. They’re part of School of Rock Montclair’s Performance Program, and they’ve been rehearsing their repertoire for “The British Invasion” show since January.
“Earl’s a master of so many rock genres, it’s incredible,” says Matt Sandoski, owner of School of Rock. “Whether it’s glam, hard rock, blues, or even rockabilly as a member of Phantom, Rocker, and Slick, Earl’s chops are amazing, and the respect that he commands among the world’s top players is second to none.”
