Working the Blossoms

A yellow beauty gets ready to move on.

There has not been as many this year.  Nor have they arrived as early as in prior seasons.  But they finally arrived:  first the bees, then the butterflies.  The former like both our back and front yard gardens. 

The butterflies, though, prefer the front yard where they find an abundance of fragrant Russian Sage blooms complemented by an assortment of colorful Buddleia, commonly known as butterfly bushes.

Both flying species are tireless and diligent workers, showing up early and not retiring until sunset.  Don’t know where they get all that energy!  But the season is short and, as the old farmer’s saying goes, “Make hay while the sun shines.”

Superintendent Bids Adieu

This evening, at a regular meeting of the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education, Dr. Michael Schilder, longtime superintendent of this school district appeared before the BR-BOE to be honored one final time, before heading out to another phase of his life.

Dr. Michael Schilder waves goodbye
on the occasion of his last evening
at the Wade Building.

He is retiring from this school district, but may not necessarily go into full retirement.   Previous to announcing his decision to retire effective August 1, 2013, Dr. Schilder had applied to the Easton (PA) Area School District.

There, he became one of only two finalists being considered for the position of school superintendent, according to reports published in The Times Express, a Pennsylvania newspaper.

At about the same timeframe that The Times Express ran its story, Dr. Schilder withdrew his name from consideration for the Easton area job, and made public his decision to retire from the Bridgewater-Raritan School District.

Pluckemin Center to get Makeover, New Anchor Store

The status of construction for "The Fresh Market"
anchor store in the Somerset Hills Shopping Center,
as it appeared on Monday, July 15, 2013.
(Photo Credit, Bergeron Images.)
 

The A&P Supermarket which once anchored the Somerset Hills Shopping Center on Route 202/206, at the convergence of Burnt Mills and Washington Valley Roads in the historic Pluckemin section of Bedminster had been a landmark since 1967.

However, time and competition would see it steadily lose ground, as competitors moved into its territory, and as the company failed to adequately modernize its marketing concept. 

Old-time area residents may have been sad to see its demise, but it was time for a change.

Jack Kerouac – A Commentary

Author Douglas Brinkley describes
the book's cover as "the handsome
Kerouac on an East Village fire
escape, gazing out over a sea of
New York buildings."
(Note:  The photo was taken by
Allen Ginsburg.)

His reputation as a famous American writer was cemented with the release of his second book, On the Road.   It was written after The Town and the City, a poignant biographical account of his life in Lowell, Massachusetts, followed by the time when he entered Columbia University on a football scholarship.

Jack Kerouac, acknowledged as the founder of the Beat Generation, was a fellow traveler with his other soul mates Allen Ginsburg, William Burroughs, Neal Cassady, and other writers of that ilk during a period spanning roughly from the late 1940’s into the 1960’s.

I have a library of Kerouac’s books, but, until recently, had not read “Windblown World,” a collection of Kerouac’s post-war journals (1947-1954) edited by the eminent American historian, Douglas Brinkley.

After listening to Brinkley discuss the book on a morning talk show, I ordered a copy from Amazon.  When I opened the shipping box and examined the book, my hand fell serendipitously upon a paragraph which I’d like to share with you:

The Birthday Celebration Continues

The U.S. Colors fly gently in the warm breeze of
a sunset at the Bridgewater Municipal Complex on
July 1, 2013.

Last night, after celebrating the nation’s birthday party outdoors with neighbors, Priscille and I settled down inside the family room and watched a live broadcast of “A Capital Fourth” on PBS.

The show was a combination of lyrical, orchestral, and foot-thumping music performed by some of this nation’s most talented artists.  For once, the focus was on a patriotic rendition – a little of that not-so-old-fashioned display of love for America. 

The talents of those performers emanated from people of all age ranges.  There were the powerful solos rendered by young singers such as Jackie Evancho, and the upcoming country and western star Scotty McCreery who is also working towards a college degree at NC State University.

Flash Update: SRO Approved for High School

Bridgewater Township Police
Chief Richard Borden clarifies
the role of the new Special
Resource Officer to be assigned
to the High School.

At its regularly scheduled meeting this evening, July 1, the Bridgewater Township Council unanimously agreed to a second person to be assigned as an on-site Special Resource Officer for the Bridgewater-Raritan High School.

The Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education is expected to endorse this action by the council.  The agreement calls for a three-year contract, and the BRRSD will pay for the full "incremental cost" of the specially trained police officer assigned to this task. 



(Click on the image for an enhanced view.)