Americana Visits the Mall, Lego-Style

A Massive Lego Creation of the U.S. Capitol Building, 

Last Saturday, before the stores at the Bridgewater Commons Mall opened, and long before the flood of shoppers began to stream in, Priscille and I came to see the “Lego Americana Roadshow, Building Across America.”

It’s a superb display of nine historic structures marking the birth and development of our country.  There are also displays of varied scenes and cityscapes behind glass – all constructed with Lego Blocks.  They are impressive for their detailed beauty and significance.

The models were first created digitally with computer-aided design software, and all of the Lego pieces were individually fabricated to plan requirements.  It took from one to three skilled assembly teams to put together each of the nine big Lego models.

Two of my favorites are the U.S. Capitol Building and The White House.  I was awed by the ingenuity of the designers and builders.  The Capitol Building is so massive that it dominates the Mall’s Center Court at Level 1, amazing those who stand before it.

A Precious Holiday Tradition Returns to the Bridgewater Commons Mall

Santa greets all of his kids this season!  (Photo/Bergeron Image.)

It’s back!  Once more this year, the management of the Bridgewater Commons Mall is hosting the presence of two Salvation Army Angel Trees.  On each of these modestly decorated trees are removable tags bearing the wishes of area children, ages about 3 to 12.

I especially like what appears to be a policy change this time around:  No toys!  No electronic stuff!  That may sound like Bah, Humbug, but consider this:  The emphasis is on what these under-privileged kids really need – the basics:  articles of clothing.

Reading the tags, I came across names such as Marc, Shaniya, Meyah, Maria, Carter, Angelina, Jeramyah and dozens of other kids – all of them in need.  Those are just a few of the name tags that I spotted on November 20^th.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Santa awaits his kids on the other side of
this three-story high Christmas tree. 
(Image/Dick Bergeron)

Each year the Bridgewater Commons Mall sets up its tall Christmas tree for the Holiday Season in the open area of the three-story atrium at center court.  That’s where parents have already begun to bring their young children to visit Santa Claus so that they can ask him to fulfill their favorite wish.

There are also two other much smaller, though just as significant Holiday trees where some of the neediest people, although they may not be able to visit the Mall and Santa Claus, can still ask in absentia for a favored wish:  

These are the two Salvation Army make-a-wish Angel Trees upon which needy people of all ages, sizes, desires, and cultures get a chance to have a tag hung on one of two trees on their behalf.

One of the Angel Trees is prominently displayed next to the up escalator near the huge Santa Claus Holiday tree in the Atrium area, about 20 feet across the aisle from the entrance to Godiva Chocolate.

“They Still Haven’t Gotten Over 9/11 . . .”

Ever since I heard that phrase quietly spoken from the audience at one of Bridgewater’s public hearings earlier this year, the words have remained engraved in my memory. 

I have often pondered upon that utterance which seemed to have come almost as an afterthought from a person who appeared to be sincere, if not sensitive.


This banner hangs in the atrium of the Bridgewater Commons Mall.

This week, the media – especially those of the printed page and the Internet – have been saturated with personal stories of people whose lives have been completely turned upside down by the tragic events of that fateful day – a day that forever changed the psyche of America.

So, I ask you, how do you “get over” 9/11 when, mere days before the commemoration of its 10^th anniversary, our government informs us of yet another credible threat scheduled to take place on the anniversary date itself?

You don’t.  You remain vigilant, and there is plenty of distinguished company to support my thinking:
 
Last night, I read a piece in The Wall Street Journal by columnist Peggy Noonan entitled “We'll Never Get Over It, Nor Should We,”  in which she gives her own account of why we should remember this day of “horror and heroes.”  (Noonan was also a White House speechwriter.)

I followed up with, “A Burden too Great for Anyone to Bear,”  the vivid Star-Ledger story of George Tabeek, the number two person in charge of security at the Port Authority for the World Trade Center who, to this day, cannot erase the personal torment which he feels about his dead co-workers.

Christmas Wishes Fulfilled

Santa Claus at work before Christmas in the Mall's Atrium

Christmas in Somerset County, New Jersey, is a season during which expectations for giving and receiving can rise to great heights.  

However, not everyone – even in this area known for its affluence – can afford to buy gifts for all of the deserving kids of all ages in our communities. 

There still remain many pockets of poverty in these environs.  Similarly, lowered levels of income and unemployment brought on by the 2008 financial bubble are sobering reminders of these facts. 

For those reasons, it’s been enormously gratifying to see the generous public response from people like you to the Salvation Army’s “Angel Tree” gift giving initiative which, each year, is supported by the management of the Bridgewater Commons Mall.

Gifts accumulate in fulfillment of "Angle Tree" wishes.

You have transformed the wish tags from one of the two trees strategically placed in the Mall into a Christmas reality for someone.  

There really is a Santa Claus, and it’s been you.   That big red box near the Guest Services counter filled with gifts is the proof.

To those who were able to participate, thanks for having spread Holiday cheer for individuals who otherwise might have been left “unwished.” 

There is, of course, a much deeper meaning to Christmas, but the hospitality associated with your gift giving is a part of it.

So, at the risk of overstating the sentiment, thanks again for your generosity.

Angel Time at the Bridgewater Commons Mall

At about 10:30 AM, two days before Thanksgiving Day, at a time when the Mall was quietly anticipating the crush of Black Friday, Sally, who works on the Mall’s staff, was busy hanging holiday wish cards on the Salvation Army Angel Tree.  

Sally hangs wishes on the Angel tree

There are two such trees at the Mall.  The one that Sally was working on is located on the lower level, in a walkway about half the distance between the new California Pizza Kitchen restaurant and the huge Christmas tree in the atrium at Center Court:  That’s where Santa is doing his job, greeting all of the parents and children.

The second Angel Tree is displayed just outside of Macy’s, on the mid-level of the Mall.  You can’t miss it.  Both trees are now completely festooned with lights, decorations and those precious wish cards which represent as diverse a cross-section of this area’s needy as you could imagine.  

The other tree on the mid-level near Macy's

 Those 
 Angels are of all ages, size, gender, and color – just like you and me.  Yet they all share a common trait.  They would like someone to pick up one of those tags, read about them, and make a wish come true. 

Your task, should you choose to accept it, is very easy:  Each one of those Angel tags bearing a wish shows the person’s first name; age; gender; clothing size if appropriate; or that person’s other gift desire.  

Gift drop-off box, mid-level, Guest Services, Center Court

All you need to do is to purchase the wished-for gift, affix the  person’s tag on it,  and bring it unwrapped to the Guest Services Desk located on the Second Level, Center Court.  There you will find a big red box awaiting you.  Done!

Go ahead.  Be an Angel yourself!

New Pizza-Plus Eatery Due at Mall

California Pizza Kitchen, a casual dining restaurant chain, will open a new facility at the Bridgewater Commons Mall. It will be on the ground floor level near the Lord & Taylor end, across from Guest Services and near the center court area where various seasonal activities such as those for Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are held annually.

This company already has other New Jersey locations in Cherry Hill, Paramus, Short Hills and Wayne. The menu sounds quite appetizing and distinctive, with offerings such as roasted artichoke and spinach pizza; four seasons pizza; dishes such as baby clam linguini, a Mediterranean plate; assorted salads and other healthy-sounding enticements.

Godiva Chocolatier and Mamma che Buono are located nearby on the same floor, should you like to top off your dining with a specialty dessert.

Bon appétit!

Photo:   New Mall Site of the California Pizza Kitchen [D. Bergeron]

The Angels Came. . . . .

They don’t all have wings.  They don’t all fly. And you can find some right here in the customers who patronize the Bridgewater Commons Mall who have responded to the Salvation Army’s call for help.

Remember those two Angel Wish Trees, one in front of Macy’s on the main floor and the other on the lower level near the courtesy booth?

The wish tags are gone from those trees now, and the evidence that human angels have responded can be seen in the photo of the large box brimming with come-true wishes in front of the customer information booth on the lower level, near Santa’s workshop.

The box is now gone as well, and the gifts are on their way to making Christmas brighter for people whom we don’t really know and whom we will never see. Then again, who knows? Perhaps there will come a time when all those local angels who helped someone have a Merry Christmas will indeed come face-to-face with those they benefited. . . . .

Blitzing Snowflakes

When I awoke and alighted from bed early this morning, it was still very dark outside, and there were no signs of the impending snowstorm. I like to get up early on Saturdays – no sleeping in for me. There were a couple of choices this morning: Go out and get some Christmas shopping done or stay snugly at home.

I chose a variation of the second choice: Get outside in the back yard and do some cleaning up and wood cutting before the storm hits. (I’m not a big fan of crashing the Bridgewater Commons Mall on a Saturday when everyone else will be frantically shopping before the snows come down.)

For those of you who will bravely drive to that big luxurious emporium off Commons Way, you will be pleased to discover that some soft new seating has been installed for your tushes to rest upon as you take a breather in between store visits. The new seating replaces all of the old wooden benches which were slowly being removed as they started deteriorating and eventually broke down. I thought they would never be replaced!

As for me, I headed outdoors after breakfast to do a little cleaning up and to saw some wood for the fireplace. It was 22° when I bundled up and walked into the back yard towards the wood pile. Not a soul outdoors but me. Even the traffic out front was light. I’d bet a $10 bill that not a dozen people in Bridgewater were out working on their properties at that hour.

Having spent half my life in Massachusetts; four years half-way up the state of Maine; and nearly another four years about a mile from the shore of Lake Ontario in New York State, getting out in the cold today was no big deal. After a little outdoor exertion the body warms up and the air becomes invigorating – another blessing from just being alive.

I finished everything ahead of the snows: At the moment, around 3:20 pm, the storm is claiming Bridgewater. Thanks for reading and be sure to take care of yourselves. Be especially careful to drive safely on those soon-to-become treacherous roadways.

Each Tag Seeks its Own Angel

I think that I’m a sucker for those “Angel Giving Trees” at the Bridgewater Commons Mall, but their raison d’être is worth a second blog post for those of us who are fortunate enough to spend some money this year on gifts.

There are many who will be completely unable to do that, yet deserve a visit from Santa.


Americans, it is said, are a most generous people. I believe that, because the combined charities in this country raise hundreds of millions each year. And plenty more is given out in support of churches and synagogues who also have programs for the needy.

The Salvation Army is one of those charities, and Bridgewater’s Mall management has again generously agreed to allow that charity to place two “Angel Giving Trees” inside the Mall. One is on the first floor, near the customer courtesy booth. The other is situated just outside Macy’s on the main level (the second floor).

There are still plenty of tags on those angel trees – too many left, I think. Each one bears the name of a person – either a needy child or senior – and a request for a specific gift. All that you need to do is to peruse those tags, find one that appeals to you and buy the gift.

It’s easy. You don’t even have to wrap it. Just purchase it and place it in the large box near the courtesy booth on the lower level directly in line with Santa. Done! Go ahead – make your day.

The Angels Came . . .

They don’t all have wings and they don’t all fly. And you can find some right here in the customers who patronize the Bridgewater Commons Mall who have responded to the Salvation Army’s call for help.

Remember those two Angel Wish Trees, one in front of Macy’s on the main floor and the other on the lower level near the courtesy booth?

The wish tags are gone from those trees now, and the evidence that human angels have responded can be seen in the photo of the large box brimming with come-true wishes in front of the customer information booth on the lower level, near Santa’s workshop.

The box is now gone as well, and the gifts are on their way to making Christmas brighter for people whom we don’t really know and whom we will never see. Then again (who knows?), perhaps there will come a time when all those local angels who helped someone have a Merry Christmas will indeed come face-to-face with those they benefited. . . . . .

Christmas Trees and Angel Trees!

When Priscille and I visit the Bridgewater Commons Mall each year in early November, we never fail to observe how much earlier signs of the Christmas season seem to appear.

The large Christmas tree at center court in the Mall is one such harbinger. It has been up since early November, and Santa has already been quite busy greeting his little visitors, listening to their wishes, and getting them to pose with him for pictures.

There’s one group of disadvantaged children and seniors though, that you are not likely to see visiting Santa at the Mall. Some of those people will most likely not be getting too many gifts this season.

There is, however, a very easy thing that you can do to help out and to make their holiday (as well as your own!) a little cheerier. Those are the people whose names will appear on tags on each of two Angel Trees.

One of those trees will be just outside the indoor entrance to Macy’s on the main level. The second tree will be located near the  Guest Services counter on the lower level. Both trees were behind schedule this year, but they should be in place by now.

All you need to do is to select one of the “Angel Wish” tags from a tree, purchase the item indicated on it, and drop off the unwrapped gift at Guest Services in the lower level, just a few yards away from where Santa is located. Someone will be thankful for your thoughtfulness.

Photo by Dick Bergeron:  Click on it once and once again to see large, high resolution image.

First Signs of Christmas Shopping

Well before Thanksgiving, the holiday spending season begins to gear up – much too early for my taste.

However, this year a good argument can be made that if consumers do a good job of it nationwide, it will help to pull our economy out of its doldrums. And who can be against that?

One of the best ways to tell just when the fever takes hold is to keep your eyes open for merchants who set up their store fronts or kiosks to do business only seasonally. By that measure, the Christmas shopping season may have already started at the Bridgewater Commons Mall, because one such merchant is already setting up to offer his wares.

On the first level, at the Macy’s entrance, in front of the escalators being refurbished for the expected holiday crowds, the Day-by-Day Calendar Company installed its racks this week. The shelves were empty when the photo was taken, but you can expect them to be filled with a variety of wide-ranging subject matter calendars very soon.

If you keep your eyes open, you’ll also notice what could be a similar Christmas marketing strategy with Toys-R-Us & Learning Express, firms that weren’t at the mall during the summer months and which may be gone after December.

Go ahead and shop your heart out, but remember to set aside some serious thinking for the real meaning behind the season.

Photo by Dick Bergeron, 6-25-09

From Italy, with Love

On the ground floor of the Bridgewater Commons Mall, I’d been noticing lately the partitioning of a large square area in between the two up and down escalators near the atrium. Recent progress reveals that a new Italian specialty eatery, Mamma che Buono, is coming to town at this spot.

Not only that, but it looks like the business is authentically Italian. The headquarters for Mamma che Buono is in Milan. The company has a U.S. location in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Bridgewater is scheduled as one of three other U.S. sites opening soon. The other two are in Wellington, Fla., and Queens, NY.

Even the crates holding the new fixtures read, “Made in Italy.” Warms your heart, doesn’t it, to know that not everything coming into the U.S. bears the “Made in China” marking?

Also expect to see an expanded Starbucks just one escalator ramp up from Mamma che Buono. The work is already under way behind floor-to-ceiling enclosures, despite the fact that the company is closing stores in other locations and modifying its line-up.

Looks like there’s always room for an Italian delicacy and a fancy cup of joe in Bridgewater.

Nota Bene: You can view a jivy Italian language You Tube video about Mamma che Buono at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5645ZN29OB4. There is also an excellent Italian language blog dedicated to Mamma che Buono, complete with recipes and photos at http://mammachebuono.blogspot.com/

Bridgewater in Recession: Food, Drink, & Chocolate

In severe economic times, people cope with the associated stress in many ways. It’s been reported that during the Great Depression of the 1930’s – a time without TV – movie theatres played host to large audiences. So did taverns.

Although the Bridgewater area may not have been hit as hard as other parts of the country where mind-numbing pools of layoffs have plagued the manufacturing sector, it’s still bad enough. Financial institutions in New Jersey and New York are laying off tons of workers.

If messages emanating from the White House are to be taken seriously, “...it’s going to get worse before it gets better.” As if it takes a President to remind us of what we already know!

My own anecdotal observation of how some people are coping in this anemic economic climate is simple: People just want to get away from it. One method is to soothe ourselves as best we can. In Bridgewater, a Sunday afternoon trip to the Bridgewater Commons Mall seems to confirm that.

On an off-season Sunday shopping day, the most crowded spot was the third level of the newly-renovated food court. Every concession was taking orders and dishing out the eats, as patrons waited their turn in long lines.

Down below, at ground level near the atrium, each of the four stations of the Massage Mob concession was taken: Customers were getting the stress kneaded out of their muscles.

Next: chocolate. It seems that people also resort to that luscious confection in times like these. Did you know that Hershey’s has increased its sales and profits for both the fourth quarter and full year of 2008?

The company is also projecting a modest sales increase for 2009. Gone are the 99¢ promotions for a 4.25 ounce bar of Hershey’s Dark Chocolate at CVS. It’s now selling for a steady $1.99. Please, CVS, make a liar out of me.

Food Court Oasis

Regular readers of this blog know that Priscille and I like to get our winter exercise by frequently walking at the Bridgewater Commons Mall. This week, the JCC pool, which is part of my cross-training routine, is closed for about 7 days for refurbishing, so the Mall is it.

We try to avoid the crowds by arriving early to mid-morning. We then head back to control central and get on with the rest of our daily tasks, appointments, meetings, etc. Rarely do we have lunch at the mall – it doesn’t help the calorie intake. But yesterday was different. The pull of the newly renovated food court was too much to resist.

Besides, you’d be surprised at all of the other activities that take place there during lunch. We settled upon Charley’s Grilled Subs. Pris found a natural, light-bathed booth near the outside windows across from Sbarro’s. I stood my turn in line and ordered a foot-long chicken teriyaki sub which we split and washed down with large bottles of Poland Spring (remember when water was free?). This selection set us back a mere $11.92 and was a good, tasty choice.

While sitting in our booth – it comprises one of several rows that form two sides of a triangle pushing against the outside windows – I spied a couple of older guys (who am I to say!) playing a serious, but engaging game of chess. Seated on the outside of the booth was a third man, intently observing their game. Later, a fourth observer joined the trio.

The new food court at the Bridgewater Commons Mall is becoming more than just a place to eat. It seems to be emerging as a public gathering place where people can get together not only to share a meal, but to participate in some of life’s other convivial, yet simple endeavors. Even harried business people can get a welcome change of pace there.

In this fragile, bungled, and overly complex economy, an oasis like this provides a welcome break.

Go Ahead! Be an Angel

The two Salvation Army Angel Trees are beckoning your attention again at the Bridgewater Commons Mall. One is located on the second level at the indoor entrance to Macy’s, near Foot Locker and Bridget’s Irish Cottages. The second is located at ground level, against the wall opposite Guest Services.

Each tree is amply decorated with individual “wish tags” which bear the name of a deserving person and his/her wish. It’s very easy to fulfill the request, because each tag bears the name of an item – clothing, toy, etc., together with gender, age, and clothing size. You don’t even have to wrap the gift.

Simply select and remove a tag from one of the trees, purchase the item and, together with the tag, return both to the ground floor location and deposit them in the large collection box next to the tree. You can’t miss the location: It’s near the entrance to the ground floor rest rooms and a short walk from Santa Claus.

A notice asks that, if possible, you leave your gift and tag no later than December 19th. However, if the tree and gift collection box are still there after the 19th, it’s an indication that you might have a few extra days. Remember, though, Santa’s elves will have a lot of wrapping and delivering to do. .

A few days ago, the box was brimming. Another cart had been placed next to it for the overflow but there were still plenty of tags hanging on those trees: Go ahead! Be an angel.

Sating your Hunger at the Mall

If you go shopping this weekend at Bridgewater’s regional mall, you will find several counter front eateries ready, willing, and able to satisfy your appetite. The Food Court on the third floor has been completely revamped, and at least two concessionaires will be delighted to see you lining up for their offerings.

Sbarro has returned to its traditional spot at the end on the right, desirous to fill you up with its wide variety of tasty pizzas. Saladworks, a new competitor, is eager to fill the needs of you health-conscious folks.

So far, these are the only ones I saw open for business, but there are more on the way. Charley’s Grilled Subs, Baja-B-Que, and Wendy’s have signs announcing their imminent arrival. Sarku Japan will have two spots. One is a sushi bar positioned at the head of the completely overhauled escalators leading to the upper level.

Don’t forget Gloria Jean’s Coffees which is only a stroll away near Macy’s third-floor entrance. The concessionaire who manages this place weathered the long shutdown of the Food Court, serving everyone with a cup of joe and his pleasant smile. The coffee there is very good, and you can even buy a pastry or bagel, take both back to the Food Court, sit down and enjoy them at the new tables. Why not give this guy some of your business? He deserves it.


Note: The foregoing comments are based on my observations only, without input from Mall management. They do not include a full account of the other businesses who will be taking up space in the Food Court.

Spiffy Food Court

It looks like progress on the food court at the Bridgewater Commons Mall is accelerating at a clip that will have some of the concessions open in time for the post-Thanksgiving day onslaught. I stopped at the management office this morning to speak with the marketing manager about opening dates, but she was out in the main mall area checking things out, so I couldn’t confirm this.

As I walked and paused on the third floor, by the southern end of the mall, the open breadth of the food court area became easily visible. The renovation partitions have been down for some time; tables, chairs and new refuse receptacles are waiting to be placed in the right spots. Several walk-up eateries are already getting ready for business. At one end of a row, on the left side, there is a ‘Grilled Subs.’ Next to it is a salad bar, followed by a ‘Baja-B-Que' concession.

‘Sarku Japan’ is returning, and it is sited in a new location opposite from its former corner spot. In a break with the 100% flavor of the food court, you will also find a ‘Skechers’ to lure you into shoe purchases after you have filled up your belly. Other non-food outlets may open in the food court, looking to accomplish the same purpose.

I must admit that I’ve begun to catch the Christmas Spirit a bit early this year, but it’s with the hope and expectation that, prompted by the economic downturn, people will also remember that the origin of the December festival is the commemoration of the birth of someone whose entry into humanity has had a transformative impact on civilization.

Free Community WiFi

Tom Perry, a popular columnist for the Courier News back when newspapers enjoyed higher circulation, was fond of saying that he was an inveterate newspaper junkie. He once wrote that when on vacation, he would always pick up a copy of the local paper to get a feel for the people and customs of the area.

I like to do the same. That’s how I came across a noteworthy story of how the City of Nashua, N.H. deployed a free, extensive WiFi network, one which blankets the downtown area with seamless and reliable Internet service.

Nashua’s wireless network was designed and deployed under the initiative of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, which worked with the support of a prominent consortium of area businesses and a California firm. John T. Barker, IT Director for the City of Nashua, directed much of the technical aspects of the project, working strictly as an unpaid volunteer, contributing, he says, approximately 100 hours of his time. The project was completed for about $40,000. Project bids exceeding $100,000 were thrown out.

We in Central Jersey can learn from this example: The patrons of businesses in downtown Somerville would benefit enormously from the provisioning of a free WiFi network which doesn’t break the bank.

Bridgewater Township, which has no central business area, could prod management of the Bridgewater Commons Mall to establish a free WiFi network to cover the entire Mall area. Similarly, such a network could be made available for public use in the Township’s new, showcase Municipal Building Complex, where space could be set aside for public use.

Even the Bridgewater-Raritan school district should consider opening up the nearby high school on Garretson Road for free public internet access: The school library, located just to the left of the main entrance is a perfect spot for such public use.

We all have the same DNA. Yet, as I travel about, I am always struck as I observe the number and diversity of communities outside of New Jersey which seem to be squeezing so much more out of a dollar than we in Central Jersey seem to have the will to do.


Note: According to Wikipedia, “Nashua was twice named ‘Best Place to Live in America’ in annual surveys by Money magazine. It is the only city to get the No. 1 ranking two times—in 1987 and 1997.”