Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Day – June 6

Six Flags Great Adventure will host Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Day June 6. All guests are invited to learn about hearing loss and celebrate sign language at this annual event. A portion of the proceeds for this event supports a variety of NJ organizations for the deaf.

 

Walk with Ronald McDonald® featuring special guest Nick Tangorra Band – June 7

Six Flags Great Adventure hosts the 16th annual Walk with Ronald McDonald® at Six Flags Great Adventure June 7. Registration begins at 8 a.m. The event kicks off at 9:15 a.m. with a ceremony featuring special guest and internet sensation Nick Tangorra Band. Walk begins at 9:30 a.m. and proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald® Houses of Central and Northern New Jersey. Walk registration includes theme park ticket to enjoy the day. Nick Tangorra Band will perform a special charity concert in the Showcase Theater that afternoon. Tickets will be available for purchase in advance online at www.sixflags.com

 

Magician Collins Key – June 7

Six Flags presents reality talent show star Collins Key in Showcase Theater June 7 at 4 p.m. with a second show at 7 p.m. This magical performance is included with theme park admission or Season Pass. Fifty meet-and-greet tickets will be sold for each performance for $49.99+tax each at Sweet Treats on Main Street the day of the concert. After a day full of coasters and fun, guests can settle down for a magic performance beyond their wildest dreams.

 

Jersey Championship Pro-Wrestling – June 13

Six Flags Great Adventure will host pro-wrestling at the park’s Movietown Arena. Bell time for the show will be 7:45 p.m., with a pre-show starting at 4 p.m. Featured names include: Mick Foley, Ted DiBiase, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Ricky Steamboat, Tommy Dreamer and more. Pre-show will include a meet-and-greet autograph session with the stars. Tickets will range from $99.99 to $49.99 and will be available at a discounted rate for Season Pass holders. Event ticket and theme park admission, Season Pass or Membership is required.

 

Israel & New Breed Concert – June 20

Six Flags presents Israel & New Breed in concert with opener Karen Clarke Sheard beginning at 5 p.m. in the Plymouth Rock Assurance® Arena. This concert is free with admission, Season Pass or Membership.

 

Komen Kolor 5K – June 20

This unique event offered at Six Flags Great Adventure will feature a 3.1 mile walk/run or 2 mile walking course throughout the theme park, exciting musical entertainment at each of the kolor staging areas and a pre-party with music, dancing, warm-up stretching, giveaways and more. Participants can register as an individual or as a team, or sign up to be a volunteer. After the run, guests enjoy a day with filled with Six Flags thrills. The event benefits Susan G. Komen Central and South Jersey.

 

Jack & Jack Concert – June 27

Join internet sensations Jack and Jack live in concert at 6 p.m. at the park’s Movietown Arena. Jack Gilinsky and Jack Johnson are known for their combined 14 million social media followers as Jack & Jack from their viral Vines. Tickets start, with additional VIP space, at $49.99 and range to $149.99. Discounted ticket rates will be available for Season Pass holders. Event ticket and theme park admission, Season Pass or Membership is required.

DIAMONDS FADING OVER TIME
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

The approximately 500 diamonds passed through the GIA’s laboratory in Ramat Gan, Israel in the past several months and now are circulating in the trade. The GIA sent out notifications about the still-unidentified temporary treatment Tuesday and is asking anyone in the trade with these 424 potentially treated stones to turn them back into the GIA for reexamination. (Approximately 76 of the 500 already have been reexamined by the GIA.) 

The vast majority of the stones are 1 carat or larger, with a number of 3-, 4- and even 5-carat stones in the mix. A three color-grade jump for stones of this size would amount to a big difference in price or, as one industry player observed, “big bucks” for the sellers. 

Meanwhile, the GIA has terminated the client agreements of the companies linked to the stones, as the lab “reasonably suspects” that the companies knew the diamonds were treated and did not disclose it, GIA spokesman Stephen Morisseau said.  

The companies are listed online as: E.G.S.D Diamonds Ltd., L.Y.E Diamonds Ltd., Abramov Romok and Yair Matatov.

None of the four companies could be reached at the phone numbers listed online for them, all 972-54-397 numbers, mobile phones on the Israel Diamond Exchange’s cell phone system.

Only one of the four, Romok Abramov, replied to request for comment on the case via email. 

In his email, he claims that “the amount of stones (that) can be submitted to GIA by one account is limited,” and so “Gabi” at E.G.S.D Diamonds, who presumably had hit his limit, asked him to submit stones on his behalf.  “(I) never saw any of those stones and don’t have any idea if they were treated,” Abramov stated.   

The GIA confirmed that there are indeed stone submission limits at its lab in Ramat Gan. And Morisseau said the lab does have a procedure whereby clients can ask for another client to submit stones on their behalf, but he doesn’t know if that procedure was followed in this case. 

The GIA said it has notified the diamond bourses about what happened. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Israel Diamond Exchange said it called an emergency meeting of its board of directors upon hearing the news and has “resolved to identify the suspects” and act immediately to “take the needed measures.” 

Morisseau said the GIA has not yet identified the treatment but are “actively researching it.” 

The lab became aware of this potentially new color treatment when a client (not one of the four listed above) purchased one of these diamonds and the treatment began to wear off, leaving him with a diamond that had a much lower color grade than what he had paid for. 

He returned the stone to GIA for reexamination. It was then that the GIA discovered the treatment and connected this stone with hundreds of others that had been submitted by the four companies. 

While the GIA hasn’t drawn any solid conclusions yet, Morisseau said they “reasonably believe” that all of the approximately 500 stones have been treated but won’t be able to say definitively until the lab reexamines them. 

He added that they are monitoring other GIA labs worldwide for similar submissions. 

The report numbers of the potentially treated stones are posted on GIA.edu. Anyone who has purchased or has access to any of these diamond is asked to submit them to any GIA lab for free, expedited review.

The Margarine Project
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

 

Three weeks ago my Mom started a science project in her backyard. She placed a container of margarine outside in the elements, in the shade, to see what would happen to it. I have no idea what possessed her to do this but the results have been quite interesting.

 

 

 

 

After three weeks, in the heat (there were days that were 90 degrees) not one bug entered the container. Not one. The margarine did not lose its shape or consistency. There has been some pollen and petals that have blown into the container, but other than that, nothing has happened to it.  This particular brand (seen below in the photo) is supposed to be the "healthier" type of margarine because its made with olive oil.  There is not one fruit fly, no mold or other type of growing organism from not being refrigerated. It has not rotted and does not smell any differently. That cannot be a good thing.

 

 

 

 

I have moved my Mom's container to my home and have added another brand of margarine to the experiment. We will see what happens over the next several weeks.  I must say after witnessing what happened with my Mom's experiment, I will never eat margarine again. I will proudly only buy butter and be better off for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Way back yonder margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. Well, this did not work out so well, it actually killed the turkeys. The companies that put all their to research of course wanted an return on their investment.  So, they repackaged it and added yellow coloring and began selling it to the human race to replace butter.  

 

So, let's compare and contrast....butter vs. margarine.  Both have the same amount of calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine. If you eat margarine you actually can increase your chance for heart disease, especially in women in women by 53% .  By eating butter this actually increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods. Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added and they are synthetic.

 

Let's not forget the most important part of all of this.  Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods. Margarine has a plastic taste to it.

And now for Margarine…..

 

It is very high in Trans Fatty Acids and triples your risk of Coronary Heart Disease. It also increases your Total Cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL Cholesterol, (the good cholesterol). It also increases the risk of cancers up to five times.  Lowers quality of breast milk and decreases immune response.

 

 

If one evaluates the molecular structure of margarine is one molecule away from being plastic. It also shares 27 ingredients with paint. My Mom's experiment and these facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life.

 

If a fly won't go near the food on your plate, its probably not healthy to eat.  We will report back in a few weeks with an update on the other brand we are not testing along side Mom's original container. Off to the butter aisle in the grocery store!

 

 

Top Ten Ways to Talk to Your Kids About Heroin
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY: Keeping Your Kids Safe
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

 

Mafalda’s Buffet Caterer In NJ Caters Restaurant Style Food
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

I attended an event this past weekend for a large non-profit in the city of Trenton, N.J. It was held at a nearby hotel in Trenton, NJ. The food was less than optimal.  I am deathly allergic to any kind of nut and was served a salad loaded with nuts. When I asked the server for a salad without nuts, the server did not understand or speak English. I had to walk around the venue to find a server who did understand and or speak English to get the salad replaced.  This took more than several attempts to achieve a successful result.

 

The entrees were no better. We were served minute rice, baked chicken thigh with the skin and frozen carrots and green beans. The dessert they brought to us we all had the same comment, “What the hell is this?” All for the price of $125.  If it were not for the fact the money was going to the non profit, I would be very annoyed. I am not a picky eater.  I will eat almost anything, except those things I am allergic to. The quality of this meal was down right disgusting.

 

This is so often the case, as we go to events that are catered.  I have attended weddings, funerals, bridal showers, etc., where the food has been catered and it’s all the same. It is tasteless,  poorly cooked, overcooked, and of poor quality. They turn into the ultimate limp noodle events. The perfect world would be to have your favorite restaurant where the food is delicious cater your next event.

 

Well, this is now the case in Mercer County, NJ. Mafalda’s restaurant located at 3681 Nottingham Way started doing catering in 2014. They already have 10  local venues (and growing) to choose from and offer their restaurant menu is one of the catering options. 

 

The local venues (and growing) include:

 

Sayen House and Gardens

155 Hughes Dr.

Hamilton, NJ 08690

(609) 890-3630

Nottingham Ballroom

200 Mercer St, Hamilton, NJ 08690,

(609)-890-9834 and press 1

 

Hamilton Elks Lodge

1580 Kuser Rd, Trenton, NJ 08619
(609) 585-9610

 

Bordentown Elks

11 Amboy Rd, Bordentown, NJ 08505
(609) 298-2085

 

Knights of Columbus

1451 Klockner Rd, Trenton, NJ 08619

(609) 890-6213

 

Hamilton VFW

77 Christine Ave, Mercerville, NJ 08619
(609) 890-9809

 

Whitehorse Fire House

19 Locust Ave, Trenton, NJ 08610

(609) 585-1836

 

Mercerville Fire House

2711 Nottingham Way, Mercerville, NJ 08619
(609) 586-1112

 

Hibernian Club

2419 Kuser Rd, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690
(609) 586-5982

 

Mason Hall

3682 Nottingham Way,Trenton, NJ 08690

(609) 587-5057

 

 

Organizing a party can get really stressful. Other than guest invitation and RSVP, you also need to clean and decorate your establishment or home. With so much tasks on hand,  you should  leave the heavy duty cooking and set up to the professionals.

 

Mafalda’s  specializes in full-service catering. From social to corporate, they do weddings, cocktail parties, corporate meetings, and sit down plated meals, etc.  You name it, they'll do it. They are a one-stop shop operation.  Their sales team is easy to work with, and will create an easy going no pressure atmosphere to discuss what it is that you're looking for.  They work within any budget. They have several options to choose from as it pertains to packages.  They have their basic packages, their tray packages, and platinum packages. You can visit their website (  http://www.mafaldasofhamilton.com/#!catering-packages/c5ar  ) to see the breadth of packages. Donna Severino, who has over 30 years of experience in the food industry, is the catering manager at Mafalda’s. She can be reached at 609-915-6131.

 

Mafalda’s is a family owned and managed restaurant and catering company.  They pride themselves on a reputation for quality home-style foods with eye appealing presentation. I eat there frequently and absolutely love their food. Their new clam bar is to die for!

 

Whether you need a catered meal served for 300 guests or a bowl of their homemade potato salad for the company potluck........you can call to them to take care of all your entertaining needs.  They will even let you do a taste test of their food if you would like. 

 

 

 

Happy Mother's Day to Mom Runners
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

  

 

 

Happy Mother's Day to Mom Runners

Run Across the Congo

 

By Tammy Duffy 

 

On May 23-30,  2015, an all-women team of runners will embark upon a 7-marathon, 7-day journey along the shores of Lake Kivu in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to raise awareness and funds for the inspiring female coffee farmers, farming families and cooperatives working toward gender equality and stability in the region and victims of VAS.

 

The first ever Run Across Congo will support and celebrate the resurgence of the Kivu Region through empowering women in farming communities. Runners will traverse the Great Lakes region of Africa for 300 km, hosted along the way by communities with whom organizing partners, On The Ground and Twin, have existing relationships.

 

Awareness and funds raised from the Run will empower women through programs that create access to knowledge, land, income and health care, enabling them to run their own lives and businesses. Run Across Congo unites non-profit, governmental and coffee industry partners with communities persevering through decades of civil war in Eastern DRC.

 

Funds secured by the runners and through other project fund raising will directly benefit women of three Congolese communities: female coffee farmers of the Muungano Cooperative, widows of slain Virunga National Park rangers and sexual assault victims receiving care in Lemare. 

 

Run Across Congo will use the same model the non profit, On the Ground,  developed for the successful Run Across Ethiopia in 2011 and Run Across Palestine in 2012.  These runs created several schools and the planting of thousands of olive trees respectively, for projects that are continuing to dramatically improve the lives of farming communities in the developing nations.

 

In speaking with one of the runners, Britt Cameron I was inspired by her every word.  Britt and her husband both are in the US Coast Guard.  They have 6 children and have grown their family through international adoption and foster care. Her youngest son, Kai, was born in DR Congo. She is not an endurance runner, however she has ran 4 marathons.  The elevation that they will run in the DR Congo is much different from the USCG base in NJ.  They will conquer this run and raise a lot of money for their ultra event. Britt is very excited to start this journey. 

 

The proceeds from Run Across Congo will provide transformative opportunities to these farmers by introducing practical initiatives supporting women’s empowerment at both farm and cooperative levels.  Funds will be used to empower and educate female farmers to become entrepreneurs, take control of their lives and create a brighter future for coffee communities affected by the civil war in the eastern DRC. 

 

The programs will provide the following:

·         Gender Action Learning Systems training

·         Training and leadership for women

·         Self esteem workshops

·         Literacy training

·         Educated men to involve their wives and daughters

·         Developing incentives at producer levels, promoting female membership

·         Continuing entrepreneur and business advice and support

·         Training women to develop small business plans, business advice and support.

 

One of the first stops along the way during this ultra marathon will be the community of Lemera.  The town is a hub for women who are victims of sexual aggression (VAS), many of whom walk four days or more with their children to receive medical attention.  Funds raised by the run will support the communities Lemera Hospital, which has treated 670 VAS patients in the last year. 

 

http://www.runacrosscongo.org/run/

 

The link above will allow you to visit their web site.  As these amazing runners commence their journey on May 23^rd, we wish them the best of luck. We also wish Britt and all the Mom’s running a very Happy Mother’s Day!

 

 

 

 

Exhibition for Lisa Macchi
Topic: ART NEWS

 

 

 

New HAM Exhibition Highlights New Works by Lisa Macchi

Artist Lisa Macchi says the experience of painting is a living, breathing process that’s intuitive, improvisational, visceral and seductive.

“It’s a physical dance with the piece for me,” Macchi said. “My process is not to think too much and let the work take its own course.”

Macchi’s solo exhibition, New Works on Paper, opens at the Hunterdon Art Museum on Sunday, May 17 and runs until Sept. 6. Everyone is welcome to attend the opening reception on May 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. which includes a gallery talk by the artist.

Macchi is an abstract expressionist working in a modern impressionistic painting/collage style. She finds inspiration in nature, relationships and the contrasting depths between shapes, colors and space. Viewers may discern various elements and symbols in her work, but the artist prefers not to discuss specifics.

“I don’t want to sabotage the viewer’s imagination by saying too much about my work,” she said. “The work is abstract so viewers will draw from it whatever seems appropriate to them. Many times people will look at my work and say they see something in it that may or may not be there.

“There’s a sense of intimacy with the work that makes it very personal,” she adds.

Macchi frequently works with a special paper that she tempers and primes in a putty-colored patina of gesso, which works as a foundation and sealant. Adding this surface and color – what Macchi calls “the bones” -- gives the painting more depth and substance rather than painting on a flat plain white palette, she said. The artist then begins her very spontaneous process, creating work organically using acrylic, crayon, graphite and/or pieces of paper glued onto the work.

“My process is not to think too much and just let the work take its own course,” she said.

She received a Bachelor’s of Fine Art from the Tyler School of Fine Arts at Temple University in
Pennsylvania. During the 1970s, she attended the Art Students League in New York City
where she studied with renowned modernist Knox Martin and Peter Golfinopoulos.

Macchi put her art career on hold for several years to become a successful business woman and to raise a family, but her passion for art never faded. “I always knew I’d go back to my work,” Macchi said. “But when I did, I wanted to make sure I really immersed myself in it so I could learn and grow.”

Her work has been shown at several venues including the Riverside Studio in Pottersville and at New Century artist Gallery in Chelsea, New York.

New Exhibitions at Hunterdon Museum
Topic: ART NEWS

 

 

 

New Exhibitions at the Hunterdon Art Museum

 

The Hunterdon Art Museum has several new exhibitions opening Sunday, May 17 featuring works in collage, drawing and abstract painting. All the following shows run until September 6 unless otherwise noted.

Peter Jacobs: The Collage Journal – The First Decade. For the past decade, artist Peter Jacobs has started each morning by creating a collage from that day’s New York Times. The collages are   theatrical stages of abstracted color and rhythms, layers that imbue surreal narratives, symbolism hidden in humor, social commentary, cultural irony and pure visual perception.

To the Best of my Recollection. This new exhibition of drawings explores how we retell stories, and how information is lost or distorted when we consider the people and places in our lives. The four artists whose works are featured in the show – Alex Gingrow, Carlos Rodriguez, Frank Magnotta and Michael Scoggins – approach the art of storytelling from fresh perspectives using text, art and sometimes both.

Lisa Macchi: New Works on Paper. Lisa Macchi is an abstract expressionist working in a modern impressionistic painting/collage style. She finds inspiration in nature, relationships and the contrasting depths between shapes, colors and space.

Carol Rosen: In Memoriam. The Museum hosts a retrospective of the work of Carol Rosen (1933-2014), who was featured in a solo exhibition in 2013. The show includes her recent photo collages that focused on the Holocaust along with cast paper and sculptures of found objects that demonstrate her ongoing interesting in using unconventional materials in her works. Closes June 19.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC

The Museum is at 7 Lower Center St. in Clinton, New Jersey, 08809. Our website is www.hunterdonartmuseum.org and our telephone number is 908-735-8415. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm and suggested admission is $5.

 

Junie B. Jones” Takes Center Stage at MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre May 30

 

 

 

 

West Windsor, N.J. – There’s big time fun in store when “Junie B. Jones” steps onto the stage at Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC’s) Kelsey Theatre.  Theatreworks/ USA presents the irrepressible first grader in her very own musical on Saturday, May 30 at 2 and 4 p.m.  Kelsey Theatre is located on the college's West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

Based on Barbara Park’s best-selling books, the production chronicles the outspoken and lovable youngster’s daily accounts as she describes them in her “top secret personal beeswax journal.”  Junie’s challenges include getting used to a whole new group of friends, meeting her teacher, adjusting to wearing glasses, participating in the annual kickball tournament and other angst-ridden moments of childhood.  Young audiences will easily connect with this warm and bubbly heroine, who finds a way to succeed in the end and learns important lessons along the way. 

After a brief New York City-area tour in Spring 2004, “Junie B. Jones” premiered off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in July 2004 and is now one of Theatreworks/ USA’s most popular productions.  The musical is based on books in the Junie B. Jones series including Junie B., First Grader (at Last!); Junie B., Boss of Lunch; Junie B., One-Man Band; and Top-Secret Beeswax: A Journal by Junie B. (and Me!).

Theatreworks/USA is America’s largest and most prolific professional not-for-profit theater for young and family audiences.  Since 1961, the company has enlightened, entertained, and instructed more than 90 million people in 49 states and Canada, now performing for about four million people annually.

Tickets are $10 for children, students and senior citizens, and $12 for adults. Free parking is available next to the theatre. Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at 609-570-3333.