10 minute read
Dates Set for Free Concerts
Though summer concerts are on hold in New Providence this year, local music fans will be able to attend events in both Berkeley Heights and Summit, and there is such a range of styles being planned that there are events to appeal every taste, from Motown and Soul to Doo Wop and hits of the 70s.
Berkeley Heights
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The township hosts its outdoor music events on Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. When the concerts are at Veterans Memorial Park, they are at 113-205 Plainfield Ave., and others will be at Connell Grove in the Park, 150 Connell Dr. On tap for the coming weeks are:
June 30, Revolver, performing music by Don Henley, Cheap Trick, Rod Stewart, Billy Idol, Peter Frampton, Wings, the Black Crowes and others. At Veterans Memorial Park, with a rain date of July 1.
July 7, Frontiers, a Journey cover band, at Veterans Memorial Park with a rain date of July 8.
July 14, Face 2 Face, with covers of music by The Eagles, Foreigner, Billy Joel, the Beatles and more. At Veterans Memorial Park with a rain date of July 15.
July 21, the Sensational Soul Cruisers, an 11-man horn group fronted by four vocalists who pay homage to the best of the 60s, 70s and 80s, specializing in old school, classic soul, R and B, Motown and disco. At the Grove in the Park, with a rain date to be determined.
July 28, Good Vibrations/7 Rag Dolls, with music made famous by Frankie Valli and The Beach Boys. At the Grove in the Park, with a rain date of July 29.
Aug. 4, Missing Pieces, a local band, will perform at the Grove in the Park, with a rain date of Aug. 5.
Summit
On summer Tuesdays, hundreds gather on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. on the Village Green, 356 Broad Street between Maple and Elm. Not only do attendees get to enjoy music, there are food trucks plus free ice cream that is sponsored by concert series host Investors Bank. July 13, the Legacy will play both Motown classics and current favorite songs.
July 20, Super Trans AM highlights music of the 70s and 80s.
July 27’s featured group is Crash the Party, whose members describe their style as “total party.”
Aug. 3 is music by Twice Heard, and will be combined with the city’s Community Night and the Summit Police Department’s annual Night Out events. Non-profits that wish to learn more about taking part in the event at no charge may contact David Guida at 908-277-2932 or dguidajr@ cityofsummit.org.
Aug. 10, Brian Kirk and the Jerks, with the sounds of the Jersey Shore.
Aug. 17, The Nerds, a rock and roll cover band that is a New Jersey institution.
SUMMIT, NJ – Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets to ReevesReed Arboretum and celebrate the return of its summer concert series, Sounds of a Summer Night! All performances will be held Wednesday evenings in the Yon and Francie Cho Garden Amphitheater on the grounds of Reeves-Reed Arboretum (165 Hobart Avenue, Summit). This super summer concert line-up includes the following:
AJune 16 - Sonaré Sings, The Continuo Art Foundation’s professional ensemble of young artists will open the summer series with a special evening of Choral Music featuring Broadway, Jazz, and Opera soloists July 7 - Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors invite you to Come Together for their 2021 tour and kick off the summer with a powerful mix of down-home blues, oldfashioned soul and uptown funk. This talented and eclectic threesome features Roderick Patterson, a singer, dancer and motivational speaker, Alan Gross, guitarist and cigar-box guitar maker, and Adam Gussow, a blues harmonica specialist.
July 28 - The Ryan Hernandez Quartet will jazz up July with its cool but classical ensemble performing a repertoire of original compositions as well as music of the Great American Songbook. Their performance will include music written and/or performed by artists like Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Cole porter.
August 25 - Random Test Reggae has been rocking New Jersey with music heavily coated in Caribbean traditions since 1999. With members hailing from all over the Caribbean, the group brings a cache of authentic reggae and calypso rhythms in true West Indian fashion. They will take you on a musical journey that pays tribute to pioneers in reggae and soca music – from the early days to today, staying true to the real roots and culture.
The Arboretum grounds will open at 6 p.m. for concert goers to picnic and enjoy the gardens. Performances will begin at 7 p.m. Entry is free for ReevesReed Arboretum Members and children 3 and under. Non-Member tickets are $15 and Students $5. Tickets are available online at reeves-reedarboretum.org or at the entry gate the evening of each performance. Student tickets must be purchased at the gate. Sounds of a Summer Night is sponsored in part by INVESTORS BANK and Ciel Power.
The Arboretum wants to perennially celebrate those graduating this year by planting a June blooming garden that can be visited for years to come. Whether you are graduating from pre-school or college (or anything in between), this is a way to recognize this accomplishment in a unique and
Give to this fundraiser to recognize a graduate, a class, a school, and to support the Arboretum's work:
• $50 supports the planting and maintenance of the dedicated garden
• $100 recognizes a recipient on the 'Garden for 2021 Graduates' plaque
• $250 recognizes a recipient with a personalized celebration stone in the garden
Please note your graduate's name in the "Participants" line on the check-out page. If you would like to do something extraordinary such as a bench or tree planting for your graduate, please contact RRA Executive Director, Jackie Kondel at 908-273-8787 ext. 1515.
Summit / New Providence Rotary President Dr. Roz Dorlen recently joined American Red Cross Blood Services representative Meghan Spears in presenting a Certificate of Appreciation to Grand Summit Hotel General Manager Thomas Riccardi in appreciation for the Hotel’s donation of the Grand Ballroom for the recent Rotary sponsored blood bank that resulted in over 40 pints being donated, and over 200 lives being saved.
The club had already hosted one drive on Martin Luther King Day, during Summit’s Day of Service program. The second was held in April at the Hotel.
Due to COVID, we were unable to provide our normal contingent of volunteers, but with the hotel’s help the Red Cross adapted and handled much of the workload. However, the Rotary’s recruitment efforts managed to gather a significant increase in contributions.
The community is invited when the Berkeley Heights YMCA, 59 Locust Ave., hosts its first-ever Kid at Heart Field Day on Sunday, June 27, from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
This opportunity to relive childhood fun will feature indoor and outdoor activities set to include dodgeball and other games, snacks and T-shirt tie-dyeing (participants are asked to bring their own cotton shirts).
Also on tap for the afternoon are fitness classes, an open house and tours of the facility, including the fitness center.
Registration for Field Day is required, and free babysitting will be available by reservation for children ranging in age from six weeks to 12 years old, in the Y’s Kid Zone.
For details, or to make reservations, contact Tiffany Escott, executive director of the Berkeley Heights YMCA, at tiffany.escott@ thesay.org or 908-464-8373.
Founded in 1886, the Summit Area YMCA, of which Berkeley Heights is a branch, has a history of working side-by-side with its neighbors to ensure that everyone, regardless of age, income and background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Each year, the local Y’s serve more than 15,000 individuals with free and fee-based programs and services in an area spanning the communities of Berkeley Heights, New Providence, Millburn, Springfield, Short Hills, Summit, Gillette and Stirling.
Summit Public Art is hosting its first-ever Illumination Night, everyone is invited and admission is free.
On Friday, June 18, from 7 to 8 p.m., the launch of the group’s new season kicks off with a Water & Wine Gathering at “What Lifts You,” the mural on the side of 10 Maple St., which is the location of BarBacoa Restaurant, a supporter of the evening’s festivities. (While the gathering is free and all ages are welcome, $10 wine tickets will be available to those who are 21 and older and can show photo ID. Advance reservations are available, or pay at the door if interested in drinking.)
At 8 p.m. there will be a free guided art walk (by reservation) departing from 10 Maple St., and from 9 to 10 p.m. on the Village Green at 356 Broad St. is the Illumination, with music and a video installation by artist Sean Capone. No RSVP is required for the Illumination, which will feature hundreds of lighted balloons.
To guarantee a wine or tour ticket, send an email to summitppublicarts@gmail.com, including the names of those in your group and which type of ticket/s you would like to reserve.
The rain date is June 19.
For details, visit summitpublicart.com. The all-volunteer group has been installing public art by noted artists all over town since 2002, ranging from the “Summit” sign on Broad Street to various temporary sculptures on the Village Green. Its website also includes specifics of a self-guided tour of current works on view.
In Berkeley Heights, sidewalks along Plainfield Avenue – spanning from Mountain to Park – are getting a facelift.
Paid for in part by a $410,000 grant from the N.J. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets to Transit Program, the project will allow for reconstruction and expansion of sidewalks in front of Columbia Middle School, with the goals of improving walkability and reducing pedestrian hazards, in addition to creating some sidewalks where there currently are none.
Township officials said the aim is to “safely connect different neighborhoods to the downtown, schools and train station.”
Major portions of the project are slated to begin in late June, after school lets out, and will include:
Replacement of an asphalt path on the west side of Plainfield with a new concrete sidewalk.
Removal of trees that are damaging sidewalk portions and have caused safety concerns.
Repair and proper alignment of existing sidewalks.
Installation of a new concrete sidewalk on the east side of Plainfield between Roosevelt and Plainfield.
Installation of new concrete sidewalk on the full west side of Plainfield where needed, and repair of some existing portions.
The state approved the plan, and it was noted sidewalks cannot be installed around existing trees in a township or county right-of-way because then the sidewalks themselves could encroach on private property.
“Being able to execute this large-scale sidewalk is a tremendous opportunity for our town,” said Mayor Angie Devanney. “Plainfield Avenue is a major artery…not only for vehicular traffic but for kids and commuters walking to the downtown area. Residents in this area have been long waiting for improved sidewalks and safer routes in their neighborhoods, to the school and to the train. This project will deliver on that.”
The president of the Township Committee, Jeanne Kingsley, who applied for the grant, said, “Over the years, the township has made investments in pedestrian safety around our schools, such as traffic-calming devices, pedestrian walking signs, flashing pedestrian signs and walking signs. CMS, Mountain Park, Hughes and Woodruff schools all received Gold Status from New Jersey’s Safe Routes to School Program, which encourages safe routes for kids to walk, bike or use other wheeled devices to get to school. This project is the next investment in such safety improvements.”
Township officials noted residents directly affected by construction – having trees removed or sidewalk work done – have been notified. The contractor is Cifelli & Son. Preliminary work underway in early June before school lets out is being done to ensure all work is completed by fall.
For project information, maps and exact locations of work, visit bit.ly/BHSafeStreets (cap-sensitive).
