Marine Sergeant Michael Brattole was on the nice list this year. On Nov. 15, as the rest of town was preparing for Thanksgiving and the start of the holidays, Brattole, 22, was a world away in Marjah, Afghanistan when he was hit with a fragmentation grenade. Though he sustained serious injuries requiring lifesaving surgeries to retrieve shrapnel from his heart, legs and arms, Brattole's first thoughts in recovery were concern for the rest of his team. Coming home to recover after receiving the Purple Heart, Brattole, a 2006 Johnson graduate, rightly received a hero's welcome in Clark. On …
Clark Winners Tied for most outrageous: Morecraft Family - 16 Williams St. and Bruno Family - 76 Lincoln Ave. Traditional: Prusuth Family - 17 Starlite Dr.Overall favorite: Minnicci Family - 94 Jupitor St. According to Clark Recreation Director Ralph Bernardo, close contenders were 131 Hart St., 22 Florence Dr. and 443 Westfield Ave. Overall, 16 homes entered and 400 residents voted. Each winner received a $50 gift certificate to Town Hardware, a lawn sign and bragging rights. GARWOOD Winners 1st Place: 231 Spruce Ave.2nd Place: 342 Hickory Ave.3rd Place: 340 Second Ave.Chevy Chase Award: …
At the time of year when most of us were at our wits end preparing for our own holidays, Judie Lohman, a secretary at Arthur L. Johnson high school, was organizing a Christmas party for children – 80 children. "I just love to do things for other people," explained Lohman when asked how she finds the time during such a busy season. With the help of the ALJ Key Club and the Frost family of Clark, Lohman has successfully arranged the festivities for nine years. At first, she began collecting and delivering presents to boys and girls until the delivering became too much, and she thought, "Why not…
The lights dimmed and the audience hushed as the concert band entered the auditorium and took their seats to begin the Winter Concert on Dec. 13 at Arthur L. Johnson High School. Music Director Rachel Bollaro told the audience that when choosing the music selection for the evening, she tried to choose pieces that would bring people together. The evening's playlist included traditional Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa music. The concert band took the stage for the first half of the performance beginning with the Old English Christmas carol, "Here We Come A'Caroling" and "Yorkshire Ballad." …
In celebration of Christmas, Patch wanted to know what was the best Christmas gift residents have received in the past. Heading out to Clark, Garwood, Westfield, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Cranford, we heard a range of answers to this question. Check out the video.
What is your Christmas wish? A simple question that brings about a variety of answers. From gifts to peace on Earth, area residents covered the range of answers when Patch asked them this question. Check out the video.
He's a long way from the North Pole and the U.S. government will help you track him tonight. Taking a break from their normal duties to keep the United States and Canada safe, the North American Aerospace Defense Command is tracking Santa's travels all day on Friday into Saturday. You can follow his progress here.
Maybe they're thinking green (or maybe they're just thinking about saving some green), but more than a third of New Jersey residents admit to "regifting" in the latest Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind Poll. "The popularity of regifting is driven by many things for different people," said Burçak Ertimur, a professor of marketing at FDU's Silberman College of Business. "For some, it's thrift in difficult economic times, or it's a way to get around annoyingly high expectations about gift-giving. It's also awareness of, or guilt over, how much stuff goes into the landfill. But the main …
Vote today! Clark Recreation is encouraging all residents to cast their ballots in Clark's third annual Holiday House Decorating Contest, and today is the voting deadline. View the homes in this slideshow and then vote by emailing Ralph Bernardo at rbernardo@ourclark.com or calling 732-428-8400. Please vote for only one home. Prizes will be awarded for the most outrageous, most traditional and all around favorite house.
While trendy presents come and go, the joy of a new pet remains one of the most popular gifts each holiday season. Patch reached out to a few local pet experts to provide tips for those who plan on bringing a four-legged family member into their home this holiday. Prospective dog and cat owners are encouraged to educate themselves on the responsibilities of creating a safe and healthy environment for the animal. Besides the cold weather, there are various dangers that new pets are faced with this time of year, so it's important to pet-proof your home. The hectic side of the holidays can often…
Each season provides opportunities for anyone with a camera to take fantastic photos that become family heirlooms, hilarious reminders of wonderful gatherings and touching mementos of milestone moments. But celebrating the winter holidays provides a number of challenges — whether you're shooting inside in candlelight, by the fire, around the Christmas tree, or outside in bitter cold, wind, or snow. For years, I have taught the principles of winter photography at my International Photographic Workshops of Grand Fenway. Dozens of students paid thousands of Zeligs to learn these techniques (How …
Get your dose of holiday spirit at the Winter Concert, Monday night in the Arthur L. Johnson auditorium. Beginning at 7 p.m., the high school band, chorale and concert choir will perform under the direction of music instructor Rachel Bollero. The band will perform the first half of the show, playing five songs featuring several solos. After intermission, the chorale and concert choir will combine forces and perform five songs together.
The Garwood Celebrations committee once again offers prizes for the most festive holiday home this season. The prizes are awarded for first, second and third place – plus the "Chevy Chase" award for that special house that can be seen from space. Judging will take place in the weekend prior to Christmas (Dec. 18 and 19), so if you haven't strung the bulbs and hung the wreath yet, get cracking.
On Saturday Dec. 4, the Garwood Celebrations Committee kicked off the season's festivities with the borough's annual tree lighting celebration. The cold winter air didn't keep kids and adults from coming out to the Municipal Building parking lot for this annual tradition–and abundant hot chocolate helped keep everyone, including Santa, warm.
Catch him if you can. Saturday night: Santa's getting dropped off by fire truck in Garwood at the annual Tree Lighting, which starts at 6pm at Borough Hall, 403 South Ave. Sunday: Santa will be back for day two of the Dr. Robinson Plantation's fourth annual Holiday Celebration at 593 Madison Hill Rd from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. In addition to pictures with the Man in Red, the free (donations are appreciated) event also features open hearth cooking, a handcrafted rag rug demonstration, readings of "The Night Before Christmas" (at 1, 2, 3, and 4 p.m.), and a gingerbread house raffle. The Clark …
The lights are shining in Clark. The township's third annual Holiday House Decorating Contest is underway. Participation in the contest has grown rapidly. "It's becoming a family tradition in Clark," explains Ralph Bernardo, Recreation Director. "We started with about 20 homes participating in 2008. Last year we had over 40 homes. This year we're hoping for even more. I encourage everyone to get involved whether it's decorating and entering your home in the contest or driving around, viewing the homes and voting for your choices." It's easy to enter your house in the contest. Just pick up a …
This year's Winter Festival, held on Nov. 28, delivered all it promised and more. The weather was brisk but not exactly cold, and the snowflakes were delightful but not enough to shovel. I always hold my breath as the countdown begins – just in case – but the tree and menorah lit up without a single Griswold-style hitch. Browse our photos of the day and see if your holiday spirit doesn't pick up a notch or two.
Let it snow...let it snow...let it please just be snow from the snow machine designed to set the mood at the Winter Festival at the Municipal Building on Sunday, Nov. 28. The annual tree and menorah lighting, including lots of holiday activities, entertainment and food for the whole family, begins at 3 p.m. with the lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. sharp. "This is a wonderful family event that is offered free to Clark residents by the township," said Recreation Director Ralph Bernardo. "I hope everyone will come out and take advantage of it. We are expecting over 2,000 people this year." The event…
