HHS 2012 Raider Marching Band: The Edge

The Hillsborough High School Raider Marching Band returned from band camp last night and presented their 2012 show: The Edge...

Raiders Band 083012 - free slideshow maker

For more information on this year's Raider show,go here.
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Photographs courtesy of Susan Gulliford and George Mariasz.

SCPC Concert: Four Tops Tribute

The 2012 Somerset County Park Commission winds up the 2012 Summer Concert Series tomorrow with the tribute group Standing in the Shadows of the Four Tops...

According to the SCPC:

"Standing in The Shadows" is the ultimate tribute to the Four Tops. A long-time admirer of the Four Tops, group originator Dave Revels, formerly of the Drifters, gathered talented musicians and singers who have worked with various legends of rock and roll, soul, and Motown to create this incredible musical experience.

The Four Tops were a Motown group who performed such well-known chart-toppers as "Baby I Need Your Loving", "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch", "It's the Same Old Song", "Standing in the Shadows of Love", "Walk Away Renee", "Ain't No Woman Like the One I've Got", etc., etc. ...

The outdoor concert runs from 7-to-8:30 p.m., Sunday, August 26, at Duke Island Park. There is no admission fee. Bring you friends and family, chairs and blankets, pets, snacks, a few dollars for the ice-cream truck and your dancing shoes.

For more information on Standing in the Shadows.. go here.

If the weather looks questionable, call (908)722-1200 ext.7 to check for cancellation.
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The end of another outstanding SCPC concert season. Thanks to the sponsors and the county employees who work so hard to present such a great summer experience every year.

SCPC Concert: Country Fest

This Sunday's Somerset County Park Commission 2012 Summer Concert Series presents the Country Fest, another double-header featuring Beth Anne Clayton from 5:30-to-6:30 p.m.and Radio Nashville from 7-to-8:30 p.m....

The SCPC website says of Beth Anne Clayton:

A natural talent, Beth Anne can play just about any instrument that you hand her. But it's her love of singing that keeps her performing in the studios and out on the stage! She most often performs for thousands annually, going nationwide from her native New Jersey to Nashville, Tennessee with her band performing an energetic blend of original country and rock music. She also tours annually with Holiday Express, a non-profit organization at the Jersey Shore, performing a Christmas show during the holiday season.

And about Radio Nashville:

Radio Nashville says that every country song tells a story, and they do just that, with a Show that's one great party. This six-piece band performs the top modern country hits from Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, and Kenny Chesney. Come sing-along to all your favorite country songs.

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Take a chair or blanket, camera, snacks, the dog, and, maybe,a few dollars for the ice-cream truck.

Remember these are outdoor concerts, so if the weather looks questionable, telephone (908)722-1200 x 7 to check for cancellation.

2012 Hillsborough Rotary Fair: The Fun!

The rides...the games...the smiles...the lights...the fun...

2012 RotaryFair The Fun - how to create a free slideshow

And don't forget the food vendors, the businesses, and the organizations that support the fair...

2012 RotaryFair Business - how to create a free slideshow

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Photographs courtesy of Susan Gulliford.

2012 Rotary Fair: The Volunteers

The 5th Annual Hillsborough Rotary Fair is running this week through Saturday, August 19th. Thanks to the Rotary members and their friends and family who volunteer their time to make this week possible...

2012 RotaryFair Vols. - how to create a free slideshow

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Photographs courtesy of Susan Gulliford.

Hillsborough Rotary Club Fair 2012

From the Rotary Club website:

The Hillsborough Rotary Club will be holding its Fifth Annual "Hillsborough Rotary Fair" August 14th to August 19th at the Lowes Promenade shopping center off Route 206. The six day carnival will feature spectacular rides from Majestic Midways, games, food vendors and tent vendors as well as nightly entertainment. The Rotary Fair attracts approximately 15000 patrons every year and has grown to one of the premier family fun events in Somerset County. The Rotary Fair runs nightly from 6 - 10pm.

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Photograph from the 2011 Fair courtesy of Susan Gulliford.

SCPC Concert: Annual Bayou Fest Tonight

Laissez les bon temps rouler!
The Somerset County Park Commission's popular Bayou Fest starts at 5:30 p.m.

This year's double-bill features The VooDUDES from 5:30-to-6:30 p.m. followed by Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys from 7:00-to-8:30 p.m.

According to the SCPC, about The VooDUDES...

New Jersey's own Mardi Gras Party Band, the VooDUDES will strut their musical stuff to kick off this year's Bayou Fest. A mixed bag of Creole Soul, Swamp Funk, and Bayou Boogie, the VooDUDES incorporate elements of R&B, boogie-woogie, Zydeco, Latin, honky-tonk gospel, southern folk, and island music into their own distinctive blend of what can only be described as Louisiana music with a New Jersey accent.

and about Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys...

Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys is a hot new band on the Zydeco scene. They deliver great renditions of Creole classics, as well as their own brand of contemporary Zydeco. Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys represent a new generation of Zydeco, presented with contemporary flair and expertise. They create incredible music with outstanding performances, inspiring new Creole zydeco fans.

Concertgoers who want to go all-in on the Bayou culture should bring a few dollars to try the Cajun and Creole food, catered by Touch Bayou Catering. To get your mouth watering, here is a 2009 menu:

There is no charge for the concert. Take a chair or blanket and a camera. Be prepared to dance. Have fun!
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To increase your appreciation of the concert, learn a little about zydeco music. According to the Zydeco Historical and Preservation Society "...the music draws upon French, Creole, West African, Cajun, Caribbean, and R & B musical traditions. Zydeco Music is characterized by the use of the accordion, spoons, scrubboard, fiddle and triangle...".

Wikipedia has an overview of zydeco music.
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For more information about this year's Somerset County Park Commission Summer
Concert Series go here.

2012 4-H Fair Day 1 Pix

A picture is worth a thousand words. Here are 100 pictures from the first day of the 2012 Somerset County 4-H Fair...

2012 4H Fair Day 1 - how to make a free slideshow

Take a look at the activities scheduled for today and tomorrow. Go! Have fun! Learn stuff!

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Slideshow courtesy of Susan Gulliford...who advises not to forget your camera when you go.

Looked at life from both sides now...

From the book After Camelot - A Personal History of the Kennedy Family 1968 to the Present (2012), pages 70-71, by J. Randy Taraborrelli:

"..On the political front, who can say what kind of President Bobby Kennedy might have been had he run and won the election that fateful year? '[Bobby] achieved something special in that last campaign,' observed Bobby's son Max - who was just three when his father died. 'It was the first time Americans in the middle class and the poorest Americans were really brought together. Men and women from all sorts of racial and economic backgrounds joined together in that campaign. I have always found it striking that after June 4, 1968, many of the Americans who supported my father supported George Wallace, not because of the latter's racial views but because he was the voice of the middle- and the lower-middle-class-worker. Wallace, however, appealed to the dark side of their hopes. I believe that there is a dark side to every American and it is easier perhaps for politicians to appeal to that darker side, but we are all also receptive to what is best in us. Robert Kennedy chose to appeal to the light.'..."

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History lesson: Robert Kennedy was assassinated just after midnight June 5, 1968 while running for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.
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HNJJ commentary: Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Purple Heart Monument Dedication

Yesterday evening marked the unveiling of the newest monument in Hillsborough Township's Garden of Honor at the dedication of the Purple Heart monument...

Purple Heart Ceremony '`12 -

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Photographs courtesy of Susan Gulliford.

2012 Somerset County 4-H Fair

Purple Heart Monument Dedication

Hillsborough will be dedicating its newest Garden of Honor monument honoring Purple Heart recipients tomorrow, Tuesday, August 7th, at 6:30 p.m.

The Garden of Honor is located at the Hillsborough Township Municipal Building at 379 South Branch Road.
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For the history of the Purple Heart go here.

For those who may not be familiar with the Military Order of the Purple Heart, "...Chartered by Congress in 1958, The Military Order of the Purple Heart is composed of military men and women who received the Purple Heart Medal for wounds suffered in combat...".

The website for the Military Order of the Purple Heart is here.

SCPC Concert: Ken Navarro

This evening's Somerset County Park Commission 2012 Summer Concert Series presents jazz guitarist Ken Navarro...

According to the SCPC website:

Over the past 21 years, Ken Navarro has performed jazz guitar in every major US city and has had numerous Top 5 hits on national radio. Navarro's 2010 release Dreaming of Trains was nominated for Grammy awards in two categories, and his 2008 album The Grace of Summer Light was named the #1 contemporary jazz album of the year by the Jazz Times. His impressive discography of 20 top charting albums showcases his appeal to a wide range of listeners with inspiring compositions and superb guitar performances.

The free concert starts at 7 p.m. at Duke Island Park, Old York Road, Bridgewater, NJ. Bring chairs, blankets, snacks, family and friends, the family pet, and your camera. There is a nearby playground and you can bring a few dollars for the ice-cream truck.

As the concert is outdoors, if the weather appears threatening, call (908)722-1200x7 to check for cancellation.
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For more information on Ken Navarro go here.

For information on this summer's concerts, go here.