Click here to view the story in pictures about the Hightstown historic district’s restoration and preservation project.

Sachiko Akiyama’s figurative sculptures, carved from basswood and painted, are contemplative and psychological portraits that are at once personal and allegorical.  Her work is labor-intensive; it can take up to a year or longer for her to complete once piece.  Akiyama infuses her sculptures with a Japanese sensibility which, as she has stated, is more concerned with the ”belief in attaining knowledge not through action, but through silence, introspection, and passivity.” As Cate McQuaid of The Boston Globe has noted, “her sculptures have the allure and economy of a Buddha statue and the sense that there’s more going on under the surface of each figure than the viewer could dream.”

Sachiko Akiyama is on the faculty of Boston University, where she also earned her MFA degree.  She also studied at Amherst College, Brandeis University, and the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture.

For more information about this show and other events at the Mariboe Gallery, please visit our website (http://www.peddie.org/mariboegallery), or contact the gallery by telephone (609-944-7551) or email (mariboegallery@peddie.org).

Greater Goods also welcomes adult volunteers of any age who have a few hours for some rewarding work in a friendly environment.  You can help customers, straighten or sort clothes, and give a smile to others.  If you’d like to find out more about volunteering at Greater Goods, call Leslie at (609) 448-2702 or visit the store at 114 Rogers Avenue in Hightstown during business hours.  The store is open Monday & Tuesday 10am – 3pm, and Wednesday – Saturday 10am – 7pm.

Please note that Greater Goods now accepts donations of any size anytime during store hours!  We are very happy to help people lighten their closets and garages, and feel good about giving at the same time.  All proceeds benefit family support programs right here in our community.

Hightstown’s Hometown Harvest Fair is fast approaching!  Volunteers are needed for distributing fliers and posters, as well as helping on the day of the event with parking, vendor set-up, pony rides, pedal boats and entertainment coordination.  It’s a great way to meet people and get involved in the town!  If you are interested in being part of the volunteer group supporting the fair, please contact Lev Golinkin at 609.915.4709 or golinkin@gmail.com.

Hightstown’s annual Hometown Harvest Fair is being planned for Saturday, October 9, 2010, from 10am – 4 pm. Vendors and organization applications are now being accepted, and participants are encouraged to register early in order to get the location of their choice.

This year, continuous entertainment will be provided at the Lakeside Stage and Fountain Point Stage, along with our traditional 5 K Race, chili cook-off, Ducky Derby, pedal boats on the lake, and 200 vendors and organizations. The Children’s Pavilion will include a MoonBouncer and Slide, a stilt-walker/juggler, balloonist, ponies to ride and baby animals to pet. New to the fair this year will be a scarecrow contest, an OctoberFest with Wine and Beer Tastings, and strolling musicians. A train show and farmer’s market will be added as well, along with trolley cars to provide transportation.

Join us for a beautiful fall day, along picturesque Peddie Lake! If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help with the fair, contact Kathy Patten at 609-448-6352.

Live Music

August

August 6, 2010 – John & Carm Rock, Blue, & Bluegrass Duet 609-278-0143 euwers@aol.com

August 13, 2010 – The Backdoor Band 4 piece acoustic vocal group featuring Jeanne Yarrow, vocalist  extraordinaire, Mark Stewart on mandolin, fiddle, vocals and guitar. Paul  Otis on Guitar and vocals and James Popik on Guitar and Vocals. Material ranges from old timey and Appalachian ballads to contemporary folk and  acoustic rock. http://www.thebackdoorband.com/ Jim Popik A&R Music   609-333-0852 Mountainjazzmusic@comcast.net

August 20, 2010 – Gary Behrens (609)448-6973

August 27, 2010 – Hot Taters – Dixie land, southern jazz Ron Kostar (609)443-4179

July

July 2, 2010

The Backdoor Band 4 piece acoustic vocal group featuring Jeanne Yarrow, vocalist  extraordinaire, Mark Stewart on mandolin, fiddle, vocals and guitar. Paul  Otis on Guitar and vocals and James Popik on Guitar and Vocals. Material ranges from old timey and Appalachian ballads to contemporary folk and  acoustic rock. http://www.thebackdoorband.com/ Jim Popik A&R Music   609-333-0852 Mountainjazzmusic@comcast.net

July 9, 2010

Daniel Trent & Accordion Two piece group featuring an assortment of worldly tunes set on accordion  &  guitar. danny_trent@yahoo.com (732)207-3303

July 16, 2010

Bob Gilmartin Acoustic guitar & vocals…

Vendors

In an effort to bring the freshest foods into the community while supporting local farmers, the Market will feature produce, flowers and goods grown on nearby family-owned farms.  Participating farms include Mendies Farms of Roosevelt and K & S Farms of East Windsor. The Market will also feature local vendors such as Guate Pan Bakery, Molto Bene Caffé e Mercato Italiano, Blue Rooster Bakery & Café, and Crazy Dog Barkery, offering a wide variety of culinary and shopping pleasures.

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General Info

Hosted by the borough’s Parks and Recreation Commission and Downtown Hightstown, Inc.  Located at Memorial Park on Main Street, the Market overlooks scenic Peddie Lake and welcomes residents and visitors to shop, enjoy the view and explore our downtown eateries and small businesses.  The market will be open every Friday from 4:00 – 8:00 PM, and will continue through the last Friday of September.

The Market debuted last year and steadily grew in popularity as the season progressed. By the end of the season, the Market drew nearly 300 patrons every Friday night. Building on that success, this year’s Market will continue for an additional month, and will feature local musical talent in July and August.

Demand for local farmers’ markets is growing, as economic and environmental concerns have made people more conscientious about their food’s point of origin.  The Market gives local residents an opportunity to enjoy produce that is grown and harvested right here in New Jersey, while ensuring that farmers benefit directly from their efforts. The weekly event also invites more pedestrian traffic downtown, where a range of dining and shopping opportunities await.  Hightstown businesses are encouraged to extend their hours on Friday evenings to accommodate customers.

The Hightstown Triathlon, now in its third year as a USAT-sanctioned event, offers a fast, flat course that is ideal for both competitive and entry-level athletes.  Last year’s event drew nearly 300 participants, and has become a growing attraction for local residents and out-of-town visitors.  Children ages 7-13 are eligible to compete in the Kids’ Triathlon, while the adult Triathlon is open to individuals or teams of three from ages 14 and up.

For more information about the event, or to pre-register at a discounted rate, visit www.HightstownTriathlon.org

If you want them to stop dropping them at your particular property, please go to hightstownborough.com and enter your address.  A list is being compiled to relay the message to the Times so they will stop littering your property. This is very frustrating considering we just conducted a Borough wide cleanup.

Please pass along this information to your friends and neighbors with the hope of stopping outside corporations from constantly littering our neighborhoods with their advertising.

Thanks,
Your Friends at Downtown Hightstown, Inc.

Although we will miss his outstanding leadership and vision, we are happy to report that our founding Executive Director, Ryan Rosenberg, will be stepping down from the role as and his wife Amanda eagerly await the birth of their first child this spring. We wish them great health and happiness, and look forward to yet another contribution to the future of Hightstown!

Ryan adds, “For the past two years, it has been my pleasure to serve as the first Executive Director of Downtown Hightstown, Inc. The organization has grown from a fledgling group of a few people with nothing more than a simple website to a viable and energetic incorporated organization. As a group, we have made significant and tangible improvements to Hightstown’s downtown area, increased its visibility through a greater web presence, and improved its image to our residents and the surrounding communities. I’m also proud of the connections we’ve made between business owners, residents, and the local government. I will be stepping down in either April or May and into my new role as a father, but I plan to stay active until then to ensure that there is a smooth transition. I look forward to seeing the organization grow and flourish under new leadership.”

Downtown Hightstown, Inc.’s new organizational structure, which is based on the Main Street Four-Point Approach, is as follows:

Promotion Committee: Co-Chairs, Rose Gallina (owner, A Bit of NYC) and Karen West (owner, Perennial Home).

Economic Restructuring Committee: Co-Chairs, Mike Vanderbeck (owner, Slowdown Café) and Neil Schloss (owner, Castle Consulting).

Organization Committee: Co-Chairs, Amanda Porter and Lev Golinkin.

Design Committee: Chair, Gary Stevens (owner, 231 Studios)

There is an open search for an individual to fill the Executive Director position, to be interviewed and appointed jointly by the committee chairs.

For more information about the position or to submit a resume, visit http://www.downtownhightstown.org/about-us

Downtown Hightstown, Inc.’s Spring 2010 Annual Report, including 2009 accomplishments and goals for the upcoming year, is available online at http://www.downtownhightstown.org/forms-media

The body of the trellis is composed of pressure-treated lumber designed to resist weather deterioration. Unfortunately, the same properties that make the wood durable also make it resistant to stain application. In order to allow the stain to take hold, we have to first let the wood ‘weather’ over the winter.

We are looking forward to the first days of spring, when we will stain the trellis body, decorate it with ivy and flowers, and explore lighting options which would make the alley more attractive and pedestrian-friendly. As always, we strive to improve our downtown by working with projects that make it safer, better, and more vibrant. We thank you for your patience in the wood-preparation process, and look forward to finishing the trellis in the spring.