By MARIA PRATO
STAFF WRITER
EAST BRUNSWICK — Women sauntered around the room in their shimmering, ethnic garbs, the aromatic scent of curry filled the air and it was standing room only as the East Brunswick Library hosted the fourth annual India Day Sunday.
More than 100 people packed the library's meeting room - all eyes on the front, where a perfectly paced assembly of presentations carried on throughout the three-hour event.
"We had a great turnout," said Manju Lulla, an event organizer and member of the Indian Cultural Society of East Brunswick. "It proves to us people are interested in our culture.''
The day's presentations consisted of dancers, a henna workshop, an audience quiz and demonstrations on wrapping a saree and cooking Indian cuisine.
"It's almost like a little slice of India here," said Reena Pawar, adding that she was pleasantly surprised at how well the event had turned out considering this was the Indian Cultural Society of East Brunswick's first year sponsoring it.
Among the many faces in the crowd were local and state officials, including Mayor David Stahl and Senator Barbara Buono, who not only sat front and center but even participated in portions of the program.
Stahl presented a proclamation declaring Jan. 26 India Day to honor the world's largest democracy becoming a sovereign republic on that date in 1950.
"I think there's so much talk about a return to civility,'' Sen. Buono said in her speech. "These are the kinds of events, we need more of."
Girls from the Tala Shruti School of Dance pounded their heels on the floor, telling a story with their hand gestures and movements in precise rhythm.
While each routine takes months to memorize, the students said it all seemed worth it to see so many in attendance.
"As dancers we want an audience,'" said Lakshmi Kalluri, 14, of Bridgewater. "We're motivated by it.'"
For Yuki Khona, who's of Indian descent, the day's festivities were a chance for her two young daughters to become more familiar with their culture.
"I brought my girls out to see this," Khona said. "I was raised in Japan and my husband was raised here. We're terrible with Indian history.'"
Overall, the crowd was a mix, many with Indian roots and some who were just there to take in the sights, sounds and smells.
"I think you learn to accept people better, once you get to know them," said Cathy Treat, an East Brunswick resident, who religiously attends the library's cultural events. "We're here to learn more...about their dances and their dresses...about everything."
http://eastbrunswick.injersey.com/2011/01/24/india-day-receives-warm-welcome-at-the-east-brunswick-public-library/
Monday, January 24, 2011
Menlo Park Museum
The museum is currently closed for renovations and will re-open in Spring 2011. We encourage you to watch this website for updates.
Located within Edison State Park, the Center consists of the Art Deco Edison Memorial Tower and a small museum devoted to Thomas Alva Edison's time of immense creativity at Menlo Park. The museum, located at 37 Christie Street, Edison, New Jersey, is open:
Thursday - Saturday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
The non-profit Edison Memorial Tower Corporation (EMTC) invites you to both visit the museum and Tower and explore our website for the exciting plans to "reinvent" Menlo Park in order to better honor and interpret the site's tremendous historic significance. The reinvented Menlo Park, which will consist of a restored Tower, a newly constructed museum, outdoor interpretive exhibits, and a rejuvenated 36-acre Edison State Park, will provide an important cultural and civic amenity to Edison Township and the surrounding area.The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park and Edison State Park are jointly administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Parks & Forestry; the Township of Edison; and the Edison Memorial Tower Corporation.
Tower Restoration
The surrounding community is justifiably proud of the history of Menlo Park, and they have commemorated it with several monuments, most notably in 1937 with an Art Deco memorial tower and in 1947 with a small museum.However, the Tower has deteriorated to the point where the concrete is crumbling, exposing the corroded reinforcing rods in its walls. It has been closed to the public for years and a chain link fence keeps would-be visitors at a distance to protect them from falling masonry. Preservation New Jersey has named it one of the state's top endangered sites.
By 2006 it was clear to the Edison Memorial Tower Corporation (EMTC) that something had to be done. The EMTC engaged Watson and Henry Associates, specialists in preservation architecture and engineering, to investigate the condition of the Tower and develop a plan for its restoration. The firm, which conducted its initial investigation into the Tower's condition in 1994, updated its findings in 2007 and concluded that the Tower is structurally sound, but water damage and cycles of thawing and freezing have damaged its façade. Watson and Henry's investigations and recommendations are being utilized in the current phase: development of construction documents for the restoration of the Tower.
Edison Gearing Up To Promote Tourism
Heritage tourism is one topic for which the township of Edison and its citizens should be proud. The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, where Edison established the world'sfirst research and development laboratory, attracts more than 10,000 visitors annuallyfrom around the world.
We are currently conducting the museum's first-ever renovationproject and this summer will get underway with the first-ever restoration of the beautifulArt Deco Edison Memorial Tower. The non-profit Edison Memorial Tower Corporation(EMTC) will involve the public in educational programs and celebrations for both ofthese accomplishments.
Individuals who want to become involved are invited to contactthe EMTC at 732-494-4194 or info@menloparkmuseum.org as it will indeed be a year tocelebrate Edison (the man and the township).Nancy L. ZerbePresidentEdison Memorial Tower CorporationMemberNew Jersey Heritage Tourism Task ForceEDISON
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110124/OPINION02/101240318/Edison-gearing-up-to-promote-tourism
We are currently conducting the museum's first-ever renovationproject and this summer will get underway with the first-ever restoration of the beautifulArt Deco Edison Memorial Tower. The non-profit Edison Memorial Tower Corporation(EMTC) will involve the public in educational programs and celebrations for both ofthese accomplishments.
Individuals who want to become involved are invited to contactthe EMTC at 732-494-4194 or info@menloparkmuseum.org as it will indeed be a year tocelebrate Edison (the man and the township).Nancy L. ZerbePresidentEdison Memorial Tower CorporationMemberNew Jersey Heritage Tourism Task ForceEDISON
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110124/OPINION02/101240318/Edison-gearing-up-to-promote-tourism
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Edison Current Events: 1/08/11
WATER! FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA
date:Saturday, January 8, 2011time:8:00 PM
venue:State Theatre
address:15 Livingston Avenue New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Film Screening - William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
date:Saturday, January 8, 2011time:8:00 PM venue:Forum Theatre Company
address:314 Main Street Metuchen, NJ 08840
from:Forum Theatre Company
W/Special Guest: Director YONY LEYSER
Film Screening/Q&A
Hailed as the grandfather of punk and the godfather of the beat generation, Burroughs was a bartender, a private detective, a factory worker, an exterminator, a heroin addict, and a writer. His novel, Naked Lunch, one of the last books to be banned by the U.S. government, remains one of the most recognized literary works of the 20th century. William S. Burroughs: A Man Within is the first and only posthumous documentary about the legendary "Pope of Dope." Narrated by Peter Weller, who played a Burroughs-like character in David Cronenberg’s film version of Lunch, Leyser’s portrait of the formidable proto-Beat author is a kind of genealogy of hip that connects Burroughs with many currents of America’s outlaw cultural tradition. He was a close friend and sometime lover of Allen Ginsberg, an idol of the Clash, the Dead Kennedys, Iggy Pop, and Sonic Youth. Featuring never before seen footage of Burroughs and exclusive interviews with John Waters (who calls him "a religious figure"), Patti Smith (who recalls having a crush on him), Gus Van Sant, Laurie Anderson, Amiri Baraka, Jello Biafra, and David Cronenberg, with a soundtrack by Patti Smith and Sonic Youth, Leyser’s intimate documentary delves into the troubled and fascinating world of one of the greatest authors of our time.
http://www.americantowns.com/nj/edison/events
Edison Current Events: 1/07/11
date:Friday, January 7, 2011
time:8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
venue:Hilton Garden Inn Edison/Raritan Center
address:50 Raritan Center Parkway Edison, NJ 08837
from:Edison Chamber Of Commerce
Session One: Social Media Marketing Made Simple.
Session Two: A special Power of Email Marketing... with a demo on social media marketing features.
date:Friday, January 7, 2011
time:10:30 AM to 11:00 AM
venue:Edison Public Library
address:340 Plainfield Avenue Edison, NJ 08817
from:Edison Public Library
Join us for songs, stories and activities designed to stimulate your child. This is a drop-in program with limited space so please arrive early. Open to: 9 - 23 months with parent (Sorry no siblings)
No Registration Required.
Upcoming Sessions: Jan.21st
http://www.americantowns.com/nj/edison/events
time:8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
venue:Hilton Garden Inn Edison/Raritan Center
address:50 Raritan Center Parkway Edison, NJ 08837
from:Edison Chamber Of Commerce
Session One: Social Media Marketing Made Simple.
Session Two: A special Power of Email Marketing... with a demo on social media marketing features.
date:Friday, January 7, 2011
time:10:30 AM to 11:00 AM
venue:Edison Public Library
address:340 Plainfield Avenue Edison, NJ 08817
from:Edison Public Library
Join us for songs, stories and activities designed to stimulate your child. This is a drop-in program with limited space so please arrive early. Open to: 9 - 23 months with parent (Sorry no siblings)
No Registration Required.
Upcoming Sessions: Jan.21st
http://www.americantowns.com/nj/edison/events
Edison Current Events: 1/06/11
date:Thursday, January 6, 2011
time:10:00 AM to 4:30 PM
venue:Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
address:71 Hamilton Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901
from:Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
This exhibition is the second part of a retrospective exhibition of Sveshnikov’s paintings and drawings from a span of over 30 years. Falsely accused of subversive activity while an art student in Moscow, Sveshnikov was sentenced to eight years in a Siberian labor camp. His life became a lesson in perseverance and survival. Whereas the first part of this exhibition presented works created during the artist’s internment, this installment centers on the art produced after his release and subsequent rehabilitation. The exhibition is organized by Allison Leigh-Perlman, a Dodge Lawrence Fellow at the Zimmerli.
Admission :$6 for adults who are not members. $5 for citizens over 65. Members, children under 18, Rutgers University students, faculty, and staff with a valid I.D. enjoy free admission. Free admission for all visitors on the first Sunday of every month.
date:Thursday, January 6, 2011
time:10:00 AM to 4:30 PM
venue:Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
address:71 Hamilton Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901
from:Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
Vladimir Nemukhin is considered a leader of the generation that initiated the unofficial art movement in the Soviet Union in the late 1950s. Rejecting the official doctrine of Socialist Realism – the art style based on Communist collective propaganda that was the only method permitted in the Soviet Union – the unofficial artists proclaimed an individual and independent approach to art that was concerned with universal values. Nemukhin’s work, predominately abstract and highly personal in style, often incorporates playing cards, symbols of fortune and destiny, which have become a readily distinguishable hallmark of the artist. The exhibition is rganized by Julia Tulovsky, Assistant Curator of Russian and Nonconformist Art from the Soviet Union.
Admission :
$6 for adults who are not members. $5 for citizens over 65. Members, children under 18, Rutgers University students, faculty, and staff with a valid I.D. enjoy free admission. Free admission for all visitors on the first Sunday of every month.
http://www.americantowns.com/nj/edison/events
time:10:00 AM to 4:30 PM
venue:Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
address:71 Hamilton Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901
from:Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
This exhibition is the second part of a retrospective exhibition of Sveshnikov’s paintings and drawings from a span of over 30 years. Falsely accused of subversive activity while an art student in Moscow, Sveshnikov was sentenced to eight years in a Siberian labor camp. His life became a lesson in perseverance and survival. Whereas the first part of this exhibition presented works created during the artist’s internment, this installment centers on the art produced after his release and subsequent rehabilitation. The exhibition is organized by Allison Leigh-Perlman, a Dodge Lawrence Fellow at the Zimmerli.
Admission :$6 for adults who are not members. $5 for citizens over 65. Members, children under 18, Rutgers University students, faculty, and staff with a valid I.D. enjoy free admission. Free admission for all visitors on the first Sunday of every month.
date:Thursday, January 6, 2011
time:10:00 AM to 4:30 PM
venue:Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
address:71 Hamilton Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901
from:Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
Vladimir Nemukhin is considered a leader of the generation that initiated the unofficial art movement in the Soviet Union in the late 1950s. Rejecting the official doctrine of Socialist Realism – the art style based on Communist collective propaganda that was the only method permitted in the Soviet Union – the unofficial artists proclaimed an individual and independent approach to art that was concerned with universal values. Nemukhin’s work, predominately abstract and highly personal in style, often incorporates playing cards, symbols of fortune and destiny, which have become a readily distinguishable hallmark of the artist. The exhibition is rganized by Julia Tulovsky, Assistant Curator of Russian and Nonconformist Art from the Soviet Union.
Admission :
$6 for adults who are not members. $5 for citizens over 65. Members, children under 18, Rutgers University students, faculty, and staff with a valid I.D. enjoy free admission. Free admission for all visitors on the first Sunday of every month.
http://www.americantowns.com/nj/edison/events
History of Edison, NJ
Edison Township, comprising former sections of Piscataway and Woodbridge townships, was settled in the 17th Century. The earliest village was Piscatawaytown, which is centered around St. James Church and the Piscatawaytown Common near the intersection of Plainfield and Woodbridge avenues in south Edison.
The town was previously known as "Raritan Township", not be confused with the current-day Raritan Township in Hunterdon County.
In 1876, Thomas Alva Edison set up his home and research laboratory on the site of an unsuccessful real estate development in Raritan Township called Menlo Park. While there he earned the nickname "the Wizard of Menlo Park." Before his death at age 83 in 1931, the prolific inventor amassed a record 1,093 patents for creations including the phonograph, a stock ticker, the motion-picture camera, the incandescent lightbulb, a mechanical vote counter, the alkaline storage battery including one for an electric car, and the first commercial electric light.[12]
It was in his Menlo Park (N.J.) Laboratory that Thomas Edison came up with the phonograph and a commercially viable incandescent light bulb filament. Christie Street was the first street in the world to use electric lights for illumination.[13] Edison subsequently left Menlo Park and moved his home and laboratory to West Orange in 1886.[14] His Menlo Park lab has been called one of the greatest laboratories ever.[15]
In 1954, the township's name was changed to honor inventor Thomas A. Edison.[7][16] Also on the ballot in 1954 was a failed proposal to change the community's name to Nixon.[17]
Edison is primarily a middle-class and upper middle-class community with more than 75 ethnic communities represented. Edison has a large Jewish community next to Highland Park, with multiple synagogues located in Edison. Edison also has a growing Indian community and a number of temples serving the religious needs of the community. Reflecting the number of Edison's residents from India and China, the township has sister city arrangements with Shijiazhuang, China,[19] and Baroda, India.[20]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison,_New_Jersey
The town was previously known as "Raritan Township", not be confused with the current-day Raritan Township in Hunterdon County.
In 1876, Thomas Alva Edison set up his home and research laboratory on the site of an unsuccessful real estate development in Raritan Township called Menlo Park. While there he earned the nickname "the Wizard of Menlo Park." Before his death at age 83 in 1931, the prolific inventor amassed a record 1,093 patents for creations including the phonograph, a stock ticker, the motion-picture camera, the incandescent lightbulb, a mechanical vote counter, the alkaline storage battery including one for an electric car, and the first commercial electric light.[12]
It was in his Menlo Park (N.J.) Laboratory that Thomas Edison came up with the phonograph and a commercially viable incandescent light bulb filament. Christie Street was the first street in the world to use electric lights for illumination.[13] Edison subsequently left Menlo Park and moved his home and laboratory to West Orange in 1886.[14] His Menlo Park lab has been called one of the greatest laboratories ever.[15]
20th century
Near Piscatawaytown village, a portion of the Township was informally known as "Nixon," after Lewis Nixon, a manufacturer and community leader. Soon after the outbreak of World War I, Nixon established a massive volatile chemicals processing facility there, known as the Nixon Nitration Works. It was the site of the 1924 Nixon Nitration Works disaster, a massive explosion and resulting fire that killed twenty persons and destroyed several square miles of the Township.In 1954, the township's name was changed to honor inventor Thomas A. Edison.[7][16] Also on the ballot in 1954 was a failed proposal to change the community's name to Nixon.[17]
21st century
Edison is currently one of the fastest growing towns in New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, it was the fifth most-populated municipality in the state, after the cities of Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Elizabeth. Its July 1, 2009 U.S. Census Bureau estimated population is 99,738, up from 97,687.[18]Edison is primarily a middle-class and upper middle-class community with more than 75 ethnic communities represented. Edison has a large Jewish community next to Highland Park, with multiple synagogues located in Edison. Edison also has a growing Indian community and a number of temples serving the religious needs of the community. Reflecting the number of Edison's residents from India and China, the township has sister city arrangements with Shijiazhuang, China,[19] and Baroda, India.[20]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison,_New_Jersey
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