Urban Agenda Magazine | The Cultural Source for the Greater Metropolitan Area

An Evening with Lenny Kravitz with Guest Host Questlove

Celebrating the release of his latest album, Raise Vibration, the GRAMMY® Museum Experience™ Prudential Center in association with NJPAC, will welcome four-time GRAMMY winner Lenny Kravitz to NJPAC’s Victoria Theater on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 8:00 PM.

Moderated by five-time GRAMMY winner Questlove, a musical force all his own, Kravitz will discuss the creation of, and inspiration behind his latest work. Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race and class over the course of a 20-year musical career. Reveling in the soul, rock and funk influences of the ‘60s and ‘70s, the writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist has won four consecutive GRAMMY Awards, as well as set a record for the most wins in the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance category. more

Hackensack Meridian Health and Carrier Clinic Plan to Merge to Enhance Behavioral Health in Tri-State Area

By Jonathan Dusza

Merger includes plans for new addiction treatment center in New Jersey, more coordinated care and enhanced research and medical education opportunities

Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive and integrated health network, and Carrier Clinic, a leader in behavioral health with a 100-year history in the state, are proud to announce they have signed a definitive agreement to merge to deliver unsurpassed behavioral health care to the region. more

New at Trinity-Pawling: 8th Grade Boarding

We’re going to let you in on a secret: boys don’t have to wait until 9th grade to become a boarding student at Trinity-Pawling.

A selection of 8th grade boys will be welcomed each year to join our boarding community. With limited enrollment, our 8th grade boarding program is developmentally appropriate, individualized, and intentionally designed to nurture Middle School boys in preparation for the Upper School.

Photo Source: Harlem Lacrosse

Last week, 20 Harlem Lacrosse high schoolers trekked to The Hotchkiss School for a week of residential college prep targeting academic skills and human development concepts that lead to postsecondary success.

Here are a few highlights:

Day 1 —> The Human Development session was focused on time management. The new strategies HLers came up with included prioritization, eliminating distractions, finding a balance in our commitments, and planning ahead.

HLers applied the strategies to create time for extra plyometric training in between practice and class time. more

Drew Professor Scores World’s Richest Short Story Prize

PHOTO BY: TOM PILSTON

The director of Drew University’s creative writing program won The Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award.

Courtney Zoffness, a Drew professor since 2012, was honored for “Peanuts Aren’t Nuts,” one of just six stories short-listed for the prize—the world’s richest for a single short story. The finalists emerged from a long list of 15 and an initial pool of 810 entries.

Zoffness received the award at a black tie ceremony at Stationers’ Hall in London. The winner was also announced on Twitter and the award’s website. more

Urban Insider: Head-Turning Jewelry

Photo Source: @themetstore

Eclectic jewelry for every mood and season.

The USGA Museum as seen at the USGA Headquarters, Golf House on Thursday April 13, 2006 in Far Hills, NJ. (Copyright USGA)

The USGA Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History

By Bill Alden | Photographs Courtesy of the USGA Museum

The famed architect John Russell Pope designed some of the iconic structures in Washington, D.C., including the Jefferson Memorial, the National Archives, and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art. more

Into the Blue

Audience members (opposite) explore the 2018 Power in the Pines Open House and Air Show May 6, 2018 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. U.S. Air Force photo by Brad Camara.

The U.S. Air Force Reserve Turns 70

By Donald H. Sanborn III

McGuire is a fantastic example of what the Air Force Reserve can, and should, be,” asserts Col. Robert Dunham, a graduate of Princeton University. “McGuire is an associate unit, meaning that reservists share the same hardware with their active-duty counterparts. That is a model that has worked very well.” more

The Annenberg Effect: 25 Years Later A Look Back at an Epochal Turning Point in One School’s History

Photos Courtesy of The Peddie School

Twenty-five years since Walter H. Annenberg bestowed his historic gift on Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J., the school is an example of how philanthropy can transform a school — and how a school can transform thousands of lives as a result.

On Father’s Day, 1993, Annenberg gave $100 million to Peddie — along with $265 million to the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California and Harvard University — as an endowed fund designed to expand financial aid, institute innovative programs, and recruit exceptional faculty. It was the largest cash gift ever given to an independent school, and it brought instant fame to Peddie. more

A Home Away From Home

Photos Courtesy of Butler’s of Far Hills, Inc. Photography by Laura Moss

Vacation homes are a boon to New Jersey’s economy and beyond

By Wendy Greenberg

Second homes represent a lifestyle change, an investment, and sometimes several years of exploring myriad locations. But often, the second home becomes as beloved as the first home, and many times the homeowners don’t want to go home. They ARE home.

As Spring Lake realtor Cindy Napp says, “Life is short. Buy the beach house.” more

A Fresh Take on Consignment at Elephant in the Room Design

By Laurie Pellichero | Photography by Charles R. Plohn

From the moment you walk in the bright green door to Elephant in the Room Design in the Princeton North Shopping Center, you will see that it’s not your average consignment store. The clean, spacious 2,000-square-foot showroom is filled with artfully-arranged vignettes filled with an eclectic mix of new and consigned furniture and home decor items. more

New Books By and About the Boys of Summer

By Stuart Mitchner

The freshest, most appealing baseball books of the summer look to be I’m Keith Hernandez (Little Brown $28) and The Comic Book Story of Baseball (Ten Speed Press $18.99), with words by Alex Irvine, and graphics by Marvel artists Tomm Coker and C.P. Smith.

I grew up in post-war southern Indiana loving baseball. The nearest major league team was the Cincinnati Reds. About 250 miles to the north were Chicago and the Cubs and White Sox. St. Louis and the Cardinals were about the same distance to the west. I still remember Cubs broadcaster Bert Wilson exulting, “It’s a beau-t-iful day for a ballgame!” But I was never a Cubs fan, nor did the Reds ever mean much to me. more

Bike, Hike, and Raft the Lehigh Gorge This Summer!

Photo Courtesy of Poconowhitewater.com

By Taylor Smith

Five times larger than New York’s Central Park, Lehigh Gorge State Park in northeastern Pennsylvania is a 4,548-acre wilderness just 90 minutes from Philadelphia and two hours from New York City. The region is home to the Northeast’s most accessible and convenient whitewater rafting, family style rafting, hiking, and rail trail biking. This summer, encourage your kids to put down their screens and instead experience an action-packed Whitewater Dam Release weekend, biking, or hiking in the great outdoors. more

Summer Staycations

Photo Courtesy of Newark Museum

Activities Close to Home

By Laurie Pellichero

While some people may have vacations planned for the mountains, shore, big cities, islands, and more this summer, there are plenty of fun, entertaining, and family-friendly places to visit right around the area. Here are a few to check out:

NEWARK MUSEUM

Founded in 1909, the Newark Museum is New Jersey’s largest museum. It holds fine collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and works from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the ancient world. Its varied collections of American art include works by Hiram Powers, Thomas Cole, John Singer Sargent, Albert Bierstadt, Frederick Church, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Joseph Stella, Tony Smith, and Frank Stella. more

Take Your Game to the Next Level at New Jersey National Golf Club

By Laurie Pellichero | Photographs Courtesy of New Jersey National Golf Club

Nestled in the lush meadows of the Watchung Mountains, New Jersey National Golf Club in Basking Ridge is a premier private golf club featuring 18 holes of championship golf and the highly-rated Red Oak Grille restaurant. It is a special place to play, entertain, and relax in a family-friendly atmosphere. It also serves as the perfect venue to host corporate and charity golf events on Mondays only. more

Hackensack University Medical Center Joins Bergen County Stigma-Free Movement, Recognizes Mental Health Month

Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center is pleased to join the Bergen County Stigma-Free Campaign, a county-wide program which aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, as the medical center recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month.

“We are proud to join the Bergen County stigma-free movement and declare Hackensack University Medical Center a Stigma-Free Zone,” said Ihor S. Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, president of Hackensack University Medical Center. more

Blair Celebrates Commencement of Class of 2018

Blair Academy marked its 170th commencement on May 24 as the members of class of 2018 received their diplomas before an enthusiastic and appreciative audience of Trustees, faculty, students and family members. Assembled on the sun-dappled lawn in front of Sharpe House, seniors celebrated their accomplishments and promising futures as they enjoyed their final class gathering before joining Blair’s alumni ranks. more

Urban Insider: Graduation Gifts

Photo Source: @montclairstateu

Send your recent graduate on the right path with these items guaranteed for success!

Brian Sullivan, NYBG’s vice president for landscape and glasshouses, teaches a horticulture class in the native plant garden. (Photo courtesy of New York Botanical Garden)

Classes online and on-site offer an array of horticultural help

By Wendy Greenberg

The air is warmer and daylight lingers longer. Lime green leaves are painting roadside landscapes. So often spring awakens an urge to seek greener thumbs, or greener yards. After all, it is the Garden State.

If you are so inspired, you are in luck. A bounty of classes and programs beckons to help would-be plant whisperers find their voices. Some of the area’s most respected and scenic public gardens are at your service with on-site and online courses, ranging from landscape design to wellness and therapy, to native flora, and some unusual offerings. more

Urban Insider: Outdoor Living

Photo Source: @frontgate

Celebrate the summer season in New Jersey with these key pieces for your outdoor living spaces.

Patrick Kennedy is at Home in New Jersey

By Taylor Smith

Photography by Tom Grimes

The youngest son of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and Virginia Joan Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy has put down roots in Brigantine, New Jersey with his wife, Amy, and four children, Harper, Owen, Nora, and Nell. Amy is expecting their fifth child in May. A New Jersey native, Amy has more than 15 years’ experience working in New Jersey public schools and is the education director of The Kennedy Forum. Patrick lovingly refers to Amy as his “Jersey girl,” who grew up in a neighboring shore town. Located on the bayside of the Jersey Shore, a stone’s throw from Atlantic City, the Kennedy’s waterfront home is centered around family and the beauty of the natural setting. On the day of Urban Agenda Magazine’s visit, seagulls were dive-bombing around Patrick’s boat and fine grains of sand blew across the roadway. more

Urban Insider: Mother’s Day 2018

Photo Source: @predeprovence

Give your Mom the gift of love this holiday season with one of these special items.

344 Nassau Street, known in the 19th Century as the “Robert Horner House”

TRACING THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN NEW JERSEY

By Doug Wallack // Photographs Courtesy of The Historical Society of Princeton

The Underground Railroad has long captivated the American popular imagination; as a nation in turmoil struggled to reckon with its moral realities, this network of safe houses and volunteers conveying fugitive slaves to free states and Canada was a beacon of grassroots resistance, an instance of interracial cooperation, and the setting of countless tales of individual and collective courage. more

The Power Of Music And Dance

The Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins Centennials

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Legendary American composer, conductor, pianist, educator, and humanitarian Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) once said, “I can’t live one day without hearing music, playing it, studying it, or thinking about it.” Audiences and museum visitors are having multiple opportunities this year to hear Bernstein’s music and think about it. In March, Princeton University’s Richardson Chamber Players presented “Bernstein and Friends: A Centennial Celebration.” Institutions such as Symphony Space and the National Museum of American Jewish History also will celebrate the maestro’s centennial. Aficionados of the work of choreographer Jerome Robbins (1918-1998) will have similar opportunities. more

Color is Back! Spring Trends in Home Decor

Photo Courtesy of Serena & Lily

Spring is the season for renewal, and the perfect time to freshen up your home décor. Luckily there are plenty of local designers who are happy to share their take on the latest trends, and offer advice on how to update any home. A few of them share their thoughts here.

By Laurie Pellichero

Linda Kitson, designer and owner of MarketPlace Designs in Summit, said that color is a very big trend for spring. “The appetite for color has been building for a while, and COLOR has definitely arrived. Recent magazine covers have been showing not just color, but strong colors—even a mix of strong colors.” more

Fashion & Design: A Well-Designed Life

3D Mammograms at Montclair Breast Center

Taylor Smith

Who you choose to read your mammogram makes a critical difference in detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages. Most mammograms are read by general radiologists, reducing the rate of early detection. more

Julian Barnes and Lorrie Morrie at the 92nd Street Y, New York

Taylor Smith

A rare joint appearance by two old friends at the 92nd Street Y in New York on Monday, April 23 at 8 p.m. at the Kaufmann Concert Hall. Julian Barnes’s new novel, a poignant tale of first love and long memory, is The Only Story. “He reveals crystalline truths that have taken a lifetime to harden,” wrote The New York Times. more

Landscaping Programs for the Everyday Dabbler

Image from Artifact Interactive’s Garden Planner

By William Uhl

There are countless programs for landscape and garden planning available, ranging from free web apps to hundred-dollar software packages. For the average homeowner thinking of planning out a new garden or backyard pool, it can be confusing and time consuming to find an up-to-date program at a reasonable price. The following three selections are low- or no-cost options for any adventurous amateur. more

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