Free Carriage Rides & Strolling Santa on Friday Nights in December

Come to Downtown Somerville on Friday nights in December for free horse and carriage rides on Main Street from 6:00 - 9:00 pm (weather permitting). Santa strolls Main Street and visits shops and restaurants on Friday nights too.

Many stores are open until 8 pm for shopping, including All in One Basket, The Big Little Railroad Shop, The Back Door, Beneath It All, Crazy Deals, Crystal Palace, Curmudgeon Music, Discover Wine, The Hungry Hound, The Pianosmith, Path Liquors, Price Wise, Somerville Center Antiques (34 W. Main St. store only), Wishes & Dreams, Xpress Gear, and Zanita Gems & Jewelry.

There are over 25 restaurants open for dinner with choices from casual, family friendly restaurants to elegant dining with a world of cuisines to choose from.

Children can visit with Santa and tell them their holiday wishes during December in Downtown Somerville and parents will receive a free photo of their children with Santa.

Saturday, Dec. 8th: 10 am - noon, Santa Breakfast at Two Brothers Bagels, 53 W. Main St. AND Noon - 2 pm Commerce Bank, 50 W. Main St.

Saturday, Dec. 15th: Noon - 3 pm, Lunch with Santa, Central Pizzeria, 126 W. Main St.

Saturday, Dec. 22: 11 am - 2pm, Commerce Bank, 50 W. Main St.


Merry Christmas!

The Man in the Black Sunglasses

At least three times in the last two weeks, approximately 50 pallets of red and white wine have been delivered and destroyed to Bridgewater Resources Inc. on Polhemus Drive in an 18-wheeler truck. It's interesting to watch a river of red and white waste itself into the nearest gutter drain and the 25,000 some-odd glass bottles pulverize into the other garbage instead of tripping down the street to the recycling center. It's interesting to see a man in black sunglasses take as many digital photos over the course of the 10 minutes it takes to complete and to respond to what's going on with: all I can tell you is I'm supposed to see it destroyed; it's government related.

How? I wonder. Maybe huge stocks were tempered incorrectly? Maybe the overstock is regularly demolished by two bulldozers within minutes of a set of 3 pallets hitting the ground. Not the type of thing you donate but how is the project manager not prepared with a response along the lines of the stock being spolied? Where do the drains at the dump flow into?

Dumps by nature are typically shady places with guard-dogs and razor wire and being surrounded by billowing factories out of Mad Max but come on.

Natives

I overheard a conversation about how what we refer to now as Downtown Somerville was once called Uptown.

"Let's go Uptown to the movies."

"Let's go Uptown for dinner - when did it change?"

Those who knew it as Uptown were proud to have known the town for so long no matter.

For more on the history of Somerville, see the below link:

http://www.somervillenj.org/history.html

Autumn in Somerville

get your ice-scraper handy

ride a bike

go play pitch & putt for free in the evening at Green Knoll since it's closed

go bowling

take in a football game; Pop Warner - Somerville or Immaculata - or maybe Princeton

keep a pen and paper in your pocket

take some color pictures, maybe some black & whites and digital - write something on the back of them

decide for yourself the best looking type of tree that causes you to be out collecting leaves

have the extra pair of gloves you don't wear ready for someone with red hands

Snow Removal and Yard Work

Dear Somerville,

I'd again like to offer to those in need of property maintenance to be in touch with me at fpquinn@gmail.com for the upcoming Winter. Please don't hesitate to request help or wait until the snows have fallen.

Thank you for considering this complimentary help.

Sincerely,

Frank

The U.S. Cycling Hall of Fame (part 2)

I had little idea how unautomatic it was through the years to keep the museum cared for and here in Somerville; or all its homes. I too commend the Board and everyone that has had a role in the Hall. As for your opinion Glenn Cole of Bridgewater (replying to part 1), yours is the healthier one for the sake of the Hall and cycling, at this time. But it ain't easy to hear as a hometown boy.

When it was conceived, the Board had Rutgers Business Management students give a presentation on its founding and the first thing they said was, "Museums are a hard sell." It's about someone coming up with a good plan, one based on the health of cycling; most people own a bike.

Trexlertown, PA, home of the Lehigh Valley velodrome has expressed interest, among others. If I was on the Board and not a Somerville resident, my choice for its best interest might be in relocation, but if say, donations came in, I would volunteer to help write and design the necessary fund-raising materials.

The reality is the County has offered space in a yet-to-be-constructed building on East Main St. but it must prove its sustainability before they will act. In order to keep the Hall of Fame in Somerville, seed money needs to be raised to produce fund-raising materials and someone is needed to initiate contact with potential sponsers and follow-up with them. I'm willing to do what I can but is there someone in Somerville willing to donate 5K to the cause for the necessary literature? Does anyone have ideas or contacts for potential sponsership? M'all ears and hands.

The United States Cycling Hall of Fame (part 1)

It Belongs on Main Street, Somerville.

Our historic entity was grounded on a corner of the Somerville Shopping Center, during the time Pathmark and the old Alfonso's Pizzeria did business there.

It has since been placed in Bridgewater near Patriot's Stadium; now displaced from an address currently renovating.

Someone in California has made a bid to relocate it. To me It is like Cooperstown, NY sold the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame to Las Vegas, NV. That ain't us far as I've felt. Nor them.

As the story develops, I hope the Mayor and Council, all affiliates, the Main Street New Jersey project and our community will do what it takes to keep the U.S. Cycling Hall of Fame here in Somerville.