Week in Review: Hurricane Earl Passes Us By, Local Teams, Marching Band Prepare For School To Open

Hurricane Earl turned out to be much nicer guest than expected, leaving locals with beautiful weather for the Labor Day weekend _ great for the beach, outdoor cookouts and the 19th annual Olde Mill Inn bike tour of Basking Ridge set to start downtown at 7:15 a.m. on Labor Day.

Meanwhile, during the last few days before township schools open as Tuesday, Sept. 7, school teams and other athletes and school organizations were hard at work before beginning their seasons.

The Ridge High School Red Devils varsity football team was practicing at an intense pace, and participating in a number of scrimmages. This year, the heat was really up in the last few days of August _ the team will be playing its season opener against Somerville's Immaculata High School in a game to be televised on MSG Varsity as the premiere show in a new series on Friday night football games at high schools throughout the New York area. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Lee Field at Ridge High School, 268 S. Finley Ave.

The football team wasn't the only school organization gearing up for the big event. The Ridge High School cheerleaders were practicing their routines and getting ready to help host a pre-game community event to be held at the high school starting at 5 p.m. on game day.

Cheerleaders from Ridge also began on Saturday to collect items for the Somerset County Food Bank. Cheerleaders from the rival schools will continue next Friday to collect donations at the entry gate to the game.

The Ridge High School Marching Band was hard at work preparing its half-time show, "The Wild, Wild West." The band's marching formations and its selections also will be on display during six competitions scheduled for later this year.

Meanwhile, township police were seeking witnesses to a Tuesday morning bicycle accident involving a Bernardsville woman who was discovered shortly after 8 a.m. on the sidewalk along West Oak Street. The woman, Laura Lema, 34, of Bernards Avenue in Bernardsville, suffered multiple injuries, police said. Police said her injuries and limited English made it difficult to determine the circumstances of the accident, but she indicated she may have been struck by an unidentified vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call Police Det. Tim King at 908-766-1122.

Ridge High School will open its doors on Tuesday morning with another feather in its cap. The school was ranked as number 12 in the state as compared with other public high schools, according to a report released last week by New Jersey Monthly. The ranking was based on such criteria as school performance, as measured by the state's annual report card, school environment and the number of students going on to higher education.