Letter on Quarry, Some Annual June Events Coming Up This Week

This next week includes the return of two very popular annual events in Basking Ridge — Bonnie Brae's Scottish Festival and Highland Games, to be held Saturday at the green grounds at the residential school in Liberty Corner, and the Pleasant Valley Twilight Challenge on Sunday.

This will be the 25th year that 5K run, one-mile walk and the free kids Lollipop Loop will be held to promote prevention of underage alcohol consumption. The event begins at 5:30 p.m.

This year, for the 25th anniversary, participants or spectators are invited to show up in '80s costumes. Prizes will be awarded.

The event is sponsored by the Bernards Township Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse and Youth Services Commission, and the Bernards Township Health Department. More detailed information and a registration form for the race or walk is available online on the Bernards Township website.

Although the annual Scottish festival and games at Bonnie Brae School and Treatment Center in Valley Road is technically a private fundraiser for a school that educates and houses boys who often have no place else to go, it's become a local event that draws fans every year.

The Scots return to the fields of Bonnie Brae for the 27th year with bagpipes, drums, Highland dancers, sheep dogs, brawny athletes, British sports cars, show dogs, re-enactors, vendors and entertainers.

A full day of family activities will be held from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday when the Bonnie Brae Scottish Festival and Highland Games, a highlight in the town of Liberty Corner and a draw for those who want to celebrate the heritage of Scotland.

The event is held rain or shine. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and children under 16 are free. There is a $5 parking charge.

A new event — one intended to launch a longterm initative, the Bernards Township Shade Tree Commission's in the next five years to replace trees wrecked by Sandy, is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday

Bernards Township Mayor Carolyn Gaziano the walking tour of Basking Ridge trees that will meet in front of the historic oak tree by The Presbyterian Church of Basking Ridge at 1 E. Oak St. in downtown Basking Ridge. The church is home to the township's historic white oak, believed to be 600 years old.

The walk should take about 30 minutes, according to the township. About 20 common trees will be identified. Children are encouraged to attend. A map and list of the 20 trees to be identified is online on the Bernards Township website.

Meanwhile, although the Bernards Township Committee isn't scheduled to address the Planning Board's recommendation for partial approval of the Millington Quarry's plan for rehabilitation after the quarrying operation ends — but the committee is due to address a letter from the Environmental Commission urging a vote of no even on partial approval. The committee is scheduled to meet at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night.

The letter says that the commission voted four in favor, with one abstention and two against, to convey the opinion that approval of a resolution would be premature from an environmental perspective for a number of reasons.

Among the commission's reasons cited were that without a remediation plan for an area with known soil contaminants, there is no way of knowing whether a proposed lake would be contaminated and allowing "rip-rap" to be brought for a rock lining for the lake supposedly could allow contaminated materials to be brought into the property. A majority of board members also supposedly contend that without a development plan, there is no way of ultimately knowing the environmental impact of the plan.

The Planning Board considered Millington Quarry's plan for rehabilitating the quarry property off Stonehouse Road after closure for more than a year, but the Township Committee has the right to make the ultimate decision of whether or not to accept all or part of the proposal.