Even in Sunshine, People Prepare, Places Close

Even in glaring sunshine and in muggy heat that bumped up to 90 degrees, people were out buying up necessary items in case Hurricane Irene turns out to be as bad as forecasters say. Meanwhile, many public facilities will be closed on Saturday and Sunday in anticipation of the inclement weather.

The parking lot at Kings Supermarket off Hills Drive in Bedminster, a spot where many people in southern Basking Ridge head for shopping, is usually quiet on a Friday in the middle of the day, but was filled with cars as this weekend approaches.

"We're very, very busy," said store manager Kathy Fiduccia. As of Friday afternoon, she said Kings still had a supply of the kind of items everyone would want before a heavy rain event, such as matches and bottled water.

Fiduccia said she expects lots of shoppers on Saturday. And after that — "It depends on the storm." She said she is hoping the Hurricane Irene will turn out to sea.

Meanwhile, the Rite-Aid in The Hills had sold out of batteries as of a little later Friday afternoon.

Even as the sunshine stretched throughout the day, plans already had been made to shut many outdoor recreational facilities in anticipation of Hurricane Irene's impact.

The main swimming pool off Hansom Road in The Hills will be closed Saturday and Sunday, with an anticipated reopening on Monday, said a gate attendant at the development's private pool complex, crowded with swimmers on Friday afternoon.

The smaller pool in the complex, nearby off Signal Point Road, already is closed for the season, he said.

According to the Bernards Township website, the Pleasant Valley municipal pool already is scheduled to close on Sunday, Aug. 28.

The township's Coakley-Russo Memorial Golf Course, also off Valley Road, is scheduled to close at 4 p.m. on Saturday and remain off limits to golfers through Sunday, expected to be the heart of the storm.

Meanwhile, other outdoor activities are being canceled for this weekend, some with no date rescheduled at this time. That includes the county's County Caper and County Caper Accelerated, a two-day adventure planned through the county park system, and the summer's final Sunday night concert in the annual series presented at Duke Island Park. That concert reportedly will not be rescheduled.

Of course, some places will remain open this weekend. Chase Bank in Bedminster off Route 206, quiet on Friday afternoon despite the advice of some planners to stock up on cash prior to the storm, is scheduled to be open for its usual Saturday hours of 8:50 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.

And the Bernards Township police department, volunteer fire company and rescue squad members, and the township's Office of Emergency Management leaders were planning a busy weekend ahead, according to the township website.

For specific instructions from the Bernards Township Office of Emergency Management on how to handle the pending inclement weather, click here.