School Board Meeting Rescheduled; Ridge Grad Gets Award; Dance Club Fundraiser

Board of Education Meeting Rescheduled While School Officials Await State Aid Figures:

The next scheduled Board of Education meeting meeting is at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 7, in the auditorium of the .

The school board meeting previously set for Feb. 28 has been canceled, while school officials wait for N.J. Gov. Chris Christie to announce state aid figures for schools for 2011-12. Those figures could be in by the end of this week.

Nick Markarian, school business administrator, said he anticipates having firmer proposed budget figures for the following school year in time for the March 7 board meeting. At this point, the state has set April 27 as the date for local school elections. 

James Belardo, 2010 graduate of Ridge High School, receives Dean's Award:

James Belardo, son of John and Joan Neri Belardo of Basking Ridge, is a recipient of the Dean’s Award for academic excellence during the fall 2010 semester at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., where he is a member of the Class of 2014. 

A 2010 graduate of Ridge High School, James is concentrating in Economics and Russian at Colgate. James is a member of the Finance Club.

Animal Shelter Friends to hold fundraiser at Rhythms of the Night in Manville:

The Friends of Somerset Regional Animal Shelter are scheduled to host a fundraiser on Friday at Rhythms of the Night in Manville. The evening will include the music of cover bands Hamstrung, Amy Ward, and Rapid Fire, door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle. Doors are scheduled to open at 7:30 p.m. with music to start at 8:45 p.m.. Admission is $12 plus a donation of cat food. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit the shelter, the friends group said.

With the current economic situation the shelter's budget has been cut. At the same time the shelter, in Bridgewater, is receiving more animals and animals are staying in the care of the shelter longer. Join us for a fun evening and help the animals! And if you happend to be looking for a furry companion, please visit us online, or on petfinder.com. The shelter at 100 Commons Way in Bridgewater also is open for adoptions from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday, and until 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Somerset County Park Commission's Leonard J. Buck Garden will open annual "Art & Photography Exhibit":

The Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills, part of the Somerset County Park Commission, will open its free annual "Art & Photography Exhibit" from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Tuesday, Feb. 22, through Friday, March 11. The garden is at 11 Layton Road.

Works on display will feature the Leonard J. Buck Garden as seen through the eyes of a wide range of talented individuals, from dedicated hobbyists to working professionals. The photographs and paintings show the garden from many perspectives including sweeping landscape views to portraits of individual flowers, according to the park commission.

Leonard J. Buck Garden is one of the premier rock gardens in the eastern United States consisting of a 13-acre alpine and woodland garden situated in the wooded stream valley. Buck Garden is a naturalistic setting incorporating large rock outcroppings creating varying exposures and microclimates that enable different plant associations to thrive. Tucked among the rocks are rare and exotic rock garden plants. The wooded trails connecting the outcroppings are lined with beautiful wild flowers that have flourished and multiplied through the years. 

For information on the exhibit, or other garden programs,  call 908-234-2677.