Friday, Nov. 6

    On Saturday, Nov. 14, Woods Edge Wools Farm in Stockton will host a benefit Barn Dance and Bluegrass Concert to raise money for the New Jersey Farm to School Network, a non-profit organization of more than 30 groups that works to improve school lunches by connecting school lunch programs with local farm products and supporting school garden nutrition education programs.

    On Saturday at the Millennium 2000 Gallery in Dallas, friends and supporters of Joyce Ann Brown will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of her release from prison, where she had served nine years of a life sentence for a robbery and murder she had nothing to do with.

    Voting by mail is analogous to drinking Starbucks instant coffee “Via Instant Brew.” Both activities are brand new, represent convenience for the user, and produce the desired outcome — casting your all-important vote in the former instance and ingesting a delicious (I could not taste the difference) cup of coffee in the latter.

   You can blame it on Daniel Boulud or on the recession. Either way, the once humble burger has become the iconic food of our time. In the heady days of 2001 — which seem a short lifetime ago now — the celebrity chef made headlines with his extravagant burger that included short ribs, foie gras, and black truffle in addition to the more expected components. Then came Kobe beef burgers, first a rare treat and now almost commonplace even on mid-range eatery menus.

   During a mini-monsoon Saturday night, some 400 people left their dry homes to attend a block party.

Saturday, Oct. 31

Friday, Oct. 23

STRONG KIDS  AT PRINCETON FAMILY YMCA! -- Martin P. Melilli, right, president of the Bank of Princeton, is chairing the Princeton Family YMCA’s 2009 Strong Kids Annual Giving Campaign. On hand to demonstrate their extraordinary strength are YMCA Strong Kids Jahlia Johnson of Plainsboro, age 4, left, and Ben Biondi of Montgomery, age 3, who are enrolled in the YMCA’s Child Development Center. Volunteers are campaigning to raise $85,000 by the end of the year to ensure that no one is denied a chance to participate in YMCA programs because of an inability to pay. ‘The YMCA is a terrific resource for children and their families to spend time together, and grow together,’ Mr. Mellili said. ‘I’d hate to see any child in this town be denied an opportunity to learn to swim, to have a safe place to go after school, or to play basketball because cost is a barrier. The funds we raise through this campaign stay right here in this community, helping to make the YMCA more inclusive, and that, I believe, is a benefit to us all.’ To learn more or to make a contribution, call the Princeton Family YMCA at 609-497-9622, ext. 209, or visit www.princetonymca.org

    Opera New Jersey had a lot to sing about Oct. 17 at the Hyatt Regency Princeton. Guests at its fifth annual Celebrate Opera Gala remembered its acclaimed 2009 season and looked forward to 2010 with an evening of wine and song.

Friday, Nov. 6

    On Saturday, Nov. 14, Woods Edge Wools Farm in Stockton will host a benefit Barn Dance and Bluegrass Concert to raise money for the New Jersey Farm to School Network, a non-profit organization of more than 30 groups that works to improve school lunches by connecting school lunch programs with local farm products and supporting school garden nutrition education programs.

    On Saturday at the Millennium 2000 Gallery in Dallas, friends and supporters of Joyce Ann Brown will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of her release from prison, where she had served nine years of a life sentence for a robbery and murder she had nothing to do with.

    Voting by mail is analogous to drinking Starbucks instant coffee “Via Instant Brew.” Both activities are brand new, represent convenience for the user, and produce the desired outcome — casting your all-important vote in the former instance and ingesting a delicious (I could not taste the difference) cup of coffee in the latter.