More Black Magic

We left off last week with biologist and herpetologist Professor Howard Reinert, of the College of New Jersey, who once told me about the unique anatomy of the black snake at a Nongame and Endangered Species Advisory Committee meeting. I wondered how they can cling vertically to a brick wall with seemingly nothing to support […]

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Your World, A Stage

One of the victims of the current pandemic has been the string of venues housing the performing arts from concert halls to Broadway and regional/local theater. But theater seems to have simply transferred itself to real life. Dramatic works written for the stage are largely confined to the setting of a room from which action

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Autumn Splendor

Living in eastern North America among expansive deciduous forests, we are treated each year to one of the best fall color displays in the world. Average peak color in New Jersey is October 19 through 29 but it tends to be a bit later in southern reaches of the state and also depends on variables

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Skip Halloween?

From the vaults of The Grapevine, we bring you a “Gleanings” column written a decade ago. There was a John Grisham book titled Skipping Christmas on the bestseller list a few years back. The idea was intriguing enough, it seems, as millions of people read the book. I don’t know about skipping Christmas, but at

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County’s Municipalities to Benefit from Government Emergency Fund

Local governments recently received some good news: They are eligible to receive some much-needed coronavirus crisis funding. On October 9, Gov. Phil Murphy announced $60 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) for the Local Government Emergency Fund, which will assist counties and municipalities across the state left out of the federal government’s initial financial

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Quarantine-O-Ween

As we head toward the end-of-year holiday season, fun and traditional gathering events will have to take a backseat to the novel coronavirus. New Year’s Eve, Christmas, and Thanksgiving Day celebrations will have a different feel than holidays past. State and federal health officials are strongly advising all those who want to party like it’s

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Fran LoBiondo

Fall Planning

Right about now, I am praying for inspiration. The thing I wanted most since everything went black in early March is finally coming true. Restaurants are opening for indoor dining, and mostly customers are glad. Happy to still cooperate with coronavirus rules—up to a point. I, for one, will always take off my mask to

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