Roxy's Best Of... Mendham, New Jersey

UPDATED TIMES: Mendham Little League Baseball and Softball Player Evaluations Scheduled for January 28 and February 5, 2012

Roxy — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:46 +0000

Registration for Mendham Little League baseball and softball remains open at mendhamlittleleague.org. Player evaluations will be held at Mendham High School’s gym.
Saturday January 28
Baseball 9am-11:30pm
Softball 11:30pm-1:00pm
Sunday February 5
Softball 10-11:30
Baseball 12:30-2:30
All boys in AAA Minors or Majors or girls in Minors or Majors must be evaluated. This includes returning boys playing the Majors.

Spring Fever…Mendham Little League Baseball and Softball Player Evaluations Scheduled for January 28 and February 5, 2012

Roxy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:37:53 +0000

London and Maddie returned from ice skating at Bryant Park and cupcakes at Crumbs’ Bakery in NYC on Martin Luther King Day to a two-hour delayed opening at Mendham Township Middle School and Elementary School this morning due to the hail and sleet and ice on the roads…so I can’t really claim that Spring is in the air. The good news, however, is that Mendham Little League is open for registration. I’ve signed up Maddie and London to play softball and they are training hard over the winter with the Branchburg Blaze 10U travel team. When April comes around, it will be all softball all the time.

This season, there’s a lot of good news from Mendham Little League:

1. MLL has hired West Morris Baseball Academy to work with the boys’ baseball teams for the 2011 season, and MLL is developing a softball training program for the girls, too. West Morris Baseball is one of the areas premier baseball and softball training organizations. Every player signed up for A,AA,AAA and Majors baseball will receive, at no additional cost, weekly professional training (approx. 18 hours ) throughout the season.
2. Every player registered in Mendham Little League will have the opportunity to receive additional private training from West Morris Baseball at a discounted rate not available to the general public. For more information go to www.westmorrisbaseball.com
3. Mendham Little League Spirit wear. Check out our website for a great selection of shirts,shorts, hitting jackets, bags and more! Go to www.mendhamlittleleague.org
4. Expanded snack bar at Borough Park. MLL will continue its food and beverage service for all regular season, playoff and Allstar games at Borough Park. New food and drink items will be added is season!
5. New fencing at Borough Park. Extensive fencing improvements have been made to all three baseball fields including a new back stop at Lower Borough field.
6. New equipment sheds. New sheds have been added to Wysong, Mosle and Brookside fields to store lining equipment, rakes etc.

I am already looking forward to Spring. In the meantime, mark your calendar for the following Player Evaluation Dates:
Saturday January 28
9:00am - 11:30am Baseball
11:30am - 1:00pm Softball

Sunday February 5
10-12pm Softball
12:30-2:30 Baseball

London’s First Chance at the Mendham Township Middle School Play: Dear Edwina Jr. Coming in March 2012

Roxy — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:03:14 +0000

This afternoon, London and her Mendham Township Middle School classmates are meeting to learn about auditions for this year’s school play, Dear Edwina Jr.

According to Wikipedia, Dear Edwina is a musical by Zina Goldrich (music) and Marcy Heisler (book and lyrics). A children’s one-hour musical, it concerns a young girl who gives her neighborhood friends and family advice through singing in a musical show. It is set in the town of Paw Paw, Michigan, although the setting is more like Deerfield, Illinois, where Marcy Heisler was born. Dear Edwina premiered Off-Broadway at the DR2 Theatre in New York City, opening November 14, 2008 through April 19, 2009. Directed by Timothy McDonald with choreography by Steven G. Kennedy, the cast features Janice Mays as Edwina. This production received two 2009 Drama Desk Award nominations, for Outstanding Music (Zina Goldrich) and Outstanding Lyrics (Marcy Heisler). A return engagement ran at the DR2 Theatre from December 11, 2009 to February 15, 2010. Directed by Timothy McDonald with choreography by Steven Kennedy, the cast featured Ephie Aardema as Edwina. Dear Edwina had a third holiday season run at the DR2 Theatre from December 17, 2010 to February 25, 2011. Again directed by Timothy McDonald and with Steven G. Kennedy’s choreography, this cast featured Beth Cheryl Tarnow as Edwina.

13-year old Edwina Spoonapple has very talented siblings. But because of this, she thinks that she isn’t special or talented. Yet Edwina has many talents including leadership, singing and advising, and she combines all of them by directing musicals out of her garage. The topic of these musicals is letters written to her by neighborhood kids who need advice. She gives them advice through songs and dances that she orchestrates with her friends. One of the main themes of Dear Edwina is Edwina’s desire to be in the “Advice-a-palooza” festival because she feels it will prove that she is as talented as her siblings. This is all going on while Edwina’s love interest, Scott, is trying to win her over. But, since Edwina is so concerned about her show, she doesn’t care about Scott. Scott wins her heart by singing her a song as an impromptu performance on the show. The talent scout calls, and asks for Scott to perform at the festival, not Edwina. She is heartbroken when she runs into Katie Spoonapple, who has just run away from the Summer Math Olympics because she was getting made fun of by the other girls. She tells Katie not to listen to those kids, and to do what you love to do. Katie hugs her, and Edwina realizes that love is far more important than getting a prize.

As a fifth grader, London won’t likely have the starring role, but I wonder if she could win the part of Kelli, the ballerina??
The characters include:
Edwina Spoonapple - A 13-year-old girl who wants proof of her accomplishments, just like her siblings.
Becky - An enthusiastic cheerleader and friend of Edwina’s.
Scott - A neighbor of Edwina, is in love with her.
Kelli - A ballerina and Edwina’s neighbor.
Bobby - Edwina’s friendly new next-door-neighbor.
Lars, Billy and Cordell - The Vanderplook triplets who live in Edwina’s neighborhood.
Annie - A Girl Scout & Edwina’s friend.
Vladimir - The scary, Dracula-like uncle of Edwina.
Frank - A rude & sarcastic kid in Frankenguest.
Lola - A shy girl from Peru visiting her cousin in Honolulu
Harry - Lola’s cousin & the reason she left Peru.
Hephaestus - a young boy who writes to Edwina about his picky brother.
Katie Spoonapple - Edwina’s youngest sister, a math whiz.
Myra Sppoonapple - Edwina’s older sister.
Jo Spoonapple - Edwina’s older brother.
Forks, knives, spoons, & plates - dancers.
Fairy Forkmother- singer in “Fork, knife, spoon.”
Chef Ludmilla- singer in “Fork, knife, spoon.”
Susie and the Napkins-a singing group.
Abigail - Letter writer with a pressing problem about her brother’s etiquette.
Ziggy- A lover of reggae music who writes to Edwina.
Periwinkle- A young girl whose parents have bought a ski school in Sweden and doesn’t know how to speak Swedish.

In Dear Edwina Jr., the songs include:
Paw Paw Michigan
Up on the Fridge
Dear Edwina
Hephaestus
Say No Thank You to You
Abigail
Frankenguest
Carrie
Fork Knife Spoon
Periwinkle
Hola, Lola
Ziggy
Put It in the Piggy
Edwina
Sing Your Own Song
Up on the Fridge(reprise)

I will see if I can get the soundtrack from Amazon, so London can start preparing for auditions.

Mendham Township Parent Drug Education Night Scheduled for November 18th at 7pm

Roxy’s Secret Is Out…I Love Love Love My Mechanic: Moro Automotive in Mendham, NJ

Roxy — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:11:21 +0000

Before I met Dennis Moro of Moro Automotive in Mendham, my service calls at the car dealer sounded something like this:

“It’s gonna cost you a grand just to open her up and take a look. Of course, we’ll credit that against your [sky's-the-limit] total repair bill once we find the problem.”
“I know you brought her in for our $29.99 oil change, but with the other standard service items we like to do at 30,000 miles, your total bill comes to $665.95.”

And that doesn’t even include the car salesmen who’ve called me “little lady” and suggested I come back with “the man of the house” to help me make the buy-or-lease decision on my SUV.

With Moro’s Automotive, my last three service calls have sounded more like this:

“The repair code is for the timing chain, which shouldn’t need replacing for another few years. But hey, your Acadia’s what, a 2009? It should still be under warranty, so you should take it to your GMC dealer for the repair and they’ll have to do it for free.”
“Your little rodent friends chewed through two different cables on your convertible…the parts are more than $900 if I order them new from Toyota, but if you give me some time, I’m sure I can find them in a junkyard for a fraction of the cost.”
“Just an oil change today, but we found out what’s making that grinding noise, let me know if you want us to fix it and I’ll order the part, should run you about $262 all in.”

So I’ve given up the nightmare of regular service visits to three different car dealership service departments, and bring my 2009 GMC Acadia, 2006 Chevy Suburban, and 1996 Toyota Celica convertible to someone I like and trust with my cars: Dennis Moro.

Moro Automotive Service
8 Cold Hill Road
Mendham, NJ 07945-2024
(973) 543-7282

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Follow the Yellow Brick Road to London’s Debut with Hexagon Players in the Wizard of Oz

Roxy — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:32:56 +0000

Follow the yellow brick road to Bernards High as London makes her debut with Hexagon Players as they present one of the best loved musicals of all time…The Wizard of Oz. The outstanding cast, led by Director and Hexagon President Debbie Kirsch of Bernardsville, draws on talent from many local communities.

The Wizard of Oz, which will be staged at Bernards High School, 25 Olcott Ave in Bernardsville, on Friday, September 23rd at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, September 24 at 3 p.m., Sunday, September 25 at 2 pm., Friday, September 30 at 7:30 p.m. and two performances on Saturday, October 1 at 2:00pm and 7:30 p.m

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased on http://www.hexagonplayers.org or by calling 973-543-8770.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting…a Puppy. Family Dog Clinics at Well Bred in Chester, NJ.

Roxy — Sun, 29 May 2011 16:07:04 +0000

It’s been just about a year since I reported to our loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and Roxy’s Best Of… readers that we had added our first cockapoo puppy, Peanut Butter, to our family. And just like I had my two girls 13 months apart, we’re expecting again…a Cockapoo sister for Peanut Butter, 8-week-old Honey…is due next weekend. Right now, it feels like I’m taking care of an energetic toddler while being nine months pregnant, getting ready for the new baby and working hard to finish things up at the office ahead of maternity leave in less than a week. Last year, Maddie planned for months, doing research and learning how to take some of the responsibility for training and grooming our new arrival. Getting ready for Peanut Butter, I read and studied “Puppies For Dummies“ as well as the Dog Whisperer’s “How to Raise the Perfect Dog” by Cesar Millan and ordered his six DVD Boxed Set as “a present for Maddie.” This time around, with Honey on the way, I’m skimming through the books this weekend as if I were cramming for an exam. Off to Petco for a second set of food and water bowls, more bully sticks, find where we stored PB’s old puppy-size bed when she outgrew it. Plan on sleep deprivation and puppy-proofing the house.
Next weekend, we have a big weekend planned. London and Maddie have the annual Lemon Ball at Mendham Township Elementary School on Friday night, followed by their softball championship game on Saturday morning, hopefullly followed by an ice cream celebration at Penguin in Bernardsville. Then it’s off to Pleasant Valley, New York with the whole family, including Peanut Butter, to pick up our new cockapoo puppy at Mulberry Farm.
We need Puppy Nanny 911 (again!)… stat!
Lucky for Roxy, we have just such a service right here in Mendham, NJ… Justine Schuurmans and The Family Dog to the rescue!! Justine is a kinder, gentler local dog whisperer (better, safer, positive — consequences and kindness — training techniques) right here in Morris County, NJ. She’s also a fellow Mendham Township Elementary School mother who came to our rescue when Peanut Butter arrived on the scene last year.
The Family Dog is a local Morris and Somerset County service just like Super Nanny or Nanny 911, only for dogs! What I’ve learned from my Dog Whisperer books and videos so far is that while it’s great to take your new puppy to obedience school, it’s the people who really need the training, and most families need help where it counts - at home. That’s where The Family Dog comes in…. two fun-loving, long-time professional dog trainers who are juggling a full schedule, with four dogs and four children under six between them. They both teach classes at St. Huberts, but realize that families need a different kind of help.
The Family Dog is the only dog training company in the area that is specifically designed for FAMILIES! When I first spoke with Justine, I realized that their approach is really designed to fit in with my busy schedule…and, as I remind both my loyal readers and my mother, I’m not really a housewife, nor do I play one on TV… I’m a full-time investment banker and mother of two. Clearly I need to make time for our new puppy, but it is great to know that Justine understands and can help me to develop a schedule that enables the whole family to share the responsibility for Peanut Butter. No matter how long you’ve had your dog, The Family Dog has a program that will ensure the best possible future for him or her. Justine and/or her partner, Leah Hatley (who is based out of Morristown, NJ), can help prepare you and your family for a new dog, give your puppy the best start in life, create good habits for your adolescent dog, and help your children learn the best ways to respect and nurture your four-legged friend. Each of your training sessions will be conveniently held in your own home.
That means NO traveling, NO scheduling conflicts and you will be practicing in the place you need it most!
Maddie and London adore Justine, who met with me pre-Peanut Butter to do some puppy-proofing and gave the girls a private session before our puppy arrived to give all of us the info and training we need to set off on the right foot. She brought one of her own dogs to coach us and let the girls practice on, so they felt like experts when Peanut Butter came home with us. Justine helped us through all of the early puppy (and family) training, and now PB sits, lies down, waits for food, and fetches when asked. More importantly, Maddie and London know how to respond to calm Peanut Butter down when she’s over-excited…and now it’s time to put those skills to good use when Honey arrives. So much is in the preparation, and now, with another one on the way, we’re back to writing the term paper on the night before it’s due!
The Family Dog, serving Morris and Somerset Counties with DogNanny 911 services from Mendham and Morristown, NJ.

Phone: (973) 910-0364. Be sure to let Justine know that Roxy sent you!!

And now for something new and different from Justine and The Family Dog…Clinics at Well Bred in Chester, NJ. Your new puppy: What to do. What to buy. And what you can safely ignore. Learn the dog trainer’s secrets (what the training books won’t tell you) for $25/person or $40/couple on Wednesday, June 8th from 7:00pm-8:30pm. Thinking about it? Getting one? Just got one? Don’t miss your chance to learn EVERYTHING you need to know about owning a new puppy:

How to choose the right puppy for your family
Preparing your house and your family
Buying the right equipment. What you need and what you don’t.
What is “socialization” and why is it so important?
House training 101
What type of training is best? Group or private in-home classes?

Best Mother’s Day Present Ever…Life in Motion Photography Captures Mendham Minors Mets in Action

Roxy — Sun, 08 May 2011 01:11:40 +0000

Yep, I’ve neglected my blog lately, right here at Roxy’s Best Of… and over on Roxiticus Desperate Housewives. However, I have a terrific reason, and it starts with Mendham Little League girls softball. As my 9-year-old daughter Maddie puts it, “none of the dads had enough time to coach our softball team full time, so my mom stepped up to manage the Mets.” I was nervous about my softball skills…while I pitched for the Branchburg Central Falcons, that was 30 years ago! I walked into a Mendham Little League managers meeting with 60 guys and me, not an unusual experience to be the only woman in my day job as an investment banker, but still intimidating. Given how important softball has been to my family, I ignored my bad nerves, looked to Coach Becky for advice online, and started quoting Tony LaRussa (one of my childhood heroes, current St. Louis Cardinals manager, and author of Three Nights in August):

”I’m as nauseous as I’ve ever been. I have a terrible headache. My head is pounding. I feel like throwing up and I’m having trouble swallowing. And the beauty of it is, you want to feel like this every day.”

Despite the constant April showers that rained out six of our first games, the Mendham Minors Mets are now 7-0 with three weeks left in the regular season, all 11 players are getting better with every practice, I get a lot of support from the other team parents, and my girls and I are having the time of our lives. When Maddie pitches well, London makes a great play at the plate or 3rd base, or both of my girls get a solid hit, we celebrate with ice cream…Cold Stone Creamery in Bedminster, Penguin Ice Cream in Bernardsville, and today we hit Hoffman’s Ice Cream in Pt. Pleasant Beach on our way to our beach house in Bay Head.

Even though Rex and the girls left a little green bag from Jewelers’ Gallery of Mendham back in their bedroom in the Roxiticus Valley, I’ve already had the best Mother’s Day weekend ever… Maddie pitched two innings with plenty of strike-outs, London made two perfect plays at 3rd base, and both girls rocked the bats. London and Maddie each had a double dip with extra toppings, and Rex and I shared a thick shake float at Hoffman’s in Pt. Beach. We continued on to Crab Shack in Brick to pick up 50 clams and four 2-pound lobsters for Mother’s Day Eve dinner at home. I stocked the beach fridge with a case of microbrews, and we are ready for summer!

And then I received the most amazing email from Mariah Seminara of Life in Motion Photography… a slideshow of all the action photos from today’s Mets doubleheader vs. the Blue Jays. I’m having some trouble uploading new photos to my blog, but as soon as that’s resolved I’ll share some of the close-ups: London in full catching gear, Maddie pitching, a close play at the plate…wow!

Last year, when I was a mere spectator and Yankees mom, kicking back in the bleachers while our coach-of-the-year Michael Surella did all the heavy lifting, I was disappointed in the action photos Rex and I took all season…all the tiny, blurry players (is that Joey or Nikki on the mound?? How did we miss London’s game-saving catch at 3rd base?). So this year I hired Mariah Seminara and Life in Motion Photography of Mendham NJ to come to our doubleheader vs. the Blue Jays this morning to photograph the Mets in action, and she did not disappoint.

For $25.00 per player (minimum 10 players), Life In Motion Photography will come to your sporting event and photograph your team as a group, take individual photographs of each player, and capture professional action photographs during the game. The $25.00 Life in Motion package includes:
o A 5×7 Individual Photograph
o A CD of all of the action photos taken of your child during the game

If you’re tired of bad sports photographs, bring in the heavy hitters…Life in Motion Photography of Mendham will capture your team in action and promises that the photos will be something the children will want to have and hand out to their friends and family. I know I can’t wait to share the best Mother’s Day present ever with my BFFs…and I don’t want to jinx anything but I’ve already booked Life in Motion for Saturday, June 4th in case the Mendham Minors Mets make it to the championship game…wish us luck!!

Mendham Little League Heart of the Diamond Tribute to Jim Turner on Saturday, May 21, 2011

Roxy — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:25:02 +0000

On Saturday, May 21, Mendham Little League is sponsoring a “Heart of the Diamond” Tribute to Jim Turner. The event begins with a 3:00pm Softball and Whiffle Ball Tournament and Homerun Derby on the Brookside Fields (adjacent to the Brookside Community Club). The price for adults and kids is $10/person.

In the evening, the festivities continue from 7pm to 11pm with an adults-only dinner and band at the Brookside Community Club. $50 per person includes a live band (Catz n Dawgz), italian buffet, beer and wine, and a basket auction.

Click the link for more information and a contribution form, and return your form no later than May 18th to: Mendham Little League, P.O. Box 322, Mendham, NJ 07945.

Proceeds to benefit the Mendham Junior Women’s Defibrillator Project as well as the Education Fund for Jim Turner’s children.

Mendham Little League Sponsors Rutgers S.A.F.E.T.Y. Clinic Thursday, April 14th

Roxy — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:22:11 +0000

Attn. Softball and Baseball Managers, Coaches, Game Coordinators, and any parent who may “Pinch Hit” on the field.

Rutgers S.A.F.E.T.Y. Training is mandatory for Coaches, Managers, and any parent who wants to help out on the field at games or practice. Mendham Little League’s policy is that any manager, coach or parent who helps on the field in any role must have Rutgers S.A.F.E.T.Y. clinic certification.

The clinic is April 14, 2011 from 6:30-9:30 pm at the West Morris Mendham High School. In order to register you must contact Edwardwpowers@yahoo.com by April 7, 2010.

Please take advantage of this in town opportunity to complete your certification!

Williamsport Little League has instituted a new rule that at every game (Girls Softball Minors and Boys AAA), in addition to the coaches and umpires, there must be an adult “game coordinator” who stays through the entire game to make sure that no one is harassing the teenage umpires etc. In order to do this (for liability reasons) the game coordinator must also be a certified coach. So Mendham Little League is sponsoring a free class next Thursday, April 14th to get you certified to coach or volunteer on the field (see details below). It would be a convenient way for you to get your license to help out coaching. Once you sit through the class it is your certification forever and applies to coaching or volunteering for multiple sports.

I’ve told my team parents that since we are going to need a parent to be game coordinator for each game it would be great for everyone to do it….even for those whose skills are a little rusty or have never played, if you’re going to be at the game to cheer your kids on anyway, having your certification will enable us to have enough game coordinators on hand to play all of our games. No game coordinator? No game.

If you’re planning to be on the field as a coach or game coordinator and are not already certified, please register TODAY (Thursday, April 7th) by sending the following information to Ed Powers at edwardpowers@yahoo.com:.
• Your name
• Your e-mail address
• Your telephone number

Mendham Hoops Action: 6th Grade Boys Garden State League Basketball Championship and More

Roxy — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Our Mendham Patriot Boys 6th grade team in the top division of the Garden State League has won their conference regular season championship and advanced to the final of the year-end tournament. Mendham defeated defending champion Morristown 51-39 on Tuesday in the semifinal game.

Mendham will host the championship game against Montgomery this Saturday, March 19th at Mendham Township Middle School at 1:30pm. We encourage you to come out and support our players. Admission is free.

Also, our 4th grade Boys (#1 seed), 5th grade Boys (#1 seed) and 8th grade Girls (#1 seed) teams have advanced to the semifinals of their league tournaments. Scheduled games currently include the 8th grade girls semi-final also this Saturday, March 19th at Mendham Township Middle School at 10:30am, the 4th grade boys semi-final this Saturday, March 19th at Mendham Township Middle School at 3:00pm, and the 5th grade boys semi-final Monday, March 21st at Mendham Township Middle School at 6:00pm.

Go Patriots!

Roxy's Best Of... Mendham, New Jersey

UPDATED TIMES: Mendham Little League Baseball and Softball Player Evaluations Scheduled for January 28 and February 5, 2012

Related Articles

Spring Fever…Mendham Little League Baseball and Softball Player Evaluations Scheduled for January 28 and February 5, 2012

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London’s First Chance at the Mendham Township Middle School Play: Dear Edwina Jr. Coming in March 2012

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Roxy’s Secret Is Out…I Love Love Love My Mechanic: Moro Automotive in Mendham, NJ

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Follow the Yellow Brick Road to London’s Debut with Hexagon Players in the Wizard of Oz

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What to Expect When You’re Expecting…a Puppy. Family Dog Clinics at Well Bred in Chester, NJ.

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Best Mother’s Day Present Ever…Life in Motion Photography Captures Mendham Minors Mets in Action

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Mendham Little League Heart of the Diamond Tribute to Jim Turner on Saturday, May 21, 2011

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Mendham Little League Sponsors Rutgers S.A.F.E.T.Y. Clinic Thursday, April 14th

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Mendham Hoops Action: 6th Grade Boys Garden State League Basketball Championship and More

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