The fine line of victory over defeat in the case of Group cross country… Hunterdon Central football… the Milk Can game… Bill Belichick… and Russ Riegel. Ready, go. We’re down to the cross country Meet of Champions, Milk Can on Friday and Thanksgiving football. Little things can matter, as was the case in Saturday’s Group 2 boys’ cross country... Full story »

It is that time of year with the “Milk Can Game” upon us for the 34th game in the series, the annual football battle pitting North Hunterdon and Voorhees, two schools from the same high school district. Kickoff time is 7 p.m. on the mud of Richard Degnan Memorial Field on the campus of Voorhees High School in Lebanon... Full story »

North Hunterdon’s boys’ soccer team of coach John Simpson has had a banner season so far, the best in school history. The Lions have the most wins with 17, the best overall record with a 17-2 mark, with a co-championship in the Skyland Conference Delaware West Division and a title in the first Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex County Tournament with a 3-0... Full story »

Back in July, I had to decide when to take another week or two of vacation later in the year. I knew it would be best to do it “between seasons” and I took a hard look at the first week or two week in December. Of course, I wanted to wait until football season concluded. But what were... Full story »

Friday night football — yuk! It was not a fit night out for man nor beast on Friday night, but doesn’t it seem like it has been that way every Friday night since the football season started. Up at the Warren Hills Junior High pigsty (I mean field), with mud three inches deep on the sidelines as well as... Full story »

How can a soccer game last 22 hours? Not respecting the Garden State Parkway. And Mischief Night at North Hunterdon. Ready, go. You may not have noticed, but the inaugural Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex tournaments are underway. Can I have some traveling music? Vernon High School is a long way from Flemington, but over the weekend Vernon players, coaches and fans made... Full story »

At tiny South Hunterdon, the smallest public high school in the state, field hockey has a tradition of excellence and this year is certainly no exception. Coach Andy (Burroughs) Gurba knows the tradition first hand, having been a fine field hockey player in her high school days for the Eagles. The struggle to put a team on the field... Full story »

I ran into some rough weather last week, how about you? But before I recount those nasty nights, let’s chat about the county’s “Yo-Yo” football team. You know who I’m talking about – North Hunterdon. That’s right, the very team that has knocked off high-touted Ridge, 32-17, and previously unbeaten Linden, 21-14. What’s that all about? After all, the... Full story »

Ever since I started writing this column almost a year ago, I've been getting a kick out of my increased ability to name things in the outside world. I now know that the frogs in my little pond are green frogs. I can tell a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly from a Spicebush Swallowtail. I also can identify a Scarlet Elf Cup... Full story »

Financially prudent Americans are cutting back on travel this season and making trips closer to home. So on the July 4th weekend, my wife and I took a train from Ringoes to Flemington. Having grown up in Flemington in the early 1940s, I had a working knowledge of the 5½-mile route. But we had lived elsewhere for a long time... Full story »

A short break from regular activities can relieve stress. Think of an inexpensive afternoon off and think local. One possibility might be throwing a party. Begin with a visit to Favors Party Supply on Main Street in High Bridge. "People come for the things they'll need for every type of gathering, from a luau to a children's party," said Lynn... Full story »

Tiny lights blinking on and off across a meadow on summer evenings. Kids running wild with jars hoping to make firefly lanterns. Childhood memories in the making. These super-charged insects, which are actually beetles, have intrigued me (and probably many of you) for years. What looks like random twinkling is actually part of an organized mating ritual. Males fly around... Full story »

I always stop at Dunkin' Donuts on my way home from the gym in the morning so I can grab a cup of coffee. It usually takes less than five minutes, unless I get distracted by the Call of the Munchkins and spend another five minutes deliberating whether to undo all the good of working out. One fine morning I... Full story »

I feel like I live in a lush jungle, with all the rain we've had this spring. Wild and cultivated plants are supersized. Mushrooms and other fungi are no exception. Even brief treks into the woods are revealing a diversity that I don't remember from past years. Walking my dog the other day I thought I was looking at a... Full story »

If there is any silver lining to the cloud of sprawl that has spread its shadow across this state, it may be this: New Jersey has an abundance of rooftops on which to mount solar panels! If you have ever flown over New Jersey on your way into or out of Newark Liberty Airport, you've seen acres upon acres of... Full story »