A man in a red Acura offered a fifth-grade girl a ride Monday at 5 p.m., the Madison school district is reporting on its Web site. Police Lt. Darren Dachisen, a department spokesperson, said the girl declined the ride and the man, who was described as being about 20 years old, drove on. It occurred [...]

The Senior Services of the Chathams’ Board of Trustees threw a party at the end of January to show off the newly renovated Senior Center . Over 65 people attended the event and they also took some great photos (which appear after the jump .) “We wanted our donors to see our recent renovations including new carpeting, paint and handicapped [...]

Chatham resident Vijay Balse won on Jeopardy for a third time Monday night, bringing his total earnings to $70,801. He finished Monday’s episode with $14,399. In the first episode, which aired Thursday, March 4, he won $28,801. He took $27,601 on the second episode Friday. He’ll continue to appear and compete as defending champion until he [...]

By SANDY SEEGERS • DAILY RECORD NORTH CALDWELL — Lauren Winschuh of Chatham had a simple plan when she entered Monday night’s North 2 Group II girls basketball final against West Essex. “I couldn’t make any mistakes,” Winschuh said. “There was a lot going on.” There certainly was. Winschuh, a sophomore forward, entered the game with [...]

Thirty restaurants and 60 wine vendors are expected to be at the ninth annual Taste of Madison fundraiser, organizers said. The event, featuring signature dishes from eateries in the borough, is scheduled for Monday at the Ferguson Recreation Center of Fairleigh Dickinson University. VIP admission — which gives attendees first dibs on the culinary offerings — [...]

Anne Matlack, organist and choir director at Grace Church, 4 Main St., Madison, and assistant organist Eric Stroud are again offering lunchtime organ meditations throughout Lent, running through Friday, March 26. The recitals begin at 12:15 p.m., following brief noondayprayer, and end at 12:45 p.m. Beverages and dessert are provided after each performance. Local gourmet sandwich [...]

Ogden Memorial Presbyterian Church in Chatham will hold its annual Children’s Spring Exchange Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The church, at Main Street and Elmwood Avenue, will offer low-cost, gently used children’s clothing and equipment. Sale items include children’s spring and summer clothing (infant to size 14), toys, infant [...]

Bring six bucks and your appetite. From Madison police:

DARE fundraiser breakfast Please support the DARE pancake breakfast fundraiser this Saturday 3/13/10. It will be held at the Madison Elks Lodge located at the corner of Main St. & Rosedale Ave. This all you can eat pancake breakfast will be from 8:00am until 11:00am and will cost [...]

By JANE HAVSY • DAILY RECORD Michael Strand, a Chatham junior, won the state backstroke title Sunday at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. Strand used strong work off the walls to hold off Luke Papendick, a Kinnelon sophomore who has been swimming against Strand since they were 12. “It’s awesome,” said Strand, who used a similar [...]

By ROB JENNINGS / DAILY RECORD The early days of the war in Iraq were revisited Sunday at Madison High School, but not as part of a history lesson. Two wrestlers known as “Saddam Insane” and “Hasheem ‘Chemical’ Ali” grappled with “The Patriot” and the “World Famous Wrestling Clown” inside the school gymnasium as part of [...]

By DAN BREEMAN • SPECIAL TO THE DAILY RECORD MORRIS TWP. — In a state tournament brimming with upsets, the Madison hockey team may have pulled off the biggest one to date on Sunday afternoon. Led by a pair of goals from freshman Erik Andersson and stellar goaltending from freshman netminder Grant Perry (33 saves), the [...]

For your viewing pleasure, a selection of photos submitted by Chatham Township photographer Elizabeth Niesuchouski. (Click for full size)

(Do you have photos? Post them yourself. Or send the files, along with some information about them, to me at jake@injersey.com)

Widget the Beaver, the friendly puppet mascot of The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, had a birthday party at the museum on Feb. 28.

Guests were asked to wear brown, Widget’s favorite color.

Jake Remaly wrote a new blog post: Chatham man to appear on Jeopardy! tonight

For trivia buff Vijay Balse, the sixth time was the charm.
That’s how many auditions it took the 45-year-old Chatham resident to land a spot on the popular, long-running quiz show “Jeopardy!”
He tried several times in the 1990s and 2000s, attending open auditions and eventually taking online tests offered by the quiz show. It wasn’t until [...]

  5 days, 22 hours ago · View

Jake Remaly wrote a new blog post: NJ Transit plans service cuts, says ‘this will be painful for our customers’

By ROB JENNINGS / STAFF WRITER
NJ Transit announced Tuesday it would cut jobs and pay and said fare hikes and service reductions will be disclosed next week.
Amid an emergency spending freeze, 200 jobs will be eliminated, salaries for executives cut by five percent and contributions to employee 401K programs reduced by one-third.
NJ Transit’s $300 million [...]

  6 days, 22 hours ago · View

Jake Remaly wrote a new blog post: Chatham attorney announces run for Congress, will target Frelinghuysen

By ROB JENNINGS / DAILY RECORD
Douglas Herbert, an attorney from Chatham Borough who sought a state Assembly seat last fall, said Tuesday that he is seeking the Democratic nomination to run against Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen.
Herbert, 48, a former U.S. Army sergeant who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, is the first Democrat to declare his [...]

  6 days, 23 hours ago · View

Jake Remaly wrote a new blog post: Cafe Beethoven hosts Chatham grad’s first photo exhibit

Photographs by Melanie Ruskin will be on display at Cafe Beethoven, 262 Main Street, Chatham, from March 6 through April 17.
An opening night reception will be held on Saturday, March 6, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Ruskin is a 2007 graduate of Chatham High School and is currently majoring in photography at the County College of [...]

  6 days, 23 hours ago · View

Jake Remaly wrote a new blog post: Group doesn’t want Main St. gambling addiction center

By JAMIE DUFFY / SPECIAL TO THE DAILY RECORD

CHATHAM — A newly formed citizens group is pushing to thwart an application that would establish a gambling addiction treatment center on Chatham’s Main Street.
The center’s proposal to replace the Parrot Mill Inn at 47 Main St. received [...]

  1 week ago · View