Education

The College Playbook

How to Select the Right College for Your Student-Athlete Article by Patti Zielinski With over three decades of giving college recruitment and scholarship advice, Anthony Uva knows how to guide students and parents through the daunting process of college admittance. On his national television show “Secrets of College Planning” he interviews experts in the area of college admissions and other department heads. A former college athlete, Uva specializes in teaching high school students and their...

March 2024

Home Services

Investing in Your Home

Realtor Marie Young Discusses How to Balance Comfort and Marketability Article by Elle Bridge Your primary residence is not just a house. It’s where you live—a place to enjoy and create cherished memories. It is also a significant financial investment that should be chosen wisely and maintained properly to ensure your comfort and maximize its marketability when the time comes to sell. “Taking care of the smallest details in a timely way avoids costly repairs longer term,” says Realtor Marie...

March 2024

Education

Master Your Money

Financial Security Can Be Simple. Just Ask Karen Ostarticki. Article by Patti Zielinski | Photography by Donna Gioia Volpe When asked about her greatest accomplishment, Karen Ostarticki’s response is quick: Sebastian.  The Bedminster mother is speaking of her son Sebastian Sanchez, who is known in the Somerset Hills as a three-sport champion athlete. Sanchez, an honors student, four-year letter winner and 2015 graduate of Bernards High School, was a member of the baseball team and captained...

March 2024

Entertainment

Celluloid Heroes

FenceSitters Film Festival Resurrects the Glamour of Bernardsville's Silver Screen Article by Nancy A. Ruhling | Photography by Jillian Spencer It’s like the plot of a movie.  The old cinema in Bernardsville, which began showing motion pictures over a century ago, gets a new owner and a new lease on life from two strangers. The cinema, which had been closed during the pandemic and had been hosting only private events during that time, reopened in October 2023 to great fanfare—and the town’s...

March 2024

Entertainment

Keys to Life

Tom Brislin’s Lyrical Journey from a Bernardsville Stage to Keyboardist for Iconic Rock Band Kansas Article by Patti Zielinski | Photography by Julianne Reynolds Tom Brislin thought his career had died at Bernards High School.  He was 15, performing at a Battle of the Bands with his friends. It was their first gig and they were nervous and excited. They were also green. And not as prepared as they should have been. They were in over their heads.  They went on and were practically booed off...

March 2024

Food + Beverage

Sage Fashion

Entertaining Office Colleagues at Home? Serve Up This Power Cocktail. Article by Altamarea Group 2 oz prune-infused bourbon*   ½ oz sage simple syrup**  5 dashes Fee Brothers Plum Bitters  Combine. Add ice and stir. Strain over ice.  * 750 ml bourbon, 10 dried prunes, halved. Infuse for 48 hours.  ** 2 c sugar, 2 c fresh sage leaves (lightly bruised), 2 c hot water. Stir. Let sit for 24 hours and strain out sage. Mocktail  3 plum slices ¾ oz sage simple syrup ¾ oz lemon juice 6...

March 2024

Professional Services

Thriving Through Growth

A City Lifestyle Publisher’s Journey to Discovering Her Calling Article by Elle Bridge | Photography by Liz Polo, Havana Photography As a woman business owner, Tiffany Slowinski knows success comes from constantly evolving. Over her journey from college student to young earner to motherhood to successful entrepreneur, she has forged new identities and reinvented herself many times over. Recently, as she embarked on her latest venture—Team Spark Advisors, which employs data analytics to help...

March 2024

Local Services

Main Street Minute

Your Guide to What's New and Exciting in Bernardsville Article by Olivia Manning Welcome to The Main Street Minute! I’m Olivia Manning, executive director of Main Street Bernardsville. Each month, I’ll be your guide to all the exciting happenings in our vibrant commercial district.  For example, we are excited to unveil our long-awaited History Walking Tour Marker Project. Check our website for event details and tour times.  Stay in the know! Download the “Discover Bernardsville” app on...

March 2024

Home + Design

Your House—Transformed!

Give Your Home A New Look Without Breaking The Bank Article by Patti Zielinski | Photography by GreenRose For the past 15 years, GreenRose, the design-build firm founded by Steve Moran and Ken Malian, has been helping homeowners design, renovate and build their dream homes, many of which have been in the Somerset Hills.  The Chester-based company, which has won awards for interior design and service, approaches the process in a concierge-like way by designing spaces that are then turned over...

February 2024

Home + Design

Kitchen Accomplished

Kitchen Pros Jim and Eileen Barna Take on a Very Personal Project: Their Own Home Article by Nancy A. Ruhling | Photography by Liz Polo, Havana Photography During their careers, Jim and Eileen Barna, owners of TrueLeaf Kitchens in Basking Ridge, have renovated more than 1,200 kitchens, including five of their own. In their latest, for the 1930s Basking Ridge house they share with their two sons and Winnie the Westie, they created an open-plan space for effortless cooking and entertaining. ...

February 2024