A reader writes in to let us know this beautiful dog was found on Club Road in Montclair today. If you are the owner, please call 973-746-0466.
UPDATE: Dog is found, a workman had let him out. A reader who recognized the dog called the owner and everyone is back home safely. Note to all — the dog had an electric collar, so check those batteries if you have one, as it didn’t work in this instance.

Bloomfield’s 4th Wall Theatre has an antidote to your mid-winter blues: “I Do! I Do!”, a romantic comedy from the team that created The Fantasticks, opens Friday, Jan. 30 at Westminster and runs through Feb. 8. This Tony-award winning musical stars Julie Waldman-Stiel and Will Lampe in the roles created by Mary Martin and Robert Preston on Broadway in 1966.
Details here.
(photo credit: Tom Schopper)

We’ve had three tips this morning about a fatal pedestrian accident on Bloomfield Ave. in Verona. We’ll update you as soon as we have something official.
More details from one observer:

Corner of Bloomfield Ave and Sunset, at the Montclair Verona border. Every cop for 2 towns plus Essex county sheriffs. When I drove by at approx 0845, there was a body under a sheet, a few feet east of the crosswalk over the Ave. Eastbound on Bloomfield Ave there was a commercial van with its front end smashed up. Officers with Crime Scene Unit labels on their jackets on the scene.

Fourth Ward Councilor Dr. Renee Baskerville is holding her first 2009 community meeting on Tuesday, January 27. Baskerville hopes to see residents from all wards at the meeting, to provide input about community goals they’d like to see accomplished in 2009.
Township manager Joseph Hartnett and township engineer Kim Craft will speak, followed by a question/answer period and a presentation by Dr. Baskerville, “Move Montclair 4 Ward.”
The meeting is at 7 p.m., second floor meeting room of Montclair Fire Department headquarters, 1 Pine Street. For information, call (973) 509-4929.

The iris rhizomes at Presby are tucked in to their beds under blankets of snow. There isn’t a bloom in sight, but the gardens still display a tranquil beauty.
Ivy twining up a nearby tree manages to look verdant even when the mercury gets stuck in the low twenties. Imagine what it will all look like come May.

I decided to swing by the Watchung Booksellers Saturday afternoon to get a signed copy of Bobbi Brown’s new book, “Bobbi Brown MakeUp Manual”. My niece is getting married later this year, and I thought it would make a nice shower gift. It’s a good thing I had it inscribed to her by the always gracious author — otherwise I might have been tempted to snitch it for myself. The reason? It’s more than a makeup manual–it’s a fun and interesting compendium of helpful information about skin, nutrition, medical skin conditions; there’s a foray into the world of dramatic makeup; there’s even a history of makeup. Sample tidbit? “c.1200 B.C.E.- Egyptians of this era are wearing a full face of cosmetics. They create eye shadows out of malachite, a copper ore that has a greenish tone, to line their bottom lids. Eyelashes and upper lids are darkened with powder made from lead ore.”

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We’re used to neighbors announcing sudden career changes and moves, taking off for California, say, or moving back to New York City. But when someone we know decides to pitch it all in and move to Thailand, that’s a bit more surprising.
At the end of this summer, Janet and Ed Hennessy, who are in the middle of selling their Glen Ridge house, will take off for Chiang Mai, a city of 150,000 people about 400 miles north of Bangkok. They’ll be taking their youngest daughter Nora, now in 6th grade, and leaving two college students back in North America.
A surprising move, maybe, but not without its own logic. About twp years ago, Janet started a jewelry company called Auraway, and began importing silver jewelry from Thailand. She’s made two trips there, met several baby elephants and fallen in love with the Hill Tribes people and their silver craftsmanship.

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Parents Who Rock, a community-based group of musically gifted parents, are hoping to raise $50,000 for Little Kids Rock to enrich music programs and provide instruments to Montclair schools. Their music CD is sold all over Montclair, and on the next two Wednesday nights at UPTOWN Bistro, you can listen to some of their music live.
The family fundraiser takes place around the dinner hour – 5:30-7:30 pm. Ellen Paretti will play on Jan. 28 and Alisa Harmon and Rick Walsh will play February 4. The owners of Uptown are offering 1/2 off the kids menu prices, and donating 5% of the night’s proceeeds to PWR. On Feb. 4, there will be two prix fixe menus as well. Reservations are recommended: 973-744-0915.

Into the pulsing Baristanet newsroom comes a fresh alert of a found dog. Suzanne writes:

We have a totally cute little dog that was found outside our door. This dog belongs to someone that loves it because it came in and jumped right up on our couch. We will keep him until someone claims him. Photo attached. Call us 973.746.7510.

UPDATE: The dog and its owners have been reunited!

While many of us were in inauguration over-drive, this tipster broke away to the fabulous Steve Winwood concert this Tuesday. Besides taking a big nostalgia trip, the concert, for this fan, was literally a big chill:

The concert was wonderful. I’ve been listening to Steve Winwood since he was a teenager and played with Traffic. He hasn’t lost anything; in fact, I would say he has added rich complexities to his music over the years. Last night, before a sold out, energetic, and appreciative audience (some gave him a standing ovation after every song), he fused his standards (including Dear Mr Fantasy, Arc of a Diver, and Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, to name a few) with a jazzy and bluesy feel, backed by an ensemble of outstanding musicians. One felt honored to be in the audience of a man who is truly a musical genius.
Except the audience damned near froze to death! I was sitting in the third row and I think I was able to see my breath. NO HEAT..Freezing cold air was blowing in from the ceiling. Good thing I was wearing a parka, hat, and gloves.

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