Clinton Township Newsletter

2 2 f e b r u a r y 2 0 2 4 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M t e n g r e a t r e a S o n S t o S H o p l o c a l l y : • Shopping locally creates jobs. Shops in our town create local employment and self-employment. These people, in turn, spend in the local community. • Local independent shops invest more in our communities. Local businesses are proportionately more generous in their support of local charities, schools and community events. Supporting local shops means a financial impact on our community. • Local shops sell a wide range of great products at affordable prices. Many people fall out of the habit of shopping locally and are then surprised by the range of products and gifts available. • Shopping locally saves you money. Out-of-County shops have done a good job of convincing us that local business equals expensive. If you add travel, fees to transfer items and your time, the overall cost is often much higher. • Shopping locally retains our communities. People don't like losing shops and services in small towns, but don't equate this to how they spend their money. • Shopping locally retains our distinctiveness. Independent shops create distinctive shopping experiences and stock different products. Local businesses respond quickly to the needs of local customers, stocking products to meet the changing population needs. Shopping locally saves the environment. Local shops often stock a high percentage of local sourced goods which do not require long car and bus journeys, helping to reduce our global footprint. • Local shops are for everyone. Most people can get to their local shops easily and this is especially important for the elderly and young generations and those without transportation. • Local shops value you more. Evidence from numerous surveys show people receive better customer care and service locally. These businesses survive by their reputation and repeat business, which means you get a higher standard of service. • Shopping locally saves services. Private and public sector services tend to cluster around shops. As shops disappear so do hairdressers, banks, restaurants, etc. S o S H o p S m a r t . S H o p l o c a l l y ! Look for the Guild of Clinton stickers in windows throughout downtown Clinton – these are the people (merchants and professionals) who make Clinton the amazing downtown that it is. Please support them so we can keep it that way! Sh Smart. S h L ocay! W o m e n ' S F o r U m U S a Sharing Wisdom Dear Ladies, The Dead of Winter is an expression that describes a time of year that can sound pretty glum. Looking back I always treated the first three months as a kind of "hibernation" period. And while it served its purpose with lots of reading, and catching up on projects from the year before, somehow this year, the idea of "hibernation" has lost its charm. So, in thinking about the first three months of the year, one by one – each having a personality of its own – let's look at what's in store for early 2024. In January we resolved and put all manner of practices into action. Reading more, spending less, hopefully eating less. We had a great opener at our first event of '24 with Dr. Ellen Langer and her Mind-Body theory. Lots of chatter afterward about plans to take on some of her findings! We followed up on Dr. E with a bombshell of a woman, "the one who got away"! Francoise Gilot, artist, writer and former partner to Picasso, in promoting her memoir LIFE WITH PICASSO, tells her story in an interview that inspires taking mastery over your own life. (Being the only woman to have left him, she is quite the "force" and a fascinating subject.) By the way, her book is available in audio format on YouTube – free! And...the narrator has the most charming voice! Come February, the tender emotions kick in. Valentine's month is the LOVEliest time of the year. As a Valentine to our ladies, WF is offering a big fun favorite – FASHION – with a trip to the Met focusing on the Costume Institute's latest fabulous exhibit! As per Met publicity: "WOMEN DRESSING WOMEN features the work of over seventy womenswear designers, spanning ca.1910 to today, including French haute couture from houses such as Jeanne Lanvin, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Madeleine Vionnet, to American makers like Ann Lowe, Claire McCardle, and Isabel Toledo, along with contemporary designs by Iris van Herpern, Rei Kawakubo, Anifa Mvuemba and Simone Rocha." Trip to the Met, Thursday February 8, departing CDL at 9:00 am. Return pickup at the Met is at 3:00 pm. Admission is $40 (and does not include admission to the Museum). Register here: https://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended. cfm?SiteID=3205&EventID=514921. To honor Black History Month, and for our second February event – a luncheon – we continue to learn stories of triumph and in some cases of the unsung achievements of many of our African American brothers and sisters. This time we present an interview of a thespian of the highest order, by an icon who has raised the bar of excellence in career achievement for all women. Oprah Winfrey, so deeply ingrained in our culture as to have reached the status of becoming a household word, interviews Academy Award winning actor Viola Davis. Promoting her memoir, Finding Me, Ms. Davis tells the story of a rise from the depths of searing poverty to the heights of artistic acclaim, fueled by passion, hunger and raw talent. Having read the book, the interview presents an unforgettable first hand tale. And, if you would like to read it, I found it on CLOUD LIBRARY as an audio read, narrated by Ms. Davis. By the way, CLOUD LIBRARY is a fantastic app available to Dillon Library patrons. For more information, call the circulation desk: 908.234.2325. Luncheon honoring Black History Month, Thursday February 29, at noon. Admission is $20. Register here: http:// engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=3205&EventID=514922 By March all heads are turning toward Spring and a new vitality is arising. For an exhilarating literary exercise, WF is dedicating the month of March to Daphne du Maurier - English novelist, biographer and playwright. We'll cover her life story, offer a book discussion of her novel REBECCA, with our in-house "literary maven" Nancy Harms, and then screen the Hitchcock movie version of the novel. Three events, all Thursdays, 3/14, 3/21,3/28. The 14th and 28th are luncheons. The 21st at 1:30 is a book discussion of about one hour in duration, with limited seating in the History Room. WF is offering this sneak peek into March in case any of you plan to read the book. The library is offering copies for those who are interested. (Registration for the March programs will be available with the March newsletter.) Most events are held at the Clarence Dillon Public Library at 2336 Lamington Rd, Bedminster, NJ 07921. To register for our programs and for information regarding all events, please email us at: womensforumusa@ gmail.com. Enjoy the Winter! Evelyn Breheney Glynn, Director Women's Forum "Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

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