Livingston Shop Offers Fashions For Trendy Campers

Summer camp finds for trend-setters at Precious Cargo.

Summer camp is supposed to be fun and relaxed, but pint-sized fashionistas also want to look stylish. For those looking to make an impression, a trip to Precious Cargo For Kids is a must. Each year, starting in January and running through late spring, the shop on West Northfield Road dedicates a section to "Camp Central," with t-shirts and tank tops specifically designed for camp-goers.   Whether it's Harbor Hills Camp in Mount Freedom, Jeff Lake Camp in Sussex County, Stonybrook Day Camp in Randolph or any other in the area, campgoers can show up wearing tank tops and t-shirts bearing the camp's name or a club sentiment (i.e. "I love Stonybrook"). For a more personalized look, the child's name can be added to the tops. "We've been doing …

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Camp Horizons Closes

After 28 years, the Livingston-based camp is closed

Camp Horizons held its last Family Rocket Launch, and hosted its final Wednesday pizza lunch. After 28 years, the Livingston-based camp has closed, says owner Neil Rothstein, because Newark Academy has declined to renew the camp's lease. "The camp is over," said Rothstein. "We're very sad to leave." The camp has been located at Newark Academy for 28 years. Camp Horizons shared the campus with sports camps and summer academics offered by the school.  "The school plans to expand the summer offerings," said Rothstein. Newark Academy could not be reached for comment at this time. Some 100,000 children, from grades K through nine, attended Camp Horizons over the past 28 years, many returning as counselors in training and then as counselors. …

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Musical Theatre Conservatory: The Best of Both Worlds

Summer program will allow aspiring stars to study in New Jersey and perform in NYC.

When Randy Kravitz Elman and Mary Brienza were young, aspiring performers, learning from the best in the business meant riding a train into New York City, transferring to a subway, then walking some long city blocks to get to a dance studio or voice or acting coach. So when they launched Musical Theatre Conservatory they were determined to give students  -- and their families -- the best of both worlds. “Acting class was on the Upper East Side. Dance classes were midtown. My voice teacher was on the Upper West Side,” Randy Elman explained. “As a teenager I took the train in on my own, but when I was too young to do that my parents actually hired someone to drive me in to the city. I’m grateful that they would do that for me, but it was a …

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Jeff Lake Camp Director Looks Back Fondly

Throughout his 54 years on the job, Ira Fish has served thousands of kids in New Jersey — including Livingston.

When Ira Fish first opened the Jefferson Lake Day Camp in 1958, kids were wild about hula hoops, not iPads. They listened to the Everly Brothers instead of the Jonas Brothers. But Fish said today’s campers are not so different from those who attended the Stanhope-based camp 54 years ago. “They’re really still the same,” said Fish. “They still enjoy playing basketball and baseball, doing arts and crafts and things like that. You know what one of the most popular things in camp is now? Lanyards. And they have always been popular.” After more than five decades leading the camp — a favorite summertime choice for many generations of campers in Essex County — this past summer was Fish's last as camp director. (He has now officially handed the …

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Playing the Part at Summer Drama Camp

Musical Theatre Conservatory puts kids in the limelight.

What do Natalie Portman and Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire) have in common with Matt, Kimmi and Holly? Each trained in the performing arts with Randy Kravitz Elman or Mary Brienza when they were kids. This summer, Elman and Brienza teamed to launched the Musical Theatre Conservatory, a summer theater camp in Livingston for young performers ages 9-17. Classes included acting, theatre dance, vocal technique, and song interpretation as well as stage combat, TV/commercials, and auditioning. The encore was a cabaret at the Luna Theatre in West Orange, where the future stars performed numbers from Mamma Mia!, Funny Girl and Hairspray.   Elman served for 25 years as artistic director for Performers Theatre Workshop, a performing arts training …

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Friendships Tied Together at LSYLS Camp

Township's summer camp programs are simply fun in the sun.

Preschoolers and kindergarteners had the chance to take control – of the fire hose, that is – when the Livingston Fire Department visited the township’s camp run by the Department of Senior, Youth & Leisure Services. The kindergarten kids have been spending the past three weeks in a variety of themed games, crafts, and songs. Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Francione and two members of his crew brought a pumper truck (“the busiest truck in Livingston”) to the Monmouth Court camp site to talk about fire safety. The kids were riveted as Assistant Chief Francione showed some of the equipment carried on the fire trucks, from ordinary soap to picks, axes, and a special $10,000 camera which allows firefighters to see through walls to spot fires.  …

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Camp Horizons Off To a Magical Start

Magician opens up his bag of tricks with an assist from summer campers.

There really is something for everyone at Camp Horizons, a day camp for kindergarten-aged children to ninth graders, located on the Newark Academy campus in Livingston. After a successful 27-year run, owner/director, Neil Rothstein, a Livingston resident, has created a well-oiled machine, chock full of more than 100 activities and events to meet even the most novel of interests. Just two days into the start of camp, Nutley resident, Magician Joe Fischer, “WOW’ed,” the kindergarten through 4th grade campers, with magic tricks. Kindergarten camper Aidan Osowski of Cedar Grove was the first “assistant” called to the stage. With great humor, the magician asked Aidan to rip up a black and silver piece of paper, over and over again. Once done, …

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Camp Clover Helps Kids Deal With Loss

New bereavement camp offers a summer haven so children know they are not alone.

Over three years ago, Casey Holstein's wife died after a five-year battle with breast cancer. Not only did it make Holstein a widower, it made him a single father of two daughters. Knowing the disease would eventually kill his wife Robin, he did everything he could to prepare not only himself but his two girls, who are now 10 and 12 years old. And preparing his children before and then helping them after could be a tremendous task. "They're the only ones in their social circle who don't have a mother," said the South Orange resident. "It weighs on them and they're still conscious of that today." The girls have women around them and a great amount of support, he said. But at the end of the day, 99 percent of people they know can't relate to…

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Theater & Dance Camp Holds Summer Show

Township's recreational theater camp ends with a Broadway caliber show.

On Thursday evening, the Livingston Senior, Youth and Leisure Services' organization hosted "From Here to Broadway" at the Monmouth Court Community Center. The dance recital served as the culmination of an intensive two-week recreational dance camp run by the township. Each day, camp-goers sang, danced and acted from 9am until 4pm with only a short break in between for lunch and snack. This was no boot camp though; as the campers genuinely enjoyed the hours of hard work that they put into rehearsing parts. Under the direction of instructors Janet Kelton, Andi Hopkins and Kathy Pucci, the children learned about all aspects relating to the world of Broadway. After only eight sessions and 56 hours of preparation, the opportunity came for the …

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What Camp is Your Child Attending This Summer?

Livingston mom provides tips for selecting a summer camp.

It's gonna be one of the coldest weekends of the year, but it's not too early to start thinking about summer. While it may seem a bit absurd to mention anything related to summer in late January, the truth of the matter is, if you do not have your child's summer camp locked in by winter's end you're already behind schedule.  The majority of the popular camps fill up by April or May. However, under no circumstances should you wait that long to sign up for camp as it could be too late and you'll be left to piece together a 9-week summer break with nothing more than visits to the local park and recreation center. To be on the safe side, start your search now and you should have plenty of options to choose from.  And there are options, a …

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