It’s a young gamer’s dream—a 38-foot trailer that contains four large video screens inside, two large screens outside, five sets of the leading gaming consoles, seating for 16 and hundreds of games to choose from. Gamin’ Ride, as it is known, is a mobile game center that is available for children’s parties, fundraisers, and any other event where people just want a sensory experience playing video games. It’s all owned by Michael Butrico, a Warren resident who bought into the Gamin’ Ride franchise with his brother William, although William is now a silent partner in the endeavor.  Butrico said…

So much of participation in the Boy Scouts has to do with the concept of service especially serving the community in any way possible. All Scouts have community service requirements to fulfill on their way to earning “merit badges,” or recognition for special projects. There are many opportunities for Scouts to serve—painting historical sites or cleaning brush from public trails, for example. And then there are community events, such as the ever-popular Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser, which was held on Saturday at Our Lady of the Mount Church. “The response from the public has been pretty good…

To Michelle Du, being an American includes freedom, kindness and tolerance toward others, and working together to make our country great. Du, who is a fifth-grader at Woodland Elementary School, was responding to the statement, ”Why I am proud to be an American,” for an essay assignment based on the theme of the NCSEA Americanism Essay Contest, sponsored locally by the Watchung Hills Elks. “My teacher said it was not mandatory, but optional to participate,” said Du, who was at the Elks Lodge on Friday night at an awards ceremony for the top three essay contest winners in one of two age …

Now that spring has sprung, families have an opportunity to experience the great outdoors. (Junior, for you that means putting down the X-Box controller and getting some fresh air!) And that’s a good thing. Warren is full of opportunities to go walking, hiking or bird watching on recreational trails set upon hundreds of acres of open space in the township. “We have a lot of trails in Warren, and several in particular that are maintained—Glenhurst Meadows, Codington Woods, Dealaman Nature Trail & Pond, Ehlens Brook, Stransky Farm, Wagner Farm, and Town Hall Circles,” said Gary Miller, who is …

Among those who lost loved ones in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, there’s little that can reduce the sadness and anger that exists due to the heinous acts of terrorism. While everyone grieves in their own way, all Americans must have opportunities to remember and honor those who tragically lost their lives that fateful day. Artist Ralph Garafola understands the need for public remembrance. So when the opportunity arose to design the structure that is to be Warren’s Sept. 11 Memorial, he was driven by the thought that “I did not want people to forget,” Garafola said. The monument, which is …

When the economy began heading south in early 2008, the increase in the number of unemployed spurred a host of career support groups. While the primary function of many of these groups is for moral support, some—such group is OLM Network Job Seeker’s Group, which is held at Our Lady of The Mount  (OLM) Church in Warren every Wednesday evening—were created to emphasize a tactical approach to the re-employment process. “While we are here for moral support, we’re not that consoling,” Bob Longo, the volunteer director of the group, said. “It’s more like, you’re out work and what do we need to get…

While there are many creative ways to dissolve the stresses in life, Onyx Mind Body on Mountain Boulevard offers one of the easiest ways. Every Thursday from 7:45 p.m. – 9 p.m., the yoga, Pilates and dance studio offers a free, guided meditation session, open to anyone, including children, who can sit quietly for short periods of time. Onyx owner Julia Kadarusman said that the class was created as a way of giving back to the community. “Not everyone can be physical,” Kadarusman said. “We consider the class as an expression of Seva (service), a way of giving back to the community—not limiting …