Wayne Magazine Back to School 2019 | Page 16

buzzworthy SEPTEMBER Wayne FARMERS’ MARKET TO RUN THROUGH MID-OCTOBER Wayne’s first FARMERS’ MARKET, which launched June 1, will continue to offer eggs, chickens, sauces, soaps and other fresh alter- natives to grocery shopping — like the toma- toes seen here from Alstede Farms — every Saturday (except Aug. 31) through Oct. 19 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Wayne YMCA continues to partner with the township to make it happen. In 2017, the Y received a $20,000 grant from the New Jersey Healthy Communities Network to use as seed money to plan the market. The location was chosen because it is visible from a main road and near two housing complexes for senior citizens. Regular vendors include Alstede Farms in Chester, Empanada Lady in Verona, Hoboken Farms, Humor Me Farm of Newfoundland, and Treelicious Orchards & Bakery, Port Murray and Hackettstown. • 475 Valley Road; 973-595-0100 MUSEUM DAY IN PASSAIC COUNTY 21 MUSEUM DAY is a one-day event sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine, when participating museums and cultural institu- tions across the country provide free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket. Participants download tickets (one per email address) that pro- vide free general admission for two people. In Passaic County, participating museums include the American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark in Haledon; the Hamilton House Museum in Clifton; and the Dey Mansion, seen here, in Wayne. • For more information, go to smithsonianmag.com/museumday Wayne MEDITATE AT THE DEY MANSION The historic DEY MANSION, where George Washington maintained his 1780 headquarters, is a lovely setting for practicing the timeless art of meditation. Motivational speaker Lavene Gass leads free sessions on most Thursday evenings, 6:30-7:30, and Saturday mornings, 9:30-10:30 a.m., between September 12 and December 14. Each class will have a theme, such as mindfulness, gratitude and goal- setting, though they will all focus on breathing techniques to reduce stress and tension. • 199 Totowa Road, 973-706-6640, deymansion.org Wayne WHOLE FOODS COMING TO WAYNE WHOLE FOODS cleared a key hur- dle in July to open a store in Wayne, when the Planning Board approved expansion of the building where the grocer plans to open. The vacant supermarket at the corner of Preakness Avenue and Valley Road was home to the now-bankrupt A&P. Its footprint will grow by 2,682 square feet. When the Texas- based supermarket chain announced it would open at Valley Ridge Shopping Center in April, its spokeswoman, Tina Clabbers Feigley, said it would take a “few years.” That still holds true, she said in July. The store will be the first Whole Foods market to open in Passaic County. 14 BACK TO SCHOOL 2019 WAYNE MAGAZINE Wayne LOSING A LIBRARY, BUT GAINING A PRE-K CENTER As patrons of the Preakness Annex of the WAYNE PUBLIC LIBRARY know, the well-used space — it welcomed nearly 32,000 visitors last year — closed to the public June 28. When it reopens after a full renovation, it will have a new clientele: prekindergarten students. The $2 million project, slated to take three years, will create a 12-classroom early childhood center that can accommodate 200 students. Officials plan to open the Preakness School to pre-K students during the 2020 school year, and to bring full-day kindergarten to local grammar schools by fall 2021. PEDOTA; Wayne, Haledon and Clifton