62°F clear sky

WEEKEND: A WALK, A BUMP, A PADDLE, A KRALL

Little Silver artist Mike Ciccotello at work creating a mural at Red Bank’s Salon Concrete, where his paintings will be on display with a show opening Saturday night. Diana Krall, below, returns to the Count Basie on her Glad Rag Doll tour, part of the Jazz at the Basie series. (Click to enlarge)

Friday, October 4:

krall-14b742a60245ed7ab16d252ae50f9da000b154ed-s6-c30RED BANK: Fans who recall Natalie Merchant from her gold- and platinum-plated tenure as frontwoman of the rock band 10,000 Maniacs might be pleasantly surprised by the silvery hair she’s sported on her current tour — as well as by her fronting an ever-changing array of symphony orchestras from town to town. When the singer takes to the Count Basie boards at 8 pm, she’ll be joined by the New Jersey Chamber Symphony for a concert that draws from her recent hit release, ‘Leave Your Sleep’ — a lushly arranged set of literary inspirations and expansive musical visions. Take it here for tickets.

NAVESINK: The bumper crop of Broadway shows in 1938 included not only ‘On Borrowed Time — currently onstage in a splendidly designed, handsomely realized production at Two River Theatre —but another folksy fantasy of life, love and devotion in a small town. Traditionally staged without props or scenery, Thornton Wilder’s classic ‘Our Town’ lends an avant-garde edge to its cross-section slice of sentimental Americana. Beginning tonight, the community troupe Stone Church Players presents the first of six performances at All Saints’ Memorial Church (the historic “Old Stone Church” at the crossroads of Navesink and Monmouth Aves). Michael McClellan directs a cast of 17 players in the show that continues weekends through October 13; take it here to reserve.

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RAIL CROSSING REOPENS AHEAD OF SKED

ls-rrAn anticipated two-week closure of the railroad crossing at Sycamore Avenue in Little Silver wrapped up after just nine days over the weekend. Work on the North Jersey Coast Line of the NJ Transit rail system began July 7, prompting traffic jams that spread to Shrewsbury. By 6:30 a.m. Saturday, the barricades were lifted, Little Silver police Lieutenant Joe Mazza said. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)

MOTORISTS SWEATING DETOUR IN STRIDE

ls-trafficTraffic at Rumson Road and Branch Avenue in Little Silver was stop and go Friday morning. Below, a detour map from New Jersey Transit. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

ls-detour-mapIt’s the first full day of Little Silver’s traffic shuffle, as work on the New Jersey Transit crossing at the borough train station begins an estimated two-week blockage of a main artery through town and into Shrewsbury.

Amid the vexing backups on area roads in sweltering heat, commuter tempers seem to be cool for now.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought, which is surprising,” said Elena Acuna, who commutes by rail to New York City three times a week. “We’ll see. It’s just kind of annoying.”

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WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS?

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Last week, we showed four views of the same object. Of the half-dozen readers who wrote in, all recognized it as the interior view of a roof structure. But not the same structure.

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