Allen Road Work Gears Up, Ridge Holds Drives For Coats, Turkeys, More This Week

For those who live within earshot of Allen Road in The Hills in either Basking Ridge or Bedminster, this could be a week with a night or so of interrupted sleep.

In a project already underway since later last week, Allen Road will be milled to remove the layer of old paving and repaved from the intersection of Somerville Road until the road becomes Schley Mountain Road in Bedminster, and reaches the entrance ramp onto Route 287 north.

The job — a county project to cost about $1 million — has a target date for completion until the end of this week, according to Rich Lazicky, who is in charge of the construction division for the Somerset County engineering department.

But here's the twist — in order to avoid commuter and school bus traffic, both Bernards Township and Bedminster are allowing the work to be conducted in overnight hours from about 8 p.m. to about 5:30 a.m.

Officials said earlier this year most people living near the road should only have their sleep interrupted for about a night.

Ways to donate at Ridge High School

Multiple collections are underway at Ridge High School to collect items to donate to local charities.

The Ridge High School Fashion Club is running a winter clothing drive now through Dec. 1. Students are asked to please donate gently used or new winter clothing. All donations will go to the Red Cross for distribution to people in need.

The drop-off box, labeled Fashion Club is located by the Welcome Desk in the main lobby of the high school at 268 S. Finley Ave.  

The Annual Key Club Turkey Drive also is scheduled to benefit the Community Food Bank of N.J. 

This Saturday, Key Club members will be outside Ridge High School between 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., accepting donations of frozen turkeys, canned soups and stews, canned fruits and vegetable, pasta, rice, grains and other non-perishable foods. The Key Club is asking for help in supporting individuals and families in need all through the year, but especially at Thanksgiving, which is coming up. 

The public also is asked to consider making a donation to the Ridge High School Media Center’s annual Books for Kids book drive.  

Donations of new or gently used books are being sought that later will be distributed as gifts to less fortunate children and young adults throughout New Jersey.  

Donations will be accepted in the High School Media Center from now until Friday, Dec. 6.

Also, the Ridge High School artists' exhibit, “The Tortoise and the Hare, carapace vs zig-zag pace” on view now at the Environmental Education Center on Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge. The display continues through Nov. 26. More information is online.