BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS: All the best, breakfast speakers and concerts

By Bradley Koltz
   Courtesy photoThe Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra will perform as part of the Summer Courtyard Concert series held on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at the Princeton Shopping Center.
creditThis 1909 poster will be auctioned on Aug. 1.
Staff photo by Phil McAuliffe.Katie Richter, 7, of Monmouth Junction, greets Hopewell Valley Community Bank tall man Wayne Stockton at the Princeton Regional Chamber summer Merchant Marketing event at Palmer Square.
   Best of Central Jersey
   Packet Media Group is once again publishing a Best of CentralJersey section. Readers and local businesses are invited to visit www.centraljersey.com/bestof to nominate businesses in various categories and then to vote on the best in each category. Results will be published in August.
Congratulations
   Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut, MD, of Princeton, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was named president-elect of the Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS).
   The mission of ACTRIMS, an incorporated nonprofit international organization, is to promote knowledge and research collaborations in multiple sclerosis (MS).
   An expert in multiple sclerosis, Dr. Dhib-Jalbut graduated Alpha Omega Alpha from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, and completed his neurology training and a neuro-immunology fellowship at the University of Cincinnati and the National Institutes of Health, respectively. He has served on several national and international scientific committees and as associate editor for the Journal of Neuroimmunology.
   Veribanc, a national bank rating service on all U.S. federally insured financial institutions, has ranked Roma Bank as a Green, Three-Star bank, the highest level of their two-part classification system.
   ”We are proud of our 92-year legacy of safety, soundness and sustainability,” said Roma Bank president and CEO Peter A. Inverso. “Validation by Veribanc is confirmation that the financial health of Roma Bank remains solid.”
Merchants market
   The Princeton Regional Chamber this week held its summer Merchant Marketing event at Palmer Square. Roughly a thousand people turned out for food tasking, music and to mingle amid dozens of booths from local businesses.
Quakerbridge expands
   As Quakerbridge Mall owner Simon Properties continues its expansion project expected to add 25 new stores, it recently announced two new additions.
   Hennes & Mauritz is a global retailer known for offering “fashion-forward apparel” will bring over 20,000 square feet of merchandise. I admit I had to look up what “fashion-forward” actually is since I’m normally in a Packet polo shirt and khaki trousers. The best definition for “fashion-forward” I found was that it means designs that are on the leading edge but not yet mainstream fashion.
   Brighton Collectibles, a brand known for its distinct style of handbags, jewelry, charms and eyewear, will also be opening at the mall.
   Both are expected to be open by November.
Princeton memorabilia
   Swann Galleries in New York will be holding an auction of antique posters and artwork on Aug. 1, including a 1909 poster depicting a tiger with a black and orange bow and the headline “WHILE THE TI -GER STANDS DE-FENDER OF THE ORANGE AND THE BLACK.”
   They estimate the value at between $600 and $900.
   For more information about this and other items, visit their website at swanngalleries.com, but be cautioned that while many of the posters from the late 19th and through the mid-twentieth century are charming, inspiring and amusing, many also feature very disturbing racist and sexist themes.
Chamber breakfast
   New Jersey State Treasurer Andrew P. Sidamon-Eristoff will be speaking at the Princeton Regional Chamber’s August breakfast event on Wednesday, Aug. 15. He will join the chamber to update Princeton-region professionals on the budget and spending programs of the Christie administration.
Arts council concerts
   The Arts Council of Princeton and the Princeton Shopping Center continue the Summer Courtyard Concert Series this year, with concerts at the shopping center at 301 North Harrison St. in Princeton every Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. through Aug. 23.
   Scheduled performers include the Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra, Klez Dispensers, Andrea Brachfeld and Phoenix Rising and John Henry Goldman and the Straight Jazz Quartet.
   The Summer Courtyard Concert Series is free to the public.
Specials
   Green Knoll Grille, located at 645 Route 202 in Bridgewater, bills itself as “Central Jersey’s Largest Outdoor Patio & Playground.” They are featuring kids meals for $7.95 including a drink and an ice pop. Call them at 908-526-7090 for more information.
   Dance Expo in East Windsor offers a wide variety of fun classes for you to choose from. If you register before Aug. 1, you can save 40 percent off of a pair of dance shoes for new students. They are located at 510 Route 130 South in East Windsor at the Royal Plaza Shopping Center. For more information visit their website at www.danceexpo.org or give them a call at 609-371-2828.
Summer fun
   Where can you see more than 20 species of native New Jersey butterflies, learn how to protect clean water and the environment, and enjoy great food, music and activities for the whole family? At the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association’s 12th Annual Butterfly Festival.
   The festival will be held on Saturday, Aug. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 930-acre Watershed Reserve in Hopewell. Admission is $10 per person or $25 per carload. For discounts, register online at www.thewatershed.org.
   If you’re a local business doing something new, interesting, good for the community, or just want to let our readers know about a new product or service, please contact General Manager Brad Koltz at [email protected].