The Shrewsbury Boro School will present "Annie Jr." June 4, and June 5 at 8 p.m. at the school. The show features students in ages 5-8. Tickets will be available at the door.
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When Children Sing, a community children’s chorus in Shrewsbury, will present a choral concert at 7:30 p.m. June 17, at Christ Church in Shrewsbury. The 15-member choir includes children from age 9-13 from Shrewsbury and surrounding communities. Admission is free.
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The Shrewsbury Boro School will present a theater production of "The Rotten Princess," with 115 student cast members from first through eighth grade, one time only at 7 p.m. today in the school’s new auditorium. The story is based on William Shakespeare’s "The Taming of the Shrew," which has been whimsically rewritten by Michael Taubenslag.
The presentation is a collaborative effort of the student body, the Student Parent Teacher Group (SPTG) and volunteers in the community. The student thespians will be directed by the Taubenslag Production Company and the 28 students on the art production crew have created set designs under the supervision of the art co-chairs — Cyndy Nelson, Debby Kamp and Judy Bonanno. Tickets for the play will be sold at the door for $5 a piece.
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Sea Bright is gearing up for its Two River Beach Bash at the municipal beach June 12 to benefit the borough’s recreation program. The event will be held from 4-8 p.m. and will feature rides for kids, games and food. The rain date is June 13. The borough now is looking for a new recreation director and a recreation coach. Both positions were recently vacated.
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Book reviewer Pat Squire will discuss a selection on 24 current books, all either by women or about women, at a meeting of the American Association of University Women, Northern Monmouth County Branch, June 7 at the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center, 128 Ocean Ave. in Monmouth Beach, at Seacrest Road. Refreshments will be served at 7:30 p.m. and the program will start at 8 p.m. The list of books that will be discussed by Squire, who grew up in Red Bank, includes novels, history, poetry, memoirs, gardening, cooking, travel and spiritual life.
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The Woman’s Club of Little Silver will award scholarships to four graduating seniors from Red Bank Regional High School June 9 at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank. The luncheon will begin the celebration of 85 years of community service by the club. The club also reported that its 8-foot grand piano, a recently refurbished Mcphail circa 1910, is moving to the music room of the Lincroft Unitarian Church. It graced the Woman’s Club of Little Silver building before the club turned over that building to the borough.
Donations by the Woman’s Club for the month of May went to Little Silver Food Bank, Lunch Break of Red Bank, Little Silver Fire Department, Little Silver PBA Local 359, New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs Contributing Fund, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Children’s Emergency Fund of Child Read and The Center in Asbury Park. The Little Silver Police Department received funds to purchase a Physio-Control Defibrillator.
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The Monmouth Civic Chorus will present Mixed Company, a concert of music for men’s, women’s and mixed choirs at 8 p.m. June 12, at the First Presbyterian Church, 255 Harding Road in Red Bank. Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 seniors and students, $18 groups of 10 or more and a $5 discount for Jersey Arts ticket cardholders. For tickets or further information, call (732) 933-9333.
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An inspiring traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian, featuring photographs from the National Archives that celebrate the past 100 years of American life, has arrived at the Monmouth Museum on the campus of Brookdale Community College in the Lincroft section of Middletown. The exhibit will run through June 6. Images in the exhibit, "Picturing the Century," range from the Wright brothers’ first flight to construction of the Empire State Building, and from Omaha Beach to the Persian Gulf, and include breathtaking views of the American West, scenes of Rural American and emotion-filled portraits of urban blight.
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The Volunteer Center of Monmouth County will present the Community Commitment from the Heart Award to Dr. Peter Burnham, president of Brookdale Community College; Tindra Lanfrank, community volunteer; and Lore MacDonald, founder of Horizons Student Enrichment Program, an educational and cultural enrichment program for economically disadvantaged children.
The awards will be presented at the sixth annual Sail into Summer Brunch at the Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank on June 13. Annie Swartz of Little Silver and Linda Mass of Middletown are co-chairs of the brunch, which will feature a silent auction and gift auction. Brunch tickets are $65 and are available by calling (732) 728-1927.
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Interior Designs by Beverly, Rumson, is hosting a private Colts Neck house tour June 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres and fine wines will be available while touring 14 beautifully decorated rooms. The benefit is being held in memory of Mary Ann Lionetti and proceeds benefit the Institute for Children With Cancer and Blood Disorders. Admission is $20 per person.
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Summer 2004 beach badges and season parking passes for Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park are available at the park pavilion located on Ocean Avenue in Long Branch. Lifeguards will be on duty weekends beginning May 29; daily guarded bathing begins June 19. Season beach badges are $35 for ages 12-16; $45 for adults 17 to 64; and $17 for adults 65 and older. Daily beach fees are $5 for ages 12 and older and free for children 11 and younger. Badges are valid through Sept. 6. Season parking passes are $45 and a daily parking pass is $4. Beach and parking fees are charged from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. For more information, call (732) 842-4000 or visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.
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The N.J. Clean Vessel Act Steering Commission will hold a special educational workshop about the Clean Vessel Act Program and how marina owners and municipalities can apply for funding to install pumpout stations, dump stations and operate pumpout vessels to help keep waters clean and protect fish, shellfish and wildlife populations. The one-day workshop will be held June 9 at Garden State Marina in Somers Point. The free workshop includes educational seminars, resource materials and continental breakfast. Space is limited and advance registration is recommended. To register or for a brochure, contact Michael Danko at (732) 872-1300 ext. 29 or e-mail [email protected].
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Fair Haven resident Jared Andrew Pienkos, a Scout in Boy Scout Troop No. 67, Twin Lights District, recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and was recognized at a court of honor at First Presbyterian Church at Red Bank-Tower Hill. Pienkos’s Eagle project was the creation of storage furniture for Count Basie Achievement Center Branch of the Community YMCA, Red Bank, where he volunteered as a tutor for two years.
A junior at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, Rumson, Pienkos has been involved in Scouting the past 10 years. At his court of honor, he was recognized by Fair Haven Mayor Joseph J. Szostak and Katrina M. Parrish, program director at the Basie achievement center. Parrish also presented Pienkos with the Prudential Spirit of Community Award as his volunteer service and Eagle project were ranked in the Top 10 percent of all applications submitted for the award nationally.
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Gov. James E. McGreevey has nominated several residents from Monmouth County to fill state positions. Among those residents is Amar I. Abelar of Red Bank, nominated for a position on the state Urban Enterprise Zone Authority. The authority administers a program aimed at revitalizing the state’s most economically distressed urban areas.
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Red Bank Regional High School, Little Silver, will host a free college funding/retirement workshop on June 8 at 7 p.m.
William Lynch will present "How to Pay for College and Fund Your Retirement … Without Going Broke." Lynch, a local financial planner, is highly regarded as a customer’s advocate and leading expert on college funding.
The workshop will include such advice as how to pay for your share of the out-of-pocket college costs and how to pick colleges that will give you the best financial aid packages.
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On June 19 at 11:30 a.m., McLoone’s Riverside Restaurant in Sea Bright is hosting a magical event to benefit HABcore. The event will feature a sit-down luncheon, magic show, magical party favors and a spectacular chance auction for adults and children alike. Ticket prices are $35 for adults and $15 for children.
HABcore is devoted to providing permanent and transitional supportive housing in a family setting to low-income persons who are homeless, disabled or unable to care for themselves. For sponsorship information and reservations, call (732) 544-1975.
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On May 13, the Red Bank Rotary Club gave out more than $23,000 to local non-profit groups.
Some of the organizations receiving awards were The Children’s Cultural Center, Epiphany House, Boy Scouts of America, Count Basie Theater, Lunch Break and the Red Bank Public Schools/Great Start Program.
The funds are derived from fund-raisers that the club sponsors, the major ones being the annual golf tournament held in August and the food and wine tasting held at the beginning of April. From both of these functions, the club was able to net more than $65,000 this past year.
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Last Friday, state Assemblyman Michael Panter presented a $140,000 check to Red Bank Mayor Edward J. McKenna at the Red Bank Public Library. The state awarded Red Bank a $40,000 grant to use for the upcoming library renovation, which includes a number of projects to make the building handicapped accessible. Another grant in the amount of $100,000 will be used by the borough for its neighborhood preservation program to continue rehabilitation of single-family homes.
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The Source at Red Bank Regional High School will salute merchants of the greater Red Bank community on June 1, from 7-10 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria. Community merchants, banking institutions and various collaboratives have played a valuable role in promoting the success of students at RBR. The "Encourage an A" program, and the implementation of the school’s fashion club, have been successful due, in part, to the generous contributions of the community.
The following merchants and businesses will be feted at the fourth annual event: Sovereign Bank, After Hours Formal Wear, Athletes Alley, Mr. Pizza Slice, Joyce Leslie, Sneaker Plus, Dots, The Nearly New Shop, Backwards Glances, Margaret’s Accessories, Epic Design, Annie Sez, Stacy Gemma Boutique, Smoothie King and Funk & Standard.
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State assemblymen Michael Panter and Robert Morgan, M.D. (both D-12), announced that they will be holding a Citizens’ Ethics Forum to provide the public with current information of the ethics movement in Trenton and to seek guidance from their fellow residents at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School. This is slated to be the fourth forum on the subject hosted by the assemblymen and will take place in the third week of June, but a specific date has yet to be chosen.
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The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School Tower Players brought home five first place awards from the Music Theatre Festival held at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson on May 13. The festival was hosted by Peak Performance Tours and featured high schools from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Tower Players staged their spring production of the musical "Li’l Abner," which was featured at the school this past March.
RFH was awarded Best Overall Musical, Best Choreography, Best Female Actor, Best Costumes and took first place for a High School Performance based on a total number of accrued points.
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Rumson will be combining its Memorial Day celebrations with the 125th anniversary of its Oceanic Hook and Ladder Fire Co. on May 29.
Memorial Day services will be held at 10 a.m. at Victory Park. A parade will follow, beginning at noon, at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School and ending at Victory Park. Over 100 fire trucks from all over the state will be in attendance.
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The Fair Haven Fire Co. is celebrating its 100 anniversary on June 12, with a parade starting promptly at 12:30 p.m. that will proceed down River Road. The celebration will be held, rain or shine, at the fire department headquarters on Battin Road. It will include the popular local band Brian Kirk and the Jirks, clowns, balloon sculpting, a giant slide, a "moonwalk" castle and free food.
Residents, firefighters and anyone who would like to join in congratulating the department on a hundred years of service is welcome to attend, said Fire Chief Bob Franks.
"Members of the company have been preparing this for years," Franks said. "You won’t see anything like this again for a long, long time."
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The River Street Child Growth and Development Center (a nonprofit organization) will conduct a public meeting June 15 to solicit ideas for projects for a
proposal to be submitted to the Monmouth County Community Development Program for funding.
The meeting will be held at the Red Bank Primary School, 222 River St., at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend and participate. If you wish to attend and require a sign language interpreter (voice, TTD and ITY), you can contact the River Street Child Growth and Development Center by calling the Primary School at (732) 758-1530 or River Street Child Growth and Development Center at (732) 741-1855.
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The United Methodist Church of Red Bank, 247 Broad St., will hold its annual Strawberry Festival on June 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature food, including strawberry shortcake, carnival games for children, and a rummage sale (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.). For information, call the church at (732) 747-0446.
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The Lutheran Church of the Reformation in West Long Branch will dedicate yellow ribbons in memory of those who have served in the nation’s armed forces this Sunday. The ribbons will be placed on the evergreen tree in front of the church at 992 Broadway around 10:30 a.m. during the morning church service at 10:15 a.m. Each of the bows will have the name of an active duty, retired or deceased serviceperson printed on a patriotic ribbon. Among the names to appear on the ribbons is Capt. Benjamin W. Sammis, a Marine pilot who was killed in combat in Iraq a year ago. Sammis was married in the church to the former Stacey Dancisin, now of Alexandria, Va., whose mother, Joyce Dancisin, remains a member of the church.
The church currently has three members who are on active duty — Brigadier Gen. Michael Mazzucchi, Major Eric Piatt and Sgt. 1st Class Scott Cheseldine. Mazzucchi, currently the second in command at the Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) at Fort Monmouth, will become the commander of CECOM on June 25, succeeding Maj. Gen. William H. Russ. Mazzucchi is expected to be on hand for the placement of the ribbons. The ribbons will remain outside on the tree until Veteran’s Day.
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St. Jerome Church in West Long Branch will hold a yard sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 5 at the church, 254 Wall St. The rain date is June 12. All proceeds go to St. Jerome Circle of Friends, whose mission is to spread kindness to the sick and needy.
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The Monmouth Beach Public Library kicks off its Wednesday children’s programs for June on June 2 with stories. On June 9 the program will feature a film, "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears and other tales." On June 16, a Father’s Day craft. On June 23, the topic is Discover New Trails — the Summer Reading Club kick-off. The month wraps up on June 30 with "Creative Drama."
The programs for children in grades K-4 will be held from 3:15-4:30 p.m. on June 2, 9 and 16 and from 10:30-11:15 a.m. on June 23 and 30. The preschool programs for youngsters age 3 to 5 years will take place from 1:30-2 p.m. on June 2, 9 and 16 and from 9:45-10:15 a.m. on June 23 and 30. Toddler storytime services for the wee ones, ages 2 1/2 to 3 1/2, will also be held from 10-10:20 a.m. on June 2, 9 and 16 and from 9:15-9:35 a.m. on June 23 and 30.