Office Depot, suppliers of office products and services, announced that the company opened its first new store in Howell on March 24. The store is at 4765 Route 9 at the intersection of Lanes Mill Road. Mayor Joseph M. DiBella spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Office Depot presented donations of $500 to the following local nonprofit organizations: Parents of Autistic Children (POAC) of New Jersey, 180 Turning Lives Around, and the Howell library. Additionally, 440 backpacks with school supplies for disadvantaged students were given to the Howell school district.
The Howell Office Depot is managed by Duane Hunt, a local resident, and employs approximately 25 full- and part-time personnel. It houses more than 7,500 supply, technology and furniture products as well as copy, print and ship services in 21,738 square feet of selling space. Store operating hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Tiberias Medi-Spa & Salon, 475 Route 70 west, Lakewood, will sponsor a Business After Hours networking event April 14, 5-7:30 p.m. All are welcome to bring a supply of business cards for networking and for a chance to win a gift in a free drawing. The cost to attend is $5 per person, and reservations are required. Call (732) 363-0012, fax an R.S.V.P. to (732) 367-4453, or register online at mylakewoodchamber.com.
William Itinger, chief of the Monmouth County Fire Academy, Howell, has completed training by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency National Emergency Training Center.
Homeland Security trains thousands of firefighters, emergency service personnel, government officials and private citizens at the facility each year, to enhance the ability of communities to manage significant emergencies and disasters, both man-made and natural.
Itinger completed the Command and Control of Fire Department Operations at Target Hazards course in Emmits-burg, Md., at the National Fire Academy. The six-day course is designed to introduce command officers to the complexities involved in commanding incidents in high-risk areas. Students are taught advanced applications in the Incident Command System, command and control, decision-making, strategic and tactical considerations, pre-incident preparation documentation, and post-incident analysis.
The Howell Chamber of Commerce announced that the following events will be taking place:
• April 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m., networking event at Joseph Alexander Hair Salon, 5012 Route 9 south, Howell.
• April 27, Professional Assistance Day at Our House Restaurant in Howell from noon to 2 p.m.; $25 per person.
• May 5, 6:35 p.m., Howell Night at FirstEnergy Park, Home of the Lake-wood BlueClaws, 2 Stadium Way, Lake-wood.
• May 19, 7:45 a.m., breakfast at Scooters; state Sen. Robert Singer (R-Monmouth, Ocean) will be the speaker.
• June 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cowboy Adventure at Curry Farms, 177 Georgia Tavern Road — a fund-raiser for the Howell First Aid Squad.
All networking events are $7 per person or two for $10. The charge for breakfast is $15, lunch is $20, and dinner is $25. Nonmembers will be charged an additional $5. Details: (732) 363-4114.
Mon-Oc Federal Credit Union is offering students of Monmouth and Ocean counties a different way to save money. For every “A” a child earns, Mon-Oc will deposit $1 in a student’s Mon-Oc savings account. The program is called “Dollars for A’s,” and is available to Monmouth and Ocean county school students up to grade 12. Parents can bring their child’s most current official report card into any Mon-Oc branch until July 1. Details: (800) MONOC-95.
Grape Beginnings Wine School, 54 West Main Street, Freehold, is a winemaking center that teaches people the art and science of winemaking. The entire process takes about nine months. Grape Beginnings is getting ready for grapes to arrive from Chile and to start the new crush season. Grape Beginnings will host its annual barrel sampling party on April 2 from 5-8 p.m. Anyone who is interested in making wine may call and reserve grapes. For more information call (732) 431-3313, (732) 586-3572, (732) 618-8308 or visit the Web site www.grapebeginningswineschool.com.
Sam’s Club, Freehold Township, will host a “Food Service Merchandise Showcase” for small businesses in the food service sector April 4 between 2 and 4 p.m. Attendees not currently members of Sam’s Club will receive a one-day guest pass. Sam’s Club is at 100 Trotters Way.
Barry Blackman of Jackson has developed a directory of the Route 9 corridor from Old Bridge to Lakewood.
“Where on 9” lists more than 2,000 businesses and 200 malls through six towns along a 30-mile segment of Route 9. The booklet is a combination of listings, maps, ads and coupons, with the maps showing access roads, U-turns, malls and store locations.
Blackman, a digital photo-illustrator and designer, has spent three years planning and designing the directory, and plans to update the booklet every six months to keep it current.
“Where on 9” is a free booklet and will be available in stores and restaurants along Route 9 beginning early April.
CentraState Medical Center recently announced the launching of its new LungCare Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The center offers a multidisciplinary team of specialists to diagnose and treat lung cancer. Led by Ledford Powell, M.D., thoracic surgery, the team includes physicians specializing in pulmonology, radiation oncology, hematology/oncology, radiology and pathology.
According to a press release from CentraState, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States. In 2003, there were an estimated 5,000 cases of lung cancer in New Jersey and almost 200 cases in CentraState’s service area, according to the American Cancer Society.
Part of the center’s mission is to educate the community about lung cancer prevention, as well as screen higher-risk individuals for early signs of lung cancer. An educational component of the program is a new series of smoking-cessation classes offered by CentraState’s Health Awareness Center. To sign up, call (732) 308-0570. For more information about the LungCare Comprehensive Cancer Center, call (877) LUNGS-RX. (586-4779).