A Camp Middlesex Open House will be held from 1-4 p.m. on March 5 in the Technical Services Center at Middlesex County College (MCC), Edison.
Youngsters ages 6 to 18, along with their families, are invited to sample some of the programs and activities that will be offered as part of the summer recreation program at the college. There will be a raffle for a $100 reduction on camp tuition.
The event also will feature face-painting, balloons for children and opportunities to decorate pretzels with chocolate. Excerpts from theater camp presentations will be offered. Donuts, popcorn and juice will be served, respecting the dietary traditions followed by campers. Staff and administration will be on hand to answer questions. Several programs will be demonstrated.
On-site registration will be available. Parents must bring their child’s immunization records in order to complete the process. Reservations for the fair are not required.
For more information or to request a camp brochure, call (732) 906-2556.
‘Lincoln’ to appear at Buckelew Mansion
The Jamesburg Historical Association will offer a celebration from 1-5 p.m. on March 12 at Lakeview, the historic Buckelew Mansion, 203 Buckelew Ave., (Route 522).
Lincoln impersonator Robert Costello will present two monologues, “Reflections of My Childhood and Adolescence,” set for 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., and “The Morning of April 14, 1865: Reflections on My Presidency,” planned for 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.
In addition to Costello’s appearance, the afternoon’s activities will also include tours of the 23-room mansion built between 1685-1870. The Lincoln Coach, the 1860 Lincoln Life Mask and “State Home Memories” are among the mansion’s current exhibits. The Jamesburg Train Room, depicting an early-1900s Jamesburg, also will be open.
Lakeview is open for tours from 2-4 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of every month, January-November.
For more information, call (732) 521-2040 or e-mail [email protected]. Information about the association and Jamesburg history may be found on the Web at www.JamesburgHistory.com.
Jewish Unity Live planned for March 12
Torah Links, an organization designed to motivate Jews from all walks of life to become more involved with Judaism, will host Jewish Unity Live 2006 on March 12 at the Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick.
The event, which will mark the completion of Torah study by participants nationwide, is expected to be attended by more than 1,000 participants from New Jersey. Mortimer Zuckerman, chairman of Boston Properties, U.S. News and World Report and the New York Daily News, will be the keynote speaker.
For almost a decade, Torah Links has been motivating Jews from a variety of backgrounds to take time out for Torah study. The purpose of 10,000 Jews in the Know (the program leading up to Jewish Unity Live) is to provide Jewish individuals with a structured learning program that is educational, inspiring and flexible to suit individual needs.
Throughout the process, participants are provided with guidance, including suggested texts, necessary resources, one-on-one mentoring, and group sessions or individualized home-based curriculum.
For more information on the March 12 event, call (877) UNITY-2006 or log on to www. jewishunitylive.com.
Pilgrimage to Israel will be topic at temple
Temple B’nai Shalom, Fern and Old Stage roads, East Brunswick, will feature a March 3 symposium on the recent pilgrimage to Israel led by Rabbi Eric Milgrim and his wife. The event will begin immediately after the conclusion of Friday-evening Shabbat services, which start at 8:15 p.m.
More than 40 temple members made the 12-day trip during the recent holidays. A collage of the trip will be presented, and many individuals who made the journey will be on hand to share their memories. Topics will include the bar mitzvah service that took place at Masada; experiencing Hanukkah in the land of the Maccabees; the greater appreciation of the odds that Israel would achieve its current status in the world, given the postwar situation in Palestine; and meeting friends and relatives for the first time or reacquainting after many years. Nonmembers are encouraged to attend the services and stay for the presentation. For more information, call the temple at (732) 251-4300.
Milltown rec offers trips
to shows, game, circus
The Milltown Department of Recreation will sponsor a variety of upcoming events.
All trips are open to residents and nonresidents.
The rec office is offering a bus trip to the 7:30 p.m. March 3 New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls basketball game at Madison Square Garden, New York City. Cost is $69 per ticket and includes bus transportation from Milltown.
The public is invited to attend the 7 p.m. March 9 performance of “Smucker’s Stars on Ice” at the Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton. Tickets cost $20 or $40 each. Participants must use their own transportation.
Tickets are available for the 4 p.m. March 19 performance of “Willy Wonka” at the State Theatre, New Brunswick. Cost is $25 per ticket.
A visit to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden, New York City, is set for April 8. Participants will attend the 3 p.m. show. Cost is $42 per ticket and includes bus transportation.
Seats are available for two Broadway shows. Cost is $90 per ticket for the Sept. 10 performance of “The Color Purple” and $118 per ticket for the Oct. 8 performance of “Jersey Boys.” Both offers include bus transportation. For more information on all events and to reserve, call (732) 828-2100, ext. 141.
Kosher Wine Tasting planned at E.B. temple
Temple B’nai Shalom, Fern and Old Stage roads, East Brunswick, will host its first Kosher Wine Tasting at 8 p.m. on March 11 in the temple social hall.
The tasting, which will feature wine experts from Harvest Wines and Spirits, Edison, will focus on the best international kosher wines, both red and white. Participants will have an opportunity to place Passover wine orders. Cheese, fruit and French bread will be served.
The event is designed to show that kosher wines are no longer just the traditional, sweet wines of the Passover seder. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Reisling, Merlot, Bordeaux, etc., are all now available as kosher wines. All individuals of legal drinking age are invited to attend the tasting. For more information and pricing, call (732) 251-4300, ext. 222.
Church offers babka, pierogi, blintz, chrusciki
St. Euphrosynia Belarusian Greek Orthodox Church, Whitehead Avenue, South River, is taking advance orders for its fifth annual Easter Bake Sale. Babka, pierogi, blintzes and chrusciki are available for purchase.
Food pickup is scheduled for 3-7 p.m. on April 13 at the church.
To order, visit the Belarusian-American Center, kitchen entrance, 284 Whitehead Ave., or call Lilly at (732) 613-8718 or (732) 672-8646, or Tanya at (732) 516-8661.
Order deadline is April 1.
Performance to benefit
women’s service agency
A benefit performance of “Women on Fire,” the off-Broadway play nominated for the 2004 Lucille Lortel Award for best solo show, will take place at 8 p.m. on March 4 at The Forum Theatre, Metuchen.
The play’s author, Irene O’Garden, will perform in the fundraiser to aid Women Helping Women, a 31-year-old nonprofit organization devoted to empowering women for a lifetime. The agency provides affordable therapy and support services for women, young girls and teens dealing with domestic violence, sexual abuse, depression, loss, self-esteem, peer pressure, relationships and addiction.
Tickets for the performance are $30 each and must be ordered through Women Helping Women. For more information and to reserve, call (732) 549-6000 or log on to www.whwnj.com.
Milltown seniors invited
to Medicare Part D talk
The Milltown Senior Center, in conjunction with Pfizer Inc., will sponsor a Medicare Part D Lunch and Learn for the residents of Milltown at 1 p.m. on March 15 at the Senior Center, Violet Terrace.
On-site counselors will answer questions and conduct informational seminars for seniors. Residents are invited to have lunch at the center and bring their Medicare Part D questions with them.
For more information, call Debbie Cuddy at (732) 296-0681.
Monroe Mother’s Club sets membership drive
The Monroe Township Mother’s Club is seeking new members who would like to make friends, meet their neighbors and support their community.
The group’s next meeting, which is set for 7:15 p.m. on March 9 at the Monroe Township Community Center, 120 Monmouth Road, is specifically designed as a membership-drive meeting. Prospective members are invited to attend.
Refreshments will be served. For more information, call Nicole at (732) 521-9026 or e-mail [email protected].
Crafts and More Show
on tap at St. Thomas
The St. Thomas the Apostle HSA Spring Craft and More Show is planned for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 11 in the school auditorium, Route 18 south, Old Bridge.
The event will feature handmade crafts, a bake sale, tricky trays, a 50/50 and photos with the Easter Bunny. New this year will be shopping with select vendors.
Admission and parking are free of charge.
For more information, call (732) 866-0482.
American Legion Post No. 214 will sponsor a St. Patrick’s Day/St. Joseph’s Day Dinner from 2-6 p.m. on March 12 at the post home, 264 Whitehead Ave., South River. Guests may select a corned beef or ham dinner. Donation is $8 for adults, $4 for children under age 10. For tickets and more information, call the post home at (732) 254-9712.
Tara Association sets
St. Patrick’s Day Party
The Tara Association will hold its annual St. Patrick’s Day Party at 7:30 p.m. on March 15 at the Milltown Senior Center, Violet Terrace.
The group is open to individuals interested in Irish heritage, culture, language and music. For more information, call (732) 549-1247.
Lenten Fish Dinners on tap at Knights hall
Knights of Columbus Council No. 4907 will host Lenten Fish Fries from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Fridays, March 3-April 14, at the Knights Hall, 30 Crescent Ave., Spotswood.
There will be new specials every week. Takeouts are available by calling (732) 251-9878.
‘Osama’ first up for library film festival
The Spring International Film Festival at the East Brunswick Public Library, Jean Walling Civic Center, will begin March 7 with 1:30 and 8 p.m. screenings of “Osama.” The 2004 movie, rated PG-13, will be shown in Darsi Farsi with English subtitles. Running time is 82 minutes.
The film tells the story of a young girl living in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan in an all female household, where none of the members are permitted to earn a living. To save her family from certain starvation, the preadolescent girl disguises herself as a boy, changes her name to Osama and goes to work for a shopkeeper.
“Osama” won the Camera d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globe for best foreign film.
The festival is sponsored by the East Brunswick Friends of the Library. Admission is free of charge. Reservations are not required. For more information, call Susan Sclar at (732) 390-6775.
Chabad House plans
gift-giving in Monroe
Chabad House of Monroe will sponsor a “Shalach Manot” gift-giving on March 14 to bring Purim cheer to the residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in Monroe.
Volunteers will distribute more than 200 gift packages of food to the facilities’ residents. The food will be packaged in containers decorated by children from Jewish schools throughout New Jersey.
The “Shalach Manot” boxes will be packaged beginning at 11 a.m. on March 8 at Everything Jewish by Chabad, the Judaica store run by the Chabad House of Monroe, 11 Concordia Shopping Center.
Volunteers who are interested in packing and helping to distribute the boxes on March 14 should call Chabad House at (609) 655-7727 or Everything Jewish by Chabad at (609) 409-1000.
For more information, call Rabbi Yehuda Spritzer at (609) 409-1000 or (609) 655-7727, or e-mail [email protected].
American Legion post
slates March 3 Fish Fry
American Legion Post No. 253 will host a Fish Fry beginning at 4 p.m. on March 3 at the post home, DeVoe Avenue, Spotswood.
Eat-in and takeout meals will be available. All are welcome.
For more information, call (732) 251-1030.
Jamesburg Elks to host
Sunday Breakfasts
Jamesburg Elks Lodge No. 2180 will sponsor All-You-Can-Eat Sunday Breakfasts from 8 a.m. to noon every Sunday, March 5-April 9 (Palm Sunday), at the lodge, 74 W. Railroad Ave.
Cost is $6.50 for adults, $3.25 for children ages 6-10; youngsters under age 5 will be admitted free of charge.
For more information, call the lodge at (732) 521-2180.
Harlem Wizards to appear in Spotswood
Spotswood High School Project Graduation 2006 will sponsor a fundraising basketball game featuring the Harlem Wizards vs. Spotswood High School students from 7-10 p.m. on March 11 in the gym at the high school, Summerhill Road. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Highlights will include halftime audience-participation activities, a 50/50 raffle, free autographs from the athletes and a raffle for an autographed basketball. Food, refreshments and sports merchandise (including the toy SHS Charger Bear) will be available for purchase throughout the evening.
Advance tickets cost $12 for adults, $10 for students and senior citizens; add $2 for tickets purchased at the door.
Cash and checks, made out to SHS Project Graduation, will be accepted as payment.
For more information and tickets, call Anna Faga at (732) 723-2254.
St. Pat’s Oldies Dance scheduled for March 11
Knights of Columbus Council No. 4815 will host a St. Patrick’s Day Oldies Dance from 8 p.m. to midnight on March 11 at the council home, 61 Pine St., Old Bridge.
The event will feature a corned beef and cabbage dinner, beer, wine, soda, cake, coffee and tea. A DJ will provide dance music of the ’50s and ’60s.
Admission is $15 per person.
For more information, call Tony at (732) 251-0970 after 7 p.m.
Dart tournament, party will benefit OLL School
Our Lady of Lourdes Knights of Columbus Council No. 7250 will sponsor a Dart Tournament and Party beginning at 7 p.m. on March 11 at Our Lady of Lourdes (OLL) School, 44 Cleveland Ave., Milltown. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
The event, which will be held as a fundraiser for the school, will feature the tournament, refreshments, door prizes and raffles.
Tickets cost $25; price includes food and beverages. Individuals must be age 21 or older to attend.
Advance tickets are available at the OLL Church Rectory, Mondays-Fridays, or by calling Gus Hoban at (732) 448-1992.
Spotswood police offering Junior Police Academy
The Spotswood Police Department is distributing applications for its Junior Police Academy planned for July 17-21 at Spotswood High School, Summerhill Road. Boys and girls entering grades 9-12 in the fall are invited to participate. The weeklong academy will cover life skills, crime-scene investigation, fitness, motivation and many other topics. Applications are available at police headquarters, 77 Summerhill Road. For more information, call Sgt. Chris Bierman at (732) 416-1855.
New members sought for OLV Knights
Our Lady of Victory (OLV) Knights of Columbus Council No. 2061, Washington Road, Parlin section of Sayreville, is seeking new members. Call (732) 257-2061.
Suburban Artists to meet on March 10
Paula Feifer will conduct a hands-on collage workshop at the next meeting of the Suburban Artists Guild (SAG), set for 2 p.m. on March 10 at the East Brunswick Public Library, Jean Walling Civic Center.
SAG members continue to display their paintings at various sites. An exhibition recently was completed at the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center, and members are exhibiting works at University Medical Center at Princeton through March 14.
Multimedia paintings and drawings will be shown by guild members in an exhibit scheduled to run through March 31 at the East Brunswick Public Library. A reception is set for 2-5 p.m. on March 5 at the library. The public is invited to attend.
For more information on SAG, call Paula Feifer at (732) 238-0800 or Selena Palmer at (732) 254-3113.
Holt to host town meeting in South River
U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12) will host a public meeting in South River to talk with residents about issues affecting the community such as Social Security, economic development, hometown security, health care, education and other issues that may be of interest to citizens.
The event will be held at the South River Criminal Justice Building, 61 Main St. on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
E.B. Community Day March 5
The township of East Brunswick Division of Recreation and Community Services will sponsor the 17th annual East Brunswick Community Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 5 at Brunswick Square Mall, Route 18, East Brunswick.
Community-based, nonprofit volunteer groups will participate in the free event. Exhibitors will display materials, recruit members, distribute literature and demonstrate their talents. The event will feature a continuous showcase of community talent and entertainment on the mall stage from noon to 3:30 p.m. Call (732) 390-6797 or e-mail [email protected].
Final call to purchase pavers for vets walkway
The township of East Brunswick is taking orders for granite walkway pavers to be installed at the East Brunswick Veterans Monument and dedicated at the township’s annual Memorial Day observance on May 28. Reservation deadline is April 1 to ensure installation by Memorial Day.
Individuals may purchase a 4-by-4-inch black granite paver that will line the walkway leading up to the Veterans Monument. Currently, there are 198 pavers along the walkway, and all bear personal inscriptions from private individuals and businesses who have chosen to be part of the community project.
For a $300 donation, a paver will be inscribed with the contributor’s name or that of a loved one or a business, and installed along the walkway. The purchaser does not have to be a veteran to reserve a paver, nor does the purchase have to be for a veteran. All individuals who want to be a part of the community’s tribute to veterans are welcome to participate.
Donations are tax-deductible.
For more information and to reserve, call Karen Kecskes at the East Brunswick Division of Recreation, (732) 390-6797, or log on to www.eastbrunswick.org.
Spaghetti Dinner on tap for Milltown Boy Scouts
Boy Scout Troop No. 33, Milltown, will host its annual Spaghetti Dinner on March 4 at United Methodist Church, Main Street, Milltown.
Early-bird-special dinners, served from 4-5 p.m., cost $5 each. Price for dinners from 5-7 p.m. is $7 for adults, $4 for children under age 9.
Last dinner seating is set for 7 p.m. Diners will be accommodated on a first-come basis.
Tickets will be sold at the door or may be purchased in advance from any troop member.
Student-written play to be performed in E.B.
Youngsters at Churchill Junior High School will perform a student-written play titled “A King, A Chemist and a Bald Guy Named Phil” at 7:30 p.m. on March 10 and 11 in the school cafetorium, Norton Road, East Brunswick.
The play explores the legend of King Arthur and the backstage dramas of putting on a high school play.
The show is written, performed and run completely by students. All ages are welcome.
For more information, call (732) 613-6800.
Rabbi to lead March 12 Bagel Brunch seminar
The Adult Education of Congregation Anshe Emeth, 88 Main St., South River, will sponsor the next installment in its Bagel Brunch lecture series at 9:45 a.m. on March 12.
Rabbi Nathan Langer will conduct a discussion titled “Everything You Wanted to Know About Purim.”
Participants will have a bagel and coffee while learning about the story of Purim. Fee is $3 per person.
Registration deadline is March 5.
For more information and to register, call Eshter Sabin at (732) 254-8871 or Lisa in the temple office at (732) 257-4190.
Knights to celebrate at St. Patrick’s Day Dance
Knights of Columbus Council No. 4907 will sponsor a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner-Dance on March 18 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 30 Crescent Ave., Spotswood.
The event will feature a corned beef and cabbage dinner, music and refreshments.
Cost is $20 per person. For more information and tickets, call (732) 251-3033.