The Edison Arts Society will present the Edison Symphony Orchestra as it opens its seventh consecutive concert season at 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at the State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, featuring world-renowned violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Salerno-Sonnenberg, who is celebrating her 25th year on the concert stage, will perform Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35.” She has appeared on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” CNN’s “Nightwatch,” NBC’s national news, PBS’ “Live From Lincoln Center” and Bravo’s “The Art of Influence.” Tickets are $35, $40, $45 and $50 per person. For more information, call the theater at (732) 246-7469 or toll-free at (877) 782-8311, or visit www.statetheatre nj.org.
Conducted by Edison resident Judith Morse, the 70-piece professional Edison Symphony Orchestra has been designated by the Middlesex County Chosen Board of Freeholders as the official orchestra of Middlesex County. Its Web site can be accessed at www.edisonsymphony.com.
Foreign film festival on tap at Metuchen library
The Metuchen Public Library will begin its annual fall film festival – “The Edna Newby International Film Festival” – on Oct. 16 with the 2005 Argentine film “Lost Embrace.” The festival will feature three films shown at approximately one-month intervals. Each film will be shown twice, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., in its original language with English subtitles. Admission is free.
In “Lost Embrace,” Ariel is having an existential crisis. Just as his father had abandoned the family in 1973 to fight in the Yom Kippur War and never returned, Ariel feels the need to be someplace else, preferably in Poland to reclaim his European heritage. He works in his mother’s lingerie store in a shopping mall in a Jewish enclave of Buenos Aires. Its denizens include Hasidic fabric sellers, Korean feng-shui proprietors, a wheeler-dealer travel agent and other quirky ethnics who constitute an extended family of sorts for Ariel. He has convinced himself that he is looking for answers, but in studying his family documents is unprepared for the truth he unexpectedly finds.
The festival continues on Nov. 6 with the 2005 German film “The Edukators.” Would-be social revolutionaries and roommates Jan and Peter have a unique way of carrying out their protests against the status quo. Breaking into mansions at night, they don’t steal anything, but instead just rearrange the furniture and leave a note warning, “Your days of plenty are numbered.” Peter’s girlfriend, Jule, joins in, only this time the owner is home, turning the group into reluctant kidnappers. Ironically, the abductee was once an activist himself, which might explain why he seems to enjoy his captivity.
The festival concludes on Dec. 4, with the 2001 film “The Closet.” This French farce blasts hypocrisy and political correctness. Nobody takes notice of bland accountant Franois. His wife has left him, women don’t give him a second look, his son brands him uncool, and he’s about to be fired from his job in a condom factory. When he seizes on the idea to pose as gay – knowing that the company could be sued for discrimination if he’s fired – he is suddenly viewed as exotic and exciting. This comedy was one of France’s biggest hits of the year.
The film festival is sponsored by the Friends of the Metuchen Public Library. For more information, contact John McBride, adult services librarian, at the library at (732) 632-8526.
Neve Shalom to welcome Jay Neugeboren Oct. 27
Congregation Neve Shalom, 250 Grove Ave., Metuchen, will once again welcome Jay Neugeboren, writer-in-residence at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, as its guest speaker at 8 p.m. on Oct. 27, following Friday night services. Neugeboren, who appeared last year at the synagogue’s Book and Author series, has written 14 books and will speak about “People of the Book.” Refreshments will follow, along with a question-and-answer session. For further information, call (732) 548-2238 or e-mail can2r11@aol.com.
Watershed Partnership dinner meeting Oct. 17
The nonprofit Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership will hold its annual dinner meeting Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. at Milltown Senior Center, 60 Violet Terrace.
The dinner is prepared by members, and the event is open to all interested residents and partnership members. Guest speaker will be David Pringle of the New Jersey Environmental Federation, presenting “Environmental Challenges Facing New Jersey: Open Space, Clean Water, Economic Growth, & More.” A question and answer session will follow.
For more information, call Alan at (732) 846-4476, the Partnership at (732) 249-5297, or e-mail at contact@lbwp.org.
Plainfield H.S. class of
’66 to meet for reunion
The class of 1966 at Plainfield High School will hold a 40-year reunion from 7 p.m. to midnight on Nov. 4 at the Sheraton Woodbridge Place, Route 1 south, Iselin section of Woodbridge. Committee members are seeking the whereabouts of classmates. Interested individuals may log on to www.greatreunions.com to update their contact information and provide addresses for former classmates. For more information, call David Littman at (908) 925-6343.
Support group offered
weekly in Edison
The Jewish Family and Vocational Service of Middlesex County, 515 Plainfield Ave., Suite 201, Edison, offers a support group for newly separated or divorced adults, at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday. For more information, call (732) 777-1940.
JFVS offers counseling to kids, teens and adults
The Jewish Family and Vocational Service (JFVS) of Middlesex County, Edison, offers counseling for individuals, families and couples. Groups that help youth cope with family matters, academic stress and peer pressure are available for children and adolescents ages 8-18 with behavioral difficulties, emotional issues and/or social problems. A group for children ages 9-11 is offered at 4:30 p.m. every Monday, and a group for teens ages 15 and older is held at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday. Other groups are currently forming.
Workshops and groups are also available for adults who are suffering from depression, anxiety or grief and/or dealing with a divorce or separation. Private insurance is accepted, as well as Medicare and Medicaid. Arrangements can be made for sliding-scale fees. For an appointment or more information, call JFVS at (732) 777-1940.
Plays-in-Park to stage
‘Schoolhouse Rock Live’
Plays-in-the-Park, Middlesex County’s summer theater, will offer performances of its 14th annual indoor children’s musical, “Schoolhouse Rock Live! Too!,” at noon and 3 p.m. on Oct. 14, 15, 21 and 22 in the 150-seat black box in the Stephen J. Capestro Amphitheater in Roosevelt Park, Edison. The theater is handicapped accessible.
Tickets cost $2 for children, $3 for adults, and are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays-Fridays, at the Plays-in-the-Park production office at the back of the Capestro Amphitheater, located off Route 1 south, just south of the Menlo Park shopping mall.
For more information, call (732) 548-2884 or visit the theater’s Web site at www.playsinthepark.com.
Funding for the show has been made possible in part by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission through a grant provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, and by the financial support of the Friends of Plays-in-the-Park.
Metuchen YMCA slates fall events
The following events will be sponsored by the Metuchen Branch YMCA. Call (732) 548-2044, and the extension if listed, or visit the Web site Metuchen-EdisonYMCA.org.
+ Middlesex County Knitting Meet-Up Group meets on the first Thursday of each month, 7-9 p.m. No fee to join.
+ Moms Walking Club, for moms with small children, will meet for a walk around Metuchen. The club meets several times during the week at the YMCA, 9-10 a.m. The fee is $15 for members, $20 for nonmembers, and includes a tank-top when registering and a bottle of water each week; call ext. 226.
+ Movie Classics Club features the screening of a classic movie, plus popcorn, soda and good company. The fee is $5 per person; registration at ext. 217.
+ Girls in Real Life Situations is a group to help young girls become positive role models. The program meets bimonthly. There is no fee, but registration is required; call ext. 210.
+ Ballroom dancing with instructor Miguel A. Aviles, Fridays, Oct. 5-Nov. 10. The fee is $80 per couple for members and $100 per couple for nonmembers; registration is required.
Neve Shalom to welcome Jay Neugeboren Oct. 27
Congregation Neve Shalom, 250 Grove Ave., Metuchen, will once again welcome Jay Neugeboren, writer-in-residence at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, as its guest speaker at 8 p.m. on Oct. 27, following Friday night services.
Neugeboren, who appeared last year at the synagogue’s Book and Author series, has written 14 books and will speak about “People of the Book.”
Refreshments will follow, along with a question and answer session.
For further information, call (732) 548-2238 or e-mail can2r11@aol.com.
‘Uncle Ralphie’s’ spices up menu for good cause
The Edison Public Library has announced its partnership with Uncle Ralphie’s Gourmet pizza and catering (in Colonial Village), 9 Lincoln Highway, Route 27 north, Edison. To help raise money for the library’s children’s department, the restaurant is sponsoring a year-round fundraising event by placing an “Edison Public Library Pizza” on its menu. For every large “library” pie ordered – either plain or with a single topping – Uncle Ralphie’s will donate $1 to the children’s department.
Rainbow/Prism support groups for kids & parents
Rainbows and Prism support groups will meet at St. Dominic Church., 250 Old Squan Road, Brick. from 11 a.m. to noon on Sundays from Oct. 15 to Nov. 19.
Rainbows is a peer support group for elementary school-aged children who have experienced significant loss in their lives through death, divorce or other painful transitions.
Prism is a support group for single parents, stepparents and parents whose children are in Rainbows.
Both groups are open to the community at no charge. Details: (732) 840-1412, ext. 35.
Commission plans trip to N.Y. Botanical Garden
The Metuchen Cultural Arts Commission is sponsoring a bus trip, rain or shine, on Oct. 8 to New York Botanical Garden, which is currently featuring the world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. The bus will depart from the Metuchen Borough Hall parking lot, 500 Main St., at 8:45 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. self-guided garden tour and will leave New York City at approximately 4 p.m. Cost is $44 per person, which covers transportation and admission. Individuals can bring their own lunches or dine in one of the garden’s cafés.
For further information or to register, contact Nancy Goldberg at (732) 632-8502 or ngoldberg@metuchen.com.
Updated information is also available on the borough’s Web site, www.metuchennj.org.
JFVS seeks volunteers for ‘Meals on Wheels’
Jewish Family & Vocational Service (JFVS) of Middlesex County urgently needs caring volunteers to perform a valuable “mitzvah,” or good deed – delivering meals to homebound clients. It is also seeking substitutes to work on an on-call basis. Substitutes fill in for regularly scheduled volunteers who have either a planned or a last-minute absence. Prospective volunteers must therefore have a flexible schedule and be ready with only about one hour’s notice. Routes are available in towns throughout northern Middlesex County, including Edison, Woodbridge, Highland Park and Perth Amboy.
The Kosher Meals on Wheels program is a weekday (Monday through Friday) service that provides two daily meals to seniors and disabled individuals who are temporarily or permanently unable to shop or cook for themselves.
The meals are distributed to the JFVS office weekdays at 10 a.m. To volunteer, call E.J. Berman at (732) 777-1940.
VSA/NJ seeks authors for Wordsmith contest
The Unlimited Potential Theater Company (UPTCo), a project of VSA arts of New Jersey (VSA/NJ), is seeking poems, essays and plays by New Jersey residents, 18 years of age or older, for its 13th annual Joyce Indik New Jersey Wordsmith Competition.
The contest is open to all writers; submissions by writers with disabilities are especially encouraged. All works will be considered by a panel of judges who are professionals in the field of theater and/or literature. Selected works will be showcased at the New Jersey Readers Theater, which will be followed by a reception to honor the authors. Deadline for submissions is Oct. 16.
VSA/NJ, a part of the international VSA arts network and an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is dedicated to promoting the creative power of people with disabilities. UPTCo, a project of VSA/NJ, is an inclusive program designed to involve individuals with physical disabilities in all aspects of the performing arts.
Funding for UPTCo is provided in part by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs; United Way of Central Jersey; the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission; and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The content of the program was developed in part through funding provided by the central office of VSA arts, under an award from the U.S. Department of Education.
For an application and more information, call VSA/NJ at (732) 745-3885, (732) 745-5935, or (732) 745-3913 (TTY); log on to vsanj.org; e-mail info@vsanj.org; or write to VSA arts of New Jersey, 703 Jersey Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901.
Library program for adults on Nov. 6, 20
The Edison Public Library will present “The Benefits and Wisdom of Prearrangement” at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 and again at 1 p.m. Nov. 20 at its main branch, 340 Plainfield Ave. Margaret Chelnik, of CMS Mid-Atlantic Inc. cemetery management services, will discuss how important it is for people to choose the way they would like to be memorialized and interred. There will be ample opportunity for questions. To register or for more information, call the library at (732) 287-2298, ext. 1, or sign up at the circulation desk.
Grace Reformed Church slates garage sale Oct. 14
Grace Reformed Church, 2815 Woodbridge Ave. (entrance on Old Post Road), Edison, will be holding a garage sale from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 14, featuring clothes, toys, books, records, household items, baskets, flowers, shoes and much more. For more information, call (732) 548-9654 or (732) 248-1499.
Dems plan Oct. 15 picnic and fundraiser at park
The Edison Democratic Association will hold its Italiano Festivale picnic and fundraiser 1-5 p.m. Oct. 15 at Roosevelt Park Grove 2, A, B and C. There will be food, live music, and door prizes.
One dollar from each ticket sold will go to Lainie’s Angels, a charity that helps families of children who have been diagnosed with cancer or blood diseases. Tickets will be available at the door for $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and children age 10 and up. Admission for children under age 10 is free.
Cases from local NAACP committee to be discussed
The Metuchen-Edison Area Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Redress Committee has handled some of the most controversial cases not only in Middlesex County, but also in the state of New Jersey and in the country as well. Attorneys Sandy Larson, Patty Bombelyn and Renee Anthony will discuss and reflect on those cases they handled for the branch at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Edison Job Corps Academy, 500 Plainfield Ave. The event is free. Additional information is available by calling (732) 548-7936 or visiting www.naacpmeab.org.
Neve Shalom to celebrate Simchat Torah Oct. 14
Congregation Neve Shalom, 250 Grove Ave., Metuchen, will hold its Simchat Torah celebration at 7:15 p.m. Oct. 14. The event will include finishing the reading of the Torah, Aliya for kids, and marching with flags and Torahs. There will also be treats for the children, such as candy apples. For more information, call the synagogue at (732) 548-2238.
YMCAs whip up teen trip just in time for Halloween
The Metuchen and Edison Branch YMCAs will take local teens age 13 and older to Six Flags Great Adventure’s Fright Fest of Halloween events in Jackson on Oct. 13 (Friday the 13th). The bus will leave from the Metuchen municipal pool parking lot at 4 p.m. and is scheduled to return around 10 p.m.
Those interested may sign up at either YMCA location: the Metuchen YMCA at 65 High St., or the Edison YMCA at 1775 Oak Tree Road. The cost is $55. Call Mike Tonzola at (732) 548-2044 or Chris England at (732) 494-3232.
Middlesex Salon No. 28 slates meeting Oct. 23
Middlesex County Salon No. 28 will hold its next meeting at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at the New Jersey Veterans Home in Edison.
For more information, call (732) 388-9238.
Library doling out fire-prevention booklets
Continuing the celebration of Ben Franklin’s 300th birthday, all children who visit the Edison Public Library during Fire Prevention Week, now through Oct. 14, will receive a fire-prevention activity booklet.
In addition to inventing the lightning rod, Franklin was instrumental in organizing the first fire department in the American colonies.
Local Lutheran church has Sat. thrift shop hours
St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, located at the top of the hill on Pleasant Avenue (off Amboy Avenue), Edison, has announced its thrift shop hours. The store is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, where shoppers can find bargains on clothing, household items and gifts. Donations are accepted during hours of operation. For more information, call (732) 738-0887.