By Lorraine Sedor, Columnist
What’s not to love about your library?
February is “Love Your Library Month”! Support the library by becoming a “Library Champion,” either by stopping in to the library for a kiss (a Hershey’s kiss, that is) or logging on to www.ilovenjlibraries.org.
The Cranbury Public Library has fun Valentine’s Day related activities for young and old this coming week. On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Friends of the Library will host a Valentine’s card workshop. Stop in and make a special card for that special someone!
And all next week, stop in the library for a “Blind Date with a Book.” Choose a wrapped book from the library display. Staff will check it out for you, still wrapped. You won’t know what book you’ve chosen till you get home a great way to expand your reading horizons!
”Art from the Heart IV, Art from The A-TEAM Artists of Trenton” opens Saturday with a reception from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury Town Hall.
The A-TEAM is a group of artists who have been meeting together for nine years at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen every Tuesday to create, critique and support all of their artistic endeavors. The A-TEAM has developed a loyal following in the tri-state area and exhibits artwork at different venues all year long.
This will be the fourth year that the A-TEAM artists have shown their art at the Gourgaud Gallery. The Cranbury Arts Council will waive the normal 20 percent contribution to the Arts Council taken from art sales to fully support this wonderful and important group of artists. Cash or a check made out to the Cranbury Arts Council is accepted as payment.
The opening reception on Saturday will not only feature a wide array of art, but a poetry reading by the SHARE project and music by the FunkTASKtics, SHARE’s new band.
Cranbury Four Seasons is hosting a Super Bowl party on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the clubhouse. The party will include hoagies, chips, soda and lots of fun! The cost is just $6 per person. Sign up with Diana, Property Administrator, at 609-655-1142.
The library will sponsor a Fairy Tea Party, Saturday, Feb. 20, from 2-3 p.m., hosted at the Cranbury Museum, 4 Park Place East.
Fairy stories and a real tea party will be held and Kathy Burke, from “A Cutting Garden,” will help children create a “garden in a teacup” using fresh flowers and a real teacup! Registration is required and limited to 12, for grades one to three. Call the library at 609-655-0555 or stop at the check-out desk.
A Medicare counselor has become available to conduct appointments on a monthly basis at the Cranbury Senior Center. The first appointments will be scheduled for Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to noon. Please call Kristen Hamilton at 609-395-9931 or 609-273-5953 to schedule your appointment. Appointments for March 30 and April 20 can also be scheduled at this time.
Free income tax preparation assistance is available to low-income, disabled and limited English-speaking people. Call the library at 609-655-0555 to schedule an afternoon appointment. Appointments will take place at the Senior Center on Mondays, beginning Feb. 8.
Cranbury Township is holding an additional rabies clinic on Saturday, Feb. 20, from noon to 2 p.m., at the firehouse. All residents of Middlesex County are eligible to bring their dog or cat to be vaccinated. Cranbury residents please note: The $2 late fee will be waived for those who take advantage of the clinic and then obtain a license immediately.
Looking ahead: On Friday, Feb. 12, the Cranbury Coffee House, located at 22 S. Main St., inside Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church, will be presenting “An Evening of Jazz Music” featuring local favorite, the 6th Street Quaternion Trio.
The Friends of the Cranbury Public Library meet the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. for about one hour. They support the work of the library through fundraising and co-hosting events. If you are interested in serving on the board of this worthwhile organization, please contact Marilynn Mullen, library director, at 609-655-0555. If you have questions or would like to know more about the Friends and what serving on the board entails please feel free to contact a current board member or stop in the library to speak with Marilynn.
There will be a kickoff planning meeting on Sunday from 3 to 4:30 p.m., for the Helene Cody Memorial 5K Run, at the Codys’ house, 8 Adams Drive. Committees will be formed to plan the route, sponsorships, registration, T-shirt design and more.
The run raises money for the Helene Cody Foundation, which was formed to inspire youth to better their community and themselves. Last year was the first 5K run to benefit the foundation. The race was Greg Carroll’s Eagle Scout project and attracted 500 runners.
Linda Cody, Helene’s mother, described the event, which took place on Cranbury Day, as an “amazing, spirit-filled” event.
Money raised to date has supported Homefront, two high school scholarships and matching grants for youth groups.
Anyone interested in learning more about how to get involved with the race or the foundation may phone the Codys at 609-655-1770.
Also, a coat drive at Cranbury School is being co-sponsored by the foundation and the Cranbury School student government. Coats may be dropped at the school’s front office and will be delivered to Homefront for distribution to its free store.
Residents can reach Ms. Sedor by phone at 609-655-3386, by e-mail at [email protected] and by mail at 32 Evans Drive, Cranbury, N.J. 08512.