Amanda’s Easel invites people of all ages to the Middletown Arts Center 7-9 p.m. Sept. 8 to create a community art piece in response to 9/11. The theme is “A Community Connected: To Each Other, To Healing, To Hope.” The activities will be free and open to the general public. The Middletown Arts Center, a fully ADA-compliant facility, is located at 36 Church Street, Middletown. For more information call 732-787-6503.
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The Brush and Palette Art Guild opens its 2011-12 year with a member “Mini Art Exhibit” and workshop at the Cullen Center in Hazlet 7-9 p.m. Sept. 13. New members are offered a free class of the many offered. The guild meets 7-9 p.m. Tuesday nights at the Cullen Center. Membership is $15 a year. Details: BrushAndPalette.org or 732-888-0993.
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The Aberdeen Township Public Works Department is picking up branches that are down due to Hurricane Irene. Residents who have tree parts to dispose of should place them out at the curb. The Public Works Department will work its way through town until everything has been collected.
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St. John’s United Methodist Church, 2000 FlorenceAve., Hazlet, resumes its flea market on the third Saturday of each month 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 17. New and gently used items will be for sale in the church’s front parking lot. Set up time is 7 a.m. and each parking space is $15 or 2 for $25. Bring your tables, chairs and shade or head covering if the weather is warm. Reserve space by calling 732-264-1236 or emailing [email protected]. Only paid reservations will be confirmed.
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The Premier Theatre Company is looking for actors and actresses, of all ages, to perform in its upcoming fall season in its new fall/winter home at the Paramount Theatre on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. Auditions for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Scrooge” will be held Sept. 9 and 10 at 1100 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park. For more information visit www.premiertheatrecompany.com.
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A beach bash fundraiser is planned for 1-4 p.m. Sept. 10 at Donovan’s Reef, 1171 OceanAve. in Sea Bright, to benefit Arnold Graves of Port Monmouth. Graves, 59, faces significant medical expenses related to a heart transplant. He needs follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications that range from $2,000 to $5,000 per month. Admission is $50 per person in advance and $60 at the door and includes lunch, entertainment, and an open bar. For tickets, details or donations, contact Heather Graves at 732-713-5311 or [email protected].
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Five Below, 2101 Route 35, Holmdel, is holding a month-long fundraiser to benefit the Garden State Players, a new theater company based in Hazlet. Through Oct. 1, Five Below will donate 10 percent of proceeds from eligible sales to the Garden State Players. Shoppers must present a flier, available for download at www.gardenstateplayers.org, in order for the sale to be eligible. For more information, email [email protected] or become a fan of Garden State Players on Facebook.com.
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The Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore is looking for volunteers to help its more than 15,000 Girl Scouts throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties achieve their dreams. The Girl Scout organization provides fun, flexible options that enable volunteers to pick the activities that are of most interest to them through long-term, short-term and one-time opportunities. Details: 800-785- 2090 or www.girlscoutsjs.org/volunteer.
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The 14th annual Rock ’N Ride Bike Tour & Party in the Park to support the American Red Cross Jersey Coast Chapter will be held 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 11 at Sunset Park, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Island.
A commemorative ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m. to remember those who lost their lives 10 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001, in the attack on America. Advance registration is $65 for adults and $20 for children. Register at www.jerseycoast-redcross.org. Details: 732-493-9100, ext. 1227
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SkimBash 2011 will take place 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 10-11 on the Sea Bright Municipal Beach. This Skim USA-sanctioned skimboarding competition attracts amateur and professional skimboarders from across the country. Spectators are welcome, and admission is free (contestants pay an entry fee). This is a family event on the beach with music, food, giveaways and exciting skimboarding action. For details or to download a registration form, visit www.SkimBash.com, email info@JerseyShoreSkimCamp or call Felecia Stratton: 732-598-6029.*****
The seventh annual “Autism Family Services of New Jersey Beach Bash” is scheduled for Sept. 11 in Belmar. This event is open to all New Jersey families living with a child with autism. The day is free for families and includes organized activities, arts and crafts, games, expo tent, and a surf camp in which children with autism receive one-on-one lessons. Visit www.autismfamilyservcesnj.org or call 877-237-4477 for more information.