– ‘Birthday Bash’ helps Hometown Heroes
On Jan. 10 the Jersey Shore will celebrate the birthday of the late and legendary Clarence Clemons with the third annual Big Man’s Birthday Bash at Bar Anticipation in Lake Como. The event will benefit Hometown Heroes, a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
The bash will be hosted by actor Vincent Pastore (Big Pussy from “The Sopranos”) and featured acts will include the Sensational Soul Cruisers, JoBonanno and the Godsons of Soul, Killer Joe and Lido Soul, the Eddie Testa Band, the Nick Clemons Band and many others.
An all-star lineup of special guest artists who will join the performing bands includes Gene Cornish, Bobby Bandiera, J.T. Bowen, Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez and Lance Larson.
Also appearing will be Springsteen fan favorite “The Philly Elvis,” Nick Ferraro, and actor Artie Pasquale of “The Sopranos”).
Nick Clemons, a.k.a. Clarence Clemons III, is the oldest son of Clemons and a co-producer of the event. He said, “My father always taught me to give back and remember the less fortunate. I try to do that and Hometown Heroes does great work for those in need.”
This is the third year Clemons and his team have produced the Birthday Bash. Co-producer Terry Camp is an attorney and long-time member of the Jersey Shore music community.
He recalled, “When Clarence passed, the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park hosted the Sensational Soul Cruisers and the Nick Clemons Band for a memorial show in July 2011. Bruce was kind enough to join us that epic night and we have been building on it since – selling out the Wonder Bar in December 2012 and packing Martell’s in Point Pleasant last January. The show gets bigger and bigger every year. We are thrilled to be working with Tom Jannarone and his Bar Anticipation team. That place is the cream of the crop for a diverse and quality entertainment experience.”
The show will feature guest jams that are a long-time tradition on the shore, according to a press release.
Birthday Bash details and frequent updates are at the Facebook Event page https://www.facebook.com/events/741748815903741/
– Library has digital photography class
The Long Branch Free Public Library will host a “Shooting Beyond Auto” digital photography class from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at 328 Broadway. Andrea Phox, an award-winning professional photographer from Long Branch, will lead the class.
Phox will discuss how to go beyond the basics and understand the settings on a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. Attendees will learn how to use the settings to achieve more photographic control and create images. Participants should bring a camera that is charged or has fresh batteries and a memory card, if applicable. Owners of point-and-shoot cameras that contain settings beyond auto are also welcome to attend.
Phox is the recipient of several blue ribbons and merit awards from the local chapter of the Professional Photographers of New Jersey. Her exhibit, “Wide Angle: A Series of Stitched Panoramas,” may be viewed at the library’s Community Room during regular business hours. Phox will hold a meet-the-artist reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 8. The public is invited to attend.
To register for the class, contact Lisa Kelly at 732-222-3900 or [email protected] by Jan. 8. For more information, visit www.longbranchlib.org.
– ‘Swimming at the Ritz’ premieres in January
The New Jersey Repertory Company will present Charles Leipart’s, “Swimming at the Ritz,” at 179 Broadway in Long Branch.
Sneak preview performances will be available at 8 p.m. on Jan. 8 and 9. Opening night with a reception will be held at 8 p.m. Jan. 10.
Regular performances are scheduled through Feb. 1. Shows are at 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays; 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays; and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Select Sundays also have 7 p.m. shows.
Directed by SuzAnne Barabas, the play is based on the real-life events of socialite Pamela Churchill Hayward Harriman, who was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to France in 1993 by President Bill Clinton.
Tickets are $43 for regular performances, $40 for previews and $60 for opening night. For tickets, call 732-229-3166 or visit www.njrep.org.
– Deadline for student essay contest is Jan. 16
Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini (R-Monmouth) is inviting students in grades 6-8 to participate in her third annual Honor Our Veterans contest. Entries must be submitted to her office by Jan. 16.
Students must respond to one of the following topics: “Why are you thankful for our veterans?” or “What is the best way for Americans to honor their military men and women?”
Essays must be 300 words or less and will be judged on content, style and creativity. Five first-place winners will be recognized and join Angelini for a day of military-themed activities at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
“It is important for children to remember and recognize those who serve our country,” said Angelini in a press release. “Veterans should be honored everyday and this is one small way to thank our veterans for the sacrifices they make for our country.”
Entries can be mailed to: Assemblywoman Angelini, 1398 Highway 35, Suite 3, Ocean, NJ 07712 or emailed to: [email protected].
– Scholar, former NFL player to give speech
WEST LONG BRANCH — Rhodes scholar and former National Football League (NFL) player Myron Rolle will be the keynote speaker at Monmouth University’s winter commencement ceremony at 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, at the Multipurpose Activity Center (MAC). At the ceremony, Rolle will also receive an honorary degree in public service.
Rolle, a former safety with the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers, entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick after taking a year to study at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar. He is one of only three people to have received a Rhodes scholarship and an NFL contract. He is a member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and serves on the Board of Trustees at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.
Now a second-year medical student at Florida State University College of Medicine, Rolle is the founder of “Our Way to Health,” an educational childhood anti-obesity program for Native Americans that began with the Seminole Tribe of Florida and later expanded into the Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools in New Mexico and Arizona.
In conjunction with the Florida Department of Children and Family Services, Rolle runs a wellness and leadership academy for children in foster care. He is also the co-founder of the Emerging Scholars Project, which helps underrepresented college students become viable candidates for national fellowship opportunities.
“We are delighted to welcome Myron Rolle as our commencement speaker,” said Monmouth University President Paul R. Brown in a press release. “He is an outstanding scholar-athlete, whose philanthropic achievements in the area of public health are inspirational, especially for a person his age.”
Monmouth University will award approximately 600 undergraduate and graduate degrees. More than 400 graduates are expected to participate in the ceremony.
– Photographer to speak at Audubon meeting
The Monmouth County Audubon Society will meet at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Road, Fair Haven. The guest speaker will be photographer Kevin Watson, who will discuss the wildlife and snowy landscapes of northern Japan. The public is welcome, and admission is free.
Watson is an avid photographer, birder and traveler who has lectured and presented photo essays on birds and wildlife from around the world. His photographs have been published in several nature-related books, national birding publications and calendars.
The Monmouth County Audubon Society, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, is dedicated to the enjoyment and study of nature, wildlife conservation, habitat protection and education. Meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month from September through May. For more information, visit www.monmouthaudubon.org.
– Park system seeks volunteer docents
The Monmouth County Park System is looking for volunteers to become docents at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center, 2566 Guam Lane, Tinton Falls. Docents will welcome visitors and answer questions about the facility.
Those who are 21 or older are encouraged to apply. Prospective volunteers are invited to attend an orientation session 9-10:30 a.m. Jan. 13 at the Recreation Center. Once trained, docents will be asked to volunteer 9 a.m. to noon during the week.
For more information or to register for the training session, contact Melissa Bezahler at 732-842-4000, ext. 4283 or [email protected].
To learn more about the Monmouth County Park System, visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com or call 732-842-4000, ext. 4312. For persons with hearing impairment, the TTY/TDD number is 711.
– Chamber sets awards, installation luncheon
The Greater Ocean Township Chamber of Commerce’s (GOTCC) will hold its annual Awards and Installation Luncheon on Thursday, Jan. 15, at The English Manor, 1 English Lane, Wanamassa.
The 2015 honorees include: Monmouth Medical Center, Township of Ocean Councilman William Garofalo, The Coaster and CVS Pharmacy.
Officers of the 2015 Executive Board will include: President Katherine King of Kearny Federal Savings of Oakhurst; Vice President Keith Dorney of Edward Jones Investments of Ocean; Treasurer Kim Rise Somerville of Two River Community Bank of West Long Branch; Secretary Rose O’Connor Myer of Shore Antique Center of Allenhurst; and Past President Nicholas Gradone of Atlantic Kitchen & Bath of Ocean.
New trustees include: Bentley Alberts of Grass Roots Marketing in Shrewsbury and Elliot Solop of Ansell, Grimm & Aaron PC of Ocean.
The cost is $35 per person and includes a buffet luncheon and cash bar. Paid reservations are required in advance by visiting www.gotcc.org. For more information, call the GOTCC at 732-660-1888.