Norman’s Hallmark, a family-owned card and specialty gift retailer, recently opened at 4047 Route 9 in the Aldrich Plaza, Howell, announced Levin Management, the exclusive leasing and managing agent for the 150,000-square-foot shopping center. From its beginnings as a one-store card, gift and stationery store, Norman’s Hallmark has emerged as one of the premier Hallmark Gold Crown retailers in the country. Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2014, Norman’s has grown from its original Trenton location to 46 stores throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
TLC Family Chiropractic, 1200 Route 9 South, Howell, will hold a patient appreciation day on Feb. 14. Patients treated that day will be encouraged to contribute their fees to the Oklahaven Children’s Chiropractic Center, Oklahoma City, Okla., a nonprofit organization that provides chiropractic care to poor children from birth to 18 years old. Details: 732-409-3445.
E. Thomas Allen Jr. has been appointed senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of Columbia Bank. Allen replaces Alex Grinewicz, who is retiring following a 41-year banking career.
Allen joined Columbia Bank in 1994 as a financial planning and analysis manager, and later served as treasurer; vice president and treasurer; and senior vice president and treasurer. He was appointed executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2002.
Prior to joining Columbia, Allen served as a financial analyst for Irving Trust, as vice president of finance for Lincoln Federal Savings Bank, and as senior vice president and treasurer for Crestmont Federal Savings Bank.
He earned an undergraduate degree in finance and banking from the University of Missouri and an MBA in financial management from Pace University.
Allen serves as a member of the CFO Committee of the New Jersey Bankers Association, the Financial Managers Society of New York and New Jersey, and regularly volunteers his time in support of civic organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the Boy Scouts of America.
The law firm of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman has announced the creation of the Legal Studies Education Scholarship.
The $2,500 scholarship is being offered to those pursuing a career in legal studies who have been affected by personal injury and are committed to demonstrating determination to rebuild their lives and the lives around them.
Applicants must be residents of New Jersey; have been affected in some way by personal injury, either to themselves or to a family member; be currently enrolled, have applied to or have been accepted to an accredited college or law school; and demonstrate academic achievement with a minimum GPA of 3.5 in either high school or undergraduate college transcripts.
Students must submit a 500-word, typed essay regarding their experience with personal injury, an unofficial high school or college transcript, and their contact information to the office of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, 103 Eisenhower Parkway, Second Floor, Roseland, NJ 07068. Applications must be received by April 1. The recipient will be notified by June 1.
For more information, visit mskf.net/201-legal-studies-scholarship.
Dollar General recently celebrated the opening of its location at 2399 Route 9, Howell. Dollar General stores offer customers a selection of food, housewares, clothing and health and beauty products.
Laurita Winery, New Egypt, held the Food Truck, Fire Pits and Fireworks event during the weekend of Nov. 29. The event featured food trucks, tours of the winery grounds and dancing to country bands. A portion of the proceeds supported the Linda E. Cardinale Multiple Sclerosis Center at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. More than 3,000 people attended the event, and $5,000 was donated to the MS center.
The Howell Chamber of Commerce will host a joint chamber event with the Jackson Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Monmouth Chamber of Commerce about making heart-healthy food choices. The event will take place from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Park Nine Diner, Freehold Township. Dr. Jatin Patel, a specialist in interventional cardiology, will be the featured speaker. The admission fee is $20 for chamber members and $25 for nonmembers, including lunch, beverage, tax and gratuity. To register, call 732-363-4114.
The Provident Bank Foundation has announced a request for proposals (RFP) for a $100,000 grant open to nonprofits located within Provident Bank’s service area that offer community enrichment programs that drive economic development, contribute to a more well-rounded community experience, and provide increased access to information and specialized learning opportunities. This RFP is geared toward the first of up to three $100,000 Signature grants — one in each of its three funding priority areas of community enrichment, education and health, and youth and families — that the foundation will make in 2015. Organizations that meet the criteria are invited to submit a letter of inquiry to the foundation via its website by Feb. 16. Once approved to proceed, the grantee applicant is invited to complete a full, detailed application by April 1. The foundation will notify applicants of the results on April 27. Additional details are available at www.providentnjfoundation.org/Site/rfps.aspx.