• The Freehold Memorial Day Parade Committee will host a fundraiser at Gus’ Diner, 135 Route 33, Manalapan, all day on March 19. Download and present the flier and the diner will donate 10 percent of a customer’s pre-tax bill to the parade committee. A flier must be presented to receive credit. Details: www.freeholdmemorialdayparade.com
• The Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education will hold the following meetings: March 5, committee of the whole, 7:30 p.m., Wemrock Brook School, Millhurst Road, Manalapan; March 12, regular action meeting, 7:30 p.m., administrative offices, 54 Main St., Englishtown; March 19, regular action meeting, administrative offices, 54 Main St., Englishtown. The meetings are open to the public.
• Boy Scout Troop 180 will hold its annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser on March 23 at Old Tennent Church, Neff Chapel, Manalapan. Seatings at 4:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Cost: Adults, $10; Seniors, $7; Children (4-10), $6; Children 3 and under, free. Dinner consists of salad, garlic bread, spaghetti and meatballs, desserts, coffee and cold beverages.
To purchase tickets/reserve a seat, or for more information, call, Linda Trerotola, 732-446-4469. Tickets will be available at the door.
• A Freehold Community Blood Drive will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 10 in the cafeteria at the St. Rose of Lima School, Lincoln Place, Freehold Borough. To schedule a donation appointment, contact Sylvia Mako at 732-431-3932. Walk-in donors are welcome and will be accommodated.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host the Casual Birder at 9 a.m. March 14 at
the Dorbrook Recreation Area, Route 537, Colts Neck. Meet in the athletic field parking area. Join a park system naturalist for a laid back morning bird walk. This is a free event. Details: 732-842-4000.
• St. Peter’s Thrift Shop, 49 Throckmorton St., Freehold, is operated by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Freehold, and supports missionary programs in the area. On March 2, a grand opening will be held for the St. Peter’s Annex, 43 Throckmorton St. The annex will feature small occasional furniture, select wall art, lamps, draperies, carpets and more. Hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• New Jersey Blood Services will hold a blood drive from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 10 at Temple Beth Shalom, 108 Freehold Road, Manalapan. To donate blood, call toll free, 1-800-933-2566.
• Embroiderers’ Guild of America-Monmouth Chapter is dedicated to teaching and sharing the joys of needlework. Stitchers of all levels are welcome to attend a meeting. There are sit-and-stitch tables and special projects. Evening stitchers will meet from 7-9 p.m. March 4 at the Colts Neck Library, 1 Winthrop Drive, Colts Neck. Day stitchers will meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 21 at the Colts Neck Community Church, 25 Merchant Way, Colts Neck. Details: Toni, 732-462-5540, or www.mcega.org
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a One World Observatory bus trip on March 13. Travel to New York City and see the city from 102 stories high. There will be time for lunch and to explore other points of interest in lower Manhattan, including the Sept. 11 memorial and museum (reservations are suggested in advance for the memorial and museum). Bus leaves at 8 a.m. from Thompson Park, Lincroft, and returns at about 6 p.m. The cost is $75 per person and includes group reservations to One World Observatory, SkyPod elevators, a park system volunteer leader and transportation. Pre-registration is required. To register, visit www.MonmouthCountyParks.com or call 732-842-4000, ext. 1.
• The Monmouth County Park System will hold its annual E. Murray Todd Half Marathon on March 10. The 13.1-mile race will take runners through Lincroft, Holmdel and Colts Neck. The race begins at 8:30 a.m. at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft. Pre-registration is accepted online or through the mail until March 6 and costs $40 per person. Race day registration is available beginning at 7 a.m. ($60 per person). Details: Email Jeffrey.Papcun@ monmouthcountyparks.com or call 732-542-1642, ext. 27.
• An open house will be held at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, 203 Taylors Mills Road, Manalapan, from 10 a.m. to noon March 3. Service at 10:30 a.m. Light refreshments to be served. Guests are invited to see what the church is all about. Details: 732-252-9550 or email [email protected]
• A Children’s Bible-themed workshop (age 4 and up) will be held at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, 203 Taylors Mills Road, Manalapan, from 9-10:30 a.m. March 16. Guests are asked to RSVP by March 8. Parents are encouraged to attend. To register or for more information, call 732-252-9550 or email [email protected]
• The Monmouth County Audubon Society will sponsor an evening field trip to Big Brook Park, Route 520, Marlboro, in search of American Woodcock at 6:30 p.m. March 16. Participation is free. On spring nights, attracting a mate becomes a priority for the American Woodcock and their activity may be viewed. Meet in the parking lot, just off Route 520. The trip is open to members and non-members of the Audubon Society. Details: http://www.monmouthaudubon.org
• The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, Freehold Township, presents Jewish Yoga with Sheri Glick from 5-6:15 p.m. March 14. Admission: $15 for museum members and $18 for non-members. Bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing. Jewish yoga is a pathway back to unifying the wisdom of the Torah and specifically Jewish wisdom of the body. To make a paid reservation (non-refundable), call 732-252-6990.
• Melissa Ziobro, specialist professor of public history at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, will present a multimedia look at “Hidden Figures,” in celebration of Black History month at 1 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Marlboro Library, Wyncrest Road. Admission is free and no reservations are needed. Ziobro will highlight the Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth and how it provided a place where black scientists and engineers could find jobs and advance their careers. Details: www.monmouthcountyllib.org
• Volunteer genealogy specialists Richard and Angela Wood will explain “How to Navigate the FamilySearch Website” at the 1:30 p.m. March 10 meeting of the Monmouth County Genealogy Society at the Community Center, 72 Broad St., Eatontown. Admission is free and the public is welcome. Details: 732-747-0090.
• Center for Jewish Life, Marlboro, will celebrate Purim In “Israel” at 7 p.m. March 20. Celebrate a royal Purim feast with a Megillah reading, festive banquet, costume masquerade, a magic show and more. Come in costume and join the Purim festivities. Adults: $60; children (2-12): $30. Complimentary admission for CJL partner families with reservations. RSVP only by March 12 to 732-316-7600.
• Center for Jewish Life, Marlboro, will host a Women’s Circle hamantashen baking event at 7 p.m. March 13. Women and girls of all ages are invited to bake hamantashen for seniors of the community in honor of Purim. Early bird registration by Feb. 25 is $15 per person (registration Feb. 26 through March 7 is $18 per person). Complimentary admission for CJL partners. RSVP only by March 7 at 732-316-7600.
• Temple Rodeph Torah, Marlboro, will host its annual Grand Purim Carnival from noon to 2 p.m. March 24. There will be games, prizes, inflatables, food and music. Details: 732-308-0055.
• Temple Rodeph Torah Sisterhood will present “A Jewel Heist Mystery Night” at 8 p.m. March 9. A rare diamond has been stolen and it’s up to guests to find the thief. Light snacks and wine will be served. Cost is $35 per person by March 2 ($40 at the door). RSVP by signing up at signup.trt.org or by sending a check to the temple office at P.O. Box 125, Marlboro, NJ 07746.
• The annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance, sponsored by the Old Bridge Columbian Club, will be held from 7:30-11:30 p.m. March 9 at 61 Pine S., Old Bridge. The cost is $30 per person (in advance only). Includes full corned beef and cabbage dinner with salad, tap beer, soda, coffee, tea and desserts. Cash bar for drinks. DJ music (1950s to 1980s). For reservations, call 908-510-5693 or 732-707-3417.
• “The History of the Italian Jews,” a talk by Rabbi Michael Klein (rabbi emeritus, Congregation Ahavat Olam, Howell), will be held at 2 p.m. March 31 at the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, 310 Mount’s Corner Drive, Freehold Township. Cost to attend is $8 for museum members and $10 for non-members. To reserve a space, call
732-252-6990.
• All community members are welcome to attend a pancake breakfast at the First Presbyterian Church, 50 Main St., Englishtown, from 9-11 a.m. March 23. Breakfast features scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, juice, coffee/tea and all-you-can-eat pancakes. Adults, $8, children 12 and under, $5. Takeout meals available. For tickets, call 908-385-0203.
• The AARP Tax-Aide Program will be in place at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, Manalapan, from Feb. 21 through April 15. Hours are Monday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday, 6-7 p.m.; and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The service is free. Service offered for simple federal and New Jersey tax returns only. If filing a joint return, both individuals must be present. Check website for new documentation requirements. Details: www.monmouthcountylib.org
• The Mourning After is a grief counseling program designed to assist people with recent and not-so-recent losses adjust to the emotions of grieving and the long-term changes that follow. The program is led by licensed professional counselors Bob Szita and Bernice Garfield-Szita. The group meets monthly on Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Center Playhouse, 35 South St., Freehold. Upcoming dates are March 1, April 5, May 3 and June 7. A voluntary donation is accepted. New attendees are asked to call in advance at 732-577-1076 or [email protected] or www.GIERS.org
• John P. Stevens High School, Edison, Class of 1969 will hold its 50-year reunion on Aug. 10 at Galloping Hills Caterers, Union. Cocktail hour from 6-7 p.m., dinner from 7-11 p.m. Cost is $75 per person. Payment and RSVP to Donna Ciccone, 9 Anita Ave., Edison, NJ 08820. Details: Debbie DeMauro Bava, email [email protected]
• The Reformed Church of Freehold, 67 W. Main St., Freehold Borough, will host a roast beef dinner March 2. There will be a full course dinner served family style. All are invited to attend. Tickets: Adults, $20; Children, $6 (ages 6-12). Take-out dinners available. Tickets at the door or through the church office. Details: 732-462-1717.
• The Monmouth County Audubon Society is seeking volunteers to join its board. New volunteers are needed to assist the organization with its newsletter, website, publicity, program planning, and/or assist with the organization’s scholarship program. Details:
www.monmouthaudubon.org or email [email protected]
• The Colts Neck Shade Tree Commission will hold public meetings at 7:30 p.m. on the following dates in the meeting room at Town Hall, 124 Cedar Drive, Colts Neck: March 7, April 4, May 2, June 6, July 11, Aug. 1, Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5. Details: 732-462-5470.
• The Ms. New Jersey Senior America Pageant will be held at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City on June 5. The pageant seeks ladies, age 60 and over, who best exemplify the dignity, maturity and inner beauty of all senior Americans. Judging categories are Evening Gown; Philosophy of Life; Talent; and Judges Interview. The winner will participate in the Ms. Senior America Pageant 2019. Women who are interested in becoming a contestant may contact Terry Meade at 609-443-3039, 908-216-8534, or by email at [email protected]. Details: www.newjerseysenioramerica.org
• The AAUW Freehold Branch is accepting book donations for its annual book sale. Books must be clean with binding intact. Books that are musty, torn, missing pages, or reference book sets (encyclopedias), textbooks, religion, philosophy, business, reference, psychology, cookbook sets or travel book sets older than 5 years will not be accepted. All donations must be made by appointment by calling 732-303-1031, or by email at [email protected]
• The Fresh Air Fund is seeking area residents willing to volunteer to host a child from New York City this summer through the Friendly Towns Program. Children are boys and girls, ages 7-18. Details: Karen Medlin, 732-740-0449, or www.freshair.org
• The Jewish Home for Rehabilitation and Nursing, Freehold Township, a new skilled rehabilitation and nursing facility serving the Jewish community, is hosting a free monthly support group called The Jewish Caregiver’s Experience. The group meets at 7 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month. Caregivers of all ages seeking support, resources and a Jewish perspective on managing their responsibilities are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. Details: Avrum, 732-202-1000, ext. 4012.
• The Manalapan-Englishtown Community Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse has launched its Project Zero website at projectzeromanalapan.com. Project Zero is the alliance’s initiative to reset the narrative in Englishtown and Manalapan regarding substance abuse. The website contains information about where residents can go for assistance.
• New Jersey Blood Services is in need of volunteers to work blood drives in Ocean and Monmouth counties. Tasks include assisting donors with registration, watching donors for post-donation reactions and responding to their needs. Details: Jan Zepka, 732-616-8741.
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.