• 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: May 2, June 6, July 11, Aug. 1, Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5. Details: 732-462-5470.
• 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 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
• Special Olympics New Jersey will present the Perlman Cup, a women’s golf tournament and fundraiser, on May 6 at Forsgate Country Club, Monroe Township. The event is open to women of all skill levels. The day will begin with brunch, followed by 18 holes of golf in a scramble format, or women may sign up for a two-hour clinic designed for beginners and instructed by an NJPGA professional. There will be a cocktail hour and awards dinner. Details: www.theperlmancup.org or www.sonj.org
• Historic Longstreet Farm, Longstreet Road, Holmdel, will host Wool Days/Sheep Shearing from noon to 3 p.m. April 27-28. Events include sheep-shearing and demonstrations by sheep-herding dogs. Visitors can enjoy a wagon ride to a neighboring site, the Monmouth County Historical Association’s Holmes-Hendrickson House, where staff will demonstrate the way wool was used in Colonial America with spinning and weaving activities. Admission and parking are free. Details: www.MonmouthCountyParks.com or 732-842-4000.
• The Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education will hold the following meetings: 7:30 p.m. May 7, regular action meeting, administration building, 54 Main St., Englishtown; and 7:30 p.m. May 14, regular action meeting, administration building, 54 Main St., Englishtown. The meetings are open to the public.
• A yard sale will be held at the Freehold Intermediate School, 280 Park Ave., Freehold, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 4 (rain date May 5). Vendor space is $10. Details: [email protected]
• “You Are the Future,” a musical/multimedia program in commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day, will be held at 7 p.m. May 1 at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, Manalapan. The program will be presented by Naomi Miller, a singer, actress and educator who is the child of survivors. Admission is free. Doors open at 6 p.m. Details: 732-431-7220.
• The Monmouth County SPCA will celebrate its 25th anniversary dog walk and pet fair on April 27 at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The theme will be “My Dog is a Superhero.” There will be dogs available for adoption, live music by The Wag, vendors, food trucks, games and activities for children of all ages, plus fun photo ops with comic book characters. The “Disc-Connected K9’s Frisbee Dog Team” will perform throughout the day. Details: www.mcspcadogwalk.org
• A community blood drive will be held from 2:30-8:30 p.m. April 26 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold Township. All donors will receive a $10 coupon for Houlihan’s. Appointments preferred, walk-ins welcome. Appointments at http://tinyurl.com/GiveBloodNJBS. The sponsor code is 66994. For questions about eligibility, call 800-933-2566.
• Embroiderers’ Guild of America-Monmouth Chapter welcomes stitchers of all levels. There are sit-and-stitch tables and special projects at each meeting. Evening stitchers will meet from 7-9 p.m. May 6 at the Colts Neck Library, 1 Winthrop Drive, Colts Neck. Day stitchers will meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 16 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 its annual Creative Arts and Music Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 4 at Thompson Park, 805 Newman Springs Road (Route 520), Lincroft. This juried arts festival features specially selected artists’ works of pottery, photography, jewelry, paintings and other mediums. In addition to the artwork, visitors will enjoy live music and free art demonstrations and activities. Admission and parking for the festival are free. Details: www.MonmouthCountyParks.com or call 732-842-4000.
• “Your Show of Shows, Part II,” a look at the 1950-54 live variety television show starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, will be presented by Barry Jacobsen at 2 p.m. May 19 at the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, 310 Mount’s Corner Drive, Freehold Township. Cost is $8 for museum members and $10 for non-members. All are welcome to attend. Details: 732-252-6990.
• Manalapan residents of all ages are welcome to attend “Coffee With The Mayor and Deputy Mayor” from 8:30-10 a.m. April 28 at the municipal building, Route 522 and Taylors Mills Road. Other township officials will join Mayor Susan Cohen and Deputy Mayor Jack McNaboe.
• Members of the 1994 New York Rangers Stanley Cup championship team – Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Adam Graves and Mike Richter – will appear at the Event Center at iPlay America, Freehold Township, on June 30. All ticket holders will have access to a Q&A experience with the former players. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. and the Q&A will start at 3 p.m. Various packages are available for purchase at https://www.iplayamerica.com/core4
• Temple Rodeph Torah, Marlboro, will host its fifth annual community-wide “Blessing of the Animals” at 12:15 p.m. May 5. The event, to be held on the temple’s front lawn, is free and open to the public. There will be teachings and songs about animals and the bond that exists between animals and humans. There will be treats for animals and humans following the service. Details: 732-308-0055.
• The seventh annual Chhange Golf Classic will be held on June 11 at Forsgate Country Club, Monroe Township. Chhange is the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Education at Brookdale Community College. Cost to participate is $300 (individual) or $1,110 (foursome). Sponsorship opportunities are available. The event is co-chaired by Mike Yellin and Lloyd Stone. Non-playing volunteers are needed to help run the event. Details: Email [email protected] or the [email protected] or call Chhange at 732-224-1889.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host the following Earth Day events from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 27: Freneau Woods Park Visitor Center, Aberdeen Township. Join a park system Naturalist on a leisurely walk to look for returning birds, wandering wildlife, emergent buds, blooming wildflowers and other fun sights of spring. Binoculars provided. Tours depart approximately at 11 a.m., 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m.; and Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, Howell. There will be live animal shows featuring reptiles and amphibians and short walks led by a park system naturalist. Live animal shows at 11:30 a.m., 1 and 3:30 p.m.; nature walks at noon and 4 p.m. Details: 732-842-4000.
• Manalapan MRC-CERT will accept donations of clothing and household items from 9-11 a.m. May 11 at Manalapan town hall, Route 522. The following items may be donated: all articles of clothing, garments and accessories; shoes; stuffed animals; linen – including towels, sheets, blankets and small rugs and mats; bicycles; small electric appliances; costumes, wigs and hats; and some small furniture. Details: www.facebook/manalapanmrc-cert
• Boy Scout Troop 155, Freehold, is holding a clothing drive to raise funds for Seabase High Adventure Camp in the Florida Keys. Donations of gently worn clean clothing, shoes, handbags, linens, stuffed animals and small plastic toys would be appreciated. The pick-up date is June 1 in Freehold Township. Early donations are accepted. Call or text Allison Toth at 908-337-8701 for more information. Residents may call or text Nina Rizzo at 201-838-8318 to arrange a pick-up in the Millstone Township area.
• The 2019 Discussion Series will continue with “Medicare and You,” presented by Samantha White, a certified and trained State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselor. The program will be held at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold Township, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 29. The series is sponsored by Kathy Lo Bue, managing director, Glen Eagle Advisors LLC. Adults of all ages invited, refreshments provided. The series is free, non-sectarian and open to the community. RSVP to 732-866-6660.
• Demonstrations of a 19th century gristmill will be presented at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township, from 1-4 p.m. April 27-28. Demonstrations run through November. This is a free event. Details: 732-842-4000.
• Samaritan Center, a joint ministry of St. Thomas More and Old Tennent Presbyterian churches, operates a food pantry to provide supplementary food for those in need in Manalapan, Marlboro, Englishtown and Millstone Township. For information, call 732-446-1142 and make an appointment. Pickup dates are Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30-11:15 a.m. and Saturday from 9-11 a.m. Volunteers will gladly carry food to a client’s vehicle. Donations of funds and food are gratefully accepted to support the operation of the center. Volunteers are always welcome.
• A one-day event is planned for individuals and professionals who wish to broaden their understanding of hoarding disorder. Topics include assessment, case management models, intervention and more. The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2 at the Middlesex Fire Academy, Sayreville. Cost is $125. Approved for 6.0 CEUs for social work and occupational therapy. Offered by Atlantic County Hoarding Task Force, MHANJ in Atlantic County and Stockton University. To register, call 609-652-3800 or email [email protected]
• Rutgers Master Gardeners of Monmouth County will host their Spring Garden Days Plant Sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 18 (rain or shine) at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agriculture Building, 4000 Kozloski Road, Freehold Township. Cash or check only (no credit cards). There will be plants available for purchase, gardening presentations, garden tours, and a gardening Q&A with Master Gardeners. Details: 732-303-7614.
• Monmouth County will hold a paper shredding event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 12 at Colts Neck Town Hall, 124 Cedar Drive, Colts Neck. County residents may bring up to 100 pounds of documents to be shredded. Details: See the recycling section of the county website at www.VisitMonmouth.com or call 732-683-8686, ext. 6721.
• 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
• 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 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.
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.