• The Jackson Library, 2 Jackson Drive, Jackson, is seeking yarn donations. The Knit-Chat-Chain volunteers make items with yarn to donate to individuals in need. Donations of four-ply worsted yarn may be dropped off at the Circulation Desk during the library’s hours of operation. Details: 732-928-4400.
• New Jersey Blood Services will conduct blood drives in March that are open to the public at the following locations: March 3, Howell Donor Center, 4068 Route 9 South, Howell, 1-8 p.m.; March 4, Howell Donor Center, 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.; March 5, Howell Donor Center, 2-9 p.m.; March 10, Howell Donor Center, 1-8 p.m.; March 11, Howell Donor Center, 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.; March 12, Howell Donor Center, 2-9 p.m.; March 15, Hope Cathedral Leadership Center, 46 Bennetts Mills Road, Jackson, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To donate blood or for information about how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org
• The At Lib Players of Jackson Liberty High School, Jackson, will present the musical “Footloose” at the following times: Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m., and Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Seating is reserved. Tickets at the door will be $15 for students and senior citizens, and $18 for adults.
• Residents of all 55-and-over communities are invited to attend a complimentary full performance of Howell High School’s “Bring it On! The Musical” at 2:45 p.m. Feb. 27, to be followed immediately by dinner and dessert, provided by the Freehold Regional Education Association. Howell High School is at 405 Squankum-Yellowbrook Road, Howell. RSVP is requested via email to [email protected] by Feb. 20.
• The Howell Heritage and Historical Society will present a talk explaining how the custom of giving flowers and/or candy on Feb. 14 began. The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Ardena Baptist Church Hall, Adelphia Road, Howell. All are invited to listen to history enthusiast Lynn Barrall, a former school nurse, explain. Attendees may bring vintage Valentine’s Day cards to display/share. Light refreshments will be served. This program is free.
• The N.J. 782nd AFJROTC of Jackson Memorial High School and Jackson Liberty High School will host the 2020 gift auction on March 28 at Jackson Memorial High School. Doors open at 5 p.m. and calling starts at 6:15 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Guests may bring food to share with their table (no alcohol). Entrance tickets are $40; pre-sale extra bundles are available. RSVP with payment by March 16. Details: Email [email protected]
• Judy Russell, the Legal Genealogist, will speak at the Monmouth County Genealogy Society meeting on March 8 at the Community Center, 72 Broad St., Eatontown. Russell will speak on “Doing Time – Prison Records as Genealogy Resources.” There will be refreshments and networking at 1:30 p.m., followed by the business meeting and
speaker at 2 p.m. Admission is free and the public is welcome. Details: 732-747-0090.
• Monmouth County has scheduled paper shredding events for county residents. The shredding events will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations: July 25, Memorial/Adelphia schools, 485 Adelphia Road, Howell. County residents may bring up to 100 pounds of documents to be shredded. Large binder clips must be removed from documents; staples and paper clips can remain. The service is free. Details: Visit the recycling section of www.visitmonmouth.com or call 732-683-8686, ext. 8967.
• Knights of Columbus Council 11529, St. Monica’s Church, Jackson, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a banquet on March 28 at the Venetian at the Lakewood Country Club. The Council supports many parish and community needs, and national charities such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Special Olympics and Handicapped Children. For more information about the event, visit www.kofc11529.org or email [email protected]
• A class reunion for all Lakewood High School graduates will be held on Aug. 22-23. All proceeds from the event will benefit students with financial difficulties so they may attend college. On the afternoon of Aug. 22, there will be guided tours at the Sheldon Wolpin Historical Museum, Lakewood. From 7-11 p.m. Aug. 22, there will be a casual get-together at the Lakewood Country Club. Cost is $50 per person. From 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 23, there will be a continental breakfast at the historical museum. Cost is $10 per person. Details: Judie Bloom Singer, 732-364-7854 or [email protected] or June Passadin D’Elia, 732-363-4695 or [email protected]
• New Jersey Blood Services is conducting blood drives which are open to the public. The following blood drives are scheduled to be held at the Howell Donor Center, 4068 Route 9 South, Howell: Feb. 19, 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.; Feb. 20, 2-9 p.m.; Feb. 25, 1-8 p.m.; Feb. 26, 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.; and Feb. 27, 2-9 p.m. To donate blood or for information about how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org
• In commemoration of Black History Month, the Jackson Library will host “Oney Judge, Martha Washington’s Slave,” at 2 p.m. Feb. 22. Interpretive performer Alex Ford will take attendees into the perilous life of Oney Judge, who served America’s first President and First Lady. Registration is required for this free event. To register, call 732-928-4400.
• The Monmouth County Division of Consumer Affairs will host “Fraud Watch” at 10 a.m. Feb. 25 at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan. Consumer Affairs Director David M. Salkin will give the latest overview about consumer fraud alerts and latest scams. Registration is required to ensure the Division of Consumer Affairs has sufficient materials for attendees. To register, call 732-431-7220, ext. 7222.
• The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is accepting applications for its 2020 scholarship
program. Potential candidates must be New Jersey residents currently enrolled in (and in good standing at) an accredited college or university, with at least 15 credits completed and an academic average equivalent to a 3.0 or higher. The scholarships are for residents who are pursuing degrees in environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, park administration and related fields. Deadline to apply is April 1. Applications can be downloaded from www.tlc-nj.org or obtained by calling 973-541-1010, ext. 14.
• The fifth annual Home Garden Symposium presented by the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Monmouth County will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 28 at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Monmouth County Agriculture Building, 4000 Kozloski Road, Freehold Township. There will be lectures, demonstrations, exhibits about invasive species and more. Pre-registration ($10) is required. Vist tinyurl.com/HomeGarden2020. Details: Email [email protected] or 732-303-7614.
• The Jackson Library will present “Birdcage Bookcraft” at 3 p.m. March 25. Attendees will learn how to create beautiful, Victorian style birdcages from used books. Lace, flowers, beads and more will be provided for use as decorative trim. Registration is required for this free event. To register, contact the branch, 732-928-4400.
• The Jackson Library will host a program to commemorate Rare Disease Day at 2 p.m. Feb. 29. The program will be streamed live via https://www.facebook.com/oceancountylibrary. Amanda Rutherford of Brick Township will share her experiences in coping with cystic fibrosis. Registration is required for this free program. To register, call the branch at 732-928-4400. Register for the live stream at www.tinyurl.com/livestreamed
• Monmouth County Park System will sponsor a bus trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show on March 6. Bus leaves at 11:30 a.m. from Thompson Park, Lincroft, and returns at 8:30 p.m. An additional trip is planned for March 7 (same times). The cost is $82 per person and pre-registration is required. Details: www.MonmouthCountyParks.com or call 732-842-4000, ext. 1.
• The Fresh Air Fund’s Friendly Towns Program is seeking local families to host children from New York City this summer. The Fresh Air Fund has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. First time Fresh Air children are boys and girls, ages 7 to 13, who live in New York City. Details: Karen Medlin, 732-740-0449, or visit www.FreshAir.org
• “Fine Feathered Friends: Birds as Mainstay and Muse” is open at the New Jersey State Museum, Trenton. The exhibition brings the fun of bird watching indoors through nearly 200 rarely seen artifacts and specimens exploring birds as an ecological mainstay and their role as a design-inspiring force, or muse, for New Jersey artisans. The exhibition will be on view through Sept. 13. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday; closed on Mondays and state holidays. Details: www.statemuseum.nj.gov
• The New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, is presenting “Preserving the Pinelands: Albert Horner’s Portraits of a National Treasure.” The exhibition features images by photographer Albert Horner which capture the quiet beauty and intimate landscapes of New Jersey’s Pinelands National Reserve. A number of artifacts and scientific specimens from the museum’s collections help tell some of the stories of the land, animals, people and industries that make this unique area a state and national treasure. “Preserving the Pinelands” will be on view through June 28. Details: www.statemuseum.nj.gov
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please submit items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.