Community Bulletin Board: Criterion Sentinel (for March 18)

 

 

A cabaret brunch is planned for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 22 at the Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County, 1775 Oak Tree Road, Edison, sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Metro Jersey Section and the JCC.

The featured guest artist is singer Naomi Miller.

The cost is $25 per person through March 17.  Registration is required. Call 732-494-3232 or email [email protected] to attend. Checks must be made out to the JCC of Middlesex County. Cash accepted in person at the JCC.

 

 

 

Enjoy a light brunch and cabaret show “Aging Schmaging” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 22 at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Middlesex County, 1775 Oak Tree Road, Edison.

Early bird price of $18 will be offered through March 10. Regular price of $25 will be available from March 11-17.

Registration is required. For more information, contact Paula Rann at [email protected] or 732-494-3232 or Elaine Kaufman at [email protected].

 

 

The Metuchen Parent Teacher Council’s PTC Night Out: We are the 80s Party will be held on March 20.

The fundraiser supports all four Metuchen public schools.

Donations of baskets, gift cards and money are sought from local businesses. Email [email protected] or call 718-637-4867 for more information.

 

 

Seasonal care of houseplants is the topic of the Garden Club of Metuchen’s meeting at 7 p.m. on April 6 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Fryer Hall, 17 Oak Ave., Metuchen. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. for light refreshments.

Leslie Dempsey will address plant care, plant emergencies and orchid care.

Bring plants for diagnosis and prescription.

 

St. Francis Cathedral School will hold an open house for its preschool and Kindergarten programs at 7 p.m. on April 2 at the school, 45 Library Pl., Metuchen.

For more information, call 732-548-3107 or visit www.stfranciscathedralschool.org.

 

 

Learn about Amelia Earhart – the Woman, the Pilot, the Legend – at 1:30 p.m. on April 28 at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Middlesex County, 1775 Oak Tree Road, Edison.

Irene Curran, a retired teacher from Monroe, and literary lecturer, will present about America’s favorite female pilot and her visit to Earhart’s childhood hometown of Athcison, Kansas, and theories about her disappearance.

Cost is $8 for JCC Members; $11 for non-members.

For more information, call 732-593-5958.

 

The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy is holding a silly photo contest through April 28.

Submit a photo of a child being silly and be entered to win one free week of day camp at one of 10 locations.

One winner will be chosen in May.

To enter, visit ymcaofmewsa.org/camp/2020-silly-photo-contest

 

 

One in 8 Middlesex County residents are food insecure – meaning they don’t have reliable, affordable access to nutritious foods and necessities.

The holidays are over but the need for food donations has not ended. MCFOODS (Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services) is running low on items such as macaroni and cheese, rice, spaghetti, peanut butter, tuna fish, canned fruits and vegetables.

Consider hosting a food drive with your business, school, civic group or athletic team. MCFOODS can provide containers and transportation of items back to the warehouse. A flyer is attached that can be used or personalized to promote a collection.

Individual donations can be dropped off at the libraries in East Brunswick, Edison, Metuchen, Monroe, Piscataway, Plainsboro and Woodbridge.

MCFOODS is also in need of volunteers to help at the warehouse, offer professional expertise, assist at local events and host a food drive.

For more information, contact Jennifer Apostol, MCFOODS director, by calling 609-409-5033, emailing [email protected] or visiting www.mciauth.com.

 

The Middlesex County Board of Elections is seeking poll workers for the Primary Election on June 2. In addition to receiving a stipend of $200 for the day, poll workers perform a valuable civic service by helping to ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their right to vote.

Any county resident who is 18 years or older, registered to vote in Middlesex County and can speak English is qualified to become a poll worker. High school students (16 or 17 years old) can serve as poll workers if they are a United States citizen, a resident of Middlesex County, can speak English and have written permission from his or her parent or guardian and high school representative.

While all individuals are welcome to apply, the county’s focus is recruiting poll workers to assist the county’s large demographics of voters who speak English and at least one of the following languages: Spanish, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean.

No experience is needed. Before Election Day, each poll worker attends a single-session training course.

Those interested in becoming poll workers are advised to apply now in order to reserve a spot. For more information and to obtain an application, call the Middlesex County Board of Elections at 732-745-3471.

 

The Winter Farmers Market in Metuchen has been moved to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 17 Oak Ave., Metuchen.

Winter market hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. once a month on March 21, April 11 and May 9.

 

 

 

Join members of the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Middlesex County on March 26 for a trip to the Brooklyn Museum for a guided tour of “Studio 54: Night Magic,” a new exhibit which traces the history, social politics and trailblazing aesthetics of one of the most iconic nightclubs of all time.

Bus will leave at 9 a.m. from the JCC, 1775 Oak Tree Road, Edison, and return at approximately 4 p.m.

Cost is $69 for JCC members, $79 for non-members, and includes transportation, admission, guided tour and lunch on your own in one of the museum’s restaurants.

Register by March 15. Call Diane Mael at 732-494-3232.

 

 

Prudential Center, Entercom and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation have announced the Sixth Annual Mikey Strong Charity Hockey Game, presented by M&M’S, to benefit spinal cord research and quality of life initiatives at 7 p.m. on March 27 at Prudential Center in Newark.

Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti, hosts of Entercom station WFAN (WFAN-FM/AM) morning show “Boomer & Gio,” will host the two-period charity game and be joined by notable NHL Alumni, including Bruce Driver, Colin White, Marek Zidlicky, Randy Velischek, Jim Dowd, Tommy Albelin and Ken Daneyko.

General admission tickets are priced at $25 and are on sale at NewJerseyDevils.com/MikeyStrong.

Prudential Center doors will open at 6 p.m. First 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a voucher for two complimentary tickets to a select New Jersey Devils game during the 2020-21 season and a voucher for two complimentary tickets to a select New York Yankees game during the 2020 season.

Fans should tag #MikeyStrong, #JoinReeve, @Prucenter and @ReeveFoundation in their social media posts.

Proceeds from the game will go to the Nichols Family Trust to provide for Nichols’ medical needs, as well as the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals living with paralysis. Nichols, a Monroe resident, was 17 when on Jan. 4, 2014, he was playing for the Monroe High School hockey team when he suffered an injury that left him paralyzed from a fractured C5 vertebrae.

For more information, visit NewJerseyDevils.com/MikeyStrong.

 

North Brunswick PBA Local 160 will hold its 25th annual Cops & Rodders Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 26 in the parking lot next to DeVry University, 630 Route 1 north, North Brunswick.

To register a car or learn about sponsorships, contact Officer Joseph Grasso or Officer Shawn McCorry at [email protected].

 

The Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce has released dates for its 2020 events:

– Town-wide garage sale, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 25

– Spring street fair, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17

– Cruise nights, 6-8:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month from May to September (May 6, June 3, July 1, Aug. 5, Sept. 2)

– Restaurant Week, July 13-19

– Metuchen Country Fair, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 3

For details or vendor/sponsor information, visit www.metuchenchamberexchange.com.

 

Guidelines for the annual NAMI NJ (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Dara Axelrod Expressive Arts Mental Health Poetry Contest include:

* Poem should be in keeping with the theme of how your superpowers helped you battle your challenges with mental illness

* Poem must be typewritten. If sent electronically, do not send PDF files.

* Poem should be no longer than 40 lines.

* Fill out a media release form to accompany your entry.

* Provide a cover letter that includes your name, email (if available), mailing address and phone number.

The contest submission deadline is March 25.

Mail typed entries to NAMI NJ Poetry Contest, 1562 Route 130, North Brunswick 08902. Or, email your entry with the signed media release form to [email protected].

April is the National Poetry Month and May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

 

The Heart of Oneness Holistic Expo will be held March 27-29 at the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison.

Reiki, crystals, psychic readings, workshops and aura photography.

Hours are 5-9 p.m. on March 27, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 28 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 29.

Free tote for the first 150 attendees at the door on March 28 and 29.

For more information and tickets, visit www.heartofonenessholisticexpo.com.

 

 

The Antonia Maria Foundation and Day One Sober Living will hold their 2020 spring gala, Celebrate a New Day, from 7-11 p.m. on April 3 at the South Gate Manor, Freehold.

The second annual gala will launch the partnership with Day One to help revolutionize sober living care for women in New Jersey. Together, the two organizations will be opening Leo’s House, a recovery home for women following in the footsteps of Gracie’s House. Both are located in North Brunswick.

For information on tickets or sponsorship, call 732-823-8350.

 

The Winter Farmers Market in Metuchen has been moved to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 17 Oak Ave., Metuchen.

Winter market hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. once a month on April 11 and May 9.

 

The 74th annual Bernie Cohn Golf Classic will be held on May 14 at Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Dr., Monroe, by the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Tee off is 9 a.m.

Sign up at mcrcc.org.

 

 

The Barron Arts Center will present Suffragette State, The Politics of Art & Culture, featuring the Diane Perry Folk Ensemble, at 7:30 p.m. on May 8 at the center, 582 Rahway Ave., Woodbridge.

Free admission, but reservations are required by calling 732-634-0413.

 

Cruise Nights are scheduled for 6-8:30 p.m. May 6, June 3, July 1, Aug. 5 and Sept. 2 in Downtown Metuchen, sponsored by the Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce. Rain dates are the following Wednesdays.

Call 732-548-2964 or email [email protected] for more information.

 

Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County will hold its One Community Gala for 2020 at 5 p.m. on June 14 at Classical Caterers at Congregation B’Nai Tikvah, 1001 Finnegans Lane, North Brunswick.

Dinner, dancing and auction.

Honorees include community leaders David and Ellen Rabinowitz, BCB Bank and Vincent Davis, and Bill Neary.

Sponsorship opportunities and journal ads are available.

For more information, email [email protected] or [email protected], or call 732-777-1940.

 

 

The Winter Farmers Market in Metuchen will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 9 at St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 17 Oak Ave., Metuchen.

 

The New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning and PNC Bank are inviting New Jersey students in grades 2-12 to take part in the 17th annual PNC Bank “American Patriot Essay Contest” by writing a short essay on the topic “What the American Flag Means to Me.”

The Grand Prize winner will receive the opportunity to take a ride in a 75-foot-tall hot air balloon in front of their classmates at their school in June and then fly in one of the 100 hot air balloons at this year’s 38th annual balloon fest, scheduled for July 24-26 at Solberg Airport in Readington.

The Festival VIP Grand Prize package includes a hot air balloon ride for two, four Blue Sky Club VIP tickets, and the opportunity to meet one of this year’s concert headliners.

This year’s winning student’s immediate classmates will each receive one complimentary general admission ticket to the Festival. Second-place and third-place prizes consisting of festival admission and merchandise will be also awarded. The winning student’s teacher and school principal will each receive two Blue Sky Club VIP tickets.

All teachers in the state who submit a group of 15 essays or more on behalf of their students will receive two free general admission tickets to the festival regardless of whether one of their students submits the winning essay.

The essays must be 100 words or less. They will be judged by a panel of representatives from PNC Bank and the balloon festival. Winning essays will be selected based on creativity, poignancy and clarity with consideration given to the grade level of the contestant.

Entries should be mailed to Essay Judges, New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning, 363 Route 46 West, Suite 200, Fairfield 07004; or emailed to [email protected]. Entries should include the student’s name, grade and age; the school name, address and telephone number; and the name of their teacher and the teacher’s school email address.

The deadline to enter is May 1.

Additional information may be found at www.balloonfestival.com/pncessay.

 

The fourth annual Celebrate Middlesex County event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 13 at Roosevelt Park, Parsonage Road, Edison.

Enjoy roller skating, a fishing derby, live music, entertainment, food trucks and hands-on activities.

For more information, visit middlesexcountynj.gov/celebrate.

 

The Redhawk Native American Arts Council will hold its annual Raritan Pow Wow from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., rain or shine, on June 20 and 21 at the Middlesex County Fairgrounds, 655 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.

There will be Native American dancers, singers, artists, vendors, crafts, performing groups and food.

Grand entry of dancers is at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. both days.

The cost is $12 for adults and teens, $8 for children ages 6-12, $10 for seniors age 65 and older, $10 for students, and $35 online only for family four-packs.

Parking is free.

Bring lawn chairs. Leashed pets welcome.

 

For more information, visit www.redhawkcouncil.org. For tickets, visit raritanpw2020.eventbrite.com.