Editor’s note: In light of recent events related to coronavirus, some organizations have decided to cancel their upcoming programs. Please check the status of any event before attending.
The five campuses of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools will hold outdoor graduations for the 474 members of the Class of 2020 at three locations on July 8 and 9.
The ceremonies for the Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge and the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies in Edison will be held July 8 in William Warren Park on Florida Grove Road in Woodbridge.
The Woodbridge Academy ceremony will be at 9 a.m., and the Edison Academy graduation will be at 11:30.
The ceremonies for the MCVTS East Brunswick Campus and the Piscataway Campus will be held July 9 on the soccer field on the East Brunswick Campus. The East Brunswick graduation will be at 9 a.m., and the Piscataway graduation at 11:30 a.m.
The graduation for the Perth Amboy Campus will be held July 9 at 9 a.m. on the softball field on the campus.
The rain date for all of the ceremonies will be July 10.
Each graduate will be allowed two guests. Family groups will be allowed to sit together, with proper spacing in between. There will be speeches by the valedictorian and salutatorian of each campus.
Custodians will sanitize the chairs in between the two ceremonies in Woodbridge and East Brunswick.
More information is available at www.mcvts.net.
Summerfest 2020 has been moved from June 6 to Sept. 5 in Merrill Park, Iselin section of Woodbridge. Mayor John McCormac said they hope to have a ceremony during the festival to recognize the residents who passed from COVID-19 and bring together family and loved ones to celebrate their lives as well as to celebrate hero first responders and health care professionals who put their lives on the line to protect and save others.
Woodbridge’s annual fireworks display has been moved from July 2 to Sept. 6 in Alvin P. Williams Park in the Sewaren section of the township.
Woodbridge will hold its summer concert series starting on July 6 – Doo Wop Monday nights of the ’50s and ’60s, Rock and Roll Tuesday night tribute bands from the ’70s and ’80s, Eclectic Wednesday nights, Local Band Thursday nights and Country Band Sundays – at Woodbridge High School to allow proper social distancing.
All shows will begin at 7:30 p.m.; shows on Sundays will begin at 6 p.m.
Concerts are free with food and refreshments for sale.
The township will collect boxes and cans of non-perishable foods at the shows for the local food pantries.
Edison’s Summer Playground Program for children ages 5-12 will run from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays, July 13 to Aug. 14.
A variety of children’s activities will be held on the playgrounds including arts & crafts, games and special events at Elder Park, John Marshall School Playground, Woodbrook School Playground and Yelencsics Park.
There is a $50 non-refundable registration fee for each child registered.
Sign up online at www.EdisonNJ.org, click on “Register for Recreation Now” and follow the instructions. The registration form can be brought to the Recreation Department, 100 Municipal Blvd., Edison, by appointment only. Mail in registration is not available.
Registration will end when the playground is full, or on July 6. Space is limited to the first 50 participants who register at each location.
All locations will follow CDC and New Jersey Department of Health COVID Guidelines.
For more information, call the Recreation Department between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays at 732-248-7310; or visit www.EdisonNJ.org and under Community Board highlight “Entertaining Edison” for a downloadable registration form.
The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy will open its summer day camp for the season on July 6 at four locations, including Camp Munsee at the Metuchen YMCA, Camp SAY at the South Amboy YMCA, Camp Lenape at the YMCA at the Piscataway Community Center and Camp Oakcrest at Oakcrest Day Camp.
The YMCA of MEWSA, following state and local requirements, has adapted several changes to its day-to-day operations including daily health screenings for campers and staff, smaller groups of campers, reduced capacity in group activities, staggered mealtimes to reduce crowds, cycling and rotating pool usage, and keeping campers’ personal belongings separated.
For more information, including registration and scholarship information, visit www.ymcaofmewsa.org/camp/information.
The annual spring cleanup in Edison has been rescheduled to the following dates:
If your regular recycle day is Monday, your cleanup day will be July 11.
If your regular recycle day is Tuesday, your cleanup day will be July 18.
If your regular recycle day is Wednesday, your cleanup day will be July 25.
If your regular recycle day is Thursday, your cleanup day will be Aug. 1.
If your regular recycle day is Friday, your cleanup day will be Aug. 8.
Collections begin at 6 a.m. Make arrangements for material to be curbside before 6 a.m. but no sooner than 48 hours prior to your date.
Acceptable items include sofas, chairs, tables, box spring or mattress wrapped and sealed in plastic, interior/exterior doors, vinyl/metal window frames, toilets, tanks separate from the toilet, and certain carpets.
Prohibited items include branches, pallets, washers, dryers, hot water heaters, metals, lawn mowers, bikes, electronics, TVs, computers, and construction materials.
The Edison Farmers Market is open from 1-3 p.m. every Wednesday at the Jade Dynasty parking lot, 925 Amboy Ave., through October.
The vendors include Asprocolas Acres, La Bonbonniere Bake Shop, Fresh Honey and Honey Products, Bebe’s All Natural and Elcha’s Eats.
For more information about pre-order and pickup, visit Asprocolasacres.com, la-bonbonniere-bake-shoppe.myshopify.com, www.countrybirdandgarden.net, bebesallnatural.com, and elchaseats.com.
The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy (MEWSA) is offering virtual learning support for children in grades K-8.
Childcare professionals and staff will help children complete school assignments through one-hour, live, one-on-one virtual tutoring sessions.
Also, coming soon is a Kindergarten Readiness Program that will provide learning activities in a small virtual class setting to help develop social-emotional, cognitive and language skills.
To register, visit www.ymcaofmewsa.org/child-care/distance-learning-support
The National Purple Heart Honor Mission is opening the nomination process for its 2021 Purple Heart Patriot Project. This multi-day salute to service will bring together Purple Heart heroes representing each state and territory in the nation to pay tribute to their courage and sacrifice on behalf of a grateful nation.
One Purple Heart recipient and an escort of their choosing from each state and territory will again be selected for an all-expenses-paid tribute filled with tours and ceremonies honoring their service and that of all those who have earned the Purple Heart. The four-day Patriot Project Mission will feature visits to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, historic Washington’s headquarters where the Badge of Military Merit originated in 1782, and a private tour of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor – the museum dedicated to paying tribute to our nation’s combat wounded. Other special tribute events are also being planned.
Anyone can nominate a Purple Heart recipient they know. Nominations must include a short description (up to 250 words) of why their nominee is deserving of this special recognition. Submissions can be sent via email to [email protected] or submitted via www.purpleheartmission.org/patriot-project.
Nominations will be accepted until Aug. 31. The Honor Mission will select three finalists from each state and territory and a national panel of Purple Heart recipients and other distinguished Americans will select the final honorees.
A complete list of honorees will be announced nationally on Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
The Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce has released dates for its 2020 events:
– Cruise nights, 6-8:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month through September (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.
The Metuchen Farmers Market is on, rain or shine, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Town Plaza, corner of New Street and Pearl Street, June to November.
Visit www.metuchenfarmersmarket.com
Cruise Nights are scheduled for 6-8:30 p.m. 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.
The 11th annual Metuchen Rescue Squad Benefit Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 9 at Metuchen High School, 400 Grove Ave., Metuchen.
Pre-registration cost is $10 by Aug. 5. Day of, cost is $15.
Spectators are free.
For more information, visit www.metrescuesquad.com.
The First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen (FPC) rescheduled its annual spring rummage sale for 5-8:30 p.m. on Sept. 25 and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 in the FPC Social Center, 270 Woodbridge Ave., Metuchen.
FPC will accept donations from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 21-24 in the church office.
The SAMHAJ (South Asian Mental Health Awareness in Jersey) Multicultural Picnic is planned for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 11 at Thompson Park Grove 4AB, Perrineville Road and Schoolhouse Road, Monroe.
The annual NAMIWalks is scheduled for Sept. 26 at the Boardwalk at Seaside Park.
For more information, visit www.naminj.org.
Nominations are being accepted in 10 categories for an annual recognition program to celebrate individuals, businesses and governments for extraordinary commitment to recycling.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in conjunction with the Association of New Jersey Recyclers, annually recognizes excellence in recycling to highlight program successes achieved by individuals, agencies, businesses and others whose efforts help keep New Jersey communities clean and healthy.
Applications may be submitted in these categories: Institution, Business, Retail Merchant, Government, Leadership, Rising Star, Recycling Industry, Outstanding Educator/Educational Program, Volunteer Citizen and Source Reduction/Resource Management/Sustainability.
Nominations are due by July 31 and awardees will be notified in September. Award winners will be honored at the Association of New Jersey Recyclers Symposium and Awards Luncheon scheduled Oct. 14 in Neptune.
To view the application and information packet, visit www.nj.gov/dep/dshw/recycling/awards.htm or www.recycle.nj.gov.
The Community Health Law Project (CHLP) has extended the deadline for nominations of candidates for the Ann Klein Advocate Awards and Mike Lione Accessibility Award to recognize those who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of people living with disabilities through Oct. 17.
The Ann Klein Advocate Award is given to a group of select individuals and organizations, nominated by the public, who have performed exemplary work as advocates for people living with disabilities and/or vulnerable populations.
The award is named in memory of Ann Klein, former commissioner of the NJ Department of Human Services, whose career as a public servant, legislator and social worker paved the way for significant advances in the human services systems throughout the State of New Jersey.
The Mike Lione Accessibility Award was established in 2013 in memory of longtime Community Health Law Project Board Member and former Chair Mike Lione. This award is presented to an individual or entity that has performed exemplary work as an advocate for accessibility on behalf of persons living with disabilities.
For more information, visit www.chlp.org or call 973-275-1175.