Community Bulletin Board: Criterion Sentinel (for June 9)

“Louis Armstrong 101: The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong,” by Ricky Riccardi, director of Research Collections for the Louis Armstrong House Museum, will be held virtually at 3 p.m. June 13.

The livestream event is the initial presentation in a new Jazz Education Series, jointly sponsored by the Metuchen Arts Council-Jazz and the New Jersey Jazz Society.

The presentation will be available on the New Jersey Jazz Society website, njjs.org, as well as the NJJS Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Attendance is free, but donations are encouraged.

To register, log on to https://bit.ly/3iaEWqt.

Future Jazz Education presentations will be: July 18, “Jeru’s Journey: The Life & Music of Gerry Mulligan” by Sanford Josephson, author of Mulligan’s biography of the same name and editor of “Jersey Jazz” magazine;

Sept. 19, “Nat King Cole@100 (NKC100) by Will Friedwald, music writer and author of “Straighten Up & Fly Right: The Life & Music of Nat King Cole”;

Oct. 18, “An Informal Survey of the Great Baritone Saxophonists” by baritone saxophonist Frank Basile, a member of the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Band; and

Nov. 21, “Ellington and Strayhorn: Alone and Together” by David Hajdu, Columbia University professor, music critic for “The Nation,” and author of “Lush Life,” a biography of Billy Strayhorn.

One additional program will be announced later.

New Jersey State Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) COVID Crisis Fund is supporting the rising demand for medical oxygen for hospitals in India.

Make a check payable to AAPI and mail to Dr. Binod Sinha, 4 Progress St., Suite A9, Edison 08820.

Or, visit https://njstateaapi.org/donation-for-medical-oxygen-to-india/ to donate online.

The Metuchen Farmers Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through November.

Walk up only; no curbside or drive-through.

For updates, visit www.metuchenfarmersmarket.com

The Edison Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its 2021 Distinguished Awards, including chamber member, outstanding business, citizen, organization, non-profit, hotel/restaurant/hospitality, entrepreneur, young entrepreneur, vocational student, veterans business, and educator of the year.

Deadline to apply is June 15.

For complete details, visit www.edisonchamber.com

NAMI New Jersey will hold its virtual annual meeting and conference from 6-8 p.m. June 18 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 19. Meeting times are tentative.

The meeting will recognize the efforts of mental health advocates to improve the lives of those affected by mental illness. These awards are presented to affiliate leaders, individuals and families affected by mental illness, community leaders, mental health service providers, law enforcement officers, educators, legislators and media.

The theme is “Growing Through Adversity, Embracing Resilience.”

Registration information will be released.

For more information, visit naminj.org

The Edison Recreation Department will hold a youth football camp for residents and non-residents ages 6-18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 24 at Edison High School, 50 Blvd. of the Eagles, Edison.

Children will learn the drills and skills of football in a fun and energetic environment. This camp will teach the fundamentals of the game and allow participants to interact with some of the Jersey Sharks Minor League Football Players. All aspects of football will be covered including the importance of fair play, teamwork and good sportsmanship. Participants will learn how to achieve success on and off the field.

Make sure your child wears comfortable clothing and cleats or sneakers. Face masks must be worn at all times and social distancing rules will apply.

The price to attend is $25 per child.

Camp t-shirts and lunch will be provided for all participants.

Registration is open through June 22. To register, visit register.capturepoint.com/Edison or access Community Pass via the township website under Recreation.

For more information, call the Edison Recreation Department at 732-248-7310.

The Woodbridge Township Farmers Market will begin June 26, and be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday in the Town Hall parking lot, 1 Main St., Woodbridge.

Parking will be available at the NJ Transit lot on Eleanor Street.

Face coverings required. Social distancing will be expected.

Camp Middlesex, a summer enrichment program for children age 7-15, will return for the summer.

Camp runs from June 28 to Aug. 20 at the college’s Edison campus.

While most programs will be in person, there is also a virtual component for those who prefer that option.

Each week, children choose a program that combines two classes, which have been paired together to create an all-day experience in areas such as sports, crafts, STEM, Super Science for Kids, computers and theater.

There is also an option to take classes in a “virtual Live” setting, in which campers sign up and participate at a set time from their home computers. These include cupcake making, drawing, genealogy, poetry and painting.

The new theater camp will run both morning and afternoon, and is centered on musical theater.

For those students interested in science, math and technology, Camp Middlesex offers Black Rocket courses, which run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. They include Minecraft Designers, eSports, Creating Video Games, Virtual Reality, Robotics, and many others. These classes are run on-site, but there is also a virtual option, in which campers can participate from home.

For more information, visit middlesexcc.edu/Camp-Middlesex or call 732-906-2556.

The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy (MEWSA) is once again offering the Ryan Patterson Memorial Scholarship for teen youth within Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge, South Amboy and Piscataway, who are pursuing higher education in the fall of 2021.

The Ryan Patterson Memorial Scholarship was established several years ago in honor of late Metuchen Branch YMCA swim coach and mentor, Ryan Marie Patterson. Ryan was 27 years old. As a teen, she began as a member and coach of the Metuchen Branch YMCA Manta Ray swim team. She attended Colgate University, graduating with honors with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She then received her Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University in the Bronx.

The recipient must strive for excellence in academics, sports or the arts. In addition, they must demonstrate that they have made an impact in their community through volunteer work, a service project or other means, live by the golden rule, have influenced others in a positive way and advocated for others who are less fortunate.

There is no grade point average that is required to apply for this scholarship.

The scholarship can be used to fund the recipient’s higher education cost.

The final scholarship award amount for 2021 is $2,000.

Applications are available at www.ymcaofmewsa.org/giving/ryan-patterson-memorial-scholarship. All submissions must be made electronically through the website.

All applications must be received by June 30. The committee will notify the scholarship recipient in July and they will receive their scholarship at a small presentation in August.

For more information, contact Veronica Vargas at [email protected]

The Edison Recreation Department Teen Center is now open at the Minnie B. Veal Community Center.

Open basketball is held from 3-5 p.m. weekdays, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, and from noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

All teens must have a valid Teen Center Membership I.D. to participate in teen activities.

The half-year non-refundable membership for teens is $5 per resident and $10 per non-resident and is valid from July 1 to Dec. 31.

Sign up online at www.edisonnj.org. Click on “Register for Recreation Now” and follow the instructions.

All members must adhere to the Teen Center rules.

For more information, call the Edison Recreation Department Monday through Friday at 732-248-7310 or the Minnie B. Veal Community Center at 732-248-7316.

The Daniel Anderl Love is Light 5K will be held July 17 at North Brunswick Community Park, 2053 Route 130, to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Anderl, who was killed in his North Brunswick home on July 19, 2020.

Rain date is July 18.

The event will benefit the St. Joseph High School Daniel Anderl ’18 Memorial Scholarship Fund. Anderl graduated from the Metuchen private school in 2018.

The cost in advance is $25, or $25-$35 in person the day of.

To register, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/Info/NJ/NorthBrunswickCommunityParkNorthBrunswick/InauguralDanielLoveisLight5K

Or, to donate to the scholarship fund, visit https://alumni.stjoes.org/g/daniel-anderl-18-memorial-fund

The Metuchen Rescue Squad Benefit Car-Truck-Motorcycle Show is planned for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 8 in the Halsey Street Parking Lot by the American Legion Hall, 17 Calvin Pl., Metuchen. Rain date is Aug. 15.

The pre-registration cost before Aug. 1 is $10 per carload for show vehicles. On the day of, admission is $15.

Admission for spectators is free.

For more information, visit www.metrescuesquad.com

The Edison Police Department is seeking applicants to serve as auxiliary police officers.

Auxiliary police officers are unpaid volunteer positions open to U.S. citizen, age 18 or older, with a high school diploma or a G.E.D, and a valid N.J. driver’s license.

Applicants must be in good physical condition and able to pass a criminal background check and interview.

The applicants should be Edison residents, or live in towns near Edison that do not have auxiliary police officers of their own.

The auxiliary police officers augment the Edison Police Department by assisting with traffic control functions, crowd control and security, road closures, extra patrols in parks and public properties, and may be dispatched to emergency or disaster situations.

All applicants, if selected, will be required to attend the Middlesex County Auxiliary Police Academy which will tentatively start in May or June and extend for six weeks. The training will occur on most Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and a few Saturdays during that period of time.

Applicants for auxiliary police officer should contact Lt. Robert J. Dudash Jr. at 732-248-6442 or [email protected].

Applications can be downloaded from www.edisonnj.org or www.edisonpoliceaux.com

Completed applications must be mailed or dropped off to the Edison Police Department, Patrol Bureau, 100 Municipal Blvd., Edison 08817, Attention: Lt. Robert J. Dudash Jr.

Applications must be submitted by no later than 4 p.m. to be considered for the 2021 appointment process.

North Brunswick PBA Local 160 announced the return of its annual Cops & Rodders Car Show for Sept. 19. Rain date will be Sept. 26.

More details will be announced.

For more information, email [email protected]

The YMCA of MEWSA (Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge and South Amboy) will host its annual Richard Hale Memorial Golf Classic on Oct. 7 at the Metuchen Golf and Country Club in Edison.

This fundraiser supports the Y’s Send a Kid to Camp Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to children from underserved families in the community.

In 2020, the Y provided more than $12,000 in camp scholarship funds which provided peace of mind for families facing economic challenges. With these scholarships, campers are less likely to experience summer learning loss and become inactive.

Camp provides access to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) programming, swimming, sports, arts and crafts and more.

The fundraiser starts with lunch and a Bloody Mary bar, a shotgun start at 12:25 p.m., followed by an open bar and dinner, along with several events including a wine pull, raffles and a 50/50 raffle.

Sponsorship opportunities are available which are tax deductible and include recognition in all promotional materials, press releases and in the event program.

For more information, visit www.ymcaofmewsa.org/golf-classic; or contact Catherine Haugh at 732-516-9200, ext. 2083 or [email protected].

The National Alliance on Mental Illness will hold its 2021 walk, NAMIWalks NJ Your Way: A United Day of Hope, virtually on Oct. 9

For more information, visit namiwalks.org/newjersey

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Ongoing

Keep Middlesex Moving has developed a transportation finder to help seniors find a ride to their COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

The tool allows users to see what transportation options are available at almost all of the 40-plus vaccination sites in Middlesex County.

For more information, visit https://kmm.org/

The Middlesex County Regional COVID-19 Vaccine Mega-site, operated by RWJBarnabas Health, is seeking volunteers to assist in the efficiency of the registration and vaccination process and help visitors feel comfortable.

Volunteers of the mega-site, located at the New Jersey Convention & Expo Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison, will greet patients and visitors; perform temperature screenings; direct patients through various steps of the vaccination process; provide education materials; and assist with maintaining the registration area and supplying vaccination stations.

Volunteers do not administer vaccines.

Those who apply to volunteer must be a minimum of 18 years old and will be subject to a background check and a drug screen, and will need to sign a confidentiality statement. 

College students requiring community service hours are also eligible to volunteer. RWJBarnabas Health will track hours and provide written verification for those who need it.

Volunteers must commit through June to at least two shifts per week from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.; or one full day from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with an hour break for lunch. Shifts are available seven days a week.

Send your name, phone number, email address, desired start date and your availability to [email protected].

Middlesex County’s Parks and Recreation Department will accept reservations for picnic groves at nine county parks via a new online reservation system.

 The parks included in this new reservation system include Alvin Williams Park in Woodbridge; Donaldson Park in Highland Park; Fords Park in Woodbridge; Johnson Park in Piscataway; Joseph Medwick Park in Carteret; Merrill Park in Woodbridge; Roosevelt Park in Edison; Thompson Park in Monroe; Warren Park in Woodbridge.

These picnic groves offer visitors a socially distanced way to host picnics and small gatherings in an outdoor setting. 

Fees vary for each location and are contingent on the Executive Order in place at the time of event.

To reserve a picnic grove online and view a list of accommodations provided at each grove such as electrical outlets, charcoal grills, shelter, etc., visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov/About/ParksRecreation/Pages/PR/Reservations.aspx. 

A list of rules and regulations for the use of picnic areas will be listed on that page.

Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick has launched the Substance Abuse and Addiction Loss Support Group for families who are coping with loss due to addiction.

The free and confidential support group meets virtually on the second Thursday of every month from 7-8:30 p.m.

Inspired by Saint Peter’s Opioid Task Force, the Substance Abuse and Addiction Loss Support Group is for families and close loved ones of people who have passed away from addiction.

The support group is open to everyone in New Jersey and serves as a safe space for families to discuss their grief.

To join the Substance Abuse and Addiction Loss Support Group, call Jeanne Delacruz, a social worker at Saint Peter’s who facilitates the support group, at 732-745-8522 or email [email protected]

Gain stability from an in-demand occupation; apply for a Women’s Center career training grant from Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County.

Qualified persons who are active members of the JFS Women’s Center must submit an application and attend an interview. Grants are available for short-term training programs for in-demand jobs.

Eligible candidates must qualify as a “displaced homemaker,” a woman who is a single mother, divorced, separated, widowed, or living with a disabled spouse/partner.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, email [email protected]