Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, serving more than 11,000 members in Monmouth and Ocean counties, recently recognized 132 local Girl Scout Juniors who completed the
Girl Scout Bronze Award requirements.
The Girl Scout Bronze Award is one of the highest honors awarded to a Girl Scout in the fourth or fifth grade at the Junior Level. Each Bronze Award project is centered around making a significant contribution to the community, according to a press release.
On June 1 the Girl Scouts’ Program Activity Center in Howell welcomed 132 girls, along with their troop leaders, family members and friends, as they were recognized and honored for completing Bronze Award Take Action projects that make the world a better place, according to the press release.
The girls were recognized for completing projects that addressed food security and youth literacy, for organizing care boxes for foster children, survival kits for seniors and blessing bags for the homeless. The girls addressed plastic pollution, water safety and the ecosystem. They spent time at pet shelters, food pantries and hospitals, according to the press release.
The girls were encouraged to complete their journey with Girl Scouts by working toward their Silver and Gold awards, according to the press release.
Monmouth Arts has announced plans for a “Golden Celebration” honoring influential contributors, supporters and members of the arts including Chef David Burke, musician Jake Clemons, actor Vincent Pastore, restaurateur Marilyn Schlossbach and the Junior League of Monmouth County.
The celebration of 50 years of art will take place on Sept. 23 in The Garden at the Blu Grotto in Oceanport, according to a press release.
The evening’s musical guests will feature the Moroccan Sheepherders. Ticket prices start at $185 and further information, including sponsorship opportunities, can be found at monmoutharts.org/goldencelebration
“For 50 years, Monmouth Arts has made the arts possible in Monmouth County,” said Teresa Staub, executive director, Monmouth Arts. “Since our inception, we have supported thousands of artists, arts organizations, students and art affiliates through unique arts programming, a wide array of services and millions of dollars in arts funding.
“The ‘Golden Celebration’ this September promises to be the arts’ biggest night of the year. The event will welcome and honor some of the most inspiring and recognizable creatives, supporters and stars who have impacted Monmouth County. We will not only celebrate our organization’s many accomplishments, but also pay tribute to all those who made our work possible,” Staub said.
The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners has announced that the Monmouth County Health Department Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) has been awarded honorable mention recognition for Community Response during the COVID-19 pandemic in General Response Multi-Mission Efforts.
The U.S. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced that the health department’s MRC received the honorable mention designation at the MRC Program Recognition Awards webinar in April, according to a press release from the county.
The ASPR leads the nation’s medical and public health preparedness for response to and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies.
“I am thrilled to announce that through their dedication and hard work, our health department’s Medical Reserve Corps has been recognized for Community Response during the COVID-19 pandemic in the area of General Response in Multi-Mission Efforts for the second year in a row,” Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone said.
“The MRC was instrumental in providing health-related services to our communities during the public health crisis by contributing to the COVID-19 emergency response efforts in 2020 and 2021,” he said.
The health department’s MRC is made up of more than 200 volunteers from various backgrounds and professions who are trained and prepared to respond to emergencies. The MRC provides education, outreach and health services to Monmouth County communities. The unit functions as part of the local emergency preparedness teams, according to the press release.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and inclement weather, the 21st annual Long Branch Jazz and Blues Festival, hosted by the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation, returns to the Great Lawn on Aug. 27.
In addition to a full day of live music performances, this free festival will feature an array of food trucks, crafters and vendors on the Long Branch boardwalk, culminating with a fireworks display, according to a press release.
The music festival, which runs from 1-9 p.m. will run as follows: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Reanna Runge, 1 p.m.; the Mighty Burners, 1:15-2:15 p.m.; Bethe Burns and the Legends, 2:30-3:30 p.m.; Paul Plumeri, 3:45-4:45 p.m.; Charlie Apicella and Iron City Jazz, 5-6 p.m., featuring Madame Pat Tandy; Sonny Kenn Band, 6:15-7:15 p.m.; and Ghost Town Blues Band, 7:30-9 p.m.
For information regarding sponsorship or vendor opportunities, contact Tina LoBosco via email at [email protected]
The Count Basie Center for the Arts’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, in conjunction with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Monmouth University’s Social Justice Academy and Intercultural Center, will host American philosopher, author and activist Cornel West on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Count Basie Center’s Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank.
Tickets for “A Community Conversation With Dr. Cornel West” are on sale through theBASIE.org, the Basie Center box office and by phone at 732-842-9000.
“It is a blessing and honor to speak at the historic Count Basie Center for the Arts,” West was quoted as saying in a press release. “We shall keep alive his great legacy of integrity and dignity.”
U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) has announced that he secured $2.5 million to enhance coastal resiliency in the communities around Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County.
The base will partner with Monmouth University and NY/NJ Baykeeper to develop coastal resiliency projects that will stabilize the shoreline in communities in the area and develop resiliency alternatives for other naval installations exposed to climate change, according to a June 16 press release.
Pallone secured the funding request in the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense spending bill for Fiscal Year 2023. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the underlying legislation in the upcoming months, according to the press release.
The projects will use living shoreline infrastructure, including natural materials and systems, including dunes, wetlands and oyster reefs to support the natural flood resilience of healthy shoreline ecosystems.
Natural infrastructure is cost-effective and adaptable to changing environmental conditions. It also enhances ecosystem functions which can improve water quality and wildlife habitat protection, according to the press release from Pallone.