Escondido Mexican Cuisine and Tequila Bar, 402 W. Main St., Freehold Township, recently opened with an all-new menu, as well as a fresh guacamole and salsa bar and a fully stocked tequila bar offering various flights of premium tequila.
The restaurant is the latest dining concept introduced by Chefs International Inc., which operates several popular area restaurants, including Moore’s Tavern and Sports Bar (next door); Baker’s American Bar & Grille, Monroe Township; and the 9th Avenue Pier and Wharfside Patio Bar in Belmar and Point Pleasant, respectively.
In addition to the new look and menu, Escondido will feature a house DJ on weekends playing Latin rhythms and dance music. The eatery will also be featuring flight nights, with specials on various assortments of premium tequila.
The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Patrick Preston has been promoted to resident director of the Merrill Lynch Freehold office. Preston has been a part of the Freehold office for 19 years. In his new role, he will be responsible for continuing to serve his existing clients, as well as leading the financial advisers in the office to grow Merrill Lynch’s presence in the greater Freehold community. Preston, a resident of Freehold Township, joined Merrill Lynch in 1991.
Huntington Learning Center of Manalapan is kicking off its annual Reading Adventure program for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. To participate, students first choose books from Huntington’s pre-selected book lists, which include a wide range of high-interest book choices for all grade levels and reading abilities. Each participating reader will receive a reading “passport” in which they record the books they read and write a journal entry about each one. The Reading Adventure program runs from May through August. At the culmination of the program, participants will be honored at a celebration where each child is recognized with an award.
Red Mango, the national frozen yogurt and smoothie chain, will celebrate its grandopening celebration in the Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold Township, by offering the public a free small frozen yogurt with toppings from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. May 18. The store will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Red Mango offers all-natural, nonfat and low-fat yogurt treat options of frozen yogurt, yogurt parfaits and fresh fruit smoothies. Each serving of frozen yogurt is about 100 calories.
Kumon Math and Reading Center of Morganville, 23 Kilmer Drive, Morganville, is celebrating its 10th year in business. To commemorate the event, they are offering free registration for the rest of the year, a value of $50. Kumon is an international franchise started 50 years ago. The goal of the program is for students to do high school math before they reach high school. The reading program encourages students to read literature, increase comprehension and add to their vocabulary. To schedule a free placement test, call 732-972-9722.
Twist-N-Shout Party Club, 335 Route 9, Manalapan, will be offering a dinnerparty concert series that will benefit local charities.
Each show will include a light BYOB buffet dinner. All guests are asked to bring nonperishable foods, paper goods, toiletries and personal care items, which along with a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Feed All God’s Children of Freehold as well as to various other local charities.
The concerts, with tickets ranging between $20 and $35, will feature local and nationally recognized talent in a comfortable, intimate setting. Upcoming events include blues artist Gina Sicilia on May 17, and the Eagles tribute band, EagleMania, on June 15. All ages are welcome. For tickets, call 732-761-9555.
Something New Hair and Nails Salon, 300 Gordons Corner Road, Yorktowne Shopping Center, Manalapan, is debuting a new product known as Magic Sleek, which is used in the hair-straightening process. The product does not use formaldehyde or harsh chemicals. For more information, call 1-732-580-4342
MONOC has received five-year accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) for its paramedic program. MONOC runs its paramedic program in conjunction with Ocean County College and is one of just four New Jersey Department of Health-approved programs in the state and only the second program to be accredited by CAAHEP.
CAAHEP is a programmatic post-secondary accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and carries out its accrediting activities in cooperation with 19 review committees (Committees on Accreditation). CAAHEP is the largest programmatic accreditor in the health sciences field. In collaboration with its Committees on Accreditation, CAAHEP reviews and accredits more than 2,100 educational programs in 23 health science occupations.
The specific committee that oversees EMS is called the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). The mission of the CoAEMSP, under the auspices of CAAHEP, is to continuously improve the quality of EMS education through accreditation and recognition services for the full range of EMS professions. Their vision is that CoAEMSP/CAAHEP will be the single, comprehensive national EMS education accreditation agency, as defined in the EMS Education Agenda for the Future.