Lorraine Sedor
Mark your calendars for a night of soft acoustic rock Friday, Feb. 10, at the Cranbury Coffeehouse.
The coffeehouse is held at the 1st Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Performing will be the Gibsons, a local soft acoustic rock duo.
Mark your calendars now and let all your friends and neighbors know about this wonderful opportunity to enjoy an evening of music without having to stray far from home!
Tickets for the February show are $8 per adult and $5 for children under 12. Refreshments will be available at an additional cost.
Just a reminder net proceeds benefit Skeet’s Pantry and the Deacon’s Benevolent Fund.
Not only do you have the opportunity to relax and listen to wonderful music with friends, but you help those in need in our community.
For information about the Cranbury Coffee House or how you can help, go to www.cranburycoffeehouse.com.
Cranbury School will present “Seussical Jr.,” a musical production that brings to life some of the most memorable Dr. Seuss characters, Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.
As a community service, the middle school cast invites all senior citizens from the community to attend the dress rehearsal for free Thursday, Feb. 23, at 6 p.m. Toddlers and their parents also are welcome to attend this performance.
The sixth-grade class will provide free refreshments during this night of community service.
All performances will take place at the Cranbury School auditorium. Tickets to the Friday and Saturday evening performances can be purchased for $6 for adults or $4 for students and children.
Ticket sales support eighth-grade activities as well as the school’s student activity fund, which provides financial assistance to families.
Nearly 100 sixth- through eighth-grade students of the Cranbury School make up the cast and crew of the play. Besides the actors who will sing and dance, the performance is supported by students assisting in lighting, makeup, sound, props and stage management.
Go on a Blind Date with a Book this month at the Cranbury Public Library!
Choose a mystery title specially selected by the library’s fabulous advisors to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
And if you’re looking for a romantic evening with that special someone, the library will be sponsoring Cranbury Jazz’s tribute to romance. Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7:30, the group will be performing at the Cranbury Methodist Church, 23 N. Main St., featuring singer Rebecca Brunskill and musician Nick Cusworth.
The Friends of the Library will be providing refreshments. This program is free, which means you can afford to spend a little money on roses for your sweetheart! Read on.
The Cranbury Lions Club is running its popular Valentine’s Day rose sale again this year and is working in conjunction with Main Street business The Cutting Garden.
For sale will be bouquets of 12 long-stem red roses, paired with white monte casino and greens wrapped in lovely craft paper and tied with a big red bow.
What more could any sweetheart ask for?
Today (Feb. 3) is the last day to pre-order at the discount price of $60. Bouquets will be available right up until Valentine’s Day, but the price goes up to $70.
Call The Cutting Garden at 609-235-9242 to place your order. Make sure you ask for the Lions Club bouquet and help support the Cranbury Lions Club.
Cranbury School kindergarten registration takes place Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 9 to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. in the large group room.
Children do not need to attend. Students must be 5 years old by Oct. 1, 2012, in order to be enrolled in this class.
If you have not yet informed the school you will have a child attending kindergarten in the fall, call 609-395-1700, ext. 225 or 224, before Feb. 21.
Love is in the air at the Cranbury Senior Center!
Friday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m., join Larry and Florence Kettlekamp as they play the piano and sing your favorite love songs!
Have lunch first at 12 at the Senior Center! Call 609-395-0900, ext., 244, by Feb. 7 to reserve your space. Cost for the luncheon is just $3, but is limited to 30 people so don’t delay! Bring exact change.
If you reserve and then are unable to attend, call the number above to cancel your reservation.
As always, donations of nonperishable foods for Skeet’s Pantry are welcome.
Medicare counselor Marilyn Elias is available the last Tuesday of the every month.
Call the township at 395-0900, ext. 234, to make an appointment.
Of the many programs Cranbury residents enjoy, the events sponsored by the Municipal Alliance are among the most anticipated.
Planning for the 22nd Drug Free Fair is under way.
Scheduled for May 19 from 3 to 6 p.m., the event always is looking for help and donations.
The purpose of the fair is twofold: To educate the community to the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse and to model the positive behavior that you can have a fun and rewarding time with family and friends without the use of drugs and alcohol.
The Municipal Alliance organizes and funds the fair with the support services of the school (site, facility, custodial help), but all Alliance work is done by volunteers.
Did you know Cranbury’s Alliance is one of a network of alliances around the state that were created by and report to the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse?
Legislation creating the Alliance was passed in 1989. Cranbury, fortunately was one of the first communities to establish a local alliance.
The goals of the Alliance have not changed over the years. Unfortunately, what has changed is initiation into the use of tobacco and alcohol begins at a younger and younger age.
The Alliance has adjusted by gearing some of its programs to the ‘tweens. For example, for the last two years, the Alliance has sponsored Bingo Night for the fourth- and fifth-graders.
Last year, between games, the kids were quizzed on the effects of tobacco use. This year, the theme was drugs and alcohol.
The Alliance hosts picnics and the extremely popular Jamfest, all designed to remind kids of how easy it is to have fun without drugs and alcohol.
This past September, Police Chief Varga was gracious enough to send two officers to talk to the students about the consequences of being detained with an illegal substance.
For the past 15 years, the Alliance has sponsored chat groups, KIKS (Kids Intervention with Kids in School) for the entire fifth grade.
Middle school chat groups are smaller in number, and the students are recommended by school staff or self-recommended. They meet during a lunch/recess period. “Chat” makes it sound almost trivial, but these groups follow an agenda that is worked on with the school administration ‘s input.
It addresses problems of bullying, stress, low self-esteem, along with anything else that might come up. Character education is a major component.
The Municipal Alliance does for Cranbury kids what groups like the Senior Center do for other age groups: provide a safe environment to enjoy each others’ company.
And with the Alliance, a good bit of education is thrown into the fun mix!
Residents can reach Ms. Sedor by phone at 609-655-3386, by e-mail at lwsedor@comcast.net and by mail at 32 Evans Drive, Cranbury, New Jersey, 08512.
