• The American Association of University Women Freehold Branch is accepting book donations for its 2017 used book sale. With the exception of Reader’s Digest condensed books and textbooks, all books in good condition are appreciated. Books may be dropped off only between 10 a.m. and noon on Tuesdays at the Freehold Savings Bank, 65 W. Main St., Freehold, or call Joan at 732-431-2297 for drop-off instructions.
• Boy Scout Troop 180 of Manalapan will hold its annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser on March 25 at Neff Chapel at Old Tennent Church. Seatings will be at 4:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Cost is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for children ages 4-10, and free for children 3 and under. Dinner consists of salad, garlic bread, spaghetti and meatballs, desserts, coffee and beverages. All are welcome to attend. For tickets or to reserve seats, call Linda Trerotola at 732-446-4469. Tickets will be available at the door.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host turtle meet and greet events at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, Howell, at noon April 1-2. The event is free.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host demonstrations of a 19th century grist mill at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township, from 1-4 p.m. April 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30. There is no cost to attend the demonstration.
• Come and explore the woods and wetlands of the Manasquan Reservoir, Howell, on Earth Day, April 22. Meet at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center. The day will include nature walks, live reptile and amphibian presentations, children’s crafts, and more. Activity times: animal presentations at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; nature walks at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• The B’nai B’rith Ketubah Unit (55 and over) will meet for dinner on April 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Pine Tavern, 151 Route 34, Old Bridge. Prospective non-member couples and singles are welcome to attend. An RSVP is required by March 30. Details: Elaine, 908-232-0062.
• See master craftsman Tom Kelleher create a wooden bucket using centuries old techniques and tools at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township, from noon to 4 p.m. April 22-23. There is no cost to attend the demonstration.
• The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, Freehold Township, will present a lecture, “Abraham Lincoln and the Jews,” by Rabbi Dr. Robert Fierstien of Stockton University at 1 p.m. April 26. Fierstien will highlight Lincoln’s personal relationship with the Jewish people and demonstrate the significant role Lincoln played in defending Jewish rights and civil rights during the Civil War years. Admission is $3 for museum members, $5 for non-members, and students are free. To make a reservation (non-refundable), call 732-252-6990.
• A Holocaust Remembrance Evening will be held at the Center for Jewish Life, 176 Route 79 North, Marlboro, at 7 p.m. April 24. The lives and heroism of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust will be commemorated. There is no charge for this event. To RSVP, call 732-316-7600.
• The Freehold First Aid Squad Auxiliary and Cadet Corps will host its fifth annual Easter pancake breakfast and flower sale from 9 a.m. to noon April 15 at the first aid squad headquarters, 16 Spring St., Freehold. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for children ages 3-12, and free for children under 3. For tickets, call Barbara, 732-616-2516.
• Attorney Robert Munoz will discuss “A Gift for Your Children – An Estate Plan” from 7-9 p.m. April 19 at St. Robert Bellarmine Parish Center, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold Township. The discussion series is sponsored by Kathy Lo Bue of Glen Eagle Advisors. Adults of all ages invited to this free, non-sectarian event. Refreshments provided. RSVP to 732-866-6660.
• The early costume collection of the Monmouth County Historical Association will be featured in an all-day seminar to be held on 8 April at the association’s museum in Freehold Borough. The program is titled “Whatever Shall We Wear: 18th and Early 19th Century Clothing and Accessories in Monmouth County.” Registration fee of $125 per person includes lunch. Advance registration required. Details: 732-462-1466, ext. 11, or email [email protected]
• Brookdale Community College will hold its annual spring open house on April 2 at noon in the Collins Arena, 765 Newman Springs Road (Route 520), Lincroft. High school students, career-changers and residents of all ages are invited to meet with Brookdale staff, ask questions and explore more than 50 degree and career training programs offered through the college. Details: www.brookdalecc.edu/openhouse or 732-224-1857.
• Brookdale Community College will present its annual guitar show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 30 in the Brookdale Recreation and Events Center, Lincroft. There will be live performances, exclusive deals on guitars, musical equipment and more, and educational workshops. General admission: $12; free for children 12 and under. Details: www.brookdaleguitarshow.com
• The Marlboro Library, Wyncrest Road, Marlboro, will present the film “Swim Team,” which chronicles the rise of the Jersey Hammerheads, a competitive swim team of diverse autistic teens. Cast members and filmmaker Lara Stolman will answer questions. “Swim Team” will be shown at 1 p.m. April 22. Registration is mandatory. Call the library beginning April 10 to reserve a seat. Details: 732-536-9406.
• Laurel McLaughlin, art historian at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, will present a program about World War I and American Art at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan, at 2 p.m. March 23. McLaughlin will discuss the war and how it impacted art and culture because of how America’s artists interpreted their experiences, opinions and perceptions in their art. Details: www.monmouthcountylib.org
• The Colts Neck Shade Tree Commission will distribute seedlings to Colts Neck residents from 9-11 a.m. April 8 at Town Hall. This is the third year in the five-year tree recovery campaign sponsored by the New Jersey Forestry Service. The Colts Neck “5,000 in 5 years” will provide a variety of tree seedlings to residents (up to five per resident) and guidance for successful transfer.
• The Knights of Columbus will host a breakfast buffet on March 26 from 8-11:30 a.m. at their Council Hall, 70 E. Main St., Freehold. The “all you can eat” breakfast costs $7 for adults, $4 for children under 12 and $20 for a family of four. Omelette station, plain cheese omelette, $1 extra, omelette of choice, $2. Special of the month is corned beef hash and eggs. Donations are used for council projects and charities. All are welcome to attend. Details: 732-780-5472.
• The Monmouth County Audubon Society will host a walk at Seven Presidents Park, Long Branch, at 10 a.m. April 30 to look at nesting shorebirds and to examine the role of the shorebird monitor program in the birds’ protection. Meet at 10 a.m. in the north parking lot (corner of Ocean Avenue North and Atlantic Avenue) outside the Skateplex. All are welcome to attend. Participation is free and advance registration is not required. Details: http://www.monmouthaudubon.org
• Embroiderers’ Guild of America-Monmouth Chapter welcomes stitchers of all levels. There are sit and stitch tables at each meeting, as well as special projects. Evening stitchers will meet from 7-9 p.m. April 3 at the Colts Neck Library, 1 Winthrop Drive, Colts Neck. Day stitchers will meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 20 at the Colts Neck Community Church, 25 Merchants Way, Colts Neck. Details: Toni, 732-462-5540, or visit www.mcega.org
• The Monmouth County Audubon Society will host a bird walk on Sandy Hook on April 15. The peninsula of Sandy Hook acts as a natural funnel to north-flying migrants. Meet at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the former visitors center. Open to members and non-members of the society. Participation is free and advance registration is not required. Details: http://www.monmouthaudubon.org
• A meeting of the Monmouth County Retired Educators Association will be held at 11 a.m. April 4 at the Radisson, 50 Gibson Place, Freehold Township. Steve Eugene will present a program about Senior Internet and Scam Alerts. Members are asked to bring a non-perishable donation for the food bank and sample toiletries for the Ronald McDonald House in Long Branch. New members welcome. For luncheon reservations, contact Sue at 732-995-7754 or [email protected] before March 20.
• The sisterhoods of Temple Rodeph Torah and the Marlboro Jewish Center will present an evening with Jessica Fishman, author of “Chutzpah and High Heels: The Search for Love and Identity in the Holy Land” at 7:30 p.m. March 30 at Temple Rodeph Torah, Marlboro. Her book is a memoir about the difficulties, absurdities and excitement of making a home in a new country. All are welcome to attend. Coffee and dessert will be served. Admission: $5. Checks can be made out to TRT Sisterhood and mailed to Temple Rodeph Torah, P.O. Box 125, Marlboro, NJ 07746 or register online at signup.trt.org. Details: 732-308-0055.
• The Adelphia Fire Company, 925 Adelphia Road (Route 524), Howell, will hold a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon April 9. All are welcome. Adults: $10. Children: $6. All you can eat pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, orange juice, tea and cocoa.
• The Adelphia Fire Company, 925 Adelphia Road (Route 524), Howell, will hold its annual Steak Bake and Gift Auction on May 6. Doors open at 6 p.m. Dinner from 7-9 p.m. Ticket donation: $35. Includes all you can eat steak, fries, salad, dessert, soda/tea and beer. For tickets, email Mark or Katie at [email protected]
• The Deep Cut Orchid Society meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month (April 11) at the Monmouth Reform Temple, 332 Hance Ave., Tinton Falls. There is a speaker, refreshments and a discussion of plants on the show table. There is no cost to attend and everyone is welcome.
• The Monmouth County Genealogy Society will hold a spring workshop at the Colts Neck Reformed Church, 139 Route 537, Colts Neck, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 25. There will be four presentations. Pre-register to guarantee a printed handout; $20 for society members; $25 for non-members. Make checks payable to Monmouth County Genealogy Society and mail to: MCGS Education Committee, 19 Racquet Road, Wall, NJ 07719. Sign-in and late registration is at 8:30 a.m. March 25 ($25 and $30). Bring lunch; beverages and desserts will be provided. Details: 732-747-0090.
• The Italian American Association of Monmouth County will sponsor a trip to visit Arthur Avenue (Little Italy in the Bronx) on April 8. Bus leaves Freehold Township at 9 a.m., returns at 5 p.m. All members and their immediate families are invited to attend. Cost is $30 for adults and children. RSVP by March 20. Details: Cheryl, 732-536-5832.
• The Manalapan-Englishtown Community Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse will host the third annual Project Zero 5K fun run walk at the Manalapan Recreation Center at 8 a.m. April 29. Details: www.mtnj.org or 732-446-8345.
• The Essential Tremor Support Group meets from 7-9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month (April 6) at the Jack Aaronson Conference Center at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Details: 732-462-8304, after 10 a.m.
• New Jersey Blood Services is in need of volunteers to work blood drives in Ocean and Monmouth counties. Tasks include assisting donors with registration, watching donors for post-donation reactions and responding to their needs. Details: Jan Zepka, 732-616-8741.
• The Marlboro Jewish Center will sponsor an Israel Adventure for Women from June 25 through July 6, 2017. The tour will visit traditional and off-the-beaten-path sites, and include Shabbat in Jerusalem and a stop in Tel Aviv. The itinerary includes talks with Israeli women who will bring their experiences and passions to life. Details: [email protected]
• A new cancer support group will meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Monmouth Worship Center, 37 Vanderburg Road, Marlboro. A prayer group will meet at 8:30 p.m. Details: 732-332-9600.
• Abraham Lincoln High School, Brooklyn, N.Y., Class of 1967 will reunite at 6 p.m. April 23 at Gargiulo’s Restaurant, Coney Island. Details: [email protected] or 917-363-2500 or David Coleman at 732-547-2340.
• The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance will meet in the spiritual center of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, 1 Phalanx Road, Colts Neck, from 7:30-9 p.m. every Thursday. Details: 732-536-5826 or 732-320-0029.
Items for the Datebook may be sent via email to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.