The South River Foundation for Educational Excellence will hold its fifth anniversary Adult Dinner Dance Fundraiser at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 at Ria Mar, South River.
This year’s honorees are Nancy Roque-Soares, South River Middle School educator/bilingual translator; Audrey Taylor, Passion 4 Youth program founder/CEO and 2019 Coach of the Year; and Kevin Nielsen, South River Board of Education member and retired South River police sergeant.
Through Feb. 3, tickets are $60 per person. Reserve a table with the purchase of 10 tickets.
Tickets are $70 at the door.
Cash or check made payable to SRFEE are preferred.
Commemorative journal ads available for purchase through Jan. 17. Pricing ranges from $50 to $200.
For more information, contact Danielle Oswald at 732-259-5436 or [email protected].
The Friends of the Jamesburg Public Library will partner with Fiddleheads Restaurant, 27 E. Railroad Ave., Jamesburg, on Jan. 26.
By making a reservation and bringing in the flier available at the library or at Jamesburglibrary.org, 15% of food and beverage purchases will be donated to the library. Cash only.
For more information, call 732-521-0440.
Disability Allies will hold its next Family Support Group from 7:30-9 p.m. on Jan. 28 at The Young Adult Community Inclusion Center, in The Village Green Shopping Center, 415 Route 18, East Brunswick.
This month’s topic will be presented by Judy Krantz from MSB ENTERPRISES. The focus will be on learning about support services, programing, PPP, transportation, housing and more.
Supervision is provided for young adult children with disabilities. Notification is required in order to plan enough care.
Register in advance at disabilityallies.com/familysupport.
For more information, contact Audrey Weiner at 732-789-7027 or [email protected].
To learn more about services, visit www.disabilityallies.com.
East Brunswick Elks Lodge 2370 will hold A Salute to Our Veterans from 7-11 p.m. on Jan. 25 at the lodge, 21 Oakmont Ave., East Brunswick.
Music by Tommy & Friends.
Price is $20 per person, including dinner.
For tickets, contact Colleen Murphy at [email protected] or Tommy Abousslemann at [email protected].
Kiddie Academy locations in East Brunswick and North Brunswick will hold indoor STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Adventures Event at 10 a.m. on Jan. 25.
Superheroes of STEM activities include The Sky’s the Limit (measuring activity), Superhero Races (car races with ramps, angles and friction), Design a Superhero Vehicle, Melting Ice Mountain, The Fearless Funnel (demonstrating Bernoulli’s Principle), Target Blaster (creating a spoon and rubber band catapult), Glide Like a Superhero (make a plain straw fly), Secret Superhero Code (coding and programming) and Superhero Boats (demonstrating Newton’s Third Law of Motion).
Let’s Build It! activities include Cup Towers (stacking cups to build structures), Pretzel Marshmallow Building, How Much Can Your Boat Hold (creating boats that float as they are filled with weight), Three Pig Challenge (construct houses that withstand wind), Newspaper Buildings (build a strong structure with just newspaper and tape), Balancing Act (create a structure you can balance on your fingertip), Marble Pinball Challenge (learn how pinball machines work and build your own), Index Card Towers (build a tall tower using just index card and tape) and Stay Dry (create a shelter for a toy using a variety of unique materials).
Kiddie Academy of East Brunswick is located at 560 Ryders Lane, East Brunswick. Contact Jaime Moritz at 732-254-7700 or [email protected].
Kiddie Academy of North Brunswick is located at 2400 Route 27, North Brunswick. Contact Jaime Moritz at 732-422-2900 or [email protected].
Café Europa, a program for Holocaust survivors and their spouses, will present Gloria & Kevin singing traditional Yiddish, folk and theater music from noon to 2 p.m. on Jan. 28 at Temple B’Nai Shalom, 15 Fern Road, East Brunswick.
Light lunch will be served, sponsored by Lions Gate Life Plan Community in Voorhees Township.
Transportation is available.
RSVP by Jan. 23 by calling Fay Ross at 609-395-7979, ext. 2107.
Donation of $10 is suggested.
Elvis Presley will visit the Farrington Room of the East Brunswick Elks Lodge at 7 p.m. on Feb. 21.
Mike Holland will perform during the dinner show.
Cost is $15 for the show, or $25 for dinner and show.
Pre-purchased tickets offer a $2 discount on either package.
The lodge is located at 21 Oakmont Ave., East Brunswick.
For tickets, contact Aimee Schneider at 732-207-3774 or [email protected].
Temple B’nai Shalom’s Religious School will hold Candy Bar Bingo, an evening for families and children of all ages, including a pizza dinner and prizes for all children, at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the temple, 15 Fern Road, East Brunswick.
Cost is $15 per person and includes two slices of pizza, beverages, candy and one bingo board per person. Additional bingo boards and pizza available for $1 each.
Register in advance at tinyurl.com/CandyBarBingo or send questions to [email protected].
The Borough of South River will hold free rabies clinics on Jan. 18.
Dogs will be vaccinated from noon to 2 p.m. and cats will be inoculated from 2-3 p.m.
Licenses will be sold to South River residents.
The Public Works Department is located at 9 Ivan Way, South River.
For more information, call 732-257-1999, ext. 118.
Admission for tasting is $10, or $5 for ages 12 and under. Tasting tickets are limited and sales at the door are subject to availability. For advance tasting tickets, call Diane at 732-254-1150, ext. 102 or Adam at 732-754-6043.
Contestants must be at least 16 years old. Any type of chili is allowed, meat or vegetarian. Contestants must provide a means to keep chili warm. Chili must be cooked off premises and be ready for judging on site by noon. Contestants are asked to provide enough chili for approximately 100 samples of 1 ounce each.
Proceeds from the event help fund the South River Police Department’s community policing programs and community events.
The third annual Fly Fishing Show kicks off the 2020 angling season Jan. 24-26 at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 24; 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 25; and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 26. Parking is free.
There will be manufacturer and retail store displays of fly rods, reels, lines, boots, waders, clothing and flies, plus guide services and lodges.
Show visitors can view continuous seminars and trip presentations; the show will have about 15 seminars, demonstrations and Destination Theater presentations each hour.
Among the 50 how-to-do-it seminars are An Introduction to Trout Spey by Tim Flagler, Mastering the Short Game with Landon Mayer, Mountain Trout with Joe Humphreys, Really Matching the Hatch with Gary Borger, Streamer Tactics 2.0 with George Daniel, and Introduction to Saltwater Fly Fishing with Jeff Currier.
Casting demonstrations include those by Humphreys, Borger, Cathy Beck, Currier, Mac Brown, Simon Gawesworth and Landon Mayer.
Featured fly tiers include Henry Cowen, Philip Rowley, Pat Dorsey, Tim Cammisa, Ed Engle, Flagler and Borger.
A continuous Women’s Fly Fishing Showcase will feature women-centered discussions, learning opportunities and discussions along with separate exhibitor venues with specialty booths catering to female anglers.
There will be 35 classes with experts. Class registration is $85 except for an 8-hour advanced casting class with Borger and Brown on Jan. 23. Tuition is $625.
Scouts in uniform can earn credits toward a fly fishing merit badge.
The regional premiere of the 2020 International Fly Fishing Film Festival is Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
Fly Fishing Show admission is $18 for one day, $28 for two days and $38 for three days. Children under age 5 are free as are Boy and Girl Scouts under age 16 in uniform. Children 6-12 are $5. Active military with an ID are $10.
For a complete list of fly-fishing films, classes with experts, seminars, door prizes, demonstrations and the Scout Merit Badge program, visit flyfishingshow.com/edison-nj/ or call 814-443-3638.
Disability Allies will hold its monthly Family Support Group from 7:30-9 p.m. on Jan. 28 at The Young Adult Community Inclusion Center, in the Village Green Shopping Center, 415 Route 18, East Brunswick.
This month’s topic will be presented by Judy Krantz from MSB Enterprises. The focus will be on learning about support services, programing, PPP, transportation, housing and more.
Supervision is provided for young adult children with disabilities. Notification is required in order to plan enough care.
Register in advance at disabilityallies.com/familysupport.
For more information about this event, contact Audrey Weiner at 732-789-7027 or at [email protected].
To learn more about services, visit www.disabilityallies.com.
Jamesburg Presbyterian Church will hold a Merit Badge Fair on March 28, open to all Boy Scouts of America scouts.
Each class has a $15 non-refundable registration fee. Separate transactions are required for registering each sibling.
Each scout will receive one free lunch; additional food and snacks available for sale.
Scouts must be prepared. Bring a signed blue card, printed merit badge workbook for each class, pen and paper. Scouts should be dressed in Class A uniform.
If prerequisites are not completed, a partial completion will be given.
For more information, visit www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0a4daea62ca5ff2-merit. Do not call the church.
Edward Mendlowitz will present his 40th annual financial program at 10 a.m. on Feb. 2 at Congregation Beth Ohr, 70 Route 516, Old Bridge.
The subject will be “What I’ve Learned in the Last 40 Years That You Should Know As Well.”
Mendlowitz, a partner with WithumSmith+Brown in East Brunswick, is the author of 27 books and is an MBA professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
The program will start with a complimentary bagel breakfast. All are invited. No RSVP is required.
Attendees will receive a 100-page booklet of financial planning tips born of Mendlowitz’s experience.
For more information, email Mendlowitz at [email protected].
The East Brunswick Republican Municipal Committee will meet on Feb. 19 for an initial screening of candidates seeking the committee’s support for mayor and two township council seats.
Candidates must be registered Republicans in good standing and have lived in East Brunswick for at least one year.
Interested candidates, not their representatives, are to contact Jesal Amin directly at [email protected] or 732-955-7390.
Potential candidates should provide a short biography outlining their qualifications, including any community service contributions as well as an explanation of their desire to run.
For more information, visit www.eastbrunswickrepublicans.com/ or middlesexgop.net/
Any Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bass who would like to join the Monroe Township Chorus can attend rehearsals from 9-11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Monroe Township Senior Center, 12 Halsey Reed Road, Monroe.
For more information, call Director Sheila Werfel at 609-619-3229.
Learn about CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) of Middlesex County and the role of the volunteer advocate during free information sessions from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Jan. 15, 6-7 p.m. on Jan. 22 and 10-11 a.m. on Jan. 25 at The Coffee House, 931 Amboy Ave., Edison.
RSVP to Nora Siklosi Szabo at [email protected]
For more information, visit www.casaofmiddlesexcounty.org/events.
Rabbi Levi Azimov of the Chabad Jewish Center of South Brunswick in South Brunswick will offer Judaism’s Gifts to the World, a new six-session course by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI).
Beginning Jan. 28 from 7:45-9:15 p.m., attendees we discover how common ideas of personal responsibility, the inherent sanctity of human life, institutionalized universal education, human equality, the dignity of a day of rest and devotion to family and a sense of purpose have their origins in ancient Judaism.
All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.
Interested students should call 732-398-9492 or visit www.myJLI.com for registration and for other course-related information.
The Friends of the Jamesburg Library will hold their annual book sale from February 3-28 at the library, 229 Gatzmer Ave., Jamesburg.
The cost is $5 per plastic grocery bag (handles must touch) or $1 per book. All types of books are available: fiction, non-fiction, children’s, craft and cook books.
Proceeds help fund the summer programs for children and public use computers.
To drop off gently used books, visit the library through Jan. 31. Do not leave books on the doorstep. No textbooks.
For more information, visit www.jamesburglibrary.org or call 732-521-0440.
The fourth annual Middlesex County Association of Chiefs of Police Coach Bingo/Tricky Tray fundraiser to benefit the four children’s hospitals in Middlesex County will be held on Feb. 8 at St. Stan’s School gym, 221 MacArthur Ave., Sayreville.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and games begin at 7 p.m.
Cost is $30 per person, which includes 12 games of bingo (three boards per game), coffee, tea and dessert.
There will also be a 50/50.
All guests are invited to bring their own food and refreshments.
For tickets, call Gina at 732-432-8361.
East Brunswick resident Khristi Adams is the author of “Parable of the Brown Girl.”
She is teaming up with Brown Kids Read to sponsor an essay contest for the release. The contest is open to girls from the New Jersey area. There will be winners in two age groups who will receive $250, a certificate of recognition and a signed copy of “Parable of the Brown Girl.” Honorable Mention honorees will be recognized with a certificate of recognition, a signed copy of “Parable of the Brown Girl” and a gift box.
Winners may also be invited to participate in a panel discussion at Barnes and Noble on Feb. 15.
For more information, visit brownkidsread.org/tellusyourstory/
East Brunswick Blackhawks Girls Lacrosse will hold a social and informational parent meeting and registration from 7-8 p.m. on Feb. 9 at The Community Arts Center, 721 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
The team is open to girls in grades 3-8 in East Brunswick, South River, Spotswood, Helmetta, Jamesburg, Milltown, Old Bridge and any other town that does not have its own lacrosse team.
For more information, email [email protected].
Monroe Township Public Schools will hold Kindergarten registration for children who will be five years old by Oct. 31.
Only a parent or legal guardian can register their child.
The following documents are required for registration: child’s original birth certificate; current physical form and immunization record signed and dated by a doctor; proofs of residency – a deed, tax bill, closing disclosure or lease, and three current utility bills; the accompaniment of the other family if residing with one; a sales contract to purchase a home in Monroe with a closing date on or before Oct. 31; an IEP or 504 if applicable; custody, adoption, foster parent or guardianship papers, if applicable.
Time slots at each school are 9:15-11:30 a.m. on the first day for last names ending in A-G, 1-2:45 p.m. on the first day for H-M, 9:15-11:30 a.m. on the second day for N-R, and 1-2:45 p.m. on the second day for S-Z.
Registration will be held at the Oak Tree Elementary School, 226 Applegarth Road, on Feb. 24 and 25. Call 609-655-7642 to receive the Registration Packet.
Registration will be held at the Mill Lake School, 115 Monmouth Road, on Feb. 27 and 28. Call 732-251-5336 to receive the Registration Packet.
Registration will be held at the Barclay Brook School, 358 Buckelew Avenue, on March 10 and 11. Call 732-521-1000 to receive the Registration Packet.
For questions regarding which school your child should attend, call Central Registration at 609-642-6128, ext. 4013.
The 10th annual Hugs for Brady Foundation Winter Gala will be themed “Oh What a Night!,” featuring entertainment from the stars of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys,” on Jan. 25 at The Palace at Somerset Park
The gala honors individuals who have made significant contributions to help those affected by childhood cancer. This year’s honorees are The 2020 Gala Committee as the Ellen Gambatese Pediatric Cancer Volunteer of the Year; Roy G. Svenson as the Brady Buggy Wagon Volunteer of the Year; Steven K. Libutti, director of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, as the Dr. Randy Siegel Pediatric Cancer Medical Humanitarian of the Year; and Kevin Cummings, chairman and CEO of Investors Bank, as the Hugs for Brady Foundation Pediatric Cancer Humanitarian of the Year.
For more information, tickets, sponsorship information, to donate or to take part in the silent auction, visit www.hugsforbrady.org.
Playhouse 22 announced its 2019-20 season lineup:
“The Mystery of Edwin Drood” will be Feb. 7-23.
“Harvey” will be March 20 to April 5.
“Camelot” will be June 12-28.
All performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Sundays.
Tickets for the main stage are $22 for adults or $20 for seniors and students.
A season subscription of three shows is $63 per person, or $57 for seniors and students. A select package of four shows is $80 per person or $72 for seniors and students. An elite package of five shows is $95 per person, or $85 for seniors and students.
Special times will be announced for “A Christmas Carol.” All tickets to “A Christmas Carol” and other special events and concerts are $15.
Playhouse 22 is located at the Community Arts Center, 721 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
For tickets, visit www.playhouse22.org.
The Antonia Maria Foundation and Day One Sober Living will hold their 2020 spring gala, Celebrate a New Day, from 7-11 p.m. on April 3 at the South Gate Manor, Freehold.
The second annual gala will launch the partnership with Day One to help revolutionize sober living care for women in New Jersey. Together, the two organizations will be opening Leo’s House, a recovery home for women following in the footsteps of Gracie’s House. Both are located in North Brunswick.
For information on tickets or sponsorship, call 732-823-8350.
The Woodbridge Township Psychic Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 7 at the Evergreen Senior Center, 400 Inman Ave., Colonia section of Woodbridge.
Readers scheduled to appear include Jane Doherty, Judy Kay, Jennifer Wood, Scotty The NJ Medium, Constance Elek, Intuitive April the Psychic Housewife of New Jersey, Dawn Strouse, Bonnie Edwards, Michele Germann Rothermel and Christine Barath. Palm readings by Shannon, Marie Gilbert and Jean Lee Brown Ramalho.
Admission is $5. Lectures are free.
The High School Equivalency Program is currently running and will conclude in May. Classes are held from 6-8:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at East Brunswick High School, 380 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick. Classes prepare attendees for TASC; not a testing center.
The Citizenship Program is currently running and will conclude in May. Classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays in Meeting Room 3 at the East Brunswick Library, 2 Jean Walling Civic Center Dr. Classes run either from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or from 12:30-3 p.m. dependent on class level.
The Monroe Township Public Library will celebrate National Poetry Month with a poetry contest and poetry fair.
Monroe residents are encouraged to enter the poetry contest sponsored by the Poets Corner poetry group by submitting an original poem, with a maximum of 24 lines. One entry per person. Entrant’s name, address and contact number must be clearly and legibly written or typed with the submission. The deadline for submission is March 14.
Poems must be mailed to the Monroe Township Library, c/o Poets Corner, 4 Municipal Plaza, Monroe Township, NJ 08831.
The competition will conclude with a Poetry Fair from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on April 17. The Poetry Contest winner will be notified by mail and will be invited to read his/her work at this event.
Poets Corner meets on the first Friday of every month at 11:00 am at the Monroe Township Library. Interested and aspiring poets are welcome to attend. Registration is not required.
National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry which takes place each April, was introduced in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States.
Registration is open for the 44th annual Rutgers Home Gardeners School, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 21 at the Rutgers University Cook/Douglass campus in New Brunswick.
The Home Gardeners School is 40 individual workshop sessions that cover an array of horticulture topics. This format allows attendees to select the workshops that are most relevant to their gardening interests and create their own personalized schedule for a day of learning. Expert speakers from commercial horticulture and landscape design firms, as well as faculty and staff from Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE), will cover topics including landscape design, common problems and solutions, annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, beekeeping, hardscaping, best management practices and deer control methods.
The registration fee is $95, but early registration is $80 is being offered through Feb. 29. An additional discounted fee of $70 is available for Master Gardeners (certificate required) through Feb. 29.
Attendees are asked to bring food donations for Rutgers Against Hunger (RAH) or pet items for Scarlet Paws Rescue.
For more information or to register, visit www.cpe.rutgers.edu/hgs or call the Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education at 848-932-9271.
Children who will be five years of age on or before Oct. 31, 2020, are eligible for the East Brunswick Public School full-day kindergarten program for the 2020-21 school year.
Registration is by appointment only. Visit www.ebnet.org/register to schedule an appointment.
All required forms and additional information can be found on the website.
Registration takes place at the District Registration Office located in the Jon R. Kopko Administration Building, 760 Route 18, East Brunswick. Registration ends April 30.
Teens across the state can begin submitting entries for the 25th Annual New Jersey Teen Media Contest, which highlights NJ Human Services’ mission to support families.
The contest, run by Human Services’ Division of Family Development, is open to all New Jersey middle and high school-aged students. This year, the contest will accept entries in the hand-painted/hand-drawn and written word categories.
This year’s challenge to teens is to illustrate through art, including the written word, a valuable life lesson or moment that you will never forget. Teens are invited to show when parents and other loved ones provided valuable life lessons and teaching moments.
All entries must be postmarked no later than March 11. Staff from the Division of Family Development and its Office of Child Support Services will judge the contest. Winners will be selected in first, second, and third places in both the middle and high school groups, for each of the two entry categories, with each receiving a prize package at an awards ceremony in May.
Winning entries will be included in the 2021 Office of Child Support Calendar and be placed on display in the New Jersey State House in Trenton shortly after the awards event. A number of honorable mention entries will be selected for possible inclusion in the State House exhibit and possibly the calendar.
The 2020 calendar can be viewed or downloaded from the contest homepage, www.NJTeenMedia.org to serve as inspiration for the teens. The website also provides the official rules, frequently asked questions, entry forms, a look at the winners and honorable mentions from previous contests and other important contest information.
Entries can be submitted via the students’ art or English/language arts teachers, if their school is registered. Teachers and administrators can register their school by visiting www.NJTeenMedia.org or by contacting Matthew Cossel at 973-799-0200 or [email protected]. Teens whose schools are not registered can submit entries directly.
For complete submission guidelines, visit www.NJTeenMedia.org. For more information about child support services, call 1-877-NJKIDS1 or visit www.NJChildSupport.org.
Central Jersey SCORE, a non-profit resource partner of the Small Business Administration, is seeking volunteers to assist people looking to start a business or grow an existing small business.
The organization is recruiting retired or current business owners and executives who want to share their experience and knowledge with today’s up-and-coming entrepreneurs. The Central Jersey Chapter of SCORE serves Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon counties.
Central Jersey SCORE provides in-person mentoring at a wide variety of locations and also presents seminars at local venues. In addition, the SCORE website offers tools and templates on a wide variety of topics related to organizing and managing a business and numerous online courses and webinars to assist small business owners through every aspect of business development. Services are offered free of charge.
For more information, visit www.centraljersey.score.org.
The Heart of Oneness Holistic Expo will be held March 27-29 at the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison.
Reiki, crystals, psychic readings, workshops and aura photography.
Hours are 5-9 p.m. on March 27, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 28 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 29.
Free tote for the first 150 attendees at the door on March 28 and 29.
For more information and tickets, visit www.heartofonenessholisticexpo.com.