The North Brunswick Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services will hold its Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the North Brunswick Municipal Building, 710 Hermann Road, North Brunswick.
Middlesex County Freeholder Shanti Narra, a North Brunswick resident and former township councilwoman, will be the guest speaker.
For more information, call the North Brunswick Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services at 732-247-0922, ext. 475 or visit northbrunswicknj.gov.
American Legion Post 401 and Troop 102, the extension of Troop 10 of Scouting USA for girls, will host a spaghetti dinner from 5-9 p.m. on Jan. 18 at the post hall, 148 Major Road, South Brunswick, to raise funds for the troop’s projects.
The menu will feature spaghetti, meatballs, salad, bread, coffee, tea, soda and desserts.
The dinner is open to the public. Tickets are $10 per person in advance, or $12 at the door.
For advance tickets or information, email [email protected].
The Alchemist Theatre Company of North Brunswick Township High School will perform “Theatre Revue 2020,” a student-directed show that comprises multiple skits, at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17, and at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Jan. 18 in the North Brunswick Township Performing Arts Center at North Brunswick Township High School, 98 Raider Road.
Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $12 for students/senior citizens $12 or $10 general admission from the matinee.
The Township of North Brunswick will hold a TV/Computer Dropoff Day from 8 a.m. to noon on Jan. 25, rain or shine, at the Department of Public Works, 45 Quarry Lane, North Brunswick.
Only TVs, monitors, laptops and CPUs will be accepted. Limit of two TVs per household.
Open to North Brunswick residents only. Must present ID upon arrival.
For more information, visit www.northbrunswicknj.gov.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Work Session will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park Headquarters, 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston.
Join the Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands for a cleanup session, clearing small trees, brush, vines and trash in the Mapleton Preserve.
Bring tools such as saws, clippers, loppers and rakes. Work gloves, sturdy shoes, warm clothing and hats are a must.
For more information, or to involve a group to help, call 609-683-0483.
Mara Carlin, coordinator of Coalition and Community Services for Wellspring Center for Prevention, will discuss an overview of vaping, and Dawn Tortajada, pediatric nurse practitioner at Robert Wood Johnson Behavioral Health, will present on the clinical effects of vaping on young respiratory system, from 7-8 p.m. on Jan. 23 at the North Brunswick Municipal Building, 710 Hermann Road, North Brunswick.
Open discussion and questions will take place from 8-8:30 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served.
For more information, call Lou Ann Benson of the North Brunswick Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services at 732-247-0922, ext. 475.
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].
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.
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.
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.
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.
The SCORE Chapters of Central Jersey and Princeton are sponsoring the first in a series of free workshops for small businesses, HR 101: Hiring, Onboarding and Paying Employees, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the South Brunswick Library, 110 Kingston Lane, Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick.
The workshop, which will be jointly sponsored by Paychex, Inc., will be conducted by Joanne Farina, a Human Resources consultant for Paychex. Topics covered will include hiring and paying new employees, reporting new hires to the State of New Jersey, justifying the cost of employees, and understanding the difference between W2 and 1099 employees.
Future and current entrepreneurs can register for this free event at centraljersey.score.org by clicking on “Take a Workshop.”
For more information, email Jane Meyer at [email protected].
The South Brunswick Senior Center will hold its Staff Souper Bowl at 12:15 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the senior center, 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick.
The event is limited to the first 50 South Brunswick residents age 55 and older who register by Jan. 24.
For more information, call 732-329-4000, ext. 7670.
The South Brunswick Senior Center will hold its annual Day with the Characters from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 5.
Students from Crossroads Middle School North will perform “High School Musical.” Then, actors will have lunch with the seniors; bring a bagged lunch.
Transportation will be provided from the senior center to the school.
The trip is limited to 40 participants. Sign up in the offie by Jan. 29.
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, 333 Davidson Ave., Somerset.
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 Founation Pediatric Cancer Humanitarian of the Year.
Sherrie and Michael Wells of South Brunswick started the Hugs for Brady Foundation in 2009, shortly after their 13-month-old son, Brady Michael, was diagnosed with non-differentiated acute leukemia. In 2010, Brady passed away at 23 months old, after he had battled the disease for 10 months.
For more information, tickets, sponsorship information, to donate or to take part in the silent auction, visit www.hugsforbrady.org.
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].
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.
Registration is open for the Spring 2020 South Brunswick Citizen Police Academy.
Attendees will learn a variety of police topics including criminal law, traffic enforcement, first aid, patrol tactics and criminal investigations. Students take part in hands on training on how police process crime scenes, from photographing to dusting for fingerprints. In the final practical’s, participants take on roles as police officers and apply the knowledge they learned from the class to handle various situations.
The new session will begin on March 12. Classes will be held every Thursday night in the training center at police headquarters for 11 weeks from 6:30-9:30 p.m. There will be no class on April 16th for Spring Break.
Graduation from the academy is set for May 28.
The academy size is limited, so residents are encouraged to complete their application as soon as possible. Community members must complete an application and go through a screening process. Interested community members should contact Julie Trammell at [email protected]. Applications must be submitted by Feb 20.
The Township of North Brunswick has created an opportunity for ice skating across the street from the Municipal Building, 710 Hermann Road.
The ice skating rink will be open through March 1. Hours of operation will be weekdays from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1:30-8:30 p.m.
Skates may be rented for $3 if sizes are available. Call the Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services at 732-247-0922, ext. 475 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to ensure there are no changes in operational times.
The rink will also be open for birthday parties.
For more information and training videos, visit northbrunswicknj.gov.
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 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.
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.
Any mothers with children up to age five are invited to join MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, who meet from 9-11:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of the month from October through June at the North Brunswick Library, 880 Hermann Road, North Brunswick.
Childcare will be provided.
For more information, visit www.meetup.com/middlesex-county/mops
The MOMS Club of North Brunswick is a group of stay-at-home or part-time working mothers of children of all ages who are interested in support, cultivating friendships and fun for the children.
For more information, visit momsclubofnorthbrunswick.blogspot.com.
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.