The Monmouth County Park System is seeking entries into its upcoming “Into the Woods” exhibit which will be held from Sept. 17 through Nov. 14 at the Gallery in the Thompson Park Creative Arts Center, Lincroft.
The exhibit will feature works inspired by the forest, according to a press release. Non-traditional and traditional renderings of the woods are welcome. Works can be any medium if they convey this theme; from woodland edge to inside the woods, any perspective of the forest is applicable.
Additional information and entry form are available on The Gallery at Thompson Park page at www.MonmouthCountyParks.com. Entry deadline is Aug. 27.
The group Save the Tinton Falls Library will present a music festival from noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Sycamore soccer fields. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. There will be games and activities during the family friendly event, and six local bands will perform. There will be a beer garden. Only cash will be accepted at the event. Admission: $10 per person or $30 per family. All proceeds benefit the Tinton Falls Library. Tickets at TintonFallsLibrary.com
The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) has announced that Cynthia Gruskos, senior assistant to the president and Board of Trustees of Brookdale Community College, is the recipient of the 2021 Northeast Region Professional Board Staff Member Award.
The Professional Board Staff Member Award was established in 2001 and is given to any board staff member to recognize exemplary service to boards, according to a press release from Brookdale, which is the county college of Monmouth County.
The ACCT chairman will present the award at the annual awards gala during the 52nd annual ACCT Leadership Congress, which will take place in San Diego, Calif., in October.
“Cynthia has provided outstanding support of the board in her seven years in the position,” said Dr. Henry Cram, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Over the last two years, her efforts in assisting the board in the government of meetings in a virtual format and migrating board materials to a cloud-based portal have been invaluable.”
The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is providing a new virtual wellness center that offers no-cost groups and workshops statewide to individuals interested in day-to-day wellness, support for substance use disorder, and strategies for improving mental health.
Called United by Wellness, the center can be accessed online or by call-in. More than 45 groups and workshops are offered daily, including weekends. Among the groups are Healthy Habits, Meditation, LGBTQ, Young Adult, Anxiety and Depression Support Groups, Grief and COVID, Too Much Stuff, Virtual Job Interviews, Peer Support Career Information, and Grief and Recovery, according to a press release.
Groups are organized into four “communities” for like-minded people with similar goals, but participants are not limited to a specific track. The communities are general well-being; coping skills; co-occurring mental health and substance use; and a community for individuals who have a disorder who are seeking employment. Staff providing services are culturally diverse certified peer specialists, including some who are bilingual and facilitating groups in Spanish.
For more information about United by Wellness, call 609-652-3800, ext. 303, or visit www.mhaac.info/ubw