Community Bulletin Board: Criterion Sentinel (for Jan. 12)

Centraljersey.com will hold a Health & Wellness Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at MarketFair, 3535 Route 1 south, Princeton.

For tickets, visit nmg.ticketleap.com/CJ22

For vendor opportunities, email [email protected]

Centraljersey.com/Newspaper Media Group/Packet Media LLC publish this chain of weekly newspapers and monthly magazines.

 

The Edison Recreation Department will celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and African American Heritage Month with a program beginning at 1 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Minnie B. Veal Community Center, 1070 Grove Ave., Edison.

Young Audiences Arts for Learning will present “Hip Hop Fundamentals: Civil Rights Movement.”

Awards will be presented to the winners of the “Your Life Has Significance” contest. This contest is in the form of original artwork, poetry or a short essay.

This is an indoor event. CDC guidelines will be followed.

For more information, call the Edison Recreation Department at 732-248-7310.

 

 

The Gallery on Main at 101 Main Street in Woodbridge has new hours for 2022: Thursdays and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 2-7 p.m.

An African fabric workshop featuring Ankara Paj will be held Jan. 13 from 7-8 p.m.

 

The 22nd annual community celebration, “Good Trouble,” honoring the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will take place virtually at 3 p.m. Jan. 16, led by the Metuchen-Edison Area Interfaith Clergy Association and New Hope Baptist Church.

Watch via YouTube through New Hope Baptist Church Metuchen Media, or at www.nhbchurch.com

This year’s program is dedicated to the late Congressman John Lewis.

For more information, call Marilyn Matthews at 732-589-3536 or Elder Sheila Bellamy at 732-841-0653 or [email protected]

 

 

Woodbridge will hold a virtual interfaith salute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 1 p.m. Jan. 17 that will be re-aired at other times on TV-35.

 

 

The Have-A-Heart Food Drive kicks off in the New Year and runs until Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14 throughout Woodbridge.

Businesses are challenged to donate $214 or 214 pounds of food by Valentine’s Day.

For drop-off locations, visit www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/14420/Have-A-Heart_Flyer-2021?bidId=

Checks can be mailed to Town Hall, 1 Main St., or food can be dropped off at the Health & Human Services Center, 2 George Frederick Plaza.

 

Downtown Woodbridge’s Main Street Special Improvement District (SID), an organization established to promote economic revitalization, investment and improvements to the downtown, will offer Downtown Dollars, a community-based digital gift card that makes it easy to spend local.

This new initiative is sponsored by the Woodbridge Metro Chamber of Commerce. With their sponsorship, SID is able to offer a special holiday bonus to every $50 and $100 gift card purchased.

Purchase e-gift cards at downtownwoodbridge.com and view a list of participating businesses who accept the gift cards.

Purchasers are provided the ability to write a personal message and send this card to family, friends and colleagues via email, text, or printing out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health, announced the launch of the 10th annual Protect Me With 3+ poster and video contest.

The contest challenges New Jersey youth in middle and high school to raise awareness about the importance of adolescent immunizations including tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap), human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) and flu vaccines. Additionally, the contest has expanded to include entries for COVID-19 vaccination awareness.

Middle school and high school students can participate in the contest by submitting a hand-drawn poster or an original computer-generated poster that integrates key facts about one of the adolescent vaccines listed above. High school students also have the option to submit a video up to 30 seconds long instead of a poster.

In addition to accepting posters via mail, the contest is also accepting poster and video submissions electronically at www.protectmewith3.com/submit.

If a student is selected as a finalist, the agency will provide them with a pre-stamped envelope to mail their original poster.

Judges will then select the top three winners in each category.

The submission deadline is Jan. 23. Prizes will be awarded to the top three entries in the video and poster categories, and the winning entries will be showcased during various statewide immunization awareness activities.

For more information about Protect Me With 3+ sponsorship opportunities, visit www.protectmewith3.com/sponsors.

The top five finalists in each of the three categories will be posted on www.protectmewith3.com for public voting in March. The winners will then be announced and honored at an awards ceremony in May.

New Jersey teachers are encouraged to make the Protect Me With 3+ contest a class project. As an added incentive, prizes will be awarded to the classrooms with the most eligible submissions in each of the three categories. For more information on lesson plans and interactive materials for schools, visit http://www.protectmewith3.com/schools.

Information regarding eligibility, video and poster submission guidelines, and contest rules can be found at www.protectmewith3.com.

 

 

Middle school students and their parents can find out about opportunities in career and technical education at upcoming open houses on the five campuses of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools.

MCVTS offers 36 career majors, as well as a traditional academic curriculum, to Middlesex County students, along with interscholastic sports and extracurricular clubs and activities.

The East Brunswick Campus will hold an in-person open house on Jan. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon.

The Perth Amboy Campus open house will be Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to noon.

The Piscataway Campus schedule is Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to noon.

No tuition is charged to residents of Middlesex County.

 

 

The Pinelands Preservation Alliance’s Annual Juried Photo Exhibition has a scheduled opening for March 26.

All photographs must be made within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve. The reserve is found in portions of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties. All wildlife, flora and fauna must be photographed in their natural environment.

Submission date is Jan. 30.

More than $2,000 in cash prizes will be awarded: $1,000 for First Place Best in Show; $350 each for First Place Landscape, Flora & Fauna, and Other (People, Towns, Architecture, Culture, History, Recreation, etc).

Photographs submitted for exhibition will be selected by a credentialed jury with final selections chosen by Michael Yamashita, an acclaimed National Geographic photographer.

Acceptance notification is planned from Feb. 14-18. Awards, including cash prizes, will be announced at the reception on March 26.

All selected photographs will be exhibited at the historic Bishop Farmstead in Southampton from March 28 through April 30, and all submitted photos will be on display in the online gallery opening by April 15.

Open submissions are $30 for up to three images and $5 per image for each additional image. A total of six images can be submitted per photographer.

All participants must use the Smarter Entry system to register. Photos must be JPEG format, and files cannot exceed 8MB in size.

Learn more at www.PinelandsPhotoExhibit.org or email [email protected].

 

 

 

The Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office will hold an 8-week-long Sheriff’s Civilian Academy for residents of Middlesex County in Spring 2022.

The academy is designed to educate residents on the various functions and duties of the Sheriff’s Office.

Applications are being accepted for the program, which will be held at the Middlesex County Fire Academy located in Sayreville.

The first session is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. April 5, 2022. Classes will continue weekly on Tuesdays. One Saturday class will be held. The program culminates with a graduation ceremony scheduled for May 24.

Each session will highlight functions of the Sheriff’s Office including defensive tactics, K-9, transportation, fingerprinting, DARE, courts, civil process and foreclosures, among others.

Participants will tour the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office and the Main Courthouse in New Brunswick.

Applications are due no later than Feb. 15. The application will be used to determine suitability for the program. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, reside within the County of Middlesex, have no felony convictions, not be wanted for any crime, and submit to a limited background check.

For more information on the Sheriff’s Civilian Academy, contact Sgt. Frank Sautner at 732-745-5909 or email [email protected].

For more information, call 732-745-3382.

 

 

 

Meet the mayors of Cranbury, Metuchen, Monroe, Jamesburg, Helmetta, South Brunswick and Plainsboro from 8-10 a.m. Feb. 10 at the Crowne Plaza Princeton, 900 Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro.

Learn about economic development opportunities, arts and culture, travel and tourism, and sustainability.

To register, visit www.mcrcc.org/event/meet-the-mayors-2021-part-1/

Sponsored by the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

 

 

A documentary viewing and discussion of The Trial of Adolf Eichmann will be presented by Elie Honig, a member of Temple Emanu-El in Edison, who is a CNN senior legal analyst and author.

He will speak about his documentary commemorating the 60th anniversary of Eichmann’s trial, who was known as the “Architect of the Holocaust.”

The discussion is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the temple, 100 James St., Edison.

To participate virtually via Zoom, visit https://zoom.us/j/8357221415 using passcode “temple.”

Or, call 1-646-558-8656 using meeting ID 8357221415 and passcode 426022.

 

 

Recognizing the bravery and commitment of volunteer firefighters and first responders, New Jersey American Water announces its 2022 grant program for volunteer fire departments and emergency responders (ambulance and first aid squads) located within the company’s service areas.

Grants may be used to cover the costs of personal protective equipment, communications gear, first aid equipment, firefighting tools, vehicle maintenance and other materials that will be used to support volunteer firefighter and emergency responder operations.

Reimbursement for specific training courses, including the cost of training manuals, student workbooks, and instructors is also eligible.

To apply, organizations must complete the online application, located at www.newjerseyamwater.com, under News & Community, Community Involvement.

The maximum grant amount awarded to any organization is $2,000 and the deadline to apply is March 31. 

Interested applicants can find more information and apply online at www.newjerseyamwater.com/community.

Grant recipients will be notified by the end of April.

 

 

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Ongoing

Central Jersey Chapter 148 of the Korean War Veterans extend an invitation to any veterans, regardless of the branch of service, who served during the Korean War from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, in any location, including Europe; or who have served in Korea from July 27, 1953, to the current date.

Other veterans may join as associate members.

The group meets at 10 a.m. the second Wednesday of every month, from May to December, at the Monroe Township Municipal Building, 1 Municipal Plaza, in the court room.

Requirements for membership include paying dues of $25 to the Korean War Veterans Association and $10 to the chapter per year.

Korean War Veterans National LIFE membership is available for those 80 and older, and is $75.

The chapter is involved in various functions during the year, including fundraising to help veterans at the New Jersey State Veterans Memorial Home in Menlo Park, the Lyons campus of the VA New Jersey Health Care System, and the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home at Vineland.

For more information, contact Charlie Koppelman at 609-655-3111 or [email protected]

 

 

 

 

The Friends of the Metuchen Library are asking for donations of books.

Email [email protected] to schedule a dropoff appointment.

 

Cub Scout Pack 53 is celebrating its 70th year, and is holding registration for boys in grades kindergarten to 5. The pack is based out of the Fords section of Woodbridge and Clara Barton section of Edison.

Activities generally include fishing, hiking, BB guns, archery, service time, parades, the Pinewood Derby, the Raingutter Regatta and more.

Visit pack53fordsnj.shutterfly.com for more information.

Or, email [email protected]

 

 

 

The Kosher Meals on Wheels program through Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County is in need of substitute drivers to deliver meals, sometimes with limited notice.

Currently, there are openings on Mondays along the Highland Park route and along the Edison/Metuchen route. Areas include Woodbridge, Edison, Metuchen, Highland Park, East Brunswick and Old Bridge.

Call 732-777-1940 for information on how to apply.

 

 

 

 

 

To assist unemployed and underemployed county residents with their job search, Middlesex County’s One-Stop Career Centers within the Office of Career Opportunity are offering virtual career-related services.

 

In addition to accessing the One-Stop Career Centers for assistance with job searches, resume reviewing, career counseling, and career services for low-income residents, job seekers and underemployed residents are encouraged to sign up for SkillUp, a free online training portal with more than 5,500 courses focusing on business, project management, accounting, human resources, information technology, and customer service. To sign up, visit http://www.middlesexcountynj.gov/Government/Departments/BDE/Pages/SkillUp.aspx

 

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development also recently launched Job Source, offering a variety of tools designed to help fuel a successful job search experience. Users can create a free account and get tips and templates for job search, resume writing, cover letters and many other free services.

 

State-run One-Stop Career Centers are currently only operating remotely, with career-related services available virtually and by telephone. A return date for appointment-only services at the state-run centers has not been determined.

 

For more information, contact the Office of Career Opportunity at 732-745-3970 or if interested in job training contact Middlesex County One-Stop Career Centers at 732-745-3955 (New Brunswick) and 732-293-0642 (Perth Amboy) to schedule an appointment.

More information can be found at www.middlesexcountynj.gov/Government/Departments/BDE/Pages/Office_Workforce.aspx

 

 

The Central Jersey Chapter 148 of the Korean War Veterans extend an invitation to any veterans, regardless of the branch of service, who served during the Korean War from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, in any location; or who served in Korea from July 27, 1953, to the current date.

The group meets at 10 a.m. for a breakfast meeting the second Wednesday of every month from May to December at the Monroe Township Municipal Building, downstairs on the first floor.

Requirements for membership include paying dues of $25 to the Korean War Veterans Association and $10 to the chapter each year.

Korean War Veterans National Life membership if one is over age 80 is $75.

The chapter is involved in various functions during the year, including fundraising to help veterans at the New Jersey State Veterans Memorial Home in Menlo Park, the Lyons Veterans Hospital Lyons, and the Vineland Veterans Hospital in Vineland.

For more information, contact membership chair Charlie Koppelman at 609-655-3111 or [email protected]

 

 

 

 

Middlesex County residents looking for local farmers, grocery stores or food pantries – as well as public transportation routes to get there – can download the interactive map-based Accessing Healthy Foods app.

Visit http://middlesexcountynj.gov/healthyfoodsmap

 

 

 

The Center for Therapy & Counseling Services is offering a Teen Girls Support Group.

This free group offers girls ages 13-17 a safe place to connect, share stories and be encouraging. The goal is to enhance self esteem, self confidence and communication skills.

Each group is led by trained facilitators.

Girls meet weekly at 7 p.m. Thursdays, virtually.

Registration is required by calling 732-254-0600.

Or, email [email protected] for more information.

The Center for Therapy & Counseling Services is located at 15 W. Prospect St., East Brunswick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern New Jersey (BBBSCNNJ) is inviting Middlesex County residents to become a volunteer Big Brother or Big Sister to a local child.

BBBSCNNJ currently has 20 children on its Middlesex County waiting list, mostly boys.

BBBSCNNJ provides one-to-one mentoring for youth ages 6-18. Volunteer Big Brothers and Sisters spend quality time with their Littles each month, enjoying free or low-cost activities during which the child may learn new skills, explore new interests, or expand their experience beyond their family and neighborhood. 

There are no special skills required, and BBBSCNNJ’s experienced staff provides continual support.

To be matched with a Middlesex County child, apply at mentornj.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick has launched the Substance Abuse and Addiction Loss Support Group for families who are coping with loss due to addiction.

The free and confidential support group meets virtually on the second Thursday of every month from 7-8:30 p.m.

Inspired by Saint Peter’s Opioid Task Force, the Substance Abuse and Addiction Loss Support Group is for families and close loved ones of people who have passed away from addiction.

The support group is open to everyone in New Jersey and serves as a safe space for families to discuss their grief.

To join the Substance Abuse and Addiction Loss Support Group, call Jeanne Delacruz, a social worker at Saint Peter’s who facilitates the support group, at 732-745-8522 or email [email protected]

 

 

 

Gain stability from an in-demand occupation; apply for a Women’s Center career training grant from Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County.

Qualified persons who are active members of the JFS Women’s Center must submit an application and attend an interview. Grants are available for short-term training programs for in-demand jobs.

Eligible candidates must qualify as a “displaced homemaker,” a woman who is a single mother, divorced, separated, widowed, or living with a disabled spouse/partner.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, email womenscenter@j fsmiddlesex.org