Community Bulletin Board
County continues free summer concert series

The Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Department of Parks and Recreation will continue its free summer concerts with the following events:

• Primitive Soul Blues Band — July 31, 3-4:30 p.m., Johnson Park, River Road, Piscataway;

• The Gene Mendalski Polka Band — July 31, 6-7:30 p.m., Warren Park, Florida Grove Road, Woodbridge;

• The Bob Birch Quintet — July 31, 6:30-8 p.m., Spring Lake Park, Maple Avenue, South Plainfield;

• The Eletfa Hungarian Folk Ensemble — Aug. 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Raritan Bay Waterfront Park, O’Leary Boulevard, South Amboy;

• The Garden State Brass Quintet — Aug. 3, 2-3:30 p.m., at the gazebo next to the lake in Thompson Park, Forsgate Drive, Monroe;

• The Joe Monchek Trio — Aug. 7, 3-4:30 p.m., Johnson Park;

• The Dave Wilson Jazz Band — Aug. 7, 6-7:30 p.m., Warren Park;

• The Jimmy Ray Band — Aug. 7, 6:30-8 p.m., Spring Lake Park;

• Bernie Goydish and the Jersey Polka Stars — Aug. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Raritan Bay Waterfront Park;

• The Gene Mendalski Polka Band — Aug. 10, 2-3:30 p.m., at the gazebo next to the lake in Thompson Park;

• The Jack Alan Orchestra Featuring Sandy Sasso — Aug. 11, 6:30-8 p.m., Alvin P. Williams Park, Sewaren Peninsula, Cliff Road, Sewaren section of Woodbridge.

For details, call (732) 745-3936.

Ladies Workout Express to host St. Jude’s event

Ladies Workout Express, Old Bridge, will hold a St. Jude’s Workout fund-raiser from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 8. Proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn.

Each Ladies Workout member will receive a sponsor sheet. A certain amount of money will be pledged for each machine on which the member works out.

The public is welcome to stop by and make a donation. Admission is free of charge. Contributions will be accepted through Aug. 13.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, founded by entertainer Danny Thomas in 1962, is internationally recognized for its work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic illnesses.

For more information and to register for the fund-raiser, call Connie Ciaburri at Ladies Workout Express, (732) 607-1800. For more information on St. Jude’s, call (800) 567-0636.

Children’s vision education group to meet

NJ PAVE (Parents for Active Vision Education) will meet at 8 p.m. on Aug. 3 at Eye Doctor, Ticetown Square, Route 9, Old Bridge.

Parents whose children are struggling in school are invited to attend.

For more information, call Candy at (732) 607-3939.

Charitable events planned at county fair

During the 2005 Middlesex County Fair, set for Aug. 1-7 at the Middlesex County Fairgrounds, Cranbury Road, East Brunswick, various events are slated to highlight the nonprofit activities of the Middlesex County Fair Association.

National Kids Night will be celebrated at the fair on opening night, Aug. 1. There will be free admission for all youngsters age 12 and under. The 2005 Middlesex County Fair Association scholarship winners from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, will be recognized at opening ceremonies set to begin at 6 p.m. Pay-one-price rides will be featured from 7-10 p.m. Other highlights of the evening will include the Middlesex County Fair king, queen, prince and princess competitions (applications may be obtained from http://middlesex.rcre.rutgers.edu/fair), and an oldies performance at 8:30 p.m. by local singing group Sidewalk Serenade.

The fair has invited special-needs children from 20 local charities to spend an afternoon at the fairgrounds on Aug. 3. The youngsters will go on rides for free, view shows and displays and enjoy fair treats from select food vendors.

On August 5, 6 and 7, the fair will host its annual blood drive. All donors will receive free admission to the fair and will be entered into a raffle to receive a family four-pack of tickets to Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson.

The fair will wrap up on Aug. 7 with its annual Charity Challenge Countdown. Any Middlesex County charity that would like to participate in the Charity Challenge may enter by calling the association at (732) 257-8858.

Vendors, exhibitors sought for cultural fair

The East Brunswick Human Relations Council is seeking craft vendors and exhibitors for the township’s annual Our Community Is Fair cultural festival, set for noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 25 at the East Brunswick municipal pond, Ryders Lane. Rain date is Oct. 2.

The daylong celebration of the township’s ethnic diversity will feature continuous cultural entertainment, a free craft project for children, free face painting, an ethnic food court, craft vendors, cultural exhibits and more.

Our Community Is Fair is sponsored by the Township of East Brunswick Division of Recreation and the East Brunswick Human Relations Council.

Admission to the festival is free of charge. The public is welcome.

For more information and to reserve, call Karen Kecskes at (732) 390-6797, or e-mail recreation@eastbrunswick.org.

Coffeehouse praise,

worship set at church

Simpson United Methodist Church, 2095 Route 516 at Owens Road, Old Bridge, will host a Fifth Fridays Coffeehouse Praise and Worship at 7:30 p.m. on July 29 in the church sanctuary.

The evening will feature the music of the Revelation Band. Fellowship and free refreshments will follow.

Admission is free of charge; a free-will offering will be accepted. All are welcome.

For more information, call the church at (732) 679-7499.

‘Solar Express’ VBS

racing to Jamesburg

The First Baptist Church of Jamesburg, 15 Half Acre Road, will hold a vacation Bible school from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Aug. 8-12. Children in kindergarten-fifth grade are welcome to attend.

The theme will be “Solar Express: Empowered by the Son.” Sessions will feature crafts, snacks, songs and games.

For more information and to register, call the Rev. Mike Bruni at (732) 521-0382.

Widows and Widowers

schedules Aug. 7 luau

The Widows and Widowers (WOWs) Chapter of Middlesex County West will hold a Lively, Lovely Luau celebration from 6-10:30 p.m. on Aug. 7 at the Belarussian American Center, Whitehead Avenue, South River. The event will feature music by Silk and Steel, live entertainment, a cash bar, prizes and a large assortment of food. Participants may come in luau costume or casual dress. The group’s business meeting is planned for 7 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Belarussian-American Center. The event is open to all members and to individuals who are interested in joining. For more information, call (732) 238-5678.

HSA seeks crafters for

craft show/bake sale

Crafters are sought for the St. Thomas the Apostle HSA annual Craft Show and Bake Sale set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 15 in the school auditorium, Route 18 south, Old Bridge. Rental tables are available at a cost of $17.50 or $35. For more information and to reserve, call (732) 866-0482.

Tenor Michael Amante

will perform in Monroe

The Greenbriar at Whittingham adult community, Monroe, will present tenor Michael Amante in concert at 8 p.m. on Aug. 13 at the Richard P. Marasco Performing Arts Center, Monroe Township High School, Perrineville Road.

Amante, who will be accompanied by the eight-piece Herb Bernstein Orchestra, will offer a wide variety of tunes, from opera classics to pop standards.

Opening act will be comedian/impressionist Glen Anthony.

Tickets cost $20 per person.

For more information and to reserve, call (609) 395-0404, ext. 220 or 221.

Knights to celebrate

at Aug. 11 barbecue

Our Lady of Victory Knights of Columbus Council No. 2061, Parlin section of Sayreville, will sponsor a Barbecue Chicken Night from 6-9 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the council home, Washington Road.

Chef Carmen Spezzi’s menu will feature barbecued chicken, Jersey corn, baked potatoes, baked beans, dessert, coffee, tea, beer and wine.

Tickets cost $15 each. Takeouts (food only) will be available for $12; advance-purchase ticket will be required.

For more information and to reserve, call Frank Toth at (732) 238-0571, Jim Poltrictzky at (732) 254-8896, or the knights home at (732) 257-2061.

Youngsters, parents

invited to discuss book

The Middle Grades Book Club will hold a meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Old Bridge Public Library Main Branch, Route 516 and Cottrell Road.

Youngsters in fifth-eighth grades and their parents will discuss “The Two Princesses of Bamarre” by Gail Levine.

The book follows the story of timid Princess Addie who must confront a dragon and incredible danger to find a cure for the “grey death” in order to save her adventurous sister.

Books will be provided. Refreshments will be served. Registration is required.

Interested individuals may register by calling (732) 721-5600, ext. 5028.

Rosary society seeking

vendors for flea market

St. Thomas Rosary Society, Old Bridge, is seeking vendors for its 15th annual Giant Flea Market, set for 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 10 in St. Thomas the Apostle Church parking lot, Route 18 south, Old Bridge. Rain date is Sept. 17.

Spaces cost $15 each, $25 for two. There will be no refunds.

For more information and to reserve, call Charlotte at (732) 257-0721.

Sounds of music

to be heard at library

The Spotswood Public Library, 548 Main St., will continue its summer music programs with two upcoming events.

Musician Mary Lebus will visit the library at noon on Aug. 3 for a performance and hands-on demonstration. Lebus will bring a selection of harps from her private collection and will allow members of the audience (all ages) the opportunity to play one of the instruments.

Guitarist and lecturer Richard Roden Jr. will share the legacy of Irish, Scottish, English and Welsh music at noon on Aug. 18. Folk classics will be delivered in a tenor voice with guitar accompaniment. The program has been developed and funded by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information and to reserve, call (732) 251-1515.

Tickets available for drum, bugle corps show

The Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps will host its annual Summer Classic, a Drum Corps International Division II/III show, at 7 p.m. on Aug. 6 at Memorial Stadium, New Brunswick High School, Joyce Kilmer Avenue.

Drum and bugle corps from across the country will join the Surf at the show, one of the final local competitions before the 2005 championship tour, culminating in the grand finals in New England.

The Surf includes several members from the Old Bridge area.

Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens, and are available at www.jerseysurf.org or at the gate.

For more information, call (856) 753-DRUM (3786).

Tryouts planned for ‘Forum,’ ‘Side Show’

Combined auditions for the upcoming Sayreville Main Street Theatre Company productions of “Side Show” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 8, 10 and 11 in the theater space at The Garden of Friends, 3018 Bordentown Road, Parlin section of Sayreville. Callbacks are set for 1 p.m. on Aug. 13.

Participants should come prepared to sing and dance.

The shows are scheduled for October and November. For a character breakdowns, log on to smstc.org.

‘Kitchen Stories’ to be screened at library

The 23rd annual Summer International Film Festival at the East Brunswick Public Library, Jean Walling Civic Center, will continue on Aug. 2 with 1:30 and 8 p.m. screenings of the Swedish and Norwegian comedy “Kitchen Stories.” The 2003 film, which is rated PG, has a running time of 92 minutes.

The movie, a deadpan social satire, tells the story of a 1950s Swedish home researcher who sets off to observe the kitchen habits of a crusty Norwegian bachelor. The researcher’s aim is to use the observations to design a kitchen that will meet the needs of single men.

Films in the festival will be shown in their original languages, with English subtitles as needed. Admission is free of charge. Reservations are not required.

“The Magdalene Sisters,” the final movie in the festival, will be shown on Aug. 9. The 2003 British drama is rated R.

The festival is sponsored by the Friends of the East Brunswick Public Library. For more information, call Susan Sclar at (732) 390-6775.

Two-day yard sale on tap at South River temple

Congregation Anshe Emeth, 88 Main St., South River, will hold an Indoor Yard Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 29 and July 31.

The event will feature a wide range of goods including housewares, books, clothing, children’s items, video and audio tapes and more. Refreshments will be available for purchase. For more information, call (732) 257-4190.

Tryouts planned for ‘Forum,’ ‘Side Show’

Combined auditions for the upcoming Sayreville Main Street Theatre Company productions of “Side Show” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 8, 10 and 11 in the theater space at The Garden of Friends, 3018 Bordentown Road, Parlin section of Sayreville. Callbacks are set for 1 p.m. on Aug. 13.

Participants should come prepared to sing and dance.

The shows are scheduled for October and November. For a character breakdowns, log on to smstc.org.

Library to sponsor July 28 blood drive

The Spotswood Public Library, 548 Main St., will hold a blood drive from 4-7:30 p.m. on July 28.

The Blood Center of New Jersey will conduct the drive. A bloodmobile will be on location in the library parking lot. Free cholesterol screenings will be available for all blood donors.

For more information, call (732) 251-1515.

Play will raise funds for Daisy Association

The East Brunswick Young Adult Charity Players (EBYACP) will present performances of “The Fine Art of Double-Crossing” at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 5 and 6 and 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 7 at East Brunswick High School, 360 Cranbury Road.

EBYACP is a nonprofit organization created to provide entertaining theatrical productions to raise money for the Daisy Parents Association, East Brunswick. The Daisy program provides activities for developmentally disabled children in Middlesex County.

Show tickets cost $10 and are available at the door or by calling (732) 257-4905. All proceeds will go directly to the Daisy Parents Association. EBYACP, now in its fifth year, has raised $12,470 for the Daisy panel over the past four years.

Historical panel seeks

memorabilia for display

The Jamesburg Historical Association is seeking memorabilia related to Forsgate Farm/Country Club and the New Jersey Training School for Boys (the New Jersey State Home for Boys), both Monroe, for two upcoming displays, “Forsgate Remembered” and “State Home Memories.”

In an effort to present a wide array of items and memorabilia, the association is looking for anyone who may have a connection with either of the facilities and for memorabilia that could be donated or loaned for the duration of the displays. All donations are tax deductible.

“Forsgate Remembered” will open Sept. 25 and run through Jan. 9. “State Home Memories” is planned for Feb. 12-May 28.

For more about the historical association, go to www.jamesburghistory.com, or call (732) 521-2040 and leave a message. Lakeview Mansion, 203 Buckelew Ave., Jamesburg, is open the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 2-4 p.m.

Medieval, Renaissance

fashion program slated

Romance author Terri Brisbin will share her knowledge of the history of clothing and fashion in medieval and Renaissance times at 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 6 at the Old Bridge Public Library Main Branch, Route 516 and Cottrell Road.

Brisbin will present examples of clothing worn during the Middle Ages and will offer information on how the clothing of the times reflected the mores of the people.

To register, stop by the library reference desk or call (732) 721-5600, ext. 5033.

S.R. rec offers trips to

Yankee, Thunder games

The South River Parks and Recreation Department is offering bus trips and tickets for the following baseball games:

• Aug. 12 — New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers;

• Aug. 26 — Trenton Thunder vs. Binghamton Mets.

The bus for the Yankee game will depart at 4:15 p.m. from the South River High School parking lot, Montgomery Street. Departure for the Trenton Thunder game will be at 5 p.m. from the same location.

Cost for the Yankee game trip is $50 per person; Thunder trip, $15. Prices include game admission and bus fare. There will be a four-ticket per person limit for the Yankee game.

Both trips are open to residents and nonresidents.

For more information and to reserve, call the recreation office at (732) 254-4412.

Senior Chai schedules

symphony trio concert

Senior Chai, a program of Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Southern Middlesex County, will offer a concert by a trio from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra from 1-2:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 at the Jewish Congregation of Concordia, 20 Concordia Shopping Center, Monroe.

The event is open to the public. Donation is $5, in advance; dessert is included. Transportation will be available with advance notice.

For more information, call Jennifer at (609) 395-7979, Tuesdays-Thursdays.

Shelter to host July 31

open house/pet adoption

Sayreville Pet Adoption Center, 1400 Main St., will hold a Summer Open House/Adoption Fair from noon to 3 p.m. on July 31 at the shelter.

The event will feature refreshments, prizes and a gift boutique for pets and pet lovers.

For more information, call Anna at (973) 220-8656.

Singles Night on tap

at South River VFW

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1451, 31 Reid St., South River, will hold a Singles Night beginning at 8 p.m. on July 29 at the post bar.

The Pulse Band will offer music from the ’50s to the present day. Free coffee and dessert will be served.

Admission is $5 per person. For more information, call (732) 254-9834.

Historical panel seeks

Buckelew Day vendors

The Jamesburg Historical Association will hold its annual Buckelew Day festival on Sept. 10 at Lakeview, the historic Buckelew Mansion, 203 Buckelew Ave.

The association is looking for vendors who specialize in making or selling handmade foods or items of an historic nature. The fee for 10 feet of vendor space is $25.

Call (732) 521-2040 for a vendor application or more information.

Meetings planned for library groups and clubs

The Old Bridge Public Library Main Branch, Route 516 and Cottrell Road, has scheduled upcoming meetings for its reading groups and clubs.

A meeting of the Savvy Seniors discussion group is set for 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 11. The group meets every month in the library’s large meeting room to discuss topics including books, current events, hobbies, television, health and nutrition. Lunch dates and trips to Broadway shows, movies, etc., are scheduled throughout the year.

The next meeting of the Gardening Club is planned for 7 p.m. on Aug. 17. Participants will trade secrets and tips, plan visits to gardening centers and more. Discussion will focus on remaking the library’s garden and trading plants.

A selection of poems by Emily Dickinson will be discussed at the next meeting of the Original Book Discussion Group set for 7 p.m. on Aug. 18.

Patrons are sought for a nonfiction book discussion group scheduled to meet once a month. Interested individuals should call Marcy at (732) 721-5600, ext. 5034.

The next meeting of the library’s Genealogy Club will be held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 24. Individuals who are interested in researching family history are invited to attend. For more information, call Jennifer Sherman at (732) 566-2227.

“Labyrinths” by Jorge Luis Borges will be the topic when the Science Fiction Book Discussion Group meets at 7 p.m. on Aug. 25.

For more information, call Tim at (732) 721-5600, ext. 5033.

Handbag, luggage sale next up for auxiliary

The Raritan Bay Medical Center Old Bridge Auxiliary will sponsor a fund-raising Handbag and Luggage Sale from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 29 in Auxiliary Hall B and C, lower level of the Medical Arts Building, adjacent to the hospital’s Old Bridge division, off Ferry Road, between routes 9 and 18.

For more information, call (732) 324-5006.

DuPont 25-year club to hold July 30 picnic

The DuPont 25-Year Service Club will hold its annual picnic from noon to 5 p.m. on July 30 at Burke’s Park, Washington Road, Parlin section of Sayreville.

For more information, call (732) 257-1875.

Area arts groups receive Local Arts Grants

The Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission, New Brunswick, recently announced its 2005 Local Arts Grants recipients. The Commission awarded a total of $163,800 to 45 arts groups, and $29,450 to 11 groups under Local Arts Development.

The grants support established groups and assist emerging arts groups while encouraging artistic excellence. The grants are made possible by a $197,662 grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Local recipients are: Alborada Spanish Dance Theater, Old Bridge, $7,950; Edison Chinese Chorus, $2,100; Filipino Family & Friends of North Edison, Edison, $2,100; Forum Theater/Entre Act, Metuchen, $5,500; GB Productions Theater, Sayreville, $1,700; Girl Scouts of Delaware Raritan Valley, East Brunswick, $2,200; Huaxia Chinese School Tai Chi Club, Edison, $1,700; Huaxia Edison Dance Team, $1,550; Little Apple Productions, Milltown, $1,700; MAVIS, Woodbridge, $2,100; and Metuchen Cultural Arts Commission, $1,700.

Also, Metuchen Recreation Commission, $1,700; Metuchen/Campbell Moss PTO, $1,100; Middlesex County Vocational & Technical School of Performing Arts, East Brunswick, $1,500; Monroe Township Patrons of the Arts, $2,100; Monroe Township Cultural Arts Commission, $6,500; New Jersey American Indian Center, Sayreville, $5,850; North Brunswick Heritage Day Commission, $5,000; Philomusica Choir, East Brunswick, $8,600; South Brunswick Arts Commission, $2,100; South Brunswick Parks & Recreation, $2,100; Women Helping Women, Metuchen, $1,850; and Woodbridge Township Cultural Arts Commission/Barron Arts Center, $4,300.

The following groups are funded under local arts development, and some will co-sponsor a project with the Commission: Cerebral Palsy Association of Middlesex County, Edison; Cleo Mack Dance Project, Edison; Historic Village of Old Bridge Community, East Brunswick; borough of Jamesburg; Kalanjali School of Dance, South Brunswick; NAACP, Metuchen Edison Branch; and Friends of South Brunswick Senior Center.

Zimmerli Museum sets

exhibits through 2006

The schedule for current and upcoming exhibits at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, 71 Hamilton St., New Brunswick, is as follows:

• Beyond the Limits of Socialist Realism: Part II: Theater Posters From the Soviet Union — through July 31;

• Dialogues: Henry Ossawa Tanner and Romare Bearden — through July 31;

• Russian and Soviet Propaganda Posters, Part I -— through July 31;

• Individuals: Selections From the Dodge Collection — through July 31;

• Art in Paris from Daumier to Rodin: 1832-1914 — through July 31;

• Mikhail Roginsky — through July 31;

• Selections From the Henderson Collection of American Stained Glass Design — through Sept. 18;

• Japonisme: Selections From the Collection — ongoing;

• Origins of the Twentieth Century, Watercolors and Drawings in France 1875-1915, From the Zimmerli Collection — Sept. 1-Jan. 29;

• A Witness to War: Edward Steichen’s U.S. Navy Photography, 1942-1945 — Sept. 1-Jan. 29;

• Eduard Gorokhovsky — Sept. 10-Jan. 15;

• Soviet Propaganda Posters, Part II — Sept. 10-Jan. 29;

• Original Illustrations for Children’s Books From the Rutgers Collection — Sept. 10-Feb. 5;

• Selections From the Henderson Collection of American Stained Glass Design — Sept. 24-Feb. 19;

• Breaking the Mold: Sculpture in Paris From Daumier to Rodin — Oct. 23-March 12.

For more information, call (732) 932-7237, ext. 610, or log on to www.zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu.