Community Bulletin Board
Hunger, poverty in N.J. to be topic of discussion

The Temple B'nai Shalom Adult Education program will present a talk titled "Chronic Hunger and Poverty in New Jersey" at 9 p.m. on May 25 at the temple, Fern and Old Stage roads, East Brunswick.

Guest speaker will be the Rev. Bruce Davidson, pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Davidson is a member of the Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey and chairman of the annual Statewide Conference on Poverty.

All are welcome to attend. For more information, call (732) 251-4300.

Ladies guild to sponsor

dinner and gift auction

The St. Anne's Guild of Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church will hold a Ladies Night Out Dinner and Gift Auction at 6 p.m. on June 1 at the church, 9 Jeffrie Ave., South River.

Donation is $25 and includes buffet dinner, appetizer, refreshments and dessert. The event also will feature games and prizes. Tables of 10 may be reserved in advance.

For more information and to order tickets, call Karen Berezniak at (732) 754-0033 or e-mail kberez@com-cast.net. Seating is limited. Individuals under age 18 will not be admitted.

Advance tickets offered for St. Stan's Carnival

Discounted ride tickets and advance 50/50 raffle tickets for the upcoming 2007 St. Stan's Carnival to be held on the St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish grounds, MacArthur Avenue and Main Street, Sayreville, may be purchased at several area locations according to the following schedule:

+ prior to Sunday-Afternoon Bingo at St. Stan's Parish, noon to 1:30 p.m. on June 3, 10 and 17;

+ prior to Tuesday-Night Bingo at St. Stan's Parish, 6-7:30 p.m. on June 5, 12 and 19;

+ Foodtown of South Amboy, Bordentown Avenue, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 9;

+ Sayreville Seafood and Deli, Washington Road, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 16 and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 17.

For more information, call the parish office at (732) 254-0212.

Memorial Day Picnic next up at Elks lodge

East Brunswick Elks Lodge No. 2370 will host a Memorial Day Picnic from 1:30-6 p.m. on May 27 at the post home, 28-B Oakmont, East Brunswick.

The menu will include hot dogs, hamburgers, pork roll, potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, dessert and coffee, beer, wine and soda.

Cost is $8 for members, $10 for nonmembers; children age 8 and under will be admitted free of charge.

For tickets and more information, call Kathleen at (732) 605-9345.

Registration under way for Garbarini golf event

The Milltown Fire Department will present the fifth annual Charles Garbarini Golf Outing on June 11 at Cranbury Golf Club, 49 Southfield Road, West Windsor. The shotgun scramble will begin at 10 a.m.

Charles Garbarini, a lieutenant with the New York City Fire Department, was lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

Cost for the event is $135 per person, which includes doughnuts, coffee, lunch and buffet dinner. There will be door prizes and prizes for winning teams, longest drives, closest to the pin and "Beat the Hunky." Proceeds will benefit charities and other causes requested by the Garbarini family. Spaces are limited.For more information, call Jules at (732) 803-8691 or log on to www.milltownfire.org.

Vendors sought for USS Avenger fundraiser

The USS Avenger, Edison, is seeking vendors for a fundraiser to be held June 17 to benefit the Van Houten Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

The event, co-sponsored by the Van Houten Foundation Inc., will be held at the Victorian Manor Reception Hall, Edison. It will feature charity auctions of merchandise from sports personalities, television and film celebrities, games and activities, and catered food. Proceeds will be used to establish a shelter for women and children in Middlesex County, for two scholarships for students pursuing environmental studies, and for JDRF research. Vendor tables are $45 each. Tables are first come, first served. For more information, call Dr. Norman J. Van Houten at (732) 287-0010.

Dance team seeking

donations, vendors

Vendors and donations are sought for the Special Kays Dance Team Flea Market set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 23 outdoors at the New Jersey Center of Dance, 475 Marlboro Road, Old Bridge. In the event of rain, the event will be moved indoors.

Rental fee is $20 per space, $30 per space and table. Proceeds will go to the dance team.

For more information and to reserve, call Crystal at (732) 213-1026.

Registration under way at St. Bart's School

St. Bartholomew School, 470 Ryders Lane, East Brunswick, is accepting registration for full-day and half-day prekindergarten, full-day kindergarten and grades 1-8 for the 2007-08 school year.

Extracurricular activities include sports programs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, drama club, chorus and school band. Busing is available from most local towns.

For more information, call the school office at (732) 254-7105. Individualized tours and reviews of the academic curriculum are available.

Watershed panel selling chemical-free products

The Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership is conducting an Organic (Chemical-Free) Fertilizer and Cleaning Material Sale fundraiser from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays at the group's headquarters building, 85 Washington Ave., Milltown.

The nonprofit organization, dedicated to the protection of the Lawrence Brook Watershed, seeks to encourage area residents to avoid the use of toxic garden materials and cleaning products. Data shows that contaminated stormwater runoff and chemical lawn fertilizers are significant contributors to elevated levels of chemicals in the drinking water supply.

Order forms are available at local libraries, at the partnership's Milltown headquarters, at www.lbwp.org, or by calling (732) 249-5297 (LBWP).

Vendors sought for Fourth of July gala

Vendor space is available at the annual Monroe Township Recreation Department Fourth of July Celebration set to begin at 5 p.m. on July 4 in Thompson Park.

The event will feature refreshments, food vendors, novelty vendors, craft vendors and musical entertainment. A fireworks display is set for dusk.

Space-rental fee has been reduced to $50. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Friends of Recreation.

For more information and to reserve, call Mary Lange at (732) 723-5000.

Amato Kick Cancer event to benefit children

Special Teams Solutions will sponsor its first Joanne J. Amato Kick Cancer fundraiser, to benefit the Institute for Children With Cancer and Blood Disorders/Embrace Kids Foundation, New Brunswick, on June 2 at the Middlesex County Fairgrounds, Cranbury Road, East Brunswick. Registration will begin at 10 a.m. The clinic will conclude at 2 p.m. following an awards ceremony.

Football players ages 8-14 will receive instruction from Special Teams Solutions kicking coaches and current college football players. The clinic will include instruction in the fundamentals of kicking, punting and long snapping, as well as drills, tips and competition. Registration fee is a minimum $35 donation to the Institute for Children/Embrace Kids Foundation. The fundraiser also will feature a silent auction, music and food.

The Kick Cancer clinic is dedicated to the memory of East Brunswick resident Joanne J. Amato, B.S.N., R.N.C., a pediatric and infertility nurse who dedicated her life to the well-being and care of children. Before her death from ovarian cancer in 2005, Amato helped thousands of children and their families through her work at Margaret Hague Hospital, Saint Peter's University Medical Center, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey. Amato was the mother-in-law of Lee McDonald, founder of Special Teams Solutions.

To register, log on to www.TheInstituteForChildren.org and click on Kick Cancer. For more information, call (732) 406-6409 or e-mail Lee@SpecialTeamsSolutions.com.

Residents invited to natural-garden seminar

Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County will present a Natural Landscape Workshop for interested residents from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 2 at the EARTH Center, 42 Riva Ave., in Davidson's Mill Pond Park, South Brunswick.

The event will offer several gardening techniques that homeowners can use to invigorate their plants without relying on chemical fertilizers. One method that will be explored in-depth is the use of native plants and choosing the right plant for the right place. The workshop also will introduce the concept of using integrated pest management on the home front, as well as simple practices, such as the use of compost to improve soils, that can go a long way toward achieving a healthy landscape.

Cost is $35. Advance registration is required. Class size is limited.

For more information and to reserve, call (732) 398-5262.

Vendors sought for church garage sale

Holy Trinity Church, 90 Leonardine Ave., South River, will hold a Forgotten Treasures Garage Sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 9.

Rental cost is $15 for table and space, $10 for space only. Vendors will be accommodated on a first-come basis.

Proceeds will go to the church youth group's upcoming trip to Biloxi, Miss.

For more information and to reserve, call Jim McConnell at (732) 613-0132.

Fundraiser at Applebee's will aid library, literacy

The East Brunswick Area chapter of the MOMS Club will sponsor a Dining to Donate fundraiser from 11 a.m. to closing on June 3 at Applebee's of Milltown, Ryders Crossing Shopping Center, Milltown Road and Ryders Lane.

Applebee's will donate 10 percent of diners' bills (excluding alcoholic beverages, tips and taxes) to aid the East Brunswick Public Library and the Middlesex County Books to Keep program, which provides new books to disadvantaged youth. Diners must present an event flier at the restaurant in order for the donation to count.

Fliers are available at the library, Jean Walling Civic Center, or on the library's Web site, www.ebpl.org, in the library news area.

The MOMS Club is a support group for stay-at-home home moms and mothers who work part time. Internationally, the club has more than 2,000 chapters in seven countries and represents more than 100,000 members. The East Brunswick Area chapter serves mothers living in East Brunswick, Helmetta, Milltown, South River and Spotswood.

For more information on the fundraiser, call Applebee's at (732) 651-8151.