Community Bulletin Board

St. Bartholomew Columbiettes will host its annual Christmas Tea fundraiser at 2 p.m. on Dec. 11 in Robert Frey Hall, Willow Street Firehouse, East Brunswick.

The event will feature harp music, holiday stories, tea, soft drinks and cookies.

Admission is $10 and cookies to share. Reservations are required.

For more information and to reserve, call (732) 254-5440.

Church to offer cookie walk, holiday craft shop

Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 568 Ryders Lane, East Brunswick, will hold its annual Holiday Craft Shop and Cookie Walk from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 10.

Homemade cookies will be offered at $6 per pound. Handcrafted holiday gifts and decorations will be available. A breakfast bar will open at 8:30 a.m.

For directions, call (732) 254-7361. For more information, call (732) 462-4111.

FAN schedules two fundraisers at library

The Monroe Township Library Families and Neighbors (FAN) group will sponsor two fundraisers at the library, 4 Municipal Plaza.

A Discovery Toys event is set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 29.

FAN will offer a Tupperware Sale from 4-8 p.m. on Dec. 7.

Consultants will have displays and order forms at the library in advance of the sale dates.

Orders will be accepted before and during the events. Checks should be made payable to the Friends of the Library.

For more information, call (732) 521-5000 or e-mail cetsch@lmxac.org.

Tickets on sale for Breakfast With Santa

The Fathers Club of Immaculate Conception Church will host its annual Breakfast With Santa from 9 a.m. to noon on Dec. 11 at Immaculate Conception School cafeteria, 23 Manalapan Road, Spotswood.

The event will feature a buffet breakfast, arts and crafts, a sing-along, prize drawings and photos with Santa.

Cost is $10 per adult, $6 per child ages 5-10, $2.50 per child age 2-4; youngsters under age 2 will be admitted free of charge.

Advance ticket purchase is required by Dec. 6. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

For more information and to reserve, call Steve Caputo at (732) 656-1895.

Northfield launches holiday toy drive

Northfield Savings Bank, with branches throughout Middlesex County, is conducting its 10th annual Secret Santa Holiday Toy Drive through Dec. 15.

Donations of new, unwrapped toys may be brought to any Northfield Savings Bank branch in New Jersey or Staten Island, N.Y. All toys will be delivered to local charities and distributed to needy children.

Last year more than 750 toys were donated by Northfield customers and distributed to children through 10 area charitable organizations in Staten Island and New Jersey.

To find a local Northfield branch, log on to www.enorthfield.com or call (732) 499-7200.

Crystal Springs summer job expo set for Nov. 26

Crystal Springs Family Aquatic Center, East Brunswick, will hold a summer job expo from 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 25 at the East Brunswick Division of Parks, 334 Dunhams Corner Road.

Applications will be available for positions including water and maintenance attendants (must be 15 years of age), and cashier, lifeguard and maintenance staff (16 years of age and older).

Employment with Crystal Springs begins on Memorial Day weekend and continues through Labor Day.

For more information, call Leigh Gerhart at (732) 390-6981.

Hospital auxiliary slates Holiday Bazaar

The Old Bridge Auxiliary of Raritan Bay Medical Center will sponsor its annual Holiday Bazaar from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 21 in Auxiliary Hall B and C, lower level of the Old Bridge division’s Medical Arts Building, off Ferry Road, between routes 9 and 18.

Local crafters will sell wreaths, home decor, hand-painted holiday ornaments, makeup, holiday pillows, baked items and table decorations.

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

Kids on Stage to present ‘Once on This Island’

Kids on Stage will offer “Once on This Island” at 8 p.m. on Nov. 18 and 25, 2 and 8 p.m. on Nov. 19 and 26, and 2 p.m. on Nov. 20 and 27, at the Villagers Theatre, 415 DeMott Lane, Somerset section of Franklin.

All tickets cost $10 each. Group rates are available.

To reserve, call (732) 355-1147 or (732) 985-3084, or e-mail KOSROX@optonline.net.

E.B. rec plans summer job expo for Nov. 26

The East Brunswick Division of Recreation will offer a Summer 2006 Employment Expo from 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 26 at the East Brunswick Senior Center, 3 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive. Interested applicants, 16 years of age (by June 12) and older, are invited.

Applications and interviews will be available for site directors, arts and crafts and games/activities specialists and counselors for half-day and full-day positions with children in prekindergarten-ninth grade. Information and applications also will be offered for staff positions with the children’s theater.

To be considered for a summer position, applicants should bring two original identification documents such as a driver’s license, passport, Social Security card, school photo identification or report card.

For more information, call (732) 390-6804.

Kilmer School facilities tour planned for Dec. 1

Residents are invited to a “Walk-n-Talk” from 7-8:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 to view the facility needs at Joyce Kilmer School, West Church Street, Milltown.

After the tour, school officials will answer residents’ questions regarding facility improvements and repairs.

For more information, call (732) 249-9625.

Hazardous waste drop-off day scheduled

The Middlesex County Division of Solid Waste Management will hold a household hazardous waste drop-off day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 20 at Middlesex County College, near the Mill Road entrance, Edison.

Household hazardous wastes which are improperly disposed of are identified as a danger to children and animals, a potential cause of groundwater pollution and a potential threat to garbage collection crews.

Acceptable materials that county residents may bring for disposal include, but are not limited to: pesticides/herbicides; flammable liquids; solvents; pool chemicals; used motor oil; oil filters; paints; car batteries; household batteries; antifreeze; propane tanks; fluorescent light bulbs (no broken bulbs); and asbestos. Residents who wish to bring asbestos (maximum 300 pounds) must register by calling (732) 745-4170.

Materials that will not be accepted are tires, explosives and munitions, infectious waste, unknown materials and empty containers.

The drop-off day is sponsored by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders and is conducted in cooperation with Middlesex County College.

The free event is open to residents of Middlesex County. Items should be brought in clearly marked containers.

For more information on the hazardous waste drop-off day and on the county tire-recycling program, call (732) 745-4170 or e-mail solidwaste@co.middlesex.nj.us.

Stem-cell research to be topic at meeting

Stem-cell research will be discussed at the next meeting of East Brunswick Hadassah set for 7:45 p.m. on Nov. 21 at the East Brunswick Jewish Center, 511 Ryders Lane.

Joseph Cohn, M.D., a family practice physician, will speak and take questions. Dr. Cohn has directed and led panel discussions on stem-cell research at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick.

Participants are asked to bring nonperishable kosher food items for a Thanksgiving basket for the needy. Donations for a coat drive also are sought.

Admission is free of charge. The public is invited.

‘Scooby-Doo!’ author will appear at library

James Gelsey, author of the “Scooby-Doo!” mystery series for children, will visit the Monroe Township Library, 4 Municipal Plaza, at 7 p.m. on Nov. 28. Free tickets are available at the youth services desk.

Gelsey, who has written more than 40 titles in the “Scooby-Doo!” series, has also penned several “Dragon Booster” books.

The writer will help the audience explore the relationship between words, pictures and imagination. He will discuss the mechanics of how a story comes together and will offer a sneak peek at a soon-to-be-published “Scooby-Doo!” mystery.

The event will conclude with question-and-answer and book-signing sessions.

Books will be available for purchase. The author also will sign books brought from home.

For more information, call the library at (732) 521-5000.

School seeks vendors and crafters for bazaar

Vendors and crafters are sought for the Holiday Bazaar set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 at Leroy G. Cooper School, 160 Birchwood Drive, Cliffwood Beach section of Old Bridge. For more information and to reserve, call Dawn at (732) 566-7712.

EBPD Youth Services to offer ‘Straight Talk’

East Brunswick Police Department Youth Services will present a “Straight Talk” program from 7-9 p.m. on Nov. 21 at the East Brunswick Public Library, Jean Walling Civic Center.

The program will target juveniles between the ages of 12 and 17.

Speakers will be inmates from state correctional institutions.

The focus will be on helping young people avoid making poor life decisions and educating them on the realities of prison life.

Advance registration is required. For more information or to register, call Christine Fawzy at (732) 390-2878.

A parent or guardian must accompany each juvenile who attends.

Rummage sale on tap for Dec. 4 at synagogue

Congregation Anshe Emeth of South River, 88 Main St., will hold a rummage sale from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 at the temple.

Offerings will include electronics; housewares; holiday items; baby items; men’s, women’s and children’s clothing; household items; and more.

For more information, call the synagogue office at (732) 257-4190.

Brunch on tap for Raritan Hadassah

The Raritan Valley Chapter of Hadassah will hold its annual Chai Pushka Brunch at 11 a.m. on Nov. 20 at the home of Paula and Aaron Kondioti, 907 Hoover Drive, North Brunswick.

Guest speaker Barbara S. Reed, Ph.D., will offer a talk titled “The First Jewish Woman’s Magazine in the United States.”

Cost is $18. For more information and to reserve, call Judy Rosen at (732) 549-2897 or Marcela Rubin at (732) 388-2579.

HSA offers tickets for private shopping event

St. Ambrose HSA, Old Bridge, will partner with the Menlo Park Mall, Edison, for a private shopping event planned for 6:30-10 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the mall.

Proceeds will benefit the Simon Youth Foundation and St. Ambrose HSA.

The mall will offer holiday entertainment for adults and children. Many stores will feature special sales and activities.

Ticket holders only will be admitted. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children. Tickets are available through the school, at the church rectory and after Masses on Sundays. All patrons (including children and infants) must have a paid ticket to enter the mall for the event.

Holiday Bake Auction to benefit theater group

The Sayreville Main Street Theater Company will hold its annual Holiday Bake Auction beginning at 7:45 p.m. on Nov. 22 in the company’s theater space at Garden Friends, 3018 Bordentown Ave., Parlin section of Sayreville. Doors will open at 7 p.m.

Paddles cost $3. The event will feature a variety of homemade desserts for the holidays.

For more information, call (732) 553-1153 or log on to www. smstc.org.

Community invited to Kristallnacht program

Congregation Anshe Emeth of South River, 88 Main St., will commemorate the 67th anniversary of Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 19 with a “Lunch and Learn” program featuring Rabbi Nathan W. Langer, the son of Holocaust survivors.

The event will include a discussion on the history of Kristallnacht, readings and songs. Peter Schild will introduce the program.

Kristallnacht, which took place Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, is considered by many historians to have been the beginning of what evolved into “the final solution,” the Holocaust. During the night and early morning hours, synagogues, homes and shops all over Germany were vandalized or destroyed. Thousands of Jews were assaulted, arrested and sent to “camps.” Kristallnacht was the first scripted mass violence against the Jews of Germany before the early labor camps became death camps.

The commemoration will begin after Shabbos services. Lunch will follow.

Admission is free of charge. The community is invited. For more information or to register, call Peter Schild at (732) 679-5767; Ruth Gottlieb or Gene Gottlieb at (732) 545-8991; or Lisa at the synagogue office, (732) 257-4190.

Rosary society sponsors fresh pierogi, blintz sale

St. Stanislaus Kostka Rosary Altar Society, Sayreville, is holding a fresh pierogi and blintz sale for the holidays.

Many different varieties of pierogi, including cheese, cheese and potato, sauerkraut, mushroom and more, are available. Strawberry/cheese blintzes and blueberry blinzes are offered.

Order deadline is Nov. 27.

For order forms and more information, call Joan at (732) 257-7516 or Yvonne at (732) 257-4634.

Forms may be put in the church collection basket, dropped off at the church office, or sent to Rosary Altar Society, St. Stan’s Church, 225 MacArthur Ave., Sayreville, NJ 08872, Attn.: Joan or Yvonne. Payment is due with order.

Pickup is set for 2-6 p.m. on Dec. 9 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 10 in the school cafeteria.

Patriot Committee seeking new members

The recently formed Jamesburg Patriot Committee is seeking new members to help plan and organize Jamesburg’s 2006 Memorial Day Parade.

The committee has contacted area high schools and middle schools and invited their marching bands to participate in the holiday event. In addition, members are contacting other area organizations that may want to take part in the parade.

The committee plans to reach out to area businesses, civic organizations and others for the donations needed to plan and conduct the Memorial Day event.

To become a committee member, make a donation, or for more information, call Councilwoman Barbara Carpenter at (732) 521-0257 or Councilman Chris Maloney at (732) 605-0604.

Fish Dinner on agenda for Methodist Women

The United Methodist Women of Simpson United Methodist Church will sponsor a Fish Dinner fund-raiser from 6-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 18 at the church, 2095 Route 516 at Owens Road, Old Bridge.

Tickets cost $10 for adults, $6 for children under age 12; youngsters age 3 and under will be admitted free of charge. Takeouts will be available.

For more information and to reserve, call (732) 679-5361 or (732) 679-7499. Tickets also will be available at the door.

Milltown, E.B. cleanup scheduled for Nov. 19

The Milltown Environmental Commission will partner with the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership and New Jersey Community Water Watch to conduct an environmental cleanup around the waterways of the Sawmill Brook and Middlesex County open-space site from 1-4 p.m. on Nov. 19.

Volunteers will meet at the police entrance at Milltown Borough Hall, 39 Washington Ave.

Refreshments will be provided.

Participants should wear stout shoes or boots and clothes that cover the legs and arms.

To volunteer or for more information, call (732) 249-LBWP (5297) and leave a message; Alan Godber at (732) 846-4476 or Michael Shakarjian at (732) 828-3275; or e-mail contact@lbwp.org.

HSA will sponsor Photos With Santa

St. Thomas the Apostle HSA will sponsor a Photos With Santa event from 5-8 p.m. on Dec. 6 in the school auditorium, Route 18 south, Old Bridge.

Photos will cost $4 each.

A toy raffle will be held. Food and beverages will be available. For more information, call (732) 251-4812.

Program featuring Leni Lenape traditions next up at Cheesequake

A program featuring a look at Leni Lenape traditions will begin at 1 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the Cheesequake State Park Interpretive Center, 300 Gordon Road, Old Bridge.

Participants will learn about the Native-American heritage of Cheesequake and the surrounding area.

Topics will include the culture, traditions, food and history of the Leni Lenape. The Order of the Arrow dance team will be on hand to entertain with Native-American dances.

The program is open to all ages. Admission is free of charge.

For more information, call (732) 566-3208.

Blood drive coming to Saint Peter’s Hospital

The New Brunswick Affiliated Hospitals (NBAH) Blood Center will conduct a blood drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 22 in the Sister Marie de Pazzi Conference Center, rooms 1, 2 and 3, at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, 254 Easton Ave., New Brunswick.

Appointments may be made by calling (732) 235-8100, ext. 224. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Livingston Theatre will present ‘Working’

The Livingston Theatre Company of Rutgers University will stage its production of “Working” at 8 p.m. on Nov. 17 and 18, 2 and 8 p.m. on Nov. 19, and 4 p.m. on Nov. 20 in the Livingston Student Center, College Hall, 84 Joyce Kilmer Ave., Piscataway.

The musical by Stephen Schwartz is based on the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel.

Tickets cost $10 for the general public, $5 for students, senior citizens and Rutgers faculty and staff.

To reserve tickets or for more information, call (732) 445-3561, ext. 25, or log on to www.rultc.org.

Art auction to benefit S.R. Library expansion

The South River Public Library board of trustees, in conjunction with Ria Mar Restaurant, South River, will host a Benefit Art Auction beginning at 8 p.m. on Nov. 18 at Ria Mar, 25 Whitehead Ave. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for advance viewing.

Local artists Joe Csatari and Don Bloom have each donated two artworks for the event. There will be approximately 160 other pieces of art, memorabilia and glass presented by Marlin Art of New York. The artwork, which will be offered at discounted prices, will be presented, explained and auctioned in a professional manner.

Proceeds will benefit the South River Public Library Expansion Project.

Tickets cost $10 each and may be purchased at the following South River locations: South River Public Library, 55 Appleby Ave.; Borough Clerk’s Office, 48 Washington St.; Ria Mar Restaurant; RiverMill Art Gallery, 34 Main St.; and Roselli and Roselli, 11 Stephen St.

For more information, call Barbara Jensen at (732) 238-1520.

Turkey Trot events slated for Nov. 20

The Township of East Brunswick Division of Recreation will sponsor its 43rd annual Turkey Trot and Cross-Country “Run for the Bird” family races beginning at 1 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the East Brunswick High School football stadium, Cranbury Road. Participants will compete to win a Thanksgiving Day turkey.

Trot races, which will vary in distance according to the age and gender of participants, are open to East Brunswick residents and township employees only.

Events for infants-senior citizens will include 30-, 50- and 100-yard dashes; a 1/4-mile run; a stroller race; and Gobbler’s Wheelbarrow and Dizzy Bat races in which children will compete against their parents. New this year will be an egg toss and an egg relay race for youngsters.

First-place finishers in each race will earn a 12-pound frozen turkey, a ribbon and a photo with Gobbler, the township turkey. Second- and third-place winners will receive a ribbon. All participants will receive a participation ribbon.

The Cross-Country Race will be run along a 3.2-mile marked course winding through the backwoods and apple orchards on the grounds at the high school. Runners should register on the day of the event. The race, which will begin at 1 p.m. and will be canceled in case of rain, is open to residents and nonresidents.

This year the Gobbler’s Relay Races will be sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD).

The 42nd Regional Support Group of the New Jersey National Guard will be on site with a Humvee for youngsters to explore.

Events are free of charge, but participants are asked to bring a nonperishable food item for donation to the township’s Holiday Food Basket drive. Contributions will be distributed to needy families in East Brunswick.

In the event of rain, events will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the East Brunswick Senior Center, Jean Walling Civic Center.

For more information, call (732) 390-6797 or log on to www.eastbrunswick.org.

Spotswood Library holiday youth program registration under way

The Spotswood Public Library, 548 Main St., will offer three holiday programs for youngsters.

“Ceramics for the Holidays,” open to 5- to 10-year-olds, is planned for 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 or 8.

“Holiday Fun,” open to preschoolers ages 3-5, is set for 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Dec. 6 or 1-1:45 p.m. on Dec. 8. The programs will feature stories, music and crafts.

“Fun With Ventriloquism,” open to youngsters age 3 and up, will take place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Dec. 14. Bob Conrad will bring an inanimate object to life when he creates Tennessee Turtle from a sock.

Participants also will meet CoCo the Chimp and Gooney Bird.

Audience participation will be encouraged during the Balloon-Blowing Contest of the Century.

Registration is going on. The events are open to Spotswood Library cardholders only.

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