ASBURY PARK
There will be hundreds of monarch butterflies released at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at Sunset Lake Park by Friends of Unity by the Shore in Neptune.
The monarch butterflies released by the friends’ group will join thousands in the annual migration of the Monarch Butterfly to their winter home in Angangueo, Mexico.
The public is invited to attend the release.
FAIR HAVEN
The Newcomers Club of Rumson, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Shrewsbury is holding its 5th Annual Touch-A-Truck Fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 29 for the benefit of the Parker family Health Center.
The fundraiser is a fun and exciting event during which kids of all ages can sit on, climb on and honk the horns and sirens of trucks of all types. The event will also feature food and beverages, balloons, face painting and community spirit.
Touch-A-Truck will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 – with a rain date of Sunday, Sept. 30 – at the Fair Haven Fire House, 645 River Road Fair Haven
The cost is $10 per child with a $30 per family maximum.
The Newcomers Club of Rumson, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Shrewsbury, was established in 1972. The purposes of the Newcomers Club are to extend a friendly and neighborly welcome to all newcomers by introducing them to others like themselves and help them towards building a new social life in their new communities. The organization also identifies and assists worthy and charitable projects within the community and to donate time and energy towards assisting local communities in worthwhile programs.
HIGHLANDS
The Twin Lights and Navesink Highlands have been the subject of countless paintings, prints and photos over the last two centuries. In all that time, however, the beloved national historic site has never “formally” welcomed the arts community to the top of the hill.
That all changes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, with Double Exposure: The Twin Lights Through the Artist’s Eye.
The fine art and photography event will feature a group of artists who share a love of the lighthouse and have agreed to share their work with visitors to the Twin Lights during this rain-or-shine exhibition. The show is the third themed event in the lighthouse’s 150th Anniversary celebration with Family Day occurring in June and On Hallowed Ground in August, which drew 3,500 people to the Twin Lights.
“We are using every available space to accommodate the artists,” said Stevie Thompson, co-chair of Double Exposure. “Their work will be on display in the museum, the auditorium, the south tower lobby, the lens building, and we will have artists creating on-site as well. The work on display will include paintings, prints, photography, sculpture and ceramics, and almost everything will be available for purchase.”
“The south tower will be open for just the third time this year,” added Twin Lights Historical Society President Mary Jo Kenny, “and those who make it to the top will be treated to more than just the magnificent view – a wonderful video installation awaits them there.”
On display in the Twin Lights Museum will be the original 1871 watercolor by Granville Perkins depicting the Highlands of the Neversink – from which the famous Picturesque America print was made – and a brilliantly restored 1915 painting by New Jersey maritime artist Antonio Jacobson of the pilot ship New Jersey.
The restoration of this painting revealed a second ship in the background, which is believed to be the RMS Lusitania. If so, this is one of the few period depictions of the famous ocean liner before it was torpedoed by a German submarine on May 7 of that same year. “That would make this painting very special,” said Skip Laufer, a maritime art enthusiast and co-chair of the Twin Lights Collections Committee.
“The Double Exposure event,” Laufer continues, “is a prelude to some very exciting changes we’ve planned for the museum. Over the next two years, we will be bringing in a tremendous amount of fine art, photography and figural artifacts to help tell the story of the Twin Lights and the remarkable events that have taken place here. The Collections Committee is working with the museum curator to re-imagine every square inch of the exhibit space.”
Ample parking is available at Henry Hudson High School in Highlands (follow signs), a short walk from the lighthouse. For more information on this event or directions to the lighthouse call 732-872–1814 or log on to twinlightslighthouse.com.
LITTLE SILVER
Red Bank Regional High School(RBR) will kick-off its 2012 athletic season with its annual Buc Backer Bash to be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Knights of Columbus, 200 Fair Haven Road, Fair Haven.
Tickets are $30. The event will feature lively music, sports tournament fun, food and nominally-priced drinks. Participants must be 21 or older. The event is sponsored by the RBR Booster Club with all proceeds to directly benefit all RBR athletics.
For more information and to order tickets contact Judy Bonanno at 732-530-4780 or send checks to 11 Samara Drive, Shrewsbury, NJ, 07702, or email Judybonanno@verizon.net.
LONG BRANCH
As the busy back to school season gets under way, Monmouth Medical Center is making it easier than ever to make sure car seats are used properly by offering free child car seat inspections from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 18.
According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, four out of five child safety seats are used incorrectly, with an average of three mistakes per seat.
Inspections will be be conducted by certified child passenger safety technicians and are offered through a cooperative effort of the New Jersey State Police, The Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center and MonÂmouth Medical Center’s SAFE KIDS Monmouth County Chapter.
Appointments are required and can be made by calling 888-724-7123.
For more information about Monmouth Medical Center, visit www.barnabashealth.org/monmouth.
MIDDLETOWN
The Monmouth County Park System is holding its Great Fall Perennial Plant Swap from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at Deep Cut Gardens, Red Hill Road.
Gardeners can bring their surplus perennials and houseplants (sorry, no annuals) in 1-quart, 1-gallon or 2-gallon containers and take home the same size and number of plants. All plants must be labeled and invasive plants will not be accepted (go to www.njisst.org for a list of invasive species). Additional information is available by calling 732-671-6050.
For information on other park system events and programs, please visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com or call 732-842-4000, Ext. 4312. For people with hearing impairment, the TTY/TDD number is 711.
* * * * *
A square dance open house will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, at the Thompson Park Activity Barn, Route 520, Lincroft.
The event is sponsored by the Monmouth County Park System and the Middletown Ramblers Square Dance Club, which invite the public to come and see why square dancing is a great way to stay in shape, have fun, and meet lots of friendly people.
Admission is free. Refreshments will be provided. No dancing experience is needed. The dance is open to singles or couples. The caller will give clear instructions as he “calls” the dance. Children must be accompanied by a parent.
Additional information and directions are available by calling Betty at 732-291-1188 or visiting the organization’s website: www.middletownramblers.org.
RED BANK
Artists, arts entrepreneurs, nonprofit arts organizations, nonprofits with arts programs and all those interested in how the arts contribute to the community are invited from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, to join Monmouth Arts at the annual networking meeting at SCAN Learning Center, Monmouth Mall, Eatontown.
The Monmouth County Arts Council is a nonprofit organization and the official county arts agency, formed in 1971, to enrich the community by inspiring and fostering the arts. The vision of MCAC is a vibrant arts community that enhances the quality of life throughout the county.
Monmouth Arts supports artists and arts groups through networking and resources, the Monmouth County Teen Arts Festival, the Local Arts Grant Program and the Teen Arts Connection and by highlighting arts performances and exhibitions throughout Monmouth County. The agency efforts serve more than 700,000 people each year and bring over 2,600 arts events to Monmouth County.
Mary Eileen Fouratt, executive director, will share highlights from the Monmouth Local Arts Index that Monmouth Arts participated in with Americans for the Arts to measure the breadth, depth and character of the cultural life of Monmouth County.
Those attending will have the opportunity to give input into the update of the Monmouth County Arts Plan to provide priorities for strengthening the arts in the county. Some of the questions to be addressed are: What are the most pressing issues facing the arts community in Monmouth County? What are the arts community’s greatest strengths/assets to build on for the future? How can the arts community contribute to community challenges?
What is the major leap Monmouth County needs to take to raise cultural awareness and activities to the next level?
In addition, the Local Arts Program grants for 2013 that are made possible by the New Jersey State Council of the Arts will be announced.
TINTON FALLS
The Two Rivers Antiques and Art Show, a two-day event featuring 25 renowned antiques and contemporary and traditional art dealers, will be held at the Ranney School, 235 Hope Rd., on Saturday, Sept. 29, and Sunday, Sept. 30, with a preview party on Friday, Sept. 28, for those requiring a first look.
“The Two Rivers Antiques and Art Show features fine period antiques, both formal and primitive, folk art, American flags, contemporary and traditional paintings, sculpture, works on paper, antique maps, documents, posters and estate jewelry. This show features pieces that can be seamlessly integrated into a contemporary lifestyle,” said Barbara Goldfarb, antiques and art show co-chair.
“Whether you are a first-time buyer or an avid experienced collector, you will be delighted by the extensive spectrum of fabulous and affordable pieces available,” added co-chair Kara Short.
Proceeds from the event will be used to purchase the recently FDA-approved 3D Tomosynthesis MammoÂgraphy Scanner for the Jacqueline M. Wilentz ComÂpreÂhensive Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center. To date, the show has raised more than $3 million for the center.
A wide variety of well-known dealers such as Fletcher-Copenhaver, Jeff Bridgman, A Bird in Hand, Saje Americana, Island Weiss Gallery, The Philadelphia Print Shop, C. Edwin Puckett, Brad Reh, Nula Thanhauser, Whitehall Antiques and Charles Washburne Antiques, among many others, will be on hand.
Hours for the show are: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 29 and 11:30 to 5 p.m. Sept. 30. A vineyard tour of Four JG’s Orchards and Vineyards in Colts Neck will take place from noon to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 29 with shuttle service available to and from the show.
The preview party will be 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 28. Tickets for the preview party cost $145 in advance and $165 at the door and tickets for the show are $12 if purchased in advance, and $15 if purchased at the door.
Tickets for the preview party and the antiques and art show, are available by calling the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation at 732-923-6886, or visit www.tworivershow.org.
