About Town

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FAIR HAVEN
Maria Grace, education and outreach manager for the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, will present at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, a talk, called the Peregrine Falcons in New Jersey, at the Monmouth County Audubon Society.
The meeting will be held at the Church of the Nativity on Ridge Road. The public is welcome; admission is free.
Peregrine falcons are doing remarkably well in New Jersey, with more than 20 pairs calling the Garden State home. But this was not always the case – at one time there were no falcons nesting east of the Mississippi. Attendees can learn about the return of the Peregrine falcon to the state and its many “firsts” that led to the successful reintroduction of this hunter of the sky.
Grace is the education and outreach manager for the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Since 2004, she has been teaching adults and children about New Jersey’s rare and endangered wildlife. Since 2000, she has been connecting people to the natural world through hands on field based programs, interactive classrooms programs, and informative professional development workshops in subjects ranging from water and stream ecology, volunteer monitoring, and New Jersey’s incredible biodiversity.
 
HOLMDEL
Bayshore Community Hospital will bring back the tradition of its annual Community Day and 5K Run/Walk from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the hospital, 727 North Beers St.
The day kicks off with a timed 5K Run/Walk starting at Bayshore. This is the third and final race in the Meridian Heart and Sole Cup with $3,000 in prize money awarded to the top three overall male and female finishers, as well as the top three male and female finishers by age group.
Registration and check-in for the 5K Run/Walk begin at 8:30 a.m. at the hospital’s main entrance. Registration is $20 and can be accessed at www.BayshoreHospital.org/5krace.
There will be free kids’ races for children between the ages of 3 and 12 starting at 
11a.m. Registration can be obtained on the day of the event or online, and all participants will receive medals.
Following the races, Bayshore for Community Day will feature festivities for families and community members of all ages. Enjoy an afternoon of autumnal activities including: pony rides, a petting zoo, jumpie castles, music, pumpkin painting, refreshments, and more. Health information and free screenings will be available including blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol, stroke, and bone density.
For more information on the 5K race or community day visit www.BayshoreHospital.org/5krace.
 
LINCROFT
Brookdale Community College will host a veterans’ workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, at the Lincroft main campus, 765 Newman Springs Road.
The event will be held in the ATEC building, rooms 223 and 224. Parking is closest in lots 4 and 6.
Organizing the event is Jerry Russell, a Brookdale operations administer and a U.S. Army retiree. “A variety of services will be shared,” he said.
The Monmouth County Veterans Service Team and Brookdale Community College Health Center are coordinating to offer information on New Jersey veterans benefits, Veterans Adminis­tra­tion benefits eligibility, resume review, education benefits, VOW and VRAP programs.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will be on hand to perform blood pressure screenings, offer flu shots and light medical screenings and register veterans for VA medical benefits.
For additional information, contact Jerry Russell at 732-224-2068 or email him at jrussell@brookdalecc.edu.
Information is also available from the Brookdale Community College Student Health Center nurse, Gwendolyn Evens, at 732-224-2395 or email to gevens@brookdalecc.edu.
A registration form is available from Victor Alvarado at
732-775-1566 or, email to victor.alvarado@dol.state.nj.us.
 

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The Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought will sponsor its 13th annual Shanti (Peace) Lecture from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012 at the Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse, 1475 W. Front St.
The Rev. Eric Cherry, director of the International Office of the Unitarian Universalist Association, will present “21st Century Inter-Religious Engagement: New Strategies.”
“There are significant moments that serve as markers in our interfaith efforts. The 1893 Parliament of World Religions in Chicago set the stage for a variety of interfaith initiatives during the 20th century, many of which were profoundly important and successful,” Cherry said. “But, in the 21st century, there are new challenges and opportunities which require different strategies and initiatives. This talk will explore 21st century paradigms and examples of interfaith engagement that build peace, understanding, and hope for our world in its current context.”
Cherry manages the UUA’s relationships with interfaith partners around the world, supervises the staff of the UU Holdeen India Program and the UU United Nations Office.
This event is free and is open to all. A light meal will be served after the formal program at which time you will have the opportunity to continue the dialogue.
For more information contact MCWRET Board Member Stevi Lischin at lischinsmith@verizon.net or 732 241-7392.
 
LONG BRANCH
The city’s Columbus Day Parade is being held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7.
In addition, the Columbus Day Harvest Festival will be held from noon to 7 p.m. on Morris Avenue at Westwood Avenue. The festival will include an appearance by the band, The Nerds, and will also include rides, food vendors, a petting zoo, hayrides and many other activities for the entire family.
The Columbus Day Parade has a long history in the City of Long Branch, dating back to 1946, and is the perfect setting for the parade because of the diverse nationalities that reside in this city.
For the past eight years, Joseph Mercadante has been the parade’s chairman and for the last five years has sponsored the parade with the help of the City of Long Branch. This year the event will honor Monmouth University’s President, Paul G. Gaffney, who will serve as the grand marshal. Gaffney is a retired Navy vice admiral and was president of the National Defense University from 2000 to 2003.
The parade will consist of Monmouth University’s Pep Band along with several local high school bands from Long Branch, Shore Regional, Monmouth Regional, as well as other bands.  There will also be motorcycles, antique cars, floats from area businesses, Boy/Girl Scout Troops, and state and county officials.
 
MIDDLETOWN
The Middletown Township Police Department is holding a prescription drug collection day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at police headquarters, located at Town Hall, 1 Kings Highway.
The collection is part of the National Take Back Initiative. Organizers will accept medication but no needles.
Additional information about the township event is available by calling 732-615-2039.
 

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Read to a Dog is a great program to help improve the literacy skills of children. It encourages children to read by providing a non-judgmental listener in our furry friends. Independent readers in K-5 grade will read to a certified therapy dog for 10 minutes.
Read to a Dog will take place 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, in the Middletown Township Public Library’s Children’s Quiet Reading Area. The library is located at 55 New Monmouth Road.
Preregistration is required and may be made at www.mtpl.org.
Funding for the library’s public programs comes from the support of the Middletown Township Public Library Foundation, Inc.
 
MONMOUTH BEACH
The Art Society of Monmouth County will feature a demonstration by sculptor David Colletti at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center, 128 Ocean Ave.
Colletti’s demonstration will show how he sculptures both in facial and body figures in wax..
Colletti has worked in Hollywood and is known for his expertise in sculpting for Hollywood artisans and movie productions and reproducing figures used in the industry.
The event is open to the public. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.
 
MONMOUTH COUNTY
Those wanting to learn about Boy Scouting programs in that area may do so Saturday, Sept. 29, during the first countywide Join Scouting Information Day at the Library, sponsored by Monmouth Council, Boy Scouts of America.
Representatives from local Cub Scout and Boy Scout Troops will have information tables at libraries including Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck, Monmouth County Library Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury, Red Bank, Tinton Falls and West Long Branch.
Cub Scouts is open to boys in grades 1-5, Boy Scouts is for Boys ages 11 to 18 while Venturing is for co-ed youth ages 14-21.
Additional information about joining the Boy Scouts is available at www.BeAScout.org. By entering a zip code on the site, visitors will find a Scouting unit near them.