About Town

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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS
In honor of the Atlantic Highlands Library’s beautiful new facilities, and with the hopes of bringing even more people into the library, the Atlantic Highlands Friends of the Library will host a Community Read this summer featuring Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Accompanying this selection is a young adult version:  Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog.
The books will be available at the Atlantic Highlands Library as of July 15 and discussions groups will meet in September. The adult discussion group will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, and 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12. The young readers discussion will be held at 3:15 p.m. Sept. 13. There also will be a reception for all participants from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 13.
The Friends of the Library members encourage students, book club members, friends, and family to check out these books and join in some thought-provoking discussions. Be sure to look for Enzo around Atlantic Highlands this summer.
Additional information is available by contacting the Friends of the Atlantic Highlands Library at: AHLibrary@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.
 

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The Atlantic Highlands Fireman’s Fair will be 6 to 11 p.m., Tuesday, July 2, to Saturday, July 6, at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor, 2 Simon Lake Drive.
The fair will include games, rides, a large food court and tons of family fun. Bracelet nights – pay one price and ride all night – is every night, except fireworks night. Fireworks will be at 9:45 p.m. Friday, July 5.
The 2nd Annual Harley Davidson Motorcycle Raffle will offer chances to win a 2013 Harley Davidson FLHR Road King valued at $18,690.  Sales will again be limited to just 300 tickets at $100 each. The winning ticket will be drawn on Thursday, July 4. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the all-volunteer fire department.
Ticket sales and additional information are available by calling 732-291-1444, Ext. 3605.
 
MIDDLETOWN
The Port Monmouth Fire Company will hold a Hurricane Sandy Thank You Celebration from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at the firehouse.
The celebration includes food, music, a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and free amusements for children.
Part of the proceeds received from the raffle will be donated to Oklahoma residents recovering from the recent tornados. In lieu of donations to disaster-affected families in Oklahoma, the firehouse will be accepting gift cards up until the day of the event.
The firehouse is located at 125 Main St. in Port Monmouth.
 

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The i AM Children’s Ministries, in Middletown’s Leonardo section, is again this year sponsoring a Vacation Bible School.
The school will be conducted from July 8-12 at Living Word Christian Church, Route 36. The program is free and available to children who are entering grades 1-6 in September.
The school combines Christian religious instruction with summer activities. This year’s theme is “World Tour” by Brentwood Publishing.
While admission is free, space is limited. Registration is available by calling 732-530-2205 or visiting www.iamcm.net.
 
RED BANK
Pilgrim Baptist Church of Red Bank, 172 Shrewsbury Ave., will be hosting its annual Men’s Day Celebration on Sunday, June 30.
Special guest preachers will be Pastor John Teabout of the Greater Friendship Church in Newark at the 8 a.m. service, and Pastor Cedric McKoy of the Beluah Grove Church of Newark at the 10:45 a.m. service.
The services also will feature the PBC Men’s Praise Team as well as the Men’s Day Choir.
The Women’s Ministry of Pilgrim will sponsor a breakfast for all men and boys at 9:30 a.m.
Additional information is available by calling 732-747-2343.
All are welcome.
 
NFL Referee Visits Students in the RBR Academy of Sports Medicine and Management
LITTLE SILVER – An NFL celebrity recently visited Red Bank Regional (RBR) to speak to the high school’s Academy of Sports Medicine and Management (ASM&M).

NFL professional referee Jim Quirk of Holmdel recently visited RBR’s Academy of Sports Medicine and Management (ASM&M) students to discuss the specifics of his job. Pictured above are: RBR Academy business teacher James Young, RBR senior Wylie Bogdon, Shrewsbury, RBR physical education teacher Kristin Howard, RBR athletic trainer and ASM&M lead teacher Christina Emrich, NFL referee Jim Quirk, RBR ASM&M supervisor Alan Choback, RBR students Dillon Stambaugh, Shrewsbury, and Scott Reeves, Red Bank.
NFL professional referee Jim Quirk of Holmdel recently visited RBR’s Academy of Sports Medicine and Management (ASM&M) students to discuss the specifics of his job. Pictured above are: RBR Academy business teacher James Young, RBR senior Wylie Bogdon, Shrewsbury, RBR physical education teacher Kristin Howard, RBR athletic trainer and ASM&M lead teacher Christina Emrich, NFL referee Jim Quirk, RBR ASM&M supervisor Alan Choback, RBR students Dillon Stambaugh, Shrewsbury, and Scott Reeves, Red Bank.

The VIP wasn’t a star football player, although he did play center for Red Bank Catholic back in his high school days. The visitor was NFL referee and Holmdel resident Jim Quirk, someone whose public status has been elevated significantly since last season’s referee strike concluded.
“They (the football fans) cheered for us for the first time ever!” Quirk told the RBR student audience when describing his return to the gridiron following the 2012 referee lockout, which created a lot of fan angst regarding replacement referees. The students peppered him with questions; some wanted to know more about the various NFL stars he has encountered on professional football fields throughout the country. They also learned about the requirements and day-to-day life of a professional football referee.
Quirk’s visit was arranged by RBR ASM&M supervisor and Dean of Students Alan Choback, who played quarterback at Red Bank Catholic when his pal Jim Quirk played center.
“The Academy of Sports Medicine and Management was established for students who may be considering career paths in athletics and or health-related fields,” Alan Choback said. “Jim started out as a high school referee and even worked some Red Bank Regional football games back in the early 1990s. It is great for our students to hear from an individual who works in the field and has connections to the RBR.”
Quirk holds two full-time jobs. In his “day job” he is a financial advisor for an insurance company, and as a professional referee he works directly for the NFL, which assigns him to different games in various states on any given weekend. As a result, he travels often.
Quirk and his wife have three children and despite his busy travel schedule, he coaches girls’ softball for both his town’s recreation leagues as well as traveling teams during his football off-season.
He recalled one occasion when his family was able to see him in action while he worked a New York Jets’ game. “They (his family) were seated in the players’ family box. So it was difficult to tell a 12, 10 and 7 year old not to cheer when the home team’s family is going crazy over a good play (as referees cannot show any impartiality),” he said.
When asked how he can balance both jobs and family life, he replied, “You do it because you love it.”
Red Bank Regional’s (RBR) Academy of Sports Medicine and Management (ASM&M) offers curriculum and career exploration in both sports medicine (such as, athletic training, physical therapy, emergency medicine, nursing, exercise physiology, nutritionist/dietician, and personal fitness training) and sports management (including sports marketing, agent, recreation, and sports journalism.)