Jersey Shore Girl Scouts Have New Board President
FREEHOLD – The Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore welcomed Frances Keane from Freehold on March 15 as the new board president to its board of directors at its annual meeting.
Keane has served on the board of directors of the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore since 2007, previously holding the position of first vice president.
With Keane’s election as board president, the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore appointed Annette Brown as first vice president and Rhonda Figueroa as third vice president. Returning to their previous positions are Patricia Downs as treasurer, JoAnn McCann as secretary and Roberta Sheridan as second vice president.
In addition, Roger Keil and Penny Rone returned to the board of directors as members-at-large, serving two-year terms.
Each new board member brings a unique background and expertise to the board, which is tasked with providing guidance and support as the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore implements programs to help more than 11,000 girls in Monmouth and Ocean counties become young women of courage, confidence and character.
The Girl Scouts are always seeking volunteers at every level, from community members who can only give a few hours at a time to those willing to make a year-long commitment to supporting girls in their town.
Additional information is available by visiting www.girlscoutsjs.org or emailing to membership@girlscoutsjs.org.
Asbury Park Boardwalk Grand-Reopening, Ribbon Cutting
ASBURY PARK – The Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce and Madison Marquette will welcome Gov. Chris Christie at 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 23, as it hosts an official grand reopening ribbon-cutting ceremony on the newly reconstructed 5th Avenue boardwalk.
City of Asbury Park officials, city lifeguards, and people from the department of public works, boardwalk and area businesses will be in attendance to celebrate the cooperative effort to get the structural work completed, the stores open and the waterfront in tip-top condition by Memorial Day – just in time to welcome the 2014 summer season fans.
The newly reconstructed portion of the boardwalk was damaged during Super Storm Sandy and was temporarily repaired in advance of the 2013 summer season. After the summer of 2013, the city was able to secure funding for a permanent repair, which included the total demolition and reconstruction of the supporting piles and boardwalk decking. The city awarded the bid for the work to Reicon Group, LLC from Staten Island, N.Y., which started work in early February. City officials and city council have monitored the project closely to ensure timely completion.
The ribbon-cutting event marks a new annual tradition in Asbury Park to kick off the summer beach season. It will take place just outside the entrance to the Grand Arcade of Convention Hall on the Asbury Park Boardwalk at 5th Avenue.
Earlier in the day WCBS-FM radio host Scott Shannon will be broadcasting live from the boardwalk including live music. Celebrations and remembrance citywide continue throughout the weekend concluding with the city’s annual Memorial Day service in Veteran’s Park hosted by VFW Post No. 1333 at 11 a.m.
Pier Village Celebrates Summer
LONG BRANCH – “So Many Things!” is the slogan of the anticipated summer of 2014 for Pier Village, the oceanfront shopping and dining destination.
On the heels of what was an extremely successful Mother’s Day weekend, and one of the first and only warm weather weekends of 2014, Pier Village has announced its “top shelf” summer filled with “So Many Things!”
Megan Oliveira, director of marketing and events for Pier Village boasts a summer filled with “something for everyone.” The oceanfront playland has a full schedule of events, activities and recreation for anybody looking to get out and enjoy the Jersey Shore after the winter of 2014.
The Boardwalk Workout, sponsored by Gold’s Gym, will be held on June 14 on the Long Branch Boardwalk. The event will be an outdoor, paddleboard workout lead by top fitness instructors from Gold’s Gyms from all over the state. All proceeds will benefit Clean Ocean Action, whose “goal is to improve the degraded marine water quality off the New Jersey Coast.” For more information call 732-229-2257.
During Thursdays By The Sea, locals and vacationers will delight in free, outdoor concerts performed by the bands that put the Jersey in the Jersey Shore: Tim McLoone & The Shirleys, Brian Kirk & The Jerks, and After The Reign just to name a few.
Long Branch surf shop veteran, and Pier Village favorite, Aloha Grove will be hosting a 10th-year anniversary party on June 7 at its Pier Village location. Music, giveaways, demonstrations and fan appreciation activities will take place all day as one of the Shore’s most popular surf shopping destinations welcomes their next decade in New Jersey.
Jersey Celebrates Israel takes place on June 8 on Festival Plaza. The free event is being produced by the Axelrod Performing Arts Center, a local nonprofit organization that will present “Mosche Bonen and Hataklitim (The Vinyls).” The concert will be a family-friendly community-oriented event that is free and open to the public.
As always, Pier Village will be open 7 days a week with oceanfront shopping and dining geared toward a unique, luxury Jersey Shore experience.
Updates of all events and specials are available on Twitter at @Pier_Village, PierVillage.com and Facebook.
Gloria Nilson Hosts Alex’s Lemonade Stand
SHREWSBURY – Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate sales associates will host from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 31, their ninth annual Alex’s Lemonade Grand Stand Event to raise money for childhood cancer causes at the Shrewsbury office.
The event will benefit the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which was created to honor the spirit and fundraising efforts of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). To date, the foundation has raised more than $50 million, funding more than 150 research projects nationally.
Along with lemonade, hot dogs and potato chips, the Shrewsbury office’s stand is slated to feature family friendly activities for children of all ages, including music, face painting, Cowboy Larry’s Wild, Wild West Show & Covered Wagon and more.
In-person donations in any amount are encouraged and checks can be made payable to Alex’s Lemonade and sent to Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate, 600 Route 35, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702, to help raise money to fund research in finding a cure for pediatric cancer. Additional information is available by visiting the Alex’s Lemonade website at https://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1114018.
NJ Natural Gas Brings Back Energy-Saving Light Fair
WALL – New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) invites community members to its sixth annual Energy-Saving Lighting Fair.
Made possible by New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program™ (NJCEP), the lighting fair provides the opportunity to purchase a wide range of ENERGY STAR®-qualified CFLs and LED bulbs, fixtures and other energy-saving products at deeply discounted prices.
The lighting fair, created by Energy Star partner TechniArt in conjunction with NJCEP, will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at NJNG headquarters, 1415 Wyckoff Road.
The event is free and open to all New Jersey residents.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA), switching from traditional lighting to Energy Star-certified lighting is a smart move. With energy savings of 75 percent or more, customers can save about $6 per bulb or about $14 per fixture annually on their energy bill.
Once again, the “monster combo” special, which retails for more than $100 and contains 15 energy-efficient products, including dimmable LEDs, is available for the specially marked price of only $10. The combo special is limited to one per person; however, attendees can purchase an additional one on behalf of a friend or family member who is a New Jersey resident.
The TechniArt team will offer hands-on demonstrations that provide education and information about Energy Star lighting as well as state energy-efficiency programs. And members of The SAVEGREEN Project®, NJNG’s energy-efficiency program, will be on hand to explain the utility’s energy-efficiency rebates and incentives, including a zero percent APR On-Bill Repayment Program for up to $10,000, as well as energy assistance and home energy improvement programs.
Credit card, cash and checks are accepted.
To preview the product selection and gather information ahead of time, go to the Save Energy & Money section of njng.com and click on Special Offers & Rebates.
Coldwell Banker Named No. 1 Residential Firm
RED BANK – Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New Jersey and Rockland County, N.Y., announced that its parent company, NRT LLC, was ranked the No. 1 residential real estate brokerage firm in the United States for the 17th consecutive year in the newly released REAL Trends 500 Report.
The report is based on annual research that identifies the country’s largest and most successful residential real estate brokerage firms as ranked by transaction sides and sales volume.
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage operates 55 offices with approximately 3,000 affiliated sales associates serving all communities from Rockland County, N.Y. to Monmouth County.
Locally, the Rumson office of Coldwell Banker met at The Molly Pitcher to discuss marketing plans for the spring market.
Guijarro Opens Music Instruction Business
MIDDLETOWN – Jeanne Marie Guijarro, a Middletown resident, has opened Jeanne Marie Guijarro Piano & Keyboard Instruction.
Guijarro is a seasoned piano and keyboard instructor with more than 13 years of professional teaching experience. She was educated at Brookdale Community College and Manhattan College, where she majored in elementary and special education.
Guijarro has taught locally at Bayshore Music Center and Red Bank Academy of Arts and has been a staff instructor at Rock’n Music Academy, Middletown, since February 2011.
Services offered by Jeanne Marie Guijarro Piano & Keyboard Instruction include site reading, musical theory and history, recital preparation, performance consulting, song writing and arranging and ear training.
Guijarro is available for private tutoring, lessons and in-home instruction.
“I have always wanted to teach and really love it. Each and every day I get to see the happiness that music creates,” said Guijarro, who brings her passion for music to people of all ages including children, teenagers and adults from beginner through advanced.
While Guijarro believes in the lasting beauty of the classics, she also emphasizes popular music and wants her students to be up-to-date on current musical trends. “For me, teaching is also about having fun and conveying a sense of happiness.”
Additional information is available by calling 732-771-5065.
Holiday Express Executive Director to Leave
TINTON FALLS – The Holiday Express Board of Trustees announced that Donald Pignataro, executive director, has decided to leave the organization.
Pignataro, who has served in that position for nine years, will remain in his post until the end of the 2014 season. The board is in the initial stages of recruiting a new executive director.
Holiday Express is a nonprofit organization that delivers music, food, gifts, financial support and friendship to those with the greatest need for the gift of human kindness during the holiday season and throughout the year.
Arnone Honored for Public Service
ABERDEEN – Monmouth County Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone was honored with the Beacon Award for Public Servant of the Year by the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce.
The annual Crystal Beacon Awards Gala took place on May 8. The Beacon Awards categories are Public Servant of the Year, Good Neighbor, Non-Profit Organization of the Year, Beacon of Hope, Community Service, Business Ambassador of the Year, Corporate Good Neighbor and the President’s Award.
Arnone has spent the past 16 years serving his community through his work as an elected official, serving as councilman, mayor of Neptune City and past president of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, before becoming a freeholder in 2011.
Since being elected to the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Arnone has worked to progress the county’s Shared Services initiatives. He has also developed the Grow Monmouth and Made in Monmouth programs to advance economic development in Monmouth County. Additionally, he established the Monmouth County Tourism Advisory Group to bring Monmouth County’s municipal representatives together to coordinate and promote Monmouth County as a tourism destination.
“I am extremely honored to be recognized by the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce for my public service,” Arnone said. “I believe it is an honor and a privilege to serve as an elected official and look forward to many more years serving the public and our communities.”
