Community Bulletin Board
‘The Magdalene Sisters’ to conclude library fest

The 23rd annual Summer International Film Festival at the East Brunswick Public Library, Jean Walling Civic Center, will conclude on Aug. 9 with 1:30 and 8 p.m. screenings of the British drama “The Magdalene Sisters.” The 2003 film, which is rated R, has a running time of 119 minutes.

The movie tells the semifictionalized story of four inmates in a repressive work camp in Ireland that housed young women perceived by their families as “sinners.” The camps existed under the aegis of convent laundries run by the Sisters of the Magdalene order.

Admission is free of charge. Reservations are not required.

The festival is sponsored by the Friends of the East Brunswick Public Library.

For more information, call Susan Sclar at (732) 390-6775.

‘Guys and Dolls’

to be staged in Monroe

The Mighty Oak Players, Monroe Township’s community theater group, will present the musical “Guys and Dolls” at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 and 26, 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 27, and 2 p.m. on Aug. 28 at the Richard P. Marasco Performing Arts Center at Monroe Township High School, Perrineville Road.

Admission is $12 per person, $10 for senior citizens and students. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Monroe Township Community Center, 120 Monmouth Road, or at the Monroe Township Senior Citizen Center, 1 Municipal Plaza. Tickets also will be sold at the door two hours before each performance.

For more information, call (732) 521-3782.

Picnic, Pig Roast on tap

at Spotswood VFW post

Spotswood Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4589 and its Ladies Auxiliary will sponsor their annual Family Picnic and Pig Roast from 1-7 p.m. on Aug. 13 at the post home, 33 Daniel Road.

The event will feature a variety of food and refreshments, live entertainment and games for children.

Donation is $15 per person, $5 for children age 10 and under.

For more information, call (732) 251-9862 after 3:30 p.m.

Donations sought for

Jamesburg Tonkery Fest

The borough of Jamesburg is seeking donations for its fifth annual Tonkery Boulevard Street Festival set for noon to dusk on Aug. 13.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the youth of Jamesburg through the Jamesburg Recreation Department.

Checks should be made payable to Jamesburg Recreation.

For more information, call (732) 521-2222.

Golf outing to benefit

church outreach events

Trinity United Methodist Church, Spotswood, will host its second annual golf outing on Oct. 7 at Cranbury Golf Club, 49 Southfield Road, off Route 571. Registration will begin at 8 a.m.

Each entry fee will include a continental breakfast, morning open driving range, lunch, a reception dinner, gifts, awards and more.

Golf tickets cost $125 each if purchased by Aug. 1, $150 each by Sept. 7. Sponsors and contributions also are sought. Proceeds will benefit the church’s outreach programs.

For more information, call (732) 698-0088.

Blood drive planned for

Aug. 6 at O.B. church

St. Thomas the Apostle Church, in cooperation with Knights of Columbus Council No. 4815, will hold a summer blood drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 6 in the parish auditorium, Route 18 south, Old Bridge.

Donors must be between the ages of 17 and 75, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in reasonably good health.

Free cholesterol screenings and T-shirts will be provided to all donors.

Senior Health Fair

to feature screenings

CentraState Healthcare System will sponsor a Senior Health Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Monroe Township Senior Center, 1 Municipal Plaza, in the municipal complex.

The event will feature a variety of free health assessments. Medical professionals will be on hand to answer questions. Assorted giveaways will be offered.

Heath screenings will include bone density, hearing, blood pressure, glucose, body fat and more. Advance registration is required for the hearing test.

For more information and to register for the hearing test, call the senior center at (732) 521-6111.

Painting class planned at community center

A Donna Dewberry Adult Painting Class will be offered from 6-9:30 p.m. on Aug. 17 at the Monroe Township Community Center, Monmouth Road.

The class is open to beginning to advanced students. Instructor will be Consie Sindet.

Fee is $45. A take-home project and all materials will be supplied. There will be a $2 discount for participants who bring their own brushes. Class is limited to 12 participants.

For more information and to register, call (732) 723-5000.

Diabetes support group will meet at hospital

The Raritan Bay Medical Center Marion Tanzman Diabetes Center will sponsor a free diabetes support group meeting from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 in Auxiliary Hall B and C, lower level of the Old Bridge Medical Arts Building, adjacent to the medical center, off Ferry Road, between routes 9 and 18.

Individuals coping with the disease are invited to attend with a spouse or friend. Agendas are determined by participants. Refreshments will be served.

For more information and to register, call (800) 624-6555.

Monroe rec sponsoring sand-sculpting contest

The Monroe Township Recreation Department will sponsor its seventh annual sand-sculpting contest through Sept. 10. The competition is open to township residents who create a sand sculpture during any trip to a beach or lake.

Awards will be presented on Sept. 19 to winners in the following divisions: 5 years old and under; 6-12 years; teens; family team; adult singles.

To enter, interested individuals should send a photo that includes themselves and their family/friends or team members with the sand sculpture to the Monroe Township Community Center, 120 Monmouth Road, Monroe Township NJ 08831, Attn.: Claire Juraska. Contestants’ names and telephone numbers should be written on the back of the photo.

Winners will be notified by mail.

For more information, call (732) 723-5000.

‘Dragonology,’ chess, show offered at library

Several “Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds” youth programs are planned at the South River Library, 55 Appleby Ave.

Youngsters entering grades 4-6 are invited to enroll in the weeklong “Course in Dragonology” set for 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 8, 9, 10 and 12. Participants in the program, which is based on Ernest Drake’s book, will learn invisibility spells, compile charts and make a “dragon attractor.” Registration is taking place at the library.

The library’s “Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds” summer reading programming will conclude with a Piccirillo Sciencetelling performance of “Water, Vapors and Dragon Breath” at 7 p.m. on Aug. 15. Guests of all ages are invited to learn about the science of fire and ice.

“Knights, Rooks and Kings: Chess Instruction,” open to youngsters ages 7 and older, will meet from 4-5 p.m., Aug. 15-19, at the library. Alex Braylovisky, chess master, will offer lessons and game play. Players are asked to bring their own chess set to class. For more information and to register for the program, call the library at (732) 254-2488.

Free summer concerts will continue in parks

The Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Department of Parks and Recreation will continue its free summer concerts with the following events:

• The Joe Monchek Trio — Aug. 7, 3-4:30 p.m., Johnson Park, River Road, Piscataway;

• The Dave Wilson Jazz Band — Aug. 7, 6-7:30 p.m., Warren Park, Florida Grove Road, Woodbridge;

• The Jimmy Ray Band — Aug. 7, 6:30-8 p.m., Spring Lake Park, Maple Avenue, South Plainfield;

• Bernie Goydish and the Jersey Polka Stars — Aug. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Raritan Bay Waterfront Park, O’Leary Boulevard, South Amboy;

• The Gene Mendalski Polka Band — Aug. 10, 2-3:30 p.m., at the gazebo next to the lake in Thompson Park, Forsgate Drive, Monroe;

• The Jack Alan Orchestra Featuring Sandy Sasso — Aug. 11, 6:30-8 p.m., Alvin P. Williams Park, Sewaren Peninsula, Cliff Road, Sewaren section of Woodbridge.

• The Bob Birch Trio — Aug. 14, 3-4:30 p.m., Johnson Park;

• Circus Time With Mark Heter and His Band — Aug. 14, 6-7:30 p.m., Warren Park;

• The Big Band Express — Aug. 14, 6:30-8 p.m., Spring Lake Park;

• The Perry Brothers: An Evening of Irish Music — Aug. 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Raritan Bay Waterfront Park;

• The Dave Wilson Jazz Band — Aug. 17, 2-3:30 p.m., at the gazebo next to the lake in Thompson Park;

• Magic Touch Doo-Wop: Music of the ’50s and ’60s — Aug. 18, 6:30-8 p.m., Alvin P. Williams Park.

For more information, call (732) 745-3936.

Office on Aging to host

safe-driving program

An AARP-sponsored driver safety course is planned for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 13 and 14 at the Old Bridge Office on Aging, George Bush Center, in the municipal complex, Route 516 and Cottrell Road.

Cost is $10. Membership in AARP is not required. Interested individuals must register in advance and must attend both sessions.

Upon completion of the course, students will receive a certificate entitling them to a 5-percent discount on the major portion of their automobile insurance premium for three years and a 2-point reduction in their Motor Vehicle Commission record (if applicable).

For more information and to register, call (732) 721-5600, ext. 6615.

Safe Sitter program

coming to 4-H Building

St. Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick, will offer a Safe Sitter program from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 17 in 4-H Club Building, Middlesex County Fairgrounds, Cranbury Road, East Brunswick. Girls and boys ages 11-13 are invited to participate. The course will teach adolescents how to handle emergencies when caring for younger children. Participants will learn what to do for a choking child or if a child stops breathing; how to call for emergency help; how to feed and diaper a small child; and how to entertain children and keep them safe. Fee is $50 and covers materials and program costs. Space is limited to 18 students. Registration is now going on. For more information and to reserve, call (732) 745-8579.

Reservations now taken for ‘Fashion Parade’

The Brunswick Women’s Connection of Stonecroft Ministries will hold an “Elegant Fashion Parade” dinner Aug. 11 from 7-8:30 p.m. at The East Brunswick Chateau, 678 Cranbury Road.

The event will feature a fashion show of prom and wedding gowns, dinner, and guest speaker Pam Schram, a former Mrs. Nebraska, presenting “From Fearful to Fantastic.” Cost is $17 and reservations are required.

For reservations, call Christia at (732) 940-2077 or e-mail Brunswickwc@yahoo.com.

Cancer support group will meet on Aug. 22

The Jacqueline M. and Robert N. Wilentz Cancer Center at Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge and Perth Amboy, will offer a support group meeting for individuals with cancer from 6-7 p.m. on Aug. 22 in Auxiliary Hall B, lower level of the Medical Arts Building, adjacent to the hospital’s Old Bridge division, off Ferry Road, between routes 9 and 18.

The meeting will provide a supportive environment where concerns and anxieties can be explored and coping skills enhanced. Medical and educational topics also will be addressed. Admission is free of charge, but advance registration is required. For more information and to register, call (732) 360-1000, ext. 5230, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays-Fridays.

Liberty Bank branches

to operate as Northfield

Liberty Bank, a division of Northfield Savings Bank with seven full-service banking offices in Union and Middlesex counties, will now operate as Northfield Savings Bank.

Northfield’s New Jersey-based branch offices are located in East Brunswick, Milltown, Monroe Township, Edison, Avenel, Linden and Rahway. All New Jersey branches will be open seven days a week.

Northfield Savings Bank, a mutually-owned bank incorporated in 1887 and the principal operating subsidiary of NSB Holding Corp., headquartered in Staten Island, N.Y., acquired Liberty Bank in December 2002.

All operating systems of Northfield and Liberty were integrated during 2004. Name branding and bank signage, including a new logo, have been completed.

British entry last up for library film festival

The annual Summer International Film Festival at the Monroe Township Library, 4 Municipal Plaza, will

conclude on Aug. 11 with 2 and 6:30 p.m. screenings of the British drama “The Magdalene Sisters.” The 2003 film is rated R.

Tickets are $1 each and are on sale at the library. The festival is sponsored by the Friends of the Monroe Township Library. For information, call (732) 521-5000.

Public invited to special education PTA meeting

SEPTA (Special Education PTA) of South River will hold a meeting from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 12 at the South River Public Library, 55 Appleby Ave.

Topics to be discussed will be programs and workshops for the 2005-06 school year, the 2005 holiday party and resources available to parents of children with special needs.

The meeting is open to the public. Children are welcome to attend with their parents.

For more information about SEPTA or the meeting, call the information line at (732) 651-7157, or e-mail SRPTAAdvocate@aol.com.

Milltown recreation plans trip, soccer, SACC

The Milltown Department of Recreation will offer a variety of upcoming events.

A trip to see the 3 p.m. matinee performance of “All Shook Up” at the Palace Theatre, New York City, is planned for Sept. 18. The show is inspired by and features the music of Elvis Presley. Cost is $103 per person and includes round-trip bus transportation from Borough Hall, Washington Avenue. Residents and nonresidents are welcome. Theater seats are located in the center orchestra/front mezzanine.

Residents and nonresidents in kindergarten-eighth grade are invited to participate in a fall soccer program that includes the Fundamental 4s Soccer program for 4-year-olds. Registration deadline is Sept. 15. Soccer season will run from Sept. 24-Nov. 12.

Registration is going on for the Milltown School-Age Child Care (SACC) program. A five-day or three-day option for before school and after school will be offered for children of working Milltown parents. The program includes indoor/outdoor play, snack and juice, arts and crafts, special events and more.

For more information, SACC pricing and availability, and to register for all events, call Julie Petry at (732) 828-2100, ext. 141.

Meeting and trips on agenda for AARP

The next board meeting of AARP East Brunswick Chapter No. 4855 will be held at 10 a.m. on Aug. 9 at the East Brunswick Chateau, Cranbury Road. A Dutch-treat lunch will follow.

Reservations are being accepted for a Sept. 9 trip to see “The Magic of Mario Lanza” at the Wayne Manor. Lanza’s music will be performed by three New Jersey tenors. A family-style lunch will be served. Cost is $59 per person. Payment is due by Aug. 15.

An Oct. 18 trip to the Penn’s Peak-Jim Thorpe, Pa., Holiday Express is planned. A family-style lunch is scheduled. Cost is $59 per person. Payment must be received by Sept. 10.

All are welcome on the group’s trips. Buses depart from the back parking lot at Kmart, Route 18, East Brunswick.

For more information, call (732) 238-5678.