Community Bulletin Board
Spaces available at St. Vincent's yard sale

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of East Brunswick will hold its annual Giant Yard Sale from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 in the parking lot at St. Bartholomew's Church, 460 Ryders Lane, East Brunswick.

Vendor spaces are available at a cost of $30 each.

For more information and to reserve, call (732) 257-7722, ext. 8.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul East Brunswick Conference helps the needy in East Brunswick, Jamesburg, Spotswood, Monroe and Helmetta. The conference was formed 15 years ago and has helped families in financial and emotional distress due to illness, job loss and other life events. Over the years, many families have been helped to avoid eviction, utility shut off, etc. The society's East Brunswick Conference Food Pantry also provides food to those in need.

The East Brunswick conference is based at St. Bartholomew's Parish but is part of a global organization with more than 750,000 members (nationally, there are more than 4,300 conferences with more than 100,000 members). The Giant Yard Sale is the East Brunswick conference's largest annual fundraiser, and it typically brings in $14,000-$15,000.

Proceeds from the sale will be used to help the needy in surrounding communities. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a nonprofit charity; donations are tax-deductible.

Contributions may also be mailed to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul East Brunswick Conference, St. Bartholomew's Church, 460 Ryders Lane, East Brunswick, NJ 08816.

For more information on the society and its work, log on to the group's national Web site at www.svdpusa.org.

Churches to collect flood-bucket disaster kits

Monroe Community Church and Trinity United Methodist Church, Spotswood, will partner to collect flood-bucket kits in a proactive attempt to be prepared for immediate response in case of flood-related emergencies. Flood-bucket resources will be used in places where people may have suffered losses due to natural or human disasters.

Members of the public are asked to drop off bucket disaster kits from 8 a.m. to noon on Sept. 17 at Barclay Brook Elementary School, 358 Buckelew Ave., Monroe, and at Trinity United Methodist Church, 70 Manalapan Road, Spotswood.

All donated items must be new. Instructions must be followed exactly. Include all items; do not add items that are not on the list. Extra gifts, though given with the best of intentions, will render a kit unusable and must be removed.

The requested supplies will enable individuals to begin the job of cleaning up after a flood or hurricane. For flood buckets only, if the requested-size item is not available, go down to the next available size. If the requested or smaller size is not available, the name of the item not contained in the bucket should be written on masking tape and placed on the outside of the bucket.

The following items are sought for the flood-bucket disaster kits:

+ 5-gallon bucket with resealable lid;

+ bleach (two 1-quart or one 82-ounce bottle);

+ five scouring pads;

+ seven sponges;

+ one scrub brush;

+ 18 cleaning towels (reusable wipes);

+ liquid laundry detergent (two 25-ounce or one 50-ounce bottle);

+ one household cleaner, 12- to 16-ounce bottle;

+ disinfectant dish soap, 16- to 28-ounce bottle;

+ 50 clothespins;

+ clothesline (two 50-foot lines or one 100-foot line);

+ five dust masks;

+ two pairs of latex gloves;

+ one pair of work gloves;

+ 24-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags, 33-45 gallons each (remove roll from box before placing in bucket);

+ one insect-repellant spray, 6- to 14-ounce can;

+ one air freshener, 8- or 9-ounce can.

Donors should put all items in the plastic bucket and seal the lid. Aerosol cans must have protective caps. All cleansing agents must be liquids, not powder, and come in plastic bottles.

For more information, call the church office at (732) 251-0815 or (732) 251-8995.

Christian center moves to new location

Hosanna Our Messiah Emmanuel Christian Center recently moved to a new site at 48 Appleby Ave., South River, in the Imperial Music Center, across the street from the South River Public Library.

The Rev. Harold Germain and the Rev. Mollie Germain will preside over worship services at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays. Bible study is offered at 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

Pavers to be installed at E.B. veterans memorial

The township of East Brunswick is taking orders for new granite walkway pavers to be installed at the East Brunswick Veterans Monument and dedicated at the township's annual Veterans Day observance on Nov. 11.

Individuals may purchase a 4-by-4-inch black granite paver that will line the Veterans Walk of Honor. Currently, there are 213 pavers along the walkway, and all bear personal inscriptions from private individuals and businesses who have chosen to be part of the community project.

For a $300 donation, a paver will be inscribed with the contributor's name or that of a loved one or a business, and installed along the walkway. The purchaser does not have to be a veteran or an East Brunswick resident to reserve a paver, nor does the purchase have to be for a veteran. All those who want to be a part of the community's tribute to veterans are welcome to participate.

Donations are tax-deductible. Paver reservation deadline is Oct. 6 to ensure installation by Veterans Day.

For more information and to reserve, call Karen Kecskes at the East Brunswick Division of Recreation, (732) 390-6797, or log on to www.eastbrunswick.org.

Monroe student attends leadership conference

Ashley McCoy, a junior at Monroe Township High School (MTHS), was selected to participate in the recent 2006 Congressional Student Leadership Conference (CSLC), sponsored by LeadAmerica, at Georgetown University, Washington D.C.

CSLC is a college-accredited invitational leadership program for academically talented and promising young leaders from across the United States and several foreign countries. Exceptional high school students with a record of academic achievement and extracurricular or community involvement are chosen to attend.

Students at the conference select an academic area to study, choosing from among government and politics, engineering and robotics, global business and entrepreneurship, intelligence, diplomacy and national security, junior war college, law and trial advocacy, crime scene investigation (CSI) and medicine and health care. Ashley attended the "CSI: Forensic and Crime Scene Investigation" program.

Through briefings and discussions with national and international leaders in the fields of study, and with realistic, hands-on simulations, participants in the conference experienced leadership in action and learned firsthand about the complexities of decision-making in a chosen field or profession. By engaging in interactive workshops and activities, students learned how to develop leadership skills, including effective communication, conflict resolution, team building and time management.

Ashley, the daughter of Cherie and Ernie McCoy of Monroe, is active in color guard, varsity cheerleading and spring track at MTHS. She serves on the Episcopal Council of New Jersey Youth Council and is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.

Townwide yard sale scheduled for Sept. 16

Jamesburg residents will sell their "treasures" during the annual Jamesburg Fall Communitywide Yard Sale scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept 16. The event, which will take place rain or shine, is co-sponsored by the borough of Jamesburg and the Jamesburg Civic Association.

Residents may sell in their own yards or rent table space at Buckelew Park. There is a $2 registration for all residential yard-sale participants. The fee will help cover the cost of advertising, signs and maps. Registered home addresses will be listed on a yard-sale flier/map that will be distributed throughout Jamesburg prior to the sale. The fee at Buckelew Park is $12 ($2 registration fee, $10 table/space fee). The table/space fee benefits the Jamesburg Historical Association.

Registration forms are available at Jamesburg Borough Hall, from various Jamesburg merchants, and at www.jamesburg.info or www.JamesburgHistory.com.

For more information, call (732) 521-2040 and leave a message.

Nativity of Our Lord will host blood drive

New Jersey Blood Services will conduct a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 17 at Nativity of Our Lord Church, 185 Applegarth Road, Monroe.

Donors must be at least 17 years of age (17-year-olds need a parent's permission letter), weigh at least 110 pounds and may not have donated blood within the last 56 days. Individuals above age 76 may donate if they meet the criteria and present a letter from their physician.

The procedure is done by a specially trained technician and takes approximately 10-12 minutes. Donors, who will have a brief medical exam prior to donating, will rest afterward and will be given refreshments. Participants should bring official identification. Platelets will also be collected at the drive.

For more information regarding the donation process, call N.J. Blood Services at (800) 933-2566. For directions to the church, call (609) 371-0499.

Monroe Republicans will meet on Sept. 20

The Monroe Township Republican Club will hold a meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 20 at Jamesburg Elks Lodge No. 2180, Railroad Avenue.

Featured speaker will be the executive vice president of the Raritan Bay Healthcare Foundation, Old Bridge and Perth Amboy.

Refreshments will be served.

For more information, call Tom Nothstein at (908) 217-9190.

J'burg Elks to sponsor Oct. 22 trip to A.C.

Jamesburg Elks Lodge No. 2180 will host an Oct. 22 bus trip to Caesars Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City.

The bus will depart at 11 a.m. from the lodge, 74 W. Railroad Ave. Departure from the casino is set for 6:50 p.m.

Cost is $30 per person, with a $17 return in coin. Sandwiches, movies and refreshments will be offered on the bus. Seats are limited.

For more information and to reserve, call Greg at (732) 521-2448.

American Legion picnic

scheduled for Sept. 23

American Legion Post No. 253, Devoe Avenue, Spotswood, will hold its annual picnic at 1 p.m. on Sept. 23 at the post home. The event will feature food, beer, soda and door prizes. All are welcome. Cost is $20 in advance, $25 at the door; children under age 12 will be admitted free of charge. For more information or tickets, call (732) 251-1030 or (732) 251-1221.

Luncheon/Card Party next up for Hadassah

The Alisa Chapter of Hadassah will sponsor its Luncheon/Card Party at noon on Oct. 3 at the Freehold Gardens Hotel and Conference Center, Gibson Place.

Couvert is $30. All proceeds will benefit Hadassah Hospital. Reservation deadline is Sept. 25. For more information, call Audrey at (609) 409-6750.

Historical society sets presentation, meeting

The East Brunswick Historical Society will have an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 17 at its museum, the former Smith Farmhouse, 78 Milltown Road. The society will feature a presentation from Jan Murasko, an avid collector of East Brunswick artifacts. Murasko will discuss the adventure with articles discarded by earlier East Brunswick residents, an experience that led her to a fascinating collection and a study on glass bottles, their source, nature, quality and use.

The society will then hold a business meeting at 4 p.m. The events are open to the public and free of charge. For more information, call (732) 249-3522 or (732) 257-8373.

Junior Women's Club will meet on Sept. 18

The Junior Women's Club of Greater Brunswick will hold its first meeting of the year at 8 p.m. on Sept. 18 at United Methodist Church, Main Street, Milltown. The event will feature a discussion of upcoming community-service projects.

The JWCGBA works to improve the lives of area residents. The club meeting is open to women age 18 and older.

For more information, call Kim at (732) 937-5097.

Golf event will aid Cooper Scholarship

The Cooper Classic golf outing to benefit the Chris Cooper Scholarship Fund is planned for Sept. 19 at Cruz Farms, Farmingdale. Registration will begin at 11:30 a.m. Shotgun start is set for 12:30 p.m.

The event will raise money for the scholarship fund, named in honor of Cooper, a 1999 Old Bridge High School (OBHS) graduate who pitched for the high school baseball team and died as the result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2003. Proceeds will help an eligible OBHS boys baseball player and an OBHS girls softball player attend college. The memory of Bob Cooper, Chris' father, also will be honored at the event.

Cost is $125 and includes green fees, golf cart, beverages and a buffet dinner at Our House, Farmingdale.

For more information, call (732) 721-9045.