Community Bulletin Board: Criterion Sentinel (for March 11)

The Makhelat Hamercaz Jewish Choir of Central New Jersey and the Edison Chinese Choir will perform a Concert of Togetherness at 7 p.m. on March 15 at the Reformed Church, 19 S. Second Ave., Highland Park.

Congregation Neve Shalom will hold a Yoga Shabbat service at 10:15 a.m. on March 14 at the temple, 250 Grove Ave., Metuchen.

Bring a yoga mat or a towel. Chair modifications will be available if needed.

At 11:30 a.m., attendees will join the rest of the congregation for Musaf.

For more information, email Wendy Kushner at whkushner@gmail.com.

A cabaret brunch is planned for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 22 at the Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County, 1775 Oak Tree Road, Edison, sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Metro Jersey Section and the JCC.

The featured guest artist is singer Naomi Miller.

The cost is $25 per person through March 17.  Registration is required. Call 732-494-3232 or email rekaufman71@gmail.com to attend. Checks must be made out to the JCC of Middlesex County. Cash accepted in person at the JCC.

Enjoy a light brunch and cabaret show “Aging Schmaging” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 22 at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Middlesex County, 1775 Oak Tree Road, Edison.

Early bird price of $18 will be offered through March 10. Regular price of $25 will be available from March 11-17.

Registration is required. For more information, contact Paula Rann at prann@jccmc.org or 732-494-3232 or Elaine Kaufman at rekaufman71@gmail.com.

The Circle of Single Jewish Friends, for singles age 50 and older, will hold a meet-and-eat lunch at noon on March 15 at Olive Garden, 510 Woodbridge Center Dr., Woodbridge.

Cost is price of meal off menu/tip, plus $3.

RSVP to Roberta at 908-668-8450 or roger678@optonline.net.

The Metuchen Parent Teacher Council’s PTC Night Out: We are the 80s Party will be held on March 20.

The fundraiser supports all four Metuchen public schools.

Donations of baskets, gift cards and money are sought from local businesses. Email ptcouncilmetuchen@gmail.com or call 718-637-4867 for more information.

St. Francis Cathedral School will hold an open house for its preschool and Kindergarten programs at 7 p.m. on April 2 at the school, 45 Library Pl., Metuchen.

For more information, call 732-548-3107 or visit www.stfranciscathedralschool.org.

The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy is holding a silly photo contest through April 28.

Submit a photo of a child being silly and be entered to win one free week of day camp at one of 10 locations.

One winner will be chosen in May.

To enter, visit ymcaofmewsa.org/camp/2020-silly-photo-contest

One in 8 Middlesex County residents are food insecure – meaning they don’t have reliable, affordable access to nutritious foods and necessities.

The holidays are over but the need for food donations has not ended. MCFOODS (Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services) is running low on items such as macaroni and cheese, rice, spaghetti, peanut butter, tuna fish, canned fruits and vegetables.

Consider hosting a food drive with your business, school, civic group or athletic team. MCFOODS can provide containers and transportation of items back to the warehouse. A flyer is attached that can be used or personalized to promote a collection.

Individual donations can be dropped off at the libraries in East Brunswick, Edison, Metuchen, Monroe, Piscataway, Plainsboro and Woodbridge.

MCFOODS is also in need of volunteers to help at the warehouse, offer professional expertise, assist at local events and host a food drive.

For more information, contact Jennifer Apostol, MCFOODS director, by calling 609-409-5033, emailing ja@mciauth.com or visiting www.mciauth.com.

The Middlesex County Board of Elections is seeking poll workers for the Primary Election on June 2. In addition to receiving a stipend of $200 for the day, poll workers perform a valuable civic service by helping to ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their right to vote.

Any county resident who is 18 years or older, registered to vote in Middlesex County and can speak English is qualified to become a poll worker. High school students (16 or 17 years old) can serve as poll workers if they are a United States citizen, a resident of Middlesex County, can speak English and have written permission from his or her parent or guardian and high school representative.

While all individuals are welcome to apply, the county’s focus is recruiting poll workers to assist the county’s large demographics of voters who speak English and at least one of the following languages: Spanish, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean.

No experience is needed. Before Election Day, each poll worker attends a single-session training course.

Those interested in becoming poll workers are advised to apply now in order to reserve a spot. For more information and to obtain an application, call the Middlesex County Board of Elections at 732-745-3471.

Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre will celebrate its 25th anniversary with its 16th annual gala, Gala de Espana, from 4-8:30 p.m. on March 15 at Ria Mar, 25 Whitehead St., South River.

Honorees include Lisa Botalico, assistant director and principal dancer; Gisele Assi, Flamenco singer and principal dancer; Krystina Moreno, principal dancer; Teresa Rodriguez, Flamenco soloist; and Catarina Carrasco, featured dancer.

There will be an all-Spanish banquet with sangria and desserts. Dance to the music of Donny Pesce. Wear a Flamenco costume or Spanish-themed dress for a best outfit prize.

Tickets are $75 per person or $700 for a table of 10.

To order online, visit www.eventbrite.com.

For more information, call 732-598-3979.

Boy Scout Troop 74 of Metuchen will hold an all-you-can-eat breakfast from 8-11 a.m. on March 15 at the Edison Elks Lodge, 375 Old Post Road, Edison.

The event includes French toast, eggs, pancakes, breakfast meats, omelets made to order, fresh fruit and more.

The cost will be $10 per person. Children under seven years old are free.

Money raised will be used to support outdoor activities, leadership training and community service projects.

Troop 74 meets Monday evenings from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Social Center at the First Presbyterian Church, 270 Woodbridge Ave., Metuchen.

The Winter Farmers Market in Metuchen has been moved to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 17 Oak Ave., Metuchen.

Winter market hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. once a month on March 21, April 11 and May 9.

Join members of the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Middlesex County on March 26 for a trip to the Brooklyn Museum for a guided tour of “Studio 54: Night Magic,” a new exhibit which traces the history, social politics and trailblazing aesthetics of one of the most iconic nightclubs of all time.

Bus will leave at 9 a.m. from the JCC, 1775 Oak Tree Road, Edison, and return at approximately 4 p.m.

Cost is $69 for JCC members, $79 for non-members, and includes transportation, admission, guided tour and lunch on your own in one of the museum’s restaurants.

Register by March 15. Call Diane Mael at 732-494-3232.

Prudential Center, Entercom and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation have announced the Sixth Annual Mikey Strong Charity Hockey Game, presented by M&M’S, to benefit spinal cord research and quality of life initiatives at 7 p.m. on March 27 at Prudential Center in Newark.

Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti, hosts of Entercom station WFAN (WFAN-FM/AM) morning show “Boomer & Gio,” will host the two-period charity game and be joined by notable NHL Alumni, including Bruce Driver, Colin White, Marek Zidlicky, Randy Velischek, Jim Dowd, Tommy Albelin and Ken Daneyko.

General admission tickets are priced at $25 and are on sale at NewJerseyDevils.com/MikeyStrong.

Prudential Center doors will open at 6 p.m. First 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a voucher for two complimentary tickets to a select New Jersey Devils game during the 2020-21 season and a voucher for two complimentary tickets to a select New York Yankees game during the 2020 season.

Fans should tag #MikeyStrong, #JoinReeve, @Prucenter and @ReeveFoundation in their social media posts.

Proceeds from the game will go to the Nichols Family Trust to provide for Nichols’ medical needs, as well as the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals living with paralysis. Nichols, a Monroe resident, was 17 when on Jan. 4, 2014, he was playing for the Monroe High School hockey team when he suffered an injury that left him paralyzed from a fractured C5 vertebrae.

For more information, visit NewJerseyDevils.com/MikeyStrong.

North Brunswick PBA Local 160 will hold its 25th annual Cops & Rodders Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 26 in the parking lot next to DeVry University, 630 Route 1 north, North Brunswick.

To register a car or learn about sponsorships, contact Officer Joseph Grasso or Officer Shawn McCorry at carshow@nbtpba160.com.

The Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce has released dates for its 2020 events:

– Town-wide garage sale, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 25

– Spring street fair, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17

– Cruise nights, 6-8:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month from May to September (May 6, June 3, July 1, Aug. 5, Sept. 2)

– Restaurant Week, July 13-19

– Metuchen Country Fair, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 3

For details or vendor/sponsor information, visit www.metuchenchamberexchange.com.

Guidelines for the annual NAMI NJ (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Dara Axelrod Expressive Arts Mental Health Poetry Contest include:

* Poem should be in keeping with the theme of how your superpowers helped you battle your challenges with mental illness

* Poem must be typewritten. If sent electronically, do not send PDF files.

* Poem should be no longer than 40 lines.

* Fill out a media release form to accompany your entry.

* Provide a cover letter that includes your name, email (if available), mailing address and phone number.

The contest submission deadline is March 25.

Mail typed entries to NAMI NJ Poetry Contest, 1562 Route 130, North Brunswick 08902. Or, email your entry with the signed media release form to poetry@naminj.org.

April is the National Poetry Month and May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

The 2020 Progressive Insurance Saltwater Fishing Expo will showcase more than 200 exhibitors selling saltwater fishing products, from new boats and kayaks to an array of accessories including fishing rods, reels and lures, from noon to 8 p.m. on March 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 14 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 15 at the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison.

The annual event includes a seminar on filleting and preparing fish, a Fishing 101 Interactive Center, a 50-foot casting pond, a fishing simulator and free fishing for children 11 and younger.

Tickets are $13 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-11, and free for children 5 and younger when accompanied by an adult. All children 11 and under will receive free admission on March 15. Rods Go Free on March 13 – anyone named Rod or any variation of the name will receive free admission with a valid form of ID.

Tickets are on sale at saltwater.sportshows.com/.

The Heart of Oneness Holistic Expo will be held March 27-29 at the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison.

Reiki, crystals, psychic readings, workshops and aura photography.

Hours are 5-9 p.m. on March 27, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 28 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 29.

Free tote for the first 150 attendees at the door on March 28 and 29.

For more information and tickets, visit www.heartofonenessholisticexpo.com.

The 74th annual Bernie Cohn Golf Classic will be held on May 14 at Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Dr., Monroe, by the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Tee off is 9 a.m.

Sign up at mcrcc.org.

The Antonia Maria Foundation and Day One Sober Living will hold their 2020 spring gala, Celebrate a New Day, from 7-11 p.m. on April 3 at the South Gate Manor, Freehold.

The second annual gala will launch the partnership with Day One to help revolutionize sober living care for women in New Jersey. Together, the two organizations will be opening Leo’s House, a recovery home for women following in the footsteps of Gracie’s House. Both are located in North Brunswick.

For information on tickets or sponsorship, call 732-823-8350.

The Winter Farmers Market in Metuchen has been moved to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 17 Oak Ave., Metuchen.

Winter market hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. once a month on April 11 and May 9.

Cruise Nights are scheduled for 6-8:30 p.m. May 6, June 3, July 1, Aug. 5 and Sept. 2 in Downtown Metuchen, sponsored by the Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce. Rain dates are the following Wednesdays.

Call 732-548-2964 or email metuchenchamber@optimum.net for more information.

Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County will hold its One Community Gala for 2020 at 5 p.m. on June 14 at Classical Caterers at Congregation B’Nai Tikvah, 1001 Finnegans Lane, North Brunswick.

Dinner, dancing and auction.

Honorees include community leaders David and Ellen Rabinowitz, BCB Bank and Vincent Davis, and Bill Neary.

Sponsorship opportunities and journal ads are available.

For more information, email JeanieJ@jfsmiddlesex.org or JudyC@jfsmiddlesex.org, or call 732-777-1940.

The Winter Farmers Market in Metuchen will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 9 at St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 17 Oak Ave., Metuchen.

The fourth annual Celebrate Middlesex County event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 13 at Roosevelt Park, Parsonage Road, Edison.

Enjoy roller skating, a fishing derby, live music, entertainment, food trucks and hands-on activities.

For more information, visit middlesexcountynj.gov/celebrate.