Town Journal
About Town
COLTS NECK
The American Cancer Society will hold a "Masters of Wine" event on Friday evening, Feb. 19 at the home of Karen and Greg Matzel in Colts Neck.
Tickets are $100 and proceeds will support the Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in New York City, a free temporary housing facility for cancer patients who are undergoing treatment.
Sponsorships are also available. Guests will sample a broad selection of collectible wines and champagnes from around the world, along with hors d'oeuvres and imported cheeses.
For tickets and information call Allie Hall at the American Cancer Society, (732) 758-8220, option 3, ext. 223.
HOLMDEL
The Holmdel Township School District has information available for citizens interested in running for a vacant seat on the board of education.
The Holmdel Township Board of Education will have four vacancies in the April 20 annual school election. Three positions will carry a three-year term and one position will carry a one-year term.
Candidates must file a nominating petition with the local school board in order to get their name on the ballot for the election. The deadline to submit the nominating petition is 4 p.m. Monday, March 1.
A change in the Annual School Election date and candidacy deadline has been proposed in the Legislature. The New Jersey School Boards Association will notify local school districts of such a change.
Prospective candidates can obtain a "School Board Candidate Kit" online at www.njsba. org. The kit includes a nominating petition, information about legal qualifications for school board candidacy and the role of the school board member. Information about the New Jersey School Ethics Act and important dates in the school election process are also included.
LINCROFT
Brookdale Community College invites the community to join in celebrating the Chinese New Year on Thursday, Feb. 11. The free festival welcoming the Year of the Tiger will take place in the Warner Student Life Center beginning at 11:45 a.m.
Forty elementary and high school students from the Jersey Shore Chinese School will participate in the traditional lion dance. There will also be a demonstration of the Chinese yo-yo and Brookdale students participating in the events.
LONG BRANCH
A performance of the play Exposure Time at 2 p.m. on Feb. 28 a the New Jersey Repertory Theater, 179 Broadway will benefit the restoration of the Church of the Presidents - the last remaining building associated with the seven presidents who vacationed in the city during the country's Gilded Age.
Sponsored by the Long Branch Historical Museum Association (LBHMA), the fundraiser will help to complete the exterior restoration of the church, including repairs to the masonry foundation and the shingle siding distinguishing the structure.
St. James Chapel was built in 1879 and gained fame as the Church of the Presidents because presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and Woodrow Wilson attended services there. Owned by LBHMA, the building was deconsecrated and saved from demolition in 1953, and functioned as a museum until instability forced its closure in 1999. It is listed on both the State of New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places.
Tickets are $45 and include an intermission reception, and a display of never-before-exhibited photos of historic Long Branch. For tickets, send payment to LBHMA, P.O. Box 2204, Elberon, NJ 07740 or call (732) 229-2396.
MIDDLETOWN
The Middletown Township Health Department will hold an H1N1 vaccination clinic 5 -8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8 at Croydon Hall, 900 Leonardville Rd, Leonardo. The clinic is open to the general public for those 6 months of age and older. Vaccinations are free of charge.
Individuals are encouraged to complete consent forms prior to arrival to expedite registration. Visit www.middletownnj. org; click the H1N1 link for downloadable consent forms. There are separate forms for children and adults.
Individuals who may not receive the H1N1 or any other influenza vaccine are those with a serious allergy to eggs and egg proteins, anyone with a previous life threatening reaction to a flu vaccine and individuals with a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Additional information about the H1N1 flu is available at www.middletownnj.org. Call the Middletown Health Department, (732) 615-2095 for more information.
RUMSON
On Saturday, March 13, Holy Cross Church will celebrate a Gaelic Mass and Irish parade and festival in honor of St. Patrick's Day. The event will begin with a gathering before 8 a.m. on Ocean Avenue near the base of the Sea Bright Bridge, followed by a parade of flags and bagpipes marching over the Sea Bright Bridge at 8:15. The parade will lead to the doors of Holy Cross Church for a 9 a.m. Irish language Mass.
Rev. Andrew O'Connor of Holy Family Church in the Bronx will celebrate the Mass in Gaelic. Following the Mass, the parish will host an Irish brunch and festival featuring Irish themed activities for children and adults.
A traditional Irish breakfast will be served in addition to traditional Irish music, step dancing, folklore telling, poetry readings of Yeats, and guest speakers of Irish descent. A magician, face painting and a balloon artist will help the children celebrate St. Patrick's spirit with creations of Celtic crosses, shillelaghs, shamrocks, and flags.
The parade and Mass are free of charge and open to the public. Tickets for the brunch are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $10 for children with a family maximum of $70.
For more information or to order tickets call (732) 842-0348. press ext. 2 for the parish center, then ext.1 for Eileen George or email egeorge@ holycrossrumson.org.
