Central Jersey Daily Rundown, Tuesday, Oct. 30

Foundation raises funds for charities

Fiddler's Elbow Country Club in Bedminster hosted the second Annual R&C Donovan Family Foundation Mixed Stix Fundraiser, presented by Northeast Lock. The event featured NJPGA Professionals competing for a $20,000 purse, while chefs from New Jersey clubs competed in a cooking competition and tennis pros mixed it up with amateur players. Several attendees also enjoyed fly fishing on the Lamington River. While golf professional Mike Holiday finished first in golf and chef Chris Carpenter of Cherry Valley Country Club took top cooking honors, the real winners were three charities: New Jersey Golf Foundation, Cure for IBD and Tri-County Scholarship Fund. 

Domestic violence awareness 5K

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and Women Aware has  ways members of the community can support survivors including Women Aware’s First Annual Moving Beyond Abuse 5K Race and Charity Walk on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. in Johnson Park, Piscataway which will raise money for awareness of programs and services for survivors of domestic violence in Middlesex County. The event will include a 5K race, a one-mile charity walk, children's activities, music, food trucks, awards and prizes. Sign up as a team or individual by going to bitly.com/movingbeyondabuse. Race participants can increase their contribution to Women Aware by fundraising through the Allstate Purple Purse Challenge in October (available through the race link) leading up to the charity event. To fundraise for this event, visit bitly.com/raise4WA. 

New Brunswick schools certified

Three of New Brunswick’s public elementary schools have been certified by the  Future Ready Schools – New Jersey coalition, with the Lincoln Annex School earning a silver-level designation and both the Woodrow Wilson and Livingston schools recognized at the bronze-level. These certifications indicate the schools’ success in leadership, education and classroom practice and technology support/services. Representatives of New Brunswick Public Schools, as well as of the three certified schools, attended the Future Ready Schools awards event in Atlantic City, from Oct. 23-25. 

Chair yoga at Bernardsville Library

Bernardsville Public Library, in partnership with Bernardsville Recreation, will offer a six sessions class of gentle chair yoga on Monday at 10:30 a.m. from Nov. 5. to  Dec.17  (no class on Nov. 12) at 1 Anderson Hill Road, Bernardsville for $35 per person. Beth Bachmann of Lotus Mind and Body will teach this class, which combines simple breath and movement to increase circulation in joints, strengthen major muscle groups, and relax the nervous system. The benefits of this time-honored practice can include increased energy, mental clarity and mobility, better sleep, healthy digestion, and decreased pain. Most of the class will be done seated in a chair, with a few standing exercises, although students may remain in the chair throughout. They are also welcome to bring a mat and a blanket and do some postures on the floor. Register at register.communitypass.net/bernardsville or call the Bernardsville Library at 908-766-0118 or Bernardsville Recreation at 908-766-2546. 

Wreaths Across America presented

For the 10th consecutive year, the Terra Nova Garden Club of Edison will present the Wreaths Across America program where Christmas wreaths are placed on every veteran's grave, from the French and Indian War through the Vietnam conflict, at noon on Sunday, Dec. 16. Wreaths are available for purchase for $15 per wreath. Checks should be payable to Wreaths Across America and mailed to 15 Midland Road, Edison NJ 08820.

Smart meters in Perth Amboy

Mayor Wilda Diaz has announced the installation of the smart pay stations on Smith Street from State Street to Madison Avenue, as the City of Perth Amboy launches a 60-to-90-day pilot program. The new smart meters have more payment options and accept coins, Visa and MasterCard credit cards and smartphone payments via the Parkmobile app available for use on both Apple and Android devices. The app will allow commuters to skip a line or add extra time to their meter from where they are shopping or dining, while providing the user with their parking location and countdown timer. After the initial pilot, the goal is to replace all meters throughout the entire length of Smith Street, State Street and the Hospital Zone. 

Bill for company relocation advances

Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Shavonda Sumter, Dan Benson, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Eric Houghtaling and Benjie Wimberly to require employers that move call-center jobs overseas to forfeit any state aid or business incentives they may have received continues to advance in the Assembly. The bill (A-1992) would require that any employer relocating a call center from New Jersey to one or more foreign countries must notify the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development and return the value of any direct or indirect state grant, guaranteed loan, tax benefit, and any other financial support provided by the state that was not used. An employer that violates this requirement would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $7,500 for each day the violation continues. The bill also requires any employer with a call center in New Jersey to maintain a staffing level capable of handling no less than 70 percent of customer volume of telephone calls, emails, or other electronic communications. If the staffing level falls below this required amount, the employer is required to notify the commissioner. The bill was released by the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will now go to the Assembly Speaker for further consideration.

Call for 1950s artifacts

The Cornelius Low House Museum in Piscataway is planning a new exhibit to explore life in the Garden State during the postwar era, and is asking residents to submit their own artifacts and antiques for display. The museum is looking for objects representing the period between the end of WW II (1945) and the Kennedy assassination (1963). Preference will be given to those artifacts with links to New Jersey and especially to Middlesex County.The museum also is planning on creating a mock‐up of a representative mid-century living room, and is looking for items to make the room authentic, such as furniture, curtains, carpeting, paintings, lamps, radio, television, magazines and newspapers. To loan objects, contact Senior Curator Katie Zavoski at 732-745-4177 or email photographs of the items to katie.zavoski@co.middlesex.nj.us. Reach out to museum staff before dropping anything off at the museum, located at 1225 River Road in Piscataway. For more information, visit middlesexcountynj.gov or call 732745-3030 or text CULTURE to 56512.

Digitization Day at Bridgewater library

On Oct. 20, community members contributed to the Somerset County Library System of New Jersey’s (SCLSNJ) Digitization Day hosted at the Bridgewater branch. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), library staff and volunteers collected, cataloged, and preserved the collective memories of local residents. Share your history with SCLSNJ from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov.17 at the Manville branch, located at 100 South 10th Ave. in Manville. For more information visit SCLSNJ.org/NEH.

Rental assistance available

Somerset County Freeholder Patricia Walsh has announced that the Somerset County Rental Assistance Program is available to provide up to 15 months of rental assistance and monthly case management to eligible Somerset County residents. Case management by a trained volunteer is intended to help clients set and achieve goals that promote long-term financial stability. The program provides a monthly subsidy to pay the difference between household rent and 30 percent of one’s monthly income, up to a maximum of $300 per month. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they will be able to afford their housing without rental assistance within 15 months. In order to qualify, at least one adult in the household must be employed and working at least 30 hours per week. Any nonworking adult must have a verifiable disability or be a caregiver for a member of the household. Applicants must have a formal lease at a rental rate that is less than the fair-market rent for the unit size, and must be within certain income limits. Applicants who meet the criteria will be served on a first-come, first-served basis after being screened by the Somerset County Community Development Office. For more information call the office at 908-541-5756.

Winter clothes for kids to be collected

The Somerset County Commission on the Status of Women (SCCSW) is conducting its ninth annual Project Warm Your Heart to collect new or gently-used coats, mittens, gloves, scarves and hats for needy children. Donations are requested by Nov. 2 to benefit children of families served by the Food Bank Network of Somerset County and other organizations. Donations may be dropped off at the Somerset County Freeholders’ Office on the third floor of the county administration building at 20 Grove St., Somerville, now through Friday, Nov. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 908-385-7948.

Craft fair on Nov. 17

Crafters and shoppers are needed for Middlebush Reformed Church’s craft fair at the intersection of Amwell and South Middlebush Roads, Somerset section of Franklin from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. Crafter tables are available for $20 each. Refreshments will be sold. Call 732-873-2776 or visit middlebushreformedchurch.com.

Man indicted for Raritan burglary

William T. Dolan III, 45, of Asbury Park, was indicted Oct. 25 by a Hunterdon County Grand Jury on one count of burglary and one count of theft, both third degree crimes, one count of criminal mischief and one count of criminal attempt burglary, according to Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns, III. Kearns said Dolan was arrested Sept. 2, 2017 on burglary, theft, criminal mischief and attempted burglary charges in connection with throwing a landscape stone through a sliding glass door, entering a Raritan Township home and removing jewelry worth about $3,475.

Back-to-school food drive held

Somerset County Freeholder Director Patrick Scaglione congratulates the Bound Brook school district on collecting more than 1,800 pounds of food during its first back-to-school food drive to support the Curbing Hunger program. Donated food items were collected at Lafayette School (579 pounds), Smalley School (368 pounds), LaMonte Annex (345 pounds), LaMonte School (213 pounds), Bound Brook High School (174 pounds) and Community Middle School (135 pounds) – for a total of 1,814 pounds.

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