January 2011 Archives

From the Metuchen Chamber of Commerce:

The Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the David E. Tutrone Memorial Scholarship (sponsored in part by the Franco Manufacturing Company) to be awarded to a student who is a Metuchen High School or St. Joseph High School senior pursuing higher education in the fall.  Although GPA will be taken into consideration, the emphasis of the scholarship is on community service and volunteerism.

About David Tutrone

Dave became an 'official' member of the Metuchen community when he joined the Franco Manufacturing Company in 1985 as its Corporate Director of Human Resources, with corporate-wide responsibility for recruiting, training and development, labor and relations, fringe benefits and human resource policy administration. 

In 1996, Dave became a member of the Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  He served as Secretary, Vice President, and Chamber President in 2000, and served on many committees throughout his dedicated years of service to the Chamber.  Dave also acted as the HR advisor on Chamber business matters.  In 2008, Dave was the recipient of the Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award.

Join Salta! Jump Into Spanish® at the Metuchen Public Library for a special Spanish Winter Event. Come learn how to Jump! (Salta!) into Spanish with native Spanish-speaking teachers. Children will immerse themselves in stories while picking up new vocabulary, making music with Latin American musical instruments, singing Spanish songs and playing games. Please see the schedule below for days and times:

Monday January 31^st                 10:30 am    3s

Tuesday, February 1^st               10:30 am    18 mos - 2 yrs

Wednesday, February 2^nd          10:30 am    4s and 5s

                                                1:00 pm    4s and 5s

Please call the Metuchen Library at 732 632 8526 to register in advance for these programs.  Space is limited!

For more information about Salta! please call 732 549 7722 or visit www.saltajump.com.

From your Metuchen Parent Teacher Council
:

MAKE SURE TO SIGN UP TODAY for the most fun and exciting fundraising event of the school year! JANUARY 28th IS ALMOST HERE!
 The 4th Annual Casino Night Schools Fundraiser takes place next Friday night from 7:30-11:30 at the Heldrich Hotel in the New Brunswick Theater District. A professional casino company recreates all the excitement of Atlantic City in beautiful surroundings for a night of games and prizes (your chips are converred into raffle tickets for fantastic prizes, including trips and lots of great gift cards!)  There is also a  50/50  raffle  and, if all $10 raffle tickets are sold, the 3 winners will receive
 $3,750, $2,250 and $1,500 respectively!


Text your friends and put together a great group night out! Please contact:
 Dawn Valovcin: valovcin@optonline.net
 or
 Carolyn Taylor: carolyntaylor@optonline.net
 for further information.

All proceeds benefit the Metuchen Parent Teacher Council, which services all four district schools and provide much-needed funding for supplies and events to benefit all students.

The Rotunda Gallery is proud to present an exhibition of new works by mixed media artist Krista Svalbonas. On Sunday March 6th, 2010 from 2:30-3:00 the artist will be presenting her process and work in the form of an artist talk at the gallery.

Krista's works are easily recognized for their grid-like structure while working with delicate pieces of handmade paper. In this body of work Krista is using encaustic paint, pigment mixed with bees wax and resin, to meticulously combine color, shape and form with the subtle translucence of paper. Krista states that her work "mirrors a conscious and subconscious struggle of thought. Each piece begins in a very controlled fashion, meticulously combining the paper and the wax in an effort to create moments of perfection.These moments are broken by a mark, an unconscious line or gesture, seeking to visually manifest the unseen."

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9am to 9pm.The Gallery is located in Borough Hall, 500 Main St. Metuchen, NJ, 08840

St. Luke's Episcopal Church is excited to announce the 2010-2011 inaugural season of The Arts at St. Luke's (TASL), with three very different shows in November, January and February. Baby, It's Cold Outside! on Saturday, January 29, at 7 pm features songs from the American songbook. This cabaret evening, with Barbara Gurskey and friends, is their second fundraising event of the season.

Tickets to all performances are $20 each, or you can become an advance supporter of TASL's first season at one of three levels: Sponsor, $50 (one ticket to all three performances and program acknowledgement); Donor, $100 (two tickets to all three and acknowledgement); and Patron,  $250   (four tickets to all three and acknowledgement). All performances take place in Fryer Hall, 17 Oak Avenue, Metuchen. 

Chris Morrisson sent us this speech which he made when Conor O'Mara's Martin Luther King Jr. Park was rededicated. In honor of the great man's birthday tomorrow, we reprint Chris' warm and compelling words and entreat you all to pay a visit to the Memorial, the only one of its kind in the area:

It is my great honor and privilege to speak today as part of the rededication of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Park here in Metuchen.   I would like to thank Conor O'Mara, the Boy Scouts, and the O'Mara family for making this possible.    


One phrase always comes to mind when I think of Martin Luther King, Jr. "That they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."  It is a phrase that always reminds me that we need to look deeper not only into others but into ourselves.  We need to remember there is more to each of us than the color of our skin, the spelling of our names, or the church where we bend our knees. 

From Salta! Jump Into Spanish:

Please join Salta! Jump Into Spanish® for an Open House for our Salta Schoolhouse (for preschoolers ages 2 ½ - 4 ½ ) and KinderClass Programs (for children ages 5-6) the week of January 17^th from 9:30 - 11:30 am.  While your child attends a FREE TRIAL class, you can simultaneously tour our center, meet our native-speaking instructors and learn more about our curriculum and friendly immersion technique.

Class sizes are limited to 10, so please call 732 549 7722 or email info@saltajump.com  to reserve your spot today!  www.saltajump.com

On Thursday, January 20, 2011, Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) will hold a public hearing entitled "Coping with the Governor's Education Cuts." The hearing will give students, parents, teachers, and other members of the community the opportunity to share how the Governor's $1 billion cut to public education has impacted their lives and their schools.

"Governor Christie's cuts to New Jersey's public schools have had a devastating effect on the availability of many educational and extra-curricular programs that our students have enjoyed and benefited from for years," said Senator Buono. "I've been hearing from parents and students alike about the impact of these cuts and feel their stories are vital in order to help gain a full appreciation of the consequences these cuts have had on education."

Who:   Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono

What:  Public hearing entitled, "Coping with the Governor's Education Cuts"

When:  Thursday, January 20, 2011 from 6PM - 8:30PM

Where: Edison High School Auditorium

50 Boulevard of the Eagles

Edison, NJ 08817

The Young Adult Department of the Metuchen Public Library invites all Metuchen residents in grades 8-12 to learn more about The Photojournalism Project at the next meeting of the group on Wednesday, January 26 from 7:30 PM until 8:30 PM at the Library, 480 Middlesex Avenue. The Photojournalism Project began last summer, dedicated to documenting present-day Metuchen through photography so that in 20, 30, 40 years from now, residents in town will be able to look back at "the good old days." The photographs will become part of an archive of historical material which is kept in the Library. 

Besides photographs, the group will create slide shows and video documentaries.

The Photojournalism Project encourages participants to consider shooting houses; an interesting location at different seasons and times of day; people congregating at school, the train station, parades, fairs; people and stores downtown; school events; local sports events; everyday life in 2011; etc. 



Come to the meeting to see if you'd like to join the group. The meetings are led by Kathy Glaser, a NJ certified art teacher. All participants must have a digital camera. This program is a community service project and all participants will earn community service credit for their time. This program is paid for by the Friends of the Metuchen Library. For more information write the Young Adult Librarian at KLiss@Lmxac.org.

From the Fuce 5K Committee--

The date for the Third Annual Fuce 5K Family Fun Run/Walk has been set for June 18, 2011.  The Fuce 5K is an event sponsored by the Fuccile Foundation, a non-for-profit organization striving to raise money for resident families in need. 

"Last year's event exceeded our expectations.  We welcomed over 650 participants and raised $30,000 for three area families, the Almeida Family, with 8 year old Emily who has battled cancer; the McGuiness Family, with 10 year old Danny who lost his fight against Cystic Fibrosis; and the Gossiaux Family, with teenager Maggie who battles non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, " stated Michael Bradley, newly named race director for the 2011 event.  "I am looking forward to heading up the event.  We are also lucky to have long- time active Metuchen resident James Schleck joining the Fuccile Foundation and Race Committee this year."

The race will continue to be dedicated to the memory of Michael Fuccile.  Mike, 36, was murdered on his way to work on September 4, 2008 in Jersey City.  He left behind his wife of ten years, Nancy, and three children, Michael, 9, Jack, 7 and Brooke, 5.  Mike played an active role in his community and, most especially, his children's lives.   To learn more about Mike, visit the website Fuce5.com/Mike.

The race, the Fuce 5K Metuchen Family Fun Run/Walk, will be held Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 8:30 a.m.  The course will begin and end at the Pearl Street parking lot in downtown Metuchen and will wind race participants through the community.

Racers can register in advance either online at www.fuce5.com or by filling out the registration forms found at local Metuchen merchants such as Runner's High and mailing it to Fuce 5 Fund, PO Box 453, Metuchen, NJ 08840.   Families can also register race day from 7-8 a.m.  Early registrants will receive a complimentary race t-shirt.

For more information regarding the race, sponsorship opportunities or volunteering, please contact the committee at www.fuce5.com.  The race committee members are Sally Ayotte, Michael Bradley, Scott Brooks, Stacey Derector, Jay Galeota, Nancy Fuccile and James Schleck.

On February 5 at 1 PM at the Metuchen Public Library, Kaplan Test Prep will present a free SAT/ACT Combo Practice Test. The 3.5 hour Combo Practice Test helps students decide which test is right for them. Then on Tuesday evening, February 15 at 7:30 PM at the Library, students will receive feedback that compares their performance on each of the analogous test sections of the two exams---for example, SAT math section vs. ACT math section. This is a perfect opportunity to experience both tests. 

To sign up for the Saturday, February 5 Combo test, please visit www.kaptest.com or call 1-800-KAP-TEST. The free test is open to 35 students because of space restrictions. Please register early.

The Forum Theatre Stars On Stage program has announced its next program--Stars On Stage, Broadway Bound. 

Songs and scenes from classics such as Guys and Dolls to  contemporary musicals, Wicked  and Hairspray have been selected. Large as well as smaller numbers and scenes will be highlighted from some of the most beloved kid friendly musicals of all time!
 

Registration will be January 17  and 24 from 5 to 7pm. 

You can also email peter@forumtheatrearts.org if you cannot make those times and would still like to register your child. Registration online will also be available shortly.

The Forum Theatre's Stars On Stage Program, New Jersey's Premiere Theatre Training For Kids!
www.forumtheatrearts.org
732.548.5600
This message was sent by: Forum Theatre Arts Center, 314 Main Street, Metuchen, NJ 08840


The MHS High School teens are leading the charge on January 8th to raise money to help support two classmates in treatment for cancer.  The fundraiser at the high school includes local bands, candy bingo, face painting, kids crafts, balloon magic and dinner.  Ticket donations are $7.00 for young adults and $10.00 for adults ( no charge for children under 3 ).

In addition to the many teen volunteers, the event is sponsored by many of the local businesses, the MHS Administration, PTO, Metuchen families and Kids in Production. 

Kids in Production is a not for profit organization whose goal is to teach the value of community service and charity work to our next generation.  The officers and directors of this group include names of individuals who have wide recognition for their good work in Metuchen. They include:  Lori Alexander, Beatrice Moskowitz, Dawn Valocin, Amy Collins, Carolyn Taylor, Dawn Ferro and Marie Mathews.

You can get involved by attending the fundraising dinner/fun night this Saturday at the high school from 6:30pm to 10:00pm or make a contribution to:

Kids in Production

C/O Metuchen High School

400 Grove Ave.

Metuchen, NJ 08840

Attention:  Lori Alexander.

For more information please contact Lori at 732-548-2KIP, e-mail - kidsinproduction.com or visit the website http://kindsinproduction.com

On Sunday, January 9 from 2 PM until 3:30 PM, there will be a Cupcake Decorating Class at the Metuchen Public Library, 480 Middlesex Avenue, for Metuchen Residents in grades 6-12. In this hands-on workshop, participants will make icing from scratch and learn to use bags and tips to create cupcakes like a professional baker. Make and take a delicious sample home!  Everyone will leave with recipes for cupcakes and icing, as well as a set of tips.  The workshop is free and paid for by the Friends of the Metuchen Library. Registration is limited because of space.  To sign up, call the Library at 732.632.8526 or write KLiss@Lmxac.org.

Kids In Production presents a fundraising event, "Stay A While For Maggie & Kyle," on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at Metuchen High School, beginning at 6:00 pm.  The evening will feature live music, food and fun.  Proceeds will help offset some of the prohibitive costs of treatment for two MHS teens battling cancer.

The event is sponsored by Kids In Production in cooperation with MHS Administrators, PTO & Metuchen families.  The food is being generously supplied by local businesses.  For information visit www.KidsInProduction.com or email info@kidsinproduction.com or call 732-548-2KIP.

In our first weeks of winter, we can look back on another gorgeous autumn season in the Dismal Swamp Conservation Area in Metuchen, Edison, and South Plainfield.  Autumn typically brings to mind the beautiful changes in foliage before the trees go bare.  The early sunsets giving way to brisk nights backed by the rich aroma of chimney smoke.  The crunch of leaves underfoot.  Yet by spending much of every day within a single nature area, I get to observe and experience the more subtle changes that accompany the turning of the seasons.  

This fall, a few memorable wildlife sightings were backed with the appreciation of some new patterns revealing themselves in the animals of the Dismal Swamp.  Beavers, a less obvious encounter in years past, were brazen and wanton in their simultaneous destruction and construction this fall, blitzing our streamside woods and scarcely leaving any sapling unshorn.

Dear Forum Patrons
:

Here, my friends, is what the new AMC Menlo Theatre offers. Please read and I'll see you at the bottom of the page. 


Cinema Suites® - Three auditoriums at AMC Menlo Park 12 will feature:
  * Premium, upscale in-theatre dining
--* Extensive menu including Cinema Suites specialties such as Bleu 
Cheese Chips, Blackened Salmon and Lobster Ravioli served on unique 
swivel tables via seat-side service
. 

Fork & Screen® - Nine auditoriums at AMC Menlo Park 12 will offer:
    * Casual, in-theatre dining
    * An extensive menu including Crab Rangoon Dip, Thai Coconut 
Chicken Tenders and Chocolate Loving Spoon Cake served via seat-
side service
 

AMC Dine-In Theatres at AMC Menlo Park 12 pricing:
    * $10 for an adult movie ticket plus a $15 experience charge for 
> Cinema Suites
>    * $10 for an adult ticket plus a $10 experience charge for Fork & Screen
>    * The $15/$10 experience charge is deducted from meal purchases in 
the auditorium
.

Okay, I'm back. Now maybe I'm a purest but is this really what movie-going has become? I certainly hope not. Now I'm not holding a grudge --against AMC, they're far too big for my little one screen theatre and 
I do hope they succeed. My only question is, will this enhance their patrons movie going experience? Speaking of "The Experience", do you 
really think paying $4 for a soda, or munching on Crab Rangoon dip,  or Thai Coconut Chicken Tenders while watching Disney's Tangled with 
the kids is an experience? If so they must know something I don't. 

How about this as a good first New Year's Resolution for our borough?  Metuchen Matters wants to know your ideas on creating a town dog park. Where would it go? Where would the funds to create it come from?

Here's one resident's suggestion: