From former Chairperson Linda LaStella:

As we near critical time to begin planning if there is to be a Junebug 2013, I did want to make everyone aware that someone beyond the committee has expressed interest in working as a CO-CHAIR with someone who has already been through the process.  I know many of you who are individual Committee Co-ordinators said you would be willing to continue in that role this year.  Now, as we stand on the cusp of the event, recognizing the need, one or another, might be willing to take on added responsibility and service.  The Borough Council, the Arts Council, the Metuchen Chamber are all very interested that the event continue and have pledged support.  But they cannot develop the event without a leader.

If you see that as a possibility for yourself, please contact Councilwoman Dorothy Rasmussen: drasmussen@metuchen.com

From MHS:

Come out to support Metuchen High School's Music Department Disney Fundraiser as they make their plans to perform at Walt Disney World in March!  A fundraiser will take place on Saturday, March 2, 2013, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at Applebee's, 1045 Route 1 South, Edison NJ (Edison Crossroads Shopping Center).  The students will be on hand to serve you your breakfast and to thank you for showing your support! Advance ticket purchase is recommended as we are excepting a sell out morning!  Tickets are $10 each--contact Lewis Levy at aquicksign@optonline.net or call 732.259-0500 for more information. (If available, tickets can be purchased at the door.)

There are currently three Bike Exchanges operated for Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey - Trenton, Newark, and the newest in Plainfield.  I, and my sons, had been volunteering around the shop and as bike mechanics at the Newark Bike Exchange over the past couple years.  With the recent opening of the Plainfield location, I now concentrate my efforts as a volunteer with that Bike Exchange, fixing bikes, organizing the shop, and assisting with some administration.  The Plainfield location is relatively close to Metuchen and has a lot of potential, which got me excited about helping there.

The Bike Exchanges in Trenton and Newark are located in stand-alone shops.  The Plainfield BEX is unique in that the shop is located within the Boys & Girls Clubs Of Union County Plainfield building.  While it may not yet have a slick bike shop feel (we're constantly working on that!), it has the benefit of a direct connection with the Club.  So in addition to the basic bike shop functions, the location has me thinking of ideas for getting the BGCUC youth involved.  Not only are the goals to get them actively volunteering in the shop and working on bikes, but also to get them working creatively in designing displays and artwork for use around the shop by re-purposing bike parts that are otherwise unusable.

Renee' Gatz, author of "Wise Words & Witty Expressions," is pleased to announce that the Metuchen bookstore, To Be Continued, Inc. at 431 Main Street is hosting Gatz for a book signing on Saturday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m. as part of their St. Patrick's Day celebration. Gatz has been featured in the Sunday Star Ledger and the Irish Echo newspaper. She has been a guest speaker at the Barron Arts Center, the American Irish Association in Woodbridge, NJ, Barnes & Noble in Menlo Park Mall, NJ and multiple internet radio programs. She also writes a monthly article titled "The Power of Irish Wisdom" for the Irish American Cultural Institute's member newsletter. She is currently working on a children's version of "Wise Words & Witty Expressions."   To learn more about Gatz and her book, visit her blog at www.reneegatz.com.

From the Superintendent's Office/Campbell School:

When you combine picture books, young students and high school volunteers, what do you get?  A lot of fun and an enriching experience for all involved.  Book Buddies, a program enabling older students to share literature with first and second graders began this month.

"It's wonderful to see our high school students giving back to the school community and bonding with our first and second graders through literacy," said Vincent Caputo, Metuchen School District Superintendent.  "Reading with children truly makes a difference in their lives."

"Seeing children engage with books is always magical," added Florence Carter, Campbell Principal.  "The more they are exposed to books the better they will read."

Book Buddies will continue twice a month for the rest of the school year.  The program takes place under the supervision of Barbara Derer, Campbell Library Media Specialist and Patricia Glave, High School Library Media Specialist.   Book Buddies is available to students enrolled in Before After School Care at Campbell and any Metuchen high school student can participate.  

On Tuesday January 8, 2013, the Metuchen Board of Education met to preliminarily discuss the pros and cons of moving the Board of Education elections, which are traditionally held in April, to the November political elections.

Please follow this important issue by going to: http://metuchennj.org/METV/METV-VOD.html and selecting the "Board of Education Meeting 010813." You can set the video at 10:55  (minutes) when Board President Jonathan Lifton opens the discussion.

It is worth viewing the public discussion with members of the Board from about 54:00 (minutes) to about 69:00 (minutes).

You can read a description of the law that allows a district to move its elections to November, with frequently asked questions at: http://www.njsba.org/PI/commissionermemo.pdf?w=411.

Neve Shalom, 250 Grove Ave., Metuchen Men's Club Present the 2^nd Annual Founders Breakfast, where we honor one of our own for a lifetime achievement in our chapter. This year we are honoring DAVID YELLIN, with a breakfast in his honor - Sunday, January 20, 2013 - 10:00am. Suggested donation is $10.00. For more information, contact Matthew Bonus at 732-968-4489.

From St. Francis:

Open House for families will be held on Sunday, January 27, 2013 after the noon Liturgy from 1-2:30pm. Registration will be held in the school cafeteria for Kindergarten - 7th Grade students on Friday, February 8, 2013 at 9am and Pre-Kindergarten students at 1pm. (If the school is closed due to inclement weather,registration is re-scheduled for Friday, February 15, 2013.)

Evening Registration will be held for Kindergarten - 7th Grade Students on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 6pm in the school cafeteria. Visit our website at www.stfranciscathedralschool.org or call the school office with questions at 732-548-3107. 

Thursday morning at approximately 7:45 a.m., Bus E7 was pulled over by Metuchen Police on Lake Avenue on its way to Edgar School after a citizen reported that the driver had swerved to avoid a car that had stopped in front of the bus. 

Officer Cynthia Velez interviewed the driver. No ticket was given out and the bus company has conducted an investigation, providing counseling to the driver on proper procedures and protocols in those types of traffic situations. 

The police alerted the Superintendent's office to the situation and the district spoke with the bus company. It is a third party contractor which reported, in proper procedure, back to their district liaison, Michael Harvier, the business administrator and Board of Education secretary, who updated Mr. Caputo. Mr. Caputo gave Metuchen Matters this information today.

The driver and the bus were back on the road for the afternoon bus commute home and no further issues came to light.

The Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge, & South Amboy, New Hope Baptist Church, and Second Baptist Church have joined together to offer an opportunity for the community to unite in a "Weekend of Celebration" to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The annual interfaith community celebration will begin on Sunday, January 20^th, at 3:30 pm, at New Hope Baptist Church located at45 Hampton Street in Metuchen. The service will include choir selections, youth recitations, remarks and reflections from local clergy and other special guests. A free will offering will be collected to benefit the MLK High School Senior Scholarship Program. Light refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the program. For more information about Sunday's event, contact New Hope Baptist Church at 732-549-8941.

Nails in the Wall Gallery, the Metuchen exhibition space sponsored by St. Luke's Episcopal Church, will begin its 2013 Season Saturday, January 19, 2-5pm, with WINDOWS ON HEAVEN:  Contemporary Icons.  This exhibit will feature multiple works by six well-known iconographers, several who "write" religious icons in the very traditional Byzantine style, others who, while they work in that spirit, have developed a very personal approach to icon painting. The exhibit runs from January 19 through May 15, 2013.

During the Opening of "Windows on Heaven," the gallery will also partner with the NJ Symphony to host its ART STRINGS project.  Ten small violins, exquisitely painted by artists from around the state will be on display.  Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase a chance on the one of their choice.

"We are delighted that the NJ Symphony accepted our invitation to include the ART STRINGS project as part of the Opening of the Icon exhibit.   We believe partnering with the symphony in this way will be highly beneficial for both arts organizations," acknowledges Gallery Director Linda Vonderschmidt-LaStella.

The Metuchen Arts Council is sponsoring a bus trip to McCarter Theatre in Princeton to see CINDERELLA performed by the State Ballet Theatre of Russia on Sunday, January 20^th.

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia has become a favorite of American audiences. Based in the city of Veronezh, this company of 50 returns to McCarter Theatre with a new production of the ballet classic Cinderella, set to the familiar Prokofiev score and choreographed by Vladimir Vasiliev, a legendary figure in Soviet dance and one-time premier danseur with the Bolshoi Ballet.

Tickets to the January 20^th performance are $55, which includes a ticket to the ballet and round-trip bus fare. 

The bus leaves the Metuchen Senior Center parking lot, located at 15 Center Street, at 12:00 noon on and arrives in Princeton's Palmer Square at 1:00 p.m. for lunch and shopping.  The bus leaves Palmer Square for McCarter Theatre at 2:30 p.m. for a 3:00 p.m. performance.  The bus returns to Metuchen at approximately 6:00 p.m.

Seating is limited.  For reservations call Nancy Goldberg at (732)632-8502 or ngoldber@metuchen.com

From Neve Shalom:

The Robert J. and Deborah A. Chalfin Family Foundation, Inc. Lecture presents GEORGE VECSEY - AMERICAN LIVES:  NY Times sports columnist discusses "Loving our country through the careers of others" at Neve Shalom, 250 Grove Ave., Metuchen, NJ on Friday, January 18, 2013 - 7:30pm. Services followed by talk and refreshments. George Vecsey has written about such events as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics and on a wide variety of sports including tennis, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and boxing, but considers baseball, the sport he's covered since 1960. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including "Baseball: A History of American's Favorite Game" and "Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter", with American country singer Loretta Lynn. Vecsey has also serviced as a national and religion reporter for The New York times, interviewing the Dalai Lama, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other noteworthy figures.  In addition to assisting Loretta Lynn, Vecsey has also helped several other celebrities and high-profile figures write their autobiographies, including country singer, Barbara Mandrell, and Chinese human rights activist, Harry Wu. For more information contact Hazzan Levin - can2r11@aol.com or 732-548-2238 ext. 14.