Duct Tape + Fundraiser = Fun

Dunellen school administrators duct taped to wall 3/2016

On Friday, March 18, the Dunellen Parents Teachers Organization (PTO) hosted its family fun night at Lincoln Middle School. The fundraiser included a doughnut eating contest, bingo, and other activities. The highlight of the night was the inaugural “Duct Tape an Administrator to the Wall” event. Dunellen residents were able to purchase duct tape strips at $1/strip to place on Dunellen High School Athletic Director Dave DeNapoli, Faber Elementary School Principal Gary Lubisco, Jr., Faber Elementary School Supervisor of Instruction Brendan Tennant, and Dunellen High School Vice-Principal Cuyler Tobin. According to PTO President Pamela Vail, the event was a huge success and raised approximately $1000 after deducting expenses. Continue Reading →

Dunellen Junior High Places 3rd in State Chess Championship

chess board morgue file by mconners

Lincoln Middle School’s chess team recently placed third in the New Jersey Junior High School Chess Championship at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft. The February 21 event, sponsored by the New Jersey State Chess Federation, was open to all public and private schools in New Jersey. First place went to the Sparta Chess Club. Initially, two teams tied for second: Dunellen and Westfield’s Holy Trinity School. After judges went through rankings and past wins, Holy Trinity was awarded second place, and Dunellen was awarded third place. Continue Reading →

Dunellen 7th Graders Win B-Ball Championship

Dunellen's 7th grade travel basketball team and coaches celebrate first JBA championship. March 2016

Dunellen Recreation Department’s 7th Grade Boys Basketball Travel Team won the Jersey Basketball Association (JBA)’s gold division championship, having played a perfect season, 17-0. This was the first year that Dunellen participated in the JBA. Based on same-sized neighboring towns, Dunellen was initially placed in the blue division. During the regular season, the team was undefeated (13-0) in the blue division. The league decided to move the team up into the gold division which is a higher competition level, seeding the Destroyers in 8th place out of 9 teams. According to Dunellen Recreation Director Alex Miller, the JBA moves teams up or down at playoff time so that each division will have a balanced competition. Continue Reading →

Dunellen School Celebrates Reading Week

Jamies M. Miller reads to Faber school children. March 2016

Faber Elementary School celebrated National Education Association’s signature reading motivation and awareness program, Read Across America last week. Although the event is traditionally held on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss, Faber students and faculty celebrated all week. Faculty decorated their classroom doors, most with Dr. Seuss-related themes and several children wore “Cat in the Hat” hats. Elizabeth Willoughby, John P. Faber Media Specialist, invited several celebrity readers to the school. To kick off the festivities on March 2, Dunellen resident Jamie Webster who writes under the pen name Jamie M. Miller read her children’s book “The Boy in the Yellow Raincoat” which deals with raising awareness and understanding of Sensory Processing Disorders. Continue Reading →

Disney’s New Animated Movie Zootopia Opens

Disney’s 55th animated feature film, Zootopia opens today in 3,827 theaters across the country. The 3D computer-animated action, buddy comedy film is about a rabbit police officer and a red fox con artist who partner up to solve a case in a city of bipedal animals. According to Darrin Butters, an animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios, the animation department relied on research from past anthropomorphic-based films such as Robin Hood, visits to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and even a trip to Kenya to capture various animals’ motions and facial expressions. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 99%, based on 98 reviews. It has already been released in some European countries under the name Zootropolis. Continue Reading →

Middlesex County Celebrates Irish Culture March 15

shamrock microsoft clipart

The Middlesex County Office of Culture and Heritage will host “An Evening of Irish Music, Song & Dance” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 15 at the South Amboy High School Auditorium, located at 200 Governor Hoffman Plaza on John T. O’Leary Boulevard in South Amboy. The evening’s program featuring the talents of the Daoine Irish Music Band will include dance music (jigs, reels and hornpipes) as well as hauntingly beautiful airs and songs and will be accompanied by sean nós (Irish “old-style”) dancing. The group’s instruments include fiddle, uilleann (Irish) pipes, bodhran, button accordion, whistle, flute, bouzouki and banjo. Admission is free, but registration is required. To register, call 732-745-4489. Continue Reading →

Middlesex County To Hold Disability Resources Fair

The Middlesex County Office of Aging and Disabled Services will hold its first resources fair for people with disabilities and their caregivers, “Disability Connections: An Information and Resource Fair” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 12. The event will take place at the Middlesex County Fire Academy in Sayreville, 1001 Fire Academy Drive. The fair will offer information about resources and support services available to persons with disabilities in Middlesex County. A special demonstration and information session about the benefits of having service animals will be held at 11 a.m. at the amphitheater. Please RSVP by March 10. Continue Reading →

Dunellen Police Report | February 2016

On 2/29/16 @ 1:14am – A Bound Brook resident was arrested and charged with DWI following a motor vehicle stop on North Avenue. The vehicle was stopped for swerving and obstructing traffic. The driver was found to be intoxicated and arrested. He was brought to headquarters to be processed where he was found to be over double the legal limit. He was processed and later released to a sober party. Continue Reading →

County Sponsors Open House on Rt. 529 Transit, Pedestrian and Bicycle Access

rt 529 corridor study

The Middlesex County Office of Planning and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority will host the second public open house on the Route 529 Corridor, to determine possible improvements to the area. The Open House is scheduled to be held 6 to 8:30 p.m. March 7 at the Stelton Community Center, located at 328 Plainfield Ave. in Edison. Topics of discussion will include the possible expansion of transit services along the corridor, and the enhancement of bicycle and pedestrian facilities there. Input and feedback are needed on all aspects of the project, and all are encouraged to come and participate. Continue Reading →

Middlesex County Offers Workshop on How to Paint Ukrainian Easter Eggs

ukrainian decorated eggs

The Middlesex County Office of Culture & Heritage and the Folklife Program for New Jersey are proud to present a spring program where participants will learn how to design and create their own traditional Ukrainian Easter egg. This program is scheduled to be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 12 at East Jersey Old Town Village’s Indian Queen Tavern, located in Piscataway’s Johnson Park at 1050 River Road. Pysanky, the act of painting eggs in traditional Ukrainian style, is always done during the time of Lent, before Easter, to celebrate the coming of spring and new beginnings. The program’s visiting folk artist, Natalie Warchola, has been practicing pysanky for over 30 years. The art form was passed down to her through her family and community, including her Ukrainian grandmother. Continue Reading →