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YMCA hosts free nutrition workshop

Saturday, July 14 will mark Hunterdon County YMCA’s inaugural Start Healthy Stay Healthy (SHSH) for First Thousand Days Nutrition workshop, held at the Round Valley Branch. The workshop is free and is open to the public. The SHSH workshops are established to improve the diets of young children through 3 years old. Classes are offered July 14 or August 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday evening classes are offered July 20 (Part 1) and August 24 (Part 2), 6 to 8:30 p.m. To register for the workshop or for more information, contact Director of Early Childhood Education Michael Reisman at mreisman@hcymca.org or 908-483-4623.

Raritan Township police blotter

Robert Damato, 55, of Three Bridges, was arrested June 21 and charged with theft in connection with allegedly stealing a propane grill cylinder from a home along Route 31. Ellen Patterson, 52, of Asbury, was arrested June 22 and charged with driving under the influence after she was stopped by police for speeding on Route 31. Douglas Wunder, 44, of Flemington, was arrested June 23 in connection with driving under the influence after he allegedly struck a speed limit sign on Yorkshire Drive. Richard Delvacchio, 50, of Flemington, was arrested June 28 and charged with driving under the influence after being stopped by police on Route 202.

Local singer/songwriter to perform at Patriots game

Susyn Timko will sing "God Bless America" at the Somerset Patriots Hillsborough Township's Community Night game on Friday, July 13 at 7:05 p.m. Timko is a singer/songwriter who has co-written songs and worked with one of Christina Aguilera’s producers. She has performed with Grammy Award-nominated musicians.

Route 31 detour in East Amwell this weekend

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials announced Route 31 southbound in East Amwell is scheduled to be closed and detoured this weekend as the bridge deck replacement project on the Route 31 Bridge over Peters Brook project advances. Beginning at 7 p.m., Friday, July 13, until 6 a.m. Monday, July 16, NJDOT's contractor, South State, Inc., is scheduled to temporarily close and detour Route 31 southbound and shift northbound traffic onto the southbound lanes of the bridge in order to install the new precast deck in the northbound lanes. The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for construction updates and real-time travel information.

MCUA awarded $1M FEMA grant

U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-NJ) announced the awarding of $1,019,331.26 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund the Middlesex County Utilities Authority to provide bypass pumping for the Sayreville sewage treatment plant damaged as a result of Hurricane Sandy. The funding will go toward rebuilding the damaged sewage treatment plant, which removes contaminants from wastewater, making it safer for the environment. Menendez, who chaired the Sandy Task Force, has co-authored bipartisan, comprehensive flood insurance reform legislation, originally cosponsored by nearly a dozen Republicans and Democrats, including Booker, that reframes the nation’s entire disaster paradigm to one that focuses more on prevention and mitigation, like expanded voluntary buyouts of flood-prone properties, to spare the high cost of rebuilding after flood disasters.

Paul Prestopino plays at the bluegrass jam and ice cream social at the Highland Park boro Senior Center on July 10; he has played with John Denver and with Peter, Paul and Mary.

Highland Park Senior Center hosts bluegrass jam, ice cream social

Highland Park Senior Center on July 10 hosted an ice cream social and bluegrass jam. Many local artists attended, including Jonathan Austin and Phil Wilson. The jam featured Paul Prestopino, who has played with John Denver and with Peter, Paul and Mary. Additional photos and video can be found here.

Kiddie Academy to celebrate 8th annual Storytime LIVE!

Kiddie Academy of Hillsborough, an educational child care provider, invites Hillsborough-area children and their families to a fun, free, interactive reading at their annual Storytime LIVE! event on Saturday, July 14 from 10 a.m. to noon. Pinkalicious® and Curious George will jump off the page and make a live guest appearance at the academy to meet attendees, young and old, up close and in person. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras to capture the excitement. Kiddie Academy of Hillsborough, 716 Route 206, will provide light refreshments and educational activities for all in attendance. Register online at www.kastorytime.com. For more information, visit kiddieacademy.com.

Senate passes Hair Braiding Freedom Bill

Americans for Prosperity-New Jersey (AFP-NJ) on Sunday applauded the New Jersey State Senate for passing S-2510/A-3754, legislation that would help hair braiders get to work without first having to obtain occupational licenses. The Garden State currently requires aspiring hair braiders to complete 1,200 hours of unrelated cosmetology training and pay upward of $17,000 in order to receive a license and work. AFP-NJ has long been at the forefront of opposing unnecessary occupational licenses without a compelling public need. The group now urges the bovernor to swiftly sign the bill. Contact AFP-NJ Communications Director Anna McEntee at amcentee@afphq.org or (973) 370-5723.

How to deal with hot summer days

Somerset County Freeholder Patricia L. Walsh, public health and safety liaison; Freeholder Brian D. Levine, human services liaison; and the Somerset County Department of Health want to share the following tips for preventing heat-related illness: Keep cool; stay indoors during the hottest times of the day, seek air-conditioned locations, such as libraries and malls; take cool showers or baths; limit outdoor activities to the morning and evening hours; avoid direct sunlight; wear loose, light-colored clothing; and use a shade hat or an umbrella to block the sun. Drink plenty of fluids to replace what you lose through sweat. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink; avoid alcohol, caffeinated beverages and sugary drinks; bring a beverage with you to sip frequently when outdoors. Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, which can cause death or permanent disability unless treated immediately. Symptoms of heat stroke include an extremely high body temperature (above 103); red, hot, dry skin; a rapid, strong pulse; nausea, confusion and unconsciousness. If you think someone has heat stroke, seek medical attention immediately, and begin cooling them down, as you would for heat exhaustion. For more information on what you can do to prevent heat-related illness, visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/ or https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/older-adults-heat.html; or visit Ready.Gov at https://www.ready.gov/heat or the Somerset County Health Department web page at: https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/home/showdocument?id=29610.

UCC hires new Dean of Social Sciences/Business/History

Dr. Carlos Barrezueta is the new Dean of Social Sciences/Business/History for Union County College (UCC). Barrezueta joined UCC in the spring of 2013, originally serving as the college’s Ombudsman and Affirmative Action Officer. In the summer of 2015, he was named the Assistant Dean for Social Sciences/Business/History Division. As the Dean of the Social Sciences/Business/History Division, Barrezueta will be responsible for the supervision and evaluation of the division’s full-time faculty members and staff and will advocate for the issues, initiatives, goals and needs of the division. For more information about the majors offered at Union County College, go to www.ucc.edu.

Caritas Chamber Chorale seeks singers

Caritas Chamber Chorale invites those who wish to share their voices and embrace the Chorale’s mission to audition for its 2018-19 season. Auditions will be held by appointment in August. All voice parts are welcome however tenors are particularly encouraged to come forward. The 2018-19 season begins with rehearsals in late August in the Bridgewater area. Caritas Chamber Chorale is an ensemble of 20-plus singers striving for musical, artistic and spiritual beauty, firmly rooted in our shared humanity. The Chorale is dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor through the art of sacred music and addresses its mission by presenting concerts throughout Central Jersey and beyond, for the benefit of the Adorno Fathers’ St. Francis Caracciolo Mission and their Gianni Diurni Primary School in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa. Complete audition information can be found at http://www.caritaschamberchorale.org/images/2018-2019.AuditionNotice.pdf. For an audition date and time contact Barbara Sanderman at director@caritaschamberchorale.org or 732-718-0775.

Tamaques 1st grade teachers Mary Montes and Jenna Utman (6th and 5th from left, respectively) presented a check for $4,000 to Ahisha Quallis of the Westfield Neighborhood Council on June 13.

Charity game raises money for new community center roof

Tamaques Elementary in Westfield's first-grade teachers Mary Montes and Jenna Utman presented a check for $4,000 to Ahisha Quallis of the Westfield Neighborhood Council on June 13 to be used toward a new roof for the community center. The money was raised during the school's charity volleyball game between teachers and parents last month. Additionally, Montes plans to donate the stipend she received as this year's recipient of the Philhower Fellowship to refurbish a classroom at the center. Montes and Utman will donate their time as well to the project.

Irish songs, stories planned for Friday show in Piscataway

Celtic singer and harpist Madeleine Doherty will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, July 13, at All Saints’ Lutheran Church, 5205 Deborah Drive, Piscataway. There is no admission charge for “Return of the Muse: Another Evening of Irish Songs and Stories,” but free-will donations will be accepted. Doherty is a professional harpist/singer living in Ireland. She is the founder of Harps for Healing, to train, and provide volunteer harpists, and harpists/singers to play in clinical settings to facilitate the healing and well-being of the sick and their caregivers in Dublin, Ireland. It is the first program of its kind in Ireland, and donations from attendees will support the work of Harps for Healing. Refreshments will follow the performance. Call 732-463-1510 or email allsaintslc@optimum.net.

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Union County President Joe O’Keefe (right) and longtime member Pete Davis (left) congratulate Terence Dunn of Lafayette, on winning the group’s 2018 Pete Davis Golf Classic at the Suburban Golf Club in Union. The golf outing is named for Davis, a Union County native, who has been a long-time supporter of the Friendly Sons and has held positions as an officer and trustee throughout the years. The Irish American group’s annual golf outing funds their scholarship program and other charitable programs.

READ: NJ Today: Central Jersey Daily Rundown, Wednesday, July 11

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