In Town
West Windsor Police, West Windsor Lions Club, and American Legion Post 76 are holding the annual toy drive for children in the West Windsor vicinity. Drop off new unwrapped toys at the police department on Clarksville Road before December 20. Call Patrolman Sam Dyson at 609-799-0452 for more information.
Century 21, Abrams, Hutchinson & Associates is hosting a coat drive to benefit HomeFront. Gently used or new winter coats for men, women, and children can be dropped off at 10 Schalks Crossing Road, Plainsboro, or 130 Nassau Street, Princeton, through December 20. Call Gloria Hutchinson at 609-945-2014.
BetterHomesNJ is collecting new, unwrapped toys through December 21 to be distributed to families in the bayshore area and at a local youth center. Bring to 5 Independence Way, Plainsboro. www.betterhomesnj.com.
Plainsboro Recreation Department offers recreational programs for special needs children for the winter season. Artful Artists promotes arts for ages 4 to 18 on Monday afternoons; Kids’ Co’Motion is a movement program for ages 5 to 18 on Wednesday afternoons, Kids’ MusicRound features music for ages 3 to 9 on Mondays, Let’s Act is an improvisational drama program for ages 10 to 18 at Millstone River School on Thursdays, and Special Olympics Young Athlete Program introduces ages 2 1/2 to 6 to the world of sports on Saturdays. $10 per program. Non-Plainsboro residents may apply.
The Arts
Villagers Theater seeks actors for “”Music from a Sparkling Planet, to be performed in February. They need three 30-something guys, and one male and one female ages 30 to 50. Auditions are Monday and Wednesday, December 18 and 20, at 7:30 p.m. 415 Demott Lane, Somerset. www.villagerstheatre.com.
American Handel Society invites submissions of abstracts for papers to be given at the American Handel Festival at Princeton University, April 19 to 21. The festival concerts include a semi-staged performance of “”Hercules”” and a chamber concert organized around the theme of “”Handel’s Long.”” Papers may be on any topic connected with Handel’s life and music. Abstracts of 500 words or less may be send to Robert Ketterer at robert-ketterer@uiowa.edu. Deadline is Friday, December 15.
Arts Council of Princeton is accepting online registration for winter classes in ceramics, painting, drawing, mixed media, photography, dance, and drama. Visit www.artscouncilofprinceton.org for full catalog, class registration, membership applications, and donation forms.
Gallery 125 seeks submissions in all media for its Winter ’07 exhibit from February 9 to April 6. Information at www.gallery125.com.
Arts Council of Princeton offers registration for a wide variety of classes and workshops this winter beginning the week of January 8. New classes include painting in acrylic, oils, pastels, watercolor, and tapestry weaving. www.artscouncilofprinceton.org.
VSA Arts of New Jersey is accepting applications for the 2007 Arts Achievement Awards and Art Par Excellence statewide touring exhibit. For ages 12 to 21. www.vsanj.org. Deadline Monday, January 8.
Volunteer Please
Special Olympics New Jersey is accepting event registration for the polar bear plunges to raise awareness for more than 15,”000 athletes in the state. The first event is on Saturday, January 13, at the Wildwoods Convention Center. The Seaside Heights event is Saturday, February 24, at Aztec Ocean Resort. www.sonj.org or 609-896-8000.
Health
Princeton Center for Yoga and Health, 30 Vreeland Drive, Skillman, offers a week of free classes from January 2 to 8. www.princetonyoga.com or call 609-924-7294. Website visitors may download a free 20-minute guided relaxation in mp3 format to ease the holiday stresses.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey seeks postmenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer to participate in an ongoing study aimed at preventing the disease with the use of an oral medication, exemastane, manufactured by Pfizer. Visit www.excelstudy.com or call 800-4-cancer.
National Institute of Health seeks 80 female volunteers to investigate the clinical nature of chronic fatigue syndrome. The research team is led by Dr. Benjamin Natelson, a professor of neurosciences at New Jersey Medical School. Volunteers will be asked to sleep in a research lab for three or four nights. Visit www.umdnj.edu/cfs or call 973-972-4800.
Princeton Center for Yoga and Health seeks volunteers with and without multiple sclerosis for a project investigating recreation activities on respiratory muscle strength, fatigue, and quality of life in individual with multiple sclerosis. Contact Elizabeth Harper at 732-693-1102 or by E-mail at ch403@nyu.edu.
Wishes on Wheels offers electric wheelchairs for those who cannot walk or operate a manual wheelchair. Available to non-ambulatory senior citizens and permanently disabled people of any age. Visit www.threewishes2.com or call 800-823-5220.
Middlesex County Public Health offers pneumococcal immunization to county residents age 65 or older who have not previously received the vaccine. Call 732-745-3100 between 2 and 4 p.m. to schedule an appointment.
Causes
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton and the Township of Hamilton are conducting a toy drive for the Hamilton-based Tender Hearts Association. Bring new, unwrapped toys for children up to age 12 to the hospital through December 20 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. or to the municipal building from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 609-584-6580.
St. Francis Medical Center and “”Trenton Titans have teamed together to benefit the children of Angels Wings. Fans are encouraged to toss new teddy bears onto the ice at the Titan hockey games though Wednesday, December 20.
Bristol Riverside Theater is accepting donations for the Robert M. Kelley Family Center of Bristol. Seeking non-perishable food items; canned goods; stocking stuffers for children and adults; new dishes, dish towels, utensils, and glassware; new pillows and blankets; beauty products for older clients and parents; disposable diapers, baby food, formula, juice packs, new car seats, and baby items; toys, board games, and book; holiday wrapping paper and supplies; and holiday decorations. Donors receive discount coupon for “”The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge”” and the “”Winter Musicale.”” www.brtstage.org.
HomeFront seeks monetary donations to help the homeless people in Mercer County. $25 buys a case of diapers; $150 heats a family’s home for one month; $500 feeds a hungry family for six weeks; and $900 pays one months rent. www.homefrontnj.org.
Participate Please.
Dorothea’s House offers Italian language classes for 15 weeks beginning January 10 at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Adults, $127.50; children, $82.50. Call 908-359-1564 or E-mail j.mccauley@patmedia.net.
Trenton Computer Festival seeks speakers for both the professional conference and the weekend festival on Friday to Sunday, April 27 to 29. Contact Allen Katz with ideas for a talk, workshop, or tutorial session at 609-771-2666 or by E-mail at a.katz@ieee.org.
Mercer County College seeks teachers with artistic, scientific, or unique hobbies to share with children ages 7 to 14 for the summer camp college program. Call 609-570-3311 or E-mail campcollege@mccc.edu.
New Jersey State Arts Council offers applications and guidelines for FY08 grants online at www.njartscouncil.org. Categories include Projects Serving Artists, Arts in Communities, and Building Arts Participation. A workshop will be offered on Monday, December 18, at 11 a.m., at 225 West State Street, Trenton. Call 609-292-6130 to register.
Middlesex Chamber of Commerce seeks nominations for annual awards of family-friendly business, business person, business woman, entrepreneur, a county service award, and a special recognition award. Friendly Business Award companies will be judged on schedule flexibility, telecommuting, child care programs, maternity and paternity leave, wellness programs, and work/life programs. Deadline is Tuesday, January 13. Call 732-821-1700 for a nomination form.
For the Young
Arts Council of Princeton’s “”Under Age”” publication seeks poetry, prose, and artwork by students in grades K to 12. Call 609-924-8777 ext 107 or visit www.artscouncilofprinceton.org for information. Deadline is mid-January.
High school drama and music students are invited to see “”Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris”” for free through January 7. Tickets must be arranged through the school drama or music teacher who should E-mail dkwhit@aol.com with a cc to josh@richardcliman.com. Student rush tickets are otherwise $20. www.jacquesbrelreturns.com.
Early Prospects Holiday Baseball Camps will be at Rider University. Little League Skills, December 27 and 28; High School Hitting, Pitcher, and Catcher Camp, December 29. www.earlyprospects.com. 609-896-5055.
