Audition
West Windsor Library Youth Services Department is holding open auditions for children ages 9 to 17, as well as several adult roles, for its upcoming Halloween Playfest. The auditions will take place on Saturdays, July 26 and August 2, from 2 to 4 p.m.; and Wednesdays July 30 and August 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Performances on October 24 to 26 will feature “The Midnight Girl,” a new musical for actors ages 9 to adult. Auditions will consist of readings from the scripts, for singing roles auditioners can choose from a selection of well-known songs. The script will be available for inspection at the reference desk, or can be sent by E-mail. Auditions will take place at 333 North Post Road, West Windsor. Rehearsals will begin in early September. Volunteers needed for help with makeup, costumes, choreography, music, and set construction. Contact Michael Kerr at 609-275-8901 or E-mail mkerr@mcl.org.
For Young Musicians
Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra is holding auditions for all three orchestras plus the newly formed GPYO Choir. Visit www.gpyo.org/auditions to register. Contact Mark Morris at mmorris.gpyo@gmail.com for information about instrumental auditions. Contact Jennifer Sengin at jsengin.gpyo@gmail.com for information about the choir.
Summer Programs
Mercer County still has opening for camps. Aquatic Adventure Camp, Monday to Friday, July 28 to August 1, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Mercer County Park marina. For children entering grades 7 and 8. $300. Wild Discovery, Monday to Friday, August 11 to 15, 8:30 a.m. to noon, at the Hunt House in Mercer Meadows. For ages 4 and 5. $160. Visit www.mercercountyparks.org or E-mail jrogers@mercercounty.org.
Stuart Country Day School, 1200 Stuart Road, Princeton, offers Lavner Camps, Mondays to Fridays, August 4 to 8, and 11 to 15. Full and half day soccer programs for ages 5 to 9. $425 a week; $90 per day; $50 per half day. Extended day available. Visit www.lavnercamps.com, E-mail info@lavnercamps.com, or call 215-767-1354.
For Teens
Barnes & Noble in North Brunswick seeks entries in a creative writing contest for ages 12 to 17. Participants are invited to submit one piece of writing in any style by Friday, August 8, to the North Brunswick store at 869 Route 1 to enter to win a $50 gift card and be recognized at an event at the end of the summer. All entries must be typewritten and may be no longer than three pages double-spaced. Only one entry per person. Contact Miriam Libove at 732-545-7966 or crm2985@bn.com.
For Kids
Cotsen Children’s Library’s creative literacy blog is celebrating its first birthday in August, and is having a birthday contest. Send your artistic birthday well-wishes, and the selected winner will receive a $150 online shopping spree at Discount School Supply. The birthday wishes can take the form of a card, photo, cupcake, artistic sculpture, song, or whatever you desire. Entries for the Pop Goes the Page birthday contest must arrive by Friday, July 25, at 5 p.m. E-mail danas@princeton.edu.
Princeton HealthCare System is accepting registration for the sixth annual Kids Marathon, a fitness program that strives to help youngsters develop healthy habits for a lifetime. Registration and parental permission are required. $25 supports the care of babies and children at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center at University Medical Center of Princeton.
Children in grades K through 8 may participate by running, walking, or rolling an average of 2.5 miles per week over a 10-week period. After completing the 25 miles, the children will come together to finish the final 1.2 miles on Sunday, October 12, at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. Visit www.princetonhcs.org/kidsmarathon or call 888-897-8979.
Donate Please
Tabby’s Place seeks donations to help Ella, a young cat struck by a car, leaving her with a broken pelvis and two shattered hind legs. Donations support the cage-free, no-kill sanctuary for cats rescued from hopeless situations. Visit www.tabbysplace.org, call 908-237-5300, or E-mail info@tabbysplace.org. Tabby’s Place is located at 1100 Route 202 in Ringoes.
For Special Families
Encouraging Kids, Trenton Special Parent Advocacy Group, TechStars by Computer Explorers, and ROLES are joining forces to offer a one-stop child and parent support location for Mercer County and beyond. The scope of each service focuses on a different aspect of student and family life, especially in areas of limited academic options and resources. Contact Chad Nails at 609-815-0965.
Volunteer Please
New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, which supplies blood products and services to 60 hospitals throughout the state, is in need of volunteers at blood drives. Volunteers should have the ability to relate to the public, be able to perform different jobs as needed, and have the willingness to follow the rules. Contact R. Jan Zepka at 732-616-8741 or E-mail rzepka@nybloodcenter.org.
Call for Films
Garden State Film Festival seeks independent films, movie music categories, and screenplays to be considered for inclusion in the March 19 to 22, 2015, event in Atlantic City. The winners of all competitions will be recognized at black tie awards dinner on March 22, at the Trump Taj Mahal.
Visit www.gsff.org for submission instructions for shorts and features. The deadline is Saturday, November 1. Music makers who have written and produced tracks for independent films may submit a CD that will be judged by music industry professionals in the new category. Screenplays should be submitted to www.withoutabox.com/login/6795. Deadline is Saturday, November 1.
Call for Nominations
Supportive Housing calls for nominations for its annual awards to recognize successful initiatives and honor the leadership and dedication of outstanding individuals and organizations that increase permanent supportive housing opportunities for special populations in New Jersey. The effectiveness of supportive housing depends on the willingness to take risks and experiment with innovative approaches and strategies.
The awards are designed to highlight the commitment to transform the lives of those with special needs and increase awareness of the need for housing and supportive services. You can nominate your own organization, another organization, an individual, or a group. Application submissions are due Friday, August 1. Call 908-931-1131 or E-mail Gail Levinson at gail.levinson@shanj.org.
Call for Gardeners
Mercer County invites Mercer County residents with an interest in horticulture and the desire to share their knowledge in service to others, to enroll in the Master Gardener Volunteer Training program. The 21-week training program, offered through Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, will begin on Thursday, October 2, and continues into March.
The program was created to meet an increase in requests from home gardeners for horticultural information. Trainees receive more than 60 hours of instruction in a wide variety of horticultural subjects. The teaching staff includes Mercer County Horticulturist Barbara J. Bromley, county agricultural agents, faculty from Rutgers University, and other horticultural experts. Classes meet Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mercer County Cooperative Extension office, 930 Spruce Street, Lawrenceville.
Following the classroom instruction, trainees volunteer 60 hour, including at least 30 hours providing information to the public on the Rutgers Master Gardener Helpline. Trainees also volunteer five hours of composting service at Mercer Educational Gardens in Pennington.
The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, September 5, and $200 is due with the application. The fee includes the cost of the training manual, supplies, and speakers. Scholarship opportunities may be available. Visit www.mgofmc.org or call 609-989-6830.
Literati
The Unlimited Potential Theater Company, a project of VSA New Jersey, is seeking poems, essays, short stories, and plays by New Jersey residents, ages 18 and up, for its 21st annual Joyce Indik New Jersey Wordsmith Competition. The contest is open to all writers, and submissions by writers with disabilities are especially encouraged. Winning works will be showcased at the New Jersey Readers’ Theater in the spring. The deadline for submissions is Monday, September 29. Free-will donation. Contact VSA Arts of New Jersey at 732-745-3885, 732-745-3913 (TTY), E-mail info@vsanj.org, or visit www.vsanj.org.
Art Classes
Artists’ Gallery at 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, will be offering painting and drawing classes via the Arts Council of Princeton and the Hunterdon Art Museum this summer. Classes presented include “Lambertville Landscapes,” a plein air painting class by Gail Bracegirdle, and “Portrait Drawing” and Beginner Drawing by Charles David Viera. Call 609-924-8777, 908-735-8415, or 609-397-4588 for information.
Passports
Mercer County processes passports at two locations six days a week. County clerk’s office at 209 South Broad Street in Trenton, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Wednesday to 6:45 p.m.) The satellite office at Route 33 and Paxon Avenue is open Mondays to Saturdays, with Tuesdays and Thursdays to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Photos may be taken at both locations. Another option is Lawrence Township Senior Center on Thursday, July 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
You will need a state-certified birth certificate, a U.S. naturalization certificate, or a previously issued U.S. passport; and a current driver’s license or a state-issued identification card. The regular passport fee, which must be in the form of a check or money order, costs $110 for adults and $80 for children. There is also a $25 processing fee for the county. Photos are a separate fee.
Adult passports are valid for 10 years and a child’s passport is valid for five years. For a child under age 16, both parents must appear in person for the application process. Visit www.mercercounty.org or call 609-989-6472.
