The Gazette of Really Small News

Auditions for Algonquin Arts Theatre's spring production of Carousel will take place at the theater on Tuesday, Feb. 7, and Friday, Feb. 9, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on both nights. Auditions are by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, email jan@algonquinarts(dot)org. All roles are open. Auditioners should prepare 32 bars of an appropriate Broadway selection and be prepared to dance. An accompanist will be provided. Callbacks are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Performance dates are Friday, May 12, 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 13, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 14, 3 p.m.; Friday, May 19, 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 20, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 21, 3 p.m. Jan Topoleski will direct, with music direction by Mark Megill and choreography by Jessica O'Brien. The theater is located at 173 Main Street, Manasquan.

Barefoot in the Park , Neil Simon's 1963 comedy about young newlyweds in Manhattan, takes to the stage at the Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan Friday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Premium tickets are $36 for adults, $33 for seniors, and $27 for students. Regular tickets are $29 for adults, $26 for seniors, and $20 for students. Tickets may be purchased by calling 732-528-2911 or online at www (dot) algonquinarts (dot) org. Tickets are subject to a $2 processing fee on each ticket. All sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges unless a show is cancelled, according to the Algonquin Arts Theatre website. Also, according to the website, artists, programs, policies, dates, times and discounts are subject to change without notice. The Algonquin Arts Theatre is at 60 Abe Voorhees Drive. The box office is at 173 Main Street. Hours are 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

La Strada Ensemble Theater presents Drowning in Euphoria this Friday through Sunday at the Jersey Shore Arts Center's Herbst Theatre in Ocean Grove. The new play by A.J. Ciccotelli tells how a novelist, in order to finish writing a book, returns to the place where he first found love, and examines love's power to attract and destroy. The cast stars Christine Nagy, co-host of the Bob and Christine Morning Show on 106.7-Lite FM, and La Strada founding members Doug Bollinger, Donna Knowlton, and W. Allen Wrede. Also in the cast are Anthony Levi Morici, Gian-Soren Morici, Julie Murtha, Anthony O'Connell, and Karen Vana-Grecco. Performances are Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3 and 4, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. The Sunday performance will feature a question-and-answer session with the playwright. Tickets are $18 general admission, and $12 for students and senior citizens with ID. The Jersey Shore Arts Center is at 66 Main Ave., Ocean Grove. For tickets and ...

Readers at the Spring Lake Public Library have weighed in on the books they loved most in 2016. According to the list on the library's Facebook page, the genres range from history and biography to satire and dark humor, with a gentle leaning toward literary fiction, historical fiction, and history. What didn't make the list: romance, science fiction and paranormal. Among the most-loved titles: Born To Run (Bruce Springsteen) Girls of Atomic City (Denise Kiernan) Homegoing (Yaa Gyasi) Commonwealth (Ann Patchett) State of Wonder (Ann Patchett) Winter of the World, by Ken Follett Truman, by David McCullough Founding Brothers , by Joseph Ellis New York (Edward Rutherfurd) A Gentleman in Moscow, by (Amor Towles) A Thread of Grace (May Doria Russell) A Man Called Ove (Fredrik Backman) The Illusion of Separateness (Simon Van Booy) Let the Great World Spin (Colum McCann) Notorious RBG (Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik) Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusi...

Neptune will start inspecting buildings in the township as required by the state's Real Property Assessment Demonstration Program. "The purpose . . .  is to increase the frequency of property data collection/verification so taxpayers aren't unfairly paying less or more than they should be for a decade or more," the township said in an emailed statement. Until the Program was adopted in 2013, municipalities conducted property-tax assessments or revaluations every ten years. The inspections, which include interiors as well as exteriors, will be conducted by Realty Data Systems. Property owners will be informed of inspection by mail, and those notices have been mailed out, the township said. Inspections are to start within the next two weeks, according to the township. The first inspections are to take place within the Gables, Sunshine Village, Bradley Park, part of Midtown (west of Highway 35), part of Green Grove, and The Summit and Knox Hill condominiums. ...

New buildings on Ocean Grove's Main Avenue are close to completion nearly two years after fire in February, 2015 destroyed or heavily damaged small businesses and apartments on that site. This picture was taken at daybreak for the Daily Dawns page, which is why the light is low. We can't wait to see the buildings when they're occupied,  the trees are leafed out and the sun is shining.

Starting Monday, Jan. 30, the Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown will be open six days a week. "The demand to rescue animals was much bigger than we thought, so we decided to stay open for adoptions six days a week!" the organization said on its Facebook page. Hours are Monday, noon to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The shelter is closed on Tuesday. The new hours do not affect  surgeries, surrenders, and other business, according to the announcement. The Monmouth County SPCA is at 260 Wall Street, Eatontown. For information, call 732-542-0040, or email info@monmouthcountyspcaDOT org.

Barefoot in the Park , Neil Simon's 1963 comedy about young newlyweds in Manhattan, takes to the stage at the Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan today and tomorrow, Jan. 28 and 29. Performances are 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. today, and 3 p.m. tomorrow. Future performances are Friday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Premium tickets are $36 for adults, $33 for seniors, and $27 for students. Regular tickets are $29 for adults, $26 for seniors, and $20 for students. Tickets may be purchased by calling 732-528-2911 or online at wwwDOTalgonquinartsDOTorg. Tickets are subject to a $2 processing fee on each ticket. All sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges unless a show is cancelled, according to the Algonquin Arts Theatre website. Also, according to the website, artists, programs, policies, dates, times and discounts are subject to change without notice. The Algonquin Arts Theatre is at 60 Abe Voorhees Drive. The box office is at 173 Mai...

Time to dust off the bins and get out the field guides: The annual avian census known as the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) this year takes place Feb. 17 through 20. "Keeping track of bird numbers is a way of keeping track of how a species is doing," said Pat Leonard, GBBC coordinator for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. If you wonder how many birds you'll see smack dab in the middle of winter, when you'd think most birds would have packed their bags and flown south, not to worry. Go with the flow. "No bit of information is insignificant," Leonard said. "The presence or absence [of a species] is an important thing that these counts measure." All the information becomes part of a database used by conservationists. The data is important in the long haul, when patterns or changes can be seen over time on global as well as continental levels, Leonard said. Counts also  help indicate what's going on...

Trinity Church, Asbury Park, has cancelled this evening's Vespers. The weekly service is scheduled to resume on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. It will be on hiatus while Fr. Michael is away on vacation, Jan. 31 to Feb. 14, according to an email issued today by the church. Trinity Church is located at 503 Asbury Ave. For more information, call the church office at 732-775-5084.

Manasquan voters on Tuesday approved $12 million in funding to improve and renovate Manasquan Elementary School and Manasquan High School. The plans include an addition for the high school. The approval allows the board of education to issue bonds in the amount of $12,033,754. As of today, the vote was 1,109 to 624, according to the office of the Monmouth County Clerk. Mail-in ballots were counted, and provisional ballots will be counted at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Monmouth County Board of Elections, 300 Halls Mill Road, Freehold. Of the borough's 4,718 registered voters, 1,733, or 36.73 percent, cast ballots in the special election, according to the county clerk's office.

This sand berm at a ramp leading to the Ocean Grove beach was likely created by the nor'easter that flayed the Jersey Shore on Monday. The storm swept sand onto the boardwalk and flattened grasses on the dunes, but the beach here appears to have escaped severe erosion reported at beaches in Ocean County.

Volunteers will plant dune grass at the Bradley Beach oceanfront this Saturday, Jan. 28. The group will meet at the Pavilion, Fifth and Ocean, at 10:30 a.m., rain or shine. Organizers recommend bringing warm clothes, work gloves if needed, and a broom handle or dibble stick to use for planting. The event is sponsored by Surfrider Foundation and the Jersey Shore chapter of the American Littoral Society.

Manasquan will host a free rabies clinic for dogs and cats on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Manasquan First Aid Building, 65 Broad Street. Dogs will be vaccinated from 7 p .m. to 8 p.m.; cats, from 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The clinic is open to all Monmouth County residents. For information, call the borough clerk's office at 732-223-0544, ext. 235.

The Monmouth County Board of Elections on Thursday, Jan. 26, will count provisional ballots from today's special school election in Manasquan. The count will take place at 10:30 a.m. at board offices, 300 Halls Mill Road, Freehold. Manasquan residents are being asked to approve $12, 033, 754 for renovations and improvements to Manasquan High School and Manasquan Elementary School. The amount also includes funding for a new addition to the high school. The polls are open today from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, contact the county board of elections at 732-7802, ext. 7150.

Tree limbs, shrubbery, and hedges will be picked up in Spring Lake tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 25. The borough on its website reminds residents to set the items at the curb with the butt ends facing in one direction. The pieces to be picked up cannot be more than four feet long and two inches around. Grass clippings and other vegetation will not be picked up but should be composted or left on the lawn, the borough said. For more information, call the borough at 732-449-0800.

The Neptune Township Committee will hold its Feb. 13 workshop at 5 p.m., one hour earlier than the regularly scheduled time of 6 p.m. The meeting will take place in the second-floor meeting room of the Municipal Complex, 25 Neptune Blvd., Neptune.

The Neptune Township Committee will review and discuss preparation of the township's 2017 budget in a special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. The session will take place in the meeting room on the second floor of the Municipal Complex, 25 Neptune Blvd., Neptune.

This is what passersby saw the morning of Jan. 24, 2016 after a blizzardy nor'easter took two days to dump more than two feet of snow on the region. Is anyone up to considering how much snow we'd be shoveling today if yesterday's nor'easter brought snow instead of rain?

Around 230 customers of Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) were without power as of 6 a.m., according to the utility's outage map. Of those, 148 were in Monmouth County, and 78 were in Ocean County. A total of 519 customers throughout the state were in the dark, JCP&L said. The figures are an improvement over the nearly 15,000 customers who were reported without electricity in Monmouth and Ocean at 3 p.m. Monday. Of those, 9, 596 were in Monmouth and 4,964 were in Ocean. The outages were the result of a powerful nor'easter that battered the region throughout the day yesterday and through the night. The heavy rain and damaging winds have moved out of the area. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a coastal flood warning that is in effect until 11 a.m. The NWS forecasts north wind of 18 to 28 miles per hour, with gusts up to 41 miles per hour. Winds at the height of the storm were 32 miles per hour and gusting to between 60 and 65 miles per hour.

The prospect of tidal flooding from the ongoing nor'easter has prompted the Manasquan Office of Emergency Management (OEM)  to ask residents on the following streets to move their vehicles to higher ground: Main Street east of Lockwood, including Sims, Pershing, Pearce and Meadow; Second, Third and Fourth avenues; Brielle Road, Deep Creek Drive, Captains Court, and Long Avenue; Riddle, Tarpon and Pompano Avenue; areas within one block of the Glimmer Glass and Watson's Creek, including all of River, Holly, Watson and Perrine, as well as areas next to Stockton Lake. The OEM said widespread minor coastal flooding occurred with this evening's high tide, and the Tuesday morning high tide is forecast to run up to one foot higher. High tide at the Manasquan inlet is at 5 a.m. Residents should anticipate street flooding at least 3 hours before and after the times of high tide, the OEM said. Also, Main Street and Brielle Road may become impassable. Officials ca...

Fasten your seat belt. The raucous coastal storm system is going to last at least three hours longer than originally predicted. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Mount Holly has extended its high wind warning from 9 p.m. to midnight. Winds will come from the northeast at 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts of up to 65 miles per hour. The strongest winds will occur early this evening and then gradually diminish, the NWS said. At 4:17 p.m., Jersey Central Power & Light's outage map showed 5, 427 customers in Monmouth County and 4,4,52 customers in Ocean County without power. The figures indicate an improvement in outages reported at 3 p.m., when the map showed 9, 596 customers in Monmouth County and 4,964 customers in Ocean County were in the dark. At 4:17, a total of 14,607 customers statewide were without power, as opposed to the 17, 289 reported at 3 p.m.

A high wind warning for coastal northern and central New Jersey will stay in effect until 9 this evening, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Wind gusts could reach 65 miles per hour as a potentially damaging nor'easter barrels up the coast. The same storm system reportedly killed 19 in the Southeastern United States. The strongest winds are expected this afternoon and evening, the NWS said. Ar 3:30 p.m., Jersey Central Power & Light's online power outage map indicated 9,596 customers in Monmouth County, 4,964 in Ocean County, and 17,289 statewide were without power in the storm.

UPDATE: At 2 p.m.,  JCP&L's outage map showed 7,495 customers without power in Monmouth County, 3,816 in Ocean County, and17,164 statewide. As of noon, Jersey Central Power & Light's outage map online showed nine customers between Belmar and Long Branch were without power, thanks to the powerful nor'easter moving up the coast. The figure, drawn from the utility's outage map online,  nearly increased by 1 as the lights here at The Gazette of (Really) Small News blinked. In Monmouth County, 529 customers were without power as of noon. In Ocean County, the amount was much higher: 4,062. Statewide at noon, a total of 10,107 customers had no power, according to the outage map. The figure could change as the storm continues to move through the area with damaging winds. Jersey Central Power & Light, a FirstEnergy Company, serves more than 1.1 million customers throughout New Jersey.

Tickets for Spring Lake Theatre Company's production of  Seussical , the musical based on Dr. Seuss' best-loved characters, are on sale online and at the Spring Lake Community House Theatre, 300 Madison Ave. Performances are Feb. 17, 18, 24 and 25, and March 3 and 4. Curtain time is 7:30 for all performances, plus 2 p.m. on Feb. 25 and March 4. Tickets are available through the box office, 732-449-4530, online at springlaketheatre (dot) com, and through Spring Lake Theatre Company's Facebook page.

Spring Lake Theatre Company will hold open auditions for the musical Godspell on Feb. 6 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Spring Lake Community House Theatre, 300 Madison Ave. Actors should prepare 16 bars of a selection from Godspell, or an up-tempo musical theater piece in a similar style (not pop). Actors should also be prepared to move. A short dance routine will be taught following each audition session. Performance dates are March 24, 25 and 31, and April 1, 7 and 8. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. for all performances, plus 2 p.m. on April 1 and 8. Actors can indicate their intent to audition by way of the company's Godspell Auditions page on Facebook.

With the brunt of the nor'easter expected to hit the region with potentially damaging winds this afternoon, the Neptune Office of Emergency Management (OEM) reminds residents to take precautions in the event of a power outage. Those precautions range from having enough batteries and cash on hand to making sure their cell phones and other mobile devices are charged. Residents with vehicles should also make sure their gas tanks are full in the event that gas stations lose power. Residents with generators at their homes should use those generators in open areas away from windows and the home, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. The OEM also urges residents to check on neighbors, family members, seniors, and the homeless. Residents who lose power needed to heat their homes may go to township-designated warming shelters at Neptune Public Library, 25 Neptune Blvd., and the Neptune Senior Center, 1607 Route 33. Both buildings are open during their respective business hours but...

Today's nor'easter falls on the anniversary of the blizzard that slammed the East Coast from Jan. 22 to Jan. 24 in 2016. Forecasters expect the storm to bring damaging high winds, tidal flooding, and more than two inches of rain. Better to have lots of rain instead of all that snow? The scene on the morning of Jan. 24, 2016.

Ever wonder what to do if a live power line falls on your car, or on the sidewalk or in the street? Easy. Stay inside or stay away, according to Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L). And call for help, either from the utility or first responders. JCP&L on its website offers this advice for staying safe in downed-wire scenarios: If a wire falls on your vehicle while you're inside it, stay inside until help arrives. If you see a wire fall on a vehicle, do not touch the vehicle. Stay away from the site. Call JCP&L at 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), or call the local police or fire department. If a downed line is near or in water, stay well away. Don't go near it. Don't touch it. Don't drive over it. Don't walk over it. Stay. Away. Again, call JCP&L or the local police or fire department. Never ever walk or drive over a downed power line. Also, never stand beneath or around trees or utility poles during or after a storm. Tree l...

With a powerful nor'easter barreling up the coast with potentially damaging winds, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) reminds customers that they have several options for reporting storm-related power outages. Customers may text OUT to 544487; call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877); go online to www (dot) jcp-l (dot) com; click on JCP&L's "Report an Outage" tab on Facebook (http://statictab (dot) com/h8vmadi on mobile) Downed power lines should be reported immediately by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877). Do not go near or touch downed power lines. They might be down, but they're still live. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued high wind and flood warnings effective until 9 p.m. A coastal flood watch goes into effect at 4 this afternoon and will last until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Residents should stay informed during the nor'easter due to affect the region overnight and through tomorrow, the Manasquan Office of Emergency Management (ManasquanOEM) said in a statement issued over social media. The ManasquanOEM in the statement provided several sources for the latest emergency information: Radio: 1620AM Television: Cable Channel 77 and FiOS Channel 28 Facebook: ManasquanOEM Twitter: ManasquanOEM Website: www.manasquan-nj.com/oem Residents can also sign up for alerts by clicking on the "Manasquan Emergency Alerts" link on the home page of  the borough's website, www.manasquan-nj.com. The powerful coastal storm is expected to bring heavy rain, damaging winds, and flooding at high tide.

Come Memorial Day Weekend, the frames in front of those closed-tight wooden cottages will be covered with canvas tents that glow at night with the warm light of electric lamps.

The fog that prompted the National Weather Service in Mount Holly to issue a dense fog advisory earlier today has lifted along at least part of coastal southern Monmouth County. This was the scene on the Ocean Grove boardwalk around 7:30 this morning. The dense fog warning remains in effect until 10 a.m.

Take care if you're driving this morning. Some areas are covered in dense fog. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Mount Holly has put a dense fog advisory in effect until 10 a.m. Visibility is a quarter of a mile or less at times, the NWS said. Reduced visibility makes travel difficult. The NWS recommends that you slow down, turn on your lights, and leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front of you.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Mount Holly has issued a coastal flood advisory for the Jersey Shore for 2 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 23. A strong nor'easter with high winds is expected to affect the region starting this afternoon, causing a storm surge of 2 to 3 feet above the astronomical high tide, the NWS said. Wave height is expected to reach between 6 and 8 feet. If you keep your vehicle in an area known to flood, move it to higher ground, the NWS says. Also, don't drive into or through flood waters. "The water may be deeper than you think it is," according to the NWS. (Note to readers: The Gazette will monitor conditions and post updates throughout the storm for as long as the WiFi holds up. Unless the server has a battery I'm not aware of, which would be grand!)

This star-crossed pair seems to be in the middle of a spat, with the pink glove reaching for the blue glove as the blue glove turns from the pink glove in a snit, perhaps vowing to leave the pink glove, never to return. The tableau was discovered on a bench at the north end of the Ocean Grove boardwalk.

Be prepared for flooding and power outages when a nor'easter lashes the Jersey Shore Sunday night through Monday, local officials warn. The strong coastal system is expected to bring heavy rain,  coastal flooding, and high winds with gusts of up to 60 miles per hour along the coats and 40 miles per hour inland, according to the Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch for late Sunday night through Monday evening. "A high wind watch means there is the potential for a hazardous high wind event," the NWS said in a message issued at 8:51 Saturday morning. "Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles," the NWS said. The NWS expected sustained winds of at least 40 miles per hour, with the highest winds occurring during the daylight hours on Monday. Tides could be 3 feet above ...

Wee ones who wonder what it's like to be a firefighter or a police officer or a first aider can find out by meeting with the real pros, thanks to Sea Girt Library's "People in Our Neighborhood," the library's educational meet-and-greet for children. This Thursday, Jan. 19, Fire Chief Ed Sidley will be the visitor, followed by Sea Girt Police Captain Justin Mackin on Thursday, Feb. 2, and Mr. and Mrs. Crawley from Manasquan First Aid on Thursday, March 16. Each visit is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Sea Girt Library is located at the Railroad Station at the Plaza. For more information, call 732-449-1099.

The borough on its website has issued a call for residents to sit on various municipal boards and commissions, including the planning board, the shade tree commission, and the local board of health. The positions are voluntary. Applicants are asked to fill out the Citizen Leadership Form that can be downloaded from seagirtboro.com, the municipality's official website. Completed forms may be submitted to Sea Girt Borough Hall, 321 Baltimore Blvd., Sea Girt 08750. For information, contact the borough at 732-449-9433.

Neptune Public Library is accepting applications for part-time assistant. Hours will be Tuesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to 8p.m., and Wednesday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Starting date is Feb. 16. The position requires excellent communication skills, knowledge of Microsoft Office and Windows, the ability to stand for four hours, and the ability to multi-task. Applicants must be friendly and outgoing and have experience working with the public. Previous library experience is preferred. Applications are available at the library, 25 Neptune Boulevard. They may also be downloaded online by clicking Quick Links at neptunetownship.org. Completed applications may be faxed to the library at 732-774-1132, or emailed to jbonney@neptunepubliclibrary.org. For more information, call the library, 732-775-8241.

Beach badges for the 2017 season are now on sale at Borough Hall, 701 Main Street. Prices are $70 for adults, $30 for seniors age 65 and up, and $25 for teens ages 13, 14 and 15. Daily badges will go for $8.50 per person for adults. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free of charge. Checks for season badges should be made payable to Borough of Bradley Beach.

The Diocese of Trenton will speak about its jail and prison ministry on Saturday, Jan. 28, at its Chancery in Trenton. The session, which is for those considering volunteering for the ministry, will start at 10 a.m. Additional sessions for new volunteers will follow. The Chancery is located at 701 Lawrenceville Road. For more information, call Fr. Martin McGeough at 609-403-7198, or email him at mmcgeo (at) dioceseoftrenton (dot) org.

Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park, will take a special collection the weekend of Jan. 28 and 29 for victims of Hurricane Matthew in the Les Cayes district of Haiti. Funds will be sent directly to the Les Cayes parish to help dislocated residents rebuild their homes, obtain food and necessities, and restore farmland, Mother of Mercy Parish said in its Jan. 15 bulletin.  "The goal is to help the people become self-sufficient as quickly as possible," according to the bulletin. The parish's associate priest, Fr. Paul Janvier, was a priest in Les Cayes for eight years before coming to the United States. Matthew struck the southern part of Haiti on Oct. 4, 2016 as a category 4 hurricane. Mother of Mercy Parish consists of Holy Spirit Church, 705 Second Ave., and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 1201 Asbury Ave.

The Knights of Columbus will hold a blood drive this Sunday, Jan. 22, from 9 a.m. to 12:30  p.m. at 203 West Sylvania Ave., Neptune City. Donors will be given a free breakfast and a $10 coupon for Luigi's Pizza, Ocean Grove. For more information, contact Felix Spano at 732-585-8281.

Neptune middle- and high schoolers can chill with members of the township police department on Monday, Jan. 23, when the department hosts "Smoothie With a Cop" at McDonald's, at the intersection of highways 33 and 35. The event will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Participants have a choice of a frappe or a smoothie. The department has held periodic "Coffee With a Cop" sessions, for grown-ups, around the township.

The Monmouth County Board of Elections is seeking poll workers for primaries and general elections. Applicants must be registered to vote in Monmouth County and must attend a training class. Poll workers will receive $200 for working a primary or general election. To register for a training class or for more information, call the board at 732-431-7802, ext. 7802. The Monmouth County Board of Elections is at 300 Halls Mill Road.

The Monmouth County Board of Elections will test the automatic tabulating equipment to be used in next week's Manasquan special school election on Friday, Jan. 20. The test will take place at the board's offices, 300 Halls Mill Road, between 10 a.m. and 12 noon, according to the public notice on the Borough of Manasquan's official website. The Manasquan Board of Education is seeking voter approval for more than $12 million for improvements to the district's elementary school and high school, as well as an addition to the high school.

  UPDATE: The polls will be open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, not 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. as originally reported. Here is a list of polling stations for the special school election on Tuesday, Jan. 24: District 01: Manasquan First Aid Building, 65 Broad Street District 02: Manasquan Hook and Ladder Company #1, 33 Abe Voorhees Drive District 03: Manasquan Borough Hall Meeting Room, 201 East Main Street District 04: Manasquan Volunteer Engine #2, 111 Parker Ave. The polls will be open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. The board of education  is asking residents to approve more than $12 million for renovations and improvements to Manasquan High School and Manasquan Elementary School, and for a new addition to the high school. If approved, the proposal will allow the board of education to issue bonds in the amount of $12,033,754.

It was our hottest question of the season: "Which is better on a snowy day, hot chocolate with or without marshmallows?" Marshmallows won in a landslide--or an avalanche--as 60 percent of you voted for "with." And that might explain why local stores tend to run out of the brands that feature the delicious, bobbing white blobs. Enjoy!

This might have been a no-brainer. When we asked which winter sport you preferred--ice skating, sledding, shoveling, watching others skate, sled, and shovel--absolutely nobody voted for shoveling. Ice-skating turned out to be the favorite winter sport, with 30 percent of the vote, followed by sledding and watching others, which tied with 25 percent each.

Spring Lake residents have until Feb. 28 to buy the beach locker or box they had last year, the borough says on its website. Registration will open on March 1 for residents who did not previously purchase a box or locker. Season beach badges this year are $105 for adults (persons 12 and older), and $75 for seniors (persons 65 and older). The price of a North End full locker, which includes five adult pool/beach badges, is $1,400 for residents and $1,575 for non-residents. Half-lockers at the North End go for $1,150 for residents and $1,325 for non-residents. The price includes five adult pool/beach badges. At the South End, the price of one deluxe shower locker is $1,400 for residents and includes five adult pool/beach badges. South End Shower Lockers are $1,260. These too include five adult pool/beach badges. Full lockers at the South End are $1,150 for residents and $1,325 for non-residents. Five adult pool/beach badges are included. Beach Boxes are $1,260 for residen...

The Monmouth County Park System will host WinterFest, an afternoon of winter family fun, at Thompson Park on Saturday, Jan. 28. The event will run from 12 noon to 4 p.m. and include ice skating, cross-country skiing, and wagon rides, live music, and food vendors. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call the park system at 732-842-4000, ext. 4312.

In the middle of January, overlooking an empty beach from its perch on the fishing pier, a solitary Christmas wreath is a still-green reminder of the holidays.

You can help fund piano lessons for choristers of Trinity Church, Asbury Park, by donating online through the cause-related sites GoodSearch.com and iGive.com. On GoodSearch, the scholarship fund receives a precentage whenever you use the GoodSearch search engine, shop through GoodShop, or dine through the GoodDining restaurant program. Just select which program you'd like to contribute through and enter "Trinity Choristers Piano Scholarship." Donations on iGive are through a percentage from participating merchants. For more information, contact the church office at 732-775-5084.

If you're a member of The Gables Residents Association, you  might want to keep the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 15 free. The group is slated to meet at 3 p.m. at the West Grove Church annex, 102 Walnut Street. Membership dues are $10 for the year.

Time to gird yourself and take the plunge. The Rotary Polar Plunge, that is. The ninth edition of the annual fundraiser takes to the ocean in a collective goosebump on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 9:30 a.m. in front of The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, Asbury Park. Registration is $25 and will benefit Mary's Place by the Sea, a respite home, in Ocean Grove, for women in cancer treatment, and the Rotary Eye Rescue, the Rotary Club's international charity. Prospective Plunge participants may register at www (dot) rotarypolarplunge (dot) org. For more information, contact the Club at info@rotarypolarplunge (dot) org. The Rotary Club of Asbury Park meets every Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. at The Renaissance, 1110 Valley Road, Ocean, on Route 35 South before Wegmans. For information about the Club, call 732-922-4222.

The township is giving residents a chance to explore their inner artist and fight the winter blues by studying art hands-on this season. A series of six art classes will run every Wednesday, Feb. 8 through March 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Neptune High School, Neptune Boulevard. The fee is $99 per person and includes art supplies and smocks. The class is open to township residents only. Space is limited. Registration deadline is Feb. 1. "No art skill is required," says the township. "Just bring your imagination!" The class is sponsored by the Neptune Recreation Department. For more information, or to register, call the department at 732-869-1202.

Bob is a Great Blue Heron that every now and then hangs out at Wesley Lake, which is between Asbury Park and Ocean Grove. He was last seen on a blustery day in November, and we thought he had decided to winter elsewhere, but I ran into him while he was chilling at the lake late in the morning of January 6. He was crouching until I whispered, "Bob." Then he straightened and held the pose. Very obliging, is Bob. Looks like Rodan when he takes off and flies low over the water.