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Community Events:

Master Plan Community Input Meeting

The second Master Plan Community Input Meeting will be held from from 6 to 8 p.m. March 15 at Trinity Church gymnasium, located at 503 Asbury Ave. Input from the event will be used in crafting the city’s Master Plan Reexamination Report. Residents are asked for input on everything from land use and historic preservation to economic development and sustainability.

Managing Medical Debt

The Asbury Park Educational Justice Collective will host an information clinic on medical debt. Presenters will highlight steps to reduce medical debt and lead a discussion protecting patients, families and communities from falling into medical debt. The event will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. March 18 at the Neptune Public Library, located at 25 Neptune Blvd. To RSVP call Kris Hlatky at 732-770-7159.

Food Justice Benefit

The Spring Lake Community House Theater will donate all its Godspell production seats on March 24 in support of Trinity Episcopal Church’s Saturday Soup Food Justice program. The 6:30 p.m. event includes a coffee reception and gift certificate raffles. The recommended minimum ticket donation price is $30, available via derek@trinitynj.com.

Educational Open Houses:

Charter School Open House

College Achieve Greater Asbury Park, a new charter school set to open in the fall, will hold an open house event 5:30 p.m. March 15 at La Senda International Church, located at 700 Grand Ave. The location of the school has yet to be unveiled but officials say they are concentrating on the area north of the shopping district, within the vicinity of Grand Avenue. Officials have said they will open in August, with an initial enrollment of 276 students in grades K, 1, 5 and 6. The school is expected to grow to more than 1,000 students in pre-K through 9th grade by 2020.Enrollment is now open for the Toulmin College Writing Model based institution that offers an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math [STEAM] education.

Brookdale hosts Spring Open House

Brookdale Community College will host a Spring Open House at noon April 2 in the Collins Arena, located at 765 Newman Springs Road. High school students, career-changers and residents of all ages are invited to ask questions and explore the more than 50 degrees and career training programs offered. Customized tours; financial aid and scholarship opportunities; and representatives from the Business and Social Science, Health Sciences, Humanities, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics [STEM] academies will be on hand. For more information, visit www.brookdalecc.edu/openhouse.

Religious Events

Centennial Church Celebration

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Camden District celebrates its centennial 7 p.m. March 17 at The Sheraton Eatontown Hotel, located at 6 Industrial Way. Special guests include  Bishop Dennis V. Proctor, Presiding Prelate of the North Eastern Episcopal District of the AME Zion Church. Founded in 1796, AME Zion has a rich history that includes eminent historic members like Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth. The Camden district has served central and southern New Jersey counties since 1917. Tickets are $55 for adults and $25 for children 12 years old and under, available via Rev. Amos Dickerson at 201-240-1950.

Community Prayer Event

The Asbury Park/Neptune Ministerial Alliance will host a Community Prayer event from 7 to 9 p.m. March 17 at Deliverance Temple, located at 504 Prospect Ave. For more information, call 848-456-0300. In the past month the Ministerial Alliance has met with the mayors and school superintendents of both communities to address concerns over youth, particularly as it pertains to gun violence and gang activity.

Lenten Art Exhibit

Trinity Episcopal Church, located at 503 Asbury Ave, will host a meet the artist reception for its current Trinity Stations of the Cross Exhibit. Held at 4 pm. March 21, many of the artists, all from across the state, will be in attendance. A gallery book includes artists’ interpretive statements, their bios, and images of the art. The exhibit runs through April 7, with guided half hour tours held 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, 6 p.m. Wednesdays, and 11:15 a.m. Sundays.

CONTESTS:

Pallone’s Annual Poetry Competition

Submissions are now being accepted for Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. [NJ-06] sponsored Poetry Competition. The annual contest, held in recognition of National Poetry Month, is open to students who live with the 6th Congressional District. Selected submissions will be featured by Pallone’s office, with students taking part in a reading his office. The submission deadline April 30. For more information, call Pallone’s Long Branch Office at 732-571-1140 or New Brunswick Office at 732-249-8892.  submission before the end of April.

Monmouth County Poster Contest

Fourth grade students are encouraged to enter the ‘My County’ poster contest sponsored by the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey as part of County Government Month this April. Posters should depict special and unique things about Monmouth County and how it relates to County Government. Winners will be chosen by County Officers Association members. To enter mail or deliver posters to the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office by May 1 at 2500 Kozloski Rd., Freehold, NJ 07728. Posters must be on standard 22″ X 28″ poster boards with Monmouth County affixed in black marker at the top of the poster in 4-inch letters. The student’s name, teacher’s name and school should be printed in the lower right hand corner on the back of the poster. For more information, visit www.mcsonj.org.

Scholarships:

AFSA Scholarship Contest

The American Fire Sprinkler Association [AFSA] will award 10 high school seniors $2,000 scholarships via a random drawing. Open to those pursuing a college degree or technical education, the scholarship is earmarked for tuition and/or book expenses for the fall 2017 semester. For more information and to enter the random scholarship drawing, visit afsascholarship.org.

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