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Monroe Township is one of approximately 84 towns in New Jersey to receive grant funding from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to implement green infrastructure projects in partnership with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Water Re- sources Program.

“I am thrilled that our environmentally-friendly com- munity has been granted the opportunity to participate in this rain garden program in cooperation with Rutgers,” Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro said in a statement after the announcement on Aug. 12. “We are always looking to ad- vance our sustainability initiatives to ensure a cleaner and greener future for our town.”

The grant was used to install rain garden beds at the Monroe Township Senior Center, located at 12 Halsey Reed Road. The RCE prepared the site, provided techni- cal support and funded project materials, according to the statement.

A rain garden is a shallow depression that is planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses. Typically positioned near a runoff source such as a downspout or driveway, rain gardens capture rainwater runoff and stop the water from reaching the sewer system, according to the statement.

The aim of the rain garden project is to demonstrate the benefits of green stormwater infrastructure and offer an environmental education opportunity for visitors to the site.

“The RCE Water Resources Program is very excited

PHOTO COURTESY OF MONROE TOWNSHIP Rain garden installed at the Monroe Township Senior Center. about partnering with Monroe Township to build these beautiful rain gardens. It is a great project that can be com- pleted while social distancing,” Dr. Obropta, RCE Exten- sion specialist in Water Resources said in the statement. “It is wonderful to see communities continue to work to protect the health of their local waterways as we, as a so- ciety, struggle to maintain our personal health during this pandemic.”

In Monroe, the rain garden beds are featured on either side of the main entrance of the Senior Center. Each bed is approximately 400 to 600 square feet. Designed to con- form to the existing landscaped beds adjacent to the build- ing, the gardens will manage rooftop stormwater runoff from adjacent downspouts, according to the statement.

“The Monroe Township Environmental Commission and Green Team have greatly appreciated our collabora- tive effort with RCE on this project,” Karen Polidoro, Environmental Commission chairperson, said in the statement. “Rain gardens function as a beautiful way to ‘green’ Monroe by helping to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff that directly enters our streams.”

For more information on rain gardens or to get involved with the Environmental Commission and Green Team projects, email Kathy Budge at kbudge@monroetwp.com.

The Environmental Commission meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. Visit the Calendar on the Monroe Township website for information on how to attend.

East Brunswick scouts bridge from Daisys to Brownies

One of the most treasured ceremonies in Girl Scouting is the bridging ceremony. Bridging is a tradition that honors girls’ achievements throughout the year and celebrates their advancement in Girl Scouts. It is symbolized by crossing the bridge.

This year around the nation, bridging ceremonies look a little different from the past, but East Brunswick Daisy Troop 81624 found a way to celebrate their transition from Daisy to Brownie Girl Scouts.

“Girl Scouts is a big part of our lives and such an important organization,” Julie Peysakhova, troop co-leader, said in a statement provided by AMS Communications. “We wanted to have a safe, inperson bridging experience because our girls have worked so hard and exhibit the true values of Girl Scouts. They completed all of their badge projects, jumped up for every opportunity to help others in the community, and learned to be compassionate, resourceful leaders.”

The troop has been meeting virtually since the governor’s order to shelter in place. They have stayed connected to their friends, even if only by Zoom, to work on badges and participate in other virtual programs offered by the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey, according to the statement.

“Developing a strong sense of sisterhood and friendship while following the Girl Scout Promise is as important today as it has ever been in the past,” Jennifer Megna, troop co-leader, said in the statement. “We felt fortunate to have been able to plan and successfully execute an amazing bridge ceremony for our Girl Scouts.”

While the girls of Troop 81624 are advancing from first to second grade, they are also advancing from Daisy to Brownie Girl Scouts.

Izabella Megna said, “Girl Scouts are important to me because I can make a difference in the community, and bridging is important to me because I get to learn different things from Brownies, and it can be with my friends from Daisys.”

Madison Austin said, “I’m happy to be a Girl Scout, and I like helping everyone in my family and every Girl Scout.”

Ava Hoffman-Peysakhova said, “I like being a Girl Scout because we get to do so many fun activities, and I get to help lots of people. Bridging was important to me because it means that we are getting older and get to move to the next level of Girl Scouts and do so many more new things.”

“One of the great joys of leading the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey is supporting the girls as they grow,” Ginny Marino, CEO, said in the statement. “It is particularly fulfilling to see girls who were shy as Daisies advance and initiate projects, lead activities, and share their points of view.”

By VASHTI HARRIS

Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK – Creating a platform for performers and artists to showcase their talents despite social distancing restrictions, the East Brunswick Public Library has been holding Virtual Open Mic Nights.

Adult Programming Librarian Melissa Hozik said the library held its first open mic night on July 8.

“In these times of social distancing, the

Community Programs has opened registration for the Adult School in East Brunswick.

The school is offered under the auspices of the Middlesex County Adult Education Consortium. Programs available include evening High School Equivalency (HSE) Prep, evening English as a Second Language (ESL), as well as daytime citizenship classes.

The Adult Basic Skills Program is funded by state and federal grants through the State of New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and is prolibrary had to cancel all of its performances. Musicians and artists have fewer opportunities to perform, and we wanted to offer a virtual space for local residents,” Hozik said. “The East Brunswick Arts Commission also agreed that there was a need, so our two-part Virtual Open Mic Night was born.”

At first, Hozik said the library was not sure if it would fill all of the available slots.

“As soon as we announced the signup process, performers were very excited, and vided as a community service by the East Brunswick Board of Education.

Registration is open. Visit www.ebnet. org/adultschool for more information and to enroll. All registrations will be completed online. There will be no in-person registration.

The 2020/2021 ESL/HSE/Citizenship Programs will be 100% virtual instruction until further notice, which will include both a majority of interactive instruction, and some independent components.

Registration does not confirm placement in the program. Potential students

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

the spots filled quickly. We had performers from East Brunswick, North Carolina, and multiple boroughs of New York City,” Hozik said. “Performers invited their family and friends to watch the performances. We also streamed them to Facebook Live so anyone could enjoy from anywhere in the world.”

For each virtual open mic night, Hozik said a maximum of eight performers were able to perform a five- to seven-minute set, whether poetry, singing, storytelling or inwill be contacted via email after registration with your date and time for in-person testing. Testing will begin the week of Aug. 24. The testing email will include date, time, and location.

Once testing has been completed, all tests will be graded and placements will be made.

All HSE/ESL classes will be held Mondays through Wednesdays from 6-8:30 p.m. All citizenship classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or from 12:30-3 p.m. depending on the student’s test score and placement. strumental.

“I was blown away by the talent we had on stage,” Hozik said.

Since this was a summer series, Hozik said there are no upcoming events planned. The event is currently on hiatus, but the li- brary would love for it to return at a future date.

For more information about the li- brary’s virtual events, visit www.ebpl.org/

main/ebpl-events-calendar.cfm.

All classes are free of charge and excellent attendance is required.

All students must have their own device to participate in the online portion of instruction. These devices can include a tablet, smartphone, or laptop.

Registration and more information can be found at www.ebnet.org/adultschool.

For questions regarding the testing and placement process, curriculum and program content, email commprog@ebnet. org or call 732-613-6989. For registration questions, please email ebonlinepayments@ebnet.org or call 732-613-6674.