around town

Belleville

Belleville Public Library and Information Center, 221 Washington Ave., announces:

A screening of the animated action adventure film “How to Train Your Dragon 2” (PG) is slated for Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m.
Pajama Storytime, open to all ages, will be held Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m.
Saturday craft, open to all ages, is offered Dec. 13 at 3 p.m.

Belleville High School’s Music Department presents its 2014 winter concert series, starting with the instrumental music program, featuring the BHS Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, on Thursday, Dec. 11, and the vocal music program, with the BHS Concert Choir and Acapella Chorus, on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

Both concerts start at 7 p.m. in the Connie Francis Theatre at the high school. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Admission is free but donations are accepted at the door.

For more information, email band director Anthony Gotto at Anthony.gotto@belleville. k12.nj.us or vocal music director Carol Lombardi at carol.lombardi@belleville. k12.nj.us.

Bloomfield

Bloomfield Public Library, 90 Broad St., will screen the following films as part of its Thursday and Monday Afternoon Movie programs. All films start at 12:15 p.m. Admission is free.

Thursdays – Dec. 4 – “One Special night” (PG), featuring James Garner and Dec. 11 – “Christmas Eve” (NR), starring Ann Harding. No films will be shown Dec. 18 and 25.
Mondays – Dec. 8 – “Scrooge” (G), with Albert Finney. No films will be shown Dec. 15, 22 or 29.

Kearny

A cat food drive is being conducted through Dec. 12 for Kearny’s TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return) program. Drop off cat food donations at K-9 Corner, 169 Midland Ave. at Elm St.

The First Baptist Church of Arlington, 650 Kearny Ave., hosts a Christmas bake sale and flea market on Saturday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Trinity Episcopal Church of Kearny and Christ Church of Harrison will jointly sponsor their monthly flea market at 575 Kearny Ave., on Dec. 13. Vendors are invited. Tables are one for $15 and two for $25. Call the church at 201-991-5894 to schedule a table. Or, call Annamarie at 201-998-2368 after 5:30 pm. Walk-ins and new vendors welcome.

Kearny UNICO meets on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. For more information about the meeting or Kearny UNICO, contact Chapter President Lou Pandolfi at 201-368-2409. Kearny UNICO is a member chapter of UNICO National, the largest Italian American service organization in the U.S.

Kearny Public Library, 318 Kearny Ave., hosts a holiday marbleizing workshop on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m.

Marbleizing is the preparation and finishing of a surface to imitate the appearance of polished marble.

Using silk scarves, instructor Renee Johnson will lead participants in this ancient art, widely used in Pompeii and in Europe during the Renaissance.

Just in time for the holidays, the finished product, free to all registered attendees, will make a beautiful gift. This program will only be open to a limited number of adults. Call the library at 201-998-2666 for a reservation.

Presbyterian Boys-Girls Club, 663 Kearny Ave., hosts its annual carnival on Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6, from 7 to 9 p.m. Try your hand at more than 30 games of skill, including the goldfish toss, spin the wheel, go fish and more. There will also be a table of arts and crafts, homemade toys and baked goods. The entire community is welcome.

Lyndhurst

The Lyndhurst Historical Society is showcasing a sampling of the many businesses that contributed to the community and beyond in its newest exhibit, “Lyndhurst Business: Building a Community,” which runs through August 2015 at The Little Red Schoolhouse, 400 Riverside Ave.

The exhibit is free and open to the public, but a small donation to the Society is appreciated. The Little Red Schoolhouse Museum is open on the second and fourth Sundays of every month from 2 to 4 p.m. For more information, leave a message at 201-804-2513 and your call will be returned.

For more information about the Lyndhurst Historical Society, readers can visit www.lyndhursthistoricalsociety.org. Like them on Facebook.

Lyndhurst Public Library, 355 Valley Brook Ave., announces the following events for children. Registration is not required unless otherwise specified. To register, call the library at 201- 804- 2478.

Walk-in storytimes, open to grades pre-k to 2, are held every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Santa Claus visits on Monday, Dec. 8, at 6:45 p.m. Children of all ages are invited to take a picture with him. Registration is required.
A reindeer craft, open to grade pre-k-3, is set for Thursday, Dec. 11, from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m.
Children in grades 1 to 4 can make a holiday wreath on Thursday, Dec. 18, from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Registration is required.
A Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game Night, open to grades 6 to 9, takes place on Wednesday, Dec. 10, from 6 to 7:15 pm. Refreshments will be served. Space is limited and registration is necessary. To register, call the library or email reference@ lyndhurst.bccls.org.
RoseMarie Rubinetti Cappiello, an intuitive medium/ healer, hosts a brief session of audience spirit readings followed by a discussion of her new book “Speaking From Spirit”. Books will be available for purchase at the book signing. Space is limited and registration is necessary. No walk-ins will be allowed. Call the library or email romeo@bccls.org to register.

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission hosts the following events:

First-Sunday-of-the- Month Nature Walk with the Bergen County Audubon Society kicks off at 10 a.m. just outside DeKorte Park on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Check meadowblog.net for last-minute weather updates. Visitors are asked to sign a standard liability release that is good for NJMC/ BCAS events throughout the year.

To R.S.V.P., contact Don Torino of the BCAS or call 201-230-4983.

Watercolor Pencils for Kids, open to ages 5 to 12 (accompanied by an adult) is set for Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m. to noon, at the NJMC Science Center, 3 DeKorte Park Plaza. All art supplies are provided. Pre-registration is required. Cost is $10 per child (no fee for adults).

To register, go to www.njmeadowlands.gov/ec . For more information, call 201- 460-8300.

Lyndhurst Health Department, 601 Riverside Ave., Suite 1, holds a blood screening Friday, Dec. 5, at the Community Center on Riverside Ave. Appointments begin at 8 a.m. This service is available to Lyndhurst residents ages 18 and older for a $20 fee. Pre-registration is required. For appointments, call 201-804-2500. Payments are accepted in cash or checks, payable to Medical Laboratory Diagnostics.

The Humane Society, 221- 223 Stuyvesant Ave., invites members of the community to bring children and pets for photos with Santa taken by a professional photographer on Sunday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are available, but walk-ins are also welcome. Proceeds benefit the animals at the Humane Society. Photos with an attractive holiday folder cost $10. A CD of all pictures taken is available for $20. For more information, call 201- 896-9300.

Knights of Columbus Council 2396 sponsors a Tricky Tray Friday, Jan. 16, at the Senior Center, 250 Cleveland Ave. The $15 admission includes coffee plus one prize sheet of tickets. No alcohol is permitted. No tickets will be sold at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, call Steve Cortese at 201-657-0800 or Sal Russo at 201-446-7244.

North Arlington

North Arlington Police Department Crime Prevention and Community Relations Unit is conducting a holiday toy drive. New and unwrapped toys may be dropped off at the police department now through Dec. 11. Toys will be distributed to area hospitals, local families and others in need.

North Arlington Senior Activity Center, 11 York Road, hosts a holiday celebration Friday, Dec. 12. Bingo starts at 10:30 a.m., lunch is served at noon and dancing begins at 1:30 p.m. For more information and reservation, call 201-998-5636.

North Arlington Woman’s Club sponsors a trip to the Sands Casino, Bethlehem, Pa., on Dec. 6. The bus leaves from Borough Hall at 9 a.m. Cost is $30 with $20 slot return and $5 food voucher. For information, call 201-889-2553.

North Arlington Public Library, 210 Ridge Road, hosts the following programs:

A talk by food historian Judith Krall-Russo on Colonial and Victorian Christmas is set for Saturday, Dec. 13, at 11 a.m. Refreshments will be served. Registration is recommended but not required. Call 201-955-5640, ext. 126.
Computer Coding Club, open to ages 8 to 13, meets Saturday, Dec. 13, at 1 p.m. Registration is required. To register, visit http://bit.ly/1qTd8Cc . Registration closes on Dec. 6. The library will be closed to the public at 1 p.m. on this date, as usual, and open only for this special program.
YA Movie Day, for grades 6 and up, is set for Friday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m.
Lego Club, open to grades 1 and up, meets Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6:30 p.m.
A holiday pageant, for all ages, is set for Thursday, Dec. 11, at 6:45 p.m. • An origami class, open to grades 4 to 7, is set for Friday, Dec. 12, at 3:30 p.m.
The Woman’s Club sponsors a craft program, open to grades K to 5, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 6:30 p.m.

Queen of Peace Church presents its annual Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 3 p.m. The event features the church’s choir, the Queen of Peace Schola Cantorum and the Chopin Singing Society along with soloists. There is no admission charge but a free will offering is requested.

Nutley

Vincent United Methodist Church, 100 Vincent Place, will present its annual Living Nativity on Sunday, Dec. 7. From 7 to 8 p.m., members of the congregation will present short Nativity portrayals every 20-30 minutes in a st able setting on the front lawn. The free presentation will include live animals — sheep , goats, donkeys and maybe more. Refreshments will be served. The church is across from the Nutley Library. All are invited to come and view this timeless reminder of the real reason for the season of Christmas.

Actors from the Nutley Little Theatre will present a staged reading of “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Nutley Public Library, 93 Booth Drive, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6. This special event is part of a yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the NPL. Call 973-667- 0405 for more information on this and other programs. The complete schedule is available at http://nutleypubliclibrary.org.