Bloomfield
Job Haines, 250 Bloomfield Ave., hosts an AARP safety driving program on Oct. 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This course will cover defensive driving techniques, proven safety strategies, new traffic laws and rules of the road. Registration begins at 9:15 a.m. The cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonmembers. Checks, payable to AARP, will be accepted. Participants should bring their AARP card.
Light refreshments will be served. For more information and to RSVP, contact Donna Plotnick at 973-743-0792, ext. 133, or visit www.job-haines.org.
Belleville
AARP Chapter 2051 hosts an afternoon of singing, dancing and comedy on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center, 125 Franklin Ave. Dessert, coffee and tea will be served. Admission is free. For more information, call Marie at 973-759-3912 or email mkim5623@comcast.net.
Woman’s Club of Belleville hosts a new member night and Pot Luck Supper on Monday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the clubhouse, 51 Rossmore Pl. For information, call Terry Landon at 973-751-6529.
Harrison
Harrison Cancer League sponsors a bus trip to the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on Sunday, Oct. 11. All profits go to Harrison Cancer League. The bus leaves from Holy Cross School at 10 a.m. Refreshments will be served in the school basement starting at 9:15 a.m. Cost is $30 ($25 return in slot play). Call ahead for reservations. Leave your name, phone number and number attending with Joan 973-481-2434 or Maria (Spanish) 973-481-1799. Bring identification.
Kearny
Kearny Fire Department hosts an open house Oct. 4, from noon to 4 p.m., at Fire Headquarters, 109 Midland Ave. The event includes a fire safety house trailer, sprinkler demonstration trailer and more.
The annual Blessing of the Animals will be held Saturday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m., at the Archdiocesan Youth Retreat Center (the old Boystown), 499 Belgrove Drive.
The ceremony will take place, rain or shine, on the front lawn by the statue of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. All creatures great and small — cats, dogs, hamsters, birds, etc., etc. — are welcome. (Ed. note: And they do not have to be Catholic.)
Community members are invited to have “Coffee with a Cop” on Oct. 2 and Oct. 8. Meet with Kearny police officers in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships and drink coffee.
The schedule is as follows: Oct. 2 at 8 a.m. at Arcos Pastry, 401 Kearny Ave.; and Oct. 8 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Applebee’s on Passaic Ave. Check www.facebook.com/kearnypba for updated information. Contact Officer John Fabula for more information at jfabula@kearnynjpd.org.
Kearny Public Library, 318 Kearny Ave., announces the following events:
- An adult cooking class is set for Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m. The recipes offered will take food allergies into consideration. Let the library know if you have any food limitations.
The class will meet in the lower level kitchen. All ingredients will be provided. There is no charge, but the number of students will be limited to 15. Call the library at 201-998-2666 to reserve a spot or if you would like more information. For a listing of the library’s many programs, visit www.kearnylibrary.org.
- A children’s book reading and signing by local author Diane Blevis is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11:30 a.m. Blevis is the author of “My Three Best Friends.” The book reading will be followed by a raffle, book sales and a signing. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Pathways to Independence, 60 Kingsland Ave., holds its annual 2-mile Walk-a-Thon on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m., at West Hudson Park. To participate, fill out a registration form and recruit friends, relatives or co-workers as sponsors to pledge a specific dollar amount, anywhere from $1 to $100. Register yourself or your team in advance by obtaining forms at the Pathways office or call 201-997-6155 to have forms mailed to you. Or, register on the day of the walk at the Schuyler Ave. entrance of the park, starting at 9 a.m. Silva Construction sponsors a free event T-shirt for each participant that turns in $100 or more in pledges.
Presbyterian Boys and Girls Club, 663 Kearny Ave., hosts its annual Tricky Tray on Saturday, Oct. 17. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person (no children). Admission includes coffee, soda, water and dessert. Big prizes include a flat screen TV, iPad, PS4 and Giants tickets. There will be a 50/50 and packets will be sold. Purchase tickets in advance. Guests may book a table of eight or 10. For ticket information, email pbgckearny@ gmail.com or call 201- 334-8336.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1302, Belgrove Drive, hosts its second annual Octoberfest (to welcome home returning troops) on Saturday, Oct. 3, from noon to 6 p.m. There will be live music, craft beer, food, family fun and much more. Bring lawn chairs.
The Salvation Army of Greater Kearny, 443 Chestnut St., announces the following:
- Applications are being accepted for Christmas kettle workers on Oct. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. Anyone age 14 and older may apply (working permit required from school for ages 14-17). Pay rate is $8.25 per hour. Kettle workers will also be needed to work Mondays through Saturdays, from Nov. 20 to Dec. 24. Contact Lt. Hwang Lim or Rebeca Escobar at 201-991-1115.
- Donations of canned soup and canned vegetables are needed to keep on serving our neighboring families. Donations of brass instruments are also needed for a music program open to ages 7 to 17. Donations can be dropped off at 443 Chestnut St. between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. For more information, call 201-991-1115.
Grace United Methodist Church, 380 Kearny Ave., sponsors a church fair on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event features baked goods, a book table, craft table, plus the grand opening of the church’s thrift store. For more information, call the church office at 201-991-1132.
Kearny UNICO meets on Thursday, Oct.1, at 7 p.m. at American Legion Post 99, 314 Belgrove Drive.
Lyndhurst
The Woman’s Club of Lyndhurst sponsors a children’s Tricky Tray, open to grades pre-k to 5, on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Senior Citizen Building on Cleveland Ave. Doors open at noon and the raffle begins at 1 p.m. Lunch items will be sold. No outside food is permitted. For tickets or more information, call Janet at 201-935-1208.
Lyndhurst Health Department, 601 Riverside Ave., announces the following programs. Registration is required. To register, call 201- 804-2500.
- Free Women’s Health Clinic on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 9 a.m., offers education on breast self-examination, PAP test and pelvic exam. This program is open to all female Lyndhurst residents age 18 and over.
- Breakfast seminar on back pain is set for Friday, Oct. 9, at 10 am. Immediately following the breakfast in the recreation room, there will be a free chiropractic screening.
Lyndhurst Public Library, 355 Valley Brook Ave., welcomes dentist Dr. Michael Neiman from Tootharium to talk about healthy teeth, gums and much more on Thursday, Oct. 15, from 1 to 1:45 p.m. This program is open to grades pre-k to 4. Registration is required. To register or for more information, call the library at 201-804-2478.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority announces the following events:
- Free First-Sunday-of-the- Month Nature Walk on Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon, meets outside the Meadowlands Environment Center, 2 DeKorte Park. For more information email greatauk4@gmail.com or call 201-230-4983.
- Celebrate Halloween at the Meadowlands on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at DeKorte Park. This event includes games, crafts, hayrides and Halloween stories in the Witch’s Den. A guided “Creepy Creatures of Halloween and Why They’re Not So Bad Once You Get to Know Them” spooky walk is suitable for kids ages 5 to 12, when accompanied by an adult. Throughout the walk, kids will meet bats, cats, spiders, and other spooky creatures. This guided walk lasts about 40 minutes.
Registration and advance payment are required and online only. Sign up for your Spooky Walk time slot and come early to enjoy all the fun. Space is limited so register early at www.njsea.com. Admission is $8.
North Arlington
The Queen of Peace Knights of Columbus Council 3428, 194 River Road, hosts its annual barbecue on Sunday, Oct. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. This event includes a door prize and a 50-50. Cost is $12 for adults, $30 for a family of four (two adults, two kids), and $6 for children ages 6 to 12. Tickets are available at the rectory office, the Columbian Club Hall, or by calling 201-463-2151. Attendees are asked to consider donating a non-expired, non-perishable food item for the Knights’ Food for Families Project.
Queen of Peace Rosary Society hosts a dinner and Tricky Tray on Friday, Oct. 16, from 6 to 11 p.m., at San Carlo Fine Caterers, Lyndhurst. Admission is $40 per person. For details, call Betsy 201-997- 3914.
North Arlington Health Department, 10 Beaver Ave., hosts “Healthy Eating on a Budget,” presented by Shop- Rite of Lyndhurst’s Registered Dietician Julie Harrington, on Thursday, Oct. 8, at noon, at the Senior Center, behind the Health Department building. This program is open to surrounding communities.
Registration is required. To register, call 201-955-5695.
Nutley
Tri-County Camera Club meets on Oct. 6, 13 and 20 at the Nutley High School teacher’s cafeteria at 8 p.m. each date. The Oct. 6 meeting is a creative competition, Oct. 13 is an assigned subject competition and Oct. 20 is a photo challenge. The club is based in Nutley, with members from local communities including Belleville and Lyndhurst.
For more information, contact club president Jim Alfano at 973-751- 0245.
Celebrate Italian American Heritage Month with Nutley UNICO with a screening of “Human Capital,” at Nutley Public Library, 93 Booth Drive, on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. This Italian language film with English subtitles is a 2014 awardwinning thriller about two families whose lives are linked together after a cycling accident. Doors open at 6:30 for refreshments provided by Nutley UNICO.
Nutley Health Department and Board of Education co-host a free family health fair on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the John H. Walker Middle School, 325 Franklin Ave. There will be exhibits and workshops on concussion awareness and other topics, Senior Wellness Mobile and more. For more information, contact the Department of Public Affairs at 973-284-4976.
Rutherford
Rutherford Congregational Church, 251 Union Ave., encourages vendors and those with other special holiday gift items for sale to register for a space for its annual holiday bazaar. The event is set for Saturday, Nov. 14. To register for a space, call 201-321-2756.
