Outdoor Fun for Everyone! RWJBarnabas Field of Dreams, Ocean County Library 2024 Autism Resources Fair

TOMS RIVER – The recreation park that is changing the lives of people with disabilities is right in Toms River. Learn how RWJBarnabas Field of Dreams can help your loved ones during the Ocean County Library’s ’s 2024 Autism Resources Fair in the OCL Toms River Branch, 10 AM until 3 PM Saturday, April 13.

Jillian Kane, daughter of Field of Dreams founders Christian and Mary Kane, will tell the powerful story of the center’s creation in a special presentation, “Come Play with Us! RWJBarnabas Field of Dreams,” at 10:30 AM.

The three-and-a-half-acre inclusive recreational complex contains playground equipment and programs expressly geared for disabled individuals of all ages, abilities and needs. Jillian will offer details about the park’s equipment, facilities and programs. Become a member and open the door to fun for your loved ones. Membership is free.

The Autism Resources Fair is sponsored by the Ocean County Library Foundation. Registration is not required for this program or for the entire free five-hour event.

To read about the Fair or register for any of its educational workshops, visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/autism. Workshop registrants are eligible to receive professional development certificates.

For more information, visit the OCL Toms River Branch, 101 Washington Street, call (732) 349-6200, or see new details online through the OCL Autism Resources Center.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Romp and Roll! ‘Music, Bubble & Dance Party’ at the Ocean County Library 2024 Autism Resources Fair

TOMS RIVER – Children and teens are invited to join the fun of “A Music, Bubble and Dance Party” by Turtle Dance Music in the Ocean County Library Toms River Branch during OCL’s 2024 Autism Resources Fair, 10 AM to 3 PM Saturday, April 13. The party in the Branch’s Green Room will start at 1 PM.

“Mr. Matt” will lead the 40-minute, sensory-friendly show of bubbles, laughs, dancing, games, astounding visuals, and a story written by his brother-in-law Tim Shaw, who is on the Autism Spectrum.

The show is crafted to be inclusive for all children and their parents and caregivers. Songs feature hands-on, visual and sensory experiences for learning and fun. Kids can sing, dance, let their imaginations fly and connect with new friends.

After earning theater and drama degrees from New York University and Montclair State University, Matt Mazur co-founded Turtle Dance Music in 2012 to provide inclusive, interactive entertainment for people of all abilities and all ages.

Matt returned to school the same year and received degrees in Developmental Models of Autism Intervention and Early Childhood Development in 2014. He co-authored the children’s book Scrak’s Big Adventure with Tim and founded AutismFriendlyShows.com.

The Autism Resources Fair is sponsored by the Ocean County Library Foundation. Registration is not required for this program or for the entire free five-hour event.

To read about the Fair or register for any of its educational workshops, visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/autism. Workshop registrants are eligible to receive professional development certificates.

For more information, visit the OCL Toms River Branch, 101 Washington Street, call (732) 349-6200, or see new details online through the OCL Autism Resources Center.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Ocean County Library Toms River Branch to Feature Michelle Dillon’s ‘Dreams Real and Imagined’ in April

TOMS RIVER – The Ocean County Library Toms River Branch is pleased to present “Dreams Real and Imagined,” an exhibit by Ocean County-based artist Michelle Dillon, April 2 through April 30.

The oils-and-collage display in the McConnell Gallery reflects Michelle’s exploration of dreams as a path to joy. 

“I wonder about dreams,” she says, “daydreams, night dreams, dreams of the future. Dreams can heal. Dreams can create. Dreams can be a gateway to self-exploration and greater happiness. They are an important part of my inspiration.”

Michelle achieves a soft, luminous effect through a monochromatic base layer to which she applies layers of transparent color. The combination, she says, adds to “a mood that I seek to communicate about our shared humanity and spirituality through narrative art.”

Michelle earned a degree in Graphic Art from Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) and studied painting and illustration at the duCret School of Art in Plainfield.  She received Master’s degree in teaching from Monmouth University.

The National Art Educators’ Foundation grantee won Teacher of the Year honors in 2011 for a mural that she created with her students at Ocean Gate Elementary School. 

The “Dreams Real and Imagined” exhibit is free and open to the public during normal Branch operating hours. No registration is required. For more information, visit the OCL Toms River Branch, 101 Washington Street, call (732) 349-6200, or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events. 

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

NJ Education Leader Maud Dahme to Share Holocaust Memories At the Ocean County Library Brick Branch

BRICK TOWNSHIP – A former president of the New Jersey State Board of Education will share her memories as a World War II hidden child and Holocaust survivor at the Ocean County Library Brick Branch. “Remembering the Holocaust: A Conversation with Maud Dahme” will take place at 2:30 PM Monday, April 29.

Born in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, Maud Dahme was six years old in 1942 when she and her sister were separated from their parents and placed in hiding by the underground Dutch resistance that opposed Adolf Hitler’s regime.

Maud and her sister were reunited with their parents after the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945. At age 14, the family immigrated to the United States. Today, the Flemington resident devotes her energies to Holocaust and genocide education. She remains active in the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education.

Maud Dahme’s career in education includes service on the state Board from 1983 to 2007, presidency of the National Association of State Boards of Education in 1995, membership in the Interstate Migrant Education Council including two terms as Chair, and work for the North Hunterdon Regional High School Board of Education.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclBrickMaudDahme for this free program in OCL’s continuing “Combatting Hate” series, recommended for adults and seniors. For more information, stop by the OCL Brick Branch, 301 Chambers Bridge Road, visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events or call (732) 477-4513.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

OCC Disability Services to Offer Information at Six Ocean County Library Branches

TOMS RIVER – The Ocean County Library will host a series of sessions to inform teens with disabilities and their families about accommodations available at Ocean County College. The sessions will take place at six branches in April and May.

• Berkeley Branch – 6 PM Tuesday, April 2, 30 Station Road, Bayville, (732) 269-2144. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclBerkeleyCCSD.
• Little Egg Harbor Branch – 3:30 PM Tuesday, April 9, 290 Mathistown Road, (609) 294-1197. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclLehCCSD.
• Barnegat Branch – 7 PM Tuesday, April 23, 112 Burr Street, (609) 698-3331. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclBarnegatCCSD.
• Brick Branch – 6 PM Wednesday, April 24, 301 Chambers Bridge Road, (732) 477-4513. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclBrickCCSD.
• Toms River Branch – 6:30 PM Tuesday, April 30, 101 Washington Street. Please register at the Branch or call (732) 349-6200.
• Lacey Branch – 2:30 PM Saturday, May 11, 10 East Lacey Road, Forked River. Please register at the Branch or call (609) 693-8566.

Members of Ocean County College’s Office of Disability Services will discuss eligibility requirements and placing requests for accommodations such as large print, American Sign Language interpretation, and alternative format materials for transitioning to OCC.

Please contact the host Branch of your choice at least 10 days before the scheduled event to request reasonable accommodations. For more information, call any participating Branch or contact OCC’s Department of Disability Services, 732-255-0546 or accomodations@ocean.edu.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Fantasy Fun with Royal Soirée at the Ocean County Library 2024 Autism Resources Fair

TOMS RIVER – While collecting valuable information at the Ocean County Library’s 2024 Autism Resources Fair, take a whimsically gentle break with Royal Soirée: Fairytale Princess Parties in the OCL Toms River Branch, 10 AM until 3 PM Saturday, April 13.

Bring the family to the Branch’s upper level for photos with the costumed characters from 11 AM until 12:30 PM.

Royal Soirée consists of Sabrina and Kimmie Starts, sisters and best friends with more than 10 years of party entertainment experience in the South Jersey and Philadelphia areas.

Facebook and Instagram followers are familiar with their Fairytale Princess parties and appearances at birthday parties, corporate functions, library story times, school events, fundraisers, educational shows, parades, dance classes and community festivals.

The pair brings a magical touch to a range of characters including storyland princesses, superheroes, holiday characters, fairies, ballerinas, scientists and more, customizing their costuming and programs for each event.

The Autism Resources Fair is sponsored by the Ocean County Library Foundation. Registration is not required to attend this free, five-hour event or to enjoy Royal Soirée.

To read about the Fair or register for any of its educational workshops, visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/autism. Workshop registrants are eligible to receive professional development certificates.

For more information, visit the OCL Toms River Branch, 101 Washington Street, call (732) 349-6200, or keep up with new details online through the OCL Autism Resources Center.  

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk to Offer Heaping Helping of American Food Culture

TOMS RIVER – Dig into the people, ingredients and events that shape the foods on tables across America. Smithsonian Institution Curator Paula J. Johnson will discuss Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People and Innovations That Feed Us, in an Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk, 2 PM Tuesday, April 2.

The Director of the Smithsonian’s American Food History Project will elaborate on the influences of migration and immigration on flavor and nutrition, the marketing of food and kitchen innovations, and contributions of notables such as Julia Child and James Beard.

She will also show how growers and chefs are helping to shape our collective kitchen consciousness by reviving regional and cultural traditions, ingredients and techniques.

Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People and Innovations That Feed Us is available at the Ocean County Library.

During three decades of collecting artifacts and archiving for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Paula Johnson has illustrated American diversity through field research, oral histories and community documentation that form the foundation of her books and lectures on food and wine history, maritime life, and Chesapeake Bay.

Please register at https://libraryc.org/theoceancountylibrary to attend this free program, to view the upcoming schedule, and to view previous talks. Registrants will receive links to the program by email and may submit questions for the author when signing up.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Meditate to Conquer ‘The Three Poisons’ at the Ocean County Library Jackson Branch

JACKSON TOWNSHIP – Reach within yourself to become free of three attitudes that breed negativity. Take part in “Mindfulness Meditation: The Three Poisons” at the Ocean County Library Jackson Branch, 10:30 AM Saturday, April 13.

Instructor Shazia Zaman, CMMT, CMT-P, will reveal how to recognize and nullify three unwholesome attitudes by meeting them with wisdom, clarity and compassion.

Shazia is certified in Mindfulness Meditation and Reiki Master and a Master Level Crystal Bowl Practitioner. She has completed courses in Mindful Self-Compassion and Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness. 

The exercise is open to new and experienced meditation practitioners and enthusiasts and is an ideal introduction for anyone interested in knowing more about tapping into calmness and empathy.

Please register at http://tinyurl.com/OclJacksonZaman to take part in this free program, sponsored by Jackson Friends of the Library.

The Friends are volunteers who support the Library through programs, fundraising and advocacy. New members are welcome. Applications can be found at https://www.theoceancountylibrary.org/oclfriends and at any OCL branch.

For more information, stop by the OCL Jackson Branch, 2 Jackson Drive, call (732) 928-4400, or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Learn Special Education Protections at the Ocean County Library 2024 Autism Resources Fair

TOMS RIVER – Learn how federal and state laws protect your disabled student’s right to a free and appropriate public education. Join attorney Andrew I. Meltzer for “Special Education Law in New Jersey: An Overview” at the Ocean County Library’s 2024 Autism Resources Fair in the OCL Toms River Branch, 10 AM to 3 PM Saturday, April 13.

Mr. Meltzer, of the Sussan Greenwald & Wesler law firm of Cranbury, NJ will offer his presentation at 1 PM, providing an overview of longstanding pertinent legal provisions. They include:

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Individualized Education Plan
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974 and 504 Plans
• New Jersey’s state-imposed rules, regulations and policies 

He will also cover steps to take if you feel that your public school system is not meeting your child’s needs, and how to proceed in disputes with a school district.

As a special education attorney and a former classified student who conquered his learning differences, Andrew Meltzer knows the challenges faced by families of children with special needs and advocates to help special needs students to maximize their capabilities and to succeed in school and life.

Mr. Meltzer gained expertise in special education law and the practices of the Office of Administrative Law while clerking in the New Jersey Attorney General’s office. He prosecuted nearly 20 trials as a Certified Legal Intern in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office.

The attorney holds degrees from Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law and the University of Delaware, and is a member of the bars of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of New Jersey.

Please register at www.theoceancountylibrary.org/autism to reserve a seat at this free program. Workshop registrants are eligible to receive professional development certificates.

The Autism Resources Fair is sponsored by the Ocean County Library Foundation. Registration is not required to attend this free, five-hour event.

For more information, visit the Toms River Branch, 101 Washington Street, call (732) 349-6200, or keep up with new details online through the OCL Autism Resources Center.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Explore Johnny Cash’s Legacy in Song and Story at the Ocean County Library

TOMS RIVER – Johnny Cash’s status as a pillar of American popular culture continues long after his death. What do we know about the man behind the music? Scott Moreau will offer a 50-year panorama of his life and perform the songs that made him famous in “Ultimate Johnny Cash: Late & Alone” at four Ocean County Library branches.

• Toms River Branch – 6:30 PM Thursday, April 18, 101 Washington Street, (732) 349-6200. Register at https://tinyurl.com/OclTrCash.
• Plumsted Branch – 2 PM Wednesday, April 24, 118 Evergreen Road, New Egypt, (609) 758-7888. Register at https://tinyurl.com/OclPlumstedCash.
• Point Pleasant Beach Branch – 6:30 PM Monday, April 29, 710 McLean Avenue, (732) 892-4575. Register at https://tinyurl.com/OclPtBeachCash.
• Barnegat Branch – 2 PM Saturday, May 4, 112 Burr Street, (609) 698-3331. Register at https://tinyurl.com/OclBarnegatCash.

“Late & Alone” features Johnny Cash’s hit songs, with a focus on the “American Recordings” series that features “Hurt,” his iconic epitaph, with deep insights into his life and career.

The multi-talented Scott Moreau holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. His appearances have taken him throughout the United States and around the world.

In 2013 Moreau released Home of the Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash at Sun Studio, available on iTunes and compact disc. He is also an actor and theater director. Fans of Boardwalk Empire will recall Moreau’s series-finale performance as Young Jim Neary.

Registration is required for each of these free programs. For more information, stop by any participating OCL branch, visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events, or call (732) 349-6200.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.