NOTES AROUND TOWN

Greet the arrival of the "Year of the Rat" at a festive program at theMiddletown Library presented by the talented children of the Jersey Shore Chinese School on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 3 p.m. Children and adults will be treated to brilliant costumes, a spirited lion dance, yo-yo performances, a drumensemble, and a Chinese dragon - all in the spirit of joy and renewal. Enjoy this lively traditional Chinese celebrationwith the entire family. The Year of the Rat, Chinese Year 4706, officially begins on Feb. 7. Tickets are required for this free program, and are available at the ReferenceDesk. Formore information, call (732) 671- 3700, ext. 320, or e-mail programs@mtpl.org. The library is located at 55 NewMonmouth Road inMiddletown. The FoodAllergy SupportGroup ofMonmouth County (FASGMC) willmeet Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Whole Foods, 471 Route 35, Middletown, to plan a fundraising walk for the fall. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward a Cure will be held Sept. 7 in Long Branch. FAAN Walks have been held nationwide since 2003, and proceeds benefit efforts in food allergy public awareness, advocacy, education, and research. The three-mile walk in Long Branch will be held on a route able to accommodate strollers.

Matt Erickson and John Caddock, Mater Dei High School students, formed RelightNJ to help raise money to buy energy saving light bulbs for needy families. They created a Web site, relightnj.com, a slide presentation and other collateralmaterials to help spread the word. On Dec. 17, they distributed bulbs to approximately 40 families at the St.Anthony's Food Pantry in Red Bank. They set up a demonstration of how the bulbs are used and save energy. Each family will save over $200 in electricity costs over the life of the bulbs. RelightNJ is looking to spread the word to students at other N.J. schools that everyone canmake a difference helping others and helping the environment. Below, Matt and John package bulbs for distribution. FASGMC is looking for volunteers, as well a local businesses willing to help sponsor the event. Interested individuals or businesses may call Veronica at (732) 616- 1200 or JoAnn at (732) 241-5444, or e-mail faanwalk@comcast.net.

***** Red Bank Chapter of Deborah Hospital Foundation will sponsor a bus trip to Trump's Taj Mahal Casino-Hotel, Atlantic City, Jan. 17 from 9 a.m.to 6:30 p.m. The cost is $26 and includes a $22 casino giveback and $5 toward food. The bus will depart from Shrewsbury Plaza on Route 35 and Shrewsbury Avenue. For reservations, call (732) 542-3247. *****

Deep Cut Orchid Society will hold its next meeting Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Monmouth ReformTemple, 332HanceAve., Tinton Falls. Guest lecturer Dick Doran will discuss basic culture. Guests as well as the public are welcome at no charge. There will also be a show table of flowering orchids grown by members, as well as refreshments, a plant raffle and a door prize awarded. For more information, call (732) 531-5058.

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Our Special Place, 62 Broad St., Matawan, will hold an open house Jan. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The facility for children

with special needs offers speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and applied behavioral analysis. Programs for children include "Me andMy Mom," "Cooking Creations," "Sibling Success," and fitness programs. For more information or to RSVP for the open house, call (732) 765-8500.

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Middletown Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post No. 2179 and NationalWrestling Superstars (NWS) will host an all-star wrestling benefit Feb. 1 at 7:45 p.m. at the VFW hall, 1 Veterans Lane and Route 36, PortMonmouth section of Middletown. George "The Animal" Steele, The Zombie, Grant Silva, Julio Dinero and "Dastardly" Danny Doring will be "in the corner" at the event. Tickets are $20; tickets for children and seniors are $18. For tickets, call (732) 888-1704.

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Young Israel ofAberdeen- Congregation Bet Tefilah will host an IndianNight Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at 479 Lloyd Road. The evening will begin with amaariv service followed by an Indian vegetarian dinner. Speaker Gila Rosenblatt will talk about the traditions and cooking of the Cochin Jews in south India. Admission is $8, and reservations may bemade by calling Karen at (732) 583- 3765 or at www.yiaberdeen.com.

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If you are cleaning out closets to make room for new gifts, consider donating the items you no longer need to the St. Joseph School PTAwhich is running a drive to collect used clothing and other household items. Items accepted include: used clothing, shoes, belts, pocketbooks, stuffed animals, toys, sheets, towels, blankets and household items.

Donations can be dropped off at the school at 376 Maple Place in Keyport from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday to Friday, through the morning of Thursday Jan. 17th. Also, drop offs can be made from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, until Wednesday, Jan. 16. If you require a different drop-off time or additional assistance, contact the PTA at (732) 264-2350.

The Alumni Affairs Committee of The St. Joseph School in is hosting an Alumni Dance for recent graduates on Saturday, Jan. 12 from 7 to 10 p.m. in the school auditorium. SJS graduates fromthe classes of 2007- 2000 are invited to attend and catch up with old friends and bring some new ones! The cost is $10.

For more information, call (732) 583- 4991 or e-mail tessaport2000@aol.com.