Excitement is growing, materials are arriving, and volunteers are lining up, so now is the time to become part of the fun. Join the celebration on March 14th at 11:45am at the future home of 250 South Academy Street, near Dawes Park at Railroad Avenue. The groundbreaking ceremony will be followed by refreshments at the First United Methodist Church on Stockton Street. All are welcome to take part in this community event!

Every little bit makes a difference! To make a donation in support of this project, go to http://habitatmba.org/contribute.htm If you’d like to volunteer to help, send an e-mail to volunteercoord@habitatmba.org

For photos and updates on the building project, visit the blog at http://apps.habitatmba.org/Blog/?e=45250&d=02/26/2010&s=Footings%20Poured

All preschoolers and families invited, includes a healthy snack, tips on early and emerging literacy, take home bags, door prizes, fun learning activities for young students. Collaboration of Mayor Bob Patten and Kathy Patten, Hightstown Memorial Library, Better Beginnings, East Windsor Regional School District and others.

Promoting early literacy and fostering the love of reading in young children are the objectives of the program. An enjoyable evening with children and families hearing stories by talented readers, learning rhymes and songs, as well as eating healthy snacks is planned.

Hightstown has been selected by the National League of Cities (NLC) and the New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLM) to participate in the Mayor’s Book Clubs: Promoting Early Literacy in New Jersey technical assistance project. In the selection notification, Laura McComas of the National League of Cities stated that they had received a large number of strong proposals, and selection was a testament to the hard work your team put in to the proposal and the town’s strong dedication to supporting early childhood success. Better Beginnings is grateful to have been chosen as a partner, with the Hightstown Memorial Library and the East Windsor Regional School District as facilitators.

Better Beginnings strongly encourages early literacy and the faculty is excited about the prospect of being able to interact with the parents of young children throughout the community. This series of workshops for parents and children together will demonstrate reading to children and explain the importance of discussing the books read and build upon the contents of the stories. Skills such as oral language development, knowledge of letters, ability to detect sounds and manipulate them within words, the ability to name letters, digits, objects and colors, and the ability to write letters of on e’s own name and remember spoken information are the six critical skills identified by the National Early Literacy Panel and ways of advancing these skills between meetings will be provided.

Services available at the public libraries will be explored and explained by representatives from the Hightstown Memorial Library which will include the availability of a treasure lode of children’s books available.

“Fit for Life” 5K Run Raises Funds for vulnerable families of Hightstown-East Windsor

Rise is pleased to announce its 5th annual “Fit for Life” 5K Run.  Each year hundreds of runners gather to enjoy a flat USATF-certified course through the beautiful tree-lined streets of Hightstown.

When: Saturday, March 27th, 2010.
7:30 am – Registration in the high school gymnasium.  Entry Fee $25
9:00 am – One-mile fun run/health walk begins   Entry Fee $5
9:30 am –   5K run begins

Where: Hightstown H.S., Leshin Lane, Hightstown, NJ

Proceeds benefit: The Food Pantry which serves food-insecure families in the Hightstown-East Windsor area.

How to Register: Go to www.rise-community-services.org , or register by mail at PO Box 88, Hightstown, N.J. 08520 or in person the day of the race. Prize money will be given to top finishers and awards to winners in each age group.  Special awards go to top male and female Hightstown resident finishers. T-shirts available to the first 200 registered runners and food is available for all participants.

For more information, please visit: www.rise-community-services.org

Although we will miss his outstanding leadership and vision, we are happy to report that our founding Executive Director, Ryan Rosenberg, will be stepping down from the role as and his wife Amanda eagerly await the birth of their first child this spring. We wish them great health and happiness, and look forward to yet another contribution to the future of Hightstown!

Ryan adds, “For the past two years, it has been my pleasure to serve as the first Executive Director of Downtown Hightstown, Inc. The organization has grown from a fledgling group of a few people with nothing more than a simple website to a viable and energetic incorporated organization. As a group, we have made significant and tangible improvements to Hightstown’s downtown area, increased its visibility through a greater web presence, and improved its image to our residents and the surrounding communities. I’m also proud of the connections we’ve made between business owners, residents, and the local government. I will be stepping down in either April or May and into my new role as a father, but I plan to stay active until then to ensure that there is a smooth transition. I look forward to seeing the organization grow and flourish under new leadership.”

Downtown Hightstown, Inc.’s new organizational structure, which is based on the Main Street Four-Point Approach, is as follows:

Promotion Committee: Co-Chairs, Rose Gallina (owner, A Bit of NYC) and Karen West (owner, Perennial Home).

Economic Restructuring Committee: Co-Chairs, Mike Vanderbeck (owner, Slowdown Café) and Neil Schloss (owner, Castle Consulting).

Organization Committee: Co-Chairs, Amanda Porter and Lev Golinkin.

Design Committee: Chair, Gary Stevens (owner, 231 Studios)

There is an open search for an individual to fill the Executive Director position, to be interviewed and appointed jointly by the committee chairs.

For more information about the position or to submit a resume, visit http://www.downtownhightstown.org/about-us

Downtown Hightstown, Inc.’s Spring 2010 Annual Report, including 2009 accomplishments and goals for the upcoming year, is available online at http://www.downtownhightstown.org/forms-media

The body of the trellis is composed of pressure-treated lumber designed to resist weather deterioration. Unfortunately, the same properties that make the wood durable also make it resistant to stain application. In order to allow the stain to take hold, we have to first let the wood ‘weather’ over the winter.

We are looking forward to the first days of spring, when we will stain the trellis body, decorate it with ivy and flowers, and explore lighting options which would make the alley more attractive and pedestrian-friendly. As always, we strive to improve our downtown by working with projects that make it safer, better, and more vibrant. We thank you for your patience in the wood-preparation process, and look forward to finishing the trellis in the spring.

Come for a morning of creativity, inspiration and fellowship with other stay-at-home moms, empty nesters and anyone else who is interested in learning how to create handmade greeting cards and papercraft projects.

We will meet once a month on the 2nd Thursday of every month beginning Thursday, December 10th at 10am. The cost of the workshops are $10. This covers the cost of the rental and supplies. RSVP is required in order to prepare accordingly.

Website for more info http://www.meetup.com/Just-Stampin/