~ Notes Around Town ~

Chris Kelly Members of the senior class, led by Chris Galatis and Anthony Miscia (front l-r) pull to a second-place victory in the boys’ tug-o-war portion of Long Branch High School’s superteams intraclass athletic competition on June 3.

Beat the heat! Clean Ocean Action (COA) and the Jersey Shore Running Club (JSRC) invite the public to take part in the "Beach Run for Clean Water" June 7 at 7 p.m. at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, Long Branch. The benefit for Clean Ocean Action will include a three-mile beach/promenade run, two-mile fitness walk, and children’s beach races. Entry fee is $18, and children’s races are $8 and $12, respectively. Awards will be given to the top men and women, plus age group and racewalk divisions. Refreshments will be available, as will T-shirts (while supplies last). For more information, call Penny and Phil Hinck at (732) 542-6090.

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The Headliner, Route 35, Neptune, will host a wine and cheese fund-raiser June 6 from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person, with proceeds benefiting The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Neptune. The event will include a swimsuit fashion show, gift auction, door prizes, and a dj. For more information, call (732) 918-2600.

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Surf’s up! Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA), Long Branch, will hold its fourth annual gala, summer, kickoff party June 9 from 5-9 p.m. at Baja Mexi Grille, Main Street, Allenhurst. Tickets (sold at the door only) are $25, $15 for teen-agers, and $10 for children age 12 and younger. The party will include music by the Jetty Rats, a Mexican dinner (buffet), and door prizes. Guest speakers will include Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6), and D.W. Bennett, co-founder of Clean Ocean Action and executive director of the American Littoral Society. For more information, call Scott at (908) 415-2045.

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The American Heart Association invites locals to rock the night away at its fourth annual dinner-dance "Heart Rock the Night Away" June 14 at 7 p.m. at Ocean Place Conference Resort, Ocean Avenue, Long Branch. Cost is $125 per person for the event which will feature cocktails, dinner, dancing, music by The Sensational Soul Cruisers, and silent and live auctions. For more information, call June at (856) 323-6320.

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The Wayside Retirement Center, West Park Avenue, Wayside section of Ocean Township, will hold an open house June 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event will commemorate the center’s 42nd year. For more information, call (732) 493-3096.

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The Michael T. Folie comedy Panama will premiere at The N.J. Repertory Company, 179 Broadway, Long Branch, June 20 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. June 21-July 28. The play is a combination of a road trip and middle-age crisis as its characters seek to discover the secret of eternal life. Tickets are $30 and discounts are available. The June 20 matinee is priced at $20. For more information or tickets, call the theater at (732) 229-3166.

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The Monmouth County Audubon Society, Red Bank, will conduct an "Evening Bird Walk" June 20 at 6 p.m. at Sandy Hook. The free walk is open to Audubon members and nonmembers and will begin at the visitor’s center. Advance registration is recommended.

The trip will be led by Audubon Society members, and attendees will search for nesters and shorebirds such as piping plovers, herons, ospreys and gulls. The walk will be held rain or shine. For more information or to register, call Debbie at (732) 751-9131 (before 8 p.m.).

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Have your favorite photos analyzed by the Friends of Photography, Eatontown, at its next meeting June 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Monmouth Beach Cultural Center, 128 Ocean Ave. The public is welcome to attend the meeting which will feature an open peer review or analysis of photos. For more information, call Tom at (732) 222-7979.