Notes Ice-Lantics synchronized skating team wins the gold. Family Game Night will be held at the Ocean Township Branch of the Monmouth County Library, 701 Deal Road, on Jan. 3 at 6:30 p.m. Please bring games to share. There is no charge. The Young Adult Book Club will meet to discuss “The Golden Compass” by Philip Pullman Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. Books are available to be borrowed from the library. The programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call (732) 531-5092. ***** Students in the Let’s Make a Difference Club at Pope John XXIII Regional Catholic School in Ocean Township sponsored a holiday food drive to help those in need. Tracie Keenan, sixth-grade teacher, coordinates the club. ***** Kosher Meals on Wheels will deliver hot meals every weekday to homebound elderly citizens in Monmouth County. If anyone needs a kosher meal delivered, contact Susan Diamond at (732) 774-2990. Volunteer drivers are needed to help carry out this program. All homebound, elderly Jewish seniors are eligible for the program, regardless of financial situation. Long Branch High School marching band starts the night’s activities at the Dec. 4 tree-lighting ceremony hosted by the Long Branch Public Schools, Uptown Merchants Association and the city. ***** The Ice-Lantics Synchronized Skating Team opened the 2006/07 competition season on the right foot by winning first place at the Terry Conners Synchro Open, Dec 3 in Stamford, Conn. Their colorful costumes, fast footwork and unmatched team spirit brought this team a well-deserved gold medal, triumphing over eight other local teams. Team members include Kelsey Jagusch, (third from left), Eatontown. The skating team is affiliated with the Garden State Skating Club and is based at the Wall Sports Arena. ***** The Long Branch Public Library on Broadway is offering free tutoring sessions every Wednesday from 4-5:30 p.m. to assist with general homework assignments, building research and computer and study skills. The library is also offering free blood pressure screenings on the first and third Tuesday of the month from 4:30-7:30 p.m. For more information, call (732) 222-3900 or visit www.lmxac.org/longbranch. ***** Court Holy Spirit Catholic Daughters of the Americas will meet Thursday, Dec. 21, at noon for a covered dish luncheon at Carmel Hall, Asbury Avenue and Pine Street, Tinton Falls. Bring a $5 gift for Santa’s bag if you wish to participate. Guests are invited. For more information, call (732) 775-6419. ***** The GFWC Woman’s Club of Asbury Park will meet on Monday, Dec. 18, at noon at the clubhouse, 57 Wickapecko Drive, Wanamassa. Members are asked to bring a covered dish as well as a $5 gift for Santa’s bag if they wish to participate, as well as a food donation and a new toy for Mercy Center in Asbury Park. ***** The Long Branch Public School Elves, who provide toys and gifts to needy children in the city, are hosting a toy drive that concludes Dec. 15. Anyone interested in donating a new toy may contact Elves Coordinator Colleen Alcott at (732) 229-7300, ext. 2016. Also, monetary donations may be sent to the Long Branch Elves, c/o the Long Branch Board of Education, 540 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ 07740. Checks may be made payable to the Long Branch Elves. ***** Michael Buckley, author of “Sister Grimm’s Fairy Tale Detectives,” visited the Long Branch Middle School Nov. 16 to speak to sixth-grade students about his career and the various jobs he held before he became a writer. ***** Long Branch native Leslie Morris, who grew up in Seaview Manor, will be hosting a book signing on Dec. 17 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Branches in West Long Branch for her book, “How Ya Like Me Now.” In the book, Morris chronicles the good, bad and ugly of her life’s journey and the close-knit black community of Long Branch’s public housing projects. For more information, go to www.howyalikemenow.com. ***** During the holiday season and in the spirit of giving, employees and employers are reminded to consider using established leave donation programs to assist those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The “leave donation” program provides employees with a way to help Hurricane Katrina victims without needing to make a cash contribution. For more information, visit the Web site www.irs.gov and type “leave donation program” in the keyword search feature. ***** Four-hundred generous people attended the 10th annual Holiday Express Dinner Dance held Nov. 17 at the Ocean Place Resort & Spa in Long Branch. Attendees were treated to an evening of dancing and entertainment to help raise money for Holiday Express. An estimated $80,000 was raised to support the mission of the nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that delivers music, food, gifts, financial support and friendship to those in need of the gift of human kindness during the holiday season and throughout the year. For more information, visit www.holidayexpress.org