The South Old Bridge Volunteer Fire Company is proud to announce its upcoming Fire Department Open House *Saturday, October 11 from 10am-2pm 958 Englishtown Road.
*Open House on Sunday, October 12 from 10am-2pm at 14 Throckmorton Lane.
This free, family-friendly event is open to the entire community and aims to promote fire safety awareness while offering a behind-the-scenes look at local fire service operations.
Guests will have the opportunity to tour the fire station, view fire trucks and specialized equipment, and meet the fire-
fighters who serve and protect the community. The open house will feature live demonstrations, fire safety presentations, and interactive activities designed for all ages. Children will enjoy hands-on experiences such as the getting dressed, while adults can take home valuable fire prevention resources.
“With the open house, we want
to strengthen our connection with the community while providing important education about fire prevention and emergency preparedness,” said Joseph Frizalone, Fire Chief of South Old Bridge Volunteer Fire Company. “This is a chance for residents to engage directly with their fire department in a positive, family-oriented setting.”
10TH ANNUAL PET-A-PALOOZA EVENT
October is Subaru Loves Pets Month, and All American Subaru is thrilled to celebrate the 10th Annual Pet-A-Palooza adoption event! Partnering with Sammy’s Hope Animal Welfare and Adoption Center of Sayre-
ville, this special day has helped hundreds of pets find loving forever homes over the past decade.
Join us on Saturday, October 18th from 11AM – 3PM in the All American Subaru showroom for our milestone celebration, filled with fun for the whole family. The event will feature adoptable pets making their grand entrance on the red carpet, complete with announcements of their age, breed, and fun details. Nikki’s
Dawgs food truck will be on-site serving food, and local vendors and adoption agencies will be out in full support of animal rescue and raising awareness for these incredible organizations.
The day will end with the fan-favorite Cutest Pet Costume Contest, hosted by NJ101.5, where furry friends show off their most adorable outfits.
For 10 incredible years, Pet-APalooza at All American Subaru has been more than just an adoption event—it’s been a community tradition. We can’t wait to celebrate with you on October 18th!
MESSAGE BY MAYOR WALKER
Dear Old Bridge Residents,
Welcome to Fall! October will be an exciting month for Old Bridge residents as we begin to celebrate and join in on harvest events and activities. I would like to start off by wishing our local athletes the best of luck as they begin to start off a new season. Thank you for representing Old Bridge and making us Old Bridge proud.
A special fall paper shredding event will be held on Friday, October 10th for Township residents. This event is being held at 2 locations: Cheesequake Village from 10am -11am, and the Old Bridge Recycling Center from 12pm -3pm. Only confidential documents will be accepted with a maximum of two boxes per car. Visit OldBridge.com/Recycling for more information.
The Recycling Department will conduct a Fall TV Collection in all township wards. TVs will be picked up in Wards 1, 2 and 3 on Tuesday, October 21st, and in Wards 4, 5, and 6 on Thursday, October 23rd. TVs
must be placed at the curb the night before your scheduled pick up. This service is by appointment only. To schedule a pickup, please contact the Recycling Department by calling 732-721-5600 ext. 6107 or email recycling@oldbridge.com.
As a reminder, Election Day is on Tuesday, November 4th. Polls will be open from 6am until 8pm. Early Voting will take place on Saturday, October 25th through Sunday, November 2nd at the Richard Cooper Civic Center located at 1 Old Bridge Plaza. The hours of operation will be Monday through Saturday, 10am –8pm, and Sunday, 10am – 6pm. The last day to register to vote for the general election is Tuesday, October 14th. Forms can be obtained at the Municipal Clerk’s Office. Please call 732-721-5600 ext. 2200.
I hope to see you around town cheering on one of our sports teams, enjoying our many delicious restaurants, or at one of our upcoming events. Have a healthy and happy Halloween.
Mayor Debbie Walker
Debbie Walker
SAVE YOUR VACATION
FAMILY MATTERS
We all have a story.
We were a young family with two children. We each had 2 weeks of vacation and sick days from our jobs. Each year, we would split the days the kids were off from school. We would ask friends, family, and neighbors for coverage. Summer
we had to juggle who was going to watch them on those random days off. If 10 days went to childcare, what was left afterwards?
The time with their grandparents was priceless. Family vacations were memorable, but the rest of the days, being shuffled around or home watching TV were…eh.
That’s when the concept started to formulate. A TRIP-A-DAY, an ADVENTURE, a MOMENT of CHILDHOOD to be remembered.
We needed childcare, but couldn’t keep taking days off. We couldn’t keep asking favors from family and friends. We needed childcare, but wanted to use our time for VACATION.
EPIC DAYZ is childcare- with a twist. Our staff are CPR certified, insured caregivers who are from a community of people that work with kids and love watching them discover things.
We created EPIC DAYZ as a program that has a TRIP for every day. We have a 1:6 ratio of Adventure Guides to children, with Adventure Coordinators that oversee all. Our goal is to make these days count for your child.
Our program is not for everyone, yet everyone is welcome. It is not by town nor district, it is by volume. We have limited spaces of 200 children per location.
camp, winter and spring break helped, but nearly every month Visit us at www.epicdayz.com.
EPIC DAYZ, it is Epic for the children and E-Z for the parents.
As the calendar turns to fall, we reflect on the moments that made summer so special—family barbecues, beach trips, and those cherished visits with loved ones. For many of our residents here at Reformed Church Home, summer brought the joy of seeing relatives in person—whether it was sharing a meal in our dining room, attending a community event together, or simply sitting and talking in the garden. These visits fill our hearts and our halls with warmth, laughter, and connection. But once the last guests head home and daily routines return, it’s important to find ways to keep that closeness alive all year long.
1. Keep the Conversation Going
2. Share Updates and Photos
3. Take Advantage of Our Newsletters
4. Write It Down
5. Plan the Next Visit
Even if it’s months away, having the next visit on the calendar gives everyone something to look forward to. It also helps keep communication flowing in the meantime.
At Reformed Church Home, we believe family connection is the heart of well-being. Staying in sync after summer visits isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about consistent, thoughtful moments that keep relationships strong. Visit our facebook page for additional articles and upcoming events
ORTHOPEDIC CARE
that puts you on the fast track to recovery.
Tailored treatment plans for bone and joint injuries. That’s how healthy happens.
IT’S SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH: WE
ARE HERE TO GIVE
HELP AND HOPE TO THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING
Across our state and nation, many are fighting a silent battle. Mental health conditions don't discriminate. They affect our neighbors, colleagues, relatives and us. For too many, darkness can creep in, eclipsing the notion of a better tomorrow.
This is Suicide Prevention Month, an opportune time to have open, honest conversations about mental health and reaffirm our commitment to saving lives.
According to the NJ State Health Assessment Data (SHAD), suicide is the 10th leading cause of death nationwide and the 13th leading cause of death in New Jersey. Additionally, it is the second leading cause of death in New Jersey for young people ages 10 to 34 years old.
Millions of people across the U.S. have seriously thought about suicide. They are people who are hurting and feel they have run out of options.
To anyone who is struggling with
thoughts of self-harm, know this: there is hope, and there is help. I want you to know that your life has immense value, and the despair you may be feeling right now may be clouding your ability to see yourself overriding this moment and living a fulfilling life. Perhaps you feel that you don’t know where to start, and online searches might be leaving you overwhelmed.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is an act of profound strength. The first step is often the hardest, but it is a step toward healing.
At Old Bridge Medical Center, and across Hackensack Meridian Health, we know that recovery is not one-size-fits-all. For many, the powerful combination of talk therapy and medication can provide immense relief and teach coping skills. For individuals with more acute depression, we offer highly effective therapies like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), which many describe as life-changing.
Dr. Arunesh Mishra, chair of psychiatry at Old Bridge and Raritan Bay Medical Centers, says: “It's crucial we recognize
suicide for what it is: a national public health crisis. The pain you're experiencing is real, but the story your mind is telling you—that it will never end—is not. With effective treatment, you can and will get better.”
Please join us in the Behavioral Health Walk on Saturday, September 27 at 9 a.m. at Bayview Park, 250 Water Street in Perth Amboy. It’s a way to raise awareness and show support for mental health.
How do you distinguish being down from a more serious condition that should be evaluated by a clinician?
Signs include (but are not limited to) wanting to die; researching ways to die by suicide; feeling you’re a burden; feeling hopeless; cutting off social connections; and turning to drugs or alcohol.
If you know someone who may be in a mental health crisis, don’t hesitate to share your concern in a nonjudgmental way. Listen to what they say, ask if they are thinking about suicide (contrary to a common perception, asking does not raise the possibility that they will act on it), help connect them with mental health resources, and check back with them.
Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center
Perth Amboy: 530 New Brunswick Ave, Perth Amboy
Hackensack Meridian Old Bridge Medical Center Old Bridge: 1 Hospital Plaza, Old Bridge
It can be uncomfortable to talk about suicide, but by doing so will we chip away at the stigma and address it as a preventable tragedy for which there are many resources and health providers ready and committed to helping. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of resources. If you are in immediate danger of acting on suicidal thoughts or are in any other life-threatening crisis, call 911 for emergency services or go to your nearest emergency room. Old Bridge Medical Center’s Emergency Department has crisis counselors who conduct evaluations.
Patricia Carroll, President, Chief Hospital Executive, Hackensack Meridian Old Bridge and Raritan Bay Medical Centers.
IS THE SAT CALCULATOR FAIR?
By Paul Pscolka
When the digital SAT was released, it came with an embedded Desmos calculator. Some educators welcome the tool— after all, in the age of technology, today’s students who will be most successful in their careers will know how to take best advantage of technology. Others disagree, though, citing the plethora of Desmos’ capabilities that enable students to solve problems without a conceptual understanding.
What specifically do I mean?
Students learn how to do systems of equations in algebra 2, which involves either eliminating one of 2 variables in two equations or isolating one and substituting in for the other to solve. With Desmos, students could just type each equation and hover over the intersection point. Desmos displays the solution.
If students must find the y-intercept given 2 coordinates, a by-hand solution would require (y2-y1)/(x2-x1) , then plugging the newfound slope, along with one of the coordinates into y=mx+b to solve. This is
time-consuming and allows much room for error. In Desmos, clicking the +, choosing the table, plugging in coordinates, and clicking on the / will allow students to solve without doing any math.
There are many other uses for Desmos: If students are solving for a single variable, they need only to use the ~ instead of = to solve. Desmos will find the mean or median by just typing mean(1,8,3) or median(7,3,8), for example. In a single equation, the x intercept(s) is(are) the solution. Students can type percents directly into Desmos without knowing the conversion to decimals. Solving for coordinates given an equation only requires students to type in the equation, to click on the gear, and to choose the table. Students can solve for equivalent equations simply by graphing to see which answer choice overlaps. These are not all the uses for Desmos.
Whatever your view on Desmos, to maximize your score, it is important to know how to use it to best advantage. Wanna learn? Join me for our student workshop: https://www.ivymasters.com/services/ free-student-workshops/
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