🍕Slice in Monmouth Campaign!!

Together With

Good morning Monmouth County! A little PSA this morning. Our last issue went to some people’s “Promotions” folder for some reason. If you want to ensure Monmouth Buzz or any e-mail you love isn’t jettisoned to the nether regions of the interwebs, you can follow these instructions for “safelisting.”

Today’s Buzz 🐝 

💡 JCP&L Reliability Improvements

👸 Princess Brunch

💃 Salsa & Bachata Lessons

🥊 Fight For James Bitzer

🍕 Slice of Monmouth Campaign

🥃 Maker’s Mark Cocktail Class

🎨 Fun with Abstract Painting Class

🎭️ That’s Love-The Dorothy Dandridge Musical

🎭️ Samantha Inside Out

🎶 Immortal Technique at House of Independents

🏀 Brookdale Women’s Basketball

🌊 Ocean Temp/Tides

📰 NEWS

💡 JCP&L Reliability Improvements

Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), is nearing completion on a major $30 million infrastructure project designed to reinforce the local power grid in northern Monmouth County. Part of the broader Energize365 long-term investment program, this initiative modernizes equipment originally installed in the 1970s to provide a sturdier foundation for the energy needs of nearly 25,000 homes and businesses across Marlboro, Holmdel, Matawan, Aberdeen, and Middletown. Key upgrades include replacing 10 miles of power lines with stronger, modern wire and installing durable new poles made of wood, steel, and wood-laminated structures. By adding a second set of lines, JCP&L is effectively upgrading the system from a "two-lane road to a four-lane highway," creating redundant pathways that allow the grid to bypass faults and restore service faster. Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy’s President of New Jersey, emphasized that these improvements—expected to be finished this spring—will create a more resilient system capable of withstanding severe storms while supporting regional growth. This project is a snapshot of FirstEnergy's massive $28 billion commitment through 2029 to build a smarter grid for its 1.2 million customers across the state.

🥊 Fight For James Bitzer

The GoFundMe for 6 year old James Bitzer has raised over $20,000 in just the last couple weeks. We’re going to keep this up to encourage as many as we can and to show the Bitzer’s they’re not alone.

The link to the GoFundMe is below and has more information about James and the clinical trial.

🥳 FAMILY FUN!

Princess Brunch | 2/16 10 am – 1 pm | McLoone's Pier House-Pier Village (Long Branch) | info

Presidents Day Art Camp | 2/16 10 am – 1 pm | Inspired Minds (Colts Neck) | info

Presidents Day Deal and Extended Play at iPlay America | 2/16–2/19 11 am – 9 pm | iPlay America (Freehold) | info

📍 LOCAL EVENTS

Salsa & Bachata Lessons | 2/16 7:00 pm | House of Independents (Asbury Park) | info

Wall 2026 AARP Tax-Aide | 2/17 1 pm – 4 pm | Wall Library (Wall) | info

Blood & Platelet Drive | 2/17 11:30 am – 5:30 pm | Bradley Beach Fire Department (Bradley Beach) | info

Learn to Play Duplicate Bridge | 2/18 12 pm – 4:45 pm | Manalapan Library (Manalapan) | info

Marlboro 2026 AARP Tax-Aide | 2/18, 2/19 10 am – 2:30 pm | Marlboro Library (Marlboro) | info

Business Made Social-Monthly Business Card Exchange | 2/18 6 pm – 8 pm | St. Laurent Social Club (Asbury Park) | info

Shrewsbury 2026 AARP Tax-Aide | 2/19 9 am – 5 pm | Shrewsbury Library (Shrewsbury) | info

Learn to Play Bridge | 2/19 9:30 am – 12 pm | Shrewsbury Library (Shrewsbury) | info

Social Dance Club | 2/19 12 pm – 1:30 pm | Manalapan Library (Manalapan) | info

🍔 FOOD & 🍹 DRINK

 🍕 SLICE IN MONMOUTH CAMPAIGN

Monmouth County has officially staked its claim as the culinary epicenter of the Garden State after the County Commissioners formally proclaimed it the "Pizza Capital of New Jersey" this month. To celebrate this distinction, officials launched the "Slice of Monmouth" campaign, a year-long initiative designed to showcase the staggering diversity and quality of the more than 230 pizzerias that call the county home. The campaign kicked off with a tribute to the legendary Federici’s Family Restaurant in Freehold, a century-old institution that exemplifies the thin-crust tradition synonymous with the region. By highlighting everything from historic coal-fired landmarks to innovative new-school artisanal shops, the county aims to drive local tourism and support the small businesses that have turned Monmouth into a premier destination for pizza enthusiasts nationwide.

Pet Bed Workshop at Beach Haus | 2/16 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm | Beach Haus Brewery (Belmar) | info

Tears in the Walk-in: Industry Night | 2/16 6:00 pm | Asbury Lanes (Asbury Park) | info

Sip & Paint | 2/17 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm | Beach Bee Meadery (Long Branch) | info

Summer House Watch Party with Remi | 2/17 7:00 pm | Asbury Park Brewery (Asbury Park) | info

Maslenitsa Celebration: Blin & Cocktail Pairing | 2/17 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm | 3BR Distillery (Keyport) | info

Bell Works Fresh | 2/18 11:00 am – 4:00 pm | Bell Works (Holmdel) | info

Chinese New Year Celebration Cooking Class | 2/18 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Taste & Technique (Fair Haven) | info

Galentine's Espresso Martini & Pasta Flight | 2/18 6:30 pm | The Black Swan (Asbury Park) | info

Maker's Mark Cocktail Class | 2/19 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm | The Asbury Hotel (Asbury Park) | info

Vines & Vinyl: Love is in the Air (Wine Tasting & Listening Party) | 2/19 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Homesick & Lovesick (Asbury Park) | info

🎨 ART, HISTORY & EDUCATION

📚️ History of President’s Day

Presidents Day originated as a tribute to George Washington, whose February 22 birthday became an official federal holiday in 1879, marking the first time a specific individual's birth was celebrated on the national calendar. The holiday's character changed significantly with the passage of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, which shifted the observation to the third Monday in February to create more three-day weekends for the American workforce. While the federal government still technically recognizes the day as "Washington's Birthday," the move strategically placed it between the birthdays of Washington and Abraham Lincoln, leading to the popular "Presidents Day" moniker adopted by retailers and the general public by the mid-1980s. Today, the holiday has evolved into a broader celebration that honors the legacy of all 47 individuals who have held the nation’s highest office, serving as both a patriotic milestone and a prominent fixture in the American retail calendar.

Pop Surrealism: From the James and Maureen Dorment Collection | 2/16–3/20 M-F 10 am – 5 pm | DiMattio Gallery (W. Long Branch) | info

Meant to Be Exhibition | 2/16–2/27 M/W/Th/F 8 am – 4 pm, T 8 am – 9 pm | Middletown Arts Center (Middletown) | info

Narwhar: Revealing an Arctic Legend | 2/17–3/1 10 am – 4 pm | Monmouth Museum (Lincroft) | info

Nina Nemeth: Shared Spaced Exhibit | 2/17–3/1 10 am – 4 pm | Monmouth Museum (Lincroft) | info

Whispers on the Water: Images of Coastal Regions | 2/17–2/21 9 am – 9 pm | Shrewsbury Library (Shrewsbury) | info

Freedom's Battleground: A Traveling Exhibit of MonmouthNJ 250 Celebration | 2/17–2/20 9 am – 9 pm | Shrewsbury Library (Shrewsbury) | info

Mosquitoes All Year Round | 2/17 12 pm – 1 pm | Manalapan Library (Manalapan) | info

Praise & Paint | 2/17 2:00 pm | Sun Moon Studio (Keyport) | info

Between the Strings: An Evening of Books & Ballads | 2/17 6:00 pm | Talula's (Asbury Park) | info

Vintage Angel-Large Ornaments Class | 2/17 6 pm – 9 pm | Sun Moon Studio (Keyport) | info

Intro to Gel Printing Class | 2/18 6 pm – 8 pm | Sun Moon Studio (Keyport) | info

Fun with Abstract Painting Class | 2/18 6 pm – 8 pm | Over the Moon Art Studios (Asbury Park) | info

Perspective Drawing Class | 2/19 2 pm – 3:30 pm | Sun Moon Studio (Keyport) | info

Suminagashi: Japanese Water Marbling Class | 2/19 6 pm – 8 pm | Over the Moon Art Studios (Asbury Park) | info

🎭️ THEATER, CINEMA & COMEDY

Heightened Scrutiny (Cinema) | 2/16 6 pm | Great Hall Auditorium (W. Long Branch) | info

Creed (Cinema) | 2/18 7:00 pm | Basie Center Cinemas (Red Bank) | info

That's Love-The Dorothy Dandridge Musical | 2/19 7 pm | Axelrod PAC (Deal) | info

Samantha Inside Out | 2/19 7 pm | NJ Repertory Company (Long Branch) | info

National Theater Live: Life of Pi (Broadcast in HD) | 2/19 7 pm | Pollak Theater (W. Long Branch) | info

Laugh Lab at Brookdale | 2/19 7 pm | Brookdale PAC (Lincroft) | info

 🎸 LIVE MUSIC 🎙️ 

Jazz Arts Jam Sessions | 2/16 6 pm – 8 pm | Triumph Brewery (Red Bank) | info

Dinosaur Pile-Up | 2/18 7 pm | The Wonder Bar (Asbury Park) | info

Immortal Technique | 2/19 7:00 pm | House of Independents (Asbury Park) | info

Open Mic | 2/19 7 pm – 9 pm | Sun Moon Studio (Keyport) | info

 🏀 SPORTS & FITNESS 🏃‍♂️

Brookdale Women’s Basketball vs Northampton CC | 2/16 6pm | Brookdale CC (Lincroft) | info

Monmouth U. Men's LAX vs Wagner | 2/17 2:30 pm | Monmouth U. (W. Long Branch) | info

🌊 ☀️ BEACH

Asbury Park - Ocean Temp. 35°F 

Mon 2/16: Low 12:01am | High 6:21am | Low 12:38pm | High 6:44pm | Sunrise 6:49am | Sunset 5:33pm

Tue 2/17: Low 12:46am | High 6:58am | Low 1:17pm | High 7:21pm | Sunrise 6:48am | Sunset 5:34pm

Wed 2/18: Low 1:29am | High 7:36am | Low 1:55pm | High 7:58pm | Sunrise 6:46am | Sunset 5:35pm

Thu 2/19: Low 2:11am | High 8:14am | Low 2:31pm | High 8:46pm | Sunrise 6:43am | Sunset 5:36pm