Briefs: NJ Transit Summer Savings, Falcon Chicks Hatch

NJ Transit Holiday Schedule, Summer Savings

On Memorial Day trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on all lines.  Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule.  River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule.  Bus schedules vary by route. Visit njtransit.com for schedule information.

NJ Transit is also offering discounted travel packages to the Jersey Shore, Six Flags Great Adventure and Monmouth Park. The Family Super Saver Fare allows two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult on weekends.  For the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the program will be in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday.

• Beach Packages:  Customers can save up to $6.50 on admission to one of five beaches— Long Branch, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach and Belmar—by purchasing round-trip train fare and a beach pass for one price at NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machines (choose “Special Promotions” and select “Beach Package”) or at ticket windows.  Customers can purchase the package for $31.50 from New York Penn Station or any station on the Main, Bergen County or Pascack Valley lines (except from Metro-North stations), and for $23.50 from Hoboken Terminal or Newark Penn Station.
• Six Flags Great Adventure or Hurricane Harbor:  Save up to $37 by purchasing round-trip bus transportation and park admission together.  NJ Transit provides express bus service to Six Flags from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, Newark Penn Station, Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal and the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden.
• Monmouth Park:  Board a train anywhere on NJ Transit's rail system and save $6.00 when you travel to Monmouth Park Racetrack.  Purchase a round-trip package to Monmouth Park from NJ Transit ticket vending machines (choose “Special Promotions” and select “Monmouth Park”) or at ticket windows, and receive Grandstand Admission and an official track program for $1 plus round-trip train fare.

 
For details on NJ Transit’s Summer Services and customer discounts, visit njtransit.com/summer.

Brayton School Celebrates Brain Month

Students at Brayton School in Summit celebrated Brain Awareness Month in March. A Neuroscience Fair was held the evening of March 31 to mark the closing of Brain Month and to exhibit to parents and other guests what the students had learned. The fair, which focused on topics related to the brain, was coordinated by Principal Dr. Cheryl Moretz and teacher Matthew Stanbro and was open for participation to third, fourth, and fifth graders. The students created their own research questions, designed experiments, and through the scientific process reached conclusions. Exhibits of their experiments were on display at the fair.

Recycle Hazardous Waste in June
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 11 at the Alcatel-Lucent Technologies facility located at 600 Mountain Avenue in New Providence. The recycling event will collect outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner. Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required. There is a limit of eight automobile tires (without rims) per household. This is a household recycling event. No businesses allowed.

Peregrine Chicks Hatch at County Courthouse
Three tiny chicks have been hatched by a pair of Peregrine falcons nesting atop the Union County Courthouse Tower. The chicks appear healthy and are about three and a half weeks old, according to a county news release. Peregrine falcons have been living on the courthouse tower for at least six years. They had originally attempted to build nests around the tower, but failed, prompting the county and state Department of Environmental Protection to erect a nest in 2006.

Peregrine falcons are crow-sized predatory birds and are an endangered species, according to state wildlife officials. They are often stated to be the fastest animal on the planet in its hunting dive, the stoop, which involves soaring to a great height and then diving steeply at speeds commonly said to be over 200mph. The falcons traditionally have nested on cliff faces and rocky outcrops, but as these habitats vanished, the birds turned to high buildings and bridges to build their homes. In the 1960s and '70s there was a steep decline in numbers, some believe from the widespread use of DDT, officials said. Since the pesticide was banned, there seems to have been a slow increase in their numbers. State officials estimate that there are only 25 known pairs in New Jersey.

College Financial Planning
Complete College Planning Solutions will be holding a free community workshop for parents of college-bound high school students on strategies for maximizing your family’s college financial aid and lowering your out-of-pocket costs. This workshop will be held at 7:30 pm June 9 in the Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Ave.