Announcements
Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls will be taking part in the 2013 Relay For Life. It is a fundraiser to help in the battle against cancer. On Wednesday, February 13, 2013, starting at 7:00pm, Monmouth Regional High School will host a Kickoff Party.
The school is located at 1 Norman J. Field Way, Tinton Falls, and they will have great speakers, fun giveaways, and valuable information for the 2013 Relay. The organizers will also announce the theme for this year!
To sign up your team or for any additional information, visit www.relayforlife.org/TintonFallsNJ.
If you have any questions/concerns, please contact Jen Hernandez at jennifer.hernandez@cancer.org.
Long Branch Public Schools and the Monmouth County Division of Employment & Training are hosting a clinic on “How to find a job in today’s market”. It will be held on January 31, 2013 from 5-7 pm at the Amerigo A. Anastasia School, 92 Seventh Ave., Long Branch, NJ 07740. Seating is limited. for additional information or to reserve your seat please call 732-229-7300, Ext. 41252
As part of its community outreach initiative, the Monmouth Vicinage’s Self-Help Resource Center will hold a series of workshops on court-related topics.
The seminars are conducted in conjunction with Ocean-Monmouth Legal Services and are held at the Monmouth County Courthouse, 71 Monument Park, Freehold.
The divorce seminars provide information on how to file for a divorce, which forms and documents must be submitted, what happens at the court hearing and what self-represented individuals can expect.
The support and custody seminars provide information on the filing process, the court appearance, enforcement and modification orders, custody and parenting time, child support guidelines and alimony, and the emancipation of children.
The expungement seminars provide information on the types of records that can be expunged, how to file for an expungement, what happens at the hearing and what to expect when representing oneself in court.
Sessions are free and open to the public. They are informational only, so individual cases cannot be discussed or resolved. Space is limited and reservations are necessary. To reserve space, call 732-677-4595 or email Monreservations@judiciary.state.nj.us.
Workshop: Divorce
Dates: Feb 7, April 11, June 6, Aug 8, Oct 10, December 12
Time: 10am to 12:30pm
Room: Jury Room L-2
Workshop: Support & Custoday
Dates: March 7, July 11, November 7
Time: 10am to 12:30pm
Room: Jury Room L-2
Workshop: Expungement
Dates: May 9, September 12
Time: 10am to 12:30pm
Room: Jury Room L-2
NEWARK – As consumers focus on post-holiday fitness and getting into better shape, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs today reminds everyone that health club operators are legally required to make certain disclosures to prospective members, as well as meet specified operating criteria.
“We hope everyone fulfills a New Year’s resolution to improve their health and want to remind anyone thinking about joining a health club to know their rights before signing a membership contract and making any payment,” said Eric T. Kanefsky, Acting Director of the State Division of Consumer Affairs. “Health clubs are required to register with our Regulated Business Section and our investigators check for compliance with our consumer protection regulations by health club operators.”
Those shopping for a health club should be aware of the following:
■Clubs must be registered and display the State-issued registration and State-issued statement of registration in a prominent location where consumers can see them;
■Consumers are entitled to a written contract that lists the consumer’s total payment obligation (fees+monthly payments+tax) on the first page of the contract;
■The contract must include a ‘Notice to Customer’ informing the consumer of his/her right to cancel the contract within three days after receiving a copy of the contract;
■If a health club facility is closed for a period longer than 30 days through no fault of the buyer of the health club services contract, the buyer is entitled to either extend the contract for a period equal to that during which the facility is closed or to receive a prorated refund of the amount paid by the buyer under the contract; and
■A club must allow cancellation of the contract by the consumer and provide a prorated refund if the consumer moves more than 25 miles from the health club or an affiliated health club offering the same or similar services, and may charge a fee not to exceed 10% of the total contract price.
Kanefsky noted that the Division received more than 70 consumer complaints about health clubs last year.
To learn more about consumers’ rights before signing a membership agreement, please read the Consumer Brief available here: www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/brief/healthclub.pdf.
Before joining a health club, check the Division’s website and verify that the club is registered. The list of currently registered health clubs can be viewed online at:
www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ocp/spa.pdf.
For more information, or to file a complaint, contact the Division via its web site, www.njconsumeraffairs.gov or call 1-800-242-5846 (toll-free within N.J.) or 973-504-6200.
Please note that “health clubs” do not include:
1.Basic aerobic and “dance exercise” centers operating on a scheduled lesson or hourly basis;
2.Children’s gyms (commercial play-spaces with trampolines and other gymnastic equipment) operating on a scheduled lesson or hourly basis;
3.Martial arts schools (for example, karate institutes);
4.Dancing schools (for example, ballet and jazz);
5.Gymnastic schools operating on a scheduled lesson or hourly basis;
6.Tanning salons (“sun studios”);
7.Weight control centers;
8.Metabolic and nutrition centers;
9.Other single sport centers (for example, swim clubs, tennis clubs and racquetball clubs); and
10.Health club facilities located in hotels, motels, condominiums, cooperatives, corporate offices or other business facilities and which charge fees comparable to other for-profit health clubs if usage is limited to guests, residents or employees at no charge or at nominal cost.
Consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file a complaint with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.
A FREE concert will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2013 starting at 2:00pm in the Long Branch High School Auditorium.
Oceanport Emergency Management, along with area OEM organizations, will be having a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course.
Course dates: January 26 & February 2, 2013 (Saturdays)
Time: 8am to 4pm
Location: The Sheraton in Eatontown (corner of Industrial Way East & Rt35N)
Please send an e-mail to OEM@oceanportboro.com if you would like to attend
FEMA is offering temporary shelter assistance to displaced residents, who can obtain vouchers to stay at participating hotels and motels. They must register by calling (800) 621-FEMA (3362) or visiting disasterassistance.gov.
Long Branch residents that need a hot meal, a ride to a shelter, have questions about what to do next are asked to call the Office of Emergency Management at 732-571-6575 
