Business Briefs

Ladies Workout Express, Romeo’s Plaza, 10 South New Prospect Road, Jackson, is celebrating its one-year anniversary now through Dec. 15. During this time visitors and members can bring a nonperishable food item to benefit the Jackson Women of Today and enjoy a free workout.

The facility is also a drop-off location for Toys for Tots. Between now and Dec. 13, anyone can drop off a new unwrapped toy for children from infant to 15 years of age for the holidays.

Ladies Workout Express is a 30-minute circuit training center that offers female-sized hydraulic equipment, personal training, zumba aerobics, yoga, tanning, facials and a program for teens. Owners Pat Witte and Lauren Masarik, both of Jackson, are offering no registration fees on all of their memberships and low monthly dues to celebrate the facilities one-year anniversary.

Colwood, Farmingdale, will hold an open house Nov. 19 from 4-7 p.m. for the opening of its factory outlet in the company’s new production facilities in Farmingdale, 44 Main St. The event will feature a brief introduction to the company’s products, and refreshments will be served. Colwood is a supplier of woodburning equipment and accessories, as well as wooden keepsakes and craft boxes. Walk-in store hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Millennium Eye Care and Genesis Eyewear Inc. will present a preview of the entire collection of Coach Eyewear and Sunwear, Nov. 30 from 3-9 p.m. at the Freehold Township location, 500 W. Main St. The event will feature prizes and discounts.

Sam’s Club will hold an open house, “Holiday Taste of Sam’s Club,” Nov. 19-21 at the Freehold Township store, 100 Trotters Way. The event will feature a preview of holiday items as well as samples of foods. Hours are Friday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nonmembers attending will be given a one-day guest pass to shop at Sam’s Club; a 10 percent service fee will apply to nonmember purchases.

In addition, for small business members only, during the hours of 7-10 a.m., there will be a preview of business gifts, catering options, food samples and office party merchandise.

ShopRite of Brick employees Chris Bednarski and Joe Myers of Howell are featured on special Cheerios box produced in honor of their store’s commitment to alleviating hunger. They were chosen through the ShopRite “Partners in Caring” program. The Cheerios boxes were unveiled Nov. 16 in a special ceremony at the ShopRite of Brick, 668 Route 70.

Bednarski and Myers are featured on a limited-edition Cheerios box that has been designed to honor hundreds of ShopRite associates who took part in a competition developed by ShopRite Partners in Caring and General Mills. Also featured on the box with 51 ShopRite associates is NASCAR Driver Jeff Green, who drives car No. 43.

ShopRite Partners in Caring is a charitable fund that donates $2 million annually to 1,400 charities throughout seven northeastern states.

ShopRite, ShopRite Partners in Caring, and General Mills teamed up for a weeklong competition in honor of National Hunger Awareness Day. The competition, which took place May 3 to June 5, challenged associates to design the most eye-catching displays that drew attention to National Hunger Awareness Day. Associates also promoted the Partners in Caring program throughout the store and raised more than $98,000 through $1 donation cards offered to customers at the cash register. The money went to the ShopRite Partners in Caring fund. In addition, General Mills offered ShopRite in Caring a $1 donation for every four select General Mills products purchased by customers up to $20,000. The 25 top performing stores were declared the winners and are among the recipients of the limited-edition Cheerios boxes featuring two store associates per store.

A total of 75,000 special edition Cheerios boxes have been distributed to ShopRite stores.

Josette Butehorn, branch manager of Weichert, Realtors Howell office, announced that two sales associates have been recognized for their industry achievements in the month of October.

Lillian Lehman led the office in listings. A member of Weichert’s Sales and Marketed Clubs, Lehman qualified for the New Jersey Association of Realtors 2003 Circle of Excellence Sales Club at the silver level. In addition, Lehman earned membership in Weichert’s President’s Club recognizing her in the top 1 percent of the company’s 13,500 sales associates.

Lisa Vaccaro led the office in sales and revenue. A member of Weichert Sales and Marketed Clubs, Vaccaro qualified for the New Jersey Association of Realtors 2003 Circle of Excellence Sales Club at the silver level. In addition, Vaccaro earned membership in Weichert’s Ambassador’s Club, recognizing her in the top 2 percent of the company’s 13,500 sales associates.

Bella Terra retirement community, 2 Kathleen Drive, Jackson, will host a free open house dessert buffet Nov. 23 from 1-3 p.m. The open house will include entertainment by Silk and Steel, door prizes and tours of model apartments in addition to the complimentary dessert buffet. Reservations are required for the buffet. Call (732) 730-9500 for reservations. The retirement community consists of independent living apartments, assisted living apartments and The Seasons, a specialized “memory care” program. Details: (732) 730-9500.

The Lakewood BlueClaws have added their name to the growing list of community leaders, elected officials, labor groups, environmental organizations and business groups that will “Say Yes to MOM.”

MOM is the acronym for the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex rail line that would run from Lakehurst in Ocean County through western Monmouth County to Monmouth Junction in southern Middlesex County.

Ocean County Freeholder Director James F. Lacey thanked the BlueClaws for their involvement in this project.

“MOM will be a key tool in fighting traffic congestion,” Lacey said. “The more people we can get to the park without having to drive, the better.”

The “Say Yes to MOM” coalition is a group of more than 30 federal, state and county elected officials, more than 15 municipalities, and more than 20 organizations representing business, labor and environmental interests throughout the state.

The coalition is urging NJ Transit to choose the Monmouth Junction route as the locally preferred alternative at the conclusion of the Draft Environmental Impact Study phase, which is currently under way.