CRANFORD – In colleges and universities nationwide, basketball teams are promoting and supporting breast cancer awareness during the month of February. Union County College is participating and is hosting a “Play 4Kay Breast Cancer Awareness” event. Both teams will be selling Breast Cancer Awareness bracelets for $3 each. All proceeds from the bracelet sale will be donated to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against women’s cancers through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved and unifying people for a common cause.

The Men’s Basketball team will wear pink during their home game on Feb. 14, against Gloucester. The game will begin at 7 p.m. The Women’s team, the Lady Owls, will wear pink during their home game on Feb. 21, against ASA. The game will begin at 6 p.m.

Bracelets will be on sale at both games. Entrance to the games is free. The college’s gym is located on the Cranford campus at 1033 Springfield Avenue. Parking is also free.

Cristina Jordan

EDISON — Middlesex County College’s Cristina Jordan of Woodbridge was selected as the NJCAA Women’s Basketball Division III Player of the Week for games Jan. 30 – Feb. 5.

Jordan (5’ 11”) racked up double-doubles in three games last week as the Colts went 2-1. The sophomore put up 29 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in a 74-65 loss to Brookdale CC. As Middlesex routed Sussex CCC, Jordan registered 23 points and 19 rebounds. Jordan closed out the week with 16 points and 15 rebounds in the Colts’ 88-72 win over Camden CC. Middlesex and Jordan will be at Bergen CC Thursday and will host Gloucester CC.

Earlier this week, Jordan was selected as the Garden State Athletic Conference Female Player of the Week.

ELIZABETH — Benedictine Academy Basketball Coach Mike Jones picked up his 100th victory recently when his team defeated Roselle Park High School on Jan. 26. Jones, who is also athletic director at Benedictine Academy, was honored at a pep rally at the all-female Catholic college prep high school on Feb. 2. Jones (right) is pictured with Benedictine Academy Principal Kenneth Jennings, who presented Jones with a trophy marking his 100 wins. Benedictine Academy plays in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference. (Photo courtesy of Benedictine Academy)

NEWARK—Get a “Ticket to Ride” with the New Jersey Devils for their evening tribute to the Beatles at Prudential Center on Feb. 9 when the team faces off against the St. Louis Blues at 7 p.m.

Throughout the evening, fans will be treated to live performances by The Return: A Beatles Tribute Band. The band will perform the National Anthem, as well as sets during both intermissions. The Return perform a song list packed with all the Beatles classics people love. From their Cavern Club days in their hometown of Liverpool to their last concert together at Candlestick Park in 1966, the Return is the closest you can get to a real Beatles show.

In addition, all throughout the game all contests including ‘Who Am I?’ and Beatles history trivia, video tributes, “Twist and Shout” fan cam, prize packs and Devils dancers’ performances be themed around the iconic rock group. A special package is available for the evening that includes a ticket to the game, hot dog and medium soda all for $30 (box office ticket $52).

For more information and to get tickets, visit www.newjerseydevils.com/beatles or call 1-973-757-6250.

EDISON — “Pink Day,” a program in which the Middlesex County College and Ocean County College basketball teams supported breast cancer awareness, was held at Middlesex on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The men’s and women’s teams from both schools wore pink warmup t-shirts and wristbands and members of the Middlesex women’s team and softball squad held a bake sale and collected donations for cancer research. The program was part of “Pink Zone,” a national effort to raise awareness and funds, organized by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

Before the women’s game, Gabriela Jurick (Avenel), a cancer survivor and the physical education coordinator at Middlesex, officiated at a ceremonial tipoff. The Ocean women won their game 74-59; the Middlesex men took their contest 68-59.

From left: Ellen Strong and Donna Makris, nurse educators from St. Peter’s University Hospital, speak with basketball point guard Samantha Miranda (Perth Amboy) and softball player Racheal Wernoch (Woodbridge).

From left: Liz Lawler, from Ocean County College; Carey Monkowski, assistant athletic director at Middlesex; Ms. Jurick; Middlesex County College President Joann La Perla-Morales; and Cristina Jordan (Woodbridge) from Middlesex. Before the game, players from the Middlesex softball and both Middlesex and Ocean women’s basketball teams learned about breast cancer awareness.

EDISON — Middlesex County College basketball player Cristina Jordan (Woodbridge) was named the Garden State Athletic Conference Female Player of the Week, for the week that ended Feb. 4. The 5’11 center averaged 22.6 points per game and 15.6 rebounds as the Colts went 2-1. She scored 29 points and grabbed 13 boards in a 74-65 loss against defending Region XIX champion Brookdale Community College; she had 23 points and 19 rebounds in an 89-40 win vs. Sussex; and she ended the week with 16 points and 15 rebounds against Camden, an 88-72 win. The Middlesex record is now 12-9. (Photo courtesy of Middlesex County College)

STATE — PATH will provide additional midday train service to the World Trade Center Station, one block away from the parade route, for tomorrow’s Giants’ victory parade. The ticker-tape celebration is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on lower Broadway.

PATH will extend morning rush-hour service on the Newark-to-World Trade Center and Hoboken-to-World Trade Center routes from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On the Newark-to-World Trade Center route, trains will run approximately every 5 minutes during the midday period, compared to every 15 minutes during a normal schedule. On the Hoboken-to-World Trade Center route, trains will run every 6 minutes during the midday period, compared to every 12 minutes during a normal schedule.

Additional Port Authority Police and PATH customer service personnel will be in PATH stations and at the World Trade Center Station to assist passengers.

Mr. Vinci’s Algebra II students work on a warm-up (Do Now) exercise for HSPA. (Photo courtesy of Rahway High School)

RAHWAY — On March 6, 7, and 8, juniors at Rahway High School and throughout New Jersey will take the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) which measures the knowledge and skills needed to be able to be a productive citizen and to succeed on the job, in college, or in the military. Students are required to pass the HSPA to graduate from high school. Freshmen and sophomores take another test that predicts how likely it is that they will pass the HSPA as juniors.

Art students have contributed to motivating HSPA test takers by creating an attractive banner. (Photo courtesy of Rahway High School)

To help students prepare for this testing, Rahway has instituted a number of practices. Students are being instructed in small-group tutorial sessions once a week. Mathematics teachers start each class with a warm-up (Do Now) problem that emphasizes an HSPA skill. Science teachers focus on data analysis activities similar to what the HSPA contains. Math Club members are creating HSPA posters for bulletin boards, and the broadcast journalism class (Kudos) is making commercials to appeal to students’ minds and hearts in the days immediately before the test. Even art students have helped out by creating a motivational banner. Finally, on the day on which students take the test, they will start their day with a school-provided breakfast.

KENILWORTH – Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella, KemperSports, and the New Jersey State Golf Association announced that Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth will host the 2016 New Jersey State Open Golf Championship.

This will mark the first time in the tournament’s 91-year history that the New Jersey State Open will be played at a public facility. The New Jersey State Open, which was first played in 1921, is hosted by the New Jersey State Golf Association (NJSGA) and is open to both professional and amateur golfers.

“It is our pleasure and honor to be hosting this prestigious statewide event,” Mirabella said. “This is another example of the public-private partnership we have built that has transformed our golf operations into a state leader.”

Union County Manager Alfred Faella, who helped begin the transformation of Union County’s golf operations as Parks Director several years ago, agreed.

“The event brings great prominence and attention to our golf operations, and will raise awareness and generate business,” Faella said.

In preparation for the upcoming State Open, Union County has contracted world renowned golf course architect Rees Jones, nicknamed “The Open Doctor” for his work on U.S. Open courses such as Bethpage State Park’s Black Course, to update Galloping Hill Golf Course. Jones will make minor adjustments to the golf course design, including improvements to the greens, bunkers and tee boxes.

Designed by Willard Wilkinson, Galloping Hill Golf Course opened in 1928 and represents one of Wilkinson’s original designs. Early in his career, Wilkinson spent time working with legendary golf course architects A.W. Tillinghast and Donald Ross, best known for their work on major championship golf courses, before establishing his own golf course design firm in 1924. Galloping Hill Golf Course has been characterized by its natural terrain of rolling hills and valleys, often referred to as “The Hill”, and has a reputation as one of the most challenging courses in its area. Galloping Hill’s 18-hole par 71 golf course spans 6,717 yards from its championship tees.

In 2009, the County of Union signed a management contract with KemperSports, a leading golf course management company based in Northbrook, Ill., to manage the golf facilities in Union County, N.J. Through its partnership, Union County and KemperSports have established a dramatic multi-million dollar renovation project to Galloping Hill Golf Course which consists of a new 45,000 square-foot clubhouse, TaylorMade Performance Lab, a 50-stall driving range and a 40,000 square-foot practice facility which features chipping greens, putting greens, practice bunkers and a 9-hole practice course.

“We are honored that Galloping Hill Golf Course has been selected to host the New Jersey State Open,” said Steve Skinner, CEO of KemperSports. “Union County is very committed to promoting and improving public golf in New Jersey and the selection of Galloping Hill Golf Course for the 2016 New Jersey State Open is a true testimony to their dedication.”

The New Jersey State Golf Association was founded in 1900 and is the second oldest state golf association in the United States. “With the growth of public golf in recent years, and the popularity of national championships being held at public courses, we felt that we had a tremendous opportunity to work with Galloping Hill in 2016. With the anticipated improvements to the golf course by Rees Jones, and the vision from Union County and KemperSports, we will have a committed team of people to create a memorable and successful championship”, said Steve Foehl, Executive Director of the NJSGA. “The NJSGA is excited about the event.”

EDISON — Students in Lee Nicholls’ fourth grade physical education class at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School offered a preview of Sunday’s big game. The “Giants” prevailed by a 12-6 score. The “Patriots” nearly sent the game to overtime but a late interception sealed the victory for the “Giants.” Nicholls believes this result serves as an accurate prediction of the real game’s outcome. (Photo courtesy of Wardlaw-Hartridge School)