Datebook

• A blood drive will be conducted by the Central Jersey Blood Center at Ocean Medical Center, 425 Jack Martin Blvd., Brick, Dec. 27, 5-8 p.m. Signature identification is required. Details: (732) 842-5750.

• A New Year’s Eve party hosted by Jackson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4703, 54 Magnolia Drive, Jackson, will take place Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. The cost of $25 per person includes dinner buffet, beverages, party favors, door prizes and DJ dancing until 1 a.m. Details and tickets: (732) 928-0077 or send an e-mail to Bechtel@optonline.net.

• The Central Jersey Italian Amer-ican Club, Christopher Columbus Boul-evard, Jackson, will host its annual New Year’s Eve party Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. The party will include food, entertainment, dancing and an open bar at a cost of $50 per person. Details: (732) 928-5094, (732) 370-3921, or (732) 370-9820.

• Ballroom dancing for adult couples will run every Friday from 7-8 p.m. Jan. 13 through Feb. 17 at the Howell recreation building, 251 Preventorium Road. The fee for the six-week program is $50. Registration will begin Jan. 2. Details: (732) 938-4500, ext. 2501.

• The Ocean County Coin Club will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Point Pleasant Beach firehouse on Arnold and St. Louis avenues in Point Pleasant Beach on the following dates: Jan. 5 (education night), Jan. 19 (coin auction night), Feb. 2 (education night), Feb. 16 (coin auction night), March 2 (education night) and March 16 (coin auction night). Education and coin auctions will take place at the meetings. Free admission. A free coin auction for juniors takes place at 6:45 p.m. Details: (732) 255-6911 or e-mail major@ameri-com.com.

• A “Drop-in Story Time” for children ages 3-6 will take place Jan. 7 and Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Jackson library, 2 Jackson Drive. Members of the Jackson Memorial High School Key Club will present the story time. Registration is not required. Details: (732) 928-4400.

• A blood drive will be held at CareOne at Jackson (formerly Jackson Health Care Center), 11 History Lane, Jan. 9 from 2-8 p.m. Call (732) 367-6600, ext. 112 for details and registration.

• A games and chess night for families will take place Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Jackson library, 2 Jackson Drive. Snacks will be provided. Attendees should bring their own games. For players in grade 4 through adult. Register at the children’s desk: (732) 928-4400., ext. 6.

• An origami interest group for those in grade 5 through adult will take place at the Jackson library, 2 Jackson Drive, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. Details: (732) 928-4400.

• The Lakewood Piners Toastmas-ters help people improve their listening, thinking and speaking skills. The next meetings of the club will be Jan. 10 and 24, Feb. 14 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lakewood municipal building, 231 Third Street. Visitors are welcome. Details: (732) 255-3312.

• “German Story Time,” a program of traditional stories, songs, crafts and dances in English and German, will be held at the Howell library, 318 Old Tavern Road, Jan. 10, 17, 24, and 31 from 4 to 4:45 p.m. For children in grades K-4. Details: (732) 938-2300.

• Seeing eye puppies will be at the Jackson library, 2 Jackson Drive, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. All ages are welcome to learn how the puppies are trained. Details: (732) 938-2300.

• A Parents Night Out, hosted by Howell’s Special Education Parent Advis-ory Council, will take place Jan. 27 from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at Woodlake Coun-try Club, 25 New Hampshire Ave., Lake-wood. The cost of $25 per person will include a sit-down dinner, dancing, gift basket auction, and live music. Details: (732) 901-1440. The deadline to register is Jan. 17.

• A writers group for all writers (published or not) who would like to share their work will meet at the Jackson library, 2 Jackson Drive, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. Details: (732) 928-4400 or www.jacksonwritersgroup.com.

• “Domestic Violence and Chil-dren,” a discussion of issues related to domestic violence and children, will be held at the Howell library, 318 Old Tavern Road at 7 p.m. Jan. 18. The free program will be presented by Ralph Hoffman of the Howell Community Alliance. Details: (732) 938-2300.

• Free bone density screenings will be offered by the Autoimmune Informa-tion Network, Jan. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at the American Legion Post 348 at 822 Mantoloking Rd., Brick, for all women at risk. Details: (732) 262-0450.

• “Bridget Jones Diary,” a book by Helen Fielding, will be discussed at the Howell library, 318 Old Tavern Road, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. Details: (732) 938-2300.

• A bereavement support group meets Wednesday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Kimball’s Center for Healthy Living, 198 Prospect St., Lake-wood. Call (732) 730-9112 for details and registration.

• The Mothers Center of the Jersey Shore is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization that offers many free and low-cost activities for children and their mothers in southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties. Contact (732) 449-3936 or www.mcjs.org for details and a free newsletter filled with activities.

• The Ocean County Senior Coor-dinating Council meets the first Tuesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. in the freeholder’s meeting room in the Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Ave. Toms River. The council serves as a liaison between the senior citizens of Ocean County and the Ocean County freeholders. Group membership fee: $15 per year; individual membership fee: $5 per year.

• Toughlove, a support group for parents of children whose behavior is unacceptable, meets at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday at Church of the Master, 110 Salem Hill Road, Howell. Details: (732) 536-9324 or (732) 431-1740.

Items for the Tri-Town News Datebook may be faxed to (732) 780-4192. Please submit items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.