Business Briefs

Six Flags Great Adventure will unveil a newly themed area April 2, Wiggles World, the park's fourth area devoted to children offering new pint-size adventures, rides and shows designed just for them.

Just next door at Six Flags Wild Safari, guests will take a one-of-a-kid journey in the all-new Wild Safari Exploration Station, featuring hands-on safari interactive adventures, a variety of educational animal shows and interactive science exhibits. In addition, visitors will be able to touch animals at the station.

Wiggles World will kick off with an opening celebration featuring nursery school students from Chesterbrook Academy performing their favorite Wiggles songs. The event will also include a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Jackson Mayor Mark Seda, welcoming the park's first guests to experience the new area.

Charles Weingroff of Jackson, a licensed physical therapist and certified athletic trainer who most recently worked with the Philadelphia 76ers, has joined CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township, as the lead therapist for the Rehabilitation Department's Sports Therapy Program. Sports physical therapy is a specialized area of physical therapy that concentrates on the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal athletic injuries to return active people to their maximum functional level.

Weingroff was the strength and conditioning coach/assistant athletic trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers from 2003-06. Previously, he was a physical therapist and athletic trainer in the National Basketball Association Developmental League. Weingroff is a competitive power lifter who specializes in athletic rehabilitation and sports performance.

Jazzercise, a dance-fitness program, recently honored local instructor Lisa Hogan with the Superstar award. Hogan is the franchised owner of Jazzer-cise of Jackson and New Egygt. At the Superstar award level, Hogan is one of the top money earners in the Jazzercise franchise operation. Hogan's sales contributed to Jazzercise Inc.'s record $76 million in system-wide sales in 2006.

Hogan, one of eight franchisees at the Superstar level in the New Jersey, Delaware and Northeast Maryland district, has been an instructor in the Jackson area for three years. Her adult Jazzercise and children's Junior Jazzer-cise classes are programmed locally through the Jackson Community School. In the past year she has also worked with the Jackson Department of Recreation with her Hip Hop for Tweens program, as well as the Plumsted Township Commun-ity Education, and local PTAs.

Lakewood Chamber of Commerce invites member and nonmembers to its general membership/industrial meeting to be held April 4 at the Ramada Inn and Suites, 2373 Route 9, Toms River. "Podcasting - Businesses' Hottest New Marketing Opportunity" will be presented by Larry Bailin. Networking will begin at 11:30 a.m. with lunch at noon. The cost is $30 for chamber members and $35 for nonmembers. A $5 charge will be added for walk-ins. Details and registration: (732) 363-0012.

The Ocean County Library, the American Library Association and Woman's Day magazine want to know how people in our community have used the library to start their small businesses. Every year more than 500,000 entrepreneurs start new businesses in the United States and many get the resources and support it takes to succeed at their local library. From now until May 10, women entrepreneurs over the age of 18 can tell their story in 700 words or less to womansday@ala.org. Four stories will be featured in the March 2008 issue of Woman's Day. The initiative is part of a program sponsored by Woman's Day magazine and the American Library Association's Campaign for America's Libraries, a multi-year public awareness and advocacy campaign designed to promote the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century. Ocean County Library is the largest public library system in New Jersey, with 21 locations throughout the county. Ocean County Library's Web site, www.oceancountylibrary.org, offers its customers information that is accessible from home or business. Electronic resources provide up-to-the-minute stock prices and business information along with national business directories, links to trade associations and much more.