Chamber of Commerce and Optimal Business award 25 grants
Woodbridge Township speakers described a partnership that gave 25 brick-and-mortar businesses $5,000 each for projects they might otherwise put off.
Two hosts walk through the week’s edition in conversation — chamber of commerce and optimal business, mayor's community events and announcements (oct, and what’s coming next. Generated by Aware, from this week’s verified summaries.
Woodbridge Township speakers said new paint, better marketing and updated websites are projects small-business owners can struggle to prioritize.
For 25 storefront businesses, the next improvement has new funding. Woodbridge Township speakers said the Chamber of Commerce and Optimal Business partnered to award each recipient a $5,000 small-business grant. Applicants had to meet several criteria, including having a brick-and-mortar location. The speakers described a check presentation held the previous Thursday, where recipients represented different kinds of businesses.
The awards reached both new businesses and established ones. One recipient, Carpet Maven, had been operating for 37 years, according to a speaker. The suggested uses were practical: painting an interior or facade, updating marketing, or building a new website. The speaker said owners often have trouble making time and money for those projects while handling the demands of running a business.
Woodbridge Township speakers discussed another possible use for grant money: giving back locally. One speaker described requests for help from a school band and the desire to support it. The remarks did not say which recipients would make donations or set a timetable for the business improvements. They did show the range of goals behind the awards, from work on a storefront to support for a community group.
Mayor's Community Events and Announcements (Oct. 23–Nov. 3, 2020)
In an October 2020 Woodbridge Township announcement, Mayor John McCormac laid out a calendar of events through early November. The October 23 lineup included a food drive tied to a football game in Colonia and a parody performance at Avenel Performing Arts Center. For Sunday, he listed a soccer breakfast fundraiser, a Zumba fundraiser at Woodbridge Community Center and a Diwali celebration.
The Woodbridge Township schedule continued with library programs, health-insurance and wills seminars, performances and trunk-or-treat events. The mayor said the health department planned a free flu clinic for November 2, from 11:00 to 2:00. He also noted a food drive at polling locations on Election Day and reminded residents to vote. These were announcements for 2020, not current event listings.
Mayor John McCormac urged eligible residents to apply for property-tax relief, saying applications were lagging behind the prior year. He singled out Senior Freeze, pointed residents to www.propertytaxrelief.nj.gov and encouraged participation in a community health needs survey. He also gave stops and hours for a mobile health unit.
Township highlights gallery shows and holiday market
Woodbridge Township speakers promoted a juried show called “Patterns,” a November gallery refresh and an anniversary reception on November 5. They said the local art gallery’s first holiday market, planned for December 6 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., would offer work in several media and at different prices.
Residents looking for locally made gifts would have a market with jewelry, paintings, photography and sculpture.
Township promotes holiday shopping at local businesses
Woodbridge Township speakers launched a “Buy Local” holiday-shopping push at the local art gallery. They described three planned kickoffs and encouraged residents to buy gifts, eat at local restaurants and use nearby services, with activity mentioned in Colonia and Avenel.
The campaign directs holiday spending toward local merchants, restaurants, service providers and artists.
Township runs multi-agency school bus crash drill
Woodbridge Township public-safety speakers described a drill using two simulated school bus crash scenes, student actors and responders from fire, police and emergency medical services. Teams rotated through rescue and extrication training before a combined scenario; a traffic enforcement sergeant described the traffic unit’s crash-investigation role.
The exercise gave responders practice coordinating rescues and investigations before a real school bus crash.
Township explains how art gallery supports artists
Woodbridge Township speakers explained that the local art gallery operates as a co-op with 13 resident artists who volunteer to keep it open. The township pays the rent, and 100% of each sale goes to the artists; visitors can speak with them while shopping.
A purchase at the gallery pays the artist directly, while township rent support keeps the space available.
What we didn’t fit in this Sundays edition
Woodbridge Township had 12 more items this week. Here are sixfour — the rest are on Aware.
- GOVERNANCEDowntown Business Spotlight: Carpet Maven and the Value of Local Shopping. During the tour, speakers highlighted Carpet Maven as a long-standing Main Street business and discussed the social and economic benefits of shopping downtown. The business owner described decades of operation, community relationships formed through the store, and appreciation for chamber support.
- GOVERNANCEResident Artist Spotlight: Joe Messick (Edgewood Studios) Live Edge Wood Furniture and Holiday Market Items. Founding member Joe Messick of Edgewood Studios described his live edge wood furniture work, influenced by prior work as an on-site architect in New England among artists. He discussed selling at Baronfest since 2020, expanding to regional shows, and offering items such as resin accent tables, coffee tables, and cutting boards, with a focus on custom design work.
- GOVERNANCEResident Artist Spotlight: Steve Beal (Watercolor Wet-on-Wet Technique and Process). New resident artist Steve Beal described his watercolor “wet-on-wet” technique, emphasizing that he does not blend colors on a palette and instead lets colors mix on damp paper. He discussed the unpredictability of watercolor and how variables like water, pigment, and air affect outcomes, and noted holiday-market-friendly small works.
- GOVERNANCEResident Artist Spotlight: Ken Witkowski (Pastels and Watercolors; Local Scenes and Reflections). Founding member Ken Witkowski discussed his long-term work in pastels and newer work in watercolors. He referenced a painting of a Route 1 South building featuring reflections in glass, noted his lifelong residency in Woodbridge, and described preparing smaller framed and unframed works for the holiday market.
- GOVERNANCEResident Artist Spotlight: Photographer Jackie Dicker (Metal Prints and New Jersey Imagery). Photographer Jackie Dicker discussed her work and process, including printing images on aluminum using a heat-press dye process that fuses ink into metal. She highlighted nature-oriented and New Jersey-based images, and described offering smaller framed pieces for the Buy Local event and holiday market.
- GOVERNANCEResident Artist Spotlight: Photographer Robert Hopkins (Black-and-White, Studio Constructions, and Urban Textures). Founding member and photographer Robert Hopkins described his focus on black-and-white photography, including landscapes, still life, studio-constructed subjects, and urban textures such as graffiti. He previewed upcoming work for the gallery refresh, including images from Rome featuring modern elements against older buildings.
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