Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, will present "Stroke Awareness: Every Second Counts" Nov. 1 from 1-3 p.m. at The Senior Citizens Activities Network (SCAN) Learning Center, Monmouth Mall, Eatontown.

"Peripheral Arterial Disease: Taking the Minimally Invasive Approach to Treatment" will be presented by Paul B. Haser, M.D., Monmouth vascular surgeon Nov. 15 from 1-3 p.m. A program on diabetes will be presented by Cecilia Smith-Snyder Nov. 29 from 1-3 p.m.

Registration is required for the above programs, which are free to SCAN members, and membership is open to residents age 50 and older. To register or for more information, call (732) 542-1326.

Brookdale open house slated for Nov. 9

Brookdale Community College, Newman Springs Road, Lincroft section of Middletown, will hold its annual fall open house Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. at Collins Arena. The event will feature an informational video, and information on the New Jersey STARS program where students graduating in the top 20 percent of the high school class may attend New Jersey county colleges free. There will also be representatives from various college departments such as financial aid, and counseling, program overviews, and student-led tours of the campus. Reservations are requested by Nov. 1, and may be made by calling (732) 224-1857.

The visiting writers series at Brookdale will welcome poets Matt Hart and Timothy Lui giving a reading Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at the student life center. A $3 donation is requested at the door. Lui is the author of six books, with "For Dust Thou Art" his most recent. Hart is the editor of "Forklift Ohio: A Journal of Poetry, Cooking and Light Industrial Safety," and his work has appeared in several print and online journals. For more information, call Laura at (732) 224-2053 or e-mail lmccullough@brookdalecc.edu.

Center announces blood drives for November

Central Jersey Blood Center, Shrewsbury, has announced the following local blood drives:

+ Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to noon at Trinity Episcopal Church, 64 W. Front St., Red Bank

+ Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wachovia Securities, 555 Ocean Ave., Long Branch

+ Nov. 17 from 3-7 p.m., a Shrewsbury Borough community drive at Shrewsbury Borough School, 20 Obre Place.

The donation process takes about an hour. Donors must also complete a medical history interview and have a mini physical (temperature, iron, pulse and blood pressure screening). Interested donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. All donors must present signature ID at time of registration.

Donations may also be made at Central Jersey Blood Center, 494 Sycamore Ave., Shrewsbury. To schedule an appointment, call the center at (732) 842-5750.

Fort Hancock Day

at Sandy Hook Oct. 29

Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook, will hold Fort Hancock Day Oct. 29 from noon to 4 p.m.

The event is to commemorate the establishment of the U.S. Army facility at Sandy Hook Oct. 30, 1895. Activities will begin at Fort Hancock Museum and will feature walking tours of the fort's historic district including buildings not normally open to the public. Tours will be given by member of the Army Ground Forces Association and will also include Battery Gunnison/New Peck, Nike Missile Radar Site and Battery Potter.

Also open from noon to 5 p.m. will be History House along Officer's Row, and Sandy Hook Lighthouse open for tours from noon to 4 p.m. Tours are first-come, first-served, and children must be 48 inches or taller to climb the tower.

For more information, call (732) 872-5970.

NJMSC to offer science day camp Nov. 9, 10

The New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium (NJMSC), Sandy Hook, will offer a marine science day camp during the November teacher's convention school break Nov. 9 and 10.

The camp is geared for students in grades five through seven and will focus on seasonal changes in the beach and marsh environment. It will feature indoor and outdoor activities such as lab work, field trips, games, experiments and crafts.

Cost is $100 for both days, and $60 for one, and students may attend one or both days. Space is limited.

For camp times, to register or for more information, call Mindy at (732) 872-1300, ext. 30 or go to www.njmsc.org.

Reservations now taken for tour of cemeteries

The Monmouth County Historical Association (MCHA) will sponsor a lecture and walking tour of the cemeteries along Kings Highway, Middletown, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. (rain date Nov. 4). The tour will begin with refreshments and a lecture at Taylor-Butler House, 127 Kings Highway. Included will be Christ Episcopal Church, Old First Baptist Church, the Hartshorne family burial ground, and the Presbyterian burial ground. The sites contain examples of colonial and 19th-century gravestone carving. The tour will be led by Richard Veit, assistant professor of history and anthropology at Monmouth University, West Long Branch. Attendees should wear comfortable clothing and sensible shoes. Admission is $10 and reservations are required. For reservations, call the MCHA at (732) 462-1466.

Deadline Oct. 27 to apply for grandmother award

Sylvia's Children, a nonprofit that supports children orphaned through the AIDS crisis, will recognize the "Grandmother of the Year," at a brunch Nov. 5 from noon to 4 p.m. at Buttonwood Manor, Route 34, Matawan.

Submissions of nominees will be accepted through Oct. 27, and grandmothers may also nominate themselves. Traits that will be considered include participation in family and community activities, and concern for others. Five finalists will be selected, and the winner will receive an engraved crystal vase. Runners-up receive an engraved plaque. The fundraiser will feature The Nerds, Doug Young, C.J. Marsini, and the percussion duo, Virago.

Event price is $50, $20 for children, and free for children younger than age 5. To submit an application, visit www.sylviaschildren.org. For tickets, call (732) 9465-271 or visit the Web site.

Registration under way for bookkeeper class

Brookdale Community College, Newman Springs Road, Lincroft section of Middletown, is accepting registration for "The Certified Bookkeeper" course scheduled from Jan. 3-June 27.

Classes will be held Wednesdays from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

The professional certification program is established by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers to prepare individuals for the national certified bookkeeper examination. It is appropriate for registrants with a minimum of some on-the-job bookkeeping experience or academic background in double-entry bookkeeping. Silvia Gazzo, CPA, will be the course instructor.

The fee is $1,097 which includes textbooks and the three-part national certification examination fee.

For more information, call Mary Ann at (732) 224-2508 or e-mail mwaclawik@brookdalecc.edu.