Business Briefs

OceanFirst Bank will be participating in The March of Dimes WalkAmerica, a fundraising walk-a-thon, April 30. As part of its fundraising efforts, OceanFirst Bank is currently accepting donations of old cell phones at local branches. Collection boxes are set up at each of its 18 branches located in Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. Each phone will yield a donation of $1.75. The cell phone collection will end April 15.

In addition to collecting the phones, OceanFirst Bank employees will be walking in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica.

The March of Dimes is dedicated to improving the health of infants by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. According to the March of Dimes, premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death. WalkAmerica was put into effect nationwide to bring attention to this alarming statistic. It started in 1970 and is the March of Dimes biggest fund-raiser. The walk-a-thon supports the research and programs designed to help babies get a healthy start.

The Grape Escape, 12 Stults Road, Dayton section of South Brunswick, has announced grapes from the Napa Valley, and Sonoma County, Calif., are now available at its facility. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes will be available from Napa Valley. Sonoma will offer the same, as well as Syrah, Zinfandel and Chardonnay grapes. The Grape Escape is a school where customers participate in every aspect of winemaking from crushing and pressing, to bottling wine. Winemaking takes four sessions over a 10-month period. For more information, call (609) 409-9463 or visit www.thegrapeescape.net/orderform.htm.

The Middlesex County Freeholders recently announced the county's transit fleet will have new name and color scheme for 2006. The system will be named the Middlesex County Area Transit (MCAT), and the system's white vehicles will feature blue and gold striping and new MCAT logos. The color schemes and reflective materials were chosen to make the vehicles more visible for customers. There will also be 13 new passenger vans debuting in the next few months. The vans will accommodate 12 to 14 passengers, and bring the total of MCAT buses, vans and passenger cars to 70.

Ashley Furniture HomeStore recently opened a 54,000-square-foot showroom at 3730 Route 1 north, North Brunswick. The store features floor-to-ceiling fireplaces, fountains, museum ceilings, a home office department, bedding department and more than 300 living room, bedroom and dining room displays. The store also features a "Kids' Korner" of children's furnishings, a video arcade and large-screen televisions, showing kid-friendly films. The store is owned and operated by Will Schafer. He also owns and operates Furniture Showplace stores in Linden and Woodbridge. Established in 1945, Ashley has more than 200 HomeStores throughout North America. For more information, visit www.ashleyhomestores.com.

The Middlesex County Bar Association (MCBA), New Brunswick, will honor six attorneys and recognize 19 attorneys for 50 years' admission to the New Jersey Bar at its general membership dinner meeting March 15. Attorneys to be honored are Julia L. McClure, Middlesex County First Deputy Assistant Prosecutor, Women Lawyers Section Honorable Aldona Appleton Award; Ronald Grayzel of Levinson Axelrod, Pro Bono Attorney-of-the-Year; James D. Martin Jr. of Kane & Kuyper, Civil Trial Practitioner-of-the-Year; Darren M. Gelber of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, and Mark A. Anderl of Anderl & Oakley, Criminal Trial Practitioner-of-the-Year; and Peter H. Lederman of Lomurro, Davison, Eastman & Munoz, Municipal Court Practitioner-of-the-Year. For reservations or more information, call the MCBA at (732) 828-3433.

The New Jersey State Bar Foundation and National Association of Women Judges, District III, will present "Workplace Bullying: An Issue of Importance in the 21st Century" April 4 from 6-8:30 p.m. at New Jersey Law Center, 1 Constitution Square, New Brunswick. Various attorneys and professors will give the presentations. Topics will include profiles of bullies, legal and legislative responses, and the state of law on workplace bullying in New Jersey. A complimentary sandwich supper will be available beginning at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, but advance registration is required and may be done by calling 1-800-373-3529.

Weight Watchers, Paramus, has announced the opening of its first North Brunswick location at Congregation B'nai Tikvah, 1001 Finnegans Lane. Meetings are held Thursdays at 10 a.m. To celebrate the grand opening, new members registering at the location by March 15 will receive free registration and be entered into a drawing to win a gift basket. Weight Watchers member Ellen Pearl will be the meeting leader at the location. Meetings last approximately 35 minutes. The group recommends members attend one meeting each week to learn about healthy eating, gain motivation and have a confidential weigh-in to track progress. The public is also welcome to "Be Our Guest" at a participating meeting with no obligation to join. For more information, visit www.weightwatchers.com.