Business Briefs

The Middlesex County Bar Foundation announced that Jack Ellery, a radio host on WCTC, a Greater Media Inc. radio station, and Ken Serrano, a reporter for the Home News Tribune, have been selected as recipients of the 2007 Media Award. The annual award is presented to a member of the media who has rendered outstanding service to the public for coverage of legal issues or the legal profession.

Ellery is the morning host at WCTC-AM 1450, where he discusses topics such as legal and law-related issues. He has encouraged his audience to donate food, clothing, and money to several relief causes, and recently used his voice to host a video project related to elder law issues. He served in the U.S. Army and was a broadcaster for the Armed Forces Network from 1956 to 1958. His first broadcast experience in a large city was at WNBC and WNEW, New York City, in the 1970s. He also worked in Philadelphia and Tampa, and also has experience with satellite networks. Ellery is a graduate of Bates College, Lewiston, Maine.

Serrano has worked at the Home News Tribune since 2000, taking over the police beat in August of that year. He was the first-place recipient of the New Jersey Press Association's First Amendment Award for small daily newspapers for his story about communication glitches during a fire in Franklin that claimed the lives of two children. He graduated with highest honors from Rutgers College, New Brunswick.

Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick, will present an employer legislative committee breakfast May 15 with registration, networking and breakfast at 8 a.m., and the program at 8:30 a.m. Featured speaker will Assemblyman Joseph Egan, 17th District. Cost is $20, which includes breakfast. The event will be at Sheraton Edison Hotel Raritan Center, 125 Raritan Center Parkway, Edison.

The "3rd Thursdays Leadership Luncheon" will be May 17 with registration at 11:45 a.m., followed by the program and full-course lunch at noon at Pines Manor, 2085 Route 27, Edison. Featured speaker will be Steven B. Kalafer, chairman of the Somerset Patriots, and Flemington Car & Truck Country, Princeton Car & Truck Country, and Clinton Car & Tuck Country Family of Dealerships Cost is $55 for nonmembers, and $40 for members. Registration is required, and may be done by calling Debbie at (732) 821-1700, ext. 202, or

e-mail debbie@mcrcc.org.

The "Community Leaders of Distinction" and installation of board of directors will be May 22 at 5:30 p.m. at Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick. Honoree will be Dr. Joann LaPerla-Morales, Middlesex County College; the Rev. Vincente Martinez, Suydam Street Reformed Church; Mark Bocchieri , Verizon; and Don Tretola, PSE&G. The Chris Kjeldsen Award for Leadership Excellence will also be presented to Magic 98.3 FM & WCTC 1450 AM Sponsorships are available. For more information, call Melanie at (732) 821-1700, ext. 209, or e-mail Melanie@mcrcc.org.

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) will close its South Plainfield agency in the Middlesex Mall at 4:30 p.m. May 17. The MVC will open a new, much larger agency at a new site in South Plainfield May 21. For more information, visit www.state.nj.us/mvc.

Assemblywoman Linda R. Greenstein (D-14) has received the Frank J. Oliver Award from the New Jersey Environmental Lobby in recognition of her role as a leader in the fight to protect and preserve New Jersey's environment. The Lobby presented the award at a reception in late April, and thanked the assemblywoman for her work the past year to fund open space preservation, as well as support for legislation to prevent the inappropriate uses of farmland preserved with public funds.