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EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Under clear skies and mild spring temperatures, residents from East Brunswick and neighboring communities gathered Saturday morning to witness a long-anticipated milestone: the grand opening of the East Brunswick Ice Arena.

Families, young athletes, and longtime residents filled the new facility, many eager to be among the first to step inside and take part in a day that township officials described as historic for the community.

The event drew a wide range of attendees, including local elected officials, township council members, community leaders, and representatives from the New Jersey Devils organization. The atmosphere throughout the morning was energetic, with music, announcements, and activity across both rinks.

Mayor Brad Cohen, joined by Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, County Clerk Nancy Pinkin, and members of the Township Council—including Council President Dana Zimbicki, Councilman Dinesh Behal, Councilman Kevin McEvoy, Councilman James Wendal, and Councilwoman Dana Winston—helped mark the official opening.

Members of the East Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce were also in attendance, including the President, Crystal Pleasant.

In his remarks, Cohen thanked the Township Council, the Recreation and Parks Department, and all those involved in bringing the project to completion. He also acknowledged the work of the project’s architects, the DMR Architect team, and highlighted that the arena was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

Council leadership echoed those sentiments, recognizing the contributions of union labor and others who played a role in the development. The mayor also noted a symbolic touch nearby: streets in the adjacent Legacy Place development have been named after retired New Jersey Devils jersey numbers.

Behind the scenes, the Recreation and Parks team worked throughout the morning to ensure the event ran smoothly. Ice Arena General Manager Devon Ketch could be seen moving throughout the facility, coordinating logistics and assisting staff as the crowds continued to grow.

The grand opening was designed as a full-day community celebration, with programming scheduled across both rinks. Figure skating exhibitions, alumni and community hockey games, and public skating sessions kept the ice in near-constant use.

Pre-registration for public skating sessions filled quickly, with many time slots fully booked in advance—an early indication of strong community interest in the new facility.

Throughout the day, visitors also gathered at the Arena Grill, which remained busy serving food and refreshments to attendees.

The schedule of events on opening day included a welcome address from the mayor, skating exhibitions, alumni games, hockey matchups, and multiple public skating sessions across both rinks, offering opportunities for residents of all ages and skill levels to participate.

Township officials said the arena is expected to serve as a year-round hub for recreation, youth sports, and community programming.

Residents interested in future programming, including figure skating, hockey leagues, and learn-to-play opportunities, can find additional information on the township’s website:

Figure Skating: https://www.eastbrunswick.org/1028/Figure-SkatingHockey Programs: https://www.eastbrunswick.org/1029/Hockey-ProgramsLearn to Play Hockey: https://www.eastbrunswick.org/1056/Learn-to-Play-Hockey

Online registration for programs is available through Finnly Connect:https://www.eastbrunswick.org/1046/Finnly-Connect

As the day continued, the steady flow of residents through the arena made one thing clear—the new facility is already becoming a focal point for the East Brunswick community.

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ —East Brunswick Arts Commission (EBAC) and Hub City Opera and Dance Company, Inc. (HCODC) announced a new collaborative partnership that will bring new and reimagined operatic works to the East Brunswick, NJ area.

The partnership will play an important artistic role in bringing high-quality, professional operatic performances to the area at affordable prices. The first collaboration will feature “Food Meets Opera,” a double bill of operas that explore television and food. The performances will take place on March 21, 2026, at 7 pm, and March 22, 2026, at 3 pm, at the Elliot Taubenslag theater, home of Playhouse 22. Tickets can be purchased at www.playhouse22.org. Seating is assigned, and early-bird discounted tickets are available until March 15, 2026.

The first opera, “Bon Appétit!” by Lee Hoiby, with text by Julia Child adapted by Mark Shulgasser (presented under license from G. Schirmer, Inc., copyright owner), features Julia Child baking a chocolate cake on stage. The second opera, “The Cook-Off,” with music by Shawn Okpebholo and libretto by Mark Campbell( commissioned by Chicago Opera Theater’s Vanguard Initiative), dramatizes a television cooking competition called “America Loves Food,” where three contestants vie for the $100,000 prize for the best Mac ‘N Cheese.

According to Annamaria Stefanelli, president of HCODC, “Our partnership with EBAC is the perfect melding of both organizations’ purpose. Like the East Brunswick Arts Commission, we exist to serve and enrich our community. We do this by bringing contemporary works to our audiences that not only entertain but also raise issues they can relate to. What better way to do this than by mounting a production about TV and food? These operas promise a great experience for new opera goers and a fresh look at opera for our more seasoned attendees. And they are hilarious and poignant at the same time.”

About East Brunswick Arts Commission

The East Brunswick Arts Commission (EBAC) brings the arts to life for the entire community and serves as the township’s cultural hub. Founded more than 50 years ago, EBAC advances a vision of making the arts accessible to all by presenting high-quality concerts, visual art exhibitions, family programs, festivals, and immersive learning experiences for diverse audiences. In recent years, EBAC has produced more than a dozen programs, reaching thousands of attendees, launching young musicians into professional careers, and supporting local artists. EBAC is committed to expanding participation, increasing free and low-cost programming, and continuing to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive cultural life in East Brunswick and surrounding communities.

For upcoming programs, please visit

https://www.eastbrunswick.org/326/East-Brunswick-Arts-Commission

About Hub City Opera and Dance Company

Hub City Opera and Dance, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, based in New Brunswick, NJ, and formed in 2017, whose mission is to produce innovative operatic works that educate and entertain. The company’s mission includes enriching the community and bringing music education to the area through outreach programs offered to schools, colleges, and civic institutions.

For more information about Hub City Opera and Dance, please visit www.hubcityopera.org.

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - The countdown is on to the Grand Opening of the East Brunswick Ice Arena on Sunday, March 22. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. and run through 6 p.m. For people interested in getting out on the ice for the free public skate sessions on March 22, online registration is open now. Spots are filling up fast for the free public skate sessions. The sessions available are from:

Registration is required and can be completed online. Skates are included for the free public skates on March 22. Helmets are recommended and skaters should dress warm.

Online registration is also open for the off-ice training sessions. Off-ice training sessions on March 22 include:

Registration for the off-ice training sessions can be completed by filling out the online Jot Form.

There is a full calendar of activities going on at the upcoming Grand Opening of the highly-anticipated township ice arena. On Rink One, the following activities are on tap for March 22:

On Rink Two, the following activities are scheduled:

The East Brunswick Ice Arena also unveiled its online registration for public skates as well as other programs being offered at the rink. Registration is done through Finley Connect. In order to prepay for public skates or register for one of the rink's upcoming programs, a Finley Connect account is required. A Finely Connect account can be set up on the East Brusnwick Recreation Department website by clicking on Ice Arena and then on Finley Connect. There is also a PDF available with step-by-step directions for setting up a Finley Connect account.

Following the grand opening, the EB Ice Arena has four public skate sessions in March including:

There is a complete public skate session for April available online and pictured below. Skaters can rent skates for $8 or bring their own for public skates. The pricing for public skates is:

Multi-visit passes are available at discounted rates. For additional information about the East Brunswick Ice Arena, visit their website and follow the rink on Facebook.

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - From the classroom to the athletic field to branches of the military and beyond, East Brunswick residents are making their mark and here are a few highlights for this winter.

Anna Sawicki is a graduate of East Brunswick High School and a member of Lebanon Valley College's women's track and field team. This winter, during the competitive indoor season, the Flying Dutchman took home the Middle Atlantic Conference Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship. The team finished in first place out of 16 teams with 107 points. Lebanon Valley clinched the title on the final day of the MAC Championships. Their coach, Melissa Byler, was named Coach of the Year. It was the Flying Dutchman's first conference title since 2014. Sawicki was a big part of the team's title, recording personal best long and high jump marks while earning her best 60-meter hurdle time. The sophomore is making her first National Championship appearance on March 13 in the pentathlon. Sawicki is majoring in exercise science at Lebanon Valley.

Also, this month, East Brunswick's Amirah Jannati was awarded the Trustee Scholarship through Elmira College's Scholars Program. Elmira's Scholars Program awards full-tuition scholarships to full-time, first year students. Applicants must have an unweighted grade-point average of 3.7 or above. They must submit letters of recommendation, a personal statement and write a 500 to 750-word essay based on a prompt. Applicants not awarded full tuition receive the college's $30,000 Trustee Scholarship, which is the highest merit scholarship offered to deserving students.

Another township college student making her mark in the classroom is Juliana Garber. Garber is a double major at Boston's Emmanuel College, majoring in graphic design and marketing. She was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2025 semester. Students must have a grade-point average of 3.5 or above and carry at least 16 credits to receive Dean's List honors at Emmanuel.

Emma Cohen is among the 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be elected for membership into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Cohen, an East Brunswick resident, is a student at Kean University. The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the United States' “oldest and most selective, all-discipline collegiate honor society.” Membership is by invitation only. A nomination is required as is approval by the Kean University chapter. Invitations are offered to a select group who must be in the top 10 percent of their senior class. Only 7.5 percent of juniors nationwide are considered for membership.

There were more fall semester honors for two East Brunswick residents attending Fairleight Dickinson University's Florham Campus in Madison. Pierre Ibrahim and Mindy Brown were named to the university's Honors List for the 2025 fall semester.

Finally, this winter, East Brunswick's Alexander Makaron was among the recent promotions of New York Army National Guard Members announced by Major General Ray Shields. Promotions were granted based on a soldier's “overall performance, demonstrated leadership abilities, professionalism and future development potential.” Makaron, a member of the 27th Financial Management Support Unit, was promoted to the rank of sergeant first class on February 3.

The faculty union says Rutgers should make cuts from RU Athletics, running at a $516-million deficit since joining the Big Ten.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ —Potential lay-off notices were given to 38 Rutgers adjunct faculty members on March 6, according to the professors' union, and confirmed by the university.

The school is required to let professors know by a contractual deadline if their position may not be renewed for next year, according to the terms of an agreement Rutgers has with one of its faculty unions, the AAUP-AFT.

All 38 teachers are defined as "lectures" in the School of Arts and Sciences; they received notices last Friday they may not be re-appointed to their jobs next year. The university said there is a chance some could be re-hired.

The 38 faculty members teach about 100 classes, and this will have a direct impact on students, said Hank Kalet, vice president of the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union.

The faculty union said Rutgers continues to pour money into its athletics program (currently operating at a $516-million deficit), and the school looks to academics any time it wants to save money.

The compensation for adjunct professors accounts for less than one percent of the university’s budget.

"The money 'saved' by these cuts is minimal and could easily have been found in wasteful spending rather than in essential teachers’ salaries," said Heather Pierce, president of the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union. "Rutgers needs to reexamine its priorities. Its focus must be on the quality education and cutting-edge research that have propelled Rutgers into the ranks of the nation’s finest public universities, making it a draw for students around the world."

The two Rutgers faculty unions say Rutgers finances should be in very good shape: Rutgers has tuition hikes every year (tuition increased four percent in 2025, and another tuition hike is coming in fall 2026). Rutgers total enrollment is up by more than three percent. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the university's unrestricted reserves have grown by more than 50 percent, as has its endowment, which now exceeds $2 billion.

The only place Rutgers runs at a loss is its athletic department, according to accounting data the university previously made public to the media. Rutgers Athletics has famously rung up a $516.9 million deficit since the school joined the Big Ten athletic conference in 2014.

Non-tenure-track lecturers teach about a third of all classes across the university. They are the most vulnerable members of the faculty; they teach on short-term contracts, are paid per class and seldom qualify for health benefits.

The Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union represents roughly 3,000 lecturers overall. Rutgers AAUP-AFT represents more than 5,000 full-time faculty, graduate workers, postdocs and more at Rutgers.

Rutgers has dug a $500 million hole since joining the Big Ten. Where did the money go? (NJ.com)