DUI Lawyers in East Brunswick, NJ

The township has also identified a program provider for the ice rink, Mayor Brad Cohen said.

Patch Staff

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – The construction of the much-awaited ice rink in East Brunswick is progressing at a fast pace, much ahead of schedule, Mayor Brad Cohen said.

During Monday’s Council meeting, Cohen informed the community that the ice rink is expected to open in October this year.

With the opening date looming, the township is looking for a vendor who could provide programs and services at the ice arena, Cohen said.

“We were able to find one such group that runs multiple teams throughout the region, and it looks very positive,” Cohen said.

With the township identifying a program provider, a Request for Proposal (RFP) will be brought before the Council at the next meeting for approval.

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“If the RFP looks like it fulfilled all of the requirements that we had, that would be for your approval at the next council meeting. That would put us in an unbelievably good position, because it would mean that right from the very beginning, virtually all of the ice time will have been secured,” Cohen said.

“Which helps us bring that to a place where we're able to at least make or exceed our costs, which is really phenomenal for a startup, which essentially is what this is.”

Last year, the township awarded $30 million in two contracts for the municipal ice rink.

The council approved expenses of $26,535,000 and $3,950,000 for the ice rink facility. The contract to build the 83,900-square-foot arena was given to Wood-Ridge-based Terminal Construction Corp for $26,535,000.

The $3,950,000 contract was given to Ice Builders, Inc. from Liverpool, NY, for the two indoor ice rinks, including mechanical systems, concrete slabs beneath the ice, refrigeration and other required features.

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EAST BRUNSWICK – Gastropub chain Bar Louie has abruptly shuttered at Brunswick Square Mall, joining several other locations nationwide that closed this past weekend.

Employees were laid off without notice, many showing up to find their workplace shuttered and locked.

An internet search on Google showed all New Jersey locations listed as "permanently closed," including Paramus.

In 2020, the Texas-based chain filed for bankruptcy and closed more than 30 locations, including one in Woodbridge. During the COVID pandemic, Bar Louie closed an additional 22 locations.

Bar Louie opened in East Brunswick in fall 2016 and was the Garden State's first. Now the closest Bar Louie is in Center Valley, Pa., about 54 miles away from here.

According to the restaurant's website, Bar Louie has 49 locations across 19 states.

Founded in 1990, Bar Louie is a bar and eatery with a casual, social atmosphere. Known for its handcrafted signature martinis, it also features appetizers, flatbreads, salads, burgers and sandwiches.

Messages sent to Bar Louie were not returned.

email:cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter forMyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or@CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – Immaculate Conception School (ICS) in Spotswood could shut its doors at the end of the academic year as dwindling enrollment threatens its future.

The community learned of the possible closure during an emergency meeting held Tuesday night at the school.

Anthony P. Kearns, chancellor and spokesperson for the Diocese of Metuchen, which oversees ICS, told Patch that the meeting followed a similar discussion in December.

The earlier gathering sought to tackle the school's "severely low enrollment" and explore marketing and recruitment strategies to attract more students.

“Unfortunately, despite sincere efforts by the Bishop, the Diocesan Schools office, Pastor and school administration only 39 students are enrolled to attend the school next year,” Kearns said. “With such low numbers it begs the question if Immaculate Conception could even continue to operate as a school. Would the same be beneficial to the remaining students."

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Currently, the school has 89 students enrolled in pre-K through 8th grade.

During the past five years, enrollment has been on a steady decline.

Kearns however said that the final decision is yet to be taken.

“Bishop Checchio, since his installment as Bishop of Metuchen in 2016, has made Catholic Education a priority. He does not want to see any of our schools close. No final decision has been made but obviously, a decision will need to be made by the pastor and parish in the very near future,” Kearns said. “The Bishop asks all to pray for Immaculate Conception parish, its parishioners and the students at the school.”

Meanwhile, community members are circulating a petition requesting the diocese to let the school remain open.

“Due to the timing of this potential announcement, as well as lack of transparency and efforts of the Diocese and school figureheads as questioned by the faculty, staff, and school families, we are asking for you to reevaluate your decision to possibly close ICS,” the petition reads. “Please allow the ICS family ample time to lobby for Immaculate Conception School’s growth and rebuild by encouraging increase in admissions and fundraising for the school.”

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In celebration of the opening, Chick-fil-A, Inc. has donated $25,000 to Feeding America.

Patch Staff

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – The new Chick-fil-A restaurant is all set to open on Thursday in East Brunswick, the company announced.

Located at 371 State Route 18, Chick-fil-A East Brunswick will be open for dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out and delivery from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The restaurant’s drive thru will remain open until 10 p.m.

The new restaurant will also offer Mobile Thru, a dedicated lane in the drive-thru where customers can pick up orders placed ahead of time on the Chick-fil-A App.

The East Brunswick restaurant joins more than 70 other Chick-fil-A restaurants serving the wider New York/New Jersey metro area.

Chris Smith is the franchised local owner-operator of East Brunswick location.

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He will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing around 100 full- and part-time team members.

A native of Montclair, NJ, Smith began his Chick-fil-A career as a college student, where he worked as a Team Member for five years. He then relocated to Atlanta to work at a Chick-fil-A restaurant before entering the Chick-fil-A Leadership Development Program.

After three years in the program, Smith was selected as the local owner-operator of Chick-fil-A East Brunswick.

“I’m thrilled get back to my New Jersey roots and bring Chick-fil-A to East Brunswick. I’m looking forward to making a positive impact in the community,” Smith said in a statement.

“I hope my new restaurant becomes a place for everyone to feel at home, and a place where my Team Members can grow and succeed both personally and professionally.”

In celebration of the opening, Chick-fil-A, Inc. has donated $25,000 to Feeding America. These funds will be distributed to partners in the greater New Jersey area to aid in the fight against hunger.

The East Brunswick restaurant is also participating in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, an initiative that redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need.

In addition, Chick-fil-A East Brunswick is recognizing 100 local heroes making an impact in the East Brunswick area by providing them with free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year.

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EAST BRUNSWICK — Shivansh Sharma, an East Brunswick teen, has donated $5,000 to the East Brunswick Public Library.

The library will purchase two 3D printers with the funds, for the community to use. The library will also offer classes and workshops on how to use the equipment.

"The reason I decided to donate to the library is because wherever I've been, the library has held a very special place in my heart," Sharma said. "I truly believe that libraries can have a profound impact on our community."

Currently a senior at East Brunswick High School, Sharma has been interested in computer science since childhood.

"I started coding when I was 10-years-old," Sharma saud. "Over the years, my interest has only grown, and I've started working on more advanced projects and learning more complex concepts."

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One of these projects is an algorithmic trading bot that automates trading. "I've always been interested in trading. I programmed a bot that uses market data to trade on its own. After a lot of time developing and refinement, I was able to make a profit,” he said.

“Computer science has the potential to positively impact many people and the community,” Sharma said. “Through this project, I not only gained invaluable trading experience, but I was also able to give back to my community.”

The library will also offer classes and workshops on how to use the 3D printers.

“With these workshops, people are going to learn problem-solving skills, generate a lot of creativity, and it’s going to bring East Brunswick a lot closer together,” he said.

Mayor Brad Cohen was present when Sharma handed over the funds to the library.

“Libraries today have so many more purposes other than books and card catalogs,” said East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen. “These are the types of things that will absolutely benefit our community because they give people access to technology they might not otherwise have. These aren’t always practical things to have at home.”

The library anticipates that the 3D printers and training classes will be available to the public starting in April. They will be housed in the library’s EB Create maker space, which offers a variety of creative tools, including sewing machines and a recording studio.

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