Another week of unpredictable weather, but on the positive side, the wintry mix of snow and ice is actually a step in the right direction to help refill New Jersey waterways after months of being under a drought watch.  However, the state still needs months of additional precipitation to recover from the dry summer.

For our last week of 2025, visit the final few days of the Barron Arts Center Holiday Train, enjoy a magician and holiday party at the Rahway library with the kids, or spend some time as adults at the New Year’s Eve fireworks in New Brunswick.

If you are feeling up to it, the first day of 2026 is a great day to go for a hike, including a guided tour of the Monmouth Battlefield, where Molly Pitcher served in the Revolutionary War. For those who need a day of recovery, have no fear. Plenty of exercise opportunities exist during the weekend, whether by joining a public ice skating event in Edison or visiting Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel to split some wood with two-man saws.

You can check out all of these events and more here. Of course, if you have any community events you'd like listed on our events page, please don't hesitate to contact us.

This week, The Central Jerseyan reported on Edison Mayor Sam Joshi’s 32% pay raise.

Next month, Petco in Edison will close permanently in January 2026, according to reports. Further north, in Newark, the 75-year-old Anheuser-Busch factory will also shut down.  

Statewide, New Jersey’s unemployment rate reached a high of 5.2% this December, and many experts warn that the economic stagnation may only continue.

The City of Rahway, the Bella Kind Foundation, and the Toys for Tots distributed cheer throughout Rahway with events at the library and the senior center. There will be one more distribution event on January 3rd - Rahway residents can register here.

Here are a couple of local picks that can brighten up your day and help you beat the winter blues.

☕ Paris Baguette opened this week in Avenel with a ribbon cutting from the Woodbridge Mayor and Lion’s Dance celebration.  The cafe on 1010 St Georges Ave will open every day at 6 AM - it even opened on Christmas! This French-inspired bakery has a Korean touch. The chain first launched in Seoul in 1988 and is the most popular bakery in South Korea. You can check out a video of their offerings, and feel free to sign up for their text message alerts to get a free baked good with your next purchase. 

🎳 The Albatross also opened recently in Edison. This luxury bowling alley is a great place to stop for a drink with friends or bring your kids to the mini golf. You can check out a video of the 50,000 square feet of entertainment here.  

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This week's trivia: Born in Perth Amboy and raised in Edison, this famous musician entered the New Jersey Hall of Fame recently at a celebration at the American Dream Mall.

Answer to last week’s trivia: The “wild canary” that is the New Jersey State bird is the American Goldfinch. It’s also the state bird of Iowa and Washington.

Here’s the weather for the upcoming week.

🌨️ Sunday, December 28:  Snow/rain is likely again- temperatures range from 33°F to 36°F.

🌦️ Monday, December 29:  More snow/rain? Yep. Temperatures range from 28°F to 50°F.

🌬️  Tuesday, December 30:   Very windy -  temperatures range from 27°F to 33°F, but it will feel more like 17°F.

🌥️ Wednesday, December 31: Breezy/cloudy - temperatures range from 29°F to 36°F.

🌦️Thursday, January 1: Cloudy;  snow flurries - temperatures range from 14°F to 37°F.

☀️ Friday, January 2:  Sunshine but cold - temperatures range from 17°F to 28°F.

☁️ Saturday, January 3: Cloudy then sun - temperatures range from 15°F to 32°F.

🥶 Sunday, January 4: Freezing rain - temperatures range from 17°F to 34°F.

As always, you can see even more events on The Central Jerseyan website. See the full events calendar ➝ 

Have an event you’d like included in this newsletter or a tip for a local news story? You can reply to this newsletter or contact me here ➝ 

Have a great week!