5 Things You Need to Know About This Weekend

Saturday, April 16 – Lawrence Little League Opening Day

Postponed from last Saturday (April 9) due to the fields being too wet from the recent rain, the Opening Day ceremonies for Lawrence Little League baseball and softball have been rescheduled for April 16 beginning at 8:45 a.m. at Lawrence Township’s Central Park on Eggerts Crossing Road. Players will assemble with their teams by Colavita Field and then, at 9 a.m., parade through the park and onto Grant Field.  The league’s 2011 opening ceremonies – including the dedication of two new scoreboards – will be held on Grant Field. Afterward, team pictures will be taken on the field. There will also be various 50/50 drawings, raffles and Lawrence Little League merchandise offered for sale throughout the day.

Saturday, April 16 – Lawrence Nature Center Program

“Scatology: The Scientific Study of the Unmentionable” will be presented at 1 p.m. on April 16 at the Lawrence Nature Center on Drexel Avenue. The program is free to the public but registration is required due to limited space. Please call the Lawrence Township Recreation Department at (609) 844‐7067 to register. We’ll let the description on the flyer explain this one:

"Often a taboo subject at the dinner table or in the classroom, we will explore the importance of feces in the natural world. Naturalist Rick Dutko confided, “I really don’t get to study animal feces that often but did you know that the habitat of several rare mammals in New Jersey can be determined just by spotting their droppings? I can even go into someone’s attic and determine what mammal is using the space without ever seeing the critter itself!” Not all animal waste is equal, in fact, nearly all are uniquely different. So just how is this information useful for anyone else other than an eccentric naturalist?

"Join Rick as we go through a very interesting presentation and activity, one which will start off with the intriguing topic of number two and end with delicious treats of chocolates, all in less than an hour. This presentation is not for the weak-hearted or easily-disgusted; it is suitable for most children over the age of six and for many parents and adults."

Saturday, April 16 – One-Act Play Festival

The Lawrence Township headquarters branch of the Mercer County Library will host its third annual One-Act Play Festival beginning at 7 p.m. on April 16 at the library at 2751 Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1) at the corner of Darrah Lane East. Six original one-act plays written by Delaware Valley playwrights will be performed by local actors. Due to limited space, please RSVP to (609) 989-6920.

Sunday, April 17 – “Sweat For a Net” 5-K Run

Originally scheduled to be held in Village Park in Lawrence, the “Sweat For a Net” 5-K race will instead be held near the West Picnic Area of Mercer County Park in West Windsor beginning at 9 a.m. on April 17. Organized by Lawrence Township resident Kyle Fram as his community service project for his Bar-Mitzvah, the event will raise funds for Nothing But Nets, a charity that provides mosquito nets to families in Africa to fight malaria – one of the largest killers of children there. Funds generated by the event will also benefit Kyle’s synagogue, Adath Israel Congregation.

Sunday, April 17 – Lawrence Township Easter Egg Hunt

The Lawrence Township Recreation Department will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. sharp on April 17 at Central Park on Eggerts Crossing Road. In the event of rain, the hunt will be rescheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 23. For more information, call the township recreation department at (609) 844-7067.