Celebrities pitch in for charity      ERIC SUCAR staff Peter Jacobsen, a 30-year veteran of the PGA Tour, hams it up with the large crowd gathered for the Bud Light Celebrity Skills Exhibition at Forsgate Country Club Tuesday. The event followed the annual Sovereign Bank Charity Golf Classic, which also featured golf greats Lee Trevino ... More ... Changes likely in store for Ford Avenue plans Boro mulls fewer age restrictions, more affordable housing BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       In the face of ongoing litigation, Milltown officials have formulated a plan that would fulfill affordable housing obligations at the Ford Avenue site. The Planning Board voted on Sept. 11 to approve an amendment to the master plan and revision of the Ford Avenue Redevelopment Plan to allow for t... More ... Video surveillance, turf, utility access all on tap Monroe schools get some longstanding 'wish list' items BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       Awide array of improvements are in the works for all six of Monroe's public schools, meant to enhance the district's capabilities in a number of ways. Some are under way or completed while others are yet to begin, and the projects are all due to be finished in the coming year. More ... Spotswood accident      CHRIS KELLY staff The intersection of Manalapan Road and John Street in Spotswood was the scene of a twocar motor vehicle accident Saturday. One accident victim was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, for pain in several areas, but police did not consider the injuries to... More ... Two local couples dance their way to your TV set Ballroom dancers take part in internat'l competition on CN8 BY MARY ANNE ROSS Correspondent       EAST BRUNSWICK - Ballroom dancing is much more than a hobby for two township couples. Garry and Rita Gekhman and Jean Paulovich and Iryna Pinihina are professional ballroom dancers. All four competed in the North American Dancesport Championships, held in Cherry Hill this summer. More ... Republican quits post over phony Baroni letter BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       MONROE - A Monroe Republican Committee member plans to resign from her position over being asked put her name on a letter condemning Democratic state Senate candidate Seema Singh that she felt was overly negative. The committee member, Racquel Chiarella, said that staffers at Republican challeng... More ... Local teen's Brazil trip brings lasting memories Spotswood junior part of all-star soccer team on goodwill trip BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer       SPOTSWOOD - A love of soccer and a desire to spread some good will created a memorable summer for a team of all-star soccer players. The 18 girls, including Spotswood High School junior Katy Generelli, traveled to the obscure Brazilian town of Sao Mateus to play soccer as well as to donate suppl... More ... Concerns lead to bus stop being moved again South River officials respond to complaints from church members BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       SOUTH RIVER - A borough bus stop will be moved from the front of a Main Street church in response to congregants' complaints about loitering and related issues. The Borough Council voted unanimously to move the bus stop, though officials did raise concerns that the problems faced by the Conklin ... More ... Civic center area gets new look       EAST BRUNSWICK - Long an unsightly area of the civic center complex, the space between the township's senior center and municipal building is being improved. The Township Council recently approved a measure that will jump-start the second phase of the improvement project. Township Finance Direc... More ... Commuter tells council switch has been a hassle Some say parking changes have made for longer commute BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer       EAST BRUNSWICK - The shifting of several hundred commuters from one Route 18 park-and-ride to another this month has some voicing concerns about a more time-consuming trek to work. More ... Building spirit      PHOTOS BY SCOTT FRIEDMAN Mendel Zaklikovsky, 6, of Monroe, pulls a bamboo pole destined for the roof of the sukkah at the Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe on Sunday. Shmuel Zaklikovsky (r) holds up a beam while Jacob Roitman, of East Brunswick, gets set to hammer it in during construction of the sukka... More ... Commuter concerns at issue with bus co.'s new contract Resident says more guarantees needed for quality bus service BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer       EAST BRUNSWICK - Always a hotly debated topic, the township's commuter service contract is again on the table. Though officials are expected to award the contract to the same bus company, Suburban Transit, several questions led the Township Council to table the deal in a 4-1 vote Monday night. More ... Last call at Lakeview before closing for fix-ups       JAMESBURG - This Sunday will be the last time the public can step inside the historic Lakeview mansion for an estimated 18 to 24 months. The Route 522 building will undergo a longawaited, county-funded restoration project. More ... Photographer's landscape works focus of exhibition       SPOTSWOOD - An exhibition opening Sunday at the Academy of Music on Main Street will feature the photography of Glenna Rosenberg. Rosenberg, who lives in the Morganville section of Marlboro, where she also has a studio, is a self-taught photographer and has been working as such professionally fo... More ... Celebrating Helmetta      PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Above: Katelyn Covington, 12, of Monroe, and Alicea Etheridge, 12, of Jamesburg, take a shot at karaoke during Helmetta Day on Saturday on the Holy Trinity Church grounds. Below: Jolynn Markus (l), 12, of Spotswood, braces for a hit from Dan Macor, 15, of Milltown, while ... More ... Police charge E.B. man in robbery of pharmacy       EAST BRUNSWICK - A 28-year-old township man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly held up the CVS Pharmacy at 330 Rues Lane. Police said Jason Brenner entered the pharmacy at 4:30 that afternoon, approached the counter and stated that he had a handgun hidden in his sweatshirt. He allegedly thr... More ... Armed men hold up bank       EAST BRUNSWICK - Two masked men held up the PNC Bank at Route 18 and Edgeboro Road Tuesday. Both men carried guns as they entered the bank and announced that they were conducting a heist shortly before 10 a.m. The robbers took an undisclosed amount of money and fled the scene in a vehicle, a spo... More ... Rutgers soccer roundup BY DOUG McKENZIE Correspondent       The Scarlet Knights, ranked 12th the nation, took on the third-ranked team from Santa Clara University and the country's top team from Stanford in a two-day span, losing both games, but proving their mettle in the process. On Sept. More ... Starland to raise funds for children with cancer Tickets sold to three months of shows benefit Valerie Fund       SAYREVILLE - The Starland Ballroom will kick off a major charity drive next week. Concert-goers planning to see bands like Blue October, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Henry Rollins, Bad Religion, the Misfits and others slated playing through the end of the year will be helping a new charity called "L... More ... Boro proposes widening, repairing Wyoming Ave. BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer       SPOTSWOOD - Wyoming Avenue is in for an extensive makeover. Borough officials aim to widen the road, make drainage improvements and install curbs and sidewalks on sections that have none, according to Borough Council President Curtis Stollen. Much of the road is in poor condition, he noted. More ... A 'new reality' revealed at New Bruns. museum Show features works of major photographers from 1950s to present       NEW BRUNSWICK - A new exhibition at the Zimmerli Art Museum explores the continued use of black and white photography as a medium of visual and historical consequence. More ...