Question for committee: Who wants to be mayor? Answer will be revealed at Manalapan meeting Jan. 7 BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer       Probably the biggest item on anyone’s “got to know” list, municipally speaking that is, is who will be selected as mayor for 2007 when the Manalapan Township Committee holds its annual reorganization meeting at 1 p.m. Jan. 7. More ... Tournament tussle       Freehold Township’s Marcus Roberson and Shawnee’s Julian Sanders battle for a rebound during the Patriots’ Kuhnert Holiday Tournament win on Friday in Freehold Borough. For story, see sports. More ... State wraps up work on 3 construction projects       FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Kris Kolluri has announced the completion of the final of three safety and operational improvement projects along Route 9 in Freehold Township. More ... Donated bicycles make children’s Christmas bright BY ELANA ARON Correspondent       For 10 children, this Christmas was like no other they have celebrated in the past. It all began at Freehold Area Open Door, a nonprofit organization that provides food, emergency funding, mentoring and scholarship programs to needy families in Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Col... More ... Food, shelter to be offered in Freehold BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer       FREEHOLD — Members of local clergy will once again open their arms and their doors to help those in need. A sanctuary program for those in need will once again be offered in the borough this winter. The program offers food and hot beverages for those who need it from January through M... More ... Township officials pledge not to reveal certain info BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer       MANALAPAN — A confidentiality agreement was signed by some members of the Township Committee at their last meeting of 2006. After returning to public session following a closed session at the Dec. 27 special meeting, outgoing Mayor Drew Shapiro announced that some members of the gover... More ... Shapiro ends service on committee BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer       MANALAPAN — Drew Shapiro concluded six years of service on the Township Committee by presiding over his final meeting of the governing body on Dec. 27. Shapiro served as Manalapan’s mayor for 2006. Shapiro’s service drew accolades from Republican Committeeman Andrew Lucas, with whom S... More ... Professionals interview for municipal positions BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer       MANALAPAN — As one of its final pieces of business in 2006, the Township Committee held a special meeting on Dec. 27 to interview candidates for the position of township administrator and for professional appointments (i.e. attorney, engineer). More ... Police dept. achieves accreditation       MANALAPAN — Police Chief Stuart C. Brown and Capt. Louis Moreto went before the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police accreditation commission Dec. 14 after having put the Police Department through an independent audit of the agency in an effort to comply with what are nationally ... More ... Traffic laws we don’t know or simply ignore       Passing on the right or hanging tassels from a rearview mirror can get you tickets in the Garden State BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer You see the flashing red lights in the rearview mirror and you don’t know why. You weren’t speeding, and you know that you came to a full st... More ... Misconceptions abound about police, traffic laws Officer dispels myth about ticket quotas; former prosecutor addresses DWI issues BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       Most people have their own perception and misconceptions about the police — good and bad — but some misconceptions can be answered simply by asking a member of a police department. For instance, do cops operate on a quota basis to raise revenue for the town? More ... Volunteer honored for service       MANALAPAN — Township resident Min Raibman, 91, was recently honored for her 15 years of volunteer service with the Natural Resources Conservation Ser-vice (NRCS) at its All Employees Meeting and Awards Program held at the Rutgers EcoComplex in Bordentown. More ... Marlboro teacher attains national certification       MARLBORO — The Marlboro K-8 School District announced last week that Defino Central Elementary School third-grade teacher Karen Jarosz has achieved national certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2006. Of the 108,000 teachers in New Jersey, only 111 are nat... More ... Survivors’ stories retold       MANALAPAN — The Monmouth County Library Headquarters, Symmes Drive, will host an exhibit that further honors survivors of the World War II era Holocaust. Beginning Jan. 7 the library will host “Survival of the Human Spirit: Triumph Over Adversity. More ... Martial arts students excel       Students from Tiger Schulmann’s Mixed Martial Arts Center in Marlboro represented their school on Dec. 10, competing in the Challenge of Champions martial arts competition held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus. More ...