JEFF GRANIT staff Freehold Township High School's Andrew Miller tries to hold off East Brunswick's Randall Nixon during their teams' final scrimmage of the lacrosse preseason on March 29 in East Brunswick. The regular season starts this week for all high school spring sports in New Jersey. More ... Activities may be saved with 2nd question Freehold Borough board will let voters decide fate of some programs BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer       The deed was done. The die was cast as Freehold Borough Board of Education members made one of the toughest decisions they ever had to make in a 6-3 vote to adopt the 2007-08 school year budget following a public hearing on March 26. The budget carries a tax levy of $7.4 million tha... More ... Development of park is slow to take shape Monmouth County bought Marlboro tract from state years ago BY KEVIN CORRIGAN Correspondent       MARLBORO - Hidden somewhere between Boundary Road and Route 79 lies 378 acres of empty land. Deer herds graze freely across green fields. Tall grass grows over the rubble of toppled farm buildings. A solitary trail navigates the land. The paved walkway is tattooed with fissures from seve... More ... Children's entertainers to perform in benefit       Oncor Entertainment will present Mr. Scott, "The Music Man," and nationally recognized and award-winning children's entertainer Yosi in a children's concert to benefit Parents of Autistic Children (POAC). The charity performance is scheduled for April 21 at the Brookdale Community Colle... More ... New code gives options in Howell ARE zones BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer       HOWELL - Every six years New Jersey law requires a municipality to re-examine its master plan and development regulations. On March 20 the Township Council adopted an ordinance that will revise Howell's Agricultural-Rural Estate (ARE) zoning districts to provide for lot averaging, open lan... More ... Amy Rosen       Around Town Dr. Spock never mentioned juggling When kids come into our lives, wouldn't it be nice if they brought along an instruction manual? Although there are plenty of books on the subject, each parent has their own style. I suppose we all develop our individua... More ... Man struck on Route 33 trying to flee vehicle fire BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer       MANALAPAN - Police believe alcohol may have been a factor when a Manal-apan resident who was involved in a one-car motor vehicle accident was struck by another vehicle as he tried to escape from his burning car. In the wake of the incident, Route 33 was closed for almost three hours ... More ... Domestic violence teams offer comfort to victims BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer       FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - When one thinks of living in suburbia, one pictures open space, shopping malls and safety from crime. There may, in fact, be less crime in suburbia than in a big city, but living in suburbia does not preclude you from being unsafe in your own home, even if you li... More ... Animation nets award for Eisenhower pupils       FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - Eisen-hower Middle School seventh-graders recently won a JP Morgan Chase Multi-media in the Classroom Award as part of the Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21 Cele-bration of Teaching and Learning Conference. More ... April 5 groundbreaking set for child advocacy center       FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - On April 5 at 11 a.m. on county land across from the Monmouth County Police Academy, Kozloski Road, a long-awaited event will finally take place. More ... List of online gambling busts reaches over 50 Former assemblyman among those charged as part of $500M operation BY KARL VILACOBA Staff Writer       FREEHOLD - On the eve of NCAA basketball's Final Four, a former New Jersey Assembly member joined dozens of state residents charged for their involvement with an Internet-based gambling ring that thrived on pro and college sports wagers. More ... Operation Thunderbird arrests (as of Friday)       The following Monmouth County residents were arrested on March 28: Richard Neale Sr., 52, of West Long Branch; Chester Zdunek, 77, of Colts Neck; Joseph Mariconda, 59, of Freehold; Kenneth Murphy, 81, of Oceanport; Mike Demetropoulis, 84, of Matawan; Robert A. More ... Freeholders reject request to assist borough schools BY MARK ROSMAN Staff Writer       FREEHOLD - The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has turned down a request to help bail the Freehold Borough public school district out of a tough financial situation. On March 29, state Sen. More ... New corrections officers graduate from academy       FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - The Monmouth County Police Academy graduated 33 corrections officers recently, all of whom will go on to work in the jails in Monmouth or Ocean counties. The graduating class trained for nearly 750 hours over the course of 20 weeks in order to complete the 23rd Basi... More ... Partnership opens talent search for state's 'Idol'       FREEHOLD - The Freehold Center Partnership, as part of its summer concert series, has launched a statewide talent search for the "Freehold Idol." In the search for a major talent in the state, contest plans are to showcase the best vocalists in the state. Auditions will be held on 10 c... More ... Accident results in charges BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer       MANALAPAN - Two summonses have been issued to a 94-year-old Manal-apan resident whose Route 9 collision with another vehicle on March 11 occurred as he was driving north in the southbound lanes of the state highway. Police said Abe Goldenberg has been charged with driving the wrong w... More ... OEM coordinator on leave       Harry Conover, the coordinator of the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management, is on administrative leave after being charged with a series of offenses by the Monmouth County Pros-ecutor's Office. More ... Special needs organization serves Howell youngsters BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer       HOWELL - Angela Mastro Piero said her family moved to Howell from Staten Island, N.Y., for a good reason. "We specifically moved to Howell because of the special needs programs and resources available for our son," said Piero, who is a member of the Howell K-8 school district's Speci... More ... Fires damage two stores BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer       MANALAPAN - Beauty took a beating in Manalapan this week. One fire resulted in the destruction of a Route 9 spa while a second fire caused minor structural damage and second-degree burns to a person working at a nail salon that is under construction on Union Hill Road, according to p... More ... Salkin's career takes turn toward writing Local official's first novel expected to be on shelves this month BY ELANA ARON Correspondent       FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - Most people in Freehold Township know David M. Salkin as a member of the Township Committee and owner of the Jewel Case, a jewelry store in the South Freehold Shopping Center. Now, however, Salkin's claim to fame may be his new role as a published author. More ... Residents complain about backyard water woes Revised drainage plan in the works for Howell homes BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer       HOWELL - Everything you want, everything you need is what the Lennar development corporation promises its homeowners. However, residents at the Reserve at Manasquan River, Route 524, a Lennar development, are claiming the firm has fallen short of its promise. More ... Safer neighborhood streets is goal of Pace Car program       FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - Be the first in your neighborhood to sign up for a Pace Car magnet and become a mobile speed bump. People who join the Freehold Town-ship Police Department's Pace Car program will have a chance to help keep the township safer by doing their part to help control spee... More ... Entertainer's career is ready to take off Marlboro High School grad Shara Strand is multi-talented performer BY AMY ROSEN Staff Writer       If you're going to shoot for the stars the Apollo is a great way to get there. Not the Apollo spacecraft, but "Showtime at the Apollo," a television show that airs on NBC from the legendary Apollo theater in New York City. The Apollo is a place "where stars are born and legends are made,"... More ... Both sides claim victory in settlement of lawsuit African-American youths claimed police treated them inappropriately BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer       MANALAPAN - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey announced last week that Manalapan's insurance company will pay $275,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit the organization filed in August 2004 on behalf of three African-American teenagers. More ... Workshop to explore autism spectrum disorder April 18       "What Parents and Pubic School Teachers Should Know About Autism Spectrum Disorder" will be discussed at the April 18 meeting of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). The workshop will be held in the media center at Howell High School, Squankum-Yellowbrook Road, Howell, at 7 p.m. More ... Woman's Club celebrates 40 years       The GFWC Molly Pitcher Woman's Club of Freehold Township celebrated its 40th birthday on March 20 at the Old Country Buffet, Freehold Township. The club joined the New Jersey State Federation of Woman's Clubs in March 1967. It chose the name of Molly Pitcher to honor the American Revolu... More ... Wine tasting aids foundation       MARLBORO - The Marlboro Educa-tional Foundation, a group of Marlboro residents and business people dedicated to raising funds for innovative and creative programs not covered in the general school budget, recently held its second annual successful wine tasting event. More ... Tourism magazine features activities       FREEHOLD - Finding year-round activities in Monmouth County just got easier with "New Jersey's Monmouth County," a 66-page magazine highlighting the county's attractions. The magazine highlights the county's beaches, shopping centers, theaters, museums, historic sites, lighthouses, par... More ... Starting over … again Peruvian artist works to establish herself in N.J. BY LINDA DeNICOLA Staff Writer       West Long Branch artist Angélica Zavala Carlisle is starting over - for the third time. The first time she made a fresh start was when she graduated from college in Peru and began her career as a working artist. The second time she was forced to start over was when she moved ... More ...