April 30, 2009 RSS feed / Front Page

Monroe voters send school tab to council

Two incumbents, one newcomer elected to board
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

Monroe residents last week rejected a school budget that would have brought an average tax increase of $67. Also in the April 21 election, voters chose three of four candidates for three-year terms on the Board of Education. More...

Spotswood schools super will retire in Nov.

Krewer is credited with improving district's curriculum
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

After 45 years as an educator, John Krewer has decided it is time to move on. Spotswood's superintendent of schools last week gave the Board of Education a letter of resignation for the purpose of retirement, effective Nov. 1. More...

Incumbents celebrate win, budget passage

Becker, Karp, Shaw re-elected in narrow margin April 21
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Three Board of Education incumbents withstood a challenge from a trio of challengers who launched an organized campaign for their seats. More...

Construction kicks off on media center, gym

Work at Kilmer school is Phase 2 of $7.2M project
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

MILLTOWN — Wearing hard hats and sporting shovels spray-painted gold or silver, 10 students dug into the dirt for the official groundbreaking of the new media center at Joyce Kilmer School. More...

Milltown school tab squeaks by at polls

BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

MILLTOWN — Just 10 votes made the difference in the passage of the 2009-10-school budget. With 864 voters or 16.5 percent of those registered casting ballots, the budget succeeded by a vote of 437-427. More...

Budget passes; Smith O'Brien win board seats

Newcomer, board veteran discuss goals for future
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

SPOTSWOOD — For the second straight year, the Board of Education presented a school budget with no tax increase. And for the second straight year, voters approved the budget. More...

Jamesburg school tab approved by eight votes

BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

JAMESBURG — Voters narrowly approved this year's school budget, 150 to 142. The vote means the Borough Council will not have to review the Board of Education's budget, as was the case last year when the budget was defeated by 29 votes. More...

Exploring culture

JEFF GRANIT staff Emma Schieda and Andrew Turco have their "passports" stamped at the China exhibit in the gymnasium at Barclay Brook School in Monroe April 24. More...

Letters

Resident wants BOE to show plan was carried out

'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Maybe. But when your tax dollars are paying for the "gift," a look to see what you're getting is a good idea. The East Brunswick Board of Education says the 2009-10 budget will not raise property taxes. More...

Honesty is alive and well and living in East Brunswick

My husband and I have lived in East Brunswick for more than 30 years. I want to share an amazing experience I had recently. More...

Budget vote proves education is priority

Thanks to all who came out to vote on April 21 in the Spotswood Board of Education election. The school budget passed for a second year in a row in Spotswood, proving that the education of our children has become a priority for our citizens. More...

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Obituaries

Ruth Alice Dinkel

Mrs. Dinkel, 97, of Cape Coral, Fla., formerly of Spotswood, died April 10, 2009. Her husband, Louis Dinkel, died in 1994. Surviving are two daughters and their spouses, Nancy and John Longwith of Broken Arrow, Okla. More...

Evelyn M. Hatfield Kotora

Mrs. Kotora, 77, of Spotswood, formerly of Old Bridge, died April 11, 2009, in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division. She taught kindergarten Sunday school for 17 years at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Old Bridge. More...

Thomas J. Aldrich

Mr. Aldrich, 77, of New Brunswick, died April 7, 2009, in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Prior to his retirement several years ago, he was employed as a bartender at Dominic's Restaurant, New Brunswick. More...

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Photo

JEFF GRANIT staff Gavin Taylor, 6, gets a closer look at a Chinese lantern April 24 when students at Monroe's Barclay Brook School explored cultures from around the world. More...

Library will take hit with proposed budget

Hours of operation, staffing to be cut; user fees expected
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

The East Brunswick Township Council is considering a $350,000 cut to the library's budget this year, resulting in reduced hours and staff and program cutbacks. More...

Senior prom

PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff Left: Fran Berman (center) dances with other seniors and students during Monroe Township High School's annual senior dance April 21. More...

South River budget OK'd; Marino, newcomers win

BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer

SOUTH RIVER — Residents last week voted in favor of the $29.3 million school budget that carries no tax increase for the 2009-10. The budget received 590 votes in favor and 311 against. More...

Police use checkpoints for DWI enforcement

A s high school celebrations get underway this spring, municipal and county law enforcement officers are setting up driving while intoxicated checkpoints designed to ensure the safety of teenagers and others on the roads. More...

Monroe man, 60, dies in accident

MONROE — A 60-year-old township man died April 10 when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree on Federal Road, authorities said. More...

Road will remain closed due to water-main work

MONROE — A section of Spotswood- Englishtown Road will remain closed for at least the next six weeks as crews continue work on water mains in the area. More...

Fundraisers

April 30 & May 1 • Book and Media Sale, sponsored by the Friends of the Monroe Township Library, at the library, 4 Municipal Plaza. April 30 — 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; May 1 — 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Fill-A-Bag-for-$1 event. More...

Helmetta voters reject tab

HELMETTA — Nearly three out of every four residents who cast ballots in the April 21 school election voted against the school budget. The $4.39 million budget for 2009-10 was defeated in a vote of 75 to 29. More...

Old Bridge clarinetist inspires through music

BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer

OLD BRIDGE — Her first encounter with the clarinet sparked a love affair that helped 23-year-old Jessica Sibelman start her own orchestra concert series. More...

Bulletin Board

Top prize is $15,000 in Milltown school raffle

Our Lady of Lourdes School, Milltown, invites the public to participate in the school's annual Powerball Raffle. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold. Each ticket costs $50. More...

Farrington Lake cleanup set for May 2

Local groups and residents are invited to take part in the seventh annual cleanup around Farrington Lake set for May 2. Registration will take place at 8:30 a.m. in Bicentennial Park, Riva Avenue and Hardenburg Lane, East Brunswick. More...

Elijah's Promise sets fundraising gala

Elijah's Promise, New Brunswick, will hold a benefit 8-11 p.m. May 2 at the Reformed Church, 19 S. Second Ave., Highland Park. The event will feature dancing to the music of DJ J. Zajac. More...

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Columns

Gee, that candy looks good enough to smoke

Coda • GREG BEAN

My favorite line from the recent presidential campaign was Barack Obama explaining his youthful experimentation with mind-altering chemicals. "When I was young and stupid, I was young and stupid," he said. More...

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Sports

Play ball!

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Above: Monroe Township High School's Morgan Widener reaches to make a putout on Colonia's Kristen Stefanowicz at first base during a home game April 25. More...

Spotswood brings talent, experience to the plate

BY JIMMY ALLINDER Correspondent

If you examine the record at this point in the season (5-3), it might appear as though Spotswood High School's softball team is experiencing an average year. More...

Youth playing big roles for SRHS softball squad

BY JIMMY ALLINDER Correspondent

The recipe for building a program, no matter the sport, starts with basic ingredients. You take natural talent, allow it to grow through experience, and hopefully, the end result is a winning team. More...

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