August 20, 2009 RSS feed / Front Page

School merger called a 'no-win' situation

Spotswood, Helmetta officials raise concerns about costs
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

Local officials in Spotswood and Helmetta remain unhappy with the forced merger of their school districts. More...

Photo

JEFF GRANIT staff Jim Wehringer of Monroe hands his son, Brett, 5, a 15-inch largemouth bass that they caught during Monroe Township's annual Fishing Derby at Molder's Fishing Farm off Englishtown Road on Aug. 11. More...

Taubenslag honored for 50 years of work

Tributes abound as children's theater director retires
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Elliott Taubenslag can recall the township's very first Children's Summer Theater program, held in 1959. He began the camp at the request of two young children who complained that they had nothing to do that summer. More...

Helping hands

Clockwise from top left: Lois Nemec of Spotswood, a member of the Nimble Fingers knitting and crochet group, knits a sweater at the borough's Office on Aging on July 14. Dolores Rosati of Spotswood crochets a baby blanket during a recent session. More...

Debate heats up over use of recycling funds

BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

SPOTSWOOD — The fire department is discontinuing its decades-old scrap metal recycling program, and laying the blame for that on elected officials. In a fundraising letter sent to residents, Spotswood Enterprise Hook & Ladder Co. More...

Monroe moving forward with senior center plans

New round of construction bids expected this month
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

MONROE — Work on the long-awaited senior center, slated for a 20-acre parcel at Applegarth and Halsey Reed roads, is expected to soon get off the ground. The township advertised the legal public notice for construction bids on July 29. More...

Game time

PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Above: Daniel Grosso, 4, of Spotswood, gets a close look at the Grab It game during the final session of Summer Story Time at the Spotswood Public Library Aug. 11. The event featured crafts, games and treats. More...

Post commander takes pride in VFW's service

BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

AHelmetta resident has attained All American status as a Veterans of ForeignWars post commander. More...

Letters

Urges residents to attend board meeting

Ihave been pleased to see continuing coverage in the Sentinel of the East Brunswick Planning Board's consideration of an application for residential development on the Foerter Farm on Riva Avenue. More...

August is Children's Vision and Learning Month

I'm writing to commend Gov. Jon Corzine for recently declaring August Children's Vision and Learning Month in New Jersey. The goal of this observance is to help educate parents and teachers about the critical link between vision and learning. More...

Taxing soda not appropriate solution to health care reform

'Sin taxes" seem to be the wave of the future to be used for balancing budgets or paying for new programs — from Congress to local mayors, many politicians are considering a variety of these taxes without thinking about the impact the tax may More...

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Columns

You can use a chainsaw to correct rude behavior

Coda • GREG BEAN

We live in a state where we are regularly witness to, or victims of, rude behavior. And most of us not only tolerate it, we enable it. You know the kind of situation I'm talking about. More...

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Sports

O'Sullivan a 'diamond in the rough' at EBHS

Linebacker/tight end looks for winning season
BY JIMMY ALLINDER Staff Writer

When you meet Tim O'Sullivan, you are immediately impressed by his soft-spoken, almost gentle demeanor. When he answers a question, he does so with measured, well-thought-out words. On the football field, however, it is quite a different story. More...

Groups file suit over pollution in Raritan

Mayor calls litigation 'grossly unfair and very shameful'
BY JENNIFER BOOTON Staff Writer

SAYREVILLE — Local environment activists announced last week that they have filed a federal lawsuit against 11 entities, alleging they contributed to the pollution of the Raritan River via the former National Lead site.The EdisonWetlandsAssoc More...

Wolverines seeking golfers and sponsors

The Monroe Wolverines will sponsor its third annual Golf Outing beginning at 1 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Concordia Golf Club, Monroe. Check-in will be at noon. Hot dogs, chips and soda will be served. More...

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Photo

JEFF GRANIT staff Ameila Chan, 8, of Spotswood, waits to see if the grabber will drop the prize during the final session of Summer Story Time at the Spotswood Public Library on Aug. 11. The event featured crafts, games and treats. More...

Monroe Township man killed in Englishtown crash

By Mark Rosman

ENGLISHTOWN — An 18-year-old male died in a two-vehicle crash on Wood Avenue (Route 522) on the night of Aug. 25. More...

Divorced parents fight denial of dual bus passes

District previously allowed passes at both parents' homes
BY BRIAN DONAHUE Staff Writer

Divorced parents of East Brunswick students learned this summer that their children will no longer be bused to and from both parents' homes. More...

County prepares schools to deal with swine flu

Vaccines to be distributed for students, staff this fall
BY JENNIFER BOOTON Staff Writer

Educators from throughout Middlesex County gathered last week to discuss a federally recommended school-based vaccination program to halt the spread of H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, in the coming school year. More...

Loose pit bulls attack man at E.B. apartment complex

EAST BRUNSWICK — A township man was attacked last week by two pit bulls that were running around loose in an apartment complex. Police responded to the Royal Gardens apartments on Tices Lane at 7:35 p.m. Aug. More...

Spotswood to dedicate fire truck with ceremony, parade

BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

SPOTSWOOD — The borough's new fire truck will be dedicated during an Aug. 22 ceremony at the Main Street firehouse. The apparatus was recently purchased for approximately $600,000, according to Borough Council President Curtis Stollen. More...

Car strikes pole, tree on Cranbury Road

EAST BRUNSWICK — A township woman was injured Aug. 11 after a one-car accident on Cranbury Road. Police said Elizaveta Kuznetsoff, 27, had been traveling northbound at a high rate of speed around 10:41 p.m. More...

Two hospitalized after Rt. 18 crash

EAST BRUNSWICK — Two cars and a motorcycle were involved in an accident at 1:34 p.m. Aug. 17 on Route 18 south near Naricon Place. According to police, all three vehicles were proceeding south on Route 18 in different lanes. More...

S.R. implements new notification system

BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer

SOUTH RIVER — With the recent implementation of Global Connect's emergency notification system, borough officials can notify thousands of residents in a split second. The system launched on Aug. More...

Road improvements to help rescue squad

County, E.B. team up for work on Cranbury Road
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Middlesex County will perform road improvements on Cranbury Road in front of the township's rescue squad building in the hope of making it easier for responders to avoid traffic while leaving the site. More...

On Campus

Jillian Kelly, daughter of Shelley and Frank Kelly of East Brunswick, has been awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Conn., where she was named to the dean's list for the spring semester and was t More...

With online program, quitting smoking becomes easier

Quit Net program sponsored by state
BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer

WOODBRIDGE — It was after that one look at her grandchildren that Evelyn York made the decision to quit smoking forever, which had been a habit of hers since she was 16 years old. More...

Bulletin Board

Flea market fundraiser scheduled for Aug. 22

A flea market fundraiser will be held on Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jamesburg Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of Gatzmer Avenue and Church Street in Jamesburg. More...

Harry Potter night to be held at library

The Jamesburg Public Library, Gatzmer Avenue, will host a Harry Potter night on Aug. 24. The event will begin at 7 p.m. with a visit from magician Gary Filson. Attendees are welcome to come dressed in costume, if desired. Details: 732-521-0440. More...

Vendors are needed for Sayreville Day

Vendors and crafters are needed for Sayreville Day, which is scheduled to be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at Kennedy Park in Parlin. The rain date is Sept. 20. Details: 732-735-1653 or sayrevilleday2009@verizon.net. More...

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Opinion

Word on the Street

What do you think is the greatest unsolved mystery of all?

The greatest unsolved mystery is what genius came up with shrink-wrap and why did he or she think that this was the way to seal packages? Have you ever tried to open a CD or DVD package that has been shrinkwrapped? More...

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Obituaries

Sheila Webb O'Halloran

Mrs. O'Halloran, 87, of North Brunswick, died Aug. 9, 2009, at home. She as a retail security manager at M. Epstein Inc., Morristown, for more than 20 years, retiring in 1988. She was predeceased by her husband, John O'Halloran. More...

Kathryn (Cas) Elizabeth Emens Fee

Mrs. Fee, 99, formerly of Milltown and South River, died July 27, 2009, in Surprise, Ariz. She lived in South River for over 40 years where she was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader as well as a bookkeeper for her husband's business. More...

Austin N. Reilly

Austin, age 7, died July 31, 2009, in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He was a kindergarten student at St. Thomas the Apostle School, Old Bridge. More...

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