Author: Claire Reed, Managing Editor

  • Freehold Township boys’ hoops team unstoppable on court

    Freehold Township boys’ hoops team unstoppable on court

    By Jeff Appelblatt The teamwork and camaraderie of Freehold Township High School’s boys’ basketball team has shined magnificently early in the season. It showed in the squad’s game Jan. 7 in Freehold Township, where the Patriots hosted the team from Holmdel High School. The day and time made no difference for Freehold Township, which was playing…

  • Manalapan searching for wins as girls learn new system

    Manalapan searching for wins as girls learn new system

    By Jeff Appelblatt First-year head coach Jenna Anderson knew things would start off tough for the girls’ basketball team at Manalapan High School. The team had a rough season last year (6-15), and Anderson knew the girls would struggle getting used to her approach early even though the majority of her lineup has played basketball…

  • Freehold boys’ basketball team seeking constant improvement

    Freehold boys’ basketball team seeking constant improvement

    By Jeff Appelblatt Jesse Ryan, the boys’ basketball coach at Freehold High School, wasn’t too bothered when his team lost Jan. 6, sinking his squad’s record to a dismal 1-8 record. There was much more he wanted to take away from the game aside from the final score. For instance, there were the multiple double-figure…

  • Zucker hopeful to return to court soon for Manalapan

    Zucker hopeful to return to court soon for Manalapan

    By Jeff Appelblatt When Manalapan High School prepared to start the boys’ basketball season, coach Rick Garretson knew his team was going to rely heavily on junior Matan Zucker. That proved to be true in the first game of the season. Zucker drained a team-high 23 points Dec. 16 against Christian Brothers Academy (CBA). But…

  • Grillo calls replacement on Sayreville boards ‘political payback’

    Grillo calls replacement on Sayreville boards ‘political payback’

    By JACQUELINE DURETT Correspondent SAYREVILLE — Democratic Councilman Steven Grillo got what he said was some surprising news when he received his information packet for the Jan. 1 reorganization meeting. He found out that he was no longer the council appointee to the Planning Board, a position that he was replaced by Republican Councilman Pat…

  • Esteemed musicians to perform at St. Mary’s this weekend

    Esteemed musicians to perform at St. Mary’s this weekend

    By JACQUELINE DURETT Correspondent SOUTH AMBOY — The 2016-17 Music at St. Mary’s series is in full swing, with the next show scheduled for this weekend of Jan. 14-15 at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church on Augusta Street. The diverse collection of classical music performances is now in its 16th year, and the series is run…

  • Juror attends convicted mother’s sentencing

    Juror attends convicted mother’s sentencing

    By KATHY CHANG Staff Writer NEW BRUNSWICK — Joe Mulvanerton, one of the jurors in the Michelle Lodzinski murder trial, sat quietly and listened as she was sentenced last week to a 30-year prison sentence for killing her 5-year-old son, Timmy, in 1991 and dumping his body in a creek off Olympic Drive in Raritan…

  • Kloos brothers ‘light up’ the life of Helmetta family

    Kloos brothers ‘light up’ the life of Helmetta family

    By VASHTI HARRIS Staff Writer HELMETTA — After months of hard work, hours of dedication and thousands of Christmas lights, the numbers are in: Bill and Ryan Kloos presented a check for $10,500 and a customized toy car to a young boy who is special to them. This past Christmas season, the Kloos brothers embarked…

  • Split Marlboro school board taps Mattos as president for 2017

    Split Marlboro school board taps Mattos as president for 2017

    By Peter Elacqua Staff Writer MARLBORO – Debbie Mattos has been elected to her second consecutive term as president of the Marlboro K-8 School District Board of Education. The board held its reorganization meeting on Jan. 3, during which Randy Heller, Robert Daniel and Dara Enny were sworn in to begin serving the three-year terms…