Category: Suburban News

By CHRISTINE BARCIA Staff Writer Mise en place is a French culinary term that means “putting in place.” For chefs, having ingredients prepared and arranged before the cooking process begins allows for greater organization and efficiency in executing a recipe. Applying that concept in everyday life can bring that same organization to almost any task.… Continue reading New year offers opportunity to organize

By MATTHEW SOCKOL Correspondent The number of students receiving special education services in the Sayreville Public School District is increasing. “One of the main problems that we’re focusing on right now in special education is, first and foremost, the fact that we have a rising number of students being made eligible for special education services,”… Continue reading Sayreville addresses increasing special education population

The New Pathways to Teaching program has been created at Middlesex County College (MCC) to allow individuals who have not completed a traditional teacher-training program the opportunity to become teachers through New Jersey’s alternate route system. There will be an information session to review the requirements of the program from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 12 in… Continue reading MCC offers alternate route to certification as teacher

By CHRISTINE BARCIA Staff Writer Gracie West, a seventh-grader at the Barkalow Middle School, Freehold Township, has been battling cancer for two years and recent scans showed no evidence of the disease. In December 2014, Gracie traveled to Rome and received a blessing from Pope Francis. CHRISTINE BARCIA/STAFF Gracie West literally jumped for joy with… Continue reading Youngster shows strength in battle against cancer

OLD BRIDGE — It has been a longstanding practice of St. Thomas the Apostol Church in Old Bridge to hold a seasonal drive for the region’s elderly, this year collecting more than 500 gifts that it divvied out among four area nursing homes. “It’s a pretty big undertaking,” said Justine Durstewitz, who coordinates the churches’… Continue reading St. Thomas church delivers gifts to area nursing homes

PHOTOS BY KATHY McBAIN/STAFF Greater Media Newspapers held a holiday food drive in the Manalapan office from Dec. 9-21. Donations were brought to the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Neptune.

By JACQUELINE DURETT Correspondent SOUTH AMBOY — Residents got a guided tour of the city and a look at some of the best local Christmas light displays during the city’s annual holiday trolley tour on Dec. 18. This was the fifth year for the trolley tour, an event the city holds in partnership with the… Continue reading Holiday trolley tour lights up South Amboy

By KATHY CHANG Staff Writer More than 10,000 letters from students all over the Old Bridge School District were delivered to the Macy’s department store in East Brunswick as part of Macy’s Make-AWish Believe Campaign last week. The letter campaign was spearheaded by 11-year-old A.J. Silvestri, a sixth-grader at Carl Sandburg Middle School. For every… Continue reading Sixth-grader leads letter-writing effort for Make-A-Wish

U.S. Army Spc. Saheed A. Abimbola has graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, S.C. During nine weeks of training, Abimbola studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values; physical fitness; and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship,… Continue reading IN THE SERVICE

By JACQUELINE DURETT Correspondent SOUTH AMBOY — On Jan. 1, the city will have a new fire chief — just as it does every year. Outgoing chief Michael Geraltowski had quite a year — in March, he helped the department acquire a new pumper ladder truck. A month later, the city’s only grocery store burned… Continue reading Kelly expects good year as South Amboy fire chief