Pro-Lynch letters fail to move judge Former state senator gets 39 months for deal with S.B. sand company BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       Former state Sen. John Lynch stood and waited to hear his sentence Tuesday. When it came, he didn’t weep, gnash his teeth or embrace despairing relatives. The disgraced former senator’s courtroom theatrics consisted, instead, of a handshake and a quiet exit. More ...       Rabbi Levi Azimov, the director of the Chabad Jewish Center of South Brunswick, lights the menorah at the “Hanukkah on Ice” celebration at the Princeton Sports Center in South Brunswick on Sunday. More ... Legislators differ sharply on merits of civil unions Gay rights advocates see law as a step forward, but less than marriage BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       TRENTON — Same-sex couples in New Jersey will now have access to all the legal rights and responsibilities heterosexual couples possess, except for the right to call their relationship “marriage. More ... Chubb adds drafting technology program BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       NORTH BRUNSWICK — The Chubb Institute will offer a new CAD (computer-aided design)/drafting technology program for students in the spring to enhance electronic, manufacturing, architectural design and engineering skills. Students will be trained in manual drafting and learn two- and t... More ... ‘Adding light to the world’ with each candle BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       NORTH BRUNSWICK — The Chabad House of South and North Brunswick held a menorah lighting in front of the township municipal building on Monday to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. “This is a wonderful tradition we have for residents. Elected officials come out and we celebrate ... More ... Cabby robbed at knifepoint       NORTH BRUNSWICK — A livery cab driver was reportedly robbed by three Hispanic males near Clay Street on Dec. 14. According to police reports, the male driver, 33, worked for All Brunswick Taxi and was sent to the Sunrise Deli on Livingston Avenue to pick up a fare. More ... Armed robbery at N.B. apt.       NORTH BRUNSWICK — Two individuals forced their way into an apartment on Birchwood Court on Dec. 7 while the owners were present. Two people described as black males wearing ski masks knocked at the door, entered the residence and struck the husband in the left eye, knocking him to the f... More ... Open-meetings advocate targets two local towns Lawsuit says Monroe board doesn’t give info on closed-session matters BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       John Paff makes it his business to ensure that local governments adhere to open-public-meeting laws. The volunteer advocate picks towns around New Jersey, often at random, to see if their governing bodies are complying with state laws. And after two years’ experience, he has found t... More ... N.B. recognizes scholar award winners of 2006 BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       NORTH BRUNSWICK — The Scholar Artist/Athlete award recipients for 2006 were honored by the Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services with a pasta party dinner in the municipal courtroom on Dec. 11. “We continue to find numerous talents in the youth of our community,” depart... More ... Downtown traffic eases, thanks to new bridge BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer       TOMS RIVER — It’s been over a week since the major traffic pattern changes went into effect downtown. And Ocean County Engineer Ronald A. Lotrecchio is a happy man. “I think things are going better than I expected,” he said. “We were expecting a 20 percent improvement. But I see very ... More ...