Piano Recital      SCOTT FRIEDMAN Jasmine Chang, a North Brunswick first-grader, participated in a master class piano recital at Jacob's Music in Lawrenceville on Saturday to benefit the Damien Dixon Memorial Piano Scholarship at Westminster Choir College at Rider University. See story, page 13. More ... N.B. schools propose 4.6-cent tax increase Officials hope budget will pass for first time in four years BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       North Brunswick Township school district taxes could increase by 4.6 cents if voters approve the proposed budget on April 15. Residents could see a $72.65 raise in taxes per year on an average assessed home of $157,878, or about $6 per month. More ... No. Bruns. is 'hooked' on crochet display Senior has 40 items showing at the municipal building BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       Rosa Donnelly never took a class on how to crochet. Instead, at around 7 years old, her mother taught her how to weave the yarn in and out of the hook to form patterns. "It seems like almost all my life," she said of the numerous pieces she has crocheted throughout her 84-year life. "I never kep... More ... Gang members plead not guilty to Nov. murder Former North Brunswick high school student was killed in shooting BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       NEW BRUNSWICK - Two Hub City residents held in the November murder of Dyshon Thompson entered not guilty pleas at the Superior Court of New Jersey in New Brunswick on Monday. Shakiera Summers, of Riverside, and Morgan Brown, of New Brunswick, were arraigned separately on their indictment charges... More ... Female professionals prove they can succeed Panel of women speak to eighth-grade girls about working in a man's world BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       NORTH BRUNSWICK - To show that women can be just as successful and career-oriented as their male counterparts, LinwoodMiddle School held its second annualWomen's Career Day forum on March 19, in honor of March being Women's History Month. More ... Old ferry being removed from Turnpike landscape Mary Murray was part of Staten Island ferry system from 1930s-'60s BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       EAST BRUNSWICK - Mary Murray may have lost some of her youthful beauty, but she still warrants double takes from those who pass her by. The deteriorating ferry that carried passengers through the Staten Island Ferry system for nearly 40 years, then sat retired alongside the Raritan River for ano... More ... Exploring their affection      ERIC SUCAR staff Gabrielle Waligo stops to squeeze "Dora the Explorer" during a fundraising carnival held at Uptown Playaround in Kendall Park on Friday. The event included face-painting, tattoos, balloon sculptures and character visits. Proceeds will benefit autistic children. More ... Board approves plans for Golden Triangle Toll Brothers gets OK for retail, housing on Route 18 property BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer       The East Brunswick Planning Board has granted approvals for Toll Brothers to build the residential and retail components of the Golden Triangle redevelopment. More ... First-grader keys in on scholarship benefit concert       Jasmine Chang, a first-grade student at Livingston Park Elementary School in North Brunswick, participated in a master class recital with noted pianist and teacher Ingrid Clarfield on Saturday. Held at Jacobs Music in Lawrenceville, the two-day benefit was for the Damien Dixon Memorial Piano Sch... More ... Residents invited to get taste of goodwill, and soup BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       EDISON- Alocal agency is hosting "A Taste of Kindness" fundraiser to raise funds for victims of domestic violence. Women Aware, in New Brunswick, is Middlesex County's only agency for domestic violence victims and their children. More ... Stalking bill on hold as focus turns to budget Proposed legislation awaits hearing from Senate committee BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer       Every day is a time of waiting for one Marlboro woman. She continues to endure the harassment dealt to her by a man who has stalked her on and off for 10 years. At the same time, she waits with sinking hopes for the state Senate to hear legislation that would help protect her and others whose live... More ... New S.B. warehouse already seeking tenants By Chris Murino       SOUTH BRUNSWICK - A new warehouse that will be built on Stults Road is beginning to look for tenants. Colliers Houston & Co. was appointed by J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc. to market the 60,000- square-foot industrial building. Construction on the warehouse will begin around the fourth quarter of 2008 an... More ... A sweet celebration      ERIC SUCAR staff Eylon Harazi, 3, (middle) along with other attendees, listens to the Megillah reading during the "Purim in Africa" celebration held by the Chabad Jewish Center of South Brunswick at Pierre's Ballroom on March 20. More ... The Garden State becomes the giving state Linwood Middle School, others, send info to a student doing N.J. project BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       NORTH BRUNSWICK - Beach shells. A diner menu. A package of tomato seeds. Ticket stubs from local professional sports teams. Tickets to a Rutgers University women's basketball game. Books on the Legislature, New Jersey and Rutgers. Printed articles from the Weird NJ magazine. More ... S.B. BOE approves budget Murino       SOUTH BRUNSWICK- The Board of Education passed the $135,953,172 proposed school budget during a meeting on March 19. If approved by voters on April 15, the tax increase would be 5.8 cents per $100 in valuation, the lowest increase since 1999. More ... Kids have a ball raising money Chris Murino       SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Students at Crossroads North Middle School helped raise over $5,000 for The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) last month while playing volleyball for five hours in a row. "Volley for Life" occurred on Feb. 29 and raised a total of $5,630 for the institute. More ... Holder of most records breaks his latest in O.B. Queens man pushes Ford more than 17 miles at local drag strip BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       Pushing a car is one of the last things most people would want to end up doing on a chilly Saturday. But then,Ashrita Furman is not most people. The 53-year-oldNewYorker pushed a Ford Festivamore than 17 miles in a little over six hours three weeks ago, breaking the Guinness World Record. The pre... More ... Comic book writer's quest for success finds TV home Manalapan native Jason Kruse will see show debut on Kids WB! BY AMY ROSEN Staff Writer       Jason Kruse had all but given up on his dream of having his comic book series professionally published and animated until recently, when Warner Brothers gave it the green light to go into production. Kruse, a Manalapan native, will have the satisfaction of seeing his efforts come to fruition whe... More ... N.B. honors student scholars, volunteers BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       NORTH BRUNSWICK - In the tradition of honoring student scholar athletes and artists, as well as volunteer organizations in the community, the Township Council presented awards at their meetings the past two months. Kristen Walsh and Megan Fosko were named the February Scholar Award recipients by... More ... Disco will live again at fundraiser S.B. woman suffering from multiplemyeloma BY AMY ROSEN Staff Writer       Two busy moms from Manalapan are planning to run, volley and disco the night away in the name of love and charity. Last year Kathy Goldstein and her friend Gabrielle Bachman participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team in Training program in order to prepare them both to run in ... More ... Counties to save money with shared services Middlesex County heads formation of the statewide association       Middlesex County initiated the formation of the New Jersey Shared Services Association (NJSSA) to facilitate coordination between counties throughout the state and to advocate as one body for policy, regulations and legislation. More ... Tailgating ban set for younger acts BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer       HOLMDEL- Consumption of alcohol while tailgating at the PNC Bank Arts Center will be limited to older crowds during this summer's concert series. More ... 'Doomsday': Awesome! BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       Movies about killer viruses wiping out vast swaths of the population seem to be springing up like, well, the plague lately, and consequently, the genre is quickly approaching the point of becoming a cliché. "Doomsday," written and directed by Neil Marshall, stands as a stark example of this. More ... ERA Absolute Realty recognized for its commitment to excellence       Local real estate leader ERAAbsolute Realty in North Brunswick has earned the national "Commitment to Excellence" Award from ERA Franchise Systems LLC. The award was announced in March at the 2008 ERA International Business Conference in Orlando, Fla. More ... ERA Designs for Living collecting items for National Guard through April 6       As of June 2008, the New Jersey National Guard will be redeploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. It is anticipated that approximately 2,700 New Jersey citizen soldiers will be sent to support the ongoing military efforts of these two locations. More ... NJAR Educational Foundation will award scholarships to 36 outstanding students       The New JerseyAssociation of Realtors Education Foundation (NJAREF) reminds eligible participants the deadline to apply for one of 36 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 each is quickly approaching. More ... Weichert New Homes sales associates honored at 2008 FAME Awards ceremony       The Shore Builders Association of Central New Jersey (SBACNJ) recently honored nineWeichert New Homes sales associates at the annual Fabulous Achievements in Marketing Excellence (FAME) Awards celebration held at the Grand Marquis in Old Bridge. Themed "Rock the House," the ceremony recognized "th... More ... Real Estate Briefs       Elaine Salva, branch manager ofWeichert, Realtors' East Brunswick office, announced that two sales associates were recognized for their company, regional and office level achievements during the month of February. More ... Weichert views federal action to bolster home sales as key to economic recovery       With Congress close to enacting a stimulus package to spur the economy, James M.Weichert, president and founder ofWeichert, Realtors, one of the nation's largest privately held real estate companies, reiterated his recent call for a federal tax credit or other incentive for home buyers. Such actio... More ... High-tech acoustic auto glass offers a quieter ride       Considering the average driver spends more than five hours per week behind the wheel, the driving experience should be as pleasant as possible. Few things, however, can ruin a drive faster than excessive traffic and road noise. More ... Mercedes-Benz of Princeton recognized as Mercedes-Benz Best of the Best Dealer       Mercedes-Benz USA(MBUSA) announced thatMercedes-Benz of Princeton, Lawrenceville, has received theMercedes-Benz Best of the Best Dealer RecognitionAward based on its outstanding performance in 2007.Mercedes-Benz of Princeton was presented the award as a tribute to its success as an independent ent... More ...      (Left to right) Joe Criscuolo, Old Bridge assistant business administrator; Himanshu Shah, Old Bridge CFO and director of finance; Councilwoman Lucille Panos; Susan Scarola, president and CEO, DCH Auto Group; Peter Ghaw, general manager, DCH Academy Honda; and Shai-wai Lam, chairman, DCH Auto Group,... More ... Schneider + Nelson Monmouth supports 2008 Beauty Ball Event       Schneider + Nelson Porsche,Audi and Land RoverMonmouth is supporting the Beauty Foundation forWomen's Cancer Care Beauty Ball Event, to take place at the Dibsie Estate in Colts Neck on April 19. More ...