Local mayors say they'll officiate civil unions Officials must choose: Do straight and gay ceremonies, or do none BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       Middlesex County mayors mostly approve of the bill that allows same-sex couples to enter civil unions, which are legally similar to marriage. The mayors of North and South Brunswick as well as Woodbridge, Metuchen and South River all said that they will officiate a civil union cere... More ... To taxman, civil unions end at the New Jersey border Same-sex couples may not receive the same rights at federal level BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       While the civil union bill has given same-sex couples a plethora of additional rights and responsibilities, its effects stop short at the federal level, according to legal and financial experts. Felice T. More ... Teen aims to use hi-tech TVs to help sick children       15-year-old over halfway to goal of $34,000 to equip Shriners Hospitals in Phila. BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer Danielle Rosenthal had no idea when she checked into the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia that her presence there would eventually have an ... More ... Alligator is confiscated from Spotswood man's tub       SPOTSWOOD - Police and state wildlife officials confiscated an alligator from a borough man's bathtub last week and charged the man for having the dangerous animal. Two police officers, having received an anonymous complaint about an alligator being kept as a pet in a residence on Main... More ... Metropark to get $30 million makeover NJ Transit to replace high-level platforms and add amenities by 2010 BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       New Jersey Transit will spend $29.8 million to make much-needed improvements to the Metropark Station in Iselin, which is NJ Transit's busiest outlying rail station. "Over time, heavy use of the station has taken its toll on platforms," said NJ Transit Executive Director George D. ... More ... Junkologist survives cancer, shipwreck and competition Second Hand Lil's owner Hughes, 77, not the retiring type BY TAMMY McKILLIP Correspondent       KEYPORT - Like so many of the antique and castaway things she surrounds herself with, 77-year-old borough resident Lilliana Hughes is a survivor. More ... For the Record       The long-term care center proposed in Old Bridge by Middlesex County officials would be for nursing and rehabilitative care, not for tuberculosis patients as was stated in a Jan. 11 story. Also, the county is pursuing a new Academy for Medical Science and Information Technology in Woodbridge,... More ... Woman, 68, dies with 3 teens in crash Old Bridge resident remembered for her love of children BY JESSICA SMITH and CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writers       A fiery collision claimed the life of a 68-year-old Old Bridge woman along with three teenagers from Freehold Township last week. Ruth A. MacArthur, who worked as a driver transporting special-needs students for Keyport-based Unlimited Auto, was driving north on Kozloski Road in Fre... More ... Health care, housing facilities pop up on 18 Newly proposed care center would be latest addition BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       OLD BRIDGE - A plan by Middlesex County officials to bring a new long-term care center to the township by 2009 will add to what's become a cluster of health-care and specialized housing facilities on a section of Route 18. The 180-bed nursing and rehabilitative care facility is int... More ... 'Pretty girl' provokes emotional responses Milltown native's 16th novel is published by MTV Books BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       MILLTOWN - - Laura Wiess has imaginary friends. They tell her their stories, they keep her up nights, and they have helped to build her career. One of the most recent to come calling was 15-year-old Meredith. "She just led me straight into her nightmares," Wiess said. "She ju... More ... Mayor, council at odds over appointments Dems irked by O'Brien's decision to not reappoint borough attorney BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       SAYREVILLE - In his first meeting with a Borough Council devoid of fellow Republicans, Mayor Kennedy O'Brien made numerous appointments, but ruffled the Democrats' feathers with one he chose not to make. More ... PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff       Above, Sarah Eilers, 15, (l-r) Max Kellermueller, 11, and Michael Bunis, 13, finish the fringes of a fleece blanket for Project Linus at the Old Bridge Public Library Monday. The blankets will be given to traumatized or ill youngsters in hospitals, shelters or other institutions. At right, a ... More ... Board denies plan for 207 homes ... again Builder expected to again take legal action against town BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       Sayreville residents applauded the Planning Board last week as it voted against a developer's plan to build 207 single-family homes on 100 acres off Main Street. More than 50 residents attended two hearings Jan. 3 and 10 at Borough Hall on the plan known as Fulton's Landing. More ...