Boro may add 56 acres to redevelopment Mayor, biz owner question inclusion of private properties BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       Sayreville officials are considering adding 56 acres that include the Amboy Cinemas property and an existing business to the National Lead redevelopment area. The all-Democrat council on Monday approved a consent agenda resolution that calls for the land to be included with the alre... More ...      SCOTT PILLING staff Sayreville Middle School students Davyon Macklin (from left), Shivam Dalal and Javed Shah use all their might during the tug-of-war event in the Sixth Grade Olympics Friday. That and other physical challenges followed a series of academic and strategy contests. More ... Council, board agree on school budget cut Revenues, grants help to reduce tax hike to average of $78 BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       The Sayreville Borough Council voted unanimously Monday to reduce the defeated school budget by nearly $750,000. The move, which saves taxpayers an average of $44 annually, was made without having to cut school staff or programs, officials said. More ... County program could mean 'greener' future Local officials meet to discuss county's sustainability plan BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer       EDISON - Middlesex County is coming out of its industrial past and trading concrete gray for environmental "green." Two hundred local, county and school officials met May 2 at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Hall in Edison to attend workshops on ways communities throughout the cou... More ... Untold stories of the 'British Invasion'       For fans who weren't around yet, or who want to revisit a definitive chapter in rock history, an insider's look at the music scene during the heyday of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones - with a tour guide who helped define that era - is yours for the price of a ticket to "Behind the Scene... More ... Pack man When it comes to moving, local business owner thinks beyond the box BY TAMMY MCKILLIP Correspondent       OLD BRIDGE - Alan Lurie's family has been in the moving business for over 100 years, so when the Old Bridge middle school teacher decided he wanted to start a part-time business, he chose to stick with what he knew best. More ... Town to go after bond for Birch Hill project Bankrupt builder left Rt. 9 development largely unfinished BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       OLD BRIDGE - Those involved in various aspects of Kara Homes' bankruptcy proceedings are discovering that teamwork may prove the best way to solve the problems left behind by the developer. "We're all in the same boat," Mayor Jim Phillips said. "The bank, the homeowners and the tow... More ... Fundraisers       May 17 + Basketball Game Featuring the Harlem Wizards vs. St. Ambrose Faculty and Basketball Coaches, sponsored by St. Ambrose School PTA, Old Bridge, doors open at 6 p.m., in the gym at Carl Sandburg Middle School, Route 516, Old Bridge. Advance tickets cost $12 for adults, $10 for stu... More ... Feds come to the aid of local flood victims Disaster Recovery Center being operated at Borough Park BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       MILLTOWN - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set up shop in the borough in response to last month's nor'easter. And the disaster relief workers are expected to stick around until everyone who suffered damages has had the chance to receive help. More ... Public warned not to swim in the So. River Drowning of man, 47, is third death in river since last July BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       The South River has claimed its third drowning victim in the past year. Sebastiao Oliveira, 47, of South River, drowned in the river that separates the borough from Sayreville earlier this month. More ... Man stages winning battle against disease Sayreville resident recognized for refusal to let sickle cell rule life BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       SAYREVILLE - Though he has spent more time in the hospital than he can keep track of, and is far from his home and family, 20-year-old Joe Tsogbe does not let his illness hold him back. Tsogbe, a borough resident and student at Middlesex County College, was born with sickle cell di... More ...