JEFF GRANIT staff Sue Gierolewicz and Ann Matisoff lead students in song during a patriotic assembly to support troops in Iraq Monday at Cheesequake Elementary School in Old Bridge. Students will be collecting items for a troop of Army Rangers in Iraq. More ... Scaled-back senior housing plan OK'd Kaplan Cos. plan includes 184 units in four buildings BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       Kaplan Cos. has the green light to move forward with a 184-unit age-restricted community at Towne Lake in Sayreville. The borough Planning Board approved the Highland Parkbased developer's revised site plan, which was scaled down from a previous version that included 200 units. The board approved... More ... Old Bridge seeks state funds for Cottrell Farm Mayor: Town trying to negotiate price down from $17.5M BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       Old Bridge officials are taking steps to secure funding in order to purchase the historic Cottrell Farm. At its meeting Monday night, the Township Council voted to move forward with a grant application to the state Green Acres Program, seeking $17.5 million, the owner's asking price. More ... Native American history needs retelling Thanksgiving portrays stereotypes that some find offensive BY LINDA DeNICOLA Correspondent       November is American Indian Heritage Month and also the month when people across the country remember the Native Americans who are part of the Thanksgiving story. More ... Police seek man charged with sex assault on child BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       SAYREVILLE - Authorities are looking for a borough man charged with sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl. The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office is searching for Luis Minguela, 35, whose last known address was on the 700 block of Downing Street in the Parlin section. More ... Assaults reported outside Bordentown Ave. party BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       SAYREVILLE - Police from the borough as well as East Brunswick were dispatched to a violent scene involving more than a dozen people on William Street last week. When police arrived at 1:06 a.m. Nov. More ... Four hot dog carts taken from Mr. Dee's BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       SAYREVILLE - Police are investigating the theft of four hot dog carts from a local vendor. The carts were stolen from the rear of Mr. Dee's Hot Dogs, Johnson Lane, sometime between Oct. 18 and Nov. 3. The business, which is located near the intersection of Ernston Road and Bordentown Avenue, di... More ... Thieves bring an ugly start to holiday season Sayreville police have three reports of decoration thefts already BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       As the holiday spirit is beginning to find its way into the hearts of many, it has been stolen from one local family. Dennis Whitford spent Saturday afternoon starting the process of decorating his home, in the Parlin section of Sayreville, for the holidays. With help from his young sons, he inst... More ... New converter station operational in Sayreville Local officials hail project as economic boon to the borough BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       SAYREVILLE - The borough has ushered in a new era for a formerly abandoned 12-acre site. Neptune Regional Transmission System LLC recently began operating its new converter station on the property, near Sayreville Boulevard, after 20 months of construction. More ... Town may force fix-ups on blighted properties New law will help O.B. address problems with abandoned houses BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       OLD BRIDGE - Township officials aim to crack down on abandoned properties around town. A new ordinance will give the township more power over situations in which homeowners are keeping up with their taxes, but not keeping up with their properties. More ... Man charged with DWI after accidents BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer       SAYREVILLE - Police arrested a Parlin man after he allegedly crashed his car and destroyed property on two county roads around 11 p.m. Nov. 13. Steven Baist, 24, was charged with driving while intoxicated after police located him at his parents' house on Vincent Street following the accidents, a... More ... Creating gourd art      PHOTOS BY SCOTT FRIEDMAN Top: Luke Lelinko (center) crafts a pair of swans while his nephew, Christopher, 8, and Samantha Kearney, 11, all of Old Bridge, paint gourds during the Nov. 4 gourdcrafting program at Cheesequake State Park. Right: Erin Mooneyham, 8, of Union Beach, uses a delicate touch to... More ...