Borough hall's wall of shame? Councilman proposes removing Merla's name from Keyport building BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       In light of the former mayor's recent admission of accepting bribes in return for no-bid government contracts, Keyport Councilman George Walling wants John Merla's name removed from the outside of borough hall. More ...       Professional pool player Jennifer Baretta was on hand taking on all challengers during the WRAT '07 Men's Expo and Texas Hold'em Tournament at the Collins Arena on the campus of Brookdale Community College in Lincroft on Saturday. More ... Judge backs Matawan in transit village lawsuit Rules borough has no obligation to developer Silver Oak Properties BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       MATAWAN - Back in 2005, a lawsuit brought plans to redevelop the train station area to a screeching halt. Now that the lawsuit has been dismissed by a Superior Court judge, redevelopment plans for Matawan are "up in the air," according to the Borough Council. More ... Republicans walk out over attorney choice Lawyer who represented county Democrats picked to handle redevelopment BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       MATAWAN - Two Borough Council members walked out of Thursday's meeting in a protest move, citing their objection to the mayor's choice for a new redevelopment attorney. Debra Buragina and Paul Buccellato, the only two Republicans on the council, left the meeting after just 12 minut... More ... Short says committee should not get benefits Mayor feels they're deserved, as service is a full-time job BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - Committeeman Patrick Short last week expressed his objection to the issue of elected officials receiving benefits from the township, and was met with sharp criticism from fellow committee members. Short, the first Democrat to serve on the Middletown Township Committee... More ... Improvements complete at Aberdeen intersection       ABERDEEN - The county has completed work on the intersection of Gerard Avenue and Lower Main Street/County Route 516. The project has been under construction since February. On Jan. 25, the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, along with local officials, gathered at the site, announc... More ... Judge to rule soon on Witmer charges BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer       HAMILTON - Middletown Superintendent of Schools David L. Witmer finished up testimony at his administrative law hearing Friday by saying that he felt a policy and procedures manual was necessary because there was no such thing upon his arrival in the district nearly four years ago. More ... Ex-twp. cop charged with manslaughter 2-year-old dies after what police say was an alcohol-related accident BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - A former township police officer faces an aggravated manslaughter charge following the death of a 2-year-old boy, who passed away Saturday night after an accident he allegedly caused earlier in the week. More ... Aberdeen woman charged with assault on police officer       ABERDEEN - A township woman has been charged with assaulting a police officer during the investigation of a domestic disturbance last week. Police were called to an Atlantic Avenue home around 4 p.m. on Jan. 24 to respond to a domestic violence report. More ... Keyport cops are up for the Body Fat Challenge BY TAMMY McKILLIP Correspondent       KEYPORT - You might call it a gentlemen's bet, but gambling is illegal, and the gentlemen in question are police. So let's just say it's a "contest," with a small cash prize for the loser - that's right, the loser. On Jan. 2, Keyport Police Capt. More ... Sheridan proposes pay-to-play ordinance BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       KEYPORT - Councilman Joseph Sheridan submitted a pay-to-play ordinance Jan. 23 aimed at reforming the way the borough does business with redevelopment contractors. If enacted, the ordinance would ban companies interested in borough redevelopment jobs from making political contributio... More ... Ante up       Just one of the 10 tables that held its players for the WRAT Texas Hold'em poker tournament during the Men's Expo at the Collins Arena on the campus of Brookdale Community College in Lincroft. More ... Oyster Point and Marine Park sources of river pollution Boro taking action with new info from DEP BY LAYLI WHYTE Staff Writer       RED BANK - Three sites in the borough were found to be the major sources of human waste contamination in the Navesink River, according to a presentation made earlier this month by Eric Feerst, section chief at the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). More ... Man charged for mailing threat to Middletown Pa. resident allegedly sent 8 letters to various agencies and newspapers BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - A Pennsylvania man has been charged with mailing numerous threatening letters last year, one of which was addressed to the Middletown Violations Bureau, prompting police presence in all elementary schools. James T. Weed, 55, of Croydon, Pa., was charged with two count... More ... From the Vault       An estimated crowd of 700 residents packed the auditorium of Middletown High School North in December 1986 for a joint hearing of the Township Committee and Planning Board to discuss the township's affordable housing obligations. At the time, Middletown had an obligation of 1,850 units, the m... More ...