PHOTOSBY SCOTT PILLING staff Once a privately owned warehouse, the Middletown Arts Center will now be used to host art exhibits, live performances and other cultural events. Below, a look at the art exhibit that is currently on display inside the facility, located on a 4.5-acre tract next to the tra... More ... Paint finally dries on twp. arts center Middletown unveils first new indoor rec facility since 1981 BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer       People spoke about it often - the red brick building next to the Middletown train station. Was it owned by NJ Transit? Was it a new ticket office for the train station? Perhaps a pump station, or some public works building like that? More ... Hazlet man charged with beating a federal witness       NEWARK - A Hazlet man employed by a Newark towing company was charged last week with beating a cooperating government witness whose assistance led to the guilty plea in 2005 of the manager of emergency towing services for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. More ... Holmdel may toughen its pay-to-play rules One measure would bar contractors from giving any contributions BY LORI ANNE OLIWA Correspondent       HOLMDEL - The Township Committee voted Thursday to advance two measures that would complement and strengthen the town's existing pay-to-play ordinance. More ... Holmdel appoints members to Open Space Council       HOLMDEL - Mayor Serena DiMaso announced several appointments to the township's Open Space Advisory Council on Thursday. The council was established in 1999 to review and recommend parcels of land to be acquired and preserved. The council consists of nine regular members plus two altern... More ... Middletown man arrested for thefts from customers       FREEHOLD - A Leonardo man was arrested at his home on Monday and charged with second-degree theft for allegedly stealing money from customers of his furniture businesses. William C. Neumann Jr., 61, is the owner of Cabbage Rose, LLC, a Fair Haven-based furniture store, and Chelsea Man... More ... Brookdale to celebrate Women's History Month       The office of student life and activities and the women's student organization at Brookdale Community College will celebrating Women's History Month in March with a number of programs. "Shaping a Life, The Early Years of Eleanor Roosevelt" will be March 8 at noon. Baseball Hall of... More ... Middletown committee to take meetings on the road       MIDDLETOWN - The 2007 Regional Neighborhood Meetings will return to a neighborhood near you, beginning Tuesday. Each year the Township Committee holds four informal meetings to hear the concerns and ideas of residents. "I hope many residents will be able to join us. More ... Committeeman's e-mail deemed Short on class BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - The Township Committee's lone Democrat has come under fire for a crude remark he made to a fellow committeeman in an e-mail. Following a somewhat contentious Township Committee meeting on Feb. 20, Republican Committeeman Thomas Hall sent an e-mail to Committeeman Patrick... More ... From the Vault      Lester Jargowsky, Monmouth County public health coordinator, guides then- Assemblywoman Joann Smith and Assemblyman Joseph Kyrillos on a tour of a spill cleanup near the Anchor Glass factory in Aberdeen. The photo appeared in the Feb. 28, 1990, issue of the Independent. More ... Vault update       Our Feb. 28 "From the Vault" photo showed a teacher from the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) sliding down on a rope and pulley from the simulated crow's nest of a sinking ship during a demonstration of turn-of-the-century rescue techniques at Sandy Hook. More ... Board may open tracks to public on trial basis BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - After a long sabbatical, talk of opening both high school tracks for public use was back on the agenda at last week's township Board of Education meeting. Both tracks were closed a few years ago due to vandalism at High School North, an issue that one resident said shou... More ...