Appeal of school budget vote rejected Holmdel committee critical of school board's budgeting practices BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       You already have $47.9 million. Poke around and you're bound to find the money somewhere. That was the message from the Holmdel Township Committee to the Board of Education on Saturday morning. By a 4-0 vote, the committee rejected the board's request for an extra $1.9 million in f... More ...       George Martin, representing Skippy's Bait and Tackle in Laurence Harbor, aggressively reels in a catch at the Aberdeen Beach Fest's annual fishing derby at Cliffwood Beach on Saturday. The Beach Fest, which included the fishing derby, clam bake and activities for the kids, was part of the 1... More ... Officer hopes to build waterfront amphitheater Going ahead with plan would require removing gazebo at Keyport park BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       KEYPORT - Plans are in the works for the borough's very own mini "Mt. Mitchell" scenic overlook. Police Capt. Thomas Mitchell has announced a proposal to build an outdoor amphitheater at the Mini Park on West Front Street. More ... Brownsfield group will seek out contamination Committee compiling list of Keyport properties with environmental concerns BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       KEYPORT - Is there a giant leaking oil tanker under your house? A new committee aims to find out. The Brownsfield Steering Committee, on hiatus since its inception over a year ago, is now becoming active again, with hopes of securing up to $5 million in available funding. More ... Adopted stranger thanks local nurses in person BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       KEYPORT - A 21-year-old homegrown Marine has been put up for "adoption" by his mother. While he's stationed in Iraq, James Finney, a 2003 graduate of Keyport High School, will have several moms to answer to, i.e., the nurses at Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge, who have adopted... More ... Officials frustrated by new rash of false threats Since Virginia Tech, area schools have received bomb, shooting calls BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       A rash of bomb and shooting threats at local schools has emerged in the wake of the Virginia Tech rampage, and while the alarms have so far been false, officials are growing increasingly irritated over the lost instructional time. More ... Mosquito Commission offers tick-testing service       TINTON FALLS - Residents who find a tick can bring it to the Monmouth County Mosquito Commission's (MCMC) office to have it analyzed for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. "The Tick Identification and Testing Service is meant to serve as a first alert for people receiving a tick bi... More ... For the love of Bob A Shore music legend pays tribute to birthday boy Dylan BY TOM CHESEK Correspondent       'I think Dylan's still very vital," explains Pat Guadagno over a late breakfast at Amy's Omelette House. The conversation, which for the past 10 minutes or so has touched upon the recorded highs and lows of Bob Dylan's career, pauses as a familiar scratchy harmonica emerges from the backg... More ... From the Vault       David Firestine of JCP&L prepares to lower a young osprey from the top of a utility pole so wildlife experts can attach an aluminum federal tracking band to its leg. In 1986, osprey nesting sites were first located on platforms at the top of two poles on the International Flavors and Fragranc... More ... Parents enjoy experience of teaching children Decision to home-school youngsters is personal, and requires dedication BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer       She once stood in front of a classroom filled with about 30 students. Now she stands in front of a room with only five children, ages 2, 4, 7, 9 and 13, who call her Mom. Sherry Prioli of Howell has never sent her children to school. Instead, she educates them in the privacy of her own ho... 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 ...