Builder plans 180 units in Aberdeen Neighbors crowd town hall in opposition; hearing postponed BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       Apair of applications for 180 multifamily housing units were scheduled for public hearings last week, but were postponed at the last minute when the Zoning Board of Adjustment realized it did not have a quorum. Concerned neighbors packed town hall for the Sept. More ...       The Touch of Dance Center for the Performing Arts entertains the crowd at Matawan Day, held at Terhune Park on Sunday. More ... Merla brother pleads to money-laundering charge Federal complaint says family's two bars were used in scheme BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       KEYPORT - Former Mayor John Merla and little brother Joseph "JoJo" Merla now share more than a common gene pool. Both are admitted felons, each caught in the act by the very same undercover FBI witness, Robert "Duke" Steffer. More ... Residents praise plans to dredge Shadow Lake Officials say lake quality has suffered from algae growth, silt accumulation BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - Over 60 residents of Shadow Lake Village gathered at town hall Thursday to hear about plans to "fix" areas of the lake that borders the community. Township Administrator Robert Czech held a public meeting with the township engineer to discuss plans to dredge parts of Shadow Lake and... More ... Mayoral hopefuls differ on day laborer ID issue Aufseeser says Buccellato proposal would invite lawsuits, be ineffective BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       MATAWAN - Mayor Mary Aufseeser has come out against a proposal to offer voluntary background checks on day laborers, contending the issue of illegal immigration is not for Matawan to solve. More ... Middletown Day      Clockwise from top left: Middletown's Rachel Ozut, 11, gets roped into a performance by a stilt walker at Middletown Day, held at Croydon Hall on Saturday. Jonathon Helwig of Middletown leads a hayride on his tractor. Middletown firefighter Frank Butler descends down to earth during a demonstration.... More ... Middletown exhibit in spirit of spooky season Spy House collection on display by appointment at Heath Farm BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - A sign inside the Heath Farm's Spy House exhibit reads "Legend has it that Gertrude Neidlinger's spirit lingers here to watch over her collection." Surrounding the sign are photos of the late curator of the supposedly haunted house, as well as other objects that were in the house, w... More ... Local man takes part in U.N. conference on peace BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - Township resident George Anthony traveled to New York City along with actor Michael Douglas, Elie Weisel, Jane Goodall and Princess Haya of Jordan. Anthony was there to attend the International Day of Peace that is held by the United Nations every year on Sept. 21. More ... October: Conspiracy of memories       Agarden is a commitment. When your roses succumb to our Mid-Atlantic heat and humidity, when slugs eat holes in your hosta leaves and in anything else that grows close to the ground, when vines creep up and smother everything in their path, when insidious ailments attack your prize plants and inse... More ... Hosed       Middletown firefighter Tom Burke throws a hose out during the 1-into-2 competition during the Sea Bright Firemen's Field Day Sunday. More ... Grant covers purchase of 1,000 smoke detectors       HAZLET - Township Fire Official John Beslanovitz has received a $4,000 corporate grant in order to buy smoke detectors for trailer parks in the area. International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) offered the grant to Beslanovitz after he called several businesses asking for help. More ... Rumson running club sets course for camaraderie Long on tradition, 'hashers' run in every corner of the globe BY LARRY RAPPOPORT Correspondent       So your life is a cup of weak tea without sugar. Not to worry. Rumson's Hash House Harriers know how to spice things up: Go hashing! "Hashing" is a lively blend of running, drinking and socializing. Members follow flour-marked trails through challenging terrain and obstacles. At the end of each r... More ... A 'new reality' revealed at New Bruns. museum Show features works of major photographers from 1950s to present       NEW BRUNSWICK - A new exhibition at the Zimmerli Art Museum explores the continued use of black and white photography as a medium of visual and historical consequence. More ... Unbridled: The artist inside the animal Notable racehorses paint using hued hooves, nose strokes BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer       Some could confuse a Manet with a Monet, but no one would mistake either for a Moneigh. While the first two terms are the surnames of French impressionist painters, the latter describes paintings in a more modernistic vein. The artists of these "new age" works of art? Horses. More ... From the Vault       Bill Fox, a native of San Francisco, makes his way through a thick snowstorm that blanketed the area in January of 1989. Fox had just arrived at Matawan-Aberdeen Train Station from Manhattan en route to visit his sister in Brielle. More ... Glory days of the Shore on display      Wicker boardwalk carts and period costumes are among the artifacts from the height of Shore culture showcased in a nostalgic exhibit at the Monmouth County Historical Association in Freehold. "By the Sea" opened Tuesday and will be on exhibit for two years, through June 2009, at the MCHA's main m... More ...