ERIC SUCAR staff Christiana Snayder, 8, (center) and friends take the floor and have some fun after a "Mock Fashion Show" fundraiser held Nov. 3 at Calvary United Methodist Church in Keyport. More ... Schools proactive on MRSA bug Schools take steps to educate students about infection BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer       Anational issue has hit close to home after recent reports linked a female Red Bank Catholic (RBC) High School student to a MRSA staph infection late last week. More ... Will Czech be county's top gun? Administrator post comes with six-figure salary BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       Will Middletown Township Administrator Robert M. Czech be named the county's new top employee? "Not yet," Freeholder Rob Clifton said on Monday, adding a resolution on the matter of choosing a new county administrator is scheduled for a vote this Thursday. More ... Beatles characters live during 'Day in the Life' Autism advocacy group will benefit from Nov. 10 show BY AMY ROSEN Staff Writer       With a little help from their friends in the @CT (ACT) Theater Company of Freehold, children with autism and their families can have hope for a brighter future. More ... Grant funds will help preserve Oceanic Bridge Construction expected to begin on historic span in spring BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer       A pair of Monmouth County bridges, one in Rumson, will receive an upgrade in 2008 as part of a New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) grant program. Monmouth County officials on Oct. 23 received a $135,000 Historic Bridge Preservation Program grant for the 2,712-foot Oceanic Bridge that co... More ... Info sought on natural disasters       The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management wants to hear about residents' personal experience with natural disasters such as flooding, erosion and other weather-related events. A Natural Hazards Mitigation questionnaire has been posted at www.visitmonmouth. com as a way of collecting this... More ... Board OKs another $15K to fix field Change order brings cost of field to $768K BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - The saga surrounding the athletic field at Middletown High School North continued on Friday Nov. 2 as the freshman football team played on the field that had been closed for repairs the previous week. At the Board of Education meeting, a change order was approved to add $15,710 to t... More ... Medalist basks in honors, hometown pride Township honors Special Olympian for achievements BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer       HAZLET - Though not as flashy as the silver and bronze medals he recently won, Mike McGrath received a declaration and plaque on Nov.1 for his achievements. McGrath, who recently returned from a successful trip to Shanghai, China for the Special Olympics World Games Oct. 2-11, was read the decl... More ... Bid Rig salesman gets four months Employee sentenced for bribing Neptune official BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       NEWARK - A salesman for International Trucks of Central Jersey was sentenced to four months in prison Oct. 31 for his role in Operation Bid Rig. Robert Feldman, 51, of Brick, admitted in May to handing over $6,500 in bribes to Richard Messer, former general manager of First Vehicle Services of N... More ... Furniture store owner indicted       MIDDLETOWN - A Monmouth County grand jury returned an indictment charging a furniture store owner of consumer fraud Oct. 29. William C. Neumann Jr. More ... NOTES       Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff, head of school at Ranney School, Tinton Falls, and Ranney's Upper School administration and the college office will host "The Evolving Landscape of College Admissions," an evening with Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale University's dean of undergraduate admissions, Nov. 13 from 7-9... More ... Group scares up chilling stories Garden State Horror Writers offers support for writers of dark genre BY LARRY RAPPOPORT Correspondent       What frightens you? Is it a tarantula the size of a Hummer? A psychologically deranged killer? Or perhaps dinner with the in-laws? There's one group in New Jersey that you might say is an authority on the subject of fear. Enter the Garden State Horror Writers (cue the spooky haunted mansion musi... More ...      ERIC SUCAR staff A group of seagulls "park" in a lot off West Front Street in downtown Keyport on a cloudy and brisk Saturday, Nov. 3. More ... IN THE ARTS       The annual Mudslingers' Pottery Open House will be held Sunday, Nov. 11, 1-6 p.m. and Monday, Nov. 12, 4-8 p.m. Beautiful wheel thrown and hand built functional and decorative stoneware pottery by Lauren Bellero, and vibrant oil and watercolor paintings by Kathleen Stephens will be featured. The e... More ... Images transformed       Aretrospective of illustrative photographs by Mark Kseniak has opened at McKay Imaging Studio and Gallery in Red Bank. "Images" will run through Nov. 21 at the gallery, located on the second floor at 12 Monmouth St. In an artist's statement, Kseniak discusses the various methods he uses to alter... More ... Rock legends as artists       They rocked the music world, now artwork by some of the greatest rock artists of all time is about to rock the art world. Presented by 95.9 The Rat (WRAT/95.9 FM), the second annual WRAT Rock Art Show will be at the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown Nov. 9- 11. More ...