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In a move that was met with a standing ovation and cries of “thank you,” the Township Council Sept. 22 voted to prohibit any type of sound system in Middlebush Park. The vote was not unanimous. Township Councilman Carl R.A. Wright and Deputy Mayor Brian Regan voted against the proposal, while Mayor Brian Levine sided with the remaining Democrats in …

The Board of Education at its Sept. 18 meeting said goodbye to its long-time business administrator, John Calavano. Sort of. Board members held a short ceremony at the beginning of the meeting to praise Calavano for his 17 years of service to the district, and, later in the meeting, hired him as a consultant through February, 2015. Board vice president Eva …

UPDATE: The Stage House Tavern was told to remove tables and chairs from an outdoor area until owners can show the township Zoning Board that they have provided more parking for patrons. Vince Dominach, the township’s senior zoning officer, said he instructed Stage House management to remove the tables and chairs from the “VIP Club” area until the extra parking was provided. …

Contracts calling for salary increases of between 1 percent and 2 percent for township police officers and supervisors were approved by the Township Council Sept. 9. The contracts fall under the state-mandated 2 percent CAP increases, said township manager Bob Vornlocker. Both contracts are for five years, retroactive to Jan.1 , 2014, Vornlocker said. The previous contracts expired on Dec. …

In a party line vote on Sept. 9, the Township Council directed the start of a program to install sidewalks on streets that do not have them. The first priority will be streets used by school children who must walk to their schools. Township manager Bob Vornlocker said that a priority list was created several years ago, and that streets …

Intermittent closures and detours will greet drivers on some township streets in the coming weeks as road projects get underway. The most immediate project will take place on John F. Kennedy Boulevard, between Webster and Renfro roads. That project is expected to begin on Aug. 29 and will continue on Sept. 2 and 3. Work during those days will be …

A New Brunswick-based activist Web site’s contention that a change in who runs the New Brunswick water utility will affect what the township pays for its water is not correct, a township official said Aug. 26. That’s because the township buys water from New Brunswick in bulk, under a contract that is in effect through the end of 2026, said township manager …

An ordinance authorizing funding for the reconstruction of tennis and basketball courts at Castelton Park was introduced Aug. 12 by the Township Council. The council wants to earmark up to $275,000 for the project, which will involve reconstructing the park’s two tennis courts and two basketball courts. The money will come from the township’s Open Space Trust Fund, according to the …

Changes to four construction jobs have resulted in a net $81,846 increase in their cost. The Township Council approved the changes at its Aug. 12 meeting. The biggest change – $118,503.56 – was for the New Brunswick Road repaving project conducted in the Spring. The increase was due to additional asphalt being needed to pave DeMott Lane between New Brunswick …

Two ordinances allocating a total of $481,350 for open space purchases were introduced at the Aug. 12 Township Council meeting. The first would appropriate $222,000 from the Open Space Trust Fund for the purchase of lots 3, 4 and 5 on Belmar Street. A second ordinance would appropriate $259,350 from the trust fund for the purchase of 334 Skillmans Lane. …