Twp. considers options for animal shelter Officials debate leasing space from local vet; residents sound off BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       Marge Petroff and other animal advocates have been waiting patiently for Woodbridge Township to build a state-of-the-art and much-needed animal shelter for the past five years, but the news they received last week may make the wait even longer. More ...       Dealer Sal Vitale shows the table that he's hiding nothing up his sleeves at the third annual Casino Night in Avenel on Saturday night to benefit the Middlesex County Habitat for Humanity. More ... Council tells restaurant to be a better neighbor Metropolitan faces losing its liquor license if public issues are not fixed BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       Clean up your act or risk losing your liquor license.Those were the sentiments Woodbridge Township officials expressed to the proprietor of the Metropolitan Restaurant and Lounge at a special hearing before the township council on Jan. 30. More ... Ficarra tapped to replace Ehrlich Ehrlich stepped down from council after 11 years of service BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       WOODBRIDGE - It was only his second time on the Township Council dais, but newly appointed Councilman Gregg Ficarra has made a smooth transition. The Township Council unanimously voted for Ficarra, 51, of Woodbridge, to replace Councilwoman Caroline Ehrlich, who announced her resig... More ... Kicking away       Brett Lukachyk, 3, gets a swimming lesson from his father, Rob, during the parent-child swim class at the Woodbridge Community Center. More ... Casino Night       Above: Mike Bauer (far right) of Deptford, watches his dice fly along with friends at the third annual casino night in Avenel on Saturday to benefit the Middlesex County Habitat for Humanity. Above right, John Hila of Avenel studies the cards on the table. More ... Holocaust survivor shares experience with students Kaufman survived the Krakow Ghetto and three concentration camps BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer       For Luna Kaufman, living well was the best revenge. The 80-year-old Holocaust survivor told students at the Wardlaw-Hartridge school in Edison about her experiences, and the atrocities she witnessed at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. More ... Woman wins prize from Regis and Kelly Woodbridge mother of two wins eight-day trip to Antigua BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       WOODBRIDGE - Many years of watching "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" and now "Live with Regis and Kelly" have paid off for one township woman. Ermalinda Mortensen was the show's big winner on Jan. 24 with the show's new daily travel giveaway, "Live's Blizzard Blast Trivia A-Sno-Go... More ... Wedding ring found in fundraising can       EDISON - If your name is Jack and you're missing a wedding ring, the Bishop Ahr High School girls softball team is looking for you. While fundraising on the corner of Parsonage Road and Route 27 on Jan. 27, team members found a wedding ring that had been dropped in a fundraising can th... More ... GMN takes 12 awards in national SNA contest       Greater Media Newspapers, Freehold Township, received 12 awards in the 2006 Suburban Newspapers of America contest, including a first place for sports writing, a second place for community service, and eight advertising and promotion awards. The contest is a highly competitive annual competit... More ... Parisian event to raise money for disabled artist Vaudeville-style event to help woman's friend study in Paris BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       METUCHEN - Kathryn Heitman is one step closer to making her physically disabled friend and artist Isabell Villacis' life dream to travel to Paris a reality. Heitman, with help from local businesses, her family and Isabell's family, and Scanlon Communications, will host a "night in ... More ...