ERIC SUCAR staff A group of teens devises a plan to excavate a discarded plastic sled lodged in the dirt along the bank of Edison's Lake Papianni. Edison High School sophomore Ashleigh Barral organized a community service project to clean up the park. Story, page 8. More ... Planning Board sends Ford plan back to council Unanimously passed with key suggestions for council consideration BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer       The Edison Township Planning Board put its seal of approval on the Ford Plant Redevelopment plan July 31, sending it back to the Township Council for final adoption. The plan lays out parameters for what a prospective developer can and cannot build on the site and in what size or ra... More ... Civil War alive and well for re-enactors in Woodbridge Living-history group brings Civil War to life BY JESSICA ALFREY Correspondent       WOODBRIDGE - The Civil War may have ended nearly 150 years ago, but that does not mean that a bit of history cannot come alive in Woodbridge. It did just that this past weekend at Parker Press Park when the Robert E. Lee Civil War Round Table of Central New Jersey sponsored the Civ... More ... Truck driver wins state contest, heads to nationals Edison resident has logged 1.8 million miles accident free BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer       EDISON - Nick Caiola Jr.'s father drove a truck, as did his father before him. The Edison resident, 46, has logged 1.8 million miles without an accident or injury, no small feat for a trucker who navigates the narrow, pedestrian-laden streets of Manhattan, Hoboken and Jersey City e... More ... Teen shows culture through traditional dance Eight years of lessons ends with 3-hour solo dance performance BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer       EDISON - For Devi Mody, Saturday was graduation day. The 15-year-old Edison resident spent eight years preparing for her Arangetram, a traditional Indian dance program that puts to the test the endurance, devotion and religious comprehension of the disciple. More ... Coaster fan offers teens summer full of thrills Local man makes it his business to tour theme parks across the U.S. BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer       Going to multiple amusement parks in the course of a week or two no longer has to be confined to a child's imagination. Ira Gordon, of East Brunswick, has made sure of that, with his 3-year-old business, ThrillCoaster Tours, which is based on Route 9 in Woodbridge. More ... Local man accused of sexual assault of 16-year-old Man served as victim's basketball coach, according to prosecutor       EDISON - New Brunswick police in conjunction with the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office arrested and charged Bruce Nealous, 46, with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a press release from the Prosecutor's Office. More ... State open-space funding question will go to voters Environmental groups will lobby hard for GSPT renewal in months ahead BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       New Jersey voters will determine in November whether to issue $200 million in bonds to fund the state's Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT) for one more year. More ... Residents dispute liquor at McLoone's Fords location Upscale eatery would be part of off-track wagering facility BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       WOODBRIDGE - Many residents said they didn't mind restaurateur Timothy McLoone bringing in lobster Wellington and pistachio-encrusted halibut at his new McLoone's location at Favorites in Fords, but they questioned the need for a liquor license at the restaurant. More ... Soup kitchen gets cold cash to serve hot meals Local business donates $5,000 to soup kitchen for upgrades BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       WOODBRIDGE - A local business donated $5,000 to the Trinity Episcopal Church soup kitchen to replace some of its old kitchen equipment. "We would love to replace everything," said Fran Kurtz of Sayreville, who has been volunteering for the soup kitchen for seven years. More ... Effort being mounted to reclaim park Workers dismantle large ATV course in 1,700-acre expanse BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       Middlesex County officials have set a course to stop the frequent use of all-terrain vehicles in Jamesburg Park, and to clean up some of the destruction left behind. Part of that effort took place last week, when the county's Conservation Corps spent several days working to combat t... More ... The truth is, the lie detector is still effective BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Lies have been around since the dawn of humanity and will be until its end. This does not mean, however, that all lies will pass without consequence, as the methods for detecting them grow more sophisticated with each generation. More ... Health officials advise caution on toxic foods BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Botulism outbreaks in at least two states have prompted the recall of 87 different kinds of chili and four varieties of dog foods, all manufactured by Castleberry Food Co. More ... Volunteerism is alive at any age for Edison girl 15-year-old organizes cleanup of Papianni Park BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer       EDISON - When Ashleigh Barral sought a position volunteering with the township, she ran into an age-old problem: she was too young. But the ambitious teenager was eager to do her part, despite not meeting the township's minimum age requirement of 16 years. More ...