Our Lead Stories A day to honor service, remember sacrifice Vets who served country honored at Vietnam Veterans'Memorial BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer       Peter Van Rixoort never met his father, but all his life he has known just how special his father's sacrifice for World War II really was. Van Rixoort's father, Staff Sgt. John Van Rixoort, who was a rifleman in the United States Army's 75th Division, 291st Infantry in Company E, never made it home to meet his newborn son. More... Jersey Fresh marred by tragedy two years in a row Aortic rupture said to have killed David O'Connor's horse BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer       An international event held at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Upper Freehold from May 8-11 was marred by a tragedy. For the second year in a row, a horse died during the Jersey Fresh CCI ** and CCI *** competitions. More... Little Silver community mourns loss of principal Plans under way for tribute to popular educator BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer       Grief counselors were dispatched to Markham Place School in Little Silver as well as other district schools last week to help students and teachers cope with the loss of the school's beloved Principal Don E. Merce. Merce was killed in a May 6 car accident that occurred at 7:02 a.m. More... Pupils have 'super' time time shopping for food ShopRite joins with Rosenauer school for math, life lessons BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer       Sylvia Rosenauer Elementary School third-graders in Jackson are learning their math skills firsthand from a program that involves students, parents, teachers and associates at a local ShopRite supermarket. The youngsters recently took a field trip to ShopRite, County Line Road, to apply some of the math skills they have been learning in class to a real world situation. More... Historic panel honors Freehold homeowners BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer       The borough of Freehold is known for its character, its small-town ambiance and its historic homes. The Freehold Borough Historic Advisory Commission annually honors families that have gone above and beyond the norm in the care and maintenance of their older homes. The commission presents a Restoration Award and a Preservation Award to deserving homeowners. More... Mayors cooked Six towns represented in third annual Mayors Healthy Cook-Off BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       Seven mayors from across the state left state Sen. Joseph F. Vitale (D- 19), former New York Giants wide receiver Stephen Baker, also known as "the Touchdown Maker," and WCTC radio's The Restaurant Guys- Mark Pascal and Francis Schott - with full and happy stomachs as they judged each dish during the Mayors Healthy Cook-Off at the Wegmans supermarket last week. More... Local swimmers get Olympic for a day Three-time gold medalist trains young swimmers at Metuchen YMCA BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer       Sixty-eight swimmers from the Metuchen-Edison, Fanwood, Raritan Valley, and Red Bank YMCAs got the chance to train like an Olympian after spending about four hours in the pool with five-time Olympic medalist Josh Davis over the weekend. More... Twp. plans future of recreational facilities Recreation master plan sees need for combined aquatic/ice rink center BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer       The Middletown Recreation Master Plan has gone by many names by residents of the township: a wish list, a bible and a fantasy football team. "I had gone to some of these planning meetings and we were told to think of this as fantasy football," Middletown resident James Cody said. More... ''Once Upon a Mattress''       PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Left to right: Maureen Elford, 17, playing Princess Winnifred, introduces herself to the court during a dress rehearsal Monday for Old Bridge High School's production of "Once Upon a Mattress." The shows will run tonight through Saturday at the high school, Route 516. Kaitlyn Walker, 18, as Queen Aggravain, is set to place the pea underneath a mountain of mattresses. More... N.B. won't let anything rain on its car show Hundreds attend Cops & Rodders show despite weather, competition BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer       April showers brought May drivers. Despite the 14th annual North Brunswick Police Cops & Rodders car show being postponed a week due to the weather and having to compete against two other local car shows, hundreds of vehicle owners came out to support the department's Death, Retirement, Widows & Orphans Fund on Sunday. More... Union pitches in to get school its own ballfield Fundraisers, donated labor make long-sought field a reality at ICC BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer       SPOTSWOOD - What do the Yankees, the Mets and the Immaculate Conception Bulldogs have in common? All will be playing on brand-new fields in the coming year. More... Neglected lake's owners nowhere to be found Brick may do title search to find out who owns lake BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer       Godfrey Lake was peaceful one recent sunny morning. Lily pads rocked gently on the water. A lone swan paddled in the back portion of the lake. But just who owns Godfrey Lake? "That's what we don't know," Brick Township Attorney Jean Cipriani said. More... Concurso ofrece esperanza para afectados por el cáncer       CL Katherine Wilson era una joven llena de energía, que vivía cada día como si fuese el último. Cursó estudios superiores, viajó y organizaba celebraciones frecuentes con familiares y amigos. Lamentablemente, un cáncer de pulmón extinguió su vida con demasiada rapidez a los 27 años, en el 2005. More...