The Freehold Borough Police Department Team was victoriuos at the second annual Freehold Borough March Madness tournament. Four teams battled it out in the Freehold High School gym during two days of games over the weekend. The four teams that competed include the Borough Hall Team (dressed in purple) the Y.M.C.A. team (dressed in grey), Lomurro Law Firm team (dressed in orange) and the F.B.P.D. team (dressed in black). Each team had a maximum of 15 players that are 21 years-old or older.  The teams raised money for the Freehold World Changers Project which will benefit local home owners. In …

Hundreds of people came out for Freehold Borough's first ever St. Patrick’s Day parade. “The whole idea of this is that we get together and have some fun,” said Councilman John Newman at the start of the parade on Saturday, March 17. All residents, families and friends were invited to bring their Irish pride and march in the parade. The parade started sharply at 11:00 at borough hall and marched down West Main St. toward the downtown businesses. Led by a classic fire engine, over a hundred people decked out in their Kelly Green attire walked proudly and waved to the people who watched from …

The Freehold Township High School (FTHS) Patriot Players sing, dance and spray their way through this year's colorful musical, "Hairspray". "It's loud, it's fun, it's exciting, I love it! The whole cast and crew is really excited," said Corey Morre, the senior stage manager. Hairspray is the story of Tracy Turnblad, a dancer who is a little larger than average size, played by senior Nicole Cirillo. When she decides to audition for the Corny Collins show, she finds out that her weight is not her only obstacle! The show is set in 1962 Baltimore, during the segregation era. In addition to her …

The municipal police force in Monmouth County welcomed 25 new members to its ranks. The Monmouth County Police Academy graduated its 37th class of officers in Freehold on Thursday. The new police officers will serve in Belmar, Manasquan, Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, Spring Lake, and West Long Branch. “This class rose to the challenge and excelled. Today you are no longer recruits. Today, you have earned the right to be called police officers,” Monmouth County Police Academy Director David I. Morris said. The Class II special officers had to receive an assignment from an area police department…

iPlay America will open its doors to the public on Friday, Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. However, members of the local business community, officials and media were given a sneak peak at the self-styled indoor amusement park on Tuesday. The 115,000-square-foot facility, located on Schanck Road in Freehold Township, features rides, arcade games, restaurants, and a banquet center run by a sister corporation, Encore. The concept for the amusement park came from New Jersey businessman and iPlay founder Bob McDaid. “Our goal was to build something safe and fun for the whole family to come to,” McDaid said…

The Freehold Township Senior Center was transformed into a haunted house in time for Halloween. The township's first Safe Candy Haunted House at the center on Oct. 28 featured two age-appropriate sections for younger children and teens. The Freehold Township Parks and Recreation Department provided Freehold Patch with photos from the event.

Perhaps it's the years of practice gained from Spooktacular, but Freehold residents had a host of creative Halloween displays on their front lawns this October. Unique scarecrows were lined up along borough streets as part of the annual neighborhood contest. Upload photos of your Halloween decorations and your Spooktacular scarecrow contest submissions to the gallery above.

Fans of Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi gathered at Freehold Raceway Mall on Saturday afternoon. The "Jersey Shore" arrived in a pink stretch limousine to sign autographs and take pictures as part of the launch of her new eyewear line. Some 300 fans who purchased the new sunglasses from NYS Collection were given a wristband that allowed them access to the star. Cell phone cameras were wielded by those in the crowd who weren't able to snag a place on line. Polizzi greeted fans at Staten Island Mall Saturday earlier in the day. Post your photo with Snooki to the gallery by clicking the green "Add your …

Freehold Regional High School District art students left their mark on Main Street Monday. About 150 teens from six high schools took part in the Freehold Halloween Spooktacular window painting contest, according Barbara Kane, a member of the Spooktacular committee. Each high school was assigned a section of storefront windows in Downtown Freehold. Judges will select first, second and third place winners from among the murals. The winning design will win a travelling trophy that will remain at the artists’ school until next year. Smaller trophies will be awarded to the second and third place …

The second season of the Downtown Concert Series opened Saturday, Sept. 24 with a performance for the New York Polyphony at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The classical male vocal quartet includes Christopher Herbert, Craig Phillips, Geoffrey Silver and Geoffrey Williams. The ensemble was founded in 2006 and has performed in the Miller Theatre Early Music Series at Columbia University, Dallas Chamber Music Series, Ireland’s Pipeworks and Ardee Baroque Festivals, Denmark’s Vendsyssel Festival, and the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, among other concert series and festivals. The next …

What is the Jewish experience in Monmouth County? A new exhibit at the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County hopes to interpret Jewish culture, history and tradition through photographs. The program, titled “Monmouth County’s Jewish Experience in Pictures: A Photography Exhibit,” is on display Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until March 4, 2012. The museum held an opening fundraising event for the exhibit on Sunday, Sept. 18. During the event, Allan Goldberg, owner of Coachman Studios; Richard Stromwasser, owner of Ardmore Custom Photography; and Rabbi …

St. Robert of Bellarmine Catholic Church has a display in its gathering area called "Reflection and Remembrance of 9/11." The area is designed for visitors to reflect and recall the terror attacks of Sept. 11. The display was coordinated by Marty Weisman. St. Roberts also held a 10-minute audio-visual presentation before and after its 10 a.m. mass on Sunday, Sept. 11.

Thousands in Freehold Township were left without power after Hurricane Irene swept through the region. The municipality was littered with split tree limbs and downed wires. Share your photos of Hurricane Irene and its aftermath by posting to the gallery above or by emailing Freehold Patch Local Editor Jacklyn Corley at jacklyn.corley@patch.com.

The Freehold Township PBA Local #209 held its 26th Annual Clambake on Saturday, Aug. 20 at Priedaine’s in Howell. The event featured live music by young rockers “Over the Edge,” as well as gift auctions and scholarship awards. Hundreds of people attended the clambake fundraiser, indulging in lobster, steamers, clams, burgers and more at the family-friendly event.

Hundreds of Monmouth County firefighters raced from their trucks and fought to keep broken hoses under control in Colts Neck on Saturday. Fortunately, there was no blaze to douse and no injuries to attend to, save for a few bruised egos. Volunteers from 16 area firehouses competed at the 2011 Monmouth County Firefighters Competition at Colts Neck Fire Company #1 on Route 537. Events included a hose and ladder competition, in which firefighters raced to spool out their hose and knock down a pop-up flame, and busted hose competition, in which participants tried to control a hose with several …

Graeme Preston was an active 12-year-old who loved stepping on a soccer field. Fellow soccer players from the greater Freehold area came to Opatut Park in Freehold Township on Saturday, Aug. 6 for the 4th Annual Graeme Preston Memorial Soccer Marathon. After Preston's death in 2008, his family formed the Graeme Preston Foundation for Life. The foundation has given out over $150,000 to local organizations and families facing economic or personal hardships. Co-sponsored by the Freehold Soccer League and Freehold Township Parks & Recreation, the Graeme Preston Memorial Soccer Marathon is one of …

The Olde Freehold Day Committee promised a return to small town life during Saturday's celebration, and residents attending the activity-filled event found they delivered. "Saturday was such a wonderful situation. People came together--whites, African-Americans, Hispanics, vendors, visitors. It was a great day for Freehold," said Freehold Borough resident Billy Anderson. The event marked the 35th anniversary of the first Olde Freehold Day, which ran annually from 1976 to 1979 and returned for three years from 2003 to 2005, according to Olde Freehold Day Committee Co-Chair Rich Kane. Saturday'…

The Lakewood BlueClaws this past Saturday honored one of that township's police officers, Christopher Matlosz, a Manchester resident who was killed while on-duty in January. Before the game, an honor guard and N.J. State Police helicopter fly-over celebrated the officer, who was killed while on-duty in January. Matlosz's fiancee, Kelly Walsifer, and brother, Adam Matlosz, tossed out the first pitches.  Proceeds from T-shirt sales went to the Holding Onto Hope charity founded by Walsifer.

Parking lots at Michael J. Tighe Park were filled to capacity as thousands of area residents came out to enjoy Freehold Township Day on Saturday. The annual celebration featured dozens of vendors, laser tag, inflatable rides, a volleyball tournament, a car show, and fireworks. The event was presented by the Veterans Community Alliance and Freehold Township.

Children and young adults had a ball - and built, threw, and dropped many balls - at a juggling demonstration at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan on Thursday, July 7. The fun class was led by Mark Kramer, an experienced juggler whose passion is teaching his talents.  Kramer has taught juggling at many libraries and park systems in the past, and even ran the New York City and Spring Lake Five marathons while juggling. "It's a really fun hobby and I've met a lot of cool people because of it," Kramer said. "It's stuff that you can take home with you and do anywhere, and …