After a difficult pregnancy left his wife and newborn son in the hospital for over a year, martial arts instructor Bryan Klein soon saw his own health deteriorate. Driving from his home in Manalapan to a hospital in New York City each day began to wreak havoc on his diet and overall fitness level several years ago. "After the whole ordeal was over and we had returned to normal life, I had gained over 100 pounds," Klein said. "It became difficult to fulfill my job duties. I put up with being overweight for five years. One day I said enough of this, so I hired a personal trainer and …

For budding musicians who want to continue building their skills over the summer, Monmouth Junction's Music Tech has the answer. The school is offering full day music camps for students of all skill levels from July through August, running from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with an extended hour available.  Students will make music in a band, while fostering creative interactive and interpersonal skills in a supportive environment.  Launched in May last year, Music Tech provides a destination for music lovers of all ages and skill levels. The school offers lessons for piano, guitar, drums, voice, …

Every child learns differently, thus no one approach can possibly meet the needs of every student for classroom instruction. Opening earlier this month, Dayton's Eye Level Learning Center seeks to provide kids with an individualized program that targets their weaknesses and enhances their strengths. Launched by Monroe residents Dhruti and Mehul Shah, Eye Level offers a basic and critical thinking math curriculum, along with a language arts program that seeks to help children master subjects through self-directed learning.   "This is more of a systematic individualized program that caters to …

The Willows Swim Club is located on a six-acre site in Kendall Park on Sand Hills Road, near Route 27.  The club was constructed and incorporated in 1960.  The pool was completely re-surfaced and tiled during the off season and is now one of the newest pools in the area. About two-acres of the site are within a fence that surrounds the two swimming pools. The main pool is a “Z” shape.  There is a wading/nonswimming area that is 30x30 feet and is three-feet deep.  There are concrete steps leading into the wading/nonswimming area. The central portion of the pool is 83x42 feet (six lanes wide …

Monmouth Junction's Von Thun Farms was honored at the New Jersey State Agricultural Convention on Feb. 6 with the Neil Robson Farmers Against Hunger Award. The award was established in memory of Robson, a leading Burlington County farmer who died in 2006, to recognize farmers who make outstanding contributions to the fight against hunger by providing fresh fruits and vegetables to help feed the hungry.  Bob and Cindy Von Thun have donated more than 30,000 pounds of produce to Farmers Against Hunger, a gleaning organization that collects donated Jersey Fresh produce and distributes it to …

While learning how to dance takes discipline and dedication, a local dance school has worked for years to teach students much more than just how to perform. Dance Storm International, located on the Franklin Township side of Route 27, recently held its fourth annual give back event, which has raised thousands of dollars and hundreds of pounds of food for the South Brunswick Food Pantry. "This is something that's ongoing and we'll be doing it next year and the year after that and so on," said owner Ed Cronk. "We're not just about teaching children about dance. We're also about teaching kids to…

With the recession leaving many local families in search of help, Dayton's Doctors of Dental Medicine answered the call earlier this month with a day of free dental care for kids. Give Kids a Smile Day was celebrated across the nation on Feb. 1, as participating dentists, through the American Dental Association (ADA), provided free oral health care services to children from low-income families. "This is a very different day for us, a charitable day, where we volunteer our time for children by donating free dental care," said dental hygienist Palma D’Angelo. "We provide free cleanings, x-rays…

Growing up in Brunswick Acres, Marc Rubenstein was able to achieve an unusual milestone by forging a business partnership while still a toddler. Rubenstein first met his eventual business partner Geoffrey Hunt while the pair were still in nursery school. While starting a business together was never quite on the agenda as the two friends advanced through the South Brunswick School District, Rubenstein and Hunt would end up pursuing the same field of physical therapy while attending Rutgers University, a field that would eventually lead them back home. "We were both in the program when we went …

For nearly two decades, the Community Presbyterian Church of the Sand Hills Preschool has earned recommendations and kudos from the community for helping to develop South Brunswick kids about to begin their educational journey. The school recently gained accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals. But for school staff, the Sand Hills Preschool is all about developing a family amongst the school community. "We're all part of a community where we take care of families and families take care …

In an era of increasing class sizes that have reduced a teacher's ability to offer one on one instruction to students, a Kendall Park based company has developed an educational platform that could change the manner in which teachers are able to evaluate student learning.   Developed by PrazAs, Tabtor (tablet tutor) is an adaptive learning software for tablets such as the iPad, that keeps track of a student's learning behavior and helps teachers identify problem areas for more accurate feedback. The program combines personalized math tutoring and worksheets, while tailoring the experience for …

Matthew Teeter is the first to admit he was no angel as a teen growing up in South Brunswick. The 2004 South Brunswick High School graduate and SBHS prom king fell into many of the same traps numerous teens fall into in regards to peer pressure before getting in trouble with the law. But it was a second chance that propelled Teeter to turn his life around, as he went on to become a criminal defense and municipal court lawyer. That second chance is one he is now determined to also provide to young people who made a mistake. "I wasn't perfect when I was a student. Growing up we can all fall to …

As the world watches on, cheering for their respective Olympians in London, the gymnastic competitions undoubtedly continues to garner the most unrivaled public interest. But for most of those Olympic hopefuls, their medal-driven journey starts years earlier, with a big dream and at a small gym, much like the Cranbury Gymnastics Academy in Dayton. It’s Tuesday evening at the academy and center stage, a tween sports a purple leotard and a look of unshakeable concentration during a private lesson. Only seconds later, she breaks into full sprint and her small frame explodes into a series of mid-…

When Pat Petrillo decided to bring his love of music to the town he calls home, he wanted a place that would reflect that love along with his passion for teaching. Launched in May this year, Petrillo's school Music Tech, located in Monmouth Junction, provides a destination for music lovers of all ages and skill levels. The school offers lessons for piano, guitar, drums, voice, and winds. Music Tech focuses on contemporary popular music like rock, blues, soul and jazz. It also offers both half hour and one-hour private lessons, in addition to rock and blues band classes.  "We wanted to create…

After a revolving door of restaurants has occupied the Brunswick Square Mall, management at El Dorado Tex-Mex Grill and Cantina believe they've found the right recipe for sustained success in South Brunswick. With previous eateries to occupy the location like Bandido's and One South having fizzled out, El Dorado, which opened in March 2011, has gotten off to a strong start by offering new twists on traditional Mexican favorites with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and creativity. "So far we're doing pretty good compared to last year and our reputation has been building back up," said …

With the recent controversy surrounding a Nutley, NJ mother accused of allowing her daughter in a tanning salon bed, the dangers of overexposure to UV rays have been brought to the forefront for people seeking that perfect tan. After listening to numerous concerns about the impact of UV rays during her 31-year career as a hairdresser, South Brunswick resident Nancy Culbertson saw an opportunity to provide a safe alternative. So in 2009, Culbertson launched her own business, Sultry Mist Mobile Airbrush Tanning to provide an easy and healthy tan, minus the UV rays. "I work in the beauty …

When the economy went south, many people found themselves reevaluating their career choices in the face of unemployment. Monmouth Junction resident Ian Scherzer was no different. The 2003 graduate of South Brunswick High School went to work for Merrill Lynch straight out of college, until the realities of the recession caught up with him. "I was 23-years-old, right out of college, and I was working in mid-management. I worked hard, was making good money and was moving up in the company," Scherzer, 26, said. "Life was going well. I was on a roll. Then I found myself at Merrill Lynch watching a…

As the spring season coats numerous vehicles with a thick coat of pollen, South Brunswick residents who want their cars to shine are turning to the same place they've looked to since 1995 for that new car look, Monmouth Junction's Major Car Wash.  Located near the intersection of Major Road and Route 1, Major Car Wash is one of South Brunswick's family owned gems. The business is owned and operated by the Stanaway family, with locations in Princeton and Rahway as well.  "We've been around for a long time and provide a personal touch. We go out of our way to make sure everything is right with…

For just over two decades, Pierre's of South Brunswick has been a township institution as a deli, bakery, banquet hall and restaurant. But with the changing times, even a cornerstone of South Brunswick must continue to evolve. As the economy fluctuates causing large corporate eateries to close their doors, Pierre's has endured by never being comfortable with the status quo. "The trick to surviving in this economy has been the way this business was designed with different aspects," said owner Pierre Hage-Boutros. "When the deli was slow, the catering and banquet part were busy. So the …

Since 1975, Burrito Royale has been a fixture on Route 1 in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick. Recently after its owners decided to retire, the Mexican restaurant was purchased and renamed to Burrito King. New owner Akin Bodur sat down to give the “whole enchilada” on his latest venture. “I have been working in the restaurant industry since I was 14 years old,” Bodur said. “My family owns the Efe’s Mediterranean Grill in New Brunswick and just opened a new one in Princeton,” he said. However, this is the first restaurant that he has ever personally been the owner of. According …

There are family businesses that pass through one generation and fade away, and then there are those that become local institutions. Sitting quietly on a large expanse of land on Ridge Road is Von Thun's Country Farm Market, a fixture in South Brunswick since 1913. The farm has passed all the way through five generations of the Von Thun family, as they approach their 100th anniversary next year. "Henry Von Thun came over from Germany and bought the farm in 1913 as a homestead kind of thing, growing potatoes and grains," said Cindy Von Thun, whose husband Bob Von Thun Jr. took over running …