Jennifer Serey, 7, and classmates downtown tree-lighting festivities on Broadway Dec. 4. MIGUEL JUAREZ staff      in the second grade at Morris Avenue School, Long Branch, pretend to sleep as they sing carols during the More ... MacCloud suit drags on Eighth adjournment in suit seeking just compensation for home BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       A Long Branch resident displaced by the city's oceanfront redevelopment project is still awaiting his day in court. Bruce MacCloud was expected to appear in state Superior Court Monday for a trial to determine the value of his Cooper Avenue home, which was condemned by the city. More ... Kiely gets biz award       LONG BRANCH - Planning Board member and city resident John M. Kiely, 38, has been recognized with a "Forty Under 40" award by NJ BIZ magazine. Kiely joined his family's Long Branch-based J.F. Kiely Construction Co. in 1990 and in 2001 upgraded the company by starting Kiely Equipment Co. More ... NPS super to DEP: Replace Route 36 bridge BY SUE MORGAN Staff Writer       SEA BRIGHT - Public safety, not historic value, ought to be the state's priority in deciding the future of the Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge, according to a federal representative of Gateway National Park's Sandy Hook unit. In an Oct. 23 letter to New Jersey Department of Environmental ... More ... Two arrested in armed robbery of clothing store BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - Two Florida men are facing charges for allegedly robbing a Long Branch clothing store at gunpoint last week. On Nov. 27, the owner of The Fashion Depot on Fourth Avenue and one of his staff were alone in the store when two men entered the building at 11:45 a.m., posing a... More ... Pearl Harbor memories remain vivid to veterans Brookdale event looks back at Japanese attack 65 years later BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - Will you remember Pearl Harbor? Dec. 7, 1941, "The day that will live in infamy," is steadily being forgotten it seems, remembered only by those old enough to recall the devastating attack. Survivors, of course, remember every detail. More ... St. Jerome marks 50 years as a faith community Church and school are thriving five decades after founding BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       WEST LONG BRANCH - Just 50 years ago, St. Jerome parish in West Long Branch was established to serve the many Catholic families who had moved to the area. Five decades later, the church and school on Wall Street continue to provide a faith community, education and much more to a thr... More ... Notes Around Town       The Long Branch-based Holy Trinity Church on Prospect Street is hosting social/ballroom dances on the third Saturday of each month. The next dance will take place Dec. 16 from 8 to 11 p.m. in the parish hall. Singles and couples of all ages are invited to attend. Admission is $10, $8 for seni... More ... Council amends bond ordinance purchases BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - The City Council amended a bond ordinance last week for the purchase of equipment and vehicles for the Department of Public Works At the Nov. 28 municipal meeting, four of the five council members adopted ordinance 24-06 to change which items will be purchased with the b... More ... Coastal study: What lies ahead? 30 municipalities will participate in study of future growth BY CHRISTINE VARNO and LAYLI WHYTE Staff Writers       A comprehensive study that looks at the future of Monmouth County's coastal region has been launched by local municipal and county officials. The two-year study will examine future development of the Atlantic coastal region inhabited by 40 percent of the county's total population. More ...