The Atlanticville's top stories of 2006

John Zambrano

The year offered up a mixed bag of news stories ranging from municipal officials caught taking bribes, to hotly contested elections, taxpayer revolt and the toppling of real estate empires.

1.Guilty plea by Zambrano 'shocks' council

Long Branch Councilman John "Fazz" Zambrano resigned his seat on the City Council after entering a guilty plea July 20 in U.S. District Court for accepting a $1,000 bribe. Zambrano had entered a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in June, just weeks after being re-elected to his council seat on May 9, according to authorities. (July 27)

2. Corzine signs fort redevelopment bill

Gov. Jon Corzine signed the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Act into law April 28, creating the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization and Planning Authority.

The 10-member panel composed of local, county, state, federal and private sector representatives is charged with finding new uses for the buildings and land that now comprise Fort Monmouth, which is scheduled to close in 2011. (May 4)

3.Attorney unraveling Dwek's tangled empire

A Superior Court judge, a court-appointed attorney and a dedicated Web site were just some of the legal measures set up to handle the unraveling of the tangled financial empire of Ocean Township-based real estate wheeler-dealer Solomon Dwek. Dwek, vice president of Deal Yeshiva, faces federal charges of attempting to defraud PNC Bank of more than $50 million.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Dwek owned, or had an interest in, about 100 properties in Monmouth and Ocean counties. (May 18)

4. Public Advocate: Rein in eminent domain

State Public Advocate Ronald K. Chen issued a report recommending major reforms to the laws governing the use of eminent domain for private redevelopment in New Jersey communities such as Long Branch.

In his report, Chen stated that eminent domain should only be used as a last resort and only in truly blighted areas after every other option for renewal had been exhausted. (May 25)

5. Schneider wins 5th term; team returned to office

Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider won re-election by a margin of more than 500 votes, running against first-time challengers.

Schneider won a fifth four-year term as mayor of the city along with "The Schneider Team" of council incumbents, who also won re-election by a wide margin. Councilman Michael DeStefano won a fifth term in office and Council members David Brown, Mary Jane Celli, Anthony Giordano and John Zambrano were re-elected to their fourth terms. (May 11)

6.Voters signal need for change in city

Voters may have re-elected the Schneider Team, but they called for change in the city at the polls on Nov. 7 by electing independent candidate Brian Unger to fill the open seat on the City Council.

Unger won the council seat over Council-backed candidate Jackeline Biddle, who was appointed by the City Council in August to fill the seat vacated when Councilman John "Fazz" Zambrano resigned after pleading guilty to accepting a bribe. (Nov. 9)

7. MTOTSA attorneys to appeal court decision

Attorneys representing some 20 residents in Long Branch's Beachfront North phase II redevelopment zone said they would appeal a state Superior Court ruling that the city had the right to condemn the oceanfront properties and take them through eminent domain.

Attorneys William J. Ward and Peter H. Wegener filed an appeal of Judge Lawrence M. Lawson's decision, arguing that conflicts of interest existed between the city and the developers throughout the redevelopment process, the properties are not blighted and that the city failed to negotiate in good faith for the properties.

(June 29)

8. Institute for Justice, N.J. join MTOTSA appeal

The Institute for Justice (IJ) held a press conference in a Long Branch neighborhood slated for redevelopment to announce it would represent homeowners fighting the taking of their homes by the city through eminent domain.

In December, an Appellate Court affirmed the public interest law firm's right to be a part of the legal team representing the residents despite the city's attempt to block IJ, which specializes in defending private property rights.

The Appellate Court also granted a stay of the pending condemnation action against an MTOTSA property, pending appeal of a the lower ruling. (Aug. 31)

9. NAACP asks police, churches to address gang violence

In the wake of the fourth homicide in Long Branch in four months, the head of the Long Branch chapter of the NAACP and other community leaders called a press conference to address concerns about gang activity and violence in the city.

NAACP chapter President Lorenzo "Bill" Dangler said he would like to see the city call on seasoned gang experts to help solve violence problems in Long Branch.

Brian Unger

A week earlier, a city resident called for a vigil or march to be held in the city to call attention to the murders. (Dec. 28)

10. Coup at Long Branch Concordance

Members of the Long Branch Concordance threatened to pull out of the grassroots collaborative after LBC founder and executive director Terri S. Blair was removed from office.

On Nov. 4, the board of trustees asked Blair to step down from the post she has held since founding the Concordance in March 2004. According to Blair, the removal came as a shock and without any explanation. (Nov. 16)

11. Shore Regional's $13.2M budget fails

By fewer than 100 votes, the Shore Regional High School District's $13.2 million budget for the academic year 2006-07 was defeated .

Voters in Sea Bright and Oceanport, two of the sending towns, rejected the budget, which called for a tax levy of $12 million.

IJ's Scott Bullock

The spending plan, which would have funded renovations to the 44-year-old high school, passed in Monmouth Beach and West Long Branch. (April 27)

12. WLB council

taking town's

zoners to court

The West Long Branch Borough Council decided to go to court to overturn the borough Zoning Board of Adjustment's approval of Monmouth Uni-versity's expansion plans involving the former Kilkare Farm property. The approval, one of 2005's top stories, granted after 19 months of hearings, gave the university the right to add facilities in a residential neighborhood and was opposed by The West Long Branch Coalition of Neighbors. (Jan. 26)

But on Dec. 6, Mayor Janet Tucci announced the council would not continue to pursue the legal action after a state Superior Court upheld the Zoning Board approval. On Dec. 14, the Zoning Board denied the university's application for a 4,000-seat multipurpose activity center. (Dec. 14)