City approves land purchase for hotel zone BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - At the city municipal meeting Dec. 26, the City Council approved a resolution permitting land to be purchased by a developer for an oceanfront redevelopment proposal. Council adopted resolution 384-06, authorizing redeveloper Ocean Place Development LLC to purchase Abbo... More ... Pastor calls clergy to prayer for city       LONG BRANCH - After recent acts of violence that resulted in four homicides in the city, one religious leader is calling on fellow clergy in the community to join forces and pray for a solution. The Rev. Apostle Gloria M. James, pastor of the Power of Christ's Gospel Ministries on Joli... More ... Petitions available for BOE seats       LONG BRANCH - Residents seeking to run for the District Board of Education must file candidates' nomination petitions on or before 4 p.m. Feb. 26. The election is scheduled for April 17. Petitions and school board candidate kits are available from the board secretary at Board of ... More ... Notes       ********** The Long Branch Concordance (LBC) held its inaugural fundraiser, BrewSips@SICA, on Nov. 2 at The Shore Institute of the Contemporary Arts in Long Branch. Close to 100 people attended the event, which featured tastings of regional and international beers. The LBC is a nonp... More ... Mayor: Beach fees will still increase next season Petition forces vote on $2.7M bond issue for pavilion renovations       MONMOUTH BEACH - An increase in beach fees will still go through next summer despite a petition that blocked a proposal to issue bonds to pay for renovations to the borough's beach pavilion, according to Mayor Susan Howard. The petition circulated by residents means the proposal to i... More ... McMorrow begins term on county freeholders Retired educator is the first Democrat to hold seat in decades BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer       FREEHOLD - Although Barbara McMorrow was the only one sworn in Thursday to the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, as the first Democrat in 20 years to hold the position, it almost felt like a swearing-in for Democrats countywide. More ... Coast Guard auxiliary seeks volunteers       The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard, and is actively seeking more volunteers interested in serving their country and their community. The auxiliary participates in all Coast Guard missions authorized by Congress... More ... Cooper steps down after six terms on council BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       WEST LONG BRANCH - After a 24-year run as a West Long Branch councilman, Richard F. Cooper Jr. has retired from his seat on council but his involvement in local government is far from over. At the Jan. 1 reorganization meeting, no sooner had Cooper, 72, vacated his council seat than ... More ... Fate of Sea Bright-Highlands Bridge pending DOT decision Historic Sites Council: DOT didn't show rehab was not a viable option BY LIZ SHEEHAN Correspondent       A decision on an application by the N.J. Department of Transportation (DOT) to replace the 74-year-old drawbridge that joins the boroughs of Highlands and Sea Bright is expected to be made later this month by Lisa P. Jackson, commissioner of the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection... More ... Exhibit delivers faces of famed African Americans Private collector loans museum stamp collection BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer       MIDDLETOWN - From the invention of a shoe-making machine to the first woman to hold an international pilot's license, the African American Stamp Art exhibit at the Monmouth Museum is a surprising and insightful way to spend an afternoon. More ... Fort MLK observance Jan. 11       Maj. Gen. (retired) Robert L. Nabors, former commanding general of the U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command and Fort Monmouth from 1998 to 2001, will be the keynote speaker at an observance honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Fort Monmouth Post Chapel Jan. 11 from 9:30-11 a.m. More ... Tea and decision-making sip well together BY LINDA DeNICOLA Staff Writer       Success, it can be said, is part inspiration and part preparation. Add to that, imagination, teamwork and a nice cup of tea, and you have the foundation for a Brookdale initiative that has two parts: an awareness campaign and a fundraising component. More ... Drug arrests follow police investigation       LONG BRANCH - A monthlong investigation by the Community Response Unit of the city police department concluded last week with the arrest of a city couple. Eliezer Velez, 30, and Carmen Rodriguez, 25, were arrested on Dec. 21 after city police executed a search warrant at their West End... More ... Ex-SRHS teacher admits to sexual conduct charges BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       WEST LONG BRANCH - - A former teacher and coach at Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch will be sentenced in March after pleading guilty last week to sexual conduct with a former student. More ... McMorrow begins term on county freeholders Retired educator is the first Democrat to hold seat in decades BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer       FREEHOLD - Although Barbara McMorrow was the only one sworn in Thursday to the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, as the first Democrat in 20 years to hold the position, it almost felt like a swearing-in for Democrats countywide. More ... Abby Johnson CHRIS KELLY staff      Abby Johnson, 2, Long Branch, climbs aboard a friendly dinosaur at the playground at the Sea Bright Municipal Beach on an unusually balmy winter day Jan. 6. More ... Born to run: Off-leash dog area proposed Residents want county dog park at Wolf Hill in O'port BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       Dog owners in several local towns are gathering support for a proposal to have part of a county park in Oceanport designated as a dog park. The initiative is being organized by a Sea Bright resident who has reached out to the Monmouth County Park System to add an off-leash dog area ... More ... Concordance names new exec. director Former BBBS director will replace founder removed by board       A new executive director of the Long Branch Concordance (LBC) was appointed last week to fill the position once held by the group's founder, Terri S. Blair. Debi Heptig was appointed by the LBC board of trustees Monday and will assume her new post Jan. 16, according to LBC interim exe... More ...