Rec center, fields in plans for new park Work on Manahassett Creek Park to begin in spring BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       Plans for what will be Long Branch's premier park on Long Branch Avenue were unveiled last week. The $3.5 million Manahassett Creek Park will be an active park, with athletic fields, a walking path and a new recreation center. More ...      Sunbathers soak up the rays on the beach in Long Branch Sept. 13 on one of the very last days of summer. More ... Hook advocates will appeal court rejection District Court says developer's lease stands BY LIZ SHEEHAN Correspondent       Save Sandy Hook will appeal a U.S. District Court decision that rejected the group's complaint that a developer's lease for historic buildings at Fort Hancock is "arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or not otherwise in accordance with law. More ... DOT seeking bids for Highlands Bridge project Demolition of drawbridge could begin in early 2008 BY AMANDA BELING Staff Writer       SEA BRIGHT - As early as January, the Highlands bridge is coming down, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT spokeswoman Erin Phallon said last week the official newspaper advertisement for bids went out Sept. 13. More ... What to do on a day off from school, Part I      ERIC SUCAR staff The warm and sunny weather Sept. 13 offered youngsters myriad ways to spend a day off from school. Some headed to the beach in Long Branch for what were surely the season's last days of frolicking in the surf. More ... Oceanport candidates vie for mayor, council seats       OCEANPORT - - Democratic Mayor Lucille Chaump will be challenged by former Oceanport Councilman Michael J. Mahon, a Republican, in the borough's mayoral race this November. Four candidates are also vying for two open seats on the Borough Council in the Nov. 6 municipal election. More ... In the Service       Gloriemar Torré Santiago has entered Basic Cadet Training at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., in preparation to enter the first academic year at the academy. The sixweek, two-phased orientation program must be successfully completed by the cadets prior to entering freshma... More ... September 2007: The thrill of the hunt       Possessed by the color of leaves, from the ground up into the sky, I am always on the lookout for unusual cultivars and new happenings in the plant world. Autumn color is a benefit to seek out when selecting a new addition to your garden, and you should definitely consider it. More ... L.B. residents: We're hostages of redevelopment BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - Several Long Branch residents living in redevelopment zones along the city's oceanfront told the City Council last week they feel like "hostages" under the city's plan to take their homes by eminent domain. At the Sept. More ... Broadway property owners await appeal date Building owners seek right to be redevelopers BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - Three property owners in the Broadway redevelopment zone are waiting for a court date in their appeal of a state Superior Court ruling that gives the city the go-ahead to condemn their buildings. More ... Lawmakers face roadblocks on the hard road to success Some say system in Trenton must be changed BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer       The idea that there is too much politics in Trenton has been around for so long, it has become a cliché. The familiar bugaboos of partisanship and petty rivalries disrupting the legislative process are well known and well despised. More ... Most new laws Read the Story... Least new laws Read the Story... Residents: Does Jones wear too many hats? City attorney says UEZ director adding title but not $$ BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - Some residents voiced concerns last week about adding another title to the two that city official Jacob L. Jones already holds. Jones, the city's director of community economic development and the director of the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), was named to head the city's affordable ... More ... NOTES AROUND TOWN       Architectural Accents Past and Present on Broadway in Long Branch is planning to open its kitchen for a cooking demonstration on Sept. 28 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. More ... Panel recommends ways to improve boro gov't. Volunteers will continue review for additional two-month period BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       OCEANPORT - A volunteer panel has recommended creating a borough manager's position to improve the efficiency of borough government, but said the council may not have to hire additional personnel to fill the role. More ... Riding for a good cause      PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff A participant in "The Ride for Missing Children" begins the ride along the Long Branch oceanfront. The ride, which included a 10-, 75- and 50-mile course, began at Pier Village in Long Branch. The event benefits the national Center for Missing and Exploited Children. More ... Boro seeks grant for skateboard park Sea Bright Oceanfront Skateboard Park to be built in P-House lot BY AMANDA BELING Staff Writer       SEA BRIGHT - - Residents, parents and their children, and teens from other nearby towns rushed to grab the last of the open seats at a special meeting on the borough's proposed skateboard park last week, leaving the rest of the supporters for the project standing in the hall cheering from the bac... More ... How to spend a day off from school, Part II      The warm and sunny weather on Sept. 13 offered youngsters a plethora of ways to spend a day off from school. Some gravitated to SkatePlex, the oceanfront skateboard park at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in Long Branch, where they perfected railslides and ollies and deftly navigated ramps and half... More ... Spring House will add transitional apartments Borough donates $250K of affordable housing trust funds       EATONTOWN - Spring House, which provides housing for single women with children, plans to expand its facility to include transitional housing apartments. The apartments would house women who need more time in the program before transitioning to independent living. More ... 60 years later, Tuskegee airman gets his due Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Elmer Godwin BY LINDA DeNICOLA Correspondent       The Tuskegee Airmen have waited a long time to get the recognition they deserve for their courage during World War II. In fact, they have waited over 60 years. Last March a formal medal ceremony was held by President George Bush for all Tuskegee Airmen at which they were presented with the Congre... More ...