CHRIS KELLY staff Volunteers take part in the Monmouth University's chapter of NJ Community Water Watch cleanup of Lake Takanassee in Long Branch on March 1. More ... MTOTSA set to appear in appeals court in April IJ: New Jersey court rulings over past year support property owners BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       Agroup of Long Branch homeowners have been given their day in court to continue a legal battle to save their oceanfront neighborhood from condemnation. Members of Marine and Ocean terraces and Seaview Avenue, known as the MTOTSA alliance, are scheduled to appear in court on April 23, according to... More ... Mixed-use project slated for Broadway and Third Proposed redevelopment project calls for creating 50 to 100 new jobs BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - After unveiling plans last week for a mixed-use project on lower Broadway, Pax Construction Corp. received the go-ahead from the city to continue negotiating for a redevelopment agreement. More ... Volunteers clean debris at Lake Takanassee       LONG BRANCH - Volunteers gathered at Lake Takanassee Saturday to help rid the waterway of debris and pollution. The March 1 cleanup was planned by Monmouth University's chapter of N.J. Community Water Watch in collaboration with Brookdale Community College's chapter of Water Watch. More ... New Ocean Township clerk to start Monday Deborah Smith steps down as clerk after 26 years of service BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer       OCEANTOWNSHIP- Anewclerkwill begin serving the township on Monday, filling the position vacated last week by Deborah Smith. The TownshipCouncil appointedVincent G. Buttiglieri, a former South Plainfield councilman, borough clerk and business administrator, to replace Smith. More ... Residents of mobile home park have 18 mos. to move Rt. 35 and Wyckoff Rd. site to be developed into commercial lot BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer       EATONTOWN - Residents of the Circle Trailer Sales and Court Mobile Home Park are seeking additional time to remain at the Route 35 and Wyckoff Road site of their homes. The residents were told that they have until Aug. More ... Public hearing on school budget set for March 19 BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - The city Board of Education is scheduled to host a public hearing March 19 on the proposed school district budget for the 2008-2009 school year. The hearing is set to be held in the auditorium of the Long Branch Middle School on IndianaAvenue at 7:30 p.m. and a budget fair is plann... More ... Oceanfront ramp to be built at Matilda Terrace BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer       LONG BRANCH - Plans for a ramp to be constructed on the beach at Matilda Terrace are in the works, according to a Long Branch senior citizen who has been fighting for better access to public places in the city for over a year. More ... Lost 84-year-old found in woods       OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Police last week found an 84-year-old West Park Manor resident lost in the woods after he had been reported missing by his wife. Ocean Township police received a report at 3:20 p.m. Feb. 24 from a woman who said that her husband had gone for a walk to the Rite-Aid pharmacy on Ro... More ... 'Beauty and the Beast'      PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Clockwise from top right: Sarah Middough and Chris Seeley rehearse their roles as Belle and the Beast for the Shore Players production of "Beauty and the Beast" at Shore Regional High School on Feb. 25. Middough runs through another scene. Alec Stubing and Seeley practice... More ... Danger lurks as youths head on to the Internet Detective offers tips to parents to head off potential problems BY AMY ROSEN Staff Writer       With the click of a computer mouse, people in other parts of the state, country or the world can steal, threaten and lure people into dangerous and sometimes even fatal situations. More ...