It's hard to pick the biggest local story of 2007. Was it the reassessments in Long Branch and elsewhere that resulted in some homeowners owing thousands more in taxes? Was it the World Series of horse racing coming to Oceanport? Was it the struggle over Takanassee Beach Club? The sentencing of several former local politicians? Or something else altogether?

Here are some of the highlights of the year:

January

» The year starts off with some closure for the major events of 2006. The County Prosecutor's Office announces they have made five arrests in connection with two murders in Long Branch the previous year - three men are arrested and charged with the murder of Keith Mason of Second Ave. in Dec. 2006, and another two with the murder of Michael Montgomery in Nov. 2006. All five suspects are said to be connected to the Bloods gang.

» Just 68 minutes into the year, Ocean Township police arrest 18 people at a party for drinking while under age or serving alcohol to minors.

» Tony Tomaine takes the reins of Long Branch Fire Chief from Bruce Johantgen.

» West Long Branch Council President Richard Cooper steps down after 24 years on council. Steve Cioffi is sworn in as the borough's newest council member.

» The owners of the Ocean Place Resort and Spa tell Long Branch they are interested in purchasing land on Abbotsford Avenue to expand the hotel campus.

» Eatontown Borough Administrator Michael Trotta announces he will resign at the end of February after 20 years, due to health concerns.

» Lifesaving kidney - Tanja Wampler, a Long Branch resident, donates a kidney to fellow Long Brancher Bruce Owens. She found out Owens needed a kidney from reading The Link.

» Members of the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, West Long Branch, head to Louisiana to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

» Former Shore Regional High School teacher William O'Leary pleads guilty to having engaged in sexual conduct with a child, and agrees to probation and registering as a sex offender. He was arrested and charged in August 2004, and a judge had rejected a previous plea agreement.

» Debi Heptig is named new Executive Director of the Long Branch Concordance, replacing founder Terri Blair.

» Record high temperatures for January are recorded in Long Branch. Though it's January, many people flock to the beaches.

» Two 16-year-old Oceanport girls are arrested and charged with making fake bomb threats at Shore Regional High School. This was the third fake threat made since the year began, all of which required evacuating the school and calling in police.

» The Department of Environmental Protection holds a hearing on a developer's plan to turn Takanassee Beach Club into seven townhouses, seven condos and seven homes. The owner, Ginger Peters, says that she has medical needs and has to sell the property. Many locals are concerned about the loss of open space and history.

» Highlands residents attend a Sea Bright Council meeting, urging officials to help oppose replacing the drawbridge between the two towns with a fixed-span bridge.

» Citing security concerns, Eatontown schools request that no more voting machines be placed there during election. Council worries finding replacement locations will be difficult.

» Monmouth University asks the West Long Branch Zoning Board to reconsider its Multi-purpose Activity Center (MAC). In December, the proposal had been turned down, due in part to concerns over the traffic it would generate.

» Assemblyman Sean Kean announces he has drafted legislation for the state to purchase Takanassee Beach Club, saying developing the property is "one of the most significant historic sites in our area."

February

» A new assessment of property in Long Branch doubles the total value of property in the city from the last one in 2002, from $2.4 to $5.2 billion. This will set off a string of complaints from residents - especially some in Elberon - who find they are paying thousands more in property taxes as a result.

» The Jersey Shore Runners Club donates $1,200 to the Long Branch Recreation Department's "Get on the Bus" tour, which helps high school students tour universities.

» In an effort to control the growing Canada geese population, Oceanport announces it will attempts the same technique West Long Branch uses, oiling eggs to prevent them from hatching.

» West Long Branch discovers that the long-standing Recreation Committee was left off of the ordinances describing committees, and does not "officially" exist. A new ordinance is introduced to acknowledge their existence.

» Monmouth Beach Commissioner Kay Guadagno announces she will seek the Republican Party nomination for Assembly. She later accepts the nomination for sheriff instead.

» A fire breaks out at a condominium in Sea Bright. Firefighters from many municipalities spend over 14 hours battling the blaze in sub-zero weather. One woman sustains injuries which prove to be fatal.

» Ocean Twp. Manager Dave Kochel announces he will retire in June, after 20 years.

» Applied Development presents plans to the Planning Board for Pier Village Phase II, the area between the existing Pier Village and Ocean Blvd, calling for retail, rentals and condo-hotels. They also enter discussions with the city for Phase III, south of the existing Pier Village.

» Eatontown Councilman Joseph Questore, 45, dies after a battle with brain cancer.

» An ice storm causes havoc in the area, weighing down tree branches and causing unsafe conditions on roads. Half of Oceanport loses power, and Maple Place School is declared a regional emergency shelter, though fortunately it is not needed.

» The West Long Branch Zoning Board overturns its rejection of Monmouth University's MAC, citing a newly introduced traffic study.

» The playground at Wolf Hill Elementary School is renamed in honor of Kortney Rose Gillette, who died in April 2006 at the age of 9 after a diagnosis of brainstem glioma.

» Steven's Bait and Tackle, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006, closes its doors. Owner Brian Zimmerman says the building's new owner had tripled the rent.

» Architectural plans for a new West Long Branch Police Department building are unveiled.

» The Oceanport Post Office collects valentines from Eatontown and Oceanport schools and others to send to troops overseas.

» Due to a request by the state to save endangered species, Sea Bright shortens the months pets are allowed on the beaches.

» Eatontown puts three new polling places around the borough, but keeps one voting district at Memorial School.

» A Victorian style beachfront is proposed for Sea Bright as part of a new look.

» The Institute for Justice files a brief with the appellate courts arguing that eminent domain should not be used in Marine Terrace, Ocean Terrace and Seaview Ave. (MTOTSA). Last year, a judge ruled that the city's use of eminent domain for redevelopment was acceptable.

» J. Russell Woolley, a former West Long Branch Fire Chief, passes away at the age of 87.

March

» Long Branch Council approves a plan for redeveloping downtown Broadway. It includes the creation of 450 new jobs, two new theaters, a variety of businesses and affordable and market rate housing.

» John Villapiano, Ocean Township, owner of Seashore Day Camp and School in Long Branch, announces he will seek the Democratic nomination for state senate in the 11th district.

Sean Kean gets the Republican nomination.

» Long Branch homeowners, especially those in Elberon, tell council they are very unhappy with the reassessments. The city says they had been ordered to do it, and had no control over the results.

» A 30-year-old Ocean Township man is arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle fatality. Prosecutors say he hit an 83-year-old crossing Sunset Avenue and kept driving.

» The Long Branch Housing Authority announces it no longer wishes to manage Grauman Towers, saying the building owners owe them $400,000 for services. The Authority says they cannot legally manage the building without funding.

» Two armed men rob the Bank of America, Ocean. A similar method was used to rob other banks in the state in previous weeks.

» Kristine Fisher is appointed to serve as Joseph Questore's replacement on the Eatontown Council.

» While trying to design better stormwater management regulations, the Long Branch Council introduces an ordinance with wording which would have prohibited feeding stray cats or having bird feeeders on private property. After an outcry from animal lovers, it is withdrawn, and the language is corrected.

» Oceanport Council members vote 4-2, along party lines, to hire a borough administrator. Republicans say this will help the borough run more smoothly; Democrats say it will waste taxpayers' money.

» Long Branch isn't the only town with assessment woes; appeals from commercial businesses in Eatontown result in homeowners paying a bigger share of the taxes.

» A suspect in a murder which took place in Asbury Park in December 2006 is arrested in a motel room in Eatontown.

» Freeholder William Barham comes under attack for having too close a relationship with a contractor who has charged the county hundreds of thousands in changes to a project. Barham responds that he made no secret he had worked with the contractor before becoming Freeholder, and had abstained on any votes involving the funding. He later sells all shares in the business.

» Oceanport Recreation Com-mittee announces an "Adopt-A-Bench" program, which proves very successful.

» Residents in Ocean Town-ship report seeing a black bear wandering around a building complex.

» The Business Development Steering Committee in Long Branch begins a "Keep Long Branch Clean" program, organizing sweeping and cleaning of districts.

» Former West Long Branch Councilman Joseph DeLisa is sentenced to 15 months in jail for accepting a bribe from an undercover source while in office. DeLisa was charged in Feb. 2005 as part of Operation Bid Rig.

» Oceanport introduces a budget which calls for a 3.2 cent tax increase. That proposed budget, the result of six months of meetings and discussion, includes hiring a borough administrator.

April

» West Long Branch Police Department promotes two officers - Richard Brand to lieutenant, and Brian Ellis to sergeant.

» Assemblyman Kean meets with the DEP to discuss preserving Takanassee Beach Club.

» Shore Regional High School announces a budget with a 7.2 percent increase. Due to a complicated formula, while that would raise taxes in Sea Bright by 5.4 cents per $100 of assessed property value, it would actually lower the tax rate in West Long Branch.

Sea Bright officials say they pay a "subsidy" of $1.5 million to Shore Regional to educate students.

» A 14-year-old Monmouth Beach resident is sentenced to 30 days in custody for a bomb threat at Shore Regional in October 2006. The youth had written the words "bomb" and "10:30" on a bathroom wall, and another threat on his desk.

» The Drakensberg Boys Choir of South Africa performs at St. Michael's Church, Long Branch.

» Sea Bright declares May will be Tal Farrow Month, in memory of the famous jazz musician who made the borough his home.

» The 10th annual Sgt. Pat's 5K race, run in memory of Long Branch Det. Sgt. Patrick King, who was shot and killed while on duty, draws over 1,000 runners.

» Following an investigation after an assault on a 15-year-old, six Ocean Township and one West Long Branch teenagers are charged with drug and alcohol related offenses.

» Ronald McDonald House, a charity which helps families whose children are in the hospital, celebrates its 20th anniversary.

» A scene from the final episode of "The Sopranos" is filmed in Long Branch.

» The Planning Board gives approval to the first phase of the Broadway Arts project, which calls for renovating the Paramount theater, adding a new theater for the New Jersey Rep, retail, housing and more. While some people claim that this project could involve eminent domain, the board says that is a different legal issue.

» For the second year in a row, Long Branch police participate in the 911 Fitness Challenge, where men in blue around the nation attempt to lose weight and become healthier.

» MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Sandy Hook, celebrates its 25th anniversary.

» Long Branch Council is asked to waive beach fees for those under 18. In the past, teenagers had to pay $30 for a yearly beach pass to city sands.

» Eatontown voters reject the school's budget, with a proposed 1.9 cent tax increase. Though this was the lowest proposed increase in years, voters seem stung by high reassessments and other tax burdens.

The budgets for Shore Regional, Long Branch and West Long Branch are also turned down.

» Three teenagers - two related - are arrested by the Ocean Township Police Department after an attempt to rob a business which makes breakfast food. The Link's headline: "Brothers, buddy, busted in bagel bakery burglary."

» The sixth annual "Food For Thought," run by the Eatontown Foundation for Excellence in Education, raises nearly $50,000 to benefit the schools.

» A nor'easter hits the shore, causing heavy flooding in many areas. Monmouth Beach is hit hard, and seeks funding to help alleviate the problems.

» Long Branch announces the municipal budget will be $3.5 million higher than last year, an effective seven-cent tax increase. The big increases are salary, debt service and pensions, which the city says are unavoidable.

To add to taxpayers' woes, while Long Branch voters rejected the school budget, the state informs them that they must accept the rate the Board of Education proposed.

» Oceanport Mayor Lucille Chaump, a Democrat, announces she will appoint a group of volunteers to study the need for an administrator. Minutes later, the Republican-controlled council votes 4-2 to hire a professional firm to study the need for an administrator.

» At the same meeting, the Oceanport municipal budget is rejected without a vote, when nobody will second a motion to hear it. A special meeting to discuss changes is held.

» Marine Lance Corporal James Forman visits the West Long Branch Cub Scouts to thank them for delivering packages to him and his friends overseas.

» The Monmouth University Student Government Association sends a "Banner of Hope" to Virginia Tech as a sign of sympathy, following the massacre at that school.

The shooting spurs some fake threats at local schools. Monmouth University suspends a freshman after he phones in a phony terroristic threat. Shore Regional is evacuated due to a bomb threat.

» Emanuel "Manny" Navarro, a former Long Branch High School athletic star, is injured by a gunshot wound. He says two high school friends tried to rob him at gunpoint while he was in the neighborhood.

May

» A forum on the fate of Takanassee Beach Club is hosted. Sean Kean and Councilman Brian Unger tour the property with a co-owner; but the legality of that tour is later questioned.

» SICA, the Shore Institute for Contemporary Arts, begins Sculptoure - Sculptures of all shapes, sizes and composition are placed around the city.

» Shore Regional is asked to cut its rejected budget by $100,000. That amount will have little impact on the tax rate.

» The Long Branch Elks Lodge names Detective Scott Beaver "Policeman of the Year."

» City Councilman Michael DeStefano is selected to serve another year as council president. Though normally Long Branch cycles through, the next in line, Dr. Mary Jane Celli, says she has too many scheduling conflicts.

» A utility pole hits a Jeep - not the other way around - as the pole is dislodged from a truck on its way to replace a broken pole at the Asbury Park traffic circle.

» More than 7,000 runners participate in the 11th Annual New Jersey Marathon, the largest to date.

» Monmouth Park announces it will perform $30 million in renovations this season, in preparation for the Breeders' Cup races later in the year.

» Local female mayors, freeholders, Assembly members, and other officials gather at Monmouth Regional for "Running and Winning," a workshop on females in politics, for high school girls.

» At another special Oceanport Council meeting, the budget fails again. Though $23,000 had been cut, no one would introduce it.

A motion is made to cancel the professional study for the business administrator. It almost succeeds. The vote is 2-2 with one abstention, but the abstention is changed to a no.

» The Jersey Shore Partnership forms the JAP Foundation, dedicated to fundraising and education on shore protection.

» West Long Branch bans drivers with minors in the car from smoking.

» Monmouth Beach announces a referendum on the bathing pavilion renovations will be held in November, saving the borough $15,000 for a special election.

» Some Oceanport residents with large garbage cans get notices that they can't use them. The borough's trash collection company says 64- and 96-gallon cans need garbage trucks with robotic arms.

» After Morgan Cline and Benjamin D'Onofrio donate $3 million to Monmouth Medical Center, the emergency clinic is renamed the Cline-D'Onofrio Emergency Service Pavilion.

» Shore Regional High School becomes the first in the county to be recognized as an International Baccalaureate World School, allowing programs which offer special diplomas and recognition.

» Long Branch announces it would like to open the closed sections of Ocean Avenue to vehicle traffic, taking that off Green Acres land and putting the Great Lawn on it instead. Many residents raise objections, saying the road is loved by pedestrians, pet owners and cyclists, and opening it up to cars puts them at risk.

The city initially argues this will improve beach access, and allow more drop-offs and handicap access.

» Abe Vogel, 99, for years associated with Vogel's clothing store on downtown Broadway in Long Branch, passes away.

» Long Branch native Leslie Morris, whose autobiography, "How Ya Like Me Now" has received national attention, shows up for a book signing in West Long Branch.

» Virginia Bauer, state Secretary of Commerce, speaks to Oceanport students as part of the Maria Gatta Lecture Series, named for the late mayor of Oceanport.

» Frank Antonides School announces that Principal Lawrence Farley will retire at the end of the year, and be replaced by Timothy Purnell.

» Monmouth Beach Schools announce they will start a preschool program in the fall.

» Monmouth University is the starting line for 2,000 bikers in a bikeathon for multiple sclerosis. The event raises more than $1.2 million.

» Oceanport decides to change the proposed budget yet again, this time restoring $5,300 in raises given to four employees. One employee had already resigned when told they would not get the initially promised salary increase.

» An Ocean Township woman is arrested and charged with using another person's identity. Police say that since 2000, she had been using a North Carolina victim's identity to file taxes and make purchases.

» Anthony Cummings, 20, Long Branch, is killed when his car crashes into a tree on Westwood Avenue.

» The revised budget in Oceanport is introduced, and again fails. After eight motions on various budgets in a single night, a version passes which would allow the money for a borough administrator, but require a special vote to access it.

» At the public hearing on the Long Branch municipal budget, some people say that the tax increase, combined with the reassessment, has caused their taxes to go up by thousands of dollars.

» Parents at Vetter School in Eatontown complain about the construction going on, saying workers are doing chores above their children's heads while class is in session. The Board of Ed says it will work to prevent this.

» Oceanport officials decide they will hold off on hiring a temporary business administrator until after hearing the report of the blue ribbon panel.

June

» Environmentalists and local officials object to an EPA plan to stop testing the cleanliness of water off the coast of New Jersey.

» The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority (FMERPA) holds a series of public workshops to see what area residents would like to see happen with the 1,125 acres of Fort Monmouth.

» The Sniffens, a West Long Branch family, donate a playground to Sorrentino Park.

» The Wellness Community, Northern Jersey Shore - The Diney Goldsmith Center, which offers free programs to those suffering cancer and their loved ones, opens in Eatontown.

» Armed robbers enter a house in Long Branch and attack the owner. When police investigate, they arrest the owner, and charge him with dealing drugs, which were the target of the robbery.

» Long Branch native Michael Attardi is honored at the Cannes Film Festival, France, for his short animated film, "Once Upon A Christmas Village." The movie goes on to receive over 60 honors at various film festivals around the world.

» More than 3,800 persons sign a petition asking Ocean Avenue stay closed.

» The Oceanport Garden Club dedicates a Blue Star Memorial monument in front of the Motor Vehicle Bureau in Eatontown.

» A Colts Neck resident is indicted for defrauding millions of dollars from an Eatontown business and several other organizations.

» In an unusually violent period for Monmouth Beach, two people are assaulted in unrelated cases within two days.

» An angry husband breaks a restraining order, follows his wife to Long Branch and attempts to run her over with a car.

» A 46-year-old Ocean Township man is charged for allowing underage children to drink on his property.

» A Long Branch woman is charged with practicing dentistry without a license in a storefront apartment.

» Sea Bright and Highlands residents object to the DOT's proposal to demolish the draw bridge connecting them and replace it with a higher, fixed structure, saying they were not given a chance to have any say.

» Messages are found written on tool sheds outside Frank Antonides School saying the school will be blown up, causing an evacuation of the building. A 14-year-old West Long Branch boy is found and charged with making the false threat.

» Long Branch announces that it will become more energy efficient, looking at ways to protect the environment. Tips on how to go green are added to the city's website.

» Oceanport purchases some surplus trailers from the federal government for 99 percent off, paying $400 for $36,000 worth of equipment.

» Bill Nordahl, a tenant in the MTOTSA area, goes to court over a dispute with the city. The owners of his building had sold the property to the city, and Nordahl did not want to sign certain papers, saying they would harm his tenant's rights. Nordahl signs the papers in a compromise to avoid eviction.

July

» Lifeguards at the Monmouth Beach Bathing Pavilion rescue a windsurfer who had been stranded for over two and a half hours.

» The 17th annual Oceanfest, Long Branch's Fourth of July celebration, draws an estimated quarter of a million people to the Jersey shore.

» Long Branch announces it has reached a settlement with Marshall and Elliot Koplitz. The two agree to pay $400,000 for fire code violations in various houses they rented, the largest such settlement in the history of New Jersey.

» Tenants in Grauman Towers are alarmed when many items are removed from the building, from benches to signs in the men's room. The Housing Authority says these items were never paid for by the building owners, though it does return the small items.

» Long Branch police charge a city man with flashing his buttocks while wearing a white lace thong at several people over a period of ten months.

» Due to insufficient capacity, the Two Rivers Water Reclamation Authority says that they will limit the number of new sewer connections until an upgrade is completed. This will affect any new industrial or mass housing projects that need new hookups in towns served by the Authority.

» The Monmouth University Rapid Response Center unveils a new type of command center truck, designed to allow experts to react to terrorist attacks and disasters more efficiently.

» A 17-year-old from Neptune attempts to impersonate a Long Branch police officer, telling people they'll be given a summons unless they give him money.

» Following the bombing in Scotland, rumors start that terrorists have been picked up in Long Branch. This turns out to be untrue.

» When city resident Bill McLaughlin refuses to step down from the podium after his five minute limit for public comments has been reached, council president Michael DeStefano closes the meeting. Many other angry comments on the Ocean Avenue plan preceded the closing.

» This was just a big fluke - Monmouth Beach resident Denise Higgins catches a 15-pounder, one of the largest of these fish ever caught.

» The West Long Branch Planning Board reaches a settlement with developers which would allow 180 units to be built at the Frank's Nursery site.

» Ocean Township police officers help deliver a baby when the mother goes into labor and the child starts coming before an ambulance can arrive.

» A ribbon cutting ceremony is held for the Gregory School in Long Branch. The new building replaces one built in 1924.

» Eatontown approves a zoning change which will allow the SPCA to expand its shelter.

» The DOT announces they will be replacing the train bridge on Park Ave., Elberon.

» Two men are indicted on robbery charges for trying to rob the Fashion Depot, Fourth Ave., Long Branch, at gunpoint in 2006. One of those men is also charged with attempted murder, for plotting to kill the warehouse owner so he won't be able to testify.

The Fashion Depot makes headlines again in December, for a different reason.

» Manny Navarro (see April) is arrested and charged with ecstasy distribution.

» The assistant football coach at Rutgers is arrested and charged with assault after an incident with a woman in Pier Village.

» The Ocean Place Resort and Spa announces it will undergo $500 million worth of renovations, including adding a new tower, completely revising the conference center, and adding space for retail and business nearby.

» Long Branch City Council announces they will not open Ocean Avenue to traffic. They said the amount of protest to the proposal came as a surprise to them.

» West Long Branch introduces ordinances to cut down on "sign pollution," limiting and controlling signs by contractors or signs that say "for sale."

» To protest what he says is a loss of parking spaces due to redevelopment, Jim Keelen, owner of Keelen Bus Company, fills all the parking spaces on Memorial Parkway with his buses and employees' vehicles. Some business owners there are not amused, and others say he is misreading the loss of spaces.

» After a driver tries to flee the scene of a hit-and-run in Long Branch, several concerned citizens follow his car, and surround him in a driveway until police can arrive.

» The Wall That Heals, a half-scale travelling Vietnam Memorial, comes to Long Branch.

» A man is arrested after taking photographs of women with his cell phone in an Ocean Township supermarket.

August

» DEP officials meet with Monmouth Park Racetrack to discuss the high levels of bacteria found in runoff from the track.

Oceanport Mayor Lucille Chaump says this is one of several environmental concerns in the borough, which is also worried about the increase in geese population and the need to dredge some waterways.

» Politicians call for laws requiring notification when criminally insane move into an area after a woman who killed her parents in 2000 and was found to be insane gets day passes to stay at a home in Monmouth Beach.

» Two members of the Oceanport Lions Club receive the Melvin Jones Fellowship, the highest award given by the club.

» Sea Bright considers whether to purchase Donovan's Reef, for the parking and facilities, when the owners announce they wish to sell it. They ultimately decide against it.

» At a press conference in Sea Bright, environmentalists say that the ocean cleanliness testing used by the government is out of date and looking at the wrong sources.

» Long Branch police say that a man trying to dispose of contraband and escape from a balcony window slipped and fell, injuring himself.

» The Wave of Hope Foundation of the Long Branch Schools donates $27,000 to the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Foundation.

» The West Long Branch Recreation Summer Program reports that their new format has drawn a record number of attendees.

» To encourage bike safety, West Long Branch Police and 7-11 stores bring back their "Wear a Helmet, Win a Slurpee" program.

» Travel and Leisure Magazine names Long Branch one of the 20 best beaches in the nation.

» Edward Dlugosz, Eatontown, receives the Environmental Achievement Award from the Monmouth County Friends of Clearwater for his work with water monitoring and cleanup.

» Ten locals are treated to a week at "Camp Woz" in California, run by Steve Wozniak, creator of the Apple Computer, as part of a Dream Camp series.

» The West Long Branch Environmental Commission brings together similar organizations from 14 neighboring towns as an informal coalition to address and discuss common concerns.

» Oceanport Council President Ellyn Kahle says that she and other Republicans are being "inundated" by some Democrats in the borough with requests for public records, who have gotten borough employees involved in legal situations. Democrats say they're just looking for information the council members refuse to provide.

» Letters circulate in Eatontown criticizing the construction of the schools. Some critics say they're being circulated due to a family member not being hired.

» West Long Branch signs a developers agreement with Monmouth University on its activity center, which includes a payment to help with the paving of Larchwood Avenue, expected to see increased traffic.

» In an unusual horse-racing event, a double dead heat takes place at Monmouth Park Race Track, the first at the track since 2004.

» Terrance Weldon, former Ocean Township Mayor, is sentenced to 58 months in jail for taking bribes from developers. Some call the sentence harsh, others say it sends a message to corrupt politicians.

» A 62-year-old nun vacationing at the San Alfonso Retreat House drowns while swimming in the ocean.

» The award-winning program Team Jump Off, which has been offering programs to Long Branch youths for six years, announces it will be closing its doors.

» The Monmouth Housing Alliance asks to build six more affordable units at a site it manages on Main Street. Neighbors say they are concerned with increased traffic and unsightly appearance of a dumpster.

September

» As the track season ends, Monmouth Park Racetrack begins intensive work to get ready for the Breeders' Cup at the end of October.

» John Murphy is honored for helping to found the Oceanport First Aid Squad in 1949.

» Long Branch considers regulations requiring surfboarders to wear a "leash" tethering them to the board. The initial proposal is rejected as too hard to enforce, but a later draft is accepted.

» The city allocated $170,000 to examine its Master Plan, governing building and zoning regulations, which are almost 20 years old.

» Over two days, three separate drunk drivers cause accidents in Ocean Township. One hits a historic 1950s Cadillac.

» A Jersey City police officer loses his job after falsely claiming his car was stolen from Monmouth Mall in 2006.

» The five persons charged with murders in 2006 in Long Branch (see January) are indicted. Prosecutors say they are members of the Sex Money Murder gang.

» A ribbon cutting ceremony is held at the new Long Branch High School, which replaces the 1926 building. Part of the old building will be converted to office space for the school system.

» Monmouth University holds a groundbreaking ceremony for its MAC.

» Michael Attardi's "Once Upon A Christmas Village" qualifies for an Academy Award nomination.

» As the referendum on the MB Bathing Pavilion nears, commissioners clash over getting information on the proposal out.

» Design plans for Manahassett Creek Park in North Long Branch are unveiled. When finished, the park will feature numerous athletic fields, a recreation building, and more.

» The Breeders Cup FanFest, a series of events leading up to the race at the end of October, start. In September, there is a sailing regatta.

Rumors spread over big names who may attend the races (including the Queen of England) and millions being spent by visitors to rent accommadations.

»• Sea Bright holds a hearing on installing a skate park; most people say they favor the idea of a local place for children to play.
     • A West Long Branch task force designed to address alcohol issues makes 10 arrests dealing with illegal purchase or possession of liquor.
     • Father Sam Sirianni is installed as the head of three Long Branch parishes — Star of the Sea, St. John the Baptist and Holy Trinity.
     • Sea Bright Police disarm a man who has two loaded, stolen handguns, as well as drugs, in his possession.
     • New Jersey Repertory Theater angers some with advertising for “The Minstrel Show; Or the Lynching of William Brown,” based on a true lynching incident. The ads (which had been used in other productions of the play) depict people in black face, and are withdrawn.
     • A Long Branch police officer becomes suspicious of a man peeking into a window, and suspect he may be a robber. It turns out he was only waiting for a prostitute.

October
     • More special events are held to mark the Breeders’ Cup, including a polo match, street fair, concert, food and wine tasting, and 5K race which ends on the racetrack.
     • Oceanport police receive a report of teenagers with guns. They turn out to be toy pistols painted to look more realistic.
     • A proposal by Charles Kushner, owner of all the property on Adams Street, to build more beach parking in exchange for the city vacating a right-of-way, draws concerns from neighbors on nearby blocks, who fear it may increase traffic in their neighborhoods.
     • West Long Branch implements a “Code Red” calling system, to notify residents in case of emergencies and other situations.
     • A Long Branch Marine on leave visits ARMS, American Recreational Military Services, to thank them for providing gifts and supplies to his unit.
     Also in October, Monmouth Beach students collect supplies for troops overseas, and name their scarecrow in the borough’s decorating contest after one who visited the school.
     • Dr. Elizabeth Keshish, Superintendent of West Long Branch Schools, retires early (she’d been planning to leave in January). Former super Dr. Joan Kelly steps in for the interim.
     • West Long Branch announces it may not be able to share court space with Ocean Township as it wanted to, due to a court ruling about the grammar in the states laws.
     • Monmouth Beach native Kevin Keddy is named head of the Asbury Park Fire Department.
     • Dorothy Parker Day is celebrated in Long Branch, honoring the famed author and critic who was born in the city.
     • West Long Branch announces it will be printing a magazine to commemorate the centennial next year, along with a host of other projects.
     • A sign naming the park on Port-Au-Peck Avenue, Oceanport, for the late Mayor Maria Gatta is unveiled.
     • The results of the June FMERPA studies are announced: most residents say they want to see a mixed use — retail, offices, homes, and open space — for the Fort Monmouth property.
     • The Eatontown Fire Department and First Aid Squad report that far fewer than normal residents have responded to their annual appeal for support.
     • Arguments break out in Oceanport over whether out-of-towners can use and maintain the borough’s soccer fields, and how people should apply for time on them. The procedures that people have been using are not the ones that the ordinances say should be done.
     • The Fifth Annual Make A Difference Day in West Long Branch not only cleans up parks and lakes, but collects two tons of electronics for disposal and recycling.
     • Rihanna, winner of the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, performs at Brookdale Community College.
     • Ground-breaking takes place for the second phase of Pier Village.
     • Former West Long Branch Mayor Paul Zambrano is sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for taking $15,000 in bribes when he served as mayor. His brother, former Long Branch Councilman John Zambrano, receives a four-month term for taking a $1,000 bribe.
     Both were charged as part of Operation Bid Rig, an FBI investigation into corruption in politics.
     • In the weeks before election time, politics gets vicious in Oceanport. Republicans claim that Democrats want to build 1,800 homes at Fort Monmouth. Democrats say that number came from an incomplete report, and isn’t their wish at all. Republicans also claim Chaump held a “secret meeting” with the governor on the future of the racetrack; Mayor Chaump says she was invited at the last minute, but there was nothing clandestine about it.
     • Although rain deluges the area on the Breeders’ Cup weekend, the event is a huge success. It is turned into a two-day event, with $23 million in purses. Officials say $13 million was wagered at the track, and there were over $110 million in bets placed worldwide.

November
     • Michael Goldfarb is promoted from lieutenant to the new Police Chief in Eatontown.
     • The appellate court announces it will not reconsider a case against Monmouth University building more dormitories.
     • Monmouth Beach receives $2 million to repair its deteriorating sea walls.
     • Clean Ocean Action’s Beach Sweep cleans up areas along the shore, including Sea Bright and Long Branch locations.
     • A case of MRSA, (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusnosed) is reported in Long Branch schools. A case of the infection had also been reported in Ocean Township schools.
     • Shore Regional High School Field Hockey Coach Nancy Williams wins her 700th career victory.
     • Election results:
     In a surprise upset in Eatontown, three Republican challengers for council, John Schiels, Vicky Rau and Terry Forbes, defeat the Democrat incumbets. One incumbent, Ted Lewis, had been on council 30 years.
     In Oceanport, former councilman Mike Mahon is elected mayor over Lucille Chaump, and Republican Joseph Irace wins a seat on council. Democrat incumbents Gerald Briscione retains a seat.
     On the county level, Kim Guadagno is elected sheriff. Sean Kean is elected the new Senator for the 11th District, and Jennifer Beck, who had been running a contentious Senate race against incumbent 12th District Democrat Ellen Karcher, also wins.
     In Sea Bright, Democrat Maria Fernandes beats incumbent mayor Jo-Ann Kalaka-Adams by a couple of votes.
     In West Long Branch, incumbent Republican Councilman Joseph Woolley wins a seat, as does Democrat John Hegarty.
     Monmouth Beach voters turn down the referendum on the Pavilion, saying they do not want a new structure built at the proposed multi-million dollar cost.
     • The Green Wave, the Long Branch High School football team, makes it into the finals.
     • Operation Honeycomb, a program involving the County Prosecutor’s office, federal Drug Enforcement Agency, and numerous local police departments, makes many arrests on drug charges around the area, including West Long Branch, Long Branch and Ocean Township.
     • The Long Branch Housing Authority holds a ribbon cutting ceremony for Presidential Estates, a 70-unit building that  replaces the WW2-era Grant Court.
     • Ocean Township residents say the town needs a tree ordinance, following the clear cutting of some lots.
     The township quickly introduces an ordinance to do this, saying it may make changes to the wording at a later date.
     • West Long Branch proposes installing speed humps to cut down on speeding through residential neighborhoods.
     • Kathleen Owens (whose husband, Bruce, got a new kidney in January) says she may have to give up her pet, dog-sized miniature horse, since city laws require a larger lot than her home for horses of any size.
     • Long Branch marks the 10th anniversary of the shooting of Det. Sgt. Patrick King, the police officer shot shto and killed while on duty.
     • Arguments over Takanassee heat up. Unger says that the DEP wants a resolution from the city saying it’s interested in acquiring the property. But the discussion gets derailed, and turns into a political argument.
     • Eatontown police find $40,000 worth of heroin following a motor vehicle stop.
     • Eatontown police officers perform CPR to save a 5-month-old infant.
     • Hy’ Spot Antiques, another long-time business in West End, closes, citing a changing market.

December
     • The Monmouth County SPCA breaks ground on its Homeward Bound project to expand the shelter.
     • West Long Branch unveils a centennial logo, designed by Shore Regional students.
     • The Kortney Rose Foundation donates $75,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
     • Long Branch residents say they are concerned about plans to make a temporary emergency heliport on Atlantic Ave. permanent.
     • A benefit concert, H.E.A.R.T. 9/11, is held in Long Branch to raise money for rescue workers. Those playing include Vini Lopez (Springsteen’s original drummer) and hit band Lynam.
     • Long Branch school employees revive a visitor whose heart stopped beating with CPR and a defibrillator.
     • The owner of the Fashion Depot is arrested and charged with selling counterfeit designer clothing.
     • Five longtime members of the West Long Branch Zoning Board announce they will not be serving in 2008.
     • Sea Bright receives a $153,000 grant for a proposed skate park.

Compiled by Neil Schulman