January

2008 begins with the news that two of Londonderry's most senior PSNI officers are to be recognised in the New Year's honours list.
Chief Superintendent Ricky Russell and Inspector Milton Kerr both received the Queen's Police Medal.
Records released from Northern Ireland Government archives reveal that Jimmy Saville played an instrumental role in persuading the Viking Bicycle company to locate a factory in Londonderry.
Also in the records-A Church of Ireland Minister, Rev Brian Hannon had voiced his concern about the increased segregation between Protesants and Catholics in Londonderry.
Fifteen new arrivals made their presence known to the world at the Maternity Ward of Altnagelvin Hospital between Christmas Eve and Boxing day.
The Sentinel covers the story of 'Exodus'- a BBC documentary examining the reasons behind why so many Protestant people chose to relocate to the East Bank of the River Foyle as the 'Troubles' kicked in.
Opinions diverged as Protestant people told their stories stating they felt they were forced to leave because of sectarian sentiments as well as attacks and killings on them from the Provisional IRA.
A Donemana mother describes how her 12-year-old daughter was quick thinking enough to escape the clutches of an abductor who tried to snatch her from the districts Berryhill Road.
Vandals cause £3,000 of damage at Ebrington Primary School in an apparent act of wanton destruction. Principal of the school, Nigel Dougherty said it was hard to understand the "mindset" of those responsible.
Helen Wright from Drumahoe gives the Sentinel a fascinating insight into the realm of climate change by virtue of the fact that her Daffodils had begun to bloom in January.
It was revealed that the closure of Seagate Limavady would cost in excess of £28m.
A Drumahoe man told the Sentinel he was considering legal action after an insurance firm sent him someone else's personal details through the post. Stephen Reid said he was angry that Axa insurance were unable to tell him if his details had been passed on in a similar manner. A spokesperson for Axa put the incident down to an "administrative error".
A Waterside mum was left outraged after discovering she would have to travel to Limavady or Belfast if she wanted to register her daughter with an NHS dentist. The incident highlighted the increasing plight of local people trying to get NHS dental treatment close to home.
The congregation of the First Derry Presbyterian Church receive news that they will be soon able to worship within their church on Magazine Street for the first time in five years. The Walled City Signature Project earmarked First Derry as an integral part of the city's history and as such it was announced that work would soon begin to repair the historic building.
Newbuildings residents reach the end of their tether with continual flooding in the district. Residents were forced to carry out major clean-up operations by themselves during prolonged bouts of heavy rain. They called for government intervention to help them.
Redundancy talks were continuing at Glenaden Shirt factory as news hit that 85 of the 115 employees were to lose their jobs.
Thirty-six passengers on a Donegal to Dublin flight faced drama as their flight was forced to divert and make an emergency landing the City of Derry Airport. An engine shutting down was the reason behind the forced landing.
The Sentinel reveals that video footage taken by young thugs ransacking a house in Strathfoyle had been removed from the internet site YouTube.
Residents in the Lismacarol district tell the Sentinel of their disgust at a recurrent problem with overflowing sewage in the area.

February
FEBRUARY begins with the Sentinel revealing that one of the country's leading teaching unions was backing a call for unemployed teachers to be retrained to work as therapists in different fields throughout the Western Health and Social Care Trust.
The Drumahoe Community Association is formed in February and constitute themselves to fight to save their community character and focus. Special emphasis is placed on a plan to gain the former Faughan Valley School site for use by the residents of the area.
The Sentinel reveals that only two applicants had come forward to fill the roles of NHS dentists for the north west. No appointments were made. The Western Trust had hoped to employ six dentists.
A Waterside farmer tells of his despair at continual fly-tipping on his land. Stewart Parkhill of Curryfree Road told the Sentinel that the problem has increased drastically in the past 15 years and he feared that his livestock would be made ill by the dumping of material in their drinking supply.
Londonderry's most senior police officer tells of his plans to retire. Having been awarded the Queen's Police Medal in January, Chief Superintendent Ricky Russell, said he would step aside in April.
A victim of a sectarian attack told the Sentinel he thought "the war was over". The 20-year-old Irish Street man described how his father was knocked unconscious by a nationalist gang as they returned home from a night out in Spencer Road.
Londonderry's latest Lotto millionaire, Ryan Magee, collected his whopping £6.5million cheque after striking it lucky on the National Lottery's Euromillions draw.
A leading member of the Orange Order in the Waterside welcomed a 250,000 Euro grant from the Republic's government. Victor Wray said the grant reflected a welcome about turn in the Irish Government and he was glad to see that the Order was receiving such a substantial boost.
Gregory Campbell said the fact that Derry City Council had borrowed £1.5million from the city's reserves was a "prudent" decision and was aimed at offsetting a 4.99 per cent rates increase for the coming year.
And later in February, Gregory Campbell told the Sentinel he had ruled himself out of the running to replace former Junior Minister Ian Paisley Jr. Mr Paisley stood down from his position after heavy criticism over his allegedly inappropriate connections to developer Seymour Sweeney.
The Sentinel reports that email con artists were using the name of the commanding officer of the Royal Irish Regiment in Iraq in an attempt to illicit money from unsuspecting internet users in Londonderry.
Speculation increases that Londonderry would soon have it's own Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV). The TUV lead by former DUP man Jim Allister said they would be looking at establishing a centre for the city.
The Waterside received more public money for sports development projects in 2007 than the cityside.
Figures confirmed that Derry City Council had spent almost £7,000 more on the east bank developments which included the opening of new synthetic football pitches at St Columb's Park.
A Catholic church in Newbuildings was attacked with paint. St Mary's Catholic Oratory Parish Priest, Fr Aidan Mullan appealed to the people of the area for support in the wake of the attack.
The Sentinel reveals that both sides of the same street in Drumahoe were being policed by two separate police stations, miles apart.
The claims emerged after a pensioner reported a broken window and was referred back and forth to Claudy and Waterside police stations-each claiming the other was responsible for attending the scene.
Pollution levels in the Waterside were on the increase and exceeding the World Health Organisation's recommended limits.
Levels of nitrogen oxide at Dales Corner / Alfred Street averaged 43mg per cubic metre and reached peaks of 163mg-more than four times the recommended limit.

March

MARCH commenced with the Mayor of Londonderry calling for more police patrols Nelson Drive following a weekend attack on a Romanian family who had only moved to the area a month previously.
The family were left in terror on a Sunday evening after their front window was smashed and two paint bombs tossed in. Three young children were in the Lisnagowan Court house at the time and one suffered a cut foot in the incident.
Mayor of Londonderry Drew Thompson called for the PSNI to urgently increase its presence in Nelson Drive.
Father of the three children Malin Rostas said: "We were sitting by the TV when we heard a strong bang to the window. I ran to the door and saw two guys wearing masks. My children were very scared and they were crying. My wife doesn't want to stay in the house."
A CONSULTANT at Altnagelvin hospital said he expected ten to fifteen people to be assaulted during St Patrick's Day celebrations that would make the saint turn in his grave
Alan McKinney, the consultant in charge of Accident and Emergency at Altnagelvin, said he was hoping for a thunder storm to clear the streets of revellers and reduce brawls ahead of the annual St Patrick's Day celebrations.
"St Patrick's is one of the busiest nights of the year, along with Halloween and Boxing Day. The best thing that could happen would be a thunder storm or heavy rain because that stops the fighting. If it is a nice evening we are likely to receive a succession of assaults throughout the day," he said.
CONCERNS were raised that a dangerous traffic hazard was being created on one of Northern Ireland's steepest streets by heavy duty vehicles being misdirected by inaccurate Satellite Navigation systems.
The Sentinel learned that haulage lorries en route to Londonderry's major retail outlets were mistakenly finding themselves directed to the very narrow side streets leading to Spencer Road.
Off-beam Sat-Nav systems were directing lorries travelling from the east of the province past the Irish Street/Gobnascale district, down Fountain Hill and into trouble as they attempted to turn left onto Spencer Road.
AFTER eight months of gruelling work and a Christmas appeal in Londonderry, which raised a final £4,000 in required funding, local woman Lisa Finlay, returned home having realised her dream - building a school in Bepon for up to 40 Ghanian children.
Lisa almost bankrupted herself to help the children of the poverty-ravaged village having campaigned tirelessly for money and resources to enrich the lives of some of the World's poorest children. She returned home in March after the opening in February of the "Lisa Finlay Preparatory School."
HER Majesty Queen Elizabeth visited the ecclesiastical "head" of Ireland, Armagh, to present 164 men and women from Northern Ireland with Maundy Purses containing coins of the realm.
Amongst them were eleven men and women from across County Londonderry all of whom had made significant contributions to their communities and churches. These included former Gospel singer and loyal member of Ebrington Presbyterian Church Mrs May Rowan; and veteran community volunteer Albert Smallwoods, a life-long member of Glendermott Parish Church.

April

APRIL was heralded with loyalist leaders warning of alienation and frustration intensifying in Londonderry's working class Protestant areas.
The Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG), which provides political analysis to the UDA, and the Progressive Unionist Party - linked to the UVF - announced plans to undertake a joint consultation protest within the city's loyalist areas.
The PUP's Leslie Mitchell said: "There is a very real feeling now that the concerns of grassroots loyalism has not been effectively addresses. The feelings of apathy and of alienation have been allowed to fester. A siege mentality is developing and hardening."
UPRG representative David Malcolm shared these concerns, saying: "Over the years a lack of effective representation for working class Protestants has seen loyalist areas turn inwards. The outlook for many young people is bleak. Kids cannot see any way out of the neglect; there is a real fear of how these communities will develop over the next ten years."
On the last day of her visit to Ireland Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, was quest of honour at a reception in Armagh to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Ulster's five Royal Schools, including Royal and Prior in Raphoe.
Pupil Stuart Deane was chosen to represent Royal and Prior and presented the Queen with a copy of "The 1608 Royal Schools" book. Mr Des West, Headmaster of the Royal and Prior School, described the event as a very special one.
He said: "Everyone felt immensely honoured by the Royal visit. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh related graciously to everyone they met and were particularly interested in the cross-border dimension of the year's celebration.
"It will be an event remembered for years to come and all concerned felt greatly privileged to be part of the occasion."
A shocked Waterside pensioner got more than he bargained for when he ordered a shower safety handle and received a catalogue featuring sex products. The pensioner, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Sentinel of his shock after he received an unsolicited junk mail from Home Shopping Solutions, boasting the company "brings new ideas and innovations to your door."
The pensioner said he and his wife were shocked by the literature, commenting: "I am happy with the handle but I didn't expect to get all this sex business. Some of these things are a joke and an obvious rip-off but I didn't really want to see such items."
He added: "I don't have the best heart and this gave me a bit of a start when I saw it. We had a bit of a laugh about it in the end but if someone was a bit more conservative and they received this I think they would have been pretty shocked."
Fears grew for the long term future of trading on Spencer road after a second independent retailer announced plans to close. Trevor Keys Music, trading for twenty-eight years, announced it would close its doors for the last time on May 10.
Proprietor Trevor Keys said offers of accessible parking and cheaper prices by less localised shopping centres meant there was nothing to attract shoppers to Spencer Road.
"Smaller shops like mine don't have the buying power to buy in bulk from suppliers. People buying see its cheaper and don't care where they get it," he said.
Public confidence in the PSNI was at its lowest point among Londonderry's Unionist community, according to DUP MLA William Hay.
Mr Hay, a former member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, said the dramatic decline had come primarily from a lack of police presence in the city's interface areas.
He said: "It is vital the PSNI become more proactive in these areas. There is a growing feeling at ground level that both the police response and their follow up is simply too slow. People feel these incidents are not being taken as seriously as they should be."

May
THE merry month of may opened with an American tourist claiming that not enough was being done to protect the city's greatest asset - the Historic Walls of Derry.
The visitor to the city said she was astonished by the anti-social behaviour she had witnessed during her stay here and her comments came as mobile telephone footage was posted on YouTube showing youths drinking on the Walls. The 33-second clip showed two young men racing to down bottles of spirits, egged on by their friends off camera. They completed their race by smashing the bottles on the historic walls.
It was a bad month for employees at Stream, when it was announced that 10 staff members were sacked and more could lose their jobs as a result of a pornographic email scandal. The sackings took place after management discovered an explicit email was circulating in the company, which was accompanied by a url linking the email to a child pornography site.
It was also in May that leading Irish UFO expert, Betty Meyler, claimed the Foyle was a portal for ETs during May after a photograph of an alleged flying saucer hovering over Prehen surfaced in the city.
Ms Meyler claimed the sighting at Prehen was more confirmation that Ireland was a regular haunt for alien craft and went on to claim that evidence suggested water provided portals for craft to come in and go out of the planet meaning the Foyle was also a portal for alien spacecraft.
The Londonderry landscape was set for a transformation thanks to the Woodland Trust's purchase of 23 hectares of farmland at Ervey, for the creation of a new native woodland. Situated on the banks of the Burntollet River, the site borders Ness Wood Country Park, a designated area of special scientific interest and is home to buzzards, otters, pygmy shrews and endangered squirrels.
Meanwhile, the head of Nexus, the leading sexual abuse counselling service in the city, revealed that calls to the organisation had increased dramatically in the wake of the harrowing Fritzl case in Austria. Helena Bracken said revelations of the events in Austria in which Josef Fritzl imprisoned his daughter Elisabeth in an underground dungeon had acted as a catalyst for those seeing help in Londonderry. Despite this, Ms Bracken said her counsellors were still only dealing with the tip of the iceberg when it came to abuse.
There was concern mid-month when it was disclosed that confidential information and personal details of Western health and Social care Trust staff were being stored in plastic bags littering the administration buildings at Gransha Park.
It was alleged that details including names, national insurance numbers, payroll numbers, paygrades, dates of birth and addresses were being stored in clear plastic bags in the hallways of the Trust's salaries, finance and payroll departments. It is understood that the bags were piled up waiting for their contents to be shredded.
May ended with news that police had arrested a man in connection with the murder of Londonderry man Brian McGlynn.
Nearly a year to the day after Mr McGlynn was killed at home in Fountain Hill (believed to be contracted hitmen given the clinical style of the execution), a PSNI spokesperson said a 27-year-old was being held in police headquarters at Antrim in connection with the killing.
In the same week, seven women and a man who were paid to enter into sham marriages with foreign nationals were put on probation for a year when they appeared at Londonderry magistrates court. All from the city they admitted marrying Chinese and Nigerian nationals enabling them to obtain residency in Northern Ireland or the Republic.
And the month of May also saw the release of the Roy Arbuckle record 'Songs of the Fountain' going on sale, featuring the voices of the children from Fountain primary School.

June

JUNE began with news that Londonderry groups attempting to curb interface violence may not receive a penny from a PSNI fund aimed at reducing sectarian tensions.
It was revealed that a police fund, believed to be in the region of £500,000, has rejected initial applications from organisations across the city.
The grants were rejected just 48 hours before an outbreak of serious sectarian violence at the Fountain and Bishop Street peace divide in which two people were arrested.
Meanwhile, Londonderry's biggest Lottery winner, Ryan Magee, originally from Bonds Street, poured cold water on rumours that his £6.4 million win had changed him.
Moving to quash the rumours that have plagued him since his windfall, he said that nothing had changed, and money had not changed him, adding that the rumours had saddened him and his family.
There was somewhat brighter news mid-month when scores of government-funded childcare places in Londonderry under threat of being lost were thrown a lifeline, but it was revealed it was only a temporary measure.
More than 2,800 childcare places across the Province looked set to be lost because their Stormont-based funding was due to run out at the end of the month, among them were Club United and Drumahoe After School Care, funded through PlayBoard.
The temporary reprieve was announced by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey who was in town on other business but Club United manager said the onus was on government to find long-term funding, adding that without such funding many childcare places would be lost.
Also mid-month, the lack of public toilets in the City was highlighted when elderly support groups united in a call to the City Council to come to the 'relief' of the public and install facilities to replace those lost from Foyle Street.
It was claimed that the lack of toilets were making the city inaccessible to older members of the public.
June was also the month when a former United States sailor who risked his life to save a Londonderry boy from almost certain death after he fell into the Foyle River, returned to the Province to see if he could re-contact the boy and his family.
The rescue occurred on May 10, 1963, when the submarine USS Threadfin made it's way across the North Atlantic a part of the NATO operation 'Fishplay', and docked at Londonderry port so that the crew could enjoy some shore leave.
Among them was Commissaryman First Class, Victor Campau, who spotted 12-year-old Arthur Palmer fall into the river. He dived in and dragged the boy to safety.
The month closed with the shocking news that gunmen were again on the streets in the city with the shooting of Emmett Shiels, which happened on June 24 at Bligh's Lane in the Creggan area.
The death was all the more poignant as it was revealed the 22-year-old victim from Tyrconnell Street was about to become a father.
Meanwhile, a Waterside man kicked unconscious in an unprovoked assault described the sentence handed down to his attackers as 'laughable'.
Paul McCarron, who awoke in hospital the day after he was attacked, said he believed the prompt action of CCTV operators and the PSNI saved him from being killed, but he criticised the light sentences his attackers received.
One was given a suspended six-month jail term, while the other was jailed for six months. Mr McCarron said the sentences had disappointed and saddened him.
And Londonderry historian Trevor Temple received an award for his work on the Diamond War Memorial.
At a ceremony in the Linenhall Library in Belfast Mr Temple was presented with a nationwide Community and Heritage Award in recognition of the research he had completed on the 756 names inscribed on the memorial.

July

THE mother of a 14-year-old girl from Aubrey Street at the entrance to the Fountain estate said she "dreaded to think" what could have happened to her daughter if a teenage gang of boys who attacked her had managed to drag her down a laneway.
The woman, who did not want to be identified in order to protect her daughter, said the teenage girl left the family home just after 11pm to go and visit her brother who lived in a street nearby and had been left upset by what had occurred.
"She was at home in Aubrey Street and left the house about 11.10pm to go to her brother and as she got to the end of the street there were several lads there," the anxious mother told the Sentinel. "A couple of them grabbed her by the back of the hood and hit her on the back of the head."
AN apology by one of the world's leading computer games manufacturers - which wrongly assigned the Soldier's Song as the Northern Ireland national anthem in their latest soccer title - was welcomed by the Minister of Sport.
EA Sports, which has sold billions of football games worldwide since launching its FIFA series in 1993, made the gaffe in their game to coincide with the European Championships in the summer.
Sports Minister Gregory Campbell said: "Any apology in the matter is most welcome. Obviously there's been a lack of knowledge on the makers' part and hopefully it will be changed as soon as possible. Perhaps this will be the only time supporters want to see Northern Ireland lose."
It was a case of back to the future for one Londonderry band taking part in this year's Twelfth celebrations. Although only formed within the last year and although marching on the Twelfth for the first time in their current incarnation, the 40 member strong Pride of the Orange Blue Old Boys, were one of the most experienced bands on show in Coleraine.
Comprised entirely of former members of the Newbuildings based Pride of the Orange and Blue Flute Band (POTABFB), the Old Boys led the Victoria LOL 1087 lodge during the celebrations.
Bass drummer Kenny McFarland said the Old Boys band had been talked about for some time before becoming a reality.
"It had been talked about for a while and with next year being the first anniversary of POTABFB we decided to do it," he told the Sentinel.
The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland's Director of Services used the Twelfth celebrations in Coleraine to call for an immediate cultural revival among Northern Ireland's Unionist community. As thousands converged on the County Londonderry town for the traditional Twelfth celebrations Dr David Hume said it was important to remember King William's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 as a "victory for democracy."
"We celebrate today because the victory at the Boyne was a victory for democracy. And we celebrate because the victory secured the position of Protestants in Ireland at that time as they had been under extreme threat," he said.
THE Sentinel declared its support for a homecoming parade plans for soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) and Irish Guards returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, saying a parade should take place in Londonderry.
The mother of Londonderry soldier RIR Ranger David Pepper, who was injured in a Taliban bomb attack in Afghanistan, said it would be a fitting tribute to have a homecoming parade in his home city.
Mrs Jacqueline Pepper said: "I absolutely would support a parade her. There are two other local soldiers living in the town who are out there with David and I'm quite sure their parents would feel the exact same way."

August

THE beginning of August brought the welcome return home of Royal Irish Regiment soldier David Pepper to his native Londonderry.
Having escaped death in a horror blast and survived the hellish conditions of Afghanistan the local hero was greeted by a delighted family, including his mother Jacqueline. David and his family had previously endorsed the Sentinel campaign for a homecoming parade for the city.
The 319th Apprentice Boys Relief of Derry parade was hailed a great success by the organisation. A total of 130 bands, 15,000 marchers and 10,000 spectators lined the route. Clubs from Toronto and Ottawa made the journey to Londonderry for the parade as well as Apprentice Boys from England and Scotland, including new clubs from Manchester, Liverpool and Inverness.
Apprentice Boys General Secretary Billy Moore told the Sentinel: "I think it was an excellent day. There was a huge turnout and it proved to be very much a family day without much on-street drinking." Mr Moore said those shops that did open did good business and that the day was successful for everyone including the Apprentice Boys.
The role Londonderry played in the Plantation of Ulster and events set in motion by the rebellion of Sir Cathair O'Doherty were examined at a conference in the Guildhall.
"The Rebellion of Sir Cathair O'Doherty, 1608-2008" was hosted by the University of Ulster in conjunction with the City Council and the McGlinchey Summer School to mark the 400th anniversary of the rebellion of the chieftain.
Derry City Council launched an investigation into the theft of a car parked outside Lisnagelvin Leisure Centre, which was stolen as its owner exercised inside. The car was believed to belong to a Waterside taxi driver, who had his car keys pilfered from the Centre's changing rooms.
Seagate staff in Limavady claimed the company were "backtracking" on financial assurances given over their redundancy agreements. Long-term staff told the Sentinel they were set to lose out on thousands of pounds from pay-off packages because of warnings issued over alleged minor disciplinary matters. One worker said he stood to lose out on £8,000 as a result.
A spokesman for Seagate responded by saying: "Production will cease on September 25 but employees will be paid until October 31.
"We are not going to comment on what are individual employee matters."
Disgusted residents of Drumahoe raised concern over prostitution, allegedly, on a large and highly organised scale, being organised in the village. Information gathered from several sources in the district over two weeks in August suggested at least seven women had been "plying their trade" at a brothel in an upmarket housing development in the village.
Dissident republicans in Londonderry upped the ante in a concerted campaign against the PSNI in the city by daubing the Foyle Valley Railway Museum with graffiti that appeared to target a police constable.
Dissidents had been using the Museum as a sectarian message board over the summer months. DUP MLA William Hay condemned the appearance of the graffiti and expressed fear that dissidents were attempting to provoke a backlash from loyalist paramilitaries.
The PSNI dismissed speculation that a review into police resources would recommend basing all night time policing on Londonderry's cityside.
In April the PSNI had announced it was to undertake a review in a bid to streamline services and move away from the policing patterns of the troubles.
A PSNI spokeswoman dismissed claims that this would result in the Waterside having no overnight police presence.
She said the PSNI had already stated that the only issue to arise from the review had been the viability of Claudy police station.

September

SEPTEMBER began with reports that retail giants ASDA would not be the flagship tenant planned for a major new retail centre in the Waterside.
Speculation had been mounting for sometime that ASDA had been examining the availability of sites in order to expand their north western presence.
Despite confirmation that plans had been lodged with Planning Services outlining proposals for a 22 unit retail park at a 33 acre greenfield site at Crescent Link, the Wal Mart owned retailer said they had no specific plans for a Londonderry ASDA store at the present time.
The picturesque Faughan Valley countryside was opened up with the launch of new cycle paths in the area-linking the city to nearby villages such as Claudy, Eglinton, Newbuildings and Park.
Also in September a 'war of words' erupted between the DUP's William Hay and loyalist representatives on the issue of flags.
Representatives of the PUP and UPRG hailed their new protocol of removing flags as soon as the marching season was over as a success. The protocol was conducted with communities on a voluntary basis. The loyalists claimed that mainstream unionist parties had claimed credit for the protocol despite having had no actual involvement.
However, Alderman William Hay hit back by saying the initiative "would have happened much sooner if it had not been for loyalist paramilitaries, putting up flags against the wishes of the people."
Two Londonderry projects take runners-up spots at National Lottery awards in London. The Diamond War Memorial and the 'Da Young Father's project' both fended off UK wide competition to claim the prizes.
The Sentinel reports that Londonderry has become the vice-capital of the north west. We reveal that European and English prostitutes are plying their trade across the city and were advertising their wares in a national daily UK newspaper.
North West football was dancing to a samba beat after Ardmore FC brought a touch of the exotic to the local soccer scene by signing their first ever Brazilian.
The Sentinel takes the step of wishing their readers a Happy Christmas in September. The move was prompted by the fact that Debenhams in Londonderry started selling their Christmas goods in this month causing calls from the Dean of Derry, Rev William Morton that the true message of Christmas was being obscured by commercialism.
Also, sectarian attacks on the Fountain continue with another paintbomb attack on houses in the estate from the nationalist side of the peace divide.
Tensions rise in the city as three separate attacks on both sides of the community take place in one weekend. Two boys and a man were attacked-two incidents occurred in the waterside whilst another took place on a 12-year-old boy in the city centre.
A Londonderry woman now resident in Florida, Edna Dunlop, receives congratulations from the Queen a President Bush as she reaches her 100th birthday.
Artefacts, including musketballs, from the Siege of Derry go on sale on internet auction site e-bay as amateur archaeologist Eddie Wilson reveals there is a wealth of material still to be unearthed in the city if you know where to look.
The Sentinel reveals that a state of the art legal facility built for the Public Prosecution Service would not be opening as planned after a wrangle between the PPS and the developer over what was described as "technical differences."
Youngsters in the Fountain tell the Sentinel that the city centre has become a 'no go' area for them after attacks on them continue. A taxi man called to an apparently false call in Curryneirin tells this newspaper that he believes he was attacked because of his religion.

October
THE Sentinel reveals that the Western Health and Social Care Trust paid out over £500,000 in settling negligence cases in the 2007/2008 financial year. A spokesman for the Trust confirmed that a total of £571,500 was paid out in a total of 24 cases.
Alderman William Hay said the appearance of graffiti in support of dissident republicans on the City Walls and just yards from the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall was without doubt "intimidating and offensive."
Londonderry lost a legendary character with the passing of Claude Wilton. The noted solicitor and sportsman was a beacon of the city's humour and tales of his anecdotes and one line ripostes both inside and outside of the courtroom will undoubtedly remain legion for generations to come. Although a Protestant by birth, Claude traversed all perceived political boundaries in Londonderry and was one of the leading lights in the fledgling Civil Rights campaigns of the 1960's.
DUP Alderman Joe Miller described as reprehensible comments from Sinn Fein after CS Spray was used after an incident on Spencer Road.
A Sinn Fein Councillor questioned whether the PSNI would have used the CS Spray had the incident occurred in Carrickfergus or in Ballymena.
Mr Miller told the Sentinel it was impossible for the police to determine someone's religion when they arrive at the scene of a serious disturbance.
Debate starts on the issue of whether traffic calming measures were required or not for the Woodburn area of the Waterside. Opinion is divided straight down the middle with some residents claiming the area is being used as a race track and others claiming that further traffic calming measures would be a hindrance to motorists.
It is reported that the city will have it's first ever drive-in movie showing. The event will take place at the site of the former Ebrington barracks on Halloween night and the choice of the movie shown will be determined by a public vote.
A fundraising gig is organised by Londonderry musician after a visiting artist to the city has his gear destroyed when his car was burned out. Johnny Black, whose band LaFaro were playing Londonderry lost £6,000 worth of equipment in the incident.
City registrar, Brian Barr retires from his job at Derry City Council after 40 years service. Starting in 1969 he worked both for the Londonderry Corporation and Derry City Council.
Community worker at Irish Street, Michelle Hayden condemns attacks at the area's community centre. Four panes of glass were smashed in an apparent sectarian attack.
Local GP Tom Black tells the Sentinel that a flu pandemic could kill hundreds of people in Londonderry should it happen. Health experts now agree that a pandemic could have catastrophic effect across the world.
A Waterside woman, now resident in England, tells the Sentinel she was shocked to discover the levels of litter in her native city on a visit back. Nina Hollingsworth said: "Derry can be such a beautiful place and I just don't know why people do not have any respect for their environment.
"Why is it acceptable to throw things at your feet rather than in a bin?"
East Londonderry Gregory Campbell says the simmering resentment of the Civil Rights Campaign here has not yet been extinguished. Mr Campbell was addressing a commemoration event at the Guildhall on the 40th anniversary of NICRA and explained his viewpoint as young unionist in 1968.
Seagate sheds 45 temporary jobs at it's Londonderry plant. The company maintain the core workforce will remain unaffected by the move.
Police say that crime levels in Londonderry are on the rise because of the Credit Crunch. Robberies alone in G District showed an 8 per cent increase on the previous year.
Three people were rescued from an apartment complex at Claragh Crescent in the Waterside after a fire began when arsonists placed lit sparklers through a letterbox.
Londonderry owned company Taggart Holding's goes into Administration signalling that the credit crunch had truly hit the north west. One of Ireland's biggest property development firms, the company's MD, Michael Taggart described the event as "deeply regrettable".
Alderman Gregory Campbell said Nadine Coyle's decision not to wear a poppy whilst appearing on national TV with her fellow Girls Aloud members was 'disappointing'.
"Protestants, Catholics and those of no religion sacrificed themselves to give freedom of choice to those who decide not to wear a poppy-Perhaps those who decline should think about this because it may concentrate their minds on the issue."

November

THE month of November began with news of a shake-up in the Presbyterian Church which would effectively see the Foyle Presbytery disappearing as congregations across the north west merge.
Although the realigned Presbytery has yet to be given a name, the move will be completed by March 2009, and it is the first major shake-up of the church in this corner of the country for many years.
There was good news for the Sentinel, when it was reported that former editor William Allen had returned to the helm following the retirement of Robin Young.
There was shock across the district as it was revealed that the former chief of the Western Education and Library Board, Dominic McElholm had pleaded guilty to the indecent assault of a 12-year-old girl, for which he received a six-month jail term, suspended for three years, and had been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.
Unionists in the city rallied behind the Mayor, Gerard Diver, an SDLP man, who was attacked by Sinn Fein for hosting a reception for soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Among those to offer support to the Mayor was Joe Miller, who said it was not a celebration of war, but a welcoming home for those returning to their families.
Meanwhile, DUP Alderman, Gregory Campbell, hit out at Cityside councillors for failing to attend the Remembrance Day celebrations in the Diamond, and challenged the 17 councillors on the westbank to explain their absence.
Late into the month it was reported that health trusts had failed to fully implement discharge guidelines for mentally ill patients despite a series of tragedies.
The revelation came in documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, which included a Department of health internal email suggesting that information be 'purposely' withheld from the press after inquiries were made earlier this year about issues raised after the report into the deaths of Madeleine O'Neill and her daughter Lauren at Carryduff, near Belfast, in July 2005. The email referred to issues discovered in Health Trusts here last year - two years after the deaths of Mrs O'Neill and Lauren - despite a number of previous shocking tragedies. It was also revealed that Health Minister Michael McGimpsey had not ruled out a public inquiry into the death of the woman and her daughter.
There was uproar after it was revealed that the efforts of the City's biggest ever charity undertaking - the 10,0001 Santas - was not to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records.
In the end 13,000 people took part in the Santa-extravaganza, yet despite this achievement, the red and white record-breaking charity stunt is not to make it into print. According to a spokesperson for the GBR, the non-inclusion is down to a managerial decision, and a spokesperson said that while the official data-base of records has over 60,000 entries, only 4,000 make it into the annually released Book of Records.
November closed with grim news of job losses at Invista at Maydown, where an undisclosed number of contracts had been terminated due to the depressed economy.
Although unable to say how many contracts would be lost, the sit manager Pat Carroll, said the home market would not escape the cull as management examined its cost structure and restructured its assets and businesses to reflect current trends in the economy.
It was announced that the historic St Columb's Cathedral could disappear from the City skyline unless £3 million was found to saw it from collapse.
Throwing its weight behind the call to take action, the Sentinel said the prospect of the Cathedral crumbling was too awful to allow it to become a reality, and said money had to be found to carry out regeneration work as soon as possible.


December

THE damp and chilly month of December opened with shocking news that unless action was taken urgently the city could lose its iconic Cathedral to erosion.
The revelation was made by the architect in charge of the restoration, Karl Pedersen, who appealed for those in a position to help to do so before it was too late and the building began to collapse.
Although the economic gloom has spelled disaster for manufacturing, according to the manager of one of the City's biggest malls, Foyleside's Des Farrell, traders have been reaping the benefit of the inflated Euro in the South of Ireland, which has made shopping centres around the border a magnet in the run-up to Christmas.
The lure of the Northern Ireland side of the border was enhanced with the drop in VAT on goods, as well as the lower value of Sterling.
The Sentinel's drive to ensure St Columb's Cathedral received money promised for restoration work nearly three years ago, took a step forward in the second week of the month, with news that £2.6 million was 'on its way'.
The city's oldest building, the Cathedral is eroding at an alarming rate, but ILEX director of regeneration, Gerard McCleave, brought much-needed good cheer when he revealed that the release of £2.6 million was in the final stages of being signed off at Government level.
Sadly, the future was not so bright for man's best friend, with news that family pets were being dumped in ever greater numbers as the financial downturn tightened it's grip.
Helen Davies from the Rainbow Rehoming centre in Eglinton said her staff took in six abandoned animals in the first week of the year, compared to the normal one of two, and some of those handed in of late had also shown signs of neglect and starvation, and worse, violence.
Also this month there was a reflective mood in Ballykelly as, 26 years on, relatives and friends of those killed in the Droppin' Well were remembered at a poignant service at Tamlaghfinlagan Church.
Eurovision Song Contest winner Dana was in the city mid-month to give a concert in aid of St Columb's Cathedral.
Dana (Rosemary Scallon) was catapulted to fame when she won the competition in 1970 with the song All Kinds of Everything, and said she was delighted to be able to help raise funds for the much-needed rebuilding of the historic building which is crumbling away.
Among those to receive a New Years' 'Gong' from the Queen was Colonel David McCleery, who was made an OBE (Order of the British Empire).
Meanwhile, it was a case of 'bah! Humbug!' in Eglinton, where vandals attacked the Christmas tree, forcing the council into a last-minute clean-up operation in the village. Community worker William Lamrock said that anti-social behaviour in the village needed to stop.
A heartwarming story graced the front page in the final week of December, when it was reported that Institute would be wearing pink on New Year's Day in support of the mother of a 'Stute player, who is battling cancer.
Sandra Doherty, mother of 'Stute keeper Michael, said she was "over the moon" that the Londonderry men will be kitted out in a specially made pink rig for their encounter with title contenders Glentoran for their January 1 clash.
Mrs Doherty who has cancer in the ovaries was also given great news recently that she has been given a year's break from her cancer treatment.
"On my last visit to Belvoir Hospital I was told that they didn't need to see me again for a full year, which was perfect Christmas present," she said.
"I'm delighted that the club are doing something so unique which will help hopefully highlight and raise some money for cancer charities.
The kit itself will be provided by Italian sportswear giants Lotto who have also pledged their support to this fantastic cause via their UK office.