Ocean Gate Mayor Paul J. Kennedy hasn't called for either voluntary or involuntary evacuations of this small borough bordered by the Toms River and Barnegat Bay. "If things change, we will take the appropriate action," Kennedy said. Kennedy didn't hesistate to order mandatory evacuations last Oct. 29, before Superstorm Sandy decimated sections of Ocean Gate. This time he's not worred about the amount or kind of precipitation expected. He's more concerned about possible damage to recently repaired homes and high winds. "This combined with the rain will more than likely cause tidal flooding, …

Township officials are gearing up for the approaching storm, although so far no calls have been issued for voluntary or mandatory evacuations. "We are preparing for the storm," Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said "All police 4 by 4 vehicles are gassed and ready to go. Public works are ready to go with sanding, salting and plowing. Parks is ready to go with tree cutting and removal equipment." Members of the township's Office of Emergency Management have already met several times today to discuss staffing needs and whether to call for voluntary evacuations, the mayor said. Both Toms River and Brick…

This is not going to be over soon. Superstorm Sandy has forever transformed the lives of those who were directly affected by it. There is no going back to life the way it was. And only those who are living this nightmare each day and night can understand the constant daily stress, fear and worry. Those who never had to leave their homes on that dark and terrifying day of Oct. 29, they cannot understand. Maybe they lost power for days and they were cold. Maybe some trees came down. And there are some who wonder why storm victims can't just get on with their lives and forget about Sandy. They …

Some of the pieces of equipment which will be used to clear submerged debris from Barnegat Bay are already in place and will begin operations soon, officials said. But work to dredge the waterway may not begin until after the unofficial start of summer. The equipment was starting to line up in northern Barnegat Bay last week, said Chris Nelson, Mantoloking borough's special counsel for storm cleanup. Nelson said state officials told him dredging portion of a state contract with CrowderGulf - the company responsible for cleaning up the bay north of Barnegat Inlet - includes two feet of …

Nearly a quarter of the home-improvement contractors dealing with storm-ravaged areas are not registered with the state Division of Consumer Affairs, according to the state Attorney General's Office. Investigators found that 477 of the 628 Home Improvement Contractors they checked were registered or had applied for registration. Another 27 contractors had been registered but their annual registrations were expired and needed to be renewed. The remaining 124 contractors were found to be unregistered, according to the AG's office. To advertise and perform home improvement work legally in New …

A mediation process has been established that gives those affected by Hurricane Sandy the option to settle disputed cases without resorting to costly and time consuming lawsuits, the Christie administration has announced. This process is needed to help alleviate the hardship being experienced by residents whose property was damaged or destroyed by Sandy, said Governor Christie. As of Feb. 15, the percentage of claims closed was at 87 percent overall and 91 percent for homeowners. This mediation program is an opportunity to expediently resolve outstanding claims so that residents can continue …

There are multiple avenues being taken to attract tourists back to New Jersey’s beaches this summer season following Hurricane Sandy. The state is currently pursuing ideas of how best to spend $25 million in federal relief aid to promote the shore. Seaside Heights is hoping to develop a marketing plan that plays on the town’s recovery, new boards and new outlook this upcoming season. In Cape May, officials recently traveled to Montreal to assure the foreign press that the shore will be open for business come summertime. In Wildwood they danced.   On Saturday, Wildwood 365, in an effort to …

Across-the-board federal spending cuts that began yesterday may block as much as $2.5 billion in Hurricane Sandy relief for New York and New Jersey, according to the Garden State’s junior U.S. senator, according to Bloomberg. About $1 billion may be taken from Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster-relief funds, the main source for FEMA help for individuals and communities, said Paul Brubaker, a spokesman for Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, according to Bloomberg. Bloomber reported that another $1.5 billion may be held out of block grants and transportation funding, …

This is not going to be over soon. Superstorm Sandy has forever transformed the lives of those who were directly affected by it. There is no going back to life the way it was. And only those who are living this nightmare each day and night can understand the constant daily stress, fear and worry. Those who never had to leave their homes on that dark and terrifying day of Oct. 29, they cannot understand. Maybe they lost power for days and they were cold. Maybe some trees came down. And there are some who wonder why storm victims can't just get on with their lives and forget about Sandy. They …

Berkeley residents battered by Superstorm Sandy won't have to worry about paying township permits fees for another four months. The Township Council and Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. decided to extend waiving all fees connected with rebuilding after the Oct. 29 storm that decimated some of Berkeley's waterfront areas. "There is still a lot of uncertainty out there," Amato said at the Feb. 28 Township Council meeting. "I think four months is sufficient at this time." After the storm hit, Berkeley was the only municipality to waive construction fees for Superstorm Sandy victims, the mayor said. "A …

Now that registration for federal disaster assistance has been extended until Monday, April 1, six disaster recovery centers previously announced as closing will remain open in New Jersey. Center hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. They are located at the following locations: Atlantic County Hamilton Mall 4403 Blackhorse Pike Mays Landing, NJ 08330 Cape May County Ocean City Community Center 1735 Simpson Ave. Ocean City, NJ 08226 Hudson County Hudson County Government Building 830 Bergen Ave. Jersey City, NJ 07306 Monmouth County Union Beach …

Kim and Jay Purcell's home in Toms River's Gilford Parkwas destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. Feeling the frustration of the rebuilding process, especially when dealing with their insurance company and FEAM, the couple took to YouTube to document and share their experiences. Here is their story: I am trying to get our story and other people's story like ours out there. It's important for people to know what's going on. We want others to share their stories, we want others to know we feel their pain and know what they are going through.  We know we are not the only ones this has happened to. We …

The deadline for residents affected by Hurricane Sandy to apply for individual disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been extended to April 1. Gov. Chris Christie's office announced Thursday. The extension applies for homeowner, renter, and business registration with the Small Business Administration for Disaster Loan Assistance, according to a release. The disaster aid application deadline has been extended multiple times as New Jersey continues to rebuild following Sandy.  "This 30-day extension will help us ensure that anyone who has been affected …

The Ocean County Board of Freeholders are slated to approve a $45 million emergency appropriation at the March 6 board meeting to help front the costs for Superstorm Sandy debris removal in municipalities. "So far, so good," Bartlett said at the pre-board meeting on Tuesday. "We can indirectly borrow from certain county accounts. We will be able to complete the entire thing by self-financing upfront." The county will eventually be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the participating municipalities, Bartlett said. "We will get it all back," Bartlett said. "The …

The numbers above show the federal employees in New Jersey by county in 2012, according to the latest figures from Eye on Washington, a DC-based lobbying firm that tracks federal employment. The interactive graphic compiles data from the Office of Personnel Management, Federal Employment Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What it doesn't offer, however, is a look at how pending sequestration could impact the state's federal employees and the ongoing Hurricane Sandy recovery effort. Some officials say it's too soon to tell what impact sequestration cuts, which will total …

After its last meeting was shut down by Toms River police due to overcrowding, the grassroots organization Stop FEMA Now has scheduled a new meeting date, this time in a location organizers hope can accommodate the group's growing numbers. The next Stop FEMA Now meeting is planned for Sat., March 9 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Silverton First Aid Squad at 86 Maine St. in Toms River. The venue, which is significantly larger than the group's previous meeting location, a sub shop in a strip mall, should be large enough to handle the anticipated crowd of more than 100 people. The group has had to…

Ocean County will continue nutrition programs for the elderly, even if the proposed sequestration cuts go through on Friday, Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari said today. Without the nutrition program, elderly and disabled people who are unable to cook for themselves will "wind up in the E.R.," Vicari said at a Ocean County Board of Freeholders caucus meeting today. "We will do something to maintain services," he said. "We will continue the program. You don't cut programs as important as the senior programs." Vicari wrote to President Obama on Feb. 25, asking his help to prevent "severe cuts" in …

Progress is evident. Momentum is building. As he laid out his $32.9 billion proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 at the Statehouse Tuesday, Gov. Chris Christie said the state’s future, both economically and in recovery following Hurricane Sandy, is moving in the right direction. With talk of compromise and bipartisanship – as well as a few customary jabs at former governor Jon Corzine’s administration – Christie called on the state’s legislature to keep it going, to make the conscious decision to help New Jersey return to a position of prosperity it once knew. Of course it will do so with the…

New Jersey’s recovery following Hurricane Sandy will come, officials and legislators at Tuesday’s budget introduction at the Statehouse in Trenton said, just don’t expect the state to pay for it. In Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed $32.9 billion budget, only about $40 million has been set aside for Sandy-related recovery, all of it coming in the form of supplemental aid. Its intended use will only be as a stopgap during the process of the state’s securing aid for various recovery efforts. The negligible sum will have little impact on the state’s budget, according to New Jersey Treasurer Andrew …

A man who stood atop the wreckage of the water-drenched roller coaster near the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights last month was in court Tuesday but the case was adjourned, according to a report from News12. The man, identified as 38-year-old Chris Angulo of Lavallette, climbed aboard the ruins of the Jet Star roller coaster in an effort to call attention to Sandy recovery, according to News12. State police and local authorities worked to get the man off the wreckage. Angulo is facing various charges related to his climb onto the wrecked roller coaster and placing an American flag at the top. …