Wednesday, March 20, 2013
South Seaside Park resident Courtney Chibbaro is asking for help to keep the group here for the forseeable future
- OPINION
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Wednesday, March 20
No one could have imagined that when we left our homes on October 28 that when we returned our lives would never be the same. The destruction, despair and sadness still remain over four months later. I personally knew that as a resident of the barrier islands I needed to do something to help, but didn't know where to begin. I decided as the holidays were approaching that I needed to show those who heroically helped during the storm that we truly appreciated all they did for us. This is how I met most of you through my initial event of Christmas On The Island. After that amazing event that reached so many during our darkest times I partnered up with many amazing groups, specifically AmeriCorps. Through maintaining my relationships with the…
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Four months after Superstorm Sandy slammed into Ocean County, the roads that run through Seaside Heights, Ortley Beach and other towns still show much damage
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 do not and cannot understand. We can't forget. The old cliche "unless it happens to you" is particularly apt here. Sandy is not over for too many of us…
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Four months after Superstorm Sandy slammed into Ocean County, signs of devastation still very apparent
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 do not and cannot understand. We can't forget. The old cliche "unless it happens to you" is particularly apt here. Sandy is not over for too many of us…
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Is today a holiday or not?
Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is just one week before Presidents Day, the holiday introduced as George Washington’s Birthday in 1885 and now a day to celebrate all presidents. While Presidents Day is recognized as a federal holiday, Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12) is not. Lincoln Day is a public holiday in Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey and New York but only some municipalities still observe it as one. Most states have absorbed Abe's birthday into Presidents Day. Fun Facts about Lincoln and his birthday:
Monday, February 4, 2013
Constant stress, confusion bring on relentless fatigue for many
"Oh, a storm is threatening My very life today If I don't get some shelter Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away" - from "Gimme Shelter" by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards It's been over three months since Superstorm Sandy roared into the Jersey coastline, changing landscapes and lives forever. At first, some people were optimistic the mess could be turned around in a relatively short period of time. Now we know better. Now the sickening realization that things will never be the same has sunk in. Township Council President James J. Byrnes had it right when he said at a recent council meeting that storm fatigue had set in. I've got it and so do too many other people. I'm tired of acronyms like FEMA, ICC, ABFEs, SBA. I'm tired of all the things I've…
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Senator requests information from NRC based on nuclear plant's performance during Sandy
- OPINION
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Tuesday, January 29
Editor's note: The following letter was drafted by Sen. Frank Lautenberg and sent to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Allison Macfarlane concerning safety at Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station. Dear Chairman Macfarlane: I am writing to request an update on actions being taken by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to address safety concerns that have been reported at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station following Superstorm Sandy. As you know, Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey on Oct. 29, 2012, bringing unprecedented damage to our coastline, our infrastructure and homes throughout the state. Given that New Jersey is home to four nuclear reactors that provide approximately 50 percent of the state’s electricity, we were …
Sunday, January 27, 2013
But breaches at Island Beach State Park means state needs to do more to protect residents of South Seaside Park and Bayville
- OPINION
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Sunday, January 27
I am a resident of Midway Beach in the South Seaside Park section of Berkeley Township. Our community has been blessed and was spared from the worst of Sandy’s rage. The neighboring communities to the north and Island Beach State Park to the south experienced ocean storm surges that washed across the island, destroying and wiping away nearly everything that was in the way. The entire section of Berkeley Township’s dunes, excluding those in Island Beach State Park, held back the ocean and protected ocean side properties from the crashing waves. The dunes of Berkeley Township created a nearly uniform wall of protection. It was our natural insurance policy. The dunes - 80 feet to 150 feet wide - offered us a sense of security that we …
Monday, January 21, 2013
Former Ocean County Director of Human Services upset with confusing mandates, insurance delays
- OPINION
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Monday, January 21
An open letter to: President Obama, All the members of Congress, Governor Christie and members of New Jersey Senate and Assembly and to local mayors and council members MY DESCENT INTO MADNESS BY WAY OF THE RABBIT HOLE Super Storm Sandy has displaced seven people in my family. We all lived in Seaside Park, New Jersey. We are no different from the thousands of people who are facing what seems like insurmountable obstacles towards rebuilding our homes, our lives and our communities. During the height of the storm our local rescue workers, emergency personal and police were heroic in their efforts to save lives and mitigate damages. The weeks following the storm were also filled with countless stories of families, neighbors, friends and …
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Ray Greuter, whose wake was Thursday, taught me just as my mother did; she died 10 years ago today
Where else could I be, on the 10th anniversary of my mother's death, but at another wake? Where else could I be, but at a place that honored somebody like Ray Greuter, my Point Boro music teacher who taught me things others couldn't; who, like my mother, always flashed a broad smile at me, trying so hard to make me grin, because I wouldn't. There he was again, cut-out pictures of him pasted to construction paper, nearly every one showing him with that same long hair, mustache and clenched, shiny-white, go-for-broke smile. "The Many Faces of Ray," it said, showing the Memorial Middle School teacher from the time he was hired, in 1970, until the time he passed last week. Resting on his closed casket was his trumpet, the brass shining in the …
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
President and founder of Safe School Technologies presents a series on gun laws and what citizens can do.
- GOVERNMENT
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Tuesday, January 15
Editor's Note: The following article was submitted by Robert V. Tessaro, who recently moved back to New Jersey after spending five years in Washington, D.C., where he worked for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Background checks are one of the most effective ways to prevent potentially dangerous people from having access to firearms, but the current system has gaping flaws that need to be addressed. There are ways to strengthen background checks that will not impede any lawful citizen from having access to firearms that should be implemented as soon as possible. Who can own a gun? Current Federal laws prohibit the following people from owning a firearm: In addition, There are some glaring shortcomings in the law. In the state of …
Dana Bicsko
8:23 am on Monday, March 25, 2013
Thanks to americorps and all you have done! more ›