Saturday, March 30, 2013
Borough seeking FEMA reimbursement for a number of projects, mayor says
More than half of the Ocean Gate boardwalk was lifted up or simply ripped off when Superstorm Sandy hit this tiny borough on Oct. 29. But borough officials are moving forward. The Borough Council recently authorized Mayor Paul J. Kennedy to sign a $628,000 contract with Ohio-based Signature Bridge to remove or replace the damaged sections Roughly 65 percent of the graceful 1.5 mile boardwalk that once curved along the mouth of the Toms River and Barnegat Bay was damaged by the storm, along with half of the borough's 1,100 homes. "In the meantime the borough engineer is putting specs and plans together for three more projects along our beachfront," Kennedy said. A $1.2 million sea wall will be installed in front of the boardwalk, once the …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Mayor Paul J. Kennedy is worried about effect of tidal flooding on Sandy-repaired homes
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, especially at high tides," Kennedy said. "My biggest concern is for the residents who have suffered flood damage from Sandy and who have begun the …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Small town on the Toms River still struggling to recover more than three months after the storm
Fatigue is etched into Ocean Gate Mayor Paul J. Kennedy's face. He is here in the municipal building on his day off, making plans to move a Superstorm Sandy recovery seminar from Borough Hall to the Ocean Gate Elementary School. His office and cell phones ring steadily during an interview with Patch. He describes what Sandy has down to his town, a little town on the Toms River that doesn't get much attention. "The best words I can use - it's turned this town upside down since Oct. 29," Kennedy said. "It's turned it into almost a ghost town." The borough's boardwalk that curves along the Toms River and Barnegat Bay is 65 percent gone. That'a a problem that will eventually be fixed. But it's not Kennedy's main concern. There are people in…
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Informational session will be held at the Ocean Gate Elementary School
Ocean Gate Mayor Paul J. Kennedy would like as many residents as possible to attend the Superstorm Sandy recovery seminar slated for Wednesday. So he switched the original location from the municipal building to the Ocean Gate Elementary School at 126 Arverne Avenue. The event gets underway at 7 p.m. "If you want to get back in your homes...95 percent of your questions will be answered," Kennedy said in an interview at Borough Hall on Tuesday. "You'll have the opportunity to have your questions answered by township professionals." The event is primarily for Ocean Gate residents, but people in neighboring towns who were affected by the storm are welcome to attend, he said. Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), …
Friday, February 8, 2013
Residents urged not to drive through flood waters, can park cars at Central Regional High School if necessary
Both Berkeley Township Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. and Ocean Gate Mayor Paul Kennedy have held off issuing either voluntary or mandatory evacuations of flood-prone areas in their towns. "Our Office of Emergency Management is comfortable based on latest information from the National Weather Service not to ask for voluntary evacuations at this time," Amato said shortly after 5 p.m. "We have officers checking the low-lying areas every hour to report the water levels. The next high tide is 6 p.m. We will continue to monitor, and address accordingly." "We are keeping a close eye on the tidal waters," Kennedy said. But Amato recommends that residents in live in low-lying areas move their cars to higher ground and avoid driving on flooded streets. …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Small borough on the Toms River especially vulnerable to coastal storms
Ocean Gate Mayor Paul J. Kennedy wasn't taking any chances as Hurricane Sandy scuttled up the Eastern seaboard and weather forecasts grew increasingly dire with each hour. He couldn't afford to. This small borough bordered on the north by the Toms River and on the east by Barnegat Bay is especially vulnerable to flooding from coastal storms. And Sandy was anything but a mere coastal storm. Kennedy was one of the first waterfront mayors in Ocean County to order a mandatory evacuation of the entire town. "All of it," he replied to a reporter's question about what areas were affected. Nearly two weeks after the vicious storm, residents near the river and bayfront are still slogging through recovery. Curbsides are packed with sodden furniture…
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Procedures began at 4 p.m., mayor said
The entire borough of Ocean Gate is now under mandatory evacuation, Mayor Paul J. Kennedy said. This small waterfront town sits at the mouth of the Toms River and along Barnegat Bay. The borough will provide transportation to the Pine Belt Arena at Toms River High School North at the municipal building from 4 p.m. to approximately 8 p.m., Kennedy said. "The fire company and first aid squad will be going around town starting around 3:30 p.m.to notify all residents," the mayor said. "All of our special needs residents have been notified." As of 5 p.m., Bayview Avenue in both Berkeley and Ocean Gate was still clear, but the salt marshes were filling up rapidly. Ocean Gate Drive by the duck pond was still clear, too.
Edea Krammer
1:34 am on Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The boardwalk renovation will be financed by a $3 thousand connection. Moreover to the boardwalk renovation, the connection cash will be used to pay for a $1.2 thousand PVC tube seawall that will be designed along the borough’s shore, maintenance to the public developing, and the set-up of seaside prisms. What matters most that I believe they need to pay the worth of all the funds they able to … more ›