Friday, December 7, 2012
Township could recoup up to 75 percent of storm damage costs from FEMA
Hurricane Sandy pummeled Berkeley Township over five weeks ago. But the reverberations from the historic storm will be felt for years to come. Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. estimated the actual property damage to beaches, bulkheads, buildings, roads and the infrastructure at roughly $2.5 million. But when you factor in cleanup costs - including employees, contractors, equipment, tipping fees at the Ocean County Landfill, gas, and police coverage, the number is much higher. "We are still gathering information," Amato said today. "I will have harder numbers on Tuesday. All said and done, it might be close to $5 million to $6 million." Berkeley should qualify for 75 percent reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), he …
Thursday, December 6, 2012
How the Jersey Shore Roller Girls fought back from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy to help the region and each other get back on track.
Must the show go on? There’s a saying in the entertainment business that “the show must go on,” but it’s not always true. For the Jersey Shore Roller Girls, the region's all-female flat-track roller derby league, the decision whether or not to cancel its 2012 championship bout after Hurricane Sandy was a tough one. The bout had been scheduled to follow the Asbury Park tree lighting ceremony at Convention Hall on November 24, but the venue wasn’t cleared for use until a week before the event date and there was no time to advertise. Worse still, at least nine of the league’s seventy skaters suffered serious damage to their homes, said JSRG board member Bash N. Onya. “We’ve done this after-Thanksgiving game since 2008 and it’s quickly become …
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Is the retail encroachment into Thanksgiving day worth fighting?
I’ve been known to be a party pooper, a real Debbie downer (sorry Debbie) when it comes to certain kinds of indulgences. Keep this in mind if you keep reading. Black Friday. Fine. After a day of gastronomic excess, we launch into a season of consumer spending that many of us will regret well into 2013. But a Black Friday that begins on Thanksgiving Thursday is just too much, or is it? The argument was succinctly made by P.C. Richard & Son (on Facebook, of course) that retailers who chose to open their doors on Thanksgiving “show no respect to their employees and families, and are in total disrespect of family values in America.” I’m inclined to agree, though the invocation of “family values” is questionable now that the phrase has been …
Friday, November 9, 2012
Toms River Township announces plan to allow Chadwick, Ocean Beach, Normandy Beach residents access to homes
The moment that hundreds of barrier island residents of Toms River have been waiting for will begin tomorrow. The Township of Toms River announced residents ravaged by Hurricane Sandy on the barrier island will be allowed access for 60 minutes, with different communities assigned to different days of access. Regardless, residents of such communities as Chadwick Beach, Silver Beach, Dover Beaches, Normandy Beach, Monterey Beach and Ocean Beach communities of Toms River will have to register at the Bellcrest Plaza on Fischer Boulevard and Cattus Island Boulevard. Ortley Beach, the township says, has yet to have a plan for re-entry. The above communities, many of which are north of Ortley Beach, will have access Friday, Nov. 9 through Nov. 13…
Friday, October 21, 2011
Homeowners, renters, business owners have until Nov. 30 to file claims
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, October 21, 2011
At the request of the state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is extending the registration deadline for renters, homeowners and business owners who suffered damage from Hurricane Irene. Those affected by the storm and flooding now have until Nov. 30 to register for disaster assistance. “We've extended the registration deadline for people who–for whatever reason–have not had the opportunity to register for assistance,” said William L. Vogel, FEMA's federal coordinating officer. “The goal is to ensure all eligible Irene survivors have the chance to seek assistance.” There are three ways to register: go to www.disasterassistance.gov, m.fema.gov or call FEMA toll-free, 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Those with access or functional needs …
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Emergency management officials surveying damage now, flooding some areas compared to December 1992 storm
So far, it appears that Good Luck Point, Pelican Island, South Seaside Park and Glen Cove areas of Berkeley took the brunt of damage from Hurricane Irene, Mayor Jason J. Varano said. Varano and other emergency management officials are out in a Chevy Suburban surveying the damage now. They got part way down Bayview Avenue coming from Ocean Gate and were stopped by flood waters, Varano said. "This looks pretty bad here," the mayor said. "Good Luck Point is probably underwater. We're not sure of the home damage yet." However, Berkeley Shores, the Amherst Beach and Allen Road Beach areas seem to have made out fairly well, even though the waters are up to the bulkheads, Varano said. "Berkeley Shores is looking pretty good," he said. It's …
foggyworld
9:23 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
It would be helpful if all of the taxpayers could see a line by line listing of the monies spent showing the dates and employees and the work accomplished and the cost. I keep hearing huge numbers but don't see where that money is going. more ›