Over 100 homes to be razed through Toms River’s PPDR program

TOMS RIVER – Mayor Tom Kelaher is pleased to announce that the Township’s demolition program will begin this Saturday. “Our residents are eager to start the rebuilding process,” Kelaher said. Hurricane Sandy damaged over 6,500 homes on the barrier island and almost 4,000 homes on the mainland. “Most of the homes had some form of flooding, but a lot of the dwellings will need to be knocked down because of structural problems,” Kelaher stated.
Toms River residents with structurally damaged homes were mailed a packet of information encouraging them to enroll in the Township’s Private Property Debris Removal Program, or PPDR. Assistant Township Planner Erika Stahl has been assisting homeowners in registering for the PPDR program, which is free to residents who have homes that have been structurally damaged. Stahl says, “Enrollment in the program must be approved by FEMA, which can take a while because there are many steps involved.”
According to Public Works Director Lou Amoruso, “We are starting our demolition program on Saturday May 17th. We will begin by taking down a structure on Seagull Lane and then move onto Beier and Nichols Avenue in Ortley Beach.”
After the first round of Ortley Beach homes are demolished, the contractor will move onto the North Beach area and also homes on the mainland.
The Township’s Demolition program will cover the cost of demolition and removal of homes, if approved beforehand. The PPDR program will also cover the removal of debris such as sand, neighbor’s dwelling or buildings, and other debris that may have floated onto another property.

BERKELEY – Central Regional TV Productions students won county and state contests and film festival awards for their video productions surrounding the events of Hurricane Sandy.

Senior Austin Steinbrick recently took the award for Best Documentary in the Ocean County Library Film Festival held at the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library.  Over 140 entries were received from around the world and only 43 were chosen for submission.  Austin’s video told the story of Hurricane Sandy using footage recorded by students and staff from the Central Regional High School which included eye witness accounts of the devastating events on the day of the storm.

In addition, Austin received an Honorable Mention along with senior Nicholas Castrovilly for the New Jersey State Attorney General’s PSA Contest Proms and Alcohol Don’t Mix Contest.

High school junior, Marc Wittig, won a Certificate of Excellence at the Ocean County Teen Arts Festival for his Hurricane Sandy video.  The Ocean County Teen Arts Festival is a showcase and competition held at Ocean County College.  Student works are judged and critiqued where the best in show receive a Certificate of Excellence.  The Central Regional High School TV Program has received an Award of Excellence eight times over the last twelve years.

Student works are available for viewing at the school district website at www.centralreg.k12.nj.us by linking to the “video on demand” tab.  All of our students’ Hurricane Sandy videos can be watched on Channel 21.

RECOGNIZING THE RED CROSS

Date: 4/1/13

SEASIDE HEIGHTS – “People assume everything is fine now in Seaside because the news has moved on from Hurricane Sandy to cover new stories, but it’s not fine. There is still so much to do in the area, and by summer, we would like to have it so the people here have a normal life again. We are trying to help put New Jersey back together, and we want people to remember what happened to the Jersey Shore,” commented Martin Resnick, owner of Flemington Department Store and a condominium in the Jersey Shore area. Although no longer a news headline, the impact of Hurricane Sandy’s devastation to Barrier Island communities such as Seaside Heights is still very much a reality to area residents, vacationers, community groups, and volunteers assisting with cleanup and restoration efforts.
Flemington Department Store may be located one and a half hours northwest of Seaside Heights, but the distance between Resnick’s business and the Jersey Shore has not hindered his dedication of time and much-needed supplies to help those that played a vital role in saving the lives and properties of others before, during, and after Hurricane Sandy: the volunteer firefighters of Seaside Heights. After being contacted by Lou Nardone, honorary chief of Seaside Heights Volunteer Fire Department Station #44, with a request for replacement boots for the firefighters whose gear was ruined during storm rescue efforts, Resnick responded by bringing clothing and boots in whatever sizes were necessary to outfit the volunteers. “Within two weeks of contacting Marty [Resnick], he provided us with anything we needed and asked for, no matter what the size. He has been amazing,” said Chief Nardone. Resnick’s donation efforts included bringing on board Carhartt, manufacturer of active-work apparel, who donated $25,000 in work clothing; securing contributions from other companies and businesses; and giving the firefighters his store’s industrial division’s sample set. Resnick has come to the area more than three times and has extended a commitment for future support.
Many of Seaside Heights’s firefighters lost their own personal property and houses during the storm. According to Chief Nardone, the fire department itself has been severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy: “We have firefighters here who have lost their own homes and personal property, who are now living elsewhere until their residences are rebuilt. As a result of the storm, membership is down at a time when we need volunteers more than ever. But, we are proud to say that we have maintained 100 percent fire protection for our community, and that has been our goal, to keep our people safe.”
In addition to volunteers like the local firefighters and Resnick, other community groups have remained dedicated to restoration efforts in Seaside Heights, such as Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack 21. Since the storm hit, the young scouts have not missed a single opportunity to offer their time and commitment to their community, helping in any way they can, from assisting at shelters right after the storm to pitching in with cleanup efforts during weekends and time off from school. “Since before Christmas, the boys have had a table at the firehouse with cleaning supplies. They have willingly given their time during Christmas break and weekends,” commented involved parent Susan Bond-Masterson. “They have learned that you don’t always have to be a victim, that you can take a bad situation and make it a positive learning experience. The lesson here is that no matter what life throws at you, you can always do something to help someone else.”
Businesses in the community, such as The Carousel Arcade of Funtown Pier in Seaside Park, are also fighting back with vigor to re-open and return to normal. For the 2013 season, The Carousel Arcade’s owner, Bobby Stewart, aims to have game stands and a dozen or so rides set up for the upcoming season on what is left of the pier, and he remains optimistic that the whole pier will be rebuilt over time. However, his arcade may not open until the 2014 season. “The arcade is completely gone, but it will be rebuilt. I already have two letters from antique equipment guys and plan to get as many flashbacks as possible to make The Carousel Arcade as close as possible to how it was before Hurricane Sandy,” shared Stewart. “The boardwalk is already being rebuilt, and that’s progress. At this point, we are done going backwards. We have gone backwards far enough, and now we are all ready to move forward.”

TOMS RIVER–In November, the Toms River School District opened “The People’s Pantry” in the Bellcrest Plaza. The goal of the pantry was to assist those affected by Hurricane Sandy with much needed food and supplies.

In the months since, the pantry has expanded to help those in need around Ocean County and now serves 5,000 families according to the Pantry coordinator, Pat Donaghue. The pantry is run by the Toms River Schools Special Education PTA. On March 11th, the pantry relocated north to their new home thanks to Community Collaboration International and volunteers from Ameri-Corps. “We serve up to 800 families per week, mostly Toms River families,” Donaghue said. To learn more, visit the Peoples’ Pantry on Facebook.

Check out our full story on the People’s Pantry in the next issue of the Ocean Signal.

“The grant will come in the form of two $200,000 payments and is to be used for residents only,” the mayor said. “It can’t go to anything commercial or the town.”

In the last round of funding on March 19th, several other local recipients were awarded grants by the Robin Hood foundation.

Hometown Heroes for Toms River Township will also receive $400,000. Toms River was one of the hardest hit areas in New Jersey with 14,285 “mainland” homes having some form of wind or water damage and 7,083 impacted homes on the Barrier Island. The Township has partnered with Hometown Heroes to assist residents with rebuilding and the purchase of building materials and essential home contents such as furniture, cabinets and appliances.

Berkeley Township also received a $200,000 grant.

Homes for All, Inc. will receive $575,000. This grant will fund 15 significant rebuilds and minor home repairs to another 85 homes in Ocean County which lack or have insufficient insurance/FEMA coverage.

Other Ocean County recipients included in this latest round of funding include the Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity ($150,000), Toms River Regional Schools Hurricane Relief Fund ($75,000), Hometown Heroes Ocean County ($150,000), St, Francis Community Center ($35,000) and Senior Citizens Activities Network of Monmouth & Ocean Counties ($30,000).

With its latest slate of grants totaling nearly $7 million, the Robin Hood Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund has made more than $62 million in grants since Sandy devastated the region in late October. To date, approximately 42% of the funds have been allocated to New Jersey-based organizations, 42% to organizations based in New York City, 14% to Long Island/Westchester, and 2% to Connecticut. The vast majority of funds (60%) have been devoted to housing-related groups that are helping residents repair and rebuild their damaged homes. In total, the Robin Hood Relief Fund has made grants to more than 400 different organizations in the tri-state area

Submitted by Debbi Winogracki, Toms River Township

TOMS RIVER– After meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Toms River Township Mayor Thomas Kelaher said it was evident that if the proper dunes had been put in place years ago, Hurricane Sandy would have caused very little, if any, damage on the barrier island and mainland areas. “Going back many years ago, oceanfront homeowners declined to sign the easements allowing the USACE to place sand on private property for the purpose of dune and beach replenishment,” Kelaher stated. “Now, after Hurricane Sandy, we see the destruction firsthand and are again pursuing those oceanfront property owners to sign the easements allowing the Engineers to build up our beachfront and permit their project to move forward.”

The USACE project calls for beach re-nourishment from Manasquan to the Barnegat Inlet. The plan includes a wider and longer beach, extending out to the size of approximately a football fields. Kelaher’s letter to oceanfront homeowner urge them to sign the easement and realize the value of the USACE project.  He writes, “The time has long since passed when property owners can ignore the ongoing threat from storms, as the entire barrier island and mainland properties are at risk until this work is completed.  Based on federal funding appropriated as part of the Superstorm Sandy recovery, we are in the unique position of being able to move this project forward if we are able to obtain the signed easement agreements.”

The Mayor continues to say, “The design of the project has long since been completed, and the only thing at this point standing in the way of the implementation of the project is the signed easement agreements, which are critical.  On March 17, 2013, we were advised by Congressman Jon Runyan’s office that all easements must be in place by May 1, 2013, in order for the USACE to proceed.” In a press release, Congressman Runyan said, “We need to work together to ensure that the residents of shore towns sign their easements by May 1 to guarantee that this vital, potentially life and property saving project, is funded and constructed without delay.”

Another key point in the letter to homeowners, Kelaher writes, “Let me be clear in stating that the sole reason for procuring the easements is to protect life and property on the barrier island.  Without the USACE project being completed, all barrier island residents are at a constant risk for property damage and loss of life…Also, FEMA has advised that long-term flood insurance rates will actually be reduced once the enhanced dunes and beach area are in place.  Further, the USACE will maintain the dune/beach areas every four years as necessary for the next 50 years, which offers long-term stability for properties impacted from storm events.  As you can see, the benefits far outweigh any perceived detriments.”

Photo by Jason Allentoff. Timesquare Media / WOBM.

By Phil Stilton / Ocean Signal
Photo by Jason Allentoff / Townsquare Media, WOBM

BRICK— In an attempt to remove politics from the equation during the rebuilding process here, Mayor Steven Acropolis announced he will not be seeking re-election this November.

“This is the most important year – I believe in our town’s history – because this is when all of those programs are going to have to be done this year and I thought it was really important to concentrate on that,” he said at a March 25th standing room only press conference. “I decided not to seek reelection as mayor of the Township of Brick and I’m going to dedicate the remainder of my time in office to concentrate on the rebuilding of this town.”

The mayor, who is a Republican and has found himself under fire by opponents through his years of service for almost everything except his performance in his current role, added that he was concerned about partisan politics returning once again in the middle of this fragile period.

“One of my fears was that this issue of rebuilding Brick Township was going to become a political football,” he said.

In 2011, when he was criticized by opponents and threatened by the Democrat-led council with a forced pay reduction for his position as mayor, he voluntarily cut his salary to $1 per year for the final two years of his term.

“Just like when they came after me for that, I removed it from the equation by removing my salary,” Mayor Acropolis said, adding following the expiration of his term, he would also continue his efforts as a community watchdog when it came to topics as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and governmental regulations he felt hindered the rebuilding process to date.

The mayor was one of three people who went through the screening process within the Brick Township Republican Club for the nomination of mayor, the others being Joe Sangiovanni and Dan Toth.

Mr. Sangiovanni was expected to get the nomination by the club on Wednesday.

Though he had screened for the position, Mayor Acropolis cited a February plan by the council that could have placed liens on homeowners seeking hurricane relief assistance as a contributing factor in his decision to not run this year.

“I was afraid the situation would deteriorate and name calling would ensue,” he said. “I didn’t want anyone to think my actions during rebuilding have anything to do with the upcoming election. It’s important that when your top elected official says something, people have the confidence knowing that he’s making those decisions for what’s best for the township and not what’s best for his reelection.”

Despite his decision not to run, the mayor said he was determined to continue to lead the fight in Brick Township against FEMA.

“No matter who is sitting in the mayor’s seat in the future, I’ll be here to help,” he said, adding that he did not rule out a run for mayor or another office in the future.

“I just didn’t want the most important thing in the town’s history to become political,” Mayor Acropolis concluded. “I’m not going anywhere.”

(From left) Ocean Gate Police Reece J. Fisher, Councilman and Public Safety Committee Chairman Dave Kendrick, Mayor Paul Kennedy and Office of Emergency Coordinator Tom Fitzgerald met in the OEM office at generator-powered borough hall on Saturday afternoon, November 3rd, to discuss still-flooded areas, restoration of power, debris removal, maintenance of generators to the water and sewerage systems, nearby shelters and food and goods distribution sites, public safety and more. At the time, it was the seventh straight day the emergency office was open for officials to meet and tackle the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Erik Weber / Ocean Signal

In the early morning hours of October 30th, 2012 things went somewhere I’d never been before. Sandy was already upon us, evacuations had been ordered 48 hours prior, and yet some decided to stick it out. Water was coming into the tiny little Borough of Ocean Gate – only a half square mile in size – and it was coming from both the Toms River and Barnegat Bay. It didn’t stop for hours. When the water finally started to recede many, many hours (and in some places days) later, the reality of devastation was very evident. Over the next few days people attempted to get to their homes to see what was left, and as in many places throughout the Jersey Shore, it was truly unbelievable. Peoples’ whole lives were out on their front lawns, their driveways, the street. In some cases entire generations of family belongings were gone, some from as far back as the early 20th century when Ocean Gate was, for many years then, a seasonal town where people came in on the train from Philadelphia to spend the summer months together. A summer town that later became a borough and this coming August will celebrate its 95th birthday.
After seeing all of this devastation I felt compelled to act and act quickly. I knew deep down there was no way the borough nor its private sanitation hauler would be able to remove the mounds and mounds of debris. By the Saturday after the storm, the debris hauler was in town and working. Approximately 10 days later the debris was off the streets, off residents’ lawns, out of their driveways; all of their personal belongings and memories just sitting in a huge pile on the borough ball field, gone from their damaged homes and days later gone to the landfill.
Soon after, people were comforted by the American Red Cross, local church groups, local volunteer groups and the like. The outpouring of kindness and support that so very many people and organizations gave to my residents was quite overwhelming. People came from all over New Jersey; some even came from North Carolina and Florida. And they all came to help. The cleanup help was tremendous and for the most part all went well, and once most had cleaned out what they could, the big question was, “Where do we go from here?”
To help them find that answer, I called an informative meeting for all residents on a Sunday afternoon to explain to them what help was available to them and how the borough was proceeding with the restoring and rebuilding process. The meeting room had never been so crowded, and I believe most left with some relief. Still, none felt anywhere near normal; that will take quite some time.

Large debris piles of household items and interior fixtures became a common sight along borough streets as residents removed items unsalvageable from the flood waters of the Toms River and Barnegat Bay as a result of storm surges from Hurricane Sandy. Pictured here is Angelsea Avenue, facing north, on November 5th. Erik Weber / Ocean Signal

Throughout all of this devastation, I had to deal with my own personal home and loss as well, but still do what was needed to make sure that the residents of Ocean Gate were safe, comforted, and on their way to getting back into their homes. I took a leave of absence from my full time job for approximately two weeks, without pay, to deal with all of it. My family had been out of our home for nearly two weeks – not all that bad when I look at the big picture – but trying to explain this to my 13-year-old daughter wasn’t easy. But now we are back home, more fortunate then some, but still trying to get to the way it was. In dealing with FEMA, insurance companies and the like it has been and still is a tiresome project. Hopefully someday life will return to the simple, day to day routine it was.
While home sick with the flu during the 12/12/12 Hurricane Sandy fundraiser concert held in Madison Square Garden, I saw lots of local Ocean County people “live” on this national broadcast, and hearing of the $52 million being raised already, I felt obligated again to try and get some of this grant money to help my residents of Ocean Gate. That night I looked up the Robin Hood Foundation and contacted them via email. When I didn’t initially hear back, I sent several more emails over the next two weeks until FINALLY!!! I received an email back and then a questionnaire to fill out and send in a request. On this paperwork it stated clearly that not all applications were accepted, as it’s a huge organization, and many different areas were devastated by Sandy.
A short time later I received a phone call from the foundation and from then on it was weekly emails, conference calls and information given to them about what Ocean Gate really needed. Then the site visit where the Robin Hood Foundation fell in love with our little community of 2,000 residents. They knew that they could make a difference, and several weeks ago I received a call on a late Friday afternoon that the foundation awarded a grant of $300,000 to be used to primarily get residents back in their homes.
There are very strict requirements that have to be followed for people to be helped. One very big thing that came up in this process was to have a non-profit organization help with the applications, research, and distribute the grant money. I chose the local non-profit Hometown Heroes based out of Toms River, and they agreed to handle everything for this project. The main objective is to do whatever it may take in so many different situations, whether it’s repairing a furnace so there is heat, replacing a hot water heater, paying a utility bill, and on and on. An important point is that ALL of the funding goes to Hometown Heroes and then on to the proper contractor, utility company, etc.; NOT to a homeowner. Homeowners will not receive any of this funding directly. All those affected can apply at njhometownheroes.org or by calling (732) 473-9400. The Borough of Ocean Gate has nothing to do with the funding and its process at all.
In just over four months things are on their way back and I truly believe the residents of Ocean Gate will be back stronger than ever, with many thanks to ALL those who have helped, especially the Robin Hood Foundation and Hometown Heroes.

Mayor Paul J. Kennedy
Ocean Gate

Spicy Cantina on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights in the days after Hurricane Sandy struck the Jersey Shore. Photo by Spicy Cantina.

By Phil Stilton

SEASIDE HEIGHTS–Wayne Cimorelli, owner of Spicy Cantina and Coin Castle arcade in Seaside Heights said this weekend his two establishments will be reopening.

After Hurricane Sandy dumped over five feet of sand and flooded with over six feet of ocean water in the restaurant, Cimorelli says construction work at the boardwalk favorite is nearly complete.

“We had over $1,000,000 worth of damage, but we’ve been able to rebuild, despite that we’re still waiting for insurance,”  Cimorelli said. “The basement was completely flooded, but now we have all new walk-ins and it’s completely rebuilt and we remodeled the old Spicy, it’s beautiful.”

Cimorelli said that much of the damage sustained to his restaurant and arcade were not covered under insurance, especially in the basement where they kept their storage.

Spicy will open at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday for a limited soft opening.  The upstairs section will not be opened, but he says the are expecting a full opening in time for next weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

WRAT will be broadcasting live with DJ’s and both levels will be open every weekend beyond St. Patrick’s Day.

Live entertainment returns to Spicy on March 16th with a performance by Elvis.

As for the arcade, Coin Castle sustained minor damage in the hurricane that was limited to the roof and water damage from the leaking roof according to Cimorelli.

Visit the Spicy facebook page for more information.