More than six months after Superstorm Sandy caused unprecedented damage to the Jersey Shore region, the beaches will be open for Memorial Day Weekend and the summer. While certain access points and facilities might be closed as municipalities continue to work on restoration, for the most part, the beaches will be operational. The only beach that remains off limits to the public is Mantoloking. The borough was home to a breach that split Ocean County's northern barrier island in half and was one of the hardest hit communities in New Jersey during the storm. So as you prepare to stick your toes…

Pumped out after Hurricane Sandy, water is slowing filling Silver Lake in Belmar, but an algae bloom has formed there. Borough Councilman Brian Magovern said the lake is shallow, which mean a boat that usually delivers a chemical to prevent algae blooms was unable to do so. As a result, the algae began forming this spring, and particularly on the west side of Silver Lake is thick with green algae. Magovern said that about 10 or 15 years ago, the borough began using the chemical to prevent algae, but historically Silver Lake was one prone to algae blooms. Until the shallow water levels change…

It's time to climb aboard the pirate ship. Belmar will reopen its four beachfront playgrounds -- including the pirate ship -- in a ribbon cutting May 19. The Sunday event will celebrate playgrounds lost to Hurricane Sandy, which began being rebuilt in the past weeks after the boardwalk was substantially complete. The playgrounds — which feature swings, slides and other exercises for young children — sit on the beach at locations such as 8th Avenue. The pirate ship at 8th and Ocean Avenues will host the ribbon cutting beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 19. The celebration includes a treasure hunt…

Buyouts of properties in flood prone areas are expected to begin within a matter of weeks, beginning in Middlesex County and working south into the summer months as residents and their respective town officials make the difficult decision to abandon entire neighborhoods for good. Though buyout specifics have been limited, Bob Martin, commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, said between eight and 10 towns along the coast have inquired about participating in the State’s Blue Acres program, which purchases severe repetitive loss homes in flood areas and converts the …

Hurricane Sandy heavily damaged large portions of Manasquan's beachfront, and this week one of the most well-known businesses fell to the wrecking crew. Gee Gee's most damaged portion, its south side, was demolished this week. The northside is being prepared to reopen, selling pizza and other boardwalk food in time for the 2013 season. But the landmark business became a casualty to Hurricane Sandy and was torn into a pile of rubble this week. However, the signs of destruction that is Gee Gee's is being flanked by rebuilding to its north and south. While the building is renovating on the north…

As needs have shifted so too has the conversation. Recovery remains underway in varying degrees following Hurricane Sandy's arrival on New Jersey's shores in late October. And while meeting immediate needs of storm survivors was a challenge at times, the direction was always clear: a return to some semblance of normalcy.  Long term recovery, however, is a concept still up for debate. The only thing that's clear now is just how unclear it really all is.  At Monmouth University Thursday night, a live panel comprised of experts and officials joined a second panel broadcast live from New York …

The mood has changed. A log from NJ Hope and Healing shows that people impacted by Hurricane Sandy have gone from feeling shocked, sad and tired with a loss of appetite to angry, hopeless and unable to make decisions. “People are having a natural reaction to abnormal circumstances,” said Carol Benevy, Project Lead for NJ Hope and Healing. NJ Hope and Healing is a project sponsored by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Disaster and Terrorism Branch, through a FEMA grant. In partnership with Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention, NJ Hope and Healing offers …

Although New Jersey has the second-lowest suicide rate in the nation, a new hotline has received approximately 300 calls since it was launched May 1, according to Philly.com. New Jersey’s suicide rate for people ages 35 to 64 increased 31 percent from 1999 to 2010, and as a result the New Jersey Department of Human Services spent $648,981 to create NJHOPELINE, Philly.com reported. Officials have expressed concerns of the emotional impact the stress related to damage and losses from Hurricane Sandy has had and will continue to have, according to Philly.com. Operated by University Behavioral …

Manasquan Mayor George Dempsey released the following letter concerning JCP&L and efforts to repair and replace lighting and street lamps on the beachfront.  The document is attached as a two-page .pdf, above.

A community center's official ribbon-cutting, halted by Hurricane Sandy, is now replanned in a ceremony Friday. Belmar Mayor Matthew Doherty will cut the ribbon on Belmar’s new Community Center located at 601 Main Street via the 6th Avenue entrance. The event will commence at noon May 17. The space already in place was converted to address storm needs after Hurricane Sandy. FEMA and the SBA used the space to assist residents affected by the storm. Though busy for months after the storm, the FEMA office converted in February to focus on SBA loans. With the SBA application deadline past, the …

An eight-episode series of 'This Old House' focuses on several local homes rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy. The PBS' show will first air in October. PBS announced the show worked on an 1880s Shore Cottage in Bay Head, a 1950s Colonial in Point Pleasant, and a prefabricated new house in Manasquan. Side stories will also feature Mantoloking, Long Beach Island, Ocean Grove and other local rebuilding projects along the beach and the bay. Here is the complete announcement from the show producers: Months after Superstorm Sandy devastated shorelines on the East Coast, affected homeowners are still …

An amendment aimed at halting federal flood insurance rate hikes for five years has been blocked in the U.S. Senate. The amendment, introduced by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) was blocked from coming to a vote Tuesday by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Amendments in the U.S. Senate require what is known as "unanimous consent" before a vote can take place, meaning a single member can block a vote from occurring. Toomey told the New Orleans Times-Picayune Tuesday that he objected to changing reforms put in place last year because he supports the move to "diminish the subsidization that occurs now where …

He may have focused his visit on Mantoloking and Seaside Heights, but Prince Harry's trip to tour Jersey Shore devastation began in Sea Girt. The British Royal landed on the base here, and was greeted by Gov. Chris Christie. The governor took to twitter, announcing the prince's arrival, and presenting him with a "Royal Fleece." Christie's own fleece became synonymous with his press conferences and tours following Hurricane Sandy. Prince Harry continued to Mantoloking and Seaside Heights as one of the last days spent stateside of an approximately one-week trip. The purpose of his visit to the …

JERSEY SHORE -- Britain's Prince Harry did what most people would do on a sunny, spring day in Seaside Heights—take in the ocean views, then play some boardwalk games. Harry came to Seaside Heights with Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday morning after the two toured destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy in Mantoloking. The pair drove south on Route 35 and entered the boardwalk at Grant Avenue where crowds of people were waiting for their arrival. "Prince Harry, we love you," shouted one small girl who was holding a welcome sign. Standing next to her was an Elvis Presley impersonator, hoping to …

You can’t even imagine what it’s like to take a shower in your own home, she said while seated at a table that folds up for easy storage. When the new hot water heater was installed in her home and the bathroom made available for showers for the first time in six months, it’s things like that, she said, that make you appreciate what you’ve really got. Jennifer Russell’s life currently is very much about the small victories. Her family gets to eat dinner together every night. She’s been able to reconnect with friends from high school she hasn’t spoken to, in some cases, for more than two …

The Seaside Heights roller coaster that was submerged in the Atlantic Ocean due to Superstorm Sandy will be removed this week, according to NBC 4 New York. The Jet Star coaster will be removed by demolition crews with contractor Weeks Marine following Prince Harry’s visit to Seaside Heights Tuesday, NBC 4 New York reported. Weeks Marine crews will be using both barges in the water and on-shore equipment to remove the rollercoaster, NBC 4 New York said. The removal will be completed within 48 hours. A portion of the Jet Star will be saved for a memorial on the new Casino Pier, which will be …

The following column was submitted by New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Mary E. O'Dowd: As New Jerseyans continue to rebuild and recover from Superstorm Sandy, mold and its remediation have become a challenging issue for many residents and communities. It can cause property damage and be a health concern when it grows inside homes and is not properly dealt with. Exposure to mold can cause coughing or wheezing as well as irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and skin. To help homeowners ensure that their residences are cleaned and remediated properly, the New Jersey Department of …

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez threw Shore residents a virtual lifeline Thursday, delivering an address on the Senate floor where he urged colleagues to support an amendment to federal legislation that would stop flood insurance rate hikes, at least in the short term. Menendez (D-N.J.) spoke in favor of an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act which would stop flood insurance premiums from rising until FEMA completes its study on the affordability of premiums of the National Flood Insurance Program. Shore homeowners face annual flood insurance premiums of up to $31,000 a year if they do…

The long-established home improvement show "This Old House" on PBS has chosen several local houses damaged in Hurricane Sandy, undertaking projects there and airing the progress in a special series coming in October. But as work progresses on the homes, "This Old House" is posting live photos of the construction, and has compiled them into a time lapse on its website. One of the homes is a Manasquan prefabricated house, damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The home is seen as it was after the storm, then its demolition, and in May saw pilings for the house raising installed. As the project continues, …

After six months of applying for insurance payments, government grants, aid and loans, all while living away from home or only on a second floor, some Jersey Shore residents whose homes were flooded by Sandy may feel they need a lawyer. For those contemplating that, there is free legal advice available through a few different resources. One resource is the New Jersey State Bar Association, which provides free legal advice as well as a free booklet about a myriad of Sandy-related issues in an easy to read format. Residents who cannot afford to pay an attorney can call the association's help …