Thursday, May 23, 2013
DEP Commissioner: side scan sonar used to detect sunken debris; Tourism Commissioner: rental market is healthy
Though immense devastation from Superstorm Sandy remains visible up and down the New Jersey coastline, beaches, boardwalks and even rental homes are ready for the annual influx of summer tourists that will begin this weekend, officials said Thursday at the annual "State of the Shore" event in Belmar. The State of the Shore report is presented by state officials and the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium every year before Memorial Day weekend kicks off, but this year it evolved to mark the unofficial reopening of the Shore area following Sandy. With emergency repairs to state and local infrastructure damaged by the storm now complete, work has started on the state's long term recovery, said Bob Martin, commissioner of the state Department of …
This will be Obama's first visit to Shore since just after Sandy
President Obama and Gov. Christie will visit the Jersey Shore on Tuesday, according to The Record in Bergen County. Herb Jackson of the Record and northjersey.com reports President Obama will visit the Jersey Shore on Tuesday with Gov. Christie. This will be Obama's first visit to the area since Oct. 31, just after the storm struck. More information can be found here.
In addition to extra trains and buses, two children can ride free with each fare-paying adult.
NJ Transit will be offering extra trains and buses to patrons leaving work early Friday for Memorial Day weekend, according to a press release Monday. Extra outbound trains will operate on the North Jersey Coast line, which extends into Point Pleasant Beach and ends at Bay Head; the Northeast Corridor, Raritan Valley, Morris and Essex and Port Jervis lines, starting around 1 p.m. Additional buses will also be operating from the Port Authority Bus Terminal on over three dozen bus routes starting around noon, according to NJ Transit. On Memorial Day, trains will operated on a weekend/major holiday schedule on all lines, according to NJ Transit. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule, Newark Light Rail will operate …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Governor Christie will attend
Belmar is planning a grand re-opening of its beach and boardwalk this morning, with Governor Christie in attendance. The final boards are lain and railings are up. Concession trailers and bathrooms will be installed for the season until permanent facilities go up in 2014, Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty said. The permanent lighting may not be installed in time, leaving the borough to go with temporary spotlights or another fix, said the mayor, but otherwise the boardwalk and beach will function in time for the grand re-opening. The re-opening is being planned with much fanfare, said the mayor. The elementary students of Belmar and Saint Rose schools will be invited, and the Belmar Strong volunteers will be honored. There are plans for special …
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Two deadlines for November election
June 4 marks the deadline for independent municipal candidates, and local school board candidates, to file with the county clerk. Local races in Manasquan, Wall and Belmar, among others, switched to a November school board race last year. School board candidates must file with the county clerk. The move to a November election was allowed under a newly passed state law, giving districts the choice to keep an April election or move it to coincide with the general election in November. Candidates will be listed in a separate section of the November ballot, as school board elections are nonpartisan. Also on June 4, independent candidates seeking to get their names on the November municipal or county races must file by that day's deadline. …
Monday, May 20, 2013
Lake water level still very low since Hurricane Sandy
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, a plan to counter the algae growth is not in place. The lake is expected to slowly fill naturally, Magovern said, with no plans to dredge or …
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Silver Lake Park
500 Ocean Ave, Belmar, NJ
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Sunday, May 19, 2013
Mayor announces governor will be joining in ribbon-cutting
The Belmar boardwalk and beachfront will officially open May 22 with much fanfare, to include a visit from the governor. One of the first towns to drive pilings for a new boardwalk, Belmar saw Gov. Chris Christie present to celebrate the beginning of construction, and local officials said the governor will return to celebrate the official reopening of the Belmar boardwalk. The ribbon-cutting on the beach and boardwalk will be held May 22, and Mayor Matt Doherty said this week Christie will be there. Christie and Doherty held a press conference with local officials for the public to kick-off the wide-scale rebuilding of the boardwalk this winter. The project began in January and the final boards were lain late April. May 22, the boardwalk …
Saturday, May 18, 2013
The state urges customers to consult the database before buying a car
The State Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) and Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) are urging all customers to consult their database of flood and salvage-titled vehicles before purchasing a car. That database now provides information on 31,000 such vehicles, the State MVC announced on Wednesday. It isn't illegal to sell vehicles with flood or salvaged titles. However, there are specific requirements that ensure potential purchasers are aware of the status of such vehicles, according to the MVC. “Damage sustained by vehicles must be disclosed to prospective buyers,” Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said. “We will hold car dealers accountable for violating our Consumer Fraud Act if they fail to make such disclosures.” The database was …
Friday, May 17, 2013
Home buyouts in areas prone to flooding expected to start soon, though participation remains voluntary.
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 land into open space. Martin said he wanted to be cautious about naming the municipalities that have inquired about the property buyouts as many have …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
NJHOPELINE received approximately 300 calls in its first days
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 HealthCare at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, the hotline only uses New Jersey-based trained volunteers and professional counselors. The …
KC
11:11 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
We just all heard on PBS the other night that the rental marked is flaccid. more ›