Community Corner

Week in Review: Signs of Recovery Along Jersey Shore

Find out what you may have missed this week from our neighbors in Monmouth and Ocean counties

Water Restored, Safe to Drink on Barrier Island

Jersey Shore — Barrier island residents who are customers of New Jersey American Water can once again use their home's water supply for drinking and cooking.

The company announced Thursday that a "Do Not Consume" order had been lifted after testing showed the water was safe to drink.

Read more on Brick Patch.

Find out what's happening in Red Bank-Shrewsburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Oceanic Bridge Closed: Navesink Banks Slope Failure to Blame

Rumson — When it comes to the Oceanic Bridge closure, there are two separate issues that officials say have been somehow lumped together: the present emergency closure; and a coming closure to address what have been "long scheduled upgrades."

"They are two entirely separate matters; and, one has nothing to do with the other," Monmouth County Spokeswoman Laura Kirkpatrick said on Friday afternoon. "The present closure is an emergency closure not related to the span itself. Another closure has been slated for Jan. 7 and has been in the works for some time. During that distinctly different closure, safety upgrades will be made, such as the replacement of barrier gates. The timetable (of roughly three weeks) is dependent upon weather conditions."

Find out what's happening in Red Bank-Shrewsburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Following a Thursday morning mudslide, notices on both Rumson and Middletown's websites mistakenly said that the Oceanic Bridge will be closed for three weeks to allow for the installation of safety upgrades on the span itself.

Read more on Rumson-Fair Haven Patch.

Nonviolent Crime Rose in Shrewsbury in 2011

Shrewsbury — Overall crime in Shrewsbury Borough increased in 2011 from 2010, according to data released with the state's 2011 Uniform Crime Report.

The increase was owed almost entirely to a jump in the number of nonviolent crimes recorded in the borough, bucking statistics found in greater Monmouth County, where crime was on the wane from 2010 to 2011. 

Read more on Red Bank-Shrewsbury Patch.

City May Require Flood Zone Homes to be Rebuilt 2 Feet Above Base Elevation

Long Branch — A revised ordinance would require Long Branch residents within the city's newly expanded flood zone to rebuild their homes two feet above the base flood elevation.

Long Branch Code Enforcement Officer Kevin Hayes explained the revised flood prevention ordinance during Thursday night's council meeting and said raising the requirement to two feet was the best option for the city.

Read more on Long Branch-Eatontown Patch.

Township: Public Meeting on Beach Easements Would Be 'Counterproductive'

Toms River — Some residents want a public meeting to discuss the possibility of granting easements on their private property, allowing taxpayer funds to be spent on the replenishment of dunes wiped out by Hurricane Sandy.

Township officials, however, do not favor such a forum.

"To have one big open meeting would be counterproductive with 500 people," Council President Mo Hill said Wednesday night when a resident asked why township officials wouldn't talk about the issue in public.

Read more on Toms River Patch.

'Shore Shots' Calendar Sports Pre-Sandy Glory

Jersey Shore- The annual "Shore Shots" calendar put out by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium garners much attention - and praise - each year. But it holds special meaning for 2013.

This year, the computer desktop calendar, which features shots of picturesque coastal places from Sandy Hook to Cape May, should "help us all us all remember what a true treasure the Jersey Shore is and hopefully motivate us to all work together to restore the shore to its pre-Sandy glory," said Kim Kosko, NJSGC spokeswoman.

Read more on Ocean City Patch.

Rumson OKs $5M for Sandy Expenses

Rumson — It was a measure of standard protocol taken in Rumson to cut through some red tape and get damage done from Hurricane Sandy abated and paid for pre-funding.

Two resolutions have been passed in tandem to take care of an estimated $3 million in Hurricane Sandy-related expenses.

Read more on Rumson-Fair Haven Patch.

MONDAY UPDATE: Manahawkin Man Flying Plane is Commercial Pilot

Bay Head — A Manahawkin man used his professional piloting experience to land a small, rented plane on a Bay Head beach as it rapidly lost power Sunday afternoon, police said on Monday.

Christopher McMenamy, 31, who is a commercial pilot flying DC-10s, had rented the Cessna Skyhawk II from an airport in Princeton, said Bay Head Lt. Geoff Barger. McMenamy was shooting aerial photography before he had engine trouble and landed on the beach near East Avenue and Johnson Street at about 3:40 p.m., said Barger.

Read more on Point Pleasant Patch.

Out of Time: Abandoned Clock Factory Demolition Resumes

Howell — Since work began to take down the old Harris & Mallow Clock Factory on Route 9 the process has been interrupted by asbestos cleanup before resuming in recent weeks. 

In the rain on Thursday crews worked to take down the bulk of the main building which has been abandoned for close to two decades. A structure which once stood at the intersection of Route 9 and Georgia Tavern Road is now mostly a pile of rubble with a few walls still standing. 

Read more on Howell Patch.

Township Council Postpones Adoption Of New FEMA Flood Elevation Guidelines

Berkeley — Township Council members voted unanimously to table the public hearing and adoption of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's new Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps at the Dec. 27 meeting.

"We want the planner and the engineer to review the maps and make sure the data is accurate," Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. "Residents have expressed concerns."

Read more on Berkeley Patch.

Manasquan Approves $13.5M in Rebuilding Spending

Manasquan- What Manasquan Borough calls its "Emergency Protection and Recovery Plan" was approved for $13.5M over three ordinances, to address damaged beachfront and other infrastructure impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

Borough Administrator Joe DeIorio explained at the previous borough council meeting that the three ordinances — $7.4 million in beach rebuilding, $5.548 million in water and sewer costs and another half million in other capital improvements — is both to rebuild and improve gaps in emergency operations.

Read more on Manasquan Patch.

Forked River Beach Residents 'Just Targets' After Sandy, Winter Storm

Forked River — The shoreline at the Forked River Beach crept up to the yards of Lacey residents Thursday after a winter storm battered the coast with wind and rain.

“We’ve been going through a lot since Superstorm Sandy. We all got the shock of our life after last night’s storm. The north part of the beach is wiped out up to the fence lines. It’s a very bad situation,” Beach Boulevard resident Pat Doyle said, pleading to the Township Committee to act fast.

Read more on Lacey Patch.

Obituary: Taylor Ruane Patrick Delepine, 19, of Middletown

Hazlet — Taylor Ruane Patrick Delepine, 19, of Middletown, died Monday morning following a car accident on Route 35. 

Delepine was traveling on Route 35 North at Poole Avenue when the 2003 Honda Accord he was driving struck the center median and then slid across the roadway where it struck a utility pole, breaking the pole into several sections at 7:58 a.m., according to Hazlet Police.  

Read more on Middletown Patch.

Jersey Shore's Own Sandy Benefit Concert

Jersey Shore — Suffice it to say, On the Beach: A Sandy Relief Concert is no 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief. Perhaps that’s not such a bad thing.

On the Beach, scheduled for Jan. 2 and being held at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, won’t command anywhere near the same kind of ticket prices and it won’t boast the unprecedented musical lineup as its Sandy relief forbearer – though be assured it’s got its own roster of music legends – but unlike 12-12-12, it’s for the Jersey Shore.

Read more on Little Silver-Oceanport Patch.

Fire Companies Battle Oceanfront Blaze in Surf City

Long Beach Island — Fire companies from throughout Long Beach Island and neighboring towns spent about an hour battling a fire on a three-story oceanfront summer home in Surf City Wednesday evening.

The fire, located on 1st Street, was first reported around 5 p.m., according to Surf City Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Brian Stasik. No one was in the home, Stasik said, adding that the cause of the fire remains under investigation. He said officials from the Ocean County Fire Marshall's Office are investigating.

Read more on Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch.


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