Community Corner

Week in News: Avon Pavilion Axed, H.S. Peeping Tom, Ocean County Recovery

Check out the news you may have missed this week from our Patch neighbors in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Avon Board Nixes Longtime Pavilion's Lease

Avon — Longtime Avon restaurateur Rob Fishman, owner of the Avon Pavilion, went to Borough Hall on Monday to show officials new blueprints for rebuilding the boardwalk mainstay.

He left without a restaurant.

Read more on Wall Patch

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

 

Raising the Roof in Rumson's West Park

Rumson — In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, those living along the Shrewsbury River in the hard-hit West Park section of Rumson rallied to sift through soggy debris, dry out their homes and rebuild.

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

Three months after Sandy struck on Oct. 29, while there are still remnants of the storm peppering West Park, there are also many signs of completed rebuilding and in-process elevations. Things are literally "looking up" in some spots.

Read more on Rumson-Fair Haven Patch.

Storm-Impacted Ocean County Residents Reaching Breaking Point Over Recovery Problems

Ocean County — Ocean County will not recover from Superstorm Sandy in a matter of weeks or even months, Freeholder Director John P. Kelly said Wednesday.

"It's going to be years," he said.

While much of the slow recovery process depends on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state and local municipalities, the county needs to do as much as possible to provide guidance, Kelly said.

Read more on Berkeley Patch.

Eatontown Residents Angered over Latest Old Orchard Plan

Eatontown — Their message was clear: "No more stores. No more traffic. No house on the golf course."

Eatontown residents came out in force Monday night to voice their opposition to another plan to redevelop the Old Orchard Country Club.

It was a packed house at an informal hearing before the planning board, with no application yet submitted for the redevelopment. The plan, being floated by developer National Realty and Development Corp., is to turn the country club and golf course, which borders Oceanport, into an age-restricted community on one side and retail center along Route 36.

Read more on Long Branch-Eatontown Patch.

Injured On Job, Ex-County Employee Wants Officials to Do Right Thing

Manahawkin — Time is running short for the Jones family.

The lease on the home the family of four — David, his wife, Sandra, and sons Zachary and Matthew — has been renting ran out at the end of December. The owner would not extend it because she wants to live in the house.

They have not been able to find a new place to rent because they have no income. They are running out of possessions to sell to keep the utilities turned on and food on the table.

And David Jones – who fell and injured his back and hand while working as a compost operator for the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management in July 2010 – continues to suffer from chronic pain that is sometimes so bad that he spends the night in the emergency room. His right hand remains curled, unusable. He uses a cane because increasing numbness in his leg and foot have left him unable to walk normally.

Read more on Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch.

Police: Long Branch High School Student Videotaped Girl Getting Undressed in Locker Room

Long Branch — A Long Branch High School student has been charged with invasion of privacy for videotaping a female student who was getting undressed in the school's locker room, police said.

Tyler Gabriel, 18, of Washington Street was charged on Monday, Jan. 28, and was released on a summons, according to Long Branch Police Capt. Jason Roebuck.

Read more on Long Branch-Eatontown Patch.

Trying To Save The Summer Season

Ocean County — Residents up and down the Jersey Shore have noticed a disturbing trend during the three months since Superstorm Sandy pummeled the coastline - more flooding after relatively minor storms.

Hopefully, things will improve in the next few months as a massive debris cleanup of Barnegat Bay and waterways from Raritan Bay all the way down to the bottom of the state gets underway, Ocean County Administrator Carl W. Block said Thursday.

"The target is to have 75 percent of the debris out by June," he said. "While it's an ambitious target, they are trying to make sure there's a summer season."

Read more on Toms River Patch.

Little Silver Waterfront Property Owners Dispute Revaluation [VIDEO]

Little Silver — The timing of Little Silver's revaluation,  couldn't have been worse.

Not only were the town-wide reappraisals coming on the tail end of a housing slump and a decade after the last revaluation, but the benchmark date used to evaluate properties was set at Oct. 1, just a month before Hurricane Sandy came and changed everything.

"There's no precedence for this," Mayor Robert C. Neff, Jr. told the approximately 75 residents gathered to show their opposition to property appraisals received last month.

Read more on Little Silver-Oceanport Patch.

After Condo Proposal, Officials Plot Next Move for Foodtown Site

Brick — A proposal by a redeveloper to build 192 condominium units, 75 rental units and about 19,000 feet of commercial space at the former Foodtown site on Route 70 was met with immediate controversy after it was announced last week.

But nothing is set in stone, officials say, and the issue of how the site should be redeveloped is still up for examination. "It's not a dead issue," said Council President Bob Moore.

Read more on Brick Patch.

Belmar's Seasonal Liquor Licenses Not Amended

Belmar — Holding its public meeting in the borough hall lobby, the Belmar Planning Board and Borough Council dropped a proposal to update its seasonal and beachfront liquor license laws to match state laws expanding the licenses from May to March.

Borough Administrator Colleen Connolly said the borough found out that due to the specifics of its three seasonal liquor licenses, Belmar would not have to pass its own ordinance expanding beachfront liquor licenses to operate year-round.

Read more on Manasquan-Belmar Patch.

Public Safety Director Would Serve at the 'Pleasure' of Governing Body

Lacey — The township is aiming to have a new leader of the police department in place with an approximate start of April.

However, the township has not yet decided whether to go with a civilian public safety director, a police director or a police chief, promoted from within the department. Interviews with officials from municipalities with a director acknowledge the position has limitations that may pose difficulties, although the choice to go with a director largely depends on the needs of a municipality at the time.

Read more on Lacey Patch.

Speeding to Slow Down on River Road

Rumson — From now on, drivers headed down River Road to and from Rumson are going to have to slow down between Fair Haven's border at Buena Vista Avenue and Third Street in Rumson.

After some borough and county rallying at the hands of Rumson resident Ronald Reiswig and studies on the matter, Monmouth County officials have deemed it in the best interest of the public to lower the limit, now posted at 40 miles per hour, to 35 on what is county Route 10.

Read more on Rumson-Fair Haven Patch.

Point Boro Mayor to Christie: 'You're Invited (Again)!'

Point Pleasant Borough — Maybe Gov. Christie would help Point Borough's Sandy-flooded neighborhoods if he would do one simple thing: see them.

That's the thinking of Point Borough Mayor William Schroeder, who has been trying in vain for the past six weeks to get the Garden State's head honcho to visit the Borough where it was tidal surge flooding, and not wave and wind destruction, that flooded 1,000 homes.

Read more on Point Pleasant Patch.

Judge Orders Jeff Simon Removed as Manalapan HS Principal

Manalapan — An administrative law judge ordered Manalapan High School Principal Jeff Simon removed from his position.

Judge Donald J. Stein's initial decision, which was filed on Tuesday, Jan. 22, upheld many of thetenure charges Freehold Regional High School District made against Simon in February 2012.

Read more on Howell Patch.

Popcorn Park's Princess Picks 2013 Super Bowl Winner

Lacey — Princess the Camel of Popcorn Park Zoo has a thing for underdog stories.

As a football pick prognosticator, Princess has predicted the Baltimore Ravens will come out on top in Super Bowl XLVII.

“She thought about it for a while,” said John Bergmann, general manager of Popcorn Park.

Read more on Lacey Patch.


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