Week in News: Drunken Driver Jailed, Boardwalk Rebuilding, Towns Reorganize

6 Months in Jail for Brick Man Who Struck, Killed Teen

Brick Township — Patrick Doyle, the man who fatally struck and killed a Brick teenager on a skateboard in 2011, will spend the next six months in jail and lose his license for 10 years, a judge ruled Thursday night.

Doyle, 55, pleaded guilty to a single count of driving while intoxicated in front of Municipal Court Judge Daniel Sahin in Brick Township municipal court. It is his third DWI conviction.

Read more on Brick Patch.

Many Questions, Few Answers for Sea Bright Residents

Oceanport — There just aren’t a lot of answers for Sea Bright residents these days. Faced with the monumental task of rebuilding following Hurricane Sandy, residents are desperate for some clear direction. They’ll even tell you as much. What they’re finding, however, are levels of misinformation, confusion, and a future that, at this moment, is more than a little muddled.

In the gymnasium of Oceanport’s Wolf Hill Elementary School Thursday night, about 200 Sea Bright residents gathered for the town’s first public information session in hopes of finding the answers they’re looking for regarding Sandy.

Answers for the standing room crowd, largely, were not available.

Read more on Rumson-Fair Haven Patch.

Motorcyclist Critically Injured In Collision With Truck In Bayville

Berkeley — A 48-year-old Bayville man was in critical condition after his motorcycle collided with a Dodge Ram truck on Dorsey Drive early Tuesday evening, Patrolman John Houghkirk said.

James McGee, Hancock Avenue, was traveling north on Dorsey Lane across from Central Regional High School when his 2006 Harley Davidson collided with a truck driven by Ralph Blumberg, 22, Dorsey Lane, Houghkirk said.

Read more on Berkeley Patch.

Boondock's Fishery Turns to the Web to Rebuild

Red Bank — When Sandy slammed into Monmouth County in October she washed out homes and businesses alike, but most of Red Bank was left with little more than a long, cold power outage. Not spared wasThe Boondock's Fishery, which hangs on a little piece of real estate on the bank of the Navesink River next to Irwin's Marine Facilities in Marine Park.

With the help of some friends, owner Kelly Ryan turned to a funding source outside the purview of bankers and loan officers: Indiegogo, a crowd funding website where anyone can start a campaign to launch a dream, back a cause, start a business or, in this case, recreate a BYOB seafood restaurant.

Read more on Red Bank-Shrewsbury Patch.

Freeholders Gear Up For Challenging 2013

Ocean County — With family, friends, and Lieutenant Gov. Kim Guadagno in attendance,  John C. Bartlett Jr. and Gerry P. Little were sworn in as members of the Ocean County Chosen Board of Freeholders on Wednesday, amid one of the most challenging periods the county has ever faced.

As critics from all corners were taking the House of Representatives to task for its failure to pass a $60.4 billion bill that would have provided much-needed assistance to the county, its towns and its residents in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy, the freeholders spent much of the 2013 reorganization meeting focusing on pulling together on the local level.

Read more on Toms River Patch.

Long Branch Council Awards Bid For Pier Village Boardwalk Repair

Long Branch — While it did not receive as much damage from Hurricane Sandy as other sections, Pier Village's boardwalk was still in need of repairs.

The Long Branch Council has awarded a bid to K.B.D. Construction LLC to perform repairs on the Pier Village boardwalk for $194,380.

Read more on Long Branch-Eatontown Patch.

Planning Lessons from Sandy: Climate Change a Reality, Adjustments Needed

Jersey Shore — Climate change is a reality, experts say.

Following Hurricane Sandy's impact on the Jersey Shore, property owners will have to make some tough decisions about how and if they should rebuild. 

For those willing to stick it out, the only option is to build smarter and build up, some say. Here, two professionals, one an architect, one a hazard mitigation specialist, talk about the reality of climate change, and the future of building along the coast.

Read more on Toms River Patch.

State Assemblyman Is Wall's New Municipal Attorney

Wall Township — There will be a new face on the dais this year as a state Assemblyman takes over for a former Monmouth County Sheriff as Wall’s Township Attorney.

Joseph Oxley, former county sheriff and future Superior Court judge, stepped down from the dais, making way for state Assemblyman Sean Kean, who was appointed by the Township Committee to serve as township attorney.

Read more on Wall Patch.

No Attorney Appointment Made as School Board Reorganizes

Toms River — Toms River's Board of Education finished its sometimes heated first meeting of the year without a board attorney present, just as it began. 

After winning a majority on the board, the "Clean Slate" members have enough votes to oust board attorney Thomas Monahan, something they tried to accomplish — but fell short of by two votes — when his contract was last up for renewal in 2011. Monahan, of the firm Gilmore and Monahan, has served the board for more than 20 years.

Read more on Toms River Patch.

Kicking Off 2013, Belmar Plows Forward on Rebuilding Beachfront

Belmar — Between homes, businesses, infrastructure and public facilities such as the boardwalk, Belmar has an estimated $130 million in damage from Hurricane Sandy, officials said.

The year ahead will be doing the hard work of rebuilding and perhaps the harder work determining what to do and how to fund it, said Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty in his 2013 address at Thursday's reorganization meeting. But some of the biggest milestones in rebuilding Belmar are here. Doherty said the first pilings forthe new boardwalk will be erected Jan. 9.

Read more on Manasquan-Belmar Patch.

Gotto: Continue 'Rebranding of Howell'

Howell — During Tuesday's reorganization meeting of the Howell Township Council, Mayor Bill Gotto said he is looking forward to continuing to serve the residents of Howell. 

At a meeting where former Mayor Robert Walsh was appointed to fill Gotto's vacated seat, and Councilman Ed Guz was officially sworn in, Gotto said he expects the council to "hit the ground running.

Read more on Howell Patch.

Mayor Says Stafford Will Have a 'Rough' 2013 After Sandy

Stafford — Calling it a case of “the good, the bad and the ugly,” Stafford Mayor John Spodofora said 2013 will be a rough one.

“The good was the people,” he said. "We were very blessed with employees, who worked tirelessly and then came back to volunteer more of their time; neighbors helping neighbors clean up and gut their homes or work in the shelters and relief center and volunteers that came from all over the country to help after Sandy."

The bad, he said, "were the few people who - no matter what we did - felt it was not enough, but they were few and far between." But it was the ugly - the damage caused by the storm - that is going to make 2013 a “rough year,” said Spodofora.

Read more on Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch.

UPDATE: Manchester Woman Found

Manchester — A 47-year-old Manchester woman reportedly missing from the Fresh Start Group Home has been found, police said.

Deborah A. Kelley may have gone to the Manahawkin area, the Little Egg Harbor area or the New Gretna area, police said.

Read more on Manchester Patch.

Christie: House Majority's 'Toxic Politics' to Blame for Delay in Sandy Aid

Jersey Shore — Gov. Chris Christie is placing blame for the lengthy delay in approval of a Hurricane Sandy Relief bill squarely on the shoulders of combative U.S. House of Representative Republicans, specifically Speaker John Boehner.

Christie offered a scathing rebuke of Boehner and waffling Republicans during a press conference in Trenton Wednesday afternoon, saying Congress has failed in its primary purpose, to protect its own citizens. Residents of New York and New Jersey are being used as pawns in a game of politics, he said, and that's why this country's citizens "hate" Washington D.C.

Read more on Point Pleasant Patch.