Thursday, May 23, 2013
Planning a vacation or just a day trip? Patch has all the information on the Shore's best beaches
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 in the sand, are you wondering what will be accessible after Sandy? Need to know how much it will cost to buy badges to your favorite beach? Curious …
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Residents rally outside the Sandy-ravaged Surf Club in Ortley Beach
On any given day or night in the past, Joey Harrison's Surf Club parking lot on Sixth Avenue in Ortley Beach would be packed with cars. But that was before Oct. 29, 2012. There is no parking lot left. And soon the Surf Club will be a memory. Superstorm Sandy took care of that. Two oceanfront homes battered by Sandy served as a backdrop for the latest meeting of the grassroots group Stop FEMA Now. The meeting was held in the Ortley Beach section of Toms River - the spot many consider the epicenter of devastation in Ocean County. Stop FEMA Now founder George Kasimos pointed to the pale-yellow house knocked off its foundation, as seagulls wheeled overhead in a cerulean sky. The Atlantic Ocean roared beyond the new dunes. "Six months," he said…
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Officials hoping project will begin this summer from Manasquan to Barnegat inlets
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Daniel Nee
-
Thursday, March 14
Oceanfront homeowners between Manasquan and Barnegat inlets are being urged to sign easements necessary for a beach renourishment project to get off the ground by May 1, officials said Thursday. U.S. Rep Jon Runyan (R-3) wrote to the mayors of a number of northern Ocean County municipalities this week urging them to secure all necessary easements for the massive dune and beach project by May 1, the date the Army Corps of Engineers must submit a work plan to Congress. The project's design – which would include the construction of approximately 25-foot high dunes, 75 foot wide berms and 175 acres of dune grass in the project area – was completed in 2007, but has languished after some oceanfront homeowners refused to sign easements that would…
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The $215 million project, which will include installing a new and improved drainage system, is expected to be completed by the summer of 2015
Governor Christie announced Tuesday that Route 35, from Point Pleasant Beach to South Seaside Park in Berkeley, will be completely rebuilt. The $215 million project, which will include installing a new and improved drainage system, is expected to be completed by the summer of 2015. Funding will come from federal sources, Christie said. The governor announced the project at a press conference held with Ocean County officials at the Lavallette Fire Company building, a block away from the state highway that is the focus of the reconstruction project. The new highway will be 24 inches thick, including asphalt pavement and the stabilizing sub-base materials. The Christie administration said it will do its best to minimize summer disruptions, …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Service line work, meter replacements progressing
New Jersey American Water Company has reported that its work in the Brick and Toms River sections of the northern barrier island are on track. While water service has been restored to the mains island wide, some side streets still needed work and service to some homes needed to be restored as residents repopulated. "Restoration of service lines and water meters in Brick and Toms River is progressing well," the company said in a statement. As part of the ongoing work in Toms River's Ortley Beach section, NJAW crews will begin using GPS devices to "pre locate" meters, valves and hydrants, the company said. The one town that does not have water service at all is Mantoloking Borough, due to the fact that sewer lines have not yet been repaired…
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Ortley Beach has not yet been allowed to repopulate because of utility and road issues
Some Ortley Beach residents will be allowed to move back to their homes in early February under a plan announced Tuesday by Toms River Mayor Thomas Kelaher. The township has prepared and submitted a letter to the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management requesting that the state of emergency declared for Hurricane Sandy be lifted and Ortley residents with all utilities in service at their properties be allowed to return home at 8 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 4. "Through meetings with New Jersey American Water, Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority, New Jersey Natural Gas and JCP&L, Mayor Kelaher has been assured that there service will be restored for most properties in the west and middle sections of Ortley by Feb. 4," reads a statement …
Friday, December 28, 2012
Residents cannot return to Ortley Beach homes without utilities certifications, according to township
Last week, officials announced that unrestricted access to barrier island neighborhoods will resume on Jan. 7, with one exception — Ortley Beach. The section of Toms River was badly battered by Sandy; roads and utilities in the area remain unrepaired. Township officials expect to have a better idea of when residents can repopulate the area following a meeting with utility companies scheduled for Jan. 4. William Kuzbyt, a 9th Avenue resident, told the Township Council this week that he is one of the fortunate few on his street whose house is habitable. He wants to return home. "We're not getting any definitive information as to what's going on with the utilities," he said. "We're paying mortgages, we're paying taxes. So what are we …
Friday, December 21, 2012
Ortley Beach the only neighborhood which will not be open
Unfettered access to barrier island neighborhoods of Brick and Toms River, as well as Seaside Heights, will resume Jan. 7, officials announced Friday. Brick Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis and Toms River Mayor Thomas Kelaher both signed a formal request to Gov. Chris Christie's office certifying that public utilities and roadways would be restored by that date. The request was also signed by Seaside Heights mayor William Akers, who did not attend the ceremony because he was attending the funeral of long-time Ocean County Sheriff William Polhemus. The access plan, if approved by Christie, will allow full public access to all of the barrier island neighborhoods in Brick and Toms River, as well as Seaside Heights, with the exception or Ortley …
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Brick Township, Toms River, and Seaside Heights will announce repopulation plans
The mayors of Brick Township, Toms River and Seaside Heights will jointly announce plans to permanently repopulate their barrier island communities Friday. The North Beach area of Toms River, all of Brick Township and single-family homes in Seaside Heights will be included in the formal joint request to repopulate their towns on the same day. The request will be submitted to Gov. Chris Christie for approval. Seaside Heights Mayor William Akers said Wednesday the repopulation date will be Jan. 7. The hard-hit neighborhood of Ortley Beach will not be included in the plan, officials said, however a statement will be made Friday regarding its eventual repopulation. "Based on what we're seeing from the utility companies, we expect [Gov. …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Debris everywhere in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
Ortley Beach will have a way to go to cleanup the damage wreaked by Hurricane Sandy. Volunteers from Viridian Energy helped in that effort spending the better part of a day moving debris to curbsides in the town.
Comfortably Numb
5:11 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
I took a ride this past Saturday to check out the Brick Beaches. For fishing they look great but for beach going not so much. Brick 3 there was hardly any beach. Plus there is a nice 3-5 for drop off at the end of the beach. Also at the split in the road there was a sign saying "All beaches south of Brick 3 closed". more ›