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Archive for the ‘Ocean Grove news’ Category

Township Attorney: Koplitz Still Not Abiding by Court Order — “unreasonable” and “tantamount to bad faith” —

Posted in Blogfinger News, Neptune Township News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , on December 13, 2012| 13 Comments »

By Charles Layton

Marshall Koplitz, owner of the notorious Park View Inn building on Seaview Avenue, has again failed to meet his obligations under a court order, prompting Neptune Township attorney Gene Anthony to accuse him of acting in bad faith.

This week, in a letter, Anthony gave notice to Koplitz’ lawyer that her client is in default of the court order. By our count this marks the fourth time this year that Anthony has threatened to take Koplitz back to Municipal Court for being in default.

Koplitz and the Township negotiated a consent order in July of 2011, in which he promised the court and the Township that he would renovate the boarded-up and dilapidated Park View Inn according to a specific five-phase schedule. This agreement came after years of conflict with the Township, with neighbors and with the Ocean Grove Fire Commissioners over the dangerously run-down condition of his hotel.

Although he has since met some of that agreement’s deadlines, he has missed others, to the frustration of many long-suffering Ocean Grove residents living nearby.

Marshall Koplitz at an HPC meeting last December. Photo by Charles Layton

Marshall Koplitz at an HPC meeting last December. Photo by Charles Layton

The subject of this week’s letter, from Anthony to attorney Michelle Lebovitz Lamar, was Koplitz’ failure to submit revised architectural plans to the Township. Although Koplitz did submit plans, Anthony wrote that those plans “have not been responsive to the requirements of the Construction Department.” Given that the department requested revisions “as early as June 6, 2012,” Anthony wrote, “it is hard to believe that proper corrections and completion of such plans have not been completed six (6) months later.” The delay, he said, “is unreasonable and is tantamount to bad faith on the part of your client.”

Asked for comment, Lamar told Blogfinger that it was her policy not to “speak to the press about any of my clients.” (Koplitz himself has failed to return our phone calls on several occasions. He has an open invitation from us to explain his side of these disputes at any time.)

Anthony said if Koplitz does not respond with the proper complete architectural plans by December 25, he will take the case back to Municipal Court. Under the consent order, if the court finds Koplitz in default he could be fined $35,000 or more.

NOTE: For extensive background on Koplitz and his various clashes with Neptune over property maintenance and safety issues, just type “Marshall Koplitz” at the top right corner of this page.

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OG Neighborhood Watch Report

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , on December 5, 2012| 13 Comments »

By Charles Layton

Here are the latest crimes in Ocean Grove, as reported on Wednesday by Neptune Township police:

  • Someone forced entry into a store on Pilgrim Pathway overnight and stole money and merchandise.
  • There were two more reported thefts of house decorations on Clark Avenue. (House and lawn decorations have been disappearing from Ocean Grove homes on a regular basis for many weeks.)
  • In the area of Franklin Avenue and Cookman Avenue someone shattered door windows on two vehicles. From one of the vehicles the thief removed I-Pods that were left in plain sight in the center console.
  • A resident reported that their front license plate was either lost or stolen. The license plate had the victim’s EZ-Pass attached to it.

Our police liaison, Officer Michael Adam, reminds residents to secure their personal items. Do not leave valuables in plain sight in your car. Report all suspicious behavior to the police immediately via 9-1-1.

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Camp Meeting Association Seeking Funds to Rebuild — — Cost Could Be $3 Million. FEMA Money a Possibility.

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , , , , on December 4, 2012| 11 Comments »

As planks are removed from the damaged boardwalk, they are saved in piles for possible reuse. Photo by Mary Walton

As planks are removed from the damaged boardwalk, they are being saved and evaluated for possible reuse. Photo by Mary Walton

By Mary Walton

The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association estimates that it will cost roughly $3 million to restore the boardwalk and pier damaged by Hurricane Sandy, interim administrator Ralph delCampo said Tuesday.

The cost for the pier alone is estimated at $500,000 to $750,000. In addition, the insurance policy which covers the damaged roof of the Great Auditorium, now under repair, has a $100,000 deductible.

DelCampo emphasized that the estimates are preliminary, given many questions about how to proceed. “We want to enhance the kind of construction,” he said. “We do not simply want to replace the boardwalk. What did we learn from other towns?”

One thing they learned is not to follow the example of Spring Lake, he said. After last year’s Hurricane Irene demolished the boardwalk there, the town rebuilt it in nearly identical fashion, only to lose it to Sandy.

In fact, planks in the heavily damaged section of the Ocean Grove boardwalk between the south side of the pavilion and the beach office were recently replaced at a cost approaching $300,000. “All of that money just went to the ocean,” delCampo said. That section, known as the Middle Beach, now must be completely rebuilt.

In probing why the pavilion itself and the boardwalk north of Seaview Avenue survived almost intact, initial credit went to the dunes. No one is discounting their importance, but, in addition, the Camp Meeting discovered that a hidden bulwark of massive boulders and rubble lies beneath them. “We believe that’s what saved the boardwalk and dunes,” delCampo said.

Dale Whilden, president of the board of trustees, who joined delCampo in a conference call with Blogfinger, said the boulder wall was built in 1953 following a major storm. Post Sandy, he discovered drawings and documentation in his files. “I had forgotten,” he said. “A couple of trustees remembered it vaguely.”

Under discussion now is extending that bulwark south in tandem with new dunes. DelCampo said the Camp Meeting is working with consulting engineer Peter Avakian and with local contractors in designing a plan. At present, the Middle Beach boardwalk is being systematically dismantled and inspected for structural integrity, a process that will take about three months. “We will remove joists and planks and even some of the pilings and save them to be reused,” delCampo said.

At the same time, he said. the Camp Meeting has hired a consultant “to help us work through applications.” Topping the list of potential funders is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA will pay 75 percent of the cost of approved projects and up to 100 percent under certain circumstances. Gov. Christie has asked for the higher amount.

The Camp Meeting is also seeking private contributions from people in the community. delCampo said he was intrigued by Belmar’s “Buy a Board” campaign, which allows contributors to pay from $25 to $5,000 for individual planks, with their name and board level displayed at beach entrances.

The topic of private donations came up at meetings the Camp Meeting held last week with representatives of the Ocean Grove Home Owners Association and with Ocean Grove United. Both groups praised the meetings as positive but expressed reservations about a glossy fund-raising flyer titled “Let’s Rebuild” mailed to Ocean Grovers in late November. It stipulated that checks should be made payable to OGCMA “with ‘Now & Forever’ in the memo line.”

Home Owners president Ann Horan said her understanding is that the Camp Meeting’s “Now & Forever” fund is money that “they could take and use it for whatever they want. We think they should make it more specific.”

OGU raised a similer objection. The organization has a history of friction with the Camp Meeting, most recently over the speaking engagement of actor Kirk Cameron last summer for a Sunday worship service after Cameron had made anti-gay remarks in a television interview. Last week’s meeting between OGU and the Camp Meeting fulfilled a Camp Meeting pledge to improve communication between the two groups.

The flyer was a major topic at the meeting. “People are not comfortable giving to a general fund,” said OGU co-chair Harriet Bernstein. “They would certainly be willing to give to an earmarked fund with some accountability.” She and co-chair Luisa Paster told the Camp Meeting officials, “Everyone wants to help, but they want it dedicated to the replenishment of the beach and the boardwalk.”

Bernstein and Paster suggested that the Camp Meeting consider holding a fundraiser and also forming a coalition of community organizations to drum up financial support for rebuilding.

The Camp Meeting also met with board members of the Ocean Grove Chamber of Commerce, but the “Now & Forever” issue did not come up at that meeting, said Chamber president Rich Lepore, owner of Smuggler’s Cove on Main Avenue. “I’ve heard it more from customers,” he said. “They want to give but they don’t quite know how.”

Whilden explained that the press of time was why people were asked to donate to a general fund rather than one earmarked for rebuilding. At the time the fund-raising flyer was sent out, he said, “We were planning an immediate response. We didn’t have a strong idea of where the money ought to go. We wanted flexibility to put donated funds where they needed to be.” He said that if donors specify a preference in the “For” line of their checks, such as “boardwalk” or “pier,” or specify the intended use in a letter, the Camp Meeting is legally obligated to use the money for that purpose.

Meanwhile, delCampo said, the Camp Meeting development committee is meeting Thursday and will be coming up with an alternative “for those who don’t want to give more broadly.” In addition to donations for beachfront damage, he added a plea for funds to help pay for the auditorium repair. “We cannot forget the auditorium. It is a central focus of the community as well,” he said.

 

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Bascom Assesses Sandy: Neptune Better Off Than Most — Minimal Impact on Township Taxpayers

Posted in Blogfinger News, Neptune Township News, Ocean Grove news, tagged on November 24, 2012| 6 Comments »

Ocean Grovers overflowed the Community Room for an update on storm recovery. Janet Whritner, right, greeted arrivals and gave out name tags. Photos by Mary Walton

By Charles Layton

Michael Bascom, Neptune’s chief financial officer, said Saturday that Neptune is recovering from Hurricane Sandy faster than most other Jersey shore towns, and that the storm’s impact on local taxes should be minimal.

“I still don’t see the tax impact of this storm being much more than a penny” per $100 of assessed value, Bascom told the Ocean Grove Home Owners Association at its monthly membership meeting.

He said the total cost of Neptune’s response to and recovery from the hurricane will be between $5 million and $7 million and that FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) will reimburse the Township for at least 75 percent. Insurance on Township facilities will also help. Whatever expenses aren’t reimbursed will be apportioned over the next five years’ municipal budgets.

“We are in full recovery mode in Neptune at this point,” said Bascom, who coordinated the preparations and response as director of the town’s Office of Emergency Management. He said all Township employees — including librarians, code enforcement and construction officials, tax officials, engineering and public works employees — became emergency response workers in the wake of the storm.

Although Sandy was extraordinarily destructive, impacting “properties that had never been impacted before by a storm,” Neptune was better prepared than most other towns, he said, and therefore recovered faster than most.

The flooding was “exactly where we thought it would be,” which allowed police, fire and EMS officials to go door to door in advance, warning those in danger to get out. They were rescuing people “right up to the last minute, until it was unsafe to do so,” he said.

Neptune was able to clear streets and roads faster than most places, which made it possible for the electric company to move in and restore power faster. At one point, he said, Township supervisors became truck drivers in order to give their employees a few hours of rest.

No one in Neptune died as a result of the storm, although two people were severely injured, due to a blown-out gas pilot light, when they returned to their damaged home prematurely. “When they drove their car in the garage their house exploded,” he said.

He said 772 homes in Neptune suffered significant damage from the storm, including 18 in Ocean Grove. Seven Ocean Grove homes were deemed unsafe. In Neptune as a whole, 121 homes were deemed uninhabitable — most of them in Shark River Hills. Shark River Hills also had “probably 100 boats” blown onto people’s lawns or into their houses, he said.

At least 400 trees were down following the storm, and more than 100 of those were entangled with electrical wires, which hampered the town’s ability to clear them off streets. This, along with gas and water leaks, made streets unsafe to navigate for several days.

Michael Bascom: “We are in full recovery mode”

Bascom said the biggest expense of the cleanup is the enormous amount of brush that has to be removed, processed and disposed of, at a total cost of about $2 million. He said about two-thirds of that brush disposal work still remains to be done.

Mayor Randy Bishop, who introduced Bascom, gave lavish praise to all of the Township’s employees. He also said the Township was especially well-prepared in advance of the storm. Home Owners president Ann Horan and various members of the audience also complimented the Township on its well-organized response.

Horan said that after the storm Bishop and Bascom were on the phone daily with her and with leaders of other residents organizations throughout Neptune, keeping them informed. The problem, she said, was that, with power out, the Home Owners Association had limited ability to pass on information from the Township to the residents. For the future, she said the Home Owners Assocation intends to organize an emergency information system based on volunteers on each block going door to door.

Bascom and others also made these points:

  • The dunes along the Ocean Grove beach proved to be far better protection against the storm surge than dune systems in most other towns on the Jersey coast.
  • The Township expects FEMA to approve repairs to the Wesley Lake wall at the North End, which was already damaged and suffered further deterioration from the storm. Bascom said as soon as FEMA gives authorization the Township will begin repairs.
  • Neptune officials have been helping the Camp Meeting Association apply for FEMA’s help in repairing the boardwalk.
  • The lakes to the north and south of Ocean Grove are silted up and will need to be dredged to mitigate future storms.
  • Neptune schools reopened sooner than those in most other towns, partly because Neptune managed to clear its roads more quickly.
  • Neptune suffered no looting problems after the storm. Bascom said police had an especially strong presence in those neighborhoods that had the worst damage and were therefore most susceptible to looting.
  • No one in Neptune is living in shelters now. “We feel we’re ahead of everybody else in recovery,” Bascom said.
  • If anyone would like to volunteer their time and skills to help with recovery, Neptune has a volunteer coordinator — Monique Burger. She can be reached at 732-988-5200, extension 298. She can be emailed at mburger@neptunetownship.org.
  • The Township is still accepting donations for storm victims. It has a donations center at 1924 Heck Avenue, although it is not open full hours. Tax assessor Bernard Haney is in charge of receiving and distributing donations.
  • Neptune has hired part-time employees, under a federal grant, to help with cleanup and with expediting the approval of applications for construction permits. Also, until December 11, as part of the recovery action plan, fees for building permits have been waived.

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REVIEW: The New Showroom Cinema Is Finally Here

Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park, Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged on November 23, 2012| 2 Comments »

First nighters. Photos by Mary Walton

By Charles Layton

The new Showroom Cinema opened for business on Friday night — excellent news for movie lovers in Ocean Grove and all points nearby.

We’ve been waiting for many months while the owners of the original Showroom, at 708 Cookman in Asbury Park, built a new, larger theater directly across the street, with three screens instead of just one.

“This is the first movie built from the ground up in Monmouth County in quite a while,” co-owner Mike Sodano said as he watched some of the very first customers come through the doors.

Since opening the original Showroom in 2009, Sodano and his partner, Nancy Sabino, have provided the kind of arthouse movie fare that you really can’t find anywhere else nearby. The Clearview in Red Bank is the only place that comes close. Having such a moviehouse on Cookman really completes that little business district, which already has a collection of good restaurants and bars, the coffeehouse America’s Cup and a couple of dessert places. The district now has everything one needs for a satisfying night out.

Sodano and Sabino celebrated their “soft opening” by offering all tickets for $7. And the city of Asbury Park helped out by providing three hours of free parking to visitors throughout the city.

But Ocean Grovers needn’t worry about parking. We can just stroll across the Wesley Lake footbridge and we’re there.

The new building boasts three theaters: a main room on the ground floor that seats 75, a second theater that seats 25, and a 12-seat space upstairs suitable for special screenings and parties. (The old place had a single 50-seat theater.)

This weekend’s features are “A Late Quartet” starring Philip Seymour Hoffmann, Catherine Keener and Christopher Walken; the documentary “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel,” and  “A Royal Affair,” a Danish historical drama. Mary and I went to the 5:30 showing of “A Late Quartet,” where we ran into former Ocean Grove merchant Vicki LaBella, who seemed as pleased as we were that the new place has finally opened. “It’s nice that they’re right here in our backyard,” she said, adding that she intends to “come again, over and over.”

Although the new building has more space, it retains the intimate feeling of the old one. As has been her custom, Nancy Sabino stepped on the stage and gave a personal greeting just before the movie began. She thanked us for coming and said the owners had only gotten their final inspection and certificate of occupancy at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. “It’s so great to see everybody sitting in the seats,” she said.

The crowd, which seemed to be mainly old and loyal customers, gave her a round of applause.

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Hurricane Sandy: The Bills Are Starting to Come In

Posted in Blogfinger News, Neptune Township News, Ocean Grove news, tagged on November 21, 2012| 13 Comments »

By Charles Layton

At it’s meeting on Monday, the Neptune Township committee plans to authorize $5.1 million in bonds to pay for hurricane expenses.

Mayor Randy Bishop said in an interview that he thinks this amount will cover most of the Township’s costs incurred during the storm and for the cleanup afterward. He said he expects most of that money to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and by insurance. “I believe that we will get a significant amount back,” he said.

But because the Township wants to proceed with cleanup and repairs now, it is willing to borrow the money in the short term.

The bonds to be issued include $1 million for the heavily-damaged marina at Shark River Hills, $500,000 for the Township’s Sewer Authority and $3.6 million for other emergency expenses. One of the biggest expenses is the clearing of massive amounts of debris — discarded household items, downed trees and other refuse. “We have, as of today, picked up as much debris from this storm as we do in one year’s time,” Bishop said.

He said FEMA normally pays 75 percent of damages incurred by a municipality, but in the case of Hurricane Sandy negotiations are underway at the state and federal level to increase that percentage, perhaps as high as 90 percent. And because Neptune has acted more quickly than many other towns, Bishop said, it has gotten better funding matches. “A portion of early funding is [reimbursed] 100 percent.”

The mayor also said FEMA may continue to help the Township long after its immediate needs have been met. It is possible that FEMA will help fund projects designed to make the Township less vulnerable to flooding in the future. “So you’ll see things that FEMA will be with us on for a number of years,” he said.

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Ocean Grove Neighborhood Watch

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , on November 20, 2012|

By Charles Layton

Here is the first report by Neighborhood Watch since the hurricane. Our police liaison officer, Michael Adam, passes along the following:

  • There have been several more reports of lawn ornaments being removed from people’s property.
  • A business on Main Avenue was left unlocked, and someone entered and took some items.
  • A resident reported a suspicious person in the area of Clark Avenue during the mid-day hours. Officers responded and located the subject, who, upon investigation, was found to be in possession of stolen items from an Ocean Grove home. He was arrested.

Officer Adam’s comment: “This is a great example of a resident reporting a suspicious subject.” He continues to urge that residents be diligent in reporting suspicious behavior.

Adam also said he hopes “all of the residents are doing well after the storm. If anyone has any questions or is in need of assistance, please contact the Neptune Township Police Department at 732-988-8000.”

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Free Firewood at Firemen’s Park

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, Photo News, tagged on November 18, 2012| 5 Comments »

Cut and stacked and there for the taking

Text and photo by Mary Walton

Ocean Grove volunteer firemen turned to on Saturday, sawing and stacking fallen trees at Firemen’s Park, the result of Hurricane Sandy.

Sorted into large and small logs and kindling, a free supply of firewood now awaits, available to all comers. “If they want it, they should help themselves,” said fire department spokesman David Shotwell Jr.

Neptune Township has decreed that all of the tree trunks and limbs lying beside curbs throughout the Township are free for the taking. It’s better for residents to use the wood than for the Township to pay for pickup and disposal.

Shotwell joined some 10 men, including several father-son pairs, who devoted about five hours to cleaning up the debris. “It was a mess,” Shotwell said. “It was taking up parking spaces. We wanted to make it safer and to make it look nice.” He noted that the southeast corner of the well-used park is a school bus stop, and the park also serves as the origination point for bus tours by local organizations.

As they do every year, firemen also ringed the park with Christmas lights.

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In the Wake of a Crippling Storm, an Economic Windfall — “The phones started ringing off the hook.”

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged on November 14, 2012| 4 Comments »

Vicki Palmer, manager of the Ocean Plaza and Ocean View inns, takes another call from someone needing lodging. Photo by Mary Walton

By Mary Walton

Hurricane Sandy has proved an unexpected bonanza for the economy of Ocean Grove, filling hotels to capacity with displaced flood victims, government workers and private contractors, while boosting house rentals during the normally dormant winter season.

“Most of the inns are full and they do have waiting lists,” said Lois Hetfield, administrator of the Ocean Grove Chamber of Commerce.

The first to arrive were electrical crews from as far away as Michigan and Ohio, who “were pitching in to get the power back on,” said Vicki Palmer, manager of the Ocean Plaza and the Ocean View inns on the Pathway. With power largely restored in Monmouth County, “They left Monday.” But meanwhile a wave of inspectors from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) came in, “here to do inspections on homes.”

At the same time, FEMA launched a website that listed hotels approved for temporary housing of storm victims. Said Palmer, “We signed up with FEMA to be on their website and house displaced families. So did the Albatross, the Quaker Inn and the Majestic. Then the phones started ringing off the hook. There are so many people looking for places to stay and not enough rooms.”

She immediately canceled vacation reservations from other customers. “We explained that housing individuals and first responders was our number one priority.”

Her FEMA families currently include a mother with four small children, a couple with a special needs child and an elderly Monmouth Beach woman who lost her home and all her possessions. She welcomes the surge in business but feels sorry for the storm victims. “Unfortunately it’s on the backs of these people. You hate to even discuss it.”

The latest to arrive are several dozen members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Some are lodged in the two Ocean Pathway inns managed by Palmer. Others are at the Shawmont Hotel at 17 Ocean Avenue, where they have rented most of the 28 rooms. Manager Joanna Bednarek said they are ideal customers. “They leave by six or seven in the morning and they don’t get back till nine. It’s unbelievable the hours they put in, and they work seven days a week.

“They’re an amazing group of people. So well-behaved. And they are gone all day so there are no complaints, no noise.”

With the government picking up the tab, cost does not seem to be an issue.  The Shawmont’s daily rates run from $85 to $105 during the week and $130 on weekends. If there are people who can’t afford them, “we’re willing to work with them,” Bednarek said.

At the Melrose, owned by Neptune Mayor Randy Bishop and Dan Margo, seven of the 10 rooms have been rented by FEMA for its relief employees. Because many of them have to be at work at out-of-town locations by 7 a.m., Margo said the Melrose, at 34 Seaview Avenue, offers a full breakfast at 5 a.m. The FEMA people, he said, were astonished to learn that “the guy serving breakfast in the morning is the mayor of a town of 40,000.”

Bishop and Margo do all the cooking and cleaning, but inns that depend on hired workers have been caught short. “It’s a problem at all the inns,” said Palmer. “In the summer, when we have the volume, we are staffed with high school and college kids.” She has had to take on cleaning chores.

Elsewhere in town winter rentals have been snapped up by displaced families and contractors, and the need is likely to grow as FEMA funding for temporary housing comes to an end. The original deadline was November 15, but Palmer said she has received extensions to Nov. 28. Rentals are also in demand by companies that are moving in work crews.

“Places are going quickly,” said Janet Manni of Century 21, where between 8 and 10 renters have snapped up properties in the Grove. Many owners of houses and apartments are reluctant to rent, knowing that they will want to ask renters to leave by June 1 when the summer season begins. “I think it would be very hard to put people out,” Manni said.

“We probably have eight inquiries a day,” said Angela Holder, the broker manager at Jack Green Realty.  She said they were contacting people with summer rentals to see if they can make them available now, and have also leased out several houses that were for sale. “We’re doing everything we can to help, but it’s hard finding the match. A lot of people have pets. Some people will take a small dog, but we have people with two big dogs or three small dogs. That’s the biggest problem we’ve run into.”

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Mucking, Lugging, Cleaning — Calvary Relief Operation Expands

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , on November 12, 2012| 18 Comments »

In the Youth Temple, their base of operations in Ocean Grove, volunteers prepare donated clothes and food for distribution to disaster victims.

Text and photos by Mary Walton

After establishing a base in the Camp Meeting Association’s Youth Temple, Calvary Relief has tripled in size from the days following Hurricane Sandy to an operation that fields 100-plus volunteers daily from as far away as California, Florida and points in between.

Calvary Relief is a nondenominational organization of far-flung Christian churches specializing in good works.

After spending the night on air mattresses in the basement and washing up in the janitor’s sink, these out-of-staters join with volunteers from the Calvary Chapel in Old Bridge and head north to hard-hit areas like Union Beach and Sea Bright, and south to Belmar.

Whatever the issue, “we’d be happy to help out,” said Jason Baker, a Calvary pastor who is overseeing the work. “Any kind of mucking, deconstruction, tree removal.”

Fort Lauderdale volunteers Elyssa Service, 19, and Daniella Silva, 20

Connie Ogden of 23 Broadway was a grateful beneficiary of Calvary’s assistance rendered after professional pumpers siphoned six feet of water from her basement. For two days, as many as eight Calvary volunteers at a time cleaned and disinfected the basement, a job that required “a lot of lugging,” Ogden said. That wasn’t all. “They helped reassemble my shed and did a lot of hosing down of stuff.  They pretty much did what I asked them to do. They were very, very polite and very helpful.”

Back at the Youth Temple, volunteers sort clothing and food donated by churches for distribution to hurricane victims. In addition, said Baker, food for the volunteers themselves, particularly packaged meat, bagged salads, and individual cheese slices, would be welcome.

As she sorted socks, Elyssia Service, 19, one of several volunteers from Fort Lauderdale, explained that she is enrolled in a Calvary discipleship program called “Patmos.” That is the name of a small Greek island where John the Apostle is believed to have had a vision from Jesus. This is her first assignment to a disaster, she said. “This is awesome being able to come out and serve.”

Another volunteer, Jim Shevchenko from the Old Bridge congregation, who was grabbing brooms and other cleaning items before heading up to the Highlands, said he is unemployed. “I’m just trying to look for a job and in between I’ll help the best way I can.”

One volunteer from Ocean Grove, who did not want to give his name, said he was both impressed by the relief effort and disappointed at the turnout from town. “There’s a lot of work to be done here and it’s being done, but not by Grovers.”

Baker said the Calvary Relief volunteers plan to stay on in Ocean Grove for a minimum of two more months.

Here’s where some volunteers sack out — in the Youth Temple basement. Others stay at Grove Hall when there is room.

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OG Storm Related TidBits

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged on November 12, 2012|

1. The OG Chamber of Commerce has had trouble getting enough houses for this year’s Holiday Festival House and Inn Tour, scheduled for December 8 & 9. On Monday, the Chamber informed its members via email that although nine houses had been scheduled, “four backed out for various reasons, so we are down to five, which is not enough to warrant a tour.” The Chamber’s administrator, Lois Hetfield, wrote in her email that if anyone would be “willing to put their house on tour, they would certainly save the event. I think it is important to get the word out that we are up and running, and that our business district is fully open. If we do not get at least one more home, we will have to cancel the tour this week, which is not the image we want to project.” Ed. note: This item has been updated, and the house tour is on after all. See our “OG Bulletin Board” for details.

2. FEMA reported on Monday that some 190,800 storm survivors in New Jersey have applied for federal disaster assistance, and more than $127 million in individual assistance has already been approved. FEMA officials have checked into several Ocean Grove hotels and are processing claims. We are starting to hear from Ocean Grovers who have had a quick, efficient response from FEMA. One woman applied for aid on Monday and received it on Friday. Individuals and business owners with losses from the hurricane can apply for assistance by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

3. As FEMA officials fan out seeking to help those in need, the government is warning people to watch out for “fraudsters” who often appear in the wake of disasters. They include phony housing inspectors, phony contractors and people making fake offers of state and federal aid. Look out for solicitors who promise to speed up the insurance, disaster aid or permit process and then ask for cash deposits or advance payments. Also beware of anyone who asks for bank account numbers (FEMA inspectors never require banking information), Social Security numbers or other sensitive information. Anyone representing FEMA or the SBA will have a laminated photo ID badge; ask to see it. Check with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (800-242-5846) to make sure a contractor is registered. Ask to see a contractor’s liability insurance and be sure it is valid. All contracts should be in writing and reviewed before signing.

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Happy Belated Halloween — But it won’t be door-to-door

Posted in Blogfinger News, Ocean Grove news, tagged on November 12, 2012|

By Charles Layton

Halloween, which had been postponed due to troublesome weather, will be held this Wednesday in Firemen’s Park on Main Avenue.

It won’t be kiddies going door-to-door, though, and it won’t last long, only from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

It’s called “Trunk or Treat,” which means parents should bring their children — infants through grade 5 — and their cars to Firemen’s Park, to receive their traditional Halloween treats.

“We’ll fill up your trunks,” Mayor Randy Bishop’s announcement said. “We have candy and treats due to generous donations from Walmart and FoodBank.”

Bishop asked the various residents’ associations in Neptune Township to find safe, well-lit locations for the event and to run it for the Township. In Ocean Grove, the Home Owners Association will be in charge. “We have to go and pick up the food, set up the cars around Firemen’s Park and wait for the kids to come,” said Ann Horan, the HOA’s president. She’s looking forward to seeing kids in costumes.

In other parts of Neptune, similar Trunk or Treat events will be held at Ridge Avenue Park between 9th and 10th Avenues, the Gables School parking lot, the Midtown Commons parking lot, the Shark River Elementary School parking lot, the Green Grove School parking lot and at Winding Ridge.

The Township had called off the original Halloween festivities due to hazards and difficulties related to Hurricane Sandy.

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CORRECTION: No Disaster Aid for Second Homes

Posted in Blogfinger News, Neptune Township News, Ocean Grove news, tagged , on November 12, 2012| 6 Comments »

By Charles Layton

Second homes — such as many people own in Ocean Grove and other shore towns — are NOT eligible for low-interest loans under Small Business Administration disaster aid. Blogfinger had reported otherwise in a previous article, but that report was in error.

The SBA’s website (click here) says explicitly that secondary homes or vacation homes are not eligible for disaster loans “as homes. They may be eligible for business disaster loans under certain conditions.”

Robin Smith, a Federal Emergency Management Agency public information officer, explained those conditions to Blogfinger on Monday. She said that if a person owns a second home, rents it out and declares the income on federal taxes, then it is possible that the home could qualify as a business. In that case, the owner might possibly be eligible for a Small Business Administration low-interest disaster loan, although the owner would have to qualify under a fairly low income ceiling. “Most people who own a second home probably wouldn’t qualify,” Smith said.

For information about all kinds of federal disaster aid, go to http://www.fema.gov. People needing help should also know that FEMA has just opened a disaster recovery center in Belmar at 601 Main Street. As we understand it, you can go there, walk right in and speak with a FEMA official.

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