It's time to climb aboard the pirate ship. Belmar will reopen its four beachfront playgrounds -- including the pirate ship -- in a ribbon cutting May 19. The Sunday event will celebrate playgrounds lost to Hurricane Sandy, which began being rebuilt in the past weeks after the boardwalk was substantially complete. The playgrounds — which feature swings, slides and other exercises for young children — sit on the beach at locations such as 8th Avenue. The pirate ship at 8th and Ocean Avenues will host the ribbon cutting beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 19. The celebration includes a treasure hunt…

Hurricane Sandy heavily damaged large portions of Manasquan's beachfront, and this week one of the most well-known businesses fell to the wrecking crew. Gee Gee's most damaged portion, its south side, was demolished this week. The northside is being prepared to reopen, selling pizza and other boardwalk food in time for the 2013 season. But the landmark business became a casualty to Hurricane Sandy and was torn into a pile of rubble this week. However, the signs of destruction that is Gee Gee's is being flanked by rebuilding to its north and south. While the building is renovating on the north…

The mood has changed. A log from NJ Hope and Healing shows that people impacted by Hurricane Sandy have gone from feeling shocked, sad and tired with a loss of appetite to angry, hopeless and unable to make decisions. “People are having a natural reaction to abnormal circumstances,” said Carol Benevy, Project Lead for NJ Hope and Healing. NJ Hope and Healing is a project sponsored by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Disaster and Terrorism Branch, through a FEMA grant. In partnership with Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention, NJ Hope and Healing offers …

Although New Jersey has the second-lowest suicide rate in the nation, a new hotline has received approximately 300 calls since it was launched May 1, according to Philly.com. New Jersey’s suicide rate for people ages 35 to 64 increased 31 percent from 1999 to 2010, and as a result the New Jersey Department of Human Services spent $648,981 to create NJHOPELINE, Philly.com reported. Officials have expressed concerns of the emotional impact the stress related to damage and losses from Hurricane Sandy has had and will continue to have, according to Philly.com. Operated by University Behavioral …

An eight-episode series of 'This Old House' focuses on several local homes rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy. The PBS' show will first air in October. PBS announced the show worked on an 1880s Shore Cottage in Bay Head, a 1950s Colonial in Point Pleasant, and a prefabricated new house in Manasquan. Side stories will also feature Mantoloking, Long Beach Island, Ocean Grove and other local rebuilding projects along the beach and the bay. Here is the complete announcement from the show producers: Months after Superstorm Sandy devastated shorelines on the East Coast, affected homeowners are still …

He may have focused his visit on Mantoloking and Seaside Heights, but Prince Harry's trip to tour Jersey Shore devastation began in Sea Girt. The British Royal landed on the base here, and was greeted by Gov. Chris Christie. The governor took to twitter, announcing the prince's arrival, and presenting him with a "Royal Fleece." Christie's own fleece became synonymous with his press conferences and tours following Hurricane Sandy. Prince Harry continued to Mantoloking and Seaside Heights as one of the last days spent stateside of an approximately one-week trip. The purpose of his visit to the …

JERSEY SHORE -- Britain's Prince Harry did what most people would do on a sunny, spring day in Seaside Heights—take in the ocean views, then play some boardwalk games. Harry came to Seaside Heights with Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday morning after the two toured destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy in Mantoloking. The pair drove south on Route 35 and entered the boardwalk at Grant Avenue where crowds of people were waiting for their arrival. "Prince Harry, we love you," shouted one small girl who was holding a welcome sign. Standing next to her was an Elvis Presley impersonator, hoping to …

The Seaside Heights roller coaster that was submerged in the Atlantic Ocean due to Superstorm Sandy will be removed this week, according to NBC 4 New York. The Jet Star coaster will be removed by demolition crews with contractor Weeks Marine following Prince Harry’s visit to Seaside Heights Tuesday, NBC 4 New York reported. Weeks Marine crews will be using both barges in the water and on-shore equipment to remove the rollercoaster, NBC 4 New York said. The removal will be completed within 48 hours. A portion of the Jet Star will be saved for a memorial on the new Casino Pier, which will be …

The following column was submitted by New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Mary E. O'Dowd: As New Jerseyans continue to rebuild and recover from Superstorm Sandy, mold and its remediation have become a challenging issue for many residents and communities. It can cause property damage and be a health concern when it grows inside homes and is not properly dealt with. Exposure to mold can cause coughing or wheezing as well as irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and skin. To help homeowners ensure that their residences are cleaned and remediated properly, the New Jersey Department of …

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez threw Shore residents a virtual lifeline Thursday, delivering an address on the Senate floor where he urged colleagues to support an amendment to federal legislation that would stop flood insurance rate hikes, at least in the short term. Menendez (D-N.J.) spoke in favor of an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act which would stop flood insurance premiums from rising until FEMA completes its study on the affordability of premiums of the National Flood Insurance Program. Shore homeowners face annual flood insurance premiums of up to $31,000 a year if they do…

After six months of applying for insurance payments, government grants, aid and loans, all while living away from home or only on a second floor, some Jersey Shore residents whose homes were flooded by Sandy may feel they need a lawyer. For those contemplating that, there is free legal advice available through a few different resources. One resource is the New Jersey State Bar Association, which provides free legal advice as well as a free booklet about a myriad of Sandy-related issues in an easy to read format. Residents who cannot afford to pay an attorney can call the association's help …

While Manasquan works hard to rebuild its beachfront, it's downtown remains virtually unscathed -- a message Borough Administrator Joe DeIorio says needs repeating. "We need to get the message out that we are open," he said. As the borough resurfaces its asphalt beach walkway, sifts beach sands and secures damaged beachfront, stores along such places as Broad Street are its own destination that reopened as the power went back on after Hurricane Sandy. But that area struggles against assumptions that the whole borough is closed from the storm, DeIorio said. "Tell everyone: that is not the case…

It’s an enduring image of Hurricane Sandy’s destruction of the Jersey Shore and its coastal communities. The Jet Star roller coaster, rising out of its saltwater foundation, is a representation of the sheer force of nature, one seen in publications around the world in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Every day the ride has spent in the Atlantic Ocean since is a reality of just how long recovery can actually take. Eventually it will be removed, and likely soon, but what it represents, like every tattered boardwalk, every crushed house, and flooded business, is likely to linger much longer…

Will Manasquan be ready for Memorial Day? Borough Administrator Joe DeIorio said the answer is "a resounding yes." DeIorio outlined the coming weeks' project schedule, culminating in a May 23 reopening celebration of the beachfront. The beachfront walkway should be completed by May 15, DeIorio said, adding that day is a target date for several projects. The asphalt top coat should be laid beginning May 13, according to the borough engineer. Electrical cables will be installed this week, and the light poles will be installed May 13-17, as well as Saturday, he said. Beach lockers at the Sea …

In the days following Superstorm Sandy, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Southern Chapter received many donations, but few were bigger than the one from professional golfer Stacy Lewis. Lewis quietly contributed $20,000 to the food bank, based in Egg Harbor Township. On Monday, May 6, the Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce showed its appreciation for her in a public way. Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce Chairman Sam Young presented Lewis with the a Community Hero Award for her contribution. Galloway Councilwoman Whitney Ullman and Councilman Jim McElwee presented Lewis with a plaque …

Procrastinators hoping to have their name displayed on the rebuilt Belmar boardwalk can rejoice: the borough has extended its "Buy a Board" campaign to May 15. The original deadline was April 30, but Mayor Matt Doherty announced at Wednesday's council meeting that the borough would be accepting donations through May 15. "Buy a Board" is a fundraiser that will put names on boardwalk entrances and funds in the boardwalk rebuilding coffers. The "Buy a Board" campaign allows donors to give money to the borough, specifically to buy the actual boards that make up the boardwalk, and have their name …

Volunteers are needed to help staff emergency shelters when disaster strikes in Monmouth County. The Monmouth County Sheriff's Office released the following information as it recruits volunteers: The Monmouth County Sheriff's Office, Office of Emergency Management and the United Way of Monmouth have launched a recruiting campaign that is seeking volunteers to assist in the staffing of evacuation shelters during emergencies. This program is being conducted through a Memorandum of Understanding that was entered into by both agencies in August of 2012 in an effort to increasingly engage other …

April 26, the Belmar boardwalk was considered "substantially complete" less than five months after Epic Construction drove the first piling into the Hurricane-Sandy ravaged beachfront. For getting the work done before April 30, the Piscataway contractor earned a bonus written into the project contract: $100,000. Mayor Matt Doherty and council presented Epic Construction workers with a ceremonial check at last night's council meeting, reading a resolution commending their work. Belmar maintains it was the first to start and complete its boardwalk after Hurricane Sandy destroyed so many …

  Shortly after Point Beach announced it had not received a dime of FEMA money, FEMA announced it's sending the oceanfront town $2.1 million to help pay for the rebuilding of its Sandy-ravaged boardwalk. Eight days after Point Beach officials at a council meeting bemoaned the lack of cash flowing from FEMA, FEMA made its announcement. On Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg and Robert Menendez (both D-NJ) today announced that Point Pleasant Beach will receive more than $2.1 million to reimburse the town for the cost of repairing and rebuilding the boardwalk.   The allocation…

Monmouth County Public Works will receive $3.714 million from FEMA for the county's efforts to protect against flooding, and clean up flooding from Hurricane Sandy. The money to Monmouth County is part of $9.4 million in federal funding being distributed through FEMA's Public Assistance program throughout New Jersey, Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez announced Tuesday.  $3,714,294 will to go Monmouth County Public Works for the department's pre-Sandy efforts to protect against flooding, and its post-storm response work of clearing blocked roads, setting up evacuation routes and …