Saturday, May 25, 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 …
Friday, May 24, 2013
Christie visits brother's house in Point Beach, then greets residents on boardwalk in downpour
President Obama may visit Point Pleasant Beach on Tuesday, but it's not definite yet if that will be one of his stops at the Jersey Shore, said Gov. Christie in Point Beach early Friday afternoon. "I don't know yet where he's going," said Christie, on the second level of the Boardwalk Bar and Grill on Friday, in between doing television interviews and greeting Jenkinson's owners and other well-wishers. "But, yes, this is one of the places that's being looked at," he said. "It's up to the White House where he goes. They tell us where they want to go and we bring them." "Put in a good word for Point Beach, Governor," said Point Beach Councilman William Mayer, smiling. "Put in a good word for Point Beach? OK!" replied Christie, matter of …
Entire boardwalk now open as other rebuilding continues
Gov. Christie is expected to be at the Boardwalk Bar and Grill on the Point Beach boardwalk at 12:15 p.m. today. The visit will be one of a number of Jersey Shore stops made this weekend by the governor, First Lady Mary Pat Christie and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. The idea is to kick off Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, by reminding the public that the Jersey Shore is open for business and to come and visit. Visitors will find they can now stroll on the Point Beach boardwalk from end to end, now that the sections ripped by Superstorm Sandy have been repaired or replaced. The fencing and railing along the ramp leading from Broadway to the beach needs to be replaced and was being worked on Thursday afternoon. And there is a…
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty: 'We're Back!'
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Daniel Nee
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Wednesday, May 22
Gov. Chris Christie, local officials and thousands of residents were on hand Wednesday morning to christen Belmar's rebuilt boardwalk. The 1.3 mile-long boardwalk, which spans the length of the borough, was destroyed Oct. 29 during Superstorm Sandy. Mayor Matt Doherty said crews began working to rebuild it in January and remained on schedule so it could be reopened by Memorial Day weekend.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Harry, Christie survey the damage and have some fun
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 attract some attention of his own from the prince. Harry and Christie were greeted by local officials, who escorted the pair out to Casino Pier, the site …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Boardwalk to be done by Memorial Day weekend
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 reimburses the town for 75 percent of its written request to FEMA for the cost of the boardwalk repairs and rebuilding, said Point Beach Business …
Thursday, March 14, 2013
FEMA is partially to blame for extra money, engineering firm says
The Belmar Borough Council on Wednesday approved an additional $1.4 million for the re-construction of its boardwalk, even while the reason given for the extra money has changed. The vote, which followed a lengthy discussion among council members spurred by a short presentation by the borough’s engineers, was 4-0. Councilman James Bean abstained. The vote brings the total price of the boardwalk reconstruction to just shy of $8 million, up from the original bid of $6.6 million, an increase of about 17 percent. The project’s engineer, Paul Calabrese of Birdsall Engineering, said in a short presentation prior to the vote that the additional money was required chiefly to install safety measures to buttress the boardwalk from future storms …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Borough, Pavilion reach agreement on terms of new lease for the boardwalk mainstay
It could give you whiplash. The Borough of Avon, after its governing body voted two weeks ago to suddenly revoke the lease of the Avon Pavilion and then defended that position with various and changing reasons despite pushback from Pavilion supporters, voted Monday to reinstate the lease for another 10 years at a heavily attended, standing-room only meeting. The vote of the three-member Board of Commissioners was 2-1 in favor and followed a 20-minute closed session at the top of the meeting. Commissioner Frank Gorman cast the lone vote against. Under threat of a lawsuit from Pavilion owner Robert Fishman, the two sides came to terms over the weekend and have settled their dispute. Under the terms of a new agreement, the Pavilion will …
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Governor on hand for first phase of boardwalk rebuild
Gov. Chris Christie and a host of elected officials stood amid a still recovering Ocean Avenue in Belmar Wednesday to kick off the rebuilding of the borough’s boardwalk 73 days after Hurricane Sandy. Flanked by Mayor Matthew Doherty and U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Frank Pallone, Christie gave a decidedly upbeat speech to a crowd of more than 200 assembled in front of a massive pile driver as construction on the $6.6 million boardwalk commenced. Calling the Jersey Shore “the heartbeat of our state,’’ Christie said that Belmar was on the vanguard of shore towns rebuilding after the devastating storm. "Belmar is leading the way to recovery,'' Christie said. "Today is one of the great, great first moments of the rebuilding of our state, and, …
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
An old Asbury Park law says bathing suits are banned on the city's boardwalk
An ordinance that dates back decades ago leaves Asbury Park beach boardwalk patrons breaking the law. The ordinance bans bathing suits on the city's boardwalk, but has little to no enforcement in the city these days. Former Asbury Park Councilwoman Louise Murray, who is now the municipal chair for the Asbury Park Republican Party, reminded the council of this ordinance at a June 20 council meeting. “I’ll be darned if I want to be standing at a bar and have somebody slither up in a Speedo or bikini that shouldn’t be in a bathing suit,” Murray said, according to the Asbury Park Sun. “It’s disgraceful … I implore you to enforce this, but do not amend it.” And according to the Asbury Park Sun, Deputy Mayor John Loffredo agrees. This specific …
Donna Griffin
11:15 pm on Saturday, May 25, 2013
Mr. Calhoun - I have a mostly favorable opinion of Gov. Christie, but I do agree with you. I think that sunlight is a great antiseptic. I am certain that you feel the same investigative light must be focused on the national level. With the grossly illegal activities at the IRS, the (at the very least) questionable actions of the DOJ with respect to the AP and Fox News scandals and the … more ›