Friday, May 17, 2013
Julianne Cantwell creates goal to help those affected by Super Storm Sandy.
The wind and rain are long gone, but the damage remains. New Jersey’s shoreline received an unwanted facelift when Super Storm Sandy took over the area, devastating homes and lives along the way. Julianne Cantwell of Long Valley Cadette Troop 513 wants to help, though, and that’s why she’s trying to Shore Up The Shore. The local girl has created her Girl Scout Silver Award project to help residents of shore towns in need. After working alongside her troop in a project to aid Blankets for Brigantine & Beyond, Cantwell learned firsthand about the damage left by the storm. So Cantwell is on a mission, and has focused her project on collecting donated craft supplies and board games for the Brigantine Library’s children’s year-round and summer …
Friday, May 3, 2013
18 of 20 largest sewage spills in the northeast were reported in New Jersey and New York.
New Jersey saw approximately 5.1 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage flow into waterways in the weeks and months following Superstorm Sandy, according to new data released by Climate Central. In total, the eight states hardest-hit by the storm had 11 billion gallons flow into canals, rivers and bays. "To put that in perspective, 11 billion gallons is equal to New York’s Central Park stacked 41 feet high with sewage, or more than 50 times the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The vast majority of that sewage flowed into the waters of New York City and northern New Jersey in the days and weeks during and after the storm," the Climate Central report said. Data included in the report was compiled from state agencies and …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Mendham Township rallies to send the children of Rich and Beth Everett on Florida vacation.
Everyone who hears the story of the Everett family is drawn to learn more. The family of six were Randolph residents who owned a popular horse farm in Long Valley. They were universally embraced by both communities, which is what made the tragedy that struck the night of superstorm Sandy all the more devastating. During the apex of the storm, the lives of Zoe, Talia, Theodore and Pierce Everett were changed forever when a tree fell on the four-door Chevy Silverado driven by their father, Richard. Their mother, Elizabeth, was the front-seat passenger and both were killed instantly. Fourteen-year-old Theodore and 11-year-old Pierce were in the back seat of the truck, and first-responders on the scene in Mendham were profoundly affected by …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Environmental New Jersey is calling for efforts to reduce carbon pollution.
On an interactive map of the United States that records the number of extreme weather events that have taken place over the last several years, New Jersey might as well be the black eye. The red, purples and magentas that color each of New Jersey’s 21 counties make up the wrong end of the weather-related disaster spectrum, marking the entire state as a recurring extreme weather target. Should nothing be done to curb pollution and carbon emissions, a recent report from Environment New Jersey Research and Policy Center details, expect that trend to continue. Just off of the beach in Long Branch Tuesday, with temperatures coincidentally hovering around an unseasonable 80 degrees, several officials gathered to discuss the new report, called “…
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Washington Township Fire Chief explains potential reasons behind week's worth of blazes.
This time of year is historically challenging when it comes to keeping down brush fires, according to Washington Township Fire Department Chief Kurt Wanner, and a rash of blazes in the past few days show it. “The conditions are dry and there isn’t much moisture in the air or on the ground,” Wanner said. “So a small spark or piece of (ignited) debris can start something big.” Companies from the township’s three fire departments responded to four separate calls during the first weekend of April, when temperatures jumped above 60 degrees and humidity remained low. The largest of those fires came Sunday afternoon, when brush began to light up behind two homes on Naughright Road. It took firefighters nearly two hours, in addition to a water …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Additional disaster preparedness action being taken in Washington Township.
In the five months since Super Storm Sandy blew through Washington Township, efforts to better communications and prepare for future disasters have been a focus of municipal leadership. Another step is now being taken–one that may change the ability for locals to remain safe, warm and fed during times of crises–in April and all residents are invited to take part. On Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Red Cross will conduct a Shelter Fundamentals training course that introduces guidelines and procedures for setting up, running and closing a shelter during a disaster, according to Bruce Clark of the Washington Township Office of Emergency Management. Class participants will utilize best practices shelter checklists to work through…
Monday, April 1, 2013
A meeting will be held with company executives Friday at their Morristown headquarters.
With the hope of getting answers about JCP&L's poor response in the restoration of power for customers in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Bridgewater resident Neha Pallod Limaye has scheduled a meeting with officials at the company's Morristown headquarters. The meeting will be held Friday from 10 a.m. to noon for anyone interested in speaking to JCP&L officials about their response, or lack thereof, following the hurricane, and their plans for change in the future. Limaye initially started a petition to get JCP&L out of Bridgewater about a week after the hurricane, and also created a Facebook group to bring together people from across the state who were disappointed by the performance of the power company following Superstorm Sandy. The …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Long Valley homeowner says without local help, house would still be in disarray.
The massive tree, like so many others, came crashing down and into the house, causing instant devastation. And the power hadn’t even gone out yet. That’s how Hurricane Sandy treated the Sullivan family of Long Valley, who live in the southern portion of the township. Susan Sullivan was in Massachusetts at the time, and received a phone call from her daughter, crying, explaining what had just happened. Sullivan’s husband, daughter and daughter’s fiancé were all in the home at the time. “So I called four people right away,” Sullivan said. “My insurance company, a tree company, my pastor, and Kirk Ogden, who had put shingles on our roof in the past. The first thing Kirk said was, ‘do you want me to go get them.’” Sullivan, who said she’s …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
36 of 209 applicants seeking help after Hurricane Sandy get an average of $2,801 in aid, agency says.
Just 36 out of 209 Long Valley residents who filed for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance will be receiving help of any kind after suffering damages to their home or property during Hurricane Sandy. According to a spreadsheet from the government agency, 193 homeowners in the ZIP code of 07853 applied for assistance, while 16 renters sought aid after the historic storm. The average amount of assessed damage, according to the sheet, is $2,801 for residences in the 07853 ZIP code. There were 34 homes assessed in the $0 to $10,000 range; one in the $20,000 to $30,000 range; and one in the $30,000 to $40,000 range. Of the 16 rental applications submitted, none were approved for any aid, the sheet showed. The rental category …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Meetings, communication efforts filled last four months since Hurricane Sandy.
Utility poles are still cracked and electric wires are still frayed in parts of Washington Township, four months after Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey. Plenty of action has taken place in the time since, however, to prepare for future natural disasters which, according to Mayor Ken Short, will happen again. “[A similar storm] will happen again, hopefully we’re better prepared,” Short said at a recent Township Committee meeting. Short read through a list of meetings and upgrades that have taken place in the past four months, including: Short met with a group of the town's department heads and office of emergency officials where it was made known the biggest issue during Sandy and her aftermath was the lack of communication. The township'…
mrs birch
5:03 pm on Saturday, May 18, 2013
great job - Julianne! more ›