Saturday, May 18, 2013
Paul D. "Pete" McLain's efforts to save the dwindling osprey population back in the 1970s have paid off
Visitors who click on the Friends of Island Beach's osprey cam are often entranced by the sight of the osprey pair keeping watch over their clutch of four rust-and cream-colored eggs. But it wasn't always this easy to keep tabs on the ospreys of Island Beach State Park. Environmental conditions were grim for the large raptor birds back in the early 1970s. Nesting sites were hard to come by, due to the rapid development of wetlands. DDT and other chemicals had been heavily used in 1950s and 1960s for mosquito control and worked their way into the food chain. Osprey nests were dwindling. By 1968 there were only 12 osprey nests at Island Beach State Park. By 1974, the number had dropped to just one. Osprey eggs laid during those years were …
The state urges customers to consult the database before buying a car
The State Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) and Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) are urging all customers to consult their database of flood and salvage-titled vehicles before purchasing a car. That database now provides information on 31,000 such vehicles, the State MVC announced on Wednesday. It isn't illegal to sell vehicles with flood or salvaged titles. However, there are specific requirements that ensure potential purchasers are aware of the status of such vehicles, according to the MVC. “Damage sustained by vehicles must be disclosed to prospective buyers,” Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said. “We will hold car dealers accountable for violating our Consumer Fraud Act if they fail to make such disclosures.” The database was …
Friday, May 17, 2013
Home buyouts in areas prone to flooding expected to start soon, though participation remains voluntary.
Buyouts of properties in flood prone areas are expected to begin within a matter of weeks, beginning in Middlesex County and working south into the summer months as residents and their respective town officials make the difficult decision to abandon entire neighborhoods for good. Though buyout specifics have been limited, Bob Martin, commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, said between eight and 10 towns along the coast have inquired about participating in the State’s Blue Acres program, which purchases severe repetitive loss homes in flood areas and converts the land into open space. Martin said he wanted to be cautious about naming the municipalities that have inquired about the property buyouts as many have …
Harvey Cedars, Brant Beach and Surf City to get emergency repairs; about 1,000 feet of beach will be closed at a time.
Work to repair ocean beaches and dunes in three Long Beach Island communities will begin before the end of May, officials have confirmed. A $30.6 million replenishment project to restore sand in Harvey Cedars, Brant Beach and Surf City is due to begin within the next two weeks and continue into the fall. The Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company will pump 3 million cubic yards of sand to rebuild engineered beaches in the three island communities that were affected by Superstorm Sandy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement this week. The island's strong dunes are credited with preventing the type of ocean breach that occurred during Sandy in Mantoloking, which split Ocean County's northern barrier island in two and destroyed …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
NJHOPELINE received approximately 300 calls in its first days
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 HealthCare at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, the hotline only uses New Jersey-based trained volunteers and professional counselors. The …
County will apply for loan through CDBG to boost ratable base
Adoption of the county budget was once again postponed, as the county recently became aware of possible funding that could boost its ratable base, which was drastically cut due to Superstorm Sandy. The Ocean County Freeholders approved a resolution at its regular meeting Wednesday allowing the county to apply for funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Actually, it’s good news,” Freeholder Director John P. Kelly said. The funding would come from CDBG, separate from the grants the county receives annually through the program. The money is for communities whose ratable base diminished by more than 5 percent because of the superstorm, county Business Administrator Carl Block said. “We may be able to incorporate…
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Measure would have delayed hikes for five more years
An amendment aimed at halting federal flood insurance rate hikes for five years has been blocked in the U.S. Senate. The amendment, introduced by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) was blocked from coming to a vote Tuesday by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Amendments in the U.S. Senate require what is known as "unanimous consent" before a vote can take place, meaning a single member can block a vote from occurring. Toomey told the New Orleans Times-Picayune Tuesday that he objected to changing reforms put in place last year because he supports the move to "diminish the subsidization that occurs now where homeowners in low-risk areas are made to subsidize in high-risk areas." Landrieu, the newspaper reported, said she will likely reintroduce the …
Monday, May 13, 2013
County residents can gather information pertaining to hazard mitigation and provide input on Tuesday, May 14 from 3 to 7 p.m.
The Ocean County Office of Emergency Management will be developing a plan to address a variety of potential hazards and is seeking public input at a Tuesday, May 14 meeting. “It’s very important to get public participation in developing our Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan,” said Acting Sheriff William Sommeling, who serves as the county’s Emergency Management Coordinator. The plan will include a risk assessment and a hazard mitigation strategy. It will identify projects that can reduce damages from natural, man-made and technological hazards. “With Superstorm Sandy fresh in everyone’s mind we want our citizens, elected officials and emergency responders to help develop the plan that is best for Ocean County,” Sommeling …
Loans are meant to help stabilize decrease tax bases following Superstorm Sandy.
Stafford Township has been awarded $5 million in federal loan money to help stabilize a significant ratables base decrease caused by Superstorm Sandy's devastation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency loans are among the first issued in the Community Disaster Loan Program and were made to the township itself and Toms River's Municipal Utility Authority and Fire District No. 1, according to Gov. Chris Christie's office. "The Community Disaster Loan Program provides a vital source of assistance that will help our local governments maintain essential services," said Gov. Chris Christie in a statement Monday. "The program also helps prevent unsustainable increases in property tax and utility rates that would impede New Jersey’s recovery …
Senate bill 2601 would also allow the county to exercise the power of eminent domain in order to erect dunes to protect lands, property and facilities near the beaches
The Ocean County Freeholders oppose a Senate bill that, if approved, would permit counties to take over the operation of beaches within its jurisdiction. A resolution stating that Ocean County would be “actively impacted” by this legislation was unanimously passed at a Freeholders meeting May 1. “If Ocean County were to take over and maintain the 44 miles of just oceanfront beaches in Ocean County, it would not only be cost prohibitive but would also require taxpayers who don’t use the beaches to pay for them,” Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari said. The bill (S2601, A3891), sponsored by Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer, would authorize any county of the fifth or six class — Atlantic, Monmouth, Ocean and Cape May — to assume …
Terrence Brown
12:17 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
First of all, Thank you Pete! I followed the program through the seventies and it is truly one of the greatest environmental success stokes ever! We had our own mini-success stories here in Point a few years ago. An osprey couple began building a nest on the half-painted water tower which caused a flurry of media attention. The pair successfully raised two young. But when they returned for a … more ›