LAKEWOOD–Looking for something to do this weekend for dad on Father’s Day? The Ocean Signal has some exciting ideas including breakfast, dinner and a cruise along the historic Toms River waterfront.

TOMS RIVER – One hundred twenty-four students from the Ocean County College Nursing Class received their nursing pins at the Annual Nurses Pinning Ceremony on Tuesday, May 21st at in the Arts & Community Center Theatre at the OCC Main Campus in Toms River.

During the ceremony, special awards in Nursing were presented. The following Nursing graduates received awards:

• St. Barnabas Behavioral Health Award – Recipient: Kateri Norton (Howell)
• Community Medical Center Awards – Recipients: Kimberly Coleman (Forked River) and Alexa Rae Yabut (Manahawkin)
• New Jersey League for Nursing Award – Recipient: Lizbeth Santibanez (Brick)

The graduates completed the two-year course of study leading to an associate degree in applied science in nursing. Sixty-one students completed the degree requirements this May and 63 students completed the degree requirements last December. The Ocean County College nursing graduates from Ocean County include:

Barnegat: Michele Guido, Erin Little, Laura-Beth McKeown, and Donna Pierce, Jessica Hernandez and Jennifer Severin; Bayville: Lori Stewart; Beachwood: Jeffrey Huntley and April Fischer; Brick: Augusto Cespedes, Elizabeth Gannon, Lindsay Goretski, Valerie Klim, Lisa Romanow, Laura Rudorfer, Anthony Scrofine, Lynn Tedeschi, Wendy Westphal , Danielle Ann Bagley, Samantha Bernard, Maxine Hall, Jennifer Katzmann, Amy Keefe, Karl Rex, Lizbeth Santibanez, and Jaclyn Yanovsky; Forked River: William LaBruna , Danielle Androcy, Jennifer Christ, Kimberly Coleman, and Lisa Hatrak; Island Heights: Rebecca Constantine; Jackson: Druclair Flynn, Jennifer Hruschka, Caryn Keeley, Laura Spata, and Jessyca Thompson, Veronica Busch, Jason Byrne, Stephanie Christen, Aurora Cleary, Susan Fuchs, Kristie Goelz, and Ashley Siegle; Lakewood: Sashalee Coke, Chaya Freedman, Ann Friedman, Pesha Konovitch, and Shulamit Navaro, Batsheva Eisen, Stephan Gymnich, Fraidy Karmel, and John Keene; Lanoka Harbor: Christy Neill (McDonald); Little Egg Harbor: Ashley Acierno , Melissa Evans and Kathleen Friedlander; Manahawkin: Andrea Cline, Robyn Gray, Caitlin Michels, Liana Schmidt, and Dena Smith, Frances Farnung, Renee Petitt, Suzann Thoman, and Alexa Rae Yabut; Manchester: Kim Hart and Amanda Peterson; Point Pleasant: JoAnna Fabiano and Christopher Griffin, Christina Devito and Tara Rostron-Lorenz; Toms River: Mark Amiscosa, Christine Coltenback, Jadwiga Corapi, Jonathan Dacpano, Amanda Erli, Margaret Myhre, Karolina Piwnica, Darlene Rodriquez, Jennifer Rosa, Nicole VanHouten, Mary Albuquerque, Stacy Calicchio, Linda Cioppa, Elizabeth Cogan, Maria Ditommaso, Fernan Dungca, Salwa Elbyadi, Denise Gillman, Sabina Gjonbalaj, Patrick Hurler, Irving Lukas, Brittany McCabe, Donna McCurdy, Jennifer Muraglia, Melissa Naphier, Daniel Ostie, JohnPaul Tinio, Colleen Tompkins, and Erin Wiggins; Tuckerton: Valerie Mills , Katharyn Gunn; Waretown: Jacqueline Keen; West Creek: Patrick Topping and Sybil Schriever; Whiting: Cathy Ippolito.

Army Corps of Engineers’ beach replenishment project in Ocean City, Cape May County where an offshore dredge is used to pump sand from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and deposit it via pipeline to beaches severely eroded during Hurricane Sandy.

Staff Report
Includes release information from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Office of Congressman Jon Runyan.

In April, the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) updated their project report for building a dune system along the 14 mile stretch of the barrier island in Ocean County from Point Pleasant Beach south to Island Beach State Park. The initial report, completed in 2003, was approved in 2007, long before Hurricane Sandy, but Sandy’s arrival and destruction put the project back in the spotlight.

The study investigated flood and coastal storm damage affects with a view toward reducing impacts from coastal erosion and storms. The recommended plan calls for construction of a beach fill with a berm and dune along the study area oceanfront utilizing sand from an offshore borrow source and periodic nourishment for a period of 50 years. Initial fill requirements would be about 10 million cubic yards, with periodic nourishment at four-year intervals with about one million cubic yards placed.

Prior to Hurricane Sandy, the project remained unfunded nearly ten years after the initial report was conducted.

The beach replenishment project is estimated to carry a price tag of roughly $85,000,000, but is still awaiting implementation guidance and any necessary investigation to determine if the project will be eligible and funded, the ACEOC said in the report.
Local coastal communities have been struggling with an important required component of this project, securing property easements which would provide the Army Corps of Engineers with legal access rights to build the dune system on privately owned properties along the oceanfront.

In Toms River, Mayor Thomas Kelaher said the town would continue to publicly name those individuals and entities refusing to sign the easements.

“The refusal to sign is a total disservice to the people who live on the barrier island,” Mayor Kelaher said last month. “The failure to build dunes is a threat to other residents who want to rehabilitate their homes. I’ve already spoken to the Governor and we’re determined to take all necessary steps to enable the USACE to proceed with their project.”

“The next steps toward initial construction once adequate funding is received is to initiate and complete the Limited Reevaluation Report; develop, approve and execute the Project Partnership Agreement; acquire the necessary real estate; complete plans and specifications; and advertise and award the construction contract,” the Army Corps of Engineers stated in the report.

“Between October 27 & 30, 2012, Sandy significantly damaged the New Jersey coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May and up the Delaware Bay,” the report continued. “This project was hit especially hard with a breach in Mantoloking and significant damage to Seaside Heights, Mantoloking, Ortley Beach, Lavallette and Seaside Park. Significant damage also occurred to piers, boardwalks, and amusements, residential and commercial properties. The current initial construction costs need to be reviewed based on the storm.”

Congressman Jon Runyan applauded the Army Corps of Engineers for their plan to include the Manasquan Inlet to Barnegat Inlet Shore Protection project in its newly released report to Congress.

“I am pleased that the Army Corps of Engineers understood how badly towns like Seaside Heights, Mantoloking, Lavallette, and Normandy Beach need this project constructed to prevent damage from potential future storms,” stated Runyan.

The following was compiled from releases provided by the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Sandy Volunteers Honored at Luncheon

More than 140 senior citizens who devote much of their time volunteering to help others were honored at a special luncheon in Toms River on May 22nd.

For the past 31 years, the Ocean County Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) has teamed older adults with members of the community in need of assistance.

Freeholder Gerry P. Little and Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari presented a proclamation to Alisa MacCrate, RSVP program director, thanking her, her staff and the more than 500 volunteers who participate in the program.

“Ocean County has the highest concentration of senior citizens in the nation and many of them are 85, 90 or even older,” Mr. Vicari said. “They need your help more than ever before.”

Freeholder Vicari is chairman of the Ocean County Department of Senior Services, while Freeholder Little is liaison to the Ocean County Board of Social Services.

In 2012, volunteers provided nearly 37,000 hours of service which, if paid for by the county, would cost nearly $950,000, noted Freeholder Little.
Dates Announced for 2013 Hazardous Waste Collection Program

Ocean County announced the additional dates, times and locations for the county’s household hazardous waste collection program, which runs until October.

“This year we started a new approach to scheduling the collection of this material,” said Freeholder James F. Lacey, who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management. “Instead of grouping all the dates in one month in the fall and one month in the spring, we are holding the collection one day on a weekend each month through October.”

The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders is expected to award a contract to Radiac Research Corp. of Brooklyn, N.Y. at almost 40 cents a pound to conduct the program.

Dates, times, and locations for the upcoming monthly collections are: Lakewood Township Public Works Yard, 1 America Ave., on Sunday June 23; Berkeley Township Public Works Garage, Pinewald-Keswick Road, on Saturday July 27; Jackson Township Public Works Garage, 10 Don Connor Blvd., Saturday Aug. 24; Long Beach Township Public Works Garage, 7910 Long Beach Blvd., Saturday Sept. 28 and Point Pleasant Beach Municipal Parking Lot, Arnold and Ocean avenues, Saturday Oct. 5. Collection times are from 9 am to 3 pm on all collection dates.

Last year, 306,951 pounds of household hazardous waste was collected and safely disposed of.

Freeholder Lacey also noted that municipal recycling centers and the county’s recycling centers allow for drop off of a host of materials including used paint, motor oil and car batteries.

“Our residents should check with us or their local recycling center to determine what is accepted so items do not have to take up space in their garage or basements,” he said.

While Ocean County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection program is free, citizens must register with the County. Residents can drop off a maximum of 200 pounds of dry material and 20 gallons of liquid. No containers over five gallons will be accepted.

The county is using funds from the State Recycling Enhancement Act Tax Fund to operate the program.

Materials accepted at the household hazardous waste collection sites are: paints, thinners, boat paints, solvents, pool chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, aerosol cans, auto products, toilet and drain cleaners, silver polishes, oven cleaners, photographic chemicals, rug and upholstery cleaners, polishes and bleaches, waste oil and used gasoline.

Additional information can be found on the county website at www.co.ocean.nj.us or by calling 1-800-55-RECYCLE.

Ocean County 911 Operations Getting New Home

Ocean County’s emergency dispatching 911 operations is getting a new home with room to meet future needs of the county and state-of-the-art equipment.

The current 911 dispatching center has been moved to an existing warehouse on Chestnut Street in Toms River, which the county had used in the past to store its voting machines. Those machines were moved to a warehouse in Lakewood. Work began on the expansion project in late 2012.

“This will provide over 16,000 square feet for a new enlarged 911 center,” Freeholder James Kelly said.

The expanded call center has the capacity to include 18 state-of-the-art police and fire dispatch stations and eight call taker stations for a total of 26 stations, an increase from the 12 dispatch consoles and six call taker stations currently there.

Ocean County has answered more than 82,000 911 calls so far this year, not including officer dispatched and department calls.

During the time span from October 28th to November 3rd, 2012, dispatchers handled more than 17,000 calls before, during and after Hurricane Sandy.

The county will also upgrade its radio communications to 700 MHz from 500, meeting Homeland Security requirements.

The expanded facility also includes training rooms for staff and dispatchers. In addition, the roof and other parts of the structure have been upgraded to withstand hurricane force winds.

There will also be back-up generators on the site in order to assure residents emergency calls will continue to be answered during hurricanes or natural disasters of any kind.

County Projects Repair Sandy Damaged Roads

The Ocean County Road Department recently completed the rebuilding of some Ocean County roads damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

“Prior to Memorial Day weekend work crews from the county road department finished rebuilding a portion of Ocean Terrace in Seaside Heights and Long Beach Boulevard leading into Holgate in Long Beach Township,” said Freeholder Lacey, also liaison to the Ocean County Road Department. “It was imperative for public safety and to accommodate our citizens and the increase in visitors to the county over the Memorial Day weekend that these projects got done.”
The Ocean County Road Department completed work on 3/4ths of a mile of Ocean Terrace from the border of Seaside Park to Hiering Avenue in Seaside Heights on May 20th. As part of the work, the Ocean County road crew rebuilt four intersections that had been washed out by the October storm, in addition to milling and paving the roadway.

The freeholder noted that work on repairing the bridge that leads from Bay Boulevard in Lavallette to the West Point Island section of the borough was near completion.

As part of the repairs, the county installed new sheathing and capped the area under the span with concrete in order to reinforce the structure from future washouts.

The repairs also included replacing the rip rap on both sides of the bridge.

“The work at the bridge is expected to be completed soon,” Freeholder Lacey added. “The span has been open to traffic while most of the repair work has taken place below it.”

Doggy Yappy Hour at Ocean County Park

A Doggy Yappy Hour will be held on Friday, June 14th at the Ocean County Park in Lakewood. The Ocean County Parks and Recreation Department is conducting an evening out to enjoy the company of county residents’ pet canines. Frisbee, obedience, agility demonstrations, and doggy games will be held.

All dogs must be vaccinated and on a leash.

The demonstrations will be conducted by area businesses. Music will be provided by WOBM radio. The event will run rain or shine and will be held from 6 to 8. There is no charge for this event.

More than 30 vendors will be available for information, displays, shopping, and food. For additional information call toll free 1-877-OCPARKS.

County officials warn residents to prepare in advance

 From press releases NOAA. Ocean County

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Atlantic basin is expected to see an above-normal hurricane season this year, according to the seasonal outlook issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service.

Across the entire Atlantic Basin for the six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA is predicting the following ranges this year:

• 12 to 18 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which:
• 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including:
• 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher)

Each of these ranges has a 70 percent likelihood, and indicate that activity will exceed the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

Ocean County public safety officials are urging residents to be prepared as a new hurricane and summer storm season gets underway.
The hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts until the end of November. The height of the season typically occurs in late August and during the month of September although tropical systems can develop off the Atlantic Coast late into the season like Sandy which came ashore on Oct. 29.

“Waiting for a weather event to happen is not the time to think about what to do,” said Acting Sheriff William Sommeling, who oversees the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management.

Annual preparations for the hurricane season include creating or updating a disaster supply kit. The kit should include a gallon of drinking water a day for each person and a battery-powered radio, which could become the sole source of information during an emergency.

Photos by Ken Salerno

While crowds amassed on the Seaside Heights boardwalk, many homes still remain destroyed six months after Hurricane Sandy.

SEASIDE HEIGHTS – While NBC and Governor Chris Christie officially opened their version of the Jersey Shore, the public beaches and boardwalks, those who live in the most affected areas in Ocean County had little to celebrate.

Just north of Seaside Heights, the coastal communities of Toms River and Mantoloking still resemble war zones, many in the same condition they were left back in October when Sandy pushed the Atlantic Ocean across the island.

“For Probably 80 percent of the Jersey Shore, you won’t notice any difference at all from last summer,” Governor Chris Christie said on his appearance on NBC’s Today Show.

You didn’t have to go far from the fanfare to see the other 20%.

Although a newly constructed boardwalk leads visitors northward , many of the stands and shops on the northern end of the Seaside Heights boardwalk remained closed in the days leading into Memorial Day weekend.  Many appeared untouched since the storm.   Nearby, while crowds gathered on the popular shore boards, locally renowned photographer Ken Salerno was documenting the other 20 percent of the Jersey Shore here in Ocean County.

SEASIDE  PARK–Seaside Park Police were called for a disturbance call at a home located at 17 Farragut Avenue here on Saturday night.   According to Detective Chris Bonner, between forty and fifty people were seen standing outside the residence when police units arrived on scene.

Officers discovered the home was being rented to nine different people.

“Officers entered the residence.  They saw a large quantity of beer cans and alcoholic beverages along with marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia,” Detective Bonner said.

Bonner added that through an initial investigation, police discovered suspicious lock boxes.

“[We] executed a search warrant for those lock boxes and – powdery substance we believed to be MDMA or ecstasy –and a quantity of cash,” he said.

Seaside Park Police Officer Steven Shadiack said the seven teens from Clark, New Jersey were arrested and were charged with possession of marijuana, over 50 grams, distribution of marijuana, over 50 grams, possession of CDS, specifically MDMA/ecstasy, and underage possession and consumption of alcohol.

Arrested were: Daniel F. Mooney, 18; Gregory R. Smith, 18; Richard C. Stoekl, 18; Lance L. Pecina, 18; Anthony J. Tarantino, 18; Thomas H. Mercurio, 18 and Edward R. Eaton, 18.

One juvenile was also arrested.

The narcotics will be transferred to the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department for testing, and the alcohol will be destroyed

Despite the governor’s statements that “every boardwalk up and down the Jersey Shore” would be open in time for this weekend, at least several inland boardwalk areas, including Ocean Gate and the marina boardwalk section in Beachwood, both on the Toms River, remained under partial reconstruction at press time.

by Kathleen Koch and Phil Stilton

SEASIDE HEIGHTS – What do three Democrats from the “Deep South” have in common with a Republican mayor from the Jersey Shore? They all know what it’s like to have a hurricane devastate their communities, and on Friday, May 17th, they all came together in here.

Seaside Heights Mayor Bill Akers hosted the delegation from Mississippi who came to meet with local mayors and officials and discuss the long term effects of Hurricane Katrina on their cities, including former United States Congressman Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), Mayor Brent Warr (D-Gulfport, Miss.) and Mayor Eddie Favre (D-Bay St. Louis, Miss.). All were elected officials when Hurricane Katrina struck their state in 2005.

Rep. Taylor, who lost his home in that Category 3 storm, tried to introduce legislation to reform the insurance industry to give homeowners more security after national disasters, but his bill never made it to the Senate floor for vote. The divide was between congressmen who represented coastal communities and those who did not. With Taylor’s 2010 election loss, supporters of reform were certain the legislation would die without his support, and it did. Today, New Jersey towns face the same insurance and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) problems his state was confronted with eight years earlier.

Seven weeks before Hurricane Katrina made landfall…Continue Reading