Times
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC.
Inside This Week’s Edition
THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
Vol. 3 - No. 38
Business Directory...................16 Classifieds................................17 Community News.................8-11 Dear Joel..................................12 Dr. Izzy’s Sound News..............12 Government...............................7 Inside The Law .........................15 Letters to the Editor.....................6 Wolfgang.................................19 WWW.MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM
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Beach Haven Expects Additional $2.7M In Sandy Reimbursements
–Photos by Daniel Nee & FEMA After Winter Storm Jonas, a dozer pushes sand in Beach Haven, where the storm created erosion. The borough is awaiting reimbursement for Superstorm Sandy for several projects. In March 2013, local crews installed dune fencing after Sandy washed away the dunes.
By Daniel Nee BEACH HAVEN – As borough officials deal with the aftermath and expenses of a January nor’easter, the borough is still closing out numerous projects related to Superstorm Sandy recovery, and expects to be reimbursed an additional $2.7 million. “There are still quite a few projects that have not been closed out,” said Borough Manager Richard S. Crane. “We have probably about 14 projects now that are on the cusp of being closed out.” So far, Beach Haven has received $1.7 million in reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $1.33 million from its insurance carrier. The additional funding would go toward the numerous ongoing projects, including the administrative costs borne by the municipal government – primarily the money owed to Louis Berger Group, an engineering and consulting company that has managed the borough recovery efforts. While the additional reimbursements were welcomed by borough officials, the delay
of an island-wide beach replenishment project has made the town more vulnerable to storms and has come with added costs. Crane said after the January nor’easter, about 100 dump truck loads of sand had to be delivered to the borough in order to shore up makeshift dunes in the southern
portion of town. Altogether, the dump trucks dropped about 2,500 tons of sand. “You’d be surprised how little one dump load of sand goes,” Crane said. The loads of sand cost the borough about $35,000, a cost that will be reimbursed by (Reimbursements - See Page 14)
Gianna’s American Idol Run
By Jennifer Peacock OCEAN COUNTY – A local singing sensation made it to the top 10 of American Idol, seeing a swell of local support and community pride follow her along the journey. Gianna Isabella Petrone made the top ten, but failed to crack the top 8. Jackson’s American Idol Gianna was not saved by votes or judges on the March 3 episode. She and fellow Idol Olivia Rox were sent home, with the judges keeping Avalon (Idol - See Page 4)
–Photo by Craig Blankenhorn of Fox Gianna Isabella Petrone, of Jackson Memorial, garnered national attention and swelled local pride with her run on American Idol.
March 12, 2016
Feds Close Out Safety Findings At Oyster Creek
By Daniel Nee LACEY – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined the Oyster Creek Generating Station was “operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives,” according to the federal government’s Annual Assessment Letter, which was released March 7. The letter also formally closed a “yellow finding” levied against the plant in 2015 over faulty electromagnetic release valves in the facility, a design issue, the NRC’s report said. The “yellow” finding is one of the most severe under the NRC’s color coding system which was introduced in 2000. The severity of findings of the system range from green to red. Yellow is the second- most-severe of the four color codes used, representing a “substantial safety significance,” according to the NRC. Beginning in 2014, the NRC found during inspections that two of five vales used to relieve pressure from reactor may not have (Oyster Creek - See Page 4)
Easter Egg Hunts And Bunny Breakfasts
OCEAN COUNTY – Whether you are digging in the sand, poking between the grass or hunting with a flashlight, there’s Easter eggs to find. Here’s a calendar of some local Easter egg hunt events for the coming weeks, so grab your basket and get hunting. Or, if you care to dine alongside the Easter Bunny, check out this list of breakfasts and have some fun. The following are different egg hunts and Easter Bun ny breakfasts in the local area: March 13 from 8 to 11:30 a.m. – Tuckerton’s Breakfast with the Easter Bunny: The Tuckerton Free Masons are hosting this (Easter - See Page 5)