In the Garden, a floral and plant studio founded by former Highlands Councilwoman Nancy Burton in 2005, took on five feet of water during the Superstorm Sandy surge. Burton and her new partners, Jenna Morris and Eileen Ricco are re-opening their restored shop at 69 Waterwitch Ave, Highlands today for the Valentine’s Day rush.
Don’t forget your sweetheart today and don’t buy him or her a stuffed animal. Call Nancy, Jenna and Eileen at 732-291-0311 or visit their website to have your gift delivered or ready for pick up.
They deliver from Highlands south as far as Asbury Park and west as far as Colts Neck.
Set your DVR’s for 5pm ABC Eyewitness news. In The Garden is being featured in a segment!
Kranky Cycles, a small bicyle shop in Highlands, opened in the Summer of 2011. The store surived Irene and its first year while becoming an important part of the Highlands community and the significant cycling community in the area.
In Sandy, they lost the contents of the store…tools, parts, equipment and bikes. Unfortunately, being such a young business, they do not qualify for FEMA or SBA funding.
Their goal is to raise $15,000 to reopen the store. As of this writing they’ve raised $5,091. Please help them as much as you can.
Seastreak LLC has announced that it will provide free transportation to NY, via ferry or car service, to friends and family members of those who were injured in this morning’s accident at Pier 11. The company will also provide lodging for those who may need to stay in New York overnight.
For additional information and to make arrangements call Seastreak at 1-800-BOATRIDE (800-262-8743)
Seastreak Manager Jack Bevins told MMM that the ferry that crashed into Pier 11 in Manhattan at 8:45 this morning was out of Highlands, not Atlantic Highlands as has been reported by multiple media sources.
News12 is reporting that 30-50 people have been injured, one critically.
The Star Ledger is reporting that there were 326 commuters and 5 crew members on the boat.
Seastreak issued a statement acknowledging the accident and pledging to work closely with Federal, State and local authorities to determine its cause. They said their thoughts and prayers are with the injured.
Donovan Mannato of Rumson was on the top deck of the ferry when the crash occurred.
“As we were approaching the pier I was packing up my Ipad and closing the seat tray when I felt and severe impact,” Mannato said, “my head hit on the tray in front of me and I saw a gentleman who was standing fly several feet and land on the ground where he laid for quite sometime. There were two glass doors cracked but still in their frames. It was obvious that people had hit those windows.
“When I got up to get off the boat I saw a man severely injured with people surrounding him at the bottom of the stairs. When I finally got downstairs, there were many people bleeding and with head injuries being tended to by passengers who were not injured.”
Mannato said he has a shiner under his eye and a stiff neck. He has not yet received medical attention. He is concerned for the recovery of those more seriously injured.
Seastreak has cancelled the 5:55 departure from E 35th Street and the 6:10 departure from Pier 11.
Good coffee, good food, reasonable prices and a clean comfortable friendly environment with free spontaneous comedic bantering returns to the Bayshore tomorrow when the Sand Witch Shop reopens in Highlands.
Skip and Donna Ross were wacked by Sandy. Their home and business were both underwater during the storm. They’ve been fighting back since. Tomorrow their busniness on the corner of Waterwitch Ave and Shore Drive in Highlands will reopen to feed breakfast and lunch to residents, contractors and ferry commuters.
Coffee is free to eat in diners. Delivery is free, south to Rumson, Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach and west as far as Belford. The menu is updated daily.
The Sand Witch Shop is open from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Satuday and from 8 a.m. till 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The State Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee toured the damaged areas of Union Beach and Highlands today before convening their scheduled hearing at the Henry Hudson Regional High School in Highlands.
State Senator Joe Kyrillos, who represents the Bayshore in Trenton, issued the following statement following the hearing:
Touring the damage today in Union Beach and Highlands gave my colleagues in the Senate a good visual of the destruction this storm wrought on our district and Monmouth County as a whole. However, the testimony from members of the community who are putting their lives back together best illustrated the anguish and exhaustion our friends and neighbors are going through. I thank members of the Committee for coming out to the Bayshore today.
They also got to see the best New Jerseyans have to offer: neighbors helping neighbors, residents rebuilding with dedication and courage, and the generosity of charities such as the Robin Hood Foundation that announced today their contribution of hundreds of thousands of dollars to relief efforts in Sea Bright, Highlands, Keansburg, and Union Beach.
As FEMA continues to assess the damage and make plans to compensate victims and help them rebuild, I encourage them to remember words of the residents who came to Highlands to testify. The perception that the New Jersey shoreline is only for wealthy vacationers who live elsewhere is a false one. This area is full of hard-working, middle class families whose homes have been in their families for generations and will have a difficult time rebuilding what they’ve lost even with flood insurance. It is incumbent upon us to work together and ensure they are able to rebuild their homes to the condition in which they existed prior to the storm, or help them find a new home elsewhere if rebuilding in certain areas is too dangerous. Only then will their lives truly be made whole after this unique event.
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon said that the tour and the hearing dispelled any notion that some legislators have heard from their consitituients that FEMA and the State are bailing out exclusively well to do and second home owners on the shore who should have known better than the build near the water.
“This one was different,” said O’Scanlon, “properties were never touched by previous major storms and hurricanes were destroyed this time. Hard working familes whose homes have been passed down four generations lost everything. Every town is different and it is appropriate that the Committee came and meet the people of the Bayshore.”
Highlands Mayor Frank L. Nolan gave FEMA a “D” when asked to grade the federal agency by Senator Jeff Van Drew. “Do you say B?” ask Van Drew. “D, as in not good,” responded Nolan.
Nolan gave the FEMA personnel on the ground an A+, saying his issues are with the agency’s bueracracy and red tape.
Nolan also announced that the Rainbow Foundation has pledged $200,ooo for Highlands recovery.
Councilwoman-elect Tara Ryan asked the committee to keep up the pressure on the National Park Service to open Sandy Hook by this summer, citing the park’s importance to the Northern Monmouth economy.
Hearing will be soley to hear from members of the public
The Senate Budget and Appropriations has heard from local officials, first responders and representatives of utilities companies in the last two weeks. This week they want to hear from members of the public who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The committee will convene in Highlands on Tuesday, December 11, 3PM at Henry Hudson Regional High School. The hearing is scheduled to go until 7PM.
“The first two hearings have provided us with a tremendous amount of feedback and ideas from those who were on the ground during the storm,” said Senator Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen, Passaic), chairman of the Committee. “What we really need now though is to hear directly from those affected by the storm. We can’t move forward in this process with direct input from the public. While I know it may be difficult given individual circumstances, we wanted to present an opportunity for people to come and share their experiences, so that we can learn from them.”
“We are further driven to immediately help our state recover as we connect with our small business owners, first responders and residents fighting to overcome devastation from Sandy,” added ranking committee member Senator Tony Bucco, (R-Morris). “An integral step toward revitalizing New Jersey is fully grasping the struggles and needs of those in Highlands and surrounding areas.”
Those wishing to speak at the hearing must register in advance via email [email protected]; fax , 609-943-5995 or by calling the committee staff at 609-847-3835.
Anyone providing written testimony is asked to provide 20 copies on the day of the hearing.
As estimated 3,000 people braved the cold and traveled by land and sea Sunday afternoon to to raise hope and money for the sea side community of Highlands, NJ, much of which was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, at the Hope For Highlands Concert. The concert was held at the Seastreak Ferry parking lot. Seastreak provided ferry service from Atlantic Highlands and New York City to the event.
13 year old Max Kyrillos kicked off the concert with a Hendrix style rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.
Big Joe Henry, Southside Johnny and Pat Guadagno joined the previously announced talent of the Asbury Jukes, Glenn Alexander, Tony Seguso, Tony Tino, Bob Bandiera, Bob Burger, Lisa Bouchelle, Lisa Lowell, Layonne Holmes, and Tommy LaBella in raising the spirits of the tight knit community and the thousands came out to support their recovery.
Brian Spagnolo and Kari Belusko of Highlands were engaged to be married during the concert.
Over $35,000 has been raised so far. Click here for more information on how to donate to the Hope for Highlands Fund.
In the Garden, a floral and plant studio founded by former Highlands Councilwoman Nancy Burton in 2005, took on five feet of water during the Superstorm Sandy surge. Burton and her new partners, Jenna Morris and Eileen Ricco are re-opening their restored shop at 69 Waterwitch Ave, Highlands today for the Valentine’s Day rush.
Good coffee, good food, reasonable prices and a clean comfortable friendly environment with free spontaneous comedic bantering returns to the Bayshore tomorrow when the Sand Witch Shop reopens in Highlands.
