Highlands Home Collapses While Being Lifted

Highlands, NJ- A home that had been damaged in Superstorm Sandy collapsed while being lifted above the floodplain this morning, destroying an adjoining home in the process.  No one was injured.  Both homes will be torn down this afternoon.

Borough Engineer Dale Leubner said that the cribbing, the wood palates piled to hold the structure while lifting takes place, apparently failed on one corner of the home, causing the collapse.

No one was home in either property. Leubner said that residents of the neighborhood were evacuated.  Fire Departments from Asbury Park, Middletown and Naval Weapons Station Earle were on hand to assist the Highlands Volunteer Fire Department in preventing further property damage or injury.  Utility workers from JCP&L and New Jersey Natural Gas were on hand to shut off the utilities in preparation of the demolitions.

Steven Hasenfus, President of Hasenfus Construction, the company hired to lift the Locust Ave home said, “It was an accident.” Hasenfus declined to comment further.  Hasenfus Construction has offices in Long Branch and in Plymouth, MA.  Hasenfus’s LinkedIn profile says he’s from the Great Boston area.

Mayor Nolan thanked the Highlands first responders, and those from the neighboring communities who arrived to assist and urged homeowners who are rebuilding and raising their home to be careful.  “Thank God no one was hurt.  This should be a cautionary tale for homeowners to be sure they hire qualified contractors and that those contractors have adequate insurance.”

Patricia Parker, President of the Highlands Fire Department’s Ladies Auxilary, said that homeowners who are lifting their homes should be sure to remove all valuable possession and important papers.

The owner of the home that collapsed is traveling out of state.  Friends and family are on the scene waiting to recover whatever possession are in the home after it is demolished.

The adjoining home has been abandoned since Hurricane Irene devastated the borough in 2011.

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Jersey Shore Musicians To Kickoff Rebuilding Tour In Highlands on Sunday

A growing group of Jersey Shore musicians lead by producer Rick Korn and musical director Michael Mancini are raising money and the spirits of Jersey Shore residents with a concert to support the Rebuild The Jersey Shore efforts on Sunday November 25 in Highlands at the Seastreak Ferry terminal, 325 Shore Drive, at 2 p.m.

The Rebuild The Jersey Shore Band And Friends includes members of the Asbury Jukes, Glenn Alexander, Tony Seguso and bass player Tony Tino.   The expanding list of artists scheduled to perform in the Hope for Highlands Concert includes Bob Bandiera, Bob Burger, Lisa Bouchelle, Lisa Lowell, Layonne Holmes, and saxophone legend Tommy LaBella.

Admission to the concert is free.  Food and beer will be sold by local restaurants and merchants at the “Taste of Highlands” food court, with profits going to Highlands survivors.  There is a $10 parking fee at the Seastreak parking lots in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, which will also go to those impacted by Sandy. Seastreak will provide free ferry service to the concert from Atantic Highlands.  There will also be ferry service from New York leaving from E 34th and Pier 11. A $65 fee will include the round trip boat ride, food and the concert.  Excess proceeds will go to support Highlands’ Sandy survivors.

The money raised through the concert will be administered by “Hope for Highlands”, a fund set up through the non-profit Highlands Business Partnership under the direction of Mayor Frank Nolan and Councilwoman Rebecca Kane. The  Hope for Highlands Fund is designed to go directly to the people and businesses in Highlands that need it most.

“Highlands, like so many devastated small towns up and down the Jersey Shore, was hit extremely hard by Hurricane Sandy”, said Nolan,” This half square mile middle class fishing village, has been devastated with severe damage to over 1200 of its 1500 downtown homes and almost all of its businesses.”

Highlands, the first stop on the Jersey Shore, is known for its spectacular restaurants, Sandy Hook, Historic Twin Lights and its fishing and clamming industry.

“The loss of these homes and businesses has had a ripple effect on the community beyond the norm because many of the residents worked and lived in the town”, said Borough Administrator Tim Hill,  “An economically challenged town before the storm, this community is now faced with not only the loss of their homes but many have also lost their jobs.”

Sponsors include Seastreak, Shore Point Distributing, Boulevard Pro, Big Top Tents of Long Branch, Streit Purveyors, Boardwalk Sausage, This Is It! Stageworks and Tri-State LaCrosse.

For more information or to donate to Hope For Highlands  visit www.highlandsnj.com .

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Seastreak Ferry Service to Resume Monday Morning

Limited Service Out Of Highlands Only.  Commuters To Enter Highlands From Linden Ave/Route 36 Only

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno comes through with additional police support

Seastreak LLC will resume ferry service between Highlands and Manhattan on Monday November 5 on a limited schedule.

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, Mayor Frank Nolan, Police Chief Joseph Blewet, members of the Highlands Borough Council and representatives of Seastreak met this afternoon to resolve the community’s security concerns.  Nolan told MMM that Seastreak has agreed to provide additional security lighting and that Guadagno promised 6 additional law enforcement officers to manage the flow of traffic while protecting the residents and their property.

Downtown Highlands was under 8-10 feet of water during Superstorm Sandy.  Only borough residents and their accompanied guests have been allowed past the police check points at the entrances to the riverside side community since the storm ended.

Seastreak ticket holders must abide by the following restrictions:

• Access to and from the Highlands facility will be limited to Linden Avenue only.
• A checkpoint will be in place which will limit access to ticket holders only, so please have your ticket ready to show at the checkpoint to keep traffic flowing as you arrive into town. 
• Seastreak will have ticketing staff at the checkpoint for customers who need to purchase tickets.
• Seastreak encourages carpooling.
• With the limited access to and from the Highlands facility, please allow ample time to arrive on time for your departure.

“I’m happy to see that even in their darkest hour the residents of Highlands, specifically Mayor Nolan, stepped up to help others,” said Guadagno, “this is what makes New Jersey great.”

Nolan’s home was destroyed in the storm.  He and his family are temporarily living in the shelter in town.

Seastreak announced the following limited schedule:

Departures from Highlands will be:

6:00am, 7:00am, 8:00am and 8:55am

Returns from East 35th St. and Pier 11 will be:

4:15pm E.35th St./4:40pm Pier 11

5:10pm E. 35th St./5:30pm Pier 11

6:30pm E. 35th St./6:45pm Pier 11

7:30pm E. 35th St./7:45pm Pier 11

The ferry service hopes to have their Atlantic Highlands location operating by mid-week

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Pallone: Devastation in Highlands is the worst he has seen

Congressman Frank Pallone told residents of Highlands that the devastation they’re suffering through is the worst that he has seen as he has toured his district.

In introducing the congressman to the residents attending an Emergency Information Meeting, Mayor Frank Nolan said that Pallone had been instrumental in getting federal assistance through FEMA to come to town.

Pallone pledge his support in rebuiling the community.

Following the public information session, Pallone met privately with members of the governing body to discuss funding for emergency housing for displaced residents.

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Highlands: No Ferry Service Without Power Or More Police Support

Highlands Mayor Frank Nolan and Police Chief Joseph Blewet announced to an Emergency Information Meeting this afternoon that the borough’s restrictive access to downtown Highlands will continue for the foreseeable future and that as of now commuters will not be allowed to enter the town on Monday for ferry service to Manhattan.

Highlands has been closed to non-residents all week since the evacuation for Hurricane Sandy.  Police check points are in place at the two entrances to the community…at the base of the Captain Joseph Azzolina Bridge and at the corner of Waterwitch and Linden Avenues…no one without identification with a Highlands address or accompanied by a Highlands resident are allowed beyond the check points.

Blewet said there had been “a dozen or so” looting incidents reported and that the check points would continue until power is restored to the community.  The Highlands Police Department is being supported by officers from the State Attorney General’s office, the State Police, and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.

Nolan told MMM that Highlands would need at least three additional police officers inorder to allow commuters into town or the full restoration of power to the borough.  Highlands is not yet on JCPL’s schedule for power restoration, according to the information they provided the Christie Administration.

Seastreak LLC, the ferry service that operates out of Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, sent an email to the customers on November 2 announcing that Nolan “will lift the public access restrictions” and that service would resume on Monday November 5.  The same message emailed was posted on the company’s website.

Jack Bevins, the Seastreak manager in charge at the Highlands Connors location told MMM that the company was indeed planning to resume limited service on Monday.  He said the Highlands OEM Director David Parker had given him permission, subject to a conversation with Blewet.  “This is the first I’ve heard there was a problem,” Bevins said when informed of Nolan’s and Blewet’s announcement.  He immediately left his crew that was restoring access to the fleet to speak with Blewet.

In Atlantic Highlands, Mayor Fred Rast and Harbor Commission Chairwoman Jane Frotton laughed at the notion of Seastreak operating out of their harbor on Monday.  The company’s announcement said they “hoped” to be able to resume service in Atlantic Highlands on Tuesday.  Rast and Frotton said the barge would have to be replaced and parking at the Senior Housing cleared before commuters would be allowed into Atlantic Highlands.   Tuesday appears to be a pipedream.

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