Governor Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie will be in Middletown this afternoon to acknowledge Hurricane Sandy First Responders and Volunteers.
This Christies are scheduled to arrive at the Port Monmouth Fire House, 125 Main Street, Port Monmouth at 3 PM. They will address the press following their meet and greet.
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will be attending the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund Benefit at Buono Sera Palazzo, 1033 West Park Ave, Ocean Township, this evening.
The event will feature live entertainment, silent auction, cocktail party and dancing. Scheduled entertainers include Big Joe Henry, Pat Guadagno, Kyle Grooms of Comedy Central & The Dave Chappelle Show, Gordon Baker-Bone, Craig Mahoney & Carolina Hidalgo. Spotlight performances by Vini ‘Mad Dog’ Lopez, Bobby Banderia, Marc Ribler, Brian Kirk, Sonny Kenn, Joe Petillo, Matt O’Ree.
Tickets are $100 and are available through Buono Sera Bar and Restaurant, 732-530-5858.
Middletown OEM and Mayor Tony Fiore have ordered a mandatory evacuation of North Middletown, Port Monmouth, Belford, and Leonardo, due to the oncoming nor’easter, effective 3PM today, November 7.
Fiore said that the evacucation is due to expected tidal flooding and as a precaution because of the severe structural damage caused to the many homes in the area Hurricane Sandy last week.
It could be a week or more until New Jersey’s votes are tallied due to the huge increase in provisional ballots cast both at the polls and via the email/fax voting system that Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno announced this week to accommodate voters displaced by Hurricane Sandy.
is reporting that the vote by fax or email allowance has resulting in mass confusion and fear that thousands of votes will not be counted. Guadagno extended the deadline to apply for a ballot until 5PM today and the deadline for the ballot to be received until 8PM on Friday.
Thousands of voters are complaining that their emails applying for ballots are bouncing back from full email boxes and that phone numbers are busy or going unanswered.
In addition to the email/fax voting problems, polling places are accepting provisional ballots from displaced voters and from out of state law enforcement/recuse workers who have traveled to New Jersey to assist in the recovery efforts. Each of those provisional ballots will have to be manually verified before being counted.
Ballots cast by early voters at county election offices throughout the state will have to be checked to be sure that those who took advantage of the early voting privilege did not also go to the polls to vote.
In Middletown, approximately half the the voting districts voted exclusively by paper ballots due to a voting machine programing errors, primarily in the 6th congressional district portion of the Township, according to Mayor Tony Fiore. “Epic Fail on the part of whoever was in charge of those voting machines,” Fiore said, “the county only provided us with about 50 paper ballots. We reproduced ballots on our own at a secure location.”
There is record turnout at the polls in Asbury Park and Long Branch, according to a Democratic source.
By popular demand (from Matt Rooney and a Democratic operative who doesn’t want people to know he/she talks to me) your favorite blogger is shifting his focus away from the Sandy Aftermath and back to politics on this election eve.
Rooney said, “Let’s hear your projection, Gallagher.” My response: “The power will be off at my house for the rest of the week.”
Clean-up of areas affected by Hurricane Sandy continues. Crews will continue picking up bulk items throughout affected areas of the community daily.
Crews will return to streets as many times as needed to collect all items. You may also take bulky items to the three designated locations – Greely Park in Port Monmouth, Belford Park in Belford and Kunkel Park in Leonardo.
A brush pick up schedule will soon be released. You may begin placing brush at the curb now. Please put all brush in a safe location and do not block sidewalks and the roadway.
For those who need shelter or emergency relief items such as clothing or food can go to Croydon Hall at 900 Leonardville Road. For those wishing to donate the most requested items are new socks and undergarments for adults and children cleaning supplies, bleach, trash bags, shovels, gloves and household batteries of all sizes.
For those who would like to make a monetary donation, we’ve established an organization called the Middletown Disaster Relief Fund. Tax deductible Donations can be sent to Mayor’s Office, Town Hall, 1 Kings Highway, Middletown, NJ 07748
JCP&L has provided the Governor with a municipal restoration update. Check their website for details.
Orders Mandatory Evacuation of Barrier Islands and Atlantic City Effective 4PM Sunday
Urges Residents to Use Nice Weather Saturday and Sunday to Get Prepared
Warns Retailers Against Price Gouging
Governor Chris Christie thanks first responders from the East Keansburg Fire Company prior to his Hurricane Sandy preparedness briefing in North Middletown
Middletown- Governor Chris Christie flew into to Middletown this morning to announce that he has declared all of New Jersey under a State of Emergency in preparation of Hurricane Sandy. The storm is expect to made landfall in New Jersey, somewhere between Cape May and Seaside late Sunday.
Christie has ordered a mandatory evacuation of New Jersey’s barrier islands south of Seaside and Atlantic City effective at 4PM on Sunday. All roads heading into those locations will be closed.
Residents of the northern coastal regions of Monmouth and Ocean Counties are left to their own discretion to voluntarily evacuate, pending updates from the National Weather Service.
Christie said that when shelter is needed that, except in those areas being evactuated, residents should stay in their homes or arrange to stay with family members. Shelters are being set up in all counties for those who can not stay at home or with family. The State will have five shelters open in the event of overflow at the county shelters.
“As we move towards what is an increasingly likelihood of seeing Sandy make landfall in New Jersey, I am urging all New Jerseyans to take every possible and reasonable precaution to ready themselves for the storm’s potential impact. That means having an emergency action plan for their families and other loved ones who may require assistance, and avoiding unnecessary risks in the severe weather, including staying off of the roads,” said Governor Christie. “At the state level, we are taking immediate steps to prepare for the storm’s impact and ensure that state, local and county governments have the tools they need to manage and respond in a coordinated way. With this, government at every level can respond more effectively to conditions on the ground, activate emergency operations plans, and ensure that resources are being marshaled to assist and protect the public through this storm.”
Christie encouraged residents to stay off of the roads during the storm and announced that NJ Transit will cross honor tickets and passes, Monday through Wednesday, giving those commuting to work greater access and flexibilty to public transportation in the event that their normal routes are closed due to the storm.
The governor emphasised that, unlike previous storms that have move through quickly, Sandy is expect to move slowly and impact the area for up to three days.
Utilities repair crews will not restore power while the storm is ongoing. Power outages are expected to last for as long as 7 to 10 days.
In response to a reporter’s question, Christie urged residents who are using power generators to make sure they are doing so correctly according to the manufacturers’ directions. “If it looks stupid, it is stupid,” the governor said, responding to the question about residents sharing power from generators with their neighbors via extension cords.
Following Christie’s briefing to the press and about 200 Middletown residents, his office issued a warning to merchants against price gouging.
“During emergencies, New Jerseyans should look out for each other – not seek to take advantage of each other,” said Christie. “The State Division of Consumer Affairs will look closely at any and all complaints about alleged price gouging. Anyone found to have violated the law will face significant penalties.”
Price increases are deemed excessive under the law if they are more than 10 percent above the price at which the good or service was sold during the normal course of business, prior to the state of emergency. The law does allow that, if the merchant faces additional costs imposed by suppliers or legitimate logistical concerns, a price increase is considered excessive if it is more than 10 percent above the amount of markup from cost, compared with the markup normally applied.
Violations of the price-gouging law are punishable by civil penalties of up to $10,000 for the first offense and $20,000 for the second and subsequent offenses. Each individual sale of merchandise is considered a separate and distinct event.
A “major infrastructure failure” at the Swimming River Water Treatment Plant in the Lincroft section of Middletown has shut the water off for 3,000 Holmdel residences and closed Brookdale Community College until further notice.
Holmdel-Hazlet Patch was the first to report the story, scooping the Asbury Park Press pay site by an hour.
A statement from New Jersey American Water Company that was emailed by the Borough of Tinton Falls to its residents and forwarded to MMM by a reader states that the failure includes the loss of two transmission mains leaving the plant and well as the raw water main coming into the plant. New Jersey American Water customers in Monmouth County may be experiencing low water pressure or no pressure at this time.
Photo credit: lostcreekquarnberg blog
Residents of Middletown, Holmdel, Aberdeen, Highlands, Seabright, Rumson, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Oceanport, Shrewsbury Township and Borough, Tinton Falls and Long Branch are requested to limit all non-essential water use while NJAW works to restore service.
Save water, shower with friends.
UPDATE 4:32
Middletown Township sent out an automated phone call at 4:30 to residents and businesses announcing that all outdoor water usage is restricted.
Bayshore Tea Party Group founder Barbara Gonzalez said “I have never done that and I never would” regarding the report on MMM on Saturday that a Cullari for Congress volunteer said she and BTPG activist Joe Abbruscato were spotted stealing Cullari’s signs in Middletown.
In an email to MMM Gonzalez said her attorney advised her to request a retraction and an apology or proof that she stole the signs.
On facebook Gonzalez threatened to sue Cullari’s Middlesex County coordinator Peter Carrol, campaign manager Charles Measley and “a certain blogger” unless proof of the allegations is produced by 9PM.
MMM contacted the campaign volunteer who says he witnessed the theft at about 7:40 PM on Friday. He said he “definately saw Joey with the signs. Barbara’s Jeep was pulled over so she was likely around.”
Rob Little, the former Highlands Mayor’s husband, called MMM shortly after our report was posted to say that Gonzalez was with him all night on Friday and that she could not have been involved in the theft. MMM immediately updated the report with Little’s story.
