Sea Bright Farmers’ Market Continues to Build Momentum

Sea Bright, NJ – Kicking off its inaugural season just weeks ago, the Sea Bright Farmers’ Market continues to add to its line-up of area farmers and food makers who source ingredients locally.  In the past weeks, the Market welcomed Holly Jolly Jams producer of homemade jams and jellies made from hand-picked or locally sourced fruit whenever possible and Pickle Licious purveyor of garlic-soaked pickles and vegetables.  Beginning Thursday, August 28^th, the Market will begin featuring organic grass fed meat and cheese, cream top yogurt and eggs from pasture raised, hormone free hens.

The new vendors join an existing line-up which includes Krowicki Farm, Great Road Farm and Happy Harvest Hydroponics producers of locally and sustainably grown fresh fruit and vegetables; Baker’s Bounty bakers of fresh bread and pastries; Neshanic Valley Beekeepers makers of raw honey; Fair Mountain Coffee roasters of organic fair trade coffee; and Franklin Soapworks creators of all natural, environmentally responsible soaps.

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Attention Highlands and Sea Bright residents: Your input matters

New Jersey Future has teamed up with a research scientist from Carnegie Mellon University to support Highlands and Sea Bright in our effort to develop a long-term resiliency plan.  One part of this support involves reaching out to and engaging with the public to talk about flooding risk and plausible solutions. To that end, they developed a short survey to understand how best to talk about these issues with community members.

Please help our community in its plan for recovery and resiliency.This 10-15 minute survey will ask about your beliefs on flooding and flooding risk. Your answers will help Highlands, Sea Bright and New Jersey Future make plans for long-term community resiliency.  In a few months, New Jersey Future will publish a summary of the answers given by the community.

Here is the link to the survey:  http://njfuture.org/risksurvey

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A Shore Thing To Help Sandy Impacted Families

The Foundation to Save the Jersey Shore is hosting a “high-spirited, beach-casual” fundraiser at Windows on the Water, Thursday July 24 at 6 PM.  Tickets are only $75, almost all of which will go directly to families and individuals who are still displaced after Hurricane Sandy.  The food, alcohol and entertainment have all been donated.

Co-founded by businessmen Warren Diamond, NFL Veteran Phil Villapiano and Kevin Leahy after they personally witnessed the destruction of Sandy in their own and surrounding communities on the Jersey Shore, The Foundation to Save the Jersey Shore assists local families, businesses and municipal leaders in rebuilding. Click here to read some of what they have accomplished.

“The news media may have moved on from the devastation of Sandy, but we haven’t,” Diamond said, “Although much of the visual damage has been addressed through repair and demolition, we are looking at thousands of our neighbors who are still struggling to get back into their homes. They are committed and tenacious—they refuse to walk away, and that keeps us focused and inspired.”

Tickets to the event can be purchased here.

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Read Murphy resigns from Sea Bright Council

Read Murphy

After 25 years of service over a 28 year period, C. Read Murphy has stepped down from the Sea Bright Borough Council.

Murphy has been contemplating leaving the council for some time.  He informed the Sea Bright Republican Committee he would not seek another term during their candidate selection process last spring, and then had a last minute change of heart and filed to run in the primary.

John Lamia, the candidate selected by the committee to replace Murphy before his change of heart, was the top vote getter, with 63 votes, in the primary.  Murphy and his fellow incumbent, James LoBiondo, tied and there was one write-in vote, which created a vacancy for the second GOP nomination for council.  Murphy also had a write-in vote in the Democratic primary.

For the last several months, Murphy has wanted the borough to hire him as the beach manager, a job he has been performing as a volunteer.  Had he been hired, he would have resigned.   Murphy said the job is still up in the air, but that he resigned for personal reasons and not due to his pending job application.

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Thar she blows! Whale spotted off Sea Bright

John Scheinder spotted a whale not far off the beach in Sea Bright. Thanks for sharing John!

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Sea Bright Business Owners Donate Bicycle Repair Station To The Borough

Jersey Shore bicyclers who need to adjust their equipment have a place to stop in Sea Bright thanks to the generosity of the Businesses of Sea Bright (BSB).

click for larger view

MMM happened upon Mayor Dina Long, Councilman Read Murphy, and residents Marianne McKenzie Morse, Karley York and Jack Gotti shortly after the dedication ceremony for the newly installed Dero Fixit.

Morse said, “We need to get the word out.” MMM is happy to help.

Murphy said he is a big Bike Supporter.

Long said, “The Fixit is a generous gift of the Business of Sea Bright, BSB, for the use of all cyclists for the betterment of Sea Bright and the promotion of cycling in Sea Bright.”

The repair station is adjacent to the bus stop at the beach parking lot on Ocean Ave.

The Fixit includes all the tools necessary to perform basic repairs and maintenance, from changing a flat to adjusting brakes and derailleurs. The tools and air pump are securely attached to the stand with stainless steel cables and tamper-proof fasteners. Hanging the bike from the hanger arms allows the pedals and wheels to spin freely while making adjustments, according to Dero’s website.

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Stronger than the storm?

New Jersey’s economy should be booming with reconstruction. It isn’t.

There should be hundreds of construction workers in Highlands, Union Beach, Sea Bright and other Sandy impacted communities every day.  They are not working and don’t look to be anytime soon.

Short changed by insurance companies/the National Flood Insurance Plan. Arduous applications for aid followed by red tape, bureaucratic incompetence and rules that halt rebuilding.  Expensive and time consuming zoning approvals to rebuild what was there before.  Pleas for help are answered with finger pointing between bureaucrats at different levels of government who are getting paid for their bullshit and going home every night.

“GO, GO, GO, REBUILD, you’ll get reimbursed,” we were told after the storm. We trusted our government. They lied.

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Hurricane Sandy victims make do in trailers as they wait to rebuild

Hurricane Sandy victims make do in trailers as they wait to rebuild (via NJ.com)

Tina Napalo lived in a bungalow-style house on Fourth Street in Union Beach for more than 20 years. “I didn’t have everything,” said the 40-year-old mother of four, but, “it took me a long time to get what I had.” Then Hurricane Sandy hit.…

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A New Christie For A New Normal

If Governor Chris Christie’s presidential prospects have been damaged by the Bridgegate scandal and associated investigations, you wouldn’t know it by the amount of television cameras at the Town Hall Meeting in Port Monmouth this morning.  Middletown officials estimate the crowd was about 500 people. There was easily 50 members of the media including reporters, photographers and videographers.

There was no swagger from the Governor today.  No fist pumps, no snazzy introductory video, no in your face insults to hostile questioners.  Christie dodged the only hostile question he heard.  The Youtube moment came not from an idiot or thin skinned reporter, but from a three year old girl who said her house is still broken.

Bridgegate, the controversy over the September lane closures at the George Washington Bridge that has spurred investigations by the U.S. Attorney and a Special Legislative Committee never came up.  The people who came to today’s meeting would gladly trade places with the Bergen County residents who were inconvenienced by traffic jams for four days.  They been without their homes for 16 months.

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Remains Discovered on Sandy Hook Not Human

Remains Discovered on Sandy Hook Not Human (via Middletown Patch)

The remains were found near Gateway National Recreation Area on Saturday. The remains discovered in Sandy Hook bay on Saturday were not of human origin, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Brian Polite said Sunday. The remains were found near the Gateway National…

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