Towns all along New Jersey's coast were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Boardwalks were pulled back into the sea by surging waves, homes were knocked off of their foundations and residents left homeless. Despite the disaster, there's still hope. In Union Beach Saturday, and estimated crowd of about 1,000 people walked through the Sandy-ravaged town to show their support for recovery and each other. With little notice about the event other than a posting online, word of mouth spread throughout the week, resulting in a large and somewhat unexpected turnout. Many of those walking count themselves…

  A fundraiser for two schools and Shore 2 Recover will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight March 2 at Martell's on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk. The admission fee of $25, for non-stop live music and complimentary dinner buffet, will be donated as follows: $20 to Hugh J. Boyd Elementary School in Seaside Heights and Memorial School in Union Beach and $5 to Shore2Recover’s rebuild program. Shore 2 Recover was founded by Toni Pecunia, a resident of Point Pleasant whose home was partially-flooded by the storm, according to the organization's website. The organization has donated funds to …

When David Scott Ruddy was arrested in Woodbridge for allegedly flimflamming Hurricane Sandy victims out of $50,000 in FEMA funds, there was one person who not only knew who he was, but had been calling and warning officials about him for months. That was Kathleen Marchitto, who met Ruddy first at a shelter put up at an Old Bridge school, and then later when she and other hurricane victims were moved to the Red Cross shelter set up at Livingston College of Rutgers University in Piscataway. Marchitto, whose South River apartment was flooded during the October hurricane, was at the Livingston …

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing free advice on how to repair or rebuild your Hurricane Sandy-damaged home at several home improvement stores throughout the area. With an eye on rebuilding to mitigate future disaster damage, FEMA experts will be on hand to offer building techniques that can help protect homes, businesses and other properties.  Among the topics advice is being offered on are: •             Ridding a home of mold and mildew. •             Understanding flood- and wind-resistant building methods. •             Knowing the benefits of flood insurance…

Randall Kidd’s story isn’t unique. A Union Beach resident, he’s faithfully paid into the National Flood Insurance Program for years, insuring his home against the kind of flood damage caused by Hurricane Sandy with a $217,000 policy he hoped would make him whole. After his home was destroyed by the late October storm, Kidd set about filling out the appropriate paperwork, meeting with adjusters who came in from out of state and waiting for the check to arrive so he could start to work. Finally, the check did come, but for $89,000, less than half of what contractors have told him it will cost …

An executive order signed by Gov. Chris Christie Friday aims to put key review and reporting initiatives in place to ensure that distribution of Hurricane Sandy relief funds is done in an accountable and transparent matter. The order, No. 125, directs the Office of the State Comptroller to conduct an independent, legal review of the procurement process for state contracts using federal reconstruction aid, according to a release. Each of the state's departments dealing with the distribution of federal aid will designate an "Accountability Officer" to work with the Comptroller's Office and the …

The State's Treasury Department's Division of Taxation has organized a number of tax assistance outreach events throughout February and March in towns affected by Hurricane Sandy, Gov. Chris Christie's office announced Thursday.  The events, scheduled during the height of tax season, are being held in towns that suffered heavy damage during Sandy as well as adjacent municipalities. The events will be located at libraries or other public buildings. The events are scattered throughout Monmouth, Ocean and Bergen Counties. The tax assistance events are free and residents can register online by …

Gov. Chris Christie is adamant about his decision to adopt the Federal Emergency Management’s (FEMA) advisory flood maps. And while that decision will have a significant, and costly, impact on many of New Jersey’s shore towns, it’s a necessary step to ensure their survival, he said. Speaking at a mobile cabinet meeting in Union Beach nearly two weeks after announcing his decision to rebuild using the advisory flood maps as a guide, Christie said it was a difficult choice, but one he had to make. Even amidst opposition as shore towns and residents voice their objections to the maps and their …

The Community Foundation of New Jersey recently announced a funding resource aimed at supporting the needs of the state’s communities and non-profit organizations leading in recovery following Hurricane Sandy. Called the New Jersey Recovery Fund, the foundation and its more than $5 million in pledged support from national and regional organizations recently revealed the fund’s application guidelines and its focus on aiding forward-thinking groups and communities throughout the state. The fund focuses on five areas, according to NJ News Commons, a Montclair State University communication …

Editor's note: A previous version of this story reported that the event would be held Monday. The event is being held Tuesday. Representatives from several state departments are slated to spend the day in Monmouth County Tuesday, offering expert advice and assistance in a number of areas to victims of Hurricane Sandy, Gov. Chris Christie's office announced recently. Senior staff members from the Department of Banking and Insurance, Department of Community Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, and the Business Action Center will be on hand at Union Beach Hose Co. #1 from 9 a.m. to 5…

In just three months since Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $1.1 billion in disaster loans to residents and business owners affected by the storm. According to a release from the SBA, approximately 16,700 individuals have received loans, making Sandy the country's third largest disaster in terms of loaned dollars. Currently, Sandy sits behind 2005's Hurricane Katrina and its $10.8 billion in SBA loans, and 1994's Northridge, Calif., earthquake, which totaled $4 billion in loans. Sandy, however, could supplant those disaster …

Wednesday, three grants totalling more than $9.2 million were approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help cover the cost of public assistance and debris removal related to Hurricane Sandy. The funding will be used to reimburse a significant percentage of costs incurred by Belmar and Marlboro Township as well as the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.  According to a release from Sen. Frank Lautenberg's office Wednesday afternoon, Belmar will receive $4,062,468 for emergency debris removal to clear roadways for emergency vehicles in the aftermath of Sandy. The …

The Huffington Post reports that Flying Fish Brewery Company is ready to give Hurricane Sandy a big F.U. with "F. U. Sandy," a hybrid wheat-pale ale inspired by the storm. (The F.U. stands for "Forever Unloved.")   One hundred percent of the proceeds from the beer will go to New Jersey Sandy victims, according to the Huffington Post story.       In a release from Flying Fish, Jersey native and brewery founder Gene Muller said: “At Flying Fish, we proudly hail from the great state of New Jersey, so when tragedy struck, we knew immediately that we wanted to do something to help ... Every single…

In the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy, Clean Ocean Action sees an  opportunity. As the Jersey Shore makes its comeback, the environmental advocacy group promises it will be there to help now and in the future while shepherding in a movement of responsible restoration. The organization recently announced a new year-long program called Waves of Action. The program was launched to respond to immediate and ongoing needs of coastal towns impacted by Sandy. With a slew of events already scheduled throughout the year, Waves of Action is hoping to pair willing volunteers with communities that…

The drab gray of concrete barriers block off Ocean Avenue in Belmar, as construction progresses behind the waist-high slabs. These barriers signal to "Keep Out," that vehicles can't get through, that this area is off-limits and damaged by Hurricane Sandy. But not long after the concrete barriers arrived, the Belmar Arts Council helped hatch a plan to have local artists paint them, transforming a symbol of flux and prohibition into one of beauty and hope. Now, more than a dozen of the barriers feature hand-drawn mermaids, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz on the beach, and messages of pride for …

Thousands of victims of Hurricane Sandy remain temporarily housed in hotels and motels throughout the state, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said Thursday, but the number continues to decline as families find permanent housing solutions. FEMA held a conference call late Thursday morning to announce an extension of its Transitional Sheltering Assistance as well as to provide an update of the agency’s goal to move Sandy victims away from transitional housing into more long-term temporary solutions. Currently, 2,790 households throughout New Jersey are still living in hotels and …

Gov. Chris Christie, in a joint statment with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, applauded the "critical" Sandy aid approval by the House of Representatives Friday, but said the $9.7 billion outlay is merely a "down payment." "While we are pleased with this progress, today was just a down payment and it is now time to go even further and pass the final and more complete, clean disaster aid bill," they said. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a measure Friday afternoon allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to borrow $9.7 billion to pay insurance claims made by victims of …

OceanFirst Foundation’s Relief and Recovery Grant Program is awarding six new grants totaling $93,000 to organizations in Point Pleasant Beach, Toms River and Monmouth County. The recipients are: Ocean Fire Co. #1, Point Pleasant Beach; Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, Toms River; Children’s Home Society, Toms River; Homes for All, Toms River; O.C.E.A.N., Inc., Toms River and United Way of Monmouth County, Farmingdale. "The foundation's grant program assists the efforts of nonprofit organizations in the New Jersey shore market area that are helping local families and individuals …

Gov. Chris Christie is placing blame for the lengthy delay in approval of a Hurricane Sandy Relief bill squarely on the shoulders of combative U.S. House of Representative Republicans, specifically Speaker John Boehner. Christie offered a scathing rebuke of Boehner and waffling Republicans during a press conference in Trenton Wednesday afternoon, saying Congress has failed in its primary purpose, to protect its own citizens. Residents of New York and New Jersey are being used as pawns in a game of politics, he said, and that's why this country's citizens "hate" Washington D.C. "Last night, …

Gov. Chris Christie and President Barack Obama each released statements Wednesday expressing disappointment over the failure of the House of Representatives to vote on the $60.4 billion Hurricane Sandy Aid Package and urged Congress to make the bill a priority when it reconvenes Thursday.  Though the U.S. Senate approved the bill Friday, Congress failed to act on the bill, at different times criticizing the allocation of some of its funding, considering splitting the aid package into separate bills, and putting it off until a deal was reached on the impending "fiscal cliff."  Eventually, the …