Bayshore Sandy Survivor News: Stormproofing, FEMA Bulletin, Beach Contest, Wind Turbine Lawsuit

Sandy stormproofing ideas coming from Jersey residents While scientists, politicians and engineers ponder ways to better protect New Jersey from storms like Superstorm Sandy, some of the best ideas are coming from those who suffered the most. http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2014/04/13/sandy-stormproofing-ideas-coming-jersey-re... 

FEMA BULLETIN The purpose of this bulletin is to stop charging full risk-rates for all types of Pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) properties covered by section 3 of the HFIAA which includes primary residences and businesses. http://grimm.house.gov/sites/grimm.house.gov/files/Final%20Bulletin%20HFIAA%20.pdf 

FEMA | America's PrepareAthon! America’s PrepareAthon! is a nationwide, community-based campaign for action to increase emergency preparedness and resilience through hazard-specific drills, group discussions and exercises conducted at the national level every fall and spring. http://Ready.gov/Prepare 

Wall Street Journal | How a Chinese Company Built 10 Homes in 24 Hours Imagine if a system like this were available post-Sandy...but with nicer designs!!! http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/04/15/how-a-chinese-company-built-10-homes-in-24-hours/ 

Beauty and Bounty of NJ Photo Contest Great NJ photos...Please make sure to place your vote for each category http://www.earthsharenj.org/photo-contest/

NJ Spotlight | State Probe Confirms Sandy Energy Grant Program Fraught With Errors http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/04/16/state-probe-confirms-sandy-energy-grant-program-fraught-with-errors/ 

NJ.com | Christie to host Sandy town hall in Ocean County next week
The Republican governor will visit the Lake Riviera Middle School in Brick at 10:30 a.m. next Thursday for a public forum focused on Hurricane Sandy recovery. http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/christie_to_host_sandy_town_hall_in_ocean_county_next_week.html 

Union Beach Church Recipient of Make a Difference Day Award http://www.ahherald.com/newsbrief/monmouth-news/17381-union-beach-church-recipient-of-make-a-difference-day-award 

Patch.com | Love Your Local Beach? Brag About it In a Statewide Contest 
... Beach, Ocean Grove, Port Monmouth, Sandy Hook, Sea Bright, Sea Girt, Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, Spring Lake and Union Beach. http://howell.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/love-your-local-beach-brag-about-it-in-a-statewide-contest-howell 

APP: Pollster: 'Christie no longer controls the messaging on the storm' 
Nearly 18 months after superstorm Sandy destroyed it, Elmer Lamberson says he is only days away from returning to his rebuilt Union Beach home. http://www.app.com/article/20140416/njnews1003/304160033/pollster-christie-no-longer-controls-the-messaging-on-the-storm- 

British Advertising Standards Authority rules wind farms cannot be advertised as producing no health effects In 2012 Scottish Power Renewables claimed “There is no medical evidence to suggest that wind turbines affect health.” WRONG! I've often thought that the claims made by the US wind industry violate truth-in-advertising laws...this needs to happen here. http://waubrafoundation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Health-effects-recognised-in-UK.pdf 

WIND TURBINE LAWSUIT OF THE WEEK 
1) Vermont couple gets $1.3 million for farm to settle lawsuit over wind turbines http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/7c471c140dad4bdb8cf4ebe136c6074e/VT--Lowell-Wind/#.U1AViJtAKXS 
2) Wind opponents call the Nelsons heroes, predict more buyouts https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/04/16/wind-opponents-call-the-nelsons-heroes-predict-more-buyouts/

Christie deserves credit for pushing cleanup of Passaic River: Editorial "We don’t often praise the environmental record of Gov. Chris Christie, but he deserves enormous credit for insisting on a thorough cleanup of the Passaic River in the face of strong pressure from corporate polluters." http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/04/christie_deserves_credit_for_pushing_cleanup_of_passaic_river_editorial.html  

Funding supports behavioral-health screenings for those affected by Sandy
The Christie administration has announced $4 million for behavioralhealth screenings for residents impacted by superstorm Sandy http://ind.gmnews.com/news/2014-04-17/Front_Page/Funding_supports_behavioralhealth_screenings_for_t.html 

Monmouth County freeholders adopt $480.9 million budget
The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has adopted a $480.9 million budget for 2014. The budget holds the amount to be raised by taxation flat for the fourth year in a row, according to a press release. http://ind.gmnews.com/news/2014-04-17/Front_Page/Monmouth_County_freeholders_adopt_4809_million_bud.html 

FROM JERSEY SHORE GIVES BACK (https://www.facebook.com/JerseyShoreGivesBack) 
Discount Medical Equipment Available To Monmouth County Residents http://www.goodwillhomemedical.org/ 

FEMA RELEASES BENEFIT COST ANALYSIS TOOLKIT VERSION 5.0 This toolkit can be used to determine the cost-effectiveness for projects under development for any of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs. https://www.facebook.com/JerseyShoreGivesBack/posts/622866521121408 

A Dutchman’s Opinion: Water Management Expert Henk Ovink Weighs in on Post-Sandy Proposals http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/11/a-dutchmans-opinion-henk-ovink-weighs-in-on-post-sandy-proposals/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 

Long After Sandy, Red Cross Post-Storm Spending Still a Black Box http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/23079-long-after-sandy-red-cross-post-storm-spending-still-a-black-box 

Move over, "Stronger than the Storm," there's a new tourism campaign for the shore in 2014. (TV ad and new song also at link above) http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/down-the-shore/item/66815?linktype=hp_blogs?utm_source=down-the-shore&utm_medium=social&utm_content=test&utm_campaign=social-inbound 

NJ Sandy documentary 'This Time Next Year' to screen at Tribeca Film Festival http://www.nj.com/ocean/index.ssf/2014/04/nj_sandy_documentary_this_time_next_year_to_screen_at_tribeca_film_festival.html 

Federal Emergency Management Agency responds to flood insurance debate A delay does not a capitulation make. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is standing by the methodology it used... http://plymouth.wickedlocal.com/article/20140410/NEWS/140406675 

TWITTER ACTION - THIS ONE'S FOR THE FUN OF IT The KGB's Vladimir Putin posing as family member during Ronald Reagan's 1988 Russian trip pic.twitter.com/U2FqbKiPnf (The guy on the left with the cameras on his neck is the young Putin) 

Monmouth County $481M Budget Adopted; Tax Levy Remains Flat Despite the rising cost of doing business, the county said it used outsourcing, shared services and economic development initiatives to keep spending below 2008 levels. http://middletown-nj.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/monmouth-county-481m-budget-adopted-tax-levy-remains-flat