Thursday, May 23, 2013
The party will be courtesy of the TV Network Destination American and USA WEEKEND.
Union Beach has won an "over-the-top" Fourth of July celebration on the beachfront, thanks to its ex-Fire Dept. Chief who nominated the Hurricane Sandy-devastated Bayshore town in a national contest sponsored by the TV network Destination America and USA WEEKEND. The 2 mile-square town was selected with Fayetteville, NC as being "most deserving" among 3,500 entries submitted in March. The judges were persuaded by Union Beach resident Robert LaBerta's 500-word essay. In it, LaBerta wrote, "I'm a humble 37-year resident of a small NJ town. During Superstorm Sandy, 90% of our town was flooded and many homes destroyed. The residents of my small town came together to not only rebuild but save each other emotionally. I had the honor of being …
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
There are eight bands signed to the bill to entertain those willing to enjoy a free day of family fun.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Union Beach Mayor Paul Smith needs votes to win a $1,000 charitable donation from New Jersey American Water to be used in Union Beach.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
A Matawan man with close ties to Union Beach was one of several Sandy survivors to be published in the collection titled "Oh Sandy: An Anthology of Humorous Stories for a Serious Cause."
Hurricane Sandy was no laughing matter for those people displaced from their flooded homes, for those throwing out hundreds of dollars worth of food after losing power or for those who lost their homes entirely. However, they say laughter is the best medicine. "When you are gutting people's houses, you either start laughing or start crying and don't stop," said James Butler, a former Union Beach resident who continues to coach youth soccer there. "When you are dealing with tragedy there is at first shock and then you kind of move on to the gallows of humor." Each day after the storm, Butler, now a Matawan resident, visited Union Beach to help his parents, his childhood friends and his soccer players' families clean up and rebuild. He …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
This playground is being built in memory of Jack Pinto, a six year old boy who was a victim of the tragedy in Sandy Hook Elementary School.
US Dept. Ed. funds $1.25 million to districts in NJ
Keansburg and Union Beach school districts are among the Sandy-impacted districts receiving funds through a $1.25 million grant from the US Department of Education, according to an announcement made Tuesday afternoon by the state Department of Education and the governor's office. Keansburg schools are receiving $322,527 and Union Beach is receiving $28,667, according to a prepared statement from the governor's office. Keansburg was awarded the largest sum, followed by Brick's $211,891 in funds (see chart below). Based on the number of applicants, funds requested, and available funding, all districts received 45% of their requested eligible expenses, the statement says. "The state announced grant awards to assist school communities as they …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Life in Union Beach post-Sandy has been tough, but one random act has empowered the community.
Hope comes in all shapes and sizes and in Union Beach it came in the form of an artificial Christmas tree pulled from Hurricane Sandy's carnage. Former Union Beach resident Jim Butler set up the tree under the blanket of night and placed a handwritten sign next to it that read, "Dear Sandy, You can't wash away hope. You only watered it so more hope can grow. Signed, 'Union' Beach." On Saturday, March 9, the Union Beach Hope Tree was given permanent roots when two local families, the Hornig's and the Mezzina's, donated a living tree. The community came together to dig, plant and mulch the new tree before they moved the ornaments from the weathered artificial tree. And, the hope will continue to spread, Union Beach Councilwoman Cherlanne …
Sunday, February 17, 2013
An estimated crowd of about 1,000 walked in support of recovery in Union Beach Saturday.
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 among those left homeless or living in significantly damaged structures. As long as there's hope, they said, they'll survive.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Proceeds go to two schools and Shore 2 Recover
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 various needs, including helping Sandy-impacted families and to St. Paul's kitchen in Bay Head that has been feeding free, hot meals to affected families …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Plans are being formulated at the state level for how to spend Hurricane Sandy relief aid, but the money hasn't come in yet.
The state is developing plans for how and where to best allocate Hurricane Sandy relief aid, writing proposals for putting together lists for its various relevant agencies, from Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Transportation. The money will come, Gov. Chris Christie told a crowd in Union Beach Tuesday, and it will be used to rebuild New Jersey and get residents back into their hurricane-ravaged homes. Be patient, he said. The check hasn't been written yet. Christie joined other local legislators in celebration after a $50.7 billion hurricane relief bill passed in a contentious U.S. House of Representatives in January before heading off to the U.S. Senate for approval and finally to President Barack Obama’s desk for a …
beacher
5:33 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013
its nice to see honest working class people reveive something special more ›