Video Diary of Sandy: 'Returning Home'
Ocean City- John Thornton, a resident of the Ocean City Homes neighborhood on the south end of Ocean City and a teacher at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, recently completed the final segment of two-part film about the impact of Superstorm Sandy on his friends, neighbors and hometown.
See more on Ocean City Patch.
New Jersey Marathon to Run as Scheduled
Jersey Shore- The New Jersey Marathon will continue at the Jersey Shore this spring, but some changes may be made to the annual event.
Organizers have announced that the full marathon, which highlights the series of events scheduled for May 3-5, will take place as scheduled, and that they are working on a program to give money back to the local community in an effort to Restore the Shore as it continues to recover from the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
This has already begun with fundraising promotions at events owned and operated by US Road Sports, which operates the marathon, in Palm Beaches and Miami.
Read more on Long Branch Patch.
Mountains of Toms River's Garbage Pushed Into 'Debris Management Sites'
Toms River- Toms River is pushing acres of garbage into "debris management sites" throughout the township, converting parks and parking lots into temporary dumping grounds in order to manage the clean-up of Hurricane Sandy.
Township Administrator Paul Shives said landfill costs have been approximately $1 million a week.
At its township council meeting Tuesday, Toms River paid a $2.5 million bill for landfill costs, which is just for three weeks of garbage, Shives said.
Read more on Toms River Patch.
Parkway Exit 105 Improvements Likely to Begin This Spring
Eatontown- The New Jersey Turnpike Authority's project to improve Garden State Parkway Exit 105 will likely begin in late spring or early summer, project engineers announced today.
The plans are part of a proposed $40 million plan to improve traffic flow in the area and improve access to Fort Monmouth as it is developed in the future.
Read more on Long Branch Patch.
Brick Motel Owner Vows He Won't Give Up On Dream
Brick- When Rick Weber was a kid, in the 1950s, he spent his summers working at a small beach on the Barnegat Peninsula and dreamed of becoming a professional surfer.
"The beach people would come over to the beach, but at night they would stay at this motel," he said, motioning to the building behind him, at the end of the small gravel driveway on Mantoloking Road.
The surfing dream gave way to a stint in the Marines -- Weber was drafted -- but he never let go of that connection to the Jersey Shore and to Brick, buying a home in Cherry Quay that functioned as his family's summer home for a while, until he and his wife moved to Brick permanently from Far Hills about eight years ago.
Read more on Brick Patch.