Make Plans for a Fun Night!

Food Assistance Program For Hurricane Victims

 I just received this email, and I thought you or someone you know might be helped by this information:

 

SENATOR VITALE & ASSEMBLYMAN COUGHLIN ANNOUNCE START OF DISASTER FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR        NON-SNAP RECIPIENTS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE SANDY

 

(19th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT) – Senator Joseph F. Vitale and Assemblyman Craig J. Coughlin are pleased to announce that Middlesex County is one of 16 counties in New Jersey to begin accepting Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) applications for eligible victims of Hurricane Sandy.

 

“For many residents affected by Hurricane Sandy, they have had to relocate to temporary housing such as a hotel, purchase gallon upon gallon of gas to fuel their cars or generators among other expenses, and ultimately it has hurt their bottom line in terms of being able to purchase food for themselves and their families,” said Senator Vitale. “Nobody should go without eating or eating properly during a stressful time like this following a devastating storm because they cannot afford it. D-SNAP is a common sense government mechanism to provide a helping hand to those who need it most,” Assemblyman Coughlin maintained.

 

Eligible residents must apply by Tuesday, December 4. D-SNAP locations can be found online at www.njsnap.org.

Under the rules, applicants in the designated counties must provide:

• Identification and proof of residency – a driver’s license, for example, would serve as both.
• Pay stubs and bank statements (cash, checking and savings) for the 30 days from October 28^th through November 26^th.  For example,

A household of one (1) with less than $2,268 in income during the aforementioned time period will be eligible for a $200 EBT card for grocery store purchases; or

A household of five (5) with than $4,452 in income during the aforementioned time period will be eligible for a $793 EBT card for grocery store purchases.

• Receipts that show more than $100 spent on disaster-related expenses between October 28 and November 26.  The cost of replacing food cannot be included in the $100.

 

Related expenses may include: restaurant purchases, temporary shelter in a motel, home/business repairs, evacuation expenses, disaster clean up, disaster related vehicle repairs, gasoline for a generator, and replacement of personal items, such as clothing or household items, such as appliances, tools, educational materials.

 

If any of the purchases were charged to a credit card, the resident must be able to document that they paid the credit card bill for these items by November 26^th.

 

Current SNAP recipients from the 16 counties listed above should not apply for this program because they already received a 30 percent October replacement allocation on their EBT card and will receive a supplemental benefit by December 7, 2012.

Yes, it's Snowing in Iselin!

It's a winter wonderland!  The snow is falling in big fat flakes, and it's starting to stick pretty nicely.  The roads are going to be a mess, I guess - and so is Shop Rite.

Enjoy the weather!

Next of Kin Registry at NJ Motor Vehicle

This is a press release that I received the other day.  I thought it was interesting, and so I figured I would share it with you.  What do you think about it?

 

 

Wisniewski Hails Establishment of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Next-of-Kin Registry

Emergency Contact Registry Established by Wisniewski Legislation Known as Sara’s Law

 

SAYREVILLE – Assembly Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski (D–Middlesex) today hailed the establishment of a next-of-kin registry by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), which was created as a result of legislation he sponsored known as Sara’s Law. The bill was unanimously passed in the legislature and signed into law by the Governor in April, 2011.

 

Sara’s Law is named in memory of Sara Dubinin, a 19 year old from Sayreville who was killed in a car accident. The tragedy was compounded by the delay in notifying her family. By the time her mother Betty was told of the accident, Sara was already in a coma and she never regained consciousness.

 

Betty Dubinin shared her experience with Assemblyman Wisniewski and, working together with legislative colleagues, Wisniewski drafted the legislation that was to become known as Sara’s Law.  The bill required the creation of a next-of-kin database at the MVC so that families can be promptly notified when a loved one is in jeopardy.

 

The MVC database is accessible online and allows New Jersey drivers and those with a non-driver identification card to voluntarily log in and designate two people as emergency contacts in the event of an accident. The information provided by program participants will only be available to law enforcement officers for use during a serious motor vehicle accident and will allow timely notice to those designated in the MVC database.

 

“Designating a family member, trusted friend or loved one to be an emergency contact will help ensure that, in the event of a life-threatening situation, someone could be notified and be at the person’s bedside within minutes rather than hours,” explained Wisniewski. “Sara’s Law offers the opportunity for all of us to avoid the ordeal her family endured and will stand as a lasting tribute to the memory of Sara Dubinin.”

 

Those wishing to register emergency contact information in the registry can do so via the MVC web site at http://www.nj.gov/mvc.

 

 

Ready... Set... SHOP!

glitter-graphics.com

But remember - 

try to buy things 

that are made in the USA! 

Thanks!

Enjoy!

glitter-graphics.com

Make plans now for your shopping!

Brush Pile at Merrill Park

Check this out!

I was driving through Merrill Park, and saw this HUGE brush pile in the parking lot by the playground.  These photos don't even do it justice, because it is three dimensional - it's this big all the way around, if you know what I mean.  It's hard to get an idea of the scale in these pictures.


The whole parking lot is blocked off, and a guy is sitting there keeping an eye on things.  I asked him about it, and he said it's the tree limbs from pretty much the whole township. 

And there is also a huge pile of mulch - where they've been chipping up the brush, I guess.

Well, I was impressed, anyway.  A lot of work has been done by a lot of people taking down all of these trees and branches and moving them here, and then getting them chipped up into mulch.

I'm thankful, this Thanksgiving, about a lot of things.  One of the things I'm most thankful for is the fact that we live in a place that didn't have too much damage in the storm, and that we have the infrastructure in place to help fix things up when they break down.  I hope the other towns in NJ are doing well, too...

Make Plans to Light Up Woodbridge!

This looks like sooo much fun!!! Be there!!!

America - a video by Imagine Dragons

Happy Diwali!

Plan Now for Holiday Cookies & Cans

I received an email this morning from Sharon in Iselin, who wanted me to share this information with everyone:

The Colonia & Woodbridge Corner Newspaper, cordially invite you to an evening of giving this holiday season. 

Your price of admission to this special community event is four dozen homemade cookies and one dozen cans or non-perishablefood items. Each person attending will get to select two dozen assorted cookies to bring home to their families (containers will be provided) and the other two dozen cookies will be shipped out overseas to our “Hometown Heroes” stationed in foreign lands this holiday season. Please bring two dozen cookies in a disposable platter to trade and the other two dozen in a ziploc/disposable container to ship out. Canned and non-perishable food will be donated to our Woodbridge Township food pantries to be distributed to local families in need. The food pantries are critically low and there are many families that are hungry. 

What better way to give of yourself this holiday season than to come together as the Colonia Community always does, and share a night together as we support our local troops and help feed the hungry. Light appetizers will be served and a cash bar is available. 

When: Friday, December 14, 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm

Where: VFW Post 6061, Inman Avenue, Colonia

For more information, please call Debbie @ 732-382-0273 .

Christmas is Coming!

My Gram used to recite a poem...

Christmas is coming,
The geese are getting fat,
So please put a penny in the old man's hat!
If you haven't a penny, 
a Halfpenny will do,
and if you haven't got a Halfpenny, 
then God Bless You!

I suppose you've heard that poem already, haven't you?

ANYWAY...
What I really wanted to write about was this infographic I saw on Facebook:

 

Now, before you say anything about this statement, I want to go on record with the following:

I have NO IDEA if the numbers are true or not.  I have NO IDEA who did the research.  Hey, I saw it on Facebook so it must be true, right??? (no, not really.  It MIGHT be true.  It might not.)

However, I still think it makes sense.  Every time we buy something from another country, we send money out of our country.  And I know several people who have small, local businesses, who would appreciate the sales!  Like, for example, take a look at the shops on Etsy.com - they are usually artists who would like to earn some money for the art, crafts, jewelry, etc that they produce. 

It's the same thing I said last year.  It isn't easy to find stuff made in the USA, but it is a really good idea to try!  

And I haven't gone to the "madeinusachallenge.com" website yet, but I'm going to do that next, and I'll see what it says.  And you should too.

What do you hear?

So, what's new?

It's getting so that I'm almost afraid to ask that question, because there are really bad things happening lately!  Like, for example, I hear that a lot of the area has lost power again because the Sewaren station is out again.  (Just when you think things are going to be approaching normal again soon!)

It was the first day back to work for me, and it was difficult to hear about some of the things happening to people without crying.   And the weather - it was beautiful out today, which was a good thing, but it made me think about the shore, and that just made me think about how weird it will be next summer, if things can't get built up again soon.

But, on the plus side, I read that Christie is dropping the odd/even gas rationing system, starting tomorrow.  And some people are slowly being allowed back to their homes down the shore, at least to grab some things.  And I read that they will be using the Fort Monmouth army base to house people - that's a good idea, as far as I can tell.  And there are many different food drives and clothes collections and fundraisers all around to help the victims of Sandy.

What's new with you?  Have you heard anything interesting you would like to share?  Just leave a comment, or email me at iselin.home@yahoo.com!

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY

Don't Forget the Veteran's Day Parade Tomorrow!

 From the Woodbridge Town Hall Newsletter thingy I get in my email:

The Annual Woodbridge Township Veteran's Day Parade steps-off on Main Street from St. James Church to Town Hall on Sun., Nov. 11.  (I think the parade should start about 1:30, but that wasn't in the email.)

Welcome and salute Township veterans and active-duty military personnel from all branches of service as they proudly march with representatives from Township veterans organizations ~ American Legion Post #87, American Legion Post #471, American Legion Post #248, the Cpl. Kevin J. Reinhard Marine Corps League Detachment #189, VFW Woodbridge Memorial Post #4410, VFW Hopelawn Memorial Post #1352, VFW Colonia Memorial Post #6061, VFW Avenel Memorial Post #7164, VFW Iselin Memorial Post #2636, VFW Fords Memorial Post #6090, DAV Chapter #56, Woodbridge public service and emergency response units, scouting, youth, civic and historic organizations, Woodbridge, Colonia and JFK High School marching bands, and parade dignitaries.

Honor and support our hometown heroes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE U.S. MARINE CORPS!

From Wikipedia:  
"The United States Marine Corps traces its institutional roots to the Continental Marines of the American Revolutionary War, formed by Captain Samuel Nicholas by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress on 10 November 1775, to raise 2 battalions of Marines. That date is regarded and celebrated as the date of the Marine Corps' "birthday"."

Candles

During the storm, with no electricity, I went through my entire stash of candles.  Towards the end I actually needed to go out and get more candles, because I'd almost completely run out.  And I discovered something:
I really do like Party Lite candles best.
The cheaper candles I bought didn't last nearly as long.


So this may seem like an ad, but I am not making any money by doing this plug for Party Lite, so it's not really an ad.  It's an opinion, and I'd like to help out a local friend.

My friend Janine LaRocque lives near Merrill Park, and she has a Party Lite business (Avon too, but that's another post) - and she is having a "Party Lite Stock Up Sale."

This is the post from her Facebook Page:

I'll be placing a PartyLite order on November 13th to restock all the candles I used during the hurricane. 

If you would like to order, let me know or go to my website http://www.partylite.biz/sites/janinelarocque/host-a-show-guestrewards?section=specialoffers and where it says Click Here to look up your Host if you're placing an order for a Party put in my name Janine LaRocque. 

Guest specials include buy 1 get 1 for $5 ANY style candle! 

November scent of the month is Cinnamon & Bayberry, and of course for every $50 you spend you get ANY item 1/2 off! 

If too many scents going at once drove you crazy (it did me) PartyLite does offer unscented candles as well in tealights, votives and GloLite pillars. 

The GloLite were awesome during our 5 1/2 days of no power! They emitted the most light! Even Brian (who could care less about candles) liked that one the best!

Plan now for Sunday Breakfast to benefit PACE!

This is on Facebook... it's a public event, all are invited!

Elks Breakfast to Benefit P.A.C.E. Parents' Organization

Sunday 8:00am until 11:00am

• 
  

• The Woodbridge ELKS is sponsoring a breakfast fund raiser to benefit the P.A.C.E. Parents' Organization. This is an all you can eat buffet (eggs, bacon, sausage, pork roll, pancakes, and more). We will also be having a tricky tray. Anyone interested in tickets please call or text the breakfast organizer at 848-250-9747 or on FB.  (I think they prefer to sell tickets in advance.) Tickets: Adults: $6.00 Ages 5 - 9 $3.00 Under 5 FREE

Woodbridge Elks B.P.O.E. Lodge 2116

665 Rahway Ave, Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095-3551

Woodbridge Animal Shelter Fundraiser

Good Morning, Snow

Yup, it snowed last night.

But except for that, the Nor'easter wasn't too bad here at my house.

There are some places in Woodbridge Township with no electricity.

How did you hold up?

Nor'easter photos -so far

I went out to take some photos of the weather, but I had a hard time getting a good photo.  It's dark and with a flash or without a flash or with different settings on my camera all get different effects.  So... here are a few.  You can decide what you think the weather is like.

But I can tell you that so far, the snow is coming down, it's wet and heavy; and the wind is starting up, but it's not really strong yet.  It is sticking to the road, and it's slippery.

I hope you all do well with this next storm.

Traffic won't be good

You can see in the street lights how the snow is blowing

It's sticking to the roads

From Weather.com

Local Weather Alert

Winter Weather Advisory for Middlesex, NJ

until 6:00 AM EST, Thu., Nov 08, 2012

---

Issued by The National Weather Service
Philadelphia, PA

Wed, Nov 7, 2012, 10:33 AM EST

• Prepare for Winter Storms
• Keep Safe During the Storm
• Driving in Snow & Ice
• Are You at Risk For Winter Storms?
• Get Live Traffic Reports

... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST THURSDAY...
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS... 2 TO 5 INCHES.
* TIMING... LIGHT RAIN AND SNOW WILL SPREAD WEST THE REST OF TODAY. WHEN THE PRECIPITATION FALLS MORE STEADILY AND HEAVILY... IT WILL PRIMARILY TAKE THE FORM OF SNOW. THE MIXED PRECIPITATION SHOULD CHANGE TO MAINLY RAIN TONIGHT.
* IMPACTS... TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO TO UPPER 30S ARE FORECAST EARLY... SO ANY ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED ON COLDER SURFACES AS THE SNOW INCREASES IN INTENSITY LATER. AS TEMPERATURES COOL BACK TOWARD LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... THERE COULD BE SOME SLICK SPOTS ON MAINLY SECONDARY ROADS. TREATED ROADWAYS SHOULD REMAIN MOSTLY ICE FREE.
* WINDS... NORTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH... HIGHEST IN NEW JERSEY.
* TEMPERATURES... FALLING TO THE LOWER 30S AS SNOW MOVES IN.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW... SLEET... OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES... AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
&&

Go to this link to see Christy speaking

Christy is speaking right now, 11:30 AM, you can see it HERE

Boil Advisory Lifted But Drain the Pipes!

10:00 a.m. November 7, 2012 MIDDLESEX WATER COMPANY LIFTS BOIL WATER ADVISORY

ISELIN, NJ, November 7, 2012 (10:00 a.m.) The boil water advisory issued Monday night by Middlesex Water Company for its customers in Carteret, Clark, Edison, Highland Park, Metuchen, the Melrose section of Sayreville, South Amboy, South Plainfield, and all sections of Woodbridge has been lifted. Customers in those municipalities no longer have to boil water before consumption as water quality results show that the water meets all state and federal water quality standards.
THE BOIL WATER ADVISORY IS LIFTED and the following measures are strongly encouraged at this time:
•Run your water faucets for 3-5 minutes to flush your service connection and interior plumbing with water from the service main.
•Empty and clean your automatic ice makers and water chillers.
•Drain and refill your hot water heater if the temperature is set below 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
•Service connections with a water softener/cartridge filters should be run through a regeneration cycle or other procedures recommended by the manufacturer.
•Water reservoirs in tall buildings should be drained and refilled.
Customers with questions should contact Customer Service at 732-634-1500.
Middlesex Water Company had issued the precautionary boil-water advisory after it lost power and secondary power at its intake station which resulted in significant loss of water pressure throughout its distribution system. Although power has since been partially restored to its intake and main treatment plant, the Company remains cautiously optimistic about sustaining reliable power supply at these locations and getting power restored to its other operating facilities which lost power or remain on emergency back- up generation. Customers are urged to continue to conserve water until further notice as previously directed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Middlesex Water Company, (NASDAQ:MSEX) organized in 1897, is an investor-owned water utility, serving customers in central and southern New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. For additional information regarding Middlesex Water Company, visit its website at www.middlesexwater.com or facebook.com/MIDDLESEXWATER

ELECTION DAY

All the regular Polls are open already, until 8 PM tonight.
More information about voting locations are available on the township website, HERE.

OR -If you have more questions - check THIS LINK.

Water's back, but keep boiling it

Nov 6 2012 4:50 a.m. POWER RESTORED TO MIDDLESEX WATER COMPANY INTAKE, CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM REGARDING SUSTAINED POWER RELIABILITY; WATER PRESSURES SLOWLY RISING; BOIL WATER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT

POWER RESTORED TO MIDDLESEX WATER COMPANY INTAKE, CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM REGARDING SUSTAINED POWER RELIABILITY; WATER PRESSURES SLOWLY RISING, BOIL WATER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
November 6, 2012 (ISELIN, NJ) 4:50 a.m. Primary power was restored to Middlesex Water Company’s intake at approximately 2:00 a.m. Water pressures can be expected to slowly increase over the next 8 hours assuming electric power can be sustained. Tap water may initially appear cloudy, this is harmless and is simply the result of excess air in the water mains resulting from the initial loss of water pressure.
Middlesex Water customers in Carteret, Clark, Edison, Highland Park, Metuchen, the Melrose section of Sayreville, South Amboy, South Plainfield, and all sections of Woodbridge had been affected by the initial loss in pressure. Customers are urged to continue to conserve water until further notice as previously directed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
“We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our customers as the employees of Middlesex Water Company continue to work tirelessly to address the ongoing challenges associated with the widespread loss of electric power to our company posed by Hurricane Sandy,” said Dennis W. Doll, Middlesex Water President and CEO.
Due to significant loss of system pressure, customers in the affected communities or sections of communities are advised to boil water before drinking. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection requires the following language to be included in any boil water advisory:
The Department of Environmental Protection has determined that a potential or actual threat to the quality of water being provided to you currently exists. Therefore until further notice, bring tap water to a rolling boil for one minute and allow to cool before using for consumption; drinking, ice cubes, washing vegetables and fruit, and for brushing teeth. Please continue to boil your water until you are notified that the water quality is acceptable.
We also recommend the following steps as of the time of this advisory:
-Throw away uncooked food or beverages or ice cubes if made with tap water made after the time of the issuance of this advisory;
-Keep boiled water in the refrigerator for drinking;
-Rinse hand-washed dishes for a minute in diluted bleach (one tablespoon of household bleach per gallon of tap water) or clean your dishes in a dishwasher using the hot wash cycle and dry cycle.
-Do not swallow water while you are showering or bathing;
-Provide pets with boiled water after cooling;
-Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiling or using bottled water; most home water filters will not provide adequate protection from microorganisms;
-Use only boiled water to treat minor injuries.
Individuals with severely compromised immune systems, infants, or the elderly may be at increased risk and should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly, for example people in apartments, nursing homes, schools and businesses. You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
Middlesex Water will be issuing updates, through media sources, municipal and health departments, the home page of its website at www.middlesexwater.com and through its Facebook and Twitter site. Customers seeking more information may call the company at 732-634-1500.

Union Beach

This is Union Beach.

And this is where Union Beach is - so close to Iselin.

My heart breaks for them.

STORE AND BOIL WATER NOW

 ACCORDING TO THE MIDDLESEX WATER COMPANY WEBSITE
 

November 5, 2012 MIDDLESEX WATER COMPANY LOSES POWER AT INTAKE STATION; URGES CUSTOMERS TO STORE WATER IMMEDIATELY AND ISSUES BOIL WATER ADVISORY

November 5, 2012 (ISELIN, NJ) 7:00 p.m. Due to a power failure at its intake station in New Brunswick, NJ and failure of back-up generation at that location, Middlesex Water Company is advising its customers in Carteret, Edison, Highland Park, Metuchen, South Amboy, South Plainfield, and all sections of Woodbridge to immediately store an ample supply of water for drinking and sanitation purposes until further notice.
The company’s treatment plant and intake station had been on emergency generation since Monday, October 29 and both facilities were restored to normal electric power over the weekend. However, late this afternoon, the intake station, which draws in the water supply, lost power again. In addition, the emergency standby generator at the intake also malfunctioned rendering it inoperable. Over the next few hours, customers can expect to see significant drops in water pressure and loss of water service. Customers should store a minimum of 3 gallons of tap water for each person, each day in addition to supplies of bottled water they may have secured as part of their storm preparations.
The power company is working to restore power as quickly as possible, potentially by early morning Tuesday.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection requires the following language to be included in any boil water advisory:
The Department of Environmental Protection has determined that a potential or actual threat to the quality of water being provided to you currently exists. Therefore until further notice, bring tap water to a rolling boil for one minute and allow to cool before using for consumption; drinking, ice cubes, washing vegetables and fruit, and for brushing teeth. Please continue to boil your water until you are notified that the water quality is acceptable. We also recommend the following steps as of the time of this advisory:  Throw away uncooked food or beverages or ice cubes if made with tap water made after the time of the issuance of this advisory;  Keep boiled water in the refrigerator for drinking;  Rinse hand-washed dishes for a minute in diluted bleach (one tablespoon of household bleach per gallon of tap water) or clean your dishes in a dishwasher using the hot wash cycle and dry cycle.
 Do not swallow water while you are showering or bathing;  Provide pets with boiled water after cooling;  Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiling or using bottled water; most home water filters will not provide adequate protection from microorganisms;  Use only boiled water to treat minor injuries.
Individuals with severely compromised immune systems, infants, or the elderly may be at increased risk and should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly, for example people in apartments, nursing homes schools and businesses. You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
Please note a boil water advisory is a standard procedure whenever a treatment failure occurs which may compromise the quality of your drinking water. Middlesex Water will provide information as to when the advisory is lifted.
Middlesex Water will be issuing updates, through media sources, municipal and health departments, the home page of its website at www.middlesexwater.com and through its Facebook and Twitter site. Customers seeking more information may call the company at 732-634-1500
Media Contact: Bernadette M. Sohler Vice President - Corporate Affairs Middlesex Water Company 1500 Ronson Road Iselin, NJ 08830 Phone: (732) 634-1500 Ext. 1281 Fax:(732) 638-7515 bsohler@middlesexwater.com


The company’s website is at http://www.middlesexwater.com/News.aspx?id=120

Are you ready for Trick or Treaters?

I hear the little monsters will be trick or treating around town today between 3 and 7 PM. Do you have any candy left, or did you do what I did, and eat it all when the electric was out? I'm gonna have to run back to the store now for more candy!



glitter-graphics.com

Getting back to "normal"

My own family's power came back on yesterday, so I can finally do my normal activities around the house, including blogging here on the Iselin Times. It's been a long time without electricity, and it's nice to get back to "normal". However, it's hard to say that it will be normal, considering how much of our state has been irrevocably changed. Now that my own house is in order again, it's time to consider how to best help those who are still affected. 

But first of all - I need to say thank you. It's November already, and Thanksgiving season, and it is the time of year when we think about being grateful for all the blessings we have received throughout the year. This year, in spite of how much damage has been done, many of us can be very grateful that it wasn't even worse. First and foremost, I'm grateful that more people weren't killed in the storm. I pray for the people who have lost someone, or lost their homes, because of this tragedy.

I am also very grateful for the people across the country who are here to help - like these electric company trucks from Illinois, helping Iselin restore electricity. And of course like the Police, Fire, EMS, and CERT workers.

And so many neighbors helping neighbors. 
I am very grateful for good neighbors.

In the parking lot across from the Jose Tejas

So - THANK YOU to all.

A few more photos

These are still from yesterday, but I thought I'd put a few more photos up.  The sun is shining beautifully today - I hope it lasts!

Chans was doing a booming business, in spite of the damage on the top floor!

Roofing shingles blown down

The view looking down Oak Tree Rd from the GSP overpass

People are working hard getting back to normal!

Iselin Power

 My power is still out, but I've found out that you can get internet service in the parking lot at the Iselin Library, even if the Library isn't open!  Yet another reason to support our local library!

I haven't heard anything beyond the official party line from PSEG - which is basically that the power is out, and they'll set it back as soon as they can.  I'm hoping it's today, but I'm not holding my breath.  We've been very lucky that it isn't colder out!  I just heard from a friend that everytime she checks, they say something different.  The true answer is "it will be on when it is on."  And sometimes, it will be on, and then it will go off again, which is what I'm hearing from a lot of people.

I saw electric trucks from ILLINOIS today, turning onto Green Street.  That's wonderful!

And I hear vague hints of bad weather next week... not THAT bad, but I'd really like some tropically warm sunny days for a while!

We're going to have to think about this winter, and being prepared for bad weather and long outages.  It's good to be prepared!

FEMA Info from Town Hall

WOODBRIDGE RESIDENTS & BUSINESSES URGED TO APPLY TO FEMA DISASTER HOTLINE TO REPORT DAMAGE RESULTING FROM HURRICANE SANDY

 

Woodbridge Home & Business Owners who Suffered Damage to Apply for Federal Disaster

Aid & Assistance at: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)

 

WOODBRIDGE – Mayor John E. McCormac today advised Woodbridge Township homeowners, renters, and businesses whose properties were damaged as a result of Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 29-30, 2012 to contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – State of New Jersey Disaster Assistance Hotline.

 

Woodbridge Township residents should apply for federal disaster assistance through the FEMA on-line registration.  The FEMA website consolidates the application process across several federal agencies, including FEMA and the Small Business Administration.  The website also reduces the number of forms required to be completed, shortens the time it takes to apply, and allows applicants to check application progress on-line.  The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. EDT seven days a week until further notice.  Apply on-line at:

http://www.disasterassistance.gov

Web-Enabled Mobile Device at: atm.fema.gov

By Calling: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)

1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for hearing & speech impaired

 

Applicants will be asked to provide Social Security number, type of insurance coverage, family gross total income at the time of disaster, address and phone number where damage occurred, and current address and phone number if different than the location damaged.

 

“Woodbridge Township is included in the federal disaster declaration which opens the door for Township residents whose homes, businesses, and property were damaged as a result of Hurricane Sandy to apply for federal disaster assistance,” Mayor McCormac said.  “The Woodbridge Office of Emergency Management and the Township Department of Public Works have been assisting Township homeowners and businesses impacted by the flooding and will continue to do so.  Additionally, I would like to acknowledge the around-the-clock efforts of each and every Woodbridge Township fire department, first aid squad, and emergency responder for answering the call during the height of the storm.  Through their actions, Woodbridge residents were safely evacuated, Township roads remained passable, and flooded basements are being pumped.”

 

Life Insurance search

One of my priorities right now is to make sure I'm staying within budget.  And I also know that I need life insurance, to protect my family in case anything happens to myself or my husband.  So I've been looking at my life insurance coverage and I have decided that I need just a little more coverage on myself. 

If you know me, you know that I do everything on the internet.  So I was glad to find a site giving information on life insurance.  This site, Mozdex, gives instant quotes from all the leading life insurance companies, with one easy to use quote engine. 

You should evalualte your own life insurance needs as well; and instead of dealing with salesmen, you can find affordable life insurance from Mozdex.

Some photos

We took a quick tour of Iselin and saw lots of damage, some minor and some probably not so minor.

One thing I heard is that the roof on the Iselin Fire House, on Auth Avenue, got pretty messed up.  Walking around and seeing all of the roofing materials all over town leads me to believe that there are a lot of roof problems on buildings.  I don't know how bad the fire house roof is, but I know firemen are handy and intrepid and I'm sure they'll fix it pretty quickly!

All over the state, there are gas lines.  It's crazy.  I'm glad I'm not going anywhere any time soon.  This is the line at Kenny and Billy's on Route 27 - and the line stretched way down the street.  Everyone seemed pretty calm, but I didn't hang around long.  My son works there and I'm pretty sure he's going to be exhausted tonight!

Traffic lights out all over town has made driving pretty dangerous.  I'm staying home as much as I can.

Most electric has been out, but it's coming back slowly but surely.  PSE&G estimated my power will be back Monday.  Fingers crossed.

 Big thanks go out to all of the public workers - Fire, Police, EMS, Sanitation, and PSE&G guys - and all the rest - for keeping our town going!  Fixing everything and rebuilding is going to take time, but the state of NJ (and NY, for that matter) will get through it!

No Electricity!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I know people are worried and wondering how everyone here in Iselin is doing. 

I'm at McDonalds, with their Free WIFI, so I can post.  I don't have power at my house and many other areas of Iselin are out of power as well.  Slowly but surely, though, I hear of friends around town getting power back. 

The storm was bad, truely bad, for many people.  I think we were lucky in Iselin, though, for the most part.  Some damage, yes, but not nearly the kind of devastation you see along the shore and in New York.

I hope everyone reading this post is well. 

I have a lot of photos to post from around town - give me a few minutes.