One Year Later Sandy Aid Still Needed, Some Residents Help Provide It

Robert Harzer of Seaside Heights, NJ and Derek Koch of Brick, NJ speak about their experiences with Sandy. Harzer talks about his experience as an affected resident, while Koch speaks about his experience as an unaffected resident.

POINT PLEASANT, N.J.- On Oct. 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy crashed into the coasts of New Jersey, New York, and Maryland, causing billions of dollars in damage, and taking the lives of 72 people.

The “Super Storm,” as it was dubbed, was felt in the hearts of many in not only the United States, but across the Eastern Hemisphere. Now, one year later in 2013, a clothing company based out of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, is still trying to make a difference.

ERGO Clothing in Point Pleasant has been producing their line of “Restore the Shore” merchandise to help raise money for the damages caused by Hurricane Sandy for about a year now. With hats, stickers, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and more, they’ve managed to raise over $150,000 thus far, and counting.

The idea all started in an on-campus apartment at Rowan University, back in 2012. Rowan student and ERGO intern Derek Koch sat in his living room, contemplating a way to help raise money for the damage to his hometown of Brick, and surrounding areas.

“I figured since I’m a graphic designer I’d just make a t-shirt,” said Koch. “Maybe then just pool my money and sell some to people at school, and give someone a check.”

Koch would then put his skills as a graphic designer to the test as he designed a tee to help raise some money to help out.

“It all started with that idea to just sell some t-shirts out of a box,” said Koch. “Then, once it got on Facebook, it kept getting share after share and it just exploded exponentially.”

After he posted it on Facebook, the image went viral. Within hours it had hundreds of shares and likes, and was spreading across the social media site.

That is when Travis LeBar got involved. A hometown friend of Koch, LeBar would join in the initiative to make the design into a reality. In the early stages of the shirt’s stint on the Internet LeBar contacted Koch with the plan of helping out.

“I saw Derek’s shirt on Wednesday night and thought it was an awesome idea,” said LeBar. “In my head at the time I figured we would sell a few shirts, donate some money and feel good about what we did for our friends who lost everything during the storm.”

Soon enough, Koch would contact his boss, co-owner of ERGO, Pete DiSpirito, who took the project to all new heights. Now, along with the Facebook page, titled Restore the Shore Projects, ERGO sells the merchandise, donating all proceeds to the charity Waves For Water, an organization that donates clothes and food, and helps clean up the area.

“I’m not sure on the exact number we’ve raised. I know it’s big and I know it’s amazing what can happen in such a short amount of time,” LeBar said. “The area has pulled together on this and created something I never imagined when I asked Derek what I could do to help. I’m proud to say that I’m a part of this.”

“I’m really glad Derek and Travis brought the idea to us here at ERGO,” said DiSpirito. “Because of their initiative, we’ve raised and donated around $1.2 million in supplies and monetary donations.”

Despite all of the efforts to replace and rebuild the damages from the super storm, there are still an estimated 30,000 people in New York and New Jersey who are displaced, and unable to live in their homes, according to sources in the New York Times.

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has stated that thus far $1.4 billion has been provided in direct aid, along with an additional $7.9 billion in flood insurance payouts. Unfortunately, for some, the payments they received have not covered the costs of the damages.

Less than half of the people affected by Sandy who sought out emergency money for the damage to their homes didn’t receive any, according to a New York Times analysis. Flood insurances have covered only a fraction of the total costs that many displaced folks need.

“It’s just awful what people have been put through in these areas, just awful,” said DiSpirito. “There are still people who have almost nothing. And they’re mostly people who live in these areas year round.”

There are still many issues that need to be fixed in the New York and New Jersey areas from damages from Sandy. One can only hope that now, a year later, things will finally begin to look up to the bright side.

“If you take a drive down Route 35 [in New Jersey] you cans still see how bad it is,” said Koch. “There are still houses that haven’t even begun to be rebuilt.”

The communities have come together to bring in some much needed support, but even now, a year later, it seems that the area has a long way to go.

Interviews About Thanksgiving Plans

Rebuilding a theme at Glassboro town council meeting

GLASSBORO, N.J. – The Glassboro Council had very little to discuss that was unrelated to the theme of rebuilding at their meeting in the municipal building last Tuesday, Oct. 22.

The meeting began with the reading of several ordinances that have been passed in the borough in the past year, which were unanimously voted “yes” on by the council members. Most of these ordinances were in line with the Rowan Boulevard Project, and bringing in businesses to make the area more attractive.

“That’s why we provide the PILOT program,” said Council President Tony Fiola. “It provides business owners incentive to move into the area, and it provides the borough with money directly, so it’s a win-win.”

Glassboro’s “payment in lieu of taxes” (PILOT) program is being used in and around the newly constructed Rowan Boulevard as a way of bringing in new businesses and shops. The project is set to “rebuild downtown Glassboro, and give it a new look,” according to Councilman Hector Cabezas.

“The Marriot is a perfect example of how the program works,” said Cabezas. “It’s a $25 million project, and the PILOT program helps offset its costs of operations for the next 25-30 years.”

The newly constructed Courtyard Marriot pays the borough a direct fee instead of paying taxes for its space that it occupies, as it normally would. The normal tax rate would be funneling roughly 30 percent of revenue to the borough, however, with the PILOT program, the borough receives more around 50 percent. This provides the borough with a larger amount of money to work with, but still saves the business the normally immense costs of taxes.

“And we can put that money toward schooling still,” said Fiola, “and we do. We sit on it, but since if they were paying taxes, some of it would be going toward schools, we can funnel that money there directly.”

This Rowan Boulevard Project has been in progress for well over a year now, and is currently the largest redevelopment project in the state. It is not the only way that the borough plans to make the area more attractive, however.

Recently in the area construction has begun on a “Super Wawa” and a Jimi John’s, as well as the introduction of several businesses in the spaces on Rowan Boulevard. The borough also recently decided to demolish the unused movie theater on High Street this December.

The theme of rebuilding.

Christie, Sweeney re-elected, Minimum Wage Raised in New Jersey

GLASSBORO, N.J. – In a landslide victory yesterday, Governor Chris Christie (R- N.J.) maintained his position as New Jersey’s 55^th Governor, winning with 64 percent of the vote, compared to Barbara Buono’s (D- N.J.) 34 percent.

In a mainly Democratic state, Christie managed to win the votes of 30 percent of the registered Democrats, which appeared to be a statement towards his claims of successful bi-partisanship. He had previously lost that portion of the vote to John Corzine four years ago, having only won that election by three points.

Christie’s victory this time around came as little surprise to most, as he held a commanding lead in the polls for the past few months.

Christie would win the votes of the Republican party (93 percent), the tea party (88 percent), and the conservatives (86 percent), according to CBS News.

There have only been three candidates that have won in such a manner as Christie in the past 40 years, making him the first Republican since Thomas H. Kean to win 60 percent of the vote, according to NJ.com

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” Christie stated during his acceptance speech in Asbury Park, N.J, according to CNN.com.

Buono would go on to congratulate her opponent, and reprimand her party for their “betrayal” of her campaign in her speech afterward. Many experts would state that Buono’s campaign failed to get off the ground for the most part. Despite her campaign struggles, however, Buono would win the votes of the majority of African-Americans, young voters, and liberals in the state.

Unfortunately for Buono, it would not be enough.

Now, the state, and the country, will await an announcement for Christie’s possible run at the Presidency of the United States in 2016. Nothing has been announced so far on the matter.

A ballot question also passed with an a astounding 63 percent of the vote, raising the minimum wage in New Jersey from $7.25 an hour to $8.25 an hour.  It also amends the state Constitution to tie future increases to inflation. This was the first time minimum wage appeared on a public ballot in New Jersey.

“With the increase, New Jersey becomes the 20^th state to establish a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum,” Gordon MacInnes, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective, a group that advocated for passage of the ballot question, told The Star Ledger.

In addition, Stephen M. Sweeney (D- Gloucester), the State Senate President, also maintained his position in the senate with 55 percent of the vote. Sweeney beat out opponent Niki Trunk (R- Union) in the most expensive race in the state, spending over $3 million between the two parties, according to the South Jersey Times.

Sweeney’s running mate, John Burzichelli (D- Gloucester), would also maintain his senate seat, helping the Democrats maintain a 24-16 majority in the Senate, even with Christie’s relection, per the Asbury Park Press.

At the local level, Edward Malandro,and Anna Miller kept their positions on the Glassboro Council, with both running unopposed in their respective campaigns for their council seats.

George Cossabone was also voted back onto the Council, after stepping down earlier this year from the Monroe Municipal Utilities Authority. Cossabone had stepped down officially in late February in order to collect his pension, after laws stated that paid public positions must be abandoned in order for pensions to be collected. Pension laws have been changed, however, allowing him to regain his seat. He, like Miller and Malandro, ran unopposed.

The state didn’t see many changes in politics after yesterday’s election, but whether or not Gov. Christie will remain governor for his entire term remains to be seen, with the possible Presidency looming overhead.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.

The Curse of the Individual: A College Student’s Attempt to Blend

By Matt Hoffman

 

GLASSBORO, N.J. – On a fine September afternoon, Mike Bonifazio chose a seat outside the student center of his school, Rowan University, and sat down to eat his lunch and study for an exam.

He’s a twenty-year-old engineering major at Rowan, in his junior year at school. He has an exam in a few hours in one of his science courses, and decided to get a quick second look at his notes before he took the test. Plugging his ear buds into his head, he drifts away into a sort of musically induced trance.

Mike doesn’t really stand out. With a red Cincinnati Reds hat on his head, a black sweatshirt, and jeans, he blends in just like every other twenty-something that wanders between classes or heads to the cafeteria to get some lunch.

In the next half hour, forty-three people would walk past Mike (within a ten-to-fifteen foot radius), while he studied and ate his Caesar salad. A few of them would stop and sit themselves, while others would continue on to their classes or wherever they were venturing off to. Mike would glance up from time to time, twice to wave to friends, and a once at a small commotion made by a man and his dog crossing paths with a group of excited girls.

Out of the forty-three souls who ventured within a reasonable enough distance to notice Mike, only four seemed to actually acknowledge him sitting there. Two of which were his friends, Tom Dolan and Vincent Oliver, who stopped just to say hello to a friend.

However, the other two had their own reasons for noticing.

“I think it was his hat that drew my eye,” said Thomas O’Neill. “I’m a Cincinnati fan, and it was red, so my eye was naturally drawn to that.”

“He pretty much blended with everyone else outside,” said Jess Genarie. “I saw him mainly because I was just looking around while I walked.”

Nothing really struck people about Mike as extraordinary, as most of the passerby’s allowed him to blend with the crowd. In fact, other than Mike, most people barely moved when the commotion with the dog occurred.

“I guess I just didn’t stick out,” said Mike. “I think that’s kind of the idea nowadays; everyone just wants to blend in.”

So was he even trying to stick out? That seems almost uncommon today; thus, the curse of the individual.