Monday, March 25, 2013
Victims of Hurricane Sandy flooding are having an open meeting tonight
The Woodbridge Flood Zone group, which has caused a stir with a march and presence at last week's council meeting, will be holding a meeting tonight at the First Presbyterian Church in Woodbridge. Mayor John McCormac and members of the town council are slated to attend. The meeting will begin with a planning session at 7:30 pm, followed by the regular meeting at 8 pm. The community group is comprised of township residents affected by Hurricane Sandy and other flooding events, and who are ready to do work towards real change. Township residents who have experienced flooding issues are welcome to attend the meeting. Follow Woodbridge Patch on Facebook, Twitter and sign up for the daily newsletter.
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First Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge
600 Rahway Ave, Woodbridge, NJ
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Sunday, March 24, 2013
Ironically, the DEP's computer isn't smart enough to make the call when it comes to storm-water regulations.
By R. William Potter [R. William Potter is a partner in Potter & Dickson, a Princeton-based law firm. His views are his own and not necessarily those of the firm or of any client.] Ever wonder why there's so much flooding, even after a light rain? You can blame the runoff -- or most of it -- on a decision by the Department of Environmental Protection to let a computer make the call as to whether major development projects comply with key storm-water regulations. What's more, if the computer rules in favor of a developer, the DEP's experts are sidelined. And the public is cut out of the review process. That's all of the public by the way, even downstream property owners who are on the receiving end of the runoff from "impervious surfaces…
Friday, March 22, 2013
Members of the Woodbridge Flood Zone group gave eloquent - and painful - testimony about their Sandy devastated homes at the town council meeting.
Residents of Woodbridge's flood-prone areas were polite, but the patience was becoming threadbare. That was the sentiment at Tuesday's council meeting from the dozens of homeowners who marched down Main Street to Town Hall to keep the pressure on after years of having their flood-battered homes ignored. Most are members of the ad hoc Woodbridge Flood Zone - a group begun by Monique Coleman, who expanded their efforts into a meeting and a frequently updated website - own some of the more than 600 homes in the township that experienced moderate or severe devastation from Hurricane Sandy. The township administration was prepared for the marchers. Mayor John McCormac gave a speech to update residents on progress being made to get the …
Monday, October 29, 2012
Parts of the township are already swamped by the hurricane.
It was all the usual suspects who got hit hard today by Hurricane Sandy - that is, the Crampton Avenue section of Woodbridge. Street after street in the area of town off Rahway Avenue looked less like a lake - as they do in the flooding that always hits that area - and more like an extension of Raritan Bay. Residents in that section of town feared the worse is yet to come. The real view of Sandy's power was in Sewaren. The bay was churning like mad, the buoys ringing back and forth like church bells, and the waves crashed on and swamped the boat ramp and dock. That didn't stop Woodbridge sightseers from venturing out in the weather and taking shots of the hurricane's power. More is to come before Sandy leaves Woodbridge. Follow Woodbridge…
Friday, October 26, 2012
Stresses storm may knock out power for 7-10 days
Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) President Don Lynch says the company has learned from the mistakes it made from Hurricane Irene and is ready for Hurricane Sandy and the threat it poses to the state. The company took heat when Hurricane Irene left many New Jersey towns without power for days - and, in some cases, weeks. Many thought JCP&L's response was too slow. The biggest lesson learned is getting the information out to customers and municipalities as specifically, quickly and often as possible, Lynch said. The company wants its customers to know as much information as possible, he said. "Just know that Jersey Central will be working hard day and night - we've already started, should that storm hit shore here and cause outages …
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The township was one of 15 municipalities who received a emergency disaster trailer worth almost $10K.
In the next hurricane, Woodbridge will be prepared. That's because the NJ Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) bequeathed a special Disaster Response and Flood Response Utility Trailer on the township, along with 14 other municipalities. The trailer, valued at $9,830, boasts a generator, basic medical supplies, lighting equipment, tools, tents and evacuation support equipment. Woodbridge was the only municipality in the county or area to get the disaster and flood trailer, although Rahway's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) obtained a trailer from NJOEM that handles flood emergencies. With the township's various flood-prone areas, the trailer is certain to come in handy. The state has faced 1,196 flood events in the last 15 years…
Monday, June 25, 2012
Woodbridge got whacked with a huge thunderstorm this morning. Did you get caught in this morning's downpour?
A torrential downpour hit Woodbridge early this morning, but for a change, there seems to have been little flooding in all the usual spots. NJ101.5 was broadcasting that Route 9 near Woodbridge Center was experiencing a huge water surge. Thankfully, less than an hour after the storm, there was little sign that the storm had caused any lasting flooding. "It was bad there for awhile," said Hal Johnson, who said he drove on Route 9 during the worst of the rainstorm. He was surprised that the water went down so quickly. The usual spots in Woodbridge Proper prone to flooding - like the Ideal Trailer Park off Rahway Avenue - seemed to have emerged unscathed. One woman near her trailer said she was 'relieved' that there wasn't the cresting …
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The township bought the used machine for $50,000 more than anyone else was willing to pay.
Five years ago, the town of Harrison, NY purchased a heavy duty excavating machine for $243,000, and then discovered they didn't have the need for the equipment or the manpower to operate it. Last night, the Woodbridge council voted to buy the Menzi Muck Excavator, trailer, and attachments for $90,000 - a steal compared to the original price. But it might be less than the bargain of the century: the Harrison public works commissioner said that the Woodbridge bid of $90,000 was $50,000 more than than anyone else offered for the equipment. “We tried to work with Westchester County to get them to purchase it, but that was not accomplished,” Harrison Board Trustee Fred Sciliano said in an article in the Daily Harrison. Woodbridge Township is …
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Five helicopters signal president's arrival as crowd lines Passaic Avenue.
President Barack Obama, wearing a blue buttoned-down shirt, waved to a crowd along Passaic Avenue in Fairfield Sunday from the back of his black motorcade car as he sped toward Wayne and Paterson to tour flood-ravaged areas. Obama could be seen briefly in his motorcade after arriving at Essex County's airport in Fairfield in one of five military helicopters that landed between 12:25 and 12:45 p.m. Police presence was heavy all along Passaic Avenue, while sharpshooters could be seen on top of the buildings at the airport. A line of buses were parked in front of the landing area so the view of his disembarking was blocked from the crowds. Crowds of local residents lined parking lots and grassy lawns of businesses along Passaic Avenue to get…
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The storm that caused massive flooding in central NJ left Woodbridge relatively unharmed.
Woodbridge has the luck of the Irish, insofar as Thursday's rainstorm is concerned. The massive storm that flooded many parts of the central NJ area, only caused a good drenching in the township, and left areas of Woodbridge, often subject to flooding, undisturbed. "The township's emergency management and police department didn't report any problems with the low-lying areas in town, or with flooding from the Woodbridge River," said township spokesman John Hagerty. "None of the areas that usually flood seemed to have been stricken." There weren't any reported evacuations or road closures, he added. Even the kelly green stripe, painted down Main St. earlier this week in readiness for the township's traditional St. Patrick's Day parade, was …
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1 Main St, Woodbridge, NJ
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Mike Coyne a.k.a. "The Lawn Ranger" a.k.a."TheSlyFoxHunter"
6:52 pm on Tuesday, March 26, 2013
We don't want to exclude anybody, I just made it clear that our meeting wouldn't be used a a political platform for anybody or anything else but our collective problems. Anybody should be welcome to sit and listen as we really need all the support we can get. I for one will try and treat everyone the way I would like to be treated, with respect. I was sorry to see anyone leave. I thought I made … more ›