Lesgislators to Present Plan for River Dredging
By DON STINE Three local legislators said last week that they will announce plans later this year that will result in the environmentally-beleaguered Shark River getting dredged. In a joint Jan. 15 press release, state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone and Neptune Township Committeeman Randy Bishop said that funding for the project and a means to dewater dredge materials have apparently been resolved with state officials. “2015 will prove to be the year we see movement on the Shark River dredging project,” Beck said in the statement, which did not elaborate on the plan.facts. “I have…
One Woman’s Story 2 Years After Superstorm Sandy
By RICHARD VIRGILIO On October 21, 2012, Neptune resident Pam Callender was managing everyday life with her two teenage foster children, in the modest dream home she purchased seven years earlier in the Shark River Hills section overlooking Shark River. “At that point, my life was no different than any other middle class, single parent household,” Callender said. “There was never enough time after taking care of the kid’s with their schedules and activities. When the economy took a dive, it was tough but we survived. We always had a good time and I was glad to have a…
Neptune to Discuss Possible Park Along Shark River
By DON STINE Neptune would like to acquire about 18 flood-prone properties along the Shark River under the state’s Green Acres program. “Some properties are vacant, some are environmentally sensitive, and others are commercial and residential properties,” said Leanne Hoffman, the township’s director of engineering and planning. All properties are near the Shark River and between S. Riverside Drive and Valley Road in the Shark River Hills area. The properties can only be acquired if the owner is a willing seller and eminent domain does not come into play. “We are not going after properties that do not have…
Fox, Heron and Deer; Welcome to Shark River Hills
By JOSEPH SAPIA When Mike Reid was moving to the Shark River Hills section of Neptune earlier this year, he was struck by the wildlife. “The amount of footprints I saw in my driveway,” Reid said. “I saw a red fox go by a house about 5:30 (in the morning),” said Reid, 49. “I see a lot of groundhogs and possums.” And he’s not the only one. Shea Eastwick, 35, who grew up in the Hills, knows there’s plenty of wildlife in the area. “Chipmunks, squirrels, birds, the rabbits, raccoons,” Eastwick said. “Recently, a fox has been stopping by.…
Fish Kill Number Rises to 800,000
By DON STINE The estimated number of dead fish removed from the Shark River after a massive fish kill about one month ago has risen from 500,000 to as many as 800,000 fish. Neptune Business Administrator Vito Gadaleta said this week that revised fish kill numbers came from the Monmouth County Reclamation Center in Tinton Falls where the fish were dumped Gadaleta said that about 310 tons of fish were weighed in at the landfill facility, with fish ranging in weight from three-quarters of a pound to a pound each. “From these weight measurements it was determined that about…
Shark River: A Place Where Fish Go to Die
By DON STINE Residents, politicians and biologists are all saying that if the recent fish kill in the Shark River, estimated at 500,000 fish, isn’t a wake-up call to dredge the river – then what is? “Hopefully this fish kill will be a wakeup call that the river has to be dredged – soon. It’s way overdue,” Shark River Yacht Club Commodore Bill Geschke said over the weekend. “The river eventually got the reputation for mud flats and now it has a reputation as a place where fish go to die. When, actually, the Shark River could be a…
Questions and Mystery Surround Massive Shark River Fish Kill
By DON STINE What killed massive numbers of fish in the Shark River remains a mystery- and at least three separate theories are being put forward as to the cause of the massive fish kill over the weekend. Tens of thousands of fish, most of them bunker or menhaden, were seen floating in the Shark River early Mon., May 12 and state and county officials stated they believe the fish died due to a lack of oxygen in the water. But one well-known local fisherman and a retired state fisheries expert said they believe that theory is possibly wrong,…
250 Register for Run the Hills Race in Neptune
More than 250 runners and walkers have registered to date for the first annual “Run the Hills” 5K, which will be held on Sun., May 4 beginning at 9 a.m. in the Shark River Hills section of Neptune. The run is being sponsored by Recovery Along the River, a local foundation that has been instrumental in supporting the rebuilding needs of residents impacted by Superstorm Sandy. In addition to the 5K run, there will be a two mile non-competitive walk. The $30 registration fee includes the post-race party. Limited quantities of tee shirts are available for registrations received after…
Shark River Dredging Hits Dead End
By DON STINE Plans to dredge the Shark River hit a dead end last week after state officials said a proposed dewatering site for dredge project was not a viable economic option. In a March 6 letter, state Sen. Jennifer Beck and Monmouth County Freeholder Thomas Arnone advised the Monmouth County Park System that the state Department of Transportation (DOT) said it will not fund placing dredge spoils on a 16-acre tract on the river’s edge at the county’s Shark River Park, off Old Corlies Avenue. The letter said that the DOT ruled that the use of the park…
Vote Next Week on Shark River Dredging Plan
By DON STINE The future of the Shark River will probably be determined on Mon., March 10 by the Monmouth County Board of Recreation Commissioners, which will vote on moving approvals forward on a controversial 16-acre dewatering site for the proposed river dredging project. Proponents and opponents of the project attended the recreation commissioner’s meeting on Feb. 24 at Thompson Park in Lincroft. Another meeting, also at the park, will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 10 when a vote will be taken on moving the recommendation to use a dewatering site in Neptune on to the…
