Last night's storm brings us hopefully new awareness to local leaders of the importance of shoring up not only the dunes but the roads that lead to it and the backbays.
This morning, I awoke to two docks crashing into my home. These dock's remains have yet to be removed from Railroad Avenue in Manahawkin. Further inspection this morning sees not only docks but two walls from houses a well tank stuck under the house, and my sewer lines been ripped from the house again. This is all caused by nonremoval of orginal debris, which I have been screaming about for 48 some days now.
Our road remains unguarded from the open bay. Requests for sand or rocks to protect it have gone with answers like: 'we will get to it,' 'it's not a priority,' 'it's wetlands,' 'we need permission to clean it,' or 'We don't have the right machine,' yet what I have been warning about is now happening. Not only that, the debris is now going back out in the bay.
Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Why is this? Are we that out of the way that this is that dirty of a job? I can't get volunteer groups to help, and I can't get the city. I can't get the county, or the state.
It's painfully obvious no one is coming. I've offered to run machines myself. I've posted all over the internet for free fill needed. Yet, I watch truck after truck of sand go over the bridge our spit of land protects.
Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
I guess I have call to the Army Corps in because at this point it the only agency that seems to have the power to act fast and address obvious threats. I've talked with John Spodofora, Mayor of Stafford, and I've also talked to the head of county cleanup.
We have waived all rights to the area and yet nothing has been cleaned. John has done a great job and assured me this would be addressed, yet he is still fighting to get it done. Sadly, our only ally on this road passed away last week, Joseph Favorito, while fighting a lint fire in his own home. He suffered a massive heart attack last week. Our prayers go out to his family. Joesph was a man of action that could make on the fly decisions to get the job done.
Joseph resonded to a call here in the early day about sand from the bay blocking the road. Not only did he come with A snow plow himself, he brought along a loader and not only moved the sand but used it to fill holes in our road, something we have asked for over five years now. Not only that, he then offered me food and drink in the way of water and canned goods and he personally picked up at the relief center.
More men are needed like Joe - people that don't wait for endless approvals or worry about what the EPA will say. They get there hands dirty and they get the job done.
Joseph Favorito will be missed and his shoes will never be filled.
Please help if you can. If you have clean fill, please bring it to 1374 Railrod Ave. Manahawkin N.J. If you have a excavator you could loan us as well or donate to Sailors for Sandy so we can buy the fill needed and rent the equipment to clean this ourselves.
