Vote Today, FEMA information, and Hurricane Sandy update.

VOTE TODAY

Today is one of those days that will greatly shape the future of our nation. As we recover from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and continue to try to get our lives together, we should take a minute to exercise that right that makes our country the greatest democracy in the world. I urge all West Orange residents to come out and vote and remember that in addition to our presidential race, we have a statewide senatorial race, district congressional races, a local school board election, and critical statewide referendum questions.

Please visit your normal polling place except for the following three (3) locations, which were moved due to a lack of electricity as well as generators that could not be supplied. If you normally vote at:

A. GREGORY SCHOOL go to HAZEL AVENUE SCHOOL (45 Hazel Avenue)

B. CONGREGATION B’NAI JACOB go to WILSHIRE GRAND HOTEL (350
Pleasant Valley Way)  

C. ST. CLOUD SCHOOL go to FIRE HOUSE 3 (93 Ridgeway Avenue)

If you would like to use the automated texting system to locate your voting place, send a mobile phone text to 877877 and write your address including commas and you will get a response with your voting site.  All Polls are open from 6:00am to 8:00pm. See you and neighbors at the polls.

FEMA INFORMATION

The Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) office makes grants and loans available to cover losses as follows:

1. Repairs: Financial assistance may be available to homeowners to repair damage from the disaster to their primary residence that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to make the damaged home safe, sanitary, and functional.
2. Replacement: Financial assistance may be available to homeowners to replace their home destroyed in the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to help the homeowner with the cost of replacing their destroyed home.
3. Individual applicants may qualify for disaster unemployment insurance or any other serious disaster related expenses.
4. Low-interest disaster loans are also available from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners, renters and business owners to repair or replace real or personal property. 

If you have suffered significant losses, I strongly urge you to fill out an application.  FEMA will advise you what kind of assistance you are eligible for based on all reported losses and other factors. There are several ways to sign up.  

Online: DisasterAssistance.gov

Smartphone: m.fema.gov

Phone: 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585 for people with
speech or hearing disabilities)

*Please note that if you have insurance, you must also file a claim with your insurance company.

You will need your social security number, Insurance information, a routing and account number from your bank (only necessary if you want to have disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account), and a description of all your losses that were caused by the disaster. The IRS has announced that because Hurricane Sandy is designated as a qualified disaster, relief payments made by any persons can be excluded from taxable income.

CONTINUE TO STAY INFORMED

This experience has taught us the virtues of patience and resilience. It is important for all of us to stay informed and social media has been useful in helping us attain these goals. We have become a closer community and our concern and thoughts should be with the 12% of our residents that are still without power. The highest concentrations of these households are within the most affected areas like the Walker Road neighborhood, the Gregory Avenue/Mt. Pleasant area, and the Mississippi Avenue/Kirk Street intersection. I visited residents at Robert Court yesterday who had huddled up in a dark apartment and with a positive spirit shared sandwiches and the latest progress made by the PSEG crews outside their doors. These and all of our residents deserve great credit for their patience, understanding and resilience during a time of serious crisis when we are truly tested.

As they prepare for the upcoming nor’easter, I would also like to extend great thanks to all the members of the West Orange Office of Emergency Management, the Business Administrator and our Mayor for their continuous work in getting us through these difficult times.  

For more West Orange information please visit the following:

- http://westorange.org/

- West Orange, NJ on Facebook

- @WestOrangeInfo on Twitter

-@CouncilmnCirilo on Twitter