Christie Administration Announces Recovery Assistance Services for New Jersey Businesses Impacted by Hurricane Sandy

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Contact: Michael Drewniak Kevin Roberts 609-777-2600

Trenton, NJ – To support the recovery of New Jersey’s businesses and protect the overall economic interests of our state in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno have announced a series of business assistance services for those affected by the storm. Among these vital services are those related to financial support, information on temporary space, and technical assistance for impacted businesses. Information for all services may be easily accessed through New Jersey’s Business Action Center (BAC) by calling 1-866-534-7789 or through the state’s business portal at www.newjerseybusiness.gov, the “one-stop” shop for business resources. Agents are also available to assist callers that speak Spanish.

“In response to this natural disaster, New Jersey has coordinated a range of multi-agency resources to assist impacted businesses and ensure they are operational quickly,” said Lt. Governor Guadagno. “Providing a thorough and inter-departmental business recovery assistance program is another demonstration of our support for our business community and their workers. The Business Action Center can help businesses tap into a variety of resources that will help them begin to recover from this catastrophic storm.”

The business recovery assistance services are designed to support businesses and workers who may be temporarily unable to perform their jobs due to the storm. These services include:

• Guarantees of up to $500,000 for commercial lines of credit to businesses that need access to cash to improve their damaged property while awaiting insurance proceeds, with all related New Jersey Economic Development Authority fees waived.
• Grant awards for businesses to assist with on-the-job training costs for new workers hired specifically to assist in disaster-related activities, such as landscaping and tree removal, construction, insurance claims, building supplies sales, materials transport, utility work, call and claims centers staffing, and infrastructure clearing and repair.
• Availability of the Business Resource Centers at any of the currently operational local One-Stop Career Centers across the state as temporary hubs for businesses to access telephone and internet services as well as for job seekers and displaced workers seeking workforce development and unemployment assistance – Temporary Hubs for Affected Business to Access Telephones and Internet Services
• The availability of Disaster Unemployment Benefits to provide income security for those displaced workers suffering temporary storm-related job loss.
• Dispatch of Rapid Response team members to identified Disaster Recovery Centers to assist displaced workers.
• Availability of services through New Jersey Youth Corps to assist non-profit, public and governmental entities in a variety of ways for disaster relief and clean-up.

In addition, BAC’s Business Call Center is also the one-stop resource for more information on how to get businesses back up and running. The Call Center staff can assist with the following services:

• Arranging business facility inspections for buildings suffering major flood damage, as such conditions require structural integrity inspections before utility service can be restored. These inspections are handled in local code enforcement offices and by local code enforcement officials. Anticipating an enormous increase in such work, the Department of Community Affairs has mobilized all qualified personnel to assist local governments in this effort.
• Advocating for businesses seeking information from local utilities to restore electric, phone, gas and water services.
• Advocating with insurance carriers to file and expedite claims.
• Providing information on how to qualify for federal recovery assistance, and
• Connecting businesses to the other county and local business services and to the services offered by the Small Business Administration and Small Business Development Centers that include assistance with insurance claims, as well as loans and business plan revisions.

Since October 28, 2012, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) has staffed a Private Sector Desk at the Regional Intelligence Operations Center (ROIC), which has served as the primary point of contact for critical private sector industries leading up to, during and after Hurricane Sandy. OHSP staff operating the Private Sector Desk at the ROIC can be reached at 609-963-6810.

For further information about best practices in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, please visit www.ready.nj.gov for continual updates.

One of the questions always asked of an author is how their book will benefit the reader? The style of Step Up and Play Big® approaches the reader in the same way I coach: directly and in a practical “hands-on” manner.

My overall goal is to show the reader that it doesn’t require a great deal of extra effort to be exceptional i.e., to Step Up and Play Big. You will be given simple but effective strategies and tactics you can use to…

create a future vision
make better decisions
develop effective business “habits”
find out what it means to be a leader
how to challenge your team
and how to identify and solve problems.
These are just a small sample of what can be found in the book.

There are exercises at the end of each chapter to help you implement the tactic or skill discussed. At the end of the book there is a template to help you create your own self-development game plan. The “stuff” in the book works only if you “work the stuff”.

New Earth Treasures 30 sec. TV Commercial!

ABOUT EARTH TREASURES

Since 1974 and celebrating our 35th anniversary, Earth Treasures has been offering jewelry of uncompromising quality, selection and value. This, coupled with our friendly, knowledgeable staff and our extensive services, has earned us the coveted Asbury Park Press Readers’ Choice Award for the Best Jeweler in Monmouth County, NJ year after year since 1998.

From our store in Eatontown, New Jersey to our online jewelry store, Earth Treasures is dedicated to not only the finest jewelry but fair prices and great service.

We are specialists in custom jewelry design and diamond remounts. Several renowned designer lines of fine jewelry are represented or one of our knowledgeable sales associates can help you create that unique and special jewelry piece. Most jewelry repairs are done on the premises by our highly qualified certified craftsmen and our watch technicians are here to assist you with watch repairs of all types.

August 9- 26, Thurs.-Sun at 8pm. 5th Avenue Pavilion on the Boardwalk, Asbury Park.

Brightness: An Interactive Party-Play coming to the Asbury Park Boardwalk. “Brightness” is an original, interactive and engaging experience that descends from the Italian craft of Commedia dell’arte. It will make you laugh, make you think, and stretch your imagination, all in unexpected ways. It’s a house party with rules, but the rules aren’t anything like what you might expect. You’ll be a guest at the party and experience what it’s like to join a crazy world of eccentric but understandable characters. And every performance will feature some of Asbury Park’s great local musicians and performers. Brightness is written and directed by Alice Quinnett.

The Invisible World. Everybody has one. It’s called a “haunt detector.” It’s the little alarm that goes off in our heads whenever we detect that something mysterious or supernatural has occurred.

http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-World

You could be sitting around relaxing one day at home, and for no special reason you start thinking about someone. Maybe you haven’t thought about this person in years. Then the phone rings; you pick it up, and amazingly, it’s that person! Many of us have experienced this phenomenon.

The field of Cyber Security has been identified by the Pentagon and the President of the United States as a top priority for national security.

Red Bank Regional Academy of Information Technology, located at Red Bank Regional High School, in Little Silver, NJ entered their students into the Cyber Foundation Competition.  The competition featured 2,034 students from 169 schools, 32 states and three U.S. territories. The non-for-profit Center for Internet Security (CIS) which sponsored this cyber competition encourages students toward this vital and high-demand career.

RBR students scored the top three positions in the State of NJ: Ryan McVeety, Little Silver, who also finished #25 in the nation; Jared Katzman, Little Silver who finished 26th in the nation; and Michael Terpak, Union Beach, who finished #38 in the nation. A fourth student, Luke Matarazzo, Neptune City, also finished #57 in the nation. these finishes are within the top 10% scores in the competition.

The studen’ts IT teacher, Mandy Galante, (who was also named the New Jersey IT Teacher of the Year by the Air Force Association and this year’s RBR Teacher of the Year) created the curriculum to offer RBR students a study concentration and career path in cyber security.  This year, Mrs. Galante’s students also took First Place in the national NYU-Polytechnic High School CyberForensic Competition.  For the past three years, RBR students have taken the top three NJ winner prizes in multiple categories in the Future Business Leaders of America technology competitions.

Judy Feinstein: Always Moving Forward. Video courtesy of HooplaHa.com
Produced by NJ Discover.

Several months ago NJ Discover reporters Calvin Schwartz and Tara-Jean Vitale happened into ‘Flying Saucer’ antique store in Asbury Park on a pilot mission to discover people and places in New Jersey and Monmouth County. In actuality, we were interviewing an impresario of sorts in the local music business and asked the woman proprietor of the antiques store if we could use the far back room which had this vintage kitchen table from the early 1950’s to film. She agreed and then said, “When you’re done, why don’t you interview me?” And I said, “Why?” Judy Feinstein said, “Because I was one of New Jersey’s early female pilots back in the 1960’s, taught flying to young women, was one of the charter members of an Amelia Earhart flying group.” We interviewed Judy again and again; each time mesmerized with her energy and accomplishments. I particularly like the bit when she was flying into Washington, DC at the invitation of Vice-President Ford for an awards ceremony and the air traffic controller interrupted and told her she’s flying to close to the White House. Judy’s assessment was that he just wanted to see what I look like when I landed. Enjoy Judy’s video. And again much thanks to hooplaha.com for graciously sharing the video. Cal Schwartz, writer, NJ Discover.

Sickles Market Produce, Since 1908 Sickles Market has become a favorite destination for the best produce, plants, gourmet foods, garden accessories, and gifts at the New Jersey Shore.

Family owned and operated for four generations, Sickles continues to delight a growing community of customers and neighbors – from around the corner and around the globe – with the unparalleled quality and selection of its products, outstanding customer service, and dedication to community support.

In Belmar and Lake Como, the NJ Discover team was on the scene to celebrate the St Patrick’s Day Parade on a brisk Sunday in March.  The parade was led by the Pipers from Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh of the Jersey Shore. Bag pipes, green dogs, beautiful Irish colleens and dashing Irish lads marched down Main Street through the cheering crowds of thousands! This was truly a day to celebrate – Irish style!

All of New Jersey celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at Belmar and Lake Como over the weekend! The wearing of the green and luck of the Irish was everywhere to be seen! Erin Go Bragh!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/QjVaC-WwvZU

Candle Light Vigil for the Long Branch victims.

Mayor Adam Schneider and community volunteer Krysta-Lynn Landolfi are interviewed by NJ Discover Reporter Tara-Jean Vitale during the Candle Light Vigil for the victims of the February 13th West End Fire in Long Branch.