By Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron
NJ Today
The sign says Highlands, where the Jersey Shore begins. Highlands also has lowlands that hug Sandy Hook Bay and they got drenched, especially in the neighborhood around one particular street.
The name of the street is Cheerful Place. And although it’s tempting to say Cheerful Place isn’t so cheerful any more, people we spoke to here this morning were in good spirits given how hard-hit this part of the state has been.
Traci Moser lives on Cheerful Place with her parents and brother. Their house was ruined. “It’s hard to go through your room and everything and take everything out. And it’s all ruined. I even lost my high school stuff and everything. I’m sorry, I’m crying,” she said.
Neil Kriessler has lived here all his life and saw his house inundated. “We storm-proofed as much as we could and we had no idea we’d be four feet deep in the house. That was a little bit of a surprise. We’re slowly getting by and we’re going to move forward. Everybody’s been great. The town’s been great, the neighbors have been great,” he said.
“I love the shore and I love this community and I think we’re only stronger because of it. Everyone’s been out helping each other and it’s been really nice. For a bad event it’s been a nice outcome,” said Highlands resident Keri Branin.
“See my outside light there? There’s a line on it up on the lens. That’s how high the water was,” said Highlands resident Frank Thomas. “I’ve lived here all my life, 66 years, and the water came in the house one other time in Hurricane Donna, about two inches.”
The next town south, Sea Bright, got smacked even harder. Sight-seers are causing traffic jams to see things like the Driftwood Cabana Club, a big building knocked completely on its side.
Mayor Dina Long says the media were slow to grasp it. “When the waters first pulled back from Sandy, the town was basically inaccessible and so members of the media were not really able to come in and see for themselves what had happened. When I faced the scene the first day, it looked like something out of the apocalypse,” she said.
She and a councilman spoke to us at the firehouse, where food is being prepared and given out every day. “We lost our business district so there’s no place to go when you need something to eat and so it’s really been tremendous for our productivity and good in keeping the spirits of the community high,” Long said.
“They had, where we’re standing now, the day after the storm, we had five feet of sand up to my neck. Sand as far as the eye can see here,” said Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon.
He sees silver linings now. “I mean, you always hope that your community has the character to stand together and rise above adversity and stick together,” O’Scanlon said. “You don’t know though until you’re tested. These folks have been tested now and passed it. And today, now every day, they continue to pass that test.”
The malls may be packed a few miles away, but there is no Black Friday here.