Colts Neck Adopts Union Beach, Creates Longterm Partnernship After Sandy

As Colts Neck continues the cleanup and repairs after Hurricane Sandy, officials have begun to look at neighboring towns to offer assistance.

Colts Neck Mayor Jarrett Engel announced on Wednesday that the township has adopted Union Beach and created a longterm partnership between each township's like organizations.

The townships have paired local organizations; those as large as police and to sports organizations and PTO groups.

Engel said this enabled Union Beach to stay organized as donations and help comes through, and will allow Union Beach officials to enjoy a continued shared services relationship in the coming months and years, as volunteers inevitable dwindle and donations decrease.

"They lost everything. They lost every ambulance, all of their police cars," Engel said. "They are now in contact with our departments."

While it is unclear what Union Beach will need in the future, Colts Neck officials are working with the township to get residents what they need now and plan as far ahead as possible.

Colts Neck arranged for eight heated tractor trailer trucks to sit in the current parking lot being used as a donation sorting area, protecting goods from the weather.

"There is a lot coming in that they don't need yet," Engel said. "And there is a lot from us that they will need in the future. We are going to be with Union Beach for the longterm. The devastation is indescribable."