Home Care In Silver Lake, NJ

The NJ Department of Environmental Protection has found a potentially toxic bacteria in Silver Lake, and has issued an advisory alert as a result.Photo Credit: TAPinto Staff

By Jack Slocum

PublishedAugust 9, 2023 at 8:25 PM

BELMAR, NJ — It was announced at the most recent Mayor and Council meeting that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had found traces of potentially toxic algae in Silver Lake. According to Mayor Buccafusco, this was discovered after the DEP tested the lake on July 31.

Officials said that the DEP discovered traces of Cyanobacteria, formerly known as blue-green algae. According to reports, this type of bacteria is fairly common and can be found in 35 states across the country.

“Cyanobacteria frequently impart off-tastes and odors to the water in which they grow, and sometimes they produce toxins that can be harmful to the health of humans and other animals,” an NJDEP statement reads. “Cyanobacteria can produce toxins that are dangerous for humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife. The toxins produced by the cyanobacteria are referred to as cyanotoxins.”

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There are several different types of cyanotoxins, each causing several possible effects. Some of the symptoms of being exposed include abdominal pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting and nausea, diarrhea, blistering around the mouth, and more. Some more serious effects include pneumonia, liver toxicity, paralysis, and death.

Experts say that little wind, warm water, sunlight, plentiful nutrients, and other factors can all increase the chance that a bloom will occur. While Cyanobacteria is more often found in freshwater lakes and rivers, it can also be found in marine waters.

“We’ve received a report from (the DEP) that they’ve found a small amount of this Cyanobacteria - which comes from blue-green algae- and it’s the type that could give off toxins,” Mayor Jerry Buccafusco said. “They’ve issued an advisory alert level.”

As a result of the advisory alert level, the borough is required to issue warning signs around the lake. According to Buccafusco, the signs advise against the following:

According to officials, Silver Lake will be tested again next month, and the advisory will be lifted if the water is clear. Until then, it may be wise to stick to the beach.

"Medicare is not there for hospitals and their investors to gain unwarranted financial windfalls," a federal prosecutor said.

Patch Staff

NEWARK, NJ — A long-term care hospital in Newark and some of its investors have agreed to pay $30.6 million to resolve accusations that it falsely reported its costs to Medicare for years – and reaped millions in “unjustified payments,” federal prosecutors say.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the settlement with Silver Lake Hospital on Tuesday.

According to prosecutors, Columbus LTACH – which does business as Silver Lake Hospital – has agreed to pay over $18.6 million plus interest to resolve alleged False Claims Act and violations for claiming excessive cost outlier payments from the Medicare program.

In addition, some Silver Lake investors have agreed to pay $12 million plus interest, to resolve alleged Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act (FDCPA) violations regarding the fraudulent transfer of money by the hospital to its investors, prosecutors said.

According to the settlement agreement, the payments made to resolve the United States’ FDCPA allegations will be made by Florida resident, Richard Lipsky (Silver Lake’s principal investor), and Columbus Management South LLC, an entity through which other Silver Lake investors received cash distributions from the hospital.

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The settlement amounts will be paid over a five-year period. The Silver Lake payment was negotiated based on the hospital’s lack of ability to pay, prosecutors said.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability, prosecutors noted.

Here’s what the allegations are based on, according to federal prosecutors:

“In addition to its standard payment system, Medicare provides supplemental reimbursement to hospitals – called ‘cost outlier’ payments – in cases where the cost of care is unusually high. Congress enacted the supplemental outlier payment system to ensure that hospitals possess the incentive to treat inpatients whose care may be unusually expensive. These cost outlier payments are made based on a formula set forth in the relevant regulations that attempt to adjust a hospital’s charges to the hospital’s costs by multiplying the hospital’s current charges by the hospital’s cost-to-charge ratios derived from the hospital’s previously submitted cost reports. Because the previously submitted cost reports may not reflect the hospital’s current cost-to-charge ratios, the Medicare program also provides for a retrospective reconciliation process, whereby after the hospital’s cost-to-charge ratio for the applicable time period is finalized, the hospital may be required to pay back excessive outlier payments that it received.”

“This settlement resolves allegations that Silver Lake improperly distorted the cost outlier payment system by rapidly increasing its charges well in excess of any increase in its costs and far beyond what the hospital had the financial ability to repay once its Medicare cost reports were reconciled to account for these charge increases,” prosecutors said.

“The settlement also resolves allegations that Silver Lake transferred millions of dollars in the hospital’s money to its investors without receiving equivalent value in return, at a time when the hospital had reason to believe that it would not be able to repay its debts to the Medicare program. The United States alleged that such conduct violated the FDCPA,” prosecutors added.

“Medicare serves to ensure that patients get necessary care, including when that care is very expensive,” U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said.

“Medicare is not there for hospitals and their investors to gain unwarranted financial windfalls,” Sellinger added.

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The borough is seeking both craft and food vendors for the 2024 New Jersey Seafood Festival, slated for mid-May. Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Borough of Belmar

By Jack Slocum

PublishedJanuary 31, 2024 at 8:47 PM

BELMAR, NJ — The Belmar Tourism Commission is seeking local vendors for the 36th Annual New Jersey Seafood Festival. The event is slated for the weekend of May 17, and will once again be held in Ferruggiaro Park at Silver Lake.

As it has for over 30 decades years, the New Jersey Seafood Fest typically offers a plethora of delicacies from about nearly 100 vendors, including delights like scallop kabobs, lobster rolls, calamari, shrimp jambalaya, and more. Recurring food vendors in the past have included local joints like Ragin' Cajun, Simply Southern, Mr. Shrimp, Playa Bowls, Point Lobster Company, Brandl, and several others.

The free festival, which draws crowds from all over the country, will be open all weekend starting on Friday, May 17, from 4 to 8 p.m. On Saturday, May 18, it will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. On the event’s final day, Sunday, May 19, festivities will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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Those who may not be a fan of seafood, don’t fret. The festival offers several other dishes like chicken fingers, french fries, and street corn, as well as delicious desserts like funnel cakes, fried Oreos, and ice cream. Adults looking to pair their grab-and-go meals with a delicious beer, wine, or hard seltzer can do so at a beer and wine tent.

The borough is not only seeking food vendors, however. The Seafood Festival is also very well known for its local craft/shop vendors. In the past, some of these have included Señor Juan's Cigars, Daffodil Consignment, and many more.

To fill out an interest form as a vendor, click here. The borough is seeking food and craft tents, as well as food trucks.

Of course, it would not be the New Jersey Seafood Festival without a line-up of bands jamming in the Huisman Gazebo. The 2024 line-up has yet to be announced, but last year’s featured the likes of The Wallnutz, Spare Parts, E Boro Bandits, Tommy B and the Deep Blue Sea, and more.

This will be the second year in a row since 2018 that the Seafood Festival is being held at Silver Lake. In previous years the festival was held in Pyanoe Plaza, and according to borough officials, several business owners wanted it to return to its original Silver Lake venue. After lengthy discussions among the Belmar Tourism Commission, it was decided in February 2023 that the festival would aptly return by the sea, due to the location being more “conducive.”

Check back with TAPinto in the near future for updates on the 36th Annual New Jersey Seafood Festival.

Belmar has unveiled its plan to mitigate Silver Lake's geese control issue by using dogs to scare the flocks from the area.Photo Credit: Jack Slocum

By Jack Slocum

PublishedJuly 18, 2023 at 9:33 PM

BELMAR, NJ — Mayor Jerry Buccafusco recently announced the borough’s plans to manage the geese populations at Silver Lake. For months now, more and more residents have complained about the geese being bothersome, specifically the amount of geese excrement all around the pond and neighboring residences.

According to Mayor Buccafusco, the borough is in the process of hiring a company to use border collie dogs, specifically trained to chase the geese out of the area. This method is considered one of the most humane ways to mitigate geese populations.

“It’s generally, as far as I can read, it’s generally a two-part process. They get rid of the geese in terms of just scaring them away, there is no euthanasia involved in any of this. The dogs don’t touch the geese, but they scare them away repeatedly until they are satisfied that they’re not coming back,” the Mayor said. “And then there’s a maintenance piece, either regular maintenance, or if we want, we just call them if we start seeing geese come back.”

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Mayor Buccafusco said he is drafting a proposal so vendors can respond and the town can get an estimate. He is working with Borough Attorney George McGill to organize the proper paperwork to do so. He added that he hopes to have the paperwork ready by next week.

This isn’t the first time the area has been subjected to pesky geese. Last year, boroughs like Spring Lake and Lake Como used a similar tactic of using trained dogs to chase the geese. Spring Lake also hired a company that gathered several geese at a time and euthanized them, however, Belmar doesn’t seem to be heading in that direction. Another tactic used by Belmar and other boroughs includes coating the goose eggs with a substance that deprives the embryo of oxygen and kills them.

While large populations of geese have raised public health concerns, it is illegal to harm geese, their eggs, and their nests without a permit from U.S. Fish and Wild Service. It is however perfectly legal to scare geese away, no permit needed, as long as the birds, nests, and eggs remain unharmed.

The Mayor hoped to provide an update on geese control at the next Mayor and Council meeting, which is scheduled for July 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Around 85 vendors will be dishing out delicious seafood delicacies, including this seafood jambalaya pictured here.

The New Jersey Seafood Festival is returning to Belmar this weekend, and the borough is preparing for thousands of residents and visitors to enjoy it.Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Borough of Belmar

Photo Credit: TAPinto Staff

Around 85 vendors will be dishing out delicious seafood delicacies, including this seafood jambalaya pictured here.Photo Credit: TAPinto Staff

The New Jersey Seafood Festival is returning to Belmar this weekend, and the borough is preparing for thousands of residents and visitors to enjoy it.Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Borough of Belmar

By Jack Slocum

Last UpdatedMay 19, 2023 at 7:26 AM

BELMAR, NJ — Break out the lobster bibs and oyster forks, because the New Jersey Seafood Festival is returning to Belmar this weekend from Friday, May 19 to Sunday, May 21. Returning to its original spot at Silver Lake Park and Ocean Avenue, residents and visitors alike will flock like seagulls to enjoy some of the richest seafood the state has to offer, some live entertainment, and much more.

On Friday, May 19, the festival will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. On Saturday, May 20, it will be open from noon to 8 p.m. On the event’s final day, Sunday, May 21, festivities will be held from noon to 6 p.m.

As it has for the last 35 years, the New Jersey Seafood Fest will be offering a plethora of delicacies from about 85 vendors, including delights like scallop kabobs, lobster rolls, calamari, shrimp jambalaya, and more. Visitors can expect the return of beloved local vendors including Ragin' Cajun, Simply Southern, Mr. Shrimp, Playa Bowls, Point Lobster Company, Brandl, and several others.

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“It’s going to be the same Seafood Fest people know and love. My approach was really to take it back to a more localized festival,” said Belmar Tourism/Special Event Coordinator John Walsh. “Almost all the businesses are Jersey businesses. It’s called the New Jersey Seafood Festival, I wanted to make sure we were showcasing New Jersey restaurants… (We) tried to really make it a taste of New Jersey, not a taste of carnival food from around the country.”

Those who may not be a fan of seafood, don’t fret. The festival offers several other dishes like chicken fingers, french fries, and street corn, as well as delicious desserts like funnel cakes, fried Oreos, and ice cream. Adults looking to pair their grab-and-go meals with a delicious beer, wine, or hard seltzer can do so at a tent sponsored by 10th Ave. Burrito Co. and ShorePoint Distributors.

This will be the first time since 2018 that the Seafood Festival is being held at Silver Lake Park. In recent years the festival was held in Pyanoe Plaza, and according to Walsh, several business owners wanted it to return to its original Silver Lake venue. After lengthy discussions among the Belmar Tourism Commission, it was decided in February 2023 that the festival would aptly return by the sea.

“(Silver Lake is) more conducive for more people to sit, it's more conducive for families to be able to come and spend some time,” Councilman Thomas Brennan, Liaison to the Tourism Commission, said at a February meeting. “And what’s better than seafood when you can see the ocean too?”

Of course, it would not be the Seafood Fest without live entertainment. Several bands and musicians will be playing throughout the whole weekend at the Silver Lake Gazebo. Below is this weekend’s schedule for live music:

Friday, May 19

Saturday, May 20

Sunday, May 21

Among the lineup is the Beach Music Studios Rock Band, which consists of students from Beach Music Studios music school. Owned by Danny White, the frontman for the Danny White Band, Beach Music Studios will be performing its first full set for the Seafood Fest this Sunday.

“(Students) will be playing a bunch of classic hits that everybody knows, they’re super excited about it,” Danny White told TAPinto. “It’s a great event to begin with, so to showcase Belmar kids in the arts, I think that’s fantastic… The kids work hard, a lot of them live right by the lake, so their families are really excited and inviting all their extended family and friends to come see them. I think it’s going to be fantastic.”

According to White, the set will be broken into two performances, the first being “The Opening Act” consisting of 8 to 12-year-old students, and the second being “The Headliners” consisting of students between 13 and 18 years old.

“I think it’s good for the town, to see all the kids who right live in the town perform in their own rock band,” White continued. “They get together every Saturday to rehearse and work hard at it, so it’s nice that they have an outlet right here in town where their friends and family can see them play.”

Among the several residents and visitors excited about this weekend is Mayor Gerald Buccafusco, who will be attending his first Seafood Fest as Mayor of Belmar.

“I’m excited to have the festival back at Silver Lake. We have a great selection of food and vendors along with a beer tent and a petting zoo,” Buccafusco told Tapinto. “Visitors will be entertained by live bands, so there’s something for everyone.”