Navy museum remains closed, seeks funding for repairsFriday February 22, 2013, 9:18 AM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record
HACKENSACK – The double-wide trailer that houses the New Jersey Naval Museum sits 4 feet off the ground, but that wasn't high enough to escape floodwaters during superstorm Sandy.
The storm surge from the Hackensack River did "extensive damage" to the structure of the museum, which had housed naval history exhibits. Most of the contents of the museum were unharmed, though display cases were damaged. An outdoor exhibit of missiles and several submarines, including the centerpiece USS Ling, sustained no damage.
But volunteers say they don't know when the museum will reopen or how they'll pay for the repairs.
"Right now the museum is closed and probably won't be reopening before April, if we have repairs done by that time," said Les Altschuler, president of the Submarine Memorial Association, which operates the site.
The water wrecked carpets, heaters, display cases, books and walls. Sheet rock and insulation have been removed, exposing the metal siding of the trailer and leaving it a cold shell. Repairs will cost about $44,000, Altschuler said.
The museum wasn't insured for flooding because it had never flooded before and because, as a trailer and not a stationary building, insurance was not required, said Ronnie Meier, a museum trustee.
The association is awaiting a response to its application for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA is reimbursing 75 percent of eligible costs of debris removal and repair or replacement of damaged facilities for qualifying non-profits.
While it is closed, the museum continues to lose needed income from tours and birthday parties, Meier said. It operates strictly on that income and donations and is run by volunteers, he said.
The museum is on River Street, and leases the property for $1 a year from North Jersey Media Group, the publisher of The Record and the Herald News.
Meier recalled walking outside the day after the superstorm and finding that picnic tables and garbage bins had been flung hundreds of feet. The surge also shook the supports of an on-site dock that also now needs repair.
The outside exhibits, including the 312-foot USS Ling submarine, a World War II Japanese suicide torpedo, a German defense submarine and a few missiles, were not damaged. But a Vietnam War-era riverboat was tipped on its side and had to be righted with a crane.
The museum, established in 1973, is normally open on weekends for public tours, and holds private tours for schools, Boy Scouts and other groups during the week. The site also includes a memorial plaque to honor the U.S. Navy submariners who died in World War II.
Arthur Bischoff, museum curator, said the museum was a tribute to U.S. sailors and that he hopes to see it running again soon.
"We've already designed how the new displays will be and what it's going to look like," he said. "We've got lots of hope."
The 20-acre North Jersey Media Group property is for sale. The museum was told years ago that it might have to relocate, but no decisions have been made.
"We are evaluating several options for our property, and there are no current plans to move the Ling," said Tom Heffernan, the chief financial officer for North Jersey Media Group.
To donate to the museum's repair effort, call Altschuler at 609-395-8175.
