Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page A3

monmouth ocean monmouth monmouth today ASBURY PARK PRESS APP.COM 3A THURSDAY 08.06.15 Silence is not an option for superstorm Sandy vic- ims who are suing their flood insurance providers for nderpayment. The U.S. District Court of New Jersey has filed an order warning plaintiffs in 500 Sandy-related cases that if they inform the court of their settlement progress or ask for a trial, their cases would be dis- issed. I the July 31order, the court says it has identified 3 50 cases where an attorney for the homeowner has not submitted paperwork required to start brokering a settlement. But a prominent attorney for Sandy clients says the eal problem slow-moving plaintiffs, it is the Fede ral Emergency Management Agency and its inability process the line of policyholders already waiting to begin resolution talks.

FEMA denies this charge. Flood policyholders in New Jersey were, on average, paid less than $50,000 on Sandy claims, a figure well be- ow what New Yorkers received after the same storm and even less than what Gulf Coast residents got after urricane Katrina in 2005, according to FEMA data. This sparked a rush of lawsuits in federal court by homeowners who believed they had been cheated out of ASBURY PARK PRESS FILE PHOTO Ahome in Mantoloking after superstorm Sandy. Court tells uperstorm laintiffs: Get moving! RUSS ZIMMER Cassandra Vitale, the 29-year-old founder of the andy volunteer aid group the Bucket Brigade, died of a heroin overdose, her mother and brother disclosed Wednesday. itale, who was living in West Palm Beach, Florida, passed away July 31, shocking many residents and volunteers on northern Ocean Barnegat Peninsu- a.

Beachwood native Vitale was living in Florida when superstorm Sandy struck, but quickly came back to New Jersey to help. The cause of her death had not been disclosed in earlier accounts. Vitale stayed in New Jersey for two years after Sandy, founding the Bucket Brigade, which evolved from distributing five-gallon buckets filled with cleaning supplies to Sandy victims to working with other roups, like Joan McDonald Sandy Weekday arriors, to clean out and help restore some of the dam- Cassandra Vitale, a Beachwood native, founded the Bucket Brigade volunteer group, which helped superstorm Sandy survivors lean up. She died July 31. Aid group founder ies of overdose JEAN MIKLE JEANMIKLE Robert Griswold traveled to Scotland last month to test himself against the best Paralympic swimmers on earth.

He returned with a telling souvenir. he 18-year-old from Freehold earned a bronze medal in the International Paralympic orld championship. His 400-meter freestyle time of 4 :36.26 placed him third, fulfilling a big goal on the oad to the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. was the most exciting feeling in the Griswold said. the medal stand I stop smiling.

I could not make any other facial express riswold, who just graduated from Freehold ownship High School and will swim on scholarship for Division II Carson-Newman University has cerebral palsy. He was born with dislocated hips and knees. He walks with a limp, run, and has imited use of his legs in the pool. But nothing has held im back so far; why would the best competition in the orld be any different? was a positive experience, learning what being on the international stage was like, learning how to manage he said. managed myself through real highs and lows at the A low point came in the 200-meter individual med- ey, when Griswold got run down late and ended up off he podium in fourth.

was the most helpless feeling he said. had a day off after that, and I used the time to Strokes of victory PETE PHOTOGRAPHER Robert Griswold works out at the Ocean County YMCA last spring. Robert swimmer from Freehold, wins bronze at Paralympic worlds competition JERRY CARINO COURTESY OF DOUG GRISWOLD Robert Griswold with his bronze medal won at the I nternational Paralympic world championship. AHolmdel man is making national headlinesafter helped deliver the first baby born at the World Trade Center since the Sept. 11attacks.

he unexpected arrival thrust Brian McGraw, a Port Authority officer and Holmdel Fire Rescue lieutenant, into action Tuesday and ended with the irth of a baby girl. It all happened on the concourse of the PATH World rade Center station around 2:30 a.m., officials said. he Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police said it responded to a call of a pregnant woman i labor. Joe Pentangelo, a spokesman for the Port Author- i ty, said the woman the baby and deliv- red her baby once EMS and police arrived on the scene. he was with her husband and their 2-year-old son.

he mother and 6.14-pound newborn, named Asenat Abdrabo, were taken to Beekman Downtown Hospit al. The incident even prompted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to congratulate the Port Authority on witter for delivering the baby born at the WTC site since McGraw, who is on vacation, could not immediately reached for comment. The baby girl is the 18th baby born at the World Trade Center. The New York State Museum said 17 babies were born there prior to Sept.

11, 2001. Karen Yi; 732-643-1277; Holmdel man helps deliver WTC baby KAREN YI PHOTO COURTESY PORT AUTHORITY Brian McGraw of Holmdel poses with the baby he helped deliver at the World Trade Center on Tuesday..