Echoes of LBI Magazine Spring 2011

Come Inside & Pickup A Copy!

Echoes of LB I Magazine

TM

Includes Film Festival Schedule

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Publisher’s Note

A

. s we go to print with the first issue of our third year, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for helping to make Echoes of LBI such a success. Without our advertisers, we

could not undertake an effort such as this. And without our loyal readers, we would not have an audience. As Christine Rooney says, “It takes an Island to put Echoes together.” Since you, dear readers, have made it a point to shop with the advertisers who support us, it has become a win-win situation for everyone.

Together, we have been able to create a lifestyle magazine dedicated to those who love, live on, work on, and visit LBI. As the Island comes back to life, we are gearing up for an explosion of activity. Kicking off the summer is our Lighthouse International Film Festival. Echoes is proud to be a sponsor of this wonderful event.

We believe programs such as this shine a light on LBI and reflect the very best of our Island. In this issue, as always, our writers bring you heart-warming stories that echo messages from the past, as well as celebrate the here and now. Our talented artists have created works that inspire and our photographers have captured moments in time that take your breath away. We are all about the LBI lifestyle, from Barnegat Light to Holgate. While you are here, take a moment and enjoy each beautiful sunrise. If you sleep in and miss the morning show, soak up an outstanding sunset, the kind for which our Island is famous. Whether you are here for a day, a week, or a lifetime, I know it will be time well spent. Happy reading.

Have a nice sunset!

Cheryl Kirby, Publisher

Just in ...

Things That Drift

Ron Weise photo

inside

while you were away, 8 art, 10 photography, 16 living well, 24 poetry, 30 legends and lore, 34 beach reads, 36 home and garden, 38 marine science, 56 50 and counting, 60 looking back, 74 work/life, 81 a shore thing, 82 Echoes of LBI Magzine

Cheryl Kirby - Owner & Publisher • 609-361-1668 • 406 Long Beach Blvd • Ship Bottom • Echoesoflbi.com for online magazine and media kit All content of magazine & website remains copyright of Cheryl. No part of publication may be reproduced.

Advertisers: People collect Echoes of LBI - your ad has the potential to be seen over & over again for years to come! EchoesofLBI.com Email articles on history, nostalgia, poetry or art by July 1 for Summer Issue to: echoesoflbi@gmail.com Designer - Pete Milnes • Copy Editor - Kevin M. Rooney • Marjorie Amon - Photographer • Sara Caruso - Graphic Design Intern Contributing Editors - Rena DiNeno, Maggie O'Neill, Ryan Marchese, Christine Rooney, Vicki Giberson Cover photo: W. Kirk Lutz: See Art section, page 13, for shell description

Above: LBI Yoga, Right: Heart of Amelia Marjorie Amon photos

Above: Yoga Nine practitoners: Luisa Cilurzo Eileen Jacob (L), Laurie Greene, Richard Nisimblat (B), Danielle Slugh-Russo (I), Alice Gomes, Eliane Molloy (Y), nancy devine, Sharon Fruchtman (O), Karen LaDu, Lisa Hill (G), Eileen Palladino, Barbara Mungall (A)

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

— Jacques Cousteau

While You Were Away

Page 6

Eve McGann

Snow-person

Noel & Reid Huelsenbeck

Maisy

Art Sailings - Art Liebeskind Art by Art et’s face it. I’m a landlubber. On a ship, I fear seasickness, so I watch the horizon, put a patch behind my ear and chew ginger gum. So I like to stay put, on shore. But when I see a sailing ship, out there, on the horizon, my imagination takes over. It’s the wind and the choppy seas and the fish and the sails billowing, and getting wet, and singing, and savoring a cold beer on a hot day and all kinds of other things. Out there. And close to shore there are little boats with life vests and watchful parents, and I see the delight in their eyes as they move the boat here and there, as if my magic, the winds turns the way they want. So what do I do? I watch, partly yearning to be out there and partly glad to be sitting on solid ground. And I paint. And I get lost in that other world I feel part of ... at a distance.

— Art Liebeskind (Art’s art, this page only) •

L

Page 10 • Echoes of LBI

Viking Village - Helene Thorpe

Rowboats - Carol Freas

Art

Page 12 • Echoes of LBI

Fish Collage - Ed Luterio

Art

Lucky Thirteen - Susan Weinstein

Echoes of LBI Cover Shell Cover Photo by W. Kirk Lutz

Mermaid - Karen Bagnard

(The Atlantic triton (Charonia variegata) is found in Southern Florida and the Caribbean. The Atlantic triton is thick, heavy for its size, globular, and its shell grows to 13 inches. It is also known as the Triton trumpet. It is similar (often confused ) to the Pacific triton (Charonia tritonis), which is thinner, grows to 24 inches, and is one of the largest gastropods. Adult triton are predators, feeding on other mollusks, sea urchins, and, mainly, starfish.)

K

irk Lutz was born in 1967 in Camden, N.J., and has been

a lifelong Long Beach Islander. His family has been in

Harvey Cedars since the early 1940s. He received his first camera as a high school graduation present in 1985 and has been shooting photographs ever since.

He earned a BA in Advertising and a minor in Art from the Pennsylvania State University. He taught a semester of Vector Motion Graphics (Adobe Flash) at a community college. Kirk started LBI Photos, LLC in 2007 and since then has had his work shown in numerous galleries on an off the island — including his own show at a gallery in Baltimore, MD. His subject matter consists mostly of images of LBI, but he shoots wherever he goes. He has shot photographs as far south as Puerto Rico and as far north as Cape Cod with many locations in between. All of his photographs are digital with the exception of his early work when digital didn’t exist yet. Kirk, along with his photo assistant/wife, Shannon, shows his work at many art festivals on the island. He often says he couldn’t do it without her support.

In addition to photography, Kirk is a talented graphic designer who has designed countless ads, brochures, logos, and websites. He has won many awards for his designs. He also is a very good fine artist who prefers pencil over paint.

He hopes in the future to have his own gallery on LBI. •

Art Pirates & Treasues - Ed Luterio

Talk Like A Pirate at Things A Drift (Bring Pirate Booty If You Got It) September 18, Sunday at High Noon 406 Long Beach Blvd • Ship Bottom 609.361.1668 ThingsADrift.com

Page 14 • Echoes of LBI

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First in Fashion for 64 Years Presenting sportswear, swimwear, social occasion attire & accessories

Photography

Page 14 Page 16 • Echoes of LBI

Scott Palmeri

Bruce Kerr

Sara Caruso

C.J. Kirby

Photography

Laurie Greene & Richard Nisimblat of Yoga Nine in Ship Bottom. Marjorie Amon photo Page 18 • Echoes of LBI

Ocean Breath Ten toes rest at the end of the day Covered in sand from hours of play — Anon

W

hy do we seek large open spaces? We gaze at the ocean, at mountain ranges, at the night sky, and something in us is calmed. Why? Perhaps we seek beauty in nature and monumental expanses because we are relieved — relieved to know that, in the face of this vastness, we are so small, so inconsequential. Our dramas and problems and the ceaseless grind of our lives are revealed to be less important than we once thought and, thus, we let go and appreciate the moment.

Yoga is a practice that allows us to connect to something larger than ourselves. It is a way of making the unseen seen and of making the unconscious conscious, through discernment and observation. Yoga is also defined as “yoking” or “unifying” and, in this light, it serves as an infinite interconnection to everything in the world around us. This is what we “make conscious.” Thus, while yoga practitioners love their warm, quiet, clean room, the fragrance of incense, and the serene music of the traditional, indoor practice space, we deeply appreciate the opportunity to practice in nature, as this offers a way to experience this connection to the infinite more directly.

Yoga on the beach provides one such experience — an opportunity to connect with nature, get reacquainted with ourselves, and be playful. Try a

headstand looking at the ocean, watch people walk on the sky, and watch the waves move without moving you. It’s an overwhelming sensory experience.

Nevertheless, while it is clearly romantic, yoga on the beach is also challenging. The surface is soft and moving, so one’s footing is uneven. Practicing on the beach takes greater physical control and mental focus. Balancing, for example, is a challenge with a soft and uneven surface. Balancing on the beach requires more strength, unwavering and even breathing, and relaxed concentration. Moving in sand through “sun salutations” is slower and more enervating, since you are constantly sinking down into moving sand with each step. On the other hand, along with the additional challenges of yoga on the beach, come additional benefits. Slow movement, with resistance like this, increases your stamina and muscle strength.

The feeling of beach yoga far outweighs its overrated glamour. Your music is the sound and sensations of the ocean, the singing of the birds, and the rush of the wind. In yoga, we use a breathing technique known as Ujjayi breath. While literally translated as “victorious breath,” it is often alternatively called “ocean breath,” as it creates the sound of the ocean in the back of your throat. This sound is said to be both durga and sukshma — long, smooth, and even. We let our breath guide us and, in so doing, we aim to emulate the ocean in our movements — steady, even, flowing and rhythmic, unencumbered, playful, and free. Wind in your hair, sun on your skin, and ocean in your breath, what better place to practice than the beach and what better practice partner than the ocean?

Try some yoga on the beach. In the

early morning, watch the sun rise and salute it. Feel humbled by and grateful for this mundane, yet amazing, daily event. Take off your shoes, throw away your mat and your towel, and feel the sand between your toes. Lie back and close your eyes. Feel your breath, just like the waves. The inhale rises like the tide and kisses your toes, then your knees, and then your shoulders, before it recedes on the exhale and sinks you deeper into the sand. Each inhalation takes the tide higher, each exhalation sends you deeper, until your inhale lifts you like a big wave and your exhale takes you out to sea — just floating there, on your back, just below the surface of the water, weightless and completely surrendered. As you deepen your breath, your inhale begins to float you back ashore and your exhale then lays you down, once again, on the beach.

“The Dharma is like the ocean, having the same wonderful qualities. Both the ocean and the teachings become gradually deeper. Both preserve their identity under all changes. As the great rivers, when falling into the sea, lose their names and are thenceforth reckoned as the great ocean, so all the castes, having renounced their lineage ... become equals and are reckoned in the family of [man]. The ocean is the goal of all streams and of the rain from the clouds, yet is it never overflowing and never emptier: so the Dharma is embraced by many millions of people; yet it neither increases nor decreases. As the great ocean has only one taste, the taste of salt, so the teachings have only one flavor, the flavor of [freedom] ... These are the wonderful qualities in which the Dharma resembles the ocean,” states Buddha. — Laurie Greene •

Photography

Hurricane Child - Pete Milnes

Page 20 • Echoes of LBI

W. Kirk Lutz

Since 1974.

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Marjorie Amon Page 22 • Echoes of LBI

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Living Well

Page 24 • Echoes of LBI

Marjorie Amon photo

Beach Traditions E

very child who visits the beach enjoys collecting shells, and every child does pretty much the same thing with the shells they collect — they make gifts and souvenirs. There is the ashtray (very unpopular in today’s health conscious world), the jewelry dish, the soap dish, the candy dish, and the Christmas ornament. Is there anyone who has not gone through this right of passage as a child? If there is, I haven’t met them. When I was young, we would collect shells, take them back home, paint them, and sell them to the neighbors. I will always remember with great fondness Mrs. D. She lived across the street, about six houses down from us. She would buy our shells every year, without fail. Back then, we charged 10 cents a shell. I’m sure her garbage was filled with 10 cent ashtrays, candy dishes, and soap receptacles. Or maybe not. Maybe she kept those shells on her mantle or on a shelf, as I like to think.

I recently had a wonderful experience revisiting this time-honored tradition with my niece, Amy, and her children. She came down to visit for a few days. Before they arrived, I contemplated what we could do that would introduce her kids to the beauty of life at the beach. How would it compete with a Nintendo (or whatever that hand held, always present device, owned by every 8 year old, is called)? After much thought, I decided we were going to make shell candles. The ocean would provide the shells, and CVS would supply the rest of the materials we needed: permanent, neon colored magic markers, a taper candle, and a bag of tea lights.

The weather was perfect the day they arrived. We rode waves, dug for tickly crabs, and collected a bag of seemingly ordinary clam shells. Of course, a shell that seems ordinary to an adult, is a treasure to a child.

They have the ability to see wonder in the everyday.

Ellie, my great niece, was only two, so just seeing shells for the first time was a new adventure. Her 8year-old brother, Jake, was quite quizzical as to what we would do with the collection. I promised him we would have a special night with our bag of shells, and we did. Ellie was asleep early, much to the delight of her mom. As the sun began to set, Amy, Jake, and I prepared for our project. First, we covered the table on the deck with an old cloth. I brought out the magic markers, tea lights, taper candle and matches. Is there an 8-year-old boy on the planet who is not excited at the prospect of working with fire?

We began by picking just the right shell. Jake decided he was going to make a candle for Dixie and Gramps, his grandparents. Amy and I were each making one for ourselves, in order to remember this special day. We spent a lot of time picking out our shells. Some were too small, some were too dark. Finally, after much deliberation, we each had our shell.

We decorated them with the vibrant colors of the neon markers. Next, I cut the taper, using one half for making wicks. The other half was used to melt wax into the center of the shell. Finally, we inserted the cut pieces of wick into the liquid wax and waited for it to harden. We had our shell candles! The tea lights would serve as refills after the initial wick burned down. The project gave us hours of pleasure, and Jake did not miss playing with the Nintendo once that night. We still talk about our candle creations. Using simple shells found on the beach, we enjoyed an evening of magic that will be treasured for years to come.

Do you remember what you did with the shells you collected on the beach? If you do, email us at EchoesofLBI.com and share your story. We would love to hear from you. — Maggie O’Neill •

Living Well

D

o you believe in the power of the full moon? After 22 years in medicine, I know I have a deep faith in and an overwhelming respect for the moon’s ability to affect human psychology and physiology. It is well known that the biological rhythms of human aggression resonate with the lunar cycle. Indeed, this is where we get the name lunatic and from whence the concept of the werewolf derives. As an Obstetrician Gynecologist, I am here to tell you that, although you may NOT turn into a werewolf, you and your loved ones are more likely to give birth by the light of the silvery FULL moon than at any other time of the month ... If you don’t believe me, just ask my kids — they will swear by it.

When my two children, Alex, now 21, and Nick, now 18, were no more then 4 and 6, they would look out the window at night to let me know if my “call nights” would be spent at home or at the hospital. Some nights, I would hear, “Oh no, Mommy, the moon is almost full, you won’t be home tomorrow night.” And on the nights during and after the full moon, I was at the hospital, as predicted.

Those nights always proved to be the busiest.

It is a known fact that both the labor and delivery floor and the emergency room is a bustling place at any hospital on the nights just before, during, and after the full moon. Not only are deliveries increased, but the patients are more stressed and anxious, as well. Their heightened concerns compel them to call their doctors or find their way to the nearest emergency room, where often times they will present with a multitude of non- specific and, sometimes, unrelenting ailments. During those times, the patients also tend to have an excessive amount of false labor complaints, brought about by an increase in uterine cramping. The patient triage areas are often packed with patients waiting to be evaluated. The increase in patient volume and need for assessment tend to make those call nights dramatically more difficult for all hospital staff. Both nurses and doctors need to devote a lot of time and energy reassuring these worried patients. Due to this phenomenon, it is not uncommon for most hospital units to have a greater complement of staff members on hand on those nights. Some facilities even increase the on call staff in anticipation of what, undoubtedly, will be a busier and more challenging work night.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of walking the beautiful beaches of LBI has appreciated the oscillating rhythm of our tide. While I am here, I plan my days around the tide, as it affects both my ability to catch fish and find sea glass. So, what exactly is the tide? The tide is simply the alternating rise and fall in sea level with respect to the land, and it is produced by the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun. We know that, when the moon is full or new, the gravitational pull is at its highest and that, in turn, the high tides will be very high and the ocean’s current will be especially strong. These high tides, also known as spring tides, are at their peak when the sun and moon are on the same side of the Earth (new moon) or when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the Earth (full moon).

As you may already know, the Earth is 80% water and we humans are 75% water. So, knowing what we know about the effects of the moon on the oceans, we can well assume that its pull can similarly affect the fluids in our bodies, such as our cerebrospinal fluid surrounding our brains and, especially, the big bag of fluid known as the amniotic sac, creating a tidal, rhythmic, oscillating pull within. It is also interesting to note that it is not at all unusual for a labor patient to appear with a rupture of her bag of water at around 4 a.m. on the night of a full moon — several hours after the undulating rhythm has begun to play havoc on the thin, dam-like wall of the weakened amniotic sac.

So then, check when the moon is going to be full in the month of your due date, and remember that labor can occur anytime between 37 and 42 weeks after conception. Forty weeks is the end of the 10th Lunar month following conception and will be the basis of your EDC (estimated date of confinement or delivery). It is possible, however, to deliver before or after that date.

With any luck, the moon will be full when you are at 37 weeks, meaning you may be fortunate enough to have your baby on the early side. If not, at least now you know to exercise caution when sitting on your brand new couch or somebody else’s, for that matter. If your tidal gates open, and if you do show up at the hospital in labor, you will find a slew of doctors and nurses anxiously awaiting your arrival and ready to help you howl the night away! — Dr. Joann Richichi •

Moon Babies

Page 26 • Echoes of LBI

A Beachy Public Service Announcement for Your Four-Legged Friends!

Elizabeth Weber art

If it’s too hot for your feet, it’s too hot for your dogs’!

“O

uch, ooo, ouch,” my twin brother moans, as he runs up 92nd Street to check out the waves for surfing. These phrases are common in July and August, as streets, sidewalks, and sand become very hot and uncomfortable to the touch. Walking on these hot surfaces is not only a potential hazard for humans, it is also a danger for dogs. Most dog owners are aware of common summertime ailments — dehydration, fatigue, and sun stroke — but they often overlook burned foot pads. According to veterinarian Dr. Keith Warren of Doylestown Animal Medical Clinic, animal pads are thicker than the soles of human feet, and animals also advantageously limit contact with pavement through constant foot displacement. Nevertheless, heat pressure for over a minute can severely injure your dog’s foot pads. If your dog appears to be limping and licking at his feet, or if his pads appear to be darker in color or blistered, he may be suffering from pad burn.

To avoid pad burn, precautions should be taken to limit your dog’s contact with hot pavement. Be sure to walk your dog in shady areas or on grass and stone, whenever possible. For more information, contact your local vet.

Living Well

Mindful Eating R ecently my husband introduced me to “juicing”, and after fighting him just a bit, I’ve been waking up again to the healing benefits of food. I say again because I was here once before. I was a 19 year old cancer patient, who, along with traditional chemotherapy and radiation, consumed a non-dairy, seaweed, bean, meat-free, veggie-full macrobiotic diet, i.e., no pizza. I did not want to change the way I ate, but I also wanted to live, so I conceded. But to me, giving up yummy food was just one more deprivation in a series of painful losses that morphed me into, “the cancer patient”.

However, after I was officially in remission, I returned to college and changed my major to nutrition and steered my career path towards healing (Cancer has a funny way of changing ... everything). I eventually dropped the macrobiotic way of eating; it was heavily associated with cancer in my mind, and I wanted to just be “normal”. Thus, the aforementioned initial resistance to my husband’s healthy new diet idea.

So, it’s funny to be back here again, almost 20 years later, but this time I am feeling more empowered and engaged with the diet change, rather than pushing against it; to use a psych term I’d say the change is more egosyntonic. So, I’m juicing, eating and thinking about food more mindfully, and feeling like I just woke up again after a long, long slumber.

If you want to get started eating more mindfully, healing yourself from the inside out so to speak ... try these documentaries. They will change the way you think about food and likely make you hungry for more awakening! Dr. Alejandro Junger, the author of Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself, has a great starter list of documentaries pictured here on his Facebook page Documentaries: Mindful Eating . (I did not do Dr. Junger’s 21-day clean program, but he has great advice and I follow him on twitter). The Gerson Miracle is an important documentary on Junger’s list. I’d start here, especially if you’ve come to this blog because you or a loved one are struggling with cancer.

It has been said by many doctors, researchers and clinicians that smart patients pay attention. They ask questions; they tend to be the squeaky wheel. Healing is not passive.

For more on taking your healing into your own hands, see Dr. Oz’s Smart Patient Checklist. And just as a fun aside, regardless of your politics, remember that even President Bill Clinton has dramatically changed the way he eats; he’s a vegan! Mindful eating is still not mainstream by any means, but maybe it is heading in that direction? Here’s to continued awakening ... — Dr. Regina Huelsenbeck •

Follow Dr. Regina Huelsenbeck’s Blog @ www.ritualsofhealing.com/blog

Page 28 • Echoes of LBI

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Poetry

Sofie

Nineteen years, your nine lives spent.

They haunt the living room, places I expect to see you– vacant Your marble eyes reflect a glint of light in the east window where you kept watch.

A fluff of fur the vacuum refuses– a remnant of you in your favorite sun spot.

My arm still carries the thin scratch you left as a kitten. Part of my family, I picture you in my art. A yogi of the long stretch and wide yawn. A whiskered teacher, you kneaded my heart, curled around and rested there.

— Frank Finale

Marjorie Amon photo

Friend

You know me; not only the what of me, but the why.

Like stars in daylight, I may not always see you, But I know you are there.

You are my constant: as sure as the waves, as beautiful as the sunset.

You whisper in my ear, when life sounds empty.

You hold me, when my tears become an ocean.

You need me, when I feel alone.

You forgive me, and you help me to forgive myself.

Because of you, I do not walk through this life without someone understanding who I am, why I cry, or what makes me laugh.

That is your gift to me.

You know me.

And because of you, I know love.

— Maggie O’Neill Page 30 • Echoes of LBI

Christine Rooney photo

Diamante Poetry

Poetry The Fishing Lesson

The first time my Dad took me fishing We brought a bag of worms.

He selected a big, fat one for his hook, A little one for mine. I didn’t mind.

He saw I was reluctant to pierce My worm with my hook. Without a word He understood and took it from me. I didn’t mind.

I was anxious and pulled the line before he was done.

The hook caught his finger, Blood beaded up, he didn’t yell at me.

After an hour he suggested we leave. I didn’t mind.

He hadn’t caught any fish, I only caught his finger, But he didn’t mind.

— Richard Morgan Pat Morgan art

No More Separation Anxiety

When I visit the sea and the sky it’s really all in the same place, As I walk the beach in winter and feel the presence of God’s grace, For the beach in winter is a blessing that’s truly shared by few, And when I awake each winter’s morn I know what I want to do.

I want to walk the beach in winter and feel the cold breeze on my face, For it’s here I feel my best as I reflect on my world’s favorite place, As I walk the beach and I am the only footprints I see in the sand, I say thanks for allowing me to cherish and worship the beauty of this land.

Shore Performance

Through my frosted window I peer The snowy dunes set the stage Wind whipped, twirling dancers embrace Choreographed with passion A symphony of wind and waves The seashore drama unfolds I, nature’s audience applaud

For when Labor Day comes and the summer season has come to an end, It is now the best time for me to share with my loyal and forever friend, The beach and me have an awesome past and present shared throughout the years, A place where I come to reflect on my life and take time to always say my prayers.

A winter’s walk on the beach is filled with solitude and each day is a new time, To thank God for all of my blessings and my wonderful family I have to call mine, To appreciate where I’ve been, and where I’m going on this journey called life, I’m glad that I had the strength to deal with all of my past years and all of the strife.

Ever since I was young I can still recall the endless hours of walking the beach, Toes in the sand and praying to the stars up above that my goals would be within reach, I would spend countless hours laughing, praying and trying not to breakdown and cry, Knowing that no matter what my only source of refuge would be the beach at LBI.

As I look out at the waves crashing on the shore on a cold winter’s day, There are so many things in my heart and soul that I want to say, Thank-you for the memories of a lifetime created by hours spent by the sea.

And that I live here year round and have “NO MORE SEPARATION ANXIETY!!”

— Diane Stulga Page 32 • Echoes of LBI

— Christine Rooney

Fleas and Flies

Do fleas fly Without saying goodbye, Or Do flies flee Depending on their bravery?

— Richard Morgan

Shells Are My Game.

B

Natural Nautical Design by Cheryl

ring the beauty of the ocean into your home with Natural Nautical Design by Cheryl. Decorating your mantel, curio cabinets or room with natural gifts from the sea lends a special serenity to any home. Whether it’s a small arrangement of shells or a large design for your living room or patio area, Cheryl will enhance any space to your specification. For 35 years, Cheryl Kirby of “Things A-Drift” in Ship Bottom has been arranging nautical designs as well as selling precious treasures from the sea.

Her expertise on design and knowledge of all things nautical has been sought by shore-loving homeowners both nationally and here on LBI. Things-a-Drift has the largest selection of high grade shells on the east coast, including a perfect specimen of a Queen Helmet and a 525 pound Tridacna. These rare and beautiful shells are a fitting addition for your spa or poolside area. Other popular design choices include table top corals up to thirty inches in size. Cheryl will visit your home personally, or consult with you via the internet. In fact, the wall pictured here is from a house in Florida. The home owners selected their shells from Things-a-Drift during a visit to the Island. Emailing her the dimensions and pictures of the room they were chosen for, Cheryl sent a layout of her design. Delighted with the plan, the owners had the shells shipped and the result was a beautiful, decorative display.

Create your own feng shui with gifts from the sea and professional nautical design by Cheryl.

Things A Drift • 406 Long Beach Blvd • Ship Bottom • 609-361-1668

Legends & Lore

The Shell Reader

L

iz pulled up to the little bungalow. It was a narrow, one story cottage, weathered from the salt air, about six houses from the sea. She could hear the sound of the waves from where she stood. Jiggling the door lock open, Liz stepped into the front porch, putting her bags down on the wide plank floor. It was sunny and bright, light streaming through a bank of windows. Against the far wall, Mary’s jackets, boots, gloves, and hats covered a white bench, like ornaments of winter.

From the living room, she could see a dining area and kitchen, the open floor plan flowing from one room to the next. Two bedrooms were off to the side. A railroad cottage, she thought.

The decor was classic beach.

It was cozy. Black and white photos of the Island covered the walls. And there were shells — big ones, small ones, shells in every size and shape filled the house. The effect was quaint, nautical and bright. Walking around, Liz realized there was a lot to go through, but it was neat and clean.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

Opening it, Liz saw a small, elderly woman, hand on cane, standing on the porch. “Hello, dear,” she said, shuffling past Liz into the living room. “I just need to sit a moment.” She lowered herself into one of Mary’s overstuffed chairs. “There, that’s all right then.” Shifting in the seat to remove her scarf and gloves, she seemed to forget about Liz. “Can I help you, uh, Ms,” Liz asked, hoping to prompt the woman’s name and her reason for being there.

“Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I’m Bella.”

Ah, Bella, Liz thought. She took the chair next to her. “Hello Bella, I’m Liz. Mary’s family asked me to see to things here and ready the house for sale. I’m a friend of Mary’s great niece, Hannah. I’m sorry for your loss, Ms. Bella,” she said. “Hanna told me you and Mary were close friends for many years.”

“Yes, we were. I’m 92. Mary was six months older than me.

Met right here on this street when we were 13 years old. Of course, using the word old when referring to someone 13 is a bit ridiculous at my age, but 13 years old we were. That’s a long time to share a life.” Bella blinked a few times, looking around the room as if expecting to see her friend. Liz was at a loss for words.

There wasn’t much anyone could say at a time like this.

“I see Mary liked to collect shells,” Liz offered, glancing around the room.

“Collect shells,” Bella asked, with a surprised look. “Mary didn’t collect them, she ... well, another time, then.”

Having no idea what she meant, Liz opted for polite silence.

Page 34 • Echoes of LBI

“Could I bother you for a cup of tea, Liz,” Bella asked.

“Certainly,” Liz said. “I’m sorry. Give me a minute and I’ll see if there is tea,” she offered, getting up and heading into the kitchen.

“Oh, there’s tea, dear. It’s in the cabinet next to the refrigerator. I don’t take milk, so don’t worry about that. Though I imagine it would be bad by now if there were any. You’ll have to get rid of the stuff in the fridge. Although Mary didn’t keep many perishables. Wine doesn’t go bad, does it?” Liz turned a surprised face to Bella, unsure if she was kidding or not. Soon they were settled back into their chairs, two cups of hot tea warming their conversation.

“Mary’s family has to sell the house. As you know, her nieces and nephews live far away and keeping it doesn’t seem practical at this point,” Liz explained.

Bella looked at her with a strange expression. “Not according to the shells, but we’ll see. So, Liz, have you ever been to LBI before,” she asked.

Liz blinked, still trying to make out what Bella meant. “No, I haven’t. I’ve lived in the city most of my life.” She looked down, hesitated, and then continued. “I needed a change. I work in real estate, so Hannah’s mom asked if I would spend a week here and handle the sale arrangements.”

“I see,” said Bella. Taking a sip of tea, she asked, “So, you and he broke up then?”

Liz almost choked. “What? No. I mean yes, but why do you think I broke up with someone?”

Bella put her cup down, patted Liz’s arm, and sighed. “It’s always a man, honey. If a woman needs a change, believe me, it’s always a man. Well, now, I’ve taken enough of your time.

Thank you for the tea and for the conversation. I get so lonely now with my BFF gone.” Liz burst out laughing with her use of text talk.

Bella smiled, “We may be 92, but we text and Mary has an iPod. We are very cool old ladies,” she winked. Suddenly, her eyes went sad. “Well, I guess I should say we were.”

“Bella, you are very cool. Thank you for stopping by. Please feel free to come by anytime while I’m here.

Really,” Liz replied, warmly.

“Thank you, dear, that is very kind.”

Getting up, Bella put on her coat and scarf, took hold of her cane, and made her way towards the door.

“Bella,” Liz said, hesitantly.

“Yes?” “It was a guy. He left me. You were right.”

“That’s ok, Liz, the beach will heal you.” With that, she shuffled out.

Liz shook her head. If the beach is

going to heal me, it better hurry up, she thought.

Near midnight, Liz finished taking inventory. Poking around, she found Mary’s iPod and smiled, amazed at the gumption of the two friends. Settling into bed, she plugged the earphones in and turned on the device. There was only one song on it. The melody was haunting. Liz thought it was in another language.

She listened, and played it again. And again, and again. It had an intoxicating effect. She fell asleep, iPod on, still listening to the song.

Early dawn burst through the east windows, sunlight creeping between the blinds. Liz woke, confused to find the earphones still in her ears. Snapping out of her fog, she headed for the kitchen. Please, Mary, she silently prayed, please have coffee and not just tea. Within 15 minutes, Mary’s Cuisinart coffee maker filled the house with a fresh brewed aroma. Jeez, Mary, iPod, Cuisinart, BFF, what else do you have in store for me?

Liz grinned to herself.

The morning passed quickly. As she worked, Liz could not get the haunting song out of her mind. At some point she knew she would have to start on Mary’s bedroom. Looking around the room, Liz spotted a shadowbox hanging on the far wall. It contained two pieces of sea glass and a scallop shell. The shell had writing on it — “Lunar Eclipse — December Full Moon, 2010.” That was just last December, she thought, surprised.

Making a mental note to ask Bella about it, she put off doing the room. Although she hadn’t known Mary, the task of cleaning out her personal things was too much the first day. About to close the bedroom door, she heard a faint thump. Glancing back, she noticed a shell had fallen off the dresser. Surprised, she put it back and walked out. Liz never heard the shell fall the second time.

The rest of the day flew by as she hummed Mary’s song. By late afternoon she needed to find a grocery store. Opening the front door, she saw a shell on the step. Had someone dropped it off? Shrugging, she picked it up, moved it to the bed of stones under the bushes, and headed out.

Later that night, relaxing with a glass of wine, Liz noticed a large, leather book under the coffee table. It contained notes going back as far as 1954, the most recent written just last month: Dec. 3rd, 2010, Sara, 4 shells, little left to decide. Must move on.

Sept. 16th, 2010, Jean, 7 shells, together clam. Marriage soon with difficult decisions.

Aug. 7th, 2010, Adam, 1 shell. He already knows the answer.

Fascinated, Liz read on, losing track of time. When her eyes became too tired to continue, she closed the book, astonished to see it was near 2 a.m. Ready to call it a night, she noticed 4 shells lying on the floor. They were not there 3 hours ago, to that she would swear. Tired and somewhat unnerved, Liz went to bed, her dreams filled with images of shells swirling to the melody of the strange song ...

To be continued. Don’t miss the next edition of Echoes of LBI (or visit Echoes online at www. echoesoflbi.com) to find out about the strange journal writings, the mystery of the haunting melody and what Bella tells Liz about Mary’s shells. — Maggie O’Neill •

"oh give me a house by the shining sea, by the waves and the sand and the sky..."

Maggie M. O'Neill Real Estate Sales Century 21 Mary Allen Realty, Inc. Ship Bottom, NJ 609-494-0700 www.njbeachhouse.net

Beach Reads Wave

Author: Suzy Lee sunny day, a curious little girl and a playful wave, artist Suzy Lee has taken these three simple elements and created a visual tour-de-force that needs absolutely no words to tell its universal story. With masterful use of line and color, she explores the power of the natural world, the nuance of friendship, and even the very components that make a book.

A

The Jetty Walker

Author: Christina L. Snyder hildhood memories of lazy summer days and frolicking on the beach with the Sunshine Gang come to life in the book The Jetty Walker by Christina Snyder.

Teenagers come of age during romantic but ghostly outings and life-long friendships were formed as the Sunshine Gang transcended childhood to young adults at Long Beach Island along the Jersey Shore.

C

Crime Waves

Author: Christina Snyder tacey Bell’s life is anything but dull. The middle-aged divorcee runs a detective agency with her two best friends, Lilly and Gayle, a career path that frequently finds her in unexpected and occasionally hairy situations. Her daughter Anna is beautiful ... and bi-polar and obsessive-compulsive. And the local sheriff, whose path she crosses regularly in her line of work, is just a bit too gorgeous for Stacey’s own good. Nonetheless, Stacey is shocked when a run-of-the-mill stakeout turns up a dead body in the bottom of a boat floating in the Bay. Murder isn’t the usual story at Bell’s Detective Agency, but Stacey and her partners aren’t about to turn their backs on a case that was literally dumped at their feet. They set to work to solve the murder, yet as more bodies begin surfacing around town, the ladies realize they’re on the trail of a serial killer.

Complicating matters are dashing Raymond James, who comes to Stacey for help finding his missing daughter Megan, and the aforementioned local sheriff Kenneth Brown, whose easy charm is definitely not conducive to keeping a womans mind on her work.

Yet work Stacey must, because as the body count continues to climb, an ever-increasing fear grips the small island community. Stacey, Gayle, and Lilly aren’t exactly hard-boiled-crime-fighters, but they’re definitely smart, hardworking, funny, and plenty salty-tongued. The strength of their friendship will be of particular appeal to female readers, for whom Crime Waves may offer the “perfect storm” of murder mysteries: a quirky setting, spirited heroines, sexy men, and a killer whose identity will shock readers to the core. Christina Snyder has penned an engrossing novel that will have mystery fans glued to every word.

S

Page 36 • Echoes of LBI

The Artwork of

Robert Sakson a.w.s.

Robert Sakson is one of New Jersey’s most accomplished watercolorists. Robert is a Fellow of the American Watercolor Society and the New Jersey Water- color Society.

His love for Long Beach Island is reflected in his art, portraying local landmarks and historically significant buildings.

His work is available at Things A Drift, 406 Long Beach Blvd, Ship Bottom, 609-361-1668.

Home & Garden

Cooking Outside Form & Function Outdoor Kitchens Embody the Best of LBI Living

T

he kitchen is the social heart of the family. And these days that heart is beating outside as well as inside. Fire up the grill, fill up a basket with tomatoes and corn, fresh green beans, sweet peaches, and transform your yard into a resort, complete with family and friends and a garden-fresh dinner at dusk.

Kitchens are where we inevitably end up at every party. It’s just a simple Page 38 • Echoes of LBI

Home & Garden quirk of nature, so why not make your summertime — and spring and fall— living the best it can be, cooking in the open LBI air.

Today, interior design practices are being applied to the concept of the outdoor kitchen in new and dynamic ways, resulting in spaces that can both reflect your lifestyle preferences and accommodate your cooking needs.

Whether entertaining a crowd or a few close friends, functionality is the key to your happiness. A well-planned design makes all the difference, and the plan will be superior if you have the benefit of a professional, preferably one with vision who asks you the right questions—and then listens—translating your dream into a reality.

For over 30 years, Reynolds Landscaping in Manahawkin has been designing and building outdoor kitchens on Long Beach Island that blend utility and beauty. They can be as sophisticated and technical as any indoor equivalent, says Mark Reynolds, or as simple and basic as a small grill and a cluster of chairs. What people all fundamentally want, he says, is a place where the adults can cook and gather, have conversations, and where their children can play safely within sight.

Through the years, Reynolds has developed a dynamic team, headed by Tanek Hood, Mark’s son-in-law, that allows them to take you through the project from start to finish. Design, appliance selection, masonry, plumbing, lighting, landscaping, and maintenance.

“We can handle everything inhouse,” says Reynolds, “from a conceptual drawing to the finishing touches. That has been our vision from the beginning so that we can control all the pieces, which allows us to make creative changes on the fly. We see the opportunities in the day-to-day unfolding. We’re there, and we talk with you. It is a constant dialogue.”

It all starts, however, with asking the right questions: Do you have large parties? Small gatherings? Catered events? How often? The type and frequency of entertaining begins to tell the story of your space so that Reynolds can determine how best Tanek Hood photos to create a design that puts food and family—your family—at the center of the design.

“What Reynolds wants at the end of the day—well, the end of the project—is that we have designed a space for you that accommodates your actual lifestyle,” Reynolds says. “So that you have a seamless use of your interior and exterior spaces.”

The same choices can go into your outside kitchen as into your inside one: materials, colors and finishes, seating, cabinetry, refrigerator, sink, wet bar, wine cooler, ice maker, garbage Page 40 • Echoes of LBI

disposal, a sound system, appliances and grilling tools, pots and pans, a dining counter or table. Some people want three or four of those; others want all of them. Everyone, of course, wants the all-important grill. Reynolds works with top-of-the-line gaspowered grills, from Viking to Weber.

“We’re notorious for customizing for the focal point. Mark [Reynolds] is amazing,” Hood says. “He intuitively connects with who you are. He knows what orientation will work for you after a brief conversation. Strange as it may sound to some, if

the guy is a griller, maybe he’ll want his back to the bay so the people talking with him as he cooks can see the bay. That’s important to him.”

Lighting is a strong consideration. Ambience is important, but equally important is being able to see what you’re doing—grilling and plating, the cleanup.

An experienced lighting designer, Hood explains: “I look at where your chairs will be, where people will sit, and place lights in between the chairs so it allows the light to work effectively but not interfere with your movement.”

It’s all about making the function seamless and fluid while maintaining your personal aesthetic. It’s all about location—with a complimentary shape, including a horseshoe, an L-shape, a long rectangle, or a contemporary configuration.

Reynolds’ designs most often use natural sandstones, ledge rock, travertine tile, composites, cultured stone, bluestone, and granites. Cabinetry can be synthetic, stainless steel, cedar, or teak; components can be prefab or custom-made by Reynolds. Pergolas, or shade structures, can maximize the light while allowing protection from the sun.

The outside kitchen is an extension of your living space—only a little easier, forgiving of stains, low maintenance. It will be seen from many angles so it should be as functional and stylish as the rest of your living space, but, while function is paramount, it can’t be—and doesn’t have to be—at the expense of aesthetics.

Increasingly, Reynolds says, people want to enjoy being

C LOT H I N G

outdoors with all the conveniences of indoors. They want to prepare, cook, and serve home-cooked meals and experience leisurely time with family and friends.

And food and family are clearly at the core of every Reynolds design. So whether you are celebrating with dozens of friends or watching the sun crest on yet another brilliant morning as you sip your first cup of coffee, an outdoor kitchen allows you to take advantage of the deft balance of your interior and exterior worlds. — Annaliese Jakimides •

ART

J E W E L

F U N

R Y

F R A M I N G

ACC E SS O R I E S www.wildflowersbythelighthouse.com

609.361.8191

410 Broadway Barnegat Light, NJ

Home & Garden

A Place to Gather, Share, Relax ...

Your Kitchen

K

itchens are not just places to cook. Today, they are the “command center” for busy families. This is the place where neighbors and friends gather, where the kids and grandkids hang out together, and where much of life’s business happens. Families connect in the kitchen.

Kitchens need to be tailored to your family’s lifestyle, and Shore kitchens require some special consideration. You want your kitchen at the Shore to be easy to maintain, fun, and relaxed.

Francie Milano Kitchens of Ship Bottom has designed more than 700 kitchens, most of which are Shore kitchens. “I love a challenge. I am a very hands on designer,” said Francie. A great design, moldings, cabinets, and storage are key elements of a great Shore kitchen. Every kitchen can be creatively designed to be beautiful and functional, from the space-challenged Cape Cod to large waterfront kitchens with expansive views.

Francie Milano has a few very important tips for kitchen dreamers: • Do your homework Research products, appliances, and materials. New products are constantly becoming available. Talk to friends and family. Collect photos of your favorite kitchens.

• Know your budget Set your budget based on your research. Be realistic.

Prioritize.

• Consult a designer Visit several showrooms. Interview designers. Check references. You want the perfect match. A kitchen designer will advise you on layout, products, and materials.

• Buy local You want your kitchen to reflect the beauty of LBI. This 18mile island is packed with unique shops, excellent tradesman, and designers. Support those who make LBI special.

Are you a butcher, a baker, or candlestick maker?

Whatever your passion, a kitchen can be designed to be uniquely you! Every family, cook, or baker is different. A well-designed kitchen will inspire you to cook, gather, eat, and share. — Christine E. Rooney • Top to bottom photos: Clearly designed for a baker, kitchen in Beach Haven.

Cooks dream with Wolf Range cooktop and a pot filler.

Details in custom plaster hood with hand carved corbels.

Page 42 • Echoes of LBI

Home & Garden

Tears of aMermaid

O

Long Beach Island: A History in Sea Glass

n an afternoon walk at the beach, a grandmother guides her grandchildren to the water’s edge. A wave washes up a shiny, green shard of glass. The youngest grandchild picks it up and asks, “What’s this grandma?” Her grandmother smiles. She tells them tales of old bottles and broken shards that end up in the ocean after great storms and of how mermaids weather them down into a smooth pebble of a treasure. Suddenly, another life-long fascination with sea glass begins.

An obsession with sea glass can overtake even the most unsuspecting beachcomber, and the passion for finding your next piece of sea glass and then discovering or, at least, imagining its history seems to grow with each walk along the shore. Fortunately, for those lucky enough to spend time on Long Beach Island, sea glass abounds. The Island has a rich past, and its waters have been witness to all manner of historical events, from world wars, to pirate raids, to shipwrecks (like the ill-fated Fortuna).

The historical record of these and other events through time, of course, include the millions of pieces of sea glass that ride the briny deep, many of which end up on the beaches of LBI. Each and every one of the pieces of sea glass that ends up on the Island’s beaches is, potentially, a piece of history. It may be an old medicine bottle, a lime juice flask, or a vial that held poison. Each of these treasures, washed smooth by time and sand, tells a story. It is this sense of mystery and discovery that drives all sea glass hunters, striving to make their next amazing find every time they go to the beach. Patrolling the beaches for sea glass is the beachcomber’s hands-on way of connecting to our past.

The mystery and allure of sea glass has fascinated people of all ages for many generations. History tells us people have been collecting sea glass for a long time. Victorian families in Europe and in the New World hunted for the rare glass and displayed their finds in jars on their windowsills. This boasted to the outside world they had enough wealth to take a trip to the beach. Today, this simple, summer hobby has become an art form unto itself.

If you share our passion for finding sea glass and discovering the history and magic of its journey through time, join us on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, for our Third Annual Long Beach Island Sea Glass Festival. Sea glass identification expert Sara Caruso will be there to help you unravel the mysteries of your sea glass treasures. In addition, we will have fossil collector Derek Yoost, paintings by Carole Freas, photography, jewelry, and, of course, our annual sea glass “Shard of the Year” contest, open to all sea glass finds. It’s going to be fun for the whole family of beachcombers! The Festival will be held at Things-A-Drift, 406 Long Beach Blvd., in Ship Bottom. For more information, call 609-361-1668 or email: cheryl@thingsadrift.com. — Sara Caruso • Nicolas and his sea glass treasures.

Page 58

Burgers - Dogs - Sandwiches - Wraps and more - Frozen Treats - Drinks - Ice Cream

Woodies’ Drive-In 5th Street & Long Beach Blvd, Ship Bottom - 609.361.7300 Woodiesburgers.com “The Original!”

Since 1994, Woodies has strived to serve you - our friends - the best food at affordable prices with unsurpassed quality. Our kitchen staff prepares each meal as it is ordered.

Nothing is pre-cooked. Always fresh. See you real soon.

Mahalo!

Home & Garden The Garden Club of LBI: Watch Us Grow

For more than 50 years, the Garden Club of Long Beach Island has been a champion of the natural environment. In carrying out this mission, one of the Garden Club’s main objectives is to promote organic gardening and to encourage the planting and nurturing of indigenous species, including the ubiquitous beach plum. In addition to its purely horticultural activities, though, this long-standing LBI institution sets an impressive example of community involvement and charitable work.

ORGANIC GARDENING Organic gardener and Garden Club member, Marilyn Flagler, emphasizes that organic gardening requires a focus on soil preparation: “Feed the soil; do not fast-food the plants.” Essentially, organic gardening is a matter of proper planning and attention to detail. With good organization, it is possible to create living soil in sand by using compost, mechanical barriers, and companion planting. The compost should comprise only rotted down vegetable matter and leaves. Gardeners need green for nitrogen and brown for carbon. Companion planting (compatible species planted in the same area) strengthens the plants in fighting damage and disease. Additionally, when planting an organic garden, soil amendments should be used.

Examples are mulch with eel grass, seaweed, wood ashes, bone meal, blood meal, kelp, and marl (green sand). Marl is full of iron, magnesium, and potassium.

Layer composting (also known as “lasagna gardening”) is another essential practice in organic gardening. Layering is gentle on the soil and eliminates the need for digging, tilling, and weeding. No pesticides or chemically enhanced products should be used, as these products have a high concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) and tend to dissolve fast and seep into run-off water.

Simply put, organic gardening is growing the natural way.

BEACH PLUMS Beach plums grow naturally in sandy locations. Even with all of Long Beach Island’s recent development, there are still many beach plums growing naturally on the dunes leading to the beach in Barnegat Light. Garden Club member Kelly Andrews photo Dottie Reynolds is a strong proponent of planting beach plums and has a tree in her own garden. As a Garden Club special project, Dottie is helping to develop an organic garden at the Borough Hall in Barnegat Light and has planted a beach plum tree there, as well.

Dottie plants beach plum seedlings. For the first year, the plants need a lot of water and careful nurturing. Once established, however, they do not require any work. Beach plums feature beautiful white flowers in the spring and berries in the summer, enhancing the beauty of the natural environment.

GARDEN CLUB CIVIC ACTIVITIES The Garden Club sponsors many projects to further its goal of protecting the environment. From April through October, members maintain the Edith Duff Gwinn Gardens at the Barnegat Light Historical Museum and the garden at the Beach Haven Library.

Recycling is also a major focus of the Garden Club. On the local level, the club provides recycled paper products to art classes at area schools for their classroom activities. Club members donate plastic bottle caps to Alliance for a Living Ocean (ALO), which works with a cosmetics company to recycle the caps for use in its production.

In recognition of our armed forces, the Garden Club also collects coupons for servicemen and their families stationed overseas. In addition, club members knit caps for our troops to wear under their helmets. Finally, the Garden Club also collects food for the Food Bank at the St. Francis Center in Brant Beach.

The Garden Club’s motto is “Watch Us Grow,” and the club’s wide range of efforts to improve its community show that it takes the motto very seriously. Members constantly seek new ways to contribute to the community and welcome suggestions on how it can extend its activities. If you have any ideas or would simply like to join this wonderful organization, please call us.

— Kay Binetsky • (The Garden Club sells our gardening book in local stores and on our website, thegardencluboflbi.com.

We also sell the book at workshops and lectures given by Garden Club members.)

Page 46 • Echoes of LBI

Home & Garden

Cook Book Beach Plum Jelly 10 cups fresh beach plums, with 2/3 fully ripened and 1/3 green or under-ripe • 1/2 cup water • 3 to 4 cups sugar

Pick over the plums carefully, removing the stems and discarding any badly bruised fruit. Wash plums in a colander under cold running water; drop them into an 8- to 10-quart enameled pot. Add the 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot tightly; reduce the heat to low; simmer for about 15 minutes, until a plum can be mashed easily against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon.

Line a colander or sieve with 4 layers of damp cheesecloth; place it over a large enameled pot. The bottom of the colander or sieve should be suspended above the pot by 3 or 4 inches. Pour in the plums. Without disturbing them, allow the juice to drain through into the pot. Do not squeeze the cloth, or the finished jelly will be cloudy.

When the juice has drained through completely, measure and return it to the first enameled pot. Discard the plums. Add 3/4 cup of sugar for each cup of juice; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cook briskly, uncovered and undisturbed, until the jelly reaches a temperature of 220 degrees on a jelly, candy or deep-frying thermometer.

Remove the pot from the heat; carefully skim off the surface foam with a large spoon. Ladle the jelly into hot sterilized jars or jelly glasses. Follow safe practices for canning and sealing.

Makes 3 to 4 cups. — LBI Garden Club member Cathy Sutton •

Home & Garden

In with Pink!

Counterclockwise from back left: Chris, Erica, John, Bob

Do Real Men Drink Pink?

W

hen I was young (no comments, please), all summer cocktails came with a small, paper umbrella topping off the drink. They have graced the glasses of warm weather libations for decades. Over the past few years, though, I’ve noticed the demise of this tradition. I have not seen an umbrella on a drink in ages.

Why? Where did they go? Did our taste in cocktails change or did the umbrellas just vanish, like Brigadoon, only to reappear once every 100 years on a drink in a Chinese restaurant?

To answer this question, I needed to speak with a libation guru — a bartender. So, I headed off to Buckalew’s in Beach Haven to see what I could find out. Lisa, the bartender, was kind enough to chat in between waiting on customers. I told her I was trying to unearth the fate of the umbrella drink. Lisa confirmed that they do not serve umbrellas on drinks much, if at all, in this day and age. Although, she Page 48 • Echoes of LBI

did say there were some behind the bar that can be produced upon request. I don’t imagine that happens very often.

I asked her what the big summer drink is at Buckalew’s. She said Rum Runners were one of the top requests of summer. A close second was the Mai Tai. Another long-standing favorite still being mixed is the Long Island Ice Tea. Buckalew’s offers an entire menu of summer drinks, and many of these drinks have been around for decades. But what happened to the umbrellas? Lisa also noted that most of the summer drinks are fruit based and, therefore, pink. And, most of those drinks are ordered by women! Gender bias in drinks? I could be onto something here, I thought. Thanking Lisa, I decided to stop in at Nardi’s and follow up on the ‘only women drink pink’ theory. Of course, that theory should provide some measure of hope for the survival of the umbrella garnish.

Women love those tiny paper parasols!

At Nardi’s, I introduced myself to Julie, the bartender, and

explained my quest. I was doing important research on the issue of summer cocktails. Are pink, fruity cocktails at Nardi’s ever served to men and do they use umbrellas as garnish? There were several customers sitting around, and my question set off a rousing discussion about umbrella drinks. Pete, sitting at the end of the bar, agreed that umbrellas are not used anymore and wondered aloud what took their place.

We were all in agreement that fresh fruit seemed to be the new umbrella. And, occasionally, a hard pretzel will accompany a beer. We started by determining the most popular summer cocktails at Nardi’s. Margaritas, Mai Tais, and Bahama Mamas topped the list. But what about their color? Was it true that only women drink pink?

In need of hard facts, I came up with a survey. John, Chris, Bob, and Erica, sitting across the bar, all agreed to participate.

The question and multiple choice answers were quickly assembled: When would you order a pink drink? ... A) If it was free, B) On a dare, C) If you secretly like it, or D) All of the above.

Since they all immediately agreed on choice A (if it’s free), I offered to buy them a round of any pink drink they would like.

Two were semi-pink, with a little orange at the bottom, and two were definitely pink. Fact proven — if it’s free, all three men

were happy to indulge. Erica, the lone female of the group, had no hesitation drinking pink, as we had assumed from the start.

Ah ha, I thought. So men do drink pink, under the right circumstances. Bob then threw us all a curve. He said he likes “Cosmonauts.” Wait! Cosmonauts? Isn’t that a pink, Sex and the City, girly cosmo, with a male name? He agreed it was, admitting to only drinking it in a dark glass to hide its color.

This was all very interesting. Perhaps the reason umbrellas have vanished in the summer sunshine is because real men do drink pink, but just do not want anyone to know. An umbrella would be a dead give-away. Unless, of course, as my research has shown, the pink drink is free. In that case, according to our good-natured survey participants, bring it on!

In conclusion, what we have learned from my day of serious sleuthing is that both Buckalew’s and Nardi’s have wonderful bartenders, fun loving customers, and a wide range of summer cocktails, pink or not. So, this season, why not head out to happy hour at Buckalew’s, where umbrellas are secretly available upon request? Come on, guys, I dare you (Choice B on the survey)! Or catch some music and summer drinks at Nardi’s.

Don’t worry about getting home, you can take the Nardi’s bus — it’s free and it’s very PINK! — Maggie O’Neill •

“Season after season, from snow to sunshine, “our shack” still commands attention. No matter how much it ages, it remains one of the most photographed icons of LBI. If only we humans could say the same!”

— Patty Garonski photo

Home & Garden

Sea Whimsy

S

ince the Stone Age, people have been using shells to adorn themselves.

Whether it was for beauty or for tribal recognition, seashells — abalone, coral, paua oyster, and cowrie shells, to name just a few beauties the sea — have been turned into beautiful works of art, as well as useful daily objects.

Each shell is unique and carries its own individual characteristics that truly enhance each design.

Between the 1920s and 1960s, jewelry made of seashells took on a fun and whimsical style. The prices ranged from the affordable to the extravagant. Unlike the beautiful hand carved cameos of Italy, these pieces were colorful and unique. Small shells used in their own natural color or dyed into fanciful pastel shades were transformed into artistic designs. Many hand-worked pieces were elegantly crafted into broaches, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and hair accessories.

These diminutive treasures came in all shapes and styles and were fashioned into flowers, insects, or animals. They became a delicate accessory to any lady’s outfit. Cufflinks and tie tacks made of abalone were also popular with men in those days.

In addition to jewelry, seashells were also used to make buttons. In fact, beautiful iridescent mother of pearl (also know as nacre) was often crafted into elegant buttons that are now collectors’ items. Carved into ornate shapes to adorn an elegant dress, or used as simple circles on a child’s sweater, their luminous colors added a mesmerizing luster.

I have scoured tag sales and flea markets for seashell pieces and have acquired quite a unique collection — jars full of mother of pearl buttons and interesting jewelry. I have even come across a how-to-book from the early 1960s that teaches the willing to create such treasures for themselves. For very little money, I have been able to add a colorful pin to a summer dress or scarf or to don a pair of bauble shaped earrings that quickly become a conversation starter when worn on a night out. Since most of the earrings of the time were clip-ons, they can even be used to add a fashion twist to a pair of summer sandals.

So, the next time you walk the beaches of LBI, look to the whimsy of the sea. Perhaps, with a little imagination, you, too, can create a unique piece of wearable art to remind all of us just how beautiful and artistic Mother Nature can be! — Kim Bald •

Page 50 • Echoes of LBI

Nautural & Handmade from America’s Pirate Coast

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Home & Garden

Sea-soned

Cake Toppers

Top This! Local gallery expresses a new take on cake toppers

O

n the bride and groom’s special day, everything has to be perfect. The dress must be trimmed, the ring must be polished, and the families must come together to celebrate a union of holy matrimony ... and eat some cake! A wedding would not be a wedding without the towers of dough and fondant that is a wedding cake. If the cake is going to look as good as the newly weds, though, it has to have an unforgettable cake topper.

This spring, an art gallery in Surf City, the M. T. Burton Gallery, boasts some amazing works of expressionism involving some unique wedding cake toppers. All of the pieces were made using clay and slip, a suspension of water and clay used to smooth out rough edges and join pieces together. After heating the pieces in a kiln, they are then glazed and re-fired to transform the matt finish of the glaze into a glossy surface. These complex works of art start off as a fun thought, which is then transformed into a masterpiece of true love.

Many of the toppers featured at the Burton Gallery are entered in the “Top That! Contemporary Wedding Toppers” art exhibition being held at the gallery from April 9 through May 16, 2011. Take, for example, the piece known as Arm in Arm, etc.,

by Baltimore artist Mary K. Cloonan, featuring two loving squids. At first glance, this humorous adaptation of a traditional Page 52 • Echoes of LBI

wedding cake topper seems like a confusing tangle of tentacles.

Looking closer within the twists and turns, however, one notices a myriad of hearts entwined within the lovers’ sixteen embraces.

If a couple is looking for a more traditional topper, but with a twist, then perhaps Burton’s own Bliss will do the job. This topper allows the lovers to see hearts in their eyes! Or perhaps a marriage should begin with a boat ride down lover’s lane. If so, then New Jersey artist Raye Cooke’s creation, Boating, might be the choice. One can only hope it will bring many years of smooth sailing to the marriage!

The creators of these magnificent works have certainly tried to capture the moment where love and life combine. But they are also trying to poke a little fun at the traditional ideas behind a wedding and to encourage couples to get away from the flat, boring traditions of old. These toppers go above and beyond the idea of contemporary and showcase an entirely new breed of wedding tradition. For a new generation of expressionists and newlyweds, alike, the Matt Burton Gallery exhibit will open the door to a new kind of love. — Sara Caruso • (Photos feft to right) Squids – “Arm in Arm, etc.” by Mary K. Cloonan of Baltimore, MD; Couple in the boat – “Boating” by Raye Cooke of New Jersey; Hearts for heads – “Bliss” by Matt Burton of Surf City, NJ)

Marjorie Amon photos

Home & Garden

A Bright Idea for a Changing World

S u m m e r o f L o ve Barnegat Bay

B

eing environmentally conscious has always been a costly venture, especially in a challenging economy. Consequently, solar technology, which is in many ways a promising energy option, comes along with a fairly daunting price tag, at this time. Nevertheless, new forms of solar power are making it easier and more affordable to have an environmentally friendly lifestyle. In time, solar power may well prove to be our best chance at reforming our energy practices.

Solar power works by converting the sun’s energy into useable electricity. When sunlight hits solar panels on a roof, that energy is transformed by a convertor into an AC current. Unfortunately, cost is not the only issue with respect to putting solar panels on the roof. It is also a matter of aesthetics. Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and at Dow Chemical Company, however, have developed a new and more attractive way to use solar power. Solar shingles may be the way to go in a few years time. Even though researchers have not completed the testing phase, experiments show signs of promise. First, solar shingles are much thinner than solar panels and more durable, especially against water damage. Made out of copper and plastics, this thin film can cover a higher percentage of surface area, gathering up to two percent more energy than traditional panels.

One problem researchers face with this new technology is cost. It turns out that it costs more than twice

2011

as much to install a roof full of solar shingles, as compared to solar panels. On the other hand, Dow estimates that, over the course of a lifetime, solar shingles will more than pay for themselves. Moreover, some states, including New Jersey, offer a government aid program for anyone looking to “green out” their homes, sometimes picking up almost 70 percent of the bill. Scientists are still working out ways to make the shingles more cost effective for the average consumer, but all agree that this is one of the ways of the future in solar technology.

Perhaps even more interestingly, scientists at MIT are now developing a new device that is so revolutionary and inconspicuous it may very well advance solar technology and change the way people look at their grandmother’s vegetable garden, simultaneously. Most scientists agree that when it comes to what inspired them to pursue solar energy research, there is no question it was the plants and trees we see in our daily life. Indeed, based on his own observations from Nature, Professor Daniel Nocera believes he has found a process by which to gather solar power in a more “natural” way. If we look closely at the biology of plants, we notice they come equipped with their own solar panels — their leaves. The chloroplasts in a plant’s cells absorb sunlight and convert it into food energy through photosynthesis.

Grade school biology has transformed into a new science that may one day power homes everywhere. The scientists at MIT have created, essentially, an artificial leaf that beats Nature’s design in terms of efficiency. Moreover, the new leaf does more than gather solar energy. Just as a real plant,

it can convert carbon dioxide gas into breathable oxygen and, in doing so, reduce the amount of green house gases in the atmosphere. The key to its design is a more cost effective manufacturing process. One day, people might be growing these more efficient leaves from their gardens, just as they would real plants.

Today, the electricity that powers our cities and homes is likely produced from coal or nuclear power. Both of these processes, however, are harmful to the environment and, as seen recently in Japan, can have catastrophic results if anything goes wrong. Fortunately, many of us have seen the need for better alternatives. Already, several places in the western United States have begun using hundreds of solar panels, as well as wind turbines, to power cities. Believe it or not, even manure from cattle ranches and garbage are being put to use as alternative sources of energy!

The world is capable of adapting to more environmentally conscious and cost effective ways of producing energy.

While it is clear that it may be impossible to convince everyone to spend the money to install solar shingles or other solar technologies on their roof in the near future, solar power is definitely an energy strategy that will help us to solve the energy crisis in this 21st century. The good news is that humanity has evolved from worshipping the sun into using it to power homes, industry, and even cities. Future developments in solar technologies can only advance our energy “evolution” and, hopefully, will serve to relegate crude oil as the primary source of global energy to the dustbin of history. — Sara Caruso •

LBI locations for sales, repairs, slip rentals Surf City Marina • 325 S 1st St, Surf City • 609-494-2200

Surf City Marina Boat Sales • 337 W 8th St, Ship Bottom • 609-361-5200 Bombardier Dealer • Sea-Doo personal Watercraft • Showroom in Ship Bottom

Marine Science

Page 56 • Echoes of LBI

Send A SIGNAL S

ignal flags have been in use since 1855. They are used by ships to communicate important messages regarding navigation and safety while at sea. They have an historic significance for their role in wartime naval battles.

During World War II they were used to send coded messages between ships when radio silence was in effect.

A flag set includes 26 square flags representing the letters of the alphabet, ten pendants representing numbers, three repeaters or substitutes and one answering pendant. Each flag has its own meaning or message when flown either singly or in combinations of up to seven flags in a specific order. Each combination has a unique message to communicate. For example: Flying the single flag for the letter “V” (phonetic name: Victor) means, “I require assistance.” Flying several flags in a row is read from top to bottom and can relay any message the ship may need to send. The International Code of Signals, published in 1857, governs all aspects for the use of signal flags and is available in nine languages.

Robert T. Bell, Jr., an Ex-Coast Guard Signalman/Quartermaster said, “Signalman school is 5 to 6 weeks of training.

To become proficient takes another year at sea to master communications with other vessels.” These beautiful flags are used to decorate ships when on display or on parade.

— Joseph C. McCann • Things A Drift photo U.S. Navy Signal Flags

Navy & Coast Guard signal flags are used to communicate while maintaining radio silence. Military signalmen transmit messages by hoisting a flag or a series of flags on a halyard.

Each side of the ship has halyards and a “flag bag” containing a full set of signal flags. Signals unique to the military are used when communicating with other U.S. military or allied forces. When communicating with all other vessels, the International Code of Signals is used. The code/answer pennant precedes all signals in international code. — U.S. Navy

Pete Milnes Photography LLC

Weddings, Events, Parties Photojournalist since 1982 PeteMilnes.com

Even in these days of radio and satellite communications, sea-going services uses the international alphabet flags, numeral pennants, numeral flags, and special flags and pennants for visual signaling

Marine Science

Anchors

Aweigh W

ith the development of seafaring vessels, came the invention of the anchor. Indeed, anchors have played an important role in maritime history from the outset. While the effectiveness of any ship is largely determined by such factors as its size, its ability to sustain buoyancy, and its speed and maneuverability, nothing is more essential than its anchor. If there is no method of keeping a vessel at a standstill, other than running aground, it would be useless and, literally, adrift.

The science of anchor design has progressed in leaps and bounds since its first appearance. Evidence from artifacts date anchors as far back as the Bronze Age (3300-1200 B.C.). The first anchors relied on sheer weight and size to anchor a vessel, rather than hooking onto something on the bottom or digging into the substrate. In fact, large rocks, to which vessels were either chained or tied, served as the earliest forms of anchors. This method is most often referred to as “mooring” or using a “permanent anchor.”

Permanent anchors are generally not moved and require

Page 58 • Echoes of LBI

Pete Milnes photo

special assistance in order for them to be lifted from the bottom. Permanent anchors fall into three categories: deadweight, mushroom, and screw. Deadweight permanent anchors are somewhat self-explanatory. The anchor’s sheer size and weight serve to keep the vessel in place. Mushroom anchors resemble an upside down mushroom. This design combines a heavy weight with the ability to collect floating particulate matter. Screw anchors require access to the bottom, so a diver or shallow waters are a must. Using a tool, the anchors are screwed into the seabed. Floating docks and fish farms frequently use this form of permanent anchorage.

Improving upon the concept of permanent anchors, anchor design has now progressed to an approach that allows for “hooking” onto underwater rockwork or digging into the sandy bottom. Most people are familiar with the temporary anchor design. A temporary anchor can be dropped and, later, hoisted back on board, as desired. Roman ships and ships used during the Middle Ages employed an early form of a temporary “hooking” anchor. The anchor was composed of a long metal shank, two curved arms, and a wooden stock running perpendicular to the shank. This design more recently gained flukes attached to the curved arms. The flukes are meant to provide resistance to movement

and aid in penetration of the substrate.

Modifications to the anchor over time have provided a few different styles of temporary anchors today. The fluke-style anchor is the most commonly seen anchor for recreational boaters. A hinged stock is attached at the crown (i.e., the sharp point at the bottom of an anchor), along with a large, flat piece divided into two flukes. Its lightweight design and large flukes make it highly effective and easy to store. Another style, known as the grapnel, is a non-burying anchor. This small, simple anchor is best used for areas with coral formation or rockwork and relies on hooking onto an underwater structure. The plow style anchor incorporates a hinged shank that allows the anchor to turn in response to directional changes, rather than break free from the bottom. The fourth and final type of temporary anchor is the Bruce or claw anchor.

These anchors settle quickly in the substrate and are well known for maintaining their place. Similar to the plow anchor, the claw anchor is designed to turn slightly to compensate for wind and tidal changes.

Anchors have facilitated many of the most significant advances in maritime history, and new and better designs are sure to be developed. It’s safe to say anchors will hold their place in the future.

— Ryan Marchese •

50 & Counting

Miss Magic

1958

S

ome people, places, and summers are never forgotten. For Leith Filley Colen, those unforgettable moments were on Long Beach Island in 1958, when she was crowned the first Miss Magic Long Beach Island at the Baldwin Hotel’s ballroom in Beach Haven.

Leith’s family had summered on Long Beach Island since the 1940s. Their home overlooked the ocean in North Beach Haven.

In the summer of 1958, Leith Filley Colen had just graduated high school in Troy, N.Y., and was working at the Style Shop in Beach Haven. Encouraged by friends, Leith entered the local beauty contest sponsored by the Long Beach Island Board of Trade. To her surprise, one morning she appeared on the front page of the Beach Haven Times as a Miss Magic Long Beach Island contestant.

Throughout the summer, the Beach Haven Times announced the weekly preliminary winners for the upcoming Miss Magic Long Beach Island contest, but only one of these weekly winners would be crowned Miss Magic. Finally, on Aug. 30, the weekly winners gathered for the big moment. The contestants were treated like royalty, as they traveled by motorcade from Barnegat Light to Beach Haven in shiny, new Cadillac convertibles provided by Island Motors.

Well-wishers, friends, and family lined the Boulevard, cheering as they passed. Martin Wida treated the young ladies to dinner at Wida’s Brant Beach Hotel.

An excited crowd gathered in the Baldwin Hotel’s ballroom. The anticipation was electrifying. Mayor Kline served as Master of Ceremonies. When Leith’s name was announced and Mrs. Nathaniel Ewer (of the schooner Lucy Evelyn Ewer) crowned her “Miss Magic Long Beach Island,” she became a part of Island history.

Leith Filley Colen now resides in Massachusetts. After studying fine arts, she started a greeting card design company. She still visits LBI each summer, maintaining “I will always feel a part of this beautiful place.”

Times have changed the Island since 1958. Martin Wida, the Hungarian immigrant who bought the Ockonickon Hotel in 1931 and changed the name to Wida’s, sold the hotel in 2005. Wida’s Brant Beach Hotel is now DaddyO’s Hotel and Restaurant. The beautiful Victorian, 400-room Baldwin Hotel burned to the ground in 1960, and The Innocents Episcopal Church now occupies the site.

Nevertheless, while the Island has changed, it is still a magical place of memories for so many. — Madeline Rogers • Page 60 • Echoes of LBI

Things That Drift Kelly Andrews photo

50 & Counting

Long Ago Memories of Long Beach Island

I

t’s so gratifying to sit back and think of those good ol’ days, when we loaded up all of our household must-haves and headed to Long Beach Island for a week or two, or three, or the entire summer. You remember all the exciting little details, like the sounds of the rickety, wooden Causeway, signaling the beginning of summer, as you left the mainland and crossed over to the Island. Perhaps you even remember the feel of the spray of the waters from the Bay below, jumping through your open windows (no air conditioning in those days!) as you completed the last mile or so of your ride to LBI. Arlene Fine of Morristown recalls the freedom that being on the Island allowed parents and kids to enjoy. “Your first memory was placing your key into the ancient lock, turning it, opening the door, and entering a pine-paneled world, where everything smelled musty.” She remembers how the first order of business was a trip to the Acme for staples like milk, butter, eggs, peanut butter, jelly, baloney, cheese, bacon, hot dogs, and YaHoo. She also recalls how pure and simple life was on the Island for the boys and girls of summer. “Kids could ride their bikes in the street. Everyone walked barefoot. You ate, slept, and hung out at the beach. Some kids took turns climbing the flagpole, while others gathered each evening to await the arrival of the Sprayman. It now seems a little odd to think of what we were breathing in, as this old jeep drove up and down each and every block spraying DDT or some other horrid combination to get rid of the ‘No-See-Ums,’ with a pack of little kids running behind it.”

Bob Tinervin of Little Egg Harbor is another treasure trove of Island memories. He even remembers the Sprayman’s name.

“He worked for the town of Surf City. Part of his job was spraying DDT throughout the neighborhoods. His name, as I recall, was Sam Curren. Can you believe my mother actually opened the windows so the spray would come into our house?”

Tinervin recalls how no one worried about calories, calcium, cholesterol, or crime in those days. “You could leave your bike on any block on the Island, and return for it ... whenever.”

The level of playtime sophistication was low, but plenty of fun activities were enjoyed by all — flying your kite, searching for sand crabs, and, of course, collecting shells. The tinkle of the bells from the ice cream truck interrupted everyone’s afternoon nap and sent the kids wild with excitement. “Some kids were even lucky enough to hitch a ride to Stewart’s Root Beer for a glass of bubbly, with vanilla ice cream.”

Tinervin still fondly recalls how his family first came to the Island, when he was a young, innocent lad of fourteen years. “My dad, Harry, was on the threshold of retirement in 1956. After discussions with my mother, Maggie, they decided they’d like to move down to Long Beach Island. Honestly, they Page 62 • Echoes of LBI

LBI bridge in back ground, standing at lazy point, Surf City, Bob Tinervin his nephews Roy (oldest one) and Don Colton.

really never even dreamed of Long Beach Island until my late sister, Lois McCarthy of Westfield, attended a party there. She came back home and couldn’t stop talking about the place. She kept telling my parents, ‘You’ve got to visit Long Beach Island!’”

The search for their new home began with a trip to Zacharaie Real Estate. “Knowing Zacharaie was the premier real estate agent, my family paid him a visit. Being both of German descent, my dad and Mr. Zacharaie got along famously. He actually told my dad he could have any lot he wanted in Surf City. They measured approximately 50 by 100 feet and cost $1,200.” After choosing the third lot from the Bay on Fifth Street in Surf City, the Tinervin family finally made the big jump and began to live their dream of spending the rest of their lives in their Cape Cod home at the Shore.

At the time of the big move, young Tinervin was attending Thomas Jefferson Jr. High School in Elizabeth, N.J. When their new home was ready to accept the family, Bob transferred to Barnegat High School. Despite the years, he still recalls the

excitement: “Of course, I was all excited about going to a new school at the Shore. And to celebrate the occasion, my mom took me shopping for nice new pants, shirts, and shoes. But, coming home after my first day in my new school, I felt absolutely awful. I quickly informed my parents that we would have to go shopping again. ‘All the kids wear dungarees and engineering boots,’ I complained. The second day, I wore black engineering boots and dungarees. I was much happier.”

One of Tinervin’s first and most enduring memories is the way his family was so quickly accepted by the Surf City community. “It didn’t take long for everyone in town to become acquainted with our family. We hitchhiked everywhere, and could even depend on the police to offer us a ride. It was a small town environment, where everyone knew everyone else.”

Bob Tinervin also remembers a few things that were completely new to him ... and uniquely LBI. “Kids living on the mainland were known as Stump Jumpers or Pineys. The kids living on the Island were known as Sand Fleas. We soon learned there were many different cultures attending the same school. At first, the kids from the Island hung out with one another, while the kids from the mainland stuck together. It was the many different activities that finally got us together.” He also recalls gaining a new perspective on guns. “It seemed that everyone living down here had their own gun. My dad

ordered my first shotgun from his Sears & Roebuck mail order catalogue. The gun was actually mailed to our local post office.

I learned how to use my gun by taking a Safety Course at Southern Regional High School. A member of the NRA came in to teach us gun safety rules. Believe it or not, shotguns were allowed on the school bus in those days. You could bring your gun to school on Thursday. The school provided the ammunition, which was kept secure in the office. Thursday was devoted to skeet shooting. You were allowed to place your gun inside your locker ... and guess what ... you were not required to lock your locker.”

These were not the only new customs the Tinervins had to learn. “Another interesting story involved my mom and clamming, which northerners like those of us who came from Union County knew nothing about. After going clamming with my buddies, I brought a bucket of delicious “appetizers” home for dinner. Someone had already mentioned to my mother that clams had to be cleaned. She thought that meant she needed to scrub the outside of the clamshells. So, there was my mother, busy with her scrub brush, scrubbing the sand and dirt off of the clamshells.” But the Tinervins had come to LBI to live and learn: “I’m guessing one of my friends laughingly told his mom about my mom’s experience, and she kindly called and told her the easiest way to clean clams was to place them under running water,” says Bob, with a wide grin.

Bob also warmly recalls how his father took to their new Island home. “My dad loved to surf cast. He actually made his own lures from the handles of my mother’s well-worn knives and forks. He’d cut the handle off the old knives and forks and drill a hole into the remaining an, y Reiser, Tommy Colem bb handle. Then, he’d attach striped bass Bo , in erv Tin b sh Bo : Kelly, Billy Bu Beach Buddies ll, Paul Roberts, Jimmy ne hooks to the handle and go fishing. on O’D k Jac , lift od Donny Go He managed to make a lot of his daily treasures by himself.”

Tinervin also remembers one of the rituals known only to the Island’s year-round residents. “We were the third family living on Fifth Street, year round. Knowing that many of our summer friends had to leave the Island to return home for the winter season, we’d gather on the Causeway waving and yelling ‘Good-Bye ... Come Back Soon!’”

Certainly, things have changed in our world and on our Island since 1956, but some things ... some very important things ... have remained the same. As Bob Tinervin puts it, “To me, Long Beach Island will always be a friendly place, filled with Giant and Eagle fans ... where everyone is comfortable saying, ‘Hello.’”

— Millicent K. Brody •

50 & Counting

Happy 102nd Birthday!

Last year Echoes ran an interview with Heleyne Cranmer of Beach Haven, who had recently turned 101 years old. We are happy to report that on March 22, 2011, Heleyne celebrated her 102nd birthday! Echoes of LBI would like to congratulate Heleyne on this remarkable milestone.

Happy 102nd Birthday, Heleyne!

We wish you all the best in the coming year.

LBI Reunion

I

n 2004, eight nursing graduates from Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey decided to celebrate their 50th reunion on LBI. Since then, it has been an annual ritual every May to gather at Betty’s house in Ship Bottom for five days of fun and laughter. They visit the local eateries, go to yard sales, and browse the shops. When venturing out for an evening of entertainment, they even like to dress alike.

Unfortunately, classmate Maryann passed away a week after the last reunion; therefore, this year there will be a special tribute to her. The gathering will be reminiscent of her antics, craft projects and crazy dress-ups.

She will be missed dearly, but always present in spirit.

Episcopal Hospital (Philadelphia) Class of 1954, Reunion in Ship Bottom: Betty, Marie, Gloria, Fay, Doris, Hannah, Ammie.

Page 64 • Echoes of LBI

Here’s to Maryann, and all her crazy outfits!

It’s a gallery.

It’s free.

Come visit.

The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences hosts hundreds of classes, events, family programs, and recreation opportunities throughout the year. Interested in learning more? It’s easy. Stop by and take a look around, give us a call, or visit us online.

120 Long Beach Blvd.

ARTISTS. FRIE The ND S. C Long Beach Island .

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Loveladies, NJ 08008

www.lbifoundation.org

609.494.1241

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50 & Counting

A Good Life, Full of LBI Memories I had the pleasure of stopping by one of my favorite type shops while spending a recent weekend with my wife at Long Beach Island, (LBI to most shore-smart people). It was filled with all kinds of collectibles as well as beautiful art work. I noticed a picture of the “deteriorating fishing shack which still stands guard along the causeway coming onto the island. It reminded me of a recent story I read called “Tommy House”.

How many times have you also checked out this relic of our past when driving over the causeway and how many times do we think about it every time a major storm hits the Jersey Shore? They are countless. It was a truly heartwarming story to say the least and it evoked many thoughts of my own younger years of coming to “the island”.

I guess my mother and dad started bringing us to LBI in the late 40s. It isn’t hard for me to remember the wooden causeway bridge that connected the island to the mainland. If the tide was in, so were the tires of your car as you drove across this wooden bridge. Moon tide, forget it.

As a kid I was scared as heck when I saw the water under our car. On a low tide you could hear the sound of the wooden planks rattling and squeaking as far north as Harvey Cedars or clear down to Spray Beach when any vehicle drove over the causeway.

Beach Haven was where my family used to stay at a relative’s home located then, near where the old Coast Guard Station used to be housed. For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the unpaved road where the house was. I remember it began with an “M” but that’s all. We could see the station from the kitchen window. As a child I felt really protected having the Coast Guard so close to where we stayed. Considering these were the years immediately following World War II that must have been the reason for my feeling so secure.

“The Boulevard” down to Beach Haven was clearly different than it is today. Yes, there were street lights (no traffic lights as I remember) but little or nothing more on the “beach side” of this thoroughfare heading south to the end of the island. Tall grass lined much of the “beach side” of the boulevard as well as the spaces between the modest homes that existed then.

I can still recall new words and other new things that entered my young, ever-growing vocabulary in those early days. Words like greenies (large, nasty green flies that came on the island when there was a stiff land breeze), moon tides, “killer” mosquitoes, marsh frogs, beach buggies, surf poles, squid, floating minnow bait boxes, eels, crab traps, an old schooner named Lucy-Evelyn and many more that have escaped my memory for now. As a kid from the Northwest section of Philadelphia a.k.a. Roxborough, you bet these were new words as well as Page 70 • Echoes of LBI

Tom Davis and his bother, Bob.

new and exciting things for me to learn. I think I was seven years old when I caught my first flounder. (The picture above is of my brother Bob right, and me). Big deal you say. Well, I had never seen such a flat fish with eyes only on one side before we went to Long Beach Island. How about places such as old Mrs. Johnson’s Dock, not a marina. The word marina didn’t even exist on the island in those days.

After I got married, I would take my young family back to LBI. There was no “traditional” boardwalk then as there is none today. It was a great place to take your family despite the lack of penny arcades, water slides and cotton candy. It was truly a place to kick back and not worry about friends or relatives “dropping in”. If you were smart, you didn’t tell them where you were going on your vacation. Back then we stayed in Barnegat and enjoyed the quietness, good restaurants, great fishing and quiet beaches.

I remember on one occasion, my son Tom and I had been out deep sea fishing at night on Miss Barnegat. We brought home a great catch of about 16 or so,” Blues”. At 7 a.m. the following morning when we arrived home, my wife quickly directed us to the beach where she laid down a plastic table cloth and there at such an early hour we began scaling and filleting this beautiful catch. During this eye opening experience, several morning runners (I don’t think we even used the term joggers in those days) passed by and observed our magnificent catch. Unfortunately

Walters Bicycles

for them, no one bothered to ask us where we caught them and they simply assumed that we had caught them right in front of our beach front rental. “The word” apparently spread and that night, you guessed it, over 50 fisherman/fisherwoman stood shoulder to shoulder with their surf poles in hand trying to duplicate our great catch. I remember standing on the second floor deck smiling with my family at the wonderful attraction we didn’t create.

A year later we moved to Dallas Texas and took along with us many fond memories of Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Holgate, Surf City, Ship Bottom and all of our other pleasant memories of “the island”. I was shocked to find striped bass in the manmade lakes down in good old Texas. Fresh water stripers, but stripers none-the-less.

At least there was a little something that tied us back to the island. Did you ever catch a striper off of the beach?

Then you know what an almost religious experience that can be.

Bringing things a little forward, I came back to the area no worse-the-wear for it. My wife Barbara and I still love going to the island at any time of the year, no matter what the weather. One night, after a marching band competition, we went back to our home in Hatboro, Pennsylvania and packed a few things and headed for LBI, just like that. We got the sudden urge and headed to the shore.

After a stop at the Vincentown Diner, we arrived on the island about midnight only to find that it was “Chowder Fest” Weekend. The correct island pronunciation is “Chowda Fest” for you new folks. Who knew? Who do you think knew? We finally found what may have been the last room left on the island at The Spray Beach Motel.

God always looks out for all of us. That’s one thing, too, about the island that never changes, anytime, anywhere a great time will happen. Whether you’re walking the beaches, eating at one of the many interesting restaurants, fishing from the jetties on the beach or watching the sun set from Voodoo Beach, (now that’s a secret place for us), there are only a very few places on earth that bring back life time memories, of such good times, than “the island”.

My children have grown up and now have their own families.

Unfortunately or fortunately, they have their own memories to make. My son Tom still lives in Texas with his family, my daughter Kelly and her family live in central Pennsylvania and my daughter Janice and her family (the real island girl) also moved back to Pennsylvania from Texas. ‘One son too far to spend a weekend, one daughter too far to spend a day and one daughter caught up in raising a very large extended family.

Maybe, just maybe, they will all find time to come back to the island some day soon.

When life gets a little overbearing and I need a place to chill, I always seem to head to the south end of the Island and walk the beaches of Holgate and the Bird Sanctuary. When you look over to the east at the endless horizon and then south to Atlantic City and Ventnor, there is no problem as big as the view you get from our Long Beach Island. Wouldn’t you agree? Best Wishes to All for a Happy Life. — Tom Davis •

418 Long Beach Boulevard Ship Bottom, NJ 08008 • 609-494-1991 Family owned for more than 53 years, Walters Bikes is LBI’s only full service bike shop. Check out our huge selection of mountain and road bikes, hybrids, cruisers, townies, and BMX bikes, all in stock. Famous brands like Trek, Schwinn, Giant and Eastern.

Open all year with sales, service & smiles!

Lindsay Keogh photo, www.womhouse.com

Looking Back

“On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout law.”

— The Girl Scout Promise

“O

n my honor, I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout law.” This is the Girl Scout promise.

It’s the very same promise Juliette Gordon Low penned in 1912, when Girl Scouts started in Savannah, Georgia. As Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) approaches its 100th birthday, it’s a good time to look at how this girl-powered organization grew and at its contributions to our country and the world.

“The new organization was founded on the belief that girls should have a chance to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually,” wrote Juliette Low in the Highlights of Girl Scouting Brochure. The goal of taking the girls out of the home and into the fresh air prompted the first Girl Scout troop to go on camping trips. The Girl Scouts hiked, learned how to tell time by looking at the stars, and studied first aid. To get the traditional “Girl Scout experience,” hundreds of Jersey Shore Girl Scouts still pack up every summer and go to camp. “Girl Scout camp is a place where girls can come to try new things, such as climbing walls, zip lines, boating, and cooking — to name a few. They have fun in the outdoors while they enjoy nature. “Girls make new friends at camp and form everlasting friendships,” states Joan Raps Basilotto, an Outdoor Program Director.

GSUSA has grown by leaps and bounds. In the 1920s, there were 70,000 Girl Scouts nationwide. The first troop of Girl Scouts on foreign soil (later called USA Girl Scouts Overseas) was established in China in 1925. There are now Girls Scouts Overseas troops in 92 countries, and fifty million American women have participated in Girl Scouts since its inception.

Today, there are nearly 4 million active Girl Scouts and adult volunteers.

The Girl Scouts have a proud history of contributing to their country and communities by helping those in need and by breaking down barriers. During the Great Depression, the Girls Scouts made an effort to help the needy. They collected clothes and food, helped in hospitals, made meals for under-nourished Page 72 • Echoes of LBI

Jessica Pepenella and her Girl Scout badges, Sara Caruso photo

children, and started food drives. During the War Years of the 1940s, the Girl Scouts were part of the war effort. Girl Scouts sponsored Defense Institutes for Women, began metal recycling campaigns, operated bicycle courier services, and created Victory Gardens. The GSUSA has worked hard to include girls of all ages, races, and abilities. In March 1952, Ebony Magazine recognized that, “Girl Scouts are making steady progress in breaking down racial taboos.” Local Girl Scouts continue to contribute to their communities every year, participating in activities such as dune grass planting, visiting local nursing homes, and helping out at community events.

What’s your favorite? Samosas? Thin Mints? Tagalongs?

With the organization struggling financially, the Girl Scout cookie sale tradition was started in Philadelphia in 1932, selling fresh baked cookies from a window of the Philadelphia Gas and Electric Company for 23 cents a box. The idea made good sense and cents. Today, about 200 million boxes are sold annually.

GSUSA provides today’s girls and young women with leadership opportunities, social media forums, life skills, and an opportunity to be involved in their communities. It is clear that Girl Scouts of today do a lot of things differently than their predecessors of the early 1900s, but Juliette Gordon Low’s voice is still heard everyday through the words of her promise, which remains timeless and true. — Jessica Pepenella, Barnegat High School, Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient 2010 •

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Looking Back

C

From Lifeguard to Lady of Fashion

harlee Paulsworth’s roots on LBI go back just beyond the infamous September storm of 1944, when her father‘s love for fishing drew her family to LBI and they purchased a summer home on Cape Cod Lane, in what is now Long Beach Township. In fact, Charlee and her mother were at home alone when the 1944 storm, named the Great Atlantic Hurricane, hit LBI. She recalls being stranded in their home that September day as the winds blew the icebox across the front porch. That morning, she remembers begging her father to let her join him on the ride back to the city, where he worked. She was unaware of the impending storm, but she was frightened at the thought of him leaving her. Nevertheless, she and her mother weathered the storm with a few neighbors in the area. Winds of up to 125 miles per hour destroyed homes, and waves washed away piers Page 74 • Echoes of LBI

and boardwalks, up and down the Jersey Shore.

In high school and college, Charlee worked as a lifeguard on LBI. In fact, in 1956, she was one of the Island’s few female lifeguards. She guarded on Taylor Avenue in Beach Haven.

Her lifeguarding career was relatively uneventful. She admits to never having performed any heroic rescues, but the experience did provide her with lots of fun days, lots of friends, and lots of memories of the great times they had together. She also taught children to swim at the Beach Haven bay beach. After guarding during the day, Charlee would go to Kapler’s Pharmacy to work at the soda fountain. Even at an early age, Charlee liked to diversify.

In college, Charlee’s love for sports inspired her to pursue a degree in physical education; however, her interests in the

Shore led her to switch her major to biology. After college, she worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Virgin Islands. As beautiful as the Islands were, though, she decided to return to the U.S. to work on a special project researching and farming clams in a lab in Cape Cod, Mass.

Although Charlee enjoyed her career working in research, there was another hidden talent that needed to emerge — fashion design. In the early 1960s, she started to design clothing. Eventually, her artistic talents began to pay off. She developed a thriving business, designing clothing and costumes for New York City clients in television productions like The Edge of Night.

After some considerable globetrotting, Charlee once again decided to return to LBI. Continuing on with her clothing design business, she acquired customers all up and down LBI, both visitors and locals. In fact, so many people liked Charlee’s designs that she decided to get into the retail end of the business.

From her small house in Mud City, where she and her husband Wimpy lived, she opened two retails stores, selling both original and manufactured clothing designs. Bee’s Knees was her first store, and then Ms. Beehaven followed shortly thereafter. The free spirited couple spent their summers at the Shore and their winters traveling, usually to places where Wimpy could surf.

Wimpy was not only one of the original surfers from LBI, but he also was the first to build surfboards here, even before the famous Ron Jon’s. Wimpy and Charlee did not stay together, but they remained in close contact until his passing in 1983.

Charlee maintained her retail and fashion design businesses until the mid-1980s, but, once again, she left LBI to travel the globe.

Upon returning to the Island, Charlee took a job with The Sandpaper as a sales representative. Her expertise and vibrant personality helped to expand the publication into other areas of Ocean and Cape May counties. After 10 years of blazing trails in that arena, though, Charlee finally retired.

Charlee currently lives in Tuckerton, but she freely admits that LBI is her true love. Charlee has circled the globe over the years, but there was always a special place in her heart for LBI. — Rena DiNeno • Photos courtesy Charlee Paulsworth

Stay Connected With LBI All Year VisitLBIRegion.com NJ Governor Award Winning Website

Soar into Summer Beach Opening Ceremony May 21 • 17th Street Beach Ship Bottom Beginning at 11am Visitor Newsletter with inside information about your favorite vacation spot!

June is Art & Leisure Month on LBI Lighthouse International Film Festival June 3-5 Jersey Shore Fine Art Festival June 12-13 Jazzy Scallop and Bayman’s Seafood Festivals June 25 Chowderfest Weekend Oct. 1-2

Premiere Calendar of events and business listings to help plan your next getaway Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce 265 West Ninth St., Ship Bottom NJ 609-494-7211

Looking Back

Constant Change S ome things on Long Beach Island are a constant — the shack you notice as you come over the bridge, the beautiful sunsets, warm breezy days, the ice cream trucks with their bells, your summer friends who eagerly await you each year, and your family sharing valuable time under the sun.

These are the constants that make an LBI summer special.

As I enjoy my Shore house each summer, I know these are my constants on the Island. But there is another summer constant for me here on LBI, one that resides just around the corner from me. Sure, she shows signs of aging in the summer sun, with the salt water having taken its toll on her hull. She is a lady of the 1920s, and her name is Suzy.

Like a lot of things in life one takes for granted — rainbows over the ocean or beautiful sunsets — I always thought Suzy would be around forever. This past October, however, Halloween provided me with a trick instead of a treat.

I was shocked to see that one of my constants was changing. There will be no more kids playing around Suzy.

My unpleasant surprise came while I was stopped in traffic, as a few men carefully loaded Suzy onto a truck. I hoped she’d travel well. There were blinking lights and someone directing traffic. I sat there, patiently, behind the wheel and thought to myself that I should have gone down to Things A Drift and learned more about Suzy. I always thought she would be there forever.

You see Suzy is a boat, and she has resided for more than 35 years in front of the shop Things A Drift, in Ship Bottom.

Each time I passed her, I appreciated how Suzy served as a symbol of the Island, nothing like the new buildings that tend to take over the landscape, blocking the sunsets and the Atlantic. Every time I passed Suzy, I would think of the adventures she must have had as a young lady back in the 1920s and 1930s. Just imagine the sunrises, sunsets, and rainbows Suzy has seen in her years. Imagine the stories that were told on her bow or just the hours of silence she endured out on the bay. Her paint is weathered, like a lady of her age who spent her whole life in the sun.

My constant ideal of Island life has changed, and I have to accept that there is just white stone and sand left where Suzy spent her summers entertaining our dreams and that Suzy is now retiring in New Hampshire amongst some pirate ships. But there may be no reason to grieve. Maybe Suzy is as happy as a clam, thriving amongst some of the idealized dreams of her younger years.

Change is Good. — Cindy Molesworth • Page 76 • Echoes of LBI

One last look inside “Suzy” before her “change” ...

C.J. Kirby photos

Life is good ... Number one in getting it done.

Patrice”Pat”Albanese

Broker Associate, ABR,SRES

Prudential Zack Shore Properties

1000 Long Beach Blvd.

Ship Bottom, NJ 08008 office 609-494-7272 cell 609-226-6113 patalbanese@aol.com

T

Hermit Crabs Ahoy!

hings A Drift has the largest selection and sizes of healthy hermit crabs. We have adoption certificates (remember this is a pet, not a souvenir) and wellness information. Emergency number

is always available. Please feel free to bring in your pet hermits for a check-up. This is very important in the spring or early summer, before molting. Also, this should be done anytime you add a new pet to your family of hermits. Bacteria are one of the main causes of problems for hermits, especially ones you have had for more than two or three years.

This can easily be treated if caught before molting.

We have been selling and raising hermit crabs for 35 years. Come visit Shelly, Sandy and Triton, our family pets, that we have had for 15 years. They love having their picture taken. You are always welcome to call if you have a question, 609-361-1668. •

Looking Back

Here Come the

I

Girls!

t’s a lovely warm morning in June, 1939. Twenty women gather at the Bridgeboro Methodist Church, chattering excitedly about the coming event — the Ladies Circle Annual Bus Trip to LBI. It’s a bumpy, 50-mile ride through the scrub pines to Surf City, so a bit of singing How Great Thou Art and Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above always eases the ride. Clattering across the flat trestle bay bridge, inhaling that peculiar marsh smell, or even turning onto a gravel lane does not dash their spirits.

Dressed in filmy, floral frocks, catching up on family events, and soothing hurts with a hug, the girls are delighted to have this day to themselves.

This is their own day, a day without washing kids, clothes, dishes, cow udders, or canning jars. No one is hanging on their apron pockets, usually filled with clothespins, hairpins, and change for the trinket salesman who may amble by. There is no schedule, but their own.

My grandmother, Nettie, has offered this day at the beach to the ladies for many summers. It doesn’t matter that she has only one big room upstairs for changing. The ladies, giggling together like schoolgirls, do not mind. Nor do they mind that the only water to fill a bucket for sandy feet is from the corner pump at the dry sink downstairs or that there is just a two burner, bottled gas stove to brew coffee in the big enamel pot.

There is no need for a 12 inch block of ice for the wooden icebox, since the

picnic sandwiches are in a cooler on the bus. It’s not even a nuisance to scurry out back to the little one-seat outhouse, when necessary. It’s the girls’ day out!

Here on 11th Street, we’re lucky to have a two-story pavilion between the dunes and the ocean edge, a cool place to watch the girls play. Not everyone wants to swim, but everyone feasts on the view, the air, and the laughter. But soon, like the gulls heading to roost, the girls will need to board the bus and get home. Isn’t dried salt water on the skin a healthy exfoliant, and isn’t sand in your shoes a lucky charm? A bit of a sunburn and a few mosquito bites are but small tokens by which to remember a wonderful day with friends, are they not?

Heading west toward the sunset, softly sighing, and singing a few verses of In the Sweet By-and-By, the girls end their annual day out on beautiful LBI. — Carol Freas text & photos •

wyndecrest home interior design new and vintage furnishings 233 second street, beach haven 609.492.7030

Looking Back

Gotta Go

S

queals and laughter erupt from the back seat of your loaded van as you ascend the big bridge to Long Beach Island for your annual vacation.

“Wow, Dad, I can see the ocean!”

“Mom! Mom, look at our poor shack, the roof caved in!”

“Mom, are we there yet? I gotta go …..”

How often have you heard this during a long drive? So, where can you go? It’s a constant travel problem: where to go when you gotta go. Fortunately, these days, there are lots of options in a pinch. If you are coming onto the Island, head right to the Ship Bottom Boat Ramp for the public facilities near the playground or drive down the road to the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce for maps, Island information, and a list of public bathrooms. Before getting the keys to your rental, solve your problem by stopping for an ice cream or a hamburger. Nowadays, all establishments have bathrooms for their customers. It’s just one of the conveniences offered by the modern age ... but it wasn’t always that way.

Things were very different in 1947, when my folks drove across Barnegat Bay on the flat, ramshackle, wood trestle bridge. Arriving at our two-room cottage on 11th Street in Surf City, we’d jump out of the car and run out back to the “one holer” privy, swatting mosquitoes and squabbling over who would be first. Things were just as primitive indoors, when water pumped into the dishpan was thrown out the back door after a meal.

By 1950, we had purchased our permanent home in Surf City, and it included all the up to date comforts — indoor plumbing and a real kitchen. Now, the dishwater whirled down the drain into a wooden barrel buried at the corner of the house, and the claw-footed iron bathtub and toilet sent waste to a one-chamber cesspit out back under the clothesline. Similar to a well, the pit was a 4x8x6 foot hole, lined with cinder blocks porous enough to allow the liquids to leach out, while keeping the solids in place within the chamber. They were typically covered with heavy planks or concrete slabs. This worked well until crowds of weekend visitors overloaded the pit Page 80 • Echoes of LBI

or until August rains saturated the entire Island. No wonder Mom would always remind us, “two pees to a pull,” when using the toilet.

Yuck! How we all hated the unpleasant smell that wafted through the back door and neighborhood. Time to call the “honey dipper” for the “bucket out” ritual. Until the honey dipper could get there, boards were laid under the clothesline so that we could gingerly maneuver to hang wet swimsuits at the end of the day.

Most homes on LBI had switched to a two-chamber, 1,200 gallon septic tank by this time. But these larger facilities were still buried out back and subject to the same “yuck” factor, turning the ground into a foul bog during the rainy season. The process worked very simply. Waste arrived via the input pipe into the first tank, solids sank to the bottom, forming a sludge (this is what the honey dipper collected), lighter particles floated to the top, forming a scum, and the liquid in the middle (the “loadmix”) flowed into a second tank.

Digestion then occurred, just like in our bodies, where microbes in the gastrointestinal track create the anaerobic process, eating away the solids. Gasses then formed, stirring and bubbling the solids into liquid, which, in turn, traveled down drainpipes buried underground.

Continually decomposing into the leach field, things worked well, as long as there was sufficient space between homes and as long as the water table remained low.

This technology worked well enough for a time, but became a problem when the Island’s population began to explode. Individual, in-ground waste disposal systems soon became a health hazard. In response, each town on the Island proceeded to lay sewer pipes, connecting them with a local waste-processing substation. In the 1960s, this “treated” wastewater was then piped 1000 feet offshore into the ocean. Sound yucky? Perhaps, but we were simply following historical methods, like those employed by the Roman Forum in the 1st century B.C. and in London’s underground drainage system of the 13th century (Did you know that only 5 percent of American homes had indoor plumbing in 1890?).

By 1970, piping the treated sewage out to sea was not longer a viable option. The Island’s mayors realized consolidation with the mainland was needed, and so the regional Ocean County Utilities Authority was formed. In 1977, a large secondary treatment facility, partially funded through the 1972 Clean Water Act, came on line in Manahawkin.

Jumping forward, here’s how our sewage system works today.

The waste arrives at the treatment plant, with heavy stuff setting down in huge tanks to form sludge and liquids draining into primary clarifiers that “clean” the liquids to a degree of 30-50%. Things then flow into aeration basins, where microorganisms and huge volumes of air are added to begin digestion. The microorganisms eat the heavy carbohydrates in the sludge, which is then pumped into anaerobic digesters. Fermentation then eventually yields methane gas, which is ultimately used at the plant for fuel to generate electricity — a “green” byproduct. The final digested sludge is then dried and packaged for sale as fertilizer at local garden centers.

(Pick up a bag of OceanGro and you’ve completely recycled your “go!”) What is now clean water (i.e., 95 to 97 percent clean) then gets mixed with a small dose of concentrated, disinfecting bleach and discharged via a pipe one mile out to sea. What a modern way to deal with an age-old problem!

So, is this more yucky stuff than you really wanted to know?

Believe it or not, there is lots more to say, but, for now, I gotta go ...

— Carol Freas •

work / life

Work From Home -Work From The Beach

D

o you love sitting on the beach listening to the surf?

Are you yearning for sea breezes and a laid back lifestyle? Have you dreamed about owning your own business? Well, you may want to take some inspiration from the many LBI residents who are already living that dream and operating successful businesses from their homes. These local residents are part of the direct selling/network marketing industry, which allows them to create an LBI lifestyle year round.

Direct selling/network marketing is one of the hottest trends in our economy today. This business model appeals to those with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to set their own schedule.

Direct selling/network marketing is the marketing and selling of products directly to consumers, without any middle man. A direct selling/ network marketing business is all about consumers’ convenience. For consumers, in-home product demonstrations, personal service, and home delivery make life easier. So, direct marketing is an important way in which consumers can interact with today’s modern economy. In fact, even the ancient Babylonians recognized the importance of direct sales and protected direct sellers (referred to as “peddlers”) in the Code of Hammurabi, as far back as 1750 B.C. Milkmen of yesteryear are more recent U.S. historical examples of direct sales, and one of the oldest U.S. direct sales companies is Avon, which began in 1886. Currently, the direct sales industry is growing rapidly.

Today, more than $29 billon in products and services are sold in the U.S. annually through the direct selling/network marketing business model.

It’s great to own a home on LBI and even better if you have the time to enjoy all of the benefits the Island has to offer. But often, people have to make the choice between having time and making money. The good news, though, is that a direct selling/network marketing business can give you both. With a direct sales business, there is no need to be stuck in an office all day and your earning potential is unlimited. You can trade in the rush hour commute for a saner lifestyle. On some days, you may even be able to make the beach your office!

Here, on Long Beach Island, two women have found success and freedom through the direct selling/network marketing business model. Donna Bradley and Danielle Russo-Slugh, both residents of Ship Bottom, are Independent Consultants and

National Vice Presidents with Arbonne International, a California-based health and beauty products company. Donna and Danielle grew their Arbonne business by offering their customers pure, safe, and environmentally-friendly wellness products.

Moreover, they have been teaching and training others how to run their own successful home-based business. They are each having the time of their life, and they really enjoy the Mercedes Benz that Arbonne rewarded each of them with at the end of their first year in business. Way to go ladies!

Donna Bradley ran a house cleaning service on LBI for 18 years prior to joining Arbonne. “I wanted to stop cleaning houses for a living, but still wanted to be my own boss,” Donna says. “I looked into several other options, like going back to school to get a teaching degree or taking a job at a bank. I even started a bookkeeping service, but did not like any of these options. What really appealed to me with Arbonne is that you can build this business along side of what you currently do. Whether you want to make a little extra money or replace an income, you get to decide.”

Danielle Russo-Slugh was a trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Danielle says, “I was looking to create a life where I no longer had the stress or hours of Wall Street, but I was not willing to give up the Wall Street income. Arbonne was a fit for me because its products sell themselves and the idea of building a global business from home was compelling. You can have it all — time with your family, feeling great about what business you are in, and the unlimited income potential you can create. ” As in any business venture, you must do your due diligence when looking at direct sales opportunities. Ask questions, research companies and products, and talk to people who have already done what you are considering. Find a product or service that you can be passionate about. If you are looking for residual income, be sure to find a company that sells popular consumer products. Look for a solid, stable company that has been in business for several years. The company should be a member of the Direct Selling Association (DSA). Network marketing may be a way for YOU to practice the perfect LBI lifestyle, while working from the comfort of your home. Surfs up!

— Christine Rooney •

A Shore Thing

M

A “Shore” Thing

ost people will tell you that there is no such thing as “a sure thing.” if it looks too good to be true ... it probably isn’t!

Tell that to an avid gambler: the guy who bet the ranch on “Lucky Lady” to win in the 4th race at Saratoga (“I heard from a guy who works with a guy who is best friends with the girlfriend of the guy who mucks out the horse’s stall”). How about the “playa holdin’ aces full” and ready to sweep the winnings into those waiting hands....only to lose to a straight flush (OMG ... what are the odds of that!?!). How about the broker who insists a stock is a “sure thing” ... guaranteed to help you retire early? The next thing you know ... you have retired ... to bed ... much lighter in the pocket.

Or how about the arranged date with someone that is “assuredly” perfect for you in every way? The next thing you know, you are out with a woman who has a 5 o’clock shadow by 2 in the afternoon or a man who still wears leisure suits and a mock turtleneck.

For every person who guarantees you a “sure thing,” there is a disappointment waiting for you down the road. The only sure thing about a “sure thing” is that it’s not!

BUT HOLD THE PRESSES ... there really is a SHORE THING!!!!

I have been coming to LBI since 1958. I have never been let down ... mislead ... or promised something that wasn’t delivered by the Shore. It is still everything I remember and more. I remember the excitement of packing to go to the Shore ... piling into the car (always in the middle between two demon sisters) and vibrating with anticipation. At that time, we went via routes 73/70/72 with Page 82 • Echoes of LBI

“circles” to slip from one route to another; the thrill increasing as we rounded each subsequent circle. Sometimes we would stop at Olga’s for the best pies in the world.

It feels like yesterday that we would drive over the Causeway (back then it was a dinky bridge that defied gravity). I was determined to count the lights (and I still try). Back in the day, there was very little on LBI: Beach Haven ... Shermat pinball ... Loveladies (stilted houses amazed). I used to hitchhike up and down the Island ... not a good career move anymore.

I can still recall how we would rush like mad to disembark from the car (me bruised and battered by my sisters), run up the incline, and dash to the Ocean. Ah, the memories of youth! Come to think it, though, things really haven’t changed all that much. The beautiful vistas, the crashing of the waves, the intoxicating smell, the sand castles that awaited our architecturally-minded brilliance, lobsters that melted in your mouth, steamers as much fun to eat as they were delicious, unlimited mini golf (Flamingo still has the same family owner), and, YES, trampolines — they were all still here! Times may have changed and many of the landmarks are gone, but the essence of LBI remains. The tranquility of the beach (especially off season), the succulence of the seafood (if you can afford it), the familiar sights and sounds of the Island — all of these special gifts from the sea still abound.

LBI offers up a “Shore thing” that cannot be disputed ... something that gives you a return on your investment of time ... every time! — Stuart Aion •

Escape from the world without leaving the comforts of home with a VIKING POOL.

Hutchison Fiberglass Pools & Spas Sale • Service • Installations • Joe Hutchison Long Beach Island • 619 Long Beach Blvd Surf City N.J. 08008 • www.HutchisonPools.com 609 361-0202 • www.VikingPools.net

A Shore Thing

Marjorie Amon photos (Left) Olivia, (Bottom) Erin and Amelia, (Right) Erin

Page 84 • Echoes of LBI

“Happiness is a summer breeze, sand between your toes, and your best friend by your side.�

A Shore Thing

LBI’s

Music Man L

ong Beach Island may not have seventy-six trombones or a hundred and ten cornets, but we do have a bona fide virtuoso. Robert “Bahb” Civiletti, a long-time summer resident of Ship Bottom, is a world-renowned, one-of-akind Baroque trumpeter.

Bahb and his family first encountered LBI when they vacationed in Harvey Cedars in 1979. They spent the week walking the beach, fishing, clamming, and falling in love with LBI. Well, love won out, and, in 1984, they purchased a second home in Ship Bottom and joined the LBI community. As teenagers, two of his children, Robert and Dianne, worked summer jobs at The Dutchman, Nardi’s, and Otts.

Twenty-seven years later, they still love the Island.

Bahb Civiletti has a long and impressive musical resume. He has toured the world as a trumpeter. He’s played with The Tito Puente Latin Big Band, The Glen Miller Orchestra, the O’Jays, and several rhythm and blues bands. But life on the road for a musician is hard, especially for a musician with a young family. So, after 25 years of touring, Bahb laid down his trumpet and took a break. For the next 12 years, he focused on his family and on his antique business. As his oldest daughter walked down the aisle to the sound of a trumpet on her wedding day, however, Babh realized he missed the music. At the urging of his family, he returned to the world of music and to his new passion — Baroque music.

Baroque music is a form of European classical music first heard in the early 1600s, just around the time Dutch explorer Captain Cornelius Jacobsen May was first exploring the rough waters off the northern end of LBI and naming the nearby inlet to the adjacent bay “Barendegat” (Inlet of the Breakers). Baroque music remained popular during the period 1615-1750 and was considered quite “avantgarde” in that time. Composers of the Baroque period include Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Friedrich Handel. Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, and perhaps even George Washington attended Baroque concerts. It was all the rage!

Today, Bahb tours the world performing, teaches the “embouchure” method for trumpet, and appears as a guest Principal Trumpet with many Baroque orchestras. He has also co-authored a book on the trumpet, Trumpet Secrets.

His website, www.tce-studio.com, has tips for trumpeters, music, and information on the embouchure technique. This spring, he is on a whirlwind European tour.

Beach music may be The Beach Boys to some, but to Bahb, it’s Baroque! — Christine Rooney • Page 86 • Echoes of LBI

C.J. Kirby photo

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