Echoes of LBI Spring into Summer 2017

nce again, this year on LBI spring is in the air and the water. As we move into late May, foggy mornings elude to the arrival of warming water temperatures and warmer air currents. To those of you who missed the relatively mild winter experienced by LBI, welcome back. Those who were on the island for the winter of 2017 were lucky enough to enjoy more than a few brilliant sun-filled days on our windswept beaches. It was almost warm enough on those afternoon beach strolls to leave your coat behind with your cares. Lovers of a snowy beach would not have been disappointed either. Mother nature blanked the island with winter’s best on a few occasions. It was a beautiful winter here on LBI. Over the winter, I’ve been working on my ancestry to learn more about my personal family history. I’m delighted to have found cousins we never knew living close by. My family and I are getting acquainted with cousin Don Thompson. Don, originally from Jersey City, is now spending much of his time in Ship Bottom. Cousin Pat Wark of Ship Bottom was born in Barnegat. I’ve known Pat for many years and even babysat her children. Our grandparents just never came up in conversation. Both Don and Pat are second cousin on the Penn/Reid side of our family that has been local since the early 1700s. My plan is to create a permanent family record to share with future generations. If anyone else out there has information on these surnames, please contact us at Echoes of LBI. Recently we took a private tour of the Barnegat Museum. Karen Larson and Anna Lisa Olsen Ray were kind enough to open the museum for us and conduct a personal tour. It is humbling to stand in the one room school house museum surrounded by so much tangible history, imaging the lives of people in the photographs, the fishermen, local folks, and hotel guests of LBI, along with the local children who passed through the school – one grade to the next – year after year. My father, brother and sister were students there, as was my Uncle Engel’s son Ulrich Hoff.

During our recent visit to the museum, Anna Lisa showed me a newspaper clipping from 1940 of Uncle Engle and some other Scandinavian fisherman. But that is for another issue. I encourage you to look at the history of your family and of LBI this summer. It’s important to know where we came from to know where we’re going.

I need to thank all advertisers and those new and old who worked so hard to bring this issue into being. Once again it takes an island to publish Echoes of LBI. So, this summer, enjoy the sun, sand and salt air – and take time to check out LBI – 18 Miles of History.

Echoes of LBI - Where past memories and present day experiences shine.

Enjoy more sunsets!

Cheryl Kirby, Publisher

echoesoflbi.com issuu.com/echoesoflbi Follow us @echoesoflbi

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ROBERT SAKSON is one of New Jersey's most accomplished watercolorists. He is a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society and member of several state and national art societies.

Sakson's love for Long Beach Island is reflected in his artwork chronicleing the changing island since 1958. Cards and prints are now available.

CAROL FREAS is a watercolorist who captures our shore environment, its history and color with integrity. She teaches locally at the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies and at Pine Shores Art Association in Manahawkin.

PAT MORGAN is an award-winning watercolorist and signature member of several art societies. A Beach Haven resident, she is known for the soft, dreamy qualities of her paintings.

All art and photography featured in Echoes of LBI Magazine is available for purchase through the artists or at Things A Drift in Ship Bottom, NJ. Artists on this page are available for commission. Please call (609) 361-1668 for details.

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I

n the 1940s, my summers were spent in the drift of lazy sandy days on the Surf City beach. There were few vacationers or girls my age to find amusement with. My brothers preferred more raucous play in the tumbling waves, while I gathered flotsam along the high tide line and dunes. Using these natural materials I built fairy castles and mermaid villages. I was happy as a clam – daydreaming and creating under the sun.

Along with the above painting, this shell covered bra is part of an on-going series titled A Mermaid's Trousseaux. The base of the sculpture was formed by shredding watercolor paper and water into a blender to make a slurry. This paper pulp was then poured into a metal kitchen funnel and dried. The pattern design of different shells was then glued into place.

I believe my early imaginative play at the beach was the beginning of my interest and need to create. The freedom a child has to drift away in solitary play can lead to new inventions, perhaps even a renaissance of discovery in art and science. —Artwork and text by Carol Freas Page 12 • Echoes of LBI

M

eet Surf City photographer, Sally Vennel, a summer visitor since 1936 and now full-time resident. At age eleven she received her first camera, an Argus C3, since that moment Sally has been smitten with photography. Inspired and encouraged by her father, Ralph “Doc” Secor, they shared a passion for photography and a deep love of Long Beach Island.

Born in 1898, Doc began taking photos in his youth with a Kodak reflex camera at Ridgeway High School in north west Pennsylvania. Always an athlete and star basketball player, he contracted typhoid fever while digging ditches to get in shape for football his senior year. Long before the Page 18 • Echoes of LBI

advent of antibiotics, the infection to his leg was so severe a local doctor believed amputation was necessary. Another doctor stepped forward to use his skills as an osteopathic physician to heal Doc and save his leg.

After graduation from Allegheny College, Doc and his new wife, Betty, bought a Model T Ford right off the assembly line in Pittsburgh for $250. They headed west to Rocky Ford, Colorado where Ralph had accepted a teaching position. Within the first 200 miles of their journey the young couple would stop to fix 11 flat tires. Before the introduction of reinforced steel radial tires in 1946, rubber balloon tires would puncture on uneven rocky roads. With his trusty Kodak, whose

slogan “Press the button, we do the rest,” Doc chronicled their adventure of camping across the country.

Always grateful that osteopathic medicine saved his leg, Doc chose to enter Philadelphia College of Osteopathy. Relying on his athletic ability and photographic talents, he earned tuition by coaching their athletic teams and serving as the school photographer. After graduating in 1929, he opened his medical practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Caryle and Aleghany Avenues. It wasn’t long before he, like most of you reading this story, discovered the ocean delights of Long Beach Island.

Doc and Betty continued to be avid weekend campers. Having found the perfect location with ample fresh water, they erected their canvas safari tent behind the Coast Guard Station in Loveladies with other likeminded folks. Today a summer rental without air conditioning or a dishwasher is considered roughing it. For Doc and Betty keeping an Everdur gas stove lit with a hand pump on a damp, misty morning or finding shelter in the wide high dunes for a make shift bathroom was part of the adventure.

Undeterred by primitive conditions; their days were spent fishing and swimming in the LBI surf. Evenings were enjoyed under the stars around an open fire – roasting the catch of the day for dinner.

At night, they fell asleep on canvas cots listening to the gently rolling waves protected from pesky mosquitoes under bobbinet.

In 1938, Ralph and Betty built a large cape cod on 22nd Street in Surf City where Sally and her husband now live full-time.

Sally spent summers teaching swimming and, along with her sister Georgia, racing at the newly founded Surf City Yacht Club.

Her passion for photography grew with her. By age 14, she sold photographic slides of the club to a post card company in Point Pleasant. Following her Dad’s path, Sally attended Allegheny College – taking yearbook photos, working for the schools advertising department, and developing the new color film.

After marrying her summer beau, Chuck Vennel, Sally continued to enter photo competitions. Her deep passion for photography never waned – even as the family moved ten times for Chuck’s career. As a whale watch docent in Palos Verdes, California Sally began selling her well composed images she printed via the Ilfachrome tube process. After retiring 20 years ago, she and Chuck spent winters skiing in Crested Butte, Colorado where her spectacular mountain scenes sold well in galleries. Since 2000, Sally’s images have been featured in Down the Shore Publishing calendars here on LBI. Her stunning landscape work can be seen at LBI art and craft shows, Things A Drift in Ship Bottom and at sallysnaturalimages.blogspot.com Far from the Argus C3 of her youth, today Sally’s camera of choice is a digital Canon 70D with multiple lenses giving a range from 10 mm wide angle to 400 mm long distance. Whether on safari in Africa, cycling the boot of Italy, enjoying a canvas tent on sandy dunes or the panoramic sunrises of LBI, father and daughter have provided inspirational photographic images chronicling their lives, and our local history. —Carol Freas. Photography supplied by Sally Vennel.

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Last year we came close to breaking the Guinness World Record™ for most conch horns being blown at one time. We needed 300 to beat the current record and only made it to 247. So we will try again this year to reclaim the record for LBI which we held in 2012.

Due to strict Guinness guidelines all shells used must be the Queen Conch (Strombidae). You may bring your own conch horn or purchase at Things A Drift in Ship Bottom, NJ; or rent one the day of the event (driver's license or ID required as collateral).

Sign up on Saturday, September 30, Noon-2:30pm, event begins at 3pm in the street. Free lessons will be given all day. All participants will receive a certificate.

Call 609-361-1668 or email at echoesoflbi@gmail.com for more inforamtion.

Stop by Things A Drift in Ship Bottom, NJ to pick up your shell today!

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Jammin' Janice and Fred (Santa's helper). Carol Freas photo

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Join us at the fourth annual Painted Poetry Exhibition! This is a unique display of local artists and poets inspired by each other's works.

Come meet these talented individuals at the Ocean County Library Long Beach Island Branch, 217 S. Central Ave., Surf City, NJ on August 1-31, 2017. Open reception Monday, August 7, 6-7pm with a poetry reading and slideshow from 7-8pm. For more information or to submit work call Richard Morgan at (609) 207-6809 or rsmorgan18@comcast.net, or Carol Freas at (609) 294-0218 or freasart@aol.com

ALONG THE SURF Gulls standing on a beach Watching all within reach.

Crabs, clams, fish meet their eyes, As they catch foods they spy.

People walk and search by the surf For objects of beauty and worth; Pretty shells, beyond measure, Sea glass finds, extra pleasure.

Birds and people go each day Strolling by the ocean’s way, One of many daily deeds To fulfill respective needs.

—Linda Marr Artwork: Low Tide on LBI by Paul Hartelius

GALAXY OF SHELLS Shells pattern the beach like constellations.

Wet from the sea, they shine in the morning sun like stars, a galaxy beneath my feet.

Overhead Orion, Cassiopeia, and Perseus gaze down upon the ocean’s Milky Way. As above, so below.

The balance of the universe unfolds.

—Maggie O’Neill Artwork: Stars from the Sea by Kim Trotto

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JUPITER GOLD Living on Jupiter ain’t so easy.

Birthdays come slowly.

Breathing’s a struggle, each breath of air highly appreciated.

My head weighs a ton, my shoulders ache and complain.

Jupiter’s collection of moons astound and overwhelm.

I say to my wife, “Let’s watch the moon-rise.”

She replies, “Which one?”

My romantic moment vaporizes.

Life is difficult on Jupiter, survival not assured, but here, at least, it is treasured.

—Richard Morgan Artwork: What World Is This? by Laura Moyer

THE JAR I loved your bold orange black & white since childhood when I stalked you.

You dazzled my eyes. I tried to capture you, and did; put you in a jelly jar with holes in its tin top, showed you to my mom.

She said, a wry smile on her butterfly beautiful face, You should set them free. They'll die in that jar.

I knew so little then loved what she knew. I was eight when she died. I remember those monarchs I set free into a blue summer. The empty jar I held, on our green lawn.

—Frank Finale Artwork: The Jar by Chris Ristow

STRAIGHT LINE WIND Sandberg’s fog came on little cat feet, You came to our island like a steamroller Barreling straight though lives Unaware of your power to destroy You made your decision, chose your track And never wavered from your path Windows rattled, lights flickered, then went out You cleared decks of flowers and furniture Flags wrapped themselves tight around their poles Pines bowed low to your demands In the bay moored boats toppled into whitecaps You paid no attention to supplications Did your best to lay flat everything in your path Calling down dark and destruction until You decided to move on In your wake came an amazing sun Pushing the limits of orange and gold Streaking the western sky with reds and purple Radiating from sky to water and back again Quietly, over the ocean, illuminated droplets Revealed a full rainbow whose arms Stretched north and south making a promise To all who wanted normal —Nancy Kunz Artwork: Seemel's Superstorm by Gwenn Seemey

SALVAGE Sandpipers scurried at the shoreline.

Seagulls fled to Manahawkin.

Ribboned clouds tied huge black knots clear across the sky.

The moon rose full and so the tide.

It sucked the rain from the clouds and the sand from the shore Levelling cherished dunes That took years to form.

Winds roared, rains poured for three days on and left the region flat, speckled with sea glass, strewn with seaweed, and ready for nature to salvage what she could.

But the island natives knew in just a glance that this stretch of shore although it would revive would never be the same.

—Lyn Procopio Page 32 • Echoes of LBI

UNSCRUBBED The salty old sailor with untrimmed beard and frayed flannel shirt, who still watches for the perfect sunset and a calm sea, gives me a look for asking too much, embarrasses a young girl by giving her a complement, and falls asleep, just when the minister is getting to the meat of his sermon.

—Richard Morgan

Hunting for sea glass is an art, lifestyle and passion all in one. While on a sea glass quest you will experience moments of pure joy as well as frustration. It's an obsession only dedicated sea glass hunters can understand. There are phrases and words specific to sea glass hunters.

If you are interested in starting your sea glass journey, here is a list of the lingo, or terms, you should know.

1. Top Tide Piece – An exceptional piece of sea glass or rare beach find of any kind.

2. Return Glass – A piece of sea glass that is missed on the first pass but is spotted as you walk back or return to where you started.

3. Clean Sand – A beach that is completely devoid of shells or other treasures.

4. Sea Mash – Shells, driftwood, stones and other jetsam we collect other than sea glass.

5. Driftables – Driftwood that resembles an animal, such as a whale or bird, taken home and used as decorations on a porch or in a beach house.

6. Clacking – The sound shells and sea glass make hitting against each other was they wash up onto the beach, especially when there is a very heavy load of shells.

7. Queens Count – A particularly abundant amount of treasure found during a search.

8. Weathering – Walking the beach to hunt for sea glass in inclement weather, such as the cold, wind, rain, etc.

9. Cinderella Slipper – A perfect piece of sea glass.

10. Journey's Joy – The feeling of contentment when walking by the sea even if no sea glass or beach treasures are found. The joy is in the journey and gratitude for being lucky enough to live by the sea.

—Maggie O'Neill Page 34 • Echoes of LBI

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D

id you know hermit crabs have a scent? Hermits can emit smells from the back of their abdomen (tail) and from their mouth. These scents can indicate if a hermit crab is sick. Being aware of how your hermit crab smells can let you know something is wrong before it's too late. If you think your crab is acting out of the ordinary give it a sniff.

Normal, healthy hermit crabs don’t have any smell or smell a bit like pancake syrup. This syrup smell is more obvious in large crabs and comes from their exoskeleton. It may be related to being in captivity. A hermit crab that has a slight moist fishy smell, that isn't too offensive, is preparing to molt. They can start smelling like this up to a month before a molt but it won't be noticeable unless you hold the crab up to your nose. Hermit crabs have a tendency to roll in their food. So, don't get alarmed if you fed them fish recently and they smell that way. Unfortunately, if your crab has a very strong fishy smell and isn’t moving at all – it’s dead.

A metallic scent, similar to rust, followed by a brown liquid from the crab is very serious. This indicates the hermit crab is stressed because it’s enclosure has become too hot. The enclosure should never exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Higher temperatures are life-threatening and once a crab becomes lethargic it may be too late.

It’s important to cool them down. Move the enclosure to the floor and turn off any heating elements. Be sure the crab enclosure is not near heating vents, direct sun or windows where the temperature can fluctuate.

If your hermit crab becomes over-heated pour liquid aloe (NOT aloe gel or cream) all over the crab and in his shell. Liquid aloe can be found at health food stores and vitamin shops, Its okay if they drink some. Gently turn the crab upside down to dump out any excess liquid and dry off the crab with a paper towel. Place the crab back in the enclosure (it will understandably act confused after this) and cover the crab with a very lightly dampened paper towel or washcloth.

Check back in six to twelve hours. If the crab is still alive but not responsive it may not make it. If temperature is

not the issue it may be caused by the stress of being in captivity.

Because hermit crabs don’t breed successfully in captivity they are taken straight from the wild. Sadly, some do not adjust well.

Another smell to watch for is the "moldy boot" smell. This can indicate a building bacterial infection that can kill the crab. The smell will come from the back of the shell behind the crab. It’s vital to stop the infection before it spreads by thoroughly cleaning the entire enclosure along with food and water dishes with soap and water. Be sure to remove all traces of old food and existing drinking water. After thoroughly drying everything replenish the enclosure with supplies including plenty of fresh water.

If the crab doesn't seem lethargic, put him back in the enclosure and watch him over the next day or so. If the smell does not go away, try treating the crab with a mixture of Tetracycline 250mg powder and water. Tetracycline is used to cure Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich) on fish and can be found at pet stores or online in packet or capsule form. Dilute one part Tetracycline into three parts drinking water. Be sure to use the same kind of water the crab drinks. Shake the mixture until it turns light yellow. During the warmest part of the day, pour the mixture over the crab making sure to get the liquid into its shell. Again, it's okay if the crab drinks some. Pour any excess liquid out of the crab’s shell and dry off the crab with a paper towel. Return the crab to its enclosure.

Repeat the process in a week if needed.

Unfortunately, if the crab becomes too weak there is little to do for it.

The best way to prevent bacterial infections is to always remove food in the morning after your hermit crabs have eaten. Change the water once a day, and avoid items that can hold bacteria such as a sponge or Cholla wood. Although it may have come with the crab at the time of purchase, it doesn't mean you should use it. Temperature and humidity should also be controlled. Giving hermit crabs a hiding place reduces general stress because they like dark areas.

Plenty of care and an occasional sniff will help identify and prevent potential illness, and hopefully save their life.

—Photography and text by Sara Caruso

Dogs love their toys, but sometimes we give a little too much love to them. Be sure to discard old toys, especially those with frays, chips or if the stuffing is coming out.

Ingesting those pieces can result in serious health issues. Don't leave toys out in the elements. Plastic, rubber and stuffed toys can grow mold easily and expose your best friend to toxins. Keep them dry and play another day!

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When Good-Bye is Really Good-Bye There are some times when we just forget to say good-bye, We run out of the door late in spite of how hard we try, To be on time and do everything we all have to get done, It seems like everyday we are always rushing and on the run.

Our cat was such a fixture each and every day in our home, He made us content and feel like we were never ever alone.

Whether it was a friendly greeting or following us around, By our side with us everyday he could always be found.

One weekend he was very sick but he stayed with us still.

He loved being together with us even though he was ill, Snuggled in my lap he was lost and didn’t know what to do, I held him so close reassuring him - whispering “we love you.”

Those big eyes looked up at me and he let out a pathetic sigh, And I talked to him about all of our special days spent here in LBI, How he’d jump up on the chair waiting for the crabs to be served, About the love he gave us and how those crabs were well deserved.

The next morning before work I sat with him while he rested on our bed, I kissed him, petted him and as I talked to him he seemed to listen to what I said, I had to go to work but I was so glad to have taken the time to say good-bye.

I’ll never forget that time I spent - when I remember those moments I cry.

“WHEN GOODBYE IS REALLY GOODBYE” nobody really ever knows, It’s part of some plan, the way it has always been, and it’s just the way it goes.

Tony our beloved cat went to heaven later that day so it was truly the end, So thankful I made time for him that day is the message that I wish to send.

He was more than a cat, he was my husband’s shadow and a loyal family member, And his playful ways, unlimited charm and devotion we will always remember, To share a laugh or two at all of those unpredictable things he would randomly do, Or marvel how spontaneous he’d act and do things that were totally out of the blue.

We all miss him and the life we were able to give him each and everyday, More like the life he gave and shared with all of us is what I’m trying to say, Thanks Tony for all of those memories we know now that they were the best, Having had you in our lives for these fourteen years we were all so very truly blessed.

—Photography and poem by Diane Stulga (dedicated to her cat Tony)

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T

he sun was setting under a clear sky to the west at 19th Street in Surf City (above).

To the east however, over the ocean, a cluster of alto-stratus clouds set up perfectly.

The red beam that occurs just after sunset are the sun's rays passing through our lower atmosphere. Our atmosphere removes most of the spectrum except for the reds. The reds make it through after processes known as light refraction and particulate scattering.

This is why the moon becomes red during a lunar eclipse. It is the same spectrum that paints our clouds red after curving around Earth. Either way, this made for a beautiful beach sunset.

The hours just before civil twilight allow for the most vivid sunset colors to occur. I like to call this the scarlet moment as all but the reds, oranges, pinks and purples are filtered out of the sun's Earth-curving spectrum. This is about as intense and vivid as it gets for a spring sunset as pastels tend to dominate the sky. This scene (left) was shot at the Edwin B. Forsythe overlook in Barnegat, New Jersey, off Bayshore Avenue. It overlooks a small wildlife refuge that makes for a gorgeous year-round landscape shots in various conditions. —Photography and text by Jonathan Carr

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A

ccording to architect Michael Pagnotta, “Ocean front design is all about creating open floor plans and maximizing views. People want to enjoy dramatic views from as many windows as possible.” His designs respond to the natural attributes of the site such as solar orientation, vegetation and dune locations while best utilizing areas deemed buildable by CAFRA and local zoning ordinances. “This formula has worked very well for us over 25 years and through many changes to regulations and design trends.”

The heights of ocean front homes, particularly in Long Beach Township, are greater due to new minimum floor heights imposed by post-Sandy flood maps and the increase of building heights from 34 to 36 feet above grade. With main living areas on the top floor, well planned reverse living designs take advantage of the additional height to maximize views.

Driven by internet sites such as Pinterest, Houzz and HGTV shows on television, the trend is returning toward aesthetically pleasing designs. “More clients now opt for architectural style and detailing as opposed to square footage and maximized volume,” says Michael. “The challenge is to create open floor plans without creating a boxy house. Our goal is to give clients the most house for their design dollar.”

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The rigors of a coastal environment demand resilient home exteriors that require very little maintenance while providing lasting beauty. “Nu-Cedar is a relatively new material that looks like genuine cedar shingles,” explains Michael. Fade resistant and made from cellular PVC, the shingles are seen in Michael’s designs and on his completed projects in conjunction with natural looking cultured stone. Tempered glass panel rails, solid vinyl trim, stainless steel fasteners and aluminum roofs complete a lasting exterior.

Within the home, engineered wide plank wood flooring is popular.

Wide trim, crown molding, and wainscot add warmth and texture to the interiors. Paint colors in subtle hues of grey and white compliment interiors of classic ocean colors, bright whites and greys.

Current trends are reflected in Michael’s design of a current Spray Beach project. Located on a private easement, the 5,100 square-foot, reverse living, ocean front home reflects the life-style of a family in 2017. Michael has created an open floor plan that takes advantage of panoramic views. A natural gathering place for families, the kitchen is seen as the command center. The design allows for communal cooking and provides a comfortable traffic flow with ample room to dine and enjoy the views.

In the adjacent great room, four exposed curved glu-lam beams with white wood inlay create a barrel ceiling – reminiscent of a ship’s hull. Expansive glass windows allow for spectacular views of the ocean and beach below. An ornate gas fire place with integrated flat screen television becomes a focal point and provides a gathering place where family and guests can enjoy wintery beach views from a comfortable seat in front of a warm fire.

“As outdoor living has gained in popularity, many clients want an ocean front swimming pool,” advises Michael.

Elevated to the first deck level and oriented to overlook the beach and ocean a wading or swimming pool is perfect for entertaining. “A fourfoot wading pool is ideal for grandparents to enjoy time with grandchildren at the pool while watching the rest of the family on the beach below,” he explains.

With proper solar orientation, decks are terraced back to allow maximum natural light inside and out and to create shade when desired. The full sun roof-top deck with a hot-tub provides breath-taking views from the causeway bridge to Atlantic City. —Photograph of Michael Pagnotta and text by Susan Spicer-McGarry. 3D Renderings by Mike Bonelli, Project Architect at Michael Pagnotta Architects.

Plans by Michael Pagnotta Architects.

T

he words Board Meeting have an entirely new meaning for retired banker and Long Board Champion Barry Shaw. An avid surfer since age nine, the former Florida resident retired from the financial world in 2010, and opened Surf City Surf Shop in Surf City offering surfing and paddle board lessons.

Among Barry’s students are Surf City summer residents, triplets Maxwell, Edgar and Wesley. The boys have a connection to Long Beach Island – their dad’s family was among the original settlers in Beach Haven. Surfing with Barry since age 11, the boys have become good surfers while having a lot of fun and learning the rules of surfing.

Maxwell, Edgar and Wesley are looking forward surfing again this summer. Spring break 2017 found them back in the surf briefly. Though a long way from their home in Bryn Mar, under Barry’s tutelage the brothers are at-home on their long boards.

Barry and his wife Kelly fell in love with Long Beach Island while attending a wedding in 1995.

Over the years, they continued to vacation in Surf City. In 2010, they purchased a 1939 Cape Cod in Surf City. The house resembles Kelly’s grandparent’s home in Pennsylvania.

While living in Florida, Barry and some of his surfing friends started the Greenback Surf Club.

Greenback is Australian surf-slang for a large unbroken wave suitable for a good ride. This year the club will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Barry’s family continues to make lasting memories during their summers here. Most days Barry can be found surfing the beaches of LBI with his sons. Sixteen-year old Drake helps Barry with the surfing lessons at Surf City Surf Shop. Oldest son Hobie age 19, works in Brant Beach and teaches paddle boarding. Sundays are traditionally spent with Kelly making homemade gravy and sharing a meal with friends and family, along with Uncle Lou and Aunt Jane of Beach Haven West. Just like having the right combination of tide, wind and waves the Shaw family is enjoying the ride.

—Photography and text by Diane Stulga Page 48 • Echoes of LBI

F

or Joseph Bates, USMC, Master Sergeant, Retired, life has always been about a willingness to work harder predicated on sheer tenacity. “Nothing has ever come easy to me. So, I give everything 110%,” Joe says with a wide smile. “But then, I’ve always been stubborn.”

Choosing to do the difficult thing seems to come natural to Joe. Enlisting in the U.S. Marines directly out of high school was a personal challenge. “I wanted to be the best,” recalls Joe. “I also knew that I’d have to work harder to make it.” Boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina is legendary. Pushed to the physical and mental breaking point – many recruits fail to graduate. Marine Corps training is considered by most graduates to be the challenge of a life-time. For Joe, the training readied him for a military career spanning 21 years, and prepared him for life’s most formidable challenges.

While home on leave in Florida, Joe met Shannon.

Soft spoken, blue-eyed, and blond with laser-focus, “… she’s my perfect opposite,” he says with admiration, “I’m an extrovert. I’m literally all over the place.” In Shannon, Joe found a wife and future business partner.

During his military service, Joe was deployed over-seas numerous times, serving off the coast of Somalia in support of humanitarian operations, in Kuwait after Desert Storm for Desert Stay and in support of Afghanistan, and again for the launch into Iraq in support of Iraqi Freedom. “I was an ordnance guy,” explains Joe. The work was hot, dusty and dangerous.

Redeployed, Joe served as the U.S. Embassy Detachment Commander in Kathmandu, Nepal. Treatment for a lump discovered on his neck while serving in Nepal would take him to Hawaii where he would face life’s most virulent challenge.

“My initial diagnosis was head and neck cancer – stage three, Page 50 • Echoes of LBI

boarder-line stage four,” Joe explains. “I underwent three month of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation.” Suffering the full force of side effects his weight plummeted from 220 lbs. to 150 lbs.

After six month of recuperation in Florida, Joe returned to active duty. Within a year, the cancer returned. Treatment this time included radical surgery leaving him with permanent limited mobility in his upper left side.

Once again, Joe’s determination and perseverance led him to recovery. Nine months later, he returned to active duty in Iraq.

“There was a lot wrong,” Joe says quietly. “But I always believed I could work my way through it.”

After completing his last tour of duty Joe retired from the Marines in 2012. Stressed-out and weary from the military and twice battling cancer – Joe and Shannon sought a fresh start in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia. “While in the Marines, I’d learned to make wine,” says Joe with a chuckle. “I thought I’d get a few goats – learn to make cheese to go with the wine and live a quiet, happy life.”

A new direction brought new challenges. Having overcome larger obstacles, Joe was undaunted. “I didn’t have any experience in farming or goats.

But we had a plan and time to follow our dreams,” explains Joe. On a few hundred rented acres in the Appalachian Mountains Joe and Shannon established the Bates Family Farm. “We fenced three fields, built a small barn for 18 Nubian goats and moved into the old log cabin,” says Joe. “In 2013, our goats had babies.”

Despite limited mobility from the surgery and without help, Joe persevered – milking the goats daily by hand. “My lower arms are strong,” explains Joe. “I just had to work my way around it.” Soon there were more babies and more goats and too much milk.

Diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from cancer, the goats were Joe’s therapy. “Working with Nubian goats is extremely therapeutic,” says Joe. Smart, docile, and gentle natured, Nubian goats are known for their ability to bond with human caretakers.

“You can talk to the goats,” Joe says chuckling. “But if you think they are talking back there’s a problem.”

Utilizing Veteran’s benefits, Joe attended college while Shannon worked. One afternoon, while waiting for a cheese making class to begin Joe serendipitously watched a soap making demonstration.

With an eye toward a use for the excess milk Shannon attempted soap making - with less than satisfactory results. Always a perfectionist, Shannon persisted. “She threw out more than onethousand dollars in soap,” says Joe. “But she got it right.”

According to Joe, his initial cheese making efforts were even worse. “It was absolute trash,” laughs Joe. “I remembered that I didn’t even like that kind of cheese.” Though later attempts proved successful the costs associated with building a grade B dairy were prohibitive.

“That week we took Shannon’s handmade goat milk soap to the local farmer’s market along with our produce and eggs. It sold out immediately,” explains Joe. The goat milk lotions they created met with the same resounding success.

“Yet somehow, I still thought vegetables and eggs were my business,” says Joe with a bemused tone.

Continuing his efforts to develop a farm business, Joe attended an entrepreneur class.

At class, Joe took orders and delivered their soaps and lotions to other attendees. “We sold out every week at the farmer’s market,” explains Joe. “People really loved the product.

To meet demands, I started taking orders at class.” After an instructor suggested that he rethink his business plan Joe worked out the numbers. “I’d never imagined goat milk soaps and lotions as a venue,” says Joe. “In 2014, I realized it was our accidental business.”

That winter, soaps and lotions placed in local stores continued to sell out almost immediately.

Armed with 800 sample bottles Joe attended his first trade show. “I wanted to put our product directly into people’s hands,” Joe says. His efforts resulted in wholesale orders from 20 more stores. “Reorders and new order kept coming it,” says Joe. To learn to manage their rapidly expanding business, Joe quickly took a small business class. “I became the head of marketing and sales, as if there was anyone else.” says Joe with a laugh. “Shannon, became the head of manufacturing. Because of her, our quality control is the absolute best,” says Joe. “She’s the only person that makes our product,” he says feigning insult. “I’m not allowed.”

“I only have three business rules,” explains Joe. “Don’t be greedy.

Don’t cut corners. Always give great customer service.” Those simple rules make Joe and Shannon’s business as unique as their product. The growth of the business, has allowed Joe to employ a local veteran and two part-time workers in an area with nations highest unemployment rate. “My full-time guy is a Purple Heart Vet,” says Joe. “I’m able to pay him a modest wage and an endof-year a bonus based on company profit.” To keep the product profitable for wholesale customers, Joe keeps his profit margin down. “Most our retailers are Mom and Pop businesses. I want them to make money,” he explains.

“The natural healing enzymes in fresh raw goat milk and the highest quality, 100% natural olive oil and shea butter make our product different.”

Handmade in small batches to ensure freshness, Joe refuses to warehouse their product, even though it has a twoyear shelf life. “I have two week turn-around time from manufacturing to customer,” explains Joe. Always striving to make business better, Joe heads out weekly to deliver as many wholesale orders as possible. “It gives me a chance to see what’s on our customer’s minds,” explains Joe. Today, business at the Bates Family Farm continues to expand with products placed in more than 150 stores and online sales. “We’re moonstruck over the success,” says Joe. No longer working from their kitchen, a larger house was converted to a production facility where bottles and jars are still filled by hand. The addition of creamy Body B’udder and the use of essential oils has expanded their line. From milking to manufacturing, Joe and Shannon continue to do everything by hand.

“I’ve always believed in myself,” explains Joe. “I might not be the smartest, strongest or toughest.

I’ve always had to work extra hard. But my family has always believed in me.” Having served his country in battle and conquered cancer twice seems to have created in Joe a keen awareness of life, one without room for fear of failure. “Sure, I have a bucket list,” says Joe beaming. “But, I have no what ifs. I never look back. I have no regrets.” —Susan Spicer-McGarry. Photography by Rick Watson, Powell Valley News & Printing Co. Bates Family Farm goat's milk Body B'udder, lotions, and soaps are available at Things A Drift and other fine boutiques.

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y husband Rob and I left LBI on a much-anticipated adventure to Africa. After a 14-hour flight, we landed in Johannesburg and then flew to Cape Town. We checked into the luxurious Cape Grace Hotel located in the Victoria and Albert Waterfront area. We spent the next day exploring the Cape Town waterfront on our own before our official AMA Waterways Tour began.

Our first day trip took us to The Cape of Good Hope. The mountain and rock formations where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet are breathtaking.

Our lunch was prepared and served in the home of renowned Chef Bruce Robertson and his staff. Bruce lives in the village of Scarborough and calls his home “The Boat House” because it overlooks the ocean where we could see Southern Right Whales frolicking. Before returning to Cape Town, we stopped in Simons Town to observe a colony of African penguins that reach a height of about 17 inches.

The following day's tour included a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain that overlooks Cape Town and the sea. This is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. It offered absolutely Page 52 • Echoes of LBI

breathtaking views. We also toured a huge farm and two wine estates, one of which is owned by South African professional golfer Ernie Els. The next leg of our adventure took us on a flight north to Hoedspruit, an area near South Africa's Greater Kruger National Park. Our three-day stay at the very remote Tintswalo Safari Lodge was an unbelievable experience. Each of the seven suites is a separate little airconditioned building connected by a narrow, elevated boardwalk to the main lodge. Our guide Fritz took us on two three-hour game drives each day – early in the morning with coffee and biscuits, and late in the afternoon with drinks and appetizers.

We will remember these drives and scenes for the rest of our lives.

We observed exotic animals in their natural habitat – sleeping, drinking, and eating their previous night's kill in leg-deep mud!

The Big Five of Africa include Cape buffalo, rhinoceros, elephant, lion and leopard. We are not sure why the giraffe, hippopotamus, and zebra are not considered part of this group. Why not the big eight? Sleeping in the trees by day and hunting at night, the most

elusive creature is the leopard. Cape buffalo and elephants came very close to our main lodge veranda to drink water from an outlet supplied by the staff.

One evening during our stay at Tintswalo, we were treated to an African Boma dinner, an outside buffet of regional dishes with torches and candlelight. Another evening found us enjoying an open-air cocktail party complete with a campfire, grilled appetizers and the most beautiful African sunset.

Next, we flew to Zimbabwe and then traveled by bus to Botswana to link up with a riverboat. Boat tenders met us at the landing in Botswana and transported our group of 14, plus another boat just for the luggage, to the Zambezi Queen moored on the Namibia side of the Chobe River. She is 150 feet long with 14 suites and a beautiful open salon area on the upper deck. This would be our

home for the next four days. I called it The Mother Ship.

Each day we traveled the river in tenders searching for more animals. Crocodiles are very fast. Our guides were knowledgeable, courteous and knew just where to take us by boat. One day we toured the Chobe National Park in Botswana in land cruisers. We were treated to a private open-air picnic, complete with thieving monkeys giving us a run for our biscuits. The men went on fishing excursions. They caught catfish and the notorious tiger fish, known for their imposing teeth.

One afternoon we traveled by boat to a remote African village. The tour was followed by a presentation of songs and dances. Nearly the entire village of 65 residents, who are all related, performed for us. That evening we attended a Boma, a traditional African barbecue. Seated at tables around a campfire, we were served dinner by the staff of the Zambezi Queen and entertained with songs and dances. They are a talented group of people.

We departed the Zambezi Queen for a bus ride to Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls Hotel, a beautiful, stately, old hotel. Established in 1904, the hotel is set in The Victoria Falls National Park with a private path to the Falls. The trail has 16 spectacular viewing points. It was the springtime and the dry season, so the falls were not as strong and full. The temperatures were high and the humidity low.

An afternoon cocktail cruise on the new Zambezi Explorer marked our final event. We cruised the Zambezi River and experienced yet another beautiful African sunset! —Photography and text by Diane Roy

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few years ago, every home entertainment device became smart. Smart TVs and BluRay players that connect to the internet, and the Sonos wireless home sound systems are increasingly being used in smart homes whose lighting, temperature and security systems can be controlled remotely. As we started providing Wi-Fi router home installations and wiring for networks in new constructions, we learned more about home networks and Wi-Fi. We have been successful in setting up and maintaining networks in many Long Beach Island homes.

As designers and installers of these smart devices and networks, we needed a way to make sure that our customers’ user experience was top notch from installation into the future. Then we needed to help our customers understand how their system works so they will enjoy it. Here are answers to some common questions about WiFi, networks, and internet.

What’s the difference between Wi-Fi and internet?

Wi-Fi is the wireless network that your devices are connected to. It most likely doesn’t reach very far past the outer walls of your home.

Internet is the World Wide Web, which you can access with a wireless device through your Wi-Fi network.

When a customer calls and says, “I have no internet,” it is more than likely a problem with the Internet Service Provider (ISP), such as Comcast or Verizon. When a customer calls and says, “I have no Wi-Fi,” we can help with that, although, in some cases this could also be a ISP problem.

How does Wi-Fi work?

Your Wi-Fi signal is actually an old-fashioned radio frequency broadcasting on the 2.4 and sometimes 5 Gigahertz bands. A WiFi network links everything that is connected to it, and when your Wi-Fi router is connected to a modem, your devices on the wireless network can reach out to the internet.

What equipment do I need for a Wi-Fi network?

This can depend on what you want to do with the network and how large is the area of desired coverage. Small scale: You need a modem to connect out to the internet. These days, ISPs rent you their all-in-one modem/router. You need this piece for its modem function, but if you’re not happy with the Wi-Fi performance, Page 54 • Echoes of LBI

you can shut off the Wi-Fi in this unit, and add an external WiFi router. Large scale: Same as small scale, plus some indoor and outdoor wireless access points.

Where should I put my Wi-Fi router?

Wi-Fi weakens with every wall or barrier through which it has to broadcast to reach your device, so try not to put it in a closet or cabinet. Out in the open is the best way to get the best signal.

Also, Wi-Fi broadcasts out and down, so it’s a smart idea to put the router in the highest level of your home, in a central location.

If renovating or building a new construction, wire to several points in the house where you can install an access point. We typically use ceiling-mounted access points so they’re out in the open for optimum signal and out of the way, so as to not take up space on your furniture.

How can I set up my router to get the most out of it?

Make sure that you check for a Firmware Upgrade not only when you install your router the first time, but every couple of months or so. It’s like updating the software on your computer or phone. There might be bug fixes, or general improvements. Enable QoS (Quality of Service) – this prioritizes devices or types of streaming, so that you can download something in the background while you watch Netflix.

Our homes are getting smarter and smarter, and we increasingly depend on strong and reliable Wi-Fi and internet connections to help run them. Having a basic understanding of their interrelationships and how they operate helps the homeowner make greater use of their wireless systems. Most of us don’t know the details of how our cars work, or how to do an oil change, but we know what we need to in order to drive them. The more practice the driver gets, the better and more confident they become. It’s the same with electronics and smart home technology.

The rapid changes can be intimidating, but they can make our lives easier, more convenient, and fun! Get speakers in every room of the house without running wires through walls. Have access to virtually any movie or TV show. Turn the lights and heat on at home while away so you don’t walk into a cold dark house. Be greeted by your favorite music. Smarten up your home, it’s easier than you think! —Halley Feaster, Manager – Island Audio Video

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t one time, Nancy and Shawn Leyden thought it was impossible to have the backyard of their dreams. That was before the complete transformation of their 50 feet by 30 feet backyard by Reynolds Landscaping. The Leyden’s now know it’s possible to fit large dreams into a modest space.

Though it’s not their full-time residence, the Leyden’s spend as much time as possible yearround at their Brant Beach home. While on LBI, they always wanted to spend most of that time outdoors. Now they can.

“I love a challenge,” says Mark Reynolds of Reynolds of Reynolds Landscaping. “This one required me to put this family’s entire wish list into a very small space. Now, that the project is complete small is the last word you think of.”

“For this type of project, spatial orientation drives the design. Everything orients back to center,” Reynolds explains. “Conversely, everything is also driven by setbacks and regulations.” For example, the fireplace must be ten feet from the back and side property lines as well as five feet from the house.

Always innovative, Mark designed something totally fresh: a two-sided gas fire feature that is enjoyed from two directions – in two environments. Joined to a tongue-and-groove California red cedar cabana with a large hexagonal keystone, the fireplace supports the cabana roof and extends the outdoor season.

It takes more than a glance to notice all the elements that come together to create the total effect of the completed project. The best designs allow those details to work their magic without calling attention to them as individual components.

Functioning in ideal-client mode, the Leyden’s explored the project early. “This was a 30 day project. Most clients don’t begin to think about what they need or want until the sun starts warming the beaches,” says Reynolds.

“They’re either right on the cusp of summer at the shore or already into it. I knew what was on this family’s wish list six months before we started. It was a pleasure.”

Project Wish List: multiple seating and dining areas, hot tub, outdoor shower, prep/ grill kitchen, bar, lighting, audio system, esthetic functionality, sunlight, shade, flora, fun, conversation, laughter, joy, and ample room for family, friends and a 150-pound Newfoundland dog. —Annaliese Jakimides

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tacks of beautiful custom pillows and cushions with colors, stripes and patterns of a coastal summer neatly line the walls of Coastal Cushions in Surf City. Newly upholstered furniture and cabana bolsters fill the center floor – all await customer pickup. Busy year round, owners, John and Angela Thrunk are at the height of their season. Working at a brisk pace, John upholsters chair seats with white starfish on a teal fabric sea. The soft rhythmic sound of his pneumatic staple gun stops momentarily.

“I’ve worked on everything from boat seats and commercial bar stools to priceless antiques,” John says with a smile.

Sitting by the front door of the shop is evidence of his recent work on a local treasure – the chair from the studio of renown Russian-American sculptor Boris Blai, founder of the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences. With careful research, and impeccable craftmanship, John and Angela have restored the 1935 late art deco, J.B. Van Sciver, oak chair to its former stately self. Angela explains that maintaining the original period look, construction and style of the chair was extremely important. “I research everything carefully,” says Angela. “John does the rest.”

Gone is the odd green paint that obscured weathered oak and hand-forged decorative iron side straps. “The oak hasn’t been Page 58 • Echoes of LBI

sanded or given an applied finish,” explains John. “It’s been handrubbed with oil.” The resulting luster is soft and natural. Perfectly piped, removable box cushions of cordovan recycled leather replace the original leather seat and back. “I selected recycled leather,” explains Angela. “It’s perfect for our coastal environment.” Made from reclaimed genuine leather and polyurethane, recycled leather is extremely durable with a grain and hand indistinguishable from traditional leather.

J.B. Van Sciver Furniture Company of Camden, New Jersey (1881-1984) produced and shipped furniture world-wide.

Founded by Joseph Bishop Van Sciver, the family-run company eventually opened showrooms and warehouses in Trenton, New Jersey, Allentown, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware.

Unique fabric samples hang like works of art throughout the shop.

“Many of the fabrics we offer our clientele are exclusive to Coastal Cushions and can’t be found anywhere else,” explains Angela. “We believe our customers deserve the best.” Her experience with fabric allows her to guide customers through the vast selection. “We like to keep it simple for our customers”. —Susan Spicer-McGarry

 #1 in Commercial Real Estate!

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he extensive remodeling of The Dutchman’s Restaurant on Cedar Bonnet Island is continuing in late June through early July 2017. The next phase of the plan is designed to lift the building off its existing piling foundation so that the original pilings, dating back to 1912, can be extracted and replaced along with the bulkhead. "We are remodeling the building from the inside out once it’s on land", said Rick Schmid.

"This is a renovation project and not a demolition.

The goal is to upgrade The Dutchman’s charm to last another 65 years.”

The Dutchman’s existing one 105-year-old wood piling foundation was recycled from the original wooden causeway bridge when it's pilings were extracted in 1959. Making the iconic Dutchman’s Restaurant truly part of the very fiber of Barnegat Bay. Since starting in 1952, by Otto and Thekla Schmid, The Dutchman’s Restaurant has remained family owned and operated to this day.

Originally established as a small bar and dining room called the Bayshore Bar was located in what is currently The Dutchman’s customer parking lot. In 1958 Otto and Thekla’s son Robert and wife Joan took over. Then, the infamous nor’easter of March 1962 took its toll and the structure we know today was built and opened in February 1963 as The Dutchman’s Brauhaus. Since then The Dutchman’s has undergone several modifications, including the enclosure of an open porch in 1969 and the upstairs porch in 1976. Further expansion to the back section of the kitchen in 1981 and to the upstairs in 1983 enabled The Dutchman’s to begin hosting large private parties and banquets for groups up to 125.

“The welfare of Barnegat Bay and construction time tables are our top priorities. Our project has been scheduled to take place within a certain time frame as to not interfere with any marine life, whether it’s north, south, east or west of us and this takes time.,” advised Rick. “We have an open window until November 2017 for the lift and splitting of the building and replacement of the existPage 60 • Echoes of LBI

ing piling foundation. We insist that this entire project be environmentally sustainable for Barnegat Bay," Rick continued.

"We are going to be raising the whole facility by almost nine feet.

We need to go up five and a half feet for the new flood maps," says Rick. Surge levels are also being taken into consideration. According to Rick, all the pilings used under the building will have a 100 year rating and will be all natural.

"The Dutchman’s will either be on Epay Brazilian hardwood pilings or green wood pilings; both are natural woods. It takes time to acquire these pilings, because they all have to be origin certified and not poached."

Finally, this next phase of the plan is not just like moving a house, where you detach the pilings and move the building. The Schmid’s and their team of contractors will have to set a full new system down into the water, around the perimeter of the existing building. Once this system is in place, it is designed to lift the building, which will then be split into two or three sections – determined by designated stress points.

The restaurant will go off into the parking lot to be remodeled and the existing 1912 pilings under the building and the bulkheads can be extracted. The projected reopening of The Dutchman’s is slated for some time in 2018. Coming editions of Echoes of LBI will continue exclusive coverage of this exciting project.

While renovations at The Dutchman’s continue, please visit Robert Schmid at The Octopus's Garden, located on Route 9 in Stafford Township, (609) 597-8828 or visit www.theoctopusgardenfishhouse.com.

For all your catering needs, from formal dinners to outside barbecues, please contact David Schmid of Spice Catering at (609) 494-8197 or davidschmid.dutchmans@gmail.com.

When we pressed Rick about any future endeavors, we learned something is definitely brewing. Coming soon: Mickey’s Port of Call Pub with the Future Beer Exchange. —Sean Doyle

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uring our interview for the Spring into Summer 2016 edition of Echoes of LBI, award-winning decoy carver Bill Cordray graciously offered to look at my ugly little flat “bird on a stick.” I purchased the crudely made bare wood silhouette of a bird with a broken bill and chipped tail decades ago at an estate sale for one dollar. I believed it was a high school wood shop project failure but was surprised to learn it’s a “Flattie” – a Black Bellied Plover decoy carved around 1880–1910.

Lightweight and less expensive to make, flatties are silhouette decoys that were staked into the ground to attract shore birds. My little “bird on a stick” had been standing on top of our kitchen soffit attracting dust and nearly forgotten.

“He’s not valuable,” Bill advised, “but he is old and made from a single piece of wood that was probably taken from a piece of very old furniture.” In his Long Beach Island workshop, Bill expertly revived my bird with period paint, a refurbished tail and new bill. The little flat Black Bellied Plover is now a personal treasure. —Photography and text by Susan Spicer-McGarry

This Columbus Day Weekend is the third annual International Kite Festival in Ship Bottom.

This unique experience can be enjoyed by everyone. LBI FLY features giant kites including a full size whale, magical fairy tale horses, giant octopuses, flying scuba divers, flying witches, giant ducks, sport kites, kite boarding and so much more! Some of the featured events throughout the weekend include a Mayor’s Cup Kite Battle with all six LBI mayors, a night fly at the Barnegat Lighthouse, a kite garden installation by local school children, indoor kite flying demonstrations, and children’s kite making, buggy kite rides and a special candy drop. This event is free to the public and free LBI Shuttles will be running throughout the weekend. For more information visit lbifly.com

Fine Art • Antique Furniture • Classes Locally Made Pieces • Clothing & Jewelry Fresh Floral & Garden Market Chalk Paint By Annie Sloan® 100 Bay Ave • Beach Haven, NJ (609) 661-1586 www.artifactsandcompany.com

Page 64 • Echoes of LBI

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dentifying a piece of sea glass is always a thrill for a sea glass collector. It's exciting to discover you have a shard from a rare bottle, or a historical find. Over the past 15 years I’ve helped my fellow sea glass collectors identify their oddest finds. Some pieces, though frequently found and hardly odd, still stump even the most experienced beachcomber.

One such find that I receive frequent identification requests for is a bottle bottom embossed with the head of an animal. The sea glass is usually a very light green or clear and about three to four inches long. The embossed animal head is stylized with an open mouth and faces left. Commonly mistaken for a wolf, dragon, screaming bird, or lion; the animal is the head of a wild boar. It is the iconic logo for Gordon's London Dry Gin. Per legend, the Gordon clan saved the King of Scotland from a wild boar during a hunt. Thus, Alexander Gordon’s family crest features a boar's head, as do his gin bottles.

Gordon's was founded in 1769 by Alexander Gordon in London, England. Originally bottled in ceramic crocks, dark green glass bottles were introduced in 1903. The dark green color was due to manufacturing constraints. Today Gordon’s London Dry Gin is bottled in clear, light green, and dark green bottles. Green bottles are used strictly in the United Kingdom, and clear or light green bottles are used for export. Gordon's opened its first U.S. distillery in 1934 in Linden, New Jersey.

Why the boar doesn't always look like a boar is a mystery. Slight dulling of the embossed iconic logo seems to occur only with bottles imported to the United States during Prohibition (192033). It is speculated the embossed boar’s head was intentionally altered during bottle manufacturing to obscure the identity of the bottles from federal agents. This seems unlikely because the words Gordon’s Dry Gin are embossed boldly on the front of the bottle.

It is also possible the variation may simply be a manufacturing error caused when molten glass did not fill the bottle mold sufficiently without affecting the integrity of the bottle. The real reason may never be known. —Sara Caruso Page 66 • Echoes of LBI

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: JIM O'CONNOR and his wife maintain a summer home in Surf City. Jim has over 30 years of sports photography and graphic design experience. He has covered major sporting events such as the Super Bowl, The Stanley Cup Finals and NCAA Championships. He has been involved with shooting for the US Olympic Committee, and has recently been honored by Reuters as having his photograph of NY Giants Odell Beckham's The Catch named as "2015 Picture of the Year - Sports."

ABOUT THE SHELL: Illustrated for the first time in 1843 by a Japanese naturalist, the SLIT SHELL is a unique species of snail categorized by a long slit in its bottom edge. The slit is an adaptation that allows the snail to siphon out excrement. The family, Pleurotomariidae, is almost extinct with only 16 species known to exist.

It is more likely to find a fossil version of this family of molluscs than a living one. They live in tropical and subtropical waters at 400-600 foot depths. The snail itself is a grazer, feeding on what it sifts from the sand on the sea floor. Their rarity makes then highly prized to shell collectors. Today, one of their closest living relatives is the abalone.

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sliced chambered nautilus was printed on the front cover of my eighth-grade math textbook. Hidden by the required book cover – I drew the beautiful spiraling shell on mine. Within its pages, I would learn about Fibonacci numbers, a sequence in which the third number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. It is expressed in this series of numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, into infinity.

Much of nature follows this pattern. It is the familiar spiral easily recognized in nature. Ancient mathematicians, architects, and philosophers understood this pattern was the golden ratio. From the double helix of DNA to the expanding universe, it is the pervasive pattern of life.

Known centuries earlier to ancient Egyptians and Indian mathematicians, the Fibonacci sequence was introduced to the Western world in 1202 by Italian mathematician Leonardo Pisano, in his book Liber Abaci.

The pattern created by the spiraling out of the Fibonacci numbers – the golden spiral – can be seen throughout nature. It is seen in the growth pattern of coral, the graceful uncurling of a fern, the silken web of a spider, the dimensions of a sand dollar, and of course – in the spiral of a shell, particularly the chambered nautilus. The shape of the nautilus and other spiraling shells has been the muse of many architects. Spiral staircases in lighthouses and the beautiful patterns in Gothic cathedrals inspired by nature follow the sequence. Inspired by the Japanese Wonder Shell, Frank Lloyd Wright designed New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

Why does nature follow the pattern of this sequence? According to Dan Reich, at Temple University, Department of Mathematics, the spirals arise from a property of growth termed self-similarity – the tendency to increase in size but maintain the same overall

shape. In the simplest terms, nature favors this sequence because it works. It is the framework of nature; the most efficient way to grow strong stable structures, using as little energy as possible.

Just as it was used on the cover of my textbook, the chambered nautilus is widely associated with the golden ratio and golden spiral. Technically the nautilus shell shows a logarithmic spiral.

Because it does not appear to follow the sequence exactly, this use of the nautilus is viewed by some as controversial. Recent theory suggests there may be more than one way to create a golden spiral, relating the nautilus to a slightly different variation of the classic spiral. Those who argue against it might be missing something. In the nautilus' case, the golden spiral is more about function than form.

The chambered nautilus controls its buoyancy by siphoning water through its chambers or camerae and adjusting the volume and density of water. Occupying the largest camerae of its shell, as it matures the nautilus creates and moves into increasingly larger chambers – one chamber at a time. Spiraling outward as the shell increases in size each new larger chamber maintains the same shape. In this image, the animal occupies the last sealed chamber.

The Fibonacci sequence can be seen in microscopic marine life, the arms of a starfish, the growth of our bones, the skin on a pineapple, and in the shear force of a hurricane. It is one of nature's secret formulas, even when the ratio is slightly imperfect.

For it is in this imperfection that nature has found perfection.

If you would like to explore this topic in more depth, please visit: Is the Nautilus Shell Spiral a Golden Spiral? = Phi ≈ 1.618, The Golden Number at goldennumber.net/nautilus-spiral-golden-ratio/ —Photography and text by Sara Caruso

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hen someone refers to a compound we tend to think of large gated tracts of land. Large can only be defined by comparison. Since 1954 the Pio family has referred to a tract of land between 36th and 37th Street in Brant Beach as the Pio Compound.

The Pio family dates their roots back to 1881 to Piemonte, Italy, world famous for Italian wines. Bartolomeo Pio immigrated to the Philadelphia area in the early 1900s and brought the family’s wine business with him. Pio Wine started its U.S. wine business in California in 1938 where the grapes were grown, harvested, crushed and fermented. The wine was then shipped in glass lined tank cars to Philadelphia where the aging and bottling took place.

In 1960 Bartolomeo sold the winery and transitioned into an international wine importer and distributor. Pio Imports began importing wines from their cousin’s winery Pio Cesare. By 1976 Elmo, Bartolomeo’s third son, created a wine line, Elmo Pio Wines, and began importing it.

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It the middle of the last century it was recommended that Pop (Bartolomeo) Pio leave the Chestnut Hill, Erdenheim section of Philadelphia and head to the sea to cure his hay fever. He chose Long Beach Island and bought his first lot on 37th Street, where he built the first house. His neighbor, Preston Lowden, owned all of the bay front land across the street. Pop bought five lots, one of each of his five children, three sons and two daughters, for a rumored five dollars per square foot.

Pop’s eldest son Albert built the first house on the bay front property early in 1959. In 1962 Elmo, Bartolomeo (Bart) and Gina Pio Cossman’s father, built a house for his family next door to his brother Albert.

Between 1959 and 1973 three generations of Pios lived along the 3700 block in Brant Beach. The family Cape Cod style house that Pop built was lost to Super Storm Sandy. Uncle Albert’s house is the only original structure that remains of the Pio Compound.

When Gina learned that the house was going to be razed she bought it and had it moved to the lot she owns in the compound.

It has taken Gina and her husband a few years to make their dream house a reality. They redesigned some of the living space making it more suitable for the lot and their lifestyle. They are now year round residents in a place that holds many fond memories. Three lots are still owned by family members. Bartolomeo (Bart), Gina and cousin Gail Valetine Smith still maintain ownership of the last remaining Pio properties in the compound.

Bart and Gina continue to maintain an integral part of the Pio Imports. Pio Wines can be found in some of our local restaurants and liquor stores. —Vickie VanDoren. Photography supplied by Gina Pio Cossman

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pray Beach Yacht Club, founded on August 1, 1922, drew its original 41 members, including three junior members, from the local community and long-term guests of the Spray Beach Hotel. Herman Schanche was our first Commodore and dues for the first half season were $2.50. In previous years, a dock for hotel guests stood bayside at the bottom of 23rd Street in Spray Beach.

It was there on that stretch of empty beach we would make our home.

By 1923, SBYC had erected a floating dock – it was all we owned.

Docks were expensive, having to be taken down every fall and rebuilt the next season. Our first clubhouse was built in 1925

by William N. Shinn of Brant Beach. It would be another year before we could afford screens for the windows. Inspired by the new clubhouse membership grew rapidly. Family events involving sailing, swimming, and fishing took place throughout the summer.

Large audiences gathered on our docks to watch the SBYC sponsored Catboat races. Dances, dinners, Bridge games, and masquerade parties were held at the Spray Beach Hotel. So popular was the clubhouse that by 1927 we commissioned our builder to double the size of the building.

Club dues were kept low for many years because Spray Beachers wanted all their friends to be able to join. Though we were not an exclusive club, our membership included influential summer residents like Augustus Keil, the Eckman brothers, and Edward Gerhard a trombonist in the Philadelphia Orchestra and avid Page 76 • Echoes of LBI

fisherman. We also proudly claimed among our members, the head of housekeeping at the Spray Beach Hotel, the wife of the local ice man, and a genuine bayman named Rowley Horner. What our members had in common was a love of boats, the bay, parties and fun.

Throughout the 1920s the club continued to grow happily and steadily, but things changed during the Depression. Very reluctantly, SBYC was forced to exclude friends who couldn’t pay their dues. By 1936, membership had dropped to 31 senior members. What might have been the end of the club became a challenge. Instead of closing the club – our members, Commodore Pfeifer and the ladies in particular – undertook the huge effort of paying off the mortgage and gradually brought the club out of a large financial hole.

By the 1940s, despite the war and the hurricane of 1944, life was returning to normal and the fishing on LBI was great. SBYC built a permanent dock and held numerous Junior and Senior races along with many family events. That summer brought the very fast and popular Bradford fleet – a 16 foot sailboat with a big mainsail – built by our own Neil Bradford, a Long Beach Township police officer. Later, the rise of one-design sailboats brought a new fleet of Lightnings. Our sailors showed their worth in 1951, when Johnny Teigland won the Lightning Internationals. Charles Doré came in third. SBYC would go on to host this big regatta in 1952. One of the Lightning skippers, Lud Wray, a noted football player became

head football coach for the University of Pennsylvania. After leaving Penn, he and a friend bought a small team known as the Frankford Yellow Jackets and gave them a new name: the Philadelphia Eagles.

Faye Rieder Bennet, joined SBYC in 1950, developed a strong Moth Fleet and ran our Junior program. She moved on to the fields of judging, coaching and race management. In 2002 Faye was awarded the prestigious Herreshoff Trophy. In the later 1950s a special family joined our club: Moss Hart, Kitty Carlisle and their children.

During this time Moss Hart was directing the iconic musical ‘Camelot’.

When our new clubhouse was built in 1969, the original building became the Junior clubhouse. A second clubhouse soon followed. Docks were built, land was bought; fishermen and crabbers continued fishing and crabbing while our sailing fleets grew and multiplied. Today, as we approach our 95th season, led by Commodore Nick Grieco, Spray Beach Yacht Club has 485 members, a strong Junior Program, and too

many social events and activities to fit in this article. Yet some things never change – we still love parties, fun and heading out to the bay in boats. —Wendy Glavis, Spray Beach Yacht Club Historian

Board of Directors for the Friends of the Island Library. Front left to right: Laura Arluna, Membership Chair; Judy Bouton, President; Bernadette Callanan, Vice President; Laura Maschal, Treasurer. Back left to right: Kathy McCaffrey, Corresponding Secretary; Marie Cooper, Hospitality Chair; Jim Curley, Newsletter Editor; Carol Dunn, Book Sales; Elaine Viggiano, Recording Secretary.

I

n 1959, a dedicated core group of library users formed the Friends of the Island Library to build the first permanent branch of the Ocean County Library on West 16th Street in Ship Bottom, guaranteeing library services to the Long Beach Island community. For the first 30 years of their existence, their job was to maintain the library building, covering all the costs of labor, maintenance, landscaping, and improvements. Fundraising efforts included book sales and appearances at town council meetings to ensure the library was remembered in the annual budgets.

When the new library opened in 1989 at the border of Surf City and Ship Bottom on Central Avenue – Ocean County government was the keeper of the building. No longer were Friends obligated Page 78 • Echoes of LBI

to work just to keep the doors of the library open. The old library building was eventually sold, giving the Friends a solid financial base that was responsibly invested.

Their first newsletter, edited by Mark Howat, a retired Senior Editor at the Bergen Record, was published in 1995. Since then, the quarterly Friends Report has been produced by several editors over the years, currently by board member Jim Curley, to keep members abreast of library issues, new services and staff, and upcoming and past programs.

Early on, two scholarships were established by the Friends. The Kay Jones Memorial Scholarship, in honor of a past President of

the Friends, gives a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating Southern Regional High School student who has worked or volunteered at the LBI Branch. The $1,000 Eleanor Smith Memorial Scholarship is awarded to an Ocean County resident student or Ocean County Library employee who is enrolled in an American Library Association accredited library school program. These scholarships recognize the contributions of our local teens, and help develop the library’s professional staff.

The Friends sponsor author and music programs, lectures about Island history, and more, that have educated and entertained members of our community. Through the guidance and vision of such past Program Chairmen as Margaret Hawke and Nancy Petralia, today’s Friends Program Committee, led by Vice President Bernadette Callanan, is a well organized group of creative thinkers, whose fingers are on the pulse of the interests of our community.

In addition to supporting children’s programming, the Friends sponsor at least one program every month, and the speakers are always engaging, whether the subject is a local restoration project for the wildlife refuge; or global, like what traveling to Cuba is like; or just plain fun, like learning how to play steel drums, or belly dance. Brain Games, a bi-monthly series, began when four members of the community – one of whom, Phyllis Karp, was a Friends board member – saw the need for, and interest in healthy aging. This program is currently in its 10th year as vibrant and vital as ever being maintained by the participants.

New digital sign and landscaping.

Born out of gratitude for community support the annual Friends Open House kicks off National Friends of Libraries Week in the third week of October. The community can meet and mingle, and enjoy refreshments arranged by hostess Marie Cooper prior to the keynote program.

Several large gifts made by the Friends have improved and enhanced the appearance and operation of the branch. For the first anniversary of the new building, they presented Dolphins, the three bronze figures hanging in front of the circulation desk. For the tenth anniversary, The Friends dedicated a permanent art collection that now hangs in the meeting room when guest artists are not exhibited. A new circulation desk was given out of memorial donations for the 20th anniversary in 2009.

Their latest gift of the much needed digital sign replaced one they had previously donated in 1998. With the help of Mayor Leonard T. Connors, Jr. and the Surf City Borough Council, permission was obtained for the digital sign, and the Friends of the Island Library made Long Beach Island the first branch in the Ocean County Library system to have a digital sign.

Anyone can join the Friends of the Island Library and help support the work they do to make the library an integral part of the community. Yearly membership is only $5 for an individual, $10 for family, and $50 for businesses. There are opportunities for volunteers to help with book sales, programming, and the newsletter. Applications are available at the library. Join us, and make things happen! —Photography and text by Linda Feaster

Above: Brain games. Below: The Southern Regional High School choir performs during the holidays.

A

rthur Cox is a quiet, reserved gentleman. He lives in Ship Bottom in the same house he shared with his parents since the 1960s. His father, Arthur Wilbur Cox, Sr. was one of nine children. The Cox family history in West Creek, New Jersey dates to the Civil War. The Coxes were a large family, as were the Burds and Pharos on his mother’s side. Arthur was born in 1926 in West Creek on the family farm. They had over 40 acres of land and grew sweet corn and other varieties for the livestock feed. They grew fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, strawberries, pumpkins and potatoes. The potatoes, a variety known as Green Mountain, required 10 acres to grow.

On the farm, everyone had chores to do. His mother canned the tomatoes they grew and donated them to the school cafeterias in West Creek and Tuckerton. “My parents were always working on the farm and helping people”, said Arthur. With so much work, there was little time for anything else.

Arthur was 10 years old when he started helping on the farm. It was hard work for a young boy, especially because his work had to be completed before school. His morning chores includes milking the family cow, and spraying herbicide by hand under the potato leaves. The herbicide was held in the Page 80 • Echoes of LBI

canister part of the spraying apparatus. Every morning during growing season, with heavy spraying apparatus strapped to his back Arthur walked the rows of potato plants. Arthur enjoyed helping on the farm. Never did he think of his chores as work.

Arthur was the oldest of five children.

His younger brother Charles had a knack for getting out of doing chores.

He hated milking the cow and would often wander off onto the neighbor’s farms. While Charles enjoyed breakfast at the neighbor’s place, Arthur worked in the fields. When they were old enough, his sisters, Stella, Janet and Elizabeth also helped.

Days are quieter now for Arthur. He no longer works seven days a week. Staying in touch with family is important to him. Charles moved to Florida some time ago. Janet lives in Little Egg Harbor Township and Elizabeth resides in Galloway Township. Memories of the old days – the family farm and Long Beach Island frequent his conversation.

With the help of his nephew Chuck Wilson, Arthur still gardens. He avidly studies seed catalogs with equal interest in the familiar and the new. Mostly, he enjoys tending his tomatoes, just like those his mother canned. The flavor and aroma take him back to those days on the family farm. —Kay Donnelly.

Photography supplied by Arthur Cox

June 1970, 6 a.m. – “Wake up Karter. You’re going out on the tuna clipper for a few days. Pack your bag for three days out there.”

K

arter had just finished second grade the day before. He was looking forward to summer on Long Beach Island: working on his father’s boat the Miss Barnegat Light, playing with friends on the beach, and all the other summer activities boys his age enjoyed.

His father, Capt. John Larson, owner and captain of the party fishing boat Miss Barnegat Light, had been in radio contact with the Canadian tuna boats just off Barnegat Light. Capt. John Burich of the tuna seiner Atlantic Ocean Maid, had just lost his only son in the Vietnam War. He was lamenting this is to our father when Dad offered, “I have four sons. I’ll send one over to you for a few days.”

Karter packed a brown grocery bag with three pairs of socks, three pairs of underwear and his toothbrush. His mother, busy caring for the other six children, including newborn Kraig, didn’t think anything of sending her 8-year-old to sea. She was just too busy with family and helping with the family business. Off Karter went on the daily 8 a.m. fishing trip on the Miss Barnegat Light with his father to meet up with Capt. Burich.

A few miles off Barnegat Light Capt. John and Capt. Burich arranged for the exchange. The skiff was lowered from the 225-foot Atlantic Ocean Maid and motored over to the Miss Barnegat Light.

Pete Bilderbach, the mate on the Miss Barnegat Light, was hesitant to put this 8-year-old into the skiff. “John, are you for real?” Capt.

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Larson replied, “Throw him in there. He’ll be fine.” And off Karter went. As the skiff was hoisted back up to the deck of the Atlantic Ocean Maid, Capt. Burich was there on deck, waiting to meet John Larson’s teenage son. He thought a 16-year-old was coming on board with him. Instead he got an 8-year-old. Capt. Burich ran to the bridge of his ship and radioed Capt. Larson, “John, I’m not here to babysit! What are you thinking?” As he steamed off to the fishing grounds Dad radioed back, “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine.”

And he was. And so was Capt. Burich. The three days at sea turned into 60 days at sea. The Atlantic Ocean Maid sailed all over the East Coast, as far north as Canada. Karter was kept busy helping the captain and crew. He delivered many coffees up to the Captain, worked with the crew on deck and below deck in the processing area. Most of the crew was non-English speaking, so Karter learned some Spanish and Portuguese, and the crew learned some English.

He was a proud eight-year-old when the crew learned to say "SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS." Summer soon came to an end and arrangements were made to get Karter back home. Out on the evening cruise, Capt. John met up with the Atlantic Ocean Maid to retrieve his son. Down came the skiff and over to the Miss Barnegat Light it went with Karter aboard. Getting him on board the Miss Barnegat Light was a bit rougher than getting him off 60 days ago. Nevertheless, over the

rail came Karter like a sack of potatoes. School started the next day.

As most Long Beach Island children do on their first day back to school, Karter’s class wrote their essays of what they did all summer. Karter said that his was the most exciting.

Karter spent the whole summer aboard the Atlantic Ocean Maid with Capt. Burich. He also spent some time on another tuna seiner with Capt. Joe Alioto from San Diego. Capt. Alioto and Karter enjoyed each other’s company. The following year, 9-year-old Karter was out again on the tuna seiners for the whole summer. He spent time with each captain during his second exciting summer at sea.

The day Karter returned home from the Atlantic Ocean Maid there was a little girl named Linda aboard the Miss Barnegat Light. She was on the evening cruise with her grandparents and saw this little boy coming over the rail. Five years later Linda’s family moved to LBI. She and Karter met in school, eventually married and had a son, Tyler. Over the years, both Karter and Linda have said “We just can’t imagine sending him to sea at 8-years-old.”

Thirty years later, Karter and Linda traveled to San Diego. Taking a chance, they called a telephone phone number listed to Joe Alioto they had found in the local phone book. The woman who answered the phone turned out to be Jenny Alioto. When Karter asked if she could guess who was calling – Jenny immediately responded “Karter?” —Karen Larson. Photography from Larson family photos

T

he spectacular sunsets of Long Beach Island are lauded and beloved. But for a homesick young mother from Norway the sunsets were a life-line. “My mother always said if it hadn’t been for the sunsets,” recalls Jane Aitken, “she would never have survived.”

Sittings at the breakfast table in a sun-drenched breakfast room with granddaughter Heather by her side, Jane Aitken tells the story of the coming of her parents to Long Beach Island, New Jersey during the Great Depression. After immigrating to the United States in 1929, Ingvald and Ingeborg Dalland had lived in New York. As a carpenter, Jane’s father had always worked and provided.

Now faced with the grim realities of the Depression Ingvald sought refuge for his family “in a close knitted Scandinavian community on an island where we would always have plenty of food and a place to live,” says Jane. “My father brought mother to Barnegat City.”

The Dalland family found a place within the Scandinavian community of Barnegat City. Ingvald found work on the local fishing boats. Hardworking and industrious, he went on to build his own fishing skiff with local builder and friend Sundquist on 7th Street in Barnegat City, now known as Barnegat Light.

“My mother was from a very cosmopolitan city in Norway,” says Jane. “She wanted to be a dancer; her father thought cooking school would be better for young girls so she became a wonderful cook.” Dancing was still her desire, and she found pleasure dancing with Ingvald. The dance floor would clear as they whirled around dancing the Schottische and Hambo. For Ingeborg, far from home, now with two small children, and her husband at sea for days at a time, life on Long Beach Island must have proven stark and lonely at times. She found something reassuring in the sunsets of Long Beach Island.

Longing for home and far away family - much of the Scandinavian community on Long Beach Island created extended families from within the island community. “Martha Hoff was the oldest woman in the community. Many children called her Besta – grandmother,” recalls Jane. “There were many uncles, aunts and cousins. We were family. There was a lot of sharing.” As family, they shared birthdays, holidays, good times and bad. “Birthdays were interesting,” explains Jane. “Invitations were not needed. The birthday girl got up cleaned the house, made the cake and put on the coffee. At 3 p.m. their friends automatically showed up.”

Built in 1941, the Zion Lutheran Church was the center of the communities Christmas celebrations. A huge Christmas tree Page 84 • Echoes of LBI

decorated with strings of Norwegian flags was placed in the middle of the room. Janes recalls, “Everyone gathered and danced around the tree and sang Christmas songs,” Jane recalls. “Some of the songs were in Norwegian.”

After losing all his lobster pots in the hurricane of 1944, Ingvad sold his fishing skiff; eventually going to Point Pleasant, New Jersey to work on the scallop fishing boats. “My father was gone 10 days at a time,” explains Jane. The sense of family was woven into daily life within the Scandinavian community. “There was a lot of sharing,” says Jane. “Mother would send me to the dock to get a

fish or two for dinner from the other fishing boats that arrived.” Later, Ingvald’s boat would do the same for other families while their men were at sea.

Jane attended school in the local one-room school house in Barnegat City. Ethel Jacobsen and Mrs. Grant were the teachers. “It was absolutely wonderful to be in an environment where you knew every one of the 20 kids in the school,” says Jane. Lasting relationships – beyond friendship were formed. “We became more than friends.

We are as close sisters,” Jane says with a warm smile.

“We’ve never lost touch.” The friends still meet for lunch in June and September each year. “Our mothers were great friends,” says Jane.

With no trees to play in or build a fort, Arnold Svelling and Rolf Englesen had the great idea of making a fort inside the recently constructed Independent Dock storage area. “Janet Hansen and I were the only girls allow to help,” says Jane. The tall stacks of large wooden fish boxes were climbed, played in and gradually rearranged to form an elaborate fort, complete with comic books and whatever else they could squeeze inside. “Dock Master Halton Hem was not pleased with the fort,” laughs Jane. “He came down yelling and threatening to turn the fire hoses on us.”

“Mother was always involved at the church,” recalls Jane.

“Pastor John had a memorial service when Jens Jensen passed.” In memory of Jens a handsome wooden sailing vessel a glass display case was ordered. The glass encased memorial was prominently displayed at Jen’s service.

Jane recalls, “When my Mother saw the little wooden ship she said “Jens is going to be turning over in his grave – it has a Norwegian flag. Jens was a Dane.”

An evening out with friends in Manahawkin brought A. Richard Aitken, Sr. into Jane's life. Known as Dick to friends and family, “He just happened to come along with his buddies,” recalls Jane. On a 30 day leave from the U.S. Air Force, Dick was headed to North Africa with his unit. “We dated every day for the next two weeks,” says Jane warmly. During this time, Jane underwent head surgery. While hospitalized, Dick visited daily, “He sat by my bedside,” Jane says laughing and making a circular motion around her head with her hand. “...with my whole head wrapped in a huge white bandage. “ During Dick’s tour of duty in North Africa – the young couple corresponded almost daily. The arrival of a large wooden crate at the home of Dick’s parents brought much excitement. “We got engaged through the mail.”

Jane says with a glow. “My engagement ring was in the excelsior with the china.” Together, a January 18th

wedding date was set. Invitations were sent out and a wedding reception at the Barnegat City firehouse was planned. Dick was supposed to be home in December for Operation Santa Claus – but he hadn’t arrived. “I hadn’t heard from him since December 10th,” says Jane. The holidays passed, still with no word from Dick. It was January 9th before Jane heard from him – just as she was preparing post cards to cancel the wedding. Dick was in South Carolina and headed for home. Just as planned, on January 18th – Jane and Dick were married at Holy Trinity Church in Brant Beach. “The whole town was invited,” beams Jane. Their wedding reception went on for three days. During their 41 years of marriage, Jane and Dick Aitken raised their children Christi, Rick, Jr. and Tracy.

Over the decades, time and tide has brought change to Long Beach Island and Jane’s family. The bungalow on 9th Street in Barnegat City where Jane was born in 1937 was relocated to 21st Street in Surf City. Their children are adults. The Aitken family has grown with the advent of four grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Sadly, Jane’s loving husband Dick has passed. Yet some things remain untouched by time; the abiding love shared by generations of Janes family and the sunsets of Long Beach Island.

—Susan Spicer-McGarry. Photography supplied by Jane Aitken

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T

he Long Beach Island Fishing Club found some of the best fishing places on the east coast with the assistance of the Upperman brothers. Accomplished fishermen and true sportsman, Bill and Maury Upperman were the developers of the famous Upperman Bucktail Jig. A small, compact fishing lure, the Upperman Bucktail Jig was designed to move quickly through water. With a skilled fisherman on the opposite end, the Bucktail creates that zippy, darting action that most fish find irresistible. This makes it a deadly weapon.

Bill and Maury produced their lures by hand for many years. Molten lead was poured into small cast iron molds to create the famous lima bean-shaped body of the lure. Each lead ingot was then hand painted and attached to a hook. Their secret, learned from the Indians, was to tie on a tuft of fuzzy hair from the tail of a white-tailed deer – the Bucktail. The simplicity of the design gives it the versatility of catching fish in salt or fresh water.

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The Upperman brothers were the first commercial maker of the Bucktail Jig. Their popular lure became world famous when the U.S. Navy made it standard issue as part of the Navy pilot survival kit during World War II. After extensive testing the Navy selected the Upperman Bucktail because it was by far the best. Whether danced through the water on a hand-held line or tied to a bobbing survival raft and jigged by the waves, the little lure caught fish and saved lives.

During World War II, my father – U.S. Navy Pilot Dick Dagnall was shot down several times over the Pacific. As standard Navy issue, the Upperman Bucktail Jig must have been in his survival kit.

Bucktail Jigs have a rich history. For decades they've been a tacklebox staple for saltwater and freshwater fishing.

Manufactured today in an array of colors, shapes, and sizes the Upperman Bucktail Jig is still the one to beat. —Pat Dagnall and Ellen Hammonds.

Photography supplied by Larry Oliphant

L

ong before the advent of local convenience stores and the big box stores on Route 72 small stores dotted Long Beach Island’s eighteen-miles, offering everything from food and beach necessities to hardware and sundries.

By the 1940s, Beach Haven was already a thriving resort with large hotels, boarding houses and grand Victorian homes. Without modern conveniences, life moved at a gentler pace. Vacationing families routinely enjoyed a walk-about collecting the morning paper, mailing post cards and visiting a nearby grocery or bakery. Warm temperatures and sea shore conditions shortened the already brief shelf-life of most pantry foods, causing many to mold overnight. Food kept in an ice box cooled by just a block of ice spoiled quickly.

Koseff’s, Gerber’s, and Peterson’s in Beach Haven along with other local specialty shops, served the needs of the growing community. The Nor’easter in Beach Haven Terrace, Andy’s at the Light, and the Ships Wheel in Harvey Cedars were mid-sized emporiums.

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Most other LBI towns had small Mom & Pop businesses on the first floor or front room of the owner’s family home.

Childhood sweethearts, John Pevny and his wife Marie Beisig of New York City, opened John’s Beachwear on South 2nd Street in Surf City in 1947. Located in a typical cedar shake building, hand lettered signage on the front and sides of the building advertised the dizzying array of goods that could be found inside.

Centered between deep display windows, the wooden front door had a jingly brass bell to announce the arrival of customers to the owner who might be out back hanging the laundry or making a meal in the adjacent kitchen. There was a counter down the center for sunglasses and boxes of beach regalia. Racks of swim suits and sweat shirts, sneakers and beach towels overflowed shelves lining the walls.

Other goods hung on nails or from the ceiling between dangling light bulbs.

Some stores had large tables divided into sections by eight inch boards to form open bins. Tumbled into

those bins might be yoyos or fishing line, dish cloths or hair tonic. Open year round, Marie ordered her inventory from traveling salesmen. Her small shop, like others on the island, supplemented their modest living. John worked many trades and rarely tended the store. He always felt things were too expensive and preferred to give them away.

Their only child, Johnny, was born in January 1948.

Along with other islanders, he attended Ship Bottom Elementary School – graduating from Southern Regional in 1966. Most children worked in their family shop, enjoying all that the island offered in summer and pursuing hobbies at home. Before battery operated and TV game systems, computers and electronics, most teenaged boys were into cars. If the family car had a knocking carburetor or transmission problem, most boys were eager to try their hand at the repairs.

Engines weren’t sealed and computerized like today, so maintenance was easier to figure out and gave kids another opportunity to get dirty. When not helping in the store, Johnny followed this trend. Tinkering with cars in the back yard, he learned to dismantle and reassemble motors. This early interest led John to a mechanics course with Mercruiser Outdrives, East Brunswick, New Jersey in 1969. Johnny worked at Predmore – Smith’s Marina, South 1st Street, Surf City. A career followed as a skilled boat mechanic in town until relocating to Cape May in 1986.

By the 1970s, LBI was growing by leaps and bounds.

More small businesses and restaurants opened offering products for the growing summer and winter population.

What became of John’s Beach Wear? Due to health issues, Marie closed the door of the shop in 1967. Oddly, all the merchandise remained on display throughout the store. As the years passed, through the windows passersby could see swim suits and shirts, towels and tin buckets – everything in the closed store was covered with dust.

Eventually the property was sold in 2000, and the old cedar shake building was demolished to make way for new homes.

Over the decades many family-owned shops adjusted their wears to keep up with changing trends, need and wants of summer and year-round residents. Styrofoam boards replaced canvas rafts which in turn led to today’s boogie boards with ankle leashes. Metal sand pails and shovels that rusted by the end of summer, morphed into seemingly indestructible plastics. Armed with sunblock instead of Noxzema or zinc oxide, moms now make sunburned noses a thing of the past.

Today, the many Mom & Pop shops that dot the eighteen-miles of Long Beach Island continue to give personal service and provide unique one of a kind treasures. Visit any one of those shops and you may find the owner is a third-generation proprietor with LBI history to share. —Carol Freas. Photography supplied

by John Pevny

Almost Better than Christmas Striper Fishing with the Long Beach Island Fishing Club

F

or eight-year old Larry Oliphant, the Long Beach Island Fishing Club’s annual striper fishing trip to Cape Cod was just as good as Christmas, or maybe better. He had worked hard in school the previous year and been on his best behavior. The fishing trip was his reward. So, in early September of 1954, just as school was starting Larry could take off the entire week.

The night before leaving Larry could hardly sleep.

Filled with excitement and anticipation – his stomach felt just like it did on Christmas eve.

A little after midnight, Larry’s parents, Joe and Elizabeth would bundle him – pajamas and all into the families new 1954 Chevy. This year his older brother Allen was joining them. The drive on Route 9 from LBI to Cape Cod, Massachusetts would take 10 to 12 hours. Once underway, Larry would catch up on that missed sleep.

For the group, the trip would not be complete without a stop at the Edaville cranberry bogs in Carver, Massachusetts. Cranberry ice cream was the attraction for the grown-ups. For Larry, the highlight was riding the Edaville railroad.

Originally constructed to haul cranberries and supplies, the 30 minute educational train ride was on old fashioned narrow-gauge, two-foot track – one half the width of current commuter tracks.

Passengers rode on flatbed cars lined with chairs.

The six-car wood and steel train ran five and a half miles through the bogs, around a 400 acre reservoir, over running brooks, and through forest so dense tree branches came within inches of the train. For Larry, the excursion always ended too quickly.

The groups destination was the Cape Cod Canal. Built and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, the seven-mile long canal is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The canal connects Cape Cod Bay to Buzzard’s Bay in the south. For the Long Beach Island Fishing Club the allure was the swift running current. Changing direction every six hours, it could reach speeds of 5.2 miles or 4.5 knots per hour. The canal could be an intimidating place to fish. There were odd currents, confusing tides, unforgiving bottom, and cast-snagging bushes and trees. The challenge was increased by barnacle laden rocks, slippery sea weed and a variety of unexpected odds and ends. For an eight-year old boy, it was fun just to throw sticks into the water to see how fast they would go.

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Members of the Long Beach Island Fishing Club stayed in the Estes Sagamore Rest Cabins about 400 or 500 feet uphill from the canal. Though a short distance, it was quite a walk to reach the canal – down two sets of concrete stairs, across a road and over the rocks. Larry did not fish. Although, he was free to roam and explore; the group always kept an eye on him.

He could almost make it to the bay by himself before one of the members called him back.

One of Larry’s fondest memories was of a little telescope he bought in Edaville. Limited to one souvenir for the trip, he very carefully reviewed his options and decided on a telescope. It was only about

an inch in diameter and had one extension, but it was his special souvenir. Unfortunately, he dropped it in the large rocks down by the canal.

Trying to retrieve his precious telescope, he laid down and stuck his arm down between the rocks as far as he could reach. When his Mom caught him that was the end of the telescope.

One day while wandering along the bayside beach, Larry, Allen and Ethal from the group found scallops. Unable to resist, they collected bushels of fresh scallops. To cook them, Mrs. Oliphant borrowed a frying pan and Crisco from the little restaurant at the cottages. She had to smack Charlie Hand’s fingers, because he was eating those delicious scallops faster than she could get them to the table.

Because this was a vacation they ate out a lot.

The White Rabbit Tea Room in Buzzards Bay was one their frequent haunts. It was famous for place mats that read, “We ask not what thou art; if friend, we greet thee hand and heart. If stranger, such no longer be; if foe, our food shall conquer thee.” It was a nice sentiment, and indeed the food was good. For Larry, it was all about the location – right next to the New Haven train tracks.

Larry was so fascinated when a train went by he would stop eating and just watch the train cars speed along. The trains crossed the bridge on the bay side of the canal. The Army Corps of Engineers had designed and constructed a vertical lift bridge over the bay. Built to accommodate both train and boat traffic, the railroad track lifted-up for ships to pass beneath and dropped down for the train to pass.

For the Long Beach Island Fishing Club the purpose of fishing was just that – fishing. That week many stripers were caught and released back into the waters. For the club members fishing was simple, relaxing, and meditative – just as it is for many recreational fishermen today. —Pat Dagnall and Ellen Hammonds.

Photography supplied by Larry Oliphant

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I

n 2004, Nicole Hoekstra and Steve DiDio met during freshman year at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

One day while traversing the campus, Nicole heard someone laughing in one of the classrooms. Curious, she went to investigate and found Steve listening to comedian Dane Cook's Vicious Circle.

Shortly after this brief encounter, they became close friends. After graduating, their paths went in very different directions, but they remained in touch.

Steve began a career in television at CBS News and Nicole was relocated to Washington DC 200 miles away from her friends and family. In 2012, after many years apart, Nicole decided to invite her closest college friends, including Steve, to visit on President's Day weekend. Although it was supposed to be for one weekend, Nicole and Steve realized they wanted to see each other again.

Plans were already made to see each other the following weekend.

For the next year and a half, Nicole and Steve drove back and forth to see each other every weekend, racking up thousands of miles and a few speeding tickets along the way.

On Christmas 2013, they moved in together at Steve's home in New York. Over the next year, Nicole and Steve's love continued to grow. As the wedding bug began biting everyone around them,

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it was easy to see that these two would spend the rest of their lives together. Long Island medium, Teresa Caputo, even encouraged them on a special edition of NBC News "Today Show," of which Steve is the current producer. After some careful planning, and with the help of Nicole and Steve's family, the proposal was put into motion.

On April 11, 2015 Steve and Nicole flew down to Florida with her mother and step-father for a vacation to visit Nicole's grandparents. A nervous Steve walked Nicole down to the beach at sunset to look for sea glass -- her favorite pastime. With her family watching from a distance, Steve carefully dropped a large piece of sea glass with the words "MARRY ME" inscribed on it. He called out to Nicole, "What a great piece of sea glass I found!" When he showed her, Nicole was in complete shock, but eventually found the words to say "YES!" Not wanting to miss the engagement, Steve's mother, brother and his fiancé flew down to surprise Nicole. Everyone had played a huge part in allowing their love to grow. After a great dinner with both families, Steve had one last surprise in store. They were off to a private villa for the night at Turtle Bay in Siesta Key, FL. —Photography and text supplied by Nicole Hoekstra

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