The BRICK Times Vol. 23 - No. 29
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Local Man Makes Cigar Box Guitars With A Smoky Sound
November 25, 2023
Questions Linger Long After Vet’s Disappearance
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Government Page 7
Community News
Photo courtesy Henry Verdon’s family Photo by Judy Smestad-Nunn
Page 8-12
John Bernyk makes and plays guitars made from cigar boxes, cans and other objects.
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 13
By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK - The history of home-made cigar box guitars goes back to the 1840s when manufactured cigar boxes were first introduced. Their size and avail-
ability made the boxes the perfect body for a low cost, homemade instrument. There was a resurgence of the do-it-yourself instrument during the Great Depression, when people would
make the instruments because they couldn’t afford to buy real guitars from a store, said Brick resident John Bernyk, who has made and sold over 500 cigar box guitars. His interest in creat-
ing the three-stringed instrument was piqued as a kid when he would take rubber bands and stretch them over empty tissue or cigar boxes and pretend it was a guitar. (Guitar - See Page 4)
Patriot Rock: A Painted Landmark With A Mysterious Past
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Originally there was just the painted rock, then flags, statues and a monument appeared.
By Stephanie Faughnan LACEY - Along the winding stretches of Route 539, the dense forest of the Pine Barrens reaches for miles on end. But on the southbound
side, a highly decorated boulder stands out as a landmark in the direction of Route 72. The tales and origins of this otherwise ordinary rock are as vibrant as the red, white, and blue paint
adorning it. Once known simply as the Painted Rock, it transformed into Patriot’s Rock after 9/11, its design giving it a new identity in the wake of tragedy. (Rock - See Page 4)
Henry Verdon remains missing. By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – It’s been 10 years since a loved one saw Henry Edward Verdon, and his family still has a number of questions. He was last seen on July 3, 2014. A friend d ropped him off at the Toms River bus station, said Suzanne Wold, his niece. She lives in Minnesota but contacted this newspaper to see if anyone has a hint as to his whereabouts. Verdon, known by the nickname “Bootsie,” is an Ar my veteran who frequented veteran administration hospitals. He suffers from bipolar disorder and left home without h is med icat ion. He had no cell phone. He wa s la st seen
wearing a black and silver Harley Davidson jacket and blue jeans, she said. He is described as white with gray hair, blue eyes, about 5’8”, and roughly 180 lbs. “The VA hospitals have all been notified should he show up,” she said. “We will be going into his 10th year that he is missing and still nothing. We have been in contact with the detectives at the Berkeley Township Police Department and Henry’s brother has submitted DNA. My dad is 93 and would like to have some kind of closure on his whereabouts.” The family is still wondering if there were cameras at the Toms River bus station that could have recorded him.
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