The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring 2013

Special Edition: BEYOND SANDY FREE Spring, 2013 Spring,

THE TH T HE NEWSMAGAZINE NEWSMAGAZINE OF O OF F SOUTHERN S SOUTHERN OUTHERN OCEAN OC O OCEAN CEAN COUNTY C COUNTY OUNT Y

On LBI, Old Barney Still Beckons Shore Revival News Roundup

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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ou may have heard the LBI area had a close encounter with a storm-of-the-century a few months back. Our dunes and lagoons took quite a blow. Our main streets took on water. As for our beach homes, let’s say the quality of our carpenters and the rigor of our building codes were tested.

In the weeks after the deluge, when our streets were still sandy from Sandy, many wondered whether the shore’s year-round residents would be able to put Jersey’s summer playground back together in time for Fourth of July fireworks. We’re pleased to report that Long Beach Island and Southern Ocean County’s mainland have moved way beyond Sandy. This special edition provides an overview of the progress.

The water is back where it is supposed to be and our 18 miles of beaches are ready for lovers of sun, surf and sand. Our businesses are reopening on schedule and, as a by-product of clean-up efforts, many sport even more off-season renovation than normal. And those beach homes … if you are looking for a shore rental you will have lots of choices. It turns out our builders aced their final exams.

The folks who are lucky enough to call the shore their year-round home take a measure of pride in keeping an eye on things for the summer visitors. This off-season the job of saving you a place at the beach was a little more involved than normal. So on LBI we’re anxious to show the world how well we did.

After perusing these stories we hope you agree that your place in the sun is ready for summer sea breezes. We know you’re counting on us for a great vacation and we won’t disappoint.

See you at the beach.

Editorial and business offices are located at 1816 Long Beach Blvd., Surf City, N.J. All correspondence should be addressed to The SandPaper, 1816 Long Beach Blvd., Surf City, N.J. 08008-5461.

Telephone, 609-494-5900; when extension is known, dial 609-361-9000. Fax, 609-494-1437. www.thesandpaper.net The SandPaper (ISSN 0194-5904) is published weekly January through mid-December

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

SHIP BOTTOM LOCATION IS

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP 609-361-1000 longbeachtownship.com Like all other municipalities on Long Beach Island, Long Beach Township faced numerous challenges in the aftermath of a formidable adversary, Superstorm Sandy. Foremost in our thoughts have been the health, welfare and safety of our citizens and the preservation of life and property in our town.

To that end, we have dedicated our resources to “Job #1” – restoring Long Beach Township, our community, homes and beaches. We are committed to welcoming the 2013 Summer Season and ensuring each of you that this will be the BEST season ever!

We continue in our efforts to secure deeds of easement from oceanfront property owners in order to complete our beach replenishment project that started in Brant Beach last spring. The engineered beaches withstood the winds, torrential rains and high seas wrought

by Sandy. Time is running out for our funding; please urge your neighbors to support our project by signing and returning the deeds to the Mayor’s Office.

Long Beach Island will kick off a summer of great activities with the “Thank You Fest” hosting all first responders of Superstorm Sandy, and their families, to a weekend of spectacular events throughout Long Beach Island. Please plan to join us and save the dates: June 14, 15, and 16. Visit our websites www.longbeachtownship.com and www.

LBIisAlive.com for all information pertaining to LBT and LBI. In closing, I want to assure you that Long Beach Township is focused on a new future that incorporates our history, culture and way of life into a profile that blends the hard lessons learned with the hopes of a better tomorrow.

Joseph H. Mancini, mayor

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

LBI Area Mayors Report Towns Ready for Summer 2013

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BOROUGH OF BEACH HAVEN 609-492-0111 beachhaven-nj.gov As I left LBI on Oct. 28, I never realized the impact that Sandy would have on our lives, and the challenges that would follow.

On Jan. 4 I was sworn in as mayor of Beach Haven and I was proud to be part of the resilient group of first responders, Beach Haven employees, business owners and residents that had already fought through two months of recovery and rebuilding.

Now it is mid-February, and each week additional Beach Haven businesses are reopening, and it appears that we are on track for another great summer season.

This past weekend the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. had its 96th annual Turkey Dinner fundraiser, with a fantastic turnout.

Fantasy Island opened the doors to its arcade, with the amusement park to open in May. Surflight Theatre began selling tickets for the summer season, featuring the blockbuster production of “Les Miserables.”

The Community Arts Program announced its free weekly “Concerts In The Park” summer program, along with its annual Flea Market on June 29.

The Engleside Restaurant and Inn, along with Kapler’s Pharmacy, remained open during the storm, with Buckalew’s, Rommel’s and The Bagel Shack opening soon after.

Foster’s Market, The Gables, Lavish Salon and New Jersey Maritime Museum opened in February, with others opening in March and April.

Bay Village and Schooner’s Wharf will be open in May and ready for the second annual Beach Haven Wine Festival May 18-19.

We are continuing to rebuild our beaches and dunes, as we do each year. Our beach pavilions will be rebuilt and ready for the summer to be enjoyed by all watching sunrises or the stage for wedding ceremonies overlooking the beautiful Beach Haven beaches and surf.

Although our summer season begins with our Wine Festival in May and ends with our Chowderfest Weekend in October, you don’t have to wait for the summer or a special event to visit. Come spend a day, a night or weekend in Beach Haven and enjoy our restaurants, motels, B & Bs and entertainment.

Hope to see you soon. Please visit our website for updates and events: beachhavennj.gov.

Ryan Morrill

Bob Keeler, mayor

Yes, Our Bridge Is Open COMPANY COMING: While recovery is ongoing, the mood is upbeat on Long Beach Island with every business that gets back on its feet and summer event schedules put on the calendar.

BOROUGH OF SURF CITY 609-494-3064 Most of the members of the Surf City governing body have lived and worked in Surf City through many a storm, including the ‘62 storm. Superstorm Sandy was one for the record books. Our hearts go out to our residents and taxpayers who sustained damage to their home and are enduring the sadness associated with being without their home.

We are happy to see more and more businesses opening their doors and preparing for the summer season. The borough of Surf City will be open for business. We are accepting applications for summer employment, and working hard to prepare our public facilities for visitors. The Army Corps of Engineers is moving forward with plans to put our beaches back to pre-storm condition. Although we do not have a set date for that project, we look forward to its commencement.

This governing body would like to take this opportunity to thank our police department, public works and water/sewer department; office staff and the volunteers with the Surf City Fire and Emergency Medical Services; the many utilities, police, National Guard service men and women, and volunteers who helped and protected us before, during and after the storm. Many people spent countless hours going above and beyond. For that, we are deeply grateful.

BOROUGH OF HARVEY CEDARS 609-361-6000 harveycedars.org Dear Harvey Cedars Residents: After the devastating storm of Sandy last fall, we are looking forward to our property owners and visitors returning to our great little town to enjoy the Summer of 2013! Thanks to our beach replenishment project, our oceanfront homes were protected from major damage from the ocean. Granted, we had sand in our streets in the south end of town, but no destruction of oceanfront or oceanside homes.

All of our borough departments did a great job during the storm and have been working hard ever since, cleaning debris and keeping the town running smoothly. In addition, we have had great cleanup assistance from our taxpayers association.

The Harvey Cedars beaches are in line for restoration of the initial beach project that was destroyed, but walkovers and dune protection will be in place for the summer season.

Harvey Cedars will be ready! Welcome Summer 2013!

BOROUGH OF BARNEGAT LIGHT 609-494-9196 barnegatlight.org Dear Barnegat Light Residents: Barnegat Light was so lucky to be spared the devastation of Superstorm Sandy last October. There was so little damage that it was hard to believe we are on the same Island that suffered so much from this storm. Thanks to our amazing dune system we were spared what befell the other towns on LBI. While it is a long hike to the beachfront in the northern end of town, I don’t think anyone will complain again about how far it is.

Many thanks to our Public Works Department and the office staff for keeping the town running throughout the storm and the cleanup during the aftermath.

Barnegat Light looks forward to welcoming back our homeowners and vacationers for summer 2013! We are ready for you to have a wonderful summer and hope that you will share with us another great season at the shore.

Barnegat Light is ready!

Leonard T. Connors Jr., mayor

Jonathan Oldham, mayor

Kirk O. Larson, mayor

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

Bea t e W y!

Sa n d

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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BOROUGH OF SHIP BOTTOM 609-494-2171 It may be hard to believe, but over one hundred days have passed since Hurricane Sandy damaged our shore community. The borough of Ship Bottom knows that in the next 100 days, the signs of summer will be upon us. Borough-wide, much work is being done to recoup and rebuild.

We are busy preparing to be ready for the 2013 summer season. Our cleanup of debris has gone well so far and is over 85 percent complete. Our infrastructure, such as water and sewer, while lacking some backup, is safe and in fine working order. The county is in the process of clearing out our drainage, and we will soon begin a massive street cleaning in the borough.

Work has begun on our boat ramp area.

This area provides for watercraft bay access as well as a fishing and crabbing pier, and also provides restrooms and ample parking.

The next project to be renovated is our popular bay beach area. This area, with its large beach, restrooms and rinse showers, will be rebuilt better than ever. Our playgrounds at the bay beach and the boat ramp are intact and currently are open to the public.

Despite the lack of the much needed beach easements for the Beach Replenishment Project, which would provide federal help, we have been building our beach back up to prestorm contours. We hope that Mother Nature will begin to vegetate the dunes as spring approaches.

Many of the businesses in Ship Bottom are open or are about to open shortly. Some may relocate but are able to still remain in town.

Our homeowners, both full-time and summer residents, are busy preparing their homes so they can return to the Island by spring. For many, it’s still a rough road, but as summer approaches we will be in a better position – a little different, a little better perhaps, but ready for things come summer.

William Huelsenbeck, mayor

TOWNSHIP OF LITTLE EGG HARBOR 609-296-7241 leht.com Dear Residents of Little Egg Harbor: I would like to take the time to summarize the events from Superstorm Sandy to our present efforts at recovery and reconstruction. As you are all aware, on Oct. 29, Sandy hit shore just south of our community. By the 30th we were aware that the storm had devastated a significant portion of our community. One out of every three homes in Little Egg Harbor was affected by either flooding or wind damage.

Our public works personnel immediately worked diligently along with outside contractors to quickly clear the streets of debris and assist the psychological welfare of residents who were staring at their lives on the streets of our town. Quickly, charitable groups within our town gathered donations and people and went to work. Our community pulled together and provided the emotional and physical support required to triumph over events of this magnitude. Operation Blessing came into

town and set up camp at the Lighthouse Alliance Church, reaching out to hundreds of families, providing demolition assistance and some reconstruction work. The thousands of volunteers that Operation Blessing had rotate through our town were provided daily meals

by Tuckerton Lodge #4 F&AM with the assistance of Great Bay PAL, the Order of Eastern Star and more.

Now it is time to rebuild our homes. Initially the town was financially able to waive permit fees to assist those residents looking to get back home. Although that is no longer possible, we are looking for other opportunities to aid residents. Recently we were awarded $300,000 from the Robin Hood Relief Fund (this amount matched the most they’ve awarded anyone) to be used to help residents rebuild. We are working with our partners in the state to obtain Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding and will continue to pursue all possible grant opportunities to get the most for those most affected. We are also using the township engineer to review the FEMA ABFE maps to submit evidence to get them revised to more accurately reflect the flood zones in our town.

Patience and perseverance will be required to surmount the obstacles that lay ahead of us. Rumors abound and are rarely accurate; do not allow them to overwhelm you. Check the town’s website, leht.com, and call the construction office or our assistance business administrator for information and updates.

I can assure you that your questions will be given the appropriate attention they deserve.

We here at the township of Little Egg Harbor are dedicated to the service of our residents.

John P. Kehm, mayor

BOROUGH OF TUCKERTON 609-296-2701 tuckertonborough.com Dear Residents, Friends and Neighbors: We have all suffered from the effects of Superstorm Sandy, but are now beginning our return to normal. As your mayor I am extremely proud of each and every one of you who have prevailed through this tragic disaster. Your homes have been damaged and in some cases destroyed, yet you have rallied and have either started or are planning to rebuild. With your support we will rebuild Tuckerton even better than it was before the storm. Our streets are clean, our garbage is being picked up, and permit fees for repairs have been waived. While many of us are frustrated with insurance companies, and disappointed with FEMA, you can be assured that your local officials are working hard to resolve these issues.

FEMA has many new and improved programs that may assist you in the recovery process. Several are outlined below: 1. The STEP program, designed to allow displaced residents to return to their damaged homes.

2. A program designed to allow for the removal of storm debris from private property.

3. A mitigation program that may provide up to $110,000 to raise your home. (This is a 75 percent federal and a 25 percent homeowner program.)

4. The ICC program that will allow your insurance company to pay up to $30,000 to elevate your home.

5. A state-sponsored program to clear debris from our lagoons.

6. Mitigation Grant programs that may assist us in flood-proofing our community.

Our borough administrator and emergency management staff will be happy to assist you, and will provide the details of these programs. Please call them at 609-296- 2701.

Information is also available on our website, tuckertonborough.com.

Please be assured that I, as mayor, your council, borough employees, police department, public works, fire department, construc-

SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 609-494-7211 visitLBIRegion.com

To Our Friends and Neighbors: On behalf of the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the kindness and support shown to our community as recovery efforts from Superstorm Sandy have been under way. Over the past few weeks, it has been quite clear that the goal for Long Beach Island region businesses is to ensure that their patrons can expect what they always have from our area.

It has not been without challenge that we are achieving this. By working together with federal, state and local agencies, as well as fellow businesses, we have all taken our role as stewards of this treasured place.It became our common desire to preserve the essence, character and style of LBI and surrounding communities. That desire has quickly become reality.

We welcome all to stop into our visitor center year ’round. Pick up guides, maps and information on the upcoming season for local theaters, gallery exhibits and festivals. We are happy to provide information on lodging options and the many restaurant choices available.

Get directions to our beautiful beaches and iconic historic sites, and learn about upcoming special events.

LBI is open, and we cannot wait to see you!

Lori Pepenella Destination Marketing Director tion office and the Office of Emergency Management are here and available to assist you in any way possible.

George “Buck” Evans, mayor STAFFORD TOWNSHIP 609-597-1000 twp.stafford.nj.us Summer at the shore in 2013 will again be a time and place for beautiful, warm sunny days at the beach, summer breezes, good times and memories. Stafford and Long Beach Island will again be wonderful places for families and friends. I am confident that most, if not all, of the local businesses will be open and anxious to greet our visitors.

Superstorm Sandy gave us a punch; however, it did not knock us out. Stafford and all of the communities on Long Beach Island will be ready for the summer season. Stafford has joined forces with the Island mayors to assure all of our infrastructure will be ready and that there will be no interruption to the summer season.

We are blessed with some of the best beaches along the Eastern eaboard; Barnegat Bay will be ready for fishing, crabbing and summer activities. Our white, sandy beaches will still be a great place for families to relax and enjoy a seashore vacation.

Gov. Christie has been working with the state Department of Environmental Protection to clean up all debris in Barnegat Bay and along all waterways; he has promised this will be completed by June.

This summer will bring some changes.

There will be a new Barnegat Bay Bridge

being built to the south of the existing bridge; the construction of the new bridge will not impact traffic. Instead it will show that we are working to rebuild and improve our critical infrastructure; in the future both bridges will be open and relieve traffic congestion on Route 72.

There may be numerous communities on Long Beach Island and the mainland; however, we are all united and working toward making sure we will come back better than ever.

Superstorm Sandy was the worst storm to hit our area in recorded history. It has pointed out the critical role our sand dunes play in protecting our communities. There should no longer be any question regarding the right of someone’s view over the safety of the thousands of homes that suffered damage. We are working toward a better future by learning how to best protect our coastline.

Many of the homes on the Island and within our mainland communities will be still rebuilding and moving forward toward future summers. However, the important thing is that we are all rebuilding because we believe in a bright future.

As always the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean will bring in a new day, a day full of promise, hope and most of all a reminder of all the wonderful opportunities our seashore communities have for everyone. Visitors will see the beaches back to normal, our fishing fleets operating and businesses open. Children will be building sandcastles, and surfers will be out there enjoying the waves. So come down and visit us this summer and build some new memories. We are back!

John R. Spodofora, mayor

Lifelong Island Resident Gives Read on Sandy A

ssemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove of Legislative District 9 is a lifelong resident of the Brant Beach section of Long Beach Township, on Long Beach Island. She is a graduate of Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, where she later taught history for three decades. Gove also served as mayor, and as a commissioner, in Long Beach Township, resigning in 2009 when she was selected to fill a vacant General Assembly seat in the 9th Legislative District. She was then re-elected to this seat in 2011.

The SandPaper spoke recently with Gove about her experience with Superstorm Sandy, and about recovery efforts on LBI and in the surrounding area.

1. Can you provide a snapshot of your experience before, during and after Superstorm Sandy?

Before, I was getting prepared, battening down the hatches. It was a very anxious period.

During the storm, I was at my brother and sister-in-law’s in Port Ryan Morrill Republic, not knowing that I would be there a month. It was nice to be INSIGHTS: Even for an experienced Islander like DiAnne Gove, Sandy was an eye-opener. with family.

I came back onto the Island after the storm with the delegation (Sen. Christo- the storm, and then had to be evacuated by the pher J. Connors and Assemblyman Brian E. National Guard.

7. Can you speak briefly about you, Sen. Rumpf of the 9th Legislative District). We came to check things out, and we also stopped Connors and Assemblyman Rumpf “callto see my house. I was really happy to be with ing on Congress and the President of the Chris and Brian because they made me feel United States to take all appropriate action comfortable. It was hard. I had 4 feet of water necessary to provide further assistance to in the garage and 12 inches in the house. I homeowners who will be hit hard with was glad I was with Chris and Brian. They increasing insurance costs,” and increase were very strong and so supportive. They subsidies for federal flood insurance, as a made me laugh. I can’t thank them enough recent press release reads?

This is something that is affecting so many for being there.

We went down to Holgate, and that was people in our state. I have personal experience and investment in this. What my constituents hard too.

But everyone did exactly what they were are feeling, I’m feeling. The storm has taken supposed to – first responders, police, National a physical, emotional and mental toll. We’ve Guard – and, since the storm, all the munici- been hit really hard. The way the federal govpalities, on the Island and the mainland, have ernment is handling people is criminal. It’s not compassionate. People are getting lost in done a tremendous job cleaning up.

2. What was most striking to you on the the shuffle, especially here on the mainland lagoons, in Beach Haven West and in Little Island post-Sandy?

The next time I came back onto the Island Egg Harbor. The federal government is not was when everyone else could, and what was looking at people’s lives. These are our lives.

8. How do you feel recovery efforts have most striking thing was seeing people’s possessions on the curb. That was most depressing. gone so far on LBI and in the mainland I think we were all glad the municipalities communities affected by Sandy?

Recovery is going well. The municipalities worked so diligently to clean up.

3. How did this storm compare to the have been working hard. Everyone’s working other significant storms you have lived together. The beaches are going to be ready.

We’re going to have a summer; it’s just not through in your lifetime on LBI? This was obviously the most devastating. I going to be exactly what we’re used to. It’s a was a kid in ‘62, and I remember (during the process. It’s moving.

9. What sort of recovery work is still March storm of that year) going to Wida’s with my parents, then evacuating to Southern Region- ahead for the Island and the surrounding al High School. I was 11 years old. I remember area?

On a local level, everything is working that vividly, and I’ll surely remember this.

4. Did you ever expect to see a storm of well. On a federal level, people aren’t getting enough answers. this magnitude hit the Island?

Also, we are working with the DEP (New Never. … You figure it’s never going to Jersey Department of Environmental Protechappen to you.

5. As a former history teacher, can you tion) on the bay.

10. What would you tell people who are give your impression of how Sandy will go considering vacationing on LBI this sumdown in our local history books?

Interestingly, it was 50 years since the mer, but aren’t sure if the area will be back March storm and 20 years since the ‘92 storm. up and running?

We’re open. There are new businesses reSandy will go down as an important part of our history, not only because of the storm itself, opening every day. There are people walking on the beaches. We are recovering. Come and but because of the recovery. We did survive.

6. What was one of the most memorable support the Island.

I always think of a card I received after my stories you heard from friends or constitumother passed away. It said, “Life has changed, ents following the storm?

I remember hearing stories from people not ended.”

— Juliet Kaszas-Hoch who at first decided to stay on the Island during

7 The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

Q&A With Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

8

Rescue Me LBI Beachfront Homeowners Must Be Forced to Do the Right Thing

By KEVIN M. ROONEY s a retired attorney and year-round resident of Ship Bottom, I have had it with the amount of misinformation being peddled by certain lawyers and “amateur lawyers” in connection with the beach replenishment easements Long Beach Island’s municipal governments have asked beachfront owners to sign. In Sandy’s wake, their willful ignorance or, in some cases, deliberate obfuscation has crossed the line from irresponsible citizenship to reckless endangerment of our entire Island community. The inane objections some have raised about the easements, especially in light of our recent brush with total devastation, have placed our Island in existential peril, and they should be challenged with vigor through any and all legal means available until all beachfront owners are forced into doing the right thing.

Many opponents of the replenishment program have chosen the diversionary tactic of quibbling with the form of the easements, rather than challenging the concept of building an engineered dune system through the process of granting easements itself. Perhaps it’s easier on their conscience to hide amidst a self-produced smokescreen than it is to confront their civic responsibility. In any event, three basic arguments have been circulated on the Island for several years in opposition to “the wording of the easements.” Each of these arguments lacks substance and would not pass muster even with a first-year law student. They are, in fact, red herrings that have no place in a serious discussion about protecting our Island.

Here’s why and how Island residents can let their irresponsible neighbors know that they are aware the holdouts are completely on the wrong side of this issue:

A

Boardwalks and Bathrooms: Perhaps the most specious of all of the arguments advanced in opposition to the wording of the beach easements is that the easements do not adequately list the kinds of things that owners want to prevent the government from doing on the portion of their dune subject to the easement. People point to the fact that the easements do not, for instance, specifically prohibit the government from building boardwalks and bathrooms on the dunes – activities that have nothing to do with the purpose of the easements. This, I suppose, may sound like a reasonable argument to some people who have never drafted a legal document. It is not. To anyone who has ever had to draft an easement, this argument is pure and utter nonsense. This is not how a proper easement is drafted!

A basic rule of legal drafting addresses this argument directly: That which is not included is excluded. Now, while this may sound like complicated legal jargon, it is actually a very simple and obvious proposition. The beach easements specifically state what the government is permitted to do on a property owner’s dune. In short, they are permitted to take what action is necessary to build and maintain the physical integrity of an engineered dune system. That is all they are permitted to do because that is all that is given to them in the easements! Anything not listed cannot be done. The easements set forth those things that can be done, not those things that cannot be done.

This is exactly how the easements should and must read. You simply cannot draft the easements in the negative. Try it, and you will soon see what I mean. After all, when you send someone to the grocery store, you give Continued on Page 62

Ryan Morrill

DRY-DOCKED: Just barely. More than three months after Sandy, this boat was still in limbo, perched precariously on a Ship Bottom bayfront dock.

Weather Lexicon Has No Word for Sandy

By F. BLAKE RIVAS he language of weather has hundreds of terms that we have come to understand, yet there are still many that are “new” to us. These terms have a rich history evolving from ancient times to the people-ofthe-land, who had their own expressions, to the modern scientist who first expresses a term to describe an atmospheric phenomenon he or she is studying.

T

Holgate: A Special Place at the End of the Road

By SCOTT MAZZELLA hown here are two photos you might think are completely unrelated. Normally, you would be right. One shows Holgate at the southern end of Long Beach Island in mid-November, a veritable quarry.

The other is the 2014 Chevy Corvette, which was introduced to the world this week. To illustrate how the Island is bigger to the universe than anyone really knows – outside of us Holgaters, of course – I want to share a story.

In the early 2000s, the current Corvette, known as the C6, for sixth-generation Corvette, was shrouded in mystery. No one really knew what the “new” Corvette was about. What was it going to be like? Well, I am a big Corvette fan – not that I can actually afford one, but that doesn’t matter.

One late afternoon I headed up Jacqueline Avenue and spotted a red car coming down Long Beach Boulevard. Sensing that this looked like a sports car, I waited to see what was coming my way. As it approached, I quickly realized it was a Corvette ... with fixed, exposed headlights! My heart raced, my adrenaline pumped; it was the new Corvette! The Corvette no one had ever seen!

Continued on Page 10

S

Ryan Morrill (At right) Courtesy of General Motors

SADNESS AND SPLENDOR: There’s a connection between the state of Holgate (photo from November) and the 2014 Corvette. Read on.

The term meteorology goes back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who in 340 B.C. wrote a book titled Meteorologica covering the sum of knowledge on weather at that time. The word hurricane derives from the Taino language of Central America, which called the storm hurucan, the “god of evil.” The word typhoon comes from the Chinese word taifung, meaning “big wind.” The word tornado comes from Spanish, meaning “twisted wind.” The term derecho also comes from Spanish, meaning “straight,” and describes a straight-line path of wind damage extending for hundreds of miles. It was first used in 1888 by Gustavus Detlef Hinrichs in his scientific study. When first used by the National Weather Service, it was new even to meteorologists.

Correctly categorized as a hurricane, Hurricane Sandy was a never-before-type-ofstorm well beyond the standard scale of hurricanes. The present scale of the tropical storm family indicates the energy, the fury, of each tropical cyclone. It starts with a depression, when the storm first assumes a circular motion around a low-pressure area. It becomes a named tropical storm when the sustained winds reach 34 mph and is called a hurricane when the winds reach 74 mph.

The energy of the fiercest hurricane in past history in no way compares to the energy released by the 1,000-mile-wide storm called Hurricane Sandy. For true comparison of a storm above and beyond the standard scale, there must be a new category. With hundreds of scientific studies of Hurricane Sandy presently under way, it is probable that one scientist will come up with this new category, as has happened in the past.

However, as with the term hurucan named by the people-of-the-land, the Caribs, who had firsthand knowledge of the horror and devastation of these tropical storms, it is only fitting that this new category be suggested by one of the thousands of New Jersey residents who suffered directly from the horror and devastation of this apocalyptic, historic storm.

Y F. Blake Rivas lives in Tuckerton.

9

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Continued from Page 8 And it had Michigan plates! It was headed for the sanctuary parking lot.

So I raced down the Boulevard to the lot.

Out of breath, I made it just as two men were getting out of the car. By then I could tell that the Michigan plates said “manufacturer” on them. I asked them if they worked for General Motors, because I knew no one had really seen the car yet, much less been able to buy one. They explained that they were doing a shakedown cruise of one of the preproduction Vettes.

As I stood there, I analyzed every curve of that car. They invited me to sit in the driver’s seat (yes!). As I visually pored over every detail of the dash, I asked them why they came here, to the sanctuary. Did they know of Holgate? They explained that they kind of just kept going until they couldn’t go anymore. They just wound up in the heart of our Holgate. A treat for them, I’m sure, for the sanctuary under normal conditions is some sight, especially in the evening. It was a miraculous treat for me to be in the right place at the right time with unexpected and sudden full access to a brand-new model Corvette.

On Jan. 13, the new Corvette was unveiled, the C7. The same day, news of the closing of the Long Beach Island Trailer Park – the same trailer park that the prototype Corvette streaked by a decade ago – spread throughout Holgate. My excitement for the new Vette was overshadowed by immense sadness at the loss of the trailer park. Sure, the ambience of Holgate is going to be forever changed, drastically so, but Holgate is used to that (Bonds, anyone? Horners?).

It’s the people who call the trailer park home whom I feel bad for. They are our friends and neighbors, and, thanks to Sandy, they may lose the very thing we all hold so dear, the very thing so many Holgate residents are still holding onto by their fingernails. It’s hard to imagine an entire neighborhood being a victim, but here we are watching it, and it is incredibly sad and frustrating.

There is a draw here, to Holgate. Those engineers felt it. A new Corvette ended up here because of it. There is just something here. All of the tension this storm has wrought upon the southern end has me worried. Some of the Island’s spirit is being tested rather severely. We can fix things, but we can’t fix relationships that have been shipwrecked. Sandy gave us all a very good opportunity to grow as a community. That opportunity has sprouted and grown solidly and successfully since the moment the last lick of waves left the Boulevard. But we cannot let what divides us geographically, monetarily or residentially devour the positive strides we have made.

Holgate welcomes all. Holgate invites anyone who “gets it” to enjoy everything she has to offer. For two engineers it was a sunset and a few moments to enjoy her splendor.

For me, it has been 29 years of summer, and some winter, memories of sun, sand and Jacqueline Avenue’s amazing residents. For others, it’s a generational experience that is treasured and nurtured. For some, it’s the “real world” – full of hard work and toil, and less relaxation. But for all of us, it is the same intrinsic rewards that unite us. What it says on your license plate doesn’t matter. Once you pass the Holgate sign, you’re a Holgater, like it or not. You’re here and you’re one of us.

So, next time you go up the Boulevard, listen for a V8 rumble. Maybe the all-new Corvette will be rolling by with two engineers on board who remember this special place they accidentally found 10 years ago.

Wave and welcome them. And remember that we are all in this together. We are all one. We are all Holgate.

Y Scott Mazzella lives in Matawan, N.J., and Holgate.

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12

BEYOND SANDY

Arts Alive

Pat Johnson

PLOT IT OUT: (From left) LBIF Executive Director Kristy Redford, Special Events Coordinator Lydia Owens and Public Program Director Amy Carreno make plans for the summer catalog.

More Than Ever, Foundation Is Outlet for People’s Emotions On-Site Events Help Community Pull Together

S

uperstorm Sandy was capricious in the way she dealt her damage. Ocean- and bayfront homes in North Beach were rocked by waves and inundated with beach sand; but Loveladies, just a bit north, was spared the brunt of the storm. Luckily, the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, was not heavily damaged, and most of the cleanup was limited to the grounds around the building.

In gratitude and in sympathy with those who did lose their homes and belongings, the Foundation held an “After the Storm” party in November to encourage Island residents to “Recover, Relax and Rebuild.” Then in January, it hosted the “East Coast Rising” film event that netted $12,000 for Sandy relief.

The focus for the Foundation in 2013 will be to continue to build on the community spirit that coalesced in the weeks after the storm, said new Foundation Director Kristy Redford. “We’re here to be part of the community, to increase the strength of LBI residents. It’s great when we all pull together,” she said.

Redford lives in Surf City and has family in Beach Haven West whose home sustained damages, so she has firsthand experience with the recovery process.

“I’m overwhelmed with the strength of the LBI community; we’ve shown our incredible, beautiful colors since the storm. People aren’t strangers anymore. It’s OK to walk by anyone’s home and ask if they need a hand.”

People also have found refuge from their storm-related stress at the Foundation through the art classes and special programs. The ceramics department has been particularly crowded on Saturdays, said Redford.

“We’re excited to do everything we can for people, and we are an outlet for people’s emotions. I’ve heard people say, ‘I really needed this time to express myself through art, to have some enjoyment,’ and it’s nice to be able to provide

for that spiritual renewal. It’s lovely to have that sense of community within our walls.”

Redford is already planning an awesome spring and summer at the LBIF. She took over the reins from departing director Chris Seiz in January.

“We’ve released the spring catalog, and the Foundation is ready to rock and roll,” said Redford. “We’re putting the finishing touches on the summer catalog, and we’re going to have an exciting summer. We are open; we are ready.”

Some of the activities that proved popular last year, such as the Cocktails and Canvas event and Date Night in the Food Studio, will return, said Redford. “In May, we are having visiting artists teach a two-day workshop on figure painting. We also have a yoga day, and we’re taking summer camp registrations for ages 3 to 16 now.

We offer a wide variety of programs because we believe in diversity in the arts, not just the visual arts, but music and dance, too. We’re also keeping an eye on how to more effectively use our space for community gathering-type events.

“The Cocktails and Canvas events are fun because people can drop in for a day, and even if they’ve never picked up a brush before, they can try it and have fun with it.

“We want to appeal to everyone. Those who are on vacation for a couple of weeks can find things they can do here – language, writing, Science Saturdays, film events and tennis. Tennis is great for stress, and we have memberships available. Many of our Science Saturdays are all about the bay and how we can have a healthy Barnegat Bay. “We’re also excited about our 65th anniversary this year; we will be hosting a history exhibit of photographs. It’s nice to know where you’ve been so you know where you’re going.

We love hearing stories of how kids were sent to summer camp (at the LBIF) and came back and started teaching here. That love of the Foundation is really neat to see.

Ryan Morrill

HIGH AND DRY: The popular observation tower and other critical areas of the Tuckerton Seaport remain open following Sandy.

Programs Continue at the Seaport While Repairs Shore Up Shops

T

he rebuilding effort at the Tuckerton Seaport was in full swing as of Feb. 1, said Seaport Executive Director Paul Hart. “It’s our first month of restoration; everything done prior was rip-out and remediation.”

Programs are continuing. The chocolate cocoa cup miniature golf tournament was in mid-February as was the murder mystery dinner. The goal is to have everything ready for the summer season.

The Seaport’s 40 acres lie between Tuckerton’s Lake Pohatcong and Tuckerton Creek. The creek is tidal. It connects with Barnegat Bay at Tuckerton Cove, and Superstorm Sandy’s storm surge was high enough to almost float the docks off their pilings.

The boardwalk wasn’t damaged, but all of the little buildings, the decoy shops and the South Jersey Folklife Center, had 2 feet of water in them. Perrine’s Boat Shop, farther down by the creek, had a bit more

“We’ve been getting calls, emails and cards asking, ‘How are you? When can we come back?’

“We’re here, we’re open and we have a ton of stuff to do coming up.”

The LBIF is also open for weddings and special events. “It’s wonderful to get married on the beach and then come and have the reception under our roof. The beach is still beautiful, and people love having our artwork as their backdrop.”

And Redford said people can be assured that many of their favorite annual events are happening in 2013: The Black Maria Film and Video

water, about 3 feet. The Visitors Center sustained damage to its lower level, but Tucker’s Island Lighthouse sat high and dry along with the original decoy museum, now known as the Hunting Shanty.

These buildings are open along with Scojo’s Restaurant. There is no admission while the Seaport rebuilds, though donations are requested.

“The surfing museum in the lighthouse is open, as is the U.S. Lifesaving and Tuckerton Railroad exhibits, and everyone loves to climb to the observation tower,” said Hart.

Because it is a public entity and hosts school groups, the Seaport had a commercial company specializing in mold remediation sanitize the buildings. “We have to be very careful,” said Hart.

“None of our school groups have canceled,” he added. “Isn’t that neat?”

“All of the restoration will be done by Continued on Page 56 Festival is June 29, the LBI Open Studio Tour is June 22 and 23, the seventh annual Barnegat Bay Day and Go-Green Expo is July 5, the 24th annual Juried Arts and Crafts Festival is July 20, and the 47th annual Seashore Open House Tour is Aug. 7.

“Last summer was an exciting time, and we’ll be even stronger this summer,” she promised.

The LBIF is now on Facebook and Pintrest, the virtual, online bulletin board. Connections to social media can start at the foundation website: lbifoundation.org. Find the spring catalog online also.

— Pat Johnson

13

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

14

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his will be the seventh summer for the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History in Beach Haven, featuring thousand of photographs, historical documents and vintage newspaper accounts of New Jersey shipwrecks. Founded by Deborah C. Whitcraft, the museum features a computerized database and user-friendly filing system of more than 7,200 shipwrecks and maritime disasters. The facility, easily noticeable with its sea-foam green exterior on Dock Road, has displays of artifacts recovered from wreck sites along with a lending library of New Jersey history-related books.

Its mission statement says, “The display of artifacts will encourage maritime research, historical instruction by guest lecturers and promote the education of the public about New Jersey maritime history.”

While it has numerous monthly lectures on Friday nights in the off-season, summers are devoted to weekly children’s programs and talks

by Alliance for a Living Ocean and ReClam the Bay. “But I think this summer, we may have more organizations come and give presentations,” she said.

Whitcraft said that in late 2011, the museum and other Long Beach Island nonprofit organizations formed an alliance to help facilitate promoting programs and possibly seek grants to upgrade their offerings.

“We’re not trying to compete with each other,” she said. “It is important that these organizations work with each other. In these tough economic times we have to stress that we offer programs and activities low- or nocost. Our theme is that Long Beach Island is more than a day on the beach.”

She said Superstorm Sandy made such an alliance even more crucial to keep LBI thriving.

“We have to find the common threads that link us together. Then we need to create a list of tasks, which might be done as a group, to help increase public exposure of our events and programs.”

Whitcraft said that while flood waters came within a few inches of the museum’s first floor, there was “no damage to the museum or its contents.”

“Although the elevator, workshops and garages were destroyed (on the lower level), we consider ourselves

ARTIFACTS INTACT: The Long Beach Island Museum’s exhibits were spared from Sandy’s wrath.

Historical Museum Ready to Go With Programs and Activities

A

Jack Reynolds

UNWRECKED: The Maritime Museum is preparing for a busy summer despite some structural setbacks.

Summers are devoted to weekly children’s programs and talks by Alliance for a Living Ocean and ReClam the Bay. lucky compared to many of our fellow Islanders ... who lost so much more and are courageously working to sal-

vage what remains of their businesses and homes.”

She said that despite Sandy, people need to “focus away from the gloom and doom.”

“I think with our alliance working harder than ever, we’re going to have a great summer,” Whitcraft said. “We have a very resilient community, and we’re going to bounce back.”

For more information, call the museum at 492-0202 or log on to www.

NJMaritimeMuseum.org.

— Eric Englund ericenglund@thesandpaper

lthough it sustained some exterior damage due to Superstorm Sandy, the LBI Historical Association Museum in Beach Haven won’t let it get in the way of another season of activities for 2013.

“None of our exhibits on the inside have been damaged,” said Jeanette Lloyd, borough historian.

“We have all our photographs and artifacts intact. We’re fortunate that our building is a little elevated so we did not get the water damage like other places got.”

Housed in the original home of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church, built in 1882, the facility is owned and operated by the LBI Historical Association. It is located on the corner of Engleside and Beach avenues.

Special events planned for the summer include the trash and treasure yard and bake sale, a Taste

of the Island Porch Party and the chocolate fair.

Monday nights are reserved for the museum’s lecture series, where people can learn a variety of topics related to Island history.

“Our last program of the series will be about Sandy, because of the impact it had on us,” said Lloyd.

She said that despite all the town-wide damage, she sees a borough that is “slowly coming back to life.”

“More stores have been opening, and more are close to opening,” Lloyd said. “You can see more people coming back, too, and I think people in town are seeing that we’re going to have a good summer.”

She said the museum’s website is currently being updated, but people can still call 609-492-0700 for more information.

— Eric Englund

LBI’s Original Museum Escaped Sandy’s Wrath, Ready to Thrive

T

Supplied Photo

SEE THE LIGHT: The Barnegat Light Historical Society and Museum houses the lens of the original lighthouse beacon.

ucked away in what once was a little schoolhouse is the Barnegat Light Historical Society and Museum, located on 501 Central Ave. in Barnegat Light.

The museum was unscathed by Superstorm Sandy, so there will be no hitches when it opens beginning weekends on Memorial Day and then every day during July and August. The building was originally constructed in 1903 and converted into a museum after the school closed in 1954.

“The main objective is to keep the history of Barnegat Light alive and available to the public through preservation of artifacts in the restored schoolhouse museum and through various programs and events promoting our museum, our society and the long history of our town,” says the

museum website, (www.bl-hs.org).

Karen Larson, historical society president, said the museum’s signature attraction is the original flashing lens from the Barnegat Lighthouse, designed by French physicist Augustin Fresnel. When it was removed in 1927, it was sent to the Tompkinsville Lighthouse Depot on Staten Island, but was returned to Barnegat Light in 1954.

A lifelong resident with deep roots to the town’s history, Larson said the museum houses a collection of bird decoys, a pot-belly stove from the old schoolhouse, a friendship quilt given to the first lighthouse keeper’s daughter in the 1860s and old mailboxes.

She pointed out that many of the museum’s earliest artifacts were donated by Norwegian immigrants who

came to the borough in the 1920s to work on the area’s commercial fishing boats. Then the community was known as Barnegat City; the name was changed to Barnegat Light in 1949.

During the summer, Larson said, children participate in treasure hunts, and the museum conducts a historic walking tour of local Victorian homes.

“Up until 1976, we were the only historical museum on the Island,” said Larson, referring to the opening during the Bicentennial year of the Long Beach Island Historical Association Museum in Beach Haven. “But we still offer exhibits, memorabilia and photographs detailing especially the rich history on this end of the Island.”

— Eric Englund ericenglund@thesandpaper.net

15 The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

16

BEYOND SANDY

Arts Alive N

either rain, nor hurricane nor dark of night can cramp the creative spirit. The artists of Long Beach Island and beyond will be exhibiting their artworks in some of the same venues the public has come to enjoy each summer.

The Jersey Shore Fine Arts Festival hosted by the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce and directed

by Paragon Arts Events returns to the Ethel A. Jacobsen School recreation fields at the corner of Barnegat Avenue and West Fifth Street in Ship Bottom, Saturday and Sunday, June 8 and 9. The festival brings together more than 100 top artists and crafters from across the nation as well as local artists who will interact with the public. Admission is always free.

The event showcases more than 15,000 pieces of world-class artwork in clay, fiber, wood, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, painting, photography, sculpture and more.

The LBI Open Studio Tour is

always a favorite event as artists welcome the public into their creative space and their studios and demonstrate their art processes. Learn how artists paint with wax encaustic, create glass beads, throw pots on the wheel and paint lovely scenes of Barnegat Bay. The eighth annual LBI Open Studio Tour is Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23.

This is a free event for visitors using a self-guided map and brochure.

The tour has grown in popularity as visitors are able to meet the artists, ask questions and, in some cases, make art of their own.

The Arts Festival at the Jewish Community Center of Long Beach Island will be held rain or shine on Sunday, Aug. 18, in the new center at 2411 Long Beach Blvd. in Spray Beach. This is a show for arts and crafts with more than 100 booths.

The 23rd annual Harvey Cedars Craft Day by the Bay will be held Saturday, July 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Artwork by Linda Ramsay

RIDE ON!: ‘Beach Bike’ by High Bar Harbor artist Linda Ramsay frames the beach-going experience. Ramsay is one of the organizers of the LBI Open Studio Tour and invites friends to paint plein air with her on the day of the tour. at Sunset Park. Expect more than 100 crafters to set up bayside.

Historic Viking Village hosts two arts and craft shows May 26 and Sept.

1. Two antiques and collectible fairs are on Aug. 4 and Sept. 15. These events, all on Sunday, are held rain or shine.

Historic Viking Village is on 19th

Street at the bay in Barnegat Light.

The 24th annual Juried Arts and Crafts Festival at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences will be Sunday, July 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. More than 150 fine artists and crafters offer handmade clothing, jewelry, basketry,

Remains of the Shack, Salvaged and Shaped With New Jersey Pride

I

n the marsh on the eastbound side of the Causeway Bridge, all that endures of the Shack – that implausibly (formerly) longstanding and beloved Long Beach Island landmark – is pilings. In the workshop at his New Gretna home, though, Ben Wurst has been at work with a scroll saw creating cutouts in the shape of the state of New Jersey from Shack wood he salvaged after Superstorm Sandy.

A batch of 20 sold out in 48 hours after he posted them for sale online at the end of December. Initially, Wurst was a bit bowled over by the popularity, but then thought, “I wasn’t really surprised, knowing how people are connected to the Shack.”

On Wurst’s Reclaimed LLC Facebook page, one user called the items “a piece of history.”

Last month, more Shack wood cutouts were made available on Wurst’s Etsy page, along with other cutouts and frames made from nonShack, but still storm-salvaged, wood. For all of January, he donated 30 percent of proceeds from the sales of items made from Sandy debris to two local nonprofits, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Ocean County and the Tuckerton Seaport.

“People (could) have a piece of the Shack and help a local organization,” Wurst noted.

Outside of his job with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of N.J., and as a husband and dad of two young kids, Wurst has steadily built a business – Reclaimed LCC – from a love of the natural environment, woodworking and art. He makes handmade wooden frames, driftwood trees, corkboards and other custom creations entirely from re-purposed material, thereby reducing the amount of waste destined for landfills.

Soon after Sandy ravaged the local area, Wurst said, “Me being a collector of wood … definitely I’m looking on the side of the road. After the storm, it was something you just couldn’t miss.”

His intentions, as always, were to save wood from the landfill to use for his projects.

On Oct. 30, the Harvey Cedars Police Department had reported that the Shack – after just a few years shy of a century – was gone. Early in December, there were still significant debris piles in the right-of-way on the side of the Causeway Bridge – “a lot of mixed lumber,” wood from decks, sections of dock, and,

Supplied Photographs

RECLAIMED: (Above) In the marshy right-of-way south of the eastbound Causeway Bridge, Ben Wurst salvaged pieces of the Shack following Superstorm Sandy. (Right) Wurst transforms the old yellow pine wallboard into cutouts of New Jersey. said Wurst, “the obvious remains of the Shack.”

“It was easy to tell it was the Shack because there were whole sections of wall” of old yellow pine, as well as joists, and the structure’s familiar cedar shake siding, about 200 to 300 yards away from the spot where it had stood.

As Wurst explains on his business website, reclaimednj.com,

“I managed to salvage a whole truckload of wood as grappler trucks from out of state were clearing debris from where I found the remains of the Shack. I was lucky to save a large amount of wood before the trucks came and took it all away. The Shack is officially gone now; it’s headed to a landfill or incinerator. At least the wood that Continued on Page 60

ceramics, etc. The LBIF is located on the Boulevard in Loveladies.

The festivals and shows are a great way to support the arts on LBI and treasure what makes the Island a special place.

— Pat Johnson patjohnson@thesandpaper.net

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LBI Photo Postcards Will Get the Word Out

By PAT JOHNSON ince Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc along the Jersey coast and images of that wreckage were sent worldwide by the media, how do you get the images of destruction out of the minds of potential shore vacationers? Long Beach Island has never had a problem attracting the summer crowd to its white-sand beaches, but now, those awaiting them this year are a bit nervous.

Freelance writer Jon Coen and his wife, photographer Ann Coen, of Ship Bottom, decided it was time to let the world know LBI is still here and will have the same attractions this summer as it always has: white beaches, superb restaurants and great places to rent for a season, a week or a weekend. To get the word out, they created 11 postcards of Long Beach Island using Ann’s photographs and Jon’s prose.

Thousands of postcards, printed by local surf and skate apparel company Jetty, will be mailed by real estate agents, Island residents and local schoolchildren to people who love LBI but can’t see firsthand the progress that’s been made and is continuing. The hope is that the beautiful and imaginative images will replace the post-Sandy images of destruction as LBI communities have moved far ahead in their cleanup and restoration efforts.

S

“This is a critical time for certain shore areas whose entire economy hinges on three summer months,” said Jon Coen. “While it was hit hard, the Long Beach Island region did not sustain the damage of other areas. LBI is moving at double speed to have homes, businesses and beaches ready for summer.”

In the era of high tech, will old-fashioned picture postcards do the trick?

“This postcard idea is very 1953, so we hope it will get noticed,” he said. “Everything today is digital, so something that looks good and you can hold in your hand is unique. And as a destination, LBI is a very traditional place.

Of course, the real objective is public relations.

The irony is that the idea has to go viral. This was an inexpensive way to remind people what a great place this is and let them know we will be ready to go this summer.

“Since the storm I have been working with Jetty + Waves for Water LBI Outreach,” he continued. “We’ve gone from the stages of delivering donations, gutting houses, mold remediation and awareness, funneling money to local families and now, rebuilding. Part of that is marketing LBI. Ann has a library of epic images of LBI at its very best moments. This was an inexpensive way to remind people what a great place this is and let them know that we Continued on Page 70

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17 The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

18

BEYOND SANDY

The Next Stage Surflight Theatre Rallies To Reopen, With Help From a Bunch of Friends S

urflight Theatre in Beach Haven took a serious hit from Superstorm Sandy, but there’s an old saying in theater – the show must go on!

An actor is sick? Well, this isn’t Broadway or a national tour, there is no understudy, so buck it up, Bud, you can sleep after the performance!

What, you simply can’t go on, you’re off to the emergency room? OK, kid, here’s your chance to play a lead, all you have to do is learn 60 pages of lines in the next couple of hours. Hey, if you have to, scrawl them on your arms or inside your hat, pin notes in the lining of your jacket, whatever. The show must go on!

The lighting board blew up? So be it; techies can improvise as well as performers. Patch it, patch it; the show must go on!

The sound system went dead? Excuse me, that’s why they emphasized voice projection in acting classes; the show must go on!

Opening is just 12 hours away and the rented costumes have been lost in shipping? Why do you think God created secondhand shops? Get going, girl, the show must go on!

Never did the old adage ring so true as for Surflight Theatre in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

Sandy flooded the theater and its ancillary buildings, ruining carpet, soaking seats, molding costumes. Stock scenery was destroyed; power tools, so necessary for the building of sets, were corrupted.

Not just Surflight but the entire length of Long Beach Island was in disarray in the aftermath of Sandy. The late-fall season, including the critical-to-the-budget holiday show, was cancelled, not only because the theater itself was damaged, but because there were simply no customers. At first they weren’t allowed on the Island; when people did return, they had larger concerns than attending a show.

That was, perhaps, more devastating than the physical damage because Surflight, like so many Island businesses, pays its bills with summer money and builds a surplus in the fall.

So Surflight has been smacked upside the head again and again. Could the 64-year-old

theater possibly continue?

The answer is a resounding yes. The show will go on. Surflight lives!

It will be open on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22 and 23, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m. when Southern Ocean County’s longestrunning community theater troupe, the Our Gang Players, perform the comedy classic “Arsenic and Old Lace” (call 609-597-0553 or visit Our Gang’s website at ourgang.org to order tickets, which are a mere $10, excepting the opening night gala, which will include delicious treats at intermission, raising the price to $15).

Our Gang will continue to rent the Surflight space through early April, with a two-person show, “The Last Five Years,” starring the troupe’s veteran performers Ryan “PJ” Mulholland and Nicole Dawdy, running from March 8 through 10, and the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic “Carousel,” holding forth on April 5 through 7.

The first actual Surflight production of the 2013 season was announced on Monday.

“Thank You for the Music – A Modern Tribute to ABBA” will run from April 23 through May 4.

That’s just the beginning of a long season featuring shows such as “Sleuth,” “The Boy Friend,” “George M,” “South Pacific,” “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “Our Town” and “White Christmas.” Let’s not forget the jewel in Surflight’s 2013 crown, “Les Miserables,” which will run from July 31 through Aug. 18.

So how did Surflight rise from the ashes (or, more appropriately, perhaps, the muck)?

Just as the Island community at large, along with volunteers from around the country, has banded together to bring LBI back from the near dead, so has not only Southern Ocean County, but the entire state of New Jersey, joined forces to help Surflight to perform a good imitation of Lazarus.

The pair of $10,000 emergency grants provided by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation (created by the late pre-pop-artist superstar) and the New Jersey Recovery Fund (created by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the Community Foundation of New Jersey) certainly

Photographs by Jack Reynolds

SET THE STAGE: (Top) A trash bin outside Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven reveals equipment destroyed by flooding sustained during Superstorm Sandy. (Above) A crew readies the stage for Our Gang Players’ presentation of ‘Arsenic and Old Lace,’ starting Feb. 22. helped. But it was Surflight supporters who have been most instrumental in the theater’s recovery.

According to R. Andrew Watts, chairman of the Surflight Board of Trustees, some $100,000 was personally contributed by members of the board. Then there was the physical labor put in by the employees of the Eastern Lift Truck Co. of Maple Shade.

Ocean Professional Theatre Co. Plans Busy Season

T

he Ocean Professional Theatre Co. didn’t escape the wrath of Superstorm Sandy, even though its performance spaces aren’t on Long Beach Island. The company, said Artistic Director Steve Steiner, stored its costumes in his garage in Beach Haven. That garage, along with Steiner’s home, was badly flooded in the storm, so much so that the costumes, along with some technical and set-building equipment (the combined worth was approximately $100,000), were totally ruined.

Still, it could have been worse. The aforementioned performance spaces were spared.

Plenty of mainland Southern Ocean County was hard hit by Sandy, places such as Beach Haven West, Tuckerton Beach and Mystic Island. But the OPTC produces its shows at the Barnegat High School’s Bengal Auditorium, and the OceanFirst Theatre, which is attached to the Stafford Township School District’s intermediate school. Both schools are located well west of Route 9, so they experienced no flooding. In fact, OPTC was able to go ahead with its holiday show at the OceanFirst last December.

The 2013 OPTC season, therefore, won’t

be affected at all by the legacy of Sandy (other than the fact that the company’s staff will be busy scouring secondhand shops for period costume pieces for months). And it promises to be quite a season, with such a wide variety of shows that just about everyone should find something they like. “’S Wonderful,” a new Gershwin musical, will kick off the festivities at OceanFirst from May 14 to May 19. It includes nearly 30 hits by the incomparable brothers George and Ira, including “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Rhapsody in Blue.”

The action will shift to the Bengal Auditorium from June 20 to June 29, when OPTC will present “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” will follow, from July 5 to the 13th.

From July 17 to 27, cats – as in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” – will overrun the Bengal Auditorium stage. The show from July 31 to Aug. 10 will be “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

Steiner once had a long run as the artistic director at Beach Haven’s Surflight Theatre. The biggest-selling show he ever produced there was “The Buddy Holly Story,” so it makes sense he’s bringing it to the Ocean Professional Theatre Co. from Aug. 14 through the 31st.

The fall lineup includes Irving Berlin’s “I Love a Piano,” from Sept. 11 to 15; “A Closer Walk With Patty Cline,” from Sept. 25 to 29; and, just in time for Halloween, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” from Oct. 23 to 27. “Piano” will be performed in the Bengal Auditorium; “Closer Walk” and “Legend” will be at the OceanFirst.

Finally, from Dec. 6 to 15, an original show will take the OceanFirst stage, with a book by longtime Surflight and OPTC favorite Andrew Foote that was developed from an idea by Gail Anderson Steiner and with vocal arrangements and orchestrations by her husband. It is called ”Holly Jolly Holidazzle.”

Tickets for all of the 2013 season are already available. Single tickets are $35 (children 12 and younger can get their tickets for $20), but subscription plans are available that can drop that price to as low as $29 each.

Groups of 15 or more can also be accommodated with plans that include lunch or dinner.

All tickets can be ordered now by phone at 609-312-8306 and will soon be available online at oceantheatre.org.

— Rick Mellerup rickmellerup@thesandpaper.net

Why were employees of this company, with headquarters in western Burlington County, involved with Surflight? Bill Lawton, head of Surflight’s development office, said the owner is a summer resident of Beach Haven and a longtime supporter of the theater. When disaster struck, said Lawton, the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, was quick to offer his support.

So for the past seven weekends, his employees – who were quick to say the unnamed benefactor was a great boss whom they could go to with any problem and who was highly active in the community – have volunteered their time at Surflight and its associated Show Place Ice Cream Parlour. About 10 of them have been cleaning, repairing and painting, assisted by members of Maple Shade’s Boy Scout Troop 28 and Cub Scout Pack 28.

Their assistance, said Lawton, was invaluable.

The ice cream parlor, in particular, was hard hit by Sandy. One room was so badly flooded that its floor collapsed. (Lawton said that local developer Patrick Moeller, another Surflight supporter, would soon be replacing it.) The rest of the parlor, said John Penton, one of the volunteers, was so badly damaged that at first sight he couldn’t believe it would ever reopen, to say nothing about being up and running this spring.

“It was destroyed,” Penton said. “It had been under about 2, 3 feet of water. It was a mess.”

But by Saturday, Feb. 9, Show Place, along with Surflight, was well on the road to recovery, as is Long Beach Island, with yet another business opening just about every weekend. The show must – and will – go on.

— Rick Mellerup rickmellerup@thesandpaper.net

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

WELCOME SUMMER...Art is still alive on LBI

19

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

20

Photographs by Ryan Morrill

Anticipating Summertime

‘East Coast Rising’ Event Praises LBI’s Recovery Efforts T

Photographs by Ryan Morrill

Ann Coen

SUPPORT SYSTEM: More than 300 people showed up at the Arts Foundation in Loveladies on Jan. 26 to show their support for local Superstorm Sandy relief initiatives, which have been largely driven by local apparel company Jetty, and disaster recovery nonprofit Waves for Water, led by founder Jon Rose (Top right). Participants watched the release of ‘East Coast Rising,’ a 23-minute documentary of the storm as seen through the eyes of the area’s local surfers. While serenaded by jazz-fusion tunes played by local band Nicotine and brown, they sipped cocktails and enjoyed food catered by Mud City Crab House. A raffle and silent auction offering surfboards, skateboards and local art helped raise more than $12,000 for the area’s continuing recovery.

he sound of clinking beer bottles, genial conversation and jazz-fusion tunes played by local band Nicotine and brown filled the dimly lit gallery of the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies on Jan 26. More than 300 people gathered to view the release of “East Coast Rising.” The 23-minute documentary, produced by Transition Productions, chronicles the before and after effects of Superstorm Sandy on New Jersey’s shore towns, as seen through the eyes of local surfers. The film showcases the surfers’ anticipation of large waves brought on by the hurricane season, as well as the looming fear of destruction that could, and did, occur.

Many of the night’s participants had already watched the heartwrenching video online, via a link on the Jetty + Waves for Water Facebook page, which has been keeping residents abreast of the group’s Sandy relief initiatives. Yet they really wanted to come out to show their appreciation for the relief efforts spearheaded by the shore’s surfing groups.

“I’m here because I want to support any activity that helps the victims of Sandy recover. When surfing’s involved, you know it’s important," said Stafford Township Mayor John Spodofora. “It gives us a better attachment to the ocean and nature because you’re riding in concert with nature, not against it,” added the long-time surf enthusiast, who grew up in Manahawkin and Surf City.

The event raised more than $12,000. The $20 tickets sold out weeks in advance, and there was an extra $10 donation for beer and wine as well as a raffle. A silent auction included such items as artwork donated by local artists, including Ann Coen, Matt Burton and Chris Pfiel, as well as a stand-up paddleboard valued at $850 donated by Paddle for a Purpose via South End Surf ’N Paddle. A package given by Royce Weber included a 5-foot 10-inch Roberts surfboard along with onehour surf and sailing lessons.The funds benefited Waves for Water’s Unite and Rebuild relief project, which, in conjunction with local apparel company Jetty, has helped repair many of the Superstorm Sandy-devastated towns along the coast, including Long Beach Island and the surrounding communities.

“It’s always great to have these moments,” said Jon Rose, founder of the California-based nonprofit organization Waves for Water. “Events like these are nice reminders and validations of the work that’s happening. They’re morale boosters. It’s important to keep the momentum and spark going.

“I’ve worked everywhere: Japan, Pakistan, Haiti. It doesn’t matter where a natural disaster happens. It’s a little easier in a first-world country because everyone can pool together leftover resources, but there are still the same human needs. Disasters don’t discriminate,” he added.

Depending on the need, Rose said the organization would continue Continued on Page 60

21 The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

Presents the 2013 Season

er Steve Steicntor Artistic Dire

2:00 pm: May 14, 15, 19 3:00 pm: May 16 8:00 pm: May 16

2:00 pm: June 20, 23, 26, 27 8:00 pm: June 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29

2:00 pm: July 7, 9, 10, 11 8:00 pm: July 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

2:00 pm: July 18, 21, 24, 25 8:00 pm: July 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27

2:00 pm: August 1, 4, 7, 8 8:00 pm: July 31, August 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10

2:00 pm: August 15, 18, 21, 22, 25, 28, 29 8:00 pm: August 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

2:00 pm: September 15 3:00 pm: September 11, 12 8:00 pm: September 12, 14

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

22

BEYOND SANDY

On a Rebuild Roll Visit LBIisAlive.com for Rebuilding Information

L

ong Beach Township’s LongTerm Recovery Committee intends not only to provide LBI residents and business owners with the information they need to rebuild after Sandy, but also to ensure the public at large that the Island will be in fine shape for the summer season.

The group, chaired by township Commissioner Joseph Lattanzi, consists of four subcommittees: retail and restaurants, building/housing, community relations and public information, and government affairs.

As LBI Health Department Director Tim Hilferty explained in his role on the community relations subcommittee, the overall goal is “to organize and manage the recovery process through a number of areas. … Representatives from the community affiliated with each sector were selected to assist the township as we move forward,” and intend to provide information and confidence to the entire community throughout this trying time.

“Our first order of business was to get the information to see where we were,” Lattanzi explained, and to then disseminate that information to homeowners and business owners.

A website – LBIisAlive.com – is one way the group can broadcast accurate information to the public, about which businesses are reopening on the Island, government notices, details on upcoming events or charities, and more. “We hope to update that pretty regularly,” said Lattanzi.

“The committee identified the issues and determined best practices and best information. We want people to make the best decisions moving forward with recovery,” said Police Chief Michael Bradley, who helped organize the group. “We’re trying to make it comprehensive,” and to help people answer the question “Where do we go from here?”

In addition, as Hilferty pointed out, “Our short-term emphasis is to reassure the public that businesses, tourism, homeowners and government will recover for the 2013 summer season.”

In conjunction with the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, and with help from Jetty + Waves for Water, the LBT Long-Term Recovery Committee launched a “See You This Summer!” sign campaign in the community, with plans to expand the effort with more signs and banners.

Ryan Morrill

SUMMER’S COMING!: The Long Beach Township Long-Term Recovery Committee joined with the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce to launch a sign campaign, just one component of the group’s Island revitalization efforts.

The committee estimates that, Island-wide, more than 90 percent of restaurants will be open this summer (perhaps minus the typical annual turnover), and more than 90 percent of rental properties will be available.

“A survey of retail food establishments over the past few weeks has displayed that an overwhelming number of operators plan to return for the summer of 2013,” the group states. “Several establishments have indicated a plan to open even earlier than normal to service the increased number of contractors.”

As Hilferty noted, even many of the businesses in Beach Haven that were greatly affected by the storm are working diligently toward reopening.

In addition, “A survey of beaches throughout the Island displayed that with the exception of dune damage and erosion, they were relatively free

of any trash and debris and should be ready for summer access.”

Surveys are in also progress to determine the number of damaged homes in which the owners may not have begun remediation. “As of this time, various sections from Brant Beach to North Beach Haven display a majority of properties have initiated clean-out and repair to their homes.”

As the committee summarized, “With the exception of certain harderhit areas, we expect the great majority (of the Island) to be normal by April.”

To help homeowners and business owners affected by the storm reach the point of normalcy, the LBT LongTerm Recovery Committee offers a few pieces of important information.

First, all individuals with structures damaged in the storm should have notified their insurance company or the Federal Emergency Management

Barney’s Fresnel Lens Beacon Under Repair After Sandy

T

he surging at sea level was angry, but the torrent at the top snatched the lighting capacity of Barnegat Lighthouse’s beacon during Superstorm Sandy. Repairs are still under way.

The lighting mechanism for the Fresnel lens was made in New Zealand, so fixing it has not been as simple as the flick of a switch.

“The light fixture that was installed is made by a company in New Zealand, so there is no repair technician for that unit around here,” noted Cynthia Coritz, superintendent of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park.

“It was off right after the storm, and the Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, who purchased that light about five years ago, have been working with Paul Suarez, maintenance supervisor for the lighthouse,” Coritz said.

“It’s been off and on. When we got the electric back on after the storm, we noticed that the light was still out.

They went up and investigated and replaced the battery. They thought they had solved the problem, and it worked for a little while, and it went back out.,” Coritz said. “So the Friends then purchased a more heavy-duty battery and again that lasted for a little while, and it went back out again.”

A battery charger regained the light for only a couple of hours at a time. “They were in contact with the company several times and did all the

Ryan Morrill

LET IT SHINE: It has become a daunting task to repair the New Zealand-made beacon of Old Barney after Sandy. steps that the company recommended … but something is drawing the battery down.”

The next step was to contact the U.S. Coast Guard at the Barnegat Light station. The beacon is an official Coast Guard-approved aid to navigation. “The commander kindly put us

in contact with a technician in Cape May, and the next thing they are going to try is to install an inverter,” Coritz said. “That replaces the battery and charge system altogether.”

The equipment was at the park in January and could hopefully be installed soon thereafter, park repre-

sentatives said.

When the lighthouse was relit on Jan. 1, 2009, more than 7,000 people attended in bitter cold weather. The nonprofit Friends group had organized and led a fundraising project to purchase the beacon, and the Friends continue to maintain it. —M.S.

Agency of wind or flood damage.

After filing claims and having the house inspected, property owners should at some point receive a check, or multiple checks, from their insurance company.

“For a property that has a loss payee or mortgagee on it, the check will include their name in addition to all named insureds,” the committee writes. “In addition to those, if a public adjuster was used, their name will also be included. Do not endorse the check if these additional payees are included.

Contact them to determine how to proceed with getting the check endorsed, so that the funds may be released for repairs to the property. A separate check will be issued for any contents damage. Payment for building damage for a primary home is on a replacement cost basis, while a secondary home is paid on an actual cost basis. Contents for both is paid on an actual cost basis.”

Second, when hiring contractors for mold remediation or construction work, “do the due diligence,” said Hilferty, and check to see if the contractor is licensed and legitimate.

Meanwhile, as an architect on the committee emphasized, “One of the biggest considerations many homeowners are facing is whether or not to raise their house to the new FEMA Minimum Flood Elevation. New flood maps are available at FEMA’s website, fema.gov.

“Large portions of the bay side of the Island have been designated V-zones, which stands for velocity, as in wave action. Before the new maps were released, the V-zones were only on the oceanfront. In practical terms this means that every structure below the raised first floor must be constructed in a manner that allows the walls to break away from the structural elements when struck by debris or moving water. One can no longer raise a house in the V-zone by simply adding more cement blocks on top of your existing masonry foundation. We recommend consulting with a local architect or structural engineer who is up to date on the new codes and building techniques required to raise your house properly.

“You may be required to raise the house if your home requires a certain amount of work. In Long Beach Township, it is required when you are spending over 49 percent of the replacement value of the home. You can find out what that amount is by visiting the tax assessor’s office.”

Continued on Page 60

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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Vid Kid Creates Sequel To ‘Hope’; New Footage Reveals ‘LBI is Alive’

H

igh school filmmaker and storm relief activist Jimmy Ward is at it again. This time the Southern Regional sophomore has teamed up with the organizers of the “LBI is Alive” campaign and released a video by the same name, as a follow-up to his hit video “Hope.”

In the first video, Ward wore a plain black T-shirt with the word “hope” in white on his chest. He ran past wreckage and piles of debris, and the act of running itself symbolized the momentum of hope amid devastation.

In the sequel, which premiered online Wednesday, Feb. 6, Ward again stars as the runner, this time wearing a brightly colored T-shirt emblazoned with the “LBI is Alive” slogan. He again runs past Island scenery, now punctuated with many signs bearing the same slogan, and the act of running carries the symbolism of forward motion and progress. The message is simple and straightforward: Things are shaping up fast here on this little storm-battered barrier island.

The video shows how the Island community is transitioning from a state of hoping to rebuild to a state of actively rebuilding, he summed up.

Ward was invited to meet with Sand Dollar Real Estate owner Pat Sepanak and Southern Regional’s Sharon Faith, a teacher and adviser of the national extracurricular program Distributive Education Clubs of America, to discuss and plan the creation of a video that would show Long Beach Island rebounding from Superstorm Sandy, rebuilding and readying to reopen for summer 2013. Sepanak, along with her daughter, Sam, had started a campaign on LBI, with signs proclaiming “See You This Summer!” for the business community to display.

The concern was tourism on LBI might suffer this summer due to misconceptions that the Island is “all gone and destroyed,” Ward explained.

“They knew about my ‘Hope’ video that I previously made, and that’s why they asked me to be a part of the ‘LBI is Alive’ campaign. … After the publicity of the first video I made, we were confident this new one would have even more impact.”

The timing for the sequel video is strategic, as the first video (released in November) is still fresh on people’s minds, and the rental market is poised for vacation season.

Sepanak’s view is equally opti-

Ryan Morrill

SOPHOMORE EFFORT: Jimmy Ward was cameraman, star and editor of both videos, which show the transition from devastation to active rebuilding. The new release was made in conjunction with the ‘LBI is Alive’ campaign. mistic. According to a recent “LBI is Alive” press release, a poll of local real estate agencies shows the expectation is for more than 90 percent of rental properties to be available, and almost every business owner polled is planning on opening. Some businesses have worked diligently since the storm to reopen even earlier than usual. Many res-

taurants, bars, retail and food stores are newly renovated and waiting for the guests to arrive. “Take a trip down and see our ‘sea of signs’ in front of our establishments that are open or will be opening shortly,” she urges. Currently more than 200 businesses are on board with the campaign, according to Ward.

“The experience of filming a

sequel to the ‘Hope’ video was awesome,” he said. “People recognized me as the ‘Hope kid’ when I was on the streets filming the new video and were excited for the new release.”

In his travels – shooting took about 12 hours – he met Island business owners, workers and residents who told him how the “Hope” video Continued on Page 60

Christie’s Objective: ‘Functional’ Summer

A

nswers to issues plaguing property owners and residents in the wake of Superstorm Sandy came from Gov. Christie on Wednesday, Jan. 16, as he addressed questions from a packed audience in his town hall forum at St. Mary’s Parish Center in Manahawkin. Initiatives span new grant money for homeowners, renters and businesspeople, as well as a pledge to prod insurance companies that are reportedly stalling on payments. Christie also added a promise to support beach renourishment.

Plans are already being made for New Jersey’s share of the $50.7 billion Sandy relief bill that passed the House on Jan. 15. The bill, which Christie expected to swiftly pass the Democrat-controlled Senate, contains $17 billion to be shared by New York and New Jersey for grants to “rebuild homes, rental assistance and business grants,” he said. ”We’ll be working with the federal government to get that money here.”

His hope for the shore’s summer of 2013, he said, is to get the area “functional and livable again, that enough businesses are going to be open that people are going to come here, and the beaches will be in good enough shape and put together and ready to go ... and we’re going to want to make sure that there are enough properties rebuilt that are used as rentals ... so that people can take a week off and take a deep breath that we all need.”

What is important is “getting our beaches rebuilt, getting our amuse-

ments and boardwalks rebuilt, getting our businesses rebuilt and getting people back in their primary residences,” the governor said.

“But when the president signs this bill, don’t expect, for those who have been affected by this, that the next day I’ll be on your doorstep with a check,” he cautioned, later estimating a fourto-six-week processing time.

Beach rebuilding ranks high among other earmarks for the funding. “Some will go to the Army Corps (of Engineers) – there should no longer be any debate over whether engineered dune systems work or they don’t,” the governor said, answered by applause from the audience. “And they protect inland areas as well.”

Christie supported beach replenishment with a strong admonition to the few oceanfront homeowners who refuse to sign beachfill construction easements for their properties.

“We had people lose their lives in this storm; we had people lose eveything they owned in this storm.

And (to refuse to sign) to protect

Ryan Morrill

HEAR HERE: Christie listened, responded and repeatedly garnered cheers from the audience during his 100th town hall forum, at St. Mary’s Parish Center in Manahawkin Jan. 16. He pledged action from the state level to prod insurance companies, provide answers to building code uncertainties, replenish dunes and issue a grant program supporting rebuilding. (Above) Colleen Cochran, of All Saints Regional School, asks how else students could help. your view, sorry,” he said, stirring the audience to a standing ovation. “I am going to do everything in my power, under the law, to make sure these dunes get built.”

Christie told the audience that he had pointed out to President Obama the difference that a replenished dune system made in areas where the beach-fill projects had been done.

“I flew with the president in Marine One two days after the storm. ...

I said, ”Mr. President, this isn’t an optional thing anymore. If you want to protect the economy, protect property and people, we need to do this.’”

He added, “I’m going to do ev-

erything I can to make sure that some private homeowners aren’t going to be the ones that either stop that from happening or hold taxpayers ransom for their views; it’s not right.”

Three million cubic yards of debris have been cleaned up statewide, Christie announced. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do,” but with the federal funding, “the good thing is, now we have the wherewithal to do it.”

Regarding uncertainty that homeowners are facing about whether they must elevate their repaired homes, and not getting answers, the governor said he would make the decision himself on required building elevations.

“I’m making this decision, and I’m making it next week,” he told Marion Romano, a real estate agent from The Van Dyk Group, when Romano related the frustration that homeowners are having.

A lack of information thus far on required building elevations was one issue that some municipal officials had mentioned to SandPaper reporters before the town hall meeting.

Stafford Township Councilwoman Sharon McKenna had said, “I want the people of Stafford Township to know with certainty what they need to do to rebuild. Right now, day by day, Continued on Page 26

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Most questions in the public Q & A period came from year-round mainland residents and centered around insurance issues, as home and business owners shared their struggles to rebuild following Superstorm Sandy.

Jackie Terefenko of Beach Haven West told Christie that she held a $150,000 policy on the house that the family had since 1964, but “my insurance company is done with me after (paying) $40,000.”

“They’re not done with me,” Christie replied, to hoots of applause. He directed an aide to obtain her contact information, as he did with several others who spoke.

The governor said he had his Hurricane Sandy Working Group together the other day and “I told the insurance commissioner, ‘Whatever you’re doing, it’s not enough.’ I expect him to present to me a plan to put regulatory pressure on the insurance companies to go faster and get this money out to our homeowners,” Christie asserted.

Tom Paxton, owner of Great Bay Marina in Little Egg Harbor Township, and Susan Scott, a co-owner of Beach Haven Yacht Club Marina, said they had received no insurance money since the storm to repair docks. They pleaded with the governor for grants.

Christie said the $50.7 billion Sandy aid bill from Congress could also help address mainland homes such as the estimated 9,000 damaged or destroyed in Beach Haven West in Stafford Township, and Mystic Island in Little Egg Harbor.

Colleen Cochran, the student council president at All Saints Regional Catholic School, was called “a politician in training” as she impressed the governor with her “articulate and self-assured” delivery in asking him what more the students could do to help. This inspired Christie to speak on the importance of restoring the shore.

“It’s more than dollars and cents,” hee said.

“It’s a way of life.”

Joanna Connelly had traveled from her sister’s home in Morristown, where she has lived since Sandy forced her to completely gut the innards of the Beach Haven West house she occupied for 15 years. She tallied up a list of concerns that will increase her cost of living, from flood insurance premiums to potential tax increases. It has left her with the sense that those living there year ’round on “slabs and bungalows” are witnessing the “end of a modest American dream.”

Connelly’s most pressing concern involves raising her home following new flood zone guidelines instituted last month by FEMA. Compliance would be necessary to avoid drastic increases in monthly flood insurance payments.

“It’s forcing this modest American dream right out of our grasp,” she said.

“We are not Long Beach Island,” Connelly would later say. “I think we’re being priced out.”

Christie told her she would not necessarily have to put her home on pilings. Yet Stafford Township Administrator James Moran, speaking privately with her later, said she would have to raise her house on that property because of the low elevation of Beach Haven West, built on former tidal marshlands.

Moran said no matter what other options are available, the cheapest way to rebuild in Beach Haven West, as of now, would be tearing down one’s home and building a modest new house on pilings, which he claimed could be done by some local builders for between $200,000 and $250,000.

The town hall meeting concluded with Christie explaining why he chose Stafford for the location of the 100th town hall meeting in his administration: “This is the heart, right here.”

— Maria Scandale and Michael Molinaro mariascandale@thesandpaper.net michaelmolinaro@thesandpaper.net

27

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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‘Celebration of Community’ ‘LBI United Emergency Services’ Stands Together

ALL GAVE: A strong turnout of local heroes and apparatus makes a dramatic statement of ‘thank you’ to all first responders of Superstorm Sandy. Those pictured came out for a group photo on Saturday, Dec. 22, at St. Francis Center in Brant Beach. LBI United Emergency Services arranged the photo to show LBI spirit and to acknowledge the members of fire, police, EMS, National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard and other units that ‘worked hard to ensure the safety of residents of Long Beach Island.’

St. Francis Center Is Again Home For Many Community Programs

I

Ryan Morrill

FINISH LINE: The competition-size indoor pool at St. Francis Center is once again the element for success to practicing school teams from Barnegat and Southern Regional high schools.

t’s a good start to 2013 when St. Francis Community Center is back in its home location in Brant Beach. By Monday, Jan. 7, a high school swim team was using the indoor pool, children of working parents were back in daycare, and many of the offices were abuzz in the rest of the facility that serves all of Southern Ocean County.

The center, sited on the bay at 4700 Long Beach Blvd., opened its doors on Jan. 2 for the first time since Superstorm Sandy. A few services are still operating from their temporary mainland locations, but many have now been moved back to Brant Beach.

“We’re starting slowly but surely to come about and do what we need to do for the community, and we’re working hard to do that,” center Executive Director Connie Becraft told The SandPaper on Monday afternoon.

“We’re trying to bring staff back, we’re contacting volunteers, we’re in the process of moving the food pantry back here, and we’re getting the basketball (leagues) up and running,” she listed as a few examples as the center was in about its 30th hour of re-establishing services and programs in the flood-affected building.

The restoration company, Broadco, gave the go-ahead to return to the center at the beginning of the year, and Wednesday, Jan. 2,

through Friday, Jan. 4, the moveback began. Some departments had been working part-time until more assessments were done to heating, plumbing and refrigeration systems, as well as specific needs in various departments.

“Please understand we are in no way fully operational, but once we are back in the facility, we can determine what will be required,” the center’s website informed at that time.

The community center building also houses staff offices of St. Francis of Assisi Parish.

“We’re very busy moving forward, and we thank the community at large for their support,” Becraft said Jan. 7.

“The Southern Regional swim team is here today for the first time; Barnegat is on their way to coming back, they have given me their schedule; and we’re up and running. Children’s services are back; parish offices are back.”

Children’s Services resumed pre-school and childcare programs on Jan. 2.

Play time is indoors, however.

“The outside playground was totally washed away and is not able to be opened. St. Francis will require financial assistance to replace the area,” Communications Coordinator Lori Dudek said.

Other external operations, including the outdoor pools, “are still in

recovery mode,” Dudek said after checking with the center director.

More Specifics On Program Hours Hours of the community center are: Monday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The center will be temporarily closed on Sunday.

The indoor pool is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Session III swim lessons and classes are scheduled to start on Saturday, Jan. 12; registration is at the front desk of the community center.

High school swim team practices and meets can again be held in the competition-size pool, and so will the physical education swim classes attended by students of the Long Beach Island and Ethel Jacobsen schools.

All repairs have been made to the gymnasium, so the Prep League basketball games are scheduled to start Jan.19.

In a press release issued Jan. 7, more specifics were listed for the community’s information. Senior Services is among the highly used programs.

“The St. Francis Senior Services, located at 179 S. Main Street (Route 9), Manahawkin (in the Southern Ocean Service Center), Continued on Page 33

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(Next to L.A. Restaurant)

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Call 609-978-1800

Call 732-244-1215

655 Route 72, East

120 Rt 37, West

SALE ENDS 3/31/13

Est. 1971

Please No Dealers. Most items in stock for immediate delivery or customer pick-up. Rain checks are available on items out of stock, unless offered in limited quantities. All sale prices in effect now and thru 2/28/13. Lay away available. Mattress only purchase is available on most models.

Prices of mattress only range from 60-80% of set price. Free delivery and set-up available on all sets advertised in this ad within Ocean and Monmouth counties, delivery to other areas in NJ & NY available. Other merchandise may carry a delivery and/or set-up fee. Some items require assembly. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Not responsible for typographical errors. Pictures are for illustration purposes only and may not represent item exactly. Removal of old bedding is restricted to mattress and box spring only. *See store for details.

WE ALSO CARRY • Bunk Beds • Futon Beds • Day Beds • Murphy Wall Beds

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

30

BEYOND SANDY

On a Rebuild Roll Ryan Morrill

JUST A BUCK: This Cape Cod-style house was built in Beach Haven in 1935. It suffered nearly 3 feet of floodwater from Sandy.

You Can Buy This House for $1; Relocate and Rehab Fees Extra

I

Ryan Morrill

SEE SPAN: The $350-million, seven-year project will encompass a three-mile stretch, including all four bridges.

Causeway Project on Deck, Slated to Begin This Spring T

By VICTORIA LASSONDE he Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Causeway construction/ improvement project will cost $350 million and be complete in 2020, state officials announced. Superstorm Sandy has altered somewhat the scope of the project, which will cost $100 million more and take a year longer than previously expected.

At a meeting in Stafford Township on Jan. 30, Acting Gov. Kim Guadagno and New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson announced construction for the major improvement work would soon begin.

“We’re delighted that the bridge (project) is going to move forward,” Stafford Township Administrator James Moran said. “It’s been in the works for a long time, and we’re delighted the state is now moving the project forward to get it done. … The fact of the matter is that any reconstruction of the bridge ultimately is going to have an impact on Stafford Township and, so, the sooner it’s complete, any disruption that it may cause is out of the way. We’re excited that it’s about to happen, and we’re happy for our neighbor (Ship Bottom) that it’s about to happen for them.”

While the DOT described the storm damage sustained by the Causeway as “relatively minor,” the 53-yearold span is overdue to be replaced.

The Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge, the largest of the four bridges that make up the causeway, is “structurally deficient and functionally obsolete,” according to the DOT. During the superstorm, according to Moran, a portion of the roadway leading up to the causeway on the Manahawkin side was undermined, and the DOT recognized it, secured the area and repaired it early. Though floodwaters reached a height of three feet at the base of the bridge near Mal-

lard Island Yacht Club, he added, no water reached the bridge deck.

But “deficient” does not mean on the brink of collapse, Moran clarified.

“The bridge is obsolete. That

doesn’t mean it’s structurally unsound; it’s just obsolete. It has gotten regular bridge inspections every year by the DOT. The structural integrity Continued on Page 58

n Beach Haven, you can buy a summer house and it will only cost you a buck.

But there are some catches.

You’re going to have to pay to have the house moved to your location and then shell out more cash to have the interior restored so it can be inhabitable again.

Located at 706 South Bay Ave., the two-story, 1,300-square-foot Cape Cod-style residence has been owned the past five years by Richard Hennessey. A Hunterdon County resident, Hennessey said the house suffered severe damage due to Superstorm Sandy. “We took in about two to three feet of water,” he said in late January. “We’ve pretty much gutted the interior.”

According to borough tax records, the house and the land it sits on have an assessed value of approximately $450,000. The house

was constructed in 1935.

Hennessey said one of the motivations for making this unusual arrangement is to help someone who may have lost a home due to the storm.

“It might be someone on another part of the Island or someone on the mainland,” he said. “If you’re willing to go through all the work and expense of having it moved and then renovated and furnished, you’re welcome to it.”

Hennessey said that once the house leaves the site, he is looking to rebuild.

“I love coming down to Beach Haven,” he said. “I’d sure like to be able to have a place here for many more years.”

He said interested parties can contact him at 908-217-4827.

—Eric Englund ericenglund@thesandpaper.net

Family Ecstatic as Memorial Bench Is Recovered

A

Harvey Cedars family is elated as a memorial bench that they presumed was lost after being washed away by Superstorm Sandy was found on the property of a bayfront home in the North Beach section of Long Beach Township.

Ron Mastro, a local construction company owner, had been working at the home when he discovered the bench shortly after the storm. Brown in color and made of recycled plastic, the bench is inscribed “In Loving Memory, Jason and Esther Seale, Who Loved LBI.” “It had been sitting around since then, and I thought maybe someone might claim it, because I had no idea where it came from,” Mastro said in late January. “Obviously, it came from someone who had a home on the Island and it meant a lot to the family. The bench was not damaged and was in good shape.”

As it turned out, the bench was originally located at the 68th Street beach entrance in Harvey Cedars.

The borough’s public works department retrieved the bench and placed it inside the public works building.

“We are so overjoyed,” said Linda Seale, daughter of the couple who was memorialized. “We are absolutely ecstatic. We really had figured that the bench washed out to sea and would never be found.”

Seale said her family bought the home in 1972. Five years later, her mother died at the age of 53. Her father died in 2009 at the age of 91.

Supplied Photo

LOST AND FOUND: The bench is a tribute to Jason and Esther Seale, ‘who loved LBI.’ “This has been a busy place during the summer,” she said. “I have some nieces and nephews, and they’ve come down and they bring their friends. We’ve always looked forward to coming to our Island home.”

Seale said the bench would

be placed back at the 68th Street location.

“It will feel like dedicating it all over again,” she said. “I’m sure our family will love to be there.”

This marks the second time a bench that was washed away from Harvey Cedars during Sandy was

recovered. Late last year, a bench dedicated in memory of Tony Cannizzo that had been located at the Mercer Street beach entrance was found on an oceanfront property eight miles away in the Haven Beach section of Long Beach Township.

— Eric Englund

31

Together We Made A Difference

LBI

The Fantasy Island Arcade is Now Open

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

32

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Continued from Page 28 has never closed or experienced service interruption. St. Francis Senior Services in Brant Beach will be operational as a satellite office as planned.

All congregate meals will be held on the mainland, but LBI Senior Services will be open daily and all activities will resume,” the release says.

The St. Francis Food Pantry is temporarily located at the Southern Ocean Service Center.

It is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“We are hopeful to return to the center by the end of January,” Becraft said of the food pantry.

Updates will be posted on www.stfranciscenterlbi.org when available.

Storm-Related Aid Programs And Seminars Continue St. Francis Center will continue to be a hub of aid to people from all over Southern Ocean County who have been affected by the storm.

Now those operations are back in Brant Beach as well.

“We continue to assist those affected by ‘Superstorm Sandy.’ If you have questions, please call 609-494-8861 ext. 197. Supportive services such as utility, mortgage/rent and Sandy relief are currently at the Community Center on Long Beach Island,” the press release update announced this week.

A Hurricane Sandy Legal Clinic will be held at the center on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 1 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. The free presentation will be given by attorneys from Ocean-Monmouth Legal Services. Discussed will be legal issues arising out of Sandy, including: denial of FEMA assistance; FEMA appeals; National Flood Insurance and other insurance claims; tenancy issues; public welfare issues; and claims arising from fraudulent services or hurricane-related scams. The presentation is open to all, and registration is not required.

A Hurricane Sandy Support Group is scheduled to start Feb. 13 and run for 10 weeks. There is no cost to participate. The group will meet at the community center on Wednesdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Call 609-494-1554 to register.

For those who need counseling, whether storm-related or not, St. Francis Center Counseling Services is also back in its pre-storm location at the center. It is open Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

St. Francis Counseling Services provides individuals, couples and families with affordable, professional psychotherapy services addressing a wide range of issues. Services are available to all regardless of race, sex, age, disability, income or religious affiliations. For more information on this program, call 609-494-1554.

Parenting and Anger Management groups are in progress. Those interested in attending may call 609-494-8861 to register.

In-home services have resumed for “Parents as Teachers” and “Maintaining the Integrity of Spanish-Speaking Families.”

The Auto Ownership Program is accepting donations of cars to assist Temporary Assistance for Needy Families participants in need of transportation to work.

— Maria Scandale mariascandale@thesandpaper.net

HURRICANE SANDY

October 29, 2012

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33 The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

St. Francis

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

34

BEYOND SANDY

Enviro-impacts T

he health of Barnegat Bay was a concern even before Superstorm Sandy struck. Now, as residents and business owners in the greater Long Beach Island area work to repair structures and lives damaged by the storm, and as summer draws ever closer, a number of local, state and federal agencies continue to discuss, monitor and act on the bay’s behalf – hoping to facilitate recovery for the long term as well as more-immediate viability as a draw for seasonal visitors.

Rick Bushnell, president of ReClam the Bay and co-chairman of the Science Committee of the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, emphasizes the need for cooperation between government and non-government organizations to properly plan for how to best approach the bay post-Sandy. The committee hosts Science Saturday lectures at which, recently, various presenters have addressed the Barnegat Bay watershed.

“There is an immediate concern and immediate interest in what can be done because there’s a lot of junk in the bay,” which poses a safety hazard for boaters and bathers, Bushnell noted. There are also questions of water quality. But while people often want immediate action and results, monitoring and organization are necessary moving forward.

The Barnegat Bay Partnership, said Bushnell, has a comprehensive plan for the bay that he believes could prove an extremely helpful point of reference, especially if the state Department of Environmental Protection were to read and reference the ideas and strategies laid out by the BBP. Bushnell mentioned this need for cooperation during the question and answer period of the Feb. 2 Science Saturday presentation at the Foundation, which featured speaker Michele Siekerka, assistant commissioner of Water Resource Management for the DEP. “The goal is to absolutely coordinate everything,” said Siekerka.

As “New Jersey’s water girl,” Siekerka oversees the execution of strategies for comprehensive water management in the state, such as water supply, water quality and water monitoring. During the lecture, Siekerka explained the many responsibilities of her division – “everything wet in the state” – as well as the paradigm shift following Sandy.

In addition, as she noted, part of Water Research Management’s role in the DEP’s overall initiatives includes facilitating Gov. Christie’s 10 Point Plan for Barnegat Bay, as well as assessment, monitoring and prioritization of projects for the watershed.

Following the presentation, a few audience members asked about the large debris swept into the bay by Sandy. “I don’t want to run my boat onto a fridge,” one man remarked.

Siekerka said that while the debris is a complicated issue – pulling out

cars with gas in them, boats with fuel in them, other items of private property – contractors are lined up and ready to go to remove these large items from the bay. “The goal is to have Barnegat Bay clean for the season.”

In response to questions about more flooding on the Island than usual following Sandy, Siekerka said the goal is to find out “what isn’t working right in the bay.” Excess sand is “only a piece of that.” Erosion plays a part, and, in addition, “the marshes took a beating” and aren’t functioning as they should.

She also addressed concerns about the health of the shellfish in the bay. During Sandy, clams “literally clammed up,” holding contaminants within them, Siekerka pointed out.

A DEP press release from Jan. 29 states that only two areas of shellfish beds in the state are still closed, including in Barnegat Bay from Oyster Creek south to Little Egg Inlet. All shellfish beds had been closed since Oct. 29 “as part of a statewide closure … to commercial and recreational harvesting due to concerns over degradation of coastal water quality caused by Superstorm Sandy,” the release explains.

“The DEP is continuing to monitor water quality and shellfish tissue in these areas and will reopen them when monitoring and sampling criteria are met.” (For more information, including a map of reopened shellfish beds, visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/ wms/bmw/sandy.html.)

John Wnek, supervisor at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science in Manahawkin, explained further that the DEP “presented on the closed bed status back in early January, and their explanation was that the clams were possibly retaining high levels of pathogens as a result of post-Sandy discharge into the bay, and the water temperatures being more conducive to the shellfish actively feeding (filtering). The water temperatures quickly dropped after the storm to temperatures that slowed their metabolic rates down significantly, and those shellfish are retaining the pathogens until the temperatures warm so that they can increase filtration and purge the pathogens.”

Wnek also noted that he and his students would soon be sampling for pathogens and other forms of bacteria along LBI. William deCamp Jr., president of Save Barnegat Bay since 1986, spoke at the Jan. 26 installment of Science Saturday about continuing challenges to the bay’s health – including excess nutrients, which have the detrimental effect of explosive algae populations – as well as larger issues of climate change and sea level rise, and “the importance of native planting for both nutrient absorption and abating storm surge,” as Science Saturday chairman Bob Block explained.

Photographs by Ryan Morrill

CALM BEFORE THE STORM: Nine days before Superstorm Sandy crashed ashore, volunteers with ReClam the Bay were in the water east of Waretown to survey the progress made in protected clam beds during 2012. The storm disrupted much of the operation, and also left lower Barnegat Bay temporarily closed to shellfishing.

And on Feb. 9, Amy Williams, the new president of Alliance for a Living Ocean’s Board of Directors, presented a talk titled “Connections – Our Bay, Our Businesses, Our Beautiful Environment,” detailing how various municipalities, organizations

and individuals can work together, and in fact are working together, to improve Barnegat Bay. Williams shared “her perspective about how everything is connected: the ocean, the beach, the bay, the tributaries, the mainland, the island,

the marshes and the sky,” said Block.

She explained, he added, “how the diversity of individuals and organizations … can and are working together.”

— Juliet Kaszas-Hoch julietkaszas-hoch@thesandpaper.net

35

609-698-0080 x130 x131 or x122 • Print your camp packets today!! http://www.barnegat.net/departments/office-of-recreation/ Camp Payment Due in full No Later than June 14th - (NO REFUNDS) WE ACCEPT VISA, MC, AND DEBIT CARDS

Camp Fun Time 1st grade Grads to 6th grade Grads Location: Barnegat Elementary Schools Hours: 9am - 3pm 6 week program July 8th - August 16th New Format and Options (Early Bird Specials available through March 31st) Option 1: Monday - Thursday Camp Early Bird Special $595 (AFTER APRIL 1ST $675) Includes admission to all trips and special events in Option 2 plus admission to Freedom Fest State Fair on July 11 Option 2: Tuesday - Wednesday Camp Early Bird Special $300 (AFTER APRIL 1ST $375) Includes: Tuesday trips to Cape May Zoo, Jake’s Branch County Park, NJ Maritime Museum. Special event Wednesdays include: Jenkinson’s Penguins Pointers, Mad Science, and Zoo to you, and Nature Knickknacks Philadelphia Flyers Hooked on Hockey Programs All campers enrolled in Options 1 or 2 will receive 1 camp t-shirt ($7 for each additional shirt) Option 3: Friday Trip Camp No Early Bird Discount ( Cost: $185 for 6 weeks) or $35 per trip This Camp will meet at the Recreation Center (Campers will receive a camp rash guard shirt) Trips include: Gillian’s Water Park, Fun Plex, Sahara Sam’s Splash Zone, I Play America and Thundering Surf.

Parents - You now have the flexibility to register your child in the camp(s) that best suits your financial needs.

All campers enrolled will receive 1 camp shirt (Additional shirts can be purchased).

Daily activities will include: arts and crafts, games, theater, trips to the Waretown Lake or Barnegat Bay Beach. ***Before Care & After Care is available all days*** ***Drop-off as early as 7:30am Pick-up as late as 6pm***

Adventure Camp 5th grade Grads to 9th grade Grads New Location: Barnegat Recreation Center - Hours vary by trip Great Adventure Mondays - June 24 - August 19 (9 trips) Participants must have their own ticket or season pass - no tickets will be provided.

Early Bird Special $135 (After April 1st $175) or $20/day Transportation ONLY. Tuesday & Thursday Trip Camp July 9th - August 15th Early Bird Special $420 (AFTER APRIL 1st $480) or $40 per trip. Cost includes admission & transportation to all facilities.

Trips include: Gillian’s Water Park, IMAX 3D & Lunch in Atlantic City, Wildwood Water Park, Canoeing, Freedom Fest State Fair and many more to be added. All campers will receive 1 camp shirt - SHIRT MUST be worn on all trips.

Healthy Choices For Moms and Their 7th, 8th & 9th Grade Daughters

Free and Fun! Wednesday, March 6, 2013 5:30 pm to 9 pm (registration opens at 5pm) Sea Oaks Country Club, Little Egg Harbor • Dinner and Door Prizes Included

Program Includes Sponsored by: Barnegat Municipal Alliance Long Beach Island Municipal Alliance Lacey Municipal Alliance Stafford Twp. Municipal Alliance Long Beach Island Health Department Central Jersey Family Health Consortium Family Planning Center of Ocean County

Meridian Health NJ Coalition for the Prevention of Developmental Disabilities Office for Prevention of MR/DD Pinelands Regional School District Southern Ocean Medical Center Southern Regional School District Long Beach Island Soroptimist

Alliance meetings are open to all interested residents - please call the Alliance office for more information at 609-698-0080 ext. 131.

• Improving Communication • Dangers of ‘Sexting’ • Self Defense • Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome • Host Liability • Mother/Daughter Walk (bring sneakers) Handling Stress • And More!

Registration is required by February 28th.

Call 1-800 DOCTORS (1-800-362-8677)

SPONSORED BY:

609-698-0080, Ext. 131

Partnership For A Drug-Free New Jersey In Cooperation With The Governor’s Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services 800.675.1127 • www.drugfreenj.org

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

BARNEGAT RECREATION SUMMER CAMP 2013

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

36

BEYOND SANDY

Sprucing Up Boats to Lawn Chairs Clogging Waterways

G

ov. Chris Christie’s pledge to begin cleanup of stormdropped debris in the bay cannot come too soon for the tourism industry that depends on clear sailing for recreational use.

Including areas northward of Long Beach Island, submerged in the state’s inland waterways are an estimated 1,400 boats, pieces of 58 houses from Mantoloking alone, and eight known cars that were listed by Christie in his State of the State address Jan. 8. The clutter also includes an uncounted number of sheds, lawn furniture and even lawn mowers.

Meanwhile, two New Jersey State Marine Police representatives conf irmed in early January that bay waters in Ocean County should be navigated with “caution” to avoid submerged debris and unmapped sand.

Ocean County Freeholder Director John P. “Jack” Kelly and County Administrator Carl Block had been on a conference call Jan. 4 with state Environmental Protection Commis-

sioner Bob Martin, regarding the need to dredge the recreational waters.

“We’ll begin doing it this week,” Christie said on Jan. 8. “We will remove this debris and dredge the bay to reduce the risk of flooding and to improve the health of the bay.”

“It was good to hear the governor talk about cleaning up the bay in his State of the State address; that is very important,” Kelly said in a later interview with The SandPaper.

“And the goal for the state is to clean that by Memorial Day, but we are looking at that as what it is, a goal, because nobody even knows the exact extent of the cleanup. We know that houses were washed into the bay, (and) cars, boats and other debris; to the amount is, at this point, unknown.”

The state has taken the lead in the cleanup, Martin had told the county officials by phone.

“The county has offered any assistance we can give the state along the lines of setting priorities and communication,” continued Kelly. “It’s

Jack Reynolds

KEEP SHARP LOOKOUT: A lot of what Superstorm Sandy sent missing may be hidden hazards sunk in the shallow bay. The state is determined to find and remove as much as possible before summer, but boaters must remain wary. something that we feel is extremely important. The bay is vital to our tourism season.”

“It’s going to become more of an

Jack Reynolds

SUMMER TRAFFIC: Scenes like this from Ship Bottom may include new vessels in the post-Sandy fleet.

Replacement Shoppers Expected At Atlantic City Boat Show This Year

T

he boating industry expected to see a post-Sandy boost when the Atlantic City Boat Show docked indoors at the convention center. Each year, quite a few of the 280 exhibitors hail from Southern Ocean County, and this year there was the potential for replacement buyers.

“There were 65,000 recreational boats damaged or lost as a result of Sandy – 25,000 in New Jersey alone,” boat show manager

Jon Pritko said. “Because boating is a lifestyle, many boaters who have been affected by the storm are looking at getting a replacement so they can enjoy the waters this coming spring.”

Total damage from Superstorm Sandy to boats in New Jersey has been estimated at $242 million by the boating insurance and service fi rm BoatUS. The Progressive Insurance Atlantic City Boat Show ran Wednes-

day, Feb. 6 through Sunday, Feb. 10 in the Atlantic City Convention Center. Four hundred boats were set to be on display, ranging in price from $10,000 to $1.1 million.

Some 90 interactive educational exhibits were also part of the show.

Boating is big business in New Jersey, show organizers point out, citing a total of $228,046,696 in new powerboat, motor, trailer and accessory sales in 2011.

—M.S.

issue when you’ve got pleasure boaters bringing craft on the water and realizing how different things are,” New Jersey State Marine Police Lt. Stephen Jones said from the Trenton office.

“We’ve been advising people from shortly after the storm to … consider everything to have changed underwater,” he said, also advising proceeding at slow speeds and using a depth finder.

“If you have to have somebody on the front of your boat, watching, and using some kind of a depth finder, as well as proceeding at no-wake speed, so be it … until things get back to normal,” Jones said.

Added Sgt. Rich Caputo of the Point Pleasant Station, who is regularly out on the water: “The depths are now different, and there have been changes since the storm. And there is debris in certain areas, so we advise boaters to exercise caution; there could be more boats out there.

“Also, as I’ve been out there, debris has moved from day to day with the tides.”

Some locations of sunken boats are known; some are not. New Jersey State Marine Police had a database of 44 reported vessels still missing in the jurisdiction of the Ocean station, based in Waretown, and additional boats in the coverage area of the Point Pleasant and Monmouth stations.

Another database of vessels that were known to be either submerged or displaced listed 361 in the Ocean station area. Not all of that number are totally underwater, police said. Some boats sank where they were moored, some floated to land, and some are partly submerged. Locations are not listed to the public due to the chance of unlawful salvage operations, but any owners of missing boats who are not sure if theirs has been recovered should call police.

“If they have the registration number, they can call us and we’ll tell them where it is,” said Caputo.

The main number in Trenton is 609-882-2000.

“We have contacted many of those owners and notified them of the location of their boats and asked them to work through their insurance companies to get those removed,” Jones said.

These have been “prioritized based on how much the location of those boats interferes with other waterway operations or property.”

As for federal waterways, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintenance, officials said.

“In our conversation with Commissioner Martin (on Jan. 4), he was saying they are ready to move forward, and as they had more information, the DEP will share that with us,” Kelly said. “The exact details the commissioner was not able to share that day because it was still in process. But they said it will be cleaned up, and we were very happy to hear that.”

His understanding is that “the first job is to scope it out and look to see exactly what is in the water, and then come out with a plan on how to remove that debris.”

Business owners in the marine industry began talking about a high priority they say should be placed on clean and safe waterways. One who could be reached for comment is Paul Terzian, co-owner of Causeway Marine boat dealership on East Bay Avenue in Manahawkin. He said with the sounding equipment available today, debris should be easily located and removed before the summer season.

“I would have a great deal of difficulty believing that it’s something that cannot be done by Memorial Day,” said Terzian, who with his brother Ted started the business upon their graduation from Villanova University with B.S. degrees in business. “It’s important to the entire economy.”

He added, “The other concern is that some officials may decide that we have a huge debris issue and close off the area for boating. I just hope no one gets any idea to do a closure without verifying that a problem actually exists, and verifying the scope of the problem.”

— Maria Scandale mariascandale@thesandpaper.net

37

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

Mr. Mattress • Bedding & Dinettes

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

38

BEYOND SANDY

Sprucing Up

Ryan Morrill

WORK BREAK: Amy Williams, president of Alliance for a Living Ocean, takes a recess with her dog in Holgate during the ALO cleanup day. The Long Beach Island environmental organization has its own cleanup chores to resolve, after Sandy flooded ALO headquarters in Ship Bottom.

The Jetty apparel company has donated $10,000 to help out.

Donation From Jetty Helps Recovery

C

leaning up the beaches on Long Beach Island has become more of a year-round task than a before-and-after-summer duty for the Alliance for a Living Ocean and its many passionate volunteers following Superstorm Sandy.

The local environmental group has been organizing weekly cleanups along LBI and the surrounding regions as part of a community-wide effort, led by Jetty + Waves 4 Water, to rebuild the area’s devastated towns.

Members of ALO met up with nearly 50 volunteers bright and early at Bayview Park in Brant Beach on Saturday, Jan. 5, for its first environmental cleanup of 2013. The group worked well into the afternoon, collecting litter left over from Sandy and the more recent December nor’easter, which re-flooded the area and scattered piles of storm-tainted debris from curbsides and sidewalks into the streets and onto bay beaches.

“It was a little discouraging getting out for the first time since some of those large storms to have to go and clean up areas that were already done, just knowing how much work went into cleaning those areas,” said Chris Huch, ALO’s executive director. “But the stuff that ended up being deposited by the last flooding event was stuff that was going to end up on beaches or wetlands at some point, whether from runoff or things like that. So it’s a step in the right direction, even though it was a minor setback. In terms of the larger picture, it was a really good thing,” he added.

Because of the severe devastation caused by the slew of recent storms, ALO has been focusing on cleaning up many areas it wouldn’t necessarily

be concerned with, such as low-lying streets, parks and playgrounds. On Saturday, volunteers targeted the beaches in Ship Bottom and Beach Haven, as well as some streets and playgrounds in Brant Beach, Holgate and Beach Haven West. Volunteers ridded the areas of plastics, paper and other general litter, though cleaning supplies and large pieces of wood or decking too heavy to remove or dispose of were also found.

Angela Andersen, recycling/clean communities coordinator for Long Beach Township, headed a group of 15 volunteers, including students from Temple University’s rugby team, during the cleanup’s first trip to Holgate. Permission to enter the area had not been granted by the township before then due to safety concerns.

Picnic tables, gas grills, lawn furniture and other large debris from the Joan Avenue Park, one of the township’s Green Acres parks and bay beaches, were stockpiled and immediately picked up by nearby disaster-relief contractors who transported the debris to the Ocean County Landfill in Manchester.

“It was a real good first sweep because it opened the way for the municipalities so they can come through, because we really have to start rebuilding our bay beaches,” Andersen noted. “We’re going to have to rebuild the tennis courts at the park because they got undermined, and we’re going to have to replace the playground equipment so that it gets back in ship-shape for the summer,” she added.

The storm-related cleanups began in November during Thanksgiving weekend. Though plans to start the

Photographs by Jack Reynolds

‘IT WAS A REAL GOOD FIRST SWEEP’: (Top) Tom Beaty waves the red, white and blue during the Jan. 5 Alliance for a Living Ocean community cleanup. (Above) Volunteers collect debris along a bay beach in Holgate. cleanings on LBI were discussed immediately after Sandy hit the area, Huch said the organization did not want to get in the way of the municipal crews who were steadfastly working to sort out more-dire issues. Since then, the township, along with Jetty + Waves 4 Water, has been providing cleaning supplies for the volunteers.

The Long Beach Island Health Department, which relocated to the Long Beach Township Municipal Complex in Brant Beach after its building suffered flood damage, has been offering free tetanus shots to safeguard residents and workers.

Todd Stone, 22, a college student who works as a Beach Haven lifeguard during the summer, had initially reached out to ALO to assist in helping clean up the area when he knew he would be home from school for Thanksgiving break. Huch said Stone had created a Facebook page for the event that accidentally went public and wound up bringing in more than 1,000 volunteers to help clean up the entire area from LBI to Tuckerton during the first event.

“Todd was one of the big people that stepped up and got the event going in the right direction, so he definitely deserves a lot of credit,” Huch emphasized.

Many volunteers, from local residents and neighboring inhabitants to out-of-state groups such as AmeriCorps and former ALO interns, have worked alongside ALO every week since then, for days at a time, to clear lingering Sandy remnants. But Huch

said the number of people assisting has dwindled. Though he said he understands that people need to get back to their daily lives, he expressed a great need for further cleanups.

In order to help ALO continue its mission, Jetty, a local surf and skate apparel and screen-printing company, donated $10,000 to the nonprofit organization in December, which the company raised through its sale of Hurricane Sandy relief T-shirts. Jetty is still selling the shirts and will soon begin selling relief hoodies to support future donations.

“ALO is an important organization to have around and support,” said Jeremy DeFilippis, co-owner of Jetty.

“They’re a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and they don’t even have an office right now.

We imagined they could probably use every penny of (our donation) and more to get things back up and running. Something like (Sandy) could basically put an organization that small to sleep if they didn’t get donations.

“We just want to support their effort after Sandy and also hopefully help them get their feet back underneath them with everything that the ALO does, keeping our beaches clean, keeping our waterways clean and running some good events throughout the summer,” he added.

Huch said the generous donation will help ALO rebuild its office in Ship Bottom, which suffered from 3½ feet of flood water and mold damage even though the group immediately set to work cleaning the building

after the storm. The organization will have to purchase new furniture and program materials that were destroyed as well. In the interim, Huch said he is working remotely from his bedroom at home, and the large donation made purchasing a smart phone for work purposes incredibly convenient.

“We really didn’t comprehend how vast of a donation we were getting (from Jetty),” said Huch. “We’ve had a lot of support from community members and Alliance for a Living Ocean members since the storm, but a donation of that size, even though it’s not going to be enough to put us back in the same place we were before the storm, was something that’s hard to even talk about. It was so exciting to see, and I was so taken aback by their generosity.”

ALO’s environmental cleanups will start taking place every other weekend, to give volunteers some time off and to encourage others to join the event. Reusable water bottles donated by Mizu, a California-based company and decorated with Jetty + Waves 4 Water decals, are being sold for $10 each, compared to the $12 other local distributors will offer; it is hoped that price will attract a larger attendance at the cleanups.

ALO is in the process of updating its website system to allow for faster updates. To stay current with information regarding the organization’s environmental cleanups, visit its Facebook page.

— Kelley Anne Essinger kelleyanne@thesandpaper.net

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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Jack Reynolds

Jack Reynolds

Hard Hit But Highly Repairable

Displaying Its True Grit, Holgate End on the Mend ONE GRAIN AT A TIME: Brutalized by Superstorm Sandy, the Holgate section of LBI was into its third month of intense, mechanized repair when these photos were taken Jan. 8. (Clockwise from top left) A vintage road sign stands deďŹ antly; it was almost fully under sand after Sandy hit. A popular section of the south-end beach assumes the look of a quarry, a muster point for sand bound for nearby dunes. This sign seems a bit of an irony among loads of on-the-move sand. Standing pyramid-like, massive cones await dispersal along the beachline. As new dunes and beaches are transported, hoisted, shoved and plowed back into place, residents of Holgate are also rallying in hopes of returning to normal by summer.

Jack Reynolds

Ryan Morrill

Sea Water Flooding Salt water flooding can cause direct damage by pulling water out of plant roots and secondary damage by impacting the soil mycorrhizae. This damage may not be seen until spring when plants begin to push new leaves and lawns begin to grow again. If the root system has been damaged the plant may decline after the first summer dry period. Soil salt testing and remediation with Gypsum is available.

Wind Blown Salt W

Salt S a spray was carried over a mile inland and its effects could be seen immediately after the Fortunately many plants were already sstorm. to winter dormancy and damage was eentering n cial. This spring, we expect to see ssuperfi u bud death and twig die back, systemic ssome o of salt spray damage. Keep an eye out for eeffects ff irregular growth. Pruning these areas will help irr with recovery. Consider treatments such as w i Horticultural Oils and Miticides to H rreduce educe stress to plants as warm weather approaches.

Strong S trong Winds W ind ds

Mechanical damage to tree limbs is oftenn obvious, but sometimes internal damage to thee circulatory system of the plant occurs. This willl not appear until after the plant starts to leaf outt in the spring. If a tree or shrub has a branch h that is not leafing out, this may be the cause..

Large trees with this type of damage can be veryy dangerous. Strucutrally compromised limbss are more likely to break in the future. Similarly, y, trees leaning over have damaged root systemss and need to either be taken down or stabilized..

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN THE COMING MONTHS FOR OUR LANDSCAPE PLANTS AND LAWN AREAS?

41

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

42

BEYOND SANDY

Desire to Help Spread Like Wildfire

Sprucing Up

Jack Reynolds

Still Rippin’ ENDLESS: While the Island took a short hiatus after Sandy, the waves kept coming, with wetsuited waveriders lovin’ every swell. Despite the chilliness, surfers are staying tuned for warmer – and hotter – waves to come.

Army Corps Studies Work Order To Replace Harvey Cedars Dunes

H

arvey Cedars is in line to have sand that was washed away from its beaches due to Superstorm Sandy restored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Steve Rochette, Corps public affairs spokesman, said the work would be done as a result of its ongoing working arrangement with the Corps since the beach replenishment project was finished in 2009.

“It’s not like we restored the beaches and just walked away,” said Rochette. “We have this type of working relationship with all the towns that had beach replenishment. We can come back if emergency work is needed, and in seven years Harvey Cedars would again be eligible for beach replenishment, if it was necessary.”

Unlike the main replenishment project, Rochette said any post-Sandy work would come at no charge to the borough. The 2009 project cost approximately $25 million, of which Harvey Cedars was responsible for $1,093,75.

Rochette said that a total of 2.2

million cubic yards of sand washed away from Harvey Cedars, Surf City and a mile stretch of the Brant Beach section of Long Beach Township during the superstorm. Those are the three communities that have had beach replenishment done.

The township is on an active campaign to get other areas replenished, as is Ship Bottom.

“We’re working on a final report through our Flood Control and Coastal Emergency Program,” Rochette said in late January. “Then we’ll have to see what type of funding is available. I’m not sure yet how much the work in Harvey Cedars will cost.”

In the meantime, Harvey Cedars will be awaiting word from the Corps on when the work can begin.

“They do have some other projects to do before they get to us,” said Borough Clerk Daina Dale. “Hopefully, they can get started here in the spring and have it done in time for the summer season.”

— Eric Englund ericenglund@thesandpaper.net

Photographs by Ann Coen

COME TOGETHER: After Superstorm Sandy, Joe Mangino (top), along with friend Michael Dunlea, rallied to help perform much-needed demolition work inside their neighbors’ homes, free of charge. A piece of Mangino’s fencing (above) became a symbol of unity and hope, embellished with the signatures of like-minded volunteers.

I

n the days immediately following Superstorm Sandy, many were inspired, if not compelled, to help in any way they could.

Two of those people were Michael Dunlea, a teacher at Ocean Acres Elementary School, and Joe Mangino, a deck builder, whose wife is a teacher in the district. They formed a grassroots volunteer organization called START, for Stafford Teachers and Residents Together, which began as a meeting of hardworking people on a street corner at Eileen Lane and Newell Avenue in Beach Haven West, just wondering how to make the best use of their sweat equity.

Before the Stafford Township mayor and council on Jan. 22, Dunlea explained the group grew stronger as word began to spread of the coordinated volunteer effort via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

On Oct. 31, two days after the storm came through, about 14 teachers,

teaching assistants, playground and lunch aides showed up to help clean out and gut the waterlogged homes.

Soon the group got permission to use the community center for meetings.

They decided to go bigger by advertising free storm cleanup services on flyers that circulated around town, which caused a deluge of requests for help and got the phone ringing off the hook. Media attention then brought additional support in the way of donations from others inspired to pitch in.

Help has come from Camden County, Biloxi, Miss., New Hampshire, Virginia and West Virginia.

A piece of Mangino’s blown-down fence became a painted work of art, symbolizing the START movement and the spirit of unity.

What started as a neighborly effort quickly snowballed into much more.

Nearly three months later, the group estimates to have worked on 700 homes, with 2,000-plus volunteers contributing more than 10,000 hours,

saving residents a total of $2.5 million in cleanup costs.

At this point in the recovery, the work being done is less demolition and now transitioning into rebuilds, Mangino explained. START is working cooperatively with the Jetty + Waves for Water organization, which is providing Sheetrock, insulation and other building materials.

“We didn’t expect it to grow like it did,” Mangino said. But the idea caught on fast and has gone far, with the help of so many people willing to donate their time and manpower and other resources, and with additional help from the Stafford Recreation Department.

Mayor John Spodofora commended the men for their dedication and progress. “One thing I was most struck by was the enthusiasm of your group, Joe. … The spirit that was there was just incredible,” he said.

— Victoria Lassonde

43 The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

Helping restore Long Beach Island

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

44

Jack Reynolds

Easement Holdout ‘Ringleader’ Sees Change in Mindsets Credits Town Officials

S

torms make oaks take deeper root,” English poet George Herbert once wrote. That remains true for some beach replenishment easement holdouts following Superstorm Sandy. But oceanfront homeowner Joe Barrett of Ship Bottom finally signed his easement in December after six years of being pressured to do so, bringing the current total of those left as holdouts to 29. The easement allows the federal government access to the portion of the dunes that is included in oceanfront homeowners’ properties. This allows for federally funded beach and dune replenishment projects to be administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to increase the size of dunes and beaches in an attempt to prevent flood damage to coastal towns.

Federal beach and dune replenishment proved effective in lessening damage throughout entire towns in the cases of Surf City and Harvey Cedars, as opposed to communities such as North Beach and Holgate of Long Beach Township, where none was done.

Despite Ship Bottom’s not receiving replenishment, Barrett credits the Ship Bottom Borough Council and mayor with saving his home and the town by gradually moving dune fencing over time as requested by oceanfront homeowners at council meetings, which in turn naturally increased the breadth of the dunes despite wind and erosion.

After Sandy, Barrett said the dune in front of his home went from approximately 22 feet in breadth to about half that. “It just cut the dune in half at the peak,” he said.

“The mayor and the council have done a good job with the fencing. All our requests were answered. Frank Little, the township engineer, in particular, has been great. Other towns didn’t have a dune system that they had 30 to 40 years to start one.

“We were coming home (following Sandy), and my wife said, ‘We “

have to do this (sign the easement) for the town and the community.’” Barrett said of his wife, Debbie.

Not signing his easement was never about money for Barrett or any of the other oceanfront holdouts in Ship Bottom who remain. This includes Ted and Dorothy Jedziniak, whom Barrett credits with being the only two residents historically more opposed to signing than he was.

“I was in the thick of this from the very beginning,” Barrett said in January. “Nobody ever said, ‘I’m holding out for the money.’ People are trying to say that – the off-beach people.

They’re trying to make us the rats.

We’re not the rats.

“It was never about ocean views or fresh air, either,” explained Barrett, referencing oceanfront homeowners in Harvey Cedars currently locked in litigation appeals suing for money due to losing their ocean view despite a replenished dune clearly lessening damage to the town.

Barrett added that beach replenishment does little to increase the height of the dunes, but rather their breadth, half of which was torn away by Sandy, leaving steep cliffs in some areas. The majority of sand loss lies on the side of the dune owned by the town.

“There’s not going to be a mountain in front of you,” said Barrett.

“It’s about the wording and the strong-arm tactics and treatment that we had with the government – local, state and federal. Nobody likes being poked with a stick,” he said , though he admitted to never having one person point a finger at him.

“It’s about ‘perpetuity’ and ‘assignability,’” said Barrett. It’s also about what Barrett described as the four fears: boardwalks, gazebos, promenades and portable bathrooms, none of which oceanfront homeowners want constructed on, near or around their property.

“Everything (in the writing) was ‘What’s yours is negotiable,’ and

‘What’s ours is ours,’” said Barrett.

“I don’t understand why they can’t put a small thing (in the easement) that says there won’t be gazebos or promenades or boardwalks. People say it can’t happen. It can happen.’”

“Do you trust the government?” asked Barrett, describing an attitude he said most easement holdouts maintain. For him that arose following the discovery of munitions on Surf City beaches several years ago and the subsequent storage of them near the Ethel Jacobsen School in Surf City before they eventually were removed.

“That was the poster child for why we shouldn’t do this,” said Barrett.

“My mayor and council – I don’t think they would do anything. But there’s an old Italian saying: ‘Money makes the blind see.’”

Barrett believes recent threats to sue easement holdouts made by residents at a Long Beach Township meeting in December as reported in The SandPaper will go nowhere. “You can’t go anywhere with it. Towns are going to be drawn into it, too, and those who try to sue can also be sued. A class-action lawsuit is not going to happen.”

In the end, Barrett has helped lower the number of easement holdouts in Ship Bottom to 29, from the 35 he estimates had yet to sign as of last summer.

“I see the good they’re trying to do; I just don’t like the way they’re trying to do it.”

— Michael Molinaro

Photographs by Ryan Morrill

GIT-R-DUNE: (Clockwise from top left) An electronic sign seen upon entering LBI on Feb. 21 keeps tally of the number of beach replenishment easement holdouts remaining in Ship Bottom. Joe Barrett called himself a ‘ringleader’ among Ship Bottom holdouts before he changed his mind and signed following Superstorm Sandy. Barrett credits dune fencing placement

by Ship Bottom officials as part of the reason the town’s dunes were strong enough to spare the oceanfront.

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

46

BEYOND SANDY

Biz Bounce-Back Coming Back: Food Shops Hold Their Ground on LBI

I

t looks like 95 to 100 percent of the food establishments on Long Beach Island want to come back” despite damage to many after the Oct. 29 superstorm, said Long Beach Island Health Department Director Tim Hilferty.

Hilferty’s positive projection came during a telephone interview for the Feb. 6 SandPaper. He was asked how inspections are coming along for the

Beach Haven Group Raises $27,000 Aid For Hurt Businesses

A

Beach Haven organization that was formed last year to promote business growth in the borough is getting set to donate $27,000 to various local businesses to assist in their recovery efforts from Superstorm Sandy.

The money represents proceeds from a December fundraiser at Buckalew’s Restaurant and Tavern, one of the first businesses to reopen following the storm. Another fundraiser is planned at the establishment on Saturday, March 23, at 5 p.m.

“We had a great response from the December event,” Lisa Mack, Buckalew’s manager, said Feb 4. “Some people wrote checks for our restoration fund for $500, $1,000 and $1,500.

People were really very generous. A lot of businesses need help, especially the smaller seasonal businesses who sustained a lot of damage.”

Jay Cranmer, Buckalew’s owner and Beach Haven Future organizer, said six businesses in town are currently open.

“But I think in the coming weeks, more will be opening,” he said. “At the March fundraiser, more people will probably be here, so our goal would be to raise betweeen $30,000 to $50,000.”

Cranmer indicated that some proceeds could also go to some individual first responders.

“Some of them lost a lot because they were so busy trying to help others, they didn’t have the time to protect their own properties,” he said.

Cranmer said the organization might also seek support from larger corporations.

“It’s been really heartwrenching to see what happened here because of Sandy,” he said. “I’ve lived here through some bad storms, but I never saw anything like this happen in Beach Haven.”

Eva Pfuhler, a borough resident and a member of Beach Haven Future, said the seasonal businesses “represent the lifeblood of the community.”

“Some had such bad damage, they’re not certain if they will be reopened in time for the summer,” she said. “Some didn’t have flood insurance. Where would we be without them? Yet, there still is a feeling of optimism that Beach Haven will be back.”

Mack said people interested in donating may send checks to Beach Haven Futures Restoration Fund, c/o Buckalew’s, 101 North Bay Ave., Beach Haven, N.J. 08008.

— Eric Englund

food stores and restaurants that are facing post-flooding repairs.

The health department is required to inspect food-related retailers before they re-open, but not retail businesses.

“A lot of places have been calling to say they are ready to open, and that is really encouraging,” Hilferty said.

“We’re working with them, getting them open – Foster’s Farm Market opened yesterday, and Lucille’s Candies is open,” he said Feb. 1. “Foster’s had been using their store to sell milk and bread, and now they’ve got their deli up and running, and more and more are coming on every week.

“A lot of them want to come back earlier than usual because of the contractors that are on the Island now,” Hilferty said. “It’s an economic opportunity for some establishments.”

Operators of food handling establishments were given special passes to get back onto the Island early after the storm, well before the general public.

“That was very important, to make sure they were able to get the perishables out their facilities, knowing that electric power was off,” Hilferty said.

Thereafter, health department professionals have been involved in processes that included inventorying items that still needed to be destroyed, and inspecting the facilities to make sure they were ready to re-open, he said.

Although “a lot of them have had insurance issues,” Hilferty added, it is another step forward when a restaurant or food store rejoins those that are open.

—M.S.

Jack Reynolds

POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Chamber officials Kelly Randazzo (left) and Lori Pepenella are optimistic about the area’s upcoming tourism season.

Chamber Officials Say Sandy Has Not Dulled LBI’s Spirit T he Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce building, located in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island, may have suffered from water damage during Superstorm Sandy, but the staff ’s positive outlook on local tourism during the upcoming seasons has not been dampened. Chamber officials recognize that the summertime might materialize differently and that they will have to manage expectations, but they are not anticipating anything less than a triumphant year.

“I think that people are going

to be pleasantly surprised, and it’ll be a successful season,” said Kelly Randazzo, the chamber’s membership and events coordinator. “When something like this happens, the community does tend to pull together. People want to be part of the solution, and I don’t think you can keep people from the beach,” she added with a chuckle.

Randazzo also said business connections have actually increased since the storm.

In the midst of the area’s popular Chocolate Week, complete with

sweet indulgences, real estate open houses, special dinners and the grand re-opening of the Fantasy Island arcade, the chamber is already gearing up for the Wedding Road Show, set for Sunday, April 21. The selfguided tour is designed to showcase the unique wedding experience that exists on LBI. Registration for the event usually includes brides from as far away as North Carolina. This year even includes a bride all the way from Washington state.

“You get inspired when you hear Continued on Page 58

State’s ‘Open for Business’ Tour Is Morale Boost

L

t. Gov. Kim Guadagno commended shore business owners for their “determination and resilience” in recovering and rebuilding from Superstorm Sandy during a midwinter tour that included a stop at Ron Jon Surf Shop in Ship Bottom.

“The businesses I visited exhibit the type of grit and determination that has defined our residents since Sandy,” said Guadagno, in a press release following her Jan. 23 “Open for Business Tour.” “Their resolve to rebuild is inspiring and moving, and, more importantly, it provides a sense of normalcy for their employees and patrons by committing to open their doors by spring and summer. I want to thank these businesses and communities for supporting our friends and neighbors along the shore as we continue to work together to rebuild.”

Guadagno’s other stops included Federico’s Pizza and Restaurant in Belmar, and Lavallette Hardware in Lavallette.

Patty Gawronski,, Ron Jon manager, said, “We’re open, so just come and support the local businesses. In fact, there are quite a few businesses open right now, and every two weeks we receive a local newsletter listing even more businesses that are reopening. I feel very positive not just about the shop, but about Long Beach Island overall because

Courtesy of Ron Jon Surf Shop

GONE ‘SURFING’: At Ron Jon Surf Shop are (from left) Councilman Peter Rossi, Mayor William Huelsenbeck, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, store manager Patty Gawronski and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove.

I see people working very hard on their homes and businesses so that people can come back to enjoy our beaches, restaurants, businesses and shore homes.”

Heather Lewis, corporate marketing director at Ron Jon headquarters

in Cocoa Beach, Fla., said the Ship Bottom store had sustained minimal damage from Sandy, and was able to reopen in mid-November.

“Our building is a little elevated, so that made a big difference,” she said. “Our merchandise remained in-

tact. We are certainly very honored that the lieutenant governor chose us as one of the places on her shore tour. We know many businesses that suffered very serious damage, and all have to support and work Continued on Page 58

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

Coping with Salt Water Flooding

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

48

BEYOND SANDY

Keepin’ It Real Estate ‘They Are Coming Back’

By MARIA SCANDALE ow are rentals and home sales shaping up post-Sandy? That’s the question posed to a sampling of real estate professionals on Long Beach Island in mid-February when, traditionally, vacationers are already signing on for summer.

There is no “short answer” this year.

As broker Gail Cook began her observations, “Sandy was a capricious wench when she hit the Jersey Shore. Some were slammed while others were barely kissed.” That range was true within Long Beach Island as well.

For sure is the sound of saws buzzing, cutting through frigid air, turning houses of all sizes shipshape again in advance of vacation season. LBI will again be the address of summer. Realtors are doing their part to make sure vacationers know that.

Cook, broker/owner of hch Sotheby’s International Realty in Harvey Cedars, expects 98 percent of the agency’s rental listings, which are concentrated on the Island’s northern half, to be up and ready for summer 2013.

For many rental clients, it’s a tradition for the family to meet a certain week each year, and they reserve ahead the year before. Naturally, they’ve been on the phone for status reports. “They were all anxious to return, but needed to know what to expect,” Cook said.

“In December, we had quite a few tenants opting to hold off renting until they saw how things would shake out. We kept sending photo updates, answering their calls full of questions and telling them to come see. Some of those properties suffered damage and are under repair.

The tenants are notified of this so they can make an informed decision,” Cook said.

The result: “They are coming back. And they are telling friends to come, too,” Cook said.

“We are also getting new inventory to rent.

Owners having travel plans that would leave their home vacant most of the summer have opted to rent the homes out,” she added.

In the hch Southeby’s Real Estate office, most rental rates for the summer of 2013 remain the same as 2012, according to Cook. She encouraged that.

“Some owners thought to raise rates with the image of increased renters and fewer rental properties available. We helped them see that wasn’t happening,” Cook said.

“Families have a loyalty to a specific area,” she added. “Some may decide to go to the Carolinas or on a Disney cruise this year, but they will return to their familiar vacation spot next year.

“Most people want to be assured they will be able to enjoy the restaurants they love, play miniature golf, go fishing, Jet Ski, soak up sun on a wide beach, dance the night away or see a play. I am confident that people will want to be part of the discovery of how resilient we are.

The shore calls to us all in different ways, but at the core is a place to unwind from the world and renew ourselves.”

Regarding sales, Cook said Feb. 7 that “most of the closings we have seen were in the pipeline prior to Sandy. We are now seeing new sales going under contract with closings set in the weeks ahead.

“It’s just too early to say anything definitive,” Cook concluded of sales trends for the summer of 2013.

“One of my clients said, “I’m ready ... the next 100-year storm is way past my bedtime.”

After Superstorm Sandy retreated, Realtors region-wide banded together. While contractors rebuilt with nuts and bolts, Realtors have helped work to rebuild image.

H

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Photographs by Jack Reynolds

BRIGHT OUTLOOK: (clockwise, top left) Homes of various shapes and sizes will be available. A view of the Ship Bottom shoreline and homes.

“Long Beach Island Realtors came together shortly after recovery began. Prime interest was instilling a true picture of conditions in the minds of homeowners and vacationers,” Cook said.

Her agency reopened Nov. 5, providing community assistance and a depot of information, forwarding website links to FEMA, government, utility and The SandPaper. When her staff was permitted to travel around outside, they sent out photos of the progress being made by the unified forces on the Island, Cook said.

“Photos are key. It’s what draws people to a story – show me the photos! We sent past sum-

mer shots of the beach and present beach photos.

Curious onlookers thought I was crazy hiking across the Harvey Cedars dune with umbrella, beach chair, beach towels and camera. They watched as I set up the ideal summer place in the sun, then photographed it all. That photo graced the inside back cover of the December SandCastle. Yes, we have had devastating storms throughout the history of LBI, but each was followed by another summer spent enjoying the shore.

In more recent weeks, “we have sent out lbiisalive.com to all our contacts to send to all their contacts. This site was inspired by a girl’s

love of the shore. “(Sand Dollar Real Estate broker/owner) Pat Sepanak’s daughter developed it and recruited everyone who would listen to contribute. Jimmy Ward (a Southern Regional High School student) had made a video called “Hope on LBI” shortly after Sandy hit us. He recently followed up with the video “LBI is Alive“ as part of a campaign to get the word out there that businesses are open and opening – we will be here for them this summer. We are urging everyone to keep hitting it so it will become viral. A sign campaign has also been initiated in front of businesses telling everyone we will be ready. You

49

O

n Monday, Feb. 18, real estate agents in Ship Bottom set the record straight with CBS Philly, following a January report by reporter Robin Reiger in which a Brigantine real estate agent she interviewed described Long Beach Island as “not an option” for summer rentals.

Mary Allen Realty associate Theresa Jensen made phone calls while associate Steve Moran wrote emails to the assignment manager at CBS 3, Jeffrey Kolakowski, fighting to discredit information that would hurt the image of Long Beach Island during a time of year when most vacationers are making their Jersey Shore summer rental plans.

“I called and said, ‘You can’t be reporting this stuff without following up on things,’” said Jensen. “It’s false. We are an option.”

“It wasn’t ethical. It wasn’t professional,” said Jensen. “We’ve all been struck in one way or another, and we’re all rebuilding. Some have more work than others to do, but it’s just not professional, and it’s unethical to do that to try and drum business for yourselves. Focus on the positives of what you have to offer, not what someone else doesn’t have to offer.”

Dispelling myths of the damage to LBI and rebuilding its image are an ongoing challenge for real estate agencies on the barrier island that lies just south of some of the towns hit worst

by Superstorm Sandy, such as Mantoloking and Seaside Heights.

At the same time, shore towns such as Ocean City are putting out new commercials to convince potential vacationers to try staying somewhere new this summer.

“People are looking at the media and getting a lot of false information,” Jensen said. “And at the same time, people need to realize that we are ready and we’re open. If you have any concerns or worries, you need to come down and see for yourselves because we’re fine. People are so happy when they come through the door; they’ll say, ‘It’s so good be here and see that things are OK.’” Reiger and crew arrived to rectify the situation on Monday, interviewing Jensen, who showed examples of homes in Ship Bottom ready for rent and the healthy beaches that lie beyond them.

“We wanted to say, ‘We’re open, we’re here, and we’re ready,’” said Jensen. “Everybody asked how they could help, and my point I tried to relate to them is shop locally, dine locally, and stay locally – not just now but throughout the summer. That will help give back to this community and what we need.

“I stressed that our streets are cleaned up, that everyone has been working diligently to get Continued on Page 50 will see them up and down the Island.

“We invited people to come see for themselves. The best way of reaching people was by reaching out to all our contacts to spread the word. Social media went from spreading sensational photos to becoming a forum of useful information. Realtors, local businesses, the Chamber of Commerce and municipality leaders have the support of Gov. Christie, who knows the financial and psychological value of vacationing on the Jersey Shore.“ “One obvious truth emerged from it all: dunes work. The dunes should be maintained with the same respect and consistency as everything we value,” the real estate broker added.

“That goes beyond the oceanfront homeowners.

We all are protected by the stability of the dunes.

When they are gone, we are all vulnerable to loss of many kinds.” *** Roger Weber, of Oceanside Realty’s Surf City office, expects more rental leases to be signed this summer than last. Not that the results don’t take some homework and networking to accomplish.

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Real Estate Continued from Page 49 “I stay in touch with anybody who has ever said hello to me,” related Weber, who is an agent for both sales and rentals.

“I think it’s going to be a good year, but I think we’re going to have to work harder for it.

“Last year we did well over 300 rental leases and I expect that to be growing this year. I email over 1,200 people once a month – it jogs their memories – and I try to include a little bit of information on what is happening on LBI as well as a few links to LBI is Alive and other websites.

Asked his opinion of supply and demand in the rental market as some storm-affected owners

are not done with their renovations yet, Weber did not doubt that demand could get competitive if everyone waited too long.

“I see the rental market this summer being very competitive because there are less rentals, number one, and there are going to be some people from Seaside, Lavallette and those areas who are going to be looking to come down here.“ As for the prospect of the storm affecting the number of houses sold this summer, Weber joins some others who are still selling houses but also had some other buyers decline right now.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with sales; I got two done and I’m happy about that.

I’ve had a few people leave who were potential buyers and aren’t interested anymore. Yet, other people see it as an opportunity,” he said.

“Getting the word out” that Long Beach

Island is open is key, Weber asserted.

He thinks the vacationers’ arrival might start later than sooner this year because a number of out-of-area residents don’t know how restored the Island is and will be.

“I think it’s going to be late because the media has done a great job of covering the storm – they had helicopters and newspapers and reporters; everyone knew that it was flooded – but they have not done an equally good job of letting everyone know we are open for businesses.

“I get calls from people out of the area asking, ‘Is the Island open yet?’”

Weber voiced a sentiment that has surfaced more this month, that more should be done to aggressively publicize LBI’s open status to the metropolitan market.

“I see billboards and TV ads already done by

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other shore areas. If we’re not having full houses on the Island, businesses will suffer. Sea Isle City took out a $3,000-a-month billboard right up there in Jersey near New York to let people know they are open, and Ocean City is being advertised on TV. Why aren’t we doing that?”

When he tells callers that the Island will have a great deal of its renovation done even before summer and a hundred businesses are already open, some are still wary. “They’re happy about it, but a lot of people say they are not coming back this year; they’re going elsewhere,” he reported, with the Outer Banks of North Carolina being one place they mention.

He gets back to work meeting and greeting in and out of the office, and encouraging former visitors. His own website with a daily blog is one main outlet, and so is his work vehicle, “the Rogermobile,” an SUV that is like a mobile business card with his contact information. *** A good President’s Weekend, even in cold weather, met the staff in the office of The Van Dyk Group in Beach Haven Terrace. Since late January, the office has seen an upswing in the number of visitors confirming rentals. The office’s location in Beach Haven Terrace attracts mainly those who are looking on the south end of the Island, Ship Bottom and southward, where winter has been abuzz with repair work.

But all the time, it’s already looking better and better out there.

David Wyrsch Jr. encourages people to come and see for themselves. President’s Weekend, they did in numbers, and it probably helped that the agency’s Facebook page had told families that Fantasy Island was reopened. The traditional Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. turkey dinner on that end of the Island sold 2,303 meals.

“We were busy; it almost felt like a normal holiday weekend,” said Wyrsch, the firm’s real estate manager/vacation rental manager, who is the son of Van Dyk Group President David Wyrsch Sr. “Rentals started to up in the last couple of weeks,” he had reported even before President’s Weekend. “We’re running about a month to a month-and-a-half behind what we normally are, so we are certainly out of the gate slower than normal, like most people are.”

A near-normal supply of rentals will be there, though, excepting perhaps the still-recovering extreme southern end of the Island in Holgate, according to office reports. “We’re estimating, even with our Holgate numbers, probably 85 percent of our rental houses are ready to go, or will be,” Wyrsch said.

“Even the beaches now are fine; since the storm, it looks pretty good.”

Winter community events plus sunny weekends have helped bring families, and they are checking out rentals while they’re here.

“Martin Luther King weekend was like a normal holiday weekend,” Wyrsch reported.

“There were a lot of renters, and that held true for the last couple weekends as well, with the exception of the snowstorm weekend.”

Prospective renters have shopped in person instead of online, and “we do encourage that Continued on Page 56

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Continued from Page 49 everything back. I saw a lot of traffic – Fantasy Island opened this weekend and it was packed yesterday. So we’re ready. For people that may have temporarily lost their favorite vacation spot, LBI is here for them.”

Of the more than 400 rental properties Mary Allen Realty normally has available, Jensen said 75 percent are ready for rent, according to questionnaires the company’s brokers had sent out to rental homeowners, and that number is increasing. “Luckily most of our rental properties had minimal damage, and a lot of them had nothing,” she said.

Despite getting a late start on rentals for the upcoming summer season due to homeowners’ paperwork being delayed by Sandy, Jensen was encouraged by the Presidents Day weekend, during which she said the Island was “buzzing.”

Jensen is a self-described “homegrown girl” who has lived on LBI her entire life. “Our Island is ready to rock ’n’ roll this summer,” she said.

— Michael Molinaro michaelmolinaro@thesandpaper.net

51 The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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BEYOND SANDY

Angling Outlook

By JAY MANN IMPLY BASSIN’ 2013: The movers and groovers behind the annual, spring Long Beach Island Simply Bassin’ tournament are fairly fi red up to get the event up and going this year – of all years.

A successful Simply Bassin’ 2013 would offer a strong display of angler recovery. Surfcasters shorted by the Sandy-shortened LBI Fall Surf Fishing Classic will hopefully see this contest as a way to get back into the swing of big striper things.

Despite some very fi ne striped bass caught during the shortened Classic, it was still far from a stellar stripering fall before the curtain suddenly came down – and was washed into the bay.

Overall, the bass mass out there is just fine. Ironically, the superstorm led to a huge biomass bonus, as unkept N.J. stripers now enhance the big-picture stocks. I don’t know the fi nal estimates of N.J.’s 2012 bass poundage but it has to be way below average. I know it’s a sour subject but the Saltwater Angler Registry is meant to nail down just such harvest numbers. I know I didn’t get a call – so I could report zero stripers kept Jack Reynolds Jay Mann in 2012. Even as a fervent catcher- ANGLER DELIGHT: (Left) The South Jetty in Barnegat Light is an angler magnet throughout much of the year, though summer is when it shines. But and-releaser, that’s something of an other more secluded sections of LBI (right) offer things slow and easy, especially for those needing quiet to throw a net on baitfish. all-time low.

There are only two species unwilling to acAs for the upcoming spring, there’s abso- especially the early part – June into early July. We’re not that far from the annual re-placing Remember, the Weather Service’s meteo- and repositioning of buoys and channel mark- cept great whites as the ass-kickingest apexers lutely no reason to think the cows won’t be knocking down the fences. A coldish winter, rological seasons are different than that of the ers by the Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation on the food chain.

Orcas, a.k.a, killer whales, are macropredalike we’re having, seems to evoke a fi ne spring calendar year. Winter begins Dec.1; spring folks. It would seem the channels would have run. What’s more, the better bass will surely begins March 1; summer begins June 1; and to first be established, i.e.. dredged, before those tory marine mammals that will, seemingly on navigational aids can be properly placed. It just a whim, ram the everlovin’ life out of any sized hug the coast longer than last year, when the fall begins Sept. 1. seems like there could be a ton of tricky work to great white. * * * weird mildness had them bolting out of our But when it comes to ramming great whites I’m glad to see a goodly number of mariners be done in short order if they fi nd the damage I zone in nothing flat. into kingdom come and extinction, up pops a I’m interested to get a read on whether or not received quick compensation for their lost or suspect they’ll fi nd in the channels.

TRACKING A HUGE WHITE GAL: crass little creature that can barely tread water: folks will be up for this contest. I harbor this damaged vessels. I fully realize there are tens nagging fear that some LBI regulars might not of thousands of claims so I might not be getting Mary Lee, a great – and gordacious – white humans. In a mere three decades, sportsmen be returning – ever. I’d be appreciative if you anything close to an accurate overall read but shark, is a viral sensation. And she’s making and commercial fishermen around the planet could take a second to give me some insights it seems that those who wasted no time report- headline news as she cruises right off our coast have all but nonchalantly the apexness clean out of white sharks. at jmann99@hotmail.com, or let participating ing their losses fared fairly. By the by – and I this week.

Only recently have cooler killing heads Not that great white sharks haven’t long have no idea what this might indicate – but I’ve shop owners know. been offered not one but two fully functioning been the stuff of tantalizing gab and garish re- prevailed. The planet has actually lent a sym* * * The cold continues to kill off loads of bad vessels. Yes, likely storm-damaged to some de- porting. What makes Mary Lee so damn viral- pathetic ear toward the plight of all sharks – and gree. Truth be told, I’m more interested in some able is both her insane size – 16 feet long and great whites in particular. That’s part and parcel in-bay organisms.

I hate cold, per se, but if there was ever a damn decent duck boats still going unclaimed. weighing in at 3,456 pounds – and the Smart to the popularity of Mary Lee. In fact, the viral public interest in Mary lee year when we need the bay to undergo a criti- I won’t touch them until they are 100 percent Position Temperature Tag that was devotedly cal cool down, this be it. I say that with a bit cleared to be “salvaged.” Back in the day, many placed on her on Sept. 17, 2012, as part of an is predictable. She has all the WWW sell points.

For the fi rst time ever, we’ve got a maneatof bravado, knowing that next week will see a a bayman would leave his duck boat near the OCEARCH effort.

Per the group’s literature, “OCEARCH fa- ingly massive shark showing us just what life bay, unattended, between usages – sometimes damn decent warm-up.

Not surprisingly, this winter has played out all summer. You knew not to touch another cilitates unprecedented research by supporting behind the jaws is all about. Tens of thousands in near perfect unison with the known weather man’s properties – though decoys were known leading researchers and institutions seeking of Facebookers, Tweeters and internet surfers to attain groundbreaking data on the biology are following the massive cacharodon’s swimeffects surrounding a weak El Nino impact. to sometimes fly off on their own. and health of sharks, in conjunction with basic abouts, keeping up with virtually every ping * * * The snaps of cold, intermingled with stretches of her tracking device. Still, it’s going to take The large hydrological research boat re- research on shark life history and migration.” of milder air, are exactly what the predictions The skin-pinned beacon essentially has Mary Lee a lotta swim time to surpass “Jaws” cently parked on the west side of the Boulevard called for.

I’ll forward some self-brewed prognostica- near The SandPaper building (Surf City) is go- Mary Lee pegged wherever she roams. What’s technoshark, Bruce, as the world’s most famous tions that it could get very mild by the end of ing to soon be heading out to bottom scan the more, through the miracles of real-time web- gray suit, Aussie for shark.

While, fan-wise, things have gone swimFebruary or early March. That actually flies channels in bayside LBI – checking for shoaling casts, we’re all welcomed to vicariously climb in the face of the recent long-term forecast and debris in the ICW. We’ll be doing a story aboard her back for what is proving to be a fairly mingly for Mary Lee, she has put a fright or released this week by The Weather Channel, on it and, hopefully, riding along, to see how leisurely swim up and down the waters along two into her benevolent researchers, particularly when she nonchalantly angled to within predicting all of February will be colder than a channel bottom study is done. I’m guessing the Eastern Seaboard.

Apparently it’s easy to just that laid back and 200 feet of a popular bathing beach in Florida it’s not a helluva lot different than scanning usual.

I also see this spring as being milder than the way we do when fishing, albeit a lot more leisurely when you’re the largest macropreda- – where her signal was lost. One can only imagusual, inland areas. It will be a tad cooler along sophisticated. What I’m wondering is what tory fish out there. Macropredatory is a patently ine the legal wrangling if Mary Lee decided to the shoreline, as a southerly air flow arrives happens when something is found. Sure, it’ll be technical way of saying a great white shark is do a taste-test of a swimmer while under the way ahead of its seasonal time, that wind blows marked but what happens in the case of debris alpha to the cartilaginous core. Just ask any electronic patronage of OCEARCH? As of this week, our big white gal – sure, off the ocean for much of the Jersey coastline. that might be on the move? Also, what if the fish — and most marine mammals – who gets Disturbingly, that early south f low can shoaling is critically bad? What are the dredg- top-dog honors just about anywhere within the that’s politically correct – is cruising off Jersey, eventually lead to a horrifically hot summer, ing options, most short-term and long-term. water column: Mary lee and blood relatives.

Continued on Page 70

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55 The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

56

Real Estate Continued from Page 50 every year,” Wyrsch said. “It’s going to be important to check out the rental house and make sure it’s OK, and the surrounding area as well. We don’t want to have a situation where they are surprised and say, ‘a house is under construction on my street.’ That’s going to be something that people need to be aware of.”

Quick signers or waiters – what has been the winter visitors’ reaction? “A bit of both. We had a few cancellations from repeats but not a whole lot,” Wyrsch answered.

The overall sales prospect is still developing. “It’s almost too early to tell what’s going to happen,” regarding parts of the equation, he said. “In December we had two bayfronts and an oceanfront that closed, and that was after the storm. There are a lot (of prospective sales) that did not go through but also plenty that still did.”

A few other former homes have entered the sales market now for the land only. “A house that was damaged and the owner is not going to repair it but sell it for the land value, we’re starting to see those kind of houses trickle in,“ Wyrsch said. “There are people out there looking no matter how damaged an area was.”

The Van Dyk Group’s insurance division handles the claims of thousands of area homes,

and so the agency is a fi rsthand source of information for anyone wondering about specific homes on the market.

Wyrsch tells prospective homebuyers that the changes in elevations in the federal flood maps “are not as dire as some people think.”

“The only houses that (an owner) needs to worry about being raised are the ones deemed significantly damaged by their towns.Those are the ones where they’re going to need to rebuild at new elevations,” he said.

“And if it is re-sold, they can transfer their insurance coverage if the coverage remains continuous. If they keep continuous and consistent coverage, did not receive significant damage, they’re not going to be forced to raise the house, and also, they will be able to transfer the coverage to new buyers.” *** Kenneth Nilson, broker associate with Re/ Max at Barnegat Bay, recently met face-to-face with hundreds of inquirers when he took a booth at a large home expo in Toms River. His comments for this story focus on sales rather than rentals. His sales listings are both on Long Beach Island and the nearby mainland, and he lives in Surf City.

“I engaged with an equal number of buyers and sellers,” he said. In short, some potential buyers from out of the area were cautious; others see opportunity.

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“Obviously, sellers are very concerned about property value with regard to implications from the storm, and what it means to them,“ Nilson said. “Also, some were very concerned about new proposed regulations (for rebuilding in flood zones), and buyers were also having these same concerns. They’re concerned about having enough information before jumping in with both feet.

“The good news is that FEMA has done a good job on various websites putting information out there for people to read and absorb and learn,” Nilson said, referring to floodsmart.gov, the official site of the National Flood Insurance Program.

“What a lot of Realtors have done, is that we have gone to every meeting, and to every construction office and every municipal meeting, and we’ve immersed ourselves in this topic so we can be very well versed on what the implications are for both sellers and buyers.”

All in all, Nilson said that the fact that there are more buyers in the marketplace will create a lot of transactions in the next couple of years.

The Long Beach Island region continues to be a desirable place to live and vacation within easy reach of the metropolitan hubs.

“There are 25 million people who live within two hours of Southern Ocean County.

The demand for real estate will always exceed the supply in this area,“ Nilson said.

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“From the seller’s point of view, there will be plenty of buyers in the marketplace because of decreased values in property. For buyers, the inventory of available homes for sale is decreased, but interest rates are still at 50-year historical lows.“ “The rainbow is that over the course of the next five to 10 years,Southern Ocean County will benefit from Sandy in that properties will be substantially improved. That is a good thing for everybody,” Nilson concluded. “Certain individual people are not going to like to hear that because they were fi nancially hurt, but the entire region overall will be much improved. Y mariascandale@thesandpaper.net

Seaport Continued from Page 12 volunteers,” said Hart.

The Seaport has not received any Federal Emergency Management Agency funds as yet, but it will be reimbursed through a FEMA program set up for public entities such as museums, he said. “We did get money from our insurance company for wind-driven rain damage.”

Last month, volunteers from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey were on the grounds helping restore displays. On Feb. 23 and 24, about 25 people from ALO’s Waves of Action group will be on site.

The Walk on the Wild Side exhibit is being put back together. The mounted animals were cleaned by a taxidermist, and someday soon the big black bear will return from storage by pickup truck. The pound fishery net, a type of rope maze that children love to play in, has been restored.

“We will have our gala reopening on Memorial Day. We are working towards that every day. Every event we have scheduled will take place,” said Hart. “The Coast the Coast bicycle ride for MS is May 18, the Bluegrass Festival is the following day, May 19, the Seafood Festival is in June, and we are going to have a fi rst for the Seaport: A microbrewery is coming. Pirate Day will be expanded this year; all the events will be held under a big tent.”

Despite water in its regular meeting place on the boardwalk, the Jersey Shore Folklife Center still offers classes in the Hunting Shanty, said Hart. “Come and learn to make a basket with Mary May or make a fi sh decoy with Mark Bair.”

The musicians of Pickin’ on the Porch also show up the fi rst Sunday of every month from noon to 5 p.m. to play old-time music.

“According to our audit, we had 485 docent volunteers last year for a total of 51,000 hours.

This is a grass-roots museum, and people are coming back in droves. We also have new people who have just moved into the area and want to explore the area’s maritime heritage.”

A new Jacques Cousteau Estuarine Research Reserve “Life on the Edge” exhibit, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is being installed on the second floor of the Visitors Center and will open in April. “This was planned before Sandy,” said Hart. “It will be even more interactive for the children that visit.

“We have so much going on. The new dam (on Route 9) and fish ladder is supposed to be functioning by the end of February; we’ll wait and see. I know they have to stop in March because the DEP requires them to because of the fish.

“And it seems every day someone comes in with a new article to archive. The week after Sandy hit, a woman donated a set of china that belonged to Jay Henry Bartlett, china from the Captain’s House.

“There is always something new to see; it’s never the same here. We always say, ‘Come for an hour and stay the afternoon.’”

The Tuckerton Seaport, a re-created maritime village on the banks of Tuckerton Creek, is open daily. Go to tuckertonseaport.org for more information on events and workshops.

— Pat Johnson patjohnson@thesandpaper.net

57 The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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Causeway Bridge Continued from Page 30 of the bridge is fine, so that’s not an issue.”

Neither the storm nor the resulting increased heavy truck traffic had an impact on the bridge’s immediate safety.

Between Stafford and Ship Bottom, the big bridge and three trestle bridges hop across four small islands – Mallard Island, an unnamed man-made island, Bonnet Island and Cedar Bonnet Island.

The call was put out Jan. 31 for bids for the first of four major construction contracts, with construction due to begin this spring. The deadline for bids is March 7. In all stages of the project, weather or other factors may affect the timing of the work. The improvements will encompass a three-mile stretch of Route 72 from just west of Marsha Drive to Long Beach Boulevard.

The end result will be a side-by-side, twinbridge design, consistent with the guiding principles of post-storm infrastructure rebuilding – i.e., to hold up better in future violent weather – and safer, stronger passage for motorists.

In the first contract, a new high-level bridge structure will be erected parallel to, and immediately to the south of, the existing bridge over the bay, which will allow for continued safe travel on or off the island in the event that one of the two spans needs to be closed, along with various associated improvements to the bridge approaches and surrounding area. The first contract is estimated to be complete by July 2016.

The design of the project includes: “complete streets” elements such as wide shoulders and a barrier-protected sidewalk along the twin spans for pedestrians and bicyclists, where safe access currently does not exist; six parking lots to support recreational opportunities for walkers/runners, fisherman, crabbers and nature lovers. The project also calls for improvements to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge on Bonnet Island, by way of a separate environmental mitigation contract that

will improve public access to the water.

Each of the twin bridges will have two 12-foot-wide travel lanes in each direction for vehicle traffic; a 12-foot-wide inside shoulder and a 13-foot-wide outside shoulder for bicyclists; and a six-foot-wide sidewalk along the outside shoulder to carry westbound foot traffic.

The second contract will be for the rehabilitation of two of the three trestle bridges, located to the east of the Bay Bridge and spanning narrow sections of the bay known as East Thorofare and West Thorofare. Work will be minimized during the busy summer season to maintain traffic flow.

The third contract will remove and replace the existing bridge’s superstructure, which is more extensive than first planned. Originally only the bridge deck was to be replaced. The same contract will also include rehabilitating the third trestle bridge, located to the west of the Bay Bridge over Hilliard’s Thorofare.

Rehabilitation of the three trestle bridges will result in two 11-foot-wide travel lanes in each direction, as well as one-foot-wide inside shoulders and six-foot-wide outside shoulders. The westbound lanes will also offer a six-foot-wide sidewalk, but no accommodations specifically for pedestrians or bicyclists.

The fourth contract will address safety and operational issues at the Route 72/Marsha Drive intersection, to improve traffic flow at the traffic signal, and along Eighth and Ninth streets in Ship Bottom to provide operational upgrades and drainage improvements.

Recognizing Long Beach Island as an iconic vacation destination for hundreds of thousands each summer, Simpson said, “Our investment in this project will strengthen the Causeway’s critical role as the only Coastal Evacuation Route for Long Beach Island. It will enhance safe and convenient access … for all users of the roadway.”

Watch for three informational digital signs to be installed near the Garden State Parkway, Route 9 and in Ship Bottom.

Y victorialassonde@thesandpaper.net Michael Molinaro contributed to this story.

Chamber

all year,” said Pepenella.

Pepenella met with New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and the head of the state’s Small Business Administration on Monday, Feb. 11, to discuss the Show Your Love for the Jersey Shore campaign, which she called a “precursor to their multimillion-dollar spring promotion, set to launch in March. She said the chamber would certainly continue to partner with the rest of the shore communities to help spread the word about the area’s readiness for the summertime.

A “We are Southern Ocean County Consumer and Family Expo” will take place at the St. Mary’s Parish Center in Manahawkin on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

June will continue to consist of “Art and Leisure” activities, including the Lighthouse International Film Festival and Viking Village’s Jazzy Scallop and Seafood Festival.

The chamber will also celebrate its 25th Chowderfest Weekend. This year’s theme will focus on next year’s Super Bowl, which is set to take place in New Jersey.

“As far as the excitement and the passion that we have here, that’s certainly not going to change,” said Pepenella. “We’re excited now, and it’s just going to get better,” she added with a smile.

For more information about the chamber’s many events, visit http://www.visitlbiregion. com/, or call 609-494-7211.

— Kelley Anne Essinger kelleyanne@thesandpaper.net

Morale Boost

ness impact assessment in collaboration with the state’s leading business groups, the governor has worked with the Small Business Administration to secure nearly $189 million in loans to thousands of homes and small businesses, and provided lines of credit through the state Economic Development Authority for businesses awaiting insurance reimbursement, grants for job training and benefits for displaced workers.

Guadagno said New Jersey was also the recipient of a $15.6 million National Emergency Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to hire unemployed workers to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts.

She said businesses are encouraged to call the state’s Business Action Center at 866-534-7789 for information on advocacy services available.

— Eric Englund

Continued from Page 46 how much this area means to people, and that kind of carries you because you know it’s very important,” said Lori Pepenella, director of the chamber’s destination marketing organization.

“It’s a part of people’s hearts, and you want to make sure that all these things are accessible to them and that they have a good point of contact that’s going to be able to give them the right resources to help them plan their stay or contact the business that they need to get in touch with.

That’s what we’re basically here to do, and help the businesses, too,” she added.

The staff is also excited to present its traditional beach opening and wine festival in May during Memorial Day weekend, which will expand this year to incorporate the second annual “Cruisin’ For a Cure” event, a motorcycle and classic car run that benefits David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation. The official summer kickoff celebration, dubbed Soar, Pour and Roar, will offer an abundance of fun activities throughout the weekend, including live entertainment by Ted Hammock and Jason Booth, as well as from Sprinkles the Clown, perfect for amusing the kids, and a buffet lunch.

“It brings people down and familiarizes them with the area before the heavy crowds start coming, so they can kind of acclimate themselves to some new places and hopefully keep coming back

Continued from Page 46 together to help them come back.”

Ship Bottom Mayor William Huelsenbeck said Guadagno was “very gracious and down to earth.”

“She saw first hand how we’re working hard here to get ready for the busy season,” he said.

Councilman Peter Rossi was also on hand for Guadagno’s visit.

“I think she was really impressed how determined we are to recover from this disaster,” he said.

Guadagno said Gov. Christie has made assisting affected New Jersey small businesses a priority. In addition to initiating a statewide busi-

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East Coast Rising Continued from Page 20 to work in the area for at least another year. When asked about his commitment to his organization’s mission, he said, “I don’t know how to not do this. It’s hard to explain; it feels like a calling.”

Later in the night, Rose wrote out four checks worth $5,000 each to help local individuals in need. Jetty co-owner Jeremy DeFilippis also awarded a $5,000 check to Vilardi Construction LLC, whose owner, Dan Vilardi, is still displaced, yet has “acted as a warrior” during the recovery process. Vilardi has put a measureless number of hours into helping friends and neighbors rebuild their homes and businesses, including Foster’s Farm Market in Beach Haven. So far, the local apparel company has donated more than $200,000 to activities involved with the relief initiative, which it has raised through the sale of its Hurricane Sandy Relief T-shirts and pullovers.

Long-Term Continued from Page 22 A link on the township website, longbeachtownship.com, directs individuals to information on the new base flood zones.

Ron Pingaro, construction and zoning director for the township, said his department has a recorded message at 609-361-6687 with information on the Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) program, which can provide grants toward raising a structure. The recording includes “what the homeowner should be aware of, and how to file for it.”

In addition, individuals can reach the Construction and Zoning Department directly at 609-361-6679 to schedule an appointment for a personal consultation meeting – which the department asks homeowners and business owners to do, rather than just walk in for an appointment.

Pingaro said the department also has handouts pertaining to raising a structure, the ICC program and more.

Finally, as the committee noted, Mayor Joseph Mancini has been in contact with the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection in regard to Barnegat Bay, as he wants to ensure it’s clean and safe as soon as possible.

The LBT Long-Term Recovery Committee plans to continue working with the chamber, as well as the Jetty + Waves for Water movement, to provide the most helpful and accurate information to those rebuilding locally, and to help fast-track the revival of LBI. As the committee members pointed out, the group looked at where the Island was in October, following Sandy; where it is today; and also where it will be years from now – which, they are certain, will be even better than it was before.

— Juliet Kaszas-Hoch julietkaszas-hoch@thesandpaper.net

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Continued from Page 24 had affected them. “They all told me how the Island was coming back strong, and they all believe that this summer will be great if we get the word out.”

Ward was responsible for shooting, starring in and editing the video. The Sepanaks helped by securing access for Ward to run into, through and out of local businesses in varying states of repair, including How You Brewin? coffeehouse in Surf City, the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies, Nardi’s Tavern in Haven Beach and the oceanfront Sea Shell Resort and Beach Club in Beach Haven.

“As you can tell in the video, there was snow everywhere, and it was unbelievably freezing because I was in shorts and a T-shirt, but I knew all the pain of the cold, and being tired, was worth it so all of us could have a good summer – not just LBI, but all of the East coast.

“Every (creative choice) had a purpose, but our main purpose is to bring the summer fun back to the Jersey Shore,” he said.

View the video, order a commemorative T-shirt and learn more about the LBI is Alive campaign at lbiisalive.com. The site is updated daily with listings of businesses that are open or committed to opening soon, plus local events, news items and a countdown to Memorial Day. — Victoria Lassonde victorialassonde@thesandpaper.net

Although the event at the LBIF served as a much-needed break in the disruption of everyday life that Sandy has imposed on the area, it also acted as another chance to involve the public in the recovery process. Postcards of local surfers riding rolling waves and of colorful landscapes of the rising and setting sun along the Island’s beaches, telling the story of the region’s recovery following the storm, were handed out. A mailbox was provided so people could send them to friends and family members to help spread the word about Long Beach Island’s upcoming summer season.

“The ultimate story is that LBI will be open for business this summer,” said local surfer and freelance writer Jon Coen. “We realize that people who are in New York and Pennsylvania and North Jersey keep seeing the images of the Jet Star (roller coaster) falling into the ocean off Casino Pier, and Breezy Point burned to the ground, and they think that these coastal areas are ruined, and they might start planning their trips to upstate New York or Cape Hatteras, or something like that. But LBI is not Seaside, and while Jetty and Waves for Water is working alongside other surfers in Seaside and they’re not going to back to normal this summer, we will be almost normal. So we’re trying to tell people, ‘Hey, we are open, come down, plan your trip,’ because we need people to come down and spend their money next summer.”

The evening was an obvious symbol of the area’s and its residents’ readiness for the coming season. The aroma of seared mahi mahi, crabby mac-n-cheese and lime chipotle slaw, among other delicious delicacies catered by Mud City Crab House of Manahawkin, left the partygoers feeling relaxed and excited for the upcoming summertime activities and certain of continuing recovery efforts with the local surfers.

“The community’s surfers have come to the forefront and really taken an activist’s role during the recovery process,” said Ray Fisk, a local resident and owner of Down The Shore Publishing.

“These things are really cool to see.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger kelleyanne@thesandpaper.net

Shack

Continued from Page 16 I got will be cherished by those who always admired the Shack.”

A journalism student at Columbia University, working on a piece about reusing storm debris, even filmed footage of Wurst collecting the wood and in his workshop for her video project (http:// vimeo.com/55945575), which is how he first discovered pieces of the locally famed structure.

Wurst said he originally had no idea what he’d do with the Shack wood; his only initial thought was that he wanted to save it “so that it wasn’t thrown out and and treated like trash.” Then, he hit on the idea for the N.J. cutouts.

The reception so far has been great, he pointed out. “I’ve been the one who has been hesitant or afraid” to sell items he created from wood found after Sandy’s devastation because, he said, “I didn’t want to seem like someone who wanted to profit from the storm.” His concerns were put to rest, though, after he listed his first batch of Shack cutouts and learned friends and customers were happy to see the wood reused and kept from a landfill.

And now, for a few individuals, a piece of one of the Island’s most recognizable landmarks can be theirs.

In addition to Shack remains, Wurst also collected a great deal of additional wood after the storm to use for his creations: shingles, pilings, floorboards, “random little pieces of driftwood” from the beaches in Barnegat Light and elsewhere, sections of fence from his brother-in-law’s house in Tuckerton, wood from his brother-inlaw’s girlfriend’s parents’ house in Beach Haven Crest, and more.

To see Wurst’s Sandy debris creations, visit reclaimednj.com/, reclaimednj.etsy.com or facebook.com/reclaimednj. He plans, he said, “to have some kind of Jersey cutout made from reclaimed wood in stock or available to be custom made.

There won’t be many more Shack ones that get sold since I’m up to number 70 and plan on only selling 100 of them.”

Contact Wurst directly at ben.wurst@gmail. com or 609-713-4464.

— Juliet Kaszas-Hoch julietkaszas-hoch@thesandpaper.net

61

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

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Continued from Page 8 them a list of things to buy, not a list of things not to buy, don’t you? You simply cannot list all the things you do not want to permit on your dune, and it would be foolish to attempt to do so, especially when you can simply memorialize an exclusive list of permitted activities, just as the easements do.

For all of you amateur attorneys/beachfront owners who have pushed this argument, I have a few simple questions: Do you want your local government to build a homeless shelter on your dune? (Yes, I have actually heard that fear expressed by some!) I assume you do not. Well, I guess that means under your legal drafting philosophy a “no homeless shelter” provision needs to be written into the easement, along with “no boardwalk” and “no bathrooms” language, right? How about a parade of pink elephants on your dune every afternoon? No? Well, we had better add that language too, right? Wrong! None of these items – boardwalks, bathrooms, homeless shelters or pink elephants – has anything to do with building an engineered dune system.

None of them are permissible under the easements, and anyone who tells you the easements need to specifically exclude these things either does not know anything about legal drafting or is attempting to put his hand in your pocket!

It is impossible to list everything you properly want to exclude the government from doing on your dune, and no skilled attorney would ever attempt such a ridiculous task. Instead, a skilled attorney would clearly memorialize what the government is permitted to do and leave it at that, knowing that all other activity on your dune is not permitted by the easements. Best of all, now you know it, too.

Assignability: On several occasions I have heard people complain about the “assignability” of the easements, yet I have never heard one of them actually articulate what exactly is unacceptable about this feature. They simply repeat like a mantra, “Assignability is a problem,” but say no more. The reason for this is, of course, that there is absolutely nothing wrong or unusual about including an assignment provision in the easements.

Indeed, it is absolutely necessary that the easements be assignable. What if your municipality decides to merge with other municipalities in the future to form a new municipality?

In this case, the easement you signed would be rendered unenforceable and useless without an assignment clause. The new municipality would have to go through the process of acquiring new easements. Likewise, what if your municipality decided that it made sense to have another entity (e.g., a neighboring municipality or a private service provider) perform the work contemplated by the easements? Again, without an assignment clause, your town may have to go out and collect a whole new set of easements. None of this additional expense or turmoil is necessary and can be simply avoided by permitting an assignment of the government’s rights and duties under the easement.

I suspect that beachfront owners who truly believe assignability is an issue they need to be concerned with are laboring under the false assumption that an assignee (i.e., the person/ entity who receives the assignment) may be able to somehow expand on what is permitted under the easements. Again, this is pure nonsense. What people need to know is this basic legal principle: When one “assigns” contractual rights and duties, one can only assign those rights and duties they actually have under the original contract. In other words, no matter who is “assigned” the easements (if anyone), they cannot do anything on your dune that the original grantee (your local government) is not

permitted to do under the easements. Put simply, if the local government is not permitted to parade pink elephants along your dune under the easements (and they are not), then anyone who is assigned the easement is likewise prohibited from parading pink elephants.

“In Perpetuity”: The third “problem” some people are fond of throwing up against the wall is that they are being asked to grant the easements “in perpetuity” (i.e., forever).

Again, any lawyer worth his/her salt would draft the easements precisely this way. No responsible government is going to put itself in the position of going through the ordeal of acquiring the necessary easements for a beach replenishment program and then expending the huge amount of time and money necessary to put the dune system in place, only to find out that some of the beachfront owners have decided to opt out of the program for extortionate or other reasons when the original easement expires.

The experience LBI governments have had in attempting to acquire easements over the past several years only confirms that it would be insanity on their parts to insist on anything less than perpetual easements. In any event, it is actually the beachfront owners and all other LBI residents who should insist on the easements being perpetual.

Hurricanes are going to be with us forever, and it is in all of our interests to insist that our local government’s obligation to maintain a strong dune system last just as long.

In truth, I suspect that many of the beachfront owners who have refused to sign on the basis of the “wording of the easements” and all of the attorneys who have advised this course of action know full well that their opposition to the text of the easements is completely without merit.

So why on earth are so many obstructing this crucial proces instead of doing the right thing?

Why are they putting the Island at increased risk over non-issues? Why are they resisting a program that may one day save their very own houses from obliteration in the name of such obvious nonsense? For some, I suggest they have been misled and are sorely mistaken.

The others who continue to parrot these specious arguments are anything but mistaken. They have thrown up this smokescreen quite deliberately in order to mask their true thoughts on the beach replenishment program.

Some simply do not want to risk the possible sacrifice they may have to make in terms of compromised ocean views. While these concerns are no laughing matter, these people have made a selfish and shortsighted choice that puts all of our homes – theirs included – at risk of total loss. As for the remainder, well, like in so many instances in this life, I suggest you will find their motivations buried in a pot of gold – the pot of gold these people imagine to be waiting for them at the end of a litigation rainbow. Shortsighted greed has blinded many to their duty to keep their own communities safe. The scent of money in their nostrils has made it impossible for them to smell the fears of an entire Island that is becoming increasingly aware that Sandy may be an indication of even more serious threats to the Island going forward.

For all the reasons stated above, I suggest we all demand an explanation from our neighbors who have refused to sign an easement and that we press on with them until we’ve convinced the misinformed ones and identified the selfish and greedy ones who would see this Island wash away, leaving nothing of their dune, their house and their community, rather than do the right thing. Then, at least, we’ll know exactly who and what we’re dealing with in this shameful chapter in the Island’s history.

Y Kevin M. Rooney of Ship Bottom spent 25 years as a litigation partner in Washington, D.C. law firms and was general counsel to a Fortune 500 multinational corporation.

Each of these arguments lacks substance and would not pass muster even with a first-year law student.

63

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Fence Does the ‘Whelk of Life,’ Tree Is Self-Ex-Clam-atory MOLLUSK MADNESS: Here’s all the evidence you need of Superstorm Sandy’s powerful winds, as whelks and other shellfish found themselves stuck on a fence in Surf City. OK, so maybe they were given a little human help. Nonetheless, shells can fly when maximum wind gusts reach nearly 90 mph, as were registered in Surf City at the height of the superstorm. (Right) A torn and tumbled tree skeleton in Holgate, which was severely impacted by the storm on the south end of the Island, finds itself adorned with clam shells, placed on its bare branches by beachcombers. As beach repairs and replenishments take place, waves of beachline collectibles will be showing up this spring.

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BEYOND SANDY

The SandPaper: Beyond Sandy, Spring, 2013

Wet and Wild ‘The Shoreline’s Always Going to Be There’

I

am optimistic because, more than ever, going to the Jersey Shore is a family tradition,” said Long Beach Township Beach Patrol Captain Don Myers with regard to the outlook for Long Beach Island’s beaches this summer, especially in the aftermath of the storm, as people realize the tradition nearly might have been lost forever. The success he predicts both in terms of the beach itself and the revenue beachgoers generate for the municipality.

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Holgate, Myers said. Near the end of February, training and certification of guards is already under way and applications for badge checkers are coming in.

In support of his view, Myers said he recently read a report on the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll that asked people about their summer vacation plans. The responses all pointed to the conclusion that the majority of shore-goers will not let Sandy interfere with their usual vacation routines, with 77 percent saying they plan on returning to the seashore they know and love for the same (64 percent) or longer (13 percent) lengths of time.

“I think we’re going to have a good summer; I see no reason why we wouldn’t have a good summer,” he said. The study also revealed Long Beach Island falls fourth on the list of six most popular Jersey Shore destinations, after Point Pleasant and followed by Ocean City. Atlantic City and Seaside Heights were fi rst and second most popular.

Myers believes that when the weather starts to turn spring-like, people will be more than ready to plan something to look forward to. And LBI is still a great bang for the buck, especially at $30 a pop (before June 15) for a seasonal beach badge, and “let’s face it – the beach is still the world’s best babysitter.”

As of last week, he said, the condition of the beaches, and particularly the replenished areas in Brant Beach, looked to be in good shape. After a series of winter storms that have redistributed the profi le, “the beach and sandbars couldn’t look better,” he said. Assuming a mild spring, “they’re going to look better than they did last year,” he said.

On a note of recovery, Myers said, “the shoreline’s always going to be there.” Due to the configuration of the barrier island, and the nature of Sandy’s surge, much of the storm debris was swept out on the bay side, he explained. Guards will be alert for any debris in the water, as they would be under normal circumstances, he added.

“I don’t see one problem,” he said.

A good indicator of a successful season is the increase in beach badge sales before the holidays, which rose dramatically in 2012 over 2011.

Equally optimistic is Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol Capt. Randy Townsend, who confi dently reported that “Harvey Cedars will be open to the public and ready to go for another beautiful summer here.”

Surf City Beach Patrol Capt. Mark Dileo said, “I think we’re going to be just fi ne this summer.” It’s tough for him to say how the beaches have “settled” since Sandy, given the best way to gauge the outlook is to evaluate the beach at various tide conditions over the course of a few weeks, and last time he was in Surf City was about a month ago. However, he added, “These things always have a way of evening out.”

As devastating as Sandy was, Myers said, if the storm had to come sometime, the timing in late October was at least as good as it could have been. Had the blow been a late August hurricane like Irene in 2011, the tourism economy might have been impacted more severely.

— Victoria Lassonde victorialassonde@thesandpaper.net

69

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70

Arts in Parts

Continued from Page 17 will be ready to go this summer.”

The postcards were originally handed out during the “East Coast Rising” Sandy recovery fundraiser, hosted by Jetty + Waves for Water.

“From the time I had the idea, we had the first run within a week. Those went into gift bags at the Jetty + Waves for Water fundraiser on Jan. 26. We had stamps and a mailbox at the event and encouraged people to send them out. Last week we got 2,500 each of all 11 postcards.”

“These are all currently sitting in my kitchen,” said Ann Coen.

Ann was carefully selective of the images she used for the postcards. “I didn’t want them to be the standard photo, so that’s why I used the full moon behind the Barnegat Lighthouse and the Manahawkin Bridge for the mainland card.”

Visitors to the shore will be sad to learn that Sandy took the final swipe at the Causeway Shack, shattering it into flotsam. The shack was a landmark of bygone shore days for many as they traveled Route 72 to the Island.

“I thought it appropriate to print the shack in black and white,” Ann said.

“Yes, it’s true,” Jon wrote for the blurb on the back of that postcard. “The shack fell victim to Superstorm Sandy in October of 2012. She took so many great LBI memories with her to the

bottom of the bay. But most everything else is still here: the rental homes, the Ferris wheel, the pizza places, candy stores, clam joints, the bay and, of course, our famous beaches. Plan to get back to LBI this summer. Pay your respects to the Shack and then start making new memories.”

“Nick Zegel, a West Coast graphic artist, designed the fonts, and photographer Chris Pfeil had a good shot for the ‘Heroes’ card,” said Ann. These were area volunteer firefighters, police and EMTs gathered at St Francis Community Center in Brant Beach for a group shot in their turnout gear.

Jeremy DeFilippis, a co-owner of Jetty, “picked up the tab” for printing the postcards, said Ann. “We did a limited run for the East Coast Rising event but decided we would do a larger printing and ran 2,500 of each,” said DeFilippis.

“Ann and Jon put it together, and my job is to distribute them. The cards are going to all the real estate agents we know of to send to their clients; they have lists of people who have rented on LBI going back years and years.

“The message we want to get out is ‘We’ve cleaned up, we’re rebuilding, businesses are open, and we’ll be ready for an awesome summer.’

“We also have given a bunch to the (Southern Ocean County) Chamber of Commerce. They are at all our retailers, such as Farias and the Surf Shack. They are on the counters and free

for the asking.”

DeFilippis invites anyone with a retail store or real estate business who wants to help distribute the cards, to call 1-800-900-6435 “We’re hoping that everyone will write a note, put a stamp on them and send them out beyond the Island. We’re also giving them to the schools this week, a project for the kids to bring to their parents. We’re sending them to newspapers and websites with a press release hoping they will write stories about them. If we can get news outlets in Bucks County, New York City and northern New Jersey to write about them, then they will know we are open for business and are looking forward to a great summer.”

Jetty, in Little Egg Harbor Township, designed a “Unite Rebuild” T-shirt, with profits from the sales going to Hurricane Sandy Relief.

“Two days after the storm hit, we designed and printed the T-shirt, and it went viral. Without the branding, we wouldn’t have been able to raise so much,” DeFilippis said.

Proceeds from the T-shirt have raised $213,900 so far for Sandy relief. The company essentially shut down in November and December to dedicate itself to the rebuilding process, said DeFilippis. “We’re a small business with 10 employees, and we needed help, so we aligned with Waves for Water, a 50(3)c nonprofit that has had experience with disaster relief in Haiti and tsunami relief all over the world. This is their first project in America.”

Circul Your Dreams

Waves for Water was founded by Jon Rose, a professional surfer, and has ties to the surfing community. A trailer in Ship Bottom with the Jetty+ Waves for Water banner is filled with supplies and tools used by volunteers in the rebuilding effort on LBI. “Volunteers have been busting their ass since the storm. They’ve (demolished) 700 houses and are now helping to rebuild businesses and homes,” said DeFilippis.

“We gave $10,000 to ALO (Alliance for a Living Ocean) in December to help them get back on their feet. They’re an important environmental organization that lost everything; they didn’t even have an office. Now AOL held a 5K race this weekend and got 400 people signed up and raised money for Sandy Relief.”

Waves for Water instituted a Restore and Rebuild Program that connects contractors to homeowners for repairs up to $20,000. Call the number on the banner, 609-389-9150, for more information or Jettyw4w@gmail.com. The Tshirt can be found at www.jettylife.com.

The postcards are one of the last phases of the rebuilding effort to make sure businesses that have opened their doors will have vacationers waiting to enter come summer.

The postcards of LBI have positive messages like these penned by Jon already inscribed on the back: “Be assured that your LBI summer will not be lost,” “Great waves will be ridden again on Long Beach Island. We are ready for summer,” and “We’re working hard to bring the island back to its glory.”

But he and Ann hope you’ll add your own positive feelings to the back of the cards when sending them on their good-will journeys.

“I would love if they become collectible,” Jon said. “Superstorm Sandy is going to be a big event in the history books This is something tangible that people can save, and it’s about the recovery.”

Y patjohnson@thesandpaper.net

Fishing Outlook This home is built and ready to deliver!!

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Upstairs features 3 bedrooms and two addiƟonal baths. Total square footage of this home is 2,300 sq. Ō. Covered front and rear porches provide you with cozy outdoor living places to enjoy with friends and family. There is sƟll Ɵme to make your selecƟons for ameniƟes such as kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, Ɵle, Ňooring and more. This home requires a 60 x 100 Ō. lot or greater.

Continued from Page 52 after hanging kinda fi rm off North Carolina, in the vicinity of the fish-rich Delmarva.

Looking at the bigger eat’em-up/yum-yum picture, her penchant for Carolina waters means she is onto foodstuff fit for a 3,456’er. In fact, therein rises a gerund angling angle: What might she be downing in such vast volume?

She’s too far out for seals and it’s too open to swim down a dolphin. Face it, she’s fishing. To fill a sushi lover of her dimensions, how can you not think in terms of her delicately dwnming overwintering stripers and blues?

Which is fine, mind ya. Someday we’ll learn that we don’t instantly own all rights to every fishery we like hooking into. Mary Lee has full rights to all the foodstuff she can grab.

As she cruises off Sandy Hook (Jan. 29), one has to think there could be some belly bound harbor seals. Though great whites eat what they please, Mary Lee was captured when sealing off Connecticut.

If you want to follow the further and future travels of Mary Lee, go to http://sharksocearch.verite.com/.

Y jaymann@thesandpaper.net

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