Echoes of LBI - Midsummer Dream 2016

2016 Midsummer Dream Edition

Long Beach Island Arts and Lifestyle Magazine

PHOTO BY ERIC HANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Let Reynolds create something extraordinary just for you!

L

iving in the indoor and outdoor spaces of your home has never been more peaceful, or possible, with Reynolds Garden Shop, Floral Market, Nursery & Landscaping.

Whether you’re a D.I.Y. gardener, or collaborate with Reynolds’ landscape design professionals, they’ll make your home truly a one-of-a-kind showplace.

Reynolds magically blends the unique features in the natural and built environments of your home’s outdoor spaces in creating a design that is aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Call or stop by today and let Reynolds create something extraordinary just for you.

PHOTO BY JEFFREYTOTARO.COM

Design Studio Inside Oskar Huber at 101 W. 8th St., Ship Bottom 201 East Bay Ave., Manahawkin • 609.361.1300 ReynoldsGardenShop.com • ReynoldsLandscaping.com

he creation of each issue of Echoes of LBI Magazine is always a unique experience. Working together with many of the local museums made putting this issue together a lot of fun. Though just 18 miles long – Long Beach Island has an incredibly rich history. We are fortunate to have these museums and their dedicated volunteers as part of our community. Be sure to visit all of our museums this summer. There’s always something new to see.

The content page features a group of volunteers dressed in period clothing from the Long Beach Island Museum in Beach Haven. These were the summer fashions of visitors, beachgoers and Islanders between 1910 to 1920. With one costume too many, we took a chance and asked a passerby to join our models. It turned out she had just arrived in Beach Haven from Sweden that afternoon. The vintage dress was a perfect fit. To our adventurous new friend – thank you.

This issue also features the story of New Jersey's oyster industry. From Native Americans and European settlers to modern day, the oyster has reshaped the New Jersey shore. We traveled to Bivalve, NJ to the Bayshore Center to research the history associated with this shellfish. Their extensive collection of photographs and ongoing research were very helpful. Along with the assistance of Rick Bushnell, President and Co-founder of ReClam the Bay (RCTB), this article details the importance of an abundant oyster population for economic growth and bay health.

Many thanks to Susanne Ricciardi for allowing us to photograph her vintage oyster cans.

For many of us summer is a time to reconnect with family and friends, and with our own history. During a recent visit from my grandchildren we visited the Barnegat Light Museum, which was originally the one room schoolhouse in Barnegat Light. I am a third-generation Islander. My father, sister Gay, and brother Bobby were students there.

Climbing the stairs of Barnegat Light with my daughter and her children, the fourth and fifth generations of our family, we marveled at the beauty of our island and at the family history that surrounded us. As that moment became part of our family’s story, I realized that as each island family creates new memories – those memories become a part of the collective history of Long Beach Island.

I hope you’ll take time to add to our history. Reconnect. Enjoy the sunsets. Walk the beaches. Visit our museums and shops. LBI has an abundance of special events through October. Don’t miss the Painted Poetry III exhibit at the Ocean County Library in Surf City now through August 30.

We would like to hear from anyone who remembers the old Surf City skating rink, photos on page 92, and to please contact us at echoesoflbi@gmail.com if you have photographs.

Copies of Echoes of LBI are available at the Southern Ocean Chamber of Commerce and at all Echoes advertisers.

Past issues can be read online at issuu.com/echoesoflbi.

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

Have a beautiful sunset!

Cheryl Kirby, Publisher

Tim Terry photo

Pat Morgan artwork

Page 8 • Echoes of LBI

Robert Sakson artwork

Carol Freas artwork

J

anet Campbell and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary of Painting-By-The-Sea (PBTS) with our returning artists along with new artists.

Our Meet and Greet is a fun and relaxing time to become reacquainted. Lovely additions have been made over the years: Jim from NY hosting his annual BBQ, and Rich, an island homeowner who invited artists to an evening of kayaking on the bay. Some of the painters meet after dinner, put their feet up and watch DVDs of their favorite artists. Here are testimonials from our students: "Our instructors – their generous spirits inhabit the room. I wouldn’t miss it!"

"An oasis in the midst of women and men who joyfully share their talents."

"Beach and wonderful sunsets, not enough lines to describe it all!"

"Very special camaraderie with fellow painters sharing laughter and struggles."

"Fantastic teachers, wonderful group of artists who have become great friends – what more could one ask for!"

Our June workshop was so popular that we decided to expand and offer another in October. Each workshop explores a variety of topics; figures, landscapes and techniques important to watercolor success. We all know autumn has its own special beauty on LBI. For details contact Pat at pmorganstudio@comcast.net or through her website PatMorganArt.com —Pat Morgan. Photography by Janet Campbell

Page 12 • Echoes of LBI

"Carol is a conscientious little worker. She can always find worthwhile things to do in leisure time. She has many original ideas which she offers for our activities. This originality is also true in her handwork. I hope this talent will be encouraged."

Page 14 • Echoes of LBI

C

arol's first grade teacher, Miss Kroll, wrote that quote on her report card from Bridgeboro School, New Jersey in 1948. How right her teacher was! Carol Freas is an accomplished artist and teacher as well as a gardener, devoted mother, caring wife, dedicated daughter and sister, and a true friend to many.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Carol for several years and the longer I know her, the more fascinated I become with her many talents. We met several years ago at the summer concerts in Ship Bottom while discovering common interests in music, singing and dancing.

Carol and her four brothers moved to Surf City with her father after her parents divorced in 1951. When Carol was twelve, her mother died of cancer so she used her creative imagination to escape the void. Carol attended Southern Regional High School where she met her husband Ray. After high school, she studied at Kutztown College in Pennsylvania graduating in 1965 with a BA in Art Education. While there, her father remarried Jane Lathbury, and sister Shelley soon arrived.

After marrying in 1966 and having two children, Tara and Travis, Carol combined her interests in art and gardening by creating gardens on paper in watercolor. Using the brilliant colors of flowers and vegetables in landscapes and still life, work eventually led to participating in her first outdoor show in 1976 in Virginia. Like many moms, her studio was part of the basement playroom where sewing drapes and bedspreads, tailoring Ray’s suits, and even canning pickles and tomatoes with unique labels also took place.

Carol and her family returned to our area in 1986 adding local historic interests to her colorful collections. Her paintings make me smile because they are happy, familiar scenes that capture the lure of LBI: children playing in the water, grownups relaxing in beach chairs, seashore gardens and notable buildings.

Even Carol’s home reflects her talents with tastefully decorated walls, colorful gardens and vintage collectables. Teaching art to young children, college students and adults in Florida, Virginia and here in New Jersey has been a rewarding career. Over the years, she has received prestigious awards. This winter I was impressed with an exhibit of her students’ work displayed at the Surf City Library.

Carol’s talents go beyond brush and paint. We continue our first connection by meeting at the Gateway on Tuesday nights to sing and dance. Give Carol a song and she will be happy to sing it. Her rendition of “Downtown” is fun to watch as she gathers men on stage to sing back-up, calling them her “Carolettes.”

Beyond all else, she is a dear friend to many. Shortly after Superstorm Sandy, even though Carol was helping her 90-yearold mother restore her home, she took time to bring me food while I was cleaning my own damaged home. Her kindness and spirituality see goodness in all of God’s creations and her work captures her upbeat spirit and personality.

See for yourself and check out Carol’s happy scenery and brilliant colors at Things A Drift at 405 Long Beach Boulevard, Ship Bottom. Or take a watercolor class with her at the LBI Foundations of Arts or Pine Shores Art Association. —Rena DiNeno. Photography and artwork supplied by Carol Freas

M

arvin Levitt, a familiar face on the art scene on Long Beach Island, has been a teacher, colleague, and friend to many artists. He is easily recognizable by his neighbors in Loveladies.

Marvin came to LBI to work and study with his friend and mentor Dr. Boris Blai. Dr. Blai was a world-renowned sculptor, one of the few trained by Rodin.

He loved the Island and had a house on the ocean in Harvey Cedars. Wanting the Island to have a community cultural center, Dr. Blai founded the Long Beach Island Foundation for the Arts and Sciences (LBIF) in 1948.

In the 1950s after spending a wonderful day with his family on the beach, Marvin knew he had to get a summer job on the Island. During the regular school year, he taught art in the public schools and in 1957 he started teaching during the summers at LBIF. He finally stopped teaching there in 2011; that nice summer job had a 54-year run.

Marvin created a scene of the Loveladies area back in the 1950s and 1960s.

At the time there were two or three streets with one house on each street. The lighthouse could easily be seen, and the pine trees had not yet been provided by the Boy Scouts. Artists who came to work with Dr. Blai stayed in garages or lived in Loveladies Harbor. It was as much a musicians’ retreat as an artist colony. Members of The Philadelphia Orchestra would escape the city to come and stay at the beach. Since it was such a small community, everyone knew one Page 16 • Echoes of LBI

another. Pot luck dinners included the bounty of the ocean, great conversations, children running around and occasionally a string quartet or brass quintet. As Marvin said, “they made their own entertainment back then.” Maybe he meant that literally since he did make some bamboo flutes for members of the orchestra.

LBI provided artists an escape—a place to recharge and create. One of Marvin’s artist friends kept his studio in a little red shack on an island in Kinsey Cove in Harvey Cedars. Robert (Bob) Kulicke was a fellow graduate of the Tyler School of Art. Bob was a “most gifted artist,” jewelry maker and, as described in the New York Times, “the most innovative and influential picture frame designer in the United States."

Marvin told the tale of making soup with Bob in the upstairs of Bob's New York City frame shop.

When Bob’s wife called up and insisted that he come down, Bob replied he was busy making soup and couldn’t leave it. Eventually, he grudgingly went downstairs to find artist Marc Chagall was there to commission framing for 35 foot panels for the Metropolitan Opera House!

Bob and Marvin took their soup and their seafood seriously. The two artists used to fish for blowfish.

Though plentiful, blowfish are notoriously difficult to filet. Their technique involved nailing the head of the fish down and turning the entire fish inside-out. After catching enough fish for the weekend crowd, they would return to Bob’s house in Bay Terrace.

Once, as they were starting to prepare the fish, one of the guests announced that he was going to cook it. A little annoyed, Bob asked his wife for the name of this would-be-chef – to which she replied, “James.” He then persisted asking, “James who?” When she answered “Just James Beard” the argument ended. James did his magic and named the dish “Swell Fish Provençale.” This was the norm for the Island. You never knew who you’d run into or would join you for dinner! Not all of Marvin’s adventures involved food. They also included art.

Sometimes it just takes an artist’s eye to see potential. After the Great Atlantic Storm of 1962, all types of debris were washed into the bay. Residents worked to clear out what they could. They cleared junk out of the bay and pulled out the post office boxes from the Harvey Cedar Post Office. The post office (formerly at Mr. Monk’s behind the Neptune Market) was destroyed in the storm and workers did not want the boxes back. Marvin cleaned up the boxes and put one in his dining room, making it a perfect place to store bottles of wine.

Many people may be familiar with at least one piece of Marvin’s art: King Neptune graced the Neptune Liquor Store for many years. When the store was sold, the owner couldn’t bring himself to leave King Neptune. So he took him home. Eventually the King was donated to LBIF. It can be seen gracing the outside of the marine science building. The King even has some new mosaic waves to swim in. —Pat Dagnall and Ellen Hammonds.

Photography supplied by Marvin Levitt

Page 18 • Echoes of LBI

Page 20 • Echoes of LBI

Page 24 • Echoes of LBI

TIDE POOL, Barnegat Light This luminous sea of light green glass ripples with sun over waves of sand where clam and oyster shells lay half buried, emptied of their other halves and tiny fish, like spots before the eyes after light-flashes, dart back and forth over white pebbles and a mermaid's purse.

These placid pools seem deep as the ocean itself – reflect the sky. At night phosphorescent creatures and stars deepen the pool even more.

—Frank Finale

Page 26 • Echoes of LBI

Chantey vs. Shanty Through folk etymology, words spread from one language to another evolving in both form and meaning. Unfamiliar or foreign words are adapted to a more familiar form through popular usage. Over time, the meaning of homophones chantey: from the French chanter “to sing,” and shanty: from the Canadian French chantier “rough cabin,” evolved becoming interchangeable when referring to a sea song.

Chantey (n) shanty: a song sung by sailors in rhythm with their work.

Page 28 • Echoes of LBI

The crew of the Kraaken lined up in the bow, awaiting their captain's arrival except for the cook who was down in the hold, secreting rum for survival And here came their captain – all spit-shined and bright, and proper, and hoy! What was that?

A'drape round his shoulders, as black as the night, was a yellow-eyed, demon-eyed cat!

The captain, he vowed that the cat was good luck, and had sav-ed his life more than twice He told them the cat's name was Shadowmybuck, and would catch all the ship's rats and mice.

Because he was black didn't mean he was bad, in England, black cats mean good weather.

The cook told the bos'n the men had been had, and the captain was daft altogether.

Chorus: Our very souls are in jeopardy Lord, Down ye damn-ed sailors go A demon cat is unwelcome aboard Down, ye bloody sailors

The cat plagued the cook, who was vexed as could be. He swore he would soon end its life.

He tried and he tried, with an ax, with hot tea, with a saucepan, a trencher, a knife.

He was drinking one night when the cat tiptoed in to the kitchen, just looking for scraps.

He reached for a knife and it ran up and out where a storm raged with loud thunderclaps

He chased it to fore and he chased it to aft, and to midships, and cornered at last, the cat seemed to cringe, as cook drew back the shaft for the kill, but then gained the foremast.

A bolt hit the mainmast, another the gaff, and the noise brought the men rushing out.

The mainmast was flaming. It soon broke in half, all its sails thrashing wildly about.

Chorus Repeats

The cat was on top of the foremast, so high, he could see all the mayhem below.

And there, in the light from the fire in the sky, several sharp rocks rose up off the bow.

The captain had seen the outcropping as well but too late turned the Kraaken to lee.

The bark crashed, its sides ripped, and men met the hell that was waiting for them in the sea.

The cook had escaped and unlashed a small boat and climbed in, ignoring the cry of those men still alive in the water, afloat, and knowing he'd leave them to die.

The captain and first mate grabbed pieces of wood and fashioned them into a float.

The two took as many aboard as they could and launched out to find the cook’s boat.

Chorus Repeats

They caught up to cook. but he still had his knife and slashed at the men as they tried to climb on the boat, and in after that strife, all but he and the captain had died.

The Kraaken was flipped on its side by a wave. As it sank, its great foremast came down.

It caught the cook in the back. His knees gave, and he fell in the ocean and drowned.

The captain, unhurt and the last living soul, climbed into the rowboat, and laughed when he saw his cat leap from the foremast's top pole, and land there, right into his lap.

They rowed to the shore and lived on there for months, until a ship's crew out at sea, saw their fire, picked them up, and soon heard the tale of how lucky a ship's cat can be.

Final Chorus Their very souls were in jeopardy, Lord, Down ye damn-ed sailors go Unless a cat is welcome aboard Down, ye bloody sailors —Shanty and artwork by Linda Reddington Page 30 • Echoes of LBI

2016 REC LITE SPARK

Poetry SUMMER CIGAR June evenings on the back porch, my ceremonial cigar time.

The main street smoke shop, store narrow like a birth canal, delivers a brown baby, longer than my longest finger, thicker than my thumb, onto my outstretched palm, no Johnson’s Baby Powder smell, more the odor of a damp basement, the ruder, the better its taste, my self-proclaimed prize, a Hemingway passport down an untamed river, my rebellion against a staid life.

My lips wrap around it, hold it tight in my mouth as I inhale its smoke, tongue feeling its flame, for the moment it’s better than breathing; then the triumphant exhale, a cloud forms, I have played God with the air.

Again and again. It nurtures me as night takes hold. At length, satisfied, I tap the cigar against its alabaster ashtray, press out the burning ash and leave some for another night.

The summer cigar will wait my return.

—Richard Morgan OUR DAY TOGETHER We walk in the park where we first met.

We sit on the porch watching the world get wet.

We lie quietly in bed feeling perfectly blessed.

I gently touch your face as you put your paw on my chest.

—Richard Morgan Page 32 • Echoes of LBI

PACIFIC ISLANDS – ALL IN A ROW Overloaded landing crafts, all in a row, standing room only for lionhearted Marines not thinking of tomorrow.

Marine warriors, all in a row, assaulting the beach, take it before dark, or die trying.

Marine tents, all in a row, days of discipline and routine.

Morning sick call, treating all, all except broken hearts.

Marines standing, all in a row, Sunday services, so many faiths, only one prayer.

Get us home.

Five Marines plus one, all in a row, raising the American flag over an Pacific island called Iwo Jima.

Six thousand Marine graves, all in a row, crosses standing, silently declaring, I am here. Never give up.

Semper Fi —Richard Morgan

Page 34 • Echoes of LBI

M

any times new hermit crab owners end up paying more for items for the crabs than for the animal itself. Most of those accessories are pointless. Sponges, gravel, and wood are breeding grounds for bacteria. Plastic dishes are better than using shells for food and water. Shells are porous and absorb whatever you place in them. Avoid buying painted shells because they are often coated with toxic lead paint and will only harm the crabs and you in the long run.

Gravel is not a hermit crab's friend. Hermit crabs do not come from gravelly areas. Purple Pincers, the species most commonly used in the pet trade, make their homes in trees. Gravel will trap the hermit crab's feces and make it more likely for the crab to become ill from a bacterial infection. They also have a harder time walking around their enclosure on gravel.

Hermit crabs like to climb and should be allowed to explore their new area. Wood however, can become a bacterial nightmare if little pieces of food get stuck in its crevices. It can also attract wood mites. Even tough mites may not harm the crabs, no one wants mites in their pet's habitat. You can find plastic substitutes or even make your own climbing structure out of Legos.

With these simple steps, new crab owners will have a better start.

Remember a hermit crab is a living and breathing animal and not a souvenir. —Photography and text by Sara Caruso

New crab owners are often told they need a sponge for the crab to drink from or to create humidity. Hermit crabs don't need a sponge. A sponge will only create a harmful bacterial soup, especially if it is left in the crab's water dish. Hermit crabs need humidity to breathe. So the most important thing is to keep the humidity between 60-80%. Spraying water from a spray bottle in a fine mist about a foot above an open tank can help achieve this. Purple Pincers can go a little lower if they have to because they are more adapted to staying on land longer. A sponge makes everything too wet and there is a risk that mold will grow. If mold spores get on the crab, it will grow in their shell and could cause death.

K

eeping cool in the summer heat isn't easy for your four-legged friend. Contrary to popular belief, dogs do sweat, but not enough to cool them down. Dogs pant to cool off, but breathing in hot air only makes them hotter. Cut their walking time down especially during warm or humid days. Make sure to carry a bottle of water for both you and your dog. A pool can be a great way for both of you to cool off but limit the time the dog spends in the water. Chlorinated water can irritate a dogs eyes, nose and skin. Never let them drink large amounts of the water. Most importantly you'll want to keep a close eye on your dog and make sure he/ she knows how to swim. Just like with children, constant supervision is necessary as well as training. Setting up a kiddy pool for your dog with water from the hose is the best way to keep them cool outside. That way you don't have to worry if they drink the water. Keep it shallow enough that the dog doesn't have to swim, but can still splash about. Once the fun is done, dry your dogs thoroughly. Summer can be fun for your dog with the right care.

Page 36 • Echoes of LBI

W

e're well into the thunderstorm season on Long Beach Island and already a few doozies have moved through the area. Overall, thunderstorm action has been quiet but there have been a few instances of severe thunderstorms that the National Weather Service defined with wind gusts exceeding 58mph and or hail 1-inch or greater in diameter for any particular thunderstorm cell. This photo was taken from the Surf City bay park of a severe-warned thunderstorm.

Green is the part of the color spectrum with the strongest wavelengths of color. Therefore, the green spectrum has the best chance to penetrate cumulonimbus clouds and gives us that green color when observing an approaching storm.

Urban weather myth suggests that green clouds indicate tornadic activity.

This is likely a false assumption however I can understand that such a spectrum would be present in many tornadic scenarios. Instead, the green color is derived from the sun penetrating the clouds and reflecting off of the bay in a surreal nature.

This thunderstorm triggered severe warnings for wind and hail. Barnegat Light saw golf ball-size hail and Surf City saw a wind gust of 63mph from this shelf cloud. I plan to collect more thunderstorm photography as I chase severe weather events that threaten coastal New Jersey. Be safe! —Photography and text by Jonathan Carr

Page 38 • Echoes of LBI

O

n the last night of my vacation at my grandparents' house, I ran out to the dock to check the crab trap. I found a crab with three legs on each side and 2 lines down his back. This crab had no claws! I put him in a bucket full of salt water along with a few grass shrimp. Later that night I threw him back into our lagoon. The next morning I had one more chance to check the crab trap before we were leaving for home in Connecticut. There he was again! The very same crab that I had caught the night before was in our trap again. I named him Amnesia because I guess he had forgotten that he was caught by me the night before. Never in all of my years of crabbing had I ever caught the same exact crab twice. Just one more magical moment of my vacation here on LBI. I can’t wait to see what I catch when I come back down later this summer! —Meghan Hall, age 12

Page 40 • Echoes of LBI

I

asked my Mom, who is an angel now, to help me find a bottle with a message in it. I was searching the sand near the dunes while praying to her but no bottle or sea glass for that matter.

I was with my friend Anna and, as we were leaving, there appeared to be something floating in the ocean. I seriously couldn't believe my eyes! The letter inside turned out to be a project from a student at the Rancocas Friends School. The message read as follows: To the finder of this bottle, This is a Science Project our school has been doing since 1987. The purpose is to learn about the tides, currents and life on our Jersey shore, ocean and bay. We were given permission to toss bottles in the Inlet.

This bottle was thrown in the water between 10:30am-11am. Friday, May 20th, 2016. If you find this bottle will you please let us know... and who you are. Thank you so much; your answers are extremely appreciated.

Nora Dunfee, Headmistress Hello from Anaya!

My mom visits me a lot in mysterious ways, but this was an amazing visit from her. As I always say, there's a fine line between Heaven and Earth! —Donna Cardell. Photography by Anna Shann

This Columbus Day Weekend, events will take place in Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Long Beach Township and Ship Bottom. One of these events is the International Kite Festival in Ship Bottom. The second annual LBI FLY is a unique experience that can be enjoyed by everyone. LBI FLY will feature giant kites including a full size whale, magical fairytale horses, giant octopuses, flying scuba divers, crabs and sea urchins, flying witches, giant ducks, sport kites and kite boarding.

Some of the featured events throughout the weekend include a Mayor’s Cup Kite Battle with all six LBI mayors, a night fly at the Barnegat Lighthouse, a kite garden installation by local school children, indoor kite flying demonstrations, and children’s kite making, buggy kite rides and a special candy drop. This event is free to the public and free LBI Shuttles will be running throughout the weekend. For more information visit lbifly.com Jack Bushko photo

V

isitors to LBI may not realize that the unique character seen in LBI’s modern style homes have their design roots from a generation of architects who put their own stamp on “high Modernist” style, including Charles Gwathmey.

Among these distinctive designs is the Barry home in North Beach, designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Gwathmey, Seigel, Kaufman and Associates and built by LBI’s own Rick Aitken Builders (pictured right). Clients of this architectural firm include Jerry Seinfield, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. Charles Gwathmey, one of the highly respected “New York Five” architects, is known as the designer behind the 1992 renovation of the Guggenheim Museum, originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

More than 50 years ago, before he received his degree in architecture, Charles designed a home and associated studio for his parents, Robert and Rosaline Gwathmey, in Amagansett on Long Island, New York. That home, clad in the same tongue and groove vertical cedar plank siding, is imitated in the design by many seashore homes today.

The unique residential designs of Charles and his firm are notable for their unorthodox geometrical design that encompasses a complex use of space. Many other architects have been influenced by these elements in their design of homes in North Beach, Loveladies, and other neighboring communities. The most recognizable element is the round walled, geometrically shaped, flat roofed house with vertical siding that can be seen up and down the East Coast.

Page 42 • Echoes of LBI

Although the Barry home does not employ all of the previously mentioned design elements, it includes other innovations credited to Gwathmey and his firm. The home was started in 2012 on Long Beach Island, when Rick Aitken’s firm broke ground in North Beach. The Barry’s 6,595 square foot ocean front home, was challenging at times but soon grew to be a highlight of Rick’s career. “I thoroughly enjoyed working with the firm, Gwathmey, Siegel, Kaufman and Associates, as well as Jennifer and Michael Barry. We shared a common appreciation for quality, attention to detail, and art that are all found in this project.”

The home boasts floor to ceiling Duratherm© sapele mahogany windows, nine-foot sapele mahogany interior doors, a kitchen designed by St. Charles of New York, a 12-by-16 foot walkable skylight on the rooftop deck, and frameless glass railings for an unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean. The construction of the home focuses on a 44inch grid (pictured above) with stud centers of 11 inches, forcing

all components to be in line, intentional, evenly spaced, and maximizing volume. In place of the typically desired garage, pool, or home elevator, there are nine separate geothermal heating and cooling units installed, fed by six 600-foot wells, around the home’s perimeter with an environmental and economic interest.

The Barry residence is among the homes celebrating the 50year anniversary of the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, now showing the “Inspired Homes: Architecture Exhibition,” and is listed on the LBI Foundation Seashore Open House Tours. According to Rick, “I’m proud to be able to showcase the result of what our team accomplished, to share this impressive house with the LBI community, and to celebrate the 50 year milestone of Charles Gwathmey’s captivating design, and his influence on the contemporary designs on LBI.” —Heather Aitken. Photography of Barry residence by Ryan Paul Marchese

M

embers of the Kiwanis Club of Long Beach Island and Manahawkin are declaring “Sock It to Us!” as their clubs initiate its newest project named Happy Feet. In collaboration with their two local youth groups, the Builders Club and the Key Club, the Kiwanis members are collecting new socks to be distributed to children in need, the homeless, veterans and victims of domestic abuse. New socks will be collected through December 2.

Always devoted to helping to improve the lives of children and the community, the Kiwanis family of volunteers recognizes that a warm pair of socks is the most sought-after item among the homeless in the United States. Clean socks prevent many common ailments, reduce bacteria and medical problems, warm the feet and give dignity to their wearers.

The Kiwanis Club is asking for volunteers from the business community to act as drop-off points for the collection of donated new socks. Receptacles will be regularly monitored by club Page Page 44 20 •• Echoes Echoes of of LBI LBI

members. Current drop-off points are Between the Sheets at 1012 Central Avenue and the Dixon home at 510 Shore Avenue, both in Ship Bottom.

A drop-off point can be found at Things A Drift, 406 Long Beach Boulevard, Ship Bottom, on August 16-18 and September 9-11.

Also, look for the Kiwanis table at the Kiwanis Flea Market on August 11 at the Ship Bottom Boat Ramp and at the Chowderfest Merchant Mart in Beach Haven on October 1.

The Ocean County Libraries in Surf City and Stafford will have Happy Feet receptacles throughout the month of October.

Monetary donations for Happy Feet are also welcome. Make checks payable to Kiwanis LBI, PO Box 174, Ship Bottom, NJ 08008. For more information, contact Faith Dixon at 609-405-2834.

Remember the Kiwanian motto: Good People doing Good Deeds while having a Good Time. —Kay Binetsky

The Barnegat Light Book Discussion Group. Seated, left to right: Ginny Scarlatelli, Loretta Farrell, Bonnie Brodman, Lesley Taylor, Debbie Schnell and Kay Binetsky. Standing, left to right: Bonnie Korbeil, Judy Lipman, Mary Brown, Linda Passaro, Pam Masturzo, Monica Shaw, Teresa Hagan and Pat Tarczynski. Karen Kierst photo

T

he Barnegat Light Book Club was formed in 2013 by a group of retired women, all avid readers. Various backgrounds and experiences merged with an enthusiasm for reading and a love of words and stories. The original group of eight has since doubled and they love to talk about what they read.

Both fiction and nonfiction books are chosen collectively from the Ocean County Library Book Discussion selection list. Members recommend and share titles from their personal reading lists or other book discussion groups. They meet monthly, September through June, at the Long Beach Island branch of the Ocean County Library.

The group’s democratic rules are based on the belief that there is more than one way to interpret a book. Respect for each member’s viewpoint and differing opinions makes for lively and intellectually enriching discussions.

Page 46 • Echoes of LBI

In the spring of 2016, the Barnegat Light Book Club decided they wanted to do something different. They were thinking about inviting an author to participate in their discussion.

Meanwhile, Susan Shapiro Barash, a highly respected author and professor of gender studies for more than 20 years at Marymount College in Manhattan, had branched out in a new direction.

Drawing from research for writing nonfiction books, such as Tripping the Prom Queen, The Nine Phases of Marriage, and You’re Grounded Forever…But First, Let’s Go Shopping, Susan wrote her first novel. The story revolves around marriage, motherhood, an old friendship, and a deep connection to the sea and shore – a connection Susan has, having grown up on Long Beach Island. For her new venture into fiction, Susan adopted the nom de plume, Susannah Marren, and Between the Tides was published in July 2015 by St. Martin’s Press.

Susan has spoken many times at the Long Beach Island branch of the Ocean County Library, and mentioned to Branch Manager Linda Feaster that she was looking for book clubs with whom to talk about Between the Tides. Linda suggested to Monica Shaw, the library liaison for the Barnegat Light Book Club, and plans were made for Susan to visit the group at their May 26, 2016 session.

The room was buzzing with energy that day. Members of the book club brought refreshments and were obviously eager to meet and talk with Susan. Susan led the discussion, first by introducing herself, talking about her background and education, how she came to write Between the Tides, and how she chose her pen name.

The 20-plus member group shared their thoughts on the main characters, frenemies Lainie and Jess, their relationship, and their motivations.

Susan said, “It was very meaningful to be at the Long Beach Island Library on beloved LBI, to talk about my novel Between the Tides. I enjoyed meeting the members of the Barnegat Light reading group and hearing their thoughts about my two main characters. We spoke of how significant female friendships are, even if some are laced in competition and betrayal. Since Lainie and Jess are long lost friends, when they are reunited, the stakes are raised. Yet the typecasting began early in their lives – Lainie as the dreamy one, and Jess as the popular girl.

“We spoke about other themes of the book: the price of motherhood and wifehood, the differences in raising daughters and sons, why erotic love has no bounds – despite convention and marital vows, what we owe ourselves – and what perfection is – if it is ever possible to achieve in our lives. And why women believe it is the answer. The burden of being the good girl – which several members spoke of – and how it plays out during our lives.

“Between the Tides is partly set on the Jersey Shore, and Lainie yearns for the sea. We also spoke about how place defines us – and how each place requires a certain template for women – a set of rules. Between the Tides takes place partly in a fictitious suburb of New Jersey, and there the rules are strict. Being married with children is an imprimatur – and for Lainie, who loved the diversity of New York City and found life on the shoreline to be fluid and magical, the constraints of suburban life are real. This begs the question, what does one do if conformity isn't within her reach?

“As a gender professor, and having written nonfiction books for over twenty years, I shared how my research for these projects fueled the creation of Between the Tides. And that having a pen name for my fiction – a name I'd always wanted – is a kind of reinvention.”

A reinvention and a new direction. Look for more intriguing and thought-provoking novels from Susannah Marren.

—Susan Shapiro Barash, Monica Shaw, and Linda Feaster.

Susan’s books are available for purchase from her website susanshapirobarash.com and to borrow from the Ocean County Library.

T

his past winter, I had the opportunity to see the production of Guys and Dolls, Jr. performed by a local theater group called the Bellarine Theatre Company (BTC), operated by Jessica and Chris Huch of West Creek. I never heard about the group until one of my students, Mitchell Critelli, informed me that he was performing in it.

Both Mitchell and his sister Elizabeth are involved in theater and music, performing alongside other local theater groups. In all of his performances, I have witnessed Mitchell’s true passion for music and theater.

BTC's junior company consists of young adults from 5th to 9th grade. The performance was held at the Long Beach Island Foundations of Arts and Sciences in Loveladies.

I found myself smiling throughout the entire show.

After hearing the first vocalist perform, I thought I was at a Broadway play and then it just kept getting better! The costumes, hairstyles, and staging were authentic to the era.

Page 48 • Echoes of LBI

Jessica told me that the performance was also a history lesson for these young adults. They really became interested in learning about the era when the play took place. Even the accents and dialect were perfect. For example, one actress who portrayed an Irish police officer sounded like she just arrived from Dublin. Another actress, with her Brooklyn accent, was even more convincing than Marisa Tomei was in My Cousin Vinny. Mitchell played a gangster; he and his gang members must have studied old gangster flicks to be able to portray their roles so convincingly. All the youths were extremely talented, enthusiastic, and a delight to watch.

BTC is a non-profit organization that has been giving talented young performers a way to express their love for music, dance, and acting for six years.

If you have an opportunity to see a performance, do so because it exceeded all my expectations! For more information, go to bellarinetheatre.com —Photography and text

by Rena DiNeno

F

or thousands of years, water gardens have been a focus of public and private gardens in a variety of cultures. The earliest planned gardens that employed water features were likely in Egypt around 2800 BCE. Although water is clearly the focus of life on LBI, creating intentional waterscapes in our backyards is a recent development here.

For any one of us, a leisurely day off may mean a trip to one of our fabulous beaches or entertaining in our backyard, often around the pool, visiting family and friends. For some of the staff at Reynolds Landscaping and Garden Shop, a day off is also an opportunity to explore and dream about what’s in their blood—land and water plants. You could find such plants at Longwood Gardens (over 1,000 acres in Kennett Square, PA) or Grounds for Sculpture (just shy of 50 acres in Hamilton Township, NJ). Both are noted as landscape design landmarks with significant areas of water that are contemporary and classic.

At Reynolds, the last 15 years have been devoted to developing custom landscapes. Many of the designs include a variety of water-based landscape features, such as waterfalls, koi ponds, and fountains. Inspired by the powerful dynamic that water is in larger environments, Reynolds has learned to create water features to scale that don’t compromise that experience.

People love both the visual and auditory aspects of water,

so building water into your landscape can be more impactful than other features. Once you are clear about your lifestyle and your budget, the setting will dictate which water feature is right for you. If you don’t know what that is, Reynolds will help you determine what best suits your lifestyle. Most large water features will require a contractor with the ability to provide advanced features. To complete a small or large pond there are some essential, and technical, components: two dedicated 120 V GFI circuits for the lighting and pumps, appropriately sized pump set-up and stand, filtration, privacy enclosure or screening for pump and filter, service set-up, and possibly a UV light to filter.

Ultimately your water feature and the site it inhabits, whether mainland or on-island, will become the focus of the home from inside and outside, at night and during the day.

Choosing a site in a flat area with minimal grade changes drives many of the koi ponds and water features Reynolds builds.

Prior to the Industrial Age and the invention of the water pump, water could only be diverted from river and springs into the water garden. Although faster water can now be created with the use of

pumps and diverting valves, Reynolds is committed to working as much as possible with what nature has provided.

From a pond-less waterfall to a 100-gallon koi pond to a 3,000-gallon pond with waterfalls and boulders, the basics that go into designing the ideal water feature for any family relate to some key pieces. The orientation and position must be prominent to draw your eye. The soft, soothing effect of the water needs to relate to the seating areas. The primary focus is on plants, but they will sometimes also house ornamental fish. The decision to add fish means the client must appreciate the work, feeding and care required.

Over the years, Reynolds has learned how to get the most from the land without compromising it. They know water in its natural state (on the bay, along the beach) and repurposed (water gardens, waterfalls, koi ponds). They know aquatic plants. They know fish—out there in the ocean, and in an artificially constructed water feature. More than anything, they know people and how much they value their time at home on LBI. —Annaliese Jakimides

T

o bite into a Raaka (“raw-kuh”) bar is to taste chocolate that celebrates the bright and vibrant flavors of cacao. The small bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Red Hook, Brooklyn has eliminated a major step in the chocolate making process in an effort to showcase bold, natural flavors, and create what they refer to as “virgin chocolate.”

Most chocolate available today, whether it’s a hand-wrapped, small batch chocolate bar or a newsstand peanut butter cup, is made using roasted cacao beans. Roasting is used to accentuate a bean’s darker, nuttier qualities or to hide the unpleasant flavors present in lower quality cacao.

Raaka Chocolate, led by Founder Ryan Cheney and Head Chocolate Maker Nate Hodge, sources high quality cacao beans from farms and cooperatives around the world and avoids roasting them completely. Instead, they make bars that build off of the flavors naturally present in the cacao from specific origins.

flavors they plan to include, then build a base chocolate specifically designed for that bar.

For their summer seasonal Raspberry Lemonade bar, a naturally bright and tangy Madagascar bean was used to make a 65% dark chocolate bar with bits of crushed, freeze-dried raspberries throughout and a dusting of lemon sugar on top. To make their Good Food Award-winning Bourbon Cask Aged bar, nibs from Belize are aged for a full month in bourbon barrels where they soak up oak, caramel and vanilla flavors before being used to make an 82% dark chocolate bar.

These methods complement and lift the flavors present in the bean at origin which would have been lost in the roasting process. The goal, as is true of all craft food makers, is to make something truly delicious and Raaka is accomplishing it in a way that’s all their own.

Like wine or coffee, the flavors found in cacao are dependent on climate, soil, elevation, varietal, and harvesting and fermentation methods. Cacao found in Peru does not taste the same as cacao found in Bolivia. There is no reason to try to treat them the same when making chocolate and Raaka doesn’t.

Raaka is a Finnish word that means raw in a wild and untamed sense. Nate and the rest of the Raaka team are constantly experimenting and innovating with process and flavor in a continuous effort to deliver high quality chocolate that highlights the true flavors of cacao and lives up to the spirit of their name.

Their chocolate is newly available at Things A Drift on Long Beach Island.

When Raaka decides to make a bar to include other flavors, they don’t make one generic bar and then toss salt or fruit on top.

Rather, they begin with the bean that will best complement the

To learn more about Raaka or arrange a visit to their Red Hook factory, visit raakachocolate.com. —Robert Norman. Photography

by Sara Caruso

Page 52 • Echoes of LBI

#1 in Commercial Real Estate!

David L. Bonanni, President • davebonanni@gmail.com

Phone: (609) 586-4300 • Cell: (609) 306-1814 • Fax: (609) 588-9468 BonanniCommercialRealtors.com

A

s a child growing up on Long Beach Island, I remember how the wildflowers brought color to the sand. The garden at my house on West Avenue in Beach Haven was lined with native flowers and in my backyard – an apple tree.

Native juniper cedars surrounded the property.

Nowadays when planting shrubs and flowers in their gardens, people often select non-local invasive species. The island has been covered by plants that are not indigenous, and therefore, not as hardy as the native wildflowers.

Most of the beautiful flowers purchased from home improvement stores are native to China. Although these plants are pretty, they rarely survive in the harsh sand and clay without the use of chemically enriched soils. These soils may help the plants grow but are filled with steroids and pesticides that run off into the bay and ocean when it rains. Attracted by the nitrogen from the introduced soil, algae blooms choke out the native wildlife and harm the local ecosystem.

Pollution can be reduced by planting indigenous species of flowers and shrubbery that are hardy enough to survive in sand and withstand the nor’easters of the coast.

Indigenous plants have adapted to survive the harsh winters and storms experienced on the Island for centuries. Nature has fine-tuned them for Island life more than any other structure standing today. The Island used to be a place where you could go to relieve your seasonal allergies before non-native species invaded. Native plants help prevent erosion, which is much needed now that scientists agree the future holds more storms for the East coast. There are many local forms of flora that can be planted to help nurture the Island environment.

Page 54 • Echoes of LBI

Bayberry, also known as waxberry, wax myrtle, and candelberry (Myrica cerifera), can be found along the East coast and especially in Barnegat Light. The pale blue berries grow along the stems of this 3-8 foot tall shrub. They attract birds to your garden as

a natural alternative to bird feeders and bags of seed.

Locals once used them to make candles from the wax they naturally produce, hence the name candelberry.

Native Americans used the powdered and boiled down bark and roots in medicines to cure diarrhea, the common cold and sore throats.

Morning Glory (Calystegia sepium) blooms from late spring through the end of summer. Many varieties of Morning Glory are not native. Only native plants have white or pink flowers. They make great fillers for gardens and can blanket the flowerbed or climb up the side of your house. Their trumpet-shaped flowers are great for attracting hummingbirds and honeybees. Many people consider them weeds but their vines help stop erosion.

If you’re looking for a fruit-bearing tree, Beach Plum (Prunus maritima) would make a great addition to your garden. It can grow up to 13 feet high and fills out with lovely white flower clusters in mid-May and June.

Its fruit ripens by August and September. Best of all, you can eat the fruit. Beach plum has been a popular ingredient in jams and pies along the East coast for decades. It likes to grow right out of the dunes and does great in the sandy soil of LBI. The Swamp Rose Mallow or Marsh Rose (Rosa palustris) is a species of hibiscus flower that grows wild in the wetlands of New Jersey. They bloom pale pink flowers from June to July and can grow up to seven feet tall. These native flowers are rarely seen on LBI today, although their invasive cousins are popular in many gardens. Their big petals are great for attracting hummingbirds and their hardy roots won't mind if your yard floods. These plants are not afraid to get wet and will even grow in standing water.

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana, a species of juniper) once filled LBI's shoreline. Native Americans built cedar canoes to fish offshore. Cedars always grow in the path of the wind and their sap is a natural pesticide that's poisonous to wood-boring insects such as termites.

This was not lost on early homesteaders to the Island who cut them down to build homes with cedar shakes; even my old house in Beach Haven had them, as do many historical homes on the Island. There was a time when entire forests of cedar trees grew on LBI. Many of the plants we use as beautiful flowers in our gardens are slowly choking out the native species of wildflowers and indigenous plants. Seeds of the invasive plants spread by rodents and birds can lead to the disappearance of many native flowers unable to compete with the introduced species. It is our job as LBI's resident “green thumbs” to make sure our native flowers and trees survive and thrive. —Photography and text by Sara Caruso

J

ackie Unger is an “Island Kid.” Her great-grandparents bought a summer home in Beach Haven in 1945. Her grandfather, Richard Lisiewski, is a local surfing icon who was inducted in the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame in 2008. Jackie has lived in Ship Bottom her whole life. She was riding waves on a surfboard with her mother by the time she was three.

Jackie will be a junior at Southern Regional High School (SRHS) this fall. She says she recognizes some differences growing up on Long Beach Island (LBI) compared to the mainland.

“There is a unique opportunity to meet people from a wide variety of places and backgrounds in the summer. The homes on LBI generally don’t have big yards or even basements for that matter. My front yard became the bay across the street and my backyard the 18 miles of beach and Atlantic Ocean. Over the years I have enjoyed watching dolphins, whales, seals, stingrays, horseshoe crabs and snowy egrets just a short walk from my house.

Thanks to my father and brother, I also get the fun job of moving fish bait around in the freezer to get to the ice cream. In the winter, our snow sledding was on the high dunes in Barnegat Light. There are days we have to be aware of moon phases and rely on a tide clock in the house to make sure we’ll be able to get back to the island and avoid flooding from high tides. There’s a deep appreciation for nature when you live on an island.”

Jackie remembers attending the Ethel Jacobsen and LBI Schools on the island. She recalls it being a “tightknit family” with teachers who “went above and beyond.” It’s there she fell in love with reading and writing.

More than once she had a book confiscated at the dinner table by her mother because she wasn’t ready to put it down.

Jackie’s appreciation for nature and love for writing made it fun to enter this year’s National Garden Club’s High School Essay contest which was themed: “Don’t Let the Frogs Croak.” In 600-700 words, Jackie wanted to take the dry technical details and make it fun to read. She did this by creating a dialogue between two frogs speaking about their plight. Some information by Al Croaker of the Toad-Day Show was included. Her efforts paid off when her Page 56 • Echoes of LBI

essay was matched against other 9th through 12th grade students.

Jackie won first place at the State, Regional and then National level, earning her a $1,000 scholarship from the National Garden Club when she makes her college selection in two years.

Jackie is most appreciative to the LBI Garden Club for making this opportunity possible and especially to Nancy Kunz who has been the Youth Contest Coordinator since 2011. In 2011, as a 6th Grader, Jackie’s poetry submission of My Coconut also won at the State, Regional and National level for her grade. The LBI Garden Club makes the Poetry Contest available to the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from both the Beach Haven Elementary School and the Long Beach Island Grade School. The essay contest is open to 9th through 12th grade students from SRHS. This past year was the first year the club submitted to the Sculpture Contest with all submissions from All Saints Regional Catholic's 4th and 5th grade students.

What does Jackie do when she doesn’t have a book or pen in her hand?

Jackie developed a love for music in elementary school and spends her summers volunteering to help with the elementary school summer band program. She plays the harp, is a talented pianist and also plays the flute in the high school marching band and jazz band.

Jackie will be part of the Children’s Surf & Sand Mission (CSSM) Team again this August for two weeks on the beach in Ship Bottom.

High school and college students primarily from a church in North Jersey provide a free outreach to 3-17 year olds. Jackie attended that same program growing up and remembers, “those two weeks were always the best of the summer. I grew up idolizing the CSSM leaders – they were so nice and so much fun. For me, being asked to be a leader was a dream come true.”

Jackie is active at Grace Calvary Church in Ship Bottom, participating in its youth group and serving in Nursery, Sunday School and various outreaches for Grace Calvary Church as well as a local non-profit group known as Hearts-of-Mercy. The future is bright for this talented teen who can write her own future.

—Photography and text by Caroline Unger

Don’t Let the Frogs Croak – Winning Entry Greg the Frog: Hi Gracie, how are you doing today?

Gracie the Frog: I just heard terrible news on the Toad Day Show.

Al Croaker said that amphibians are the most endangered group of animals on Earth. According to Animal Planet, frogs are in a perilous condition with 170 species lost in the last 10 years.

Greg: Wow. I guess I wasn’t imagining that there were fewer relatives at our last family reunion.

Gracie: It’s only going to get worse because there are so many problems.

Climate changes are causing many habitats to dry up. The frog neighborhoods have to move further up the mountainsides so they can find places with enough moisture to lay their eggs. What is going to happen to them when everything dries up?

Greg: You’re right…this sounds really serious.

Gracie: It is serious Greg! My favorite swamp just got drained, the forests are getting cut down, and the dammed river is preventing me from getting good water. Frogs everywhere are losing their access to important resources like food, water, and shelter. Every year, millions of frogs get taken from their homes to be used in lab dissections, as pets, bait, or eaten for food! People love to eat our legs!

Greg: Well, I mean…I know I look delicious and all, but my legs are mine. No one else can eat these babies.

Gracie: I think you’re missing the point. If the frog population dies off, the world is in for some big issues.

Greg: Obviously! It’d be a sin to kill something as good-looking as me.

Gracie: It would be a sin to let your head get any bigger. Frogs really are important though. Here, let me explain. Frogs eat a large quantity of insects, including those that can transmit fatal diseases like malaria.

The mosquitoes actually happen to be one of my favorite snacks to eat.

Not only do we help with eating deadly disease-carrying bugs, but we also help with medical advancement. There are many frogs that can produce skin secretions that have potential to improve human health.

The secretions can be used as pharmaceuticals and protect from drugresistant microbes. Humans need the frogs in order to stay healthy, even though they will rarely admit it.

Greg: Wait, so let me get this right. Humans need us so they can stay healthy?

Gracie: Yup! Helping humans isn’t the only thing that the frogs do, either. I still have a lot more to tell you about how important we are. Frogs are thought to be accurate indicators of environmental stress. The health of the biosphere can be indicated by the health of frogs. That’s because we frogs have permeable skin which easily absorbs toxic chemicals. It makes us much more susceptible to changes and disturbances in the environment.

Greg: So we warn humans when things aren’t right with the environment?

Gracie: That’s right! We clean the environment too.

Greg: Whoa, whoa, whoa, we clean the environment?

Gracie: You probably can’t remember being a tadpole since it was so long ago for you. As tadpoles we fed on the algae to keep the waterways clean and we filtered the drinking water too.

Greg: Does that mean that when my mom says I didn’t do my chores when I was younger I can say that I cleaned the water?

Gracie: I don’t think it works that way, but if it did, then frogs should get an award. While the tadpoles keep waterways clean and water filtered, adult frogs serve as important meals for a wide range of predators. We are such an integral part of the food web that if our population was to become extinct, the entire web would be in trouble. Negative effects would ripple throughout the entire ecosystem.

Greg: I never realized how much our existence really mattered to the rest of the world. I always thought we just looked and sounded really cool. I guess it goes a lot deeper than that.

Gracie: It does, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still sound cool.

Our voices are lovely as long as people don’t let us croak.

— Jacqueline Unger, winner of the National Garden Club High School Essay Contest, 2015. The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, Garden Club of New Jersey – District 8.

I

n early September 2015, I noticed a yellow and black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) hanging around our porch. We enjoyed watching it rest on some of the plants. One day while watering those plants I noticed a green and yellow caterpillar wandering around on the parsley. More caterpillars appeared in the next few days (a total of seven). They began eating all the tender leaves of the parsley.

ting that I found after they went through the wash. The chrysalises still attached to the chair and beach toy were moved back to the porch in the spring with no expectations of when or if they would become butterflies. The two that went through the wash were left in a dish by the washing machine.

As they grew fatter and the parsley became sparse I went in search of more parsley but they were not interested. They wandered off.

Like a good steward I would retrieve them and put them back in what I now referred to as their parsley. I would count them and search for those that had wandered off. Soon it became apparent that they knew what they were doing and I had to let them go. Their story could easily have ended here.

One morning in late May while watering this year’s plants I noticed that the beach toy had a butterfly on it. Like a proud mom I grabbed my camera and started snapping pictures. One chrysalis had survived the winter and was now a beautiful butterfly. About a week later the one on the back of the chair emerged. A few days later I found a butterfly that came out of chrysalis that I have no idea where it had been. And the fourth one flew out of the house one day when I opened the front door. Four out of seven survived!

Late in October while moving all of the porch furniture and decorations inside I found four chrysalises: one on the back of a chair, one on the underside of a beach toy and two attached to fish net-

Typically, a butterfly will lay its eggs on or near a plant that will provide nourishment for the caterpillar when it hatches. Swallowtails tend to like parsley, carrot leaves, dill and fennel. It takes

Page 58 • Echoes of LBI

about 7-10 days for the larva to hatch after the eggs are laid and gradually grow into a fat caterpillar. The caterpillar will eat and go through a series of molts or instars for the next week to ten days.

When they’ve outgrown their current skin, a hormone called ecdysone is released triggering the larva to molt. After it molts about five times, the larva stops eating. When the caterpillar prepares to turn into a butterfly, it attaches to a sturdy item by a fine thread. About 24 hours after it has attached, it emerges from its outer skin and the chrysalis is exposed. This is where its life becomes interesting.

Cells in the muscles, gut and salivary glands are digested and act as spare parts for the soon-to-be butterfly. Each cell self-destructs through the activation of enzymes called caspases that reprograms the characteristics of the cells. Once a caterpillar has disintegrated, imaginal cells, which are genetically identical to the previous cells, react differently forming the wings, antennae, legs, eyes and other parts of an adult butterfly. Basically the DNA reconfigures itself allowing it to morph from a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Ideally it takes a few weeks for the butterfly to emerge as long as there are minimum of 14 hours of daylight and temperatures around 70. When the entire metamorphosis has occurred, the butterfly will break through the chrysalis, gradually spread its wings so it can dry and then fly away.

The black swallowtail butterfly became the official New Jersey State Butterfly in 2015 and was signed into law on January 11, 2016 by Governor Christie. The Swallowtail is indigenous to New Jersey and is found in all 21 counties. At press time swallowtail butterflies were seen flying around the porch. Time will tell if the next generation will continue its life cycle on this LBI porch.

—Photography and text by Vickie VanDoren

T

he wrack line is where flotsam and jetsam washes up on the beach after the last high tide. The word itself comes from the Middle Dutch word wrak meaning something damaged.

Every year tons of garbage are poured into our seas and wash up on our beaches. There is a way to encourage beach clean-up and keep our environment healthy.

The LBI Sea Glass & Art Festival hosts a sculpture competition called the Wrack Line Contest. It can be natural material or trash, as long as it came off the beach. Sculptures can be any subject matter and size, and should fit on a table.

If you want to be part of this contest, first go beachcombing and pick up what you find on the beach. Then make a sculpture out of what you find.

The contest is judged by category for individuals, children (ages 4-12), and people's choice. Find out more on page 67.

Page 60 • Echoes of LBI

T

he history of a coastline is built on the back of its fisherman and their catch.

These brave men challenge the sea's might to harvest its vast bounty. One such bounty that shaped the shoreline and its growth is the oyster. This bivalve quickly became New Jersey's number one catch for fisherman along its southern coast. Thousands of bushels were pulled out of the state's waterways each year, providing jobs for many families. While disease and overfishing once devastated oyster populations, science and management has helped replenish the species and it is slowly returning to Eastern waters. In time, the oyster may once again act as an important part of the fishing economy and serve as a keystone species to the ecosystem.

In the mid 1800s, Commercial Township, which included the cities of Bivalve, Shellpile, and Port Norris, was one of the largest oyster harvesting industries in the world.

The Delaware Bay and Maurice River area pushed out over 1000 bushels a day of the prized sea creatures.

The bounty of the river, however, was well known before the 19th century by the Native American tribes who settled in the area.

Middens, or dumps, filled with oyster shells discovered by archaeologists, belonged to the Lenni-Lenape who used them for food, utensils and trade. Later, Europeans and Scandinavians arrived and used the river for shipbuilding and agriculture as well as the oysters for food. By the 19th century, large wharves were built around the Delaware Bay to accommodate that crop of oysters and ships continually coming in to port.

At 115 feet long, the Augustus J. Meerwald was the prize ship of the oyster catching industry on the New Jersey coast. Commissioned by the Meerwald family and built

by Stowman and Sons Shipyard in Dorchester, NJ, this gaff-rigged dredge served as an oyster harvester from 1928 until the 1940s. In 1942 it served as a fireboat for the

U.S. Coast Guard in World War II. By 1959, the Meerwald was outfitted for surf clamming until it was retired in 1989. After recovery and restoration, she was designated as New Jersey's Official Tall Ship in 1998. Today she is used by the Bayshore Center in Bivalve to educate visitors on the history of the state's oyster fisheries.

The oyster may be one of the most important species in New Jersey. In nature, animals that rely upon other animals to exist are known as keystone species. Just as the keystone holds up a stone arch, an oyster holds up their ecosystem. As a filter feeder, the oyster is constantly screening and pumping water through its shell, removing toxins as it feeds.

The shells of the oysters provide the foundation for coral reefs that are home to thousands of fish species. Removing the oyster causes the whole system to break apart. Overfishing by the early fisheries partly led to environmental disaster. Humans are not solely responsible for the oysters' decline. Dermo disease or perkinsosis (Perkinsus marinus) is a parasitic protozoan that caused a massive decline in wild oyster management and fisheries. The parasite infects the young oyster and slows shell growth, eventually infecting the bloodstream and killing the animal when it blocks blood vessels. By reducing the amount of nitrogen-rich pollutants put into the water as run-off, the Dermo will have less chance to infect the oyster population. With rising sea temperatures from climate change, it may only be a matter of time before another outbreak occurs as the parasite thrives in warmer waters.

There are many people fighting for oyster recovery. Management plans have made strides in bringing the oyster back to New Jersey's waterways. However, the amount of oysters brought in by fisherman has drastically decreased from its heyday in the 1920s, from 1000 bushels a day to about 1000 bushels a year. This is mainly due to fisherman moving away from oysters for more plentiful catches in the wake of New Jersey's own “gold rush.”

Although it's a slow process, there is hope for the industry to continue and once again flourish on New Jersey's shores.

ReClam the Bay (RCTB) of Long Beach Island, New Jersey is one organization helping to increase the oyster population. It was founded in 2005 by the Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Project whose partners include Rutgers Cooperative Extension, NJ DEP Bureau of Shellfisheries, and The County of Ocean and the Barnegat Bay Partnership. Together they have planted over 4.2 million individual oysters.

Spat is the industry term for baby oysters. First, the spat are raised in upwelling containers located on Cattus Island, Mantoloking, Barnegat Light, Surf City, Brant Beach and Beach Haven.

Upwelling allows a constant supply of nutrient-rich water past the animals. The technique used for growing the oysters here on LBI is called “spat on shell.” The spat are introduced to a mixing tank where they “set” on large pieces of quahog, surf clam and oyster shells. One piece of shell can have a colony of 75 to 100 spat set on it. Once set, the oysters are introduced to the bay.

According to Rick Bushnell, President and Cofounder of ReClam the Bay, “The single largest challenge for young oysters in the Barnegat Bay is habitat loss.” Nitrogen-rich waters from fertilizer run-off and atmospheric deposition, combined with a lack of other shellfish make it difficult for the spat to set. The nitrogen also causes algae blooms that choke out the sunlight needed to support the growth of the eelgrass, which the wild oysters use to set on. There is also a concern that the chemistry of the bay floor, after years of decaying algae and other input, might be inhospitable for life.

There are ways to save the bay, however, including changing our lifestyles. Riding bikes instead of burning fossil fuels, using less fertilizer, and planting a garden, since plants soak up nitrogen, can help the environment.

Luckily, the need for an oyster market is starting to return to the Jersey coast, especially on Long Beach Island.

“Seeing the success of restaurants that serve oysters and the fact that the oyster growers say they are selling all they produce – the answer is yes,” reports Rick. “The market is returning.”

Oyster farming is a “farm to table” venture that is becoming a lucrative and vibrant industry.

This is proof that a well-managed fishery in the middle of a large population center such as LBI can thrive. If we take care of our local ecosystem, it may only be a matter of years, before there’s another “gold rush” of oysters to the New Jersey coastline.

—Sara Caruso RCTB is dedicated to educating and empowering the public to make lifestyles changes for a stronger bay ecosystem. Find out more, including where people can see and touch live baby oysters and clams, at reclamthebay.org.

Special thanks to Jamie Warner, Marketing and Development Coordinator at the Bayshore Center in Bivalve, New Jersey (bayshorecentor.org), to Rick Bushnell, President and Co-founder of ReClam the Bay for his contributions to this article, and to Susanne Ricciardi for use of her oyster cans.

Page 64 • Echoes of LBI

Specializing in custom catering with one-on-one consultations to develop and craft a menu to fit any party, depending on theme, budget and overall expectation.

Spice Catering will bring everything your event needs to your home or location of choice. We guarantee quality food from appetizers to the dessert with presentation to exceed your expectations. We provide a talented, knowledgeable staff, and can supply linens, table settings and much more.

Engagement Dinners, Bridal Showers, Jack & Jill Parties, Cocktail Parties, Rehearsal Dinners, Weddings, Baby Showers, Christenings, Communion Parties, Group Luncheons, Anniversaries, Honeymoon Bon Voyages, Brunches and any other event you can imagine from Clam Bakes to BBQ’s!

Contact David Schmid (609) 494-8197 spicecatering.eventplanning@gmail.com davidschmid.dutchmans@gmail.com

2500 East Bay Ave. Cedar Bonnet Island, NJ 08050 theDutchmans.com

W

hile walking the beach in Holgate near the beach replenishment occurring north of me, I discovered oceanic gems being dredged and then tossed by the tides.

I was looking for treasures and picked up the brown bottom of an extremely weathered bottle. The signature "Gaby" caught my eye. It brought back a flood of memories from my youth when I vacationed up and down the Island every summer with my family.

My bachelor uncle was a Philadelphia lawyer. He was always slathering himself with Gaby, a popular lotion for sun tanning. I guess he thought he would fare better in court with that bronzed Adonis look. The small bottles were everywhere in our cottage. He always asked, "Where's my Gaby?" I believe iodine was a component in Gaby for that bronze look.

I researched Gaby and found it was indeed made in the Forties and Fifties and most probably sold in the little corner stores on LBI at the time. Back then we usually rented in Harvey Cedars. So I surmise that this piece of beach glass has been off shore for more than 50 years buried in the ocean bottom. Sure hope my uncle did not litter!

On a separate stroll through the Edwin B. Forsythia National Wildlife Refuge at the southern end of Holgate, I found another interesting bottle bottom. It was embossed with the word PLUTO and a devil waving back at me. The bottom came from a Pluto Water bottle, so named after the Roman god of the underworld. Pluto Water was a mineral laxative water manufactured in French Lick Springs, Indiana in the early 20th century.

I walk the beaches of Holgate faithfully in my quest for interesting shards of glass. I am most proud of these two bottle bottoms because of their interesting provenance. —Dottie Cannon Katauskas. Photography by Sara Caruso

Page 66 • Echoes of LBI

W

standard incandescent light bulb) before switching to acrylic. In the Victorian Era, women wore large deep purple buttons and brooches on their garments indicating they were in mourning.

Lavender sea glass does not start with a purple hue. It was originally clear glass that was exposed over time to sunlight changing it into a light purple. This is due to the manganese dioxide used to make the clear glass. Any clear glass found with a slight lavender hue should be considered a minimum of 70-100 years old because manganese was used through the 1930s. By the 1950s, manganese dioxide was replaced by selenium that changes glass into a yellowish-pink hue.

The best ways to test if your clear sea glass is truly lavender is to compare it to a sheet of white paper or use a black light as manganese will glow a light orange. The best chance of finding lavender is to go to a beach with a history or with a landmark where people were known to have gathered over the years. —Photography and text by Sara Caruso

hen thinking of the rarest color of sea glass, people dream of reds, oranges and blues. However there is a forgotten shade of glass that may be as rare as red. Lavender glass comes in varying hues, and though classified as rare by sea glass experts, it can be overlooked by collectors. Lavender glass can be a sign that the beach you are on has historical significance and may have more finds hidden in the sand.

The thickness of the glass along with the amount of time exposed to direct sunlight can create darker shades of lavender. While red sea glass is seen as extremely rare, the deepest of purple glass is considered rarer than red.

Most light lavenders found on the beach today started off as clear. True purple is much harder to come by and should be considered among your rarest finds. Deep purple glass was used in only a few mediums such as in decorative Depression Era dishware, light bulb insulators, signal lenses, and Victorian buttons.

At first glance this type of purple looks jet black and sometimes only a high powered LED light can shine through it enough to reveal its true color.

Light bulb insulators used to be made from this color glass (the black ring on the underside of a

Page 68 • Echoes of LBI

The longer manganese glass is exposed to the sun, the deeper the purple hue becomes. With bottles fully exposed in sunlight, such as in a window, it may take only a few years. Sea glass that rolls in the surf and becomes frosted can take much longer.

C

hange came to Long Beach Island in 1896 in the form of steam and steel as the first locomotive rumbled over the Manahawkin Bay on the Tuckerton Railroad bridge bringing with it the era of modern transportation.

Until then, transportation to the 18-mile barrier island had remained unchanged since the beginning of time.

No longer the sole means to reach the island, the ferries that transported visitors and residents became obsolete.

Construction of the Tuckerton Railroad bridge connecting Manahawkin to Long Beach Island connected LBI to Philadelphia and New York. The construction of the Long Beach Island Railroad extended track throughout LBI - dotting the island with train stations and waiting Page 70 • Echoes of LBI

sheds. The new ease of accessibility brought opportunity, development and convenience, along with the materials necessary to bring them into being.

“My father worked part-time for the Tuckerton Railroad,” said Ike Johnson whose father Daniel B. Johnson.

Sr. worked for both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Tuckerton Railroad from 1917 to 1923. “He was in charge of the tracks that ran from Beach Arlington to Barnegat City. He was responsible for replacing tracks and was called when an accident occurred.”

Nearly everything moved across the bay by rail for the next 18 years. “The mail came to Manahawkin by train,” recalls Larry Oliphant. “During the winter

my grandfather, Rufus Cranmer, took the mail by railroad handcar from Manahawkin to Barnegat City.”

A 1935 nor’easter would destroy the Tuckerton Railroad bridge severing the rail connection to Long Beach Island. No longer feasible or economically viable the railroad would slip into history. But by then, the car was king.

The wooden Causeway bridge introduced automobile traffic to Long Beach Island for the first time in 1914. A state-of-the-art hand-operated drawbridge section allowed for the passage of boat traffic on the bay. A parade heralded its opening on June 20, 1914. “My dad, Joseph Allen Oliphant, remembered watching the parade for the grand opening of the old wooden Causeway bridge when he was eight years old,” recalls Larry Oliphant.

“For a short period of time, the bridge functioned as a toll road.”

An impetus of change, the old Causeway brought development, opportunity and an increased year-round population. The Esso gas station on Bay Avenue in Manahawkin was symbolic of change. “Between 1920 and 1940, my grandfather, Rufus Cranmer, built and owned two gas stations in Manahawkin one on each side of the avenue,” explains Oliphant. “My grandfather always said "Coming onto the island or leaving the island - either way they'll need gas.”

Change arrived in an unexpected manner for the parents of Bill Cordray of Long Beach Island. “My parents were on their way with the midwife to Pinewald Hospital in Toms River,” muses Bill. “They never made it. I was born on November 11, 1942 on the old Causeway right near Charlie’s Bar where The Dutchman's stands today.”

The late Robert Potter recalled the old Causeway bridge from above and below having sailed his sneakbox through the open drawbridge in a hail of garbage rained down by an annoyed bridge

tender and the flat tires that were a result of driving across its wooden deck. Believed to be improperly nailed down, the wooden deck of the old Causeway bridge was notoriously the cause of flat tires.

“The bridge tender used a big hammer to pound the spikes back in,” laughed Robert. “It never helped. When you drove over the boards, they flew up and gave you a flat tire.” As a teen, he’d once driven his car across the bay on the old railroad tracks in an effort to avoid another flat.

Two miles long, two lanes wide, the Causeway had a mean elevation approximately five feet above the waters of the bay. Storm winds frequently drove the swollen bay onto the low-lying bridge deck. Shirley Lamson of Beach Haven recalls an experience with flooding on the Causeway bridge while a student at Barnegat High School. Pushed by the winds of an approaching storm, “the bay was flowing right across the bridge.” According to Shirley, the Barnegat High School bus was forced to turn around.

Believed to follow the footpaths of the Lenni-Lenape, New Jersey Route S40 ran through the Pine Barrens from Four Mile Circle in Burlington County to Manahawkin in 1927. Improvement in 1941 extended it to Ship Bottom. “In 1953 S40 was officially renumbered Route 72. “The state allowed Ocean County to use the original right-of-way granted for S40 for the new construction,” explains Larry Oliphant. “The old S40 roadbed became the foundation of Route 72.”

Route 72 remains a two-lane undivided highway through the Pine Barrens. Further improvement in 1957 expanded it to four lanes at the Garden State Parkway exchange in Manahawkin and over the original Manahwakin Bay Bridge.

Heralded as The Road of Tomorrow, the Garden State Parkway was designed to provide an esthetic and direct path through New

Jersey. The ease of access to and from shore towns has been deemed to have had an immeasurable positive impact the economy of Long Beach Island. Constructed between 1952 and 1957, the Parkway arrives in Manahawkin at exits 63A and 63B. The four lane Manahawkin Bay Bridge replacing the old wooden Causeway was constructed in 1957. Known locally as the Causeway, it was formally renamed the Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge in 2007 for the inventor of the unique handrail lighting system – The String of Pearls. Seen from a distance the lights appear as an illuminated strand of perfect pearls spanning the indigo bay and evening sky. Over the past 57 years the old bridge has provided access to Long Beach Island.

Page 72 • Echoes of LBI

Change has come again to Long Beach Island, this time in the form of steel and light. The new Manahawkin Bay Bridge opened to eastbound traffic in May of 2016. Once renovated, the Old Manahawkin Bay Bridge will carry travelers westbound. According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the "String of Pearls" lighting formerly seen on the old Manahawkin Bay Bridge at night will be replicated on the outside of both spans.

When completed the old and new bridges will stand side by side. As they carry Long Beach Island into the coming centuries two Strands of Pearls will illuminate the way.

—Susan Spicer-McGarry

T

he LBI Museum is run by the Long Beach Island Historical Association. The building, formerly the Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, was acquired in 1976 to save it from demolition. Constructed in 1882 the church is one of the five key buildings in the Beach Haven Historical District.

The costumes worn for the photo session represent the period between 1910 and 1920. Like Downton Abbey, the wealthy had clothing for every occassion and purpose. Yachting, hunting and hiking (norfolk jacket with deerstalker cap), boating, tennis and many others. Clothing in the photos is from the collection of the museum, or loaned from private collections and Our Gang Players.

Women's attire is always more difficult to date as it has changed Page 74 • Echoes of LBI

considerably since that period. For the ladies of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, summer bonnets of straw adorned with flowers, feathers and tulle were a necessity to keep out the sun. Even in the warmest weather, women wore multiple layers, stockings and gloves. Military styles for ladies, as worn by Betty Sherman were inspired by WWI. Men's business casual dress (standard three-piece suit or sports jacket and slacks) has changed very little with the exception of the style of hats, ties and shirt collars. For the photo, Richard Sherman wore a bowler hat and Robert Roy wore a straw boater. Ron Marr was dressed in a yachting suit: double-breasted naval jacket, captains hat, vest, ruffled shirt, wing-tipped collar and bow tie. Yacht clubs officers still dress much the same for formal occasions. —Ron Marr

Cover Photographer: RYAN PAUL MARCHESE is a South Jersey native. He graduated with honors from the Art Institute of Philadelphia for photography where he was awarded best portfolio and outstanding achievement. Currently, he works as a product photographer in addition to running his own business. His works can be seen on exhibit locally within the Ocean County Library system. He recently displayed images from the fish factory on Crab Island at the Surf City Ocean County Library. His next exhibit is tentatively set for September 2016 at the Beachwood Branch.

Rarely caught without his camera, Ryan enjoys documenting the world around him. His subject materials range from portraits to architecture, still life and nature. Whenever he can, he explores abandoned structures, spends nights creating long exposures, and hikes through landscapes to observe wildlife.

About the Cover: The Japanese Wonder Shell (Thatcheria mirabilis Angas) has a distinct and unique form. This shell became the muse for Frank Lloyd Wright as he designed one of the most famous museums in the world: The Guggenheim in Manhattan, 1943. Like the shell's form, visitors take an elevator to the top of the building and meander down a spiraling ramp to view the artwork on display.

Bathed in light from the main gallery skylight, the walls slant back slightly to replicate the position of the paintings as they would appear on the easel where the artists created them. This unique method of display and lighting lends a different appearance depending on the season, time of day, and weather conditions.

M

any families have a long history with Long Beach Island.

One such family is the Heiss family. In 1943, Warren and Gladys packed up their children and brought them to Beach Haven Crest for the month of July.

For the Hess family coming to LBI immediately became their annual vacation.

Their son Warren remembers traveling from North Philadelphia to West Philadelphia on public buses and trollies to pay for the summer rental. With the princely sum of $400 in his pocket, it was his job to pay for the shore rental.

The Heiss family rented the same house on 79th Street until the 1960s.

Because the owners of the house were the White family, Warren’s family nicknamed their shore rental The White House. It was a gathering spot for friends and family and where church and choir members would sing and tell stories.

As Warren got older, he traveled to LBI as often as possible.

Page 76 • Echoes of LBI

Warren's Uncle Russ loaned him his 1951 Ford for the summer.

Warren and his friend Barclay had the freedom to cruise to LBI. Barclay's parents owned The Tag A Long Hobby Shop.

Warren’s dad, Warren Sr., was an avid hunter and fisherman. He hunted all over the Pinelands and fished frequently on LBI. As a young boy, Warren recalls being awakened very early by his grandfather, Edward Esler, on cold January mornings to head out for a day of fishing.

The first stop was always breakfast at the Dockside Diner. They’d throw out their lines in Holgate. His grandfather was an impatient man and if there were no hits within five minutes, they were back in the car headed to Barnegat Light. Warren swears that his grandfather would speed down the boulevard at no less than 60 miles per hour in order not to miss the fish. They also had a tradition of annually renting Garvey boats. No matter the weather, they would go out and fish in the bay.

During WWII, at only seven years old, Warren got a job from town officials. He and a couple of friends were instructed to walk along the beach at night and alert homeowners to draw their shades and turn off their lights as U-Boats were spotted offshore.

Early mornings, Warren could be found on the beach greeting the pound fisherman or watching the Menhaden boats offshore.

During the week Warren’s dad commuted back and forth to Philadelphia.

On LBI without a car, the rest of the family shopped at the corner store for essentials and had milk delivered to the beach house by a local dairy. During that car-less time, Warren’s mom became Lutheran for a month instead of Methodist because the Lutheran Church was right down the road. When they had the family car, they could travel to the Kynett Methodist Church in Beach Haven to worship.

In 1957, Warren found his true love at the spring formal, Ann Stone, a student nurse. They married in 1959 and have been

coming to LBI every year since. They used to go to the drive-in movies in Manahawkin and would roll up the windows to fight off the mosquitoes even though it was 80 degrees in the car!

Ann and Warren continued the tradition of August on LBI with their own family.

From 1971 to 1994, they rented in Brant Beach on the ocean where friendships and memories were made that have lasted a lifetime.

They were known for their happy hours. The partying started earlier and earlier and lasted longer and longer.

People stopped in and were still there a week later. On many occasions, the beach patrols on their beach would party all night and were unable to show up for work the next day.

In 2001, Warren and Ann moved year round to Ocean Acres. With three grown children, Scott, Wendy, Donna and their families, their 70 years of LBI traditions continue. —Diane Stulga.

Photography supplied by Warren Heiss

S

hirley Gallagher Lamson’s mother bought the house at 215 Amber Street in 1945 for $3000. Sounds of the sea and fragrant salt air surround the 1900 Victorian farmhouse that has been Shirley’s home since that day. Sitting at the kitchen table of her Beach Haven home with stacks of family photos, Shirley smiles and asks, “Why would I ever want to live any place else?”

Without a doubt it is a rhetorical question.

Born in 1933 in a house on South Bay Avenue where Murphy’s Market now stands, Shirley Lamson has lived her entire life on Long Beach Island. “We lived on Ocean Avenue then moved to the house on Amber Street when I was twelve years old” said Shirley. “My German shepherd Rin Tin and I were born on the same day.”

Shirley’s maternal grandfather immigrated to Long Beach Island from Stuttgart, Germany.

“He drove a team of horses for Cox & Cox of Ship Bottom and cooked for the men at the fishery,” explains Shirley. “My grandmother was born on LBI in 1882.” Shirley recalls that her grandparents lived on 15th Street. Shirley’s mother Marie Gluck was also born on LBI in 1898. After Shirley’s grandmother died at age 27 from tuberculosis, Marie went to work in a factory when she was just Page 78 • Echoes of LBI

11 years old. “She had a hard childhood,” said Shirley. Later her mother Marie worked as a laundress for the Gimbel family and other wealthy people who owned summer homes on the island. Shirley recalls, “My mother was appreciated because she was such a hard worker.”

Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Shirley’s father Howard Gallagher relocated to Long Beach Island. The Philadelphia mummer owned a billiard parlor and a restaurant on the island. “My mother and father worked at the restaurant,” Shirley said. “As a baby, I slept in a wagon under the restaurant counter.” Howard also organized the Beach Haven baseball team.

According to Shirley “It was always the best team.”

Together Shirley and her father created wooden Christmas decorations for their lawn. “Every year he put the star up on the roof of our house. People came from all over the island to see our Christmas decorations.”

Those decorations, now third generation family heirlooms, grace the lawn of her daughter’s Tuckerton home every Christmas.

Childhood summers in Beach Haven were filled with friends, picnics, bonfires on the beach, and roller skating at the old Surf City rink. “Summers were always busy with more people on the

island, recalls Shirley. “But not like now.” Shirley attended school at Beach Haven Elementary and Barnegat High.

“Captain John Larson was in my class.”

While working as a waitress at Flo’s (now the Bayside Diner) Shirley met Beach Haven police officer Chick Lamson. “He came in every day,” she laughs. “I thought he really liked the coffee.” They married in 1966 and raised two daughters in the house on Amber Street.

The Great Hurricane of 1944 came as a surprise to Shirley’s family. “We had no idea there was going to be a storm. We had a radio and never heard anything about a storm.” As the storm raged, Shirley’s father gathered neighbors and brought them into their Ocean Street home for shelter. “The water outside was up to my thighs,” said Shirley. “Our basement was completely filled with water.” From a window she watched as the floodwaters swept a large section of the local boardwalk past their house. “I used to walk on that boardwalk with my dog.”

Shirley remembers the debris left in their yard by the storm contained lovely trinkets from a favorite local shop. “Even a year later my mother never allowed me to pick up any of those beautiful little things. They still belonged to the shop owner.”

Since moving to Amber Street, Shirley has seen hurricanes Hazel and Sandy. “I stayed for Hazel but not for Sandy.” Glancing around her recently remodeled kitchen Shirley said “Hurricane Sandy filled the first floor with water. There was so much damage.

Thankfully, the house was still standing.”

Five enormous old cats lounge in the filtered sunlight of the screened-in front porch. Shirley calls them by name, stopping to stroke the head of the solid gray cat laying closest to the front door.

“They’ve been here almost forever. Just like me.” —Susan SpicerMcGarry. Photography supplied by Shirley Lamson

T

he arrival of the Lucas family to the shores of LBI is a mirror image of many other summer visitors. Once you experience the beauty of the Jersey shoreline, it is difficult to imagine a summer season spent anywhere else.

Their story began in 1965 when Sue Lucas got a job babysitting her cousins for two wonderful weeks on LBI. The next year Sue convinced her parents, Shirley and Mike from Highland Falls, NY to rent in Surf City. Now aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters and extended families all vacation here.

They have rented from ocean side in Surf City to Beach Haven and always return to LBI. Four generations of the Lucas family have made countless memories here including whiffle ball on the beach, kite flying, swimming, sunbathing, and fishing. Special family announcements were made and occasions celebrated at Morrison’s Seafood Page 80 • Echoes of LBI

Restaurant throughout the years. Everyone in the Lucas family has been a fan of Morrison’s famous coleslaw but when the recipe was shared with them, no one could duplicate it. Over the years, the Lucas clan has pondered what exactly was in that coleslaw.

Mini golf, trips to the Lucy Evelyn stores and dinners at their favorite restaurants have been etched in their memories. A standing joke is that nephew Mike was sent to Howard’s on many afternoons around 3pm just to sit on the porch steps to be the first in line because no reservations were ever taken.

Ann’s daughter, Tracy, who spent endless hours riding the Sea Dragon at Fantasy Island, now rides the Dragon with her daughter, Lucy. Sue’s daughter, Jenn, holds a special place in her heart for Grandpa Mike because he taught her how to jump the waves and search the beach for hidden treasures and shells.

Sue’s son Matt would save his money all year and treat himself to a milkshake every day at the former Whistle Stop in Beach Haven.

As the family grew, so did the activities.

Teams and color wars were created. This meant egg tosses, water balloon fights, and scavenger hunts around the island.

A 1950s themed sock hop and a tie-dye shirt contest were held. The judge for all these events was always Grandpa Mike.

Their family story was written and is shared whenever the family gathers and someone says, “Remember when…”

Today Shirley is 93 and Mike is 95.

Together with their family they have made many lasting friendships on the Island. Sue, Mike, Ann and their families continue to share magical times here.

Mike was once given the choice to either come to the Island with Sue or venture off to a once in a lifetime experience at Woodstock. He chose Sue and LBI. Lauren, the middle child, and her husband, David, travel 12 hours from their home in Ohio to visit. Like many others, the Island is their summer place. No two days are ever the same. As the Lucas family celebrates 50 golden years on LBI they know the priceless quality family time and memories they share are well worth the trip! —Diane Stulga. Photography supplied by Michael Poness

Lifestyle

M

y grandmother, Amanda Inman, was old for all of the seventeen years I knew her. Blue veins traveled under her paper-thin skin and silver hair wound round, then squashed into a flat bun on the back of her head. Sleeves covered her arms to the elbows even in the warmest weather. Wrinkles folded across her broad forehead and framed her mouth. She was a strong woman, all sinew and bone, no cushiony softs spots on her body. Pregnant eight times between ages nineteen and forty-one, she gave birth to three girls and five boys.

The youngest son, Perry, was my father.

Amanda wasn’t born an Islander in 1879, but a Piney, daughter of a sawmill man, Amos Corlis, who died from typhoid fever when Amanda was twelve. Growing up around Manahawkin, Amanda helped her mother, Rachel Morey, and minded her younger sister Bertha and her brother Reuben, a sneakbox builder, decoy carver, and tall tale teller.

I imagine nineteen-year-old Amanda and her new husband, John Robbins Inman, boarded the boat he kept tied up by the bay on the mainland near the bridge. The young couple likely loaded wedding gifts – quilts, pots, and the huge Bible John gave Amanda on their wedding day – before they set sail for Lazy Point off Surf City.

When the newlyweds arrived at the original Bonnet Club, they unloaded and got the fire going in the stove. City men would soon arrive to fish and sail, and hunt ducks in and around Barnegat Bay. Amanda washed clothes, swept and scrubbed, made crabapple jam, and cooked for hungry men returning from a frosty day. Clam chowder, oyster stew, baked fish, roast duck, and homemade applesauce were all cooked on a wood stove.

After dinner dishes were put away, Amanda rocked, reading her Bible by oil lamp. Her memories drifted to age twelve when the Indian Medicine show came to town. She remembered the voice of a man wearing a plaid suit.

“Young ladies, come forward. All between ten and fourteen, let down your braids. Which young lady will win our prize for longest hair?”

Amanda remembered blushing as the loud man lifted her arm high as the crowd clapped. Her brows lifted and her lips formed an “O” as he placed a gold satin boot in her hands. A pincushion she told herself, but so pretty. Its beads shined brightly in the sun.

After my grandmother’s death in 1964, Dad repeated the story of the birth of his eldest brother, Jack. Amanda waited in the summer parlor of the Bonnet Club for her husband to return with Dr. Hilliard from Manahawkin. John and the doctor returned across the bay in a sailing skiff, blown by a November Nor’East wind, in time for the birth. The doctor stayed two days and the bill was five dollars.

In 1903, Amanda and John bought the homestead at the north end of Page 82 • Echoes of LBI

the road in Surf City. Many years later the house was moved to its present location on the corner of 12th Street and the Boulevard so that the road could continue to Barnegat Light. My father spoke of the day the house was moved, a day that must have caused his mother some concern. Hitched to an old-fashioned windlass driven by horses walking in a circle, the house was finally placed on a block foundation. Perry was allowed to stay in the house during the process as dishes rattled in the cupboards. Amanda had removed her blue patterned fish platter and wrapped it safely in a sheet.

In 1927, the captain of a seaplane made an emergency landing beyond the sandbar in the Atlantic. Amanda housed the crew and, to thank her, the captain gifted her with six wicker chairs used by passengers and an autographed captain’s chair.

Family stories about Amanda have been handed down. How dressed in her long flannel nightgown, she never allowed her husband to see her naked. How she never wore a wedding band as her religion said she was first married to Jesus. How her husband and brother encountered a sea monster with “eyes as big as saucers.” Some locals accused them of drinking but Amanda knew there was no liquor in her house. She didn’t allow it!

I cannot verify these stories but I can add that Grandmom never took a liking to Alfred Hitchcock. She often babysat me when my parents went to PTA meetings. We sat side by side on the couch laughing at I Love Lucy and if I had been very good, Grandmom let me watch Alfred Hitchcock walk across the screen and fit perfectly into his silhouette. When the story ended with the signature twist, Grandmom would ask, “What happened? I don’t understand.” My six-year-old self patiently explained that the woman had defrosted and was eating the leg of lamb she had used to kill her husband.

Grandmom always responded, ”Why didn’t he just say that?”

I didn’t answer, just traced my pointer finger along the blue veins of her hand. —Photography and text supplied by Cindi Inman

A

pair of surf scoters fly in front of Old Barney. The beaks of the birds mimic the colors of the lighthouse. In the foreground, the black male scoter is distinguished by the white patches on his forehead and the nape of the neck. His most distinctive feature is his bill. It has a black patch on each side margined behind by red, above orange, and in front and below by a patch of white.

The female scoter is dark grey with a grey bill.

This stunning oil painting was created by New Jersey native, Wilhelm J. Goebel. Goebel is a nationally known wildlife artist. His lifetime study of bird anatomy accurately depicts the surf scoters.

Plus as a New Jerseyan, he likes putting Barnegat Lighthouse, one of our state’s more recognizable landmarks, in his paintings. No wonder this beautiful painting won the national contest featured on the 1996-97 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, more commonly known as the “Duck Stamp.”

allowed the Refuge System to grow exponentially over the next decade.

With the application of scientific and increasingly modern wildlife management techniques, waterfowl populations began to rebound.

The Federal Duck Stamp became central to bird conservation during this vital period. The Federal Duck Stamp is required yearly of waterfowl hunters. Hunters need to have one federal stamp plus a state stamp and license.

So why should you care if you are not a duck hunter? Ninety-eight cents of every duck stamp dollar is used for acquiring wetlands habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. To date, more than $800,000 has been raised from these sales. These funds have been used to protect more than 6.5 million acres of habitat.

These duck stamps are unique for two reasons. First, each year's stamp design is chosen in the nation’s longest running open art contest. Secondly, it is the only congressionally mandated wildlife art competition. Goebel’s particular stamp was more distinctive because of Old Barney. This was the first time a specific lighthouse was ever featured on the stamp.

Little wonder the Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated.

Birders, photographers and conservationists purposely all buy the Duck Stamp but they can be purchased by anyone. In doing so, they are helping to acquire and protect important areas for birds and other wildlife. The Duck Stamp is an annual pass for free admission to any national wildlife refuge. Additionally, stamp collectors collect these beautiful pieces of art.

The Federal Duck Stamp Act, formerly known as the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, was signed into law in 1934 when our country was experiencing horrendous dust bowls. The country was losing wetlands and waterfowl. President Franklin D. Roosevelt took an important step to address this loss by signing the Duck Stamp law to strengthen the National Wildlife Refuge system. This

The Duck Stamp art contest has been running since 1949. Any US artist over age 18 can enter. It is prestigious and competitive and took Goebel ten years before he won. There is even a Junior Duck Stamp contest for the younger artist. So, all of you artists out there, go to the federal wildlife site and enter! —Pat Dagnall and Ellen Hammonds

Page 84 • Echoes of LBI

W

hen you grow up in a small town you hear stories about this house and that house, and what might have been a myth turns into a fact – or vice-versa.

While planning the historic house tour in Harvey Cedars earlier this summer, two discoveries transformed the origin of one house into reality and for the second house a photo corrected the perceived belief.

What I always called the Kelly House started life on the north side of 80th Street, seen here in the late 1930s. Earl Horter, a wellknown Philadelphia artist, lived there with his wife, Helen Lloyd – a painter in her own right. (In the 1930s, the Philadelphia Inquirer described Harvey Cedars as a quaint art colony). Leon Kelly was a student of Horter’s, and after returning from a decade in Paris, came to Harvey Cedars to paint.

Horter died in 1940.

Page 86 • Echoes of LBI

My memory of the Kellys and the house, now owned by Lida Pos and situated on the bayside at 36 W. 80th Street, begins in the late 1940s. Helen is now Mrs. Kelly. The myth was that, after a minor hurricane in 1943 threatened it, the Kellys moved the house to the bayside.

Wrong! John Sinclair, who lives in the small cottage second from the ocean on 80th, recently shared the photo of the Kelly house leaning against his house, shoved there by the 1944 hurricane.

It was only then moved two blocks west. The house has two adjacent smaller structures on the lot, one Kelly’s studio and one a guesthouse.

What I also discovered was that Kelly salvaged both of these from the undeveloped meadows where they were washed over from the mainland by the 1944 hurricane.

Harvey Cedars has a number of houses moved from one place or another. The Ice Cream Parlor is one of the oldest structures on the Island, if not the oldest. It was built as a sportsman’s club in Loveladies in 1848.

Around 1914 J.B. Kinsey, one of the early developers of the town, hauled it on rollers pulled by horses to its present location. If you look at the roofline from the north you’ll recognize it from this 19th century painting.

Maiden Lane, which runs parallel to 80th Street, has a number of relocated homes. In 1929, former Mayor Joe Yearly moved #38 from 77th Street and the ocean after continuing dune erosion undermined his home. Number 42 was moved from the south side of 80th Street after the 1962 nor'easter knocked it off its foundation.

About five years ago, the house at the northwest corner of 80th and Bay Terrace was moved by barge to the mainland – no storm threat here; just recycling. This move was recorded for posterity by a cover photo in The SandPaper of the house being towed under the bridge.

Susan and Bryan Lewis have lived at 10 East 83rd Street since 1997, which had been damaged by hurricanes and a fire. Tradition had it that Kinsey also moved this structure, with the unusual, sharply pitched roof, sometime after the 1926 Philadelphia

Sesquicentennial. There was no evidence until last month, when a friend of mine, Philadelphia architect Perry Benson, whose grandparents had owned the house next door when he was a boy in the 1950s, dug deeply into the Sesquicentennial website and spotted the roof structure on a cottage at the English Pavilion.

Perry figured out how they removed some gables and reinstalled others, matching the roofline on an aerial view of the house taken after the 1944 hurricane, which I included in my book about Harvey Cedars, Seasons in the Sun. So the myth of Kinsey barging the house down the Delaware River and Bay and up the inland waterway turns out to be true – even though no photographer marked the event. Or, if one did, it is yet to be discovered. —Photography and text supplied by Margaret Thomas Buchholz.

I

f you are retired or close to retirement age, you may remember the official United States Savings Stamp booklet from elementary school years.

Back in the day, I recall bringing a dime to school each week to purchase a stamp for my savings booklet. At that rate, it would take me two school years to completely fill in the stamps that totaled $18.70. With this amount, I was able to purchase a $25 United States Savings Bond and make an investment in my future education.

If your family was a bit wealthier, you might have had the 25-cent stamp booklet that would enable you to purchase the same $25 bond in less than one school year. In those days, college costs were reasonable and within reach for middle and lower class families. Conceivably, these small booklets enabled one to reach their college goals.

Savings stamps were promoted through familiar icons: television shows like Lassie, Leave it to Beaver, and The Lone Ranger, cartoon characters such as Rocky and Bullwinkle, and comic book favorites such as Dennis the Menace. There was something exciting about purchasing those stamps each week. It meant a future, something to work toward. It was also an early learning experience for saving and handling money.

One can still purchase United States Savings Bonds, however, without savings stamps because they ceased to exist on June 30, 1970. Bonds are still a great investment but the excitement and anticipation of adding a stamp to one’s booklet and watching it grow each week faded long ago.

—Rena DiNeno

Page 88 • Echoes of LBI

T

ucker’s Island, first discovered by Dutch explorer Cornelius Mey, had a few names: Flat Beach, Short Beach, Sea Haven, and St. Albans. It was only a few miles long sometimes a barrier island and other times a peninsula attached at the southern end of Long Beach Island by a slough where people walked through muck.

In the late 1800s, people flocked to two popular hotels, the Colombia and the St. Albans, even though they lacked electricity and plumbing. Visitors came first by stagecoach and later by train to Absecon where they were shuttled by horse and buggy to Leeds Point (Oyster Creek), and then by boat to Tucker’s Island. Or they navigated Tuckerton Creek and crossed Little Egg Harbor to get to the island.

Winters on Tucker’s Island were rough with storms, howling winds, stranded mariners, and heroic rescues by the US Life Saving Service/Coast Guard and the Rider family members of the Little Egg Harbor Lighthouse.

Even though the trip took hours, people craved to get away from the cities so they could visit friends, walk a few miles of island, and climb dunes. Captains gave sailboat rides and taxied visitors to Tucker’s Island. In the evening, people sang and danced. The larger St. Albans was four stories high, built directly next to the slough.

People could step off the front steps and wade directly into the cool water.

On the other hand, summer on the island was a playful time for visitors and summer residents, sailing, fishing, and hunting.

Page 90 • Echoes of LBI

Tucker’s Island residents opened their cottages on the island and came to relax or rent them. Sea bathing was fun for the ladies who hiked up their dark wool bathing costumes, fanny-dunking in the clear Atlantic to keep cool. Men hunted, fished, played cards, and rocked in porch chairs.

Children were left to their own amusement, climbing dunes and sliding down the other sides in the sand, exploring the beaches for shells, pieces of china and glass, and finding treasures washed off wooden schooners or steel ships. Fishing was popular with clams, oysters, and crabs making an almost nightly seafood feast.

Island families were laid back and friendly, welcoming friends and family members from the mainland who brought treats like cherry pies, meat, and baskets of corn.

In spite of mosquitoes and flies, Tucker’s Island was an idyllic place to spend a vacation.

The lure of the ocean, smell of the marshes, seafood plentiful in the bay, and camaraderie of friends and family brought many to Tucker’s Island just as it does to Long Beach Island today. While things have changed over 80 years, the feel of sugary sand oozing through bare feet and the feel of cool salt water splashing over hot bodies has not.

Sadly, Tucker’s Island, designed to be a developed island with small lots, completely disappeared by 1940.

Somewhere under tons of sand from Superstorm Sandy and the beach replenishment project sits the Fresnel Lens from the Tucker’s Island/Little Egg Harbor Lighthouse. Only memories passed from generation to generation and old photos exist today. —Gretchen F. Coyle.

Photography courtesy of the NJ Maritime Museum.

Tucker’s Island, by Gretchen Coyle and Deborah Whitcraft, contains photos from artist Cathleen Engelsen’s family and those of Nancy Speck’s family.

I

t’s 1936. “Don’t Fence Me In” plays on the Philco radio as Betty Fackler (born February 15, 1921) escapes her dad’s bar on Cedar Bonnet Island (today The Dutchman’s). The lyrics fit her romping, tomboy personality. A Tuckerton high school student, she liked any excuse to be on the bay or lace up her roller skates and head to Ship Bottom across the old wooden drawbridge.

Twin brother Bill and older brother Jack didn’t mind doing the chores at the restaurant of the thriving business. Started in 1923 as a bait and snack shack, Betty’s father Charlie Fackler expanded in 1933 when the Depression ended and a liquor license was obtained.

One day Betty headed to work at Lynn Photo to earn gas money for the family car (36 cents a gallon). She used the family car more than her dad. Ever the instigator, most days she picked up her girlfriends Ellie Cramer, Ann Hannold, Veryl Price, and the Johnson sisters to skate at the Manahawkin rink owned by Berthe Beisic. The group was known as the Skater Bugs sporting custom-made jackets of yellow satin, lettered and trimmed in brown. The approximate 25 by 40 foot cedar shake building was a teen hangout into the 1960s.

Today the lot on Bay Avenue fills with vendors each weekend as a flea market.

Before World War II, roller skating was the biggest entertainment for teens in the country, providing physical activity and opportunities to spend time with the opposite sex. Subdued lights, slow music for couples, fast tunes to show off technique, and even faster music for the guys to race and impress the girls. Betty drove the gang to rinks 40 miles away to perform their routines and meet new kids on weekends. One eventful excursion found them in Washington DC flirting with the room service guy after a full day watching a roller derby.

During Betty’s high school years, skating was the rage in every town in the US. There were competition roller derbies with traveling teams in all the major cities. Huge crowds came to cheer and bet on their favorite team. By 1939 spectators were thrilled watching competitors pushing and shoving while they sped round an oval rink. Then the war forced the bleachers and rinks to empty when young people enlisted, thereby causing the sport to dwindle in popularity.

In 1941, Betty was shopping at Koseff ’s in Beach Haven and was introduced to a handsome soldier by the store owner. Abe Koseff started three businesses in the early 1930s: a tackle store, a general merchandise emporium, and the first pull-up gas station in town.

He generously provided discounts and credit to servicemen from Fort Dix during the war.

There was an immediate attraction to Peter Bohan who was billeted at the old Wida’s Hotel in Brant Beach and patrolled the Island to watch for U-boats. He skated into her heart that day, soon proposing and marrying sweet Skater Bug Betty on November 18, 1942. And her wonderful roller skates? They were passed on to a younger friend on Cedar Bonnet Island who skated into her own adventures.

—Carol Freas. Anyone with images of the skating rink, please send to echoesoflbi@gmail.com.

Page 92 • Echoes of LBI

2016 VXS

W

hen you find crowds in Beach Haven, Surf City, and Loveladies enthused about gathering in darkened, windowless rooms on one of the most beautiful weekends of the summer, you know something special is happening.

to adolescent bullying. Until Proven Innocent, a documentary by Jenna Jackson and Anthony Jackson and recipient of the 2016 Audience Award for Documentary Feature, explored missteps in the American judicial system. Amok is Rick Rodgers’s searing portrayal of a new father’s struggles with debilitating mental health.

Such was the scene at the 8th annual Lighthouse International Film Festival (LIFF) held June 9-12 at various locations throughout LBI. The festival offered audiences screenings of over 70 feature, documentary and short films, blending international and local creative talent to produce an inspired film lineup that delighted audiences.

Notwithstanding the international flair of many of this year’s films and filmmakers, the festival held true to its LBI roots with the exhibition of projects filmed on LBI or made by talented local filmmakers. For example, David Kaltenbach offered a fascinating glimpse into the development of the local commercial fishing industry in his documentary, Yesterday’s Fish, Today’s Challenges.

Alex Markman shot the majority of Colby, recipient of the 2016 Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature, on LBI – a choice that resulted in the film’s highlighting of our island’s stunning natural landscape.

This year’s festival succeeded in celebrating ambitious films that explored important geopolitical and social themes. The Documentary Centerpiece Film featured the world premiere of Kristian Kiehling’s Chronicle of a Summer in Europe, a striking account of the European refugee crisis filmed during the summer of 2015.

Mahmoud Kamel’s Out of Order depicted the development of a relationship between a drug addict and his widowed neighbor against the backdrop of a chaotic Egyptian political situation. A Brilliant Genocide, directed by Ebony Butler, and a related festivalsponsored panel discussion featuring journalists and human rights activists provided audiences a glimpse into human rights atrocities and political machinations in Uganda.

Several films explored sociocultural themes. Empty Space, a film by LIFF alumni James Choi and Judi Krant and recipient of the 2016 Audience Award for Narrative Feature, touched on themes related Page 94 • Echoes of LBI

Festival screenings as well as pre and post screening events were held at LBI venues, providing a refreshing sense of informality and accessibility. Breakfast with the Filmmakers events were moderated by renowned film critic Glenn Kenny, for instance, allowed filmmakers to discuss their latest projects and share musings on the film industry with attendees in an intimate environment over coffee and pastries.

This year’s Lighthouse International Film Festival presented an abundance of entertaining and thought-provoking screenings and opportunities for informal discussion that engaged audiences. It has certainly inspired excitement among local and visiting film lovers as to what next year’s festival, scheduled for June 8-11, will bring. —Sophia Ahern Dwosh

Jim O'Connor photo

A

child’s first encounter with the beach resembles a rite of passage or baptism into mankind’s love of the sea. The child is confronted with the overpowering fluidity that stretches forward reaching for those tiny feet. Held firmly in the arms of the parent, the child acquires momentary confidence to contemplate the swirl of the ocean foam as it wraps itself around the legs of the parent. The little arm reaches aimlessly accompanied by mixed cries of anguish and excitement.

Totally unaware of the child, the ocean continues its terrifying movement onto the beach. Gradually, the child recognizes the repetition of the water and begins to know what to expect of the unwieldy monster.

Each time the monster spreads its fluid skin over the sand, the child squeals in anticipation and apprehension. The tiny legs carry the little body onto dry sand just seconds faster than the incoming water and foam. Seeing the monster sea beaten at its own game, the tiny legs reverse and run dauntlessly after the retreating wave, tempting and taunting it for another try at building confidence.

The sense of self-assurance develops into a feeling of exhilaration and is nurtured in the wet, prickly sand, bright sunshine and the mild roar of the waves intermingled by the high-pitched prattle of other children.

Absorbed in a peak experience, the child’s creative urges are unleashed asking what more this enormous and predictable playmate offers for an afternoon at the beach.

No longer a threat, the regular unfolding of water and foam presents an enchanting challenge. The child considers the Page 98 • Echoes of LBI

possibility of directing or saving some of the water for further use in play. Considering the expected outcome, it becomes clear that this could be a task for a group, easily three or four children.

In a common goal to control a portion of the ocean water, the group assesses the work before them. The little architects set about digging, scraping, and excavating the wet sand just where the last wave left its mark on the beach. Excitedly, they watch the white snake-like water in the distance roll toward them, change its form and deposit another wave at their feet. Hovering in great anticipation over their sandy gap, the children watch the water swirl forward, fill the basin and quickly filter through the sides leaving the hole sagging and shallow.

Examining the results and not being fully satisfied, the little architects proceed to a more complicated means of preserving the sea water for their beach playground. They deepen the hole, packing the loose sand into a tight fortification three-quarters of the way around the opening. The opening facing the ocean becomes the start of a long furrow to ensure deliverance of the water. In addition, one of the little architects is preparing a pail of water to supplement any unanticipated deficiency in the plan.

With the construction completed, the little architects await the arrival of a monstrous wave to complete their project. With squeals of delight and wonder, they watch an oversized wave unfold into a water wall, bend over, and dump countless foamy swirling pools into the little architects’ sandy abyss. Clustered around the opening, the children peer at the cloudy seawater and acknowledge their success with wide smiles. —Photography and text by Bernadette Callanan

Pagnotta M

I

C

H

A

E

L

ARCHITECTURE

Oceanfront Homes

Open Airy Interiors

Bayfront Homes

Award Winning Architects Custom Homes Waterfront Specialists Pre-Designed Stock Plans 3-D Modeling Narrow Lot Specialists Since 1990 Free Consultation

3-D Visualization

Traditional Designs

Small Lot Homes

342 West Ninth Street, Ship Bottom, NJ 08008

609-361-0011

www.pagnotta.com

Building Custom Homes & Relationships For Over 30 Years.

Premier Custom Homes & Additions • General Home Maintenance Authorized Andersen Parts & Services

302 Long Beach Blvd. • Ship Bottom, NJ 08008 • 609.494.6020 • www.arAitken.com New Home Warranty Reg. #028581—NJ Home Improvement Reg. #13VH01111900