Echoes of LBI Spring into Summer 2015

Echoes of LB I Magazine

2015 Spring into Summer Edition

Long Beach Island Arts and Lifestyle Magazine

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Publisher’s Note

W

elcome back! The sun is getting stronger, the days are getting longer, and all of us are grateful to be moving towards summer. Some winters just feel longer than others, and this past winter felt eternal for most of us. That is where the true spirit of small community living shines bright.

On LBI, we go through the hard times and the good times together. Winters of frozen pipes and subzero temperatures don’t break our bonds. We reach out to neighbors, support the local businesses and keep each other company through the off-season, just as locals have done since the island was settled.

In fact, celebrating the people who have lived, worked and built LBI is one of the philosophies of Echoes of LBI. It is in remembering our history that we learn to cherish the best of yesterday and improve on tomorrow.

I was born and raised in Harvey Cedars and am a third generation native, as we say. I have seen many changes over the years and have weathered many storms. But that is part of why we love LBI; for the memories and for the promise of today. Echoes of LBI shines its light on both of these, the good ole days, as they are called, the beauty of today and the hope for a better tomorrow.

All of these are part of LBI. We celebrate our past, present and future by supporting the local communities, the arts, the beach environment and the Jersey shore lifestyle. Our spirit is evident in each tale of the past and every plan for the future. The bridge from where we have been to where we are going is built on the present.

Echoes of LBI spans this bridge with quality stories, articles and photography. It is this quality and excellence of the magazine that keeps our readers coming back and our advertisers proud to be a part of our effort. My roots and commitment to LBI are evident in each issue. I strive to provide the LBI community with the best of what our island offers.

Enjoy this long awaited spring! Take a bike ride, eat out, shop local, attend a film festival, book a ghost tour, take in an art gallery or museum, and live the island life, whether it’s just for a short time or forever.

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

Enjoy the sunset,

Cheryl Kirby, Publisher

First In • Sunrise on Long Beach Island, NJ

Howard Wohlgefahrt photo

Art 8 Photography 14 While You Were Gone 22 Poetry 28 Beach Paws 30 Lifestyle 34 Marine Science 50 50 & Counting 56 Looking Back 70 Lighthouse International Film Festival 78 A Shore Thing 82 Echoes of LBI Magazine • Cheryl Kirby - Owner & Publisher • (609) 361-1668 • 406 Long Beach Blvd. • Ship Bottom, NJ • Echoesoflbi.com Advertisers: People collect Echoes of LBI - your ad has the potential to be seen over & over again for years to come!

Email articles on history, nostalgia, poetry or art to: EchoesofLBI@gmail.com

All content of magazine, website and social media remains copyright of Cheryl Kirby. No part of this publication may be reproduced.

Magazine Designer - Sara Caruso • Copy Editor - Joyce Poggi Hager Photographers - Marjorie Amon, Sara Caruso, Donna Clatts, Joyce Poggi Hager, Ryan Marchese, Nancy Rokos, Diane Stulga, Sally Vennel, and Howard Wohlgefahrt.

Graphic Designer/Pre-press - Vickie VanDoren • Science - Sara Caruso Contributors - Heather Aitken, Donna Bradley, Sara Caruso, Gretchen Coyle, Pat Dagnall, Cynthia Inman Graham, Frank Finale, Carol Freas, Ellen Hammonds, Nancy Kunz, Maggie O’Neill, and Diane Stulga Cover photo by Sara Caruso, description on page 52 Photo this page by Marjorie Amon, taken outside the Barneget Light Museum

M

embers of the Garden Club of Long Beach Island raise green thumbs in anticipation of another successful gardening season. There are over 160 members in the Garden Club, and the membership is well represented in this photograph taken at the Edith Duff Gwinn Garden in Barnegat Light.

Members of the Club have cared for this awardwinning garden since 1970. In 2004 the Club also took on the responsibility of the gardens at the Beach Haven Library and the Library gardens have recently been submitted to the National Garden Club for the Rally Our Region Award given for the restoration of a community garden after Superstorm Sandy.

Caring for Island gardens is only part of the Garden Club’s commitment to the community. The proceeds from their annual December Holiday Tour of Homes provides scholarships for local High School students, supports the Mainsail Program at SRHS, and sponsors a monthly Garden Therapy Program for Seniors at the Ocean County Service Center in Manahawkin.

The club also supports Intergenerational and Youth Garden Clubs at local Elementary schools and sponsors local student-writers for the National Garden Club’s Youth Poetry and Essay contests. Garden Club members participate in Standard Flower Shows and partner with the Noyes Museum’s for the museum’s Art in Bloom exhibit.

The Club has a special interest in environmental issues and through its Special Projects Program contributes to 12 local organizations including the Alliance for a Living Ocean, the Terrapin Nesting Project and the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

The Club Garden Club of LBI meets monthly and invites those interested to visit their website at www. thegardencluboflbi.com for additional information.

—Nancy Kunz Pictured, left side, kneeling in front: President Judie Alloway, Mary Stevens, Mary Jane DeBenedictis, Mary Kachoogan. First row coming down steps: Barbara Russell, Isabel Friedhoff, Cathy Sutton, Miriam Berdick, and Bette Della Torre. Second row of steps: Hidden lady with a great smile, Pam Masturzo, Shirley Stalnecker, Joyce Hillyer, Ann Cheshul, Betty Frey, MaryEllen Bigham, and Diane Barbieri.

Third row in back: Mary Wilding, Another lady with a great smile, Joan Rapp, Maryann Chatfield, Julie Eller, and Flo Meisner.

Hidden in the back: Chris Vohden, Dorian Madreperla, and Marge Foti. Very hidden: Diana Woodward.

Right side: Linda Passaro, Judy Simpson, Ginny Scarlatelli, JoAnne McKee, Teresa Hagan, Bev Reitinger, Marilyn Nichols, Camille Rinaldi, Marlena Christensen, Karen Martinez, Gerry Kappes, and Debbie Ayres (kneeling).

Art

Praxedes “Prax” Serrano

Originally from the small town of Oaxaca, Mexico, Prax has lived on Long Beach Island for the past 14 years. This painting is done on a 36” x 48” canvas with acrylics to add as much detail is possible. It can take Prax four to eight months to complete one piece.

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Art

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Salt Water Bouquet • Karen Bagnard artwork Original art and prints now available at Things A Drift, (609) 361-1668.

Robert Sakson (artwork shown to the right) is one of New Jersey's most accomplished watercolorists.

He is a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society and member of many state and national art societies. Sakson's love for Long Beach Island is reflected in his artwork chronicling the changing island since 1958. New: Cards and prints now available.

Carol Freas artwork (below), a watercolor artist, captures our shore environment, its history and color with integrity. She teaches locally at the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies and Pine Shores Art Association.

Pat Morgan (artwork shown to the right) and her husband Richard have retired to their much loved LBI where Pat’s passion for watercolor and the island have been her constant inspiration.

Artists featured on this page are available for commissions.

Please contact Things A Drift at (609) 361-1668

Art

On Restaurant Napkins

Rick Baldt’s napkin portraits of people seen at cafés he frequents on Long Beach Island.

O

n a recent trip to England, Rick Baldt gave a waiter at the hotel two napkin drawings—one when he and his wife Beth had afternoon tea and another the following day at breakfast. Here on LBI, you can find Rick sketching at the local coffee shops. He began sketching when he was in school because he thought he had Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Now that Rick’s retired, he has been sketching faces of ordinary people a lot more, usually on napkins. His wife Beth collects his artwork in a basket in their home, the old Life Saving Station in Ship Bottom.

One year, Rick’s daughter Erika gave him a sketchpad for his birthday. She wrote a title on it: Things You Find on Restaurant Napkins. Over time Rick amassed an interesting collection of pencil drawings. His books became part of the Brooklyn Art Library collection and were sent on tour throughout the country.

A framed collage of creatures drawn by Rick in colored pencils Page 12 • Echoes of LBI

hung in his home until Rick gave it to Bruce Reid. Bruce was the owner of the house they had rented for many years until they bought their own house at the shore.

A wonderful friendship was started with Rick and Phil Flanders in a coffee shop back in Rick’s hometown. Phil is an 88-yearold scientist who loves researching Moorestown’s history and publishing small books on this subject. Rick provided the drawings for the book titled A Sketch-book of Moorestown History, now available in the Moorestown Library.

Everyday people inspire Rick as he captures their images on napkins. His perceptions are so much more than just passing time.

You never know when you may become the unassuming subject of this humble artist. —Diane Stulga

Carol McDonald artwork

LBI shorebreak paintings

jackmcvey.com

Photography

Page 14 • Echoes of LBI

Night Watchman • Ryan Marchese photo

Photography

Linda Reddington photo Page 16 • Echoes of LBI

Marjorie Amon photo

Ryan Marchese photo

Photography

Sally Vennel photo Page 18 • Echoes of LBI

While You Were Gone

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Nancy Rokas photo

While You Were Gone

Joyce Poggi Hager photo

Diane Stulga photo Page 24 • Echoes of LBI

While You Were Gone

T

Summer in Winter

hose of you who have visited LBI during the off-season can agree on the odd look and feel of the island. The sand is cool, the population dwindles significantly, and the skies look like they’ve been painted gray by a melancholy artist who’s trying to get over a break-up. Nonetheless, it’s still Long Beach Island and I still love every square inch of it.

When my parents ask, “Wanna go to the beach for the day and check on Pop’s house?” my eyebrows raise and a sly smile spreads across my face. At this point, my mom and dad should know - of course I want to spend the day at the beach...even if it’s January.

As soon as we drive onto the island, a wave of memories washes over me: car rides to CVS to get my brother’s medicine for his unseasonably horrible cold; the bike ride I took with my father to the bridge; get-togethers at my neighbor’s beautiful home; daily bike rides to Bay Village; and staying up late every night with all the windows open in my room, listening to the waves lap against the shore until I drift off into a deep slumber. Both recent and years-old recollections conjure up so much excitement for the approaching summer that I don’t even mind the sad skies of the off-season.

I always fall asleep once for at least fifteen minutes but wake up thirty seconds before our car passes the big Wawa on Route 72.

Coincidence? Maybe. Stopping at Wawa has become a tradition for my family and a classic-sized hoagie with peach iced tea has become mine. The rest of the drive home is quick, unfortunately, and once we’re home I start daydreaming about hot days at the beach, pedaling my cruiser all the way to Bay Village, and hanging out with the seagulls at the basketball courts.

I’ll admit there are days at school when I stare out the window at the dreary suburban skies and picture everything being painted Page 26 • Echoes of LBI

Sara Caruso photo

over by rays of sun, vibrant blues, and warm sand. Winter makes me long for the three months where it’s socially acceptable to walk around LBI in a bikini top, jean shorts, and bare feet. I miss the constant blue skies spotted with various shaped clouds, my healthy tan skin and intensified freckles, and the lack of necessity to wear any makeup at all (thank you, sun!).

I miss the freedom I have on the island, my parents nodding approval as I yell, “I’m going for a bike ride! Check in with you guys in twenty minutes! BYE!” while running out the front door.

The long walks and bike rides with my neighboring-street friends to Skipper Dipper at eight o’clock at night, standing in line for thirty-five minutes, fumbling with twelve punch cards. And then going back to their house for several rounds of “Cards Against Humanity.” All the while, my parents’ minds are at ease knowing that LBI is taking care of their youngest who is out and about roaming around the island with her sister and friends.

This upcoming summer is bound to be the best one yet. It’s my last one before I have to start worrying about college stuff. Next year, the summer of 2016, is going to be chock full of Wal-Mart runs for sixty-nine cent boxes of mac and cheese and an abundance of Ramen noodles, shopping at Ikea for bed risers and body pillows, and hour-long soirees at Staples for all things college. But this summer, the summer of 2015, is going to be legendary. I’ll haul my friends down to LBI and take them to the Chicken or the Egg on Wednesdays, wait with them in the perpetually long but worthwhile line at Skipper Dipper, and indulge in multiple sunsets with them on the bayside of the island.

I’m determined to spend every possible second at the shore – weekends with the whole 36-ish member family, plus my own family’s vacation – soaking up those imperative vitamins and basking in the pure happiness that is Long Beach Island! —Jenna Miele

Established 1950

Poetry 10 Reasons to Marry a Sea Glass Collector 1. You will always know when it’s low tide because your spouse will be on the beach.

2. Your house will shimmer with jewel-toned color when the sun hits the sea glass in jars on every conceivable spot in your house.

3. Your spouse will love jewelry made from sea glass, which costs less than your wedding ring.

4. It’s a hobby that does not cost anything.

5. It’s cheaper than an afternoon of shopping.

6. It’s good exercise and no gym membership needed.

7. You can’t accidently break your spouse's favorite jewel because it’s usually broken to begin with.

8. Finding a piece of rare sea glass makes a collector happier than anything you can buy.

9. The glass will decorate your home with true, authentic beauty.

10. You can enjoy sea glass together. Just sit on the beach, relax and watch your spouse look for it.

—Maggie O’Neill

Sara Caruso photo

Spring Arrives

Splashes of color coat the frozen ground, Warm breezes sashay barely making a sound, Rain dissolves the last remnants of snow, Finally, winter has decided to go.

—Lynn Reebe

COME SPRING! Ice glinting in a reluctant stay of ecstasy, Bright bark of white birch, Shining on the edge of a shadowy wood.

—Norma Paul

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Ryan Marchese photo

Seasons The white dune, kissed by the green sea, Watches over a winter beach in cold sunlight, As the season slowly turns towards spring.

—Maggie O'Neill

Diane Stulga photo

Memorial Day

OL' BARNEY

Serving their country with dignity and pride.

If you were human, You could be NBA material, A star for the NJ Nets.

You're our shining light, From the Jersey Shore sturdier, And taller than our, Suburban brick houses.

More noteworthy you, Safeguard lives and illuminate ours.

Red and white on a bay, Blue, you're as American, As our Civil War and, The Northern General Meade, Who imagined you, Then strode off to war.

He raised you to save lives, forgetting, As he hurried off to take some.

You survived it all, The storms, the moves, The new tech.

For a dollar a child can climb, Your spiral insides, And see at the top what, You have always seen.

—Lynn Reebe

—Frank Finale

People gathering, sipping their beer, Steaks are grilling, folks full of cheer, Crowds invade beaches, once that were bare, Bathers and surfers are already there.

Boardwalks reopen, the parks are jam-packed, Roads are crowded, the car trunks stacked.

Parades and car races are planned for the day: The very last Monday in the warm month of May. Fireworks are bursting, there’s parties galore, But what is Memorial Day really for?

To honor the soldiers who fought a brave fight, For justice and liberty and what they thought right, Each year flags are placed on thousands of graves, The gentle wind blows, the tiny flags wave, We salute all those soldiers who long ago died,

Submissions accepted at echoesoflbi@gmail.com

Beach Beach Paws Paws

"Nikki" • Sara Caruso photo

"Ashleigh" • Vickie VanDoren Page 30 • Echoes of LBI

Oh No, My Hermit Crab Died!

H

ermit crab owners, whether novice or expert, have come to that moment of panic thinking, “my hermit crab is dying.� These tiny crustaceans have a reputation for only living a couple of weeks after purchase from the local shops. However, with proper care a crab can survive for 15 to 20 years or more.

The biggest hurdle that even a healthy hermit has to overcome is molting.

Molting is an important part of a crustacean's growth cycle and must happen for it to thrive.

You need to prepare your crabs all year for molting with the proper diet. When a crab is nearing a molt it may become lethargic and stop eating.

Sometimes you will see it drinking and filling its shell with water for long periods of time. At this time, separate it from other crabs you may have.

You may notice a growth on the side of the crab but don't be alarmed or try to remove it. That is a nutrientfilled sack the crab uses during the molt to sustain itself, similar to a placenta. You may also see some changes to the crabs coloring as the exoskeleton slowly separates from the animal.

Eventually the crab becomes quieter and reclusive to the point you may think it died. This is a crucial time for the little guy. The best thing to do is to leave it alone and watch what happens.

Then one day you look into your crab's habitat and freak out because it looks like he died and came out of his shell, but in fact it's the hollow exoskeleton. The exoskeleton is basically like an eggshell and just as fragile but don't remove it from the enclosure because the crab will eat it to regain the calcium it lost during the molt.

While the whole process of molting can take a few hours, you won't be able to see activity from your crab for about seven to ten days.

A month can pass from the first time the crab becomes lethargic to when the crab molts, regains its strength and finally hardens completely.

Smaller crabs molt quicker and more often while larger crabs can take much longer to regain all their strength.

With proper care, your hermit crab will continue to grow so you can enjoy it for many years.. —Photography and text by Sara Caruso

Beach Paws

Pat Oliveri and "Archie" • Carissa Oliveri photo

Gigi's Good Dog Tips

Sara Caruso photo Page 32 • Echoes of LBI

The summer is fun for everyone in your family including your pets, but there is such a thing as having too much fun. Even though it's hard to stop your little cousins from sneaking the dog part of that barbeque hot dog, just remember that all that extra food can make a dog sick. Not to mention that just like you, dogs can really pack on the pounds if they eat too much. We all like to give our dogs a little treat on vacation, but keep it to a minimum. Some breeds are more susceptible to gaining weight. You could always try baking your own dog treats. They may taste weird to us but dogs love them and they are a healthy alternative to table scraps.

Beach Paws

"Shubi" • Karen Korkuch photo Page 34 • Echoes of LBI

Lifestyle

SUP~Yes you Can! S

everal years ago I saw a girl standing on what I thought was a surfboard in the bay. She was wearing capris and a summer top instead of a bathing suit. While paddling in my kayak I asked her how she does it and if she falls in. She said it is called Stand Up Paddle and told me that it is easy — and no, she does not fall in.

Fast forward a few years when my niece’s boyfriend introduced me to SUP. The first time Matt and Kacie took me on the paddleboard I was nervous and shaky but I did not fall. Matt taught me to place my paddle on the board, position my feet evenly on the board with the handle between my feet, push off, grab the paddle as I stand up, look out (not down), bend my knees slightly and paddle.

Sounds simple, right? Actually, it is! I now have two of my own boards, two paddles and several friends whom I paddle with spring, summer and fall in the ocean and the bay.

The first thing I do every morning is look out to see if the bay is flat. I’ve made several friends and have gotten in better shape thanks to this fun way to see the bay. My friend Lisa Willoughby and I have taken friends out with us and have taught eighteen people how to Stand Up Paddle. Over the past three years I have

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participated in several SUP races including one for Autism hosted

by Island Surf & Sail, and the Barnegat Bay Challenge Race that Ship Bottom Life Guard Squad sponsors, both in August.

One day last summer a friend called me early in the morning and said the ocean was flat and we should try SUP on the ocean, so off we went. It was amazing! It was definitely an extra good inner thigh workout with the small ocean swells. While we sat on the boards enjoying the sun, a pod of dolphins swam and jumped about 15 feet away from us. I now have a GoPro camera so I will be ready for pictures next time.

Every year I travel to Maui with my company and have paddled there the past two winters. SUP is a great way to get fresh air, get on the water and get some exercise no matter what your age or fitness level. Many people over think it or think that they need to be a workout guru. If you want to race or get in shape, it is a great workout for your legs, arms, chest, and core but you can also just enjoy the scenery with a leisurely paddle. Some people even do yoga on their board in the bay. Stand Up Paddle boarding is easier than you think. Give it a try. You can do it! —Photography and text by Donna Bradley

Since 1974

Mullet School in Wave • Tom Lynch/Angry Fish photography

R

A True Craftsman

ick Aitken began his career in 1984 as a fifth generation independent carpenter. In 1987, he established and incorporated his own building/contracting business on Long Beach Island in Ship Bottom. Rick’s love and familiarity of the Island is deep-rooted since his family settled in Barnegat Light from Norway back in 1929.

relationships. Surrounding himself with excellence, he hires only the best subcontractors, some of which have been a part of the Aitken Team for nearly 30 years.

All Aitken projects are as unique as the homeowners themselves.

During the design process, the plan and a relationship are developed between Rick and Aside from being a master the homeowner. This process "Building becomes architecture only when carpenter, Rick’s eye for design, what the client the mind of man consciously takes it and tries determines architecture, and dedication is looking for to make this to customer service enabled with all his resources to make it beautiful, to place not just a house but him to establish and grow his put concordance, sympathy with nature, and their home. Rick provides business to the highly regarded all that into it. Then you have architecture.” preliminary sketch work and company it is today, well known the support that empowers for building and renovating the homeowner to bring ideas —Frank Lloyd Wright some of LBI’s most prestigious to life, acting as their own homes. designer. Rick's understanding of what is architecturally correct, along with his artistic background, enables him to create custom Rick works hand in hand alongside his staff of 60+ employees to solutions to the challenges inherent in renovations, remodeling, ensure that all clients, spanning the entirety of LBI, are 100% and additions. Fully invested in building and maintaining his satisfied with his work. In addition to high quality craftsmanship customers’ dream homes, Rick believes that "if you can dream it, and attention to detail, Rick’s philosophy of honesty and integrity we can do it!" has enabled him to develop and sustain more than 600 client

Handrail starting "newel" maple/walnut braid at bottom of stairway.

3D line drawing showing all flights

Above: From concept to design, Aitken employs a collaborative approach.

Opposite page: Organic newel wood post is a perfect example of the line between art and function being eliminated.

Lifestyle

Rick's unique sense of style and building know-how kicked into full gear when a Hurricane Sandy storm remediation being done

by Aitken in Loveladies developed into a complete renovation of the entire home resulting in a project that held endless possibilities. The year-round residence now boasts several unique and impressive design features, including etched glass inserts, custom tile patterns, custom furniture built-ins, a wooden tub in the master bathroom, coffered ceilings, a chandelier lift, a rooftop entertainment area including a fire pit, and a special wooden flagpole. A good example of Rick fulfilling a homeowner’s dream occurred when the homeowner envisioned a wooden railing organically wrapping her three-story staircase with no breaks or newel posts. Local manufacturers said it couldn't be done. That’s when Rick commissioned a Seattle designer and woodworker who successfully achieved the impossible.

In addition to new home construction and renovations, Rick’s service department fleet works in the field throughout all four seasons to provide every home service from storm checks, house checks, and maintenance, to leak repairs and beyond.

Dedicated to the field he loves, Rick has established a company that continues to raise the standard for new home construction and home improvements on Long Beach Island. He and his staff are fully equipped to take care of all your shore home needs.

—Heather Aitken

Above: Handmade old world craftsmanship inlayed in the field. Right: A compass rose is hand-carved for the landing of a stairway.

Page 40 • Echoes of LBI

Lifestyle

Bayfront fire feature constructed of natural stone, Loveladies. Copyright JohnMartinelli.com

E

ver since Homo sapiens learned how to control fire some half million years ago, we have used it to cook, protect, warm, and soothe. Once limited by the setting of the sun, fire enabled us to function into the night. Although in the 21st century our technological advancements have provided us with a wealth of possibilities to satisfy all those needs and more, we still crave the feel of an open fire—the beauty of the flickering flame and its relaxing properties.

Perhaps it comes from all those centuries of gathering around campfires telling the stories of our lives. Around fire is where we have passed on our accomplishments and our dreams to the next generation and where we still do if we can.

Reynolds Landscaping in Manahawkin is committed to continuing to make that possible. In addition to all the other visions of good living that Reynolds delivers are a plethora of fire features that create that very sense of pleasure and promise, all with Reynolds’ renowned site- and owner-specific awareness.

Where to locate a fire feature is determined by a family’s usage, the backyard living space, a home’s focal points, and the wind dynamics. “We need to know whether small children will be part of the mix, to analyze the site flow. It’s about asking the right Page 42 • Echoes of LBI

Natural stone firepit nestles into free-standing L-Shaped pergola and corner patio area. Surf City.

Copyright JohnMartinelli.com

questions—as most of our work is—and then listening,” says Mark Reynolds.

Sourcing all of their hardware (pans, burners, and ignition assemblies) from the most reputable company in the industry, they see safety as their number one priority. Everything else revolves around that—beauty, functionality and resilience. With about 40 units installed over the last 15 years, Reynolds has witnessed the evolution of the industry and worked closely with local towns to establish a standard for safety that is higher than in most other parts of the country.

Every unit has a remote switching system that enables electrical and gas ignition and disconnection, both for safety and convenience.

“We can set these systems up in a variety of configurations,” says Reynolds. “If you want multiple steps for turning your fire pit on, we can do that; if you want just the flick of a switch to shut it down, we’re good, too.”

Bayside natural stone firepit surrounded by summer-flowering gardens. Loveladies. Copyright JohnMartinelli.com

Almost 99% of their fire features operate with natural gas.

Sometimes a remote location requires propane, or a customer prefers wood as the fire source but Reynolds explains, the move away from wood fires makes sense in our current-day communities where the impact of flying cinders could be devastating. We now have an alternative.

Although most of the company’s fire features are square or round, they have also designed and installed rectangular units. This summer, not only are they working with a local artist on a linear one for a client but they are also creating an outside fireplace for another.

No matter the design, the ring of fire is normally between 12 and 18 inches, with a flame that is two feet high. The exterior is traditionally made of natural stone products, including Pennsylvania fieldstone, quartz, Travertine tile, and granite, to name a few. You can choose a stone veneer, river rock, or stack stone presentation, with a textured or smooth surface. The palette includes shades of pink, blue, black, gray, white, brown, and more.

The combinations are extensive. Want it simple, rustic, or elegant?

You’ve got it.

Once the location, design, and materials have been established, the base is built, always allowing for drainage. “But it’s important,” Reynolds says, “that we get a strong picture of how a family functions, because I guarantee you that you will be spending a lot of time here—more than you ever envisioned. So we want to get it right, in all ways.”

Circular fire feature surrounded by teak furniture. Brant Beach. Copyright ReynoldsLandscaping.com Tanek Hood

Reynolds wants whatever they create for you to do what it was intended to do for a very long time, so they have developed stainless steel covers to protect the systems, which also enable the fire features to act as coffee tables. They are one of only a few companies in the industry providing this service. Additionally, they custom design a winter cover for each unit.

In years to come when your grandchildren are sitting around laughing and telling stories with their children, it’s likely they could be sitting around the very same fire pit you will be relaxing around this summer and fall under these star-studded skies. The truth is that the Reynolds hallmark is all about continuity, family and the belief in the promise of a joyful future. —Annaliese Jakimides

Rooftop aerial view of a stone patio and circular fire feature. Barnegat Light.

Copyright ReynoldsLandscaping.com Tanek Hood

Lifestyle

W

hen people hear that I live on LBI, they often ask, “Where do you go on vacation?” Last year, I decided to check off a bucket list item. Although I live on an island, I never had the opportunity to sail. It was time to fulfill that dream.

After much on-line research, I booked myself on the Mary Day, a schooner out of Camden, Maine, for a three and a half day, fournight trip in late September, 2014. New to sailing, I had only their web site to guide my expectations. All summer, while LBI was in high gear, I was dreaming of Maine in the fall. I would imagine the roll of the ship as she cleared the water or the sound of the sails as they caught the wind and spoke in ancient whispers.

The trip did not disappoint. The Mary Day was everything I hoped it would be. The ship was made of polished wood and brass that gleamed in the late autumn sun. A warm welcome of refreshments, fruit and cheese was provided by the crew as I came aboard. A tour of the ship was the first order of business. This was the last sail of the season and the ship was not fully booked, so they upgraded me to a double cabin. All bunks had skylights and were below deck towards the bow of the ship. The ladder going up and down would be a challenge. The stern held the kitchen, or galley, and main salon. There was a wood burning stove that added ambience and warmth.

The bathrooms, or heads, were very small, with a handheld hose and nozzle for showering. The upper deck held chairs, benches, general gathering areas and the helm. It would be very much like camping on the water. Our first night, the ship stayed in the harbor and set sail the next morning.

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Daylight broke in all its glory underscored by the aroma of fresh coffee. I was up early to enjoy the dawn. In the galley, over a breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, crumb cake and fresh fruit, I met my fellow travelers and learned more about the ship. According to Captain Barry, the Mary Day is the first Maine windjammer built especially for passengers. She has a capacity of 28 guests. The ship is 90 feet long with a 23-foot beam. He assured us the Mary Day was sure and stable and in fact, is a regular competitor in the annual Great Schooner Race.

We were an eclectic group. One couple, a 70-year-old bride and groom, were married onboard the Mary Day the previous afternoon. Four of us were solo travelers, myself, two other women and one male. The rest of the 19 passengers came from far and near; local Mainers, Pennsylvania, Washington State, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Kansas and Maryland. There were five crew members along with Captain Barry. Acquainted and well fed, we were eager to set sail.

The weather was more like August than late September, warm and not much wind. It is ironic that I lose so many garbage cans and lids on LBI due to wind, yet on a sailing trip there was no wind at all. The Mary Day does not have a motor. In the absence of wind, a small outboard boat, called a yawl, attached to the back of the ship, propels the schooner. For the first day and half, we needed the yawl. But wind or yawl, the sailing was sublime. There was no set destination and we sailed where Captain Barry steered us.

Finally, the weather delivered enough moving air to sail by only the power of wind. I found a spot in the front of the ship and wedged myself between two beams that pointed out over the water. Perched on the bow, I enjoyed the rush of salt air as the sails flapped in the wind.

The trip included activities such as hiking around an island where mountain and trees meet the sea, and a traditional Maine lobster bake. The crew shuttled us over to Pond Island in rowboats, along with fresh lobsters, corn, burgers, hotdogs and more. Everything was cooked over an open fire as we explored the shoreline.

At night, we would drop anchor in secluded coves. As the sun set in those quiet harbors, devoid of artificial lights, the beauty of the night sky took my breath away. The face of the universe was freckled with stars. The Milky Way blazed bright in the moonless nights. Tall masts looked as if they reached right up to heaven, their tops disappearing into the galaxy. It was the most awe-inspiring sight I had ever seen.

We learned about the fishing trade of New England. Lobster row is a stretch of Penobscot Bay where hundreds of different colored buoys bob in the water. Each one marks the location of a lobster trap and provides identification of its owner by the specific color and design of the buoy. There were islands inhabited by seals, a lighthouse right out of a Norman Rockwell painting and quaint villages dotting the shoreline while dolphins swam with our ship.

Throughout the trip, we were invited to help hoist the sails, take turns at the helm, lend a hand in preparing meals, kick back and nap, read or take in the sights and sounds of sailing. Passengers are free to be as busy or relaxed as they so choose. Many of the people on the trip gathered together after dinner and played cards or

games in the main salon. I enjoyed the sound of their laughter as I sat upstairs on deck, soaking in the majesty of the twinkling sky. In quiet reflection or laughter, alone or in a group, there is something for everyone when sailing on the Mary Day. However, the best and most important part of the trip was the absence of technology. There was no cell phone service or Internet, no computers, TV, newspapers or radios. There was not even power for hairdryers. Sailing on a schooner like the Mary Day is a step out of time. It’s a chance to live in the moment and not care what else is going on. It’s a few days away from ego, distractions, electronics, artificial light and unnecessary noise. It’s also a few days of magnificent stars, midnight blue skies, soft sunlight and the sound of sails flapping in the salt air.

Four days on a ship like the Mary Day is not for those who aren't comfortable with themselves or who need lavish surroundings. However, if your definition of lavish is an incredibly bright Milky Way, thousands upon thousands of shinning stars, or the indescribable bio luminescent bay, then sailing is for you.

To me, these things are lavish. These are premium, top of the line.

These are for the lucky, or the privileged - those who are lucky and privileged enough to value their worth. I have always heard that praying is like talking to God and meditating is like listening to God. After my trip on the Mary Day, I believe that sailing is like feeling God. —Photography and text by Maggie O’Neill

Lifestyle

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n outstanding highlight of the Garden Club of Long Beach Island’s Holiday House Tour last December was this magnificent Loveladies house, situated at an intersection of lagoons flowing directly into the bay. Having achieved the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum designation from the U.S. Green Building Council, the owners stress energy efficiency and sustainability with geothermal wells, solar heat, electric car chargers, WaterSense plumbing fixtures and a nontoxic pest control system. Rainwater collection tanks provide water for landscaping, exterior washing and toilets.

Indoors, the homeowners have followed environmental guidelines, using nontoxic paints, stains and sealers, and installing Energy Star appliances. Reclaimed wood and recycled tiles are everywhere. The wooden floors are of white oak from a West Virginia barn and have a soy-based finish. The kitchen and bathrooms have decorative antique tiles from Belgium and Denmark. Unusual woods were used to create much of the furniture.

Work by local artists and craftsmen complement the subtle, muted color scheme throughout the house.

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Upon entering, one’s eye is immediately drawn to the flooring, composed of blanc rose terracotta tiles from the Loire region in France. They have a soy sealer and are over 200 years old. To the left of the entrance are lounge chairs of reclaimed tiger maple, and the powder room to the right has a nautically inspired chandelier that matches a much larger one in the stairwell. The great room comprises a living room with a high ceiling, a dining room with a table made from reclaimed ash and a kitchen with a light well in the east wall that reaches through to each floor. The backyard has a gazebo, an outside kitchen and gardens with drought-resistant, noninvasive plants.

In the master suite, the chest of drawers is handcrafted of butternut and curly cherry, coordinating with the kitchen cabinets that are also composed of two different woods, cherry and birds-eye maple.

Other features in the suite include a wall hanging from Hawaii and a bathroom door with a transom of beaded glass.

On the second floor, the office has matching desks and carved wooden birds by a local artist. In the family room, there are beaded glass doors leading to a balcony above the great room, a window looking down on a wind sculpture in the garden and the continuing light well.

The numerous guest rooms on both floors have their own bathrooms and water views. Small, personal spaces are found throughout the house. There is a circular meditation room with stained glass denoting the sea, sky and earth. An intimate sitting room reached by climbing a few steps is a perfect spot for reading.

This beautiful, welcoming home is an ideal place for the owners’ large family and many friends to gather. The 2014 Holiday House Tour was greatly enhanced by the inclusion of this architectural gem with its ecological components. —Kay Binetsky and Bonnie Korbeil. Photography by Garden Club members Mary Kate Murray, Nancy Kunz, and Teresa Hagan.

Lifestyle

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he Kiwanis Club of LBI proudly celebrates their 40th anniversary this year at the same time the Kiwanis Club International celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Since the local club’s incorporation in 1975, this altruistic group has been dedicated to the mission of serving children worldwide.

Teachers, accountants, tradespeople, retirees and people from all professions who live on the island and the mainland meet once a week to plan and implement programs and fund-raisers.

recruiting campaigns have resulted in the induction of 14 new members with more on the way. Big fund-raisers are the Super 50/50 Raffle, Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments, and flea markets held every summer at the park on 9th Street and the Bay. This year’s flea markets are scheduled for July 9 and August 13 from 8am to 4pm.

Recently, I attended a Kiwanis meeting in Ship Bottom. After coffee and the weekly raffle, I was impressed that the first order of business was to stand and face our American flag to sing God Bless America, followed by the pledge of allegiance and a prayer.

The club hosts an Easter breakfast and a Christmas breakfast every year for special needs children. Approximately 80 children attend the event where they participate in arts and crafts and receive gifts from the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Members support children’s hospitals, community organizations and school programs, distribute food baskets during holidays, aid veterans and military families, teach bike safety to children, and provide citizenship awards and scholarships to students.

In recognition of their 40th year, the club is holding a special drive to attract new members. Through March of 2015, successful

Kiwanis of LBI sponsors and mentors three youth service clubs: the Builders Club of Southern Regional Middle School, and the Key

Key Club members of Southern Regional High School. Back row: Alex Henderson, Avila Reynolds, Sam Westpy, Heather Cullen, Chris Melillo. Middle row: Kayla Byrnes, Francesca Brown, Colleen Cochran, Elena Nitting, Ltg. Julia Paco, Becca Pallen, Gov. Josie Suddeth, Advisor Ms. Peg Malley, Summer Cordasco, Max Maffie, Alyssa Casini, Kēlani Anastasia, Sarah Paco, Kieran Lyons. Front row: Laura Hunt, Anna Spaschek, Maggie Adair, Christine Chirichillo, Christine Suddeth, Kailey Bertelson, Sam Pitarski, Evonna Ranade. Kieran Lyons photo Page 48 56 • Echoes of LBI

Clubs of Southern Regional High School and All Saints Regional Catholic School in Manahawkin. The Key Club is a student-led branch of the Kiwanis, founded by Ed Toriello in 1987. It’s the largest club at the high school boasting 145 members in grades 9-12. It’s also the oldest and largest student-led service organization in the world.

Peg Malley is Key Club advisor and chair of the Student Leadership Program at Southern Regional. “At first,” says Peg, “kids join a club because they think it’ll look good on their college application. Then they get involved and see how they can make a difference and a light bulb goes on. Their confidence grows, they develop compassion for others and the next thing you know, they’re telling you that they want to become a doctor or a nurse or pursue other service careers. The most rewarding thing as their advisor is watching them learn and grow.”

Ms. Malley’s students recently applied for and received a grant for materials to build a food pantry. They worked with Home Depot employees who taught them how to build and install cabinetry.

The high school’s food pantry services 65 families on a weekly basis. They’re also working with a nonprofit organization growing fresh vegetables, all of which gets donated to the food pantry. Key Club members also assist with the children’s Easter and Christmas breakfasts.

The Key Club has inspired members to become leaders.

Three members have become Lt. Governors and one is a Governor. Additionally, Peg Malley received the Outstanding Faculty Advisor award at the New Jersey District Convention in March. As Peg stated, watching the Key Club members in action “gives you hope for the future.”

Kiwanis meetings are held the first and third Wednesday of the month at 9am at the Fire House on 21st and Central Streets in Ship Bottom and the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at Villaggio Restaurant, 100 McKinley Avenue in Manahawkin. The third meeting of the month members are served a fully cooked breakfast. If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a member of the Kiwanis Club of LBI, please contact Faith Dixon at 609-405-2834 or xwebsbf@verizon.net. —Joyce Poggi Hager

Marine Science

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ea glass hunting is becoming a popular pasttime for beachgoers. Since the release of Richard Lamotte's Pure Sea Glass in 2003 it has opened up the eyes of beachcombers to these little gems. Whether hunting for years or just beginning, sea glass hunters know there is one color that may elude their grasp and that color is orange. Few items were made of orange glass and rarely did those end up in the ocean. However, now and then a sea glass hunter may get lucky and find this once-in-a-lifetime piece if they know where to look.

An experienced sea glass collector can tell you that hunting in areas where there has been a history of people visiting the shore means there will be a history of glass as well. Sometimes this history includes a glass factory near the coastline that can be the source of the sea glass. If that factory just happened to produce lantern lenses, tail lights for cars, or traffic and signal lights, you may find an abundance of rare sea glass.

The reason why orange was rarely manufactured is because the materials used in making it are toxic. Changing environmental laws as well as rules for worker safety had put a halt to the production of orange glass by the early 1970s. The main ingredient in orange glass was cadmium, a highly toxic substance that can cause birth defects and cancer. The cadmium in the glass can also help it be identified by sea glass collectors. True orange glass should look like it's glowing even without exposing it to UV or black light. Under Page 50 • Echoes of LBI

a UV light it glows a neon orange or yellow color. It’s easy for sea glass hunters to confuse “honey” or “golden” amber, a type of brown, with orange glass because they are similar, but this test can usually guarantee whether it's orange or not.

Rumor has it that there are several beaches that have so much rare colors, including loads of reds, yellows, and oranges that it would make any collector drool. The exact location of these beaches has been kept secret and for good reason. In the recent years since the publication of several sea glass books, some locations have become swarmed with overzealous sea glass collectors who take more than they need leaving the area bare of the tiny treasures. This is the reason why Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California has many laws protecting the beaches and preventing the removal of any more glass.

If a collector is lucky enough to have orange glass, it is often immediately touted as a fake by so-called sea glass experts especially if it's used in jewelry. While many sellers of fake sea glass have poisoned the market making it nearly impossible for those who sell real sea glass to make a profit, real orange sea glass can still be found. Nothing can erase the thrill of finding a piece of orange as it washes ashore. It's like having a little piece of the sunset in your pocket.—Photography and text by Sara Caruso

Marine Science

LBI Wrack Line Contest 2015

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he annual LBI Sea Glass & Art Festival in Ship Bottom, NJ will again include a contest incorporating items picked up from the “wrack line” on the shores of Long Beach Island.

The wrack line is the uneven line of natural and manmade flotsam and jetsam that washes up on the beach after the last high tide.

The word itself comes from the Middle Dutch word wrak meaning something damaged. It can be natural material or trash, as long as it was jettisoned from the sea.

Second place winner "Trashobite" by Sara Caruso. Based on the extinct trilobite, it is made of sunglasses and visors found on the wrack line.

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. Bring your artwork made from trash or treasure, to the LBI Sea Glass & Art Festival, to be judged in categories for children (ages 4-12), individuals, and civic groups, with prizes awarded on the basis of creativity and imagination in the use of these materials. —Cheryl Kirby

Echoes of LB I Magazine

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About the Cover Hawaiian Sunrise Shell, or Pecten langfordi, is a deep-water member of the scallop family and lives at depths in excess of 150 feet deep. Its name reflects the fact that it is most often found on the beach or in the surf at first light or sunrise. The shell’s coloration displays the vivid colors seen in brilliant Hawaiian sunrises, and it is only found on the Hawaiian Islands. It is uncommon to find a whole shell of this bivalve.

Thanks to Donna Clatts who carried these shells to New Jersey from Hawaiian jewelry designer MonicaByTheShore.com. Monica says: “To find a rare sunrise shell is a blessing and to wear one shows your aloha.”—Cheryl Kirby

Photographer - Sara Caruso

2015 Spring into Summer Edition

Long Beach Island Arts and Lifestyle Magazine

Page 52 • Echoes of LBI

Sara Caruso is a local graphic designer and beachcomber. Her photographic and design work has been featured in advertising, newspapers, magazines and on billboards. When not on her computer working diligently on another project, Sara spends her time walking the sprawling beaches of LBI, head down, seeking treasures that have been lost to sea and time. Her collection of beach finds contains sea glass, fossils, rare artifacts and everything in between. Her motto is, "Everything you need you can find at the beach!"

Marine Science

Donna Clatts photo

Ryan Marchese photo Page 54 • Echoes of LBI

50 & Counting

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each Haven’s grand “cottages” are focal points in the prestigious Historic Preservation District. Who built them and where their money came from may surprise you. In the late 1860s, there were less than 40 permanent residents on the Island of Long Beach. The Civil War was over, and new industrialists and entrepreneurs were emerging with leisure time and wealth on their hands.

Beach Haven's Historic Preservation District has a number of large Victorian homes built in late 1800s for executives of the Baldwin Locomotive Works.

Among those who built a large business was Matthias Baldwin, founder of the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. He shipped his first trains to Cuba and more followed. In fact, more than 1,300 Baldwin trains were shipped there for transporting harvests of sugar cane, tobacco, and coffee to waiting ships.

After Matthias Baldwin died in 1866, the company was taken over by investors George Burnham, Charles Parry, and Edward Williams. A railroad system was spreading throughout the United States, even reaching small towns like Tuckerton and Manahawkin.

Archelaus Pharo, president of the Tuckerton Railroad, along with fellow Pennsylvania Railroad executives and investors, formed the Long Beach Island Land and Improvement Company. The railroad community built large private residences known as “cottages” as opposed to their opulent Philadelphia mansions.

Charles Parry built the Parry House in Beach Haven, which unfortunately burned to the ground in 1881. Grateful that no one died in the fire, Martha Parry donated money to build the first Episcopal Church. In addition to their own home, the Parry family purchased 18 lots in the new town and the Baldwin Hotel with several Baldwin Locomotive Works investors as minor partners.

Other Baldwin Locomotive Works investors followed suit in Beach Haven. The Williams family built a stately residence facing the ocean and sponsored the local Kynett Methodist Church. George Burnham’s gigantic Victorian was the first house to be situated in the dune on Atlantic Avenue. Homes with cedar-shake sides and roofs were also built to be rented and for use by other Baldwin executives and their families.

At the peak of its success, Baldwin Locomotive Works comprised 39 buildings situated on 12 blocks of Philadelphia real estate.

There were 20,000 employees who built over 70,000 engines.

In Cuba, Baldwin Locomotives have gone from being viewed as utilitarian to almost being revered, as seen at the Museo de Ferrocarril in Havana. Authors of Inferno at Sea, Gretchen Coyle and Deb Whitcraft visited the museum while in Havana doing research for their book at the suggestion of Beach Haven Historic District president Jeanette Lloyd. She wanted to follow the money trail of the Baldwin Locomotive Works investors in the town of Beach Haven.

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Baldwin trains used in the Cuban sugar cane industry.

The old pioneering spirit of Cuba and the infatuation with trains is kept alive at the 1859 Cristina Station adjacent to the Central Railroad Station. Cuban roads were primitive in the second half of the nineteenth century. The train yard contains numerous Baldwin locomotives, meticulously restored for posterity. Inside are rooms full of Baldwin parts, signaling, and communication gear. Builders’ and numbers’ plates line the walls. It is a tribute to Baldwin Locomotive engineering that their trains were used continuously for decades in Cuba on their smaller than normal gauge tracks.

While the Burnham and Parry homes are long gone, a number of the Baldwin executives’ Victorian homes still stand in Beach Haven.

The Williams House Inn has been restored, standing as one of the prestigious “onion domes.” Many of the elegant Baldwin Locomotive homes remain on Coral and Pearl Street.

Beach Haven is lucky that the ingenuity and business acumen which made Baldwin Locomotive Company such a success was the same talent that enabled visionaries to create and develop a new town in the late 1800s on a barrier island by the name of Long Beach. — Gretchen Coyle. Photography by Gretchen Coyle and Deborah C. Whitcraft

Ship Bottom Borough. Susan Klein Marshall photo

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or the past 101 years, the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, originally known as the Board of Trade, has been a force of positive growth and development for the LBI region.

Today, this organization continues to be proactive in promoting our area utilizing social media and sponsoring family events throughout the year, such as the 26th Annual Chowderfest held each October. Members benefit from networking with fellow business owners and attending seminars and workshops. The greatest beneficiaries, however, are the citizens because the Chamber members are always working to oversee the area’s economic development.

country for a chocolate company and worked for a milk bottling company. By 1940, Frank was tired of just vacationing on LBI and decided to move here full time.

Working at the shore meant traveling to Asbury Park on business. There he met Hazel Morganroth on the beach. She worked as a bookkeeper in Somerville, NJ and they married shortly thereafter.

The roots of this organization were firmly established by previous leaders such as Frank Herrick Klein. Born in Brooklyn on January 8, 1940, Frank was raised by his mother’s family in Caldwell, New Jersey, after the untimely death of his mother when he was very young. He used to brag about the fact that he was the first “adult” adopted in New Jersey since he was officially adopted in his later years.

With his wife at his side, Frank decided to go into business for himself. In 1941, he started the Hy Vita Milk Company. The company name reflected the fact that it was high in vitamins. Their slogan was “Hy Vita Milk as dependable as Old Barney.” Hazel kept the books and brothers, Fred Klein and Butch Morganroth drove the trucks—a true family business.

The glass milk bottles had their slogan embossed on the front and capped off with a cardboard disc lid.

They ran a dairy bar as well as delivering milk, cream, ice cream, and other dairy products to the families on the Island. Since this was before refrigerated trucks, deliveries had to be made in the wee hours of the morning.

In 1926, Frank’s family moved to the newly incorporated Ship Bottom. His father, a successful auto mechanic in Caldwell, relocated to LBI and started a boat company. Meanwhile, Frank remained behind working a variety of jobs. He traveled the

Frank gained a reputation for his benevolence by supplying milk to many families stricken by the 1944 hurricane. He and his wife rode out the storm in their store/home on 8th Street in Ship Bottom.

Hazel’s parents, unfortunately, were visiting at the

50 & Counting time. Her mother became quite upset by the swaying chandelier in the dining room. No one had the courage to tell her that it was actually the house that was moving!

In 1946, after six years of marriage, the Kleins adopted a baby girl. Susan Klein (Marshall) would grow up in the dairy store her parents loved so much. However, everything did not always go well for the Kleins. In 1951, there was a very messy business split from one of their wholesalers, Millside Farms. Accusations of stealing both employees and customers and incidents of slander had to be decided in the courtroom. Frank eventually won the lawsuit.

Being a shrewd businessman, Frank anticipated the demise of home delivery. Thus, he switched over to milk vending machines.

Insert 15 cents and get your cold milk on your way home! These vending machines were in several locations both on and off the Island. Susan remembers evenings with the family wrapping coins.

She also fondly remembers the dairy bar with the milkshakes, ice cream cones, banana splits, and crowds of residents and tourists.

Then in 1958 the milk business was sold to the Steadmans who ran it until 1969. The Kleins moved to 10th Street into a home based on Better Homes and Gardens plans. The “new” causeway would go through their old 8th Street property.

Frank became President of the Board of Trade in 1958 and served two terms. When no longer in business, he became the Executive Director of the Board—a perfect job for his outgoing personality.

He traveled from one end of the Island to the other stopping at every business. He updated the Board of Trade booklet that promoted the virtues of the Island and the fine businesses that were located there.

Frank was continuously thinking of different ways to promote the area. The Klein family vacations had to include different stops promoting LBI. He knew once a person vacationed here, they were

sure to return. The early 1960s definitely brought new clients with the opening of the “new” causeway in 1962—no more clanking wooden boards to navigate! The creation of the circle also helped to alleviate traffic dilemmas.

Frank traveled beyond LBI to generate more tourism. Through the NJ Travel and Resort Association, he worked with the political and business leaders in both New Jersey and Delaware to create a ferry system between Cape May and Lewes. The goal was to bring people from the Baltimore area to the Jersey Shore and, in particular, to LBI. The ferry opened on July 1, 1964.

However, Frank’s community involvement did not stop with his work on the Board of Trade. Politics was in his blood. His mother, Mabel Henderson Klein, who immigrated to the US from Scotland in 1901, came from a family of very prominent New York politicians. His father, Frederick Klein, served two terms on the Ship Bottom Council. Frank himself served on the Ship Bottom Zoning Board, the Council, and finally, as mayor marking over 20 years of dedicated service. This trait of community service continues in the next generation. His daughter, Susan Klein Marshall grew up wanting to be mayor of Ship Bottom.

With her husband, Bill, being in the Coast Guard, they were stationed all over but eventually settled in Tuckerton. She is on the Borough Council in Tuckerton where she is currently running for mayor.

Frank H. Klein was indeed an individual dedicated to LBI. He experienced the “circle,” the “new” Causeway, the ’44 and ’62 hurricanes, and the creation of the Cape May/Lewes ferry. His enthusiasm for preserving and promoting all the qualities that LBI and the entire Southern Ocean County region represent continues with the membership of today’s Chamber of Commerce. His stewardship and that of all past members provided the basis for this very vital part of our community and our future.

—Pat Dagnall and Ellen Hammonds

Dan Bucci seated in the middle and on the right is Frank Klein.

Susan Klein Marshall photo Page 60 • Echoes of LBI

Frank Klein is presented with an engraved bowl from the NJ Travel and Resort Association in honor of his 25th wedding anniversary, 1966.

Susan Klein Marshall photo

Bring the beauty of the ocean into your home with Natural Nautical Designs by Cheryl. Celebrating 40 years in business, Things A Drift in Ship Bottom has the largest selection of high-grade shells on the East Coast, including a perfect specimen Queen Helmet and a 575-lb. Tridacna. Cheryl’s expertise has been sought by shore-loving homeowners locally and nationally. She will gladly consult with you to customize a nautical design suitable for your living space.

Decorating a mantel, living room, poolside or patio with gifts from the sea brings serenity to the home.

Stop by to select a precious treasure of your own.

For more information call (609) 361-1668 • 406 Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom, NJ

50 & Counting

MAGIC MEMORIES

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or most vacationers, part of any visit to LBI usually means browsing many shops that are chock-a-block full of souvenirs. For me, there are many treasures in my home from the 1950s and 1960s—mementos found at the old Nor’Easter, Andy's at the Light, the Betty Jean Shop, Lucy Evelyn and the Bywater to name a few. However, my best souvenirs are not objects that need shelf space or dusting. They are picture stories in my memory.

Did you know LBI had its very own beauty pageant with a cavalcade of beautiful girls waving from the back of convertibles touring the island? In 1957, our local Chamber of Commerce, then the Board of Trade, launched the Miss Magic Long Beach Island pageant after Labor Day to extend the season and keep visitors here longer.

Young women ages 17 to 25 were invited to submit a 5x7 black and white swimsuit photo to the Beach Haven Times newspaper along with their bio to include body measurements. There was much anticipation all July and August to see who would be chosen.

Would it be a local gal, someone I knew and went to Southern Regional High School with me? Someone from the mainland or a summer girl? In 1964, my friend, Martha Parker's photo appeared! I called her recently to ask what her souvenirs of that time might be.

Marty Parker, 1964. Weekly winner and local LBI girl.

Marty's recollections of the contest, 51 years later, focused on the final events. "Part of my thinking behind entering the contest

was to surprise the man I was dating at the time. Bill Byrne was in the Army and stationed in Yuma, Arizona. It was fun to send newspaper and contest photos, reminding him who and what was waiting back home.

When September came, I recall being nervous that Saturday prior to the final events. The parade was advertised as the Motorcade of Beauty, which sounds hokey now. We huddled on the back of convertibles from Island Motors in our pretty day dresses and flat shoes so we didn't dig holes in the leather seats. The sun was out after lunch at the Schafers Lighthouse Inn (today Rick's) but the wind had kicked up, threatening to spoil my French twist that I corralled with a sheer scarf. You see, island beauticians had given us a session at their shops and we didn't want to ruin our curls before the event that night. Traveling down the island, we stopped in each town to meet the mayor and local business owners who supported the contest all summer. We were presented bags containing many gift certificates from the sponsors. I felt like a real princess! Arriving at Wida's Hotel (now Daddy O's in Brant Beach) that evening for the banquet in my tea-length gown with all the crinolines plus long white gloves, I wasn't sure I could eat. Then preparing to walk past all the smiling faces of family and strangers to the stage in my swimsuit...well it was just a whirlwind of sights and sounds and jitters. I was lucky I didn't fall in my high heels!"

The Miss Magic beauty contest was enthusiastically supported by island businesses for 20 years. In turn, Miss Magic would appear and support them during the year at the Striped Bass Tournament,

the Christmas parade and tree lighting, garvey boat races and other tourism functions. There were weekly prizes along with final trophies: cash, watches from Kapler's Pharmacy, portable radios from Koseff's, Hartman's Kiddie Land coupons, clothing from the Island Shop, and many gift certificates. There were at least four judges, prominent men and women in state government and the arts, who asked questions like they do at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. Staging on the final night was done by Joe Hayes from Surflight with beautiful flowers from Lounsbury's in Beach Haven.

"I did not win first place in 1964,” said Marty, “but I did win a wonderful Miss Magic memory. This was a youthful souvenir of being a princess one summer on a beautiful island. That fall, I continued my education at Rider College in Trenton, majoring in marketing, taking a job with NJ Bell at first as an operator, then moving up the ladder. My Army beau had returned and popped the question (those photos worked) and we married in 1966. He was managing a Korvette’s store when he was offered a position at the Ship Bottom Store, then open most of the year, allowing us a move to Cedar Run. When our girls, Lisa and Lori, were old enough for summer jobs, they followed our path to the same place. It tickled us that this next generation had a wonderful life in the LBI community, too.

I left NJ Bell in 1982 to join the Richard Van Dyk Group and retired in 2006,” continued Marty. “Lori and Lisa broke the LBI charm by attending colleges in the south and have remained there. So of course, as doting grandparents, we followed."

— Carol Freas. Photography supplied by Martha Parker Byrne

50 & Counting

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lorence Eves never imagined she’d spend more than a week at the shore. “We came across the old wooden bridge and couldn’t go to the beach because it was being patrolled by soldiers on horseback,” said Florence about one of her first memories of LBI in 1943 during WWII. During the 1960s, Florence, her husband Herb and their three daughters, Barbara, Linda and Sue, rented homes in Brant Beach.

The rent was $165 for the entire month and was raised after the second year by $10.

In 1962, Herb’s father had been given a free week at the shore from his boss who had inherited an old Victorian in North Beach Haven. The family spent the week and endured two bad thunderstorms, a leaky roof and rattling shutters. The two older daughters nicknamed the house as the “ghost house.” While driving back to Pennsylvania, Florence said, “The shore was a nice place to vacation but, “Who could spend more than a week at the shore?”

In 1967, the family decided to look for a home on LBI to call their own. Herb had many fond memories of summers spent here and wanted his three daughters to make LBI memories of their own. They purchased their home in Beach Haven Park in 1967 for $25,000. They’d come down almost every weekend in the winter.

When school was out, Florence would pack up the car and she and

Florence with her children, 1966. Left to right: Susan, Barb, Linda, and Florence.

SOCH Volunteer Luncheon, Florence seated on the right.

Page 64 • Echoes of LBI

the girls would spend the entire summer here, not returning until the start of school.

Florence remembers the winters down here being extremely quiet.

You could cross the Boulevard without even looking. The speed limit was 50 mph and there weren’t any traffic lights working during the winter. Hands Department Store, Koseff’s Hardware, The Colonial Movie Theater, Morrison’s Restaurant and Wida’s Restaurant were pretty much the only places open. She also recalls the Boy Scout Camp on the beach, horseback riding on the beach, their neighbor who was the iceman selling ice for the iceboxes.

The iceman was Al Eckert the Featherweight Boxing Champion who worked for the Brant Beach Ice Co. (see story about Al Eckert on page 54 in the 2013 Holiday issue of Echoes of LBI). The Causeway ended on Bay Ave. and there was a Drive-In movie in Manahawkin where Kohl’s and The Home Depot stand today.

Until 1972 the nearest hospital was in Toms River. When Southern Ocean Medical Center opened it was a welcomed addition to the shore community. Florence, Herb and youngest daughter Sue Eves moved to Beach Haven Park full time in 1987. That’s when Florence began volunteering at the hospital in the Gift Shop and the Transportation Department, and continued to do so until May of 2014. At the age of 92 and after 27 years of service, her daughters threw a party in her honor at their home in Beach Haven Park in her honor.

Since Florence’s first trip to LBI during WWII, she has seen so many changes to LBI throughout the years. The charm of the small beach cottages is steadily disappearing. There are many more people and Manahawkin has grown into a thriving community.

She still loves the slow pace of the Island, especially off-season.

—Diane Stulga. Photography supplied by Susan Eves

Florence on the beach in the fall of 1967 after buying the family home.

50 & Counting

BARNEGAT BAY WINTER

I

remember waking from my afternoon nap to the acrid smell of singed duck feathers and my father’s loud voice. He had returned from an early January adventure on Barnegat Bay with my Uncle Ken who was the caretaker of Sandy Island Gunning Club. Later in the day, over a roast duck dinner, Dad would begin the story by describing how the Bay was frozen over.

Through squinted eyes Ken looked west to bare trees silhouetted against the lightening sky, oak forests, orange and yellow only a few months before. Dad looked east into the sun, still low on the horizon. He could just make out a small bump, their destination.

His fingers flexed inside his gloves. “Better get a move on,” Ken said.

I could picture it. The flat expanse, meadows no longer softly striped in bands of green and pale autumn gold, but dried, colorless, then the Bay, itself, sparkling in crusted shades of white and gray, going on for miles until it bumped against Long Beach Island, where Dad was born.

Encased in their heavy coats the men bent their backs and leaned into the push. The boat slid easily until the channel ice fell away under it with a crack. The two men scrambled, arms and legs like windmill blades. Ken’s legs went into the water and were left dangling when he threw his torso onto the boat. Dad told us, “The good Lord must have kicked me in the ass, cause I never even got my feet wet. I just climbed that boat like a ladder.”

Dad explained that in the darkness of this winter morning he and Ken had checked the wooden runners on the bottom of the sneakbox, pressing the strips of brass smooth so the boat would move silently across the ice. They loaded supplies for the small shack on the island in the Bay, stashed a thermos of hot clam chowder made by Dad’s sister Peg, and headed north from the Bonnet Club where Peg catered to the city slicker duck hunters who visited this area of South Jersey.

Ken was at the bow of the small army green boat and Dad at the stern. Behind them they could hear an occasional rumble as cars rolled over the wooden causeway bridge connecting the mainland to the island. But that was off to the south and they were headed northeast, across the salt ice. Dad whistled as they pushed. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,” became background music for flocks of starling, whirling and swishing like the folds of a dancer’s satin gown coming to rest on meadow grasses, then wheeling again into the cloudless sky Ken was quiet, as puffs of breath from his chapped lips were like a steam train. They went on this way until they approached the channel. Here the ice was a different color, a dark blue shading to black in spots.

Page 66 • Echoes of LBI

Dad brought up the ice hook from the bottom of the boat and poled from the bow, pushing off thicker ice. Ken, whose legs were already wet, hung his feet off the stern kicking like a makeshift motor. At the eastern edge of the channel where the ice was thicker the men got out of the boat and began the slide toward the Gunning Club. Once inside they started the kerosene heater up and Ken got out of his wet clothes. After downing the warm clam chowder, the men restocked the shelves, made coffee and probably opened a bottle of blackberry brandy hidden high on a shelf and kept for emergencies and the city folk who came to shoot their limit of whatever duck was in season.

Dad never told us about the trip back across the Bay or how he had shot the blackduck. But for dinner that night Mom roasted that duck, made gravy and potatoes, and opened the crabapple jelly she had put up the summer before. Dad fell asleep early, his face and legs twitching with icy memories. —Photography and text supplied by Cynthia Inman Graham

Perry Inman, bayman and carpenter, born in Surf City in 1914.

John Inman returning from a day on the bay.

Perry and brother-in-law, Paul Lafferty, caretaker of The Bonnet Club.

Ken Houssell, brother-in-law of Perry, caretaker and guide of Sandy Island Gun Club.

Perry, proud to bring home a duck dinner for his family.

50 & Counting

A Historic Giant A

giant vacationed in Beach Haven in 1914. Artist Newell Convers (N.C.) Wyeth (1882-1945), then 31, brought his wife Carolyn and young children from Chadds Ford, PA to LBI. As a painter and illustrator, his giant talent is legendary in art history. His influence continues today through his youngest son, Andrew and grandson Jamie.

Having studied with Howard Pyle, known as the father of illustration, N.C. was adept at historic accuracy, collecting props and costumes, even working as a cowboy one summer with the Navajo and Ute Indians. His mother's talent and storytelling stimulated ideas to see himself in heroic roles as an adventurer. He wrote, "I jump into the painting to know the place," to be part of the author’s story while working on the commissions.

only ten days in Beach Haven. Two of his children had suffered from whopping cough the previous winter and medical advertisements had professed miracle cures by the seaside, but there was only an easing of the wheezing. Sea bathing was a joy but the glaring light and heat at the beach made everyone homesick for their "little brick house on the hill."

In his early thirties, N.C. began exploring the east coast for a summer place with fellow artist Sidney Chase, coming to Beach Haven in 1911. At that time many political figures, wealthy families and art patrons vacationed at the large hotels on LBI, even building cottage retreats of their own.

Wyeth was offered a commission of $500 in 1923 by Westtown School alumni (a Quaker high school outside Philadelphia) to honor William Bell Engle, who died in 1916 of tuberculosis. Engle had a talent for painting outdoors whenever he could and worked with his uncle who owned the Engleside Hotel. He later mentored with Wyeth at Chadds Ford in 1912 and 1913. Most likely this connection to Beach Haven and early friendship with the Engles ignited the idea for N.C.'s colossal painting, "The Giant." Possibly the huge, billowing cumulus cloud formations he experienced along the Jersey Shore kindled his imagination. These prismatic clouds would dominate the backgrounds of many other extraordinary paintings in later works. The giant integrated into the clouds conceivably is Wyeth himself. However, the children in the foreground can all be identified. Left to right: William Engle as a child, then all the Wyeth children - Henriette, Ann, Andrew, Nathaniel and Carolyn. Engle had commented that he himself would like to do a painting of children on his beloved beach. The completed oil, a giant 6 x 5 feet, was picked up in an orchard truck and delivered to Westtown by the headmaster.

For a month in 1914, N.C. stayed in one of three cottages on Amber Street (later named for characters in Shakespeare plays: Rosalind, Sylvia, Audrey) across from the Engleside Hotel with his family. Built by Philadelphia architect, John Allston Wilson, who also designed the Baldwin Hotel, it isn't known which home the family used.

Today, it remains in the dining hall, a refreshing image to spark student daydreams. N.C. wrote, "The human mind, being itself the fanciful creation of a great Creator, becomes in turn a creator of fancy." Thus he has given all of us this wonderful Giant of wonderment.

In a letter to his mother dated August 17, 1914, Wyeth explained why he and his family were returning to Chadds Ford after

Visit N.C.'s studio at the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, PA (610-388-2700).—Carol Freas

At age 20, the painting "Bucking Bronco" was on the cover of Saturday Evening Post, a huge break for a new talent. Paintings were like him - big, bold and colorful, imparting a moral feeling for each character. Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe, two of 112 books he illustrated are still spellbinding to young readers. Producing over 3000 works from 1903 to until his death in 1945, he could compose, do a full size sketch and complete a large canvas in three hours.

Page 68 • Echoes of LBI

"The Giant" by N.C. Wyeth, 1923. Westtown School, West Chester, PA

Looking Back

IKE'S POSTCARDS of LBI 1920s and 1930s

Bathing at Barnegat Bay, Beach Arlington, NJ ca. late 1930s.

There was a diving board on a float in the bay and lifeguards on duty. A boathouse is in the background. Ike Johnson remembers games of tag, underwater games and mud slinging taking place at this location.

Camp Dune, Ship Bottom, NJ between 24th and 25th St. in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It was a private girls sleep away camp where they would sail on the bay. The counselors were college girls and were given housing here while they worked. Ike delivered ice to them as a young boy. The Coast Guard Tower was erected during WWII.

Union Chapel of Beach Arlington, N.J. Ike’s father helped to build the interior structure of this church. His mom was a pianist and was very active in the church parish. Ike was present at the Tom Thumb Wedding at the church. Ike remembers fondly that once a week the minister would pick a child each week to ring the church bell and there was a bakery on each side of the church.

One of the bakeries became a diner and they moved across the street in the 1940s, where Surf Taco is located today.

Fred was the owner and cook at Fred’s Diner. Fishing was always good back then. The catches of the day were hung out and displayed for sale. Ike ate there frequently and said they had great chowder! He was the first police officer, fire chief, motorcycle patrol and Justice of the Peace in Beach Arlington. He came down by train from Philadelphia and never left.

On The Waves, 18th St. and Ocean, Ship Bottom, NJ ca. 1930s.

Ike lived in the back of the second house where he did odd jobs such as set up chairs near the dunes, painting and sweep sand from the walkways. Mrs. Andrews was the original owner and her husband George Andrews was one of the first mayors of Beach Arlington.

The Causeway Across Barnegat Bay. This was the second wooden bridge built in approximately 1917. It was a drawbridge and there wasn’t any toll. Ike remembers the bridge would cling when you road over it and there was only a very small railing on either side.

The railroad can be seen in the distance.

Page 70 • Echoes of LBI

Water Works of Beach Arlington, NJ was the original Borough Hall and the pumps were located inside the building. As that infamous smile appears on Ike’s face, he remembers climbing up this tower and walking around the top of the tower just for the thrill of it all!

Traffic Circle, Entrance to Long Beach Island, NJ This building was a lumber yard in the 1930s. Next to it was a seafood restaurant called Barnegat City Fishery and was run by four brothers, the Godfried boys.

Long Beach Island Blvd. Starting with the First Union Church (far left), the German bakery, Gray’s Grocery, meat market, The Shore Bar (Joe Pop’s today), and a boarding house which had a pool table on the first floor and the original Post Office. The Cox’s house where they cut salt hay in the meadows and did lot grading for the new houses being built. Then the A&P, Paxin’s Drugstore and Keller’s Dept. Store and a luncheonette where the owners had a peach tree and made homemade peach ice cream. Finally the Dolly Madison Ice Cream where small beach items, telegrams and milk were sold and delivered.

Written by Diane Stulga Postcards provided by Ike Johnson

L ooking L ooking Back Back

The House that Jack Built E

leanor "Ellie" Francis Voorhis Segall Mulvany lives in the house that Jack built at 10 North 2nd Street, in Surf City.

She was born to Dr. and Mrs. Charles Voorhis in Palmyra, New Jersey on April 9, 1925, married Dr. Jack Segall in the mid1950s, and moved into the house where she still lives today with her only daughter Jackie Segall Gale.

Jack was the friendly pharmacist of Surf City for nearly 20 years.

He opened the Surf City Pharmacy in the mid-1950s that included a soda fountain where townsfolk came to catch up on the news and socialize. It was a popular gathering spot where “everyone knew your name.” Jack employed Dr. Earl “Doc-no-socks” (because he never wore socks) Gottschall as his trusty relief pharmacist for many years. Doc was invaluable to Jack especially during the startup years.

Dr. Jack valued his customers and considered them his friends, greeting them with a warm smile and a funny joke. He and Ellie often delivered prescriptions personally to homebound customers.

A call in the night often took Dr. Jack to the store to help someone in need. During the ’62 storm, Dr. Jack waded through waist-deep water across the Boulevard to get supplies for those evacuees held up at the Surf City firehouse. He lived his life in service to the

Ellie and Jackie visiting Paris, their favorite city!

Page 72 • Echoes of LBI

people and community of Surf City. When he died, flags were ordered lowered to half-staff to mourn his passing.

When Jack married Ellie, he brought his bride to LBI and settled with her at 16 North 2nd Street, the house next to Jack’s original house at 10 North 2nd Street, which he had built in the late 1940s. He and Ellie lived in the house next door until the early 1960s when Jack finished remodeling his house at number 10.

Dormers were raised, a second floor was added and Jack, Ellie and little Jackie, moved in just in time for the ’62 storm. Amazingly, the house survived with only three feet of water in the basement and a battered garage. The garage was replaced and rooms were added after the storm. Only a water line in the basement serves as a reminder of God’s grace.

Following the ’62 storm, Ellie’s parents moved into the house the Segalls vacated at 16 North 2nd Street. One of the first things Dr. Voorhis did after moving to Surf City was hang up his shingle.

A graduate of Hahnemann Medical School, he specialized in ear, nose and throat medicine in his practice in Palmyra, New Jersey.

Once on the island, he decided to broaden his practice to include general medicine. Dr. Voorhis had studied abroad in Vienna where he became proficient in plastic surgery in addition to his ear, nose

"Jack" your friendly neighborhood pharmacist, always with a smile.

and throat practice. His skill served him well when on one occasion, the lifeguard on North 2nd Street, sliced his chin open while surfing. He was taken only three houses from the beach to Dr. Voorhis’s office where he was stitched up properly. Like Jack, Dr. Voorhis’s practice was patient-centered. Day and night, he was ready to help when called.

Prior to Ellie’s second marriage to Jack Segall, she graduated from Dickinson College as a pre-med student.

She intended to follow in her father’s footsteps and enrolled at Hahnemann Medical School. In her first year she met her first husband and dropped out to enable him to finish his degree. He promised to support her when she went back to school to finish her medical studies but forgot his promise all too quickly after he graduated.

Jack and Ellie worked side by side in the pharmacy and in the Surf City community. In the tradition established by her father and her husband Jack, Ellie used her talent and ingenuity to prosper the community. She was instrumental in raising funds to build Southern Ocean County Hospital and served as part of its auxiliary and as a hospital volunteer for many years.

She served as PTA president in the Ship Bottom Elementary School system during the 1960s. Ellie worked hard at the United Church of Surf City, too. She was the chairman of the church’s annual bazaar for many years. She served as president of the church’s auxiliary and as a member of the Board of Trustees. She is now honored by the congregation with the title of Trustee Emeritus.

Ellie has been an avid golfer for many years. She even achieved the coveted hole-in-one club in her Florida community. She has often played on the Ocean Acres and Atlantis courses as well as courses in Rotonda West and Naples, Florida. Ellie is also a world traveler having journeyed to China, Japan, Bali, Australia, Europe as well as the Caribbean and Canada.

Jack passed away in 1975 and Ellie married again in 1981 to Raymond Mulvany. She and Ray enjoyed ten wonderful years traveling the globe and enjoying their family and friends at the Jersey Shore, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and at their home in Rotonda West, Florida before Ray passed away in 1991.

In the spring of 2000, while Ellie was away and Jackie was living in Maryland, the house that Jack built was burglarized. It was a difficult time for Ellie and Jackie. Paintings, antiques, and special mementos were taken.

Furnishings were disturbed but today the residence is again the comfortable home that Jack and Ellie built it to be.

Now nearly 90, Ellie continues to be resilient and live life fully in spite of the challenges she’s faced throughout her years. She still watches out over the dunes of LBI from the big picture window in the house that Jack built. —Charles H. Jensen. Photography supplied by Eleanor "Ellie" Francis Voorhis Segall

The original house that Jack Built circa mid 1940s (an old Cape style house).

Family owned for more than 55 years!

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418 Long Beach Blvd • Ship Bottom, NJ 08008 • 609-494-1991

B

uck and Helen Middleton married in 1938 and lived on 19th Street in Ship Bottom. At that time the borough had less than 300 residents. They owned seafood businesses at different locations in Ship Bottom. Their first venture was on a property located at the current site of Causeway Glass where fish, clams, crabs and oysters were sold. Smoked whiting and mackerel were the only cooked fish for sale.

One day a customer from Philadelphia came into the store to purchase three dozen crabs.

As “Mom” Middleton, Buck’s Mom, started placing the crabs in a bag the gentleman asked politely, “Would you please pick out only the male crabs?” Mom stood up staring him right in the eye and said, “If you think I’m going to go through this bushel of crabs and only pick out the males you can pick them out yourself!” She handed him the bag and walked away.

Buck’s Clam Bar was another of their ventures from the late 1940s to early 1960s.

It was adjacent to what would later become Middleton’s Seafood Restaurant on 18th Street and the Boulevard. Buck, Helen and Mom Middleton ran the kitchen while their son Bill’s responsibilities included food preparation, cashier and to supply the restaurant with clams.

The Middleton family expanded their wholesale and retail seafood business to include locations in Cedar Bonnet Island (Mom’s Place was located over the drawbridge on the north side of the causeway, several houses down from Fackler’s Bar which is now The Dutchman’s Restaurant), Ship Bottom and Manahawkin.

Jess Middleton, Buck’s older brother, owned a wholesale business just west of the drawbridge. He sold seafood to the Philadelphia market. He constructed and operated a seafood restaurant in Ship Bottom, that later became Stutz Candies, and relocated to what is now the location of Raimondo’s Restaurant. Bun, Buck’s younger brother, had a clam stand with Joe Laferty located at the base of the old drawbridge.

Bun also had a masonry business located on 5th Street in Ship Bottom. Many houses in Ship Bottom, Harvey Cedars and Barnegat Light now sit on foundations that he constructed. He was also a partner with Buck in the seafood restaurant that was on 18th Street and the Boulevard that is now the site of a deli and bakery.

Middleton’s Seafood Restaurant was one of the few restaurants open all year on LBI. Local residents worked full time while college students were hired during the summer months. Borough and school employees, local residents, construction workers and other business owners were the main supporters of winter businesses. On a slow day, Mom Middleton might be caught playing poker with Willie Lee, a full time waitress back in the day. Also in the winter, game such as venison, quail, pheasant, duck and rabbit might be available to select customers. A jukebox played the top hits and pinball machines could be heard pinging in the background.

Players attempted to get the highest score to win a fishing pole!

Rumor had it that the back room of the restaurant held poker

Looking Back games where many reputable individuals attended. Mom Middleton was frequently in a game and was the only woman to play in the game typically only open to men. The men were fond of her and she often won. Who wouldn’t be fond of a white haired, one-eyed grandmother with a bootleg tattoo who stashed her winnings in her stocking? One Coast Guardsman probably was not a fan of hers when she threw a beer bottle at him and knocked him through a window on Cedar Bonnet Island for not paying his bill.

The cold storage room of Middleton’s Restaurant was said to have housed three slot machines. Some even stated that one was a nickel machine, a second was a quarter machine and a third accepted nickels, dimes and quarters. One jackpot winner allegedly claimed to have heard Mom issue a few choice words when he won the jackpot after she primed the thing all day.

During hunting season deer could be seen hanging from the sign on the Boulevard advertising Middleton’s Seafood Restaurant. Buck and Bun were avid deer and small game hunters. They often returned from hunting with what appeared to be a good amount over the legal limit.

Bill can recall retrieving quail from the hubcaps, pheasants under spare tires and deer under the hood of a car. Guys would also show up with various assortments of “things” in burlap bags to sell at the restaurant.

They had names like Al, Skip, George, Piney, Peachy and some that chose to remain anonymous. These sales helped tremendously during those hard and cold winter months.

Buck had two sisters both of whom lived in Ship Bottom. Ada and her husband Jack lived on the corner of 18th Street across from Ship Bottom Shellfish. That building was built by their brother Bun and is now commercial property. Polly, whose husband Peachy Perrine was a local hunting and fishing legend.

He owned a restaurant in Barnegat Light along with Buck. During Prohibition, Peachy would travel through the Barnegat Inlet to offload whiskey and rum from ships that was to be sold in North Jersey. While delivering to the docks on the bay in Barnegat, Buck was told to drop every sixth case in the bay. The next day the cases were retrieved from the bay and then resold. Polly was also the owner of a rooming house that was located on 18th Street by the water tower in Ship Bottom.

The Middleton family has a long history in New Jersey having lived in the area for more than 260 years. Originally from England, the early Middletons lived in Burlington County and later in Mount Holly. Charles Middleton, Buck’s father was from Evesham and Anna May (Mom), Buck’s mother was born in Forked River.

Her maiden name was Penn. The Penns were early settlers and oral history indicates that at least one of the Penns married a Native American.

Page 76 • Echoes of LBI

Anna May’s first introduction to LBI was by boat, followed by train and lastly in the 1930s by car. During Prohibition she sold booze from a location on Cedar Bonnet Island just west of the drawbridge. Customers would come to her house and wait while she went down to the bay, get in a boat and retrieve her stash from the water. This technique served her well until Prohibition ended. It was then that she was turned in by a disgruntled bar owner whose profits were cut short by the selling of illegal liquor.

She was born in 1879 and had a tattoo of a bootleg on her arm.

A reference in the WPA Guide to 1930s New Jersey, reprinted by the Rutgers University Press, Tour 35 states, “Close to the channel is a resort known to sportsman as Mom’s Place. Skipper “Mom” traces her ancestry to a queen of the Lenape Indians. With one hand on the tiller and the other on the till, she keeps order while dispensing Barnegat hospitality and Jersey lightning.”

After reviewing the tax records, Bill can verify that the Middleton family of Ship Bottom owned 17 properties and 10 businesses in the Borough of Ship Bottom dating back to the early 1930s. There are many stories never to be revealed for fear of embarrassing those who are still alive today.

Bill Middleton started his early education as a student of the Beach Haven Elementary School. His third grade class was held at the old police station across from the drug store in Beach Haven due to overcrowding. He later attended grades 4-8 at Long Beach Island Elementary School in Ship Bottom.

The 8th grade graduation party was held at Middleton’s Restaurant with the Principal Warren Hickman and 8th grade teacher, Mr. Conk in attendance.

Bill and his wife Eileen met on LBI while Bill was working in the A&P. Eileen and her parents, Dot and Jack Murphy, were food shopping while vacationing in Ship Bottom.

Ironically her parents owned a home in Ship Bottom one block away from Bill’s family. They were married in 1966 at St. Thomas of Villanova in Surf City.

Michael and Cindy, Bill and Eileen’s children spent summers growing up on LBI. They have fond memories made here. Each worked at the Skipper Dipper for Eileen and Steve Powitz. Bill has been told both children have ice cream pensions for their many years of meritorious service.

Bill and Eileen are in the process of rebuilding after Super Storm Sandy flooded their home that had been filled with a lifetime of family memories. They look forward to beginning the next chapter of their lives when their new home is completed and continuing to make more Ship Bottom memories along their way. Here’s to more than 260 years of memories and still counting. —Diane Stulga.

Photography supplied by Bill Middleton.

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This program is made possible in part by a grant administered by the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, in conjunction with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agancy of the National Endowments for the Arts.

Finders Keepers

Directed by Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel OPENING NIGHT FILM

The Tribe

A hit at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Finders Keepers tells a story so wild, so bizarre, so utterly unique that if it were fiction, no one would believe it could happen. But it did. After buying the contents of a storage locker in his North Carolina town, Shannon Wisnant was surprised to discover a human foot stored in the smoker inside. When the rightful owner of the severed appendage wants it back, Shannon refuses, sensing a Golden Ticket opportunity to capitalize on his discovery, seeing visions of fame and fortune. Proving that truth is often much, much stranger than fiction, this hilarious, engaging and ultimately touching film with a heart of gold will leave you vowing to keep track of your own body parts. (USA). Expected to attend is co-director Clay Tweel.

The Tribe

Finders Keepers

Directed by Miroslav Slaboshpitsky An utter masterpiece of visual storytelling, The Tribe is the story of a group of students at a school for the deaf in the Ukraine and a newcomer who tries to fit in amongst the criminal element of his peers – the tribe. The film unfolds entirely in sign language without subtitles or voice over narration yet remains universally accessible, a haunting, sometimes terrifying look at the scars, both mental and physical that can develop under exactly the wrong circumstances as a forbidden love threatens to explode the entire situation. Winner of the Critics Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, The Tribe is unlike any film you’ve ever seen and its stark, often brutal tale will linger on in your memory. (Ukraine).

Top Spin

Directed by Sara Newens and Mina T. Son DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE FILM The struggle of an Olympic athlete is well-known and while most would not think that those competitors engaging in competition at table tennis would go through as much as more traditional athletes, this terrific film by co-directors Sara Newens and Mina T. Son proves otherwise. Structured as a traditional sports film building to its end battle – in this case the Summer Olympics – the film captures the struggle that these athletes, many of whom are high school students, face in the quest to reach their goals. As quick-paced and engaging as the game of table tennis itself, this chronicle of two girls and one boy intent on battling the world’s best as severe underdogs brings new understanding to a beloved sport, and those who play it. (USA).

Scheduled to attend is co-director Sara Newens as well as several of the USA’s top table tennis players.

Top Spin

Photography and text provided by Eric C. Johnson, Executive Director of the Lighthouse International Film Festival

SEE MORE FILMS AT LIGHTHOUSEFILMFESTIVAL.ORG

Last In • Barneget Bay

Nancy Rokos photo

A Shore Thing

T

here are strange and sometimes rare objects a beachcomber finds while searching the shoreline. A few oddities that have been found on the beach were old pair of Nikes with coral growing out of the lace holes, a television set, and a portable refrigerator pale in comparison to an item recently found known as a fid. Yes, a fid. That's not a typo. It's a strange word for an object that people who live near the ocean may have seen and paid no mind.

A fid is usually a tapered piece of wood or bone and more recently steel or plastic. It is an important tool found around shipyards and in coastline antique shops. A sailor's worth was often judged by how well he knew rope work — a traditional maritime skill — and the fid was a key tool. A fid, in the simplest terms, is a large tapering “pin” used to open the strands of a rope before splicing.

Rope splicing occurs when two or more ropes are woven together in order to increase the rope’s strength. Since the strength of a rope determines whether or not the vessel can set sail or stays in place at a dock, the fid is a priceless item to have. The diameter of the rope determines the length of the fid. For example, a rope that is half an inch in diameter requires a fid roughly ten inches long to give the sailor enough leverage to force the strands open in order to splice one or more lines together. This item would have been kept in a safe place on the ship, so when someone finds it on the beach it was likely from a shipwreck.

Fids are usually found amongst other driftwood chucks and therefore ignored by the average beachcomber. If they are still in good condition they should be considered rare. While they don't look like much, any item from a shipwreck is highly sought after by collectors. Today there are more in nautical museums and antique stores and usually those are the shorter, more common versions.

Longer fids are more rare and worth more to collectors. It goes to show that some things we take for granted or completely ignore can have a greater purpose than we once thought. It's another reason to keep your eyes peeled when at the beach. You never know what you're going to find. —Photography, text, and fid found

by Sara Caruso Page 82 • Echoes of LBI

This 15.25 inch fid was found in Holgate and is likely from a shipwreck from the 1800s.

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