Echoes of LBI 2015 Midsummer Dream

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Publisher’s Note nce again, we are coming up to the dog days of summer. The phrase dog days commonly refers to the sultry summer days, experienced in the months of July and August, which typically observe our hottest summer temperatures. It is during this time, that our Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius – the Dog Star, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth and part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog. Our temperatures quickly went from the fifties in early May to the nineties in early June. The ocean water warmed up fast this year with wonderfully warm temperatures all of July. So we are truly enjoying the dog days of summer.

The Lighthouse Film Festival 7th year was again extremely successful. It continues to grow each year. Thank you to the great crew that work so hard each year, and for the great selection of films. The 2016 Lighthouse International Film Festival will take place June 9-12. I hope you will mark your calendar. www.lighthousefilmfestival.org Echoes of LBI has always been dedicated to featuring and supporting local artists, photographers, and writers. This includes the next generation of young poets, artists, and photographers. If you would like your work to be included, please contact echoesoflbi@gmail.com.

LBI was built on art and culture from its earliest days, as many artists and writers would come to LBI to find inspiration. Some of the artists who found their inspiration on the shore are: Salvatore and Angelo Pinto, Gladys and Floyd Davis, Frederic and Sue May Gill, Paul Gill, Helen and Earl Horter, Boris Blai, Leon Kelly and several big artists from Surflight Theatre, all took inspiration from the sea, the light, and the solitude. Today, our beautiful island continues to be the creative spot for many artists.

The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences (LBIF), established in 1948, is a center for culture; education is also a very important part of LBI art history. Marvin Levitt has been an integral part of the arts on LBI for many years. This year Marvin celebrates his 90th birthday. Happy Birthday Marvin!

If you are into to catching your own dinner, fishing has been good this year and crabbing is picking up. If beach combing is your thing, you might want to look for shark teeth, fossils, and small sand dollars, which due to the beach replenishment have replaced much of the sea glass. If you discover something that you can’t identify bring it into Things A Drift. Beach finds are always welcome, and I can usually identify them. If I can’t, I know someone who can.

I want to thank all of the advertisers, supporters, and everyone that shares my vision of supporting all the talent our area has to offer and who make Echoes of LBI the best magazine of its kind on the island. I also want to thank those that contribute their time and talents in the creation of Echoes of LBI. Have a beautiful sunset!

Art and photography in Echoes of LBI is available for purchase through artists, photographers, Echoes of LBI or Things A Drift.

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

Cheryl Kirby, Publisher

Art 8 Photography 18 Poetry 26 Beach Paws 30 Lifestyle 36 Marine Science 56 Sea Glass & Art Festival 58 50 & Counting 62 Looking Back 68 A Shore Thing 78 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 and 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, Jonathan Carr, Sara Caruso, Ryan Marchese, Jim O'Connor, and Sally Vennel Pre-press - Vickie VanDoren • Contributing Editor - Susan Spicer-McGarry • Marine Science - Sara Caruso Contributors - Sara Caruso, Gretchen F. Coyle, Elishia Dallman, Pat Dagnall, Rena DiNeno, Carol Freas, Ellen Hammonds, Annaliese Jakimides, Maggie O’Neill, and Diane Stulga Cover photo by Sara Caruso, description on page 60 Photo on this page by Marjorie Amon

Pictured: Back row, left to right: Gerry Kappes (Treasurer), Barbara Wheeler, Marie Peters (Secretary), Jodi Fitzgerald and Deborah Kaliades.

On the bumper: Selma Giberson, Jane Smith, Gwen Keyser and Linda D’Errici.

In truck: Barbara Sedlacek and Sandy Mannherz (President).

Front row, left to right: Pat McConaghy, Kathy Morocco (Vice President), Joan Porath, Dot Bennert, Ruth Bauer, Mary Falk, Marie Kenkelen, Viola Hatab, Lenore Kane, Mary Riley, Kitty Michels, Jill Beebe, Vi Haskett, Frenchie Pitoy, Dee Elsenbeck, Maddie Foley, Pat Gerber, Patti Trevelise, Rosemary Fallar, Mary McDevitt and Gloria Shannon.

Seated on the ground, left to right: June Finn, Angie Graiff and Cathleen Engelsen.

Absent: Anita Barnes, Andi Bennet, MJ DeSandes, Ann Duney, Claire Houts, Alyce Karbach, Rita Kempski, Launa Ruoff, Doris Schultz, Sis Sharkey, Ann Smythe, Joan Tum Suden, Phyllis Ungvarsky, Connie Wilkins and Marilyn Upton.

Women’s Auxiliary of the Surf City Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 and Emergency Medical Services

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n the mid-1940s, residents of the Borough of Surf City felt the need for better fire protection. Several volunteers helped to raise funds, became trained in firefighting, and initiated the incorporation of the Surf City Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 on April 1, 1948. The company’s main goal: to save lives and protect property.

The Auxiliary pre-dates the Company itself. Prior to the Fire Company’s incorporation in 1948, a small group of women, mostly the wives of the town’s future firemen, met regularly to plan fundraising activities and to start saving money for the new Company. Among the most popular events were the carnivals held on the property where the firehouse now stands. In 1948,

this dedicated group became the first Auxiliary. The ladies of the Auxiliary have continued this tradition for more than 67 years.

Currently, the Auxiliary consists of 49 dedicated women. This integral, hardworking group of ladies runs and/or participates in all fundraising events (e.g., raffles and silent auctions, flea markets, pancake breakfasts, bake and craft sales) and they provide a vital service to their community and the Fire Company.

Join us! We hold our meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 7pm. Please call the Fire House at 609-494-6127 and leave your name and phone number. Someone will get back to you.

—Sandy Mannherz, President

Art

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Art

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Art

Painting By-The-Sea I t's June and twenty excited watercolorists pack their gear and head to LBI. Each year painters from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania travel to the Painting-By-The-Sea (PBTS) workshop given by Janet Campbell and me. Several painters rent homes for the week and treat the workshop as a true vacation.

To launch our wonderful week, we host a “Meet and Greet” at our home in Beach Haven where friendships are renewed and new students feel welcomed. When Monday comes and we gather at the beautiful Holy Innocents Church in Beach Haven where we paint for four glorious days filled with lessons, color and camaraderie.

“Driving onto LBI each day for PBTS,” says Mary from Barnegat, ”I find myself smiling at the possibilities of beach walks, charming Victorian homes to paint, and Pearl Street Market's mini lobster rolls for lunch. What an early summer treasure.”

Noon break is indeed a relaxing LBI experience. The gardens at the church are glorious for a quiet peaceful lunch. Then a stroll on the beach sets one’s mind ready for the afternoon ahead.

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I believe my friend and colleague Janet says it best, “Getting to be next to the ocean, hearing the waves, the birds. Then a short walk to the bay for an entirely different experience, I feel good when I come here.” —Pat Morgan

Nancy Rokas photo

Art

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Memorial glass beads made by Cheryl Syminink. The cremains of a loved one are fused into the glass. These act as a comfort allowing the healing process to begin. Nothing can fill the emptiness of a loved one’s passing but memories can continue the cycle of life and be a constant reminder of love shared. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets or large hole beads can be made as desired. Art soothes the soul. When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Thanks for the memories! —Diane Stulga. Photography by Jack Reynolds

Photography

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Photography

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Marjorie Amon photo

Photography

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onathan’s love of weather started when his father introduced him to sailing at the age of five. He obsessed with the physics of invisible energy and by his early teenage years had a complete working knowledge of water and lower atmosphere wind physics.

By the time Jonathan graduated from the Southern Regional School District, he was fully aware of all synoptic storm systems affecting the United States. While Jonathan went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in information systems, he primarily focused on snow storms, nor’easters and tropical cyclones that directly impacted the midAtlantic United States.

His biggest weather influencers, Jim Cantore and Joe Bastardi, were established as his go-to sources for reporting on and educating the public about major weather systems.

In December of 2009, Jonathan’s primary career in software engineering was just taking off. He took a stab at forecasting a major snowstorm on Facebook, going against the prediction of major network weather outlets. The storm system was verified and quickly spread throughout social media.

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Jonathan then started a Facebook page called Severe NJ Weather.

The major storm forecast verifications continued to accumulate including the three blizzards of February 2010, the Boxing Day Blizzard of December 2010, the January Blizzard of 2011, Hurricane Irene, the Halloween Snow Storm of October 2011, the Derecho of June 2012, Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, and just last year – the Polar Vortex Winter of 2013-2014.

Jonathan took Sandy personally. In addition to predicting landfall 192 hours in advance to within a 50-mile margin of error, he also offered advice and guidance to anyone who still had a connection to the internet during and immediately after the storm. He then held a successful charity event on Long Beach Island in the summer of 2013 titled Jersey Shorefest. The event benefitted the first responders who lost their homes while saving the lives of others. As a result of his efforts, Jonathan was nominated for the 2014 New Jersey Citizen Journalist award. He won via public vote and accepted the award from former New Jersey Governor James Florio and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop at the annual Citizens Campaign award ceremony.

In July of 2014 Jonathan, along with a venture tech entrepreneur,

re-branded Severe NJ Weather as Weather NJ and created a webcentric news presence that utilizes social media for aggregation.

Weather NJ now reports on everyday weather in addition to severe weather events. The web site also features many free tools available to the public such as interactive radar, location-based forecasts, long-range weather trend analysis, marine forecasts, and other various robust weather content centralized around New Jersey.

Today WeatherNJ.com has been visited over six million times from over 1.4 million people. The site reached one million visitors quicker then Facebook and Instagram did. 3.9% of the United States population has seen either a Severe NJ Weather (pre-July 2014) or Weather NJ post in social media over the last two years.

Weather NJ has allowed Jonathan to successfully monetize as a business using non-invasive marketing while practicing his lifelong passion of meteorology. As a weather enthusiast, he carries a strong confirmation bias on his back. Today, Jim Cantore follows Jonathan on Twitter along with the Governor of New Jersey, multiple public offices of emergency management and various celebrities. Jonathan finds himself in surreal scenarios when privately chatting with the biggest regional professional meteorologists, including Jim Cantore and Joe Bastardi, about approaching storm systems. As far as Jonathan is concerned, it doesn’t get any better than this despite the continued tremendous growth expected in 2015. —Katherine Carr

Photography

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Poetry Off Season

Houses shutter-up while boats wait out another winter in dry dock.

Locals watch marshes scab over with ice, rescue crab traps from cat tailed low tide mud flats.

Windows remain open after Labor Day during Indian summers, which return after killing frost strangles maple leaves but lets mums and pumpkins alone for Halloween.

Loneliness returns as vacationers and day trippers wait out another year, their bones too soft for ruddy dusk and salt-rotted roads.

Traffic lights quit their blinking, services no longer needed.

July is a gift accepted too quickly, knowing when it would arrive.

So I remember January.

Short shadows, length of myself constricted to gull-soiled pilings, clack-clatter song of tires over clam shells, seawrack on roads and burst pipes.

Heart gone summer-soft enough to receive winter’s long, blue stories.

—Alexandra Barylski

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Friendship Thru thick and thin, Thru ups and downs, True friends will Always gather round.

They’ve seen your best, And the “not so great”, Yet they never, ever Will hesitate…

To be by your side, When you need them near, You can count on them Have no fear.

And just as the waves Will meet the sand, We will weather each storm Hand in hand.

So, here’s to the sun, And the surf, and the sky, And endless memories, Made on LBI… —Beth Halley

Aquamarine I sit in the surf at sunset when the tide is low Waves wash over me and through me like a waterfall they rock me as they flow.

It’s that languid last week of August the summer I’m nine on Long Beach Island my “kingdom by the sea” Friends have returned to their cities The days are shapeless and I’m withdrawn, lonely, and “neither here nor there”.

The sun sets behind me on Barnegat Bay as the seagulls settle in Pulsing jets of coolness consume the heat of day Swirling seaweed flutters in the breeze and I shiver, slightly.

But still, August’s water holds its warmth and I linger in the calm There is no froth or foam – only tiny bubbles at the end of each elongated wave.

My LBI Long Beach Island, my anchovy shaped sandbar, source of my sea dreams.

Home for hundreds, destination for thousands, all lovers of sand and sea.

With a new bridge coming, the good word spreading, some fear, the island changing?

Not me, for I dream of tan sand and a yellow sun, that will always be.

—Richard Morgan

I love those fizzing August bubbles!! more than June’s break-of-day sparkle, July’s persistent pounding, or September’s violent spume.

My fingers scan the ocean floor to sift the stones and shells and bring them, slowly to the surface glistening through the water I look up to see the first star of night My heart and soul are wrapped in blue…..

I sit in the surf at sunset when the tide is low Waves paler than the moon, wash over me and through me like a waterfall They rock me as they flow…

—Lyn Procopio

Rain Wet, Cold Pouring, Splashing, Soaking, Dripping In The Spring, Fun In The Summer Playing, Melting, Brightening Radiant, Comforting, Shine Andy F., 10

Forest Beautiful, Green Swaying, Planting, Darkening, Full Of Wonderful Animals, Full Of Slimy Fish, Moving, Swimming, Shining, Blue, Calm River -Luke P., 10

Cat Hunts, Fearless Running, Jumping, Chasing, Cats Are Very Sneaky, Mice Are Really Cute, Hiding, Fearing, Watching, Scared, Shy Mouse -Grace M., 10

Ocean Blue, Habitat Swimming, Floating, Cooling, Ocean Just Has Beaches, Forest Just Has Trees, Living, Climbing, Hiking, Green, Alive Forest -Connor A., 10 Predator Quick, Sneaky Slithering, Hissing, Spying, Predators Chase Their Prey, Prey Run From Predators, Running, Hiding, Escaping,Worried, Cautious Prey -Logan K., 10

Rainforest Damp, Soggy Sparkling, Raining, Living, Exotic Animals Live There, The Hottest Place Ever, Shriveling, Wilting, Withering, Arid, Humid Desert -Katelyn S., 10

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Summer Beach, Sweltering Swimming, Surfing, Camping, Ocean Cools Me Off, Hot Chocolate Warms Me, Hibernating, Skiing, Snowing Mountains, Freezing Winter -Emma M., 10

Fire Blaze,Torrid Burning, Sizzling, Sweltering, Used for Roasting Marshmallows, Used for Cold Drinks, Cooling, Healing, Freezing Frigid, Polar Ice -Jordan H., 10

Dolphin Wet, Ecstatic Flipping, Tricking, Amusing, Paddling In The Ocean, Gliding Through The Sky, Waiting, Lurking, Soaring, Dry, Exotic Eagle -Joseph R., 10

Trees Homes, Branches Helping, Sheltering, Comforting, A Beneficial Oxygen Tank, A Spiky Desert Plant, Hurting, Itching, Scratching Pointy, Green Cactus -Matty L., 10

Sky Light, Dark Raining, Shining, Thunder, You Fly Very High, Place To Have Fun Building, Running, Sleeping, Soft, Hard Ground -Anthony G., 9

Thunder, Loud, Scary Rumbling, Vibrating, Booming, A Piercing, Thunderous Sound, A Striking Quick, Sight, Shocking, Electrifying, Zapping, Bright, Zig-zag Lightning -Roxy R., 10

Desert Light, Sandy Drying, Heating, Sweating, Barely Any Living Creatures, Big Trees Growing Everywhere, Blooming, Raining, Growing, Wet, Moist Rainforest -Nick G., 10

Ocean Water, Wet Cooling, Soaking, Swimming, It’s Fun In Summer, It Overheats You Fast, Crumbling, Baking, Scorching, Air, Dry Desert -Nathaniel B., 11

Day Bright, Happy Playing, Shining, Experiencing, Beautiful As Can Be, Scary As Can Be, Glowing, Creeping, Shivering Dreadful, Eerie Night -Anna M., 10

Monkey Cute, Furry Crying, Outgoing, Frightening, Monkeys Are Sweet Animals, Cheetahs Are Fierce Predators Eating, Purring, Fighting, Scary, Runs Cheetah -Ryann K., 10

Tiger Orange, Vicious Hiding, Hunting, Running, Black Stripes Fury Hair, Big Whiskers, Big, Giant, Sensing, Hearing, Eating Ferocious, Angry Lions -Mike N., 10

Tree Tall, Wood Falling, Standing, Swaying, Home To Many Animals, Food For Many Insects, Growing, Planting, Blowing, Short, Petals Flower -Daniel S., 10

New Jersey Radiant, Burnt Playing, Glistening, Exciting, Have Many Dazzling Beaches, Have Many Snowy Mountains, Working, Hunting, Fishing, Drudgery, Chilly Alaska -Andrew M., 10

Ocean Wavy, Wet Growing, Surfing, Swimming, Our Ocean Is Quiet, The City Is Noisy Shopping, Eating, Driving, Large, Busy City -Alex S., 10 Cheetah Short, Fast Running, Playing, Sprinting, Cheetahs Are Very Cute, Elephants Eat All Day, Stomping, Eating, Walking, Tall, Slow Elephant -Connor G., 10

Desert Dry, Sandy Sweating, Tanning, Burning, Desert Is Very Dry, Artic Gives You Frostbite, Fishing, Freezing, Cooling Cold, Windy Artic -Cooper P., 10

Beach Sandy, Sunny Swimming, Fishing, Surfing, Beach Is For Fun, Forest Is For Family, Hiking, Biking, Surviving, Leafy, Rainy Forest -Braeden A., 10

Beach Hot, Sunny Swimming, Building, Splashing, Crustaceans Under The Sand, Animals Live On Land, Raining, Hunting, Roughhousing Green, Alive Forest -Sophia B., 10

Winter Cold, Snowy Freezing, Snowing, Hibernating, Snowballs are Fun Like Sandcastles On The Beach, Swimming, Sweating, Collecting, Sunny, Hot Summer -Beyanira H., 10

Fire Torrid, Grotesque Blazing, Menacing, Burning, Fire Thick As Blood, Water Thin As Air Cooling, Rippling, Immersing Nautical, Serene Water -Schuyler B., 12

Trees Green, Brown Falling, Living, Swaying, Tall, Colorful, Shady Trees; Small, Dewy, Tickly Grass, Seeding, Growing, Mowing, Short, Soft Grass -Gavin B., 10

Beach Paws

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Beach Paws

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Home for Your Hermit

aving a hermit crab as a pet can be a fun and rewarding experience. They don't require much maintenance and are more independent than cats. Hermit crabs need to change their shells as they grow bigger and molt.

Unlike snails, their shells are not permanently attached to their bodies. So which is the best shell to choose for your little friend?

In the wild, hermit crabs, specifically “purple pinchers” the species usually found in shell shops, prefer to use turbo snail shells found in the tropical areas they originally called home. African land snail shells, Babylonia japonica (brown spots) shells, and painted shells should be avoided for several reasons. First, the abdomen of the crab, which is also its tail, has evolved to fit better in the turbo snail shells. The crab will curl its tail around the inside of the shell and flex it to pull itself inside in the event of danger.

Second, African land snails and Babylonia shells have very thin walls. A shell should be thick enough to help the crab regulate its temperature, but not too thick that it becomes too heavy on the crab. Like reptiles, hermit crabs are cold blooded, so they are slower and more dormant when the weather is cooler. A thicker shell helps them avoid becoming too cold and also allows heat to be exchanged out.

Painted shells should be avoided at all costs no matter how cute a walking soccer ball may look. They are often painted using leadbased paint from China (most of the time they are shipped from China) and therefore are dangerous to both people and pets. Don't choose a shell with a very thin or small opening and never give your crab a shell with holes or cracks. Stick your finger in the shell

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and make sure there are no blockages or rough spots that could irritate the crab's abdomen. Finally you will need to make sure you give your crab the right size shell to change into.

If you rescue a crab and the shell it is in was painted or full of holes, try to offer it the same shell without any defects and around the same size aperture (opening). Once it grows a little, choose a shell with a slightly larger aperture than the one the crab currently uses. Shells should be readily available to the crabs, but certain crabs only change when they feel it is necessary. Many will get the urge to change around the full moon, so by offering them shells three days before, during, or three days after this lunar phase may encourage a change. As with any animal all crabs are different in how often they change shells. Some are addicted to it and change on a daily or weekly basis or go back and forth between shells, while others only do it once or twice a year.

In the Caribbean, where many pet hermits originate, shells are becoming harder to find. Tourism reduces the amount of available shells from beachcombers who take more than their fair share.

There are even horror stories of people boiling the hermit crabs just to get their shells. Crabs that can't find a shell will sometimes use trash such as cans, glass bottlenecks, and an assortment of plastic garbage to cover their soft hind end. Without a shell the hermit crab will die because it stores water in it to keep its abdomen moist and to filter through its gills, which are located behind its legs inside the crab's body. Choosing the right shell will help your crab live a happier and easier life.—Photography and text by Sara Caruso. Pictured: "Zoe" the hermit crab.

Beach Paws

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Lifestyle

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ome things in life are constants: the surf, the sand, the sun, the sky, and for one group of women, their enduring friendship. It seems like we have known each other forever. We all grew up in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. Some of us have known each other since birth, some elementary or middle school, but it was during high school that our bond of friendship truly solidified. We all attended Governor Livingston High School and graduated in 1979. After graduation we went off to college; spread out across the country, and, for some of us, even around the world. But, no matter where we were, or how long we’d been apart, when we reunited our bond of friendship was stronger than ever; our conversations just seemed to pick up as if we had never been separated. We knew we had something special between us and we wanted to hold on to, and foster, this amazing gift we were so lucky to share.

So in 1989 we held our first “official” girls weekend with time dedicated exclusively to us! Now, 26 years later, we’ve never missed a year and we treasure every chance we have to be together.

Through the years, we have traveled to many different destinations; New York City, Philadelphia, Denver, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., and even the Bahamas!

But there is one location that holds a special spot in our hearts, Long Beach Island. LBI is full of special memories for us, from high school day trips to soak up the sun, to family vacations with our parents and siblings, to trips with our own children, and of course, our girls weekends. Two of us now own homes here on LBI, and the hospitality, warmth, and love we feel each time we return as a group is overwhelming. LBI is where we can reconnect – it truly is a special place.

Throughout all of life’s ups and downs, the one constant we have had is each other. We have shared our joys and sorrows; multiplying happiness and dividing pain and sadness. Three years ago, our weekend revolved around a Breast Cancer Walk; since Page Page 36 20 •• Echoes Echoes of of LBI LBI

two of our group have battled this devastating disease. When one is affected, we all are…we are in it together. Our most recent trip to LBI was to provide love and support to one of our very dear friends who just lost her sister to cancer. Yes, life is tough, but with each other, hand in hand, we can weather the storms and celebrate the sunshine.

LBI helps us do just that…we rejoice in our collective milestones, mourn our losses, and find our peace at the beach. —Beth Halley

Since 1974

Mullet School in Wave • Tom Lynch/Angry Fish photography

Lifestyle

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ant to see what results when you mate architecture and nature in a living-is-easy kind of way on LBI? All you have to do is know someone who has a pergola designed and built by Reynolds Landscaping of Manahawkin and wrangle an invitation, day or night, preferably both. Shade structures come in a variety of forms – arbors, trellises, lattices, screens, awnings – and pergolas, the most life-changing of all. The word “pergola” comes from the Latin pergula, a projection that referred to structures in Roman gardens that were bordered by a courtyard wall on one side and columns on the other.

Driven by our need to find respite from the hot sun, pergolas have been around for thousands of years. Although current lifestyles, building techniques, and materials have changed, much about the pergola has survived: the columns; the flat, open roof; and its ability to provide instinctively graceful yet purposeful shading.

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Continuously settled since 1690, LBI, being a barrier island, has always had a shortage of shade trees. “Much as we like sun and are hungry for it after an intense winter,” Mark Reynolds explains, “if we don’t have shade, we aren’t going to enjoy these beautiful summer days.” Or nights, really. Reynolds has always been aware of a pergola’s value for gathering and entertaining even after the sun goes down, “but it really became clear to our clients,” he says, “once designed lighting became a stronger part of the mix.

“Developing exterior space,” Reynolds says, “is like designing the interior of a home. Each space has a function – kitchen, living room, bar – and the pergola has a strong supporting role.” The design of a pergola is crafted according to the sun and the moon and how shadows fall in a particular location in relation to where a family’s rhythms need it to be. The patterns are not seen as random by-products but as an aspect of the artistic composition of place.

In the last ten years, more specialized lighting has provided the icing on the cake enabling the function and feel to continue into the night. Tanek Hood, who designs the exterior lighting for the company, explains, “If working correctly, it must look great, disappear, and create perfect conversation light and a light/shade effect that mimics the natural world.”

Shade structures only truly work if they are well integrated into that natural world. By a pool, serving as a dining area, creating protection from the elements or an intimate spot amidst the hubbub of family life, they are equally adept at serving as a transitional space or an end point that offers a vista from a distance.

Pergolas are constructed in the post-and-beam style, usually from natural red cedar (rough-cut knotty) with posts 6 x 6, sometimes 8 x 8, or even larger as fiberglass pilasters. Beams are structural and need to be calculated by the overall span of the structure. The shape tends to be determined by the available space – resulting in square, rectangular, or L-shaped structures.

Cross members installed perpendicular to the main beam structure are what “make the shade.” If more shade control is needed, additional slatted wood added to the cross members, automatic motorized shade projection awnings, or a shade curtain made of natural material will provide just what you want. One of Reynolds’ current projects involves shape (S) and size (40 feet by 20 feet) challenges. “Just what we thrive on,” says Mark Reynolds. “It may not be easy, but when we’ve finished, your living will be.” —Annaliese Jakimides

Lifestyle

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ometimes your summer days can become repetitive no matter where you vacation. Wake up, get dressed, slap on sunscreen, ride a bike, walk to the beach, maybe read a book, take a few sandy pictures, then head back to the house around 4pm. At least that’s what my typical beach day looks like.

Recently, I’ve discovered something different to do on the island: jet skiing at Kenny Formica’s Surf City Marina. The marina opened its doors in 1987 and is still going strong today. The business includes a full-service marina on 325 South 1st Street in Surf City and a showroom on 337 West 8th Street in Ship Bottom.

One sunny afternoon, Katherine Formica, the owner’s sister, was kind enough to take me out onto the bay on a jet ski. It was an exhilarating experience especially knowing that this tiny machine could have taken me anywhere if it had enough gasoline. While out on the water, I noticed jet ski and boat owners have a friendship that shows itself when complete strangers smile and wave as they pass each other.

They share a special bond, the same way two Porsche owners would bond over their fancy cars. I’d even compare it to school bus drivers.

Every morning on the way to school my bus driver always waves as we pass another school bus.

I found out the aquatic friendship goes even further after Kenny told me that some of the tenants at his marina hang out with each other at the dock and barbeque. Hearing that, I wish my friends and I all had boats or jet skis so we could call the marina our home base and just hang around with each other during the summer. It sounds like these tenants will have a solid circle of friends forever.

There’s nothing like the feeling of being free, which is why I love to jet ski. The combination of wind blowing my hair, the water Page 40 • Echoes of LBI

splashing my face, and cruising around on top of the seemingly endless bay creates this all-too-real feeling of immortality. Looking out over the shimmering water, seeing nothing but bay and a few buoys always curls my lips into a smile that doesn’t go away until I go to sleep that night. Of course the blazing sight of a white boat racing past me ceases my euphoric daydream but nothing can ruin a ride out on the bay during a beautiful summer day.

Jet skiing is one of many activities at the shore. The wind gliding across your face, the salt from the water tousling your hair so there will be no need to style it later at night and, if you’re lucky enough, you’ll hit some major swells in the bay and grab some air. It’s like riding a horse. You can trot, gallop, or jump, but always be sure to lift yourself off the horse (or jet ski) and put the pressure on your bent knees when doing so.

Summer is the time to try new things or revisit activities you haven’t done in a while. Maybe you haven’t built a sandcastle since you were seven or maybe you’ve never gone fishing or braved the Ferris wheel at Fantasy Island. Then summer’s your big chance to indulge in this kind of fun.

A major goal for all my summer vacations is to find something special to do. Whether it’s to start a new tradition with my dad, make it to Barnegat Light on a bike, or finally persuade my sister Natalie to accompany me on my daily morning bike rides, I’m determined to do something different. I only get three months away from the all-consuming school, so why not search for a new summer diversion? Thankfully I’ve already found at least one at the Surf City Marina. —Jenna Miele. Photography by Joe Miele, Jr.

Lifestyle

An original handcrafted paper model (right) of a home that Michael Pagnotta designed before using 3D technology, and a new 3D model (left). Sara Caruso photo

Dream Home, Dream Job A rchitecture has always amazed me. Growing up, I was interested in becoming an architect but circumstances led me down different paths in life. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit with Mike Pagnotta, an award-winning architect located right here on LBI. He shared the story of his career and showed me all the changes that have occurred in the architectural world since my younger days of drawing pictures of my dream home or castle.

Mike is originally from Ocean County and currently resides and operates his business Michael Pagnotta Architecture here on LBI. In 1977, Mike attended the University of Texas in Austin where he studied his craft. His senior thesis was a project called “Loveladies Cove,� which ironically, became an actual project for him in Loveladies. He designed a barrier Island cove, planning everything from the homes to the swimming pools.

Another college project he completed was in Utila, an island off the coast of Honduras, where he created an energy sustainable, Page 42 56 • Echoes of LBI

environmentally sound community on a two by five mile island.

This was where he had the opportunity to train under Brad Duncan, an architect who also worked with Frank Lloyd Wright.

In 1986, even though Texas had a booming economy, Mike decided to return to Ocean County to be closer to his family.

When he came back, he worked for architect Jim Wilson on LBI. As the passion for his craft grew, he decided to venture out on his own in 1990.

When Mike first started out, he was still designing homes on paper using traditional design skills. His ideas were visionary and he admits that he misses the old-fashioned pencil and paper. However, in 1995, his company started using technology to plan and design homes. In fact his company has always been on the cutting edge of technology. The technology has proved to be a godsend as plans pre-1990 only consisted of a page or two. Now with all the building requirements for hurricane and flood protection, plans could be dozens of pages long.

Mike showed me models of homes that used to be made out of cardboard and took 32 hours to make; those can now be made from a computer out of plastic. It still takes 32 hours for the computer to produce the model however, he does not have to labor more than the hour or so it takes to set it up, make the necessary adjustments and produce the final replica. The plastic replicas are detailed right down to the walls and halls and can be viewed by removing the roof. Each level of the miniature house can be viewed room by room as they are made to come apart and reassemble. One would think they were toy doll houses but they are really adult dream houses. This technology started in China twelve years ago and Mike began using it two years ago.

When clients come to Mike, they not only can get a model of their new home but they can see a visual of it on the computer as it is being built, step-by-step, from pilings to siding. He can produce a photo of exactly how it will look upon completion so that the homeowner can make any changes they want beforehand. The computer images show inside and outside, 3D views, scenic views from each side of the house and the footprints of the house.

Mike Bonelli, architect, preparing to send drawings to the 3D printer. Marjorie Amon photo

Every great architect is - necessarily - a great poet. He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age.

—Frank Lloyd Wright Mike shared some amusing stories with me about past clients, some of which I cannot mention to protect their privacy. In 1999, Mike received a call from a local realtor to look at a property for renovation. When he arrived, the only one present at the sight was the realtor. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, but she said, “My client wants to renovate this house and would like your input on it. I will tape you telling me what should be done and then send it to him.” Making light of it, Mike let his imagination run wild and enthusiastically explained what should be done to renovate the house. A few days later, he received another call from the realtor asking him to redesign her customer’s home. She said that they liked his ideas and that his display of energy surpassed any others that they saw. That customer turned out to be Steve Jobs. He was renovating the house for a relative.

Michael Pagnotta making an adjustment to the 3D printer.

Marjorie Amon photo

Just prior to Superstorm Sandy, Mike compiled a list of homes that were designed to fit “any size lot.” Needless to say, with all the rebuilding after the storm, he was well prepared to help out many of the local homeowners.

Currently, Mike likes to focus on medium–size, high quality homes, however size is not relevant to whatever task he takes on.

His true desire is to leave his office each day knowing that he has designed a tangible dwelling to suit someone’s needs.

Mike’s office and staff of 8 highly qualified architects are located on 9th Street in Ship Bottom. After touring his business, all I could think about was how rewarding it must be to design someone’s dream home. —Rena DiNeno.

The thesis project Michael Pagnotta completed while attending the University of Texas. Marjorie Amon photo

Lifestyle

E

ver since I can remember, art has been an integral part of my world. As the daughter of an accomplished artist, I watched my mother create beauty at her easel. An adult now, I appreciate all the more how she passionately transformed a plain white canvas into a work of art–an oasis of sorts. She awakened in me a sense that every corner of one's home could be both functional and enduringly beautiful.

There is satisfaction and comfort one experiences when creating a piece of art.

I discovered and continue to develop my own artistic expression. Creating designs and arrangements of flowers grown in our own nursery has been cathartic. A bunch of wild flowers can evolve into a floral masterpiece. Old tired wood can be refreshed and restored to its original magnificence.

Artifacts and Company is located at 414 North Bay Avenue on Long Beach Island. Most of my clients and customers are longtime residents of the Long Beach Island community with whom I have nurtured mutually respectful and trusting relationships. My distinctive collection of vintage furniture, rustic furnishings, potted plants, and flowers are carefully selected with them in mind. My

employees share a like-minded investment in the aesthetic and business values I endorse.

I recently opened my art studio, Artifacts and Company II across the street from my store where my mother's legacy of love and beauty lives on. People of all walks of life are welcome to make art an integral part of their lives. I visualize my studio growing into a mutually supportive community of artists who bring their life passion and artistic dreams to our studio.

Bring your own, Paint your own, Take your Treasure Home offers you the opportunity to enjoy creating art in a supportive, relaxed environment. We supply the paint, the easels, and the canvas. You bring your choice of beverage. Those who wish to master the skill of refinishing and restoration of furniture with paint will experience Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™ during our handson workshops. Its richness and depth of color promises to inject new life and energy to tired furniture, kitchen cabinets, vanities, vases and walls. The results promise to be exquisite and uplifting.

We offer children's art classes on Thursday 10:30a-11:30a. With guidance and instruction, your child will create original beach art to take home and enhance a wall of your beach house! —Amy Haeberlein. Photography by Sara Caruso

Elizabeth Sabine is an Ocean County artist whose distinguished work features an eloquent simplicity that breathes life into pieces through colors of nature. Above is a blue crab she made using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™.

Page 44 • Echoes of LBI

Bring your own, paint your own - Artist/instructor Elizabeth Sabine Annie Sloan painting instructor - Gen Cunningham Children's art instructor - Nadine Osmond

Our chalk paint classes are for those who want to breathe new life into worn out pieces of furniture. Turn trash into treasure! Sign up today!

Lifestyle

Confessions of a Lady Angler G

rilled tuna, blackened tuna, tuna fish sandwiches...you can keep 'em! I love tuna. More specifically, I love fishing for tuna, particularly with a bunch of guys. My husband no longer wants to go. Thirty hours in a boat on the ocean with waves that are sometimes high enough to be uncomfortable is not his idea of fun anymore.

My first experience with fishing was with my older brother and his friends when I was about ten years old. I followed them everywhere. I caught my first fish in a little pond close to our home and was hooked!

For eighteen years, I’ve been tuna fishing from a party boat next to the Viking Village in Barnegat Light. She takes 25 people who pay a fare per head for a 30-hour trip. Because I'm always the only woman on the boat, I’m amused to see the guys’ reactions to an old gal talking about fishing gear and tying good knots. Pulling in a big tuna gives me such great satisfaction. I earn respect and always learn something new. Most of all I have fun. Some men are surprised that I can bait my own hook. It's complicated. You have to navigate the hook in such a manner that it doesn't peek out of the fish's mouth and the gills of the baitfish have to lay flat so the fish won't spin in the water, spooking a tuna.

Page 46 • Echoes of LBI

Once I break the ice by chatting with the fellas in my immediate vicinity, things relax a little. The first question I'm always asked is, "Where's your husband?" I tell them I'm flying solo and I generally get a few looks of disbelieving, but after I tie up my rig (the weight and hook) which requires a special knot, I usually get a few knowing glances. On one trip, a young man kept insisting, "Are you sure that your husband isn't on the boat somewhere?"

There were a few chuckles around me and I just laughed him off. After that, we exchanged fishing stories, talked about our equipment, debated which reel was the best: a Shimano or a Penn, and if a line counter was really necessary. Some of us fish for squid to use as bait. The tuna can't seem to resist them.

In the early afternoon, before we anchor for tuna fishing, the captain will slow down in the vicinity of lobster pots and drift toward them. As soon as our bait hits the water, flashes of electric blue and green come speeding from under the pots where they congregate. I'm talking about Mahi-mahi. To me they're the most beautiful fish in the ocean. Last year, I was fishing at the bow and wasn't having much luck when a young man named Santino approached me and asked, "Why don't you come down with me

to the middle of the boat and try your luck?"

"I don't want to butt in where other men are fishing," I said. "I don't want them to be angry with me."

He said that I paid the same fare as everyone else, so I could fish where I wanted. Reluctantly, I put fresh bait on my hook and followed him.

As soon as the bait hit the water, two mahi, a male and female came speeding toward it. The male hit. It was a 30 pounder! The guys pulled in their lines and were dead silent. This mahi was a real fighter. No sooner did I get him close to the boat, he sounded and the fight was renewed. Fifteen minutes later, I was able to get him close enough for the mates to bring him aboard. Suddenly, I heard cheers, whistles, whoops and applause. I had just boated the biggest mahi of the trip! Backslaps and high-fives followed.

After the excitement settled down, the captain anchored the boat for the overnight tuna fishing. Our lines went into the water. I didn't catch a tuna on that night. As I settled into my folding chair, the men settled into their jargon, sometimes punctuated by profanity. A man about my age, sitting next to me, said, "You know, you're one of the few women that can cross over."

"Cross over to where?" I asked.

"To our side," he replied. That was the moment that I knew that I was truly "one of the guys."

I've been coming to LBI since I was sixteen. I have wonderful memories of days spent on its beaches. But the best times I've had are tuna fishing every October. I'll be 60 years young next year and hope to be fishing for many more years. —Photography and text

by Elishia Dallman

Lifestyle

F

ew people get the chance to race around the world on a prime time TV treasure hunt. It takes a very special person to qualify. Tyler Adams was a sure bet.

Tyler and his racing partner Laura Pierson won the 2015 season of "The Amazing Race." Tyler’s uncle and aunt have a house in Brant Beach and he has vacationed on LBI since he was a child. I grew up with his mother Jackie and we were all glued to the TV throughout this season every Friday night. We watched in genuine suspense since Tyler could not tell anyone the outcome of the race, including his mother! It is remarkable that he was able to keep the win a secret until the final show aired. If I had won a million dollars, I am sure I would have blabbed!

Watching him cross the finish line with Laura in the finale to claim the million-dollar prize was incredibly exciting. If you saw the show, you may have noticed how Tyler carried Laura’s backpack for her almost the entire time. That makes him handsome, honest, and a gentleman. His mother does not disagree. Tyler currently lives in Santa Monica, California, where he was spotted by one Page 48 • Echoes of LBI

of the casting directors for the show. Ironically, he had sent in an application for "The Amazing Race" earlier but never heard back from them. Last year, he was sitting in a bar when he was approached by a woman who wanted to know if he would be interested in being on "Survivor." He said no, but mentioned his interest in "The Amazing Race." She was a casting person for both, and so his application was given a green light.

There is a tremendous amount of vetting done on candidates for reality shows. After many interviews and months of waiting, Tyler was selected to join the cast of the 26th season of "The Amazing Race." This year was the first time the show changed its format.

In previous years, contestants were selected in pairs. This year, six pairs were matched up with a blind date. Tyler was one of the blind date couples.

That meant he would be traveling the world for 21 days partnered with a woman he just met. He said it was as much of a mental challenge as it was physical. Tyler admitted he quickly had to gain a larger sense of patience and coached himself to work together with a person he really did not know in order to reach the goal,

or in this case, the finish line. “I also realized if I was willing to work hard at being patient with someone I don’t know, why would I not work just as hard to be more patient with those I love in my everyday life? It was a good lesson that being on the show taught me.”

Tyler said after racing through twelve countries, Peru was the one he would most like to revisit.

“The scenery was amazing and the people were warm and welcoming.

That was also one of the hardest challenges we had to overcome.”

Throughout the season, we watched as Tyler and Laura drove a monster truck in Texas, made perfume in Monaco, looked for clues while floating down a canal in Amsterdam, experienced Octoberfest in Germany and even ate 1,000-year-old eggs. But it was Peru, carrying a heavy canoe to the water that reminded Tyler of LBI. “That boat was a lot heavier than I expected. While I was carrying it, I just kept saying to myself that it was no different than being at Uncle Len’s and carrying the kayak from the bay to the ocean.” That thought served him well. Since Tyler and Laura went on to win the race and collect the million dollar prize, I think it’s only fair to say that LBI was part of that win!

Tyler Adams is a remarkable young man. If his movie star looks and race win are not enough to convince you of that, than perhaps knowing that he used this opportunity to raise $10,150 dollars for underprivileged kids to attend summer camp will convince you. Tyler attended Camp Thunderbird in North Carolina when he was young and then worked there as a counselor. The camp grants a portion of its revenue every year to underwrite kids who

cannot afford to attend. Tyler’s loyalty to Camp Thunderbird and his fundraising efforts will certainly make some children very happy campers.

Currently, Tyler is co-developer of a new dating app 2Truths and a Lie (www.2TruthsApp.com).

"We're turning that awkward first impression into a fun game that creates a meaningful connection with someone you just met," he explained.

If Tyler can win "The Amazing Race" and a million dollars with someone he just met, then I’m betting his app can help couples make that all important first connection. In the world of Tyler Adams, anything is possible. If you don’t believe me, just check out that million dollar smile. —Maggie O'Neill Photography courtesy of CBS Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

Lifestyle

F

or Terry Muldoon, life is about not missing a beat and going after what she believes in. An Island girl at heart, Terry and her husband Jaime have had a house in Beach Haven since 1987. A trip to LBI in 1986 to a friend’s home in North Beach Haven was all it took for them to fall in love with the island. They have been "Parrot Heads," aka Jimmy Buffet fans, for many years.

Terry, a speech pathologist who has worked with special needs children, has been fascinated by the steel drum player for Jimmy Buffett’s band. She loves both African and Middle Eastern drumming. She shares a passion for Island Music with her husband and wanted to learn to play the steel pan–a type of percussion instrument that originated in Trinidad. It’s a 55-gallon oil drum transformed into a musical instrument after two years of labor.

Terry became a Certified Health Rhythms Drum Circle Facilitator at Remo class workshop in California. It is a health rhythm drum circle that helps to decrease stress and anxiety.

There are standardized tests and studies to prove how beneficial these classes are to our well-being. She’s conducted healing drum circles at the Surf City and Stafford branches of the Ocean County Library. She also held a class at St. Francis Community Center on the history of the steel drum that included a presentation and musical performance.

When she turned 52, Terry felt life was allowing her the time to make her dream of playing the steel pan come true. Her sons William and Christopher were grown and in their twenties. Terry started taking lessons and began performing at various venues on LBI. She played at the Breast Cancer Relay for Life at Southern Regional High School and several fundraisers for cancer throughout New Jersey. Beautiful music by Terry could be heard at LBI parties and luaus. She played Amazing Grace at the Kynett Methodist Church’s Easter Sunrise Service. She’s played at weddings and receptions at the 5th St. and Pearl St. Pavilion in Beach Haven.

Terry feels music has given her the opportunity to meet new people who connect with her and the soothing music from her steel pan. Her stage name, Steel Margarita, is in memory of her best friend Rita who passed away in 1993. Terry’s songs are inspirational, mood enhancing and nostalgic. Her music will take you wherever you want to go!

—Photography and text by Diane Stulga

Page 50 • Echoes of LBI

Lifestyle

N

ine Strong! Nine strong women, though we still call ourselves girls. We are the Rider Girls: Chris, Deb, Donna, Joanne, Joyce, Phyllis, Mary, Sherri and Sue. We were students at Rider College (now Rider University) in the mid 1970s and met through living in the same dorm, working at the cafeteria, the theater group and friends. Of course we had our escapades and a lot of FUN but we all graduated on time and went on to have careers, husbands, homes and families.

Staying in touch was tough but we made the effort. In the early days, we only got together a few times a year. As our lives became less complicated, we started going on "girls weekends" to NYC, DC and the Norwich Inn in Connecticut.

It wasn't until the fall of 2000 when we had our first weekend in Surf City on LBI at my house on 7th Street and we have continued ever since.

Arrivals start early on Friday evening with coolers of food and drinks brought

by Phyllis and Joyce, along with suitcases, stories to share, and Mary's favorite pillow.

Everyone is always excited to see what cocktail Joyce is going to make for us and she never disappoints.

The fan favorite is her chocolate martini.

We have a nice dinner in and catch up on everyone's lives.

Sitting in the living room snuggled up together around the cocktail table, we talk, and commiserate but mostly laugh while nibbling on a delicious sweet treat that Joanne brings. We stay up past midnight although Deb is usually asleep long before that.

stay in, comfy, cozy and just us. Now for dinner we have a buffet of appetizers. Mary always has a new and yummy recipe for us to try, and Sue is ready with the wine. Before dinner we have a fabulous time shopping for bargains together. Joyce is the super shopper but we all find something special to bring home.

Debbie is our resident photographer and sets us up for a photo shoot on the beach or at the house. After seeing the picture we always exclaim how good-looking we still are!

On Sunday morning we prepare for our sad departure. Leftovers are eaten, beds are stripped, things are packed and the house is cleaned. Phyllis and Joyce can always be counted on to stay to the end to help get the house back in order and ready for the next guests. Before we say our goodbyes, we set a few dates for our next get together.

Last but not least, we can’t forget about Sandy! Our 2012 girls weekend was scheduled for October 26–28, well in advance of any weather alerts. Despite the predictions of a super storm, we couldn’t bear not to meet at the beach. That weekend allowed us our usual time to laugh and create more memories as well as letting us batten down the hatches on the home. We reassured our family and friends that we would be fine. If anything came to the island we would be well prepared and fortified with food, water and each other.

Saturday mornings start early and with the smell of freshly brewed coffee, especially for Chris. We stay in our pajamas as long as possible and then, weather permitting, take a walk on the beach or visit some of the local shops on the island. One October it was warm enough for our resident swimmers Sherri and Chris to take a dip in the ocean. Lunch consists of homemade soup and salad followed by more talking, looking at magazines, and playing Bananagrams or Rummikub. Sherri is usually the big winner.

The morning of Sunday, October 28 was unusually calm. Debbie took some beautiful photos of the sunrise at the beach but soon after we started to feel somewhat concerned. Before fleeing, we all worked together to protect the house, bringing everything either inside or into the shed: the grill, chairs, tables, umbrellas, hoses, a hammock and trash cans. Then we quickly packed up our cars and headed for home. Thankfully, all of us and the home were safe from the storm.

The first few years we would try a different restaurant on the island for Saturday night’s dinner and, while very enjoyable, we prefer to

The Rider girls won’t miss a chance to continue getting together on LBI for years to come. —Donna Doran

Page 52 • Echoes of LBI

Established 1950

Lifestyle

T

he cool, hot drink of the season? Why, the Mule, of course.

Haven’t heard of the Mule? Neither had I until Echoes asked me to sleuth around the cocktail scene of LBI.

The Moscow Mule is made with vodka, ginger syrup, club soda, and muddled lime. Vodka, being a very Russian spirit, gives meaning to the Moscow in the Mule. However, according to Matt, owner of the Northside Bar and Grill in Surf City, Titos vodka from Texas has jumped on the Mule wagon, so to speak, and is pushing their version, the American Mule. It was starting to sound like the cold war all over again.

I ordered up my first Mule from Don, the Northside bartender.

It was quite a refreshing summer drink. The most unique aspect of the Mule, be it Moscow or American, is that it is traditionally served in a copper mug. No one I asked knows why but the copper mugs are attractive and a fun addition to the whole Mule experience.

The copper cup caught the attention of several people at the bar.

A patron named Frank asked me about the drink and ordered one in no time. At the other end of the bar, Tina, sitting with her boyfriend Stephen, also requested a Moscow Mule after seeing the copper cup. Just goes to show, sometimes it isn’t what’s in the cup that matters, but rather how shiny the cup can be.

Page 54 • Echoes of LBI

After changing the drinking habits of several patrons at the Northside Bar and Grill, my designated driver ushered me over to The Arlington to see what was on tap there for the summer.

The bartender, James, said their most popular drink was the Manhattan. When I asked about the Mule, he said they serve a lot of them. Their twist on the drink and what makes it special at the Arlington is their house-made ginger syrup. Their mugs are tin instead of copper and they were just as shiny as the copper mugs.

The homegrown syrup added a nice flavor to the drink.

To round out the research for this important article, it was necessary to visit one more establishment. My DD and I decided to visit the Quelle. There aren’t too many outdoor bars that overlook the water and only one that has a view of the North End of LBI. The Dutchman's outdoor bar is one of my favorites, an opinion shared by many boaters who tie up at their dock.

When I asked Mike the bartender if he made Moscow Mules, he said they have a different version of a vodka drink that is similar, the Wardo. This concoction is made with vodka, a splash of Jack Rudy tonic, club soda, muddled lemon and lime and Cointreau. It’s similar to the Mule in that it is refreshing and not too sweet.

This drink got its name from the bartender who invented it on request of a patron seeking a better vodka drink without all the sweetness of a drink mixed with soda. The bartender’s name was Edward Stott. His nickname is Edwardo. That was shortened to Wardo when the drink mixture became a hit.

I asked a couple as they were leaving if they ever had a Mule. Jim said he had one when they went out for Mother’s Day and Amy, his wife, said she just had a bloody Mary. Patrons, Kathy and Martin said their summer go-to drink was a vodka tonic. It was quite obvious that vodka, whether by Mule, Jack, or any other mix, was the alcohol of choice at the Quelle.

This summer, grab your DD or hop on the free shuttle and head out to one of LBI’s fun watering holes. With a copper cup in hand, you could wind up with a Mule. —Photography and text by Maggie O’Neill

Marine Science

S

ea glass collectors know that one piece of blue sea glass can make a trip to their favorite shoreline worthwhile. Finding cobalt blue, aqua, or the extremely rare turquoise sea glass doesn't just make your day, it can make your entire year. Imagine then a type of sea glass that collectors have been overlooking for years and doesn't have its own distinction from other colors and pieces. This glass is incredibly rare as it only occurs on beaches known to have a history of iron works or former dumps nearby.

Many would lump it in with bonfire glass, which is glass that has been exposed to a fire long enough to melt and contort it into strange unrecognizable shapes. However, this glass does not come from making glass items.

Often called slag, blast furnace glass is different from other forms of glass found at the beach. It is densely packed with minerals and fluxing agent (limestone) which not only gives it hardness but its color. It can be black, a pale blue with darker blue swirls, teal green, carnelian red, purple, various gradients of cobalt and a deep swirled navy blue that's olive green when held up to the light (usually found in the UK). This blast glass was discarded from the furnaces at the end of the day and often has chunks of the stones used to heat the inside of the kiln fused to it. The best way to tell if it's blast glass and not just a beach rock is if it's filled with bubbles on its surface. This glassy slag can be a sure sign of a historical landmark near the beach.

A blast furnace is used to create two products: pig iron (smelted iron ore with iron coke and limestone – the first stage of making wrought iron or steel) and slag (blast glass) which was discarded.

Silica may also be present which creates the glassy material. The slag floats to the top of the molten iron and is scooped away.

Some slag, rather than being trashed, gets a second chance as the protector of the beach as a way to ebb erosion. Air-cooled blast furnace slag can be used as “riprap” to stabilize sea walls and shorelines. Over time some chunks wash down and end up on the beach. This strange bubbly slag is often overlooked as gray rocks and never picked up by sea glass collectors. It doesn't fit the traditional form of sea glass as a smooth pure pebble that looks good as jewelry. Frankly, slag is ugly and so it is ignored as true sea glass.

A great deal has been learned about sea glass since the publication of Richard Lamotte's Pure Sea Glass in 2004, including adding over forty or so colors from his original twenty-four. Blast glass is just another form of glass to find. It's strange, almost other-worldly appearance looks more like something that came from outer space than a forge on Earth. Its ethereal blue gray hues and bubbly surface is a historical artifact that can help date a beach. When you find a lot of slag you may find more old glass that had been hiding under the sand for many years as it gets dislodged from its hiding place. Many of the pieces found on LBI are black and look like strange molten rocks, often mistaken for meteorites. Meteorites, while made of iron, are a lot heavier and less porous. However, green and blue slag has been found on other New Jersey beaches, some of which from glass foundries and others from iron works.

To find this glass, look for beaches that may have been dumps, near factories, or have a high concentration of glass. Blast glass is just another reason to go beachcombing because you'll never know the history you're going to find. —Photography and text by Sara Caruso Page 56 • Echoes of LBI

Saturday Conch Horn Blowing World Record™ Attempt (sign up from 12p-2:30p; event at 3pm in street) - In 2012 we accomplished the World Record™ for most conches being blown in one place. We now are attempting it again after being outdone by a team in Bermuda. Certifcates of participation given out to all those who help us win the record back!

Sunday Wrack Line Contest (sign up 11a-1p; judging at 1:15p) - The wrack line is where flotsam and jetsam washes up on the beach. Create and enter a sculpture from these finds, functional or non-functional, for a chance to win a prize. It can take on any form. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place.

Both Days Book Signings & Lectures - Featured throughout the festival, local authors are on hand to sign your beach books. Stop by for a lecture on wrack line sculpture and fossils with New Jersey fossil expert Derek Yoost.

Guess the Gallon - A huge jar of sea glass is up for grabs! Whoever guesses closest to the total number of pieces in the jar wins the whole jar!

Shard and Fossil Identification - Derek Yoost, our fossil expert, returns and will lecture about New Jersey fossils and collecting. Plus Sara Caruso, local sea glass expert, will be on hand to help identify glass shards.

Shard of the Year Contest (sign up 11a-12:45p; judging at 1p) - Our best of the best sea glass competition to decide who has the best shard from LBI and the world. Contestants can enter two pieces. They can be sea glass, river glass, or sea pottery of all varieties.

Pieces are judged by rarity, quality, and color.

Plus jewelry, local artwork, food sampling, prizes and so much more! Call (609) 361-1668 for more information.

Pictured on the cover: Golden Abalone (hand polished from South Africa; part of a 60 year old collection): a species of shellfish from the Haliotidae family, genus Hatiotis. Abalone belong to a large primitive class known as gastropods that includes clams, scallops, sea slugs, octopuses, and squid. Abalone can be found in coastal waters throughout the world with the exception of the East Coast of the United States, the Atlantic Coast of South America, and the Caribbean.

Respiratory holes running laterally on the outer most whorl of the shell are used to expel water and waste from the gills. The number of holes varies from four to ten depending on species. The interior of the shell is lined with beautiful iridescent nacre that exhibits multiple colors and patterns. Abalones have a soft body, an anterior head, and a large muscular foot. The shell is without an operculum; the underside is open. A food source for thousands of years, most abalone used for food or jewelry today is farm raised. Wild harvesting of abalone is strictly controlled. —Cheryl Kirby

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!"

50 & Counting

D

on Salmons of Staffordville is the son of J. Earl Salmons and grandson of Brad Salmons. Don’s great-grandfather Joel J. Salmons owned more than ninety acres of property including the land where Don’s house is located.

The family house that he still lives in with his wife Maryann (ne Britton) where he raised his two children.

Standing in his backyard today, Don can see the path of railroad tracks running from North to South. As a boy he chased the trains as they slowly chugged along behind his home. He chuckles recalling how it was probably quicker to walk then to board the train in those days.

The trains stopped running in 1937. According to Don, the old tracks were removed and used to make battleships during the war.

Don is an avid decoy carver. His father taught him to carve at age fourteen. It’s a hobby shared by four generations of Don’s family - his grandfather, father, Don and his son Craig. This family of carvers has received numerous awards.

Years ago, while visiting the Burlington Museum in Vermont, Don noticed a goose decoy carved in the style of his grandfather. The initials on the underside of the goose confirmed that it was one of his grandfather’s carvings from the early 1900s. Don recalled that the Tuckerton to Beach Haven train carried the cedar wood his grandfather used to carve decoys.

A carpenter by trade, Don built what is now the Tuckerton Grill Page 62 • Echoes of LBI

on Greene Street. One particular day he was re-roofing a house on Dinner Point Road when Earl (at the age of ninety) convinced him the job could wait. Earl’s familiar call “Hey, let’s go down to the bay!” was all it took for Don to climb down from the roof. He left everything as it was and headed down to the bay.

Don’s father Earl was also a skilled builder. In 1938, J. Earl Salmons built the Coast Guard Station in Tuckerton which has since become the Rutgers University Marine Research Center.

Earl also built the Squan Coast Guard Station in Point Pleasant Beach.

Don’s grandfather Brad Salmons grew up in Staffortville. Diverse and hardworking, he was a carpenter, painter, salt hay farmer and talented decoy carver. During the winters he was a surf man at the Life Saving Station in Ship Bottom.

Brad was also a boat designer and builder. Don recalls his father’s stories of countless excursions on the bay in the Dolphin, a 32-foot boat that his grandfather Brad Salmons designed and built. It was during those times together that Brad taught his son Earl the secrets of the bay.

There was no rest ashore for the Salmons men, but you can rest assured that the time spent together from the late 1800s until the present was time well spent.

Ever since he was a small boy, Don was captivated by countless stories of his grandfather’s life during his years at the Ship Bottom

Life Saving Station. Don recalls countless stories of shipwrecks, life-saving rescues and heroic actions told to him by his father Earl and Isaac Truex. Isaac had been Keeper at the Life Saving Station working there beside Don’s grandfather Brad Salmons.

Don and Earl frequently visited with Isaac in Tuckerton.

During those priceless visits the men shared stories of life and of the heroic surf men during the brutal Long Beach Island winters Don recalled the stories of the wreck of the Abiel Abbott and the Fortuna. His grandfather Brad Salmons was among ten Ship Bottom surf men awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal for their part in the rescue of five crewmen from the wreck the Abiel Abbott.

On January 20, 1903 Ship Bottom surf men discovered the Abiel Abbott stranded on a sandbar approximately five hundred yards from shore. Stormy high seas and intense darkness prevented the surf men from launching the surfboat.

A Lyle gun was used in several attempts to shoot a line out to the crew of the distressed boat but the efforts were unsuccessful. Overnight four of the nine crewmen lost their lives as heavy seas shattered their broken vessel. Through the night the weather had not improved and at dawn the surf men saw the remaining crew clinging to the wreck. Time and again the lifesavers fought to make their way through the wreckagestrewn waters only to be pounded back to the beach. Their final efforts reached the shipwrecked men and brought them safely to shore. Later Captain Abbott would call their success a true miracle.

On January 18, 1910 Don’s grandfather Brad Salmons and J. Horace Cranmer walked their nightly patrol of the beaches of Ship Bottom in poor visibility, freezing temperatures and wind driven snow. Near the beach at 16th Street they could identify the outline of a ship’s hull approximately three hundred yards off shore. The ship was later identified as the Fortuna. Brad quickly sent out a red signal flare to alert the crew aboard that help was on the way. The men ran back to the life-saving station and soon a crew of surf men was assembled on the beach to undertake the rescue.

These stories have been important part of Don’s life. He carries in his heart 84 years of memories that will last a life time.

—Diane Stulga. Photography supplied by Salmons family.

Coast guard station on 26th in Ship Bottom where the family stayed.

50 & Counting

Page 64 • Echoes of LBI

T

he morning starts with tea. So does the afternoon. Play tea time, that is, in the Nathaniel T. Ewer Playhouse where the under five set of neighborhood children congregate.

Nat Ewer built a Playhouse for his children in the mid-1940s on his Essex and Beach Ave. property in Beach Haven. Better known for their ownership of the famed schooner-turned-gift-shop Lucy Evelyn, Betty and Nat Ewer enjoyed quiet time with their family of four children – Muff, Nat aka “Brother,” Ellen and David.

Brother recalls, “Dad made every piece of the playhouse himself.

We celebrated many birthday parties and shared many happy times there. Mother would make lunch or dinner and bring it out for Muff and me to eat while we were playing house. We could pretend we made it in our own kitchen.”

The years passed quickly. The children grew up, the Lucy Evelyn burned down in 1972, and the old Schooner’s Wharf property was sold in 1985. Betty died and Nat sold the family home. The new owner decided to build two homes on the property. The playhouse where hundreds of children had played was going to be torn down.

Gretchen and John Coyle secured permission to remove the playhouse, and situate it on their Little Beach Farm property in Beach Haven. With help from contractor James Tallent and Easton Sprague driving the Cranmer Lumber flatbed truck, the playhouse was placed on pilings. The working fireplace and chimney fell off during the moving. “In the summer we did a lot of cooking on the outside fire grill,” Brother Nat said.

Coyle grandchildren, who were the third generation of kids to play in the playhouse, took it over as only young ladies can do, filling it with plastic tea sets and lots of Barbies. A younger brother had Elmo, Barney, and Thomas the Tank Engine trains. Young friends visited on a regular basis. These kids grew up too, moving on to driving and age-suitable LBI activities like eating at the Chegg and sneaking into local bars along with water activities and summer jobs.

Superstorm Sandy devastated the Playhouse in October 2012.

Even though it was three feet above ground, water swirled through it for hours leaving salt, sand, and a toxic, slimy, green goo from the bay. Old fiberboard walls absorbed the water. A family vote was taken to save the playhouse. Family work sessions began to restore the floor and walls. Old fiberboard walls were taken down leaving the original cedar. The siding and cedar shake roof were washed with Clorox. Grandkids sorted through all the old toys and scrapped most of them.

Three years later the Nathaniel T. Ewer Playhouse stands as a completely restored Sandy survivor. It is constantly filled with a new generation of neighborhood grandchildren having tea parties and making sand cakes. — Photography and text by Gretchen F. Coyle Author/freelance writer Gretchen Coyle grew up across the street from the Ewer family. She played in the Playhouse in the 1950s as did her children before it was moved to her bayfront home.

50 & Counting

I

n 1947, Edward Richard moved from Metuchen, NJ to this area and enjoyed all it had to offer, both on land and in the water. He and his family hunted, fished, clammed, built boats and barns, and grew their own vegetables.

Since hunting and fishing were such a big part of Edward’s life, he and his brother Charles started building boats together, useful for both hobbies. Edward had building experience helping to construct a log cabin in Maine for his family. The brothers made a duck blind boat for hunting. This boat would be planted in the marshes in the bay and camouflaged and used mostly when hunting duck, although deer and other small game were also plentiful then.

In the middle of the bay between Barnegat and the northern end of Long Beach Island, they hunted from a shack that sat on what is now called Little Beach.

In 1963, in addition to constructing hunting boats, Edward and Charles built a 65-foot charter boat that became known as Ole Barney. They worked long, hard hours for the next two years to finish it. Edward started working on the boat in an old cow barn in Barnegat with the help of his son, Ed, Jr., and Charles’ son, Bruce.

Ole Barney was bigger than the barn, so they had to add on to the barn in order to work on the boat. In addition to Ole Barney, Edward, Jr. worked on the Carolyn III, which is still used and docked in Barnegat Light.

The storm of 1962 littered the area with used lumber, parts of docks, and pieces of houses. Ed, Jr. and cousin Bruce had Page 66 • Echoes of LBI

the job of gathering the reusable pieces to rebuild the barn to accommodate the 65-foot vessel. The two cousins had to remove the nails from the old lumber. With the pieces of reusable building material, they were able to enlarge the barn thirty feet longer and ten to fifteen feet wider, thus accommodating the hull of Ole Barney.

Lumber was trucked from Port Newark in 14 foot pieces. Without power tools, handsaws were used to cut the 12 inch thick keels.

They had to steam the lumber in order for it to bend for the ribs in the boat. Although the hull was built in the barn, it was later transported to Mariners Marina in Barnegat to complete the deck.

Ed, Jr. and Bruce covered the screw holes and painted over them.

Edward, Jr.’s son, Kyle never got involved with boat building, but became a competent craftsman. Kyle currently does construction work and builds cabinetry. What he did not learn from his father and grandfather, while working for a skilled craftsman for three years in Hawaii.

Both Kyle and Ed, Jr. still live locally. Ed, Jr. became the Superintendent of Public Works in Barnegat, and is now retired.

Even though the days of building boats from wood have been replaced with fiberglass and other more weather resistant materials, the Richard family still enjoys the island style of living.

Edward, Sr. and his wife currently live on the eastern shore of Virginia and are 90 and 88, respectively — proof of healthy living “Island Style.” —Rena DiNeno. Photography courtesy of Richard family

Looking Back

Here’s the Scoop D

olores "Dolly" Johnson remembers when Millside Farms was the most popular place to buy ice cream on LBI in the Fifties. It was known for the square dips of ice cream for cones. The square dippers resembled a gun with a trigger to release the ice cream.

Bea Johnson, Dolly’s future sister in law, was the manager at Millside where many local boys and girls worked during the summer. Sisters Doris Driscoll and Jean Peppler would be covered in ice cream from head to toe at the end of the night because they had to clean everything before they could go home.

Reds Hutton, who and lived across the street from Millside Farms, would take the truck to the main dairy to pick up supplies.

Millside Distributors, Inc. located in Riverside, NJ raised cows, pigs and chickens. Milk, bacon, eggs and other products were sold there and the business also delivered to local homes and stores.

Customers would stand in long lines and the ice cream was takeout only.

Dolly’s nephew Bob Crossley remembers on the last day of school his bus driver would take the kids on the bus to Millside for ice cream.

Dolly started dating her husband Ike Johnson of Beach Arlington in 1951. They married in 1953 after he returned from Korea and have been married for 61 years.

LBI and ice cream are a tradition that’s stood the test of time in spite of the long lines! —Diane Stulga

Page 68 • Echoes of LBI

Above: Two examples of Millside Farms milk bottles.

Sara Caruso photo, Ike Johnson bottles Below: Dolores "Dolly" Johnson; the back of the photo reads "That's right it's me, your future wife Dolores."

Ike Johnson photo

SELFIES T

here were selfies long before digital cameras or iPhones even existed. These original selfies were taken in a small dark photo booth located on boardwalks, in arcades or malls. They consisted of a small bench area with heavy dark curtains on both sides and a camera. You got four different frames or "selfies" shot in rapid succession for only one dollar.

Seldom did you see a solo customer. Part of the fun was squeezing as many people as you could into the booth. Pictures were taken with friends, siblings and even your honey! You made faces, struck a glamour pose, or sometimes even stole a kiss behind those closed curtains!

These original selfies were spontaneous and totally natural. They were hands free and no selfie-stick was needed. The results were black and white shots that could not be deleted or Photoshopped.

They were records of those fun-filled days of your life! —Pat Dagnall and Ellen Hammonds

Page 70 • Echoes of LBI

Left: Parents George and Lilian Thomas with children Karen, Miichael and George lll Middle: MaryEllen and Faith Right: Cheryl Kirby with her husband Denis.

POSTCARDS of HARVEY CEDARS 1900-1962

1900-1910: This promotional card is for Isaac Lee’s development along what is now, of course Lee Ave. The view is from the NE to SW: the structure on the right is a well. Lee’s house, directly to the left of the well, is still standing, as is one of the duplexes (4th from the left, the ocean side).

1908: J. B. Kinsey published this postcard shortly after he built the High Point Yacht Club on the bay at 78th St. (High Point was Harvey Cedars original name.) My father, Reynold Thomas, who would become mayor in 1955, is the 10 year old boy on the dock, where the present day Public Dock is. The yacht club, raised after the 1944 hurricane, and expanded, is still at the same location.

1930s: View from the top of the old water tower across from the firehouse. The card is postmarked August 2, 1939 and says, “The circle is over the Stephens' place and the cross is over the Yacht Club from which we sail into the bay.” During the 1944 hurricane, the Stephens' house on Lee Ave washed into the middle of the Boulevard. It was later moved to the bayside where it still stands.

1935: Women displaying their legs on the walkway over Harvest Cove to the Harvey Cedars Bible Conference, the oldest surviving 19th century hotel on Long Beach Island. Originally built in 1848 as a sportsman’s boarding house, it was bought for $35,000 in the 1930s by the Philadelphia YWCA. It had a brief life as a summer camp for “working women,” but the Great Depression hurried it’s decline. In 1941 it was bought by evangelist Jack Murray and is now a very active Christian retreat and conference center.

1940s: The northeast corner of Kinsey Cove, looking towards Loveladies, before the lagoons were dredged to develop Loveladies Harbor. The second house from the left on the water, and one directly behind it across from Kinsey Lane were both built by Kinsey.

1940s-50s: Nic Lions Neptune Bar at the corner of 80th St. and the Boulevard is now Neptune Wines and Liquors. The building was originally Kinsey’s horse barn. The cottage to the left became Tom Romero’s Wooden Nickel and is now the Plantation.

Page 72 • Echoes of LBI

Margaret Bucholtz, a Harvey Cedars native, is the author of the Long Beach Island Reader, Island Album, New Jersey Shipwrecks, Josephine: From Washington Working Girl to Fisherman’s Wife, Shore Chronicles and co-author of Great Storms of the Jersey Shore. She also published Seasons in the Sun, an illustrated history of Harvey Cedars for its centennial in 1994. All of these books are available at Things A Drift and other island venues.

1940s-50s: The interior of the Neptune Bar before Sis and Hank Wheaton bought it in the 1960’s. They remodeled, moved the entrance over to 80th St., and added a kitchen and dining tables.

Sis’ clam pies became famous.

1947: The rowboats on the right are pulled up on the little beach at the end of 79th St. now bulkheaded. All the houses are along Maiden Lane, running east to west, and are still there – only the one on the right has been remodeled. Two of the children are Carol Youngman and Terry Snyder.

1947: About 1910 Kinsey built a general store at the NE corner of 78th Street. The store was the focal point of the town for many years. It was the post office and flew hurricane warning flags from the roof. In this picture, the soda truck is unloading under the Breyers Ice Cream sign. It now houses the restaurant Black-Eyed Susans. The house in the center is now the Benee-Scola’s Real Estate office.

1950s: This view of Kinsey Cove is from the west side to the east. On the top left is a small houseboat on a small island of Bay Terrace, which has been there since 1931. The cove was named for J.B. Kinsey, elected mayor in 1910, who in 1884 bought all the land surrounding it. Early maps show it as a pond.

1962: The 79th St. inlet looking south two days after the March northeaster. The ice cream and candy sign is in front of the wrecked Ship’s Wheel. Howard Baum’s Esso station is now son Keith’s Harvey Cedars Auto. The general store’s “Food Market” sign can be seen on top of the collapsed roof of the original Sink 'r' Swim shop.

1962: 79th St. just after the 1962 northeaster, when the ocean broke through Harvey Cedars. The photo of the children in the rowboats was taken from in front of the house toppled over into the new inlet. The old Ship’s Wheel is on the left. For the complete story of the 1962 storm, see the book, Great Storms of the Jersey Shore.

The record bins and 8-track cases at Island Record Shop when Wayne and Linda Feaster bought the business in 1975.

W

ayne Feaster came to Long Beach Island before he was born. In the early 1950s, his grandfather bought a fishing cottage in Brant Beach where his parents would spend summers. In the 1950s and 1960s, mothers and children would come to the shore for the summer, with fathers commuting on weekends.

Many a teen had their first job on LBI and Wayne’s was in Ship Bottom Stores, aka Ship Bottom 5 & 10 on the corner of East 26 Street and the Boulevard.

Right across the street was the Island Record Shop owned by Bill Mandell who had purchased the store from Daniel McDevitt in 1967.

A teacher at the local high school, McDevitt started the record

shop at East 19 Street in Ship Bottom in 1957 and moved it to the current location at East 26 Street in 1959. A former co-worker of Wayne’s recommended Wayne for a job at the record shop in 1969. The summer job turned into a semi-year round one in 1972. Wayne kept the shop open from September through December while the Mandells traveled and then he’d return to business school in Reading, PA. In order to be able to afford Wayne’s salary, Bill expanded the business to carry electronics. After graduation in 1974, Wayne and his wife Linda became partners with the Mandells and ran the business year round. The Mandells would come back for spring and summer. In

Looking Back

October 1975, the Feasters became sole owners of the Island Record Shop. The business grew over the next 20 years as the record and video game industries were booming. As vinyl records turned to 8-track tapes to cassettes to CDs, the electronics portion of the business grew steadily. Eventually, due to problems within the record industry, the “record” portion of the business began to decline.

After 50 years of selling recorded music, the name Island Record Shop was no longer representative of what was happening in the business. In-store turned to design and installation of audio and video systems in people’s homes and businesses. Store hours changed. It is now open year round Monday through Friday, 10am to 5pm. And the name was changed to Island Audio/ Video in 2007 to reflect the new focus on the store.

Today, Wayne runs the business with the help of his daughter Halley, office manager as well as Store Manager Ron Trube, Chief Technician Keith LaRocca, and Installer Jeremy Renner. —Photography and text

by Halley Feaster

Page 76 • Echoes of LBI

A Shore Thing

"On top of spaghetti all covered with cheese, I lost my poor golf ball when I had to sneeze!"

I

t's mini-golf day and laughter follows the singing as Ingrid, in a summer dress, putts her yellow ball at the second hole. We watch its progress as Gunnar sings out, "The ball bounces backwards, the pelican squeaks. It then hits the cage door and rolls to her feet."

Our family is having a great time challenging each other at Island Golf on 6th Street in Surf City. Purchased in 2010 by Ted and Joanne Fluehr, the course continues the sixty year tradition of family fun. It is a 1950s style mini-golf course where families return year after year to compete and expect little change from last season’s obstacles. Grandparents tell their golf stories to the next generation and the little kids will happily do the same in twenty years.

Over the winter, the elephant on the roof at Island Golf had a baby, as did the giraffe, so there is a contest this summer to find names. There are also new commercial "greens" far superior to the first artificial coverings used in 1922. Golf fanatic Thomas Fairbain patented a surface of cotton seed hulls mixed with sand, oil and green dye spread over packed earth. As the game drew more players, felt over concrete was the next improvement. In the 1940s, a durable, more even surface of vulcanized rubber and goat hair felt allowed play in wet weather.

Materials today are UV and mildew resistant polypropylene even in unusual colors like purple at The Sand Trap. On the Island, most businesses update their mechanized obstacles from time to time, paint and beautify the grounds, but find customers don't want dramatic change. Up next with bravado, Gunnar boasts, "After playing real golf with Dad, this is a snap. I can make a birdie!" Squaring up, eyeing the fairway, then hitting the blue ball, his timing is off. "Drats!" The heavy anchor chain stopped it dead. "Whoa, putting seems to be a vain attempt to put it where you want it," he sighs.

Here on LBI most of the miniature golf courses offer animated hazards requiring accurate shots, split second timing to avoid spinning blades and revolving obstacles. A story in the Illustrated London News in June 1912 mentioned this short version of golf as Golfstacle, a term that could be used by frustrated players today. In 1916, the mini game crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Pinehurst, NC where shipping magnate James Barber built a putting course on his large estate with landscaped holes, winding curves, undulating hills, banks and tunnels.

Americans loved this new, less time-consuming and inexpensive game for family outings and dating couples. Unlike the isolating use of cell phones, mini-golf encourages good competition, Page 78 • Echoes of LBI

Gunnar & Ingrid interacting with laughter and conversation. Courses blossomed from coast to coast, even on roof tops in NY city copying the Pinehurst model. When the Depression of the 1930s closed most businesses, families needed happy uplifting entertainment, so resourceful people produced rinkie-dink courses. Scouring their towns, entrepreneurs would use broken roof gutters, old tires, and any salvage to build obstacles on hard packed dirt.

Ingrid steps forward for her next turn. A steady whack and the yellow ball flew up into the petunia bed, missing the baby giraffe who eyed her curiously. "Oops..."

She laughs and sings, "It rolled under a bush and was nothing but mush!" No mush today but an original golf ball in 1848 was made of a rubber-like sap from the tropical Gutta tree. Heated, hand-molded to a ball and hardened, it might become mush again if left in the sun. Current mini-golf balls have a rubber core and a dimpled bright colored plastic cover.

We continue our game, laughing and adding more verses to the song, finally ending at the 18th hole, the pirate chest. The balls roll back down the ramp several times before making it into the treasure chest. And the winner for the day? All of us! Our happy memories of this mini-golf outing together made us hungry. "Let's go get some meatballs!"

There are eight mini-golf courses on LBI, most offering summer tournaments: The Sandbar (10th St., Surf City), Flamingo Golf (6th St., Ship Bottom), The Sand Trap (23rd St., Ship Bottom), Hartland (28th St, Ship Bottom), Settlers Adventure Golf (adjacent to Thundering Surf, Beach Haven), Mr. Tee's (Bay and Engleside Ave, Beach Haven), Victorian Gardens (adjacent to Mr. Tee's), and Shark Island 36 Holes (off the Blvd at W. 18th St., Beach Haven).

—Photography, artwork and text by Carol Freas

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A Shore Thing

M

any residents and visitors to LBI come “down the shore” to get back to nature with walks on the beach, enjoying sand, sun and surf. These beach goers are often clothed in spandex with sweatbands on their heads, weights in their hands and aerobic sneakers on their feet. They are convinced their jaunts will result in healthy hearts and strong bodies.

I am just as convinced mine will do the same…only through a different lens.

I choose to be a meanderer – one who anticipates a walk on the beach with goals unlike the traditional power walker. I can usually be seen in a large floppy hat secured under my chin anticipating those strong ocean breezes. I wear a pair of loose-fitting, well-worn Madras capris that have a forgiving elastic waistband which allows me to bend over when I see a particularly interesting shell, or better yet, a glimmering shard of sea glass. Those with sweat dripping off their shoulders are looking straight ahead missing the real treasures that are often crushed by the soles of their shoes.

Instead of the weights they hold in their hands, I have a lightweight bag, which I often fill with shells, sea glass and other gifts from the sea. Sometimes I add children’s brightly colored shovels and ribbons tied to the remains of balloons that could endanger the gulls and the sandpipers that might mistake them for food. Many times a good part of my bag is emptied in the trash while a smaller portion is taken home to be washed, bleached and dried by the sun.

When I finally leave after a leisurely stroll in circuitous directions dictated by the tide pools and undulating sands I often photograph, I feel healthier in body and spirit. My heart rate certainly races when I spot a large shard of glass with striations identifying it as a vintage Coke bottle. The same heart rate slows if I come upon an overturned horseshoe crab who will navigate the waters no longer, or the remains of a sand shark washed up on the shore. The first panoramic sight of a dancing glimmering ocean in the morning sun never fails to get that heart beat going while the last glimpse of the beach when it is time to leave causes a heaviness in the heart.

What do I care when those power walkers glance at me contemptuously as they stride past with their heads held high?

I smile serenely, knowing my heart has had a far more satisfying “workout” as I clutch my bag and brush the sand out of my toes.

—Written by Cindy Andes after a particularly satisfying beach walk on LBI in the fall of 2012. Photography by Sara Caruso.

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