Echoes of LB I TM
Photograph by: John
Martinelli
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Publisher’s Note
W
hile I am looking forward to fall more this year than ever, a part of me is keeping one eye on autumn storm predictions. We are all still a bit gun shy after Irene and Sandy. Truth be told, I love the cooler weather, and living on LBI serves up some glorious post season days. After Labor Day, I will close one day a week and the other days close a bit earlier to complete my needed renovations that still bear Sandy's signature.
This summer was one of the best for Things A Drift. Customers were so happy to be back on LBI and very grateful that the Island had a summer season to deliver, when so many other parts of the Jersey shore did not. Early in the season my loyal customers walked over saws and ladders to buy hermit crabs and art work, including paintings that depicted the last days of the shack. There was a strong feeling of “we are in this together” from our visitors and the locals. Our guests were eager to buy something to support us, and we were grateful for their support; saws, ladders and all. Many of my customers have storm stories of their own, as the damage went beyond the Jersey shore. But their cherished memories of LBI brought them back to contribute what they could and enjoy what was open. As I was writing my publishers note, a regular customer that I had not seen this year walked in. David and Violet Fryer and children were not sure LBI was going to be ready and had made other plans for vacation this year. They missed LBI so much, they had to come at least for a few days over the long Labor Day weekend. We were so glad to to see each other and agreed that life is good. So, our Sandy summer has provided us with a chance to appreciate what we have and cherish our restoration. It was hard, uncertain and in the end, a warm and wonderful season. I want to thank all of my loyal customers because I could not have done it without you. The upcoming season’s predictions of warmer than normal weather should keep us busy until Christmas. There are so many events planned for LBI like the 18 Mile Race, my Sea Glass Festival, Chowderfest and the Ship Bottom Christmas Parade. Life is still good at the beach with friends like all of you! Enjoy the Sunrises and Sunsets,
Cheryl Kirby, Publisher
First In • Sunrise in Surf City, NJ Jim O’Connor photo
i n s i d e
Art 8,
Photography 12, Poetry 20, Lifestyle 24, Why You Should Stay 44, Marine Science 46, 50 & Counting 54, Looking Back 66, Gift Guide 75 A Shore Thing 74 & 78
Echoes of LBI Magazine • Cheryl Kirby - Owner & Publisher • 609-361-1668 • 406 Long Beach Blvd. • Ship Bottom • NJ All content of magazine & website remains copyright of Cheryl Kirby. No part of publication may be reproduced. Advertisers: People collect Echoes of LBI - your ad has the potential to be seen over & over again for years to come! EchoesofLBI.com Email articles on history, nostalgia, poetry or art to: EchoesofLBI@gmail.com Magazine Designer - Sara Caruso • Copy Editor - Joyce Poggi Hager • Photographers - Marjorie Amon, Sara Caruso, and Ryan Johnson Graphic Designer/Pre-press - Vickie VanDoren • Science - Ryan Paul Marchese, Sara Caruso Contributors - Maggie O’Neill, Diane Stulga, Rena DiNeno and Frank Grasso Cover photo by Ryan Paul Marchese, description on page 50 Content photo by Marjorie Amon
Pictured from left to right: Natalie McTigue, Diane McTigue, Ava Richardson, Julia McTigue, Laura Pawlicky Friedland, Natalie Miele, Dana Miele, Jenna Miele, Jennifer Taylor, Kim Schneider, Leslie Karvan, Cassidy Holowach, Carol Freas, Katina Karvan, Allison Morgan, Allison Clay, Cathy Taylor, and Nicole Robbins. Bottom row left to right: Ella, Hannah and Ingrid
Art Marilyn Flagler painting
Page 8 • Echoes of LBI
Carol Freas artwork
Arthur E. Stevens, Jr. painting
Art Robert Sakson is one of New Jersey’s most accomplished watercolorists. He is a Fellow of the American Watercolor Society and the New Jersey watercolor Society. Sakson’s love for Long Beach Island is reflected in his art.
Carol Freas, a watercolor artist, captures our shore environment, its history and color with integrity. She teaches locally at Foundation of Arts in Loveladies and Pine Shores Art Association.
Pat Morgan and her husband Richard have retired to their much loved LBI where Pat’s passion for watercolor and the island will be her constant inspirations.
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Photography
Marjorie Amon photo aboard The Cannibal Queen™ piloted by Jim Lonergan Page 12 • Echoes of LBI
Katina Karvan • Marjorie Amon photo
Marjorie Amon photo
Katina Karvan • Marjorie Amon photo
Remembering Summer Sara Caruso Photo
Page 14 • Echoes of LBI
Photography Sara Caruso Photo
Photography
Laura H. Twersky photo
Ryan Johnson photo
Page 16 • Echoes of LBI
wyndecrest home interior design & home furnishings lee industries, ralph lauren home, jonathan adler, visual comfort lighting, jill rosenwald, dash and albert rigs, john robshaw textiles, bungalow 5, currey and co., baatrice ball, julian chichester, & unique vintage finds
please come and visit our expanded showroom bay ave and 2nd st, beach haven 609.492.7030
Photography Howard Wohlgefahrt photo
Can You Believe Emilee Adams • Ryan Johnson photo
Page 18 • Echoes of LBI
Cassidy and Lydia • Marjorie Amon photo
in a Fish Tale? Ryan Johnson photo
Poetry Kite Surfing in Ship Bottom
Mike Loves Me
Sitting on a bench in Ship Bottom in mid October, People watching, not pumpkin picking.
Young, blond, a future Miss New Jersey, Heading for the surf, Runs past me resting in My Tommy Bahama chair, Displays on the small of her back Just above her banana shaped bikini A tattoo, Mike Loves Me, Letters tall enough my Tired eyes can read with ease. I feel badly for her, I feel badly for her parents Who know, as well as I, Young love is ethereal, glandular And cosmically impermanent. What can they do? It has already been written. She will be forced, sometime in her future, Even if it is not her first choice, To marry some man For propriety’s sake Named Mike
Watching daredevils kite surfing , Being propelled through the air, Dropping , then dipping, Skirting the peaks of the cold ocean water rocking to and fro , Becoming airborne barely missing each other as they ascend in the sky. Less daring people run on sand with pastel kites, Yelling and screaming, letting the wind guide them, While enjoying the freedom of autumn on the beach. -Lynn Reebe
-Richard Morgan
Tidal Wave and Vine Some live on Island Long Where ocean’s probes surround, Salt spray layers ancient trees On 20 feet of mound. Some live on mountain high Where Hawthorne gets its name, Thorns that grow on solid rock 400 feet above the plain. The Prince of Earth pays no mind Where he plots his crime, Marriage murder; by drown or choke – By tidal wave and vine. Guard your heart - or victims sure, Grow the root steadfast, To survive like ancient trees so Love’s blossoms ever last. —Photograph and poem by Stephen Huebner (July 14, 2013) Page 20 • Echoes of LBI
— Poetry submissions accepted at echoesoflbi@gmail.com; include writer’s name. My Favorite LBI Things (To be sung to the tune of “My Favorite Things” fromThe Sound of Music) Sundrops on my toes and whistles on lifeguards Bright colored beach kites and twinkling evening stars Walks on the beach with a fun friend who sings These are a few favorite LBI things Two-seater cycles and ice cream with sprinkles Sea glass and sand chairs and night stars with twinkles Sandpipers searching for what tourists bring These are a few favorite LBI things Children in flip-flops with sand toys they’re towing Sea breeze that keeps my skin pink and a-glowing Silvery waters and young kids on swings These are a few favorite LBI things When the gull swoops When the bee stings When I feel a burn I simply remember my LBI things And then I plan to return
Photo and castle by Johnny and
-Joyce Poggi Hager Sad Reality Therapy (Lament on a Coastal Storm) Is it truly shock we feel, Balancing on this edge of probability, Craving so to be near the essence, When the essence clearly demonstrates That it has its own agenda? As such a brilliant species, We surely know the question is not “if ” But “when.” No, we might say “shocked” But we mean “disappointed” -And perhaps most in ourselves For demanding so much From the physical world When it will act as it must Without caring about us at all. -David L. Polodna September Song The chirping of crickets floats through my window on the late August breeze. I am surprised at the sound. Just last night the air was silent and still. But suddenly, their song of summers end is loud and clear. The first whisper of autumn soon to come, is always a surprise, a sudden change. The softening of evening light starts up the cricket’s siren song, so I turn my thoughts to fall, and the golden days of September. —Maggie O’Neill
Bradly Squires
In The Gift Seagulls become objects of envy – just because They talk to the headwind and soar; They mingle in the moods of Mother Nature That we strive so earnestly too Capture in collections of art and song – And our words; they long to connect the tension Between the obvious and sublime. Our Barrier Islands are the first to greet The rising Sun that burns the bottom clouds; An entrance like the Grand Pharaoh Approaching an otherwise humble stretch of sand; All things come to life and Scramble to pay homage – worthy of a king whose Creation craves release from the night. Then business as usual: The inlet traffic – the dolphins track – Bouts of beach time – burgers at Woodies – Maintenance of mansions – Coffee and bagels and lobster tails – Trinkets and treasures; the ebb and flow of The market place of summer’s longest days. The width of a boulevard or ten blocks at the most The Sun traverses; a gentle toast, a sealing glaze, The flavor locked in memories of almost day; Like an undeserved kindness – nothing we’re owed – Nothing to be expected but the setting Sun, The trailing goodbye of diminishing light – Too glorious to go quickly – yet it goes. This cycle of Sunrise and Sunset – Shared by the world but so expressly evident – A bonus, on our Barrier Islands – a fringe benefit. If we are given a world that revolves in the stars – If we are given time to view from this portal – If the Designer gave this, a parenthesis, for our pleasure Then where better to be than living – IN THE GIFT. —Stephen Huebner (August 12, 2013)
Poetry
We stand proud by our country, We stand strong by our land, We stand free by our sand and sea, Our star spangled banner, Red, White, and Blue, Has great meanings, For me and for you. -Photography and poem by Johnny Squires, Age 9
The Second Continental Congress decreed United States Marine Corps into existence on November 10, 1775. A Marine Tribute in Honor of Their Birthday Pacific Islands – All in a Row Overloaded landing crafts, all in a row, Standing room only for Lionhearted Marines Not thinking of tomorrow. Wave after wave of Marine warriors, All in a row, assaulting, Take the beach Before dark, or die trying. Marine tents, all in a row, Days of discipline and routine. Morning sick call, treating all, All except broken hearts.
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Marines standing, all in a row, Sunday services, So many faiths, all with one prayer, End the damn war. Get us home. Five Marines plus one more, All in a row, Raising the American flag Over an island called Iwo Jima. Six thousand Marine graves, all in a row, Crosses standing, Silently declaring, I am here. Never give up. Semper Fi —Richard Morgan
Blue America Sea glass found and photo by Sara Caruso
Lifestyle
Polly and her son
Bob making beach
plum jam.
Mama Johnson making beach plum jam in the 1980s.
D
Jammin’ on LBI
orothy Johnson had been making beach plum jam for as long as her family could remember. One day “Mama” handed over the spoon to her daughter, Polly Fullmer, who’s been carrying on the family tradition. Beach plums grow along the entire East Coast, often near poison ivy and bayberries. Most locals have hidden spots on LBI where they pick year after year. Polly revealed that her nephew Johnny Johnson and his two friends are her suppliers. Out they go with buckets in hand. Beach plums last several days at room temperature. They can be stored in the fridge and can also be frozen.Leaves of the beach plum are jagged and their flowers bloom in May and June. They usually start out white and then change to pink. They ripen in August through October. Some years yield more fruit than others. Polly notes that this year’s crop has been small which she suspects is a result of Super Storm Sandy. Polly still uses the same old spoon, cooking pot, and three flour sacks given to her mother by Grabeldinger’s Bakery, previously located in Beach Haven. She puts the cooked berries in these flour bags and hangs them over the pot to drain out the berry juice. There have been occasions when beach plum martinis were made for the family. A secret sweet and sour sauce is also a family favorite made by Polly. Polly distributes jars of beach Page 24 • Echoes of LBI
plum jam to neighbors and to the local Episcopal Church each year. After Super Storm Sandy, Polly donated jars of jam to be sold to help the people in need on LBI. In addition to her jam, other family favorites include Polly’s homemade chocolate chip cookies, cranberry nut bread and plum pudding. Polly owns and still works at her knitting shop called Needleworks Barn in Moorestown, NJ. Her life is well preserved with just the right ingredients. —Diane Stulga
Dante in his laser
M
y son, who instructs sailing at the Brant Beach Yacht Club (BBYC), often spoke of a young sailor named Dante who had all the makings of a champion. Dante started sailing at seven years old and, at age 16, has sailed both nationally and internationally. He started sailing on an Opti at the Brant Beach Yacht Club and quickly outgrew the vessel not due to size or age but ability. Normally Opti sailors outgrow their boats because the small craft can only carry a person weighing 100 lbs. or less. Since his early Opti years, Dante has sailed a sunfish as well as a laser — what he currently sails. Even though he only sails for ten weeks in the summer, he competes among sailors that sail all year round. He has sailed in competitions in Italy, Argentina, Texas and numerous places around the world. The fact that he can master such a feat after only practicing in the summer, and then to operate a laser with the same mastery as sailors who practice year round, is something to be proud of. Those familiar with sailing a laser know that it takes extreme strength, balance and maneuverability. Who knows, maybe Dante will represent the USA in the next summer Olympics! —Rena DiNeno
Don’t leave your dogs out in the cold! Even though they wear fur coats, like humans they still can suffer from hypothermia like humans! Make sure to protect their pads from debris left by the salt trucks and snow plows. Remember, a healthy dog is a happy dog so no table scraps no matter how much they beg!
Lifestyle
I
lugged six trash bags to the curb on a recent grey, misty morning. Although Dad had given me the okay, I still felt sad tossing stuff that was damp but otherwise undamaged by Superstorm Sandy. The garage was, after all, his domain. Years worth of tools and junk had accumulated since the 1970s, much of it from our old house. Two long shelves held rusted hammers, jars of nails and screws, electrical tape, frayed bungee cords and other random stuff my father stored in what I’m sure he believed was a systematic way. About an hour into the purge, something made me turn from one side of the garage and look behind me. My eyes moved to the top left corner and there, high on a shelf in the corner, was a brown box with the words “Old Pictures” written on it in my mother’s handwriting. In that moment, I swear I heard music from heaven. I stood immobile in grungy clothes with my hair stuffed in a baseball cap and a protective mask over my nose and mouth, just staring at the box. To reach it, I had to step on a few stacked bags of roof shingles, squeeze past an antique maple dresser and climb onto the old Singer sewing machine cabinet while ducking under the rusted bicycle-built-for-two hanging upside down from the rafters. Somehow I carefully lowered myself down holding the box without stumbling. I pulled back the gray duct tape sealing the top of the box and found multiple Ziploc bags inside. Each bag contained photos and was labeled: one for each of my siblings and me; one each with my mother’s and father’s surnames; others labeled Christmas, DisneyWorld, Cousins; even one labeled Dad/ War. A batch of sepia photos from my father’s ancestors on a farm in Italy had words in Italian written on the back. I figured they must have been taken in the late 1800s. When had my mother done this? Why was this treasure trove in the garage instead of the Page 26 • Echoes of LBI
hall closet with the other photo albums? Who knew to put the box on the top shelf so that it wouldn’t get flooded by a storm? Standing there amid the dust and rust, I sensed my mother saying, “Here, Joyce, use this. Write about this.” I’ve been working on my memoir for three years with certain photos from childhood imprinted in my mind. Now here they were and more. Though Mom died 4 1/2 years ago, she still bestows her gift of love. — Photography and article by Joyce Poggi Hager
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Lifestyle
Viewfinder L
ike any great photographer looking to maximize the shot, a homeowner looking to make the place he calls home the best it can be must think — and see — outside of the box. You literally must look beyond the box of your property’s boundaries. When it’s yours, your eye often stops at your property line. A longer view, however, enables you to create the best possible visual and living environment on your footprint. What can, and should, be enhanced? What can, and should, be concealed? Both questions are essential. The right answers will make all the difference, according to Reynolds Landscaping in Manahawkin. Yes, you may have a bay or the ocean right there in your own backyard, but if you don’t take advantage of that feature, you’re losing out. Conversely, do you really want the neighbor’s house to be a focal point of your home life? The details come in terms of plant materials, landform elements, tonal contrasts, orientation, screening techniques, placement of furniture, and many other elements. Shadow and light, texture, movement, scent, and sound, all play a role here, too.
Travertine-tiled sitting area with natural stone firepit has been designed and positioned to take full advantage of expansive bay front views. Photo Copyright Tanek Hood
To start with, however, you need someone with a design eye sensitive to the longer view. Reynolds Landscaping is a true “viewfinder.” Their eye is trained to see both the long view (beyond your property’s boundaries) and the short view (within). They know how to take advantage of the borrowed landscape (of sky and ocean, the dock in the distance, the glint of sunlight on saltwater); they know how to create privacy; they know how to set the stage for those parties. Equally important, they also know how to hide the undesirable — from electrical pumps to the neighbor’s driveway. When you look up and out, the world is always there. It’s vital that you make sure you have the best of it in your sightline. -Annaliese Jakimides
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Custom-built cedar screen creates aesthetic accent to backyard patio while screening hot tub from adjacent property. Photo Copyright John Martinelli
Setting sun viewed from an elevated spa - open views along the lagoon and overlooking the pool and dining area. Photo Copyright John Martinelli
Lifestyle Artifacts related to sailing • Russel Risden photo
Page 30 • Echoes of LBI
Sailing on Barnegat Bay M ost people have never heard of Captain James Brown who came to Long Beach Island in the early twentieth century and dreamed of opening a yacht club. In 1947, that dream came true when he helped create the Brant Beach Yacht Club. Over the last 66 years Captain Brown’s dream affected thousands of lives because he created a place where people who have a passion for the sea could come together and pass their passion to the next generation. Having sailed at Brant Beach Yacht Club for the past three years, I have been personally touched by Captain Brown’s legacy. I first tried my hand at sailing in 2010. My father rigged up a small dinghy and I enjoyed sailing it during the summer. Those few months were filled with trial and error as I learned how to handle a sailboat. It was not until I joined the Southern Regional High School Sailing Team, though, when I fully appreciated sailboats. High school sailing coach Suzanne Ellis instilled in me a love of sailing. When I went out on the water in a 420 (the type of two-person boat sailed at high school and college levels), I was literally blown away. Sailing has since become not only a sport for me, but also a passion. The high school sailing team is based out of the Brant Beach Yacht Club, the very place where Captain Brown once sailed. A typical day of sailing practice would last three hours. It would start by rigging the boats; in other words getting the sails out, hoisted, and all the ropes cleated. After rigging, we would set out on the bay for a series of practice races or courses.
Jack Ellis and Russel Risden sailing for the Southern Regional High School Team, May 2013
Then the team would head in after what would sometimes be a challenging day out on the water. The hard work would pay off, though, when it came time to race. My first regatta race was a life-changing experience. There is nothing like having a good sea breeze, hiking over the side, and enjoying the ride of a sailboat underway. The high school sailing team’s season got cut short when Hurricane Sandy hit Long Beach Island in the fall of 2012, devastating the yacht clubs. It was not the first major storm to hit the Jersey Shore. Captain Brown had seen his share while he lived on the island and helped to rebuild the clubs, just as members did this year. Our local community proved how strong they were by rebuilding so quickly, enabling us to sail in the spring season and into the summer. It was a bittersweet moment when I sailed in my last high school race in May. The fun-filled learning experience is one I will never forget. Currently, I own a 19’ foot O’Day Mariner named the Second Wind II after a sailboat once anchored off of Brant Beach Yacht Club. I cannot wait to finish restoring it so that I may take friends and family out on the water and share the joy of sailing on Barnegat Bay. There is a bond that exists between sailors — a bond I think Captain Brown and I would have shared. His legacy and dream continue as the love of sailing spans the generations. —Photography and article by Russell Risden
Lifestyle
W
hether it’s in the genes or whether generations were merely conditioned to return to the same block where they spent their childhood summers, it’s in the blood now. The numerous members of the Guglielmo clan populate the 21st Street beach in Surf City; nearly everyone in attendance is a cousin. The Guglielmo’s Surf City story began after the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944. Albert Varrelman was a New Jersey state trooper called to work on storm-ravaged Long Beach Island to prevent looting. Al quickly realized that his temporary island post was a special place. So he staked his family claim, buying side-by-side lots on 21st Street and connecting two prefab units to form one house. Uncle Al had married into a big Italian family. His wife Marie Guglielmo had nine brothers and sisters. One by one they migrated to the island. Marie’s sister Vera and her husband Joe Tomao cashed in a $200 insurance policy for a down payment on a fishing shack down the street, because their daughter Joann’s allergies fared better in the healthy sea air. The original cottage consisted of a tiny kitchen and living area, two bedrooms and a bathroom, with the kitchen table on the side porch. At night, myriad cousins would climb the outside staircase to the unfinished attic to sleep in dormitoryPage 32 • Echoes of LBI
Present-day look at the 21st Street, bayfront. Ed and Joan Tomao’s current home is on the corner. The neighbor’s 1940s home with the brick fireplace still stands. Natalie McTigue photo
style beds. The uninsulated attic could make for some saunalike sleeping conditions, and protruding nails were a constant hazard, but everyone from Johnny and Eddie, to Richie and Joe, were content just to spend time with their extended family at the shore. In 1966, Eddie Tomao married Joan Marchetti and they spent their newlywed summers in that same attic. Sometimes they shared their luxury accommodations with another couple, and the foursome would get a little noisy after a night out at the Hudson House in Beach Haven. Vera would bang on the ceiling with a broomstick to quiet down the attic party. Joan remembers the day that she and Ed broke the news to her inlaws that they were building their own cape on Sunset Avenue, a whopping five blocks away. Her in-laws couldn’t understand why they would venture so far. That announcement prompted Joe and Vera to build a sizable addition to the cottage to prevent their daughters from making similarly bold moves. Over the years, various branches of the family have moved like chess pieces into different homes. All the properties are within a short walking distance to Uncle Al’s original beach. During the annual summer “Cousins’ Week,” the family circle of beach chairs grows huge. Cousin Joe Sam Pantaleo mans the 21st Street lifeguard stand, as other Guglielmo descendants
The Varrelman/Tomao clan digs a firepit on 21st Street near the bay to roast hotdogs, circa 1946. Appearing in photo, seated from left: Marie Varrelman Melchiori, Elizabeth Varrelman, Mrs. Soffel, Joann Tomao McNamara, Dolores Tomao Smith, and Ed Tomao Standing from left: Marie Guglielmo Varrelman, Joe Tomao, Mickey Guglielmo and Vera Guglielmo Tomao
have before him. Aunt Dolores Tomao Smith shares that over the years some friends and neighbors have requested a “cousin card,” but she explains with a smile that that would require a family vote. Ed Tomao’s boyhood cottage now houses his older daughter’s family. The home has air conditioning and modern renovations, but no one would dare remove the knotty-pine paneling. Likewise, his son and younger daughter and their families spend summers in that larger cape that he and Joan
built in the hinterlands on Sunset Avenue. When the kids, grandkids and many, many cousins spend days on the beach together and gather at night for backyard barbecues, it is clear that the connection to the island is passed from generation to generation just as sure as brown eyes or curly hair. The official Guglielmo family tree is eleven pages long now. When the tree sprouts new buds, the roots just grow a little bit deeper into the 21st Street sand. —Diane McTigue Diane and her husband Mike bought a house right off 21st Street in Surf City in 2005. They hope to earn cousin cards someday.
Attic has not been changed since the 1940s • Natalie McTigue photo
Lifestyle
I
n 1937, Peahala Park was an undeveloped area of land where Captain Horace A. Fisk lived aboard a houseboat, landbound in the marshes and tethered to a piling. He owned four gaff-rigged catboats, the Ethel being the largest at about 27 feet and the only one with a cabin. She had a big canvas sail with reef points, easily able to hold a family of six. Families chartered Ethel for a day of sailing, fishing, clamming and crabbing. Artist Marilyn Buzby Flagler remembers Captain Fisk as “looking like Popeye, skinny, gnarly, and didn’t say much.” Born in 1872, Captain Horace is listed in a 1910 Tuckerton census as a bayman. Marilyn and Phil Flagler started dating when they were in college and married in the 1950s. Phil was Little Egg Harbor’s head sailing counselor and Marilyn was the first sailing counselor for the Brant Beach Yacht Club. Marilyn and Phil have been leaders of the Long Beach Island community. They speak of uncomplicated days when kids wandered between Mrs. Pettibone’s store/Post Office, fishing off Brown’s Dock – preceding the formation of Brant Beach Yacht Club – and sailboats in Harris Harbor. A marine railway provided access to Harris Harbor where the catboats were stored off-season. Phil says, “The whole area was not built up. We could see boats off the marine railway in winter and the incline as the railway dipped into the water. I remember wide, open spaces with a spit of land. Grasses blew in the breeze around Harris Harbor, a natural sanctuary. Brant, a small goose, was abundant, hence the name of the community. There were no houses and no bulkheads.” Marilyn said, “When my grandfather died, grandmother Blanche Mackenzie Fischler came to visit every summer. We would have family outings aboard the Ethel. In those days, ladies wore dresses on board boats.” With a pipe in his mouth, Captain Fisk would row the family out to board the catboat. Marilyn, her mother and father, two older brothers, and maternal grandmother would go on sailing adventures on the old workboat Ethel. “I learned to cut squid for bait and eat raw clams from the mud. On the bay bottom we could even see skates flopping along.” Marilyn also remembers girls in uniforms from Camp Dune sailing in the bay. Although the main base for Camp
Dune was in Ship Bottom, the camp had a dock on the bay at 56th Street in Brant Beach where the sneakboxes/duckboats were tied and where the campers received their instruction. The Buzby family – Kenneth and Esther - purchased a home on the bay with a beach in Brant Beach about 1944, enjoying activities at the start-up of the expanding Brant Beach Yacht Club. Marilyn said, “My family liked Brant Beach because of the openness. Beach Haven and Spray beach seemed too citified.” Phil Flagler says the boats in Harris Harbor survived the 1944 Hurricane; but soon after, the area began its change from rural to homes dotting the landscape. Seaside dragonlets, commonly known as salt marsh dragonflies, flit from here to there. Children wished those critters would devour every green fly in Harris Harbor. Diamond back terrapins deposited eggs in the marsh, while gulls cackled insanely overhead between feeding on small baitfish. Today, no grass grows in Harris Harbor. Bulkheads now surround the area from the north side around to the small Beach Haven Park Yacht Club where the marshland had been and the bay is no longer visible from Long Beach Boulevard. “I can still hear the creaking of Ethel,” Marilyn recalls. “The smell of the old catboat was very salty, like when you were coming across the old causeway and smelled the flats.” —Gretchen Coyle The background of the sailing yacht Ethel remains elusive. An exploration of US merchant vessel books for the first four decades of the 1900s lists numerous sailing yachts with the name Ethel. Yet none match up with a suitable port along the Jersey Shore. Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts lists a few sailing vessels named Ethel in the Long Island area in the first decades of the 1900s, all within 23’ to 37’ range. Could Ethel have been part of the old Beach Haven Yacht Club fleet? She does not show up here either. It was unusual to re-name a boat, superstition being that bad luck would await an owner who changed a boat’s name. Surely Ethel was once a workboat, catering to the two-legged catch only after many years of fishing, clamming and oystering.
Phil and Marilyn Fla
gler reminisce about Harris Harbor during a 2013 explorat ion of the lagoon.
Page 34 • Echoes of LBI
Performance Bikes For All Levels!
Family owned for more than 54 years, Walters Bikes is LBI’s only full service bike shop. Check out our huge selection of mountain and road bikes, hybrids, cruisers, townies, and BMX bikes. All in stock. Famous brands like Trek, Schwinn, Giant and Eastern & more. Open all year with sales, service & smiles!
418 Long Beach Blvd • Ship Bottom, NJ 08008 • 609-494-1991
Lifestyle
T
hirty years ago, when I moved here year round, I purchased a pair of Reef flip-flops at a sidewalk sale in Ship Bottom for one dollar. Over the years, I’ve had countless pairs of flip-flops but none as faithful as these. They have survived a marriage and divorce, the birth and college graduation of my son, jobs and career changes, old and new relationships, and even hurricanes, including the infamous Super Storm Sandy that attacked my shoe shelf and took away pairs of sneakers, shoes, boots and six other pairs of flip-flops. My Reefs, which were in the trunk of my car and still remain there, miraculously survived. Living at the shore, flip-flops are part of everyone’s wardrobe. They come in all sizes, colors, textures and some even have
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glitter and stones. Just walk to the beach any sunny afternoon and you’ll see an array of them lined up like soldiers against a dune fence blockade. While most people use the flip-flops primarily in the summer, mine are at my side all year round; I never bid them farewell. In winter, I wear them around the house as slippers or bring them to the indoor pool at the gym. They’re as much a part of my feet as my toes! As I celebrate the 30th anniversary of my flip-flops this year, I will cherish the times I had wearing them because they are among the few possessions that remain near and dear to me since Super Storm Sandy ravished my home and displaced me. Hopefully, we will both be returning soon. —Rena DiNeno
I
n 1988, my best friend, Dottie, and I came to LBI for the first time. Both our husbands were not fond of the beach. They preferred to go fresh water fishing in our home state of New York. So, with my three kids — Claire, AJ and Lindsay — and Dottie’s two kids — Julia and David — we packed up our cars and headed south to New Jersey. After unpacking in our rental house in Surf City, we discovered that we both had forgotten our beach footwear. So off we went to the 5&10 to purchase flip-flops. To our amazement, there were only two styles to choose from in 1988. We both selected the same style flip-flops, but in different colors. We were shocked to see the price of more than $10! Yet we needed them so off to the check- out counter we went to pay.
What an investment we made that day! We never thought we’d still own them, wear them daily, and travel with them. I would like to say “Happy 25th Flip-Flop Anniversary” to my dear friend, Dottie! For Dottie’s 50th birthday, we explored Scotland with our beloved flip-flops. As an avid traveler, my flip-flops accompanied me to Denmark, England, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, Japan, France, Mexico, Newfoundland and Belize. In February 2014, I’ll celebrate my 60th birthday. On my bucket list is another destination: Australia and New Zealand. Guess what will be packed first in my suitcase? —Photography and article by Kathy DeWitt-Ketcham
Lifestyle
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omfort or conservatism? What impacted the evolution of our beach attire? In the 1800s, modesty was a virtue. When it came to women’s beachwear, the human body was left for the imagination. Long bathing dresses had weights along the hem so the dress would not float up; black stockings completed the look. In 1825, dressing rooms on wheels called bathing machines appeared at some beach resorts; they carried fully clothed women to the water by horse so the women could change into their beach attire without onlookers. Tunics and bloomers where considered the trendy beach ensemble in the 1870s, as well as the one-piece wool trouser jumpsuits. During the early 1900s the one-piece tank style became snugger and smaller. As the Roaring Twenties approached, gender roles changed and swimming became a competitive sport among women. During this time, Australian swimwear company Speedo created the first non-wool bathing suit. In the 1930s, latex was a new fabric used for a more figure-hugging silhouette, easy movement and the reveal of bare legs. The two-piece suit emerged in the 1940s revealing a small amount of skin above the belly button. Heads turned and the world gasped when the belly button was exposed. Frenchman Louis Reard stunned the world in 1946 during a film festival when he debuted the bikini on the beaches of Cannes by an adult dancer. All of Europe mimicked the style while Americans still where not ready to reveal so much skin. After the bikini of 1946, structured suits made with built-in corsets, boning that flattened the tummy and cinched in the
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waist, made big splashes. Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe emphasized her curves in the figure flattering suits helping to glamorize the look. Once the free-spirited 1960s approached and more private swimming facilities popped up, bikinis became the suit of choice. With teeny weenie bikinis and surf trunks, the California rock-androll beach party lifestyle was taking America by storm. The magical fabric of spandex, created by the Lycra company, made the bathing suit more revealing — shiny when dry and glistening when wet. Then spandex changed the swimwear world forever. As time progressed, less fabric was used. String bikinis hit the racks in the 1970s, while the 1980s completely ditched full bum coverage and also accepted revealing tops. The sun-worshipping culture wore extremely high-cut bikini bottoms, following the Brazilian fads. The popular television series Baywatch appeared in the early 1990s reminding America that lifeguards where supposed to be tanned, beautiful and wear some of the most revealing swimwear trends of the century. Towards the end of the 1990s, the tankini was introduced, offering ladies a fashionable yet modest alternative. Today, less is more when it comes to swimwear. Beachgoers wear itsy bitsy bikinis, board shorts and cut-out one-pieces so that nothing is left to the imagination. According to a recent study by clothing company Land’s End, 20% of women are concerned of what the general public thinks when they wear a bathing suit. People opt for swimwear styles that are trendy, yet comfortable. Most people are just so happy to be by the ocean that they really do not mind what they look like. Baring it all has given us a less self conscious, free-spirited America. —Cassidy Holowach
Since 1974. Footwear, watches, dvds Women’s, men’s & kids’ clothing Surfboards, sunglasses, wetsuits Wave Riding Vehicles sales/rentals Large selection of wetsuits & Uggs. 609-494-3555 • Surfinglbi.com 1820 Long Beach Blvd Ship Bottom Largest distributor of Wave Riding Vehicles for over 30 years
Unleash Your Inner ALOHA Spirit. Long Beach Island only custom surf board company. Stop by and watch boards being shaped!
Lifestyle
I
felt excited and a bit nervous waiting for the Island bus that July morning in1956. Tom Regan, my art teacher at Southern Regional High School, had obtained a scholarship for me at the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Science in Loveladies. Never having an opportunity to study with real artists, this was an exciting opportunity. The four-week adventure started with plein-aire painting at Independent Dock with Marty Zipin. Today this busy port at 19th Street, Barnegat Light is still my go-to spot to work and exhibit my watercolors. I also muddied my hands on the potter’s wheel (it’s really tough to center that small mound of clay) and created an 18” cricket relief with Ray Gallucci. As a shy teenager, I didn’t realize these two men were part of the original group who established this art and science school on thirty-three acres by Boris Blai in 1948. Mr. Blai was a student of sculptor Auguste Rodin and the founding dean of Tyler School of Art at Temple University. His vision of a facility providing space, support and Page 40 • Echoes of LBI
encouragement of the arts on this beautiful island has grown tremendously over the past 65 years. The foundation has offered summer classes, residencies, exhibits and entertainment. Today, all these educational programs and entertainment are available year round. Surrounded by open wetlands to the bay, tennis courts on the south, and classrooms for children to the north, the unique main building is sectioned into a large ceramic studio, gallery, studios and modern kitchen. Check out the upcoming classes and indoor programs for the entire community as we slide into autumn and the quieter season of winter. The accomplished staff and members of LBIF include: • Kristy Redford, Executive Director, has used her BA in Communications as an account executive in arts for businesses. As an entrepreneur, she established “Remember Me” in Moorestown, NJ.
Pictured from left to right: Tom Seiz, Harriet Rothman, Lydia Owens, Paul Daukas and Karen Smith; Back row: Marvin Levitt, Carol Freas, Matt Burton, Kristy Redford and Lori Bonanni; Front row: Jerry Kaba, Linda Ramsey and Judy Golden
•Jerr Kaba, Gallery & Ceramics Studio Manager and teacher. •Lydia Owens, Membership & Special Events Coordinator, teaches printmaking. •Matt Burton, board member for five years, participated in the children’s programs in the 1970s and returned in 1996 to manage the ceramic studio. •Marvin Levitt initially worked with Mr. Blai, casting his clay work in plaster and then teaching many classes at LBIF since the early 1950s. •Linda Ramsey, oil painter, works diligently on the annual LBI artist open Studio Tour each June. •Lisa Budd and Karen Smith guide students in watercolor and oil painting. •Sisters Judy Golden and Harriet Rothman, have been active members since the early 1970s playing tennis, painting and working in the ceramic studio (starting on the old stand up kick wheel). • Paul Daukas, a retired corporate art director, volunteers the use of his painting in advertising.
•Tom Seiz had a 1968 painting scholarship. •Lori Bonanni, member, is a plein-aire artist. With an art education degree from Kutztown College in Pennsylvania and previous experience in Florida and Virginia, I returned to teach watercolor with then-director Dorthe England in the early 1990s when my husband’s employer relocated us back to LBI. It has been an honor to follow Mr. Zipin’s lead. His encouragement 54 years ago has given me the opportunity to stimulate and repeat what I learned here long ago— opening eyes and hearts to creative expression in a unique environment. —Carol Freas Check the web for new classes, 2014 programs and kids camps. www.lbifoundation.org Page 41 • Echoes of LBI
Lifestyle
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hen it comes to friendly faces behind the counter at the Barnegat Light Post Office, Norman the post office pup gets a real stamp of approval from his customers. As he moves about the parcels and letters and packing tape, each wag of his tail delivers a message that illustrates just how winds of misfortune can blow good things your way.
Mathis replied, not entirely seriously, “Can you get us a puppy?” Normile took Mathis’s words to heart and contacted Homeless Paws in Manahawkin to see about getting a puppy for the family. As luck would have it, a litter of pups and their mom had just washed up from a shelter in North Carolina and were currently being taken care of in a NJ foster home. Would the Mathis family care to come and take a look?
Norman, a black lab mix, belongs to Postmaster Dorothy Mathis and her family. His special delivery arrival came to the Mathis family on the heels of Hurricane Sandy and in the aftermath of a horrible tragedy that hit the family when they lost their 7-yearold dog, Luke.
“We weren’t sure about finding a puppy right away,” said Mathis. “But we went to see the puppies anyway and ended up falling in love with one of them. The puppy was a black lab mix like Luke and he resembled Luke.” It also turned out that the puppy - whose name became Norman in a nod to Principal Normile - came through the same rescue as Luke did. “It was fate,” said Mathis. “God’s work.”
“We were temporarily relocated to Barnegat Light because of the storm,” said Mathis. “I was out walking Luke one afternoon when he slipped his collar and was hit by a car.” Devastated is the word Mathis uses to describe how she and her family - husband Jack and their daughter Nancy - felt after the accident. “We lost a member of the family that day,” she said simply. A while after the incident, Pinelands Regional High School Principal Tom Normile happened to be speaking with Mathis and asked “Is there anything I can do for you?”
And God’s work now comes to work occasionally with Mathis. Postal patrons positively love to see Norman. “Nobody says hello to me anymore,” said Mathis jokingly. “People love him. But that’s the best thing about Norman - the love.” —Photography and article by Marjorie Amon For more information about Homeless Paws and available pets for adoption go to petfinder.com and visit their Facebook page.
Postmaster Dorothy Mathis with Norman the black lab Page 42 • Echoes of LBI
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The Marsh in the Fall • Cheryl Kirby photo
Fall Colors
Chamber of Commerce
As the seasons change, so do the colors on LBI and Manahawkin. There's no better way to end a day than watching the sunset and seeing the leaves transform into one of Nature's greatest spendors. LBI may not be known for its trees like some vacation destinations, but the marshes and beaches show quite an array of colors come September.
October 5 & 6 Chowderfest Weekend, Beach Haven October 6 41st Annual LBI 18 miles Run October 19 & 20 NJ Lighthouse Challenge Weekend Why spend your fall doing nothing, when you could still be having fun with your family? Southern Ocean Chamber of Commerce presents fall fun like the 25th Annual Chowderfest, 18 mile run, and the Lighthouse Challenge. For information call 609.494.8861
Ship Bottom Christmas Parade
Sara Caruso photo
Saturday, December 7 Come out and see all the local businesses celebrate the holiday season in home made floats as they make their way through Ship Bottom. Plus don't miss out on the scavenger hunt where you could win cool prices that are sure to bring holiday cheer. This year no storm is going to rain on our parade! Sara Caruso photo
Surflight Theatre Located on the corner of Engleside and Beach Avenues, Beach Haven's historic Surflight is the place to be this fall and winter. Now going into its landmark 65th year on LBI, Surflight brings you outstanding local talent performing Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. These include Thornton Wilder's (9/25 - 10/4), featuring actors from right here on LBI and Manahawkin, and the classic Irving Berlin's (11/29 - 12/22). For tickets and information call 609.492.9477 or go to surflight.org
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LONG BEACH ISLAND REGION, NJ MEMORIES BEGIN HERE Saturday, Oct. 5 MERCHANTS MART
Sunday, Oct. 6 CHOWDER COOK-OFF
OUTDOOR FOOD COURT
CHOWDER COOK-OFF CLASSIC Your Favorite Restaurants Serving Chowder Under The Big Top
Sponsored by U.S. Foodservice
Don’t miss this! End-of-Season Blowout Bargains from your favorite local shopkeepers
“oh give me a house by the shining sea, by the waves and the sand and the sky...”
October11 & 12
LIVE FALL AND HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES SEASONAL FESTIVALS & MARKETS LIGHTHOUSE CLIMBS & FUN RUNS
Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce 9th St. Ship Bottom 609-4947211 • VisitLBIRegion.com
Supported in part by a grant from The NJ Dept. of State, Division of Travel & Tourism
Maggie M. O’Neill Real Estate Sales Mary Allen Realty, Inc. Ship Bottom, NJ 609-494-0700 Lunasea32@gmail.com
Marine Science
The Wide World of Shells
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potted, spiraled, knobbed, crowned, arced, banded, spiked, pointed, teeny, tiny, large, robust, beautiful, dull, jagged, rigid, delicate, intricate — all of these words are applicable when describing seashells. Seashells exhibit a wide array of appearances, differing in color, shape, size, formation, and arrangement. Some factors affecting the aesthetics of an animal’s shell include its habitat, food source, predators, and behaviors. Environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity, and substrate play a vital role in the isolation of species and their evolution. The features and adaptations of shelled animals are in abundance to say the least. Shells can be paired or singular. Paired or bivalve shells are hinged, which enables some animals, like file clams, to open and shut in a rapid, clapping motion, generating a burst of movement which allows for a change in scenery. A chiton possesses a shell composed of a series of overlapping plates. The chambered nautilus is known for its remarkable and beautiful shell that contains numerous chambers where an exchange of gases takes place, allowing it to travel to depths of up to 2,000 feet! In some instances, sharp spines may adorn a mollusk’s shell to pierce the sensitive mouth of a larger attacker. Some shells, like that of the carrier shell, are even seen donning other shells, rocks, and corals. Despite all of these variances, shells are all formed with the same basic principal in mind: survival. Many inhabitants of shells are soft-bodied animals such as: conchs, clams, cowries, chitons, mussels and scallops. They require some form of shelter and protection against the elements as well as other organisms that see them as a potential meal. Yet, it is important to note not all members of phylum Mollusca undergo the formation of a shell. Others, such as the extravagantly colored sea slugs, have very specific diets that grant them the ability to manufacture and yield a poison to deter predators.
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Species in the class Aplachophora, or naked mollusks, produce calcareous spicules that cover their bodies and they are strictly deep-water, benthic marine organisms. Furthermore, the majority of cephalopods are armed with an ink sac, long tentacles and/or arms, chromatophores (color-changing cells), and high elasticity to help them defend against predators. Shells offer protection to the organisms that create them and to other marine creatures. Hermit crabs rely on the shells of snails as a portable home; they carry the shell from place to place, seeking shelter inside when threatened. In addition, as the hermit crab grows and molts its exoskeleton, it requires a larger shell to move into. Certain species of octopuses have been observed implementing shells in a similar fashion. I have personally witnessed reef fish using the shells of queen conchs as a source of cover. Furthermore, weather and turbulent waters break down shells over time, returning calcium, carbon, and oxygen to the ocean. As humans, we use seashells to create works of art, amass collections for scientific study and appreciation, decorate our homes, houseplants, hold bars of soap, and even set records in conch-blowing! We put them on display and make crafts with them. We harvest the animals they shelter for food. We crush and compact them into our roadways. They are ecologically important and have aided in human development. In years past, Native Americans used a currency consisting of clamshells called wampum. Also, clam and oyster shells were combined with clay to serve as a plaster used to hold logs together in their homes, also known as wigwams. With seashells being so varied and vast, it is up to our imaginations to wonder about what the future holds for the shelled creatures of our oceans. — Photography and article by Ryan Paul Marchese
Above Left: Winners of the 2012 “Guess the Gallon Jar” Contest at the LBI Sea Glass and Arts Festival. Pictured above: Jennifer Lubach and her nephews Braden and Parker Dugan. Photo by Marjorie Amon Directly Above: Brothers John, and Max as well as sisters Emma and Kat have finds of their own. Back row Emma and Kat, seated Max, Ben and John. Photo by Cheryl Kirby Directly Left: Ben found this extinct Sand Tiger Shark tooth in Ship Bottom this August. Photo by Cheryl Kirby Page 48 • Echoes of LBI
Marine Science
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ew seashells have attained the stature and recognition of Strombus (Lobatus) gigas Linnaeus, 1758, the West Indian Queen Conch [pronounced ‘konk’], a gastropod mollusk native to south Florida and the West Indies. Its large size and flush pink aperture sets it apart as an icon in the molluscan realm. Queen Conchs grow to be one of the largest West Indian gastropods. The heavy shell with knobbed shoulder spines and a thick flaring outer lip adorns many seashell collections and is frequently used as accent pieces for interior decorating schemes. Queen Conchs are tropical coastal marine inhabitants living on sandy and grassy shallow flats down to subtidal depths. Easy access to these mollusks by fishermen and demand for the shell and its animal has put tremendous overfishing pressures on conch populations. Fish and Wildlife authorities have placed a ban on collecting Queen Conchs in Florida; though collecting is not policed in the West Indies. Conch farms, mostly in the Bahamas, have been established to help satisfy the demand for conch meat in the food industry and reduce the impact of fishing natural conch populations. The animal of the Queen Conch is a staple food source for Bahamians were large conch shell middens are the only visible remnants of consumed conch meat. Queen Conch meat is the central ingredient for dozens of conch dishes from soups
Echoes of LB I Magazine
TM
2013 Endless Summer Edition
Long Beach Island Arts and Lifestyle Magazine
Page 50 • Echoes of LBI
to salads and is popularly fried into fritters. There is, though, a lesser known use for the Queen Conch shell. The Queen Conch shell has historically been used as a horn by indigenous people of the West Indies. The loud, sharp and shrill sound from a conch horn can be heard bellowing over long distances. It was commonly used to announce auspicious occasions and prayer ceremonies to the surrounding villages. The shell becomes a natural trumpet by removing the apex of the spire at a point where the opening is about the size of a dime-size coin. The acoustics of air being blown through the spire opening as it rushes through the ever-widening internal spiral whorls of the shell causes a shrill ear-splitting sound to be emitted from the aperture. Mastering the technique to make the characteristic conch-horn sound takes considerable practice. These ancient horns were essentially the first wind instruments. Horns made from shells like the Queen Conch have been popularized by modern jazz musicians, especially American jazz trombonist Steve Turre. It is not uncommon to hear the eerie conch-sound mixed into the sound tracks of sci-fi movies to help set the tone of an ominous scene. After centuries of use by societies dating back to the original West Indian inhabitants, the Queen Conch continues to fascinate those who have a true appreciation for the natural; be it gastronomic, aesthetic or reveling in the cacophony of primitive harmonies. —Richard L. Goldberg
Cover Photographer - Ryan Paul Marchese
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yan Paul Marchese is a local photographer and recent graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Upon graduation, he was awarded best portfolio and outstanding achievement and received high honors. He recently began working with Barksdale Photography as a portrait photographer. Prior to the Art Institute, Ryan dove into photography while acquiring his bachelor’s degree in marine biology at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. After becoming a certified diver, he completed an independent study in underwater photography and was then published for his work with marine life in Advanced Underwater Photography by Larry Gates. He has won numerous contests with, and been published by, the Asbury Park Press. In addition, he is a featured photographer in an upcoming issue of Pique magazine. Ryan is rarely caught without his camera. He enjoys documenting the world around him. His subject material ranges from portraits to architecture, still life, and nature. Ryan has a particular curiosity for wildlife; if it walks, crawls, swims, or flies, you can bet it’s within his frame of view.
Natural Nautical Design by Cheryl Bring the beauty of the ocean into your home with Natural Nautical Designs by Cheryl. Celebrating 40 years in business, Things A Drift in Ship Bottom has the largest selection of high-grade shells on the East Coast, including a perfect specimen Queen Helmet and a 575-lb. Tridacna. Cheryl’s expertise has been sought by shore-loving homeowners locally and nationally. She will gladly consult with you to customize a nautical design suitable for your living space too.
Decorating a mantel, living room, poolside or patio with gifts from the sea brings serenity to the home. Stop by to select a precious treasure of your own. For more information call 609.361.1668
Oystercatchers - Frank Grasso photo
Ryan Johnson photo Page 52 • Echoes of LBI
50 & Counting
Eckert family photo at their Brant Beach home. All photography courtesy of Gayle and Sandy Dorman
ISLAND PUNCH
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s an amateur boxer, Young Kid McCoy was paid $30 if he won and $25 if he lost. The featherweight champion of Philadelphia turned pro in 1930 when he was offered $100 for a fight he couldn’t refuse. This boxer was Al Eckert who lived in Brant Beach and was a familiar sight walking down the boulevard dressed in a suit and tie. Upon returning from his walk he would do six rounds on the heavy bag, four on the light bag, and shadowbox in the small gym in his basement.
four times, his jaw broken, and over sixty facial stitches throughout his career. Yet Al didn’t limit himself to one career. He worked as an iceman for the Brant Beach Ice Company, a swimming instructor in Brant Beach, and a welding supervisor at the New York Ship Yard in Camden. He opened a health solarium in Philadelphia in the mid1940s and managed it until the 1980s. He believed diet, exercise and the sun were the three essential ingredients to staying healthy.
Al enjoyed a thirteen year career as a pro with more than 230 fights. Some of his boxing opponents were Jesse Sann, Pepe Martinez, Fritzie Zivic, Tommy Loughran, Mexican Joe Rivers and Bob Montgomery. Most of his fights were in Philadelphia, Florida and California. Although Al doesn’t remember the actual number of wins vs. losses, he does know he won more than he lost. He had his nose broken
Gayle and Sandy Dorman purchased Al’s home in 1996. Except for the kitchen, the 1910 house boasts original walls, ceilings and wood floors. The dining room holds a curio filled with old bottles found on the property after the Dormans purchased the home. The boxing ring still stands in the basement and Al’s gloves hang on the wall next to it. —Diane Stulga
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50 & Counting
Youthful Days in Barnegat Light During WWII As an 11-year-old, I worked at the Independent Fish Co. during summers in the early 1940s. That’s where I made fish boxes for my Uncle Henry who ran the dock. The boxes were approximately 18" x 24" x 10" deep and constructed from light wood, think pine or basswood.
war, there were no lights on at night due to the Blackout Zone. All window shades remained closed in the evening. I saw Navy patrol blimps watching for U-boats along the coast at night. I remember German U-Boats and warnings and the sinking of two oil takers at sea around 8th Street.
Fishing boats would arrive around 3pm to unload mackerel, flounder, bass, and lobster. I helped load the fish boxes and prepare them to ship to Philadelphia at night.
After swimming at the beach, my friends and I would use kerosene to clean tar balls off our feet and hands. On Sundays, I went to church near the firehouse with my family. It reminded me of a small country chapel. These are some of my fond memories of summer days as a kid working with my family at the shore during WWII. —Walter Tum Suden
As Assistant Fire Chief of Barnegat Light, Uncle Henry lived in a small house on 8th Street near the corner. During this time of
Fish box at the Barnaget Light Museum • Marjorie Amon photo
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Haddocks ca. 1916
50 & Counting
Anna Olsen
y photo
Ray photo
F
or years, I turned at 9th Street after crossing the bridge. Never had it occurred to me there was another world to the left of the causeway and I’m glad to have discovered rich history there. Anna Lisa Olsen Ray and her husband Charlie built their Barnegat Light estate in 1968 and summered there every year with their three children. Returning to Barnegat Light in November of 2007 after Charlie passed away, Anna Lisa says her three children considered the Barnegat Lighthouse more of a home with memories than their Connecticut house where they lived for 47 years. What sparked the tradition of LBI beach living in the Olsen family? Anna Lisa’s grandmother came from Norway in 1910 and married in Brooklyn and then moved to what was then called Barnegat City. Two years later Anna Lisa’s mother,
Independent dock • Anna Olsen Ray photo Page 58 • Echoes of LBI
• Anna Olsen Ra
Evelyn, was born and attended the one-room school, the same one Anna Lisa and her sisters all had attended. In 1917, Anna Lisa’s father left his home in Norway at the age of 14 and joined the Norwegian Merchant Marine and sailed the world until 1923. Otto Olsen settled in Barnegat City in 1923 and fished commercially for 20 years in a one-man fishing boat. Anna Lisa’s grandmother ran a boarding house called the Signal House in town, from 1922 to 1928, where she rented out rooms to fisherman. That’s where Anna Lisa’s parents met. In 1929, The Independent Fish Co. — better known today as Viking Village — was organized. Twenty-one Scandinavian fishermen built the dock, buildings along 18th Street from the
boulevard to the bay. Seven original directors remained, one being Otto Olsen. Anna Lisa’s mother was the bookkeeper for the Independent Dock for many years. The fishermen of Barnegat City not only constructed their own dock in town, they also built the Barnegat City Volunteer Fire House in 1937. From 1940 to 1942 they built the Lutheran Church that still stands today. Anna Lisa happened to be the first organist of the church, at age eleven, and remembers her family’s life being centered around the Independent Dock, the Lutheran Church, the firehouse, the one room school and, most importantly, the beach. She recalls riding the bus to school and playing in the backyard at her old 9th street home, two doors away from the firehouse. In the summer, while her father ventured out on weeklong fishing excursions, Evelyn Olsen took it upon herself to offer her home as a place where all the kids in town could hang out. With a piano, old records and big cases of Coke, the neighborhood children always had a grand time at the Olsen residence. Anna Lisa remembers Saturday night parties held at the firehouse, which went on for about two years until everyone started to get cars and could drive
from place to place. After retiring from commercial fishing in 1955, Otto Olsen began doing engine work for other fishermen and became involved in the Borough Council. He became mayor of Barnegat City in 1959 until his death in 1967. The Independent Fish Co. was sold in February of 1962, and became Viking Village. The shops that are now part of the village today used to be bait and tackle shops, rooms where the fishermen could mend their nets and work. After leaving Barnegat Light, Anna Lisa tried to spend as much time as possible there in the summers. All three of her children worked at Andy’s at the Light during their high school and college years. Anna Lisa now volunteers one afternoon a week during the summer at the Barnegat Light Museum as a docent, which had been the one-room schoolhouse she once attended. Her son and grandchildren live nearby in Manahawkin, making it easy for her to stay involved with her family's lives. Near the end of our meeting, Anna Lisa proudly gave me the tour of her wonderful home, noting the additions, new paneling inside and out and her gardens. “There is something about the shore that is so hard to resist,” said Anna Lisa with a smile. —Cassidy Holowach
50 & Counting
Dolphin Avenue Dreams
I
n 1926, a prominent doctor from the Philadelphia area purchased some land on the bay near Dolphin Avenue for $200. That’s where Dr. William Whetstone built a big house for his family to enjoy for many years. His granddaughter, Maribell Whetstone, remembers the wonderful summers she spent there with open spaces, gravel roads and dunes of Rugosa — the native rose that grows prolifically on the island. At age 19, Maribell took a summer job at the Holiday Snack Bar in Beach Haven. While working there, she heard about a beauty contest sponsored by Long Beach Township. The winner’s title would be Miss Long Beach Island 1956. The event was to be held at the township building in early September and featured bathing suit and evening gown competitions. This early contest evolved into the 1959 premiere Miss Magic Long Beach Island pageant. In the 1956 event, girls competed on a rustic wooden runway in front of the township building. Maribell wore a black swimsuit and a powder blue tea length dress with spaghetti straps and lots of crinolines. She won and became Miss Long Beach Island 1956. Her prizes from local merchants included a hair dryer, a gold watch and a bath rug. As an award-winning surfer, Maribell also placed second in the Women’s National Surfing competition held on Long Island, New York. She won the 1960 open paddle competition held in Ship Bottom sponsored by Dewey Weber surfboards. She recalls, “In those days there was no surfing between 10am and 5pm but today there are designated surfing areas on the island.” After that summer, Maribell modeled and three years later married John Maschal. They bought a house on the bay at Dolphin Avenue. In 1961, John opened a little fudge shop next to Kossef ’s Hardware in Beach Haven. He started with one copper pot and was so successful that he relocated the business near the Schooner Lucy Evelyn. This was the beginning of the popular Country Kettle Fudge Shop. Five years later, John founded Bay Village, a favorite spot for tourists and locals. It has become their family business and all the Maschals have worked there. The Maschal home on Dolphin Avenue remains a haven for their children and grandchildren. Maribell is proud of her sons “for raising their families on Long Beach Island; it is a beautiful existence for families.” —Madeline Rodgers
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Artifacts, Consignment and Container Garden Vintage Coastal Decor/Eclectic Mix of One of a Kind Painted Pieces for the Home
Now two locations 11117 Long Beach Blvd. Beach Haven and 414 North Bay Ave Beach Haven 609-661-1586 or 609-492-4002 Mon-Thurs by appt. Fri-Sat-Sun 11am-4pm
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50 & Counting
Sinbad’s Retirement In Barnegat Light
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ocation, location, location pontificate the realtors. What could have been better for a World War II veteran than retiring in Barnegat Light — ocean and bay in full view, surrounded by congenial people, room and board provided, plus free drinks at Kubel’s? Such was the luck for Sinbad, crew member, of the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell for eleven years. According to Mike Walling, who wrote a new introduction to George F. Foley’s 1945 book Sinbad of the Coast Guard. “Retired from the Coast Guard on September 21, 1948, Sinbad lived at Barnegat Coast Guard Station in New Jersey until his death on December 30, 1951. He was honored with a full military funeral and was placed to rest at the foot of the flagpole, his grave marked by a bronze plaque.” Ah, did we mention that Sinbad was a four-legged mixed breed mutt destined for stardom? Sinbad’s story began in 1938 when he was found on the streets of New York. The appealing puppy was smuggled aboard the 327’ Campbell by two crew members. Sinbad’s exploits, travels, and escapades soon made him famous. “An old sea dog has favorite bars and plenty of girls in every port,” reported Page 62 • Echoes of LBI
Life Magazine. He had an autobiography, was paw-printed, and interviewed by ABC news. Sinbad soon became a popular crew member, attaining status as more than a mascot, with “his own service number, medical history, bunk, uniforms, and battle station,” wrote Walling. When the German Submarine U-606 torpedoes the Campbell, most personnel were transferred to a destroyer. However, Sinbad was ordered to stay aboard. Whether by luck or cunning, Sinbad “led” the ship (under tow) to safety. Creating his own international incidents was not unusual for Sinbad. Blithely wandering places like Casablanca and Greenland, this feisty four-legged Coast Guard member was occasionally in trouble. According to the U.S. Coast Guard History: “Sinbad is a salty sailor, but he’s not a good sailor. On a few occasions, he has embarrassed the U.S. Government…he’s as bad as the worst and as good as the rest of us. He wore his extensive collection of service ribbons and awards on his collar. Sinbad earned each of the five ribbons he wore…American Service, European Theatre, and Pacific Theatre.” For three years, Sinbad wandered the small village of Barnegat Light, stopping regularly at Kubel’s for a cold one, two front paws resting on the old wooden bar. Rumor has it that Sinbad
favored a shot of whiskey with a beer chaser. He didn’t need an escort; he just scratched at the front door until someone let him inside. Cold winter evenings were spent lying in front of Kubel’s fireplace. Bob Melchiori was stationed at the Barnegat Lifeboat Station from 1954 to 1958 and is familiar with Sinbad stories, his popularity, and notoriety. “He had his own little sea bag with his uniform, collar, and money pouch where he carried his money, contributed by crew members, so he could buy his drinks in various bars he visited.” Upon visiting the station about nine years ago, Bob asked about the sea bag. “The commanding officer told me that he had a copy of the inventory of several boxes of historical value, but Sinbad’s sea bag was not listed.” Occasionally, the outlandish pup kept watch from the Coast Guard tower, an official hat on his head, and those same front paws draped over the metal railing. Matt Walter, who was stationed at Barnegat Light, wrote “most of his duty was apparently performed at Kubel’s.” Sinbad died on December 30th, 1951. Buried under the base of the flagpole, his headstone reads “Sinbad Chief Dog U.S.C.G.C. Campbell w 32, 1937– 1951.” Mike Walling wrote, “He was honored with a full military funeral. I’m looking forward to drinking with Sinbad when I pass.” Matt Walter added: “My second tour of duty in the U.S. Coast Guard was at Station Barnegat Light. Every 30th of December, we would gather at the flagpole at the old station (now the Boro offices, East 7th Street) and salute Sinbad with a few toasts. Semper Paratus Sinbad!” Old timers remember a lot of Sinbad look-alikes in the Barnegat Light area during the 1950s, which goes to show that retirement for a four-legged coastie after World War II sure had its perks. —Gretchen F. Coyle and Deborah C. Whitcraft, authors of Inferno at Sea Photography courtesy of Deborah C. Whitcraft, the New Jersey Maritime Museum and the United States Coast Guard. The New Jersey Maritime Museum, 528 Dock Rd., Beach Haven, has a new exhibit on Sinbad. Visitors of all ages are captivated by Sinbad during the World War II and Barnegat Light years, where he is pictured regularly at his favorite watering hole, Kubel’s, and on duty with a fellow Coast Guard member.
Looking Back
Superstorms, Hurricanes, and How LBI Survived the Wrath of Nature
The Causeway Shack, Post-Superstorm Sandy • Marjorie Amon photo Page 64 • Echoes of LBI
Storm of 1920:
End of 4th Street in Ship Bottom, NJ • Anna Olsen Ray photo Waves at Barnegat Light • Anna Olsen Ray photo
Storm of 1944:
Destruction of the Holgate Inn. Photo courtesy of Phylis Parker Gee
The Gee House after the ‘44 Storm. Photo courtesy of Phylis Parker Gee
Storm of 1962:
A garage has collapsed on a car • Caruso family photo
A house lay destoryed on the beach • Caruso family photo
Looking Back
Storm of 2012: Sandy
Homes flooded • Sherry Johnson photo
LBI after Sandy • Marjorie Amon photo
Debris piles waiting for removal • Marjorie Amon photo Off duty National Guard enjoying LBI• Cheryl Kirby photo A Sandy Christmas in Holgate • Bill Burnet photo
Page 66 • Echoes of LBI
Hurricane Sandy (10/29/13) Candles glowing...pillows & blankets spread around...warm bowls of stew, and hot chocolate too. The electricity goes as with many homes, and the love stays with many families as the storm is just starting. Wind whistles and screams, leaves slap the windows, and rain floods the cold grounds. The storm of 250 years, and 1,000 miles wide, she kills the east. Trees as big as houses crash and make noises that could make you cry. We watch to see the perfect storm. Full moon, high tide, cold weather, and category 2 sized. Praying that we're all perfectly fine as our death trap hits. State of emergency is called, and nobody is to leave. The dark night goes on, with the sound of a troubled storm. Vehicles are called to be off the road, and winds pick up to 80 miles per hour. Being scared and not knowing what to do while this amazing storm kills. We think how crazy it is that it’s only the beginning of Hurricane Sandy! —By Kyleigh Lewis, Age 12
Pre-Sandy: Inside the Causeway Shack looking toward the bridge to LBI • Tanek Hood photo
Looking Back
The Legacy of William E. Burnet IX
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ew Jersey was still a colony when a British civil servant was appointed Governor of New Jersey and New York, a position he held from 1720 to 1728. His name was William E. Burnet and he, his son William E. Burnet II, who served as Surgeon General under George Washington, and many William E. Burnets to follow were witnesses to and architects of many events that shaped our state and our nation. Much could be written about the many William E. Burnets of the past centuries but we will talk about two of their ancestors and ones who shaped and took part in LBI’s history.
William E. Burnet IX and his wife Mare (Maryann) on their 50th Anniversary
Long Beach Island was still a sparsely populated barrier island in 1933 when William E. Burnet VIII contracted what is said to be the first Cape Cod style home on LBI. The land was purchased and the house was built for less than $2000. His love of Cape Cod and Long Beach Island’s similarity to it at the time appealed to Bill Burnet and led him to build a Cape Cod style house here. The house today still exudes the warmth and charm that one would expect to find in a house of that style and location, except that the warmth and charm comes from the people that call this house their home. Those two people are William E. Burnet IX and his wife Mare (Maryann). Bill remembers vacationing here as a teenager in the 1930s. He recalls a time when the causeway was a rickety drawbridge and boat and train were still preferred modes of transportation to
Summer of Fun! 2013 Barnegat Bay
the island. As a young boy, he learned photography from his father and developed his own photos. At that time, summer meant hunting off of sneak boxes, sailing, fishing, and hanging out at the beach and enjoying the company of friends. Bill told me about a store on the island that had a sign inside which read “Courteous, polite efficient self-service.” In other words, summers on LBI and Barnegat Bay haven’t really changed that much. However, a lot changed in Bill and Mare’s life on and before LBI. Back in the 1930s, Bill and Mare’s families were living in nearby towns in Pennsylvania and vacationing on the same street on LBI. The two families became friends, including the two teenagers Bill and Mare. During the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, the LBI that we know today began to develop. Bill remembers watching the large boulders that reinforced the base of Barnegat Lighthouse being brought over by cables from Island Beach State Park because the old wooden causeway could never have borne the weight. He was here in 1935 when the railroad bridge washed out leaving a boat, the main means of transportation to LBI. Bill and his family were here when storms split the island in two, washed away roads and bridges and destroyed homes
and businesses. He witnessed the quiet, rural, slow paced “hard to get to” island of the past become the bustling destination that it is today, in part thanks to the causeway built in the 1950s. Bill graduated from Princeton and earned a degree in electrical engineering. While still a student, he enlisted in the Navy and served his country during WWII before returning to finish his education. While at Princeton, he would get to know Albert Einstein, just as the first William E. Burnet had known and been tutored by Sir Isaac Newton. In 1951, his friendship with the “beautiful red-haired Mare” had fully grown into a loving relationship and then a happy marriage that produced two children, Jody and Bill (William E. Burnet X). After more than 50 years of visiting and part-time living on LBI, Bill and Mare moved into their Cape Cod house as full-time residents about 17 years ago. The house still is reminiscent of homes from years ago with knotty pine on some walls, a fireplace, and lots of antique furniture. There are also some pieces made from old hatch covers salvaged from ships. What is special is living a good life with the kindness and humility that I see in Bill and Mare Burnet. What is special is being married to your childhood friend for 62 years. —Frank Grasso
LBI locations For Sales, Repairs, Slip Rentals Surf City Marina • 325 S 1st St, Surf City • 609-494-2200 Surf City Marina Boat Sales • 337 W 8th St, Ship Bottom • 609-361-5200 Bombardier Dealer • Sea-Doo personal Watercraft • Showroom in Ship Bottom
Looking Back
Hindenburg crossing over NJ central train tracks Tuckerton NJ.
W
hen I met Keith Holley, I knew he was a man who didn’t spend his free time wandering around aimlessly. He possesses an interest in searching and discovering. Several years ago, Keith discovered the dumping ground (actually water) of old glass factories in Southern New Jersey that turned out to be a treasure trove of sea glass. I was fortunate to be one of the people with whom Keith shared his knowledge with found many pieces of glass, too, thanks to him. Through a bit of research and a little luck, Keith discovered a location in New York State once inhabited by Paleo-Indians. Again, I took advantage of Keith’s discovery abilities and joined him in finding some artifacts at the site. As explained in a recent issue of Echoes of LBI, Keith’s job took him to a house under foreclosure in Connecticut where he was helping a friend do a clean-out. Keith told me how eager he was to do this after seeing the age of the house. The thrill of discovery once again stirred in him and he would not be disappointed. Besides the many photos of LBI taken during the storm of 1962 and the hurricane of 1944, Keith also discovered photos of the Hindenburg Airship* tucked away in an old desk. Some of these
Page 70 • Echoes of LBI
images have been seen before, of course, in the 76 years since it went down in Lakehurst, NJ. Some of the images, though, are probably being shown here publicly for the first time. Two things are evident when talking to Keith. He stays aware of the possibilities of discovery present all around him, even in ordinary places. More importantly than the discovery, however, Keith researches his finds and shares them with others. Keith could open a little museum with the items from his searches. His knowledge about what he finds and his enthusiasm about their origin is impressive. He says, “Just look… sometimes you won’t believe what you will find.” *When the Hindenburg went down on May 6, 1937 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, it resulted in the death of 35 of the 97 people on board plus one ground crewman. There have been different theories as to the cause of the fire and crash ranging from sabotage to static electricity. The Hindenburg disaster signaled the beginning of the end of airship transportation, but fascination with the event and conjecture about its cause still goes on. We do not know who took these photos; it could have been a relative or friend greeting the Hindenburg or a professional news photographer. —Frank Grasso
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Looking Back
Forgotten Jewels of the Wire W e take for granted our cell phones, blue tooth and smart devices that control every part of our lives. To go one second without updating our Facebook status is now blasphemy and texting is now akin to the Bible, at least in volume. We have forgotten what brought us here today. The technology we simply can not live without has it’s ancestry, and while we barely notice that these ancestors are still among us, they play an important role is our communication today. Sometimes referred to as the “crown jewels of the wire,” insulators are glass or ceramic blobs that once guided (and still do) the wires of telegraph and telephones across the country. Insulators have become a popular addition to a hobbyist’s collection, ranging from the very common to the almost never seen. Insulator collectors scour antique shops and shows, old railroad and factory yards, barns and even dumps that date prior to the 1900s in search of these unique objects. While insulators look like they came from outer space, their
Examples of authentic glass insulators.
Page 72 • Echoes of LBI
strange shapes had a very important function. Each insulator manufacturer specialized in a different patent design for various needs.
Many of us probably have seen insulators at yard sales and either ignored them or thought, “What the heck is that thing?” The earliest recorded insulators were used at the bottom of lightning rods and consisted of two flat glass plates surrounding a cloth-wrapped wire. Later versions became patented with grooves for the wire to wrap around and securely be mounted onto a wooden post. After 1844 and the invention of the telegraph, there was greater demand for insulators and their ability to connect wires across the country. Manufacturers who already produced glass, such as Hemingray and Brookfield, made some of the more common insulators. Wood, composite, ceramic and plastic were also used, with ceramic and plastic being used more readily today. Insulators are identified by their consolidated design (CD)
Reproduction photo
Sea glass insulators and light bulb vitrites.
Insulators shown here in use
numbers, which identify specific shapes and embossing in order to provide a concise reference for collectors. Starting with 10 and going up through 1,000, numbers under 100 are reserved for battery rests; 100-375 for North American insulators, 376699 foreign, 700-799 threadless, 800-999 obsolete foreign, and finally 1000-1199 “go-withs” or any miscellaneous type of insulator. Numbers are still being added as new versions are discovered. When searching for insulators, one should look into the history of the area being searched, especially for railroads, abandoned dumpsites and factories. When a telephone pole was replaced, many insulators were smashed or discarded as trash. The telephone service workers who saved them may have also started the hobby of collecting. We collect the past to preserve history. Unfortunately, just as with any other obsession, collectors have to be weary of fakes. Many insulators on online auctions, as with other antiques, are faked to increase the value of an otherwise common insulator. Carnival glass insulators are commonly faked, however, Corning Pyrex and Hemingray produced real carnival glass insulators. Careful research will reveal the fakes to even an untrained eye. The most common way to fake is color, especially with stains that can create any color of the rainbow, most of which are not the true color of any real insulator. Other counterfeits include “irradiated” or altered insulators which have been subjected to high heat in a kiln to change their color to a deep purple, blue, burgundy or green to speed up a natural process which actually takes years to accomplish. Some will create “Frankensteins” by cutting two insulators in half and gluing or heat-sealing the two different halves together. Strange creations like “insa-cats” often fool beginners into paying too much for a now worthless insulator; this happens when the dome of an insulator is seated
on telegraph poles at a Ne
w York railway station.
in a kiln between two struts, so when heated, the heavier skirt melts and pulls down causing the dome to morph into the shape of a cat’s head, So called “Mexican fence post” insulators, often found in vibrant colors, were made as a decoration for fence posts and not known to have any other purpose. Contrary to what many online auctions state, these were made in the 1970s in California as decoration. All of these techniques render the insulator worthless. However, every day online auctions pedal these fakes and pollute collections. You can tell if it’s fake if you see “slumping” from overheating and oven rack marks on the bottom. However, since some real rare insulators can fit these descriptions, research is always helpful. Collectors on Long Beach Island may find themselves becoming addicted to the hobby after finding a chunk of sea glass with strange “ribs” that used to be the inner threads of an insulator. Finding a common insulator like a Hemingray-42 at a thrift store is easier than finding a piece of sea glass from that insulator. Amazingly, while that insulator may be only worth a couple of dollars, the sea glass equivalent can bring in a pretty penny. A sea glass version of an extremely rare type of insulator, like a threadless (PreCivil War) or a National CD110.5 “Corkscrew” has almost never been seen. This is because they are just as hard to come by on land as in the sea. No matter how you find one, however, an insulator is always an important part of history. They teach us to look up just as much as we look down. For further reading go to: nia.org; insulators.info; hemingray.info; and glassian.org where much of the information in this article was gathered. -Photography and article by Sara Caruso
A Shore Thing
House Tour Exemplified by Signature Wreath A signature wreath is the symbol of welcome for the Garden Club of Long Beach Island’s Holiday House Tour each December. What a warm and gracious way to launch the holiday season — beautiful homes decorated for the holidays, a boutique featuring handcrafted items and an elegant tea with sandwiches and cookies. A wreath is placed on the front door of each house on the tour. The homes are chosen to reflect a variety of lifestyles and are located up and down the Island. Each ticket displays the signature wreath on its cover and provides a description of each house and a map showing the locations of the houses, the boutique and the tea. Besides putting together the signature wreaths, club members decorate the houses, create items for the boutique and make the sandwiches and cookies for the tea. This is the Garden Club’s major fundraiser. Over the years, the proceeds provided scholarships for high school graduates and college students, donations to environmental organizations, and allocations to maintain gardens and promote land preservation. For several years, snow, ice and unseasonable cold fronts compromised the tours. After 48 years, 2012 was the first time the club had to cancel the tour entirely, in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. However, as with the Phoenix, the Holiday House Tour will rise again! Preparations are in full swing for the 2013 tour, with signature wreaths being designed for this year’s houses. With its time-honored signature wreath depicting its traditions, the Garden Club is proud to once again offer its house tour as a service to the wider Long Beach Island community. —Kay Binetsky
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These beautiful art pieces are a lovely addition to a seaside collection or for a holiday gift. Each piece is hand painted and "shore" to please.
Local Art
Hobbyists
Painting, photography, greeting cards and sculpture all from local LBI artists!
From model boats to real sea glass, these gifts will stuff your stockings with joy!
Lamps, tide clocks and plenty of shells to deck your halls and any other room in your house!
Mermaids, pirates, and sea horses...oh my! From kids to adults, there's a story for everyone!
...and so much more! Only at Things A Drift • 406 Long Beach Blvd.• Ship Bottom, NJ • 609.361.1668
Last In • Sunset at Viking Village • Barnegat Light, NJ Ryan Johnson photo
A Shore Thing
W
hile searching for “dragons” on the Internet, Matthew found instructions on how to make an origami dragon. He made one, really enjoyed the challenge and then began making other origami figures for friends. His favorite figures are the dollar bill tank and “the groom.” While visiting his grandparents on Long Beach Island, Matthew made nautical figures including boats, dolphins (above) and a crab (on his shoulder to the right).
Page 78 • Echoes of LBI
Photography by Marjorie Amon
Reflect Your Own Personal Style
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