Echoes of LBI Spring into Summer 2018

elcome back. Here on LBI, spring seemed to disregard the calendar. February was filled with mild days and glorious sunshine, while the blustery days of March brought more than one snowy nor’easter and high winds. The first day of spring arrived with yet another snow storm, and April arrived with more of the same. Weather patterns of coastal towns are often fickle.

As a child, I remember going to bed at night with snow falling and the promise of a day off, only to wake the next morning to find it had changed to rain. Bitterly disappointed, I would head off to school with my brothers and sisters. Our mom understood and solved the problem by letting us go out at night to play in the falling snow before the rainy change-over. For me, winter on LBI will always be magical.

Over the winter, progress was made on the Rt. 72 Manahawkin bridges. We are looking forward to the completion of the project that will take our road system into the future. Additionally, there are exciting changes to familiar places, and new construction underway at the site of the old Quarter Deck Inn and the circle in Ship Bottom that will bring welcome, new amenities to LBI. This year, Echoes of LBI Magazine celebrates our 10th Anniversary. Looking back, the pages of Echoes are filled with stories and history of the Island and its amazing people. We have had the privilege of seeing the muchdeserved success of local artists, photographers, and writers, many whose works were first published in Echoes.

The Lighthouse International Film Festival will also celebrate its 10th Anniversary this year. We’re proud to be one of the original sponsors and will continue to support this wonderful event. And we remember those Islanders who are no longer with us. We are grateful and humbled to have had the opportunity to meet them and make their stories a part of the collective history of LBI. Looking forward, there are still many stories to write, people to interview, history to record, photographs to take, and sunsets to enjoy. Echoes remains committed to providing content by local writers and showcasing original works by local artists. I invite you to contact us to have your work, LBI family history, or story made a part of Echoes.

In celebration of our 10th Anniversary, the next two issues of Echoes of LBI will feature a special edition collectible cover. Be sure to add them to your collection of past issues of Echoes. To all our contributing writers, photographers, staff, advertisers, and islanders who make each issue possible – Congratulations and Happy 10th Anniversary.

It takes an island to publish Echoes of LBI. Enjoy the sunsets.

Cheryl Kirby, Publisher Join Things A Drift and Echoes of LBI for special summer events!

For more information go to thingsadrift.com/events Art Weekend is June 29 & 30

echoesoflbi.com issuu.com/echoesoflbi Follow us @echoesoflbi

Twins, from left to right: Hadley and Harper • age 4 Kai and Dax • age 4 Alec and Owen • age 10 Michael and Hope Halper • age 23 Blake and Brittany • age 16 Colleena Liefer and Shaleen Conklin • age 48 Liam and Olivia • age 6 Jasmine and Jalen • age 6 Jake and Chris • age 9 Liam and Olivia, babies sitting in front • age 10 1/2 months Vincent and Dominic • age 6 Stephanie and Samantha • age 9 Alicia and Brittany Walker • age 22

CORY BOHNER is a watercolorist from New Jersey. Intricate detail has always been a general theme of his work, from sports cars to a spiny lobster, octopus, or a victorian style beach house – each detail is present.

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"I wiped away the weeds and foam, I fetched my sea-born treasures home..." —Ralph Waldo Emerson

New art prints, cards, and originals of all artwork seen in Echoes of LBI are available at Things A Drift in Ship Bottom, NJ. Please call (609) 361-1668 for details.

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t ninety-two, Marvin Levitt is filled with the passion to make life meaningful – a passion discovered at a very early age. “My mother always encouraged me and my brother Jules to do something positive every day,” he says. A Fulbright Scholar in the 1950s, Levitt studied art in Italy, and at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia with Boris Blai. Widely known for his paintings and sculpture, he was, and remains a teacher at heart. “Everyone is an artist,” says Levitt. “Art can be found in every object.”

Levitt's teaching career at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, public and independent schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and as a founding instructor at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in New Jersey spanned seventy years. As a teacher, Levitt recognized and encouraged the talent and potential he saw in every student.

While teaching at Morrisville School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Marvin introduced a thirteen-year old James Gafgen to clay sculpture. Currently an accomplished modern-day sculptor, Gafgen recalls, “Marvin had a great sense of humor and much patience. He made things look easy while being very precise and thorough.”

Levitt instinctually used art in the classroom to teach even the most complex concepts and to enrich the understanding and experience of his students. A grant received from the New Jersey Council on the Arts in the 1960s provided Marvin the opportunity to teach art based on the curriculum of the Princeton School sysPage 12 • Echoes of LBI

tem. By integrating visual and interactive art into classroom subject matter, Levitt inspired his students to think and learn in different ways. His students created three-dimensional mobiles while learning geometric shapes, volume, and measurement. When studying heraldry in history class, a symbolic crest was designed by each student to reflect personal heritage. For students to experience a moment in the life of Odysseus and his men, Levitt created a massive Trojan Horse, complete with papier-mâché horse head, elevated platform body and a ladder. In French class, Levitt’s students became neo-classic artists, using cotton swabs to replicate the distinctive color dots of Pointillism. At science fairs, his students frequently presented projects based on Levitt’s lessons on balance and perpetual motion.

Today, Levitt summers here on LBI, and winters in Florida to escape the cold. He continues to create: showing his works at private galleries in both states.

Levitt still enjoys papier-mâché and continues to experiment in different mediums. “I have to get my hands dirty every day with sculpting or painting,” he says with a smile.

Levitt retired in 2011 from teaching at the Long Beach Island Foundation for Arts and Sciences where his iconic sculpture, King Neptune graces the outside the Marine Science building.

Though formally retired, Levitt remains generous with his time and talent. Perhaps, though, the greatest of his talents he shared as a teacher. For in teaching art he changed the way his students see the world. —Pat Dagnall and Ellen Hammonds

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L

ast fall, I reconnected with a classmate after fifty-four years.

We met in third grade at the Long Beach Island School in 1951. We lost contact when she later transferred to a Philadelphia boarding school. As a shy ten-year old girl and occasional dinner guest, I was unaware the father of my friend Paula Kelly, was a famous artist. My recollection was of a quiet man who spoke in gentle tones. Later I learned Leon Kelly was a renown Surrealist; an artist who deserted the main road of art to roam the enticing bypath of Surrealism.

Born in Philadelphia October 1901, Leon Kelly was not drawn to the family’s tailoring business. He preferred pencils over sewing needles. At his family’s farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Kelly gravitated to drawing the natural world. It was a world that opened his eyes and in turn ignited his heart to see the spirit in all things.

At thirteen, Kelly left public school to be tutored at home by Philadelphia artist Albert Jean Adolphe. Adolphe was a professor at the School of Industrial Art, today known as the University of the Arts.

Under Adolphe, Kelly studied the old masters, and worked plein air drawing animals at the Philadelphia Zoo. The divorce of his parents left young Leon with the responsibility of supporting his mother and grandmother.

Working the night shift at Feihofer Bakery, he persevered with his art during the day. Too young to enlist in World War I, Kelly worked loading ships at the Army Quartermaster Depot on the Delaware River. Finding artistic inspiration in everything, Kelly’s notebooks from this period are filled with ideas for weaponry and innovative ways to conceal buildings.

In 1922, Kelly studied with Modernist painter, Arthur Carles at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Always curious and driven, he furthered his understanding of human anatomy for figurative

paintings by dissecting a cadaver at the College of Osteopathy. As the recipient of the Cresson Traveling Fellowship, Kelly studied in England, Italy, and France the summer of 1925. It was an exciting and revolutionary era for musicians, writers, and artists.

Inspired to be a part of immerging isms in Europe, Kelly returned to Paris. There he lived on a small stipend provided by his father from 1926 to 1930. Honing his craft, Kelly spent months in the Louvre working in the styles of the old masters. There he experimented with the techniques of Picasso, Diego Rivera, and Cezanne.

Eventually, the worldwide financial crash made the starving artist life increasingly difficult and Kelly returned to the states with his new wife, Henriette D’Enfurth.

Finding it difficult to assimilate into life in America, after several years Henriette ended the marriage and returned to France.

Determined to make a living as an artist, Kelly remained in Philadelphia.

In 1941 Kelly married Helen Lloyd, a painter and art teacher from Montclair, New Jersey. Helen’s cottage in the dunes at Harvey Cedars became their home.

Their daughter Paula was born in 1943.

The hurricane of 1944 brought ocean waters through the house. “My father was a non-swimmer,” said Paula speaking of their slog through flood waters to safety at the nearby fire house.

“He rescued our cat as it floated by in a dresser drawer.” The stormravaged landscape necessitated the relocation of the damaged cottage. Placed on rollers, it was moved to its present location on Maiden Lane and 80th Street. Enough materials were salvaged from storm wreckage to build a small guest house and separate studio for Kelly. There in his small family compound, Kelly found the quiet solitude needed to develop his distinctive style of abstraction.

Julien Levy, an ardent supporter of Surrealism, operated a gallery in New York City from 1932 to 1949 which showcased works by major European artists such as Dali, Duchamp, Ernst, and Magritte. Leon Kelly was among American artists influenced by the trend whose works were also exhibited.

Encouraged by Levy, Kelly ventured more deeply into fantasy, manifesting elements of the natural world surrounding him on LBI into imaginary creatures of enormous scale on his canvas. A recurring theme was the mosquito, with whom Islanders of the 1940s were well acquainted. Other insects of the Harvey Cedars garden were also integrated into his compositions from this period.

Kelly’s work revealed an unparalleled level of draftsmanship. Drawing on imagery from the subconscious and dreams, juxtaposing unlikely elements into Surrealistic compositions that are startling, irrational and symbolic; Kelly’s work points to a man able to visualize and illustrate things beyond the norm.

In the late 1940s he sought to move away from European influence to find a truly American expression, one rooted in the visual traditions of the Americas. He found fertile ground in native American culture and Peruvian textiles.

"My father's work reflected the elements of living on the island along with attitudes toward nature gleaned from travel in New Mexico,” Paula once wrote. "The rain, sun, moon, beach, birds, insects, and wind all began to emerge in his work. The quiet, with few people around us, was soon filled to overflowing with Page 16 • Echoes of LBI

the dramas and images of the natural world. The wind took on a persona, the grasses of the dunes, and migrating birds animated and energized the landscape. He spoke of not being able to paint a tree or mosquito until he could perceive its soul."

In a personal letter to Levy, Kelly wrote “I believe I have a strong shot of the chemical that makes hermits and monks. But

I wish that I did not, for I am torn within by a tenderness and compassion for fellow man in general. The happiness of others is a great joy to me.” During these years Kelly’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge led to travel abroad. Investigation of different cultures and current events was evident in his Surrealist compositions of alien figures. By following his muse, critics and dealers were often at a loss to describe Kelly’s work. Labeled a Surrealist, throughout the 1950s until his death in 1982, Kelly pursued his own ideas and resisted pressure from art dealers and critics to be confined to one style.

The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Museum of Modern Art include works

by Kelly as does the Print and Drawing Collection at the Boston

Public Library. Kelly’s work has been featured in special exhibits at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences and the Sidney Rothman Gallery in Barnegat Light. Over the years, Kelly taught at the Brooklyn Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, University of Wyoming and continued to paint for scheduled group and solo shows.

Having the opportunity to know Leon Kelly now through his daughter, I regret having missed the opportunity to study and paint with this exceptional man. But, the energy and spirit of nature that Kelly experienced still surrounds us. Breathe it in. Let it carry your thoughts. It is here that we can find inspiration. Perhaps a Surrealist awaits release. —Carol Freas. Photography supplied

by Paula Muller

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MY WISH FOR YOU May you…

Laugh so hard with your best friend in a fancy restaurant that you cause a scene, Recognize and rejoice in just how much like your mother or father you are, Be on base to welcome home troops from war at least once in your lifetime, Always have a dream to pursue, Be important in the life of a child, Spend the night on a beach with your lover watching a meteorite shower, Have a wish you make on a star come true, Never let the craziness of the holidays ruin your joy of being with family and friends, Enjoy the silence of snow on a dark winter night, See the moon rise over the ocean, Watch the sunrise as often as you can, Catch raindrops on your tongue at any age, Run with the wind and let it mess up your hair, Always dress up for Halloween, Look forward to spring, enjoy summer, come alive in autumn and cherish winter, Be thrilled by storms, Never be defined by sorrow, Be grateful for material things, but find peace in spiritual moments, Feel that being kind is the most fulfilling thing you do, Dance when you don’t know how and sing with no voice, Find laughing at yourself to be the best part of your day, Respect each persons’ right to worship as they so choose, Understand the courage and sacrifices our founding fathers and their families endured to give us the freedoms and country we enjoy today, Always have a fire in your hearth and a heart that never grows cold, Find that life treats you gentle, that family and friends carry you through when it does not, And always know that no matter what you endure, laughter will one day return to your life.

—Maggie O’Neill Photograph of the crocuses at the Edith Gardens at Barnegat Light Museum Page 28 • Echoes of LBI

Over 40 years on Long Beach Island Nautical & Natural Design Home & Wedding Decor Original Local Artwork Shells & Shark Teeth Authentic Sea Glass Artisan Jewelry Books & Local Authors Gourmet Foods and more!

Customize your living space Drop by for a consultation

406 Long Beach Blvd., • Ship Bottom, NJ 08008 (609) 361-1668 • echoesoflbi@gmail.com • thingsadrift.com

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A unique display of local artists and poets inspired by one another's works. Open reception includes reading and slideshow from 7-8pm at the Ocean County Library Long Beach Island Branch, 217 S. Central Ave., Surf City, NJ. For more information call or email Richard Morgan at (609) 207-6809 • rsmorgan18@comcast.net or Carol Freas at (609) 294-0218 • freasart@aol.com

THE WATER’S EDGE The years have scurried by, and so have the blissful childhood days of summer, when we played at the water’s edge. My eyes are filled with oceans of tears, dearest friend, now that you are gone. I will always carry sweet memories of you, like a glittering jewel, engraved on my forever sad heart. The beach was ours then, and the sun was a shimmering orange ball, throwing heat waves on our tender bodies, not yet bruised by life’s adversities. We’d run like frisky puppies, as the sand smushed between our toes, and the spray of salt air was like perfume on our skin. I can hear the sound of your giggle, my friend, it is still in my ear, as a storm of sand swept into the sandwiches we ate. On the horizon, monster waves roared like scary beasts, and we’d hold on tightly to each other’s hands, and pinky promised to be friends forever.

At the end of the day, we’d rub the gritty sand from our sleepy eyes, and as the silent earth spun round and round, we dreamed of another day, at the water’s edge.

—Poetry by Diane Alvine (Left, interpretation) Artwork: Beach Play II by Pat Morgan (Right, original)

ARRANGEMENT IN C MAJOR prelude without color, like a lowering fog, eases across the floor, whispers tonal movements, breathes tenderly held notes scent of lemons drifts in, adds a spirited pulse, pushes blue shadows down like sinuous rivers braid winding gravel beds builds in restated key, chords dancing lightly on, quickly adding colors: noble reds, nimble greens, unresolved tension climbs the tempo shifts again, smoothes, quiets, eases, calms, the timbre elegant, wrapped in gold silky threads, woven mazes of sound —Poetry by Karen Topham (Left, interpretation) Artwork: Serenade by June MerriField (Right, original) Page 30 • Echoes of LBI

TIME IN A MOMENT All times contract into one.

Clothes and cars come and go with fashions. Each spring bees and ants continue their slow work. All keys to doors I know change.

I'm left only the skeleton key to my mind.

Clocks and watches lose their hands. I stare into leaves on the elm tree outside my window-- each with its own hue and movement-until I see essence of leaf.

All birds warble one timeless song.

At night, under a star-filled sky I forget the year and place remember only a white flame which flickers through the stars and my heart.

PEACE PLACE The slow moving waves create a relaxing rhythm.

My old row boat dances with the slight wind.

Tall green-brown grasses accompany the move.

The yellow sun has started its descent.

This cove is my happy place.

No matter how bad things seem, peace lives here.

My trap holds the bounty.

I can take home the family’s favorite.

I can visualize them all now, sitting around the newspaper-covered table, hungrily awaiting the chance to crack open the pile of bright red steamed crabs.

My reverie ends as I see in the crab trap, one is crawling up to the top trying for a last fling at freedom.

Two of his compatriots hang onto his legs.

Much like people in my life who perform the same actionpulling back those who climb up.

But in this moment, I soak in the slow sway.

I am thankful to nature for food to feed my family and peace to soothe my soul.

—Poetry by Cassandra Lonesome Manuel (Interpretation) Artwork: Checking the Traps by Carol Freas (Original)

—Poetry by Frank Finale (Right, interpretation) Artwork: As Time Goes By by Pat Shepherd (Left, original)

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SANDPIPERS DANCING Run Peck Run, run Peck Run, run, run Peck, peck, peck Run, run, run Peck, peck, peck Run Peck Run, run Peck Run Peck Run, run Peck Run, run, run Peck, peck, peck Run, run, run Peck, peck, peck Run Peck Run, run Peck Run, run, run Peck, peck, peck Run, run, run Peck, peck, peck Run —Richard Morgan Page 34 • Echoes of LBI

LBI SANDPIPER PARADE August brings shore birds, some tiny , some big.

Pipers and plovers for sand crabs they dig.

Sandpipers skitter across the wet sand.

Their beaks all a twitter as they swoop and land.

I stalk a wee bird and stealthy sneak, to hear chirping sounds as it pecks with its beak.

I'm sad coastal flocks are much in decline.

They stop by our island to seek a warmer clime.

Summer is fading.

The pipers fly south.

No more parade, I'm down in the mouth.

—Kathleen Donnelly

WHAT I MISS THE MOST The kids are grown it’s a bittersweet time, Still wish I had each one of you here to call mine, But life has moved on and now it’s time to let go, I just miss you all more than you’ll ever know.

For my hours are long and I remember back in the day, We’d have busy days, but in the night together we’d stay, On the couch all snuggled up in blankets and watching TV, And me just knowing there’s no place I’d ever rather be.

At the stores I see young Moms with their kids close by, I’ll never forget those days as I remember and sigh, Where did all those times go when we were together for years?

To share all the day’s joy and even share all the tears.

When your kids grow up and go off on their own, How do you cope with the feeling of being alone?

I always tried every day to simply do the right thing, So proud of all the achievements your lives would bring.

Just spend time with your kids and have lots of fun, Don’t worry about all the chores that need to be done, Make the most of your precious time, don’t live life on the run, Enjoy long walks on LBI, collecting shells, enjoying the sun.

Quality time is a gift appreciated by a very select few, Let it be something special to be shared by all of you, There’s not much to say and I’ll try not to boast, Just being with all of you is what I miss the most!

—Diane Stulga

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Y

ou hear a something strange that almost sounds like a frog got into your room. "Chirp, chirp, chirp!" After searching high and low with no sign of a frog, many hermit crab caretakers soon realize their crab is the source of that soft chirping sound.

Hermit crabs are known to make numerous sounds including clicks, chirps, taps, and croaks. Some of the sounds are believed to be a form of stridulation – a sound created by an animal or insect by the rubbing together of body parts. Other sounds may be produced internally, such as water passing over their gills. Like crickets and katydids, stridulation is used for communication.

Exactly how or why hermit crabs create these sounds is unknown.

Some have suggested the tiny hairs on their body help produce noise when rubbed together.

In the wild, hermit crabs live in large colonies. Although crabs do not have ears, vibrations in the air or ground created by chirping can be used to indicate loneliness and stress, and to establish territory and boundaries. Stress chirping can occur when one crab decides to climb on another crab's shell while it's resting or when it gets too hot.

Mixing two different species, such as the Ecuadorian hermit crab (Coenobita compressus) and Caribbean hermit crabs, more commonly known as purple pinchers (Coenobita clypeatus), can cause chirping sounds of aggression or stress. When combining species take care to be sure the individual crabs are compatible.

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For the first few days, make sure they all get along. If you hear chirping, separate them temporarily and reintroduce them again in a few days, preferably with no food in the enclosure because this is often where crabs establish a pecking order. Just as with any new introduction, it may take a few days for the parties to get acquainted.

Some hermits are more communicative than others. My hermit crab, Big Oliver was as large as a softball and lived to be fourteen years-old. Big Oliver made a strange sound. For no apparent reason at random times of the day, Big Oliver emitted five to seven clicks at eight second intervals – it sounded exactly like a ping pong ball bouncing down wooden stairs. He did this without moving his legs, which led me to believe that he created this odd sound by passing water over his gills. He did this every day for the many years that I had him.

Hermit crabs also use their antennae to communicate. Watch closely as two crabs come face to face. They touch each other with their antennae to sense what exactly is in front of them and if it's a threat. Their eyesight isn't keen, so you can mimic this behavior by wiggling your fingers closely in front of them. You'll see their antennae wiggle back as if trying to interpret what you are saying.

All of this suggests that hermit crabs use a variety of sounds and body language that we may never truly understand. These are just a few more reasons to pay attention to these little fascinating and talkative creatures. —Photography and text by Sara Caruso

Roadtrips to the shore with your dog can be fun. Dogs love to hang out of the car window and feel the wind on their furry faces.

This is dangerous as your pet may fall from the vehicle and be seriously injured. Flying debris and insects can cause inner ear and lung infections or eye injuries. Allowing them to ride in the bed of your pick-up truck is no better as abrupt stops or turns can injure your friend. Pets riding in cars should always be secured in a crate or wearing a well-fitting seatbelt harness designed especially for them. And of course, never leave your friend in the car on a hot summer day!

W

hat a strange winter it was. Book-ended by wintry performances surrounding a rather mild February; December featured several minor events to kick-off the season with a few inches of snow here and there. Much of eastern New Jersey then saw a major coastal winter storm in between January 3rd and 4th. Near-blizzard conditions with double-digit accumulations fell even on Long Beach Island. Following the storm, we saw a sixteen-day period where temperatures failed to rise above freezing.

By the end of January, we finally experienced a thaw. It felt amazing and lasted well through February. There was no shortage of rainfall in February, but snow lovers were weighed, measured, and found wanting. Areas of New Jersey further inland and north were even more snow hungry, having been spared the early January coastal event.

Toward the end of February, a concerning pattern for March emerged; the dreaded back-loaded winter, mainly due to a strong blocking signature. A blocking signature forces synoptic storm systems to slow down, intensify and have higher impact on our region before moving away. March has featured a few historic storm systems with this setup. The “Equinox Snow Storm” in

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March of 1958 is well-remembered for its snowfall. The March 1962 nor’easter does not need an introduction regarding coastal impacts. Both years featured the very same prolonged blocking signature over Greenland.

March ended up verifying with the blocking signature, as modeled in late February. The pattern was almost identical to 1958 and eerily similar to 1962. Regardless, the blocking pattern managed to slow down four storms systems. All four storm systems intensified and either stalled or retrograded back towards the east coast. Some of these storms produced twenty-plus inches of snow for northern areas of New Jersey. For the Long Beach Island area, the March 21st nor’easter had the wintriest impact with a foot of snow up and down the coast. The other three nor’easters featured less wintry impact but still packed a punch of wind and coastal battering.

Of the four nor’easters, the March 1 storm caused the most concern about the potential flood stage. Long Beach Island was really spared. That system was massive and will be historically remembered for its satellite signature. The other systems also featured coastal flooding threats but of less magnitude. The bottom line, March came in like a lion, roared the entire month and went out like a lion. —Jonathan Carr

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he beginning of January, 2018, was a scene right out of Disney, missing only Elsa. LBI was frozen from beach to bay. A prolong blast of arctic air shattered weather records up and down the east coast. For two weeks the mercury did not get above twenty degrees, with several nights registering single digits. The wind blew, the snow piled up, and ice formed just about everywhere. Many of us who live on LBI year-round enjoy an occasional blizzard. We gather for storm parties in local bars or hunker down with wine and comfort food while binge watching TV. It can be exciting and cozy. But this January delivered more than a good winter storm, it covered us in chaos.

Early November delivered an unexpected cold snap. Only a few homes had been shut down since the official start of winter was still a few weeks away. Catching the island by surprise, homeowners scrambled to get their water turned off as it spouted out of many outdoor shower pipes. But the unusual early freeze did not last long, melting into a perfect day for the Christmas parade, with mild temperatures and a light wind. Little did we know that unexpected bit of cold air was just the tip of the iceberg, pun intended.

The day after Christmas things started to get drafty. Islanders are hearty souls and most of us know the drill; leave faucets dripping, turn up the heat and open cabinet doors under sinks. This guided us through many a temperature plunge in the past. But this time, the mercury had no intention of climbing back up. As we approached New Year’s Eve, people who ventured out to see the ball drop at Times Square in New York City were warned to dress for extreme weather. Faces would frost up just from exhaling. Traditional polar plunges were canceled for New Year’s Day. Still the temperatures did sink. In fact, meteorologists even had a catchy name for the type of sudden, frigid cold we experienced–bombogenesis.

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And bombo us it did! Just four days into January a blizzard hit the Jersey coast. Nixel texts alerting us to say inside, stay off the roads and stay warm came in fast and furious. Winds howled and gusts blew at over fifty miles per hour. In some areas the snow drifted to over five feet but left little more than a trace just a few feet away, so fierce was the wind. If the gods of gusts were with you, the drift did not cover your front door. If they were not, shoveling was the only way out of the house. After the blizzard, a deep freeze settled in.

Day after day, night after night, space heaters were plugged into crawl spaces, hallways, garages, and basements. Keeping pipes warm was a herculean effort as temperatures hit zero degrees with wind chills even lower. Sleep happened in shifts, getting up every few hours to make sure the faucets were dripping, and the toilets flushed.

As the week wore on with no warm up in site, pipes started to crack even under watchful eyes. The pipes in older homes could not stand up to the onslaught of such frigid air.

2018 was definitely starting out as the year of the plumber.

Week two finally had a day that reached a balmy thirtytwo degrees. But the weather imps were not done just yet.

As dawn broke the morning temperatures went above freezing, the island was blanketed in a thick dense fog. To complicate the near zero visibility, rain had fallen throughout the night, glazing roads, sidewalks and parking lots with a crust of ice. Once more, Nixel alerts blew up our phones: treacherous road conditions; limited visibility; use extreme caution. We were weary from the weather and we were only two weeks into the New Year!

Then, the Eagles brought the heat, winning the Super Bowl and the long, cold winter was finally over. And that is what you missed while you were gone! —Maggie O’Neill

O

cean County is a very popular place for people to retire.

Long Beach Island has long been a special place where people, who enjoyed their vacation home, relocate for retirement. With most of their local experience having taken place during the summer season, it’s understandable that new permanent residents might ask, “What do you do here in the winter?”

Ocean County’s location means that both New York and Philadelphia are close by for those who want to spend a day at a museum or the theatre. But there’s a lot to do closer to home. For entertainment, Surflight Theatre reopened last year to critical acclaim, and the Lighthouse International Film Festival shows top-rate original films all year.

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Many active adults who retire here are looking for opportunities to put their well-honed skills to work in new ways, to get involved, and to enhance their personal growth and lifelong learning.

One great way to get to know people in the community is to volunteer, and there are many opportunities for that with St. Francis Community Center, the Hackensack Meridian Health Southern Ocean Medical Center and auxiliaries, and our local fire companies and first aid squads, to name just a few.

One of the best places to go for entertainment and volunteer opportunities is the Ocean County Library. The Long Beach Island Branch holds interesting programs generated by the Ocean County

Library system, the Friends of the Island Library, and community partners, such as Amergael and the Italian Cultural Society of LBI. The Friends are always looking for new members and volunteers to help on the program, membership, book sales, and hospitality committees.

All twenty-one locations of the Ocean County Library offer programs, music, lectures, crafts, games, and other interesting subjects throughout the year. Check OCL’s monthly brochure or online calendar for a selection of entertainment options. Recent LBI Library events included: Wearin’ of the Green – featuring two musicians from Ireland; Brain Games – trivia and brain teaser sessions for seniors; lectures and reenactors, such as local teacher Jeff Brown as a World War I soldier and actor Alexandra Ford portraying Rosa Parks. In addition, the LBI Library shows feature films every Friday afternoon.

Members of the LBI community also get involved and generously give of their time to share their knowledge, skills, and passions. Richard Morgan leads the Writers Group and Poets Studio every month; Friend of the Library and Amergael member, Jim Curley, who has spoken about the Titanic and the Christmas truce of World War I, spoke in May about the forgotten flu of 1918. Before his untimely passing, local resident John Sweet, taught Surf Fishing 101 for ten years.

Membership in the Ocean County Library is free to all property owners and permanent residents within its service area. While you don’t need a library card or to be a member of the Friends to attend programs, you do need a library card to take advantage of the wealth of library services, such as borrowing books, DVDs, magazines, and CDs, and for access to digital libraries for eBooks, audio books, videos, music albums, and magazines. All are available for free from the OCL website theoceancountylibrary.org Your library card also opens doors to free language courses from Rosetta Stone and Mango Languages, and a catalog of more than 500 free online classes from Universal Class.

Digital resources, including video tutorials, documentaries, and more are available for free with your Ocean County Library card from the comfort of your computer.

Many who make LBI our permanent home, are here for the sense of community and the opportunity to forge close relationships with other year-rounders in less hectic seasons. Maybe, like that second-largest car rental agency, the reason there’s so much to do here on LBI and in Ocean County in the winter is because we try harder. Become part of our community. Enrich your life and help keep LBI a great place to live. —Photography and text by Linda H. Feaster, Branch Manager, Long Beach Island – Ocean County Library The Friends of the Island Library have compiled a list of volunteer organizations in the area. You can request a copy of it by emailing lbif@theoceancountylibrary.org

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ock lighting on LBI should be beautiful, functional, and efficient. Whether it’s your first or twentieth summer on your dock, a state-of-the-art quality dock lighting system has been on your mind all winter. You’re convinced that life at the shore would be so different if you made the move, and you’d be right—even if just from an end-of-day cleanup viewpoint.

Waterfront living is all around your home at the shore. Especially at the end of the day. A rack of stand-up paddleboards and kayaks is being neatly filled for the next day on the water. Jet skis and boats are being washed and stored on their lifts or moorings.

Fishing poles are being put away and the catch of the day is being cleaned on a fish table at the end of your pier. Cleanup can move along at an enjoyable pace until the sun escapes the horizon and in minutes darkness surrounds you. A comprehensive dock lighting plan will allow your family to complete end-of-day waterfront tasks safely and efficiently, and to enjoy many more hours of relaxation and entertainment. Not to mention how amazing shore nights at your dock or pier can be with lighting blending functionality and beauty designed specifically for that location.

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If you are boating after dark, catching fish from a pier, checking crab traps, or simply checking your dock or pier, utility dock lighting is a necessity. Floodlights are not needed on most docks when the lighting fits the space. It’s all about knowing how to design both the lighting itself and the functional supports. Often the dock lighting layout on the pilings will be sufficient for passage, but the addition of an elevated directional downlight on a pole over that fish cleaning table, or well-placed crabbing light with a conveniently located switch really adds to functionality and satisfaction.

Fish-attraction lighting reveals the secret aquarium below the surface of the waters surrounding your dock, and brings out the inner child, and fisherman in us all. The right underwater or below-dock options should fit your location. The swirling schools of bait fish and predatory action of the smallest creatures can keep you sitting at your dock for hours on end.

Illuminating the water’s edge is also an important feature, but glare control is essential. Reynolds has been at the forefront of glare control for more than a decade. When illuminating pilings, choose a lighting style that is complementary to your dock, neighborhood,

and vista. Lighting style refers to different effects lighting has on the dock. Most types of lighting installed on the dock are to light the dock or pier walkway. The terms dock and pier are often interchanged. Generally, a dock is the walkway or gangway along the bulkhead. A pier refers to the extended dock out into the bay or waterway.

Although solar is making a comeback on the dock with smaller marker lights, the light output remains insufficient and too cool in color. Only when solar dock lighting has a warm color tone and better construction will it be a viable lighting option. Right now, like deck lights that are bluish white LED and glaring, solar has a long way to go before it is no longer light pollution. Dock lighting looks its best when wired, LED, warmer in color temperature, and glare controlled. Reynolds designs with 12V, because it is flexible to change with the rising tides. Frequently, the best dock lighting system is the most challenging and complex, and when professionally designed and installed appears simplistic and natural. —Tanek Hood, Reynolds Landscaping. Photography: Copyright Tanek Hood, reynoldslandscaping.com

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ontrary to popular belief, it is not always sunny and 70 degrees at the Jersey shore. For the casual puzzler or the true dissectologist, a jigsaw puzzle is a great way to pass the time on an inclement day. Invented for educational purposes in the 1700s by British cartographer John Spillsbury and called Dissected Maps; the original jigsaw puzzle was a cut up map of Europe.

Recently, local LBI puzzlers Patty Koleski, Cheryl Goffus, Cindy Pampinella, Jacqui Thomas, Janet Celi, and Carla Sakson spent time waiting out a rainy day with jigsaw puzzles. “Putting a puzzle together takes your mind off everything except finding the right piece,” said Carla.

The puzzlers suggest tackling straight edges to form the puzzle boarder first. Also, having an undisturbed work space is vital. “Don’t start a puzzle on the dinner table,” advised Carla. “Ours made for interesting eating.”

Puzzlers have different techniques. Wanderers stop by the table to visit puzzle activity. They comment on progress, sort through pieces, frequently add to the puzzle as they wander in, and are willing to search for missing pieces. Hardcore puzzlers dive-in and generally sort pieces according to color and pattern. Committed to completion, they rarely leave the table. “Patty and I stayed up late at night working on the puzzle while others went to bed,” said Carla “Jigsaw puzzles are like therapy on a rainy day.” —Susan Spicer-McGarry. Photography supplied by Carla Sakson Page 56 • Echoes of LBI

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n 1914 Frank Lloyd Wright originated the phrase “organic architecture” to describe his philosophy regarding the characteristics a building should have with respect to its surroundings. Simply stated, the tenets of organic architecture include a unique relationship between a building and its environment, where the building grows naturally from its setting and is so unique that it would be out of place in any other location. The form of a structure should reflect the characteristics of the few materials used in its design, and the use of these materials should be true to their nature. Interior space should determine the exterior form and spaces should flow freely.

As an architect, I have great respect for the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. I’ve been a follower and at times a practitioner of “organic architecture.” In 1980, when I was a sophomore at the University of Texas I had the incredible opportunity to work with architect Bradford Duncan on the Honduran island of Utila. Duncan had been an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesen West in the 1930s. I found myself only two degrees of separation from Frank Lloyd Wright.

Working on an island with only four hours of electricity during the day gave Duncan ample time to talk about his days with Mr. Wright, as he still referred to his mentor, and the experience he received in the Arizona desert working with free-form organic architecture Page 58 • Echoes of LBI

and its creator. My job that summer was to prepare measured drawings of the resort complex Duncan was creating with pouredin-place concrete slabs rising in and around the palm trees in the jungle overlooking the beaches of Utila.

Duncan took great care to identify the specimen trees that would remain, along with the ocean views and solar orientation before laying out the resort’s floor plans among these natural features.

The materials used were concrete, natural stone, mahogany, and ceramic tile, all derived from local sources.

This work of Brad Duncan was an honest interpretation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture as the work was “appropriate and natural” for the island of Utila in the 1980s.

I believe there is a time and place for this kind of organic architecture but there are few examples found on the Jersey Shore as site restrictions and budget constraints limit the possibilities. Instead, the definitions of a successful building should be changed to reflect the time and place of its design.

In this post-Sandy environment, an “appropriate and natural” building on LBI would need to meet a different set of criteria.

I believe the design tenets for successful architectural design for LBI in this era would need to meet the following criteria: The design should be appropriate for its site. Organically, our design takes advantage of views, breezes, and proper solar orientation, with passive solar design concepts implemented as possible. The human factors that need appropriate responses are designing within zoning limitations, adherence to CAFRA regulations, and the use of available utilities. The design must reflect and implement the latest in flood-resistant design and lowmaintenance materials. Piling foundations, flood louvers, and storm water retention systems are all required in making our design appropriate for LBI.

The design should be appropriate for its time. The post-Sandy era gave us an opportunity to reboot the aging housing stock on the island. Gone were the slab on grade and short below flood level foundations of the small cottage or beach bungalow. Homes now are designed for year-round use and many have become homes for retirees. Organically, our design would appear to be a timeless extension of its site, but in our new definition, our design would utilize the latest technologies and materials of our time. Our design reflects the latest trends in conveniences and appointments.

Additionally, the design should reflect market conditions and be an appropriate product for its location. And of course, taking advantage of sustainable options would only strengthen the relationship between site and structure.

The design should reflect and advocate for our client’s needs.

Organically, this one is easy. As we design from the inside out, the floor plan is designed to be a tangible stage set for the many functions of the family beach house. Our open floor plan will be light-filled and airy and our kitchens will act as a central hub and gathering area for family. The form of our internal stair tower not only offers ease of access to the roof deck, but also functions as a solar chimney to naturally cool the home.

Further, our design must meet the budget of the client and represent good value. Our design should protect the investment as a product that could be rented or sold easily in the future. And in the age of the internet and HGTV, the aesthetics of the home must satisfy the unique preferences of the client.

While not organic architecture in the truest sense of the definition, our new design criteria for LBI results in buildings that are appropriate and natural for their site and reflect the standards of our time in the post-Sandy era. —Photography and text supplied by Michael Pagnotta

Bride-To-Be Juliana

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e might not be able to control everything in life, but our homes are becoming increasingly cooperative.

Where once we would walk into a chilly, dark house, we can now use our smart phones and tablets to turn up the thermostat, and switch on the lights before we arrive at home.

Some of us are old enough to remember the remote control for the TV as having one of the kids get up to change the channel. Today one remote can operate numerous devices. And now, with the new Sonos One player with Amazon Alexa built-in we can even use voice commands to control numerous household systems.

Smart Home Control More homeowners are appreciating the year-round benefits of Long Beach Island. With that they’re also looking for the sophistication and convenience that allows them to control and check on their homes while they’re away. Clare Control Smart Home System provides the ability to remotely control lights, adjust the temperature of the house, lock and unlock doors, view security cameras and more from a smart phone or tablet. Walking into a dark house can be both a safety and security risk. Clare Control allows you to turn on lights before you arrive. Instead of a low-tech timer that turns lights on and off on a predictable schedule, Clare Control can make it look like you are at home when you are not by turning various lights on and off. Save energy by adjusting the temperature while you are away. Check the security cameras on your house after a storm, or just because you miss it. Remotely turn off the alarm and unlock a door for workmen instead of giving out keys and the security code to your house. The more you use Clare Control, the more you find it can do.

Smart TV Control With all the sources available for watching our smart TVs – cable, satellite, internet streaming services, and Blu-Ray players – do we really want a remote control for each of them? RTI programmable remotes control multiple sources from one device. One remote and one button control your entire system. Choose from all-button or touch screen remotes, or use the RTI app on your Apple or Android devices, and control your video system from your smart Page 62 • Echoes of LBI

phone or tablet. As an authorized dealer of RTI, Island Audio Video installers work with you to custom program your remote control to work with your system. RTI remote controls grow with your system, and can be reprogrammed to accommodate added components, so you’re assured of consistent operation.

Smart Voice Control Imagine the convenience of asking Alexa to play your favorite radio station in one room, play an audio book in another, adjust the temperature, and turn on lights, all when your hands are full.

Download the Alexa app to your smart phone or tablet, and add the apps for your Clare Control Smart Home System and Sonos Suite, and use voice commands via the Sonos One or your Alexa app. Sonos One with Alexa combines the convenience of a voicecontrolled device with the high quality sound you expect from Sonos. The Sonos One also works with all smart phone and tablet platforms, making it versatile and adaptable. Make it your first Sonos piece, or easily add The Sonos One to your existing system.

Beauty and Function Televisions are such an essential part of our lifestyle that we take for granted the presence of that blank rectangle in the room. Sure, there are work-arounds, like enclosing the TV, or having it on a lift inside a cabinet. Samsung has a better idea; the Frame TV, a smart TV that displays art when not in use. You can choose from one hundred famous works of art in the Samsung Collection, or from your own photos to make your TV part of your décor. The Frame TV mounts flat to the wall and is available with customizable frames.

A smart home works for your safety, comfort, style, and convenience. Your smart home system and devices should be designed for your personal lifestyle, integrate seamlessly into your home, and be nearly invisible. As authorized dealers of Sonos, Clare Control, Samsung, and more, Island Audio Video will provide all the technical and customer support needed to help you make the most of your smart home system. —Linda H. Feaster, Island Audio Video

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ur mission at Rick Aitken Builders is to ensure peace of mind while creating an enjoyable experience for our clients as they design and build their family castle in the sand. Vincent Van Gogh, one of Rick’s favorite artists, once said that “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” When creating the dream home of our client, large and small details are equally important. Even the smallest of details are thoroughly addressed.

Sharing Rick’s appreciation of architecture, the homeowner of the featured Long Beach Island lagoon front home brought to their meetings her case-bound books filled with photographs of the old southern Victorian homes she loved.

Show-cased now in finely crafted wooden built-ins, the books feature many design elements that she incorporated into her own custom home. One of the unique architectural details of the home is the blue ceiling.

Traditionally, southern Victorian homes were painted colors inspired by elements of nature. From those old southern color traditions, the sky-blue ceiling is now appearing within northern coastal communities. The history of this stunning color trend may surprise you.

The sky-blue ceiling has been a tradition in southern homes for generations. The color, known in the South as “Haint Blue”, is rooted in legend. According to southern folklore, evil spirits or haints are believed to be unable to cross water.

To protect their homes and families from incorporeal beings, many believers along the Carolina Coast, and throughout the South painted the ceilings, shutters, window frames and doors of their homes the color of blue green water. Others believed cool blue

tones repelled insects, and painted ceilings sky-blue to trick insects into seeing the blue ceiling as open sky. Though discredited as to tricking insects, they would have avoided contact with historical milk paints as they conveniently contained lye, a known insect repellent. Whatever the reason, the cheerful, relaxing sky colored ceiling continues to be a coastal trend.

Paint stores and interior designers may have suggestions for the perfect blue ceiling, but who’s to say what blue is right for you?

A custom color was created for our client as a transparent stain.

Color variations were applied to several species of wood and a variety of grain patterns. Dozens of samples later we arrived at her perfect blue shade, shown here recessed within the coffered ceiling that extends the length of the spacious open floor plan. Keeping with southern Victorian tradition, the same custom blue color extends out to the porch ceiling overlooking the lagoon.

When it came time for the final walk through our tearyeyed customer joyfully remarked “I just can't believe that this is my house.” At Rick Aitken Builders, making dreams a reality is what we find most fulfilling about building on Long Beach Island.

Whatever your dream home may look like, our team is prepared to bring it to fruition. Trust that we are dedicated to meeting the intention of our customers design concepts while advising what is architecturally possible. This collaboration of ideas integrated with Rick’s thirty-years of experience is precisely what makes every Aitken project as exceptional as the client. If you can dream it, we can build it. —Heather Aitken. Photography by Ryan Paul Marchese

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tlantiCare, a member of Geisinger, has long served those who live in, work in and visit Manahawkin. To meet the community’s growing health and wellness needs, AtlantiCare began opening primary and specialty care offices in Manahawkin in 2012. In 2015, it purchased a site on Route 72 that included a former supermarket and restaurant. AtlantiCare formed a community advisory group and sought input from local physicians, residents, and businesses to address how it could enhance care for the community.

In October of 2016, AtlantiCare opened the first phase of AtlantiCare Health Park, Manahawkin Campus. It relocated currently provided primary and specialty care services into the location of the former restaurant. In June of 2017, AtlantiCare opened the second phase of the Park, moving most services to the former supermarket building. AtlantiCare Urgent Care opened in July. Rothman Institute at AtlantiCare opened in the main building later that year. This spring, Atlantic Medical Imaging opened.

The $25 million, 60,000 square foot main building includes convenient check-in and comfortable layout. It offers pediatric, primary, and specialty care, including cardiology, OB/GYN, and surgical services, as well as lab and other services. A café with indoor tables and a courtyard garden add to the comfortable environment. Open social spaces provide a living room atmosphere and include comfortable seating, end, and high tables with charging stations, and interactive play devices for children.

Beach and nature-themed décor and paint colors reflect the Manahawkin area. Through its Healing Arts Program, AtlantiCare commissioned ninety pieces of art from local and regional artists for the facility.

Birds in Flight, by Jose Chora of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, greets visitors to the main building.

The Shack, by Andrea Sauchelli of Manahawkin, New Jersey, an oil painting of the iconic Route 72 Causeway landmark, hangs in the welcome area of the Main Street section.

Cedar Dock Run Road, by Janet Greco of Pennsauken, New Jersey, depicts a view from the road in Stafford Township, hangs on a curved wall across from a social gathering space outside physician office suites.

For more information about the AtlantiCare Health Park Manahawkin Campus, visit www.manahawkinhealthpark.org, or call 609-597-3010 or 1-888-569-1000.

W

ith the advent of warmer temperatures, remodeling of The Dutchman’s Brauhaus Restaurant is progressing apace. “As of April, we are back on the job,” said a spokesperson for the Schmid family. Working closely with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the commitment to protect the biodiversity of Barnegat Bay remains front and center.

“We continue to go above and beyond to protect the living bay,” he explains. “Proceeding properly takes time.”

In April, public service power lines were transferred to a temporary pole in preparation of moving the restaurant structure. According to previously disclosed plans; the existing building will be cut into two pieces and lifted off the pilings.

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It will then be moved to a nearby staging area to undergo remodeling.

Plans include the installation of a webcam at the site to record live footage of the project. For the Schmid family the current project focus is to open The Quelle and docking facilities by Spring 2019.

“The docking facilities will be modern and ecologically up to date,” said a family spokesperson.

The remodel will take The Dutchman’s Brauhaus Restaurant into the future.

According to the Schmid family, doing things well requires time.

In the meanwhile, the family wishes to thank their loyal guests for their continued support and patience. They look forward to seeing old friends and new faces at The Dutchman’s when it reopens.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: RYAN PAUL MARCHESE is a South Jersey native. He graduated from the Art Institute of Philadelphia with honors in photography, and was awarded Best Portfolio and Outstanding Achievement.

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

Currently, he works for the Pine Barrens Tribune in addition to running his own business. Ryan offers photographic services from start to finish including, but not limited to, photography, retouching, printing, and framing.

ABOUT THE COVER: The sea stars found here on Long Beach Island are also known as the COMMON STARFISH (Asterias rubens). They feed by attaching their limbs to a bivalve or crustacean and forcing the shells open slightly. It only needs one millimeter to insert its stomach and start digesting the prey.

In recent years disease has reduced the species substantially. Scientists theorize a surge in bacteria and viruses brought on by warming sea temperatures is to blame.

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OSPREY High in sky an Osprey hovers quick dives for fish, hits the water feet first with talons spread.

Its aim true, it emerges, fish firm in claws. With two great beats of its broad wings, Osprey's aloft.

Beads of bay water fly off fish and wink in the sun.

Less than two minutes show's over, Osprey off to its stick nest where mom keeps a sharp yellow eye on her chicks – which my friend spent two hours every day on the cam waiting for them to hatch. As though they were her own.

—Frank Finale

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S

ince the Renaissance, most shell collectors have envisioned an assemblage of perfect specimens. More recently, for some conchologists, strange, naturally imperfect shells have become treasured true rarities.

Shells that show abnormalities are among the rarest shells on earth because of the diminished survival rate of their inhabitants.

Mutations can include abnormal structure, color mutation, or extra growth. Mollusks, such as snails, clams and scallops, tend to have a higher chance of this happening over a large population.

There are two types of abnormalities: genetic and external injury. If a shell is misshapen because of genetics, the animal may not survive to maturity because of additional mutations. If it can survive, this may eventually lead to the formation of a new species or subspecies over several generations. However, most shell abnormalities are the result of an injury sustained during the animal’s life. If the mollusk inside the damaged shell was not injured, it may live a normal life span. As it continues to grow, the mollusk will attempt to repair its damaged shell. Unlike a broken fingernail that can be filed back into shape – mollusks must work with and around the damage. As the animal grows and the damaged shell with it, the injury can prevent proper shell growth.

Occasionally the result is a complete redirection of the shell. The broken off tip of the conical spiral of a shell may grow back completely turned upward rather than straight. On rare occasions, the damage is so severe it causes the shell to pinch inward, changing its shape altogether. Unfortunately, this may hinder the mollusk's ability to feed or escape predators.

Heart-shaped shells are a unique occurrence among clams, scallops and other bivalves. Scientists theorize this unusual shape occurs because external damage to the shell causes the interior mantle to

shift. Unlike bone or other animal tissue, shells are not made of cell tissue and cannot heal. Instead, the mollusk repairs its shell over a long period of time as it grows. The ability to self-repair is an adaptation designed to protect the soft mollusk inside. Throughout its life, as the animal grows, new layers of shell are added. Damaged areas are healed and become self-repair scars with irregular growth patterns. Over time, the scarred growth pattern causes bulging, contracting, and rippling, resulting in a misshaped shell.

Occasionally, clams with heart-shaped shells contain a pearl. Possibly in response to irritation or a foreign body introduced by injury, as the mollusk undergoes self-repair, a pearl is formed at the sight of the repair scar.

Heart-shaped shells are highly desirable and widely sought by collectors. The heart-shaped clam shell pictured here is a personal find from my collection. It was the first of its kind I had ever seen. The heart-shaped bay scallop was my most recent find.

Sometimes an animal is deformed for the purpose of reproduction.

Certain species of sea stars reproduce by dropping a limb. The lost limb, also known as a comet, grows new limbs and eventually becomes a new sea star. The parent will remain a four-legged sea star if it fails to regenerate the missing leg.

Other times, an animal is deformed due to predation. Sea stars have the ability to regenerate limbs removed by predators. For unknown reasons, instead of replacing one missing leg, multiple legs are regenerated. Additionally, injuries sustained to the body between limbs may result in the regeneration of multiple limbs.

Though not gem museum quality specimens, abnormal specimens are extremely rare and exhibit the ability of nature to overcome and survive. For the collector seeking nature at its best, these imperfect specimens are perfection. —Photography and text by Sara Caruso

All times subject to change. For the safety of our patrons, no pets allowed on venue grounds. Insured service dogs always welcome.

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M

any of us remember the brightly colored vintage glassware displayed by our grandmothers. With colors of bright lime green, yellow and greenish-blue the pieces seemed to glow with a vibrant hue. Little did we know grandmother’s oddly radiant glassware was atomic. Uranium glass or ultraviolet glass, commonly known as UV glass, was made at a time when a newly discovered material was rising in popularity.

Manufactured as early as 1880, UV glass reached its height of popularity in the 1930s and early 1940s. It could be found in homes throughout the United States and Europe. The use of uranium in glass sharply declined at the end of World War II. Today, uranium glass is rarely made for general use, but it can still be found in laboratories for testing and in the form of ultra rare UV sea glass.

Early in the 20th century, uranium and radon were seen as miracles of modern science and invention. Radioactive materials were added to many everyday products to give them an atomic twist. Shoe stores had radiation emitting fluoroscopes to x-ray the feet of children to ensure a perfect fit. Uranium was added to porcelain dentures and cosmetics to impart a natural luminescence.

Even children’s chemistry sets came with four different types of real uranium. Understandably, the popularity of uranium extended to glassware for the home. During manufacturing uranium oxide, in the form of diuranate, was added to glass for coloration before melting.

Uranium glass was manufactured in several types of glass and colors. Fire-King by Anchor-Hocking Glass Company produced Jadite, a green milk glass that was popular for kitchenware.

Custard glass is a pale yellow opaque glass. Depression glass refers to transparent or semitransparent pale yellow to light green glass produced during the Depression Era by multiple manufacturers.

Burmese glass is frosted opaque glass in pale pink or yellow.

Opaque alabaster glass in shades of white to pale green was used mostly for decorative glassware. Uranium glass was also produced in transparent greenish-blue, amber and brown, opaque light blue and clear. Today, the most famous of these colors is Vaseline glass, the translucent yellow-green colored glass which resembled the petroleum jelly.

There is a difference between UV glass and uranium glass. UV glass simply means it reacts with ultraviolet light. Red, orange and yellow glass, especially those used in tail lights and lenses prior to the Page 78 • Echoes of LBI

1960s, contain cadmium and tend to glow bright orange or yellow.

Uranium glass is one example of UV glass, but not all UV glass contains uranium.

There is no truth to the old rumor that UV sea glass is hazardous.

UV glass ware contains infinitesimal trace amounts of uranium and is harmless. Daily exposure to sunlight contains more radiation then you could ever receive from a shard of uranium sea glass.

For the avid sea glass collector, uranium glass is a special find. UV sea glass is more commonly found in old dump sites or beaches that have a long history of visitors. Uranium glass can appear as pale yellow, lime or soft green, so many sea glass collectors unknowingly have pieces of it hiding in their collection. The definitive test for uranium glass is ultraviolet light, or blacklight.

When placed under ultraviolet light uranium glass glows a brilliant neon green. Ultraviolet light excites the outer electrons of uranium causing the fluorescence. Sorting through your sea glass to see which pieces glow under a black light can be exciting. You may discover a glowing piece of history hidden in your sea glass collection. —Photography and text by Sara Caruso

 #1 in Commercial Real Estate!

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When summer arrives, it's a delight to watch the girls flirt with the cute guys on the stand, as many of us did sixty years ago. Carol Freas (right) with her husband Ray (left). Photo taken in 1959.

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W

hen Zena Josephson made Long Beach Island her family home in the 1950s, the closest medical facility was nearly an hour away. Like many residents, she came to believe a local hospital to serve the region’s thirteen growing communities was vital.

In 1955, local women formed the Southern Ocean County Hospital (SOCH) Auxiliary, 17 years before the hospital became a reality. Tasked with raising 100% of the funds for a muchneeded hospital, the Auxiliary Ways and Means Committee was chaired by Ship Bottom resident Zena Josephson. Through the committee’s dedication and tireless efforts, Southern Ocean County Hospital officially opened in 1972. The hospital has a history of caring for the community for more than 40 years, and is currently known as Hackensack Meridian Health Southern Ocean Medical Center.

Today, the medical center is part of the most comprehensive and integrated health network in New Jersey, Hackensack Meridian Health.

Zena and Abraham Josephson moved to Ship Bottom from the Philadelphia area in the 1950s. Initially working with family at Koseff’s Pier 18 in Beach Haven, they later opened A & H Printing & Card Shop in Ship Bottom. While operating a business and raising children, Zena became very active in the community serving as president of the PTA, and the Soroptimist a worldwide volunteer Page 84 • Echoes of LBI

service organization for business and professional women.

As Chairperson of the Auxiliary’s Ways and Means Committee, Zena Josephson’s fund-raising style was creative, fun, and very successful. Raffles, coin tosses and Nights at the Races were soon followed by innovative and newsworthy events like the Mile of Dimes.

With Zena as General Chairperson, and an eye toward creating an annual source of funding, the Auxiliary Ways and Means Committee planned a distinctive kind of fundraiser – an elegant gala.

Determined to be successful, the coming months were filled with committees, donor luncheons, kick off parties, and hard work.

In 1972, the first annual Chrysanthemum Ball was hosted by the SOCH Auxiliary, and general chairperson Zena Josephson. Over the next eighteen years, an estimated 5,000 residents participated in the elegant annual affair and raised $2 million for Southern Ocean County Hospital.

Created in her honor, The Zena Josephson Award for Volunteer Service is presented annually by Southern Ocean Medical Center to an individual for outstanding volunteer efforts.

The residents of southern Ocean County are forever grateful to those whose vision, selfless volunteerism, and tireless fundraising made Southern Ocean County Hospital a reality.

Over the past several years, numerous investments to facilities and services at Hackensack Meridian Health Southern Ocean Medical Center have brought new treatments, breakthrough technologies, and skilled expertise thanks to the continuous fundraising efforts of the Boosters, Holly, Laurel, and SOCH Auxiliaries, now part of the Southern Ocean Medical Center Foundation. Committed to maintaining the highest standards in health care in our community, the Foundation proudly hosts the Signature Social, the one and only prestigious fundraising event every year on Bonnet Island Estate, Long Beach Island. Chaired by Joseph Lattanzi,

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M.D., and Kimberly Hogan, M.D. and Thomas Yu, M.D., and Jane Yu, the exclusive cocktail reception generates financial support to ensure ongoing excellence in patient care at Southern Ocean Medical Center for the community.

The fourth annual Signature Social will take place on Friday, July 20, 2018 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Bonnet Island. For tickets or more information, please visit HackensackMeridianHealth.org/ SOMCSocial, or call (732) 751-5101. —Pat Dagnall and Ellen Hammonds

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My husband Mike introduced me to LBI. As a teenager, he had enjoyed time on the island. Through the 1960s we enjoyed day trips. In 1969, we purchased a house in Ship Bottom. Over the decades we rented the house to summer visitors.

Young and single, we met monthly at one of our parent’s homes.

Soon, our group of friends grew with the addition of friends from school, sisters, and sisters in law. From this group our friendship club was formed. In the coming years, as each of us married, our group expanded as our husbands became friends. As married couples, we hosted club meetings at our own homes.

Since 1980, our friends club has gathered at our Ship; Bottom house the Saturday before Memorial Day before the rental season started. In the past our typical Saturday gathering started with a wonderful home cooked breakfast, and a trip to the Manahawkin flea market. Later, we walked to the bay to watch the boats and jet skis. Our walk home, always included a tour through CVS and the old five and dime store. Afternoons were spent enjoying the sun and sand on the Surf City beaches. Together, we attended 5 p.m. mass at St. Thomas Villanova Church in Surf City. Afterwards, we walked back to the house for dinner. I cooked, and everyone brought something special to add to the meal.

ifty-five years is a long time. For some it is a life-time. For others it is time passed too quickly. For us, it’s the number of years our unique group has been close friends and fiftyfive years isn’t nearly enough time. In 1959, we were a small group of young women working in the offices at Campbell Soup in Camden, New Jersey. A few of us had attended Camden Catholic High School together. At work we took breaks together, lunched together, and enjoyed each other’s company. As we became close friends we started spending time socially outside of the office.

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Now that we have all retired, our annual gathering is on a weekday.

Early arrivals enjoy a special home cooked breakfast. When the rest of the group arrives, we go to the Barnegat Lighthouse.

Together, we walk the paths of the park and enjoy the ocean views. There are always shopping excursions and time just to relax a bit. These days we dine out for dinner at one of the local restaurants. Through the course of the day, we spend a lot of time talking. Our conversation always turns to reminiscing about our time together on LBI. Sadly, in the past five-years our group has gotten smaller with the passing of four of our dearest friends.

Since retiring in 2003, we no longer rent our Surf City house.

Instead summers are enjoyed there with family and friends.

Over the years our grandchildren have stayed at the house while they worked on the island in the summer.

Every November before closing-up our Ship Bottom house for the

winter, our family gathers for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Among the many things we are thankful for are lasting friendships that have spanned decades and will continue for the rest of our lives. —Louise Viggiano. Photography supplied by Joe Grassi

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or Ron Cox, the history of LBI is written in copper wire, brick, boards, and paint.

It’s a history he knows well from a lifetime of work that started at an early age. “When I was ten years-old, I did some maintenance and built a walkway to the beach at a house on 25th Street in Spray Beach owned by Mary Wardon Miller,” says Ron, “The house has always been known as Aunt Hill. Originally, the entire place was built from materials transported to Long Beach Island by a sailing scow,” he explains. Today, Ron owns and operates Cox Electric, a family business established by his father.

Since 1900, three generations of Ron’s family have lived and worked on LBI. “My grandparents Ralph Mills Cox and Leona Blackman Cox owned a grocery store in Beach Haven,” says Ron. “The Cox Store was located where the Long Beach Island Museum in Beach Haven now stands – just across the street from the Episcopal Church.”

Their son, Ronald Mills Cox was born in 1905.

“My grandparents made their home on 3rd Street in Beach Haven,” explains Ron. Raised in Beach Haven, Ronald Mills Cox, Sr. went to work for local electrician Harry Colmer at his Bay Avenue business. “My Dad eventually established Cox Electric at 220 Centre Street in Beach Haven,” recalls Ron. Ronald married Alice Mae Fritsch on April 1, 1937 at the Beach Haven Methodist Church. Ronald and Alice lived at 2105 North Beach Avenue with their two sons Ron and Robert. In 1955 Ronald Sr. built a new home for his family at 2109 North Beach Avenue.

“Throughout his career, my dad only had two employees,” says Ron, “He was a member of the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Department for forty-years.” On December 23, 1963, Ronald Sr. passed away suddenly while working at his beloved firehouse.

“I was born on the third floor of the place known by locals as The Baby Hospital,” says Ron, “It was located on the southeast corner of Ocean Street and Beach Avenue.” Contrary to its nom de guerre it also functioned as a surgical center. “Five years later I had a Page 90 • Echoes of LBI

tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy at the same location,” says Ron. “Dr. Dodd was present at both events. He delivered me, and later assisted Dr. Paul Kimbell with my surgery.” Two padlocks with keys were a special gift from his parents after his surgery.

“Since then,” Ron recalls with a broad smile, “I’ve collected padlocks with a passion.”

Ron attended the Beach Haven Elementary School.

“After the very first day of school, the next morning I told my mother I’d had enough and wasn’t going back,” says Ron with a laugh. “After some words, my mother was walking me to the bus stop as the local police drove by,” he recalls with a slight laugh.

“After Mom explained my attitude to him I had a police escort all the way to school.”

He went on to attend junior high school at Ship Bottom and graduated from Barnegat High School in 1957. While in high school, Ron enlisted with the U.S. Navy for a six-year program at Admiral Farragut Military School in Pine Beach. “I was on active duty, serving every weekend for two-years,” Ron recalls. “For the next two years, I reported for one weekend a month. For the remainder of my tour I was on standby.”

In the summer of 1956 Ron set out on a five-week cross country road trip to California with his friends Dennis and Kevin McCarthy. Driving his dad’s 1950 powder blue Chevy panel truck, Ron covered 261 miles a day. “It was a six-cylinder with a manual transmission,” says Ron. “Sometimes we slept in the truck along the road or pulled over and set up camp. We camped at Yosemite and Yellowstone National Park.” Making their way to the Pacific coast, the boys saw Old Faithful, experienced the intense heat of Death Valley and the beauty of mountains and glaciers. Swimming in the Pacific Ocean was not the fun they anticipated.

“The water was between 58 and 62 degrees,” recalls Ron. “We were so cold, we turned bright red.”

That summer, on a double date arranged by Dennis McCarthy, Ron met Phyllis Balbach. According to Ron, there was an immediate connection. He and Phyllis were married on August 22, 1961. Phyllis’s father was the owner of the Jet Stream Drive-In Restaurant and the Dairy King. “The restaurant is long gone,” says Ron, “but the Dairy King is still there.” Ron and Phyllis have two sons, Ronnie born in 1965, and Johnathan born in1970.

Ron has performed work at many local buildings.

His affinity for their history is apparent. “When Southern Regional High School was under construction, my Dad and I installed all the electrical wiring for the wood shop,” he says. “I worked on the Atlantic City Electric Company,

The Synthetic Gas Company, the barber shop, the laundromat, Osborne Realty, and the REA building all located in Beach Haven just to name a few. REA was similar to today’s UPS,” explains Ron. In the late 1990s Ron worked at Farrell Browning Cottage. Built in 1874, it is the oldest house in Beach Haven. “I built a porch, refurbished a pie cooling porch, repaired copper roofing and fixed window screens,” recalls Ron. Over the years, as houses and buildings on LBI were demolished either by storms or progress, Ron’s passion for their history continued. “I used the red bricks from the demolished REA building to build a flower bed and steps at my home,” he says with satisfaction.

Today at home, Ron and Phyllis are surrounded by LBI history.

Though the house, is not a historical structure, it is historic in parts. Built by Ron it includes architectural salvage from LBI, the house reflects his talents and affinity for the history of its buildings. “It’s a recycled house,” explains Ron. —Diane Stulga.

Photography supplied by Ron Cox

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itting in the audience of Surflight Theatre on a cold, snowy day in December 2017, listening to Rosie Novellion Mearns speak of her crusade to save Radio City Music Hall, I was filled with emotion. As she spoke, I recalled the struggle of the LBI community to save our beloved Surflight Theatre and the debt of gratitude owed to Al Parinello, Steve Steiner and others for their dedication, hard work and vision. Thank you.

“Don’t do anything that isn’t fun,” said Al Parinello. True to his personal philosophy, New Jersey native, Al Parinello is the new owner of Surflight Theatre, a real estate investor, Broadway producer, entrepreneur, and former rock music radio station owner. Clearly, for Al, hard work and moving mountains falls under the category of fun.

Some twenty years ago, while producing crowd-drawing concerts for several Atlantic City casinos, Al was approached by the directors of the Atlantic City Plaza Hotel for fresh ideas to broaden their entertainment venue. Always interested in a new challenge, Al offered to bring various Broadway musicals to the Plaza. While in the formative stage of his new musical theatre venture, Al was inPage 94 • Echoes of LBI

troduced to Steve Steiner, the Producing Artist Director of Surflight Theatre on LBI. In 2002 they formed a partnership Theatrical Productions in Atlantic City. Together, they produced Broadway On the Boardwalk a successful series of musicals at the Plaza in Atlantic City. Their partnership and a mutual interest in theatre spawned a friendship. “We have remained friends throughout the years,” said Steve.

In 2015, Al learned Surflight Theatre had closed its doors, after more than six decades of curtain calls. Unable to recover from extensive losses caused by Superstorm Sandy and a fire the locally iconic theatre filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 7.

After numerous efforts to save Surflight failed, Steve contacted Al. “We spent hours on the phone daily,” said Al. While learning more about Surflight, Al fell in love with the historic theatre. “It’s a gem,” he said. In the end, he took on the protracted process of negotiating with TD Bank to purchase the Surflight property In March of 2017, after seemingly endless obstacles, Al Parinello

purchased the Surflight Theatre at auction from TD Bank for two million dollars. With that, he immediately began the massive rehabilitation of the buildings and undertook theatrical production for the opening season.

The day after reassuring the community of his intention to reopen the theatre, as Al pulled up to Surflight he was greeted warmly by a group of people from the LBI community. “There they stood – with pails, brooms, and mops,” said Al. “They wanted to know where to start.” For Al, it was an emotional experience that confirmed his belief in saving the theatre. “I knew I’d made the right decision,” he said. “It was all worth it.”

A framed vintage photo of the original founder of Surflight Joseph P. Hayes was given to Al by an anonymous gentleman. “He came into the theatre carrying it in a bag,” said Al. “He’d found the old framed photo at the curb in front of the theatre and wanted me to have it.” For Al, it illustrated the heart of the LBI community and the intrinsic value of Surflight Theatre. “The real story here is the people,” said Al.

On June 23, 2017, Al cut the ribbon for the grand reopening of Surflight Theatre. The season premiered with the musical Footloose.

According to Steve, the 2017 season was a tremendous success. "Last year we exceeded our expectations. This allowed us to reinvest in Surflight with repairs and improvements,” he explained.

“Our community is all the better because of Al’s dedication and involvement”.

Al’s vision of the future is clear. “I want Surflight to be bigger and better than ever before,” said Al. In addition to first rate productions, and the possibility of year-round activity, Al’s vision includes the increased involvement of local artists and the LBI community. “I want it to become a beacon of light for LBI,” said Al. Like the LBI community Al has come to know, he believes Surflight Theatre is part of the local culture.

Heading into its second season with a stellar lineup for 2018, the future of Surflight Theatre shines bright at the south end of LBI. For information on upcoming shows go to surflight.org —Diane Stulga

MAGGIE O'NEILL Real Estate Sales Mary Allen Realty, Inc. Ship Bottom, NJ (609) 709-1425 lunasea32@gmail.com

I

n the 1950s, August Width and his wife Jenny moved from Westfield, New Jersey to a house on 9th Street in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island. A carpenter by trade, in 1958 August built The Viking Motel on four and a half acres of land on the boarder of Ship Bottom and Brant Beach. Named by August for his Norwegian ancestors, The Viking Motel is a well-remembered landmark on Long Beach Island.

August and Jenny’s son Henry, his wife Laura and their children David, Sharon, Darrel, and Sandy were frequent visitors to their grandparent’s motel on LBI. “In 1961, my parents, Uncle Patrick and Aunt Ruth Width took over The Viking Motel,” says David Width. “Later in the 1960s, my parents built a home on part of the property where the motel was located,” he says. “We lived there year-round for many years.”

David recalls his dad Henry, Laura’s brother Bob Burd, and son-in-law Bill Christopher were building an addition in the back of the motel when the 1962 storm hit. According to David, they refused to evacuate during the storm. “The plywood that was stacked on the roof blew into the bay,” he recalls. At the time of construction there were twenty-five units. “After the storm, Henry and Bill went out on the bay to recover as much of it as possible.” Construction after the storm, increased the number of rooms at The Viking Motel to forty-three. In addition, the motel now had amenities like air conditioning, color television and a new dining nook.

“My dad had strength and endurance,” remarks David.

“He didn’t evacuate for Superstorm Sandy, just as he didn’t evacuate for the storm of 1962.” Today, at age ninety-eight, Henry lives in Cedar Run. In 1963, The Viking Motel installed its locally iconic swimming pool and slide. “I remember carrying those heavy concrete blocks,” says David. “It was the biggest pool on LBI.” The pool was used in summer and winter. “Local kids used to ice skate on the frozen pool in the winter,” he says with a laugh.

Until the 1970s, The Viking Motel was open year-round providing accommodations for summer guests and offseason sportsmen. The average rate was $16.00 a night.

Regular guests at the motel frequently reserved the same room for each stay. “Mr. Wolf always wanted room number 43, overlooking the bay,” recalls David. “He wouldn’t make a reservation unless it was available.”

Over the years, many local high school and college students found summer employment at The Viking Motel as housekeeping staff. Most returned to work at the motel each summer. As an incentive for staff to stay past Labor Day to help with the large crowds, the motel offered a generous temporary pay increase.

In 1985, The Viking Motel was sold, and subsequently torn down by the new owners. Serendipitously, in 2017 the property became the new location of Hutchison Fiberglass Pools and Spas, an exclusive dealership for Viking Pools. The new Viking connection brings a smile to David’s face as he says, “It’s a small world.” —Diane Stulga. Photography supplied by Lara Cordoba and Henry Width

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or more than a century, commercial fishermen of Barnegat Light have braved the waters of the Atlantic. With husbands at sea, wives waited for their return with their eyes on the horizon, and both hands firmly on hearth, home, and children.

Alone while their husbands fished for days at a time, the responsibilities of life on dry land quietly rested in the hands of their wives. Long before the women’s movement of the 1960s, the fishermen’s wives of Barnegat Light independently raised children, ran households and businesses, worked outside the home, and created social structure and support systems for their children, themselves, and for their men at sea. In many ways the women within the Norwegian fishing community were ahead of their time.

Marion Larson lives in Barnegat Light in the home where her seven children were raised. The house on 12th Street originally belonged to the parents of her late husband Captain John Larson. Surrounded by trees, the front porch is tranquil and cool in the early afternoon heat of August. “It wasn’t this quiet when the kids were here,” says Marion with a soft laugh. “When John bought his father’s house and fishing boat in 1962, I thought he was crazy. I thought we’d starve to death or be eating beans for the entire winter.” Alone, while John fished for days at a time to support the family, Marion fixed up the big old house and settled their young children into their new home. “Oh,” she says knowingly, “I learned to do all kinds of things.”

Despite the inherent hazards of commercial fishing, Marion explains, “I was too busy with the kids to let myself worry about John. Fishing was his job. He went off to work just like other men. I worried later...when our boys went to work with him.”

A graduate of the University of Vermont, John Larson had not planned to follow his father into the commercial fishing industry. “He was not a

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fisherman when I married him,” says Marion. But after finding his chosen career unbearable, John turned to commercial fishing. “He hated working in the lab at Roebling,” explains Marion.

Growing up in Beach Haven, at age fourteen Marion met John at a local school dance. “He was the only boy with nerve enough to walk across the room to ask me to dance,” recalls Marion. Married in 1953, Marion and John went on to have seven children, the first six within nine years.

With John at sea, Marion raised the children, ran the household, and provided John with organizational support at home.

“John was always an enterprising young man,” says Marion with pride. “He built great relationships within the fishing industry.” With Marion at his side, John went on to successfully pioneer tile fishing and became a leader in the East coast fishing industry. In 1975, John and a partner purchased the Independent Fishing Company, now known as Viking Village. Today, Marion is the owner of several fishing boats and a partner on other vessels with her children.

As the daughter of a commercial fisherman, Barnegat Light native Anna Lisa Olsen Ray was accustomed to her father being away from home.

“My father was a fisherman his entire life,” she explains.

“He fished every day, at times he was gone in bad weather. If my mother ever worried about him, she never let it show.”

“My grandmother Martha Hoff immigrated to the United States from Norway in 1910,” says Anna Lisa. After marrying Norwegian fisherman Arne Hoff in Brooklyn, New York, Martha Hoff

eventually settled in Barnegat City, now known as Barnegat Light, where she raised her daughter Evelyn Hoff and ran a business. “She rented the Signal House at 6th and Central Avenues in Barnegat Light and ran it as a boarding house for fishermen,” explains Anna Lisa. “It was where my parents first met.”

Otto Olsen left Norway in 1917 at age fourteen and eventually settled in Barnegat City in 1923. While a boarder at the Signal House he met Evelyn Hoff. “My mother was sixteen-years old when they eloped to Elkton, Maryland in 1929,” recalls Anna Lisa. “My father was a founder of the Independent Fishing Company.”

A vintage photograph of a wooden fishing boat hangs on the wall near the kitchen in Anna Lisa’s Barnegat Light home. “That was my father’s fishing boat Endeavor,” she says glowingly. Anna Lisa goes on to explain, her father’s 1945 purchase of the seventy foot dragger was a financial risk. “It required him to spend longer periods of time at sea,” says Anna Lisa. Now with Evelyn expecting their third child, Otto fished for a week at a time. “The night sister Sonja was born father was out fishing to pay for the doctor,” she recalls. For a time in the 1940s, Otto fished from the vessel Three Sisters.

Like her mother Martha, Evelyn worked outside the home. Strong and independent, she raised three daughters and maintained the household, made important decisions, provided organizational support for Otto, and worked as a bookkeeper for the Independent Fish Company for many years. For Evelyn, life on dry land was always busy. “Each year my mother hosted a Summer Open House at our home,” recalls Anna Lisa with a broad smile. “Everyone came to the house. Even the Coast Guard attended.”

For many women with extended family far away and husbands at sea for days, social gatherings for birthdays, afternoon teas, holidays and church functions provided friendship and much needed support.

Zion Lutheran Church was central to faithbased and social activities. Built by the fishermen of Barnegat City, the women filled it with children, taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, hosted social events, and raised funds to maintain the building.

“My mother was involved in Sunday School,” says Anna Lisa. “I played the organ at Church service and my sisters took collection.”

Many of the women were involved in social gatherings at the Barnegat City Volunteer Fire House. “There were card parties and Bingo every week,” recalls Anna Lisa. “The trucks were moved out and tables set up. Occasionally, there was a party on Saturday night. They were good fishermen,” she says warmly.

“They were good men – down to earth.”

in which their families and husbands thrived. For the fishermen’s wives of Barnegat Light, their independence and roll of supporting partner at home was a natural extension of caring for their families.

Instinctually, the women within the Barnegat Light Norwegian fishing community created social events that enriched the lives of their families, strengthened bonds of friendship, and assembled extended family where none existed. Their inner strength, grace, talents, and constant influence ultimately created an environment

Somewhere in the shade trees above the porch the song of a cicada plays. “I never gave it too much thought,” says Marion Larson brushing a few soft white curls from her forehead with her hand.

“You just do what needs to be done.” —Susan Spicer-McGarry.

Photography supplied by Karen Larson and Anna Lisa Olsen Ray

A

fter the guests are gone and the clean up begins, sometimes you wish you could find a use for the party leftovers. Blue crabs are a staple of LBI cuisine, but what to do with all those leftover crab shells?

With a little ingenuity, these empty shells destined for the trash are now a colorful nautical addition to an LBI home.

This homemade and handmade wreath is sure to spark up a conversation at your next beach cook-out. Wreaths now available at Things A Drift in Ship Bottom, New Jersey.

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A

unt Sal was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on September 23, 1924. Throughout her 92 years, she had an overwhelming passion for the Jersey Shore. Deeply connected to the place she loved, it was a part of her heart and soul. Aunt Sal always had her toes in the sand, the wind in her beautiful hair, and that Jersey devilish twinkle in her eyes.

In the 1960s her husband John’s work led to a transfer to Ohio. Aunt Sal was not happy about the change. In her Jersey Girl way, she said the Ohio Chamber of Commerce never answered her inquiry about the beaches in Ohio.

She came back home to New Jersey every chance she could.

She took annual trips with her husband and kids to visit the girls she had grown up with.

It was here she relived those memories of footprints made in the sand and her Jersey shore roots planted all those years ago.

During World War II, Aunt Sal was a telephone operator during the week. But come every Thursday night she would pack her suitcase and with a couple of girlfriends, head “down the shore” for the weekend. She was very funny, laughed a lot and joked around even more. She had a priceless Jersey girl sarcasm and sense of humor. Aunt Sal always spoke her mind, loved a good time and had a totally Jersey sense of style and flair.

She had the ability to strike up conversations with strangers, and when the conversations ended, strangers walked away as friends.

Aunt Sal was a vivacious Jersey Girl who enjoyed pizza, beer Page 102 • Echoes of LBI

served with ice, going out for seafood dinner, a good Margarita or two, the theatre, and music of all kinds. Revisiting the shore kept her connected to the years she spent in the place she loved.

She enjoyed sharing her most treasured memories of the New Jersey shore. Walking along the beaches, seeing sunrises and sunsets, and breathing in the clean fresh air were what kept her going throughout her many years. She loved to sit on the beach and watch the waves for hours on end. I believe you can take a girl out of Jersey, but a true Jersey Girl will remain a Jersey girl forever.

When Aunt Sal was diagnosed with terminal cancer her final wishes were simple – a Catholic funeral and to be cremated. She wanted her ashes scattered over the Atlantic Ocean to become an eternal part of those ebb and flow tides she rode all her life here at the Jersey shore.

We honored her wishes this past September on her 93rd birthday. Aunt Sal is now forever a part of her beloved Jersey Shore.

I once read, “If you’re in love with a Jersey Girl raise your glass. If you’re not, raise your standards.” For me, that anonymous quote captures Aunt Sal’s wit, humor, and outlook on life. So, here’s to you Aunt Sal. We love you and miss you every day.

As we drive from Barnegat Lighthouse to Holgate and all the beaches in between, we remember your footprints in the sand.

You will be our Jersey girl forever. Dedicated to Sally Plungis.

—Photography and text supplied by Diane Stulga

P

eople fall in love with places for a variety of reasons. How can it be explained, if at all? Perhaps it's the unique perspective on LBI that makes everything sparkle. Or the sense of elation upon crossing the bridge; the simultaneous sight of the ocean and bay; the sound of the gulls; the constant breezes and ever-changing moods of the ocean; the crunch of the gravel under foot, or the experience of living between two bodies of water on a thin strip of land. There is too, this joy at the end of a beach day; sitting outside as the wind shifts and becomes cooler with each moment and the stars emerge one by one.

For our family, the wellknown phrase “Home is where the heart is” best describes our endless fascination and love for Long Beach Island.

In the late 1940s, our parents Kitty and Harry Moffitt took our family to Wildwood every summer. The ride from Philadelphia to the New Jersey shore Page 104 • Echoes of LBI

on Tuckahoe Road was long and hot. The car always got stuck in the sand. Digging it out was part of the trip. In Wildwood, we stayed in a fourth floor-apartment house with friends. Harry Jr. and Lyn slept in the kitchen behind a curtain. We loved the ocean and the beach. But, for our family, something was missing. We longed for more.

At the invitation of a friend, our family visited LBI for the first time in 1949. The moment we crossed the clanky planks of the old wooden bridge, smelled the salt air and walked down the dunes to the Ship Bottom beach, we were in love with Long Beach Island.

It is a romance that continues today even though the main characters are long gone.

Always the pioneers, Harry and Kitty wanted our family to be a part of the island. Filled with hope and a sense of loyalty, in the 1950s they invested financially and emotionally. With an inheritance,

they purchased four modest apartment houses on the west side of Long Beach Boulevard around 5th or 6th Streets in Ship Bottom. The buildings are long gone.

Summers were now a weekly adventure in moving and cleaning as our family stayed in whichever apartment was vacant, moving each week from one apartment to another, preparing for the next occupant.

As kids, we were ecstatic. Every morning, we tumbled out of the house, through the dunes and down to the beach. There were no houses between our front door and the ocean. Nothing but freedom and the beach.

For us, nine months spent in the strict environment of Catholic school gave way every summer to freedom and the ocean. We were in paradise.

When it wasn’t beach weather, we walked down to Jack's little store. We bought tons of penny candy and trinkets. We took the trinkets home and played with them, traded them, and fought about them for hours on end.

Around 1954, our parents bought the Polar Cub Custard Stand on the corner of 5th Street in Ship Bottom. Currently the property is the location of Woodies. They also built and operated the Flamingo Golf Course across from the custard stand. A few years later Kitty and Harry sold the properties and business in Ship Bottom. They bought a house on 36th Street in Brant Beach. In 1960, they purchased a custard and hamburger stand on 37th Street which was known as Moffitt’s Polar Cub. As their industry grew so did our family.

Now, every weekend from March through June, all summer, and

every weekend until November was spent in Brant Beach. All our friends from Pennsylvania teased about where we went in the summer. “Ship Bottom? Brant Beach? Surf City? It sounds like the sticks,” they would say.

Lisa and Brian – the youngest Moffett children. She built a house on 41st Street at the bay and sold The Polar Cub. The new owners, the Gardner, Kelly, and Green families ran it as a partnership. Now known as Dom’s, owned by Rich Lally.

Churning out great char-grilled burgers and soft-serve ice cream at Moffitt’s Polar Cub required continuous hard work. There was no air conditioning back then and it took clever monitoring to keep the ice cream machines at exactly the right temperature for the frozen custard. The indoor charcoal grill had to be started every morning at 8:30 a.m. and kept alive until closing. It could be a grueling job. If the grill went out, so did business.

Devout members of St. Francis, our family enjoyed the laid back and accepting style the Franciscans promoted in the community.

While the St. Francis Community Center was in its infancy, Kitty pursued and obtained a grant from the State of New Jersey through application to Trenton. The grant enabled mother and Bill Willem, the owner of the Surf City Seafood Restaurant to set up a kitchen in the Community Center, where they operated a volunteer-run lunch for seniors. The kitchen still exists and facilitates the local Meals-on-Wheels program. A plaque in the foyer entrance commemorates their efforts.

By the time we moved to Brant Beach there were six children in our family. While the oldest ones worked at the business, the younger ones were island children, riding bikes all over town. They went crabbing in the bay at 25th Street, played pinball at the Tiki.

They body surfed all day until their noses were crisp and they were brown as berries. At night they hung around Captain John’s Village and enjoyed many movies at the Colony Theatre.

Our parents never went to the beach in the summer. Their seasonal business kept them too busy. Kitty loved the beach in September, after the summer crowds were gone. She waited and shared the beach with the returning seagulls.

Always thinking of the future of LBI, Kitty and Harry had a tin can on the counter at their business, collecting for the muchneeded hospital that was to become Southern Ocean County Hospital (SOCH), currenly Hackensack Meridian Health Southern Ocean Medical Center. They always said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to go all the way to Toms River or Atlantic City for emergency medical care?”

Time and shifting sands bring change. After Dad passed in 1971, our Mom moved year-round to Brant Beach and brought with her Page 106 • Echoes of LBI

Soon after our mother moved to Brant Beach, several members of our family moved to the shore year-round. Harry Jr. and his wife Arleen, moved to Ship Bottom. He practiced psychiatry in Philadelphia and later here in Ocean County. Rich and Brian ran the Moffitt’s Mobil Station on the Causeway Circle in Ship Bottom.

They serviced both summer patrons and a core of loyal year-round customers from 1971 until 2013. Lisa, the youngest, created and installed original stained-glass pieces in homes and businesses on LBI. She is a teacher in the Long Beach Island school system. Lyn married and raised three children in Monmouth County. Craig left the East coast to explore a different kind of beauty in California.

Each one of us eventually came to feel LBI was, and, is our real home. We feel an attachment that many experience after spending time on this unique barrier island.

Here’s to our parents Harry and Kitty! Thank you for your vision, hard work, and for giving us the opportunity to fall in love with LBI. —Photography and text supplied by Lisa Boyd and Lyn Procopio

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Directed by Eugene Jarecki Executive Produced by Stephen Soderbergh USA, 109 minutes Forty years after the death of Elvis Presley, two-time Sundance Grand Jury winner Eugene Jarecki’s new film takes the King’s 1963 Rolls-Royce on a musical road trip across America, tracing the rise and fall of Elvis as a metaphor for the country he left behind. A diverse cast including Alec Baldwin, Rosanne Cash, Chuck D, Emmylou Harris, Ethan Hawke, Van Jones, Mike Myers, and Dan Rather, among many others. A standout film that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and has wowed audiences at every stop.

Directed by Alex Fischer and Rachel Wolther USA, 40 minutes Spinning a series of loosely-connected tales involving the Cocoon Central Dance Team – which consists of actresses Tallie Medel, Sunita Mani (Netflix's G.L.O.W.) and Eleanore Pienta – the film hilariously delves into both serious and non-serious topics with a vigor that is unabashed. Unafraid to put both themselves and their audience on display as objects of their humor, the film veers into welcome and uncharted physical comedy territory.

Directed by Josephine Decker USA, 94 minutes One of the breakout films of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, Madeline’s Madeline is storytelling on a level that draws its audience in and richly rewards those who come along for the ride. Madeline (newcomer Helena Howard) has become an integral part of a prestigious physical theater troupe. When the workshop's ambitious director (Molly Parker) pushes the teenager to weave her rich interior world and troubled history with her mother (Miranda July) into their collective art, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur.

Page 110 • Echoes of LBI

M

y husband Fred loved the beautiful sunsets of Long Beach Island. As evening came, he stopped everything just to enjoy the sunset from our deck. Each sunset was unique and each more beautiful than the last. Since Fred’s passing, sunsets make me feel closer to him. I have wonderful memories, and the support of a very special group of friends. Uniquely, the passage of time has made each of us a widow.

We have known each other for decades and have remained close friends. Our shared experience of loss has brought us even closer.

We miss our husbands very much.

Every year we gather at my home on LBI for a week. It is a time of comfort and support filled with joy and tears sharing memories of halcyon LBI beach days when we were younger, and of time spent with spouses now passed, and children now grown. For me there is joy recalling sunsets with Fred, and evenings of spontaneous dancing on the deck, and of laughter, good times, and of love shared during many wonderful years of marriage.

Our group enjoys shopping and finding new treasures in the little shops on LBI. Last year a friend gave me a lovely gift from Things A Drift of two seagull decoys named Nancy and Freddie, after me and my late husband Fred.

These days, although we may only be young at heart, it is all we need. As the years go by the number of widows in our group grows. We have memories and the support of very special friends.

And, we are of course thankful for every sunset. —Nancy Weiss

It was a sunny day outside so I asked my Pop-Pop if we could go fishing.

He said, “Sure why not.”

I was only four, had longer hair and my hair was more blonde. My Pop-Pop was older, bald, but he was smart.

We got the fishing supplies from the garage. After that, we walked down to the dock on the bay.

I asked him if he could cast the line for me. When I was fishing I felt a big tug on the rod.

I said to Pop-Pop, “What type of fish could this be?”

He said, “I won’t know until you pull it up.”

I pulled the fish out of the water and it was a lot smaller than I thought it would be.

Pop-Pop said, “It is a snapper.” Even though it was a small fish, I was still super excited because it was my first fish caught on my first cast in my life.

This was one of the best times of my life. After that I started to love to go fishing!

—Written by Michael James, age 10. Photography by Nancy Weikel

Page 114 • Echoes of LBI

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