Carver Brings Life To Dead Trees In Stafford

By Stephanie Faughnan

STAFFORD

–

In a cast of artistic ingenuity, the Bay Avenue Community Center has reeled in a remarkable catch. What was once a lifeless red oak tree now stands as a striped bass wood carving –open mouth and all.

Kevin Treat, who calls himself “the sawptician,” carved the magnificent fi sh in just three days. And it’s not the first time Treat has transformed nature’s remnants into awe-inspiring artwork within

World Ocean Day Prompts Calls For Action

By Bob Vosseller

SEASIDE PARK – Calling themselves “Ocean Rebels for the COZ” members of Clean Ocean Action (COA), Mayor John Peterson, naturalist Trisha DeVoe and others came out to promote for the aquatic environment during World Ocean Day. It was noted with some irony that the observance, held at Funtown Beach along Stockton and North Ocean avenues in the borough, was originally

Barnegat Food Pantry Lends A Helping Hand

scheduled to take place on June 8 and was postponed for a week due to dangerous air levels caused by smoke from Canadian wildfi res.

Those present noted that after four decades of progress in ocean protection, new and old threats were being fast tracked that could impact the ocean of today.

Mayor Peterson recalled the fights he was involved with to close the Ciba-Geigy pipeline

(Action - See Page 5)

By Stephanie Faughnan

BARNEGAT –

As she hears the creak of the door to the Barnegat Food Pantry, Laura Traphagen springs into action, swiftly leaving her office behind. With a warm smile and an empathetic heart, Traphagen steps into the main area, ready to greet whoever seeks assistance.

A family of five stands before her, with three

(Pantry - See Page 4)

Seniors Facing Aff ordable Housing Crisis

By Stephanie Faughnan

OCEAN COUNTY –

As the cost of living continues to rise, an increasing number of seniors are burdened by exorbitant housing expenses that exceed their fixed incomes. This predicament has forced some to make difficult choices between paying for basic necessities and keeping a roof over their heads.

In a letter addressed to Governor Phil Murphy, Commissioner Director Joseph Vicari asked the state to make funds available for rental and housing assistance for older adults.

(Crisis - See Page 12)

Pantry:

Continued From Page 1 young children’s eyes filled with curiosity and uncertainty. Now the director, Traphagen has volunteered with the Barnegat Food Pantry and Thrift Shop for over eighteen years.

As this location’s food pantry, services are intended for individuals living in Barnegat and the Township of Ocean, Traphagen first asks the mom where the family lives.

“We’re in the Barnegat Motel,” explains Jasmine Johnson. “We were wrongfully evicted from our home and lost everything. We were sent there so we wouldn’t be homeless.”

The information is all that Traphagen needs to hear as she asks Johnson for identification to enter the family’s name into the handwritten daily log.

As Johnson starts to look at some bread donated by Trader Joe’s, Traphagen proceeds to put together another package of food that’s out of sight from the main area. She also offers the young mother a small crockpot so she can heat things up at the motel.

The next step to keeping a roof over her children’s heads requires some intervention services. Johnson remains hopeful that things will pan out for all of them.

“We’re trying to get me and my family into a more of an assisted living program called Linkages,” Johnson shares. “It would be temporary housing for all of us.”

Johnson’s revelation strikes a chord with the pantry’s director. Little did Johnson know, Traphagen herself once experienced similar hardships. Linkages helped Traphagen move forward in life to a point where she can give back to others.

Traphagen said she’d been placed in the foster care system when she was just three years old. When she and her siblings were returned to their mother, she was unable to take care of them properly.

“She did her flight thing,” said Traphagen.

“We were stealing food. We didn’t have food. I know what it’s like to be a kid with five other siblings and a German shepherd and no food.”

The hard times didn’t stop there. Traphagen went on to marry a man with anger issues, adding another layer of difficulty to her life. However, amidst the chaos, she discovered solace and support in Linkages.

Today, Traphagen devotes her time to helping others. She is joined in her noble mission by her adult son, sharing a tangible unbreakable bond reflected in their personal exchange.

“Jonathan’s 28 and is epileptic,” Traphagen shared. “He has special needs and comes in to volunteer with me.”

Within the modest confi nes of 360A Main Street, resources can sometimes be scarce. However, thanks to the support of township officials, the project received a significant boost when the municipality generously donated the building.

Proceeds generated from the Thrift Shop help buy some of the food passed on to those facing food insecurity. Other monetary donations come from assorted sources, with some tangible contributions recently helping even more people. Various civic or- ganizations and senior developments make an effort to assist those who might otherwise go hungry.

“Last year, somewhere around Christmas or New Year’s Eve, I got a nighttime call from a gentleman named Dave from Trader Joe’s,” said Traphagen. “He called and said he was going to deliver food to another food bank, and they couldn’t take it. Dave wanted to know if we could take it.”

Since that day, Dave has made regular trips from Newark to bring in fresh fruits, vegetables, and bread. Traphagen summed up the donations as a “blessing.”

A warehouse in Edison also supplies the food bank with variations of Rao’s pasta sauce. They make for an excellent addition for families looking to stretch meals.

The on-site Thrift Shop also turns out to be a bit of a saving grace. Traphagen recalled the day she looked down at an elderly man’s downtrodden shoes. Henry, now deceased, was a regular at the pantry.

“They were completely shot,” explained Traphagen. “I asked Henry for his size and went to the closet and pulled out a pair of shoes.”

When Henry insisted on knowing the price, Traphagen informed him the shoes had been marked down to one dollar. Upon learning that Henry had no money, Traphagen quickly changed the sale price to make them free of charge.

The Barnegat Food Pantry and Thrift Shop plays an essential role in the community. In the last six months, they’ve helped at least 200 families who might otherwise go hungry.

Those in need of resources and those who want to give should fi nd a sense of satisfaction in stopping in for a visit. Fifteen volunteers staff the food pantry, open Tuesday 10-2 p.m., Thursday 10-2 p.m., and Saturday 10-2 p.m.

The group can be reached by email at barnegatfoodpantry@gmail.com and by telephone at 609-698-7174.

Action:

Continued From Page 1 off Third Avenue in Ortley Beach and syringes washing up on the beach decades ago from New York City garbage barges.

He also noted the more recent beaching of a large whale dubbed “Wendy” who was buried a short distance from the press conference and he’s concerned that things are going backwards.

“We can work together to increase citizen participation, and to raise public awareness of the vital need to protect the ocean, our many ocean marine species, our fishing industry and tourism and the very way of life of the Jersey Shore,” the mayor added.

Peterson said he hoped to see “officials of all elected levels of government, up and down the Jersey shore” in joining COA in making the public aware “of the threats to our ocean and what can happen if we become complacent.”

Lavallette resident Brick Wenzel spoke to Jersey Shore Online.com from the perspective of a commercial fisherman.

“I am the fishing liaison for the Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative out of Point Pleasant Beach. I have been a licensed commercial fisherman since 1982. When you look at the industrialization of our ocean, the commercial fishing industry is the most heavily impacted blue water economy with the industrial build out.”

He brought along some ocean maps and charts to the event to show some of the problems that commercial fishermen were facing and what he said were missteps by state authorities. There was an area that had been leased out by the government that is highly traveled by marine life. He said it never should have been leased out.

COA members announced an action campaign that calls upon citizens to become voices for the sea to improve and protect the ocean, including from new and harmful ocean industrialization. They advocated for permanent protection of the New York/New Jersey Bight.

COA Advocacy Campaign Manager Kari Martin said, “it is unfathomable to see the lack of investigation and lack of transparency into the string of deaths of whales and other marine mammals, especially with endangered species at grave risk.”

“While federal agencies so boldly and confidently contend that offshore wind energy has nothing to do with the deaths of these marine mammals, they have provided no evidence. In fact, the agencies highlight ‘noise’ as a major factor in marine mammal harm. This is alarming as the impacts on marine life from noise are only growing and intensifying with the increase of offshore wind activity. That’s why we need a pilot project,” she added.

The Clean Ocean Zone was launched as a campaign against old, new, and renewed threats. The organization continues to call for a pilot project to determine the true impacts of offshore wind industrialization, and continues to serve its mission to stop ocean pollution sources.

“We have come a long way and the ocean is now thriving. Everyone knows the ocean is key to the health of the planet, but few know a healthy ocean is also the planet’s best buffer against climate change. Sustaining a healthy ocean is the key to solving climate change,” COA Executive Director Cindy Zipf said.

“The ocean is our last great open space, which should not be sold, leased, developed, industrialized or used for profit. It must be protected and preserved. There is a connectedness and balance to all of our natural environments and ecosystems; harming one will have a ripple effect on others, and on us,” said Leslie Mangold, concerned citizen and ocean advocate.

Mangold added, “we cannot stand idly by and let the ocean be used as collateral damage in the fight against climate change. If we do, then we are complicit in helping to destroy it.”

During the event, COA identified some of the state and federal actions that have caused alarm and the need for a strong comprehensive law to protect the ocean. These include: President Biden’s Executive Order calling for 30 gigawatts (30,000 megawatts) of offshore wind by 2030 along with fast-tracking implementation without transparency, due diligence and good science, as well as concerns about the undermining of agencies that protect marine life and the environment and national security.

The Biden Administration’s Ocean Climate Action Plan, which includes ocean injection of carbon, mining, and massive scale aquaculture and ocean confined animal feed lots. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) ties offshore wind development (OSW) to offshore oil and gas development. Off shore wind has a connection to increas- ing fossil fuels in that “during the 10-year period after the IRA was enacted, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) may not issue a lease for offshore wind development unless the agency had offered at least 60 million acres for oil and gas leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf in the previous year,” Zipf added.

She noted that the state “is fast-tracking permits and does not have a robust action plan to ensure ocean protection. COA has submitted numerous detailed comments on different projects, permits, rules, and authorization highlighting the lack of due diligence, transparency, and good governance.

Zipf said, “while some elements of these programs do help address climate change, such as more green infrastructure, energy reduction may do so by undermining the health of the ocean, the overall drive is to industrialize the ocean at an unsustainable scale.”

Those in attendance heard the sounds of a whale through a recording that was played. “Whales are a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. We need to protect the ocean and save our whales now,” DeVoe said. She is also a conservation biologist and the founder of SaveOurWhalesNow.org.

“As a young adult who will soon be entering the field of environmental advocacy post-graduation, the threat of ocean industrialization is alarming. My generation understands the urgency surrounding climate change, as we know this will be the world that we inherit and make our lives in,” COA Ocean Advocacy and Policy Intern Fiona Griffin said.

“Climate change solutions must not come (Action - See Page 13)

Carver:

Continued From Page 1 the community. Back in 2019, he crafted a majestic eagle from a beech tree proudly perched in front of the municipal complex.

When presented with the opportunity to carve a masterpiece from the tree standing in front of the community center, Treat extended a couple of options to Stafford officials.

“The town wanted something that represented the area,” shared Treat. “I gave them a picture of an ‘old salt’ sailor and a striped bass as suggestions.”

Mayor Greg Myhre said township officials thought sticking with the wildlife theme made the most sense. Myhre sees the new wood sculpture as a prospective photo op.

“It might be a good place for someone who catches a fish to take a picture,” Myhre suggested. “We have a big striped bass fishing community in our area. Most people I talk to are either avid fishermen or have been at one point or another.”

According to Treat, the trees he works on are all compromised, and the red oak he transformed into a remarkable wood carving was no exception. The presence of hollow spots posed a unique challenge during the transformation process. Additionally, the tree’s unstable condition was evident in several large branches on the verge of falling, potentially posing a liability for the town.

To bring the stunning striped bass wood carving to life, the commissioning cost for Treat’s craftsmanship was $2,434. With artistic beauty often considered priceless, authorities consider it a great investment. The otherwise necessary removal of the tree could have incurred a similar expense.

Treat’s talents came to the attention of Stafford officials when he participated in a Carve Wars competition held in Tuckerton in 2018. However, the story behind how this gifted wood carver acquired his unique moniker comes with its share of intrigue.

By adopting the name “sawptician,” Treat cleverly fused the tools of his trade - the saw and the optician’s precision - to reflect the unique combination of his past and present careers.

“Chainsaw carving was a hobby of mine for a number of years,” shared Treat. “I’m an optician by trade and made eyeglasses for a living.”

After 26 years as an optician, Treat took advantage of an opportunity to sell off his partnership when his colleague joined a larger group. Treat took off for a year to figure out what he wanted to do. As he delved deeper into his wood carving hobby, Treat discovered he was not only shaping intricate sculptures but also carving out a new identity for himself in the artistic realm.

“People were asking me to do trees in their yards like the one in Stafford,” Treat said. “I did fairs and commission work and found out I could make a living at this.”

Treat, 56, is from a little town in Pennsylvania named Lake Winnola. In addition to transforming trees into works of art as permanent structures, Treat also captivates audiences with live displays showcasing the intricate process behind his creations.