Local high school cheerleaders place in national competition

Many of the local high school cheerleading teams earned a spot at the country’s largest national cheerleading competition, held earlier this month at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. Barnegat, Pinelands Regional and Southern Regional high schools’ cheerleading squads were among the 557 teams that attended this year’s National High School Cheerleading Championship. ESPN and ESPN2 TV stations broadcast the competition, which featured more than 11,000 cheerleaders representing 30 different states.

Photo via Southern Regional
Southern Regional's junior varsity cheerleaders
placed second at the 2014 NHSCC.

Barnegat’s varsity team placed third in the medium varsity division II. After opting out of last year’s competition due to limited funding after Superstorm Sandy, the Pinelands Regional varsity cheerleading team came back stronger than ever, placing eighth in the same division.

Southern Regional’s varsity squad made its 12th consecutive appearance at the competition, placing 18th in the medium varsity division I, which included 46 teams.

“They put out a strong routine in the preliminary round and advanced to semi-finals, where they put on their strongest performance of the year. I am so proud of how they came together as a team,” said Jackie South, Southern Regional’s varsity cheerleading coach.

Southern Regional’s junior varsity team earned its first-ever bid to the national competition after placing first at the Northeast Regional Qualifier in November. Led by Coach Lisa Merlo, the team placed second out of seven teams at the NHSCC in the junior varsity non-tumbling division. The girls were just 0.7 points shy of first place.

–Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.

Acupuncture offers a detailed, holistic health approach to treating a person's root issues

People will go to great lengths to improve their well-being, including voluntarily allowing a licensed acupuncturist to insert needles into the skin for healing purposes. Of course, this increasingly popular technique is nothing new.

Acupuncture, the practice of penetrating the skin with needles to stimulate specific points on the body, has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of health issues. The precise date of acupuncture’s invention in ancient China is uncertain, but the method is known to date back thousands of years.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Parascand rubs a dollop of a mixed blend of
oils on the middle of my forehead.

Considered alternative medicine or a complementary health approach, acupuncture was originally debunked by Western medicine. As health care has evolved in the United States, the practice has become more accepted in the science and healthcare communities.

Many scientific studies have confirmed acupuncture’s treatment of pain, said Taryn Parascand, owner of Living Acupuncture and Healing Arts Center in Barnegat Township. The 1996 Southern Regional High School graduate, who now lives in Waretown with her husband and two sons, said she knew from a very young age when she played with mud and berries that she was meant to help others heal and “find their authentic soul.”

Parascand holds a master’s degree in traditional Oriental medicine from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City. She opened her own healing center in December, and she intends for it to be a healing place that people can trust and feel secure in.

“In order to really heal, I know a person needs to become vulnerable. But in order to become really vulnerable and allow yourself to let go, you have to be able to trust me and the energy here that is safe and healing,” said Parascand. “I strive to uphold that, and I’m committed to building that for people, to help them.

“The body is capable of healing itself, and the acupuncture is a way to enhance the body’s innate ability to bring itself back to healing,” she added. “It has everything it already needs inside. It’s just a matter of unlocking the qi, or getting it flowing, or building more, or dispersing it. It just depends on what that person needs. No two people are treated the same.”

Acupuncture is used to help prevent and treat many ailments, such as infertility, colds and flus, headaches, dermatology and digestive as well as psychological and gynecological issues, to name a few. Pain is the number one reason people seek out the practice, said Parascand.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The body has hundreds of acupoints to
access the meridians or energy channels. 

Last week, she led me through my first acupuncture treatment.

“What’s your chief complaint?” asked Parascand.

I had to think about that one as I had recently seen a number of doctors who have sent me in for blood work, prescribed antibiotics and referred me for a CAT scan and an MRI. Needless to say, I have a few medical concerns. But what has really been bothering me lately is an overall sense of physical depletion.

“Honestly, I feel malnourished,” I told the acupuncturist. “But if that’s not something this sort of practice can help, I have a whole list of other complaints,” I assured her.

To help the acupuncturist better assess a person’s concerns, clients are required to fill out a detailed health history form.

“We’re working to get a full picture. We’re not just treating symptoms; we’re treating the root,” said Parascand. “It’s not like if you have elbow pain, I’m just going to stick needles in your elbow. It’s holistic medicine, so it treats the whole person: the body, the mind, the emotions, the spirit.”

Acupuncture usually requires multiple sessions to fully treat specific concerns, “to peel the layers away.” Everyone is also recommended to see his or her medical doctor.

“I don’t know of any of us that are looking to be the first and only choice. I don’t want to be because I’m not a medical doctor,” said Parascand. “Some people just get it and want it and know that they need it. Others have tried everything else. Others are overwhelmed because they’re on a lot of different medications, and there’s a lot of side effects,” she added.

After addressing my dietary dilemmas – mostly my modern-day vegan diet, which is nearly void of meats and dairy and full of on-the-go eating habits, which include a handful of fruits and vegetables and a slew of veggie hoagies from Wawa as well as packaged oatmeal and canned soups reminiscent of dog food – we further investigated my emaciated feeling.

“Food is medicine. It can really affect the body,” said Parascand.

In a professional and caring manner, she felt the pulses on my wrist, which she indicated were “slow,” and inspected my tongue, “a dark red color with a thicker coat.” Then she asked me about my menses and my digestion, mainly my bowel movements.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The needles inserted on my feet are
a tad bothersome.

“Are they well-formed? Do they smell?” she asked with genuine curiosity.

For the reader’s sake, I will not share my replies. But I suggest being open with your practitioner. They are only there to help you.

Parascand continued to investigate my health and wanted to know what I most often suffer from.

“Nauseous stomachaches, a result of anxiety and stress,” I told her.

With Parascand’s professional guidance, I informed her of my history of depression and rattled off the names of different medications I take. I also recounted bits and pieces from my two-month stint in a medically induced coma, following a 2006 head-on car collision. This especially intrigued her. Had I fully recovered? Did I require subsequent surgery? Did I grieve properly?

“Mostly; yes; probably not.”

With much of the information she now needed, the practitioner asked me to remove my shoes and socks and roll up my pant legs and sleeves before lying on the acupuncture table, which had been electronically heating up. She later added heat to my abdomen and feet via heating lamps “because they felt cold.” The extra warmth was comforting to me, but clients adverse to heat can opt out of it.

Before getting to the needles – which are about the width of a single hair and used only once, then sanitized and thrown away – Parascand wafted lavender essential oil over my body for relaxation, and rubbed a dollop of a mixed blend of oils called tonify earth on my stomach channel, to help boost my qi.

The Snow Lotus oils “are 100 percent natural. It’s not like Glade Plug-In,” she said.

Until Parascand knew I had grown comfortable enough to allow her to continue her practice as she saw fit, the first couple of needles were inserted on calculated exhalations.

“Breathe in, breathe out,” stick.

A needle was placed in the center of each of my feet, just below my knees on the side of each of my legs, in each hand and ear and in the middle of my forehead. Three needles were also placed around my navel. Though I do not have a needle phobia, I can still recount the memory of searing pain after my nightly stomach shots in the hospital eight years ago. Thankfully the acupuncture needles did not bother me the least bit.

I was, however, very aware of the others atop my feet, and my left ear throbbed.

I was told these were strong points. There are hundreds of acupoints along the meridians or energy channels of the body where qi flows, the circulating life force in Chinese philosophy. Each acupoint is coordinated with a specific organ, Parascand explained.

“It’s similar to water flowing in rivers. Qi flows in meridians, and when it gets stuck or stagnant due to different reasons, this is when pain happens or the disharmony, which can then lead to disease,” she said.

During my inhalations, I was encouraged to breathe in a sense of peace and all things good. On exhalations, I was to release all that had been left stagnant in my body. This became my mantra.

“How do you feel?” Parascand asked when the session was over.

After sitting up, I told her I felt an incredible flow of movement within my body. The whirring sensation trickled all over.

“Beautiful,” she replied, smiling.

She said she had worked with various points on my body to boost my qi and get it flowing. She gathered that the trauma I experienced during the car accident had probably created energy blockages, causing my qi to become slow and stagnant.

“It should always be moving. It’s all about harmonizing,” she emphasized.

After just one treatment, I can honestly say I have felt less anxious than usual. I still feel depleted and tired, but peeling away those layers would most likely require extra treatments and a visit with a nutritionist.

–Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.

Beach Haven council honors fire department, discusses revenue post-Superstorm Sandy

Just before the start of the Beach Haven borough council meeting, held Monday, Feb. 10, the local government honored the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. for its superior work during Superstorm Sandy. The fire department is just one of the many local groups the town has formally thanked for their efforts throughout the storm.

“We’re trying to express our gratitude to everybody that worked hard for us, especially the first responders,” said Councilman James White. “I know firsthand about what everybody did from the fire department. As I said in the past, no words can ever express the gratitude that this town owes all of the fire department. We are totally grateful to you; we are in your debt. We feel you did a job above and beyond the call of duty, as they say.

Photo via Redding
Beach Haven takes a hit in
revenue after Superstorm Sandy.

“The recognition that the council has decided to do is a certificate. It’s a piece of paper, but behind the piece of paper is a heartfelt gratitude from all of us,” he added.

Firefighters Matthew MacCrea, James Bradshaw, Jeff Bernard and James Malandro as well as Third Lt. Pat O’Donnell were there to accept their award. The other members, who were unable to attend the event, will receive their certificates at a later date, said White.

In other Sandy news, Richard Crane, borough manager, said he was pleasantly surprised by the town’s revenue figures carrying over from 2013.

“We really didn’t know going into 2013 quite what to expect, considering the destruction had taken place,” he said. “When we put together the budget back in the early part of the winter, we had no idea how many people would be coming back to spend the summer with us, what the condition would be of many of the homes in Beach Haven, or how many of them would be available for occupancy and/or rental.”

Although revenue was down, Crane said the figures were not nearly as low as anticipated. The town’s top six revenue producers were down a little more than $86,000, about 14 percent, when compared to calendar year 2012. The town was not expecting any worse than 30 and 40 percent, he added. Beach badges took the biggest hit, which topped $400,000, this past year, which was about $53,000 short from the previous year.

However, construction fees were at an all-time high, with an additional $121,600 in revenue compared to 2012. This is an indication that property owners in town have been ”busily at work rebuilding their structures,” said Crane.

During calendar year 2013, the town took in $745,000 in FEMA proceeds — $155,000 short of what was anticipated. Progress getting reimbursement from FEMA has been “a rather slow, tedious process,” said Crane.

“It’s been suggested that it may take up to five years to complete this process. We’ve completed a little over one year right now. To think we’ve got another four years of this is a little daunting, but we just keep plugging away because there is a great deal of money that we still hope to receive,” he added.

On a positive note, the town recovered an additional $205,000 from its flood insurance policies, which was not anticipated in the budget.

“More or less, things do sometimes balance out,” said Crane.

In other news, the council introduced and passed on first reading an amended ordinance that proscribes disorderly conduct. The borough ordinance is superceded by a state statute and must be removed from the books.

“We can’t write municipal codes that have a 2C statute. It’s really just some cleanup work,” said Sherry Mason, borough clerk.

The amendment will be considered for final passage and adoption at next month’s meeting, on Monday, March 10.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Buterick Bulkheading expects busy season for ice damage repairs following winter storms

The recent cold snaps could be more than a nuisance for homeowners who have docks that have been damaged by frozen bay water. When the water freezes around dock pilings, which are pounded deep into the flooring of the bay to keep a wharf in place, the tide can pull at the foundation, causing it to buckle or even float away. Newly installed pilings can pull even easier than those that have already had a chance to settle.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Frozen baywater flanks the Grand Larson
fishing boat, docked at Viking Village on LBI.

“We put the piles fat-end down, the skinny-end up so the taper’s going up, so as the ice is rising, theoretically the hole around the piling is loosening up so that it has a harder time grabbing the piling and heaving the ice,” said Fred Soper, vice president of Buterick Bulkheading, who has been working with the company for about 15 years. “A lot of times we’ll be putting 30- or 35-foot poles in 2 feet of water, not because they need to be that long for strength, just because it takes that much more resistance for the piles to heave with the ice,” he added.

Eighty percent of the time, the shorter pilings are usually the ones that come loose, but even larger piles can be severely damaged, said Soper. He said he once tried to pull a pile at Surf City Marina with a crane and a 30-foot jet, but it would not budge. Two years later, the ice came through and pulled the pile upwards 2 feet.

“I’ve seen the ice do things that I couldn’t, literally,” he emphasized. “It does have a lot of strength. The freezes that we’ve been having are pretty significant. We expect to see some ice damage this year, not that we need it,” he added with a laugh.

Work following Superstorm Sandy has mainly consisted of fixing house pilings, which many people considered a priority over dock work.

“If they don’t have a house to stay at, they don’t really need a dock so much,” said Soper. “But as people are starting to rebuild, people are starting to focus more on getting their docks and bulkheads back in order so they can use them this season. There’s a lot of people that lost last season.”

Calls for dock repairs began to trickle in again late last year. The combination of broken ice and high winds from recent storms may even be enough to take out whole docks, said Soper. He expects the damage to contribute to an even busier year of repairs.

Once the pilings heave upwards, they do not go back down on their own. Fortunately, the piles can be reset, and it is uncommon for them to slip out completely. It is usually just a matter of jetting them back down into place using a high-pressure water pump. A lot depends on how strong the dock is built and how it reacts to the ice, said Soper.

The pilings can also be pounded back into place, but doing so requires extra work.

“If we can jet them in without bringing in a 60-foot steel barge and a great, big excavator, it’s just more cost-effective, and the end result is ultimately going to be the same,” Soper explained.

De-icing systems can help prevent heaving from occurring. Soper recommends Kasko Marine De-Icers, which he considers “top of the line.” Aerators designed for ponds, the system blows warmer water up from the bottom of the bay and keeps it circulating to help prevent freezing.

“That’s the best way for people to protect their docks,” said Soper.

A bubbling system, which percolates water through a series of lines, can also help prevent damage. However, if the water gets cold enough, the system will freeze.

“Then it actually has the opposite effect, if they freeze, because then it’s adding that much more pressure. I don’t think it’s gotten cold enough for that yet, but I’ve seen it happen,” said Soper.

Homeowners sometimes tie barrels filled with water on their docks, but the local marine contractor said that is “more or less a gimmick.”

“Those barrels are about 400 pounds apiece, and if the ice grabs ahold of the piling, 400 pounds isn’t going to make a bit of difference,” said Soper. “I’ve seen docks up in the air, with the barrels hanging off of them. In my opinion, that’s a waste of time and money for people if they’re trying to protect their investment,” he explained.

Ice damage repairs are typically performed in the early springtime as frozen bay water makes it virtually impossible for marine contractors to execute their work. The Buterick Bulkheading team performs the repairs geographically, usually working from the north to the south end of Long Beach Island.

“There’s been years in the past where we’ve had four or five pages of pilings just to reset: two at one property, three at the neighbor’s, a couple more a couple blocks down,” said Soper.

The company usually receives many last-minute calls from seasonal residents who hope to have the repairs fixed within a couple of days, before their boat is brought in for the season. It is suggested that people who need repairs call one or two months in advance since ice damage usually affects multiple areas.

Buterick Bulkheading normally offers reset work and ice damage repairs as a service to current customers.

“We’re much better off building a new bulkhead and building a new pier, but to keep our customers happy and keep everybody up and going, and the marinas, we do ice damage repairs really as a service, not so much as a money maker,” said Soper.

Despite the fact that repairs can be a drain on funds when factoring in moving expenses and invoicing, the company will, of course, help whoever calls.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Beach Haven Police Department actively cares for seniors and disabled residents with ‘Operation Safe Call’

The safety of its summer and year-round residents has always been at the forefront of the Beach Haven Police Department’s active duties. Checking on vacant homes while residents are away for short or even extended periods of time has always been on the roster, but caring for each individual presently living in the area is just as important, too.

Photo via everythinglagrange
The program offers an extra pair of watchful eyes
for individuals who are living alone.

Now in its 15th year, “Operation Safe Call” offers an extra pair of watchful eyes for seniors and disabled residents who are living alone. The year-round program allows qualified residents to check in with BG Braun, the receptionist at the police department, who has been heading the program since it was implemented by now-retired Lt. Chuck Fastige in 1999.

“We were getting a lot of check-the-welfare calls, and he (Fastige) came up with this idea to have the residents start calling us,” remembered Matthew Greenwood, captain of the Beach Haven Police Department. “Family members would call up and say, ‘Hey, I haven’t heard from my mom or my dad for a couple days, and they’re not answering the phone. They live alone; can you go check on them?’ Then we’d have to go over to the house, and find the homeowner, and tell them, ‘Hey, the kids are trying to call you.’ So we decided, ‘How about we just start having them call us every day and check on us?’”

Operation Safe Call participants are required to call in on a daily basis during a specific allotted time, between 7 and 9 a.m.

“If we don’t hear from them, usually by 10 o’clock we start making phone calls, trying to track them down, or we send somebody to the house,” said Greenwood.

He claimed the program has helped the team save the lives of many residents who, after missing their daily phone call, were found to have fallen in the middle of the night.

“We’ve actually had to go and pick some people up who couldn’t get to the phone and don’t have the Life Alert around their necks. Their car’s in the driveway, we get into the house, find them laying somewhere – in the bathroom, in the hallway – and get them the medical attention that they need,” he explained.

To help keep the team up-to-date on a resident’s whereabouts, registered participants should inform a member of the police department if they are going away on vacation, visiting family members or friends, or even checking into the hospital.

Residents interested in signing up for the program must fill out a required form, which can be mailed or faxed in, or picked up at the police station. An officer will also deliver the form to persons who are unable to drive. For more information, visit beachhaven-nj.gov, or call Braun at 609-492-0505.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

LBI resident attributes launch of her new life coaching career to difficult life obstacles

Growing up with alcoholism in the family, surviving sexual abuse as a teenager and then dabbling dangerously with drugs and alcohol as a way to cope might leave some with the inability to thrive. But those seemingly unfair circumstances have led Elizabeth Burke Beaty to do just the opposite.

Now 23 years sober and at peace with her past, the Holgate resident is living the life of her dreams and helping others do the same. Her new business venture, Life You Want Coaching, allows her to partner with others in a thought-provoking and creative process to inspire them to maximize their personal and professional potential, the necessary life actions she believes are not often clearly defined in school or at home.

“Nobody teaches us about life; we don’t learn that in school. It’s so funny because it’s kind of the most important tool,” said Burke Beaty.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Elizabeth Burkey Beaty turns her
'self-development' work into a
career helping others.

Like many people, Burke Beaty scoffed at the idea of a life coach when she first heard about it in recovery.

“I thought it sounded like somebody who wanted to be a therapist but didn’t make the cut,” she said.

In recent years, however, the goal-driven coaching industry has seen an influx in understanding and popularity. Many life coach training schools and programs operate worldwide, providing classroom attendance or home study options for individuals interested in making a career out of helping others. Looking back on it, the local resident said she realized it was something she had already been doing most of her life.

“Even though this is technically my career now with my certification, what led up to it was really all the self-development work I’ve done in the past 25 to 30 years,” she said.

In her early 20s, “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” Burke Beaty said she vividly remembers passing a woman jogging in Washington Square Park who looked “alive and healthy.”

“It wasn’t anything special about her, really. It was just, I saw my potential self in her,” said Burke Beaty. “I remember thinking, ‘I’m not supposed to be who I am right now. I’m not supposed to be a victim. I want to be able to do what she’s doing; I want that. I want to be healthy; I want to be whole. I want to really matter. I want to be able to make a difference in my life.’”

Burke Beaty considers this “my bottom, my wake-up call.”

“Life presents a choice for us. I’m not a believer that anybody is a victim of their circumstances; I don’t subscribe to that,” she explained.

After getting involved in a number of 12-step programs, which address a wide range of substance-abuse and dependency problems in an anonymous and open, group setting, Burke Beaty volunteered as a crisis counselor for homeless teenagers. She later landed a teaching job at the School of Visual Arts and established a contemporary art gallery in Manhattan, helping artists turn their passion into a full-on career. Although the business turned out to be a lucrative trade, she eventually made the difficult decision to give up her lifestyle for love and family. In 2008 she moved to the Long Beach Island Trailer Park in Holgate with husband, Tom, and they later had a son, Tommy.

“I got here and had to redefine myself,” said Burke Beaty. “It’s actually been really difficult for me to live here sort of without a career. I really pride myself on my ability to build a business and grow a business. I had so much success in Manhattan, but I wanted this more. I wanted to get married. I wanted to have a family,” she explained.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Considering her experience, the LBI resident
deems life coaching a 'no-brainer' career choice.

“It’s just kind of my character; I believe it’s one of my gifts. I don’t know why,” said Burke Beaty. “I’ve just always been the kind of person that wants to see someone reach their potential. And if I can help facilitate that, nothing excites me more. It was a no-brainer when I found out there was an actual profession revolving around this,” she added.

Unlike traditional therapy, which looks to the past to find causes and effects to help treat a health problem, usually following a mental health diagnosis, life coaching focuses on a person’s present situation and future goals. Situational depression and anxiety may be alleviated through the coaching process, but anyone who is unable to move forward may also need clinical therapy. A great life coach will have the intuition to decipher when extra help may be necessary, Burke Beaty said. Of course, life coaches working with individuals who express danger of hurting themselves or others are mandated to refer them for counseling.

“I can’t come down on anyone; I’m here to support them. I expect them to use me, not depend on me,” she explained.

The in-depth process requires full participation from the individual seeking help. With the aid of the coach, clients are expected to do self-exploratory work and are held accountable for their own progress.

“I don’t actually do the work for people. I help them find the tools and encourage them and support them unconditionally, non-judgmentally, to use those tools to get where they want to go. Along the way, there’s going to be successes and failures,” Burke Beaty explained.

The life coach specializes in working with artists, professional women and moms in transition, and those in recovery, including recovering alcoholics and drug addicts and their loved ones. She will also lead a seminar in the fall at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing for people who have recently been divorced or widowed.

“I’m open to anyone that has a real desire to change. I feel like I have enough coaching modalities that I can definitely do that,” Burke Beaty said.

Life coaching uses a variety of tools and techniques from other disciplines such as sociology, psychology, positive adult development and career counseling. Depending on a person’s individual needs, the practice can cover a range of topics from career or health challenges to love and relationship issues. While some people have specific goals, others need to “look at their wheel of life and see what’s out of balance,” said Burke Beaty.

“I can help them whether they have a goal or not. If they’re just generally stuck, we have specific tools to get them unstuck,” she added.

Burke Beaty has her own life coach, too. Andrea Owen is a certified professional co-active coach from The Coaches Training Institute and founder of Your Kick Ass Life. Although Owen lives in Nebraska, the two work together via phone.

Burke Beaty also works with a number of coaching friends, who supervise each other on client work to make sure they are not missing any important prospects. The group work is confidential, and no one mentions any client’s name.

“It’s the most enriching environment. Coaches grow while their clients grow. It’s such a win-win. It’s amazing,” said Burke Beaty. “It’s all about looking at the bigger picture of your dharma, your purpose in life, and then going down that path. It doesn’t mean everything’s going to be perfect and there’s going to be a fairytale ending. It means you’re going to be on your deathbed, literally, and say, ‘I did what I had to do. I actually lived a full life.’ It’s not for people who need it. It’s for people who want it, bottom line,” she added.

Burke Beaty is available to work with clients all over the country, in-person and through Skype or phone. To contact her, visit lifeyouwantcoaching.com or call 917-623-9339.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Just what are those South Jersey people up to?

You mean people at the Jersey Shore do more 

than just laze around with their toes in the sand??

Follow along on Twitter @newjerseynative

Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. purchases new air packs, still needs to replace fire trucks damaged by Superstorm Sandy

Members of the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. are still dealing with the after-effects of Superstorm Sandy nearly a year and half after the storm devastated the area. Following the loss of most of its equipment due to 4 feet of floodwater damage, the fire company recently purchased 30 new and upgraded MSA air packs, which supply crewmembers with fresh air when worn during fire calls.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
A Beach Haven firefighter tries on
the new, upgraded gear.

Nearly 30 active members gathered at the firehouse on Thursday, Jan. 23 for training on the newly upgraded gear.

“All the guys there felt very comfortable with them,” said Matt Letts, Beach Haven fire chief. “We’re pretty excited that we got something nice. It gives us something to look forward to using.”

The company lost four of the necessary self-contained breathing apparatuses during the storm, and the others, which were 10 years old and out of date, often needed frequent repairs, said Letts. The air packs are most often used during house fire calls where heavy smoke or carbon monoxide creates a breathing hazard for the first responders.

“We wear them on every call, even if we’re not using them to breathe. They’re always on the guy’s backs, just in case we pull up on something unexpected,” said Letts. “Without them, we wouldn’t really be able to do anything. Next to the hose and the fire truck, they’re the most important thing.”

The new purchase cost the fire company $138,000, which included a $40,000 discount with 30 donated air bottles, “the heart and soul of the air pack, where the air is stored,” from FF1 Professional Safety Services in Sparta. Depending on a user’s breathing habits, the new air bottles should last about 45 minutes compared to the former air bottles, which lasted about 30 minutes, said Letts. The bottles must be filled after each use and hydrostatic tested every five years before they are considered out of date after 15 years, he explained.

“That was actually part of our issue with the old ones, too,” said Letts. “Forty out of the 60 we had were up for replacement because they were out of hydro dates. They would have had to be replaced within the next couple of months. That would have been another cost on us, so we weighed the options of replacing all the bottles or getting all new air packs and getting something current and top of the line,” he explained.

To pay for the cost of the new purchase, the fire company used funds from fundraising efforts over the past three to four years, including the annual turkey dinner held every February and the yearly block party held each October during Chowderfest weekend. The fire company has also raised money through the sale of T-shirts and individual donations from local residents and businesses as well as from Beach Haven and Long Beach Township

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The crewmembers are comfortable using the
necessary air packs for calls.

governments.

Although the fire company receives some funding from the towns it covers for fire calls, Letts said it is not enough to pay for such hefty purchases. The company is also currently in desperate need of new fire trucks.

In September the company bought a 1989, 1,000-gallon pumper truck for $10,000. The truck was originally on loan from the Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Co. in West Virginia after the Beach Haven company lost a truck during Sandy. Besides the fact that the older, open-cab truck is practically out of date according to National Fire Protection Agency standards, it has also had its share of problems. The truck was recently out of service and unable to pump water.

The local company, which saved more than 100 people from Beach Haven and Long Beach Township during the height of the superstorm, is also looking to replace its 1992 ladder truck, which will be “at the end of its service life” within the next three years, said Letts. The ladder for the truck is no longer manufactured, either, he added.

“It’s got to go because we really can’t maintain it without the proper parts,” said Letts.

The fire company plans to first purchase a pumper truck, which Letts said would cost the company around $500,000. The ladder truck, which is used often for house fire calls, will cost around $1 million, he added. The crew is currently in the process of deciding whether to finance or bond the new trucks.

“The big part we’re trying to figure out is funding. Unfortunately, insurance didn’t help us out too much for the fire truck that we lost from the storm,” said Letts. “We are heavily reliant on donations. We are 100 percent donations, really,” he added.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Beach Haven First Aid Squad sees decrease in annual calls, increase in medical and psychiatric calls associated with Sandy

The Beach Haven First Aid Squad responded to a total of 917 calls during the 2013 calendar year, making it one of the lowest in calls in years.

“That’s from the greatly diminished year ’round population that we have,” said Deborah Whitcraft, president of the Beach Haven First Aid Squad. “Before (Superstorm) Sandy it had greatly diminished, but subsequent Sandy even more so.”

Photo via BHFAS
The Beach Haven First Aid Squad responds to
calls for 10 out of the 18 miles of LBI.

The squad, which covers calls for 10 out of the 18 miles of Long Beach Island in Beach Haven, Ship Bottom and Long Beach Township, normally averages between 1,000 and 1,200 calls annually, she said.

Although the number of calls diminished last year, the nature of the calls took on a different personality. There have been more medical and psychiatric calls associated with Sandy, including domestic violence, said Whitcraft.

At its annual installation dinner, held at the Engleside Inn on Sunday, Jan. 26, the first aid squad thanked Ship Bottom, Beach Haven and Long Beach Township municipalities for their continued support. The organization acknowledged Long Beach Township Mayor Joseph Mancini, Police Chief Michael Bradley and the board of commissioners for recently creating a policy to hire only police officers who are EMT-certified.

“Four of their officers this summer will be working 12-hour shifts responding to calls for the Beach Haven First Aid Squad – in other words, completing the calls from start to finish,” said Whitcraft.

The organization’s 2014 elected officials include Whitcraft, president; Jack Casella, vice president, captain and president of the board; Leslie Houston, treasurer; Tom Walsh, recording secretary; Bev Tromm, corresponding secretary; Shirley Harris, lieutenant; Bob Weidman, first sergeant for Ship Bottom; Ed Shanley, first sergeant for Beach Haven; and Anthony Orzo Jr., second sergeant. Many of the named officials are also among the trustees.

– Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.

17-year-old stock car driver nurtures her need for speed, advances racing career

Amanda Harrison slips into a pink, flame-resistant driving suit before jumping into her newest stock racing car, a 3,000-pound super late model that her parents bought her last year for her 16th birthday. The used car, which cost her parents about $12,000, is her fourth racing car. It is kept in a 20-foot trailer in front of her family’s home in Beach Haven.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
Amanda Harrison shows off her newest
race car and latest winning trophies.

The 17-year-old Southern Regional High School student, who swears she also loves “girly things,” such as shopping and hearts, first became interested in stock car racing seven years ago after watching NASCAR with her father and attending a motor sports camp in Virginia. She has continued to nurture her need for speed by traveling across the country to compete in races, driving one of her two minicup stock cars, which are about half the size of a NASCAR stock car and can travel at speeds of 90 mph.

“It’s like a NASCAR, but it’s shrunken down to probably 10 feet long and maybe 3 feet high. They’re cute,” said Harrison.

Minicup races offer an entry-level stock car racing experience for new drivers. Although Harrison is still eligible to compete in minicups, she has decided to move on to late model racing to help her achieve her dream of becoming a NASCAR driver. Late model race cars are the highest class of local stock car racing vehicles at many race tracks in North America and Australia. Many drivers of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the de facto premier series of stock car racing, have raced in the class while progressing through their career.

Harrison said she used to use local NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Martin Truex Jr.’s racing numbers, but eventually decided to choose 58 as her individual number.

“I need my own number. I can’t be working off of somebody else’s,” said Harrison. “Once I got 58, my luck started turning around; I was doing a lot better. I was more consistent on my finishes, and I won a couple. It was nice.”

Harrison’s mother, Tammy, said her daughter has always been on the move, walking at just 8 months old. As a kid she received affectionate nicknames such as “sprocket” and “the Energizer bunny.”

Photo by Ryan Morrill
The late model stock car
weighs 3,000 pounds.

“I am so nervous when she’s on the track. I pace,” said Tammy. “I try to videotape her, but it’s very, very stressful to be a mom and to watch your daughter on the track. It’s a very dangerous sport. When you’re going 90 miles an hour, anything can happen. She has the best equipment that she can have; we always make sure she’s in the car as safe as she can be, but it’s racing. A car could lose control right in front of her. It can happen in a split second,” she added.

Harrison was hit by another driver and T-boned into a cement wall in October, resulting in a shoulder injury. Although she has suffered a concussion and hand injury during other races, she claims she actually acquires more injuries playing school sports.

“That’s racing. With racing there’s going to be wrecks, and with wrecks there’s going to be injuries. It’s just the nature of the beast,” said Harrison.

After spending nearly a decade learning how to master the skills of minicup racing, which requires intense focus and a keen understanding of both math and science to determine calculations such as track temperatures and tire pressures, Harrison said she now has to learn a whole new racing skill set. Late model stock cars are two-thirds the size of a NASCAR stock car, have a manual transmission and can go as fast as 150 mph.

“We bought a pickup truck and made her practice driving stick before we let her get into the (late model) car,” said Tammy.

Harrison has also been racing in an eight-week winter go-karting league at Speed Raceway in Cinnaminson to help prepare her for the new season, which begins in March and ends in November. She hopes to compete in as many of the Pro All Star Series races offered, but said she will probably only be able to race in a few since the late model racing expenses are considerably more than the costs for minicups.

“One set of tires (which need to be changed during every race) for this thing costs $750, and God forbid there’s a wreck or a blown-out motor. That would cost about $10,000, easily,” said Harrison’s father and crew chief, Bruce.

Many of the other leagues Harrison has competed in have folded from lack of participation, mostly due to the recession, said Tammy.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
The Beach Haven resident gears up
for a new season of racing.

Despite having to care for four other children, Harrison’s parents said they cover about 75 percent of her racing costs. To help fill the gap, Harrison continues to apply for sponsorships. The Chicken or the Egg in Beach Haven has sponsored the local resident since she started racing. Although she lost many sponsors due to Superstorm Sandy, she is currently sponsored by Coastal Design, Sea Spray Motel, Sea Pirate Campground, Newman’s Own salad dressing and Herr’s snacks. She is also in the running for a $50,000 sponsorship from Champion Spark Plugs.

“She really wants to do it, and it’s her dream. So we’re trying to get her as far as we can,” said Tammy.

A typical minicup season usually costs the family about $20,000 to $30,000, when factoring in racing gear, car parts, track rentals, gas, competition fees, lodging and traveling expenses. The season for late model racing will likely cost $50,000 to $75,000, said Tammy.

Despite the high cost, the love for racing has trickled down through the family. Harrison’s brother, Jake, 10, plans to start racing in minicups next season. Harrison has been customizing one of her minicup cars during school at the Ocean County Vocational Technical School in Jackson, and said she will hand it down to her brother when it is finished.

“He’s going to follow me, and I’m going to give him pointers,” said Harrison. “I didn’t have that. I didn’t have anyone really helping me, but I want to do that for my brother.”

Although Harrison occasionally misses school to attend a race, she manages to complete all of her homework on time, studying in the car and working on projects in hotel rooms between races held all over the country, including Virginia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. She has even managed to stay on the honor roll.

Harrison also makes it a point to share her racing experience with the community. Last year she spoke at the Eagleswood Township Elementary School where Beach Haven’s students were relocated while the Island school was being repaired from Sandy damage.

Although Harrison is proud to be a female stock car driver, she said she has been victim of jealousy by her male counterparts. She said she has been verbally attacked and was once intentionally rear-ended by a 50-year-old, male opponent who “was so intimidated and did not want to lose to a girl.”

If she does not make it as a NASCAR driver, Harrison plans to attend college to earn a bachelor’s degree in motorsports technology. She also hopes to learn how to surf and snowboard.

“I love thrills,” she said.

–Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.

Ocean County freeholders urge residents to properly care for gasoline and household chemicals

Lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy took center stage at a recent meeting of the Ocean County Mayors Association. At the forefront of the conversation was the topic of properly storing gasoline and household chemicals in garages and storage sheds to avoid their being washed away in a flood and creating a severe environmental hazard.

Photo via VPPSA
Household chemicals are best stored
on shelves, above the ground.

Joseph Vicari, Ocean County freeholder director, mentioned gasoline cans, motor oil, pesticides and pool and lawn chemicals are often stored in garages and sheds. Although this may seem like the proper place to keep such items, Vicari raised the point that these containers can be damaged and carried away during a flood, causing “widespread environmental damage.” Gasoline cans and other hazardous containers were found strewn about in areas damaged by Sandy’s floodwaters, he added.

“Even if a home is raised on pilings, these chemicals are often left in garages at ground level. A simple solution is to store these materials on shelves well above the floor,” Vicari said in a news release.

To help protect the environment, Freeholder James Lacey encouraged residents to participate in the county’s free, twice-yearly Household Hazardous Waste disposal program. The program accepts a variety of household chemicals ranging from paint cans to pesticides. The program has many collection points set up in local municipalities. The county collected and safely disposed of more than 235,600 pounds of waste last year, Lacey said. Locations and dates for the 2014 program will be released later this year.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.