Stockton makes another name change, becomes a university

Stockton College has been officially deemed a university after the board of trustees voted to change the school’s designation and name from a college to a university last week. The change was approved by Rochelle Hendricks, New Jersey secretary of higher education, after research and study by her office and outside consultants who visited the campus recommended Stockton be recognized as a comprehensive university, a press release stated. The executive committee of the New Jersey Presidents Council, made up of the presidents of the state's public, private and community colleges and universities that receive state aid, also voted for the change.

Photo via Stockton
Stockton is New Jersey's newest
institution of higher learning.

A celebration held in the campus center following the board meeting featured the new seal and unveiling of a large banner with the new university logo. A special video made for the occasion was also aired, and attendees received baseball caps with the new logo.

According to the release, whether or not to seek the change had been the subject of research and internal discussion at Stockton for nearly two years. Faculty, staff, students, prospective students and parents, alumni and over 1,400 members of the public in South Jersey were surveyed. Town hall discussions were also held.

“The change from college to university status has been more than simply a reclassification. This decision has come after a great deal of critical thought and self-reflection by our community and perhaps this fact is what is most significant,” said Rodger Jackson, president of the faculty senate and a professor of philosophy.

“It’s great to be a part of Stockton history, and most students are excited to be here for the transition,” added Carl Archut Jr., president of the student senate. “They feel that Stockton is really taking a step up.”

The estimated costs of a name change, which are expected to be phased in over five or more years, range from $654,208 to $956,082, depending on what is included. The range covers replacing signage and updating institutional and marketing materials such as stationery, business cards, flags, seals and banners. Some of those materials are updated and reprinted annually, and their costs would be absorbed in existing budgets. Some items of historical significance may not be changed.

Over the years, Stockton has been known as Richard Stockton State College, Stockton State, and most recently, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

“Since its founding in 1969, Stockton has had many names, but one consistent mission: excellence in teaching, dedication to learning and a tradition of community service,” said President Herman Saatkamp. “In becoming a university, we honor those values while continuing our journey as an environment for excellence and a partner in New Jersey’s social and economic development.”

Stockton had met the requirements to be designated a university for over five years and was already classified as such by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review.

Comprehensive universities emphasize teaching and offer master’s degrees in a variety of academic disciplines and professional fields, as opposed to research universities, it was noted.

The board is currently in the state approval process for a new doctoral degree in organizational leadership to be offered in the school of education. Once it obtains the necessary approvals, the program is expected to be offered at the Atlantic City Island Campus in 2016, which would bring Stockton’s total number of graduate programs to 14.

Stockton is ranked number nine among public regional universities of the north by U.S. News and World Report in its 2015 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” The school is also ranked overall at number 41 out of 135 public and private Northern universities by U.S. News and World Report.

For more information, visit stockton.edu/university.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

Ocean County Freeholders prepare for upcoming boating season by entering agreement with Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen’s Museum in Tuckerton

In preparation for the upcoming boating season, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders is expected to again enter into operational agreements with the Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen’s Museum in Tuckerton as well as Seaside Park and Brick Township for the operation of its six pumpout boats. The boats are specially equipped vessels capable of emptying the on-board toilets and tanks of other boats, which helps keeps waste from entering the bay.

Photo via Patch
More than 6,200 boaters used the free
service during the 2014 boating season.

The program helps the county to “continue our efforts to keep Barnegat Bay clean and to make sure boaters are safe when using our waterways,” Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari, who serves as liaison to the program, stated in a press release.

More than 6,200 boaters accessed the county’s free pumpout boat service during the 2014 boating season, making sure more than 128,000 gallons of waste water was properly treated and disposed, the release noted.

The fleet of six boats covers different areas of the bay throughout the county. The new agreements will cover the costs to operate the boats.

“We have a great partnership with municipalities and organizations that help us with the pumpout boat program,” Vicari said. “It is the cooperation forged over the years that have kept this program highly successful.”

The county provides $20,000 per boat to cover costs, including maintenance, fuel and the captains’ salaries. Meanwhile, the Ocean County Utilities Authority reimburses the county for half of the operational costs of the program.

“The Ocean County Utilities Authority has been an integral partner in this program since it began,” said Freeholder Director John C. Bartlett Jr., who serves as liaison to the OCUA. “I want to extend this board’s appreciation to the OCUA and all of the partners in the program. With their help, the program provides great environmental benefits, keeping waste out of the bay and its tributaries.”

The county unveiled its sixth boat, which is operated by Brick Township, last June. It is a 23-foot boat with a 420-gallon holding tank.

“With this program, over the years we have made certain more than 1.2 million gallons of effluent from pleasure boats using Barnegat Bay was disposed of properly,” Vicari said. “From the first boat, the Circle of Life operated by Seaside Park, to the sixth, appropriately named the Bay Defender, the program has been very successful in helping Ocean County’s efforts to keep the bay waters clean and also to assist boaters who use the waterways.”

The boats typically operate from Memorial Day weekend to the first week of October and can be contacted by using VHF Radio Channel 9.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

View marine life as a shipwreck diver at the New Jersey Maritime Museum

Dive into the ocean while keeping dry at the “Marine Life: Above and Below East Coast Shipwrecks” presentation held at the New Jersey Maritime Museum in Beach Haven on Friday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. The hour-long seminar, led by museum curator and long-time diver Bart Malone, will take participants on a journey under the sea using a combination of still photos and short video clips of different shipwrecks along the coast captured by Malone and other contributing divers throughout the years.

Photo via USA Today
Divers explore a sidewheel iron steamer that
sank after a collision near Atlantic City in 1860.

The public “only know what’s out there because of what they hear. Now the public can kind of see what myself and four or five other divers see when we’re diving these wrecks,” said Malone, who has been diving shipwrecks for 42 years and scuba diving for 54 years.

Sharks, skates, horseshoe crabs and flounder are just some of the marine life that participants will witness in the footage, Malone specified.

Questions from the public are welcome, and light refreshments, including beer, wine and cheese, will be provided.

A donation in lieu of an admission fee is requested.

Registration is required. To reserve a spot, call the museum at 609-492-0202.

For more information, visit njmaritimemuseum.org.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Seafood industry experts teach consumers how to make sustainable seafood choices

Photo via Viking Village
Viking Village Harbor can accommodate
as many as 40 boats, varying in size.

Consumers interested in learning how to make smart, sustainable seafood choices are invited to attend a FishWatch presentation during this weekend’s Science Saturday, held Feb. 28, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies. The lecture, led by Joshua O’Connor, port agent with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, will provide easy to understand, science-based facts about the seafood industry and management.

Also joining in during the presentation, Karter Larson of Viking Village will discuss how fish is harvested in the Atlantic Ocean. Ian Smith, culinary instructor with the Ocean County Vocational Technical School, will prepare hands-on cooking demonstrations of fresh seafood.

“Come hungry; delicious samples will be tasted,” Amy Carreño, LBIF's director of public programs, said in a press release.

Breakfast treats will also be provided by A Little Bite of Italy.

Admittance is free for LBIF members. All others are asked to donate $5.

For more information, call 609-494-1241 or visit lbifoundation.org or LBIF’s Facebook page.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Beach Haven must conduct ‘unexpected’ revaluation of all properties by Nov. 1

The Beach Haven Borough Council recently introduced an ordinance authorizing emergency appropriation in the amount of $200,000 to pay for the complete revaluation of all properties within the town, Borough Manager Richard Crane announced during the council’s regular meeting, held Feb. 9. The revaluation, ordered by the Ocean County Board of Taxation, must be completed by Nov. 1 so the new values can be put into effect for the 2016 tax year.

“It was, I have to say, a little unexpected,” Crane stated.

Photo via Google
Beach Haven's ratio of assessed value to
true value has slipped 83.57 percent.

The order is based on the fact that the town’s ratio of assessed value to true value is down to 83.57 percent. The town’s last evaluation was conducted in 2004.

The project requires the borough to hire an outside firm “because it is a very labor-intensive process,” Crane said.

“They do have to visit every property within the borough,” he emphasized.

The firm will be working under the direction of the borough tax assessor. The revaluation is expected to take place in the mid-spring and summer months.

More details will be available once a contract award is given and a timetable is laid out, Crane noted.

“Time is of the essence,” he said. “We have to get this process moving.”

Also during the meeting the council executed a task order to extend a contract with Louis Berger Group, which, Crane said, the borough has “relied heavily on … to assist us in working to obtain the maximum reimbursement from both FEMA as well as our insurance carrier for all of our damages incurred post-Sandy.”

“Superstorm Sandy, though it is well over two years old, continues to be pretty much an everyday project for us here. … We’re making slow but steady progress,” he added.

Councilman Don Kakstis noted there have been several architects interested in designing the new municipal building. Candidates will be interviewed, and a selection will be made within the next couple of weeks. Construction is expected to begin sometime this summer.

During public comment, a representative from the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey introduced two new state programs available to those affected by Sandy. Applications can be filled out online at renewjerseystronger.org, or in person at OCEAN Inc. The deadline for both is March 4 at 5 p.m.

The Low to Moderate Income Homeowners Rebuilding Program is designed to provide reconstruction, rehabilitation and elevation assistance. It is also designed to serve LMI homeowners of limited English proficiency, and owners of manufactured housing units as well as those LMI homeowners who did not apply for the state’s Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Elevation and Mitigation Program.

The Sandy Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program, available to renters and homeowners, provides assistance on a temporary basis in the form of a voucher. This assistance is for a 12-month period, with an option to renew for up to an additional 12 months. The program’s maximum assistance is 25 months.

Despite one last plea from the public to keep the allowable tent permits in town at eight per residence per year instead of changing it to four in 2016, a hot topic between the council and the public for many months, the council adopted the amended ordinance as written. The permit fee has also been increased from $25 each to $100 each.

Mayor Nancy Taggart Davis told The SandPaper after the meeting that “a lot of what happens (next) depends on this summer.” Although some council members are adamant the policy will not change, she said, “There’s always a possibility” it would. She emphasized that there are no current plans to reconsider the ordinance.

The council also adopted an amendment to the noise ordinance, a main concern for many surrounding neighbors, to help people better understand the provisions.

The problem is “not the tents totally. It’s the noise that’s created by the parties under the tents,” Taggart Davis noted. “We really have to be responsible to the residents as well as the business people in town, all the taxpayers. And we’re very aware of that.”

Enforcement of the noise ordinance, which Taggart Davis said was practically non-existent in the past, will require disrupted neighbors to contact the police with a complaint.

“If there are complaints, we will have enforcement. We are going to strictly enforce these ordinances,” she said.

Other ordinance amendments for fencing; beach parties; special events and block parties, including bonfires; streets and sidewalks; water meters for unimproved lots; seasonal rental dwellings; as well as scrap metals, precious metals and other secondhand goods regulations were adopted at the meeting.

An ordinance amendment that would permit private garages as an accessory use, with certain requirements, for all residential properties located in the borough was tabled for further review on behalf of the land use board.

Ordinance amendments regarding alternate relief drivers or riders for peddling and soliciting; a general penalty provision to be raised from no more than $1,250 to no more than $2,000; as well as borough worker salaries for the 2015 year were all passed on introduction.

In direct implication of the recent killings of police officers across the nation, the council passed a resolution honoring law enforcement officers. A plaque was given to Beach Haven Police Chief Kevin Kohler on behalf of the entire department. A handful of borough cops were also there to accept the award.

“On behalf of the mayor and the rest of the council, we want to tell you all that this is not just some words that were put together; it’s from the bottom of our heart,” Councilman James White said. “We really feel that you do a great job for our town. We know even above law enforcement there’s many things that you do for us. We want to say thank you, and we want to do it publicly. So that’s the idea of the resolution. Thank you, all, for the great job you do for us every single day and night.”

In regard to a public question on the status of beach replenishment, which includes a $128 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. to complete the initial construction of the Long Beach Island Coastal Storm Damage Reduction project, Taggart Davis noted the work is expected to be completed by April 16, 2016. She said that “is much faster than we initially thought because, basically, they have more equipment, more barges.” If the project is not finished by that date, the company has to start paying penalty fees. The project is a joint effort of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District and the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection.

Replenishment will start in Loveladies at the north end of Long Beach Island and go south, “which makes a lot of sense because that’s the way the sand moves,” Taggart Davis said.

“The nice thing for Beach Haven is we will not have this happening during this coming summer, but the project should be done before the following summer,” she said. “… It’s really moving ahead, so it’s exciting. ”

Even though the Army Corps will be doing a “tremendous amount” of dune planting, White said, they will not be planting sustainable shrubs. Taggart Davis said she would like to get some shrubs planted this spring at the far western side of the dunes, where there will not be any dune grass planted. White encouraged local groups to help take part in the project.

In response to a public question about leaks at the new lifeguard station building, Taggart Davis said there is some work scheduled.

“There are concerns with the building that we are addressing, so hopefully it’ll be taken care of by the time summer comes,” she noted.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Spend Valentine’s Day over a hot meal at the Beach Haven Fire Co.’s 98th annual Turkey Dinner

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The annual event is a traditional town favorite
that draws the help of numerous volunteers.

Share Valentine’s Day with loved ones this year at the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co.’s 98th annual Turkey Dinner. The hot meal will be served in the fire station, located at the corner of Amber Street and South Bay Avenue, on Saturday, Feb. 14. Guests are invited to enjoy the food as a sit-down or takeout meal between noon and 8 p.m. Tickets for the event cost $20 per person and can be purchased at the door.

“We look to provide a great meal and raise money for the fire company,” said Beach Haven Fire Chief Matt Letts.

Proceeds will benefit the department’s year-round expenses, including equipment and general operating costs, which are funded primarily through donations.

The fire company normally serves around 2,400 dinners during the event. The meal includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, gravy, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages.

The event will be held rain or snow.

For more information, call the Beach Haven Fire Co. at 609-492-6007.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Preschool program discrepancies dominate Beach Haven Board of Education’s first public meeting of the year

Following a request from Irene Hughes, president of the Beach Haven Board of Education, to table the December 2014 Principal’s Report for further discussion during the board’s first regular meeting of the new year, held Thursday, Feb. 5, Superintendent EvaMarie Raleigh was compelled to defend her granddaughter’s placement in the Beach Haven School’s preschool program, an issue concerning age requirements that was first debated by Raleigh and Jennifer Tomlinson, who was not yet a board member, during a Dec. 15 meeting.

Photo via New Jersey News 12
School policy states the principal has the right
to assign students to grades, classes and groups
based on the needs of the student and the school.

After being advised not to discuss the matter publicly, Raleigh passed out a copy of the school’s policy on the assignment of pupils, which, she told the public, states that “the building principal may assign pupils in his or her school to grades, classes and groups on the basis of the needs of the pupil as well as the sound administration of the school.”

According to state law, the school is not required to offer preschool because it does not receive Title 1 funding, Raleigh added. There is no policy on the school’s preschool admission and enrollment because the program is considered a private institution, she explained.

When asked to confirm whether or not, according to the policy, the superintendent has the personal authority to decide if a student moves ahead or stays behind in a grade, Raleigh explained that she and the appropriate teacher would discuss the matter if there was an applicable reason.

It was also confirmed that children in the 3-year-old pre-K program who turn 4 while in attendance can be transferred to the 4-year-old pre-K program if they meet all the requirements and the program is not at capacity. However, parents must pay the additional tuition fee and meet with Raleigh for determination.

Tuition costs $3,000 for the half day, 3-year-old pre-K program, or $5,000 for the full day, 4-year-old pre-K program, Tomlinson confirmed.

It was also stated that students can be admitted to the pre-K program for a prorated tuition fee if they become of age later in the year. Local resident Jamie Baumiller claimed she was never told that was an option when she contacted the school in the fall. To be able to make a more informed decision on her child’s schooling, she asked if the school’s preschool orientation could be held before May, when most of the other area preschools hold theirs. Raleigh said it could be held whenever worked best.

Student parent Kristy Davis also asked the board to consider reducing the cost of the preschool program, to entice others living in different areas to sign up – a request Hughes said the board would look into. Davis noted the tuition price is significantly higher than most preschools in town.

“Nobody’s driving to Beach Haven to pay more,” she said.

“It is a deterrent,” agreed student parent Mary Claire Bunce.

Bunce added that it seems Raleigh is “very interested in loopholes now” that it concerns her granddaughter, “but when it comes to other parents’ children, she is not as concerned.” The accusation appeared to be in reference to an issue in the fall regarding the eligibility of Bunce’s children to continue to attend the school as School Choice students. Raleigh denied the claim.

Other meeting business included the board’s acceptance of the resignation of the school’s art teacher, Dona Hulson-Cappello, who was hired in March 2011. She was hurt in a car accident during a storm a couple of weeks ago and has been asked to return to the school to say goodbye to the children when she is feeling better, Raleigh said. Current Beach Haven School teachers Sharon Dugan and Mark Cummins were approved to cover the art classes as substitutes.

The board also approved the December 2014 Semi Annual Submission of Violence and Vandalism Report, which included two reported incidents between July 1 and Dec. 31.

In response to a question from Davis regarding whether or not the incidents are public knowledge, Raleigh said the details are not available through the Open Public Records Act. Davis said she would file an OPRA request for the information anyway.

It was also noted during the meeting that students from Eagleswood Township Elementary School are being invited to the Beach Haven School’s Creatively Green Family Arts Festival in April, an event the school won through a $9,000 grant from NRG and Young Audiences New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. The Beach Haven students attended the Eagleswood School after building damage from Superstorm Sandy required them to temporarily relocate.

The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24. The location has yet to be determined.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Zero Waste Lunchroom Initiative coming to the Beach Haven School

The Beach Haven School students and staff are committing to creating a more environmentally friendly school environment through a Zero Waste Lunchroom Initiative, which includes the setup of an on-site compost. The free-standing compost tumbler is being donated to the school and should be ready for use in the springtime, when the weather is more conducive for setting up the project, Sunday D’Arcangelo, who teaches the school’s special education, Spanish/ ESL and basic skills classes, told the public during the board of education’s first regular meeting of the year, held Thursday, Feb. 5.

Many of the students are ditching
plastic water bottles, which are
harmful to the local environment.

Although D’Arcangelo said the initiative is one she has wanted to establish in all the schools she has worked in, she acknowledged that it is “very hard to do” in a big school such as in the Stafford Township School District. Thus, the Beach Haven School’s small student body, about 180 students, offers a great opportunity “to make our lunchroom as close to zero waste as possible,” she said.

The school also does not provide hot lunches, nor is it bound to any food service agreements that require the use of Styrofoam trays or other non-recyclable products in the cafeteria, D’Arcangelo added.

“We already have a lot in our favor,” she said.

Many of the students already participate in environmentally friendly lunch habits such as using reusable containers and silverware.

“If every child for the length of the time that they’re here – from pre-K through sixth-grade – did use a plastic fork 180 days out of the school year, for all those years 1,260 plastic forks would be used,” D’Arcangelo emphasized.

However, most of the children are in favor of switching from plastic to eco-friendly water bottles, she said.

“Instead of 180 plastic water bottles, one for each day of the school year, which would equal about $220 by the way, they could have none,” she noted.

Plastic does not biodegrade and continues to leach toxins into the waterways and soil, and is then consumed by animals. Small, individual snack wrappers are the third-most common piece of litter found on beaches, after plastic bags and cigarette butts, D’Arcangelo said.

Aside from encouraging parents to prepare their children’s lunches with environmentally responsible packaging to help combat the amount of litter that ends up on the beaches, D’Arcangelo also asked parents to donate old pots with secure lids, which would be placed in each of the classrooms so students can properly dispose of their snack residue. Apple cores and even paper can be composted, she mentioned.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Beach Haven School wins $9,000 NRG grant to host a family arts festival that focuses on ‘protecting our environment’

The Beach Haven School has been selected as one of six schools out of 18 that applied to win a $9,000 NRG Creatively Green Family Arts Festival from Young Audiences New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. The grant will allow the school to host a family event for up to 300 people featuring Young Audience artists “that will celebrate imagination and creativity while promoting a better understanding of individual and community responsibility to protect our planet,” a press release stated.

Photo by Ryan Johnson
The students participated in a June play,
led by Young Audiences, with a previous
$10,000 Sandy Relief Arts Education grant.

The two-hour festival at the Beach Haven School is set for April 23, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

“All community members will be welcome, and we will also be kicking off a Community Arts Project to celebrate Beach Haven’s 125th birthday that night,” EvaMarie Raleigh, Beach Haven School superintendent, told The SandPaper in an email.

The school students began incorporating ecology into their studies via an “arts-infused, cross-curricular, thematic approach” in September. The activities have helped them learn “about the importance of keeping the local environment free of pollutants and how personal activities impact their ecosystem,” Raleigh noted. So far they have met with “over a dozen” visiting artists and have taken part in many assemblies offered by “local community members and environmental agencies, all who have exposed our students to the inter-connection of the local ecology and the arts.”

“They are dedicating themselves to becoming the ‘stewards of change’ on the Island and to spread their knowledge and ideas with the greater community,” Raleigh said. ”The NRG Creatively Green Family Arts Festival will be the culmination of integrating 21st-century skills (4 C’s) into student learning. The students will ‘communicate’ their ‘creativity’ and ‘critical thinking’ by ‘collaborating’ with one another, family members and the larger community. They are true environmentalists, and their goal is sustainability.”

According to the press release, the festival will consist of a “dynamic performance by a Young Audience artist focusing on the importance of protecting our environment; hands-on art-making workshops led by Young Audiences’ professional teaching artists that promote environmental sustainability; and a community art-making project to be played, displayed or shared during the event.”

A regional arts-in-education resource, Young Audiences annually provides high-quality performances and artist-in-residence programs to nearly 500,000 children in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

One of the largest solar power developers in the country, NRG develops “cleaner and smarter energy choices” for its customers. The company is known for building the first privately funded electric-vehicle charging infrastructure and also for giving customers the “latest smart energy solutions to better manage their energy use.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Ocean County Board of Realtors seeking donations for dance, prom apparel

The Ocean County Board of Realtors Community Service Committee is collecting gowns, shoes, jewelry and accessories to help local students obtain affordable school dance and prom attire. Donations will go toward “Patti’s Prom Project,” which will be added to the board’s boutique in Toms River. The group is also seeking nail and hair services, flowers, shoes and dry cleaning.

Photo via Google
The donated attire will be available in April
for girls who go to school in the county.

The boutique will be open to all county middle school and junior and senior high school girls from April 24 through 28. For a small donation, the students can get “elegant, immaculate prom gear,” enabling them to dress up for their dances, a press release stated.

All proceeds will go to the Ocean County Board of Realtors Charitable Foundation, which contributes to various charities within the county.

Donations can be dropped off at the Ocean County Board of Realtors, located at 271 Lakehurst Rd. If using a GPS, use the 23 Waterline Rd. address.

For more information, call 732-244-8111 or 732-600-0778.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Beach Haven Council dedicates town’s first historical plaque to town historian Jeanette Lloyd and her family

Jeanette Lloyd, Beach Haven’s town historian, was obviously warmed by the borough council’s surprise dedication to her and her late husband, John Bailey Lloyd – a local legend famous for writing Long Beach Island history books. The engraved stone dedication was presented by Councilman James White during the unveiling of the town’s first historical plaque, held on a frigid afternoon at Veterans Bicentennial Park Thursday, Jan. 29.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
HPAC members Jeanette Lloyd (left) and June
MacFarlane help Councilman James White unveil
the new plaque in Veteran's Bicentennial Park.

“I’m speechless for once in my life,” Lloyd said, standing before a crowd of local officials, friends and family, including her son, David, who owns Beach Haven Catering. “Thank you, everyone. I love Beach Haven, and I love all of you,” she quickly added, eliciting cheers and applause from the group.

White, who claimed he became interested in history only after speaking with Lloyd, said that after viewing historical plaques all over the country, he thought Beach Haven, “a town that’s so rich and so steeped in history,” really deserved a plaque of its own.

“I thought we should have these markers for ourselves and our posterity so people that come down and learn about Beach Haven know that we’ve been around since the 1800s,” White told The SandPaper.

The plaque, manufactured by The Southwell Co. in Texas, is made completely of cast aluminum, “which does not rust like bronze,” White said. He did not reveal the cost but simply said, “It wasn’t cheap.”

Although he claimed he was not thinking about the plaque’s time frame when he began working on it months ago, White acknowledged it was “perfect timing” considering the town is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

Lauren Liquori, deputy borough clerk, who has been working on setting up various events around town that incorporate the municipality’s “unique history” in honor of the anniversary, urged the crowd to participate by learning more about the town’s history, which “Jeanette and everyone has so graciously given us to share with our visitors and our residents.”

Photo by Ryan Morrill
John Lloyd is the author of many
LBI history books.

Lloyd and June MacFarlane, both members of the town's Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, were instrumental in writing the plaque history. It includes information from 1850 to 1890, when Beach Haven became the first Long Beach Island town to officially incorporate.

“It was a work of love, and I’m very proud of this,” Lloyd said, motioning toward the plaque. “I’m very impressed with how it looks. … We appreciate this, and we think it’s very apropos since we’re celebrating 125 years.”

According to the plaque, in 1850 Archelaus R. Pharo, the founder of Beach Haven and a Tuckerton businessman, met with a group of rich, Philadelphia sportsmen and duck hunters at Bond’s Hotel on the south end of LBI. These men became the major investors in Beach Haven. In 1867, Pharo bought 666 acres of undeveloped land, located 2.5 miles north of Bond’s. In 1873, he transferred the land to the Tuckerton and Long Beach Building, Land and Improvement Association.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
The plaque is made of cast
aluminum, which does not rust.

Development of Beach Haven began in 1874. By 1876, the town included the historic Parry House and Beach Haven House, as well as the Engleside Hotel. The Hotel Baldwin was developed in 1883, along with many cottages, baymen bungalows, boarding houses, a church, fire company, school, yacht club and public wharf. In 1886, the Tuckerton/Pennsylvania Railroad arrived in town, doubling the number of visitors. The town was incorporated as a borough four years later, and William L. Butler was elected as the first mayor.

Just before pulling off the plaque’s veil, White turned to Lloyd and MacFarlane to thank them for “not only this sign, but the constant input and the preservation and the care that you have put into the town to preserve our history.

“There’s a lot of effort going into this, and that’s not seen,” he added. “I hope this is a precursor of what this town can show off to keep this history going, and be proud of our historic district and all the work all the people of the historic (preservation advisory committee) put in.”

White later acknowledged the public works employees for their part.

“They did so much work there with the cement and mounting the stone and everything,” he told The SandPaper.

The plaque, which stands at the corner opposite the Long Beach Island Historical Museum and Surflight Theatre, was planned to be installed in December. However, that was delayed a month due to production issues with the manufacturer, White said.

The borough council hopes to install more plaques around town and incorporate them in a walking tour. Lloyd, who is especially fond of the idea, told the crowd she has already mapped out 23 of them, which she hopes to have set up at various historical sites, such as the Engleside.

“I feel overwhelmed and excited for the future of Beach Haven,” Lloyd said. “We were the first town incorporated (on LBI), and we’re the first and only one with an historic district. We’re a true community.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

Twice the Turtles, Twice the Fun: LBIF hosts double ‘Science Saturday’ lecture

The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences will offer twice the fun with two programs dedicated to turtles during this week’s “Science Saturday” lectures on Feb. 7., starting at 10 a.m.

Photo via Conserve Wildlife NJ
Diamondback terrapins get their name from
the diamond-shaped pattern on their carapace.

“Turtles and Terrapins at Barnegat Bay,” a special family and children’s program, will allow participants to interact with terrapins “who call our waters and marshland home” through a turtle egg-to-adult survival activity, a press release states.

Beginning at 11 a.m., “Diamondback Terrapins at Barnegat Bay: 13 Years of Lessons Learned, How You Can Get Involved” will introduce individuals to live terrapins during a discussion of the LBIF’s new terrapin sighting project. The forum will discuss the different research initiatives with diamondback terrapins at Barnegat Bay and conservation programs throughout the area.

This Saturday’s presentations will be held in the LBIF’s main building, located at 120 Long Beach Blvd. in Loveladies. Breakfast treats will be provided by A Little Bite of Italy.

Admittance is free for LBIF members. All others are asked to donate $5.

For more information, call 609-494-1241 or visit lbifoundation.org or LBIF’s Facebook page.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

LBI Grade School Student Council kicks off first year back since 2010 with a ‘Super Bowl Prep Rally’

Despite the New England Patriots’ win at the National Football League’s XLIX Super Bowl on Sunday, it was the Seattle Seahawks who won the “Super Bowl Prep Rally,” held at the Long Beach Island Grade School on Friday, Jan. 30.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Student Council President Nico Leonard passes
the ball just before his opponents take him down.

The school-wide event, which included all students in third through sixth grades who competed in football-themed athletic activities, was the student council’s kickoff affair.

The school had not had a student council since 2010. The trend continued due to a lack of after-school activities following Superstorm Sandy, when school building damage forced the students to attend the Ethel A. Jacobsen Elementary School in Surf City, explained Janelle Scholey, student council adviser and a fourth-grade teacher, who helped plan the event. The LBI School reopened this past March.

To celebrate the student council’s return, the members had originally wanted to host a spirit day by having everyone wear the colors of the Patriots or Seahawks. However, “the idea got a little bit bigger,” Scholey said.

“As kids do, they said, ‘Oh, but what if we do this, and what if we added this?’ and it grew to be something really quite large,” she noted.

The event, coordinated in conjunction with the school’s superintendent and gym teacher, Karen McKeon and Sal Colino respectively, allowed students to participate in real-life math problems and team-building.

It also helped support the local area with a food collection for the St. Francis Food Pantry.

“This aspect of the event reminds LBI kids of the importance of giving back to their community,” said Scholey. “As the student council, our goal is to raise awareness and school spirit within the school, but also to give back to the community as well because we are such a small Island and everyone kind of comes from the same place.”

The students collected a total of 445 food items for the food pantry.

Some of the students “play basketball at St. Francis, and some of them go to church there. So we wanted to reach out into the community as well, especially because the kids that I have at LBI were kids that were there during Sandy,” Scholey said. “They’ve experienced help from the community, so they are really passionate about giving back.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

$94,000 personal assistance grant will help more than 50 disabled Ocean County residents ‘live independently’ this year

Photo via Google
The grant will enable residents
to access transportation.

A $94,368 personal assistance grant accepted by the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders is expected to benefit more than 50 disabled residents living in the county this year. The grant will help 51 permanently physically disabled adults between the ages of 18 and 70 who are either working, going to school or volunteering in their community, Freeholder Deputy Director Gerry P. Little announced in a recent press release.

“The Ocean County Personal Assistance (Services) Program allows these disabled individuals to hire a personal assistant to help them with day-to-day activities such as light housekeeping, personal care, meal preparation, transportation and other assorted chores,” Little explained.

The annual grant has been provided to the county by the state Department of Human Services, Division of Disability Services, for more than 15 years, Tracy Maksel, director of the Ocean County Department of Human Services, which administers the funds, told The SandPaper. The grant is part of the more than $60 million the county allocates toward helping needy and low-income individuals each year.

Individuals eligible to receive grant assistance must, among other criteria, be considered permanently disabled according to the state guidelines for disability, Maksel said.

“Most of the folks taking advantage of the program have ambulatory disabilities, so that’s an individual that would have, without the program, difficulties in accessing transportation, shopping, doing some of the basic adult, daily living skills that we as able-bodied individuals may take for granted,” she added.

In regard to an individual who works in the county and benefits from the grant, Maksel said if the program were not available to him, “he would not have the means for transportation, to go to work, and to contribute as a taxpayer and have the integration into the social activities in the community that he does.”

“His life has, in talking with this individual, been fulfilling. He has felt more so a part of the community and not isolated,” she said.

Little noted the grant would help those with physical disabilities remain in control of their lives.

“With a little help from a personal assistant, these men and women can live independently while at the same time playing an active role in the community,” he said.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.

2014 consists of fewer alarms for fire co., more traffic tickets in Beach Haven

Photo by Liam McKenna
Members of the Beach Haven Fire Co. battle
flames from a structure fire in Ship Bottom.

The Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. has responded to nearly 40 calls since Dec. 1.

The department answered 260 calls from Dec. 1, 2013, to Nov. 30, 2014, just 56 calls fewer than the previous year’s total. The bulk of calls in 2014 consisted of 77 fire alarms, 36 gas leaks and 17 mutual aid water rescues. Additional calls for the year included 16 CO alarms, 12 water leaks/electrical hazards and 11 arcing or downed wires/pole fires as well as 11 unattended cooking calls, among others.

On average, the fire company usually responds to about 250 to 280 calls annually, said Matt Letts, Beach Haven fire chief.

The fire company made 316 calls during 2013, making it the second highest year in calls after 2012, when the company responded to a total of 400 calls, many of which stemmed from Superstorm Sandy. The bulk of the calls in 2013 consisted of 101 fire alarms, 46 gas leaks and 38 arcing wires.

According to the Beach Haven Police Department’s annual activities report, officers responded to 15,399 incidents in 2014, a total of 1,074 less than the previous year. The members, however, issued 473 more summonses than in 2013, totaling 2,050.

Motor vehicle stops totaled 2,867, which is an increase of 637 stops from the previous year. Police also responded to 41 more noise complaints than in 2013.

Adult arrests in 2014 totaled 94, and juvenile arrests totaled 32. There were 42 narcotics arrests.

Officers responded to 114 fewer incidents and issued 58 fewer summonses in December than November in 2014. Motor vehicle warnings dropped from 98 to 65, and motor vehicle stops dropped from 150 to 77.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.