2011 Barnegat Township Community Calendar Photo Contest

Everyone is invited to submit their own photos for possible inclusion in the 2011 Barnegat Township Community Calendar. The town council would love to see what YOU think are the best parts of Barnegat Township. Photo submissions will be posted on the Barnegat Township website, where all website visitors will be provided an opportunity to vote on their favorites. The top 13 vote-getters will then receive the honor of being placed in the 2011 Barnegat Township Community Calendar.

Rules for Photo Submission:

1. No photos of kids, if possible.
2. Photos that are deemed too suggestive and/or obscene will not be allowed.
3. Preferred photos include: events, scenery and buildings. Focus on your favorite parts of Barnegat.
4. All photo submissions automatically become the property of Barnegat Township.
5. The Township has full discretion on which photos are and are not included to be voted on. This means, just because you submit a photo, it is not necessarily going to be included in online voting if it doesn't meet the Township's approval.

If you have any questions or want to email your photo submission, please call Sharon at 609-698-0080 ext 190 or email her at sharon@barnegat.net. If you can't email your photo, you can mail it to:

Barnegat Township Clerk's Office
900 West Bay Avenue
Barnegat, NJ 08005

Good luck and get creative. Find your favorite spot in the city, take a photo, submit it and you may just find that your photo ends up in the 2011 Barnegat Township Community Calendar!

Karl Hess, your Barnegat real estate specialist

Chowderfest Cookoff in Beach Haven

 Enjoy live music, fun for the kids, activities for everyone and, of course, endless amounts of chowder at the 22nd Annual Chowderfest Cookoff in Beach Haven, NJ, on Sunday, October 3, 2010. The event begins at 11am and ends at 4pm, come rain or shine. The cookoff takes place at the Taylor Avenue Ball Field, located at Ninth Street and Taylor Avenue in Beach Haven, NJ. Held every year on the weekend before Columbus Day, the Chowderfest Cookoff has become a gathering place for family, friends and townsfolk to say goodbye to summer.

Each ticket to the cookoff grants you admission to the event, unlimited tastes of chowder (both red and white), access to children's entertainment and activities, live music and a chance to vote for your favorite red and white chowder. You can even meet Russell Newberry, from the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" TV show. If you choose to purchase a VIP ticket, you get a special Chowderfest T-shirt and early admission to the event at 10am. Ticket prices are as follows:

General Admission - $20
Children's Admission (4-12 years old) - $10
VIP - $50

You can purchase tickets at the Chamber of Commerce office Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm or Saturdays from 10am to 2pm or at the Merchants Mart on October 2, 2010 or the Chowderfest gates on October 3, 2010. Lawn chairs are allowed on the field, but blankets are not. Strollers need to be parked at the gate so toddler backpacks are recommended to carry little kids in. Smoking is not allowed at the event.

Come out to Beach Haven for the Chowderfest Cookoff on October 3, 2010. It is fun for the entire family!

Karl Hess, your South Jersey real estate specialist

Discovery Channel at Barnegat Light

The Jersey Shore as become quite the TV mecca; There's the infamous (to us locals anyway) MTV show of the same name (the one with Snookie), the new HBO gangster drama, "Boardwalk Empire" brought to you from the same folks that gave us "The Sopranos," and now we have the 2nd season of "Swords: Life on the Line." The difference is that "Swords" is a "real" reality series, much like Deadliest Catch.

Sunset on Barnegat Bay

Swords enters the high risk world of New England's long line fishermen who risk all to catch an elusive prey - swordfish - in some of the most dangerous waters on the planet. They are uniformly tough and resilient and they need to be as every day could be their last.

Leaping Swordfish

Most of us have seen at least an episode or two of Deadliest Catch where the Discovery Channel follows a group of crab boats in the Bering Sea; it's the ultimate reality show where fisherman risk life and limb to harvest the King Crab. It's a difficult show to miss you've ever even tuned in to that particular network as the program has very high ratings; approximately 8.5 million viewers watched the premiere last season, which is about the same number of people that watched 60 minutes last Sunday, resulting in a 10th place ranking.

Swordfish on the Hook

Trying to take advantage of the popularity of Deadliest Catch, the Discovery Channel has developed a clone of the show called "Swords: Life on the Line," which follows a group of fisherman harvesting Swordfish. The boats come from North Carolina, Massachusetts and from The Jersey Shore. The Jersey Shore boat, Frances Anne is from Barnegat Light, on Long Beach Island, about 20 minutes from Barnegat and Manahawkin. I grew up in Cape May, so my experience with commercial fishing is much different than what this show presents...the mechanics of fishing anyway...which was nets, traps and dredges.

Cape May Fishing Fleet

A common misconception concerning commercial fishing is that it's done with either nets or traps, which is true for the vast majority of large scale fishing. But, that's not the case with the "Swords" TV series. "Swords: Life on the Line" follows long-liners, called that for their method of fishing with line and hooks. It is a technique with deep historical roots in the North Atlantic, but has it's origins in Japan.

Longline Fishing

Pelagic long-line gear had several independent evolutions, but the most widespread form appears to have been originally developed by the Japanese as early as the mid-19th century. Technological developments such as polyamide monofilament line and modern fishing vessel construction have resulted in the evolution and expansion of this gear type as the primary worldwide method of commercially harvesting large pelagic fishes such as broadbill swordfish and tunas.

Barnegat Light has deep nautical and fishing history, but long-line fishing did not really show up on The Jersey Shore in earnest until the mid 1980's when Barnegat Light fishing boats captains saw an opportunity and seized it, providing Swordfish to fine restaurants in New York and Philadelphia, resulting in a lucrative business venture.

Swordfish Steak

So, check you local listings for this new show, "Swords: Life on the Line," and look for the youngest boat, the crew of the Frances Anne are happy-go-lucky surfer guys who relentlessly play practical jokes. Their wild skipper Capt. Chris Kleme has some warped methods of motivating his team to work harder. When the work is slow, he's been known to fire roman candles or paintballs at the guys. After all, they are from The Jersey Shore...the REAL Jersey Shore.


Karl Hess, Your Agent on The Jersey Shore

Homes for Sale Barnegat Real Estate Barnegat Light Homes for Sale Long Beach Island Real Estate Ocean County Homes for Sale Jersey Shore Real Estate

Stafford Twp School District and School Choice Program

A new law expands the current choice program, opening it to any interested school district in the state. The School Choice Program supports efforts to establish or expand intradistrict, interdistrict, and open enrollment public school choice programs to provide parents, particularly parents whose children attend low-performing public schools, with expanded education options.

A sending district could limit the number of students leaving the district to attend choice schools to 10 percent per grade or 15 percent of the total enrollment.

Students applying t0 the choice school must spend at least one school year in their hometown school district, unless they already have a sibling in the choice district.

Stafford Township School District, in Ocean County, has been part of the pilot program and will be allowed to continue offering the plan.

The new law expands the current choice program, opening it to any interested school district in the state. School districts interested in accepting students from other districts would have to apply to the state Department of Education for approval, outlining the programs they offer and the effect their program might have on diversity in all participating districts.

The School Choice Program supports efforts to establish or expand intradistrict, interdistrict, and open enrollment public school choice programs to provide parents, particularly parents whose children attend low-performing public schools, with expanded education options. Programs and projects assisted are required to use a portion of the grant funds to provide the students selected to participate in the program with transportation services, or the cost of transportation, to and from the public elementary schools and secondary schools, including charter schools, which the students choose to attend under the program. A grantee may not use funds for school construction. No more than 5 percent of the funds made available through the grant for any fiscal year may be used for administrative expenses.

The law expands a five-year pilot program that allowed just one choice district in every county. That program expired, but despite DOE support, had difficulty getting Legislative action to expand. But with a new pro-school choice governor in place and bipartisan support, the bill was approved unanimously in June by both the state Senate and Assembly and is also supported by NJEA and NJASA.

The students' hometown district would also be responsible for transportation to the choice school as required by state law, which could generate some additional costs for those districts. A sending district could limit the number of students leaving the district to attend choice schools to 10 percent per grade or 15 percent of the total enrollment.

Under the provisions of the law, districts would apply to the state by April 30 of the year before the school year in which they would start the program, though the education commissioner could set a different date for the first year. Districts would have to identify the programs they would offer and the number of seats available in each grade level. They would also have to show how they would maintain diversity in all participating districts, and have a plan to screen out students who may want to attend the choice school solely for athletic, extracurricular or social reasons.

Students applying to the choice school must spend at least one school year in their hometown school district, unless they already have a sibling in the choice district. If more students apply than openings allocated, applicants would be chosen by lottery.



Karl Hess, Barnegat, Your Agent on The Jersey Shore
Homes for Sale Stafford Township Real Estate for Sale Manahawkin

Antique Boat Show in Tuckerton

11th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Show near Barnegat and Manahawkin sponsored by Tuckerton Seaport and the Philadelphia chapter of ACBS is scheduled for this weekend.

Restored wooden boats, antique and classic sailboats and runabouts throughout the The Jersey Shore and the Mid-Atlantic region will dock at Tuckerton Seaport in Barnegat Bay today and Sunday for the 11th annual Antique and Classic Boat Show.

"Antique" boats were built between 1919 and 1942, pre-World War II. Classic boats date between 1943 and 1968. Fiberglass boats have separate categories, and owners have a "classic glass" if it's from between 1950 and 1975.

A lecture about steamships and book signing will take place at 1:30 p.m. today in the re-created Tucker's Island Lighthouse at the seaport and will feature John Lawrence Such, author of "Steam Coffin: Captain Moses Rogers and the Steam Ship Savannah Breaks the Barrier." In addition, there will be crafters, vendors and much more.

The seaport also has the world's largest collection of Barnegat Bay sneakboxes, which will be on display. A sneakbox is a small boat that can be sailed, rowed, poled or sculled. It is predominantly associated with the Barnegat Bay on The Jersey Shore, just as the canoe-like Delaware Ducker is associated with the The New Jersey marshes along the Delaware River near Philadelphia.

According to ther web-site, The Antique and Classic Boat Society is the world's largest group devoted to antique boating. Since its beginnings in 1975 the ACBS has helped introduce thousands to the hobby of antique boating.

The Philadelphia chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society was formed in 1998. We're a varied bunch of people who have a common love of the "woodies" of the past. We believe that roaring around in a beautifully varnished mahogany runabout is among the greatest pleasures of life.

The Philadelphia Chapter of the ACBS sponsors a variety of boat shows throughout the boating season, organizes member get-togethers so fellow boat owners or prospective boat owners can share experiences, and generally provides a comfortable environment in which to explore old boats.

About 20 minutes drive south of Barnegat is The Tuckerton Seaport is a working maritime village and museum located in Tuckerton, on The Jersey Shore. The 40-acre site, which features 17 historic and recreated buildings connected by a boardwalk, a maritime forest and wetlands nature trail. The Seaport is a member of the Council of American Maritime Museums.

Karl Hess, Barnegat, Your Agent on the Jersey Shore
Homes for Sale Barnegat, Homes for Sale Manahawkin, Homes for Sale LBI

Pirates Day in Barnegat

Barnegat Chamber of Commerce in conjuction with the Barnegat Recreation Department is hosting it's annual Barnegat Pirates Day on Saturday, September 11, starting at 9 AM in the historic area near Route 9 and Bay Avenue at the Gazebo Park...on The Jersey Shore.

Pirate's Day is mainly a street fair featuring great food, live music, vendors and pirate themed activities for the kids. Local organizations in Barnegat on The Jersey Shore and representatives will have a multitude of tables set up with town representatives available to provide residents with information on the township schools, recreation activities and the many programs in place for adults and seniors.

 

Children of all ages will thoroughly enjoy Pirate's Day. Valhalla's Pirates, which is a a Jersey Shore reenactment group, will be on hand to perform pirate duels and other pirate themed scenes. Captain Charles W. Black and his loyal pirate crew will have makeup and washable tattoos to transform the youngsters into buccaneers for the day. As his bio says, Charles W Black, born of Irish and Welsh decent, grew up on the Celtic Sea between these two shores. As his father before 'im, he became a rather accomplished sailor at a young age. He joined the British Merchant Marines at the age of 16 as a junior officer.

His exploits and heroics in battle resonated quickly throughout England and when word of this young man reached the King, Lt. Black was knighted and granted commission as Captain of a ship, the HMS Royal Oak. The Royal Oak enjoyed many victories and conquests while fighting the French, Spanish, and Dutch in the New World.

The mission of "Valhalla's Pirates" is to present both Historical and Theatrical Entertainment to children and adults. They also aspire to help young people who are struggling with social, emotional, and medical difficulties, and aid charities that dedicated to these causes. In addition, they provide our services to help other non-profit organizations and agencies raise funds for their endeavors.

Ye Pyrate Brotherhood will also be present at Barnegat Pirates Day. This non-profit organization was founded a decade ago by men and women from all walks of life with very varied backgrounds. These people had the idea to bring historical, educational and theatrical entertainment to the people of The Jersey Shore, in the form of a 17th century reenactment group that depicts buccaneers, privateers... ok... pirates. That's right!!!... PIRATES!!, the first democracy of the New World.

There will be a replication of a pirate ship making it's way around the downtown Barnegat streets which will surely elicit squeals of joy and enthusiasm from the youngest pirates.
Adults will enjoy shopping at the vendor tables which are expected to total more than one hundred this year. Live music will add to the festivities of the day. The Hi-Fives will be performing. Followed by The Bent Fenders at the Barnegat Public Docks at 7:00 PM where there will also be a fireworks display. Fun for the entire family in Barnegat...be there matey!


Karl Hess, Barnegat, Your Agent on the Jersey Shore
Homes for Sale Barnegat, Homes for Sale Manahawkin, Homes for Sale LBI

Long Beach Island Rip Currents

Yellow Flag - Caution

Rip Currents on The Jersey Shore

Red Flag- No Swimming

Beach Patrols  on Long Beach Island and all along The Jersey Shore will be posting yellow or red flags at beaches to warn swimmers of rough waves and rip currents as Hurricane Earl moves along the coast.

Understanding the ocean is very important— the more you know about how waves, wind and tides affect conditions in the water, the better able you are to keep yourself safe, or even warn others away from danger. Recognizing danger signs and awareness of surf conditions is an essential way to keep yourself, family, and friends safe.

Lifeguards on Long Beach Island

Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are prevalent along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes. Moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second, rip currents can move faster than an Olympic swimmer. Panicked swimmers often try to counter a rip current by swimming straight back to shore-putting themselves at risk of drowning because of fatigue. Lifeguards rescue tens of thousands of people from rip currents in the U.S. every year, but it is estimated that 100 people are killed by rip currents annually. If caught in a rip current, don't fight it! Swim parallel to the shore and swim back to land at an angle.

While the terms are ofter confused, rip currents are different than rip tides. A rip tide is a specific type of current associated with the swift movement of tidal water through inlets and the mouths of estuaries, embayments, and harbors.

When wind and waves push water towards the shore, that water is often forced sideways by the oncoming waves. This water streams along the shoreline until it finds an exit back to the sea or open lake water. The resulting rip current is usually narrow and located in a trench between sandbars, under piers or along jetties. A common misconception is that ordinary undertow or even rip currents are strong enough to pull someone under the surface of the water; in reality the current is strongest at the surface.

Rip currents are a source of danger for people in ocean and lake surf. They can be extremely dangerous, dragging swimmers away from the beach. Death by drowning comes following exhaustion while fighting the river or ocean current.

A swimmer caught in a rip current should not attempt to swim back to shore directly against the rip. This risks exhaustion and drowning. A rip does not pull a swimmer under water; it carries the swimmer away from the shore in a narrow channel of water. The rip is like a treadmill which the swimmer needs to step off. The swimmer should remain calm and swim parallel to the shore until he or she is outside of the current. Locations to aim for are places where waves are breaking. In these areas, floating objects are generally transported towards the shore.

A swimmer in a strong rip, who is unable to swim away from it, should relax and calmly float or tread water to conserve energy. Eventually the rip will lose strength, and the swimmer can swim at a leisurely pace, in a diagonal direction, away from the rip but back to shore. Coastal swimmers should understand the danger of rip currents, learn how to recognize them and how to escape from them, and always swim in areas where lifeguards are operating.

If you're going to be on Jersey Shore Beaches this weekend, be especially mindful of potential rip currents.

Links to U.S. Lifesaveing Association, here.
Links to NWS Rip Current Awareness, here.
Link to Long Beach Township Beach Patrol, here and safety tips.

Karl Hess, Barnegat
Your Agent on The Jersey Shore

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