Things to do in Ocean County, NJ August 6, 2011

Summer Dock Concerts: Voodudes, Barnegat Municipal Dock, E. Bay Ave. 7 pm. In case of rain, concerts will be held at the Community Center, 900 W. Bay Ave. Concerts run Saturdays from July 4 - September 10. Information: 609-698-0080 or www.barnegat.net- BARNEGAT

National Lighthouse Day, Barnegat Lighthouse, Broadway. Setup begins at 8 am - 9 am. Part of National Lighthouse-Lightship week and the Old Barney Amateur Radio Club promotes public awareness of ham radio and lighthouses. Fosters camaraderie within the ham fraternity. Information: kc2yaf@comcast.net - BARNEGAT LIGHT

Cranberry Bog Tour, Double Trouble State Park, Pinewald Rd. 10 am. 1-mile to 2-mile walk over flat sandy trails. Information: 732-341-4098 or www.njparksandforests.org- BAYVILLE

Childrens Theater: Disney's Aladdin Jr., Surflight Theatre, Engleside & Beach Aves. 6 pm. $ Information: 609-492-9477 or www.surflight.org- BEACH HAVEN/LONG BEACH ISLAND

The Odd Couple, Surflight Theatre, Engleside & Beach Aves. 8 pm. A Neil Simon Comedy featuring Cindy William and Joanne Worley. Hilarious comedy classic of mismatched roommates. Information: 609-492-9477 or www.surflight.org- BEACH HAVEN/LONG BEACH ISLAND

Civil War Encampment, Havens Homestead Museum, 521 Herbertsville Rd. All day. 61st New York Volunteer Infantry will camp overnight, do drills and explain equipment used during the Civil War. Information: 732-785-2500 or www.bricktwphistoricalsociety.com- BRICK

STARBURST Summer Concert Series: Dance Concert with Kelly Rowland, Six Flags Great Adventure, Rte. 537. 11 am. Includes Pete Wentz and Black Cards, and show hostesses Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga. Concert is free with theme park admission or a Season Pass. Information: 732-928-1821 or www.sixflags.com/greatAdventure- JACKSON

Baseball for All Baseball Camp for Women, FirstEnergy Park, Cedar Bridge & New Hampshire Aves. 10 am - 2 pm. For any female 13 and older. Includes four hours of instruction on the field with BlueClaws players and a ticket to that night's BlueClaws game. Bring a glove, but bats and helmets will be provided. Q & A session about Girls and Women in Baseball including history and present opportunities. $ Information: 732-901-7000 or www.blueclaws.com- LAKEWOOD

Minor League BASEBALL: Lakewood BlueClaws Home Game, FirstEnergy Park, Cedar Bridge & New Hampshire Aves. 7:05 p.m. Hosting the West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates). Long Sleeve XL T-Shirts. Irish Heritage Night. A special Thirsty Saturday. Green Irish Jerseys live auction after the game. The BlueClaws are a Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Information: 732-901-7000 or www.blueclaws.com- LAKEWOOD

28th Annual LBTBP Mayors Cup Lifeguard Tournament, 68th Street Ocean Beach. Information: 609-361-1200 or www.longbeachtownship.com- LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP

ONE-DAY Boating Safety Certificate Course, SOCH Family Resource Center, Ocean Club, 700 South Rte. 9. 8:30 am - 5:30pm. Course stresses safe boating practice and boating rules. NJ Law requires all boaters 16 and older obtain a Boating Safety Certificate. Information or pre-registration: 609-597-4876 or 609-597-1295 - MANAHAWKIN

Beach Party Night, New Egypt Speedway, 720 Route 539. Modifieds, Crate-1, Late Models & 305 Sprints. 6 pm. Schedule subject to change. $ Information: 609-758-1900 or www.newegyptspeedway.net- NEW EGYPT

Shark Week! Jenkinson's Aquarium, Boardwalk & Parkway. 1 - 4 pm for shark activities; 10 am - 10 pm for aquarium. Learn about the most misunderstood animal in the sea. Wear shark related clothing/accessories and get $1 discount. Information: 732-899-1659 or www.jenkinsons.com/aquarium- POINT PLEASANT BEACH

Beach Yoga, Hiering Ave beach area. 7:00 am to 9:45 pm. Instructor Dawn Keen from Center for Health and Healing. $ Information: 732-505-8282 - SEASIDE HEIGHTS

Jersey Jumps Beach Vault, On the beach in front of EJ's Bar. Start at 10:00 am. Pole Vault Competition & Exhibition. Registration fees apply. Information: www.seasideheightstourism.com, www.verticaladventures.org, or www.ipolevault.com- SEASIDE HEIGHTS

Flea Market, Seaside Park Marina Lawn, J St. 8 am - 3 pm. Sponsored by the Seaside Park Education Foundation. Information: 732-793-3700 or www.seasideparknj.org- SEASIDE PARK

2nd Annual Bayside Basketry (& Fiber) Bash, Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education, 7th St & Navajo Dr. 10 am - 5 pm. "Weave-In" is free to make small basket. Fee for some workshops/materials. Vendors, demonstrations, and workshops. Free admission. Information: 609-698-8003 - WARETOWN

Ocean County 4th of July Celebrations

Come out for the Ocean County 4th of July Celebrations this weekend and enjoy the fireworks and other festivities along The Jersey Shore.

 

Saturday

MANCHESTER: 6 p.m. concert; Harry Write Lake, Lake Drive; free children's rides and music by Nicholas King and The Fabulous Grease Band; 732-849-4536.

TUCKERTON: 10 a.m. Parade and fireworks; Tuckerton Seaport, 120 W. Main St.; the parade will begin at the Village Shoppes at 10 a.m. and head down Route 9 to the Tuckerton Seaport, where there will be vendors and music; children's activities begin at 5 p.m.; fireworks at dusk at the Tip Seaman Park; rain date is Sunday, July 3; 609-296-8868.

WARETOWN:9:30 a.m. historical program; Olde Cemetery, 25 Main St.; program includes a vocational prayer by Rev. Terry Martin of St. Stephens Episcopal Church, the Color Guard from the Barnegat American Legion Post 232 and a performance by the Ocean County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums band; resident Allison Jakeman will sing the National Anthem and Stan Anderson will portray a Civil War soldier. Adele Shaw, president of the Waretown Historical Society, will portray Mary Todd Lincoln while Bob Costello will portray Abraham Lincoln and read the Gettysburg Address; 609-693-5407.

Sunday

BARNEGAT LIGHT: 7 p.m. parade and concert; Bay Dock Area, Ninth and 10th Streets; parade will assemble at E. 16th St. at 6:30 p.m. and begin at 7 p.m.; awards ceremony and concert by The Liberty Band will follow; in the event of rain the concert will be held in the Firehouse Social Hall; 609-494-9196.<!--Saxotech Paragraph Count: 10<br>-->

LACEY:7:30 p.m. fireworks; Lacey High School Athletic Field, Haines Street; msuic by Jersey Shore DJ's DJ Mike; bring lawn chair.

LAKEWOOD:8 p.m. music and fireworks; Lake Carasaljo, Route 9; DJ JR Mash at 8:00 pm in the amphitheater on North Lake Drive followed by fireworks at 9:15 ; 732-905-3405, ext 6001.

LAVALLETTE: 8 p.m. fireworks and music; Bay Bouleavard and Arnold Avenue; Patriotic Band by John Luckenbill, musical performance by area resident Amanda Ramirez, and American Idol contestant; fireworks at dusk; rain date is July 10.

Monday

BARNEGAT: 7:30 p.m. celebration and concert; Municipal Dock, East Bat Avenue; Hi-Five band will perform at 7:30 p.m. followed by the fireworks at dusk; 609-698-0080.

BEACH HAVEN:9:15 p.m. fireworks; Bayfront, Taylor Avenue; sponsored by the Red, White and Blue Committee; rain date Tuesday, July 5; 609-492-2800.

BEACHWOOD:7 p.m. fireworks; beachfront, Bayside Avenue; there will be a fundraiser at the beachfront; fireworks at 8:45 p.m.; 732-286-6000, ext: 200.

JACKSON: 10 p.m. fireworks; Six Flags Great Adventure, 1 Six Flags Blvd.; fireworks at the Great Lake Grandstand; 732-928-1821.

LAKEHURST:11 a.m. car show and fireworks; Lakehurst Elementary School, 301 Union Ave.; the Vintage Automobile Museum of New Jersey in partnership with the Lakehurst Historical Society will hold an antique car show along with a town parade at noon, and fireworks will be at dusk over Lake Horicon; 732-797-1456.

LAKEWOOD:7:05 p.m. BlueClaws game and fireworks; FirstEnergy Park, New Hampshire Avenue and Cedar Bridge Road; sponsored by Toyota/Scion World of Lakewood, the fireworks will take place after the game against Hagerstown; 732-901-7000, option 2.

OCEAN GATE:10 a.m. parade; Ocean Gate Avenue; registration for participants begins at 8:30 a.m. in Adrian Hall, where flags for spectators will also be handed out; parade begins on Ocean Gate Avenue ; prizes will be awarded at noon at Wildwood Avenue Beach followed by games and contests; 732-269-3166.<!--Saxotech Paragraph Count: 5<br>-->

PINE BEACH: 9 a.m. parade; Pine Beach Firehouse, 525 Prospect Ave.; sponsored by the mayor and council of Beach Haven; parade will form in front of the firehouse at 8:15 a.m. and begin at 9 a.m. heading through town to end at Vista Park located at Riverside Drive and Midland Avenue; awards and games to follow; 732-349-6425.

POINT PLEASANT BEACH:9:30 p.m. fireworks; Jenkinson's Boardwalk, 300 Ocean Ave.; fireworks to begin at dusk and can be viewed from the boardwalk or Jenkinson's beach.

SEASIDE HEIGHTS: 9 p.m. fireworks; Seaside Heights Boardwalk; sponsored by Coca-Cola; the display can be viewed from anyplace on the boardwalk; 800-732-7467.

SEASIDE PARK: 9:30 a.m. bike parade; Fifth Avenue Pier; the parade begins at the Fifth Avenue Pier and ends at the 14th Avenue Pier; 732-793-3700.

July 6

 

BERKELEY:6 p.m. concert and fireworks; Veteran's Park, Tinton Boulevard; sponsored by Berkeley Township Recreation Department; The Infernos will perform along with a fireworks display after the show; 732-244-7400.

 

The Declaration of Independence: The Will, Wants and Hope of the People

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

 

 

Wild New Jersey

No, it's not an especially crazy episode of the locally-despised series The Jersey Shore, it's a new book chronicling author David Wheeler's travels through-out New Jersey's varied natural habitats.

Wheeler's New Jersey is a place where the fastest animal on earth dive-bombs him from the skies. A young black bear bounds up a mountain trail a few yards away. Poisonous snakes swirl at his feet. A thousand bats careen past his head in a pitch-black roost. Pods of dolphins swim right past him by the scores. Where? You may ask, in Wild New Jersey, of course.

Wheeler traversed mountains, valleys, beaches, forests, caves, rivers and marshlands via kayaks, pontoon boats, dogsleds, canoes and his own feet. Among his non-human companions were porcupines, bobcats, snapping turtles, beavers, Atlantic puffins and peregrine falcons...through-out the region's diverse wildlife and terrain - possibly the best kept secret in a state known for malls and diners, not nature.

The book looks at the different geographic regions of New Jersey: the Rugged Northwest, the Urban Northeast, the Jersey Shore, the Cape and Pines, and the Heartland, and includes maps and images taken by a variety of photographers.

Among the state's attractions Wheeler lists are "world-class" bird migrations along The Jersey Shore, scenic marshes around Trenton and Hamilton, and "rugged and dramatic wilderness" in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

The area known as the Pine Barrens is particularly intriguing to Wheeler, who calls the region "the last true wilderness on the eastern seaboard" and lived for a time in Toms River, just outside of the 1.1 million-acre tract of forest.

Wild New Jersey invites readers along Wheeler's whirlwind year-long tour of the most ecologically diverse state for its size in America. Along with the expert guidance of charismatic wildlife biologists and local conservationists, he explores mountains, valleys, beaches, pine barrens, caves, rivers, marshlands, and more-breathtaking landscapes and the state's Noah's Ark of fascinating creatures.

This isn't your ordinary ride on the Jersey Turnpike. Fasten your seat-belts and join Wheeler as he, kayaks through the Meadowlands under the watchful eye of the Empire State Building, pans for cretaceous fossils in a hidden brook once home to mastodons and giant sloths, rides a fishing boat in the frigid snows of winter on a high-seas quest for Atlantic puffins, trudges through the eerie darkness of a bog on a mysterious night hike, dogsleds across the windswept alpine slopes in the haunts of the porcupine and bobcat.

With Wheeler's compelling narrative, in-depth background details, and eye for revealing the offbeat, you can count this as the first nature book to paint the extraordinary picture of New Jersey's unlikely wilderness in all its glory. Come along for all the adventure and insight in Wild New Jersey!

Karl Hess, Keller Willams Realty Jersey Shore

Baba Booey at Ocean County Library

Meet Gary Dell-Abate, Author of They Call Me Baba Booey!

Ocean County Library, Toms River Branch Friday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m.

One of pop culture's great enduring unsung heroes: Gary Dell'Abate, Howard Stern Show producer, miracle worker, professional good sport, and servant to the "King of All Media," for the first time tells the story of his early years and reveals how his chaotic childhood and early obsessions prepared him for life at the center of "the greatest show on earth."  There are many things you may not know about "Baba Booey;" for example, he attended Adelphi University, receiving the Richard F. Clemo Award at the end of his senior year, for outstanding contribution to the department. So come on out to the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library and meet the man behind the show.

If you're interested in buying, selling or investing in Real Estate in Toms River, Ocean County or along The Jersey Shore, click on TheJerseyShoreHomeFinder.com and get free access to thousands of home listings.   If you'd like to keep up with the very latest real estate market conditions in your neighborhood or anywhere in Ocean County and on The Jersey Shore, click here.  

Looking for something do this weekend in Ocean County or just want to keep up with current events?  The Jersey Shore News will keep you informed with local community information and happenings.

Toms River's unique scenery with access pristine beaches and river make it one of the most beautiful places to live in New Jersey. Toms River can be seen in various TV and news media including MTV's "Made" and "Jersey Shore" (season 1 and 3), HBO's "Boardwalk Empire", and the original "Amityville Horror" movie. In 1998, Toms River Little League won the Little League World Series and made it to the Regional Championships numerous times since then. UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar also hails from Toms River. The township also has the 2nd largest Halloween parade in the world.

In three of the last 4 years, Toms River was ranked in the top ten safest "cities" in the United States, of the 378 cities nationwide.  

Karl Hess - Ocean County, NJ and Jersey Shore Homes and Real Estate - Get free access to all listings with photos in Ocean County including waterfront, beachfront and water-view homes on The Jersey Shore