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I'm usually seen with a notepad and a Nikon.
I have worked on and off as a photojournalist, reporter, and editor for the past three decades.
I put my words and pictures together to tell the whole story.
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The first Beach Haven West home this reporter stopped at was my own and my heart sank. There had been at least three feet of water inside, furniture had apparently floated throughout, my refrigerator laid on its side in the middle of the kitchen and my desk was half way across my office. Photos by Steve Moran
For Joe Karcz standing on the porch of his yet to be completed home in Beach Haven West, the recently- enacted mortgage forbearance act came just in time. Karcz's original single story home had taken more than three feet of water during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and needed to be demolished so that he could begin rebuilding.
SHIP BOTTOM - When Ship Bottom Lifeguard Rick Zanes finishes his shift on Sept. 30 at the end of borough's extended season, it will be the end of his ninth year guarding the 7th Street beach. Not really that unique in LBI "lifeguard" years, unless you happen to be 62-years-old.
NEW YORK CITY -- Five members of the Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company Station 46 were among the estimated 30,000 people to take part in the 16th annual Stephen Siller Tunnel- to- Towers 5K Run & Walk in New York City on Sunday, Sept. 24.
Governor Chris Christie came to Long Beach Island to fire the first round in his assault on public union pensions just steps from where union member volunteers had recently built a memorial playground for one of the teachers massacred in the Sandy Hook, CN school shooting. *Written while a contracted contributing editor to the Patch.
STAFFORD - ReClam the Bay in conjunction with the Rutgers (University) Cooperative Extension, Ocean County's Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) and others held a Shellfish Forum last Friday on the MATES campus in Manahawkin.
USA TODAY
A Democratic hopeful for his party's nomination for Governor of New Jersey in 2017 took a bus tour Saturday with a group of impacted homeowners to sections of Manahawkin still recovering from Superstorm Sandy.
The line of fire engines and emergency service vehicles stretched nearly a mile long last Saturday as they escorted Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Company's newest trucks to their housing at the company's station.
SURF CITY - The Long Beach Island Board of Education approved a resolution with conditions to sell the LBI Elementary School in Ship Bottom to the borough for an undisclosed amount at Tuesday's meeting. The resolution passed 6-2 with one abstention, and contains stipulations the borough must meet to fully take possession.
LOVELADIES -Those who attended last Saturday night's Lighthouse International Film Festival's Kick-off Party were treated to a screening of what the Huffington Post once called "The Best Worst Movie" of the year. The evening began with wine and beer, hot hors d'oeuvres and light jazz from Michael Engesser, followed by dinner buffet with food donated by more than a dozen local restaurants.
BEACH HAVEN - The kickoff of the Summer of '16 on LBI was hot or it was cold, depending on whether you were sampling fiery sauces or cold brews at the third annual Hop Sauce Festival June 4. An estimated crowd of more than 5,000 flowed in and out during the eight-hour festival that was held in Frank V.
BRANT BEACH Morre than 900 brave souls ran into the Atlantic Ocean on Super Bowl Sunday. The plunge, which began in 2005, is an annual joint fundraiser for the St. Francis Community Center and the Southern Regional High School Swim Teams. Carole Bradshaw, a Patriots fan, was ready to dash into the 42- degree water on a sunny 40-degree day with her faithful companion, "Bear."
CLOSE Christine Thompson was a whirlwind as she blew through the venues that served as hosts for the recent 8th Annual Wedding Road Show on Long Beach Island. The prospective bride figuratively put the icing on her wedding cake as she looked at flowers, invitations, make-up and an actual cake among other things.
The Lighthouse Brass band is well known in the borough. Its six members play for a variety of occasions, including the Beach Haven Christmas Tree lighting party every december, and have developed a fan base. Maybe that's why there was a big turnout Sunday for the Lighthouse Brass Band's concert at The Episcopal Church of the Holy Innocents on Marine Street.
Gannett Nationwide
BEACH HAVEN -Last Friday evening, Sondra Beninati, owner of The Gables in Beach Haven with her husband Steve, hosted a Cocktail Reception Fundraiser for Coastal Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) that drew more than 150 people at $100 per ticket.
BEACH HAVEN -- The second annual Classical Jam Session was held last Saturday afternoon in the Fellowship Hall provided by Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church. Sponsored by the LBI Arts Council, it originated to find local classical musicians and students of all levels and give them a place to meet and play, said Barbara Wheeler, one of the organizers.
STAFFORD - Manahawkin Elks Lodge #2340 had a Great Friday to kick off this past Easter's weekend. The annual Good Friday Fish Dinner served nearly 1,000 people and raised around $14,000 to send special needs children to the Elks Camp Moore this summer, said dinner co-coordinator, John Barrett.
LOVELADIES -Bellarine Theater Company's final production of the year is "Urinetown," a musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics and musical theatre itself It will be presented at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies for five performances, from Friday Nov.
BEACH HAVEN - It's the "Summer of the Shark" in Beach Haven with several events planned around the 100th anniversary of a series of shark attacks at the Jersey Shore. The first of those attacks took place in the surf off Centre Street on July 1, 1916, followed by others in Monmouth County.
One of the main organizers of last Saturday's Eskimo Outreach simply said she was "speechless" as she looked around the throng of people gathered in the parking lot of the Mud City Crab House on East Bay Avenue in Stafford.
Asbury Park Press/Patch -- LBI & Southern Ocean County
What were luchadores doing on LBI? And just what are they anyway? Luchadores are Mexican professional wrestlers known for their colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and "high-flying" maneuvers, according to Wikipedia. They were characters in an independent short film shot on and around Long Beach Island last week that was co-written and produced by Eric Johnson.
Wolves have gotten a bad reputation based on their portrayal over the years in fairy tales, movies and lately TV shows, according to the owner and staff of Howling Woods Farm in Jackson.
LOVELADIES - Long Beach Township Police regulated the steady stream of cars along Long Beach Boulevard Saturday and Sunday and told people where they could find parking for the 28th annual Fine Arts Festival at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences.
BEACH HAVEN --Matt Mazepa was disappointed to find out Buckalew's had already run through the required 240 gallons of chowder they brought to last Sunday's Chowderfest competition an hour before it was over and the votes counted. "It was the best I tasted all day," said the Manahawkin resident.
LOVELADIES --The twenty artists in the current exhibit at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Science held a gallery talk and attended a reception on Saturday afternoon, along with members of the LBI Garden Club. "WE CREATE" is an exhibition of 20 artists from the faculty and staff of the Department of Art at Rowan University in Glassboro.
The craft beer craze sweeping the nation has already brought a half dozen small local breweries into Ocean County. Backward FLAG in Lacey Township and ManaFirkin set to open in mid-May are two of them. "ManaFirkin" is a combination of Manahawkin and "Firkin," an English term dating back the 16th century for a small keg of beer or ale.
STAFFORD -Joe Mangino and Frank Luna were on the road to Texas with a truckload of locally-donated relief supplies for the victims of Hurricane Harvey while most people were still sleeping in on Labor Day. The Stafford Township Recreation Department and START.
"A Plastic Ocean: The Shocking Truth," a documentary film looking at the spread of plastic pollution and its long-range effects on the environment, maritime life and humans was shown last Saturday evening at the Ship Bottom Firehouse.
The America's Cup, the pinnacle in the world of yacht racing, will take place in Bermuda next summer.
Hundreds of employment seekers came to the LBI Job Fair held at the Surf City Yacht Club last Saturday hoping to find summer and perhaps year-round employment. Tim Kohlheim, who organized the fair, said it was mainly focused on the needs of the seasonal businesses of Long Beach Island and the student population from the area and its summer residents.
HARVEY CEDARS -The Rues did not rule the day last Sunday at the annual catboat race their late father Matthew, Jr. co-founded with neighbor Margaret "Pooch" Buchholz 30 years ago. ● Rue's oldest and youngest sons took second place in the two of the three classes they raced in, while middle son, Robert, served as the race committee chair and starter.
LOVELADIES - "Welcome To Brooklyn," the current exhibit at the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences opened last Saturday. The New York City borough has become a haven for artists of all mediums, said Carol Nussbaum, a member of the Foundation's Arts Committee.
LOVELADIES - Last Wednesday was a sweet time at the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, as they held the foueth annual Pollinators Pot Luck and Honey Harvest. Hosted by the LBIF, in honor of Dr. Marvin Steinberg, it was presented by the LBIF Science Committee, Uriah Creek Apiaries, Long Beach Township and Alliance for a Living Ocean (ALO).
BEACH HAVEN -The rave reviews are in even before the new curtain goes up later this month at the reincarnated Surflight Theater. Craig Mills from High Bar Harbor said he was "thrilled" when he heard it was reopening this month. "It's tremendous to have them back," he added.
STAFFORD -The Irish crossed the Causeway this year for their annual festival. The LBI chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians turned the event over to the newly formed Ocean County chapter of the Friendly Sons of Shillelagh, said the chapter's Vice-President Kevin Lyons at the Manahawkin Lake Park Sept.
SURF CITY - The fourth annual Summer Art Opener was held this past weekend at the m.t. burton gallery and 19th St. Clay Studio in Surf City Owner Matt Burton said the event grew from the Artists For a Shore Cause event he helped organize the spring after Superstorm Sandy struck LBI and the surrounding area.
SHIP BOTTOM - It is almost impossible to have a street fair without funnel cake. After all, fun is the first syllable of the delicious, deep-fried, doughy sweet treat that most everyone will have a bite of before the party is over. The Ship Bottom Summer Sizzle Block Party on July 9 was no exception.
The Independence Day parade in Barnegat Light featured a flock of seagulls last Saturday. The Simpson family wearing wings and homemade gull hats with big eyes and bright beaks, "flew" around one family member wearing a replica of the top of Barnegat Lighthouse on his head.
SURF CITY - Around two dozen Lighthouse International Film Festival supporters came out for the third "La Table" food and wine pairing at Francis' restaurant last Thursday. Each event features the food and wines of different regions of France where Executive Chef and co-owner Francis Pons was born and trained.
Mary Tantillo was putting the finishing touches on a large stained glass window at her SwellColors Glass Studio and Art Gallery as a steady stream of people wandered through last weekend.
It was a beautiful morning for a walk Sunday, made even better because it was for a good cause. Approximately 1,500 people participated in the Eighth annual Community Bridge Walk Fundraiser across the LBI Causeway from Manahawkin to Ship Bottom to benefit local schools.
For Earth Day this past Friday, the Long Beach Island Grade School in Ship Bottom had the whole planet in the gym. The Earth Dome, a gigantic inflatable balloon standing 19-feet high and 22-feet in diameter made of 24 huge panels, each representing one time zone filled the middle of the room.
It was all "Cops and Rodders" last Sunday afternoon at the Ship Bottom Boat Ramp at the car show to benefit LBI's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association #175. Bob Rossi of the Ship Bottom Building and Zoning Department organized the show for the PBA. "They are the men and women out there every day protecting us.