I was recently telling my son a story of when I was a little kid. It was the early ’80s, and my father had taken my brother and me canoeing through the Pines. I should start by saying that for all of Ocean County’s focus on the ocean beach and boating, gliding through that cool, iced-tea colored water of the Pine Barrens is a fine way to spend a summer day.

These days, the Island is pretty uptight (until about midnight, and then it can be obnoxious) compared to back then.