Columns
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•November 5, 2026
A Household Name: Early Outdoorsman Now Graces Maps
With hunting season moving in, I want to highlight our area’s most famed outdoorsman, someone every single one of us has heard about, somewhat unknowingly.
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•November 4, 2026
Washington Threatened By Devious Subordinate
December 1776 was in many ways the darkest month of the American Revolution. George Washington had been driven out of New York and across New Jersey, crossing the Delaware River into Pennsylvania…
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•October 28, 2026
Wonky Polar Vortex Could Mean Warmth for Weeks to Come
Uneventful can be notably eventful in its own right. After our raucous slew of storms and wind-whackings, the ongoing stint of smack-perfect skies shines doubly bright – literally. Recently, a few…
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•October 28, 2026
Did Stockton Bow to the British?
This is the fourth in a series. One of the biggest problems with studying history is that there are few easy answers. In 1962, American Heritage Magazine ran a story on the signers of the…
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•October 28, 2026
The New Greeting That Makes No Sense; Losing Track of Nor’easters
Sean Deacon stalls on an overhead left last Thursday on the tail end of the last nor’easter. Did the barrel say ‘Welcome in?’ (Photo by Tom Beaty) “Welcome in!” What? Did you just say, “Welcome in”?…
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•October 22, 2026
Mola Mola Visitations Bring Sharky Dorsals to Nearshore Waters
PUMPKIN PIRATE: Heading out to do some autumnal angling can go to the head of some folks. With Halloween knocking, thoughts of Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts are also surfacing, meaning keeper…
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•October 22, 2026
Another Northeast Blow Takes a Bite Out of Our Fall
Pete Machotka with a textbook frontside turn on Monday evening amid the drift. (Photo by Tom Beaty) Sunday morning was a bit of a shock to the system. Was it really that cold, or more of a reminder…
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•October 21, 2026
Where Does Your Loyalty Lie?
If asked today whether they would have been a rebel or a Loyalist during the American Revolution, most probably would reply rebel.
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•October 14, 2026
Another Sloppy Sunday Followed By Waves; Thoughts on New Groins and Garage Gets Hype
Things came together for fun surf on Monday. (Photo by Jack Reynolds) I think we should probably discontinue the LBI 18 Mile Run. It’s not the traffic or the detours. It’s run very well, and I know…
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•October 14, 2026
Manhandled Menhaden: Conservationists Rally to Reduce the Mayhem
TAUTOG AWAIT: The fall flow of blackfish frequenting Barnegat Inlet is kicking in. Rock-top anglers are working the South Jetty at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, using sand crabs, which Island…
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October 14, 2026
British Redcoats Press Into NJ
This is the second in a series. The events that took place in New Jersey during the last three months of 1776 helped shape the future of America. One of the participants described what happened as…
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•October 7, 2026
Tunes Surfers Fall For; Latest Nor’easter Brought All Waves and No Drama
So, what’s everyone listening to this fall? (I mean, besides the sound of the northeast wind beating on the side of the house.)
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•October 7, 2026
Washington’s Army Is Untrained, Unreliable
The events that took place during the late summer and fall of 1776 show the American Revolution was much more complicated than the traditional colonists vs. redcoats. Locally by August, almost 100…
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•October 7, 2026
Weather Perks Up As Offshore Winds Move Into Position
Goodbye and good riddance! I aim that toward the now-departed stretch of aggravating and damaging northeast winds. Like many others, I had it up to the gills with the gales and their rain and…
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•October 1, 2026
‘Not Even a Hurricane’: A Retrospective on Retrograding Nor’easter
Want to hear something funny? The Atlantic Ocean still hasn’t had a hurricane this year.
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•October 1, 2026
For the Record Books: Nor’easter 2026 a Protracted Batterer
I doubt the Guinness Book of World Records has a listing for nor’easters, but the now-named “September Nor’easter 2026” is a prime candidate for the “longest-lived” category. I can make a case that…
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September 30, 2026
Will Help for the Lighthouse Come in Time?
The story of why Long Beach Island can still call itself the home of Barnegat Lighthouse is one of twists and turns. In April 1926, the Newark Star Call explained.
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•September 24, 2026
Six-Day Storms Are New Norm, Uninvited Nor’easter Ends Golden Season and Sandbars
Some of us went Friday, others Saturday, and some even waited until her final moments on Monday morning. We sat with her. We held her hand in those final hours. We tried to stay strong, but she…
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•September 24, 2026
If Greeting Dolphins, a Black Sabbath Riff Can Work Miracles
WEATHER WORD: Talk about a full-blown fall of summer. A week’s worth of honking northeast winds can do that. This is not to say we’ve seen the last of mildness; just wait a few weeks or so. I’m not…
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September 23, 2026
Henlopen Light’s Fate Threatens Old Barney
This is the second in a series. The story of why and how Barnegat Lighthouse is still standing in 2026 has had many twist and turns. In 1926, just as its supporters were celebrating their victory by…
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•September 16, 2026
This Year Has a Lot in Common With 1996 …. Except for Hurricanes
As we sit here in the midst of a historically quiet hurricane season, it’s hard for Generation X not to look back to the nonstop storm and swell activity of 1996. That summer and fall, the surf…
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•September 16, 2026
Time for a Squashfest: A Biting Bug Contest Can Be a Yearly Draw
KING OF THE SQUASHERS: Who’s up for a new annual tradition? Sure, we already have a calendar-load of fine and repeatable events, but nothing could have the same impact as an annual Jersey Shore…
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•September 16, 2026
Imagine No Lighthouse on LBI
Try to imagine Long Beach Island with no Barnegat Lighthouse. The billboard at Southern Regional High School would have only words, mailboxes on the Island would be bland and the longest stretch of…
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•September 9, 2026
Hale Gives His Life for the Cause
In September 1776 only days after the British army had occupied New York City, it was ravaged by a great fire. The Pennsylvania Evening Journal reported, “In our last, we informed our readers that…
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•September 9, 2026
Tidal Wave of Flies Descends on Beaches as Bitten Bathers Flee
Last Friday, Sept. 4, LBI-oriented social media exploded over a beachline tsunami, of sorts. A tidal wave of biting flies descended upon a holiday-weekend crowd.
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•September 9, 2026
Listing Summer Awesomeness, Staring Down a Quiet September
There is a certain way that people leave the beach on Labor Day. They drag the soft top behind them. The walk is slow and difficult. The beach chair is on its last leg. It is the ultimate schlep.…
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•September 2, 2026
A Summer Gone: You Shouldn’t Have Blinked, Monitoring the Slow Tropics and The Local Summer on Tap
Trying to remember what happened this summer. It’s all just a blur. Let’s see.
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•September 2, 2026
Washington Loses New York City
By September 1776, George Washington had suffered a crushing defeat on Long Island and only had been able to save his army only by crossing the East River to Manhattan. He had lost confidence, and on…
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•September 2, 2026
Recalling Olden Times When Whale Carcasses Freely Hauled Off
The recent burying of a washed-up fin whale in Barnegat Light had me pulling up some related pics from my black and white photo archives. They showed Island times, circa 1920, when a washed-up whale…
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•August 26, 2026
Burial of Fin Whale No Simple Matter for Disposal Team
For all you whale carcass chasers, you missed your big chance. The gory fin whale remains that washed up on the Barnegat Light beachfront are gone. “To where?” you ask. Even though I’m sworn to…
