Columns
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•May 10, 2025
Merciless Gnats Arising: Hatch of No-See-Ums Will Bug Bayside Flukers
You likely heard a second arrest has been made in the Jones Road wildfire. It made all the national news broadcasts, with one station claiming the wildfire was still burning – as if N.J. allows…
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•May 7, 2025
Life-Savers Mount Heroic Rescue
It was two wrecks in January 1903 that linked together in the press and public mind the name Ship Bottom with the midpoint of Long Beach Island.
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•May 1, 2025
That Wild and Wooly Wildfire Might Make the Top 10 List
The Jones Road wildfire was as flameful an inferno as our Pinelands have ever experienced. The Greenwood Forest flames were California grade.
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•May 1, 2025
Look Back at When Americorps Came to Our Rescue; Bringing Up Beach Badges
Think about that time. If you don’t know exactly what was going on here – and I don’t say this lightly – go bone up on your local history.
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•April 30, 2025
Life-Saving Crew Called to Action Again
This is another installment in a look back at Ship Bottom as it celebrates its centennial.
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•April 23, 2025
Nightmare Before Easter: The Time Coconut Eggs Destroyed My Vacation
First, a sad but fond farewell to our rock star Pope Francis. Here’s hoping his grassroots holiness and dedication to equality carry over to his successor – announced when white smoke next arises…
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•April 23, 2025
The Sad Fate of the ‘Remedios Pascual’
To mark the centennial of Ship Bottom’s becoming an independent municipality, I am looking back at the stories that helped create the town’s identity.
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•April 20, 2025
Martin Barre Fills Lizzie Rose Music Room With ‘Tull’ Tales
The Southern Ocean County region is beloved for its vibrant live music scene, booming with a huge variety of local singer-songwriters and performers. Occasionally, however, the majesty of the area…
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•April 19, 2025
Third Winter’s Silver Lining of Surf as Roadwork Continues Forever
While flipping through the SandPaper in our kitchen last week, I announced to the family, “Oh, Ship Bottom is celebrating its 100th year.”
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•April 16, 2025
Tog Bait of Choice: Sand Crabs Shining
Sand crabs are possibly the most iconic of all beach critters, after factoring in the childhood rite of passage gained by digging them for the first time – and all too often bucketing a bunch to take…
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•April 16, 2025
Ship Bottom’s Storied Rescue Dog
As Ship Bottom celebrates its centennial, I thought a look back at some of the town’s history might be of interest.
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•April 10, 2025
Wishing Ship Bottom a Happy Birthday
When the town you grew up in celebrates its centennial, it’s always fun to look back on its founding.
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•April 9, 2025
Tariff Trickledown Could Loom Large for Anglers, Diners
Spring is having one helluva time freeing itself from the cobwebs of winter.
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•April 3, 2025
Precarious Positions in the Between Seasons and Events Stacking Up
Well, it appears we made it out of March with only a few baby lions and a nice day with a pet lamb. And now it’s April, a month generally known for third winter and guarded optimism.
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•April 3, 2025
Soothing Buzz of Mechanical Bees Droning Over Crops
When it comes to developing robotic bugs, the beautiful minds at MIT can sometimes come off as a bit batty, if not downright flitty.
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•April 2, 2025
Fort Falls Without a Shot Fired
The events that took place during the spring of 1775 helped shape the future of America. This question arises: Were they the result of the action of the famous icons of history or forgotten common…
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•March 26, 2025
Unsung Heroes in Women’s History; Local Contemporary Artist Forges Ahead
In honor of Women’s History Month, which feels more symbolic each day we tread deeper into the strange dystopia of an unraveling democracy, we remember the female pioneers of music and celebrate the…
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•March 26, 2025
How the Dark Web Might Unloose Ruin on State’s Tree Frogs
I recently did an informative delve-about within the Dark Web, which I’ll use to also cover the Deep Web.
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•March 26, 2025
New Jersey Takes Up Arms
If you’re a reader of this column, you probably are a student of history. You know the 250th anniversary of American independence is approaching. If asked to name five people associated with the…
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•March 20, 2025
‘Thinking Late Winter’ Instead of ‘Thinking Spring’ as the Atlantic Finally Comes Alive to Mixed Results
It feels like it’s been a very long time since there was good swell to report. Writing a surf column without surf is about as fun as playing pickleball alone (see … I know my audience).
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•March 19, 2025
The Oddest Airport Bust: A Bulge in Man’s Pants Leads to Concealed Pet
My mind remains boggled over news stories regarding surely one of the weirdest smuggling busts ever seen at any airport, anywhere. It played out at Newark Liberty International Airport, where…
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•March 19, 2025
Redcoats Tell a Different Story
This is the last in a series of articles attempting to present what happened at Lexington and Concord in April 1775 in the order that the public was informed. The Colonial version was disseminated in…
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•March 13, 2025
In an Extreme Crunch, Dining on Bunker Bait Might Not Be So Bad
A quick but deserved and timely rant. This biannual time switch thing has gotta go, one way or the other. It’s either sunny side up or over easy, spoken like a former breakfast cook (Noller’s in…
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•March 13, 2025
Local Women Making Moves in Music
In the spirit of Women’s History Month, singer-songwriter and event organizer Amy Elizabeth Mclain will emcee her Creative Local Ladies Showcase on Friday, March 21 at the Lizzie Rose Music Room. The…
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•March 12, 2025
British Report on Skirmish Differs
Over the past several weeks I have presented the Colonial perspective on the events 250 years ago at Lexington and Concord. The reason for the one-sided version is that in 1775, that is the way the…
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•March 6, 2025
Of Lions and Lambs; Carried Out of February By Waves; Gutting of NOAA
There are some things that make writing a surf column particularly enjoyable.
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•March 5, 2025
Crustacean Spirits: Making Green Crabs Fit for Connoisseurs
GREEN CRABS ON THE ROCKS: To help control New England’s invasion by European green crabs, the House of Tamworth distillery in New Hampshire is testing whiskey waters never before explored. Pubs…
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•March 5, 2025
Eyewitnesses Report on British Attack
There are times when getting a story first outweighs the getting of it correct. In April 1775, this rang true as the Colonial version of the events at Lexington and Concord were distributed widely…
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•February 27, 2025
Maybe a Warning: Bay Does a Limbo, Hits All-Time Low
Anyone remember the Limbo craze? How low can you go? It helped foster modern chiropractic medicine.
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•February 26, 2025
Who Fired the First Shot?
The events of April 19, 1775 are remembered by history as the day “the shot heard ’round the world” was fired. How one version of the events is remembered while another forgotten can cause you to ask…
