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The Coast Star & The Ocean Star

Waste produced by businesses, bar-goers a problem in Belmar

By Molly Mulshine

Several Belmar residents aired grievances regarding both rowdy bar patrons and a local pizza parlor with improperly placed Dumpsters during the public comment session at the Aug. 18 council meeting.

Michael Gratelli, of 17th Avenue, took to the microphone first to inform the council of the stench issuing from some Dumpsters located near his house, on the property of Santoro’s Pizza, on 16th and Ocean avenues.

“These Dumpsters are within 9 feet of our windows,” Mr. Gratelli said. “There are two, 55-gallon drums of used cooking oil right under our windows, [as well as] garbage cans.”

Borough code enforcement officer Pat McMahon said he had already been informed of the issue, and said he has asked the proprietor of the restaurant to “move [the Dumpsters] at least 15 feet away from the property” until a resolution is enacted by council to clarify borough rules regarding the placement of large trash receptacles.

Currently, the borough ordinance regarding large trash

receptacles mandates that “whether empty or not, [they] should be stored or kept as far as reasonably practical so that they are not visible from the street or public right of way, or so that they do not cause a nuisance to the eyes of any dwelling.”

The ordinance also states that trash and trash receptacles shall “in no event … be kept under or in close proximity to the windows or doors of any adjacent dwelling.”

Mayor Kenneth Pringle called the pizza parlor’s containers’ placement “flatly improper,” and assured Mr. Gratelli that the issue would be taken care of.

Mr. Gratelli’s neighbor, Judy Kulik, who lives four houses away, also approached the dais and informed the mayor and council that the odor the Dumpsters emit is noticeable at her house down the street.

“The stench is unbearable, especially this summer with the heat and the rain,” Ms. Kulik said. “Being taxpayers, we don’t really like it and we don’t want it.”

Ms. Kulik cites the same restaurant as being responsible for a pool of chemicals that has accumulated in front of her home.

“We had to call the county health department,” Ms. Kulik said.

“There was a cleaning service that had cleaned out [the establishment’s] greasy fryers and let all of the water and residue with the food, water and grease go down the street,” Ms. Kulik said.

“We’re still waiting for the cleanup of the oil residue that’s laying in our curb, and I don’t think that … we should incur the expense of our public works coming and doing the cleanup when it’s clearly from the restaurant,” Ms. Kulik said.

Mr. McMahon said the cleaning company was notified that if they allow chemicals to run into the road again, they will be subject to a fine.

Next up to the microphone was Maureen Stanley Caslow, who lives at the southern end of Belmar.

“Speaking of odors, a week ago Sunday, someone decided to have diarrhea all in our driveway, all over the hose,” Ms. Caslow said. “They put it all on our siding and the brick … in the front.”

Ms. Caslow also found a pair of underwear and a T-shirt, which she suspects belong to the offender.

Ms. Caslow called the police department, who sent someone to clean the mess.

In addition to the waste deposited on her driveway, Ms. Caslow also deals with passersby stealing from her property.

“The lights that are in front of the house have been taken, the back windshield wiper was taken off the car — it’s just a mess there,” she said. “It feels like we’re just left there.”

People frequently urinate on her property at night, Ms. Caslow said, and one night she ensured that justice was brought to one man by photographing him.

“I happened to get his picture, and he was charged $350,” Ms. Caslow said. “I signed the complaint and got him.

“I think we need a little more attention down at our end,” she added.

Ms. Kulik again approached the dais and described a scene she witnessed approximately one week ago.

Ms. Kulik and her sister took a young relative for a walk at night on the boardwalk, from 17th Avenue to the southern end of the boardwalk and back.

“We come back and three young ladies are squatting facing the roadway behind that snow fence on the beach urinating,” Ms. Kulik said. “I was astonished.”

This happened on a Wednesday night, Ms. Kulik said.

“Something has to be done,” she added.

The boardwalk bathrooms are kept open until 8 p.m. every night, borough administrator Robbin Kirk said.

The borough has kept the 19th Avenue bathrooms open even later in the past, Ms. Kirk said, “probably about five years ago.”

“D’Jais [bar, located across from the boardwalk at 1801 Ocean Ave.] was paying to have people go in and clean it at the end of the night, but they couldn’t have people staffing it,” Ms. Kirk said.

This resulted in “broken-out windows and other issues. That’s why we stopped keeping it open,” Ms. Kirk said.

“Police will certainly focus even more attention over on that neighborhood,” Mayor Kenneth Pringle said Tuesday, “but it’s hard to be at exactly the right place at the right time to catch people doing particularly bad things.”

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

Tapas, Tarot & Good Times At Vivas

Vivas Latin restaurant, located in Pyanoe Plaza in Belmar, held a ribbon cutting and grand re-opening celebration Thursday, July 29. Councilman Brian Magovern [from left], Councilwoman Claire Deicke, Councilman Richard Wright, Vivas co-owner and executive chef Will Vivas, Mayor Kenneth Pringle, Vivas co-owner Frank Stillitano, Councilman Matthew Doherty, Chamber of Commerce president John J. Gambardella, and Mr. Stillitano’s brother, Paul Stillitano and his wife, Nicole Stillitano, attended the gala, which featured live music, tapas samples, tarot card readings and more.

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

Belmar man pleads guilty to fourth degree animal cruelty

By Molly Mulshine

Daniel I. Mann, 31, of Belmar, pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth degree animal cruelty in connection with the deaths of two cats, which occurred at the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [MCSPCA] while Mr. Mann was employed there.

Two MCSPCA employees at the Eatontown facility observed Mr. Mann, a kennel technician, holding a cat in the air and then forcefully slamming it head-first into the tile floor March 1. The cat then died. A necropsy determined that the cat died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Shortly afterward, and on the same date, other MCSPCA employees located a second cat, which was deceased, in a garbage bag at the facility.

The second dead cat had a leather leash wrapped around its neck. A necropsy of this cat revealed that it died as a result of asphyxiation due to a crushed trachea and lung hemorrhage.

The Eatontown Police Department and the Law Enforcement Division of the MCSPCA conducted an investigation into the deaths of the two cats. The investigation determined that Mr. Mann had caused their deaths.

Mr. Mann’s employment with the MCSPCA was terminated on March 1, after the deaths of the two cats.

At the time of their deaths, the two cats were recovering from surgery, and they were about to be offered for adoption by the agency.

During his guilty plea, Mr. Mann stated that at the time of the crime he was suffering from insomnia and also dealing with stress and family issues. Mr. Mann told Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci Jr. that while he was cleaning out the cats’ cages, he “snapped” and slammed one cat on the floor, and strangled the other cat with a leather leash.

Mr. Mann entered his pleas before Judge Mellaci Aug. 18.

The judge is scheduled to sentence Mann Nov. 5.

Mr. Mann entered his guilty pleas pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. Pursuant to the terms of the negotiated plea agreement, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office will recommend that Judge Mellaci sentence Mr. Mann to two consecutive 12-month custodial terms, and that Judge Mellaci order Mr. Mann to pay restitution for the costs of the necropsies that were performed on the two dead cats.

Also, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office will recommend that Judge Mellaci order that, upon his release from confinement, Mr. Mann perform 60 days of community service at a facility at which no animals are present.

Mr. Mann is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in lieu of bail in the amount of $30,000.

The case is assigned to Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Brian A. Heyesey. Mr. Mann is being represented by John F. Hazard, Esq., of Long Branch.

When contacted, Mr. Hazard declined to comment on Mr. Mann’s case.

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

Kaleidoscope Collection sees success at Belmar Arts Council

By Molly Mulshine

Art came in the form of painting, sculpture, music, photography and even skateboard maneuvers at the Kaleidoscope Collection Sunday, Aug. 22, at the headquarters of the Belmar Arts Council [BAC].

The mixed media show, which attracted approximately 350 people, was the brainchild of Charlie Sweeny, a Sea Girt lifeguard from Spring Lake Heights.

“I have all of these friends that are creative, and I wanted to bring everyone together, get the youths pumped on art, show them what everyone else is doing and show them that they can do it, too,” Mr. Sweeny said.

Mr. Sweeny is the common denominator to all of the artists who participated in the show, like his girlfriend, Tara Wight, who creates jewelry, and his roommate, Erik Fawcett, who is a painter.

“All of these [artistic] people started coming into my life,” he said, “and I was like, ‘All right, let’s go with it, let’s bring them all together.’”

Mr. Sweeny also invited Radcakes Clothing, a Jersey Shore-based company that creates art on T-shirts, shoes, hats and surfboards.

Radcakes artists Lauren Dalrymple, of Sea Girt, helped run a stand selling Radcakes merchandise.

“We design and screen print all of our T-shirts ourselves with a manual screen printing press,” Ms. Dalrymple said. “We’re also artists who did a couple of the paintings here at the show, so we have those on display as well.”

Art made by Ms. Dalrymple and her colleagues can be found at www.radcakes.com.

In addition to the artwork present, there was a halfpipe complete with amateur skateboarders showing off their skills outside the BAC.

Later in the night, local indie brand Brick and Mortar played a set outside the BAC.

“The forecasted rain held off until just before 10 p.m., when the band was playing their last song,” Mr. Sweeny said. “It was a good way to close it down.”

After the band finished, many of the art enthusiasts crossed the street to an after-party at 507 Main.

Mr. Sweeny is “definitely taking a few days off” after having planned this event in under a month, but he hopes to hold another like it in the near future.

To keep up with Mr. Sweeny and the other artists featured at the Kaleidoscope Collection, check out his blog at http://kaleidoscopecollective.blogspot.com.

Some of the artists featured at the Kaleidoscope Collection will also contribute different work to the BAC’s Surf Art Show gala opening, which is a fundraiser for the women’s prize purse of the Belmar Pro surf contest.

The Surf Art Show, which lasts from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, will feature a live performance by the singer and songwriter Quincy Mumford, followed by a performance by local band the Surfbobs.

The opening will also feature an auction for a Roberts surfboard, as well as the works of such renowned surf artists as Jay Alders, Ronnie Jackson and Joe Hodnicki.

Art intake for the Surf Art Show will take place Thursday, Aug. 26, and Friday, Aug. 27, from 3 to 8 p.m.

The entry fee for the Surf Art Show is $15 per piece for BAC members and $25 per piece for non-members. There is a maximum of two pieces per entrant, and entries can be in any medium, including art on surfboards.

The Surf Art Show will run from Sept. 8 through Oct. 1.

The BAC has also announced the schedules for the Belmar Urban Myths art show and the Bicycle-Inspired art show. See www.belmararts.org for details.

The funds raised at the Surf Art Show opening will benefit the women’s prize purse at the Belmar Pro through the Hannah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young girls and women find and develop their passion through athletics and the arts.

The BAC building is located at 608 River Rd. in Belmar.

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

Mayor, council hear three new ordinances

By Molly Mulshine

The Belmar mayor and council heard the first reading and introduction of three new ordinances at the Aug. 18 meeting, and will vote on these ordinances at the meeting set for Sept. 1.

The first ordinance was an amendment and supplementation to the water-sewer utility department to revise and add additional fees.

Under the revised ordinance, fees for extensions of water or sewer systems would go from a range of $100 to $700 to a range of $150 to $1,200; the fee for an interim meter reading would go from $15 to $25, and the fee for meter testing would go from $100 to $125.

The ordinance would also mandate several similar increases in fees.

The second ordinance the council heard was for an amendment to the regulation of noise ordinance.

This ordinance first came to the council’s attention at a meeting several weeks ago because of conflicting information in the ordinance regarding whether or not construction work may be performed on Sundays.

The new ordinance states that “the erection [including excavation], demolition, alteration or repair of any building” is permitted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Regarding Sunday construction, the ordinance states that erection, excavation, demolition, alteration or repair of any building is permitted “between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays and holidays only by homeowners performing routine repair and maintenance on the interior or exterior of any building.”

Also, on Sundays and holidays, contractors hired to perform work would only be permitted to work on the interior of a building.

The final ordinance the council heard was an ordinance reappropriationg $100,000-worth of proceeds intended for the inlet terrace water main project for the purpose of water, sewer and storm drain replacement in the borough.

The council will vote on these ordinances at their next meeting, Wednesday, Sept. 1.

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

Boro to use grants for roadwork, storm drains

By Molly Mulshine

Belmar has applied for several grants and has been approved for a Community Development Block Grant [CDBG], which the mayor and council will use to improve the quality of some roads in town.

The borough will use the CDBG grant for a project on River Avenue to improve storm drainage.

“We had started storm drain work on 7th Avenue, trying to get more water away from Silver Lake,” Ms. Kirk said.

The replacement storm drains along River Avenue will be more environmentally friendly, bororugh adminsitrator Robbin Kirk said.

Before this funding can be used and the project can begin, the borough must receive approval from county environmental officials, which could take up to 60 days, Ms. Kirk said.

“I want to get this going as quickly as possible,” Ms. Kirk said.

The borough awaits approval of a Transit Village grant which would be used for paving or redoing areas around Pyanoe Plaza.

The total grant for the Transit Village is $512,727, borough administrator Robbin Kirk said.

“We’ll have to wait and see how much we get for that grant, and then re-discuss the project depending on what we want to do,” Ms. Kirk said.

The next grant for which the borough applied was a Department of Transportation [DOT] grant for a road-paving project, for improvements to 13th Avenue.

The cost of this project is $154,146, Ms. Kirk said, and the DOT usually bestows approximately $150,000 per grant to a borough, so Belmar “would have an obligation of $4,000 on that one, if we were to get it.”

The final grant was for improvements to Maplewood Road in the form of storm drainage work and waterline issues. This DOT grant “would probably be limited to about $150,000,” Ms. Kirk said.

The borough has been denied a DOT grant for a project at the 9th Avenue pier, Ms. Kirk said, and will now examine the possibility of using this grant money for other purposes, “including ... River Avenue, maybe fixing some sidewalks around Doughboy Park.”

Ms. Kirk has asked Birdsall Engineering to provide the borough with cost estimates for such work.

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

Triathlon funds donated to Surfers Healing

By Molly Mulshine

Tom Manzi, of Point Pleasant, recently donated, on behalf of the Triathlon/Duathlon for Autism, a check for $5,300 to the Autism Beach Bash. He made the presentation at the council meeting held Aug. 18.

Franny Hines, of the Belmar First Aid Squad, accepted the check on behalf of the Autism Beach Bash, a day of fun and surfing for autistic children and their families, free of charge.

Approximately 500 to 600 families are expected to attend the event on the 7th Avenue beach on Sunday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mr. Hines said.

“This gets bigger every year, so obviously it gets more expensive every year and we need more volunteers every year,” Mr. Hines said. “We look forward to a very successful event, but we can’t do it without people like Tom and the other people who have given us money and resources to carry on.”

Mr. Manzi presented the check on behalf of DQ Events, the company that helped to organize the Triathlon/Duathlon for Autism held in Lake Como, Belmar and Spring Lake recently.

This donation is one of several that the Autism Beach Bash has received at Belmar Council meetings recently, including one from the Belmar Women’s Club.

“Belmar always comes through,” Mr. Hines said.

This year, all of the children participating in the Autism Beach Bash will be first-timers, Mr. Hines said Friday.

Some autistic children have gone their entire lives without speaking, until they learn to surf at the Autism Beach Bash, Mr. Hines said.

“There are kids who talk after surfing, who haven’t said a word their entire life,” Mr. Hines said. “It’s incredible.”

The Autism Beach Bash still needs volunteers for this year to help with serving food, distributing and fastening life jackets, distributing trophies, working at the water’s edge and more.

To learn more about volunteering, contact Franny Hines at fhines@belmarfirstaid.com.

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

First Place Ahoy!

Ashley Meier [left], 13, of Belmar, and Christina Meier, 13, of Belmar, crewed for the Belmar team and Sean Anderson, 10, of Avon, was skipper, at the Mayors’ Trophy Regatta held Friday, July 13 [see related story in the Wall section]. The team took first and second place in the JY division for Belmar.

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

Local artists to fête summer 2010 with Kaleidoscope Collection, Surf Art Show

By Molly Mulshine

This idyllic summer at the Jersey Shore has inspired a group of local artists to hold the Kaleidoscope Collection art and music show this Sunday from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at the Belmar Arts Council [BAC] building, as well as the Surf Art Show opening Sept. 12.

“The objective of [the Kaleidoscope Collection] is to really embrace the summer of 2010,” said Charlie Sweeny, of Spring Lake Heights, who is organizing the event.

The Kaleidoscope Collection is an all-ages affair, complete with catered food, live music by local indie band Brick and Mortar and a half-pipe for amateur skaters to use, as long as they bring a helmet and sign a waiver.

One dozen local artists will exhibit their work, which ranges from the photography and film art of Matt Catalano, Brielle, to the pastel and oil paintings of Tara Wight, Manasquan.

Erik Fawcett, a San Diego, Ca., native who summers in Spring Lake Heights, will exhibit his surf-inspired paintings and musical art.

Guests will also enjoy colored pencil, water color and mixed media projects by Ryan Wade of Sea Girt, while Pat Grady of Manasquan will display his pen-and-ink artwork.

“Summer is what motivated me to do it, and that’s why I’m pulling it all together,” Mr. Sweeny said of the exhibit.

Most of the artists are friends and colleagues of Mr. Sweeny, who grew up in Toms River, now lives in Spring Lake Heights and is finishing his seventh year as a Sea Girt lifeguard.

Admission is a suggested $5 donation, which will be used to cover the costs of the event and to hold more events like it in the future.

There will be an after party at 507 Main in Belmar, where those who are over the age of 21 and attended the Kaleidoscope Collection will enjoy drink specials.

The event is being sponsored by the Summertime Surf School and Radcakes clothing.

For more information about the event, go to www.facebook.com and search for Kaleidoscope Collection.

The Kaleidoscope Collection is being held in conjunction with the BAC’s Surf Art Show gala opening, which is a fundraiser for the women’s prize purse of the Belmar Pro surf contest.

The Surf Art Show, which lasts from 4 to 8 p.m., will feature a live performance by singer and songwriter Quincy Mumford, followed by a performance from local band the Surf Bobs.

The opening will also feature an auction for a Roberts surfboard, as well as the works of such renowned surf artists as Jay Alders, Ronnie Jackson and Joe Hodnicki.

Art intake for the Surf Art Show will take place Thursday, Aug. 26, and Friday, Aug. 27, from 3 to 8 p.m.

The entry fee for the Surf Art Show is $15 per piece for BAC members and $25 per piece for non-members. There is a maximum of two pieces per entrant, and entries can be in any medium, including art on surfboards.

The Surf Art Show will run from Sept. 8 through Oct. 1.

The BAC has also announced the schedules for the Belmar Urban Myths art show and the Bicycle-Inspired art show. See www.belmararts.org for details.

The funds raised at the Surf Art Show opening will benefit the women’s prize purse of the Belmar Pro through the Hannah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young girls and women find and develop their passion through athletics and the arts.

The BAC building is located at 608 River Rd. in Belmar.

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

‘Beer on the Pier’ to bring craft-brewed beverages to Jersey Shore locals this Sept.

By Molly Mulshine

There’s no denying the popularity of beer at the Jersey Shore. Thanks to Chris DePeppe of Beerheads.com, though, locals’ tastebuds can extend past the light lagers that dominate area bars.

A former Wall resident, Mr. DePeppe has organized Beer on the Pier, a craft-brewed beer-tasting festival set for Sept. 25 at the Belmar Marina, in hopes that the Jersey Shore will join the list of regions where artisanal beer reigns supreme.

The growing popularity of craft beers “is really a movement akin to slow foods versus fast foods,” Mr. DePeppe said.

“All beer is good, some beer is better,” he added of the distinction between craft-brewed beer and the mass-produced light beers common at many a Jersey Shore bar.

“Once you open your mind to something that isn’t from one of the big brewers, it’s a statement against the monarchy,” he said.

The craft-brewing movement — also known as microbrewing — began in the 1990s in New England and the Pacific Northwest, while Philadelphia “is probably the hottest craft brew market in the country right now,” said Mr. DePeppe, who currently calls the Pennsylvania city his home.

“There’s no reason the Jersey Shore shouldn’t be red hot” as well, Mr. DePeppe said.

Mr. DePeppe hopes Beer on the Pier will pique an interest in craft-brewed beer amongst Jersey Shore locals.

To facilitate local interest in craft brews, Beerheads.com is offering a $5 discount on ticket prices to locals if they purchase their passes before Sept. 1.

To get the discount of the $40 ticket price, enter the ZIP code 07719 as a promotional code when buying tickets from www.beerheads.com.

Through this website, Mr. DePeppe organizes beer tastings and craft-brewed beer festivals throughout Pennsylvania, and now in New Jersey.

At Beer on the Pier, more than 25 craft breweries will distribute two-ounce samples of ales, lagers, pilsners and more to guests from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25.

Guests will also receive a meal ticket, which they can redeem at food vendors such as Ragin’ Cajun, Jack’s Tavern, Mr. Shrimp, Jake’s Crab Shack or 10th Avenue Wings.

Attendees can watch home brewing demonstrations and enjoy samples of home-brewed beer, in addition to arcade games, a clam shucking contest and other amusements.

The event also features a separate family friendly area, being run by the borough of Belmar.

Some of the over 25 breweries scheduled to be present at the event include Philadelphia Brewing Co., Boulder, Magic Hat, Dogfish Head and the fledgling Point Pleasant Beach-based East Coast Brewing Company, makers of Beach Haus beer.

Tickets to the festival cost $40 and inclue a meal voucher, but locals can enjoy a $5 discount if they purchase their tickets by Sept. 1 and enter the zipcode 07719 as a promotional code when buying their tickets on www.beerheads.com.

Designated drivers pay only $10 for admission with a meal ticket, and can participate in everything at the event besides the beer tasting.

A portion of ticket sales will benefit the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

Everyone, including designated drivers, must be at least 21 years old with a valid photo ID for admission.

Each ticket comes with a keepsake tasting glass, a free photobooth visit and a chance to win great prizes from local businesses and participating breweries.

Beer on the Pier will be held Sept. 25 from 2 to 6 p.m. rain or shine.

More Belmar news, plus full coverage of southern Monmouth and northern Ocean counties, can be found at starnewsgroup.com.

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