The Asbury Park Sun is reporting that the Coast Guard warning of sharks close to the shore in Belmar, Spring Lake/Sea Girt and the Manasquan Inlet is a hoax.
Personnel at Sector Delaware Bayof the U.S. Coast Guard — which has jurisdiction up to the Manasquan Inlet Coast Guard station — confirmed the Coast Guard did not issue the statement.
The false statement described encounters with sharks by a female kayaker, two fishermen and a male paddle boarder. It also states that the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation, which does exist in California, said one shark was a Great White.
Meanwhile, 30 miles off shore, the sharks are jumping into boats. Well, at least one 300 pound Mako did, according to a report on NJ.com.
Many of my conservative friends and colleagues are panning President Obama’s and Governor Christie’s visit to Asbury Park and Point Pleasant Beach as lacking substance. Some say the presidential visit amounts to Christie assisting Obama in changing the subject away from the scandals the Administration is embroiled in; the IRS, James Rosen, AP, Benghazi.
My friends, you have partisan blinders on.
Last week the Washington Post published an article about regular Jersey Shore vacationers heading to Delaware and North Carolina beaches for their summer vacations, because they think New Jersey is not ready for them this year.
Obama’s remarks today were part sales pitch for the Jersey Shore and part pep talk for those of us who are still fighting and weary, seven months after Superstorm Sandy, to recover. Both the sales pitch and the pep talk were badly needed.
Obama’s visit and remarks will dominate the news cycle for the next 24 hours, or so, give or take. The message he delivered to the world today will bring vacationers and their money to the Jersey Shore. The impact will save businesses, create jobs and help make everything All Right.
Next week Congress will be back in session and the investigations will continue. Right now, I’m more interested in the people who are making their vacation plans this week and in my neighbors who are on the verge of giving up, this week.
The Asbury Park Press is reporting the White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that President Obama thinks Governor Chris Christie has done and excellent job rebuilding the Jersey shoreline.
PolitickerNJ reports that the president will meet privately with Christie’s presumed reelection opponent, State Senator Barbara Buono, in Asbury Park’s Convention Hall prior to speaking publically.
Thanksgiving like weather did not keep thousands of people from flocking to the Jersey Shore for the Memorial Day Weekend summer kickoff.
A rapidly slimming Governor Chris Christie braved the cold and dressed for the calendar and cameras. From the looks of the OceanCityPatch photos, there was no lack of warmth for Christie coming from the swarming crowd.
It took 45 minutes for Christie to move from the boardwalk ramp at Eighth Street three doors down to Manco & Manco Pizza through a mosh pit of well-wishers hoping to shake hands or rub elbows with the rising Republican star. Even outside the swarm of onlookers around Eighth Street, the boardwalk was jammed with visitors on the sunny but brisk first day of the holiday weekend.
Christie crept along to the popular pizza store to greet co-owner Chuck Bangle and a host of Ocean City officials and community leaders in a staged photo-op.
Christie’s visit included no speech to the public and no comment on issues related to the storm — just an opportunity for the governor to meet and greet shore residents and visitors.
As a crowd waited for the governor’s arrival, his staff announced that Christie would walk from Eighth Street past Gillian’s Wonderland Pier to Sixth Street. But after about an hour and a half, Christie had not made it to Seventh Street.
President Barack Obama will visit Asbury Park on Tuesday, according to a report at The Star Ledger.
Obama, accompanied by Gov. Chris Christie, is expected to visit with families and business owners, according to the White House. The president’s visit comes roughly 200 days after he toured the region with Christie in the days immediately after the hurricane.
After touring the area, Obama will deliver remarks at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, according to the White House statement. The event at Convention Hall is open to the public. Tickets are limited to one per person and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Grand Arcade at Convention Hall.
Gov Chris Christie and President Barack Obama greet residents sheltering in Brigantine. Oct 31, 2012. Gov’s Office/Tim Larsen
As if the weather wasn’t a damper enough to the Jersey Shore kickoff that Superstorm Sandy ravished businesses, their employees and shore area municipalities desperately need, the shore’s biggest newspaper, and its most popular columnist/blogger are working against us too.
What is really insulting, is that the APP blatantly show how ignorant they are about the New Jersey economy, our tax structure and the cost allocation of our various governments.
There is another logical reason for making the beaches free: revitalizing the Shore economy. What better extra inducement to get people to come to the Jersey Shore? Free beaches could mean millions of dollars in additional revenues for towns. More money spent in restaurants and bars, on summer rentals and motel stays, on souvenirs, on gasoline. For some families, beach fees are prohibitive. For a family of four, they can run $40 or more. That kind of expense can make the difference between going to the beach or staying home. Or between going once or twice a summer instead of several times during the season.
Doing away with beach badges would be a logical thing to do if it would bring revenues to shore towns. Duh! Why didn’t the mayors think of that!?
