Spring is here in Belmar

very mild winter this year no real snow to speak of on the beach this year here is a photo from last year

It's $250 a pop for a balloon on the loose

It's $250 a pop for a balloon on the loose




CONCORD – People will want to hold onto their balloons if the Senate agrees with a House vote yesterday to ban balloon releases.

By a vote of 215 to 111, the House approved a bill that treats balloon releases as a form of littering.

HB 62 originally barred the release of two dozen or more lighter-than-air balloons.

The version that passed yesterday could bring a $250 fine for even a single balloon let loose. A second offense could bring a $500 fine. The bill specifically exempts hot air balloons, weather balloons and others released as part of scientific research.

The bill does not penalize accidental releases.

Those who favored the bill said the balloon materials, including the attached strings and ribbons, pose a serious threat to wildlife. Whales, turtles and seabirds that live along New Hampshire's coastline mistakenly eat floating balloons thinking they are food, and then are unable to eat real food.

"Do we now get balloon police?" Rep. Randolph Holden, R-Goffstown, asked.

Rep. Kevin Waterhouse, R-Windham, said police officers would be given enforcement responsibility.

A move to give the job to Fish and Game officers was rejected, since the department is under budget pressure already.

He said people need to be aware that balloon releases cause real harm to wildlife.

"It doesn't just go to heaven and disappear. It comes back down again," Waterhouse said.

Waterhouse said he was inspired to sponsor the bill by a group of homeschoolers studying ecology.

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The Malta sinking in a Nor'easter 1885

The whole aft part of the ship was demolished by the waves,
leaving just the stern post ( see below. )

Type: iron-hulled steamer, converted to sail
Built: 1852
Specs: ( 244 x 40 ft ) 1600 displacement tons, 24 crew
Sunk: Saturday November 24, 1885
ran aground in bad weather - 1 casualty
Depth: 20 ft

Sunken ship Belmar the only thing left

Did you know that the pole at the corner of Eighth and Ocean Avenues is the mast of an 19th Century sailing ship THE MALTA that sunk off Ninth Avenue Beach? here is a picture of waht remains stuck in the shallow waters off the 9th ave.

We want AVP Pro VolleyBall Back in Belmar

they were fun days
When the Association of Volleyball Professionals’ players come to the Jersey Shore this weekend, the women will be there. The AVP women have not competed in Belmar since 1994 but they are this weekend! The AVP 2002 Belmar Open Presented by Paul Mitchell begins with the Qualifier Tournament on June 28. The Main Draw action kicks off on June 29 and the men’s and women’s Finals will be played on June 30.
The fans in Belmar are likely to look to Whitmarsh and Ceman to win on the New Jersey Shore. Whitmarsh and Ceman started the season off strong with a second in Huntington Beach but they sagged after that with ninth and seventh place finishes. But the Belmar fans remember Whitmarsh won there in 1997-2000. Whitmarsh took the title with Ceman in 2000 and many fans will be looking for a repeat.

There are three women playing this weekend who placed in the top four of the 1993 and 1994 Belmar Opens - McPeak, Linda Hanley, and Pat Keller. McPeak, with

Belmar's Keg Law

Belmar hopes keg-tag plan will stem underage drinking
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 03/15/07
BY ERIK LARSEN
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

BELMAR — If a final vote is approved next month, the borough will become the first town in Monmouth County to tag and track beer kegs rented in the borough as a method to curb underage drinking.

The ordinance, which was introduced Wednesday, would also make it illegal for anyone in Belmar to possess a keg that was not tagged. Violating the ordinance would result in a $2,000 fine and a jail sentence of up to 90 days.

A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for 8 p.m. April 11, when the measure would be subject to another vote for adoption.

Police Chief Jack Hill, who also serves as chairman of the Monmouth County Chiefs of Police Association's alcoholic beverage control committee, said the association plans to pitch the proposed ordinance to the county's other 52 municipalities in an effort to create a uniform system of enforcement.

There was some concern raised about the inadvertent effect the ordinance might have on residents.

Councilman Matthew J. Doherty had raised the point that if a Belmar resident wanted to purchase a speciality keg or an imported keg from a distributor out of town or out of state, the resident in question would technically be in violation of the law.

That prompted Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle to poke fun at Doherty, suggesting that it was Doherty who was that hypothetical resident. Pringle said in jest that Doherty liked "fancy schmancy" Harp Lager, an imported Irish beer, and assured him that the council would come up with a solution to address that issue at a later date.

"In the meantime, he's going to have to drink Miller Lite like the rest of us," Pringle quipped.

Barbara T. Sprechman, director of community services for Prevention First, a social services group dedicated to stopping substance abuse, attended Wednesday's council meeting and said she was impressed that the borough had invested so much thought on the matter. The ordinance was first proposed by former Councilman John Szeliga last November.

late winter storm hits Belmar Today

Days before winter's end, storm dumps snow on Northeast
March 16, 2007 12:31 EDT


TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Spring officially arrives next week, but winter in the Northeast is going out with a potentially heavy punch.

Officials in New Jersey are expecting as much as 12 inches in some parts of the state. Farther south, forecasts call for up three inches of rain. In between, a treacherous mix of snow, sleet and rain.

New Jersey state meteorologist David Robinson says "there's a lot of moisture with this storm." He adds a dozen Garden State locations were reporting temperatures as high as 80 degrees just two days ago, but winter seems "a little reluctant" to go.

The storm is already complicating air travel. Airlines have canceled hundreds of flights, particularly those going into and out of the New York airports. The National Weather Service says New York City could get three to six inches of snow and sleet.