The Gazette of Really Small News

Manasquan's 2017 municipal budget will be the subject of a public hearing Monday, May 1, at 7 p.m. in borough hall, 201 East Main Street. The $28.8 million spending plan calls for a property tax rate of .339 cents per every $100 of assessed valuation, up a little more than 3 percent over the year before. According to the budget document on the borough web site, property owners who on average paid $2,043.19 in municipal property taxes in 2016 will pay $2,105.30, an increase of 3.59 percent in 2017. The amount to be raised in municipal taxes increased nearly $300,000 over 2016. The 2017 municipal tax levy is projected at $6,713,946,50, as opposed to the $6,481,042.88 projected in 2016. In other budget components, the borough anticipates spending $7, 367, 525.54 on personnel. According to the budget document, Manasquan has 50 full-time employees and 245 part-timers. Base pay is projected at  $5,135,518,91, with overtime and other compensation projected at $356,650. Health...

Local non-profits continue to advance in the OceanFirst Charity Challenge, a four-week-long fundraiser in which the bank will award more than $30,000 in grants to the groups that amass the first, second and third largest amounts in monetary donations by the end of the event on May 16. As of April 28, The Kula Cafe, a community program, in Asbury Park, which trains young adults to work in the hospitality industry, had raised $4,900, up from $4,775 the week before. The Mental Health Association of Monmouth County was at $3,868, up from $1,958, and The Historic Village at Allaire, a living history museum in Allaire State Park, was at $2,235, up from $1,200. Mercy Center Corporation, which serves the poor and underserved populations in Asbury Park, by April 28 had raised $1,450, up from $1,075. The Charity Challenge began on April 18. With a little more than two weeks left in the event, amounts raised to date show a wide variation in degrees of support and hint at priorities among t...

Today, Friday, April 28, is the last day to make reservations for the Premier Theatre Company's May 5 production of Murder at the Juice Joint, an interactive murder mystery dinner that really is at the Juice Joint, which is located at the Red Bank Elks #233, 40 West Front Street, Red Bank. Tickets are $49 per person, $99 per couple; 1920s attire is optional. The troupe asks audience members to arrive between 6:50 p.m. and 7 p.m. For reservations, call 732-774-STAR.

The Premier Theatre Company seeks a music director for its July production. Email kasi@premiertheatre(dot)com if you're interested or would like more information. There will be compensation, the company said on its Facebook page.

If recent train delays at or around Penn Station in New York have made you late for work, NJ Transit wants you to know it has your back. New Jersey's public transportation system is offering what it calls a "delay letter" to give to your employer, according to a statement by NJ Transit executive director Steven H. Santoro. The letter is available at NJ Transit customer service offices and online at https://njtransit.secure.force(dot)com/customerservice/ContactUs. Most of the delays were reportedly caused by technical issues and maintenance of the rail system, which is owned by Amtrak. In the statement posted on NJ Transit's web site, Santoro said he met with Amtrak's CEO to discuss what Santoro called "the importance of NJ TRANSIT having a voice at the table around prioritization of track and other maintenance" and other issues, including customer flow at Penn Station. "Traveling on NJ TRANSIT should be the easy part of your day, not the mos...

The lights on the Ocean Grove boardwalk glowed through the fog at daybreak.

Beds of spring-blooming Star of Bethlehem can be found throughout Ocean Grove, where the perennial is a popular flower.

Ocean Grove's iconic summer tents are taking shape around the Great Auditorium.

This upside-down starry night was seen at daybreak at the northeast corner of Firemen's Park in Ocean Grove. The "stars" are tiny petals and other horticultural debris.

Neptune Township has an opening for a part-time customer service representative in the vital statistics department.  Hours are approximately 28 per week, at the rate of $15 per hour. Duties will include handling requests, complaints, and inquiries from the public; communicating effectively and courteously with the public; general office duties. Resumes should be submitted to Human Resources, 25 Neptune Blvd., Neptune, NJ 07753 no later than 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 3.

Artists have until May 1 to submit works for This Great Earth: a Multi-Media Art Exhibit at the Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove. The exhibit will run from June 4 to Sept. 8. The opening reception is June 4, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Media include painting, drawing, clay, mixed media, fiber, metal, stone, and wood. For more information, contact the Jersey Shore Arts Center, 66 South Main Street, Ocean Grove, at 732-502-0050, or go online to JerseyShoreaArtsCenter.org.

The colors and play of light in this unenhanced photograph recall the style of American illustrator Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), whose work in the early 20th century helped define what became known as the Golden Age of Illustration.

This was the western sky at sunrise, viewed from the Ocean Grove beach.

This pre-dawn scene on the Ocean Grove boardwalk has the starkness of an Edward Hopper painting. The image is unenhanced.

A parking ordinance to be given a final reading on Monday night sets new angle-parking zones for Ocean Grove, according to the agenda for the meeting of the Neptune Township Committee. The same ordinance also clarifies existing angle-parking zones. According to the agenda, the new angle-parking zones are on the north side of Main Avenue, between New Jersey and Lawrence avenues, and on the west side of Central Avenue, between Main and Webb avenues. Parking in those areas is currently parallel to the curb. The committee meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the municipal complex, 24 Neptune Blvd. It will be preceded by a public workshop session at 6 p.m.

The Neptune Township Committee is expected Monday to approve the purchase of tree gates for the West Lake Avenue Streetscape, which runs from the Asbury Circle at State Highway 35 east to the township's border with Asbury Park. The approval will come as part of the consent agenda to be approved during the committee's regularly scheduled meeting on Monday night. According to the agenda, the grates, supplied by Atlantic Plumbing Supply Company, cost $30,576 and will be paid for by funds from the Tree Preservation Trust Fund. The regular committee meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the municipal complex, 25 Neptune Blvd. It will be preceded by an open workshop session at 6 p.m.

Neptune Township is considering regulating the use of gas-powered landscaping equipment in Ocean Grove. The township committee will discuss the regulations during an open workshop on Monday, April 24, at 6 p.m. in the municipal complex, 25 Neptune Blvd. The regular committee meeting will follow at 7 p.m. The township currently restricts the use of heavy equipment or power equipment normally used in construction to between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Using heavy equipment and power equipment on Sunday is prohibited.

A dismal drizzle might have kept people off the boardwalks this morning, but the cars parked across the street from popular Ocean Grove inns indicated unkindly weather isn't keeping visitors away from the Shore. Photo by The Gazette of (Really) Small News

What broke the globes on this streetlamp on Main Avenue in Ocean Grove? This picture was taken just before dawn on Saturday, April 22. Photo by The Gazette of (Really) Small News

Local non-profits are among organizations vying for more than $30,000 in grant monies through a regional bank's charity challenge. The OceanFirst Charity Challenge will award the grants to non-profits that amass the first, second and third largest amounts in monetary donations between April 18 and May 16, according to the event's page on CrowdRise.com, a fundraising web site. First place will receive $20,000; second place, $5,000; third place, $2,500. Smaller amounts will be awarded in mini-contests based on weekly results throughout the event. The challenge puts neighborhood organizations against groups with ties to larger, corporate entities that might be able to field a larger group of donors. For example, the Kula Cafe in Asbury Park, run by Interfaith Neighbors, has so far tallied $4,775,  compared to the Count Basie Theatre's "Curtains Up for Kids" program, which already has $12,005 in funding. "The Basie" says on its Challenge page that it t...

The headline on AccuWeather's web site promised a real eye-opener: "Lyrid fireballs to glow across sky during Friday night peak of annual meteor shower." The annual display of debris from a comet's tail as it reaches this part of the universe may indeed give more than a few skywatchers around the country some real thrills, but the truth, alas, is more lurid than Lyrid.  AccuWeather and Weather.com give the region only a fair chance of seeing the display because of cloud cover.  Watching will be further hampered by light pollution. NJ.com has posted maps that show areas that are less affected by light pollution and where you have a better chance of seeing the celestial show. The meteors are called "Lyrids" because they appear to come from around the constellation Lyra in the northeast. A Lyrid shower can produce about 20 meteors per hour, according to AccuWeather, or up to 18 meteors per hour, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the Cal...

Passes for Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in Long Branch are available at Monmouth County's Thompson Park headquarters weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. through June 16. They will be available at the Seven Presidents pavilion office on weekends in May, starting the weekend of May 13 and 14. Hours will  be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Seven Presidents pavilion office will be open daily starting June 17. Season passes are $45 for children ages 13 to 17; $70 for adults ages 18 to 64; $25 for adults age 65 and up. Parking passes are $70 for the season. Weekdays, daily admission is $8 for persons ages 18 and up. Children 17 and under will be admitted free. On weekends and holidays, admission is $8 for persons ages 13 and up, while children 12 and under are admitted free. A daily parking pass is $8. Admission and parking fees are charged from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Please note that pets are not permitted in the park between April 1 and October 31. They are prohi...

Ever wade through a body of water caused by a blocked storm drain and wonder what can be done about it? Wonder no more. If you run into something like this or similarly amiss in Neptune Township, you can always tell officials by way of a new form on the township's web site. The "Fix-it-Form" lets people report a variety of issues or problems to the township, which will give the information to the right department. The form allows people to select from an array of annoyances that include pot holes, damaged curbs, weeds, overhanging trees, abandoned vehicles, noise, litter, code violations, and "other." The Neptune Township Police Department, which introduced the form on their Facebook page, says it urges residents to use the form instead of calling 911 for non-emergencies. The form is online at neptunetownship(dot)org/fix-it-form.

The Manasquan Police Department is having issues with its phones, according to a notice on the borough's web site. To report an emergency, call 9-1-1. For other business, call the department at 732-223-0101. The borough will post a notice on its site and send an email  when the phones are fixed.

The Manasquan Police Department hopes to reduce the speed limit on six local roads from 30 miles per hour to 25. In a notice posted on the borough's web site, officials identified the roads as all of North Main Street; Main Street from 100 feet west of the center of South Street to North Main Street; all of Brielle Road; East Main Street from Wyckoff Avenue east to First Avenue; Stockton Lake Boulevard from Highway 71 to North McClellan Avenue; all of Third Avenue. The speed limit will remain as is on county and state roadways such as Highway 71, officials said. You have until May 1 to express concerns or to ask questions about the change. You can contact Chief Michael Bauer by email, mbauer(at)manasquanpd(dot)com, or call 732-223-1000, ext. 223. Public comments will be forwarded to the borough council for consideration or action.

The bad news? Somebody left this behind on the beach in Ocean Grove. The good news? It's still there. Here's hoping the owner returns to find it soon. Photo by The Gazette of (Really) Small News

In the pre-dawn darkness, the Youth Temple and Ocean Pathway in Ocean Grove have the look and feel of deep autumn instead of April. Both photos by The Gazette of (Really) Small News

A shot from behind a hedge makes it look as though the statue of Elwood Stokes, first president of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, is sitting on the lawn in front of a Steampunk time machine. The round structure is the roof of the pavilion in front of Ocean Grove's Great Auditorium. Photo by The Gazette of (Really) Small News

Artists have been drawn to fresh, expansive surfaces since the days of the Lascaux cave dwellers. The present-day artist who seized upon opportunities presented by curb and concrete work along Central Avenue in Ocean Grove was no different. Like the Lascaux artists, the unknown portraitist left the works unsigned. Photo by The Gazette of (Really) Small News Photo by The Gazette of (Really) Small News

A receding wave leaves a puddle that reflects the cloudy, pre-dawn sky.

It was standing-room only for the annual Easter sunrise service hosted by St. Paul's United Methodist Church at the Boardwalk Pavilion in Ocean Grove. Heads turned as the rising sun--here framed by the pavilion windows--broke through the clouds.

Mosquitoes. The bloodsucking no-see-'ems on steroids siphon you outdoors, indoors, at dawn, at dusk and every minute in between, in cravings that can last from early spring into late fall. But help is here. The Borough of Spring Lake has a web page dedicated to everything you need to know about mosquitoes, plus how to survive them and--more importantly--how to get rid of them. Titled simply "Mosquito Information," the page contains links to brochures published by Monmouth County. Those brochures include "What You Need To Know About Mosquitoes," "Recommended Repellents," and a mosquito habitat checklist. The page also includes links to learning about mosquito- and tick-borne diseases in pets. Spraying for mosquitoes, which officials call "mosquito control adulticide application," can take place any time between May 1 and Nov. 30, depending on the need, according to the borough web site. Trucks or helicopters with aerosol equipment may sp...

The Spring Lake Theatre Company will hold auditions for the summer musicals Annie and The Music Man at the same time. Auditions for adults (entering ninth grade and up) will be May 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. Auditions for children (entering eighth grade and below) will be May 20 at 2 p.m. Adults should prepare 16 bars of music in the style of music from both shows, not music from the shows themselves. The company will post 10 song suggestions for children. The songs have been selected by the music directors for each production and should be used for the audition. Music Man callbacks are scheduled for May 22 at 7:30 p.m., with  Annie callbacks on May 24 at 7:30 p.m. With the exception of "Harold Hill" in The Music Man , all roles are open. Auditioners should be prepared to dance. There will be time to change. Resumes are welcome and encouraged. The Spring Lake Theatre Company is in the Spring Lake Community House, 300 Madison Ave., Spring Lake.

The Neptune Township Environmental and Shade Tree Commission will give away seedlings on Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Neptune Library, 25 Neptune Blvd. The seedlings are Norway spruce, kousa dogwood, and black gum.

Sometimes, perspective plays tricks on the eye. And the imagination.

Neptune will start to replace handicap ramps on or about Monday, April 17, according to a notice emailed by the township. Ramps will be replaced at the following locations: Beach Avenue, Lawrence Avenue, Union Avenue, Neptune Boulevard, Hillview Drive, Montclair Avenue, Cornwell Avenue, Ridge Avenue, Pharo Avenue, and Heck Avenue. Vehicles should be parked away from intersections from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Forget the warm-up jacketed throngs setting up chairs and blankets on the beach. To Tip, The Intrepid Photographer, burgeoning blossoms signify spring is really here.

That broad white line is fog creeping over north Ocean Grove and the Asbury Park beachfront.

Auditions for Algonquin Arts Theatre's July production of the musical Peter Pan will take place at the theater, 173 Main Street, Manasquan, on Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20. The April 19 auditions are by appointment only and will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Auditions on April 20 are open call, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Callbacks are Wednesday, May 3, starting at 6 p.m. The theater asks auditioners to provide a current resume, and a recent head shot or color photo; wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and prepare 32 bars of a Broadway musical selection. Please bring sheet music in the correct key; an accompanist will be provided. Students ages 8 to 17 who are cast in Peter Pan will be required to participate in the Algonquin Youth Ensemble and to attend all ensemble. Classes are free of charge and will meet every Wednesday from June 28 to July 12, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. There is no class on July 4. To schedule an audition for Saturday, April 19, email Julie Nagy at julie@al...

A holly bush grows in the hedge on Ocean Pathway in Ocean Grove, east of the Great Auditorium .

This unidentified silhouette was one of half a dozen runners on the Ocean Grove boardwalk at daybreak Tuesday, April 11. Now that early mornings are warming up, more people are coming to the beachfront to walk or run, or just to sit and watch the sun rise.

The Historic Village at Allaire seeks a web developer to redesign its web site and improve its functionality. The site is based on WordPress. The Village, located in Allaire State Park, is a non-profit history museum that interprets the Howell Iron Works as it was in the mid-1830s. "Especially interest in anyone willing to offer a discounter rate for as non-profit, or even to donate the service," its administration says on the museum's Facebook page. A letter verifying work for tax purposes will be provided. If you can help, contact Jay Johnson, director of business and operations, at jjohnson@allairevillage(dot)org, or call him at 732-919-3500.

A protective sand dune on one side of the road and civilization on the other is a sight typical of many Jersey Shore communities. This happens to be at the Ocean Grove beachfront.

Historic Allaire Village's Early Spring Flea Market opens at 8 this morning and runs until 3 p.m. Admission is $1. More than 100 vendors are expected.  Historic Allaire Village is located in Allaire State Park, Route 524 in Wall Township.

Between the puddle and the "folded" wave offshore, this bit of coast looks like a modern art installation.

Mother of Mercy parish in Asbury Park will collect usable clothing and other items on April 29 and 30 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, 1201 Asbury Ave. Clothing, household linens, shoes, sneakers, belts, and handbags will be accepted at the school gym from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, and from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Sunday, April 30. All items should be packed in plastic bags. According to an announcement in the parish's April 9 bulletin, "nothing goes for rags;" everything will benefit the poor in the tri-state area. Mother of Mercy Parish consists of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and Holy Spirit Church, both in Asbury Park. For information, call the parish office at 732-775-1056.

A view of the western sky at dawn, seen from the Ocean Grove beachfront.

This was the sight in front of the Asbury Park train station yesterday. Temperatures along the coast were in the 50s, but inland was closer to the predicted low 60s.

Manasquan's public works department will collect leaves and brush from Monday, April 17, through Friday, April 21. Leaves should be raked into the curb gutter. Brush should be stacked neatly on the curb and cut so it is no larger than 4 feet long and 3 inches wide. Grass clippings will not be collected.

One of these days, Tip, The Intrepid Photographer, will look up, and that little tree on the southwest corner of Main Avenue and Pilgrim Pathway will be leafed out. It's been trying to bloom since it was first caught on camera on March 18.

It was after sunrise, but the fog still clung to Ocean Pathway in Ocean Grove.

The Neptune Township Committee will hold a public hearing on the 2017 municipal budget on Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m. in the municipal complex, 25 Neptune Blvd. The township anticipates raising a total of  $29,743,544.09 in local taxes, up $751,011.50 over the year before. Of that amount, $1,253,460.23 is the minimum library tax. The state in 2010 mandated showing the municipal library tax as a separate line item. The township anticipates total general revenues of  $43,611,051.22, up $67,495,05 over the year before. In addition to the municipal tax levy, the figure includes a $2,150,000 surplus; $1,021,384.02 in delinquent taxes, and $10,696,123.12 in miscellaneous revenues. It's all expected to pay for a spending plan of $43,611,051.22 that includes $17,511,850 in operating expenses and is up $869,950 over the year before.

 . . . in a little puddle pic after the rain.

Taxpayers in Sea Girt can expect to pay a little less in municipal taxes this year. The borough expects to raise $5,031,254 through municipal taxes, at the rate of 21 cents per every $100 of assessed valuation. The rate is down one penny from 2016, with the proposed 2017 tax levy down $11,267 from last year. Officials said borough services will be maintained at their current levels. A public hearing on the budget will be held April 12 at 7:30 p.m. in borough hall, 321 Baltimore Blvd.

Sea Girt's beach won't open  until June 17, but you can pick up your season beach badges at borough hall, 321 Baltimore Blvd., or at the beach pavilion on the following dates and times: Borough Hall Wednesdays, April 5, 12, 19, 26, and May 10 and 17, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Beach Pavilion --May 20, 22, and 26, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. --May 27, 28, and 29, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. --June 3, 4, 10, and 11, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The Beach Pavilion will be open full time starting June 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Covering windows in Spring Lake with specific signage during construction will no longer be a choice if the borough council adopts changes to the current ordinance. A change introduced in March to the "Sign and Awnings" section of the borough code says windows during construction "must be covered with white paper to include the name of the new business and an approximate opening date." The ordinance originally said windows during construction "may" be covered with white paper that included the business name and approximate opening date. Borough council is expected to adopt the measure on final reading at its April 25 meeting. The regularly scheduled session will be held in borough hall, 423 Warren Ave., at 7 p.m.

Water mains in Spring Lake will be flushed between Monday, April 10 and Monday, April 24, officials said. Flushing hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Water may be discolored and run at low pressure.

Nominations for the Monmouth County Historical Commission's annual preservation awards are due by Friday, April 7. The awards recognize people behind local building preservation projects. Anyone can nominate a structure that has historic value and that has undergone preservation work completed in 2016, the commission said in a statement. "Nominations may be made for a variety of building types," said John Fabiano, the commission's executive director. The preservation of private homes as well as projects that adapt buildings for reuse are eligible for nomination, Fabiano said, To be eligible for nomination, homes, business buildings, houses of worship, public buildings, and other types of buildings in the county must be more than 50 years old, the commission said. Applications may be downloaded from the county's web site, www(dot)visitmonmouth(dot)com, or by calling 732-431-7460, ext. 7413. Completed applications should be mailed to Monmouth County Hist...

Remember the last time you heard or read a news story about someone returning a library book decades after it was due? Cardholders at Neptune Public Library no longer have to worry about scenarios like that. Now they can sign up to receive text alerts when a title they borrowed is overdue. They can also receive text messages about holds. To sign up for the service, cardholders can call the library at 732-775-8241, ext. 302, or register in person. Neptune Public Library is in the municipal complex, 25 Neptune Blvd.

There's still time to register for Whatever Shall We Wear? , the Monmouth County Historical Association's seminar about fashion in the county during the 18th and early 19th centuries, but you might want to do so sooner than later. The MCHA reports on its Facebook page that spaces for the seminar, slated for this Saturday, April 8, are filling up. Participation is limited to 25, according to the MCHA's web site. Attendees will have a rare look at sewing, textiles, and construction techniques of the period. The seminar is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the MCHA museum and research library, 70 Court Street, Freehold. The fee is $125 per person and includes lunch. Advance registration is required. For information or to register, go to the MCHA web site, www(dot)monmouthhistory(dot)org, call 732-462-1466, ext. 11, or email pgithens@monmouthhistory(dot)org.

Cottages at Bath and Pilgrim Pathway wait for their owners to open them for the season.

"He sees you when you're sleeping . . . " This cloud was a perfect ring when Tip first saw it. But by the time The Intrepid Photographer put down the cupcakes and dragged out the phone to capture the image, the cloud had morphed into this.

This is an example of why you shouldn't trust that everything you see online is real. It was a clear day, with not one cloud in sight. Tip--The Intrepid Photographer--decided to play with settings on the camera. And this appeared. We're still now sure how it happened, but we have no doubt it was the result of an act of ignorance, not an act of God.

The Church of St. Denis in Manasquan is offering "Lenten Reflections," an online retreat with some of its stained glass windows for the faithful who can't get out to church or who would like to take part in the reflective aspect of the season. The church has 21 stained glass windows that depict saints, scenes from the Gospels, images from Holy Week and Easter, and portraits of the Good Shepherd and the Immaculate Conception. Four of the windows are featured in the online retreat: the scene of the Prodigal Son being welcomed home by his father; the depiction of Christ curing the blind man; the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. The Rev. William J.P. Lago, St. Denis's pastor, told The Gazette by email that he selected the four scenes with a Lenten journey in mind. "We do reflect in our Lent about our need for a Savior and think about returning to the Father, like the Prodigal Son, into the arms of a loving Father," he said. "In Lent, we read the G...