The Gazette of Really Small News

Swimming advisories have been issued for two beaches in Ocean Grove and two beaches in Spring Lake, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) said on the web site for its Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program. The beaches are at Surf Avenue and Broadway in Ocean Grove, and at York Avenue and Brown Avenue South in Spring Lake. Advisories are issued to warn the public of potentially unhealthy water conditions, the NJDEP said. In the process described on the NJDEP's web site, water samples are analyzed for the presence of Enterococci bacteria found in animal and human waste. The state sanitary code requires that the concentration of Enterococci not exceed 104 colonies per 100 milliliters (ML) of sample. Advisories are issued when the concentration is greater than 104 Enterococci/100 ML. Additional samples will be taken until the count is below 104. The affected beaches are open today but can be closed if two consecutive samples test above the accepted En...

If you live in Sea Girt, and you're thinking of renting out all or part of your residential property in the borough, you need a landlord leasing license and a rental certificate of occupancy (CO), according to the borough code. The application for the license is available on the borough's web site, seagirtboro.com. Click on the "Forms and Documents" tab in the left hand column, and then on the "Landlord Leasing" tab on the Forms and Documents page. The license is required whether the property is furnished or unfurnished. Fees are required, too. According to the application,  the license costs $250 for the season, and the CO costs $100 for each rental. Also, a fee of $25 is required for each change of tenant and CO. For more information, call the borough clerk's office, 732-499-9433, ext. 111.

In Sea Girt, Beacon Boulevard between 5th and 6th avenues is closed until further notice, borough police tweeted. No reason was given for the closure.

Bradley Beach's trash and recycling center is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., officials said in an announcement on the borough's web site. The yard is located at 1102 Main Street. Trash, recycling, brush, and yard waste will be accepted. The yard is for the use of Bradley Beach residents only. Proof of residency is required.

The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, which emerged early as a frontrunner in this year's OceanFirst Charity Challenge, ended the four-week-long fundraising contest with donations of $84,542, enough to earn it first place and a $20,000 grant from the bank. Habitat for Humanity in Monmouth County was in second place, with $47, 815, qualifying for a $2,000 grant. Literacy New Jersey was third, with $42,717, and will receive a $2,500 grant. The Society's strong showing began early in the contest, which began April 18 and ended May 16. By April 28, it had raised $21,004, and by May 12 had more than doubled the amount to $52,903. As seen throughout the contest and as reflected in the top three fundraisers, the Charity Challenge revealed a wide variation in degrees of support, and a suggestion of priorities among the general population of donors. The Charity Challenge was open to nonprofit organizations that operate in the region covered by OceanFirst. Here is how s...

It was so dark and dreary at dawn this morning that Tip, The Intrepid Photographer, was inspired to go B&W with a shot taken while waiting out a heavy drizzle in the pavilion on the Ocean Grove boardwalk.The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association sponsors services here on Sundays throughout the summer.

That's not "sandy" as in the super storm that slammed the coast in October, 2012. That's "sandy" as in "the dunes in front of the Ocean Grove boardwalk are made of more than sand." This was the view near the boardwalk pavilion shortly before dawn.

On Christmas Eve, it's Santa who sneaks through the night, spreading magic as the world sleeps. In the summer, it's the people who take care of the beach. That's fog, not smoke, in the upper right part of the frame.

Dune roses spill onto the Ocean Grove boardwalk after dawn on Sunday. Bushes of white and pink roses cover dunes along the boardwalk and on the beach.

A worker rakes the Ocean Grove beach shortly before dawn on Sunday. The beach is open from noon until 5:30 p.m. on Sundays throughout the season.

This cloud build-up over the Ocean Grove dunes was captured around 5 p.m. on Friday, May 26. Meanwhile, the sky to the west looked like part of the B-roll for a horror movie (second picture).

The beaches might be ready for the unofficial start of summer tomorrow, but the weather isn't. There are chances of showers and thunderstorms throughout the Memorial Day weekend, with the highest temperatures of all three days--72--expected on Monday.

If you were hoping for a normal or below-normal hurricane season this year, you might be out of luck. Forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said today that there's only a 20-percent chance of a below-normal hurricane season. There's a greater chance, 45 percent, of an above-normal season, and a 35-percent chance of a normal season. Forecasters say there's a 70-percent likelihood of between 11 and 17 named storms (storms with winds of at least 39 miles per hour), of which five to nine can become hurricanes (storms with winds of at least 74 miles per hour). Two to four of those hurricanes could become major hurricanes -- category 3, 4, or 5, with winds of at least 111 mph. NOAA said an average hurricane season has 12 named storms. Six can become hurricanes, and half of those can become major hurricanes. The forecast includes Tropical Storm Arlene,  rare storm that formed in April in the eastern Atlanti...

High tides along the Jersey Shore will be higher than usual today through Sunday, May 28, the National Ocean Service said in a high tide bulletin issued for spring 2017. The National Ocean Service is an office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The mean sea level is higher in May because of changing weather patterns and rising water temps, the service says in the bulletin. Higher high tides occur when the moon is full and closest to the earth, and the closer we get to the summer solstice, when the sun is at its largest angle to the equator, according to the bulletin. Conversely, low tides are lower than usual, the service said. The summer solstice this year occurs on June 21, at 4:24 a.m.

Monday, May 29, is Memorial Day, and with holidays like Memorial Day falling on Monday, towns postpone trash and recycling collections to the day or two after, or until the next regularly scheduled day. This means some residents see their weekly collection reduced from two days to one while twice-weekly collection continues elsewhere, and everybody  has to keep an eye on their street's collection schedule. In Neptune Township, the Monday, May 29 trash pickup for Zone A and recycling pickup for Zone A1 is moved to Wednesday, May 31. Meanwhile, in Ocean Grove, which is Neptune Township's historic district, Monday trash pickup is cancelled. The next pickup will be on Thursday, June 1, which is the next regularly scheduled day. There are normally two trash collections per week in Ocean Grove. In Avon, where trash pickups are Monday and Thursday, "When a holiday falls on a Monday, trash collection will be on the Friday preceding the holiday and on the Tuesday after,"...

Chances are that visitors to Ocean Grove and other coastal towns this Memorial Day weekend will be carrying umbrellas. Those chances come by way of the statistical likelihood of rain predicted for most of the three-day holiday. As of this writing, the chance of showers and thunderstorms is 50 percent on Sunday and 40 percent on Monday, Memorial Day, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Saturday is the only dry day, with a forecast of partly sunny during the day and mostly cloudy at night, according to the NWS. Temperatures are expected to range from a high of 70 on Saturday, to a high of 67 on Sunday and a high of 72 on Monday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a coastal flood advisory for 7 tonight to 1 a.m. tomorrow. High tide occurs at the Jersey Shore between 7:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., with wave heights between 4 ft. and 7 ft., the NWS said. Locally, high tide at the Shark River Inlet is at 7:49 this evening. Officials throughout coastal towns ask residents in flood-prone areas to be aware of rising water and to move their vehicles to higher ground.

West and east views of the footbridge between Ocean Grove and Asbury Park, reflected in Wesley Lake on an overcast afternoon.

At 61 degrees, the temperature early Saturday morning was 30 degrees lower than the highs reached the day before. Strong, buffeting winds and overcast skies helped keep early morning visitors off the boardwalks. This was at the south end of Ocean Grove.

Route 33 from Neptune Boulevard to Route 35 will be closed in both directions from 9 tonight to 9 p.m. Saturday,the Neptune Township Police Department said in a statement posted on social media. Vehicles on Route 33 East will be diverted onto Neptune Boulevard to Heck Avenue. Vehicles on Route 33 West will be diverted onto Route 35 to Heck Avenue. The police suggest using Route 66, Route 35, and I-195 as alternate roads.

Restoration continues on the La Pierre Condominiums, overlooking Wesley Lake in northeast Ocean Grove. The condos were among seven buildings heavily damaged or destroyed by fire in March.

The moments before sunrise, seen through a protective dune fence at the north end of Ocean Grove.

A cloud in the shape of a bird appears to be flying low over Ocean Grove's Boardwalk Pavilion.

A front-end loader conveys a locker along the Ocean Grove beach. Crews have been moving lockers and lifeguard chairs into position for the Memorial Day weekend, which begins on May 27.

Seasonal badges for the Ocean Grove beach can be purchased until May 25 at the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, 54 Pitman Ave., Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Seasonal badges are $80 for adults ages 18 to 65, $45 for adults ages 65 and over, and $40 for children ages 12 to 17. Children under 11 are admitted free. For more information, go online to oceangrove.org or call 732-735-0035.

These lifeguard chairs in Ocean Grove are waiting for the beach crew to place them at strategic points along the sand. The beach will open on the weekends of May 27, June 3, and June 10. Daily operations will start on  June 17 and last until Sept. 4.

Gert and Irma might not be among the most popular names for humans, but they'll be just fine for hurricanes in the Atlantic this season. The annual list of names was released today by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Other names on the list are Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Harvey, Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince, and Whitney. The names are maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization, which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, according to the NHC's website. The Atlantic hurricane season starts Thursday, June 1 and will run through Thursday, Nov. 30.

Beach roses are blooming. This bush, on a dune in front of the Ocean Grove boardwalk, was seen at dawn.

The beach might be empty now, but next week, weather permitting, it could be carpeted with people as the Memorial Day weekend ushers in the unofficial start of summer. Meanwhile, beach crews are starting to set up for the season. These two lifeguard chairs were seen at the south end of Ocean Grove, near the border with Bradley Beach.

Signs warning that dogs are prohibited on the beach from May 1 to Oct. 1 are posted at entrances to Ocean Grove's boardwalk, but people continue to bring their dogs on the sand, as seen by the paw prints (pictured) and a doggie "calling card" (not pictured) found on the Main Avenue beach around dawn today. Tip, The Intrepid Photographer, disposed of the fertilizer, but you might want to keep looking down the next time you're on the beach.

The final paving of Central Avenue in Ocean Grove is expected to begin Monday, May 15, and last through Wednesday, May 17, according to a notice posted on the Neptune Township web site and emailed to site subscribers. Contractor Lucas Construction Group, Morganville, said the work will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Lucas Construction also asks residents in places where "No Parking" signs are posted to move their vehicles to side streets by 7:45 a.m. Residents with questions are asked to contact Lucas project manager Steve Amos at 732-955-8300.

The Manasquan Office of Emergency Management (OEM) advises residents to expect minor coastal flooding during high tide, which will occur at the Manasquan Inlet at 10:30 p.m. Residents are also advised to stay tuned to 1620AM, or to watch or read local media and internet outlets for updates. Residents may also sign up for emergency alerts by email or telephone, the OEM said in a statement released on social media. To register, click on "Emergency Alerts" on the borough's web site, www(dot)manasquan-nj.com.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood advisory for now until 4 p.m. Heavy downpours could result in up to two inches of rain, and thunderstorms are possible after 2 p.m., the NWS said. The Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management (OEM) earlier had  advised residents in flood-prone areas to move their vehicles to higher ground. Those areas include Broadway, South Riverside, and South Concourse.

In 100 days, for the first time this century, all or part of a total eclipse of the sun will be visible to the entire continental United States. As part of news and reminders leading up to the event, The Gazette of (Really) Small News has added a little countdown box to the left-hand column of the home page. The eclipse, predicted for Monday, Aug. 21, will begin in Oregon and spread east, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which has a web site for the celestial event at eclipse2017.nasa.gov. Weather permitting, the so-called path of totality -- the area affected by a total eclipse -- is expected to range from Oregon to South Carolina. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the earth and the sun, totally or partially obscuring the sun. Watching the moon pass across the sun might be tempting, but health professionals and scientists warn that directly looking at the sun can result in blindness or severe eye damage. "The only saf...

Today's rainstorm might have forced the cancellation of outdoor events, but in an instance of serendipitous scheduling, you can bite back and laugh at the rain during one of two special showings of the 1950s movie classic Singin' in the Rain today at the Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove. Scheduled long before the predicted nor'easter-like storm, Singin' in the Rain is part of the arts center's Movie Time Event Series. The screenings will feature a red carpet, what organizers describe as "other movie photo ops," trivia, singing, and refreshments. There will also be props for special movie moments, and you might even win an Oscar for best movie attire. Screenings are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $10 for children age 17 and under. The Jersey Shore Arts Center is at 66 South Main Street, Ocean Grove. For more information, call 732-502-0050, or go online to JerseyShoreArtsCenter.org.

With four days left in the OceanFirst Charity Challenge fundraiser, amounts raised by participating non-profits continue the trends noted on April 28 -- a wide variation in degrees of support, and a suggestion of priorities among the general population of donors. The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide by May 12 had raised $52,903, up from $21,004 on April 28. Habitat for Humanity Monmouth County had raised $30,915, up from the $6,300 recorded on April 21. Also as of May 12, the Count Basie Theatre's "Curtains Up for Kids" program, which allows schoolchildren to see Count Basie performances for free, had raised $19,440, up from $18,365 on April 28; Interfaith Neighbors'  Kula Café in Asbury Park, which trains young adults for jobs in the hospitality industry, was at $6,150, up from $4,900 on April 28; Mercy Center Corporation, which serves the poor and underserved populations in Asbury Park, was at $4,125, up from $1,450 on April 28. Meanwhile, The Histor...

With heavy rain on the way, the Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management (OEM) urges residents in flood-prone areas to move their vehicles to higher ground. Those areas include Broadway, South Riverside, and South Concourse, according to the OEM's post on its Facebook page. An area of low pressure moving off the coast late tonight through Saturday night could dump up to more than two inches of rain on the area, officials said. The low is also expected to bring high winds, which could result in downed wires.

Heads up, me hearties! Tomorrow's Pirate Day in Belmar has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 10, because of the weather forecast, the borough said in a text message. Heavy rain, and winds of up to 24 miles per hour are expected to begin around 4 tomorrow morning and lash the region throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service.

The Ocean Grove beach and Ocean Avenue at sunrise against the clouds. The colors are real. Tip, The Intrepid Photographer, doesn't use filters. You see what Tip saw through the lens.

Tours, tips and a presentation about the allure of evening gardens are on the program for tomorrow's celebration of National Public Gardens Day at Deep Cut Gardens, Middletown. The event, sponsored by the Monmouth County Park System, will run from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. At 7 p.m., Master Gardener Cheryl Grant will present "The Evening Garden: Flowers and Fragrances from Dusk to Dawn." Admission is free. For more information, call the park system at 732-842-4000, ext. 4312.

Warm weather tends to bring out people going door-to-door for any number of legal purposes, such as campaigning for political candidates or collecting money for causes. Canvassers in Spring Lake Heights need to follow specific rules or find themselves running afoul of the local law, the borough's police department said in a post on its Facebook page. For starters, the organization needs to have a permit from the borough to solicit there. Once a group has permission, canvassing can be done only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Also, canvassers must carry valid identification, and show identification and a copy of the permit upon request. Canvassers must also conduct themselves "in such a manner to be courteous at all times," the department said in the post. According to the police, if any of the rules are not met, then the canvasser is either in violation of the rules or has no permission to solicit. If you think someone is violating the rules, give the police both a ...

Those dots aren't tiny troublesome insects. A flock of gulls burst up from the Ocean Grove beach just as Tip, The Intrepid Photographer, tapped the camera icon. Tip says this was the third day in a row that gulls gathered close to shore in raucous feeding frenzies.

This message, found on the Ocean Grove beach at dawn today, says, "I forgive. I am reborn. I receive abundance."

Iron in Manasquan's drinking water were at acceptable levels in 2016, according to the borough's Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This is an improvement over the year before, when the iron levels were recorded above the recommended upper limit (RUL). According to the report, the iron levels in 2015 were 500 parts per billion (ppb), 200 ppb above the RUL of 300 pp; the levels were down to 300 ppb when the water was tested in March, 2016. Also according to the report, the borough's drinking water comes from four wells that draw from the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer; all four wells tested within acceptable ranges in all categories. The water quality report is on the borough's web site, manasquan-nj.com. Click on the box that says "2017 Water Report." Residents with questions about the results may also contact borough public works superintendent Kevin Thompson, at 732-223-0369. They may also call the Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at the New Jersey Depart...

Most dog owners know the thrill of coming home to discovering clues that their beloved pup has been where he or she is not allowed to go. The individual who belongs to these paw prints managed to find the way to where the species is forbidden to go this time of year: the Ocean Grove beach. Signs posted at the beach entrances indicate that dogs are prohibited from the beach from May 1 to Oct. 1.

The Neptune Public Library will hold a DVD sale on Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. DVDs will be $2 each for standalone movies, and $5 for one season of a television series. The library is located in the municipal complex, 25 Neptune Blvd. For more information, call 732-775-8241.

The Premier Theatre Company will hold auditions for the musicals Footloose and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13, at the Henderson Theater, Lincroft. Audition hours on Friday are from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Henderson Theater is on the campus of Christian Brothers Academy, 850 Newman Springs Road. Footloose will run July 14, 15 and 16. Production dates for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are Aug. 11, 12, and 13. All performances will take place at the Henderson Theater.

The Neptune Township Committee will introduce tonight a bond ordinance to fund the building of a bulkhead along a portion of the Shark River, but a local environmental group would prefer to see officials take a more natural approach to containing the river. "We believe a living shoreline is a visually pleasing and ecologically sustaining option," the group Save Shark River said in a posting on its Facebook page. "In a way, what exists [there now] is a natural living shoreline," Save Shark River's Kira Long told The Gazette. "What  we will propose is a revitalized one that includes (but is not limited to) coir fiber logs, sand fill, stone, native grasses, etc." According to the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), living shorelines are made of organic materials such as wetland plants, submerged aquatic vegetation, and oyster beds. Living shorelines stabilize the shoreline, protect the environment...

Lucas Construction Group has begun paving Central Avenue in Ocean Grove. Residents who usually park where "No Parking" signs are posted are asked to move their vehicles to a side street by 7:45 the morning of the work. According to a notice emailed to residents and posted on the township's web site, work will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and continue into the week of May 15. Residents who have questions about the road work are asked to call Steve Amos, project manager at Lucas Construction Group, at 732-955-8300.

Members of the township police department and students from Neptune High School will meet across the volleyball net this Friday, May 12, at the high school gym, starting at 6 p.m. Suggested admission is $1 and will help the Neptune Township Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse spread prevention messages. For more information, call 732-869-1202.

The sky over Asbury Park on Sunday afternoon was more reminiscent of Halloween than Memorial Day. The unofficial start of the summer season begins the week after next.  

This screenshot of the agenda for the Neptune Township Committee meeting slated for Monday, May 8, shows an ordinance, No. 17-14, to appropriate  "$1,200,000,000" -- $1.2 billion  -- for improvements to the Shark River bulkhead. The ordinance appears in the middle of the page. Considering the amount of funding from a FEMA grant ("$835,529.25") and the issuance of notes and bonds ("$346,245.75"), the figure in the agenda is a mistake, and the true amount might be closer to $1.2 million. The agenda was posted on the township's web site and emailed to residents and members of the press who subscribe to the township's mailing list. The Gazette on Saturday emailed township clerk Richard Cuttrell for a clarification of the figure and received an automatic response saying the clerk would be out of the office from Monday, May 8, through Thursday, May 12, and would return on Friday, May 12. Meanwhile, the township committee will meet ...

Neptune Township hopes to curtail invasive plants with a law that will require property owners to stop invasive plants from spreading off their property, and that will prohibit in-ground planting of invasive plant species. The ordinance will be introduced and read Monday, May 8, at a meeting of the Neptune Township Committee. The meeting starts at 7 pm. in the municipal building, 25 Neptune Blvd. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines an invasive plant as one having "the ability to thrive and spread outside its native range," according to the web site of the USDA's National Agricultural Library. The township ordinance lists bamboo, ragweed, multiflora rose, kudzu vine, and poison ivy and oak as examples of invasive plants. Other examples of invasive plants are St. Johnswort, Scotch broom, Scotch thistle, and Japanese honeysuckle, according to the National Agricultural Library. A public hearing on the ordinance is...

In a bid to keep students in township schools, the Neptune Township School District on Wednesday, May 17 will hold a "Stay in Neptune" informational session at Gables Elementary School, 1 Gables court. The session will start at 6 p.m. Child care will be provided, and coffee and cookies will be available. According to a statement released by the district, the session is for parents who are thinking about placing their children in schools outside Neptune Township, parents who have already placed their children in schools outside the township, and for anyone interested in hearing about educational opportunities in Neptune. Schools superintendent Dr. Tami R. Crader will speak about initiatives in the district and answer questions. Also, representatives of the Parents Teachers Organization will speak about opportunities in the township and about their experiences in the district.

Ocean Grove's annual Spring Fling Arts & Crafts Show will take place Saturday, May 6, in sunshine or in rain, according to the Ocean Grove Chamber of Commerce. More than 200 crafters and artisans are expected to take part in the event, which will feature live music by Jo Wymer & Band, and Chuck Lambert Blues. Admission is free. The 2016 Spring Fling Arts & Crafts Show in Ocean Grove took place in bright sunshine. Rain is predicted during this year's Fling, but the event will be held, organizers said.

Neptune High School's class of 2020 will host a Food Truck Fest on Saturday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the school's Heck Avenue parking lot. The event will include food trucks, games for kids, and table vendors.

Neptune Recreation seeks a part-time bus driver for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday. Pay is $16.29 per hour. A valid CDL (commercial driver license) with passenger/student and air brake endorsements is required. Applications are available at the township's web site, neptunetownship.org and may be mailed to Human Resources, 25 Neptune Blvd., Neptune NJ 07753. Application deadline is 4 p.m.on Thursday, May 11.

The Spring Lake Theatre Company has released a list of songs that children can use at auditions for its summer productions of Annie and The Music Man . The songs are "Somewhere out There" ( An American Tail ); "Let Me Entertain You" ( Gypsy ); "If Momma Was Married" ( Gypsy ); "I Know Things Now" ( Into the Woods ); "Getting To Know You" ( The King and I ); "Who Will Buy?" ( Oliver ); "Where Is Love?" ( Oliver ); "I Won't Grow Up" ( Peter Pan ); "Edelweiss" ( The Sound of Music ); "I Want it Now" ( Willy Wonka ). The list is posted on the Spring Lake Theatre Company's Facebook page. The auditions are open to children entering eighth grade or below and will take place at 2 p.m. on May 20 at the theater, which is located in the Spring Lake Community House, 300 Madison Ave.

Artists who live in Spring Lake and Spring Lake Heights, and who are 18 years of age and older, are invited to submit work for the Spring Lake Art Show, scheduled for Aug. 5. For details, call or email Judy Hughes, 732-449-9063, jzhughes209(at)gmail(dot)com, or Suzanne Carr, 732-996-9217, suzan.withaz(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Registration is underway for Shore Girls Basketball Camp at the H.W. Mountz School in Spring Lake. The camp, for girls entering grades 3 through 8 in September, will run from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday, July 31, to Friday, Aug. 4. The fee is $135 per camper. The program is sponsored by Spring Lake's recreation department. Registration is online only, at springlakeboro.org. Click on "Recreation" in the column on the left. For more information, call Ann Marie Callahan at 732-996-8735, or 732-449-7129.

Neptune Township has openings for crossing guards. The position is part-time, approximately three hours a day at $15 per hour. There are no vacation, personal, or health benefits. Applications are available at the township's web site, neptunetownship.org, and must be submitted to Human Resources, 25 Neptune Blvd., Neptune, NJ 07753, by Wednesday, May 10.

Want to ride your bicycle on the boardwalk? You might want to make sure the time is right. Literally. Towns with boardwalks have set hours for pedaling through the sea breeze, and most of the schedules would probably delight night owls and early birds. Here's a list of local boardwalks and when bikes are allowed: Asbury Park: 10 p.m. to 10 a.m., all year. Avon-by-the-Sea: Midnight to 9 a.m., until Sept. 1. Belmar: 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., until Sept. 30. Bradley Beach: Midnight to 10 a.m., May 15 to Sept. 15. Manasquan: 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day. Ocean Grove: The notice at the Main Avenue boardwalk entrance says bicycles are prohibited on the boardwalk between 10 a.m. and 3 a.m., May 1 to Oct. 1, which means you can bike on the boards only between 3 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sea Girt: 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., May 15 to Sept. 15. Spring Lake: 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., May 15 to Sept. 15.

The rising sun and a dramatic cloud give the appearance of a fire on the beach in front of Ocean Grove's boardwalk pavilion.

Mute, and perhaps irked by the lack of treats on the beach, a rock crocodile makes its way to the sea  . . .  Tip, The Intrepid Photographer, didn't see the croc-shaped rock until the original photo was posted. The shot in its entirety is under "May 3" on the "Today in Nature" page.

Getting the Ocean Grove beachfront ready for the summer includes leveling the sand into an even surface to walk and sunbathe on. This is the view from the beach in front of the boardwalk pavilion south to the fishing pier. The long, symmetrical tracks were made by an earth mover, which, in this case, became a sand mover.

Neptune Township seeks a special projects coordinator in its administration department. The position is full-time, with a salary of $35,000. Candidates should have an associate's degree from an accredited college or university, and the ability to research, write, prepare and submit applications for grants and programs that include commercial facade/construction grant/loan programs, and housing rehabilitation and residential exterior paint programs. The special projects coordinator will promote community resource programs to the community, plan, coordinate, implement, and oversee special projects and community  programs, provide status reports of grants and programs, and establish and maintain records.  Additionally, the special projects coordinator will serve as support staff for the township committee, assist with township public relations, and serve as township photographer. Overtime on evenings and weekends may be required. A complete job description is available in...

The Ocean Grove beach offered lots of room for writing a name of 11 letters.

The bits and pieces in these photographs are only a few examples of trash seen on the Ocean Grove beach at dawn on Wednesday, May 3. The mixture of straw, pebbles and other small debris and the pattern in which the mixture was strewn out along the beach suggest the trash came ashore on the waves. They also that suggest that trash is ending up where prospective beach goers probably prefer it didn't: in the ocean. The trash might have come from the ocean, but how did it get there in the first place?

Several signs like this one, posted around Ocean Grove, reveal someone has lost a beloved pet. According to the sign, "Ally" is a black-and-white striped tabby with a white nose that has a black spot. If you see Ally, please call the number on the sign as soon as possible.

Water from the early morning rain collects around a storm drain at the southwest corner of Main and Whitefield avenues in Ocean Grove . Neptune Township has a "Fix-it Form," on its web site, that allows people to advise the township about things that need repair. The form is at neptunetownship(dot)org/fix-it-form.  A closeup of the drain shows still water, which suggests that the drain is clogged, and the water has nowhere to go.

Sycamores, pear trees and red oaks will no longer be approved for planting along the right-of-way in Spring Lake under revisions to the borough's tree ordinance. According to the revisions, only the following trees may be planted in the right-of-way, which the ordinance describes as the area between the sidewalk and the curbing: Honey Locust (Skyline, Halka, Shade Master); Linden (Little Leaf, Silver, American); London Plane (Bloodgood, Yarwood, American Plane); Oak (White, White Swamp); Red Maple (October Glory, Red Sunset, Autumn Flame); Zelkova (Green Vase, Village Green). The ordinance no longer recommends planting deciduous street trees like Sycamore and Red Oak. Also no longer recommended are deciduous ornamentals like Amur Maple, Carolina Snowbell, Bradford Pear, and Japanese Tree Lilac. In addition to stipulating which trees may or may not be planted in the right-of-way, the revised ordinance also requires permits for the removal of trees in the right-of-way, and requ...

As of May 15, borough bicyclists will have 10 hours in which to spin their wheels on the boardwalk instead of the current three. A pilot program approved by borough council expands the time from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. The expansion will "test the desirability and feasibility of bicycles being allowed on the boardwalk" during the new hours, according to the resolution approved by borough council and posted on the borough web site. The new hours will be in effect from May 15 to Sept. 15, according to the resolution.

If you tried calling Manasquan borough hall today but couldn't get through, you're not alone. The building's telephone system is having "issues" with incoming calls that will take most of the day to fix, a statement on the borough's web site said. Officials ask prospective callers to "bear with us as we attempt to fix the issues."

The Spring Book Sale at the Monmouth County Library Eastern Branch starts Tuesday, May 2, at 9 a.m., and will continue during regular library hours through Saturday, May 6. Friday is half-price day. On Saturday, the books will cost $1 per bag. Proceeds will help fund library programs. The Eastern Branch is located at 1001 Route 35, Shrewsbury. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

. . . in four weeks, these benches and boardwalk, seen at daybreak in Ocean Grove, will be packed with Memorial Day visitors.