Three years ago, the DEP forced the Borough of Stone Harbor to remove the wooden sheds because they viewed the structures as permanent. Odd, because the huts were placed on raised platforms and hauled off the beach each fall.

Obtaining the proper permits took several years…and now, we can once again buy ice cream without tracking down the Fudgy Wudgy guy

The stand locations will remain the same as in years past. Some will offer beach item rentals, too.

Trades people are working long hours to complete projects in time for Friday; outdoor furniture and gas grills will be delivered to numerous homes; food stores and restaurants are stocking up; and Borough workers continue to prep the beaches and town for the big holiday weekend.

Stone Harbor will officially “open” the beach on Thursday, 5/23. Avalon will join other Jersey shore communities for a symbolic ribbon cutting on Friday, 5/24.  The mile long ribbon will be held by local business owners, residents, and school children.  8:30am on the 30th Street beach.  Should be a nice event.

On Memorial Day (Monday), there will be 2 parades:  Avalon at 9am; and Stone Harbor at 12 noon.  A great excuse for a bike ride to catch both events.

Walmart- they sell both gluten free/organic food…AND guns (seriously, in adjacent isles).

Their ice cream shop offers goat milk ice cream on gluten free cones (will take a closer look at the menu in Springer’s to compare).

I hear “Yes, Ma’am” often- and it sounds polite and respectful.

I’m self conscious when I say “water”.  And, I talk WAY too fast!

Lights on in homes, and more businesses open- happy to see the island come back to life!

P.S.   Picture taken last night of the beach fill crew working under the lights- operating 24/7 to make sure we have a nice beach for summer!

See you soon

That black plume in the center of the picture is sand shooting out from the pipe.  It looks like black mud- yet dries to soft, gray sand.

Two issues related to Sandy are causing great concern: electrical and air conditioning.

If there is a possibility that any salt water was in your crawl space during the storm (even if it quickly drained), please take the time to inspect the area.

I looked in a crawl space hatch for a house in Avalon last week-  the duct work was on the ground, and the insulation hanging down.  Now, with just a few weeks left before the first tenant arrives, an HVAC company has to remove all of the insulation, duct work and trunk lines, and replace with new.  An expensive and time consuming job; and the central air will not function until the work is complete.

Electricians are making repairs to junction boxes in crawl spaces, too.  Property owners may find their breakers tripping or appliances not working.  The cause: corroded wires in the crawl space (even with enclosed junction boxes) from salt water.  This is a serious safety issue and warrants an inspection by a licensed electrician.

Tenants expect their rental property to be fully functional and safe for their vacation.  If you need a recommendation for a local contractor, please let me know.

In this case, the beach fill crew starts with the wall, and back fills the area between to create a new beach. Picture taken this morning- 123rd Street looking south.

We had breakfast at Uncle Bill’s in Stone Harbor on Friday.  Several feet of water from Sandy forced a complete renovation, and an empty adjacent store allowed for needed expansion.  Check out the restored wall paper discovered during the renovations (it’s in the background of a picture with the original “Uncle Bill” hanging nearby).  The furniture and decor are all new; yet traditionalists will be pleased to see the t-shirt uniforms remain the same

Kohler’s Bakery in Avalon yesterday- to buy my first cream donut of the season.  And sticky buns to take home. They will be open again for Memorial Day weekend; Father’s Day weekend; and full time in late June.  That’s good, because it allows me to burn off the calories in between!

The last hurrah of the weekend may be Mack’s Pizza in Stone Harbor for my Mother’s Day dinner…followed by a LONG walk on the beach.