Jersey Shore Magazine
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/141619
BEACHCOMBER continued from page 19 Sandy's Rollercoaster Ride by Patrick Smith T he Storm Sandy is being broadcast across the airwaves. Like the ride announcer at Jenkinson's Boardwalk's best rollercoaster, weather statements, along with state and federal warnings, stoke the growing worries and excitement of residents at the shore. Like those preparing to board a crowded ride, you're at the front of the line before you've had time to get ready; the storm is almost upon you but nothing can really prepare you until you ride it yourself. My trips up to the beach during that afternoon, just a few hours before the storm, were a real charge. I was taking pictures of onlookers and iPhone movies of the wave heights to send to friends who had evacuated town. Bay Head and Mantoloking were ghost towns, empty and desolate except for police and volunteer firemen. Waves and seawater had already breached the dunes at North Street in friends or family. That is what it is all about. If Sandy taught us nothing else, this current storm of the century reminded us that while it is wonderful to have that special painting still hanging on our wall, having friends and family to share it with is what is important. We will rebuild and create more joyful memories to share, to paint, photograph, and laugh about. Bay Head, and the forecast for damage to homes and property became surreal. The pelting of fifty-mile-anhour blown sand and foam on the street from the waves were evident while two New York TV stations were filming the storm's prelude. My curiosity and anticipation of what was yet to come was reaching an apex—I couldn't wait! Sandy, a full moon, and a high tide were but a couple hours away before combining to devastate our shore communities. I traveled to at least five home improvement stores before becoming fortunate enough to purchase an overpriced, small generator and ten gallons of gas in preparation for the worst. After making sure our outdoor furniture was put away and food was in the refrigerator, my family sat down to dinner and awaited the inevitable. Sandy soon announced itself by extinguishing all power and Anne LaBonté Neff is the owner of the Anchor & Palette Gallery, located in The Jolly Tar in Bay Head. (Although severely damaged by the storm, The Jolly Tar will be reopening this summer.) Anne is the daughter of the late artist Dick LaBonté, and her gallery and online store offer prints of his works as well as sources for purchasing originals and prints by many other Jersey Shore artists. 20 Above: "Sunday at Seven" by Dick LaBonté. Mueller's Bakery in Bay Head is the place to be on Sunday mornings—take a number and visit with friends while waiting for their famous crumb cake. And yes, it's OK to yawn. Right: Mueller's Bakery in Bay Head post-Sandy. The northern Ocean County landmark will be reopening this spring. photo by Jennifer Enright j e r s e y s h o r e • s p r i n g 2 0 1 3 smile" as my dad used to say. Many of our favorite local artists lost their original artwork in the hurricane, either from the flooding of their homes or of local galleries. They will pick up and paint again, and it will be fascinating to see what they create. Will the sense of loss be reflected in their work? Will the simple joy seen in their scenes of the beach and bay still be there? Will we ever be able to smile again? I believe so. The residents of Bay Head, Mantoloking, and other shore towns have changed. People hug more. Neighbors talk to each other more. We share a loss. We share a determination to rebuild in spite of all the paperwork, decision making, and politics that go with it. What we have not lost is that love of the Jersey Shore and the people who live here. Dad always said it's the people that he loved to paint. The rest was just a stage, a background to what was going on between the characters in the painting. The story was really in the interaction among the people. The couple strolling along the boardwalk discussing the day, the debutant flirting with a couple of young bucks, the children racing in a duck boat on Barnegat Bay, friends chatting at Dorcas' while having breakfast, standing in line waiting for a donut at Mueller's Bakery, worshipping together at one of the churches in town, lounging on the beach with