The Bay Head Beacon

Tattoos have become as common as egg salad. Almost everyone you meet has some sort of tattoo. Whether it's a modest butterfly on a woman's shoulder, or a re-creation of the Sistine Chapel on someone's back, people love tattoos. Unfortunately, one group has been denied the joy of body art; that is, until now. "I realized that kids were not being given the opportunity to experience tattoos," said tattoo artist Marcus Upp. "That's why I opened Tot-Too!   Tats for Kids . It's the area's only tattoo shop that specializes in tattoos for children." Since opening in March, Tot-Too! Tats for Kids has inked hundreds of shore area children. Even owner Marcus Upp has been surprised by the response. "I never realized how many kids really wanted tattoos and how many parents were willing to pay for it," he said. The price for a Tot-Too ranges from a low of $200 to as much as $2500. "It costs more because I have to work on a smaller canvas sin

On March 3, Point Pleasant resident, Anne Onimous, looked out her window and was disturbed by what she saw. "The water was brown!" she said. "I've lived along the canal for years and I've never seen the water like that!" It wouldn't be that unusual for the canal to look a bit muddy from time to time, but Mrs. Ominous insists this was different. "God as my witness, it was browner than it's ever been!" Mrs. Onimous contacted the police, the Coast Guard, and her cousin, Lucy, who she says "is really smart." Unfortunately, no one had an answer. "Sure, the water cleared up, but it happened again at least once!" she said. "I'm terrified of what it could be!" After an extensive investigation, the Beacon has finally discovered the source. Last year, with very little fanfare, a candy factory moved its operations from Europe to a location on Osborn Island in the Manasquan River. "My factory is not very big,"

On the corner of Arnold Ave. and River Ave, in Point Pleasant Beach is an empty building known as Arnold Hall.  The old building has been without tenants for quite a while, but now someone is finally moving in. It may be somewhat of a shock to learn that the building will be used as a federal prison. "It will actually be a what is called an 'express' federal prison," said Warden Shawn Shank. "It will be a small prison used to temporarily hold prisoners, usually when they are being transported for some reason."  Warden Shank explained that Point Pleasant was the perfect location. "You have a train station, easy access to multiple airports, and it's close to major highways. We can even bring in fugitives by boat if we have to." Warden Shank will be running the small prison with Director Red Emption. Together, Shawn Shank, Red Emption, and a few corrections officers will oversee up to 8 prisoners. "Our aim is to make this a model penal instit

Hydration is extremely important for everyone, and no one knows this better than the Stanley Water Bottle Company. Stanley went from being the bottle of choice for hunters and campers, to being the most important status symbol for America's teens and tween girls. These oversized bottles with their germ-exposed straws and internal lead seals, are practically required if a schoolgirl expects to have any sort of social life. That's why every girl in America is jealous of 11-year-old Kara Boutstatus, winner of the largest water bottle ever made by Stanley. "I'm not that surprised I won," says young Kara. "The way the contest worked was that the more bottles you own, the more chances you have to win, and I have, like 173 bottles, not counting the new one." Kara's family has devoted a large part of their kitchen to the storage of their daughter's bottles.  "People might say we indulge our daughter too much," says Mrs. Ima Boutstatus. "Bu

Excitement has hit a fever pitch as everyone waits for the Moon to pass between the sun and Earth.  Although this actually happens every single month, today will be an eclipse, meaning we will be in the dark shadow of the moon for a little while. In the past, people might descend into madness as the day unexpectedly would turn to night. For us, the madness has come in the form of desperation to get protective glasses. People are reporting that eclipse glasses are selling for $500 or more. Brielle resident, Lou Kinnup, says he paid $1800 for five pairs of protective glasses. "I wish I had gone to the library sooner when they were giving out free glasses, but I totally forgot," says Kinnup. "I didn't see that I had any choice. I didn't want my wife and kids and dog to miss this thrice in a lifetime event." Officer Pat Youdown of the Brick Police Department advises everyone to avoid buying eclipse glasses from price gougers. "I advise everyone to avoid bu

With the success of the Oscar winning film, Oppenheimer, a new generation has become familiar with the Manhattan Project and the efforts to create the first atomic bomb. The most brilliant minds in America gathered in Los Alamos, New Mexico and created the weapon that they believed would bring an end to World War II. It was hard work and very serious business, but one scientist managed to bring a lighter side to the project. He was a twenty-two-year-old graduate student from the University of Chicago named Adam Bahm.  "I wasn't the greatest physicist," says Bahm. "I was probably the dumbest guy at Los Alamos, but Enrico Fermi, the genius scientist, wanted me there because he said I made him laugh. He told me, 'if I gotta work with Oppenheimer, I'm gonna need a wisenheimer.' Fermi warned me that Oppenheimer was kind of grim, and it was true. He really took the fun out of making weapons of mass destruction." Bahm delighted in teasing Oppenheimer. He s

Americans have always liked a good smoke. Ever since early settlers shared a pipe of peace with native Americans before stealing their land so they could grow tobacco, smoking has been a part of American life. Sadly, in recent decades, doctors have realized that inhaling smoke into the lungs is not conducive to good health. Luckily, a slightly less toxic option is available now.  It's called vaping, and it's become the second most popular way to inhale dangerous substances. "Vaping is great!" says local entrepreneur, Nick O'Teen. "I smoked for years, and the smell drove me nuts and I couldn't stand the ashes and stuff. Vaping has been a great option for me because the only thing that comes out is vapor, and I still get the satisfaction of having a smoke." Nick O'Teen liked vaping so much that he started his own vaping business. "I have a couple of vaping shops, but what I'm really excited about is my new vaping truck. I call it the Vapem

After what seems like forever, Brick is finally getting an Italian grocery store. When Corrado's dropped the ball, Livoti's Old World Market stepped in to pick it up and run with it. The grand opening of Livoti's in Brick on March 7 promises to be a big event with plenty of food and fun for everyone.  For those who are fans of Italian food, and Italian quarterbacks, there's a good chance they may see former NY Giants quarterback Tommy "Cutlets" DeVito. DeVito's agent, Sean Stellato, made the arrangements for his client to be at Livoti's on opening day. "Ya know, everybody loves Tommy 'Cutlets'. After his three and a half game career with the Giants, Tommy became a superstar," said Stellato. "I been gettin' offers all over the place, Corrado's was beggin' him to come, but Tommy said no way. He told me, it was Livoti's or nothin'!" Macon Pastah, the general manager of Livoti's, had nothing but praise fo

Children everywhere will be saddened to learn that Santa Claus will not be coming this year. "I know the children will be disappointed, but have you seen the weather forecast? Right now, the North Pole is like the tropics compared to what's out there." Old St. Nick is right about the weather. In the United States almost every area will be hit with rain or snow and bitter temperatures. Some places are expecting wind chills of 40 below zero. "Do you have any idea how reindeer react to sub-zero temperatures?" Santa asked. "Let me tell you, it's not pretty. They can become so stiff that they can barely move. Their antlers will shatter if they bump into anything. And you can forget about flying. They can barely walk so don't expect them to get airborne." "Even if I did get the sleigh up in the air, navigating will be almost impossible," Kris Kringle continued. "Just imagine flying through a blizzard in a giant, open vehicle. There'

 With great fanfare and joy, Royal Farms in Brick has finally opened. After years of waiting, area residents can finally enjoy the crispy chicken corpses that made the store famous. For two friends who consider themselves "superfans" of Royal Farms, the wait was an eternity.  Bruce could hardly contain his excitement.  "Ya know, ever since my glory days on streets of Philadelphia, I've loved Royal Farms chicken," he said. "I've done a lot of travelling in my life. I could never stay put and my family said I was born to run. But I was so happy so settle down in my hometown at the Jersey shore. The only thing I was missing was Royal Farms chicken. Now that I can get my favorite chicken right here, it's like Santa Claus is comin' to town." John was just as excited as his friend about the grand opening. "I've been waiting since the they tore down the store that was here and I saw the walls come crumbling down," John said. "Th

Seven-year-old Abbie Genessee from Brielle has a very special pen pal. She met him when her family visited Italy two years ago and since then the two have been emailing each other regularly. "His name is Francis," Abbie said. "He's really old. but really nice. He's kind of like another grandpa." "I met Francis when we visited some kind of church. He was sitting up front and he waved at me so I went up to say hello," said Abbie. "He spoke English pretty good and told me he worked there and lived there, which I thought was pretty cool. He asked me my favorite thing about my visit, and I said all the food we had tried. Francis said he really liked pizza and I said it was my favorite too." The two friends exchanged emails and started writing each other regularly. "I told him about my school and stuff I was doing. He told me about his busy days and about his work. He taught me a lot about religion, too." Abbie got a surprise when Fra

Many years ago, one of the Presidents, maybe Truman or Kennedy, started pardoning Thanksgiving turkeys. These lucky birds would end up in a petting zoo or friendly farm instead of on a platter covered in gravy. Over the years, other local governments, including Point Pleasant Borough, have adopted the tradition. In a ceremony at city hall that kicks off the holiday season, the mayor pardons one bird that would otherwise get cooked and eaten. This year, things didn't go as planned. "After careful consideration, the mayor and council have decided to deny a pardon to Tony the Turkey," said assistant to the mayor Holden DeLine. "Tony has been a particularly naughty turkey and does not deserve a pardon. Instead, a pardon will be granted to very well-behaved turkey named Kate."  Somehow, Tony must have realized that his pardon would not be granted because early this morning he escaped. "When the time came for the turkey to be prepped for the Thanksgiving dinner,

It's finally happening! After years of waiting, area residents finally got some good news about the Royal Farms in Brick. Circle the date December 8 on your calendar because there is a strong possibility that there is maybe a bit of a chance that Royal Farms could quite possibly be considering that it may almost be time to open their doors to the public. "This is such great news," said assistant to the mayor, Annie Daynow. "All of us in Brick have been waiting for this day for years. I can't believe that we are so close to maybe having Royal Farms open. I know that they have promised to open many times before, but you know what they say, 12th time is the charm!"  Frita Poyo, spokesperson for Royal Farms, said that the public has nothing to worry about. "Really, this date of December 8 is almost certainly a pretty good possibility that we will be opening," she said. "It's been a long road getting to this point. We've had a lot of hardsh