The Bay Head Beacon

On August 23 , we reported that Bay Head was attempting to grow fields of pineapples on the dunes. The hope was that the field would yield a large crop of Tiny  Pineys by the fall. Tiny Pineys are the specialized mini-pineapples developed at the University of Hawaii that were created to grow in conditions like those on the Bay Head dunes. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as expected.  Kiefer Apfel, the Bay Head resident who came up with the pineapple plan was disappointed that from thousands of plants, he only harvested seven Tiny Pineys. " I don’t understand how this happened.  My tests all turned out fine.   I had hoped for fruit in the thousands.  But I got less than nine!  Eighty percent was my yield in the test runs.  Planting Pineys just in a pot.  But here on the dunes of Bay Head,  seven Pineys is all that I got!” Apfel, and volunteers planted over 25 thousand plants on two acres. A success rate of 80% would have yielded 20 thousand ...

If you ask local residents who is the best baby photographer, you might get a few different answers, but the name you are likely to hear the most is Junior Fotisto. "People who really appreciate good baby photography realize that Fotisto is the best," said one enthusiastic fan. "Right now, I just don't think there is anyone who can match him." Perry Jameson, photography editor for the Associated Press, has been a newspaper man for so long, he remembers when newsprint appeared only in paper. In nearly 40 years in the business, he has learned to appreciate talent, and he's particularly excited about his latest discovery. "If you ask me, Junior Fotisto is the real deal," said Jameson. "He brings a youthful excitement to his photojournalism, and has a unique, low to the ground vision unlike anything I've seen before." Junior Fotisto has loved photography for as long as anyone can remember. When he picked up a camera at the age of 11 month...

The  Real Housewives series has been a huge hit for Bravo TV. From Beverly Hills, to Atlanta, and even New Jersey, the shows continue to be popular. Each version of the show focuses on the lives of wealthy, sometimes famous women who are friends with each other and spend a lot of time spending money and fighting with one another. The mix of drama and garishness has proven a winning combination for the cable network. That is why it came as something of a surprise when Bravo announced their plans to create the Real Housewives of Bay Head . Maison Esposa is the producer of several of the Housewives shows and it was her idea to bring the show to Bay Head. "We were looking to do a show with a bit of a gentle edge to possibly appeal to a slightly different audience," she said. "We already had experience filming in New Jersey, so it was almost natural that someone would suggest Bay Head."  Bravo cast five local women to star in the show.  Brenda Jean Phillips, a former tea...

The Battleship New Jersey, the most decorated ship in United States Naval history, is stuck in the Point Pleasant Canal. For the past 19 years, the retired Battleship New Jersey has been a museum in Camden. Unfortunately, current economic difficulties forced the museum to close temporarily. Since the docking fees in Camden are extremely costly, the museum's management wanted to find a less expensive alternative. Retired Naval Commander Jonah " Skipper " Schiff, a Point Pleasant native, thought that a dock on the Manasquan River would make a great temporary home. Things just didn't go as planned. "It was just a slight miscalculation," explains Commander Schiff. "Our plan had been to bring the great lady up the coast and straight into the Manasquan River. Our weather expert, Professor Storm Vento and his assistant, Finn Marian, predicted smooth sailing, but the Professor and Marian were wrong,  A nor'easter came up from the sou'west." The un...

In a scene straight out of a Hollywood action film, local shore communities were awakened by a powerful temblor in the middle of the night. Just after 2 AM on Wednesday morning, a 3.1 magnitude earthquake shook the ground and shook up residents. "I have never been so scared in my life, " said longtime Bay Head resident Gaia Tremare. "The whole house was shaking like an amusement park ride! It was so bad that my husband almost woke up!."  In Point Pleasant, 20 year old Rocky Beben had just gotten to work at a local bagel shop. "I had gone to the back room when suddenly everything went nuts! I had a really hard time keeping my footing during the quake," said Beben. Security camera footage shows some of what Beben experienced.  Earthquakes in New Jersey are extremely rare. There aren't many very active fault lines, but they still do happen from time to time. Unlike other areas in the country, Jersey natives just aren't ready to deal with the earthquak...

If you have lived in Bay Head or Mantoloking or any other nearby towns, you may not know Emmet Terrifiante, but there's a good chance you have heard of Mantolo, King of Clowns . Terrifiante has been bringing joy to local residents as Mantolo for nearly 50 years. Whether at a child's birthday party or a local charitable event, Mantolo, King of Clowns was a familiar sight. Unfortunately for kids of all ages, Terrifiante has decided that it is time for him to hang up his squeaky nose and giant shoes and enjoy his retirement. "I've had a wonderful career," Terrifiante said. "I had the great pleasure of working with the Big Apple Circus for a number of years. It was a wonderful experience, but they do play rough in the big leagues. I had my share of broken noses from a pie thrown too hard and concussions from a pratfall that went wrong. In the end, I realized I enjoyed working with small groups of kids best." For a long time, Mantolo, King of Clowns was the ...