The Bay Head Beacon

The Jersey Shore just experienced its first bout of extremely cold weather this year. Below freezing temperatures coupled with biting winds created some truly uncomfortable conditions. Warm weather fans were left wishing spring would hurry up and get here. But for those people who like winter weather, Mother Nature provided an amazing surprise. Local residents awoke Saturday morning and discovered that the Point Pleasant Canal had turned into an outdoor skating rink. Dr. Sven Ranedere, Professor of Climatology at Stockton University, said that the freezing of the canal is very unusual. "I checked the records and it has only happened 4 other times in the last 75 years," said Dr. Ranedere. "The reason it is so rare is that it takes more than cold air to make this happen. The water in the Manasquan River has to be frigid to begin with. That doesn't happen too easily, but when it does, and you get a blast of arctic air, it can be magical." Many local residents would

The first time that Werfen Hakilo went to a hatchet throwing bar in Chicago, he thought it was amazing. "What could be better than a place where you can drink beer and throw axes?" he said. "It was such a blast that after only one visit, I knew I had to own my own hatchet place one day." Now, after almost five years, Hakilo's wish is about to come true. Later this month he is opening his own pub called Ye Olde Hatchet Catch-it!  in downtown Point Pleasant Beach. This is not Hakilo's first foray into trendy bars and eateries. Four years ago he opened a barbecue and billiards restaurant called B-B-Cue Stick . "The idea was that people could play pool while enjoying barbecued meats served on a stick," said Hakilo. "It seemed like a great idea, but we didn't count on how messy and greasy all of the pool cues and tables would get from the barbecued food. We couldn't keep the place clean. We wound up closing after six months." "The

When the Centennial Park playground re-opens this spring, there's going to be a BIG surprise. The little park in Bay Head will be home to the highest playground slide in New Jersey. "It's going to be amazing!" said Recreation Department spokesperson Joy Spielplatz. "The slide will be 60 feet high! The tallest playground slide in the state and maybe even in the country." When the Recreation Department realized they had some money left in the budget, they wanted to find an interesting way to use it. They got the idea for the epic slide when they started doing some online searches for unusual playground equipment. "The slide we are getting is almost identical to one that already exists in New Zealand, although ours will be quite a bit taller," said Spielplatz. "There will be a 60 foot central tower with two tube slides coming down. When kids go down the slide, they can achieve speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. It should be really exciting!"

Point Pleasant Borough Councilman, Dominic Asino, believes that his town does not get the recognition it deserves. "Being next to Bay Head and Point Beach, we sometimes get lost in the shuffle," he said. "I'm not taking anything away from our neighbor towns; I just think that we're a great town in our own right." Asino has spent a lot of time trying to figure out ways to promote his borough, and he believes he has come up with a great idea. "What we needed was a mascot! Something that is instantly recognizable and that people will associate with the Borough of Point Pleasant." "I was reading a news story about a petting zoo in Pennsylvania that was closing," said Asino. "They were looking for people who would adopt their animals. The article said that they had a donkey that they described as a 'pleasant burro.' Something clicked in my head when I saw that. I knew a burro would be the perfect mascot for our borough!" Coun

When Mrs. Kelly O'Kelly started teaching in the Point Pleasant Borough School System, she didn't realize that she would become one of the most well-loved teachers the town has ever known. Principal Ann Dinterest has nothing but praise for Mrs. O'Kelly. "In all the years that I have worked in education, I have never seen any teacher who inspired her students the way Mrs. O'Kelly did. She had a way of reaching the children that was truly unique." Mrs. O'Kelly remains humble about her career. "It was simple. I showed up to work every day and did the job. But in all my 47 years, I never liked it. Not at all. I've just never been crazy about kids. I see them as 'unfinished' people. Like a sandwich with one piece of bread and no mayo. Or a couch without any cushions. Who would want that? And that's what kids are, until they become adults. It was only the thought of my pension that kept me going." In 1973, when she started her career, Mr