Union Beach Borough Strategic Recovery Planning Report

Union Beach Borough approved and published its Strategic Recovery Planning Report on 17 April 2014. It is a very detailed summary of what happened to Union Beach in Superstorm Sandy, what has been done so far and what still needs to be done to get the place back on its feet. We all need to support our neighbors in Union Beach as best we can.

Wind Storm - 8 July 2014

Strong winds brought down a tree across Aberdeen Road just west of Matawan Avenue. Lights went out in the Strathmore Lanes section of that shopping center. The lights are out in the A&P shopping center lot. Small branches are everywhere. The traffic light at Atlantic and Route 34 was blinking yellow and red.

History: Cat 'n Fiddle, Cliffwood Beach (1927 - 1969)

The Cat 'n Fiddle Restaurant opened on a boardwalk on the Raritan Bay not long after the Cliffwood Beach community was first developed. It provided food, drink and entertainment by the shore for over thirty years. It was destroyed by a hurricane and was never rebuilt. Below are a selection of articles from The Matawan Journal marking its history.

The 1 Jul 1927 edition of The Matawan Journal had two small advertisements for the Cat 'n Fiddle placed throughout the paper, seven in all.  One recommended "When dancing at the Cliffwood Beach Casino, dine at the new seafood restaurant and cafeteria 'The Cat 'n Fiddle,' on the boardwalk. Reasonable prices." Another announced the new place and recommended the shore dinner at $1.50. It also named the music group playing on Sunday evening 3 July as the "famous Marimba Band from Central America, now the talk of New York."

The 28 Jun 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 4) included a small ad referring to the Cat 'n Fiddle as "Jersey's smartest rendezvous." The ad invited customers to "dine and dance on the water's edge. Perfect dinners 55 cents. Cocktails 25 cents, served on Cocktail Porch overlooking the sea. Dancing Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Owens Brothers Orchestra from 7 pm to 1 am." An ad on page 9 announced, "Richard Jennings, manager of the Cat 'n Fiddle, will again supervise the service. Several bridge luncheons have been scheduled for this week. Each Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening a dance orchestra appears."

The 29 Jun 1944 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1, col 8) included a small advertisement for the Cat 'n Fiddle, which would reopen under new management on 30 Jun 1944. "Choice liquors and food at reasonable prices. No cover. No minimum. No tax."

The 14 Jun 1951 edition of The Matawan Journal contained a public notice by the following persons, as representatives of the Krieg Corporation, doing business as the Cat 'n Fiddle, who were seeking a liquor license in Matawan Township: William E Webster, Jr, President, 1250 Shore Concourse, Cliffwood Beach, NJ; R Edgerton Webster, Vice President, Jamesburg, NJ; Isabel F Webster, Secretary-Treasurer, 1250 Shore Concourse, Cliffwood Beach, NJ; and Cliffwood Beach Amusements, Inc, Cliffwood Beach, NJ.

The 26 May 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 5) ran an article announcing the opening of The Cat 'n Fiddle for the summer season. "Ray and his Jazz Bandits will be featured this summer at The Cat 'n Fiddle, in Cliffwood Beach, which will open this coming Saturday. Frank Cerranty will be at the bar and also will be manager of the establishment. The Cat 'n Fiddle is located on the Raritan Bay beachfront and it has been in operation for 25 years. It is owned by Morrisey and Walker, and is one mile from the Pirate Ship. There is a large parking area and reasonable prices will prevail for snacks and refreshments." The large ad above appeared on page 13.

The 15 Sep 1960 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 3) provided the following excerpted reporting on damage caused by Hurricane Donna at Cliffwood Beach on Monday 12 September.

"Bayfront areas of Matawan Township took a battering from Hurricane Donna, especially in sections bordering Matawan Creek and in portions of Cliffwood Beach. During the worst of the hurricane, water was nine to 10 feet deep in the streets of Cliffwood Bench, police reported.

Damage in the beach area was estimated at more than $150,000. Ten families were evacuated from the waterfront area to the Cliffwood Fire House. Flooding in Cliffwood Beach reached all the way back to Greenwood Ave.

The storm lashed bay waters completely covered the roofs of the 180 unit colony of seacots* facing the bay at Cliffwood Beach and crashed through the rear of the Cat 'n Fiddle Restaurant, splitting the building in two. Police were stationed at the restaurant after looting was reported."

* The Seacot Village in Cliffwood Beach in Matawan Township

A seacot was a small summer rental, presumably an abbreviation for "seaside cottage." Helen Henderson shows a photograph of a "cozy seacot" and provides some information on rental prices, etc, on page 87 of her book "Around Matawan and Aberdeen."

An article in the 12 Aug 1948 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 5) mentions the death of a renter by heart attack at the Cliffwood Beach Seacot Colony.

The 6 May 1965 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1) published the rates for seacots to hook up to the Cliffwood water supply for the season. Units with one water tap paid $8.80/season; it was $17.50 for units with three taps; and renters paid $7.30 for an outside shower.

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The Cat 'n Fiddle was destroyed by fire in December 1963, according to an article in the 16 Dec 1963 edition of The Red Bank Register.

The 2 Jul 1964 edition of The Matawan Journal reported the opening of the Cat 'n Fiddle for the season on 2 Jul 1964. The restaurant was apparently rebuilt after the December 1963 fire.

The 27 Jan 1966 edition of The Matawan Journal, which reported on a Nor'easter that struck the area on Sunday 23 Jan 1966, mentioned the Cat 'n Fiddle and seacots in a photo caption on the front page. The captionn read, in part:

"Driven by gale force northeasterly winds Sunday, waters of Raritan Bay overflowed the banks of Matawan Creek, flooding marinas and fishing stations along the way. The Cliffwood Beach section of Matawan Township was hard hit as water swept by the Seacot Colony, Cat 'N Fiddle Restaurant, and the Cliffwood Beach Pool. One woman, wife of the caretaker at the pool, had to be rescued by first aid men equipped with a boat. . . ."

The 10 Aug 1967 edition and 24 Aug 1967 edition of The Matawan Journal (pp 2 and 10, resp) contained an advertisement for the Cat 'n Fiddle, which was under new management. Hours were daily noon to 1 am; Saturday 10 am to 1 am. The Harry Thomas Review, featuring Eileen Walsh, was appearing on Fridays and Saturdays.

The 4 Jul 1968 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 12) contained an ad for the Cat 'n Fiddle, which was promoting dancing and entertainment on weekends. Pat and Joe were the hosts.

The 31 Oct 1968 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 16) reports on an investigation of fraud against the owners of the Cat 'n Fiddle.

ABC Sets Hearing For Area Tavern

A hearing will be held Nov. 4 in Newark offices of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control into charges against the Kreig Corp., owners of the Cat 'N Fiddle in Cliffwood Beach, of giving false information on a liquor license application.

The ABC alleges the stock of the corporation is held by three New York state residents. Corporate
officers insist the stock is in the hands of New Jersey residents as stated on its June 5, 1968 license application.

The 23 Jan 1969 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1) announced the state's revocation of the Kreig Corp's liquor license to operate the Cat 'n Fiddle due to the fraud charges.

 Details of the demolition of the bar and seacot colony have yet to be found.

UPDATED to add an image of the Dec 1963 Red Bank Register article, some details about seacots, details from the Jan 1966 Nor'easter article, news of new ownership in Aug 1967, and word of fraud charges in Oct 1968 that led to the revocation of the liquor license in Jan 1969.

History: Snowstorm of March 1914 (5 Mar 1914)

A heavy snowstorm which hit the Matawan area on Sunday 2 March 1914 severely disrupted local transportation, mail deliveries, and telephone and telegraph services, according to the headline story in the 5 Mar 1914 edition of The Matawan Journal. "Public Traffic Impeded by Snow Storm." Fifteen inches of snow fell over a nearly 24 hour period, drifting in spots to depths of ten feet or more.  As for the trains, it was the "biggest tie up since 1888."

Tree branches and utility lines became heavy with the wet snow and fell dangerously onto neighborhood streets and blocked the progress of the local trolley and regional railroads.

Some of the local trolley drivers were unable to return home for two days. A trolley left the tracks near the Catholic church and a plow came off the tracks close to the Matawan Station. A group of about a hundred men returned the car and plow to the tracks on Tuesday, using the plow to clear the snow between Keyport and Matawan, including large drifts in Oak Shades and on "the gashouse hill". By the night time they had shoveled to Little Street, at which point service was restored between Keyport and Matawan and the train station.

A group of 14 teachers heading to Freehold ended up stranded at Matawan. They found accommodations at the Woodbine and Aberdeen hotels, which filled up quickly. They ate their meals at the latter at the New York and Long Branch Railroad's expense. A theatre troupe also found shelter in Matawan, albeit in the train station as they refused to pay to rent rooms.

About a hundred rail passengers heading south on Sunday became stranded just south of Eatontown, prompting locals to supply food and drink until their train could be dug out on Tuesday. Sunday afternoon Pennsylvania Railroad and Central Jersey Railroad trains out of New York reached their destinations Monday afternoon.

An adjoining article on the front page told of a stage and a sleigh, each carrying eight persons, which were heading from Matawan to Keyport on Sunday evening when one of the teams of horses became ensnared in electric wires near the old Suydam property and felled. One horse was returned to the stable while the other lay in the street all night until the electricity could be shut off. The operator took the nearly lifeless horse to a nearby stable but expected he would have to kill it.

UPDATE: I wondered about the gas house hill, so I did some digging. In the fall of 1887, when trolley service was being established between Keyport and Matawan, the gas house was situated near a bridge over a gully north of the Matawan train station and south of St Joseph's Catholic Church, according to "Keyport: From Plantation to Center of Commerce and Industry," by Jack Jeandron, pp 74-75. Today that location would be where Lower Main Street crosses the Garden State Parkway, according to the author. The trolley line ran only as far as the train station in those days but covered Maple Place, Broadway, Front Street, and First Street in Keyport.

Cliffwood Beach Access Road Cleanup

I pulled some tires, bottles and plastics from along the beach access road today and left them near the Greenwood Avenue gate. Perhaps some others might want to help out over the weekend by picking up some other debris and leaving it there? And then the Aberdeen Utility Dept could come by next week and pick it up?And people could stop leaving their beer bottles in the brush along the access road? Show some class.

History: Matawan Journal Applauds Red Cross Response to Hurricane Donna, Urges Reader Donations (1961)

The 23 Mar 1961 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 4, col 1) urged its readers to give generously to the Monmouth County Chapter of the Red Cross after its herculean efforts to help the Bayshore after the previous fall's Hurricane Donna.

Help The Red Cross

Our readers are urged to respond generously to the annual fund drive of the American Red Cross, now, underway throughout most communities in the bayshore area. The drive is conducted only once annually when all persons are asked to contribute to this worthy service.
 
We, in the bayshore area, after living through the violence and destruction brought by Hurricane Donna last fall, know fully the helpful and timely aid and service rendered by the Red Cross through its Monmouth County Chapter.

Immediate assistance was given, not loaned or sold, to families in distress those who lost clothing, bedding, furniture, and household goods, due to the floods that accompanied the hurricane. Many of these families were lucky to have escaped with their lives in view of the speed at which the tidal flood inundated the low-lying coastal regions from Keansburg to Madison Township.

The Red Cross mobilized its volunteer and professional forces rapidly and were in a position to give aid immediately after the storm. This year, when you make your annual contribution, think of the many families, possibly your neighbors, who were assisted by the nation-wide organization which eases the burden of stricken mankind, the Red Cross.

History: Four Boys Rescued From Frozen Lake Lefferts (1952)

A story in today's Matawan-Aberdeen Patch about Matawan emergency responders receiving ice rescue training prompted me to check our local history for stories of such situations here. I found the article below from the 3 Jan 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal about a human chain rescue that saved four boys from a frozen Lake Lefferts but imperiled the rescuers.

Four Rescued From Plunge Through Ice  
Use Of Rope After Human Chain Fails Is Means Of Saving Boys Floundering In Lake

Earle V. Whitney, Keyport's recreational director, was one of those whose prompt action Saturday saved the lives of two teen-age boys struggling in the icy waters of Lake Lefferts after a break through the ice. Two others were plunged into the lake also, in trying to form a human chain to reach the boys floundering in the icy water.

The near-tragedy was brought about when Allen Johnson, 14, of 250 Jackson St., Matawan, skating in the Buttonwood Manor area, sought to cross the lake to join boys playing hockey in Scadis Cove. The ice, three inches thick in the cove, had melted to half that thickness farther out and broke under the weight of the Johnson boy.

Richard Bader, 17, of 24 Park Ave., Matawan, one of the hockey players, skated out towards the floundering youth and then tried to reach him by sprawling on the ice and extending a hockey stick. The ice gave way more when Bader sought to pull Johnson, who seized the stick, to him. The larger boy was then clutched by the smaller one and they went down. When they came up, Bader managed to tread the icy water long enough to give time for them to be saved.

A human chain formed, but the two boys at the end of the chain, Robert Demmery, 14, of Morganville, and William Clifton, 18, of Main St., Matawan, plunged into the lake up to their chins when they put their weight on the crackling ice.

Whitney Secures Rope

Mr. Whitney, skating in the area, raced, off the ice and secured two ropes from the property of William Beedle. Mr. Beedle is said to put the ropes out each winter in anticipation of just such need. Mr. Whitney returned to the ice and cast the ropes at the boys struggling in the waters. Bader had secured grip on the hockey stick by then but was calling out he could hold on no longer when a rope was cast to him.

Matawan patrolman Robert McGowan and Special Officer John Berbrick appeared at the scene and joined the others trying to pull the weight of the four boys clutching the ropes to safety.

Shivering and blue with the cold, the four boys were rushed to the nearby home of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Barker, Ravine Dr. Police and the Matawan First Aid Squad arrived soon after. The boys were stripped of their drenched clothing and wrapped in blankets. Mrs. Barker and Mrs. William Brown, a nurse of nearby Grant St., provided hot water bottles and hot drinks.

They were later .examined by Dr. Aram Captanian and apparently found none the worse for their icy ordeal.

Matawan Fire Department also was called to the scene.

The Johnson boy is reported to have had two younger companions with him when he was skating in the Buttonwood Manor area, but they are said to have disappeared when he fell through the ice. Their identities are not known.

2012 Marching Huskies Have Winning Season

The Matawan Regional High School Marching Huskies did so well this year in marching band competition that they qualified to attend the Tournament of Bands 2012 Atlantic Coast Championships at Hershey Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the impact of Hurricane Sandy on our community kept the band from participating in those early November championships. Just another local victim of the storm.

On the bright side, congratulations to Livingston High School, which was able to compete and took the prize. And I recently heard that the Marching Huskies held a special performance of their championship show for parents and friends. Nicely done.

History: Matawan and the Great Storm at Galveston (1900)

The Great Storm at Galveston hit 8 Sep 1900 (1900 Storm)

The 22 Nov 1900 edition of The Matawan Journal had a small item on the front page about a mournful family gathering that took place at the home of Mr and Mrs Jacob Doll of Matawan. The Dolls' step daughter, Laura Feigle, and her son, Charles, were visiting from Galveston, Texas, where they had lost practically everything, There had been an especially nasty hurricane back in September, in which they had not only lost their home, belongings and property, but the storm had taken Laura's husband, John, and two of her three children.

Laura's sister, Louisa Mehrtena, also visited the Dolls'. Louisa would be taking in Laura and son at her home in Brooklyn for the immediate future due to the situation. The Dolls' son, Jacob Doll, Jr, of Asbury Park, and a Lizzie Burns, of Brooklyn, also visited the Dolls as well.

The 1900 Federal Census for Texas showed the Feigle household in Galveston as it was a few months before the storm struck. John Feigle was born Feb 1865 in New York to German parents. His wife Laura was born Nov1866 in New York to a French father and German mother. The children were son Charles, born Oct 1887 in Texas, daughter Georgie, born Nov 1889 in Texas, and daughter Mabel, born May 1894 in Texas. John was a cabinet maker and his two eldest children were in school. John and Laura had been married 13 years and Laura's three children were all living.

1900 Galveston Storm Recorded Deaths, published by the Galveston and Texas History Center, has death listings for a John Feigle, Jr; and Mable Feigle, daughter of John Jr. The listing for Georgie Feigle is either missing or could be muddled in the listings for a George Feigle and daughter of George. I could find no George Feigle in Galveston in the 1900 Federal Census.

Laura's son was Charles Francis Feigle, who was born 28 Oct 1887 in Galveston, Texas. His World War I Draft Registration showed him living in Brooklyn and working as a machinist for a local spring hinge company in 1917. He had already served 5 years in the US military and attained the rank of Corporal. His World War II Draft Registration Card showed him living in Brooklyn and working for Brooklyn Union Gas Co in 1942.

I couldn't find Laura Feigle in the 1910 Federal Census. Perhaps she remarried.

Jacob Doll and his wife (difficult to read her name - possibly Phelessa) lived in Matawan in the 1900 Federal Census. He was born in Mar 1827 in Germany, while his wife was born in Mar 1831 in Germany. Jacob was a farmer who came to America in 1850 and had since become a naturalized citizen.

The "younger" Jacob Doll was a wallpaper dealer in Asbury Park in the 1900 Federal Census. He was born Mar 1852 in New York to German parents.

Delays Persist as NJ Transit Repairs Storm Damage Between Aberdeen-Matawan and South Amboy Stations

NJ Transit rail service has been particularly slow on the portion of the North Jersey Coast Line between South Amboy and Aberdeen-Matawan since Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage to the Morgan draw bridge, signals, and tracks. A conductor told me last night that NJ Transit can only run one train at a time through this gauntlet but expects to have full service restored sometime early next year.

Click the following links to see NJ Transit's flickr photos of the damage to the Morgan draw bridge, photos taken on 31 October 2012. Or you can also view the slide show, which starts out with these same pics but moves on to other venues.

• Boat and container on the draw bridge
• Boat on the tracks
• Debris on the draw bridge
• Boats and containers on the bridge
• Boat on draw bridge
• Pile of boats on the draw bridge

Just Know You're Not Alone

Home, by Phillip Phillips, has been getting a lot of airplay in the greater New York City area in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The song came out before the storm, but the lyrics resonate with people who have battled the demon winds and waters.

NJT Coastline Train Slow But Sure on 1st Day Back

I caught the 647 at Ab-Mat, which arrived at 7:30. Slow ride to South Amboy; got there over half an hour later. Ride over Raritan trestle to Perth Amboy a bit slow. Lots of leaves and branches on tracks until we joined the NE Corridor. So far an uneventful quick ride along the corridor.

Ticket Machines at Ab-Mat Rail Station Glitching

I went to the Aberdeen-Matawan train station this evening and bought my train tickets for the morning. All of the machines were registering a Windows error, but I was able to overcome the software glitch and buy my tickets. However, the error returned to the machine when I was done. Should be interesting in the morning since no one, not even regular commuters, will have tickets except those with mail subscriptions.

How to Obtain Credit from Optimum Online for Recent Service Outage

Those who lost service with Optimum Online can get credit by visiting the company's website and using their Live Chat Support feature. It isn't too easy to find. Click Support, then Contact Us, then Chat. The Chat icon is buried at the bottom of the Contact Us page under a secondary Contact Us section.

Once you click on Chat, fill in your account details and select Hurricane Sandy Service Issue as the reason for your chat. I was first in line. You'll need to confirm your name, address and phone and provide them with the outage date range.

It took me about 5 minutes to get my credit. It was quite painless. I received just over $40 credit for an outage of 12 days. Don't wait too long as you might only have 30 days to apply for your credit.

Inkspeare

Maria Diaz, the writer of Inkspeare ("To blog or not to blog. . . ."), published a blog article with photographs about her neighborhood in Cliffwood Beach in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and in anticipation of the Nor'easter that was then approaching. She also wrote a blog article about her preparations for Sandy, again with a lot of interesting photographs chronicling the steps she took to ready her house and precious keepsakes.

Maria is a free-lance writer and writes about that, but some of those articles can easily apply to anyone who runs their own small business. For example, she recently wrote a broadly-applicable series on building your brand (Building Your Brand, Building Your Brand - The Challenges, and Building Your Brand - The Rewards). She writes poems, posts photos of her watercolors, tells us about her cat, and updates us on a wide range of projects she's pursuing.

Her blog is quite interesting and of local origin. I recommend it.

Sandy's Wrath at Cliffwood Beach - Photos

Cliffwood Beach took a big hit along the shore road and seawall. Mayor Fred Tagliarini and Councilman Greg Cannon visited my home and made sure our power outage and downed power line were reported to JCP&L. We're expecting power maybe next Thursday.

Macadam broken near Treasure Lake at seawall.

New sidewalk and rail looks fine at Cliffwood Beach. This view is east from Treasure Lake towards Keyport, which suffered greatly.

This view of the seawall is towards Cliffwood Beach. (west from Treasure Lake)

Macadam near seawall undercut by waves that crossed the seawall.

The new stone placed with the seawall sidewalk project was tossed twenty feet into the grass, a sign that the Raritan Bay created waves of 30 feet or more to cross the seawall.

The west end of the Cliffwood Beach seawall is stripped of its sand covering. Looks like it was sandblasted. Debris from the bay covers the sidewalk but isn't an obstruction to walking.

The west end of the seawall at Cliffwood Beach.

Cliffwood Beach from the west end of the seawall, looking west towards Laurence Harbor.

West end of the seawall has no more sand covering. The nearby beach is also stripped bare.

The west end of the seawall from the shore road.

The shore road at Cliffwood Beach is covered in sand. The guard rails were torn apart. All phone poles were either topped off or totally destroyed. Wires and transformers are mixed in sand and seawater..

Lakeshore Drive in Cliffwood Beach is buried in sand. Whale Creek bridge to Middlesex County in distance.

Lakeshore Drive toewards Midnight Point neighborhood of Cliffwood Beach.

The Raritan Bay formed a streambed towards Lakeshore Drive.

Pumping station near Greenwood Avenue in Cliffwood Beach.

Utility road off Greenwood Avenue is blocked by a tree.

The house closest to the water, at the corner of Greenwood Avenue and West Concourse, was flooded. Note the metal fence is grossly shredded by wave action. A number of houses on that end of West Concourse took in water in basements.

Hurricane Sandy and Cliffwood Beach

Hurricane Sandy is heading our way. A tidal surge will bring water up into the usual places in Cliffwood Beach. During Hurricane Irene, the tidal surge destroyed the dunes at the beach, covered the roadways around the park and filled the lower part of Greenwood Avenue. I don't recall what happened to Beach Drive but I assume it saw some flooding too. They're calling for up to an 11 foot surge plus wave action. Strong winds could bring down trees and branches and take down power lines.

Check the Weather Channel and Channel 12 for the latest on this massive storm.  

Check Aberdeen Township's Hurricane Sandy Advisories page for the latest announcements from local government officials.

Check my article from last year when Hurricane Irene was on the way. It tells you how to look up flood zone maps for Cliffwood Beach at FEMA. Establish what zone you're in to determine whether your home is vulnerable to flooding from this storm.

A Blustery Day

Today's wind, rain and blowing leaves might warrant a few minutes hunkered down in your thoughtful spot to watch Winne the Pooh and The Blustery Day.

Monmouth County Recommends Filing for Federal Disaster Aid

Monmouth County advises that Federal disaster aid is available for residences and businesses affected by Hurricane Irene, according to a press release. The county recommends that anyone with damage, even those with insured claims that are being covered, should apply for Federal relief. They provide some details and contact information.

Holmdel Park After Hurricane Irene

We visited Holmdel Park today for the first time since Hurricane Irene. There is definitely some damage to the trees, but it's worth visiting the arboretum because many are flowering. You might even find a few chestnuts.