As summer nears and as we being to plan our vacations, I would like to share with you some tips to avoid getting scammed. By now, all of us have received fake phone calls and emails claiming that we have won a free vacation. So many people have been victimized by these scams. The Federal Trade Commission offers the following tips to avoid being scammed:
Do some research:
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Jersey Shore NJ, Ahead of the Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start to summer, Assemblyman Hal Wirths and Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso fought to protect consumers and the tourism industry from the so-called “Airbnb tax.” Last July, Gov. Murphy and the Democrat-controlled legislature passed a law that applied an 11.6 surcharge on short-term rentals not booked through a real estate agency.
The Assembly voted on legislation yesterday to limit the scope of the Airbnb tax to rentals obtained through a marketplace, but Wirths and DiMaso say it doesn’t go far enough. The tourism industry is starting to feel the consequences of the tax as short-term rentals at the Jersey Shore struggle and vacationers choose less expensive destinations.
Continue reading GOP Efforts to exempt the Jersey Shore communities from Renters tax shot Down by Democrats
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Island State Park NJ, The annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament is held on the third Sunday in May at Island Beach State Park. In 2019 the tournament will be held on Sunday, May 19.
A variety of species are eligible for entry in the tournament each year. Overall length determines the winner. All fish must meet minimum length tournament requirements. Tournament fishing hours are 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Continue reading Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament Sunday, May 19, 2019
“As a Jersey Shore lifeguard with 2 decades of experience, I’ve seen at least a dozen injuries from metal umbrella posts that that fly like spears, when blown into beachgoers on windy days or with wind gusts. The answer to the problem is simple and inexpensive. You buy a metal spiral-like helical device that you turn into the sand. Your umbrella goes into the device and is secured with a thumb screw. The device has ‘handles that make it easier to ‘screw’ deeper into the sand, has no pointed end to it and costs about $7”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, With the start of the summer season around the corner, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) today led efforts to better inform and protect the public from dangerous, potentially lethal, flying beach umbrellas. Last summer, a beach umbrella that took off with a gust of wind impaled a tourist on the beach in Seaside Heights, N.J. In 2016, a woman in Virginia Beach was killed by a beach umbrella that got caught in the wind and struck her in the torso.
Continue reading U.S. Senator Bob Menendez Leads Charge on Killer Beach Umbrella Safety ahead of Summer Season
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Ocean Township NJ, With Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start of the summer season just weeks away, Legislative District 11 General Assembly candidates Mike Amoroso and Matt Woolley are pressuring Democratic leadership in Trenton to repeal the 11.625 percent sales and occupancy taxes on homeowners – largely in coastal communities – who directly rent their properties during the summer season.
Continue reading Memorial Day Weekend is just weeks away and so is Murphy’s New 11.625% Short Term Rental tax
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Highlands NJ, A man fell four feet off a loading dock because he thought it was a short cut between the snack area and the bathroom. A motor vehicle accident resulted in the injury of all four occupants, two of whom had to be medevacked to the hospital. Another man passed out in the sand with waves breaking over his head. These were three of the 328 alcohol related incidents at the Sandy Hook Unit between 2016 and 2018.
“Sandy Hook has become a party beach,” said Chief Ranger Greg Norman. “People don’t come here for a beer, they come here for a six pack.”
Continue reading Alcohol and smoking ban now in place at Gateway’s Sandy Hook
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Toms River NJ, News 12 New Jersey is reporting that the mayor of a Jersey Shore community says that paying seasonal workers $15 per hour as minimum wage will hurt the town and drive up prices.While New Jersey’s economically challenged Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation earlier this year to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour over the course of the next five years. The governor has said that a higher minimum wage will strengthen the middle class and give security to working families. The reality is middle class families try to send their kids to collage or trade school so they don’t have to work for minimum wage . The minimum wage is for starter jobs and part time jobs raising the bar eliminates those jobs , skills and work ethic that go along with them .
Continue reading Jersey Shore community says that paying seasonal workers $15 per hour as minimum wage will hurt the town and drive up prices
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Trenton NJ, Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) questioned Governor Murphy’s motive to provide a multi-million dollar tax subsidy to Hollywood’s film industry while simultaneously increasing taxes that negatively impact New Jersey’s shore homeowners and the summer tourism industry.
“Governor Murphy’s tax break for the Hollywood film industry stands in stark contrast to his tax hike on New Jersey shore house renters,” Pennacchio said. “While the Hollywood-connected elite will enjoy $425 million in subsidies, beach renters could pay up to an additional 14 percent in taxes. This could amount to hundreds of dollars in fees on what was once an affordable family vacation. The owners of these shore rentals are also paying an unfair price, on top of the already high taxes and operational costs required to maintain their properties.
Continue reading Murphy Grants Tax break to Hollywood ,but Raises Taxes on Jersey Shore Rentals
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Sea Side Heights NJ, Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Dave Wolfe and Greg McGuckin (all R-10) said Governor Phil Murphy should listen to the concerns of homeowners and small businesses owners along the Jersey Shore who are raising the alarm about the impacts already being felt due to a tax increase the Governor approved last year on short-term beach rentals.
“You shouldn’t have to be a millionaire like Governor Murphy to vacation down the shore,” said Holzapfel. “To charge a family that already stretch to pay thousands for a summer vacation an extra ten to fourteen percent in rental taxes is ridiculous. We’re already hearing that potential customers are responding to the new tax by booking at a much slower pace, which is concerning to the many tourism-driven businesses that make the bulk of their income during the summer months.”
Continue reading New Murphy Tax Chasing Away Tourists
Photo courtesy of the NJ State Police
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Deal NJ, the New Jersey State Police have reported :
“that suddenly the great beast was before them! He was ten stories high if he was a foot!”
Yes, folks, earlier today, two people in a 20-foot boat were fishing approximately one mile off of Deal, Monmouth County when they had a close encounter with a whale. The whale surfaced beneath the vessel, causing it to capsize.
Both occupants fell overboard as a result, but fortunately no one was hurt. Troopers from the New Jersey State Marine Services Bureau are conducting the vessel accident investigation.
Charges against the whale are pending its apprehension.
file photo by ArtChick “snookie”
Updated July 15, 2017
Posted July 15, 2017
By Bill Duhart | For NJ.com
Got any quarters? If you plan on parking for a day at the beach you’ll likely need plenty to feed the meters. And we all know what happens if your meter runs out and your car is still there— That’s right, parking tickets!
The truth is, you’re a lot more likely to get a ticket in some shore towns than others. We’ve compiled a list from state municipal court records for a year-long period in July 2015 to June 2016.
We’ve calculated how many tickets Jersey shore towns write per square mile and ranked them from 44, the least likely place you’ll get a shore ticket, to the No. 1 town for papering over cars.
Updated on June 8, 2017 at 7:19 AMPosted on June 8, 2017 at 6:42 AM
BY ROB SPAHR
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The jellyfish with a dangerous sting that caused a scare on the Jersey Shore last summer, prompting the cancellation of several events, have reappeared in a Monmouth County river, researchers say.
Clinging jellyfish – whose sting can cause “excruciating pain”, muscle weakness and serious medical problems, including kidney failure – were observed and recorded in New Jersey for the first time last June, specifically in the Manasquan and Shrewsbury rivers, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
As a result, the DEP and Montclair State University initiated a sampling plan to assess the abundance of jellyfish in New Jersey waters.
photo by ArtChick
Chris Jordan , @ChrisFHJordanPublished 7:41 p.m. ET June 2, 2017 | Updated 12:00 p.m. ET June 3, 2017
MTV is coming back to the Jersey Shore.
A new version of the “MTV Beach House,” last in Seaside Heights more than 10 years ago, will be filmed in the Loveladies section of Long Beach Township on Long Beach Island later this month, MTV has announced.
Filming will take place in a Loveladies house for less than a week. An MTV Beach House Festival featuring MisterWives and Kyle and more will take place June 8 at a park on LBI to kick off filming. Elements of the fest will be shared on MTV social and digital channels. Fans must follow @MTV on Twitter and retweet the designated sweepstakes tweets to win tickets.
file photo by ArtChick
Updated: APRIL 10, 2017 — 2:05 PM EDT
by Mari A. Schaefer , Staff Writer @MariSchaefer | mschaefer@phillynews.com
Asbury Park has become the latest New Jersey town to try to regulate short-term rentals such as Airbnb or VRBO.
On Saturday, officials in the beachfront city held an open meeting with about 50 residents to discuss possible regulations that would provide a uniform structure for properties rented for 30 days or less and address nuisance complaints, the Asbury Park Press reported.
The city plans to introduce an ordinance this spring, the paper reported.
