Home Care In Belmar, NJ

The hotel in Belmar, NJ known as the White House is gone, all gone.

Ownership of the hotel has been in place since 1963 and served many vacationers and seasonal employees who wanted a residence-like property for the gainful summer season.

Just steps away from the ocean, the White House had lots of amenities that made it the perfect place to reside for the bustling summer season.

Although listed with hotel status, the property maintained privacy for residents only, assuring that the amenities were only used for that purpose.

White House is sold

In 2017 the owners of the White House decided to sell it. It was tough to keep the property and amenities up, especially with only three to four months of steady revenue coming in.

What many originally thought would be a virtually smooth sales transition from the owners of the White House property to the Down to Earth Construction Company became a tangled legal mess. The property was sold to Down to Earth Construction for $2.4 million.

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To paraphrase five years of legal battles, the plans laid out to the Belmar Zoning Board for the site of the White House by Down to Earth Construction included two multi-room townhouses on the property with aesthetically pleasing features that would blend in with the historic environment of the Second Avenue address.

There were five Planning Board hearings, and the 108-page proposal was eventually approved. The approval was appealed by Joseph and Rital Puleo and John Russell who own two properties adjacent to the White House property.

They claimed that they weren’t duly notified about the zoning and had other claims. The legal back and forth continued until the lawyers of the Down to Earth Construction Company claimed interference of financial gain, sale of property and due diligence among other claims.

What's next for the property

A judge finally ruled against the Puleos and John Russel and the Down to Earth Construction Company was free to start demolition and building.

Construction on the new buildings will take about 18 months. They’ll be many memories when you pass the location at 102 Second Avenue.

The Down to Earth Construction Company wasted no time in demolishing the White House. The swiftness of its demise seemed so quick after serving the community for so long.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

Simply Southern, a Belmar restaurant owned by Rasheed Simmons and his mother, Rita, is closing.

The pair opened the restaurant, where Rita cooked Southern family recipes like oxtails, smothered chicken, hush puppies and fried green tomatoes, in 2014. It will close Friday, Dec. 1.

"We're coming up on our 10-year anniversary, and it's been a really slow summer," Rasheed said. "The cost of goods are up, everything is up, so it wasn't as busy as it normally would've been.

"Going into the winter, we didn't have that extra fat ... that we normally would, so it becomes a struggle."

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Rasheed said he has been searching for another location where his restaurant wouldn't be as dependent on summertime traffic. He is looking in Red Bank, Freehold, Long Branch and Old Bridge, "someplace with much more foot traffic because it's vital to the success of our business."

"I'm very excited ... and I feel as if we reached the level where we couldn't get any higher," he said. "I want to level up."

Rasheed said a restaurant serving Indian cuisine will replace Simply Southern in Belmar Plaza, which is home to many other eateries.

"I know a lot of people like the concept of our plaza ... but now we have (many) restaurants, and we're not Asbury Park or Hoboken where there's 100,000 people at any given time in a (few) mile radius. At this point, we're just beating each other up."

Prior to opening in Belmar, and for more than a decade, Rasheed and Rita owned a small eatery called My Two Sons at the Englishtown Flea Market. They offered catering as well, and became a part of the Belmar community through their presence at Belmar's annual seafood festival.

"I'm happy to see Mom's dream come true because this has always been a dream of hers to have her own restaurant, and that's why we're going to keep on moving, keep her dream going and doing what we do, just not in Belmar," he said.

Simply Southern will continue doing catering and events.

COPVID-19:How a global pandemic impacted Shore restaurants like Simply Southern

"I absolutely love and appreciate all the support, from not just Monmouth County but from the whole state of New Jersey," Rasheed said.

"We hope we can see everyone before we close the doors, just to give them a hug," he added. "You can just pop your head in and say hello, so we can say thank you for your support."

Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to [email protected].

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

BELMAR — Plans by Verizon to install 5G towers around town already had residents upset — even before a social media creator’s fake lawn signs boosted emotions.

5G, or fifth generation, is the latest wireless mobile phone technology, first appearing in 2019.

However, concerns about potential health impact and misinformation about the way 5G operates have led to strong resistance among local communities.

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A crop of lawn signs against any new 5G towers have sprouted up in yards across Belmar — and drew the attention of a well-known social media creator based in New Jersey.

MonmouthCountyMemez started in 2019, the same year that 5G first arrived in the world.

It has now grown to over 250,000 followers on all social media platforms, and changed its name to one with profanity in it — “JustJerseySh*t.”

The account’s creator posted a video Sunday saying that after failing to be able to get his own lawn signs against the project, he decided to create a few that appeared to support 5G.

He said local social media groups for Belmar lost their collective mind — and gave start to a new conspiracy theory that Verizon was paying summer tenants to post the signs.

The same 5G monopole installation issue was addressed last week during a regular meeting of the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners.

The board passed a resolution for local and county government to review the Telecommunication Act of 1996, “to explore the legalities of the placement of electronic data Collection Systems.”

“Additionally, the County will be initiating a Request For Proposal (RFP) for the creation of a Master Plan related to the limitation on the placement of 5G monopoles," Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone said in a written statement.

“This is a strong statement of support for all of our towns, especially Belmar, where residents and their borough council have raised concerns related to the health and environmental impacts of 5G monopoles,” Arnone continued.

A lot of public concern around 5G stems from electromagnetic radiation, according to global research organizations.

According to Forbes Health, 5G uses higher radio frequency than previous generations 4G and 3G — while all three work by producing electromagnetic waves to send and receive data.

Sobrano said that he found the response to his fake signs hilarious — and he jokingly said in his video that if Verizon did want to pay him in the meantime for the publicity, he wouldn't pass it up.

The young couple is Casey Flaherty, 21, from Monmouth Beach, and her boyfriend Alex Rosenthal?, 20, who are professional surfers:

|Updated Fri, Sep 22, 2023 at 12:58 pm ET

BELMAR, NJ — A pair of Jersey Shore surfers saved an older man and woman from drowning Wednesday afternoon in Belmar.

The young couple is Casey Flaherty, 21, a Monmouth Beach native, and her boyfriend Alex Rosenthal, 20, from California. It was about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday and they were sitting in her car on 11th Avenue in Belmar.

That's when they saw a man and a woman struggling in the ocean.

"I would say they were at least 25 yards out; if not more. I've been a lifeguard so I know what it looks like when it's 'This isn't fun, I need help.' I was on the phone with my mom and I was like I think we need to save these people," she said. "I saw two guys going out (without boards) and then they seemed to get caught in the rip, too."

That's when the boyfriend-girlfriend surfing pair grabbed their surfboards from her car and ran into the water.

Find out what's happening in Manasquan-Belmarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She said the couple was an older Russian couple, in their 70s or older — and were definitely in trouble. She said the woman appeared to have more energy, but the man was exhausted.

"That other guy who swam out to save them was just getting his footing. The woman said go help my husband. His eyes were closed; I thought he was unconscious. They did not speak any English; he also could not even get words out. I said we need to get this guy in because he is going to go into cardiac arrest any minute now."

She said she and her boyfriend paddled the man and woman to shore, where paramedics were waiting on the beach.

"We go to the sand and that's when he kissed me on the cheek and said thank you for saving my life."

Flaherty worked every summer through her teenage years as a lifeguard at Monmouth Beach. She is also a surf instructor at Summertime Surf in Bradley Beach. She is building a brand for herself as a surf girl who loves the water and the sport of surfing.

September is called "locals' summer" on the Jersey Shore, but this September has seen an unprecedented amount of rescues and drownings on the Jersey Shore. Flaherty, who is about as Jersey Shore local as it gets, has this message:

"September is locals' summer but it's also hurricane season. We get great waves as surfers, but September is when we get a lot of rip currents. It was a gorgeous day outside that Wednesday, and the water was glass flat. And there was still a rip tide. People have to be careful! Let someone know you are going into the water; bring flotation with you, even if you are a good swimmer and don't go far out."

Here are Flaherty and her boyfriend competing in professional surf competitions on the Jersey Shore:

BELMAR, NJ — The Belmar Public Library has announced several events to kick off the first month of the new year. From a special author time to yoga classes, here’s what to expect from the Belmar Library this January.

On Saturday, January 20, at 10 a.m., there will be a special authortime event featuring Jennifer Clearwaters and Cynthia O’Connell. The duo will be discussing their new book “The Elevation Principles.”

“The Elevation Principles gives you the guidance, resources, and support to break free of old habits, hold yourself accountable, and create new pathways for change,” a statement read. “This book offers ways to climb the ladder of possibilities through clearly defined principles that are simplified to easily fit into your daily schedule.”

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Clearwaters and O’Connell are “lifetime educators, learners, and athletes- have done the research on behavioral change and mind-body balance.” Click here to learn more about the authors of “The Elevation Principles.”

Those looking to improve their physical and mental health in other ways can also stop by the library every Thursday, when both chair yoga and mat yoga sessions are being held. The sessions are led by professional Yoga practitioner Brenda Yarnold.

“Brenda is a very well-known professional Yoga practitioner in the Jersey Shore area and has a desire to help others who feel “out of place” in their bodies either because of illness, weight issues or otherwise,” a library statement read. “Brenda is known for her compassionate and non-judgmental teaching style, and her classes are challenging to her population yet fun. She shows her clients how to create a pain-free body, allowing them to live fully the life they desire.”

Chair Yoga sessions begin at 10 a.m., and mat Yoga sessions start at 11:30 a.m. Attendance is free for residents, and $5 for out-of-towners.

The Belmar Public Library is also still offering its weekly events, including Tai Chi, storytime, meditation, knitting club, and more. To learn more about these events and registration, visit the library’s website here.