Community Corner

Sandy Castle Ribbon Cutting Held Despite Setbacks

Written by Denise Di Stephan

The inspiration for the mammoth Sandy Castle in Point Beach has been the very force that kept it from breaking a world's record.

The superstorm that the castle is named for kept generating one complication after another that caused the interior to fracture and the top to, well, just collapse.

A bulldozer moving sand on Jenkinson's beach, which was work necessitated by Sandy, and the vibrations from power equipment used to rebuild the Sandy-ravaged boardwalk, caused hairline fractures inside the castle that finally forced sculptor Ed Jarrett to abandon the idea of breaking his own record, he said.


But it was built nonetheless and a ribbon cutting was held Tuesday evening on Jenkinson's Beach.

The original idea was for Jarrett to break his own record of 37 feet, an accomplishment he achieved with a sand castle that he had built in his home state of Connecticut.

But while the towering spires on Jenkinson's Beach in Point Beach fall three feet short of breaking the record, it has already generated at least $20,000 for the Hometown Heroes' fund to help Superstorm Sandy victims and will continue to raise more, Jarrett said. 

The revenue is generated through admission fees of $1 for children and $2 for adults.

Jarrett told the crowd at the ribbon cutting ceremony a few tales of the trials and tribulations of trying to sculpt a world-breaking castle out of sand. There is no doubt in his mind that the superstorm is still wreaking havoc.

"Every time I tried to sculpt the words 'Sandy Castle' in a banner on the other side, it would crack off," he said. "I tried six times. It was always the 'Sandy' that would crack. Not the stuff around it, not the Asbury Park Convention Hall on the top, it was the 'Sandy.' "

"When I finally thought I had done it in a way that it wouldn't crack, the 'Sandy' and the 'C' in 'Castle' came off," said Jarrett, holding his hands over the same letters on his "Sandy Castle" T-shirt. "Sandy called me an 'astle,' " he said, making the crowd laugh. "So, with the next one, I'm writing 'Sandy' at the bottom!"

Jarrett also thanked his wife, Kayo, for her help in building the castle, and he posed for pictures with his daughter, Ashley, 15.

Jarrett said he had tried in vain to have Gov. Christie attend the ribbon cutting, but hopes he will be able to attend the "finale," which will be the grand opening of the new sand castle right next to the one just finished. 

Jarrett is planning for the new castle to indeed break his record of a sand castle he had built in Connecticut that was more than 37 feet tall.

Christie's election opponent, Democratic State Senator Barbara Buono, Middlesex, and Ed Johnson, who until recently was Asbury Park mayor, cut the grand opening blue ribbon with Jarrett and Mike Schwartz, Hometown Heroes president and founder. Jarrett, who is living in Point Beach temporarily, said he did not know how Buono came to be invited.

Schwartz said about 4,500 volunteers helped build the castle.

He also said about 1,800 Sandy victims have applied to his organization for help and, so far, the group has given out about $1.5 million. He said the organization does not distribute funds based on the towns where applicants live, but based on which applicants appear to have the greatest need.

After the ribbon cutting, Schwartz was asked if the mayor or council members of Point Beach had been invited.

"They were invited, but I don't know if they RSVP'd," he said, adding he did not know if it was the organization's public relations representatives or volunteers who had invited them. He mentioned that Johnson is joining the Hometown Heroes board.

Point Beach Mayor Vincent Barrella, when asked later by phone, said he does not remember receiving an invitation, but that he would have been unable to attend because he had to leave town in the afternoon to teach in New York City.

Point Beach Councilman Andy Cortes was in the audience during the ceremony, just after chatting with Alan Fumo, a former Point Beach resident and Ed Jarrett's partner. However, Cortes was never introduced, asked to come up to the front or acknowledged.

However, Jarrett intends to continue to make contacts with area residents who may want to volunteer to work on the second castle or nonprofits who may want to organize their own fundraising efforts in tandem with those already taking place at the castle.

Jarrett said this project attracted 2,500 children to help, which has been a record high number for his projects. Children from local schools, as well as those from other parts of the Garden State and beyond, came to volunteer. 

"A lot of people have said they miss working on the castle and they want to come back," Jarrett told the crowd. "Well, come back, we're building the second one!"

To read the first Patch story about Jarrett's castle and see photos of the earliest phase, click here. For more information and photos about the castle, see the Sandy Castle Foundation Facebook page or the website.

Those who have been impacted by Sandy and need financial help, please see the Hometown Heroes website about how to apply for funds.     



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