Double Trouble Park Has Fascinating History

The thousands of acres of cranberry bogs, pines, oaks and cedars off Pinewald-Keswick Road have belonged to the state of New Jersey since 1964, when Double Trouble State Park was born.  But for the Crabbe family of Toms River, Double Trouble was a second home for much of the 20th century. And when Dan Crabbe visits the park, he goes back in time. He can still hear longtime picking boss Alfia (Fred) Masumeci bellowing at workers to make sure their wooden boxes of cranberries were free of vines and leaves. "Pick clean! Pick clean!" Crabbe said at a recent presentation at the Berkeley Township Historical Society. "I can hear him now saying that." It all began with Dan Crabbe's grandfather Commodore Edward Crabbe, who came to Double Trouble from Brooklyn in 1903. He liked what he saw. The tract was already a working sawmill and lumber operation. He bought roughly a thousand acres of swamp land, reservoirs, tea-colored streams and wetlands in 1904.  The Crabbe family ran the Double Trouble Company for more than 60 years, until the land was sold to the state. For some Crabbe family members, Double Trouble is their final resting place. A small private cemetery is tucked away in the woods, surrounded by rhododendron and holly bushes.  Dan's sister Sarah, who died last June, rests there now with her father and grandfather and several others.  And when it's Dan Crabbe's time to go, that's where he will be too. Double Trouble was home to the Delaware Indians long before the Crabbe family arrived on the scene. "Cranberries grew in and around Double Trouble long before the Pilgrims were here," he said. The Indians knew all about them." First lumber, then cranberries Later the Double Trouble tract was home to vibrant lumber and cranberry industries. Edward Crabbe bought the property primarily for lumbering. The sawmill came with the sale. Crabbe began cutting down the prized white cedars in the swamps to sell to shipbuilders. "They would float the logs down Cedar Creek and cut the lumber," Crabbe said. "In New Jersey, lumber was the big thing. They used the American White Cedar for  shipbuilding and shingles. Its  first history was really lumbering. In the 1800s, it was a mill town before the Civil  War. It was a town.  It was actually on the map as Double Trouble." Double Trouble workers used horses to pull the cedar stumps out of the swamp land. But as the marshes were gradually cleared of cedar, Edward Crabbe decided to make cranberries his primary business. ""They really went all out with the cranberries," he said. "He built the  packing house. He laid it out and built it himself. It was one of the  most modern packing and sorting houses. They took the cranberry vines and placed them in the bog area. At the end, there were eight separate bogs."  Like his father, Daniel "Mac" McEwen Crabbe, Dan Crabbe spent some of his younger years working in the family business - the Double Trouble cranberry company. He worked in the bogs as a boy. He helped with controlled burns to keep them safe from forest fires. He and his father walked the bogs on cold autumn nights to guage if they needed to be flooded to protect the delicate cranberry plants and berries from freezing. The family skated on the ice on the flooded bogs in the winter Cranberry harvesting back in the early and mid-20th century was a backbreaking venture. Workers had to bend down with heavy wooden scoops and comb through the vines for the berries. Peak of production During its halycon days, the Double Trouble Company employed five  full-timers year round and between 50 to 60 seasonal employees for the  harvest. "It depended on the size of the crop," Crabbe said. "Most of the  pickers came from Philadelphia. They were Italian. Whole families would  come down. They were paid piecemeal, maybe 34 cents for a big box of  cranberries. Come mid-September, they'd all arrive and it was a city. It  was a lot of people and a lot of fun. They'd play bocci at night.  They  knew how to have fun." Each picker was assigned a certain area to  harvest. After they filled their wooden boxes, they'd hoist them on their shoulders. "We'd give them a ticket and that's how they were paid," he said. The boxes were supposed to be free of cranberry vines, but some  pickers were not adverse to stuffing the bottom of their boxes with  vines and putting the berries on top. "It was backbreaking work," Crabbe said. "Lots of vines and leaves  had to be removed. You had to make sure when you filled the box it was  only berries. When I was out there, they always seemed to have a few cases of beer  in  a ditch. But no one would touch it until the end of the day."  The modern sorting machines at Double Trouble came about literally by accident. One worker named "Pegleg John" was carting a big box of cranberries on the second floor of the packing house. One day he stumbled and fell and the berries went bouncing down the stairs. "All the good berries went down the stairs," he said. "From that accident, they developed the sorting machines to separate the good berries from the bad ones. Berries that didn't bounce were thrown away." The Crabbes eventually abandoned the dry harvesting method using scoops and opted for mechanical harvesters called "knockers" because they knocked the berries from the vines. Workers then herded the berries into booms. The berries were pulled into shore, where they were  sucked out of the water by a conveyer belt, then transported to the packing house. "You can do all that with five people instead of 50," Crabbe said. The berries were packed by local women, primarily from Bayville, who were looking to earn a few extra dollars, Crabbe said. Time to sell By 1963, the Double Trouble Company was coming to an end. Taxes were rising and Mac Crabbe was getting tired. Dan Crabbe had graduated from Cornell University and become an engineer. "The company was just breaking even," Crabbe said. "My father was getting old. The family decided to sell the property." The state of New Jersey got a bargain. "We sold 1,500 acres for like $300,000," he recalled. After the sale, his father leased several bogs from the state and continued to harvest berries for the next seven years. "He made a little money with the wet harvesting," Crabbe said. Other farmers leased the Double Trouble bogs from the state for many decades after. But the last leaseholder opted out in 2011. Last autumn was the first time in more than 150 years there was no cranberry harvest. Crabbe hopes that will change this year. "It's not going to happen for awhile, until the economy turns around and the state gets somebody," he said. But he still goes back to Double Trouble about once a month, to walk the bogs and woods that are so much a part of his family's history. "It sent me to college," he said. "My kids all love Double Trouble. I just like to go and walk around there."

The Week Ahead in Bayville

Tuesday - Berkeley Township Council, 7 p.m., Town Hall, 627 Pinewald-Keswick Road. Caucus meeting starts at 7, immediately followed by regular meeting. Tuesday - The Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library presents "Here we are again! Kukla, Fran and Ollie!" Stop by for a look at the 1950s television show that a featured live, ad-libbed puppet show often watched by more adults than children. The event features a special video screening to celebrate the release of Volume 2 of Kukla, Fran and Ollie - The First Episodes, which ran from 1949-1954. Wednesday - The Berkeley Township Taxpayers Coalition will hold its 2nd annual free tax appeal seminar from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Berkeley branch of the Ocean County Library on 30 Station Road in Bayville. To register, call Sam Cammarato at 732-606-9008. Thursday - Central Regional Board of Education, 7 p.m. The meeting is held in the board meeting room in the Board of Education building in the back of the high school off Forest Hills Parkway in Bayville. Friday - The Berkeley Township V.F.W. Post 9503 will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at the Post building on Veterans Boulevard. Saturday - The Bayville Volunteer Fire Company will hold its annual St. Patrick's Day fundraiser at 7 p.m. at the firehouse at 645 Route 9 in Bayville. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. The menu features a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner. Each patron will receive a beer mug with admission which entitles them to as much beer as they want during the party. Ages 21 and up.

Berkeley Happenings for Week of March 5

  Monday - State Sen. Michael Doherty will discuss his fair school funding plan at 7:30 p.m. in the Central Regional Middle School cafeteria off Forest Hills Parkway in Bayville. The event is sponsored by the Berkeley Township Republican Club. Tuesday - Come celebrate the 100th birthday of the Oreo cookie at the Berkeley branch of the Ocean County Library at 30 Station Road in Bayville. Games, trivia, Oreo dunking and Oreo cookies are on the agenda. Showcase your skills and tricks. For ages 13-18. Thursday - Berkeley Township Board of Education, 6:30 p.m., Berkeley Township Elementary School at 10 Emory Road in Bayville. This may be Schools Superintendent Joseph H. Vicari's last board meeting. The funding for the annual Stokes State Forest trip may also be up for discussion. Thursday - Berkeley Township Historical Society, 7:30 p.m. Longtime resident Daniel Crabbe will discuss the cranberry industry at Double Trouble State Park. Thursday - Bingo night, sponsored by the Holiday City at Berkeley Bingo Club, Clubhouse #2, Port Royal Drive. Doors open at 5 p.m., bingo starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday - Full moon hike at Double Trouble State Park. 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Walk the cranberry bogs, trails and roads of historic Double Trouble at night. Meet in the parking lot of the park off Pinewald-Keswick Road. The hike is roughly 3 to 4 miles and is open to ages 9 and up. The fee is $6 per person. The hike is limited to 12 people.

Networking Wine Social

Join the OCBR housing opportunities committee on April 12th at the Bacchus Winery in Toms River from 530-7:00 p.m. for an evening of great food, wine and fun. Enjoy Hors D'oeuvres and fresh Panini's from Buccio's Gourmet Bistro!   click on the link to print out your invitation... Click here for the Invitation

THERE'S HOPE FOR US ALL! Bayville Couple Wins $1 Million in New Jersey Lottery Scratch-Off

MAYBE THEY WILL BUY A HOUSE!!

Help for Seniors

Click here for more info from my colleague Sandra RostekFebruary 29, 2012 by Wendy Trager Email: wendytrager@optonline.net.   It comes as no surprise that some of the hardest hit in this economy are seniors.  Homes seniors have been living in their whole adult life may now burdensome to pay for and upkeep.  Many seniors feel they have nowhere else to go.  Reverse Mortgages can be the solution for a variety of problems:

• To help seniors looking to downsize and finance the purchase of a smaller home.
• To help seniors facing foreclosure
• To help seniors suffering from job loss and unable to pay their mortgage
• To help with home repairs
• To help with sale of home
• To help a senior stay in their current home and pay for home healthcare

• The homeowners must 62 years old
• The home must be their principal residence (must live in the home more than half a year)
• The home must be a single family home, a 2-4 unit building or a federally approved condominium or planned unit development
• If there are debts against the home, then the homeowner must use the reverse mortgage to pay it off
• There are NO credit/income requirements

• Traditional mortgage or home equity loans require proof of sufficient income and credit history to qualify, and you will have to repay beginning within 30 days of closing.  With a reverse mortgage, there are no monthly payments to be made at any time during the loan for as long as you continue to occupy the home as a primary residence.  Since there is no monthly payment, the FHA does not require verification of your income and does not require a good credit rating. 

OTTERS ARE BACK!

  The North American river otter has made a comeback in the U.S., and Shore residents are spotting them along coastal rivers and estuaries.

Credit Dmitry Azovtsev

Credit South River Federation

CreditLaura Chariton

A playful, social animal, the river otter is not an uncommon sight along the Jersey Shore, especially in winter. What they are: Otters are mustelids, belonging to a group of mammals that includes weasels, mink and badgers. They’re specially adapted for life in and near lakes, rivers and estuaries, with long, streamlined bodies, a thick, insulated coat of fur and webbed feet on short legs. The species we see locally, the North American river otter, is light brown to black and can be between 2 and 3.5 feet long, weighing in between 10 and 30 pounds. A long, tapered tail makes up a third of an adult’s length. They have dark eyes and thick, long whiskers that help them sense their surroundings. A river otter’s diet consists mostly of fish, though they’re opportunistic carnivores, and will also eat crustaceans, mollusks, insects and even small birds and mammals. Fierce ambush hunters, otters can catch and kill fish up to half their own size. River otters are highly social, and form family groups centered around a female and her young. Adult males often gather in their own close social groups, though adults of both sexes have been known to attach themselves to unrelated otter families as “helpers.” While they’re far faster and more agile in water, otters are also known for being expert sliders on land. A muddy slope or ice- or snow-covered surface is a perfect substrate, and lets them move much faster than their stubby legs alone can carry them. Where to find them: River otters used to be abundant across most of the continent, wherever there were permanent bodies of water that offered an adequate food supply. They were extensively trapped for hundreds of years, but habitat loss is the main reason they’re far less common than they used to be. Otters need plenty of unspoiled waterfront acreage to thrive. Because they don’t dig their own dens in the banks of rivers, streams and brackish waterways, the areas where they live must also support complimentary species like beavers, muskrats and foxes, who do the digging for them. They’re also highly sensitive to pollution from PCBs and mercury. Development and environmental degradation led to population declines all over the country, but river otters have made a comeback since the mid 1900s thanks to conservation and reintroduction efforts. Today, they’re abundant enough to be given a “species of least concern” designation. New Jersey’s rivers, reservoirs and coastal estuaries are home to lots of river otters, but because they’re reclusive, many people don’t realize they’re around. From spring to fall, they tend to be nocturnal, but they’re much more active during the day in winter. Look for them in undeveloped waterfront areas, especially where there’s a steep bank, as opposed to a sloping sandy beach. Studying up on their tracks and scat may help you pinpoint likely otter habitats. I’ve seen otters swimming and playing in Manahawkin’s Mill Creek, and others I know have spotted them in the Metedeconk and Navesink rivers. Why bother: Otters are highly entertaining creatures. They seem to have a well-developed sense of play, and will swim and dive and chatter with companions and generally look like they’re having a great time. Because otters are shy and absent from highly populated areas, people are often surprised to learn that they live here at all – and that just makes it more satisfying when one pops up.

Mark the Date!!! Your Residential Real Estate Questions Answered.

Live Chat on Ustream.tv  by Lisa Alaimo of Better Homes Realty.  Present will be Michael J. Weber of Weber Law Offices in Howell, NJ.  Chat live and ask you real estate questions.  All Residential real estate questions and RE Legal Quesions. Re-sale, short sales, bank owned, foreclosure, condo's, town homes & rentals. Mark the date... March 1, 2012 at 7:PM You can email your request prior, we will respond on live chat and email you back with answers. Email to : LAlaimo@BetterHomesUS.com See you there... Channel Name:  BHRLisaalaimo or search on ustream.tv  NJrealestateagent   or just click the link below and save to your favorites. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/njrealestateagent Lisa Alaimo.. . .www.SearchHomesinNJ.com     for Michael Weber of Weber Law offices...  www.WeberLawOffices.com

Avoiding Foreclosure (Government information)

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/avoiding_foreclosure Call me with any questions. 800-531-2885 x 451 or email me at:  LAlaimo@BetterHomesUS.com  Better Homes Realty   Lisa Alaimo

Berkeley Swears in New Mayor on Sunday

Mayor-Elect Carmen F. Amato Jr. says his new administration will be more open and accessible to the public once he takes over on New Year's Day.