When we first heard about the jet that had left Atlantic City International yesterday morning and crashed in high winds in Minnesota, it seemed a sure bet that the victims were probably gamblers on their way home from a casino trip. Flights like that come in and out of AC all the time. But soon, it became clear this was a tragedy that would hit close to home. And as the day wore on, it hit closer and closer. Airport workers were talking early about the passengers who had driven in and left their cars for the day. The passengers were headed to see a a company that produced glass for towers like the new World Trade Center Building, which seemed like business not pleasure. The focus quickly turned to Revel Entertainment, the barely 2-year-old Morgan Stanley company run by the personal Kevin DeSanctis that is forging ahead with a mammoth $2.5 billion casino just above Showboat on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, and Tishman, its general contractor. Sadly, the eight people killed on the jet included three top Revel exceuctives (not DeSanctis) and a Tishman project manager, Karen Sandland, 44, of Galloway. Construction workers at the site, where eight cranes tower over a city of cement, but no glass facades, noted the irony of the tragedy, that it hit not the workers with their hard hats who seem to risk their lives every day, but the top execs on the business trip. They predicted the tragedy would not slow their work for a minute, given the pressures already upon them. At Revel's offices on Atlantic Avenue, stunned employees of Revel and Tishman walked in and out, some holding their heads in their hands. For some, the victims were colleagues, neighbors and friends. The two pilots killed turned out to be local as well, from the Bethlehem area, where the charter jet company is based. And the two remaining victims worked for a glass company in Glassboro but lived at the shore. They were Alan Barnett of Absecon and Marc Rosenberg, of Margate. Rosenberg and his wife, Patti, are well known in Margate, prominent and generous, serving on boards of various local agencies like Jewish Family Services. They have two children, a daughter in college and an an older son. Last night, an aunt of Patti's said the family could not yet speak about the tragedy. "It's just too soon," she said. Around their house in Margate, friends and family were arriving late into the night, milling about the front steps, an air of stopped time surrounding the corner house. Driving by, you might have thought it was another typical summer gathering a few blocks from the beach at the shore. But, if you knew, the pain was palpable.

Here's the story from today's paper.

Tony Wood, an expert in many things but especially air mass transition, or lack thereof, puts the science behind the summer in this excellent story from Sunday's paper. Tony explains why the hot weather and southerly winds have kept the ocean temps frigid. Seems like this is one of the hottest summers on record, although personally, at the shore, even without air conditioning, I've experienced worse. But those relentlessly cold ocean temps _ Saturday kind of wasn't too bad, probably mid to high 60s, but Sunday was back around 60, if that _ that is something I don't ever remember. The closest experience I've had was growing up where the Olympic sized town pool had a leak in it and was therefore always cold. In any case, Saturday was probably the best beach day in a long while, despite an extremely inauspicious beginning in which a freakishly sudden and intense thunder storm blew over the area at primetime Shore Boardwalk Getting our Exercise Hour, around 8:30 a.m. Comically chaotic attempts at shelter and rescue ensued. Joggers huddled wherever they could, and, as is the way of today, phoned their people with borrowed cell phones for pickup. No rest for those with the sense to be at home drinking coffee. It was truly a Boardwalk clearing storm. Up at the Hilton in Atlantic City, dozens of people were huddled under the awnings with their bikes and soggy sneakers. The beach blocks, meanwhile, looked like some kind of college move-in day or something, with everyone's hatchback thrown open and bikes being loaded in. Was amusing, and, really, downright collegial...I tried to snap a picture of the chaos, but pressing concerns from a 13-year-old on a bike and her running dad prevented anything but a blur. But as soon as the rain lightened up, above, joggers were back in business..

It wasn't that many years ago that the historic Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary had become a joke. Despite its illustrous history as a mecca for bird watchers dating back to 1947, in recent years, the birds had abandoned the place and, adding insult to injury, taken up residence in Avalon's Armacost Park some three dozen blocks to the north. At that time, there wasn't a bird to be found at the Bird Sanctuary, but lots of cats and other predators. In any case, I was a little skeptical today when I drove down to Stone Harbor to see for myself the effects of a new rehabilitation project, complete with new pathways and a nifty sign in book to record your sightings. I'll be writing more on this for the paper, but suffice to say, consider me convinced. The birds are back in town. That place was hopping. And chirping. I walked down the new Meadow Path off of Third Avenue, north of 114th Street, and at the end of the path, there they were. Two magnificent Black-crowned Night Herons (at least I think they were black-crowned night herons, though i first wrote blue-crowned night heron, a species that an alert colleague pointed out does not exist, see below) and what I think was a snowy egret behind them in another tree. Acting like they owned the joint, which, I guess, they do, once again. It was a great sight, and consider me blown away. There were also a bunch of willets flying around, and I think the yellow-rumped warbler that is drawn to the waxed bayberries. Plus some Monarchs thrown in for full effect. All in all, it's been a great summer for birds. The ospreys who nest on either side of the Margate Bridge and along the Inside Thoroughfare of Absecon Island have been plentiful and hanging in plain sight all summer, so don't forget to look as you drive by. Plus, the turtles that used to get smashed all summer long are now blocked from the causeway by a long stretch of fencing installed this season by volunteers and turtle lovers as young as 10. And in late June, my daughter and I saw an American Bald Eagle in a tree during a whale watching boat tour (no whales, lots of dolphins).

UPDATE: For some beautiful drawings of birds, including a young Black-crowned Night Heron from Cape May Point State Park, here is a link to a website of art by Ken Januski, my above-referenced alert and shore-bird-savvy colleague who saved me from further wrong-headed night heron identification embarassment.

Previously...on Downashore:
Main man Tony breaks it down
Venice, and San Francisco, in Ventnor
All the moms are surfing...
Condolences..

Photo by Edward Lea, Press of Atlantic City

And in the 11th week of the summer season, the ocean warmed. Sorry if you're stuck, as we say on the island, offshore, but the last two days, the ocean has been in the mid 70's, like it oughta be. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to linger in the surf more than, say, 30 seconds to dunk. It's been kind of a still, dry heat and that awful land breeze, but out in the water, things are fine (though calm). For really like the first time all summer. Strange one, 2008. The warming ocean came in time for a fine performance by the Ventnor women's lifeguard team last night, including the newest Howarth to tear it up, 16-year-old Mackenzie Howarth, riding a wave and sprinting the last ten yards to win the ocean swim at the Cape-Atlantic Women's Lifeguard Invitational. Edward Lea's full photo gallery from the event is here.
The lifeguard races, by the way, are great to watch, lots of excitement and celebration and impressive performances by your favorite lifeguards. Next up are the South Jersey Invitationals, this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Suffolk Avenue beach in Ventnor, the major event for bragging rights, and the Goudy Rescue Races, which are fun as lifeguards race with weighted duffles to simulate rescues, Aug. 15th, at 6:30 p.m., also at Suffolk Avenue in Ventnor. LBI has its own lifeguard tournament on August 9th on the 68th street beach.
Here's a goofy little video from last year's Goudy's...

Previously, on Downashore:

Black Crowned Night Herons in Stone Harbor...like they own the joint

Organizers were hoping for a few clouds to lure people from the beach to the screen this weekend, as the first annual Downbeach Film Festival, the baby of veteran shore reporter William Sokolic, kicks off with an impressive lineup. Well, looks pretty sunny until Sunday, but on the cool side. So check out their updated schedule information here, my story on the festival is here. Red carpet arrivals (seriously) begin at 7 p.m. at the Margate Performing Arts Center, 7804 Amherst Avenue, tonight followed by The Man From Earth, and an after party at nearby Sofia's. I'm thinking Phoebe in Wonderland at 4 p.m., Saturday, with cool cats Patricia Clarkson, Felicity Huffman and Bill Pullman, and Stuck at 8:30 p.m. Kevin Smith is receiving an award Saturday night at Resorts. Some of the actors, directors and producers will be in town or on the beach, but probably all ending up at Tomatoes for the after-after party. Or maybe Maynards?

Previously, on Downashore:

A warm ocean, at last, lifeguard races tonight, and another Howarth tears it up

UPDATE on Wednesday...I really love this picture from last year's airshow, complete with man, beach and fighter jets. If anyone gets any similar pictures from this year's air show today and wants to email them to me at arosenberg@phillynews.com, and I'll be glad to post them on the blog. Although I have contacts who will be floating out in the ocean on a hobie cat off the coast of Ventnor to watch the action, I'll be in Sea Isle, a safe distance away...

It's Air Show week at the Jersey Shore, and that means, lots of seemingly close calls at the beach beginning yesterday, resuming this morning with a vengeance (I've been startled a dozen times already today by the noise of the practicing jets circling over my house, reflexibly ducking). The first year they did this, people were terrified by the unexpected practice runs that started on the Sunday before. I swear, those jets flew so low I think they clipped the basketball net on my garage. It's not really my cup of tea, this fighter-jet-for-show thing. But, I've learned, people love this stuff, people near and dear to me, even, and hundreds of thousands will no doubt pack the beaches and boats around Atlantic City on Wednesday as they've done the last few years. As for me, and my nervous pooches, we just huddle inside, where it appears to be safe. More information is here. Photo credit and more photos are here.