Lacey Residents Brave Heat Wave At Township Beaches

The heat is not stopping Lacey. Despite a heat index of 109 degrees, residents are still braving the scorching temperatures and cooling off at the township’s beaches.

Lake Barnegat and Cedar Creek have been seeing just as many beachgoers as the heat rises, lifeguards Nicole Fenton, 17, and Austin Cabilowicz, 18, both of Lanoka Harbor said.

“I like to get outside if I can during the summer,” Maureen Sluk of Forked River said.

“It’s a beautiful place to spend the afternoon,” her husband John added. “The kids have a great time sitting on the beach with their feet in the water.”

Sluk prefers the township beaches to her air conditioned home, she said.

“We come because of the shady trees and the proximity to our home,” Sluk said.

Sluk ran into Lake Barnegat as soon as she arrived to cool down.

“I usually look for warm spots. Today, I’m looking for the cold spots,” she said.

Fenton, a lifeguard at Lake Barnegat noticed that parents, who usually relax on the sand, have been going in the water more often.

At Cedar Creek, most residents usually sunbathe, but nearly everyone was in the water today, Cabilowicz said.

“We came to keep cool. It’s way too hot,” Bonnie Boyle of Lanoka Harbor said. Boyle also prefers the creek to her air conditioned home

“It’s either one or the other,” she said. “It’s nice as long as we have this tree.”

With Deerhead Lake closed by the county due to high bacteria levels, the township has added a lifeguard to the Lake Barnegat beach to shorten the shifts.

Lake Barnegat typically has two lifeguards on 30-minute shifts. Today, there are three on 20-minute shifts.

Fenton and Cabilowicz recommend drinking a lot of water, wearing sunscreen, jumping in the water, and staying in the shade and out of the sun.

Fortunately, neither beach has experienced any issues so far with residents becoming dehydrated or overheated.

Between some rain and wind heading our way, it looks like it may cool down just a bit in time for the weekend.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high neary 89. A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. West wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 91. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Calm wind between 4 and 7 mph.

Where to go to stay cool:

• Lacey Library
  10 East Lacey Road, Forked River
  Hours: Monday – Thursday, 9a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• 
  44 Manchester Avenue, Forked River
  Hours: Monday-Friday, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices
  349 Route 9, Lanoka Harbor
  Hours: Monday-Sunday, noon to 10 p.m.

• Forked River Diner
  317 S. Main Street, Forked River
  Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 24 hours.

• The frozen food isle at ShopRite
  319 Devon Street, Forked River
  Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.