Going to the beach anytime soon? Don’t forget to pack binoculars

because there’s a very goodchance you’ll catch a glimpse of aplayful pod of bottlenose dol-

phins.If you’re really lucky, you might see a bar-

nacle-covered humpback whale.“If you see a mermaid, definitely send a

picture,” joked Bob Schoelkopf, founder andexecutive director of the Marine MammalStranding Center in Brigantine.

The bottlenose dolphins come to New Jer-sey waters in the spring to birth and stay thewhole summer, feeding on assorted baitfish.They’ll come right into the surf and backbays.

“If you go offshore, you’ll see 50 of themtogether. Then they break off into familygroups of five to 10 dolphin and come rightinto the inlets,” said Schoelkopf.

Bottlenose dolphins can grow up to 10 to 14feet, weigh over a thousand pounds and trav-el at speeds of 18 mph in the ocean. Theircurved mouths give the impression that theyare smiling.

“You’ll see their dorsal fin and head comeout of the water to breathe. If you don’t seetheir heads come out, then it’s not a dolphin,”said Schoelkopf.

It could be a shark. There are several types of sharks that are

typically docile — among them sand tiger

Aquatic visitors

COURTESY OF G. AARON NOORIGIAN, WALL

A humpback whale breaches off Spring Lake. The landmark Essex and Sussex Condominiums is in the background.

ASBURY PARK PRESS APP.COM $1.00

MONDAY 07.06.15

VOLUME 136

NUMBER 160

SINCE 1879

ADVICE 5CBUSINESS 8ACLASSIFIED 7CCOMICS 6CLOCAL 3A

LOTTERIES 2AOBITUARIES 9AOPINION 11ASPORTS 1DWEATHER 8D

GREEKS TELL EUROPE ‘NO’ ON AUSTERITY DEMANDS. WHAT’S NEXT? PAGE 1B

Bottlenose dolphins come to New Jersey waters in the spring to birth and

stay the whole summer. They’ll come right into the surf and back bays.

See VISITORS, Page 6A

DAN RADEL @DANIELRADELAPP

This summer, you may see dolphins, sharks— or maybe even whales — swimming by

It was a superstorm Sandy double-whammy.About 15,600 rental units in New Jersey sustained se-

vere damage during the hurricane, forcing thousands ofrenters out of their homes. These newly homeless ten-ants quickly learned that they were priced out of the ma-jority of available rental homes that survived the storm.

A new, $700 million Sandy federal aid program de-signed to increase affordable housing was supposed tohelp address their predicament. But that’s not what’shappening in Monmouth and Ocean counties, where theprogram is being used to build more senior housing —leaving many displaced families still scrambling for anaffordable place to live.

BOB BIELK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Mike McNeil, executive director of STEPS (Solutions to EndPoverty Soon), talks with staffers Angela Caldwell (center),intake specialist, and Lynne Liotino, vice president.

Can thepoor affordto live atthe Shore?RUSS ZIMMER @RUSSZIMMER

See POOR, Page 5A

TOMS RIVER — Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Gras-so has faced tough choices during his career.

And the right choice isn’t always the popular one, hesaid.

For instance, Grasso figured his 2010 order prohib-iting prayer at the start of Point Pleasant Beach Bor-ough Council meetings wouldn’t go over too well.

“I understand people’s religious beliefs, but the is-sue was what it was,” Grasso said recently during aninterview in his chambers. “I see the issue as separation

Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso, theassignment judge for the Ocean Countyvicinage, has retired.

Revered Oceanjurist steps down KATHLEEN HOPKINS @KHOPKINSAPP

See GRASSO, Page 5A

Even when the fireworks weren’t going off, the long Fourth ofJuly weekend was a spectacular time for Shore area tourism,happy businesses and local officials proclaim. Page 3A

Local

Weekend wasfull of booms

Game result rocks Shore area viewing party. 3A