by EMILY SZPAK Social Media Coordinator
The staff here at The Falconer’s Voice took their first field trip of the year on September 30, 2013, to Seaside, after the devastating fire hit the boardwalk.
Last year in late October, Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, having disastrous effect on Seaside. Almost all of the boardwalk was destroyed, along with the hundreds of businesses that occupy it.
We were stronger then the storm and had rebuilt a lot of the town. However, two weeks ago on September 12, a fire ripped apart the newly built boardwalk, taking out several businesses yet again. Seaside cannot catch a break.
The Journalism 2 class took an educational field trip to Seaside Heights to survey the damage. We left MTHS at 8am on our journey to document the devastation that has overcome the town so close to us.
When we arrived, it was clear that the papers and news channels did not lie. The entire half of the boardwalk in Seaside Park was destroyed by the inferno.
Because we were unable to get too close the disaster zone, we could only gape from afar. Under tight security, with high fences and law enforcement on scene, journalism’s only option was to ask police to take us closer. However, because of the danger, we were not allowed to move any closer for our own safety.
Regardless of our predicament, our class took tons of pictures from the streets, and the damage was still quite visible.
Our class decided we had seen enough of the blaze’s destruction and made our way up to Seaside Heights to see how they have restored since Superstorm Sandy. The pier was still under construction, but has come a long way in its efforts to return to normal.
The boardwalk was not very busy, but it was a late September Day. However, Seaside seemed like a ghost town. A few businesses were open, but it did not look like they were very occupied with customers.
After a long day of devastation, we decided to let loose a little, and make our way to the Shore Store, the store famous for being featured on MTV’s hit show “Jersey Shore”. Lucky for us, they were giving tours of the actual Jersey Shore house the show was filmed in, and we were able to get it for a discounted price. The chaperones decided to sit back while we bonded over some great “Jersey Shore” memories as we toured the famous house.
After a long day of fun, we finally grabbed some lunch at a lonely pizza place, and some frozen yogurt at a little candy shop.
Overall, it was a successful day in Seaside. We saw a lot of the devastation firsthand, which provided a great opportunity for us to appreciate what the town had gone through when we otherwise would not have had the chance.
Do you think Seaside is going to get back on their feet in time for next summer, or ever for that matter?
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