Community Corner

Sad, But Hopeful In Point Pleasant Beach

The boardwalk is a chewed-up mess; and the devastation has spread. But a woman who has a summer house in Point Beach is hopeful.

Antoinette Lauletta felt devastated, a word too often used ever since Hurricane Sandy slammed into Point Beach and the Jersey Shore.

But she also used a word that's been rarely, if ever used throughout this whole mess: Hopeful.

"We're very heartbroken," she said. "But the pictures we saw were also encouraging, because it looks like a lot of the houses are still on their foundation."

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Lauletta has a summer house on Inlet Drive in Point Beach, across from the Shrimp Box. She saw the pictures on Patch of the Boardwalk wrinkled and crumpled.

She lives in Brooklyn, but a part of her is still in Point Pleasant Beach, where she usually stays with her family from spring until Thanksgiving.

Find out what's happening in Point Pleasantwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She's not there now, because she knew she had to get out. She's glad that she did, but it's still hard, "because the toughest part is seeing if they're OK."

But a couple photos made her forget what she's heard elsewhere. Unlike other towns, there is still a community, as there always was.

There is still a place to have Thanksgiving, even if she's not going it there this time. There's something left of the boardwalk, even if a bunch of it is gone.

But it will be repaired, she believes, and become a place once again where she will be able to walk with her family.

"We're not gong to be down there for a while," she said. "But we're very encouraged."


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