House Parties

Another Nor’easter washed out the boardwalk and it cost the town $23,000 in repairs. The state had been discussing moving sand from the south side of the Manasquan Inlet to Sea Girt. 25 years of the fixed Squan inlet had stolen about half of Sea Girt’s sand, and Mayor Doyle lobbied hard for some relief.

Another storm was brewing at Borough Hall. Group rentals were the subject of complaints. 150 people showed up at the July 1961 Council meeting.

House parties and group rentals were unwelcomed (Vintage Photos)

They had already addressed some of the issues with the boarding houses. Baltimore Blvd. was restricted with no overnight parking to limit partygoers at the Holly House, and the Parker House stopped men in Bermuda shorts and sleeveless t-shirts from entering the premises on weekends, to avoid attracting the ‘wrong crowd’. Their problem now extended beyond the boarding houses, to individual homes.

Someone had counted 23 groups of mostly young people renting houses. Residents pushed for an ordinance that would prevent group rentals of single-family homes and restrict the renting to families. There were complaints of discarded bottles and ‘petting parties in vehicles’. One woman testified that she walked past two pairs of dirty feet sticking out of a car window one morning.

Publicity Shot for Chubby Checker and the Twist

Loud noise, speeding, and loose dogs were the other complaints.

Thomas Black III who was Police Commissioner calmed the room. The former lifeguard and lifetime resident noted that the added stop signs at each intersection had reduced speeding in town by 96% and the police for the first time had a 24-hour patrol with two police cars. They were picking up many loose dogs and fining the owners. One dog was arrested eight times and released to its owner who paid the $3 fine each time.

As for the group rentals and penalties, the town attorney, Paul Cramner warned the town that fines needed to be reasonable in order for them to be legal, and the limits they placed on private property owners needed to respect their rights of ownership.

While the residents were satisfied with that change, they became quite upset at the actions on the west side of town. Villa Roma Pizza of Belmar opened another location on Rt.71 across from the old Country Club House, now a Koos furniture store. Villa’s owner emptied the parking lot of cars each weekend and blasted Chubby Checker’s Twist along with other popular dance music to attract teens. Dancing was not permitted at the restaurant, and the owners were fined for multiple violations. Residents wanted the parking in front of their homes restored and for it to be quiet after 10PM. Boro Superintendent Clarence Cornielus brought charges against the owner.