Forgetting for a moment that the calendar says there is still three more weeks of it and today might be the hottest day of it summer unofficially ended at the Jersey Shore yesterday. 

Kevin Williams on the final unofficial day of summer in Seaside Park
Kevin Williams on the final unofficial day of summer in Seaside Park (Townsquare Media NJ)
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Labor Day is the exclamation point on the end of the summer season for most and what has always struck me is the finality of the day.  For many it’s the last time they will head to the beach even if September is the best month of the year.

In many towns lifeguards have put the equipment away for the final time and badge checkers are done for the season. It may be free to go to the beach but swim at your own risk.

Growing up in Seaside Heights I remember Labor Day was welcomed by some but often dreaded by those who made their living from tourists.  Sure there are still some decent weekends left but it’s not quite the same as July & August.  I can still remember the old Barney’s Fish & Chips on the boulevard and DuPont Avenue.

They had a sign which would count down the number of days till Labor Day starting Memorial Day weekend and once it got to single digits you knew it was all but over.  I also remember that on the day after Labor Day you could stand on the boulevard and go minutes without seeing a car.  One day it was jammed and the next it was a ghost town.

Times clearly have changed but the first Monday in September still marks the end of one thing and the beginning of the next for many.  Some of those lifeguards working the beaches yesterday will be dressed a bit more formally today when they report for their first day of school.

Today for most school districts in New Jersey is when teachers and staff report for orientation with students to follow later in the week.  Routines change drastically as do traffic patterns in our local area.  While beach towns will largely be void of traffic many local roadways will once again be filled with school buses and drivers need to pay special attention to children walking to and from school.

It’s such a contrast from the start of summer which seems to arrive in waves beginning in mid-May until the school year ends.  However the end is like one giant wave crashing down and that wave arrived for most on Monday.

 

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