Matawan to host second SharkFest on Saturday
BY JOHN SUTTON
Correspondent

Richard Fernicola, author of "Twelve Days of Terror," will sign books and lead guided bus tours of the 1916 Matawan shark attack sites at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. at Saturday's SharkFest.

MATAWAN - When the word shark was mentioned in Matawan during the summer of 1916, it struck immediate fear and dread in residents. On Saturday, the public will be reminded of the attacks that caused that fear, but this time, it will be with an educational approach.

The borough will host the second annual SharkFest 4-9 p.m. at the Matawan Community Center and Terhune Park, Broad and South streets. The day will begin with a 3 p.m. memorial service at Rose Hill Cemetery at the graves of Lester Stillwell and Watson Stanley Fisher, who both lost their lives on July 13, 1916, in a shark attack in Matawan Creek.

Dr. Richard G. Fernicola, author of the book "Twelve Days of Terror," which was the basis for a documentary of the same name, will be at the event. Fernicola will be signing copies of his book, presenting the documentary, which has been shown on the Discovery Channel, and guiding tours throughout Matawan that will point out the sequence of events from 1916.

Fernicola's presence at the event adds a recognizable name and notoriety to the event, said Sharen Laporta, a trustee with the Matawan Alliance and the event chair for SharkFest. Fernicola is able to draw people from areas beyond the borough, such as Philadelphia, New England and even England, Laporta said.

"He adds the historic education of what happened," Laporta said. "He is considered to be the expert on that particular history, the shark attacks of 1916, not just in Matawan, but the other attacks that happened along the Jersey Shore."

"Twelve Days of Terror" will be airing at various times throughout the day along with documentaries produced by a dive team called Dive the Voyager, along with the Shark Research Institute, of Princeton. The goal of the documentaries is to educate those in attendance about diving with sharks in the Northeast.

"It adds a really great balance to the event because obviously the shark attacks of 1916 draw a lot of fear," Laporta said. "One thing is that we're trying not to create fear and have people not swim in the ocean. So, it's great to have these experts presenting expeditions diving with sharks to the audience."

The educational aspect of the event is something that is new this year, Laporta said. It will not only focus on shark education, but will also provide Matawan residents with a chance to learn more about the history of their town.

Jenkinson's Aquarium will also provide activities for children 4-8 years old, offering a little something for shark enthusiasts of all ages to do. To end the day, the band C.O.D. will perform 7-9 p.m. There will also be rides and vendors to round out the multifaceted event.

At the end of the day, Laporta hopes that residents will walk away having learned a little bit more about the town they live in. The attacks are a unique piece of history that they can hold on to.

"This is one particular piece of history that has a lot of notoriety," Laporta said. "It has the intention to have people come and learn about the history of Matawan and be interested in it. They can see the importance of it and hopefully preserve it."

A portion of the proceeds from the event will go toward a memorial to the victims of the 1916 shark attack. A rain date is scheduled for Sunday.

For more information, call the Matawan Alliance at (732) 765-9739 or e-mail thematawanalliance@

yahoo.com.