Obama Visits Point Beach Boardwalk Tuesday Afternoon

President Obama checked out a world-breaking sand castle, won a stuffed, brown bear playing a football boardwalk game and high fived lots of kids while he made a short visit to Point Pleasant Beach early Tuesday afternoon on his way to speak in Asbury Park.

Gov. Christie won the brown bear at the "Touchdown Fever" game on the boardwalk and gave it to Obama as a gift since Obama's favorite team is the Chicago Bears.

Obama and Gov. Christie arrived at the boardwalk at about 12:10 p.m. and was met by a wet but cheering crowd. He flashed his signature wide grin and said, "We'll be back."

He went to talk to Ed Jarrett, a sculptor building the a world record breaking sand castle on Jenkinson's beach. Jarrett said later that Obama had apparently learned about the ongoing effort to build the castle and asked him specific, detailed questions about the process and when it would be completed.

"I got five minutes of fame with the president, I felt honored and humbled," said Jarrett, looking amazed and awed shortly after Obama left. "It wasn't until this morning that I was told he was coming and that he wanted to meet me.

"He asked me, 'What is your biggest concern with building this?' " Jarrett said.

"I smiled and said that until today, it was thunder and lightning," Jarrett said. "But this morning a bulldozer moving sand on the beach shook the ground and I lost the top eight feet and we have to do that again.

"I didn't interview him, he interviewed me, that's awesome," Jarrett said.

Before losing that eight feet, Jarrett was already 14 feet beyond his last world record, which was for a castle he built in Connecticut.

Jarrett said he talked to officials at Jenkinson's about bulldozers on the beach.

"Yes, I talked to them and everyone is well on board about the bulldozers," he said, smiling. Jenkinson's is allowing Jarrett to use the beach for free.

Obama and Christie then played "Touchdown Fever," a boardwalk game across from the giant sand castle and a few doors south of Jenkinson's Aquarium. Obama pulled out his wallet and paid for the game. Christie wound up winning the game, but handed the prize, a brown bear to Obama and Obama held it up to show the crowd.

Mark Malland, who was working the stand, explained later that Christie gave Obama the bear because it's a "Chicago Bear," aka the president's favorite team.

Obama then shook hands with folks waiting behind police lines on both sides of the boardwalk. He greeted, shook hands and "high fived" groups of children who had gone on field trips to the aquarium and then stuck around for the extra bonus of meeting the president.

Marta Castillo was among those in the large crowd anxiously awaiting Obama's arrival. Castillo, who lives on Ocean Avenue in Point Beach, said she had voted for Obama twice.

"I think he's the best president we've ever had, he's done a lot for us," she said. "I'm so excited to see him. I hope I get his picture. I came close in Washington D.C. three years ago, I got his car, but I just missed him."

Castillo had been waiting on a gray, cool day for Obama and even when it began to rain, she said she didn't mind.

"I dressed up for him," she said, pointing to her dress.

Ocean Avenue and Broadway were closed for a while on Tuesday, as local and state police covered the area in anticipation of the president's visit.

Point Beach police and numerous other law enforcement officials were outside a house next to Jenkinson's Aquarium on the boardwalk this morning.

Orange traffic cones had been positioned since early Tuesday morning in front of residential and commercial driveways along portions of Route 35 South and mammoth trucks are parked at numerous intersections along Ocean Avenue, most notably near the Jenkinson's amusements and aquarium.

Numerous local police, state police and Lakewood police were in the Silver Lake lot on Arnold and Ocean avenues, foot patrols were lining much of those roads in addition to Broadway and yesterday orange barrels were positioned along Ocean and Broadway to prevent cars from parking on both sides. There were also federal government vehicles and more law enforcement in the Jenkinson's Aquarium lot.

Point Beach Mayor Vincent Barrella had said Tuesday morning that he had not received official confirmation that Obama would stop in the town and that if he does, he will not be on hand to greet him since Barrella has to leave for Asbury Park.

Barrella said he was invited to a meet and greet with Obama in Asbury Park, as well as to hear him address a large crowd at Convention Hall there, and had to be at Convention Hall early. So, he said, he could not stay in Point Beach to see if Obama arrived or to greet him there or he would be late for his designated arrival time in Asbury Park.

Jarrett said Christie said he would be back, possibly for the ribbon cutting celebrating the completion of the sand castle. Jarrett said he hopes to be done and have that ceremony at the end of June, but that no specific date has been set.

Patch is continuing to update this story with words and photos, so please stay tuned. Thank you.