Exit Zero Broadsheet 2014

Exit Zero A SPECIAL BROADSHEET EDITION OF EXIT ZERO... CAPE MAY’S SPRIGHTLY SHEET

¯

SUMMER 2014

¯

$1

Welcome To Another Special Edition Of Our Big Broadsheet You are holding in your hands the second annual broadsheet issue of Exit Zero. We published this special edition last year to celebrate our 10th year in existence. It was such a big hit that we’ve decided to make it an annual event.

If this is your first time seeing this issue, here are a few pointers...

1. We’re a LOT bigger than our regular edition — almost four times the size. This is because, to celebrate the historical legacy

The Experts’ Guide To Tipping

BY DIANE STOPYRA You come to Cape May to relax, so it’s easy to forget that while you’re here, you’ll be navigating an etiquette minefield. The sweat beading on the back of your neck? That’s because you’re keeping a busy bellhop waiting while you fumble through your wallet, realizing you haven’t got the slightest idea how much to cough up. Those eyes you’re getting from the bartender? It may be that she wants your number.

Or it may be that your boob of a friend left a three percent tip when he closed your tab.

It’s a tradition that’s been around since the 17th century, yet we haven’t exactly got tipping pinned down. Even Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook and one of America’s youngest billionaires, has come under fire for his itty-bitty gratuities. (Although, in all fairness, he was traveling overseas at the time, where tipping is a different beast.) But what’s the excuse of Sean Penn, Britney Spears and Billy Joel, who’ve also been called below average tippers? Here on American soil, says Daniel Post Senning, a great-great grandson of Emily Post and co-author of Emily Post’s Etiquette, 18th Edition, tipping is “a part of the social contract, indicative of generosity of spirit and good manners.” And, at least until we establish minimum wage laws that protect service industry workers, it’s also a “firm expectation.”

It is widely believed that TIP is an acronym for “To Ensure Prompt Service,” but that’s an urban myth (never mind the Continued On Page 2

of Cool Cape May, we wanted to look and feel like an old Cape May newspaper from the 19th century. This theme is carried through into our ads, which were brilliantly executed by our graphic designer Doree Bardes.

2. This issue ain’t free! Why? Because we spoil you enough with the weekly edition. You can’t get EVERYTHING for free! It’s still a bargain at $1!

3. What you’ll find throughout these pages is a selection

of some of our favorite articles of the past year or two, which we feel provide a useful, inspiring package that’s meant to help you get the best out of your Cape May vacation — or your everyday life, if you’re lucky enough to be a local.

As always, feel free to write to me with suggestions, comments and general observations at jack@exitzero.us.

Enjoy the issue. Enjoy Cool Cape May. JACK WRIGHT Editor/Publisher

America’s Best Beach Town Continues To Get Accolades

Beautiful beaches, gorgeous architecture, fine restaurants (supplied by one of the nation’s biggest fishing ports)... no wonder America’s oldest beach resort is also its best. Aleksey Moryakov

In the July color issue of Exit Zero — on stands now! — we ran a story on Cape May in the news. We stuck to all of the flashiest headlines, everything from famous kidnappings to Cape May getting a mention on AMC’s iconic series Mad Men. We didn’t have space to list all of the awards and accolades our town and its accommodations have received in recent years, so we’ve put together a short round-up here… a small reminder of just how cool Cool Cape May really is.

1976: Cape May is awarded National Historic Landmark Status.

2012: Budget Travel lists Cape May among the 10 “coolest small towns” in America.

2013: Cape May is named fifth best beach town in America (above Amelia, Florida) by Parents magazine. “This is the first time we looked at entire towns,” said author and Parents contributing editor Karen Cicero, “and it’s important because families want to experience not just a resort or beach, but all a place has to offer.”

2013: TripAdvisor names Sunset Beach 24th best beach in the nation.

2013: Cape May is designated the second best beach in

the nation and the ninth best in the world, beating out Costa Rica and Bora Bora, according to the Traveler’s Choice Best Beach Awards, given by TripAdvisor. Says the write-up: “Yes, Cape May is, technically, on the Jersey Shore. But it’s the antithesis of the Jersey Shore you’ll see on TV — instead of nightclubs and tanning parlors, you’ll find Victorian mansions and a famous lighthouse.”

2013: Albert Stevens Inn on Myrtle Avenue is named 18th best B&B in the world, according to TripAdvisor.

2013: The Mission Inn is named 25th best bed and break-

fast in the country, according to TripAdvisor. “We celebrated with a hug and a kiss,” says owners Susan Babineau-Roberts and Raymond Roberts.

“We’re so busy with the inn, we didn’t have time for much else!”

2013: Cape May is featured in a National Geographic article on Best Spring Trips, keeping the company of Jaipur, India and Waikato, New Zealand.

2013: Cape May is home to two of the 10 best hotels in all of Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, according to Condé Nast Traveler. They rank the Virginia Hotel number two and Congress Hall num-

ber seven. Both are properties of Cape Resorts, the group that also operates the Rusty Nail and Beach Shack, and The Chelsea in Atlantic City.

2014: Out magazine lists Cape May as one of the five best honeymoon destinations in the world, along with Lake Como, Italy and Aruba. Wallethub. com also lists Cape May among its 100 best honeymoon destinations in the country, using data collected from the US Census Bureau, Yelp, and TripAdvisor.

2015: World domination.

Enjoy your vacation!

SEE PAGE 28 FOR THE BEST CAPE MAY MONEY-SAVING OFFER YOU’VE EVER SEEN!

Exit Zero

Page 2 year to the nearly five million Americans whose livelihoods depend on them — and to fact that the initial letters don’t some whose livelihoods don’t. make sense). The word began Who, when, and how much as a verb long before acroare questions not always easily nyms became popular, when answered. To take some of the European customers would guesswork out of your vacatoss coins, or “drink money,” at tion, we’ve put together a guide servers as a way to quell their to tipping on Cape Island, with envy and invite them to share the help of local employees in the fun. (minus their last names, to American visitors brought protect the innocent) and some the tradition back with them just experts. Because, as the saying after the Civil War in order to goes, tipping is not just a city in show off their travel savviness, China. but the custom wasn’t exactly The Server: Theresa warmly received. A moveWeirdest tip: “Jesus loves you” ment against tipping began in pamphlets. the 1890s, and an organization Worst tip: Stiffed altogether. called the Anti-Tipping Society Best tip: $500 on a $2,000 of America, which pledged not dinner. to tip anyone for a year, grew to Remember: Verbal tips don’t be 100,000 strong. The New York Times denounced the practice as count. And your server is often “a hangover of Old World flun- responsible for tipping out keyism,” while the Itching Palm bussers and bartenders, so — a popular manifesto of the shorting one can mean shorttime — called it “the price that ing all.

Expert Verdict: Says Senning: one American is willing to pay to induce another American to “I advise 15 to 20 percent now.”

“We don’t guarantee a living acknowledge inferiority.”

But the idea that tipping wage for servers.” Meaning? was a vile first step toward an Your waitress might be earning aristocratic society didn’t take $2.15 an hour and a paycheck hold. Six states did succeed in that’s been entirely voided by passing anti-tipping legisla- taxes. For this reason, no mattion, some that labeled solicit- ter how terrible your service, ing or receiving a tip a mis- it’s important never to go below demeanor, but the laws were 10%. And yes, if you order the seldom enforced. The anti-tip- $500 bottle of wine, you should pers realized they were fighting tip on that, too. a losing battle, and eventually The Valet: Pete even Samuel Gompers, a leader Most surprising tip: “It was my in the movement, admitted he second day of work when I was couldn’t help but “follow the trying to pull a minivan through usual custom.” a really tight area coming out of Today, Americans shell a Beach Avenue parking lot,” out $66 billion in tips each Pete says. “I was trying not to THE TIPPING GUIDE From Page 1

Summer of 2014

from the exit zero archives...

Katie Holland, Kelly Heacock, Emma Goldmark, Emily Larkin, Dee Sorensen and Wesley Laudeman in September, 2003.

squish some flower beds, so I got too close to another truck and put a big scratch along the passenger side door. They still tipped me $3.”

What he gets, on average: — Anywhere from $1 to $10 per car on a given night, the most common tip being $5.

Expert Verdict: “I would definitely give a valet at least a couple of dollars,” says etiquette expert Keri White of TheSocialGrace.com. “It’s appropriate to give it at the end of the night, when your car is being picked up. And, no,

I would not feel obligated to walking out on their $70 tab What she expects: “Typically leave more in poor weather. a dollar per drink,” Katie says.

The Busser: Logan “That’s protocol.”

Weirdest tip: A rock. “It hapExpert Weigh-In: “A dollar a pens,” Logan says. drink is fine in most situations,” Expert Weigh-In: “I’ve actually never seen anyone tip a says Senning, “but if you’re bus person,” says White. “But I ordering, say, the fanciest new don’t think it’s a bad idea, if he’s cocktail with Angosturo bitgone above and beyond, to slip ters that were shipped in from Jamaica, then you should conhim $10.” sider leaving more.”

The Bartender: Katie Beach Server: Dusty Morris Weirdest customer: A pirate.

What he gets: “For a party of “He said ‘Arghhh’ and everytwo,” Dusty says, “five dollars thing,” Katie says.

Worst tip: A group of men is typical. For larger parties, it

usually ranges from $10 to $20, though I’ve gotten everything from nothing to $100.”

When a tip isn’t worth it: “People want to be front row,” Dusty says, “but it’s first-come, first-served. They try bribing us to set up their beach umbrella and chairs there with money, and we do everything we can.

But if there are no spots, it can put us in an awkward position.

People get pretty upset.”

Expert Weigh-In: Etiquette specialist and teacher Rebecca Continued On Page 15

Dining With A View.

Take In The Stunning Ocean View While Sampling The Most Sumptuous Viands, for Breakfast, Luncheon, and Supper.

Reserve our Chef’s Table.

An Intimate,

Private Room For Up To 14 People Featuring The Chef’s Special Tasting Menu!

Call On Us For Details.

— A n E l e g a n t D i n i n g E s tab l i s h m e n t F o r T h e M o s t D i s c e r n i n g O f G u e s t s . —

SeaSalt

at the

Ocean Club Hotel

1035 Beach Avenue, Cape May, New Jersey • 609.884.7000 • www.oceanclubhotel.com

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Page 3

The Ultimate Restaurant Guide EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW, FROM ROMANTIC TO FAMILY-FRIENDLY. HAPPY EATING!

beachfront Grand Hotel, offers great seafood, prime beef and nightly specials. Enjoy their happy hours daily from 4-7pm and DJ/dancing every weekend.

5 WEST PUB 3729 Bayshore Road, North Cape May (609) 889-7000 5westpub.com A gastro pub, coming to you from the owners of Tisha’s. Expect the same high-quality food and high-quality service, in a relaxed atmosphere.

Establishments that feature a full bar ALEATHEA’S 7 Ocean Street, Cape May (609) 884-5555, Ext. 226 innofcapemay.com Aleathea’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a charming, traditional setting, but with a few modern twists and surprises in the menu. Enjoy a cocktail on their beachfront porch and take in that cool ocean breeze.

Happy hour is Sunday through Friday with drink specials (3-6pm) and food specials (4-5pm.)

AXELSSON’S BLUE CLAW 991 Ocean Drive, Cape May (609) 884-5878 blueclawrestaurant.com Fine dining near the harbor — just before the charming drawbridge on the way to Wildwood Crest. Elegant dining room, delicious food, and the classic Clipper Ship Pub with an affordable pub menu make Blue Claw a great place to dine.

THE BLUE PIG TAVERN 251 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-8422 congresshall.com Check out why Congress Hall’s restaurant is a favorite of locals as well as hotel guests. They serve classic tavern food for breakfast, lunch or dinner and best of all, the produce (vegetables, eggs and bacon) is from their own Beach Plum Farm, a mile or so away in West Cape May.

CABANAS 429 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-4800 cabanasonthebeach.com The party is here — it’s always warm and friendly in this lively beachfront bar, featuring great food and some of the best live bands around. But it’s not ALL about the party. Cabanas is a great place for a family dinner (or breakfast or lunch!). The windows open up to allow for true oceanfront eating. The kids will love it.

CARNEY’S Beach and Jackson, Cape May (609) 884-4424 carneyscapemaynj.com Live music on the weekends, great early bird specials, happy hour specials, and casual fare that’s reliably good... all across the street from the beach. Open seven days a week.

CRAB HOUSE Two Mile Landing, Ocean Drive, Wildwood Crest (609) 522-1341 twomilecrabhouse.com Owned by a commercial fishing family, the Crab House serves only the freshest of seafood.

The waterfront views and live entertainment deliver a couple really welcome bonuses.

C-VIEW INN Texas & Washington, Cape May (609) 884-4712 A locals’ favorite (which means it’s a must-see for tourists, too), this is the oldest tavern in town with great wings, excellent pub fare and cold beer. It’s just a good, old-fashioned pub vibe.

THE EBBITT ROOM 25 Jackson Street, Cape May (609) 884-5700 virginiahotel.com Enjoy your meal on The Ebbitt Room porch, overlooking tree-lined Jackson Street, or take in the buzzy bar scene and dining room.

ELAINE’S DINNER THEATER 513 Lafayette Street, Cape May (609) 884-1199 elainescapemay.com It’s been voted one of the top five dinner theaters in the country by the Food Network —makes for a fun night out. But it’s also a great spot for a drink on the outside porch or in the fabulous, old school bar.

E.M. HEMINGWAY’S 1045 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-5611 hemingwayscapemay.com Casual and family-friendly, Hemingway’s, located at the

HARBOR VIEW 954 Ocean Drive (609) 884-5444 harborviewcapemay.com This is a locals’ favorite for a reason.

There’s a Key West vibe, good food, regular entertainment, and the views are spectacular. Spend the day — or night there and enjoy sushi on their beautiful deck.

HARPOON HENRY’S Beach Drive & Browning, North Cape May (609) 886-5529 harpoonhenrys.net Situated right on the beach in North Cape May, this laidback joint is famous for its sunsets — there are few better places to sip on a cocktail as a balmy day turns to night. Dogs are welcome on the patio and at the umbrella tables.

HARRY’S OCEAN BAR & GRILLE Madison & Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 88-HARRY harryscapemay.com When the Hirsch family opened Harry’s, it became an instant favorite, and no wonder. The restaurant offers daily happy hour specials, a gorgeous view of the Atlantic, and that relaxed, delicious menu. The breezy, beachfront outdoor bar doesn’t hurt, either.

THE LOBSTER HOUSE Fisherman’s Wharf, Cape May (609) 884-8296 thelobsterhouse.com Take-out, fish market, restaurant, raw bar, breakfast, dinner... The Lobster House has it all. Drinks on the Schooner American before dinner is an absolute must-do experience.

Watch the boats go by as you sip on cocktails and anticipate dinner. Bliss.

LUCKY BONES 1200 Route 109, Cape May (609) 884-BONE luckybonesgrill.com A huge hit and locals’ favorite for a reason. Excellent food, great bar vibe, superb service, and some of the best pizza you will taste. Lucky Bones gets it right every single time.

MAD BATTER 19 Jackson Street, Cape May (609) 884-5970 madbatter.com The original fine dining restaurant in Cape May is still one of the best.

Enjoy creative, tasty food at a table or at the bar, which is one of the largest in town... where drinks are half off 3-6pm. Live music, Thursday to Sunday.

MAGNOLIA ROOM 301 Howard Street, Cape May (609) 884-8409 chalfonte.com Warm, southern-style hospitality paired with excellent southernstyle cuisine is yours to enjoy at the gracious Chalftonte Hotel’s acclaimed dining room. You probably will never taste better southern fried chicken — it’s nationally famous.

M’OCEAN 429 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-1925 Formerly known as Martini Beach — a lively nightspot with a friendly vibe and a sophisticated-but-

Our favorite irresistible snacks and goodies MAGICBRAIN CAFÉ Carpenter’s Square Mall, Cape May (609) 884-8188 Enjoy high-speed internet, or unplug altogether with delicious, organic specialty drinks, and quality coffee.

AVALON COFFEE 7 Gurney Street, Cape May (609) 898-8088 avaloncoffeecompany.com Great sandwiches as well as fine coffee, cappuccinos, lattes, bagels, smoothies.

CAPE MAY OLIVE OIL COMPANY 324 Carpenter’s Lane, Cape May 609-898-4441 Features 20 different varieties of olive oils and balsamic vinegars, pastas, spreads, jams, mustard and much more.

CAPE MAY PEANUT BUTTER CO. 516 Carpenter’s Lane, Cape May 609-898-444 Tasty sandwiches, treats and all sorts of peanut-related goodies.

HOTDOG TOMMY’S Jackson Street at Beach, Cape May (609) 884-8388 hotdogtommys.com Just look for folks lined up down the street. This is not your average hot dog experience.

LOUISA’S CHOCOLATE BAR 108 Jackson Street, Cape May (609) 884-5519 The chocolate is of the highest quality... in familiar and adventurous flavors.

THE ORIGINAL FUDGE KITCHEN Washington Street Mall and on the Promenade, Cape May 800-23-FUDGE fudgekitchens.com The service AND the fudge are exceptional. And their saltwater taffy?

It’s the perfect seashore treat.

SEASIDE CHEESE COMPANY 600 Park Boulevard (609) 884-8700 seasidecheesecapemay.com This place continues to delight with savory gourmet cheeses and treats. Plus they now carry caviar and escargot, too.

Thanks You

OUR VALUED PATRONS!

a n d FA MILY RESTA U RA N T

A MOUTH-WATERING TREAT.

An Annual Tradition For Many Families Visiting The Jersey Shore. Based On The Principles Of Good Quality Food, Great Service And A Clean Family-Friendly Atmosphere.

BEACH AVENUE & PERRY STREET, CAPE MAY (609) 884-7199

Open Daily • 609-435-5052

Beer • Wine • Spirits Ice • Snacks • Carriage Parking

Exit Zero

Page 4

A LOCAL INSTITUTION FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY!!!!

Summer of 2014

THRILLING LIVE ENTERTAINMENTS NIGHTLY!!!

SHOW YOUR “MUG” AT OURS. A Classic Traditional Tavern Meets A Full-Service Wholesome Family Restaurant... Harmony Ensues.

426 WASHINGTON STREET MALL, CAPE MAY • (609) 884-3459

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014 friendly feel. Enjoy good, inventive dishes, and a panoramic oceanfront view, from the second floor of the building that also houses their sister joint, Cabanas.

Page 5 proud for having made a healthy choice. There are lots of homemade selections, with plenty of vegan and vegetarian items at this friendly, downhome café.

from the exit zero archives...

MERION INN 106 Decatur Street, Cape May (609) 884-8363 merion inn.com The dim, amber lighting, dark wooden bar, period fittings and classy staff give a special ambience.

Each of the cozy dining rooms have a different feel, and the bar service is among the classiest in town. This place is an institution. And if you love jazz, the Merion features great musicians nightly.

THE BLACK DUCK 1 Sunset Boulevard, West Cape May (609) 898-0100 blackduckonsunset.com You’ll enjoy a chic interior and stylish food, but the ambience is anything but pretentious. Modern American cuisine. Plus one of the the coolest addresses on the island — Sunset and Broadway.

BLUE ROSE INN 653 Washington Street, Cape May (609) 435-5458 blueroseinn.com This is Cape May at its best — a fine, family-owned restaurant in a newly renovated B&B on a beautiful, treelined street. Expect American cuisine that’s always seasonal.

ON THE ROCKS Cape May – Lewes Ferry 1200 Lincoln Boulevard, North Cape May 1-800-64FERRY You probably wouldn’t think of hanging out here for lunch or dinner unless you’re using the ferry, and that would be a mistake. This is a cool place to visit. Enjoy casual waterfront dining while watching the ferry and other vessels transit the Cape May Canal to and from the Delaware Bay. OYSTER BAY 615 Lafayette Street, Cape May (609) 884-2111 oysterbayrestaurantnj.com A lovely dining room, a beautiful, expansive new bar, a new bar menu, great martinis and classic, generous dishes... these are the reasons why you should visit Oyster Bay if you haven’t already. There’s a good reason why you will find prominent local business owners eating at the bar here. Check out Oyster Bay’s happy hour daily from 4:00-6:30pm.

PILOT HOUSE 142 Decatur Street, Cape May (609) 884-3449 pilothousecapemay.com A classic pub and restaurant offering award-winning burgers, excellent homemade comfort food, fresh local seafood and an authentic, friendly ambience. The

CUCINA ROSA 301 Washington Street Mall (609) 898-9800 cucinarosa.com Nicely located at the beginning of the mall, this classic Italian restaurant is a must-visit. Simply superb food and very generous servings — you’ll likely need a doggie bag.

Partying at the Cove beach in the summer of 2003. locals love this place and you likely will, too. On Fridays, local musicians usually gather to jam for a lively and fun night.

RIO STATION 3505 Route 9 South Rio Grande (609) 889-2000 While everything around it has changed in Rio Grande, the Rio is still serving excellent food with oldstyle, friendly service. And you need to sample the wings.

RUSTY NAIL 205 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-0017 beachshack.com With the coldest beer and one of

the coolest vibes in town, the iconic Rusty Nail is the place to be for an unmissable Cape May experience.

And if you want to bring along your best furry friend, they have a menu (including a non-alcoholic beer!) for dogs. Woof!

SEASALT 1035 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-7000 capemayoceanclubhotel.com Black wood and granite tables, mother-of-pearl barfront, river rock decor... the modern vibe is as cool as the food is delicious at this restaurant, based at the fairly new Ocean Club Hotel. Reserve the chef’s intimate private table for up to 14.

FINE CUISINE! VERY MODERN! VERY CASUAL!

THE UGLY MUG 426 Washington Street Mall, Cape May (609) 884-3459 A Cape May legend, and even better now that they’ve put those wonderful booths in there — such a treat. You’ll find some of the best live entertainment in town here.

WASHINGTON INN 801 Washington Street, Cape May (609) 884-5697 washingtoninn.com Superb gourmet food, and a cool but cozy bar at this famous South Jersey restaurant. Check out an amazing wine list of over 10,000 bottles; the Washington Inn has the largest wine cellar in South Jersey.

Establishments Where You’re Invited To Bring Your Own Bottle BACKSTREET 600 Park Boulevard, West Cape May (609) 884-7660 backstreetcapemaynj.com Downhome cooking and a laidback vibe are what you’ll find in this gem of a place. Plenty of free parking.

Awesome nightly specials!

BELLA VIDA CAFÉ 406 N. Broadway, West Cape May (609) 884-6332 bellavidacafe.com You’ll leave feeling satisfied, and

DEPOT MARKET CAFÉ 409 Elmira Street, Cape May (609) 884-8030 Owners Chris and Lisa Shriver are keeping the old favorites at this locals’ joint AND adding new specials. Check their Facebook page for daily specials.

FISH AND FANCY 2406 Bayshore Road, Villas (609) 886-8760 fishandfancy.com Superb seafood however you like it — fried, broiled, grilled, blackened or sautéed. You can either sit in, or take it away for a first-class picnic, or for you to eat at home. Good salads, too!

IDEALLY SUITED for FAMILY DINING, An INTIMATE TÊTE-À-TÊTE, An APRÉS-THEATRE MEAL, Or Any Sort Of SPECIAL OCCASION.

BLACK DUCK SUNSET

THE ON

1 SUNSET BOULEVARD CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY

(609) 898-0100 BLACKDUCKONSUNSET.COM

GODMOTHER’S B &W P S ,C M ,N J roadway

est erry treet ape ay ew ersey (609) 884-4543 Godmothersrestaurant.com

Exit Zero

Page 6

Summer of 2014

from the exit zero archives...

Treat Your Palate To A Taste Of The Very Latest Mode in Seaside Cuisine!!!

A Delightful Dining Experience.

Our Emphasis is on the Finest and Freshest of Local Fare, Utilizing Only those Ingredients which can be Obtained in Season.

With Meticulous Preparation and a Warm, Welcoming Atmosphere, Our Hallmark is Keen Customer Satisfaction.

In Addition to Our Delightful Restaurant, we are Available to Cater your Private Party.

Call on Us for Details.

ISLAND GRILL 311 MANSION STREET, CAPE MAY RESERVATIONS 609.884.0200

MAD BATTER A Cape May Tradition!

BREAKFAST. LUNCHEON. DINNER. LIBATIONS.

Sid Hess, former owner of Sid’s (now Carney’s), with Loretta Gaffney and Loretta Trettina at the 17th Annual Reunion ot Sid’s at Carney’s in August, 2006.

RESTAURANT GUIDE From Page 5

same time. Win-win!

UNCLE BILL’S PANCAKE HOUSE Beach Avenue and Perry Street Cape May (609) 884-7199 Reliably excellent food — there is a reason why people line up every day for breakfast, brunch and lunch. Open daily. Sit outside and eat if the weather is nice.

410 BANK STREET 410 Bank Street, Cape May (609) 884-2127 410bankstreet.com After more than 25 years, 410 is still one of Cape May’s finest restaurants, serving food that’s as brilliant and creative as ever.

FRESCOS 412 Bank Street, Cape May (609) 884-0366 frescoscapemay.com From the same owners of 410 Bank Street, this restaurant wins awards for its Italian food every year for a reason.

GECKO’S Carpenter’s Square Mall Cape May (609) 898-7750 Superb and authentic southwestern food on the patio makes for a sublime culinary experience in a garden like setting. Now go grab a burrito!

GODMOTHER’S Broadway & Sunset (609) 884-4543 godmothersrestaurant.com Excellent downhome Italian food, just like your mama, or your grandma, or your aunt would make.

Reasonably priced and great for a family dinner. From the same owners of The Black Duck.

GOOD EARTH 600 Park Boulevard West Cape May (609) 898-6161 All organic, homemade vegan and vegetarian and fresh fish fare, sandwiches, salads and great freshsqueezed juices. They have lots of free parking too.

ISLAND GRILL 311 Mansion Street, Cape May (609) 884-0200 The interior design and menu got a major revamp. Enjoy modern American cooking using local

seafood and produce in a cool, laidback vibe.

OCEAN VIEW Beach and Grant Avenues, Cape May (609) 884-3772 oceanviewrestaurant.com A large and very reliable menu featuring classic diner food, oversized portions, and at very reasonable prices. A locals’ favorite.

The ocean views don’t hurt either.

PETER SHIELDS 1301 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-9090 petershieldsinn.com The Georgian Revival mansion is magnificent and the modern American menu and excellent wine list matches it all the way.

THE RED STORE 500 Cape Avenue, Cape May Point (609) 884-5757 Enjoy ridiculously good food in a secluded, serene setting in special Cape May Point. Join them for a scrumptious breakfast, grab a coffee and muffin, or relax on the porch with a delicious lunch or dinner.

TISHA’S 318 Washington Street Mall, Cape May (609) 884-9119 tishasfinedining.com This local favorite moved from Convention Hall to the mall and serves delicious food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Enjoy great food and great people-watching at the

UNION PARK Beach Avenue and Howard, Cape May (609) 884-8811 unionparkdiningroom.com Union Park has been included in NJ.com’s Most Romantic list three times. Take in the restaurant’s gorgeous view of the Atlantic, elegant ambiance, and delicious food.

VINCENZO’S LITTLE ITALY II 3704 Bayshore Road, North Cape May (609) 889-6610 If you want to bring the family for a fine and fun Italian meal, look no further than here. The kids will love it. Check out their recently expanded pizzeria.

YOZU 3845 Bayshore Road, North Cape May (609) 898-8888 yozusushihibachi.com This new restaurant offers a wide array of Japanese dishes, such as hibachi steak, chicken teriyaki, vegetable tempura, harumaki, seafood udon, California roll and squid sashimi.

ZOE’S 715 Beach Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-1233 Zoe’s has large portions at affordable prices, for breakfast and lunch. And they have a great dogfriendly patio. Owners Don and Jane ensure a downhome, superfriendly vibe every time you visit.

You will find many of these restaurants in the Exit Zero Discount Deck — see page 28.

from the exit zero archives...

Live Musical Entertainment!

19 JACKSON ST. CAPE MAY NEW JERSEY 609.884.5970 madbatter.com Dave, Patty, Brielle, Sammi and David Giambri in August, 2006. Photograph by Aleksey Moryakov

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Page 7

The Changing Face Of Cape May

WHO’S NEW, WHO’S MOVED AND WHO’S GONE... THE GUIDE TO THE LOCAL BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

BY SUSAN TISCHLER For those of you who have been away or just not out and about, there are loads of changes in town. Let’s take a walk.

Beginning in the 500 block of the Washington Street Mall, Klothes Kove sold their building over the winter and Cotton Company has taken over the space, selling women’s and men’s clothing. Owner Karen Thompson said she wants the new store to be a store for everyone. Their other location in the 400 block of the mall will still be Lace Silhouettes, but she is adding a new shop, Signature, in place of Cotton Company, selling mostly clothing manufactured in the USA. In the Liberty Way section of the 500 block there is a new kid on the mall — El Paso Groceries, open from 8am to 9pm, selling groceries and sundries.

Down by the Sea in that same section of shops is gone. Sea Bags — selling high-end gifts made in Maine from recycled sails — has moved in. At the entrance of Liberty Way, after just one season, Cape May Smokehouse seems to be on

its way out. It is nearly July 4 weekend and there is no sign of life.

Walking across to the 400 block, the Pilot House, located on Decatur Street and Carpenters Lane, and owned by Deirdre and Frank Hineline has sold to partners Jeff and Maria Gernitis, Lenny and Kim Gagliardi and Gino and Terry Ciancaglini, who also now own Peter Shields Inn. They have already made some significant changes to the décor and menu and plans are in the works for more changes next season.

And while we’re on Decatur Street, we know many of you were concerned that the historic Merion Inn had not yet opened. We are happy to report that status has changed.

The Merion reopened to the public June 24, just in time for Jazz Night. Owner Vickie Watson reached a deal with new investors — Victor Keen and his wife Jeanne Ruddy — and brought in a new chef, Matthew Ryan to make the magic happen.

In the 400 block of the mall, Cape May Canvas artist Scott Griswold has relocated his gallery to Ocean City on Asbury Avenue. No word as to whether or not anyone will take over the location. The building is currently for sale.

The Jackson Mountain Café, owned by Mike Slawek, Sr, has been taken over by his son, Mike Jr, who also owns

Some of the new owners and management team at the Pilot House: Sean Brown, Lenny Gagliardi, Karen Swan, Jeff Gernitis, Jeremy Palumbo, Carl Messick. The popular restaurant and bar will receive a major renovation this winter. Aleksey Moryakov

the Ugly Mug and Cape May Fish Market, both in the same block. Mike renamed the bar/ restaurant Delaney’s, after his mother’s maiden name.

Renovations will be coming at the end of the year, but for now Delaney’s is operational.

Mike, said, “With new ownership, we wanted a new theme reflecting our Irish heritage.

Cape May needs a true Irish pub.” Look for Irish whiskeys, Irish food offerings and, of

course, Irish music.

Walking over to the 300 block in 400 block on Jackson Street Louisa’s Café has changed hands. Louisa Hull and Doug Dietsch sold their 34-year-old, 20-seat restaurant to longtime employee Will Riccio, in what has been a seamless transition. He is assisted in the kitchen by his sister, Honna.

Making Waves in the 300 block, next to Fralinger’s Candy Shop, is gone after

“I’m Simply Sweet On...”

STOP IN FOR A FREE SAMPLE OF OUR DELICIOUS CREAMY FUDGE! WHIPPED CREAMY FUDGE PREMIUM CHOCOLATES SALTWATER TAFFY HAND DIPPED ICE CREAM

Our $1.50 Soft Serve Ice Cream is Back!

THE ORIGINAL FUDGE KITCHEN

728 B e a c h A v e n u e & 513 W a s h i n g t o n S t r e e t M a l l 800-23-F udge • fudgekitchens . com • W e W ill P ost Y our O rder A nywhere I n T he W orld !!!

many years in business and the spot has been taken over

by Good Scents owner Cindy Huf, whose new Red Oak store will specialize in women’s accessories, gifts and clothing, predominately made in the USA and/or using recycled products.

Not too many changes on Carpenters Lane except to mention that Deena DiBacco is the new owner of Bliss Organic Ice Cream & Café. She purchased the business over

the winter from Nicole Pense and Mike Boschen.

Over in the Washington Commons shopping center there is one change. The clothing and accessories shop Go Fish has left and Beach Bling is in, specializing in jewelry and accessories.

Further down at 656 Washington Street, Shore’ly Handmade has taken the space previously occupied by ReMax. Owner Sally Fleming has put Continued On Page 8

Exit Zero

Page 8 CHANGING FACE OF CAPE MAY From Page 7

together a very sweet store filled with handmade things from various local crafters.

In the B&B world, the Mainstay Inn has sold. New owners Pete and Esther Scalone took over March 24 and intend to keep this Cape May gem a B&B, with Diane Clark continuing on as innkeeper. Pete, a native Philadelphian who currently lives in MacLean, Virginia, said he wants to be more hands on than the previous owner. “No one really owns the Mainstay,” he said, “they just rent it and pass it on to the next person.”

In other B&B news, Archie Kirk, owner of the Bedford Inn at 801 Stockton Avenue, says contract work should begin on the historic B&B in the coming weeks. The historic home was damaged by a fire in late January and is currently closed. Archie is hoping for a possible fourth quarter reopening. Stay tuned for more details or check Archie’s blog on the Bedford Inn’s website.

On the beachfront, Martini Beach is no more, replaced by M’ocean. Terry White is the new chef and our sources tell us the restaurant will be more surf than turf, hence the new name. The new menu focuses on “Pacific coastal highway cuisine” and will include a full raw bar. They have craft beers and 100 wines in stock — 30 bottles $30 and under; 70 bottles $55 and up.

The Beach House is gone from the promenade, next to Convention Center, and

Summer of 2014

from the exit zero archives...

Enjoying the beautiful beaches of Cool Cape May in August, 2006. Photograph by Aleksey Moryakov

Angelo’s is the new breakfastlunch-dinner hotspot.

Before we leave Cape May for the western end of the island, some changes going out of town on the Schellenger Landing area. Bruce Axelsson, longtime owner of Mayer’s Tavern, has sold that parcel of land, which also includes the Captain’s Kove restaurant, to Keith Laudeman of the Lobster House. Sources tell us no changes will take place until after the summer season and the two establishments will remain closed for the time being.

We’re now ready to head to

West Cape May or, if located on the other side of the street, WCM wannabes. Cappelletti’s Italian Deli on Perry Street opened this spring after a pretty painstaking renovation. Across the street, Amelia’s Garden Restaurant did not make it past one season and the property is currently vacant and for sale.

There are always changes at West End Garage, but one major one is that the Cape May Artists’ Cooperative has left the West End for their own space few blocks up the road on Sunset Boulevard, next to Jake’s Pizza. In its place is,

among other, things a new Exit Zero Gallery (cheap plug!).

At the corner of Broadway and Sunset, the 7-11 convenience store is gone, much to the inconvenience of West Cape May residents. According to WCM Mayor Pam Kaithern, nothing so far is going in its place. She said she hopes in the marketing of the property, prospective owners will keep in mind that the area is zoned for commercial with residential on top. She also added that the borough is hoping to put a mini-park in the vacant lot across between the Black Duck restaurant and the

Exit Zero Store and Gallery, complete with new sidewalks.

Look for those changes, hopefully, in the next six months.

At 416 South Broadway, Beachside Smokehouse is gone and Sapore Italiano — an Italian bistro is in — with what we hear is a brand new kitchen, complete with an extensive menu of home-cooked Italian classics.

Ellie’s Bakery is gone from its location on Broadway.

The Kidz Room, a consignment boutique specializing in, appropriately enough, kids’ clothing moved in. But never fear — Ellie’s is now sharing

Unquestioned Value Without A Trace Of Pretense.

Our Food Is Prepared Using Only The Freshest And Finest Products Obtainable.

Skill And Imagination Combine With Style And Presentation For Memorable Dining Experiences That Are Creative And Consistent.

Cucina Rosa

301 WASHINGTON STREET MALL & PERRY STREET CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY (609) 898-9800 WWW.CUCINAROSA.COM

space with Seaside Cheese Co. Cheese and cupcakes? Can it get any better?

Also in Park Storage, Brooke Dodds of Empanada Mama’s has taken over the former location of Seaside Cheese and is open for business.

On Broadway, HomeStead Real Estate moved out and in to their new custom-built HQ at the old Wawa location between Jackson and Bank streets.

Get out and about in the historic streets of Cool Cape May and enjoy these new businesses (along with the established ones, too!).

Summer of 2014

Exit Zero

Page 9

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Summer of 2014

Exit Zero

Page 12

Summer of 2014

Confessions Of A Small-Town Vet BOB MOFFATT KNEW HE WANTED TO BE A VET, BUT IT TOOK A BIT OF WANDERING TO GET THERE.

BY DIANE STOPYRA There are few pet owners in the Cape May area who haven’t come into contact with Dr Bob Moffatt, who practices out of Cape May Veterinary Hospital. We sat down with Dr Bob to find out how he found his way to America’s Original Seaside Resort...

Did you always want to be a veterinarian? My whole life, but it didn’t happen right away.

Why not? I grew up one of five kids in Germantown, Pennsylvania where my father was a carpenter and my mother was a housewife. They didn’t know how to direct me when I said I wanted to be a vet, so my grandfather advised me to write to Hugh Scott, a Pennsylvania senator, for guidance.

He wrote back, and when I saw what it would entail, I thought, “I can’t do that.” And I really couldn’t have then. I was not going to be able to get through organic chemistry and physics. It was the late 60s, and there was a lot going on.

In what way? In every way.

Were you a hippie? Yes. So what did you do? I graduated from La Salle College in

Dr Bob Moffatt at home in Cape May Point with his adorable companion, Mamie. Frank Weiss

Philadelphia with a degree in English. I tried teaching junior high, and that was a disaster; I had no discipline. So then I bummed around. I lived in Boston for a while, before coming back to Philly to write for a weekly publication that was affiliated with Philadelphia magazine. That folded two weeks after I got there.

So then what? Then I started working in restaurants

in Center City and was enjoying that. One evening when I was 24, I went out with my best friend and we had a good time. I was in the passenger seat of the car on the way home when the MG Midget we were in missed a curve and wrapped around a tree. I spent the next three months in traction in a Bucks County hospital. That made me stop and think about things. I said to myself, “I’m

going back to school.” I worked full-time bartending while I started from the beginning, one class at a time. It was four years to get into vet school, and then another four years once I got into vet school at University of Pennsylvania.

How did you pay for all that? When I was accepted to vet school, I found out that I couldn’t get low-interest student loans because I had

squirreled away too much money bartending. However, I could get a low-interest loan if I owned real estate, so I bought a place in South Philly for $10,000. I had roommates who were students, and they helped pay the utilities.

Was organic chemistry as hard as you though it would be? Everything was as hard as I thought it would be. And you had to do more than just get

through; you had to excel.

Was your family supportive? Yes. They laughed and said, “You’ll never do it.” They were supportive enough.

Where did you start practicing? My first job was in Center City, Philadelphia.

After a year, I moved on to Blue Bell, Pennsylvania where I worked at a large practice for 13 years. Then I had to decide whether I would buy a house in suburban Philadelphia and rent in Cape May Point, or buy a house in Cape May Point and rent in Philadelphia. I bought a house down here. I sold my house in Philly to make the downpayment.

How had you discovered Cape May Point? I fell in love with it the first time I came in the early 70s. In the winter of ’77, I shared a place here with friend, and I had this feeling I would live here some day.

How did you come to open a practice here? I had found a little Pomeranian in need of a home that I placed with a neighbor down here. That dog got sick and needed some drugs, so I contacted Dr Bob Panaccio, introduced myself, and asked for what I needed.

I went to his clinic, which was an outpatient clinic in North Cape May, and he said, “Did you ever think about moving down here?” Then it just happened. We opened our practice in 2000.

Continued On Page 14

One Of The Most Romantic Restaurants In America.

OPEN SEVEN DAYS

L ive piano , T hursday T hrough Sunday E venings , June 19 - June 29. Seven N ights July 3 T hrough L abor D ay .

1301 BEACH AVENUE CAPE MAY. 609.884.9090. PETERSHIELDSINN.COM.

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Page 13

DOG-FRIENDLY CAPE MAY... WHERE TO EAT AND STAY WITH YOUR PETS

Restaurants Aleathea’s at the Inn of Cape May 7 Ocean Street Welcome: On the porch only.

What We Love: Executive Chef Tai Menz will prepare your pup chicken or beef, usually with a little bit of rice.

Avalon Coffee 7 Gurney Street Welcome: Inside or out.

What We Love: They open at 6am, so beat the heat on your morning walk; then enjoy complementary biscuits and bowls of water.

Bella Vida Café 406 North Broadway, West Cape May Welcome: Outside only.

What We Love: Water bowls are provided by Bella Vida, where “it’s nice for dogs to be able to roam a bit,” says hostess Kim Stretch.

Cape May Winery 711 Townbank Road, North Cape May Welcome: Everywhere on the property.

What We Love: No wine, but fresh water and biscuits are provided. “We probably see at least two dogs a day,” says wine associate Sue Frost.

Dock Mike’s 110 North Broadway, West Cape May Welcome: On the deck, if they’re small, well-behaved, and on a leash.

What We Love: Pancakes. And we’re guessing your dog does, too.

Cione Italian Gelato 315 Ocean Street Welcome: Outside.

What We Love: According to the Associated Press, gelato shops in Italy have started making a dog-friendly version of their sweet treat, so the presence of pooches at this hotspot only make your gelato experience all the more authentically Italian!

Cold Spring Grange 735 Seashore Road Welcome: On the porch only.

What We Love: A covered canopy will keep your best friend cool.

Depot Market Café 409 Elmira Street Welcome: Outside.

What We Love: Water provided. “Last year, we had people who pushed their dog here in a stroller and always ordered him a side of bacon,” says Depot owner Lisa Shriver.

Harpoon Henry’s Beach Drive and Browning, North Cape May Welcome: Outside.

What We Love: Your best friend deserves a great view of the sunset, too. “Big buckets of ice water” provided.

Harry’s Ocean Bar and Grille Madison and Beach Avenue Welcome: Porch only.

What We Love: Water bowls and shade for your pup, a view of the ocean for you.

Hawk Haven Vineyard 600 South Railroad Avenue, Rio Grande Welcome: Outside only (dogs are no longer allowed under the tent or in tasting room).

What We Love: Your pup can help resident vineyard dog Maggie chase the birds from the grapes.

Lobster House Fisherman’s Wharf, Cape May harbor Welcome: On the dock only.

What We Love: The look on the faces of the dogs who get to pull up by boat.

Merion Inn 106 Decatur Street Welcome: On the patio.

What We Love: Eddie, the dog belonging to the owner of the White Dove Cottage owner Alison Bjork, recently celebrated his second birthday here. “He wore a party hat that our hostess made, and he had a bowl of ice cream to himself for dessert with a candle in it,” says Merion Inn owner Vicki Watson.

New York Hot Bagels 315 Ocean Street Welcome: Outside only.

What We Love: For a really special treat for your pup, order a few slices of Boar’s Head Genoa salami.

Exit Zero puppy Friday at the Rusty Nail On The Rocks Cape May-Lewes Ferry, 1200 Lincoln Boulevard, North Cape May Welcome: Outside and certain areas inside.

What We Love: “The cooks are very accommodating for dogs, because everything is made to order,” says Dawn Stererker, Assistant Manager of Food and Retail for the Cape May Lewes Ferry.

Pilot House 142 Decatur Street Welcome: Patio only.

What We Love: “I’ve had people order hamburgers for their dogs before,” says General Manager Ed Nielsen. “I say, ‘Sure, whatever you want.”

Rusty Nail 205 Beach Avenue Welcome: All over the sand pit and outside bar.

What We Love: Aside from the great food and drink options for your pooch (see page 60), we love watching the mutts enjoying this laidback beach vibe. “They dress up in Rusty Nail gear and pose for photos,” says Marketing and Programming Coordinator for Cape Resorts Brooke Buscaglia.

“They get in the boat and love the attention!”

Sunset Beach 502 Sunset Boulevard Welcome: At The Grille, the gift shops, and “absolutely everywhere,” says owner Larry Hume.

What We Love: Your dogs can explore the beach, get a bite to eat, or hang with Sunset Beach icons, Ranger and Augi, the Great Danes belonging to the Hume family, who own the property.

Tommy’s Folly Coffee in Congress Hall 251 Beach Avenue Welcome: Outside on the veranda.

What We Love: Shoot across the promenade during your morning walk so your pup can rest his paws on the breezy veranda, and you can get your morning espresso fix.

Zoe’s 715 Beach Avenue Welcome: On the patio.

What We Love: The dogs get water bowls and “whatever they want off the menu,” according to server Kara Kealy. We suggest the roast beef! Check out photos of some of the restaurant’s regular furballs at zoescapemay.comphotos.

Accommodations Beach Shack 205 Beach Avenue www.beachshack.com What They Offer: A welcome kit, including water and food bowls with a mat, doggie bed, disposable bags, a welcome treat, and a doggie pointsof-interest list.

Billmae Cottage 1015 Washington Street www.billmae.com What They Offer: Little gifts for all furry guests (this year it’s a little dog dish), and Yappy Hour events on the porch, featuring wine and homemade treats for people and pets. “The dog we’re expecting today once marked me as his own by peeing on my leg as soon as he arrived,” says owner Linda Steenrod. “The people thought they were going to have to sleep in the street, but I didn’t mind at all. I just told them he was excited to meet me!”

Blue Fish Inn 601 Madison Avenue www.whitedovecottage.com

What They Offer: Poop pick-up bags, a special area for dogs to do their business, and a map to the petfriendly beach in North Cape May. Cliveden Inn 709 Columbia Avenue www.clivedeninn.com What They Offer: Three dog-friendly rooms on the first floor, a cottage that sleeps six, and a daily bone. “We’ve had so many dogs here, including two very rare Louisiana leopard dogs,” says Assistant Innkeeper Peggy Peterson.

“And a pit bull everyone was wary of at first. All of the guests were feeding him by the end of the week.”

Highland House 131 Broadway, West Cape May www.highlandhousecapemay.com What They Offer: All rooms are dog-friendly, and offer access to an outside space — porch, sun deck, or patio. Dogs also have access to a fenced-in play area. Owner Dave Ripoli hosts free paw-teas which feature homemade treats and raise donations for Animal Outreach of Cape May County.

LOUISA’S CHOCOLATE

BAR

Madison Avenue Beach Club Motel 605 Madison Avenue www.madisonavenuebeachclub.com What They Offer: Check out their website for virtual tours of the beautifully equipped suites. Stay in one of them, and the motel will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Beacon Animal Rescue, the nonprofit dedicated to rescuing strays about to be euthanized.

Marquis de Lafayette 501 Beach Avenue www.marquiscapemay.com What They Offer: Seventeen rooms — the entire first floor — are dog-friendly. The Abbey room and Victorian Suite both feature private outside sitting areas facing the ocean. The poolside Cape May suite has a kitchenette, in case you need to prepare food for Fido. “And the floors are tiled to ensure absolute cleanliness,” says Manager Peggy Evans. “We also provide a customized room cleaning schedule, to best suit the needs of you and your pet.”

Palace Hotel 1101 Beach Avenue www.palacehotelofcapemay.com What They Offer: A dog-walking area with a cozy bench on which to rest, and a directory explaining all the dog-friendly restaurants and activities in town. “We have one dog who has been coming here for years,” says General Manager Allyne Preston. “He likes to sit on the balcony and look out over the ocean.”

Victorian Lace Inn 901 Stockton Avenue www.victorianlaceinn.com What They Offer: A dog-friendly room and a dog-friendly cottage, each with their own private entrance and private deck or patio. “All the dogs that stay here have their own personalities,” says owner Carrie O’Sullivan. “From an adorable rottweiler pup whose only five months old to the sweetest Saint Bernard. I just love them all.”

White Dove Cottage 619 Hughes Street www.whitedovecottage.com What They Offer: Two dog-friendly rooms, one with a fenced-in backyard.

“I have a four-pound Yorkshire terrier named Minnow coming next week who guards the entire front porch when she’s here,” says owner Alison Bjork.

a Organic Vegan Chocolates a a Chocolate With Chipotle a a Chocolate Edamame Sea Salt Crunch a a Walnut Pecan Chocolate Toffee a a Famous Mo’s Bacon Bar a a Creamy Milk Chocolate a a Celtic Sea Salt Caramels a a Pistachio Brittle Chocolate a a Hickory Smoked Almond Chocolate a a Lavender Sea Salt Chocolate a

108 JACKSON STREET CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY. 609.884.5519

Exit Zero

Page 14 CONFESSIONS OF A SMALL-TOWN VET From Page 12

Any moments of doubt?

No doubts. When I made the decision to leave Blue Bell, I came across a quote by Henry Ford that read: “It’s better to go into business with a stranger and become friends than to go into business with a friend.”

How are the clientele different here than where you’ve worked previously? When you’re working in a high-powered affluent suburb, everyone wants to be seen at 7:30am or 8:30pm because they have these mammoth days at the office. So when we started down here and I’d say to someone, “Appointments start at 9:30 but I’ll gladly come in to see you earlier,” they’re like, “I’m not even dressed by 10!”

People are less demanding.

Tell us a wacky animal story. There was a dog that ate a remote control. Its owners took it to one of those big emergency centers, where it had expensive surgery. They picked it up after a few days in the hospital, where the doctors were kind enough to give them their remote back. They went home, threw it on the counter, and the dog immediately reate it. The owners said, “That’s it, we’re not doing the surgery again,” but the dog was fine. It passed the remote in pieces.

Then there was the time I had a neighbor here who found this big pelican, totally out of its normal range on the beach.

It walked it into my kitchen, where it lost its smelly, fishy lunch all over the place.

Do people bring animals

to your house often? It’s not uncommon. I once got a call from a receptionist I used to work with who asked me if I could help with a little Chihuahua someone had brought to her office. It had been through something horrible and had lost its eyes. I said I could try and she said, “Good, because it’s on its way.” So I had a dear friend in her early 90s who had always wanted a dog, but wasn’t sure she could care for one. I brought the Chihuahua, Spunky, to her and asked if she wouldn’t mind watching while I went to buy it a Pack ’N Play.

Then I made myself busy for a few hours and went back. My friend said, “You don’t think you’re getting her back, do you?” which is exactly what I’d hoped would happen.

How attached do you get to the animals you see? To some, very, very attached. It’s very difficult when you lose them.

What’s been the greatest take-away from your time working with animals? At one point, I worked for a program that placed cats with the elderly as companions.

One day, I had to drop off two kittens. The first I took to a woman in a South Philly row home — there were roaches in the cellar, and I felt bad leaving this cat there. The second place was a meticulous penthouse, inhabited by a woman who had everything perfectly ready for her new pet. Two weeks later, I had to return to each spot to see how things were going. I stopped by the row home first and, inside, the cat was purring and all over

Summer of 2014

Bob Moffatt in one of his favorite places... the kitchen of his quaint Cape May Point cottage. Frank Weiss

the lap of this woman. It was a beautiful scene. When I arrived at the penthouse apartment, I discovered the cat was gone. It had scratched the piano, so its owner had it taken to the SPCA instead of calling us. By the time I got there to retrieve it, it had been euthanized. The lesson is that things aren’t always as they appear to be.

Tell us about your dog Mamie. I’d just lost a dog, which left another dog, Patrick, home alone. I felt so sorry

for him, so when Mamie came to the practice with this sad litter of puppies — she had ringworm and just everything wrong — I took her home. Until the day he died, Patrick hated her. His mission was to make her miserable, so it didn’t work out quite as planned.

When you’re not working, how do you and Mamie spend your time? When we’re not walking or reading, we just enjoy being here. Cooking is my number one hobby, along

with entertaining, because that’s part of cooking — sharing the effort.

How did you became commissioner? About a year ago, my neighbors coerced me to do this. There are three commissioners in Cape May Point because of what’s called the Walsh Act, and we’re not allowed to talk to one another unless it’s in a public meeting.

What does the job entail?

It’s about trying to speak for everybody that lives here. It’s about being a voice and listening to what my neighbors have to say and representing what they are looking for. The idea is not to be some sort of boss. I am the Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety, so I work with the volunteer fire department, the lifeguards, and the police department. But all of us — Anita vanHeeswyk is Commissioner of Revenue and Finance and Mayor Carl Schupp is Commissioner of Public Works — work closely together, sharing opinions and ideas.

What are you working on now? For years we’ve been trying to get the speed limit lowered on Cape and Lighthouse Avenues from 30 to 25 miles per hour. But they’re county roads and New Jersey Department of Transportation Standards are tying the hands of the county engineers because of certain studies they have to do. This makes zero sense to me; they look at the streets as pieces of paper and numbers of cars instead of realizing that these streets are full of bicycles and kids on skates and people

walking to the beach pulling wagons and that, during the season, cars are secondary.

The slower we drive, the better for all.

You often hear the Point describe as a magical place.

Do you feel that? I agree with that 100 percent, all of the time. Having so much water around us creates this unique light, and I think that contributes to it.

What makes you most proud to be a Cape May Point resident? My neighbors.

It’s such a tight community.

People watch out and care for each other. Of course, it’s not perfect. But in the end, people take care of one another.

Give us a bit of Cape May Point trivia. After a good storm, especially after a winter storm, if you walk the beach from Sunset up to Cape, you might find a really nice arrowhead from the Lenni-Lenape tribe that used to inhabit this area.

What’s your most beautiful memory of the Point? I packed a picnic dinner with some dear friends that we took to the Stites Avenue beach entrance, where everything was perfect — weather, breeze, food, wine.

We had one of those spectacular sunsets, and it was really healing because there was so much going on in everyone’s lives at the time and we needed this special evening of laughing and talking. When we stood up to back off the dune, we turned around, and the moon had come up behind us. It was beautiful. It really was.

A Veritable Wonderland of Gourmet Treats to Entice the Most Jaded of Palates!

COMPANY CAPEMAYOLIVEOILCOMPANY.COM 324 CARPENTERS LANE CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY

609.898.4441

• OLIVE OILS • • BALSAMIC VINEGARS • • FRESH BREADS • • GOURMET SALTS • • RUBS/SPICES • GIFT BOXES • • PASTA • SPREADS • • SUGARS • MUSTARDS • DIPS •

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

THE DOGS OF COOL CAPE MAY... AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Page 15

THE TIPPING GUIDE From Page 2

Black says that two dollars per action for a beach server is the norm, including the beach servers who are bringing you your sandwich or drink. “Pool attendants are the tricky ones,” she says. “It is best to request information about pool and recreational activities and fees when booking the room.”

ZIGGY Hangout: Sunset Liquors, 106 Sunset Boulevard / Breed: Black lab mix Fun Fact: “She’s great at greeting people and excellent at playing dead,” says Ziggy’s owner and Sunset Liquors manager Katy O’Hara.

FRECKLES Hangout: Wanderlust, 609 Jefferson Street / Breed: Mutt / Fun Fact: Wanderlust owners Brandy and Bob White adopted Freckles from St Croix, where they spend winters. “He was part of a pack of wild dogs,” Brandy says.

RILEY, JAX, ANGUS, MAX Hangout: Back of a pickup belonging to Sandy Thomson, volunteer at Cape May Fire Department / Breed: Golden Retrievers / Fun Fact: All but Riley are rescues from Maryland.

DOC WATSON Hangout: Casale’s Shoes, Mall / Breed: English Bulldog / Fun Fact: “Every day he goes to Cape May On Canvas, the cigar shop, then to see the mailman, then Collier’s,” says manager Chris Gannon.

EMMA Hangout: The Red Store, 500 Cape Avenue, Cape May Point / Breed: Mutt / Fun Fact: “I love that all the customers thought she was deaf last year because she has such selective hearing,” says The Red Store’s Deanna Ebner.

MAGGIE Hangout: Hawk Haven Vineyard, 600 South Railroad Avenue, Rio Grande/ Breed: German short-haired pointer / Fun Fact: Maggie follows co-owner Todd Wuerker through the grounds, playing fetch with a cut vine.

JOY Hangout: Victorian Motel, Congress Place / Breed: Golden Retriever / Fun Fact: Joy will eat just about anything, whether it’s detritus on Higbee Beach or, as shown above, a frisbee marketing the competition!

KODI, COOPER Hangout: Rusty Nail, Beach Avenue / Breed: Standard poodles / Fun Fact: They jog alongside parents, Matt Gilmore and Heather Padgett, in running shoes. When they arrive at the Nail, Kodi naps, Cooper looks for food.

HENRY Hangout: King Edward Bar at The Chalfonte Hotel, 301 Howard Street / Breed: Golden doodle / Fun Fact: “He always leans on people,” says Henry’s uncle and Chalfonte Hotel Revenue Manager Dillon Mullock.

The Bellhop: Tony Buckley The biggest responsibility: “I was once tasked with caring for Louis Vuitton bags that cost somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000.”

The weirdest tip: “Someone once tried to give me homemade cider in lieu of a tip when he heard I was from Ireland, but I wasn’t allowed to take it, because of the alcohol.”

The bad tip: $0 The good tip: $4-6 The great tip: Over $10 The best tip yet: $30 Expert Weigh-In: “Two dollars for the first bag, and $1 per additional bag is standard,” says Senning.

The Housekeeper: Edith The grossest thing: Cleaning vomit from sofa cushions. “In that kind of situation,” Edith says, “I think it’s a good idea to leave a little bit more than you would normally.”

The average: $2-3 per day, or $10 for a week is typical, although chambermaids on Edith’s staff have received $25.

Remember: “Leave the tip in the envelope that is provided if it’s not checkout day,” Edith says, “otherwise the girls aren’t allowed to take it, even if it’s

deliberately left on the pillow.”

Expert Weigh-In: “At some bed and breakfasts, it will be the owner who is cleaning your room,” says Senning. “It used to be the case that owners weren’t tipped, but this isn’t always true anymore. Asking management is always a great course of action.” If they give you the green light, $2 to $5 per day is recommended.

The Hostess: Desiree The shock: “I’d say about 10 parties a night offer money to get a table sooner,” Desiree says. “People have thrown down a hundred-dollar bill before, which definitely puts on the pressure. Honestly, money is of course always appreciated, but I’d rather deal with a pleasant guest who doesn’t tip than a rude, impatient customer who hands over a great deal of money and doesn’t understand that I will get him a table as soon as I possibly can.”

Expert Weigh-In: “Tipping is best done discreetly,” says Senning. “If you’re going to tip a hostess, making a show of it

is tacky and potentially puts her in an awkward position with other guests.” If you really want to show your thanks, tip on the way out.

The Take-Out Person: Connor The expectation: “I’m not a server,” Connor says. “I don’t expect 20%. The one time I did get that, I was very surprised.”

When he gets tipped: 50% of orders Expert Weigh-In: Ten percent for take-out is standard, says Senning. “And yet, we tend to give more for take-out at a fine dining restaurant than we do for the fries scooped by the girl working the drive-through at McDonald’s, and it’s not necessarily true that the first scenario requires more work.”

This, Senning says, points to a prejudice in our thinking. For this reason, he has started tipping the McDonald’s worker.

“Be prepared for a strange look.”

And no matter who you’re tipping, he says, “it’s best to approach it with a spirit of generosity and an open heart.”

This Family-owned Establishment offers Fresh Ground Nut Butters and other Peanut Related Products; Sandwiches to Carry Away or Eat in our Scenic Courtyard; a Bakery Case Stuffed with Tempting Treats; and Morning Waffles and Coffee.

Bring the Entire Family!

516 CARPENTERS LANE CAPE MAY, NJ 08204 (609) 898-4444 • CAPEMAYPEANUTBUTTERCO.COM

Exit Zero

Page 16

DOWN-HOME COOKING

Summer of 2014

CHEESE CO.

With A Pleasing Seaside Aspect!

SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCHEON AND DINNER.

THE CHEESE STANDS ALONE.

OCEAN VIEW RESTAURANT

Beach Avenue & Grant Street, Cape May new jersey. 609-884-3772.

Over One Hundred Imported Cheeses.

Gourmet Olives. Dipping Oils.

And A Great Deal More!

110 PARK BOULEVARD, WEST CAPE MAY • 884-8700

E IN

F INING D

“THERE ARE SO MANY CHOICES; WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND?”

A Long TRADITION Of Serving

FINE FOOD. Open Daily for Breakfast, Luncheon, and

PET FRIENDLY REAR PATIO.

SUPPER.

322 WASHINGTON STREET MALL, CAPE MAY • (609) 884-9119 • TISHASFINEDINING.COM

History & Lore A SPECIAL ISSUE FULL OF THE SPRAYS OF THE OLD OCEAN

¯

SUMMER 2014

¯

$1

The Legend Of Davy’s Lake WILD PARTIES, STRANGE FINDS, AND MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS IN A SPECIAL PLACE.

BY DIANE STOPYRA They told us not to write this story. They told us not to give away the secret spot called Davy’s Lake. They even submitted a poem denying its existence. But then they threw up their hands. “Go ahead and write it,” they said. “Because no one will find it, anyway.”

And who are they anyway? The grownup versions of skinny-dipping, fox-hunting, berry-picking adolescents who whittled away summer days forging new trails to Davy’s Lake through the holly, sassafras, and scrub oak adjacent to Higbee Beach, on the shore of the Delaware Bay. The ones who can tell you intimate details about algae and water that tastes like cedar. The ones who can’t show you pictures of their sandy haven because they either don’t have them (“We were too busy getting the first tan of the season to worry about

On a clear day you can see the Cape May-Lewes ferry from Davy’s Lake. Sarah Platt

cameras”) or because they don’t want to share them. You see, those who’ve never been might not understand; Davy’s isn’t just a watering hole. For Cape May kids, it’s been the key to a collective coming-of-age.

The story begins in 1905, the year the Cape May Sand Company built a plant at Sunset Beach. “My grandfather, Thomas Stevens, owned the

company,” says Bob Fite, a selfproclaimed “lifer” of Cape May and the man who owned the Coloniel Hotel before it was the Inn of Cape May. “And he shipped sand, used largely in the manufacturing of glass, all over.” This, thanks to a railroad — The Delaware Bay, Cape May, and Sewell’s Point line — which ran parallel to the ocean. In 1910, the desti-

nation was the Panama Canal, where the hard sand of Higbee was needed to construct the canal’s heavy locks. An area 300 yards long and 90 yards wide near the plant was dug, a freshwater spring was struck, and Davy’s Lake — named for plant employees David Wilkshire and S. Walter Davis — was born.

The lake’s history is a rich

one, and riddled with speculation. During World War I, the surrounding area of sand and old meadow sod was leased by the Bethlehem Steel Company and used as “proving ground” for testing ammunition. One resident found an artillery shell here in 1920 that he kept in his wood stove until his death. The US Navy Weapons Depot took possession of it then, safely exploding it… and creating a hole in the earth the size of a bus in the process.

Past president of the now disbanded Cape May Geographic Society, Keith Saeger, brought us a 1952 bulletin which says that Signal Hill, the dune just north of the lake, once served as the vantage point from which ships were signaled in the Delaware Bay. For rumrunning during Prohibition, we wanted to know? “It’s likely,” said Ed Carson, branch head of Lower Township Library. “This was an active area for that. The job of the Coast Guard at this time was to police the coast.”

Then, during World War II, the Northwest Magnesite Company opened where the sand plant had stood. Firebrick was needed at the front lines, the mineral magnesite was

needed to make firebrick, and salt water was needed to make magnesite, so this bayside location was ideal, according to the US Office of War Production Management. It was ideal, also, for kids who were enjoying nearby Davy’s Lake. “We would walk around by the lake all night long, like wild Indians,” one local gentleman told us. “Then we’d sneak into the magnesite plant to scare people like spooks… goofy kid stuff.”

Also during World War II, Cape May dug out its canal, from the harbor to the Delaware Bay, to protect ships from German U-boats. Senator Charlie Sandman suggested filling in Davy’s Lake with the leftover earth, but locals like now retired Lower Township teacher Jack Sayre took action.

“We raised hell,” he told us.

But it’s something altogether different for which Davy’s is remembered most — skinny-dipping.

The earliest account we could find, published in Joe Jordan’s Cape May Point: The Illustrated History 1875 to the Present, came from a story written by Bob Grubb, a Cape May Point resident who died in 2008 at Continued On Page 18

ENTIRE MENU AVAILABLE FOR TAKE-OUT. BREAKFAST, LUNCHEON AND DINNER SERVED.

Homemade is our middle name

Fresh,

Succulent, Savory Foodstuffs!!

BEACHFRONT EATERY

“At the Beach” 715 Beach Avenue, Cape May, New Jersey (609) 884-1233 zoescapemay.com

Exit Zero

Page 18

Summer of 2014

An Exciting atery!

E C A

ombining C lassic P ub W ith A F ine R estaurant .

T he R esult ?

A W onderful T ime .

E very T ime .

A TRIO OF HIGH-LIVERS.

3729 BAYSHORE ROAD. NORTH CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY (609) 889-7000 5WESTPUB.COM

This aerial view, shot in 1930, shows just how close the seahorse-shaped Davy’s Lake is to the Delaware Bay on one side, and the marshes of Pond Creek on the other.

the age of 90. “It was a long time before we learned that some young girls had discovered our swimming hole and one day had been watching us from the bushes along the top of the dune,” Bob wrote. “We were about nine to 11 years old and I don’t know whether the thought of having been secretly seen by some young girls was humiliating — or titillating.”

Other locals, like former mayor Bob Elwell, historian George Rea, and Jack Sayre remember the lake as a “buck bathing” hotspot, too.

An 1890 map of the peninsula, before Davy’s Lake existed Bob Elwell: “As kids, we’d like to go to Signal Hill, the highest dune on this part of the shore, where we’d roast marshmallows and hot dogs. On the way to or from it, we’d stop at the lake because it was a remote little spot, out of the way. There was skinny-dipping, yeah sure. But you think I’m going to admit to it? No way. You know how kids do things. But I’m not admitting to it.”

George Rea: “We’d skip school around Easter, when the water was getting warmer.

We’d fill our canteens with it but it had this awful cedar taste — just awful — so we brought tablets to purify it. Or we’d swim to the bottom, where the spring was, take a mouthful, and come to the surface to swallow. Did we skinny dip?

Sure we did. There was an area of the lake we called Duck’s Bill, because it was shaped like the bill of a duck, and it was the clearest section. I don’t know why, but the water there had a way of bleaching my hair, so that my mother could always tell when I’d skipped school.”

Jack Sayre: “Back then, there were no televisions or iPads or these things that entertain you today. We made our own entertainment. All the kids knew about it — no bathing suits allowed. We played hooky from school to go buck bathing, but the teachers didn’t mind, because we’d capture snakes we found and supply the high school biology labs.”

For high school-aged kids, Davy’s Lake was also a place to party, according to Jim Twombly, Jackie Atkins, Jane Blaszc-

zyk, and Alexander Smida.

Jim Twombly: “My father was a bartender in the late 40s.

He and his friends would bring kegs and coolers, have bonfires, and have parties all night long.”

Alexander Smida: “We’d carry six-packs to the beach in pillowcases over our shoulders.

And we learned that if you took a couple of sand pikes made of PVC piping — that’s a New Jersey invention — pounded them into the sand and stuck your fishing rods in there, you could just pretend like you were fishing when the cops came around. Never mind that your cooler didn’t have squid in it. It was a good place to be bad… in an innocent kind of way.”

Jackie Atkins: “I was a summer kid, and this was a local spot, but I was lucky because the kid down the block whose family owned Collier’s [Liquor Store] brought me there. It was a magical place, so wonderful to explore. Of course, there was a lot of marijuana.”

Jane Blaszczyk: “We’d bring guitars and play music when we partied there. We were friendly with the cops. The police used to come and warn us when the police were coming.”

For some — like David Sayre, Roy Baker, and Curtis Bashaw — what makes Davy’s Lake so intriguing is the adventure of the place. Encountering the wildlife…

David Sayre: “I was almost born at Davy’s Lake; my parents were walking out there three days before I was born.

I’ve spent the last four years going out there several times a week. There are swans quite often. I haven’t seen coyotes, though I’ve seen their tracks. I came across a dead porcupine once, and I think the coyotes killed it, because it was gone except for the quills and bones.

No one I know has ever heard of a porcupine in this area.”

Roy Baker: “We saw red fox.

And, depending on the amount of alcohol, any number of other strange things.”

Jack Sayre: “I remember the osprey nest. I used to climb the low cedar and look at the babies, while the mother would try to scare me with her big talons the whole time.”

Jane Blaszczyk: “Once, I

accidentally brought a bat back with me. It had attached itself to my purse and I didn’t realize. It started flying around my bedroom, and I panicked, so I hit it in the head with my high heel.”

George Rea: “We used to shoot hawks, but the bird people got on us about that. They had a law passed. It was quite a big deal.”

Alexander Smida: “Turtles laid their eggs at the lake. You’d just be sitting there, maybe reading a book or kissing your girl, and suddenly something like that would be next to you.

When the eggs would hatch, and the little guys would break out of their shells — gummy, rubbery things — you’d watch them head for the ocean.”

Bob Fite: “At Christmas time, I used to harvest holly trees at the lake, but my fondest memory? I went fishing there with two expert fishermen and it was me who caught the only two fish that day.”

Jack Sayre: “We would catch frog legs, and then cook them on a fire. You say that’s gross; I say it’s the reason I’m ninety years old.”

And discovering the fauna…

George Rea: “We’d always pick beach plums. You’d have to be careful, because when you pick beach plums, you get chiggers, little mites that itch you to death. Now you have Off and DEET, but back then, we put kerosene on our arms. With the beach plums we brought home, our mother’s would make jelly, and we’d have use it for peanut butter sandwiches.”

Roy Baker: “I remember stomach problems, because we’d eat more than we picked.”

Curtis Bashaw: “Beach Plums were always ripe on Labor Day but, more importantly, this was a way to distract ourselves from the fact that summer was ending. You planned this elaborate activity — gathering, pitting, canning. Then, you made the jams.

Sometimes, it came out too syrupy, and you’d use it on our pancakes, to warm up on a cold winter’s day. This was our transition from summer to fall.”

And creating memories that will last long after Davy’s dries up…

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Page 19

Davy’s Lake is a great spot for quiet reflection... as long as you avoid the poison ivy. Be on the lookout for Coast Bedstraw while you’re there... it’s a non-woody plant unique to Higbee’s Beach. Sarah Platt

Alexander Smida: “We’d say we were going to watch the sunset, but that was euphemistic. This was a great make-out spot. The mosquitoes were like dive bombers, but that’s why you took the army blanket along, to cuddle underneath. It was a rite of passage.”

Jack Sayre: “The most scared I’ve ever been was at the top of Signal Hill. I was camping there when a massive thunder and lightning storm rolled in. And here we were in a tent.

We stayed overnight, hoping we would make it out alive.”

Roy Baker: “My family used to camp with another family there for a month every summer. It was so deserted, one of Cape May’s best-kept secrets.

We hauled an old refrigerator down there, we got ice from the Lobster House docks, and that was our refrigeration system. We’d haul driftwood and cook over a fire. Oh, the joy of canned chicken. It’s evil. We had a blast.”

David Sayre: “Kids would make dune buggies. It would be a whole project; they’d take old Volkswagens, strip them down, and take them through the trails, over the dunes, whittling the hills down one trip at a time.”

Alexander Smida: “The abandoned Corvaire — the one with the light blue steering wheel — is one of the puzzlements of Davy’s Lake. I don’t know if anyone knows how it got there or who was driving.

Now, there’s not much of it left, and there are trees growing through it, so that if you don’t what you’re looking for, you might miss it.”

But not all Davy’s Lake memories are warm and fuzzy, according to Ralph Bakely.

Some are just a bit… spooky.

Ralph Bakley: “In the lake, there was an old dredge leftover from the sand plant. We used to dive off or it and play hide and seek in it. When we got tired, well, we were only a short dis-

tance from where Mr Higbee’s grave was. We used to spend some time at night, seeing if we couldn’t catch his ghost.”

The coastal area between Pond Creek and New England Creek was once owned

by Joseph S. Higbee — who built an inn here for weary travelers, not far from where the dirt parking lot sits today.

When Joseph died in 1872, his brother, Thomas, inherited the area, and asked to be buried here upon his death, so that his neice, Etta, wouldn’t sell the land, and this is precisely what happened…

Roy Baker: “Our parents would tell us horror stories about the magnesite plant eating little kids. It was their way of ensuring we wouldn’t go places we shouldn’t. But it never stopped us from spending some time, usually around midnight, telling stories of how Mr Higbee haunts the lake. I was fully convinced of a haunting. We’d sneak out, go walking through the woods, looking for his grave, scared to death.”

Alexander Smida: “I always felt there was something compelling, yet creepy about Davy’s Lake. I’m not superstitious, but when I’m there, I experience a consciousness of people long gone, people from the 17th and 18th centuries. I keep a cigar box of Indian arrowheads I found around Davy’s Lake, from 2,000 and 3,000 years ago. It reminds me of the people who were… still are?… connected to this land. I get an odd, creepy feeling.”

Jackie Atkins: “So, there is this story about the lake. The

moonlight does funny things at night, I suppose, because it sure looks as though a human head is floating on top of the water.”

Davy’s Lake was purchased by the state in 1972, and swimming is no longer allowed. “We manage the area for habitat restoration, as it’s an especially important migratory stopover for birds,” said Jeff Golden, Regional Superintendent for South Jersey for the US Fish and Wildlife Management Service. This means there are no longer homemade buggies riding through the dunes, no more skinny-dipping parties, and even Signal Hill seems less imposing, as decades of storms have eroded the peak.

The lake seems to grow murkier and more grown over with each passing year. Some say it’s due to sediment from ducks.

Some say it’s because the spoils from a Laky Lily dredging were dumped here. Some say the 1962 nor’easter caused the bay to breach the dunes. Some say that’s just what happens when people stop swimming.

And yet, the lake retains an enchanting quality.

Steven Platt: “Maybe it’s the solitude, or the intersection of two vastly different ecosystems… Listen to the ferry while the water from the bay hits the beach. Take in the seagulls, the wind-swept trees among the dunes, and this peaceful lake. The stress of life just goes away.”

Alexander Smida: “Those of us who really appreciated what we found at Davy’s Lake are just a little bit different — and a little bit better off — because of it.”

If You are Considering Adding Indoor Plumbing to Your Home or Business, Call on Us.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT “One call does it all.”

PETE LEONARD

PLUMBING & HEATING, INC.

W

609.884.1742 KR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND CONCIERGE SERVICE operates with a simple Philosophy: Get the Job Done, whatever it

may be. In terms of Property Management, their Services range from Daily Walk-Throughs to Hurricane and Storm Preparation, Carpet Cleaning, Landscaping and everything else in between.

Their offerings include Child and Pet Care, watering Flowers, planning Soirées, Food Purchasing, or whatever else you may wish done. They are fully staffed with all the Tradesmen necessary to handle your smallest concern or your largest problem.

1400 TEXAS AVENUE, UNIT N O. 2, CAPE MAY NJ (609) 884-8444 | WKRSERVICES.COM

SERVING CAPE MAY & THE VICINITY FOR 34 YEARS We Pride Ourselves on Our Reliability, Quality, and Punctuality of Service.

Call on Us for Estimates.

SPECIALIZING IN Boiler Installation Radiant Heating Re-modeling Winterization

NJ STATE MASTER PLUMBING LICENSE # B105864

Exit Zero

Page 20

Summer of 2014

The Monster Of Cape May Point

• ALPACAS • A Fine Family Outing!

Visit the Exotic Animals!

Learn About the Process of Yarn-Making!

O

UR PASTORAL 10-ACRE FARM is a Superb Destination for a Family Visit.

Children Love the Alpacas; Adults May Purchase a Sweater, Scarf, Blanket, or Hat in Our Warm, Inviting Onsite Shop.

A Varied Selection of Yarns in a Plethora of Hues Allows You to Devise Your Own Alpaca Creation. The Farm is Open Saturdays and Sundays Year-Round.

542 NEW ENGLAND ROAD | CAPE MAY, NJ 08204 PH. 609-884-0563 | BAYSPRINGSALPACAS.COM

Weddings by the Sea

Your First Choice for Spectacular Nuptials!

THE WEDDING SHOPPE

Beachy Invitations, Favors, Tiaras, Veils, Jewelry, Sand Sets, Accessories

WEDDING PLANNING

The Beach Wedding Experts - Catherine J. Walton, Certified Bridal Consultant

BEACH CEREMONY RENTALS

Chairs, Arbors, Feather Banners, Sand Pour Ceremonies, Decorating

capemayweddingsbythesea.com catherine@weddings-bythesea.com 139 BROADWAY, WEST CAPE MAY 609-884-7900 • OPEN ALL YEAR

IT DESTROYED TREES AND DAMAGED CARS. BUT SOME PEOPLE STILL HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF THE MAGNESITE PLANT

BY JACK FICHTER Adjoining the waters of the Delaware Bay and the seaside hamlet of Cape May Point, known for its cottages and pristine beaches, there once stood a factory with a tall smoke stack that belched white dust which killed nearby trees and damaged the paint on cars.

The factory employed more than 150 local workers. When it closed, it left behind a site that resembled the surface of the moon more than a beachfront property bordering a wildlife preserve.

The factory was known as the Northwest Magnesite Company, a subsidiary of Harbison-Walker Refractories Company of Pittsburgh. The locals called it the magnesite plant.

Why build a factory on prime waterfront property in a summer resort area? The factory needed seawater to produce its product, magnesite, used in making fire bricks for furnaces in the steel industry, particularly needed during wartime.

According to Cape May Point resident Joe Jordan in his book Cape May Point: The Illustrated History — 1875 to the Present, wartime naval blockades stopped shipments of magnesite from Austria, the Soviet Union, Turkey and Greece, creating a need for domestic production. Jordan remembers sweeping dust off his porch every day from particulate released from the magnesite plant. In his book, he noted the plant used 32 million gallons of seawater per day, which was pumped into holding tanks.

The factory opened in 1941 and closed in 1983, when demand for magnesite decreased. Long freight trains, which transported limestone and hauled out magnesite, via West Cape May, also ceased running that year.

Lawrence Washington spent a summer following his freshman year of college in 1970 working at the magnesite

plant. He said there were only a few summer hires each year.

“I was happy to have the job and the money was good,” said Washington. “After 30 days I got to join the union: AFL-CIO Local 110.”

He said the production of magnesite was based on chemicals extracted from seawater, mixed with limestone and heated in three rotary kilns, the largest of which was about 300 feet long and eight feet in width. “The slurry goes in one end and then as the kiln rotates over several hours, the stuff dries out and turns into little particles and comes out the other end as the finished product,” he said.

The magnesite was packaged in bags heavy enough to be moved with a forklift and the kilns were made of steel and lined with bricks, like a chimney laid on its side. Occasionally, a brick would loosen in the kiln and a hot red spot would appear on the outside of the kiln, remembers Washington.

The kiln, which was heated to 3,000 degrees, took two days to cool before humans could enter it to make repairs.

The “brick gang” of six to eight men used jackhammers and other tools to take out several rows of bricks. The repairs to replace several rows of bricks took three to five days, shutting down the kiln and slowing magnesite production.

The factory operated 24 hours every day in its prime.

During a special production run of magnesite, Washington recalls working 34 days without a day off. Quality control of the magnesite was handled by staff chemists,.

Some of the chores at the factory were dangerous — Washington was asked to shovel out a small sifter room filled with the white dust. “The problem was there was a ledge and if you fell off the ledge,

The interior of the magnesite plant — it left behind an environmental mess that resembled a moonscape.

nobody would know you were down there,” he said, noting he refused to handle the task.

Washington said he wasn’t offered an air pack or other breathing apparatus. “In today’s operation, probably 50 percent of what they did you would not be allowed to do today.” His father, James R. Washington Sr, spent 25 years working at the plant as a laborer, bricklayer and later as a boiler operator.

Marvin Hume, proprietor of Sunset Beach Gift Shop Hume and nationally known for his sunset flag ceremonies that honor veterans, was the closest neighbor to the magnesite plant. His miniature golf course was built on former factory property. Whatever was coming from the plant’s smoke stack apparently was not toxic to humans — Hume is 93.

Magnesite has several uses related to steel furnaces. Hume said if a steel plant had a problem with an aging furnace, workers would throw shovelfuls of magnesite into the furnace to seal up small cracks. Magnesite was also sent to a factory in Baltimore where silica was added to make firebricks for new furnaces, he said.

“Those bricks sold for about $10 to $12 a piece,” said Hume.

When demand for fire bricks dried up, the factory produced magnesium for use in antacids, he said. Former workers told Hume if they had a bellyache they would dip their fingers in the magnesium and suck it off their fingers, providing a quick cure for their stomach ailments.

The factory left behind a landscape that has been described as a moonscape, due to the layers of white magnesite coating the ground.

Hume said he took a few friends on a tour of the plant after it closed and the appearance of the plant actually scared them. He said there was talk of filming a movie of an alien invasion on the property.

“It was just a big overwhelming place,” said Hume.

There were five storage tanks on the site. He recalls a shut-off valve failing on a tank, sending magnesite cascading down Sunset Boulevard. The magnesite was two inches deep around his gift shop building.

“It went down to the beach evidently with quite a bit of force because it gouged a V-shaped trough four feet deep Continued On Page 22

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Page 21

A Stunning Array of

FINERY

in a Spectacular Setting!

wilbraham park events

V

ICTORIOUS RHYMES WITH ‘GLORIOUS.’ Coincidence? Perhaps not.

Check us out on ye olde facebook... Friends of Wilbraham Park

A positively hypnotic selection of both New and Estate Jewelry displayed in a stunning museum-like Setting, with a knowledgeable and solicitous Staff to attend to your needs.

July 5th - VENDORS IN THE PARK

Macedonia Baptist Church returns with “Vendors in the Park” from 9:00am-5pm.

July 19th - ART IN THE PARK

The WCM Elementary School PTA “Art in the Park” is the place to be mid-summer.

Rings of all Sorts. Bracelets.

Earrings. Necklaces. Handbags and Reticules. Luxurious Accessories.

August 2nd - FLEA MARKET

Presented by The Ladies Auxiliary of the Peterson Little Post #386

August 16th - ART IN THE PARK

Victorious is Open Year-Round for your Shopping Convenience.

Hosted by The History Committee of West Cape May from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

August 30th The WEST CAPE MAY TOMATO FESTIVAL October 11th - The WORLD FAMOUS LIMA BEAN FESTVIAL

Congress Hall Shops. 200 Congress Place. Cape May (609) 898-1777. victoriousantiques.com.

West Cape May celebrates her farming heritage!

December 6th - The WEST CAPE MAY COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS PARADE

Always the first Saturday in December, This event sets the stage for the area’s holiday season.

Now in her 48th year!

onderfully

Fashionable Styles!

“O S All the Items MUST K U O ’ You Require A .” to Be Attired in the Latest Mode! ne imply eep

p ne s ppearance

west cape may

farmers market

Every Tuesday Evening from 3pm to 7:30pm Situated at 732 Broadway behind West Cape May Borough Hall.

2 FLOORS OF ESTATE JEWELRY, GOWNS. JACKETS. HAIR ACCESSORIES. MILLINERY. SCARVES & RETICULES. SHOES & SLIPPERS. All Beautifully Displayed in a Luxurious Setting.

A Priority Stop!

Live Music! Farm Fresh Produce!

Food Vendors! Crafts!

Family Fun!

Live Entertainment beginning at 5pm weekly!!

Check us out on ye olde facebook... West Cape May Farmers Market

VICTORIOUS

33 PERRY STREET, CAPE MAY (609) 898-1113

Exit Zero

Page 22

Summer of 2014

Come for the Tea, stay for the Night ...or the Week!

T

HE DORMER HOUSE is a

distinctive Cape May Bed and Breakfast, one of the most Popular

in this Historic City. In the Magnificent center hall Colonial-revival structure, you can enjoy the “Gracious Living and

“WE SIMPLY CANNOT WAIT TO ARRIVE!”

Entertaining” envisioned by its Builders.

the DORMER HOUSE

800 COLUMBIA AVENUE, CAPE MAY • (609) 884-7446 • 800-884-5052 • DORMERHOUSEE.COM

Workers paint the holding tanks at the magnesite plant in this undated picture. George Rea

and from there it when on into the bay,” said Hume.

Factory workers arrived with a bulldozer and cleaned up as much as possible. Wherever it ran, it created a crust over the sand. Years later, a handyman trying to install a post outside the Sunset Beach Gift Shop struck something he mistook for cement. It was magnesite, said Hume.

The dust from the plant was blamed for killing trees near the plant and in Cape May Point.

Before the factory opened, Sunset Boulevard was flanked by a forest of trees, said Hume. He said dust from the factory killed all the trees along the road.

Lawrence Washington said the dead trees gave the appearance of a petrified forest.

Some members of the Sportsman’s Club, located next to the factory, found the

paint on their cars damaged from whatever it was the plant was spewing into the air, said Hume. The factory paid for the cars to be repainted.

An urban legend prevalent in the 1960s tells the story of an unfortunate swimmer who was sucked into the 1,500-footlong seawater intake pipe of the magnesite plant and drowned.

Hume said he was unfamiliar with the tale, though Lawrence Washington said he believed the story was true and was related to damage to the intake pipe during a 1962 nor’easter.

In later years, when environmental regulations for air pollution went into effect, scrubbers were installed on the factory’s smoke stack which ended the white dust coating nearby areas, said Hume.

After the factory closed, a contractor appeared at Hume’s

gift shop, looking for heavy equipment in order to tear down the factory’s tall smoke stack. Hume advised him to look towards Philadelphia for equipment. The contractor told Hume they were not allowed to explode the plant’s smoke stack.

“One dark night everything was quiet, 2:30 or 3 o’clock in the morning, and all of a sudden the whole stack fell down,” he said. “I talked with a couple of neighbors and they heard a boom and then a big thud so I think they kind of coaxed it down with a little dynamite.”

The factory’s water tower remains on the property. Its survival coincided with an effort to sell the property for a new use. Developers offered plans for a six-story hotel, condominiums, a shopping center and a restaurant.

INARGUABLY, A MOST SULTRY SITUATION.

T H

G I T R I

FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY! Programs & Tours • Children’s Classes Exhibits & Fish-Tanks • Observation Deck Gardens & Wildlife • Nature Store Visit the Nature Center at 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204 609-898-8848 njaudubon.org/centers/nccm

The Best Views of Cape May HarboUr!

A

SPRAY FOAM INSULATION WEATHER-PROOFING PAR EXCELLENCE CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE

(609) 465-6670

Serving all of Southern New Jersey

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014 Hume said the factory’s owners sent offers to sell the land, more than 100 acres, to more than 50 developers, but nothing came of it. The water tower, which remains today, was left in place so it could provide water pressure.

Hume said a meeting was held with Lower Township’s Planning Board with developers providing a “glowing report” of what they hoped to build on the former factory property, including a small marina. He said the Townbank Volunteer Fire Department Chief told the board its response time for fires would be too long and it did not have the equipment to fight a six-story hotel fire. He said another official spoke of the small water main on Sunset Boulevard built only to supply water to tiny Cape May Point.

At the meeting, an official from the state Green Acres program said his agency had attempted repeatedly to contact the owners to purchase the property to become a haven for wildlife but had never received

a response.

“The next day Green Acres got a call because there was no way the developers could put money into something and not have a guarantee of water,” said Hume.

A remnant of the factory has played a large role in Hume’s life. The flagpole used for his sunset flag ceremonies came from the magnesite factory.

The factory told Hume could have the pole if he moved it and Coast Guard volunteers were used to relocate it.

In 1999, the site was designated as open space by the state Green Acres program. Magnesite on the grounds of the factory produced soil that was highly alkaline, preventing the growth of native grasses.

A four to six-foot layer of dredge spoils was placed over the magnesite waste and grass seeds planted. Grass has grown on the site but only species that tolerate salt from the dredge spoils and the alkalinity of the magnesite.

In a few years, the magne-

Workers outside the main entrance to the plant. George Rea

site plant may only exist in the memories of long-time residents and on pages of history books. Two years ago, the Cape May Maritime Museum and Education Center, a non-profit organization, showed conceptual plans to build a replica of an 1876 life-saving station on the site.

The original life-saving station was moved from the Philadelphia World’s Fair Exposition in 1877 to Steam Boat Landing, the current Sunset Beach area and destroyed by a storm in 1954, says Kevin Maloney, president of the maritime museum.

The cost to build the replica and clean up debris from the magnesite plant is estimated at $900,000, he said. Two state Division of Fish and Wildlife officials have endorsed the project, said Maloney. The last hurdle for the museum is to obtain a land use permit from the DEP for the site. Plans call for removing the remnants of the magnesite plant’s seawater intake pipe, hauling away broken pieces of concrete and jagged steel bulkheads, restoring dunes on the property and expanding an existing parking area.

Maloney said he believed the plant’s water tower will be demolished by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.

If all of that is accomplished, the formerly blighted site will consist of fields of grass and a life-saving museum replica as a good neighbor to the MidAtlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities’ World War II observation tower and the concrete ship.

Page 23

IF YOU

Love

I TA LY If you love Italian Products.

If you love Unique Fragrances and Luxurious Skin Care.

If you want to look Beautiful.

You must visit Italian Garden.

NEW! NEW! NEW! 5 Luscious Fragrances with Scents of Ivy, Citrus, Viola, Tahitian Flower, and Poppy; and Several New Miraculous Skin Care Products!

ITALIAN GARDEN

510 CA R P E N T E R ’ S L A N E , CA P E M AY 609.884.2300

The Mission of the Greater Cape May Historical Society is to Collect, Preserve, Document, Interpret and Share the History of the Greater Cape May Area.

The GREATER CAPE MAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Stewards of The Colonial House Museum, located in the first period Memucan Hughes house, c. 1730.

653½ Washington Street - P. O. Box 495, Cape May The Museum boasts a restored tavern room, common room and Gallery Exhibit Room on the first floor.

The Museum is open June 15 to September 15 Wednesday through Saturday (closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and during Victorian Weekend in October.

The Museum is also open by Appointment. Call 609.884.9100.

Proud Member of the Greater Cape May Chamber of Commerce.

Page 24

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Story Behind The Light Of Our Lives FROM ARSON TO WAR GENERALS, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CAPE MAY’S FAMOUS SENTINEL.

BY JOHN BAILEY Like New York City’s Empire State Building or Paris’s Eiffel Tower, Cape May’s lighthouse is inextricably tied to its home town ( yes, we know that the lighthouse isn’t inside the bounds of Cape May City and belongs to Lower Township, but let’s just assume artistic license), but how much do you know about the history of this sentinel? Here are 25 fascinating facts...

1. On May 7, 1822, Congress appropriated $5,000 to build a lighthouse in Cape May. The following July 15, they paid Mr. and Mrs. John Stites $300 for an acre of unstable sand upon which to build a lighthouse.

2. The first known lighthouse to mark Cape May began flashing its signal out to sea in October 1823. However, there may have been unknown sentinels guarding the Cape before 1823. Indica-

tors abound...

3. In 1776, Colonial Philadelphia businessmen financed the seventh lighthouse to be built in the colonies on Cape Henlopen. Why didn’t they build one in Cape May? Could it be that Cape May already had a lighthouse?

4. In 1785, the Pennsylvania Board of Port Wardens purchased land on Cape May from “one Thomas Hand 2nd, for the purpose of erecting a navigational beacon.” The tract is believed to have been on a high bluff in front of Congress Hall.

5. The July 1801 edition of the Philadelphia Aurora contains an advertisement entitled, “Seashore Entertainment at Cape May.” Cape May’s first real tavern owner, Ellis Hughes, placed that ad for his Atlantic Hall. It contains this remarkable passage, “The situation is beautiful, just on the confluence of the Delaware Bay with the ocean, in sight of the lighthouse, and affords a view of the shipping which enters and leaves the Bay...”

6. According to the Hand family genealogy, “Foster Japheth Winfield Hand (d: 1896) was born in a lighthouse at Cape May, New Jersey” in 1817.

7. By 1847, the first lighthouse had become a victim

of erosion. Using bricks from the original sentinel, two local contractors, Samuel and Nathan Middleton built the second lighthouse 400 yards inland from the ocean. It stood 78 feet tall.

8. In 1851, the Lighthouse Board inspected the 1847 lighthouse and found it totally inadequate. It was poorly built, leaking and rusty. The light revolved irregularly and lacked ventilation. Its reflector beacon couldn’t hold a candle to the new first-order Fresnel lens. Their report called for replacing that lighthouse with a taller tower and an up-todate First-Order Fresnel lens.

(Most seacoast lighthouses are First-Order.)

9. George Gordon Meade, the great Civil War general who would go on to lead the Army of the Potomac into their victorious battle at Gettysburg, then a young Second Lieutenant, Army Corps of Engineers, designed the present lighthouse, built in 1859.

Meade’s lighthouse soars into the sky 157 feet (and six inches) from the ground to the ventilator ball on its roof. It has a spiral stairway of 198 leaves plus one step up into the watch room, for a total of 199. Then Continued On Page 26

CITY LIKE OURS Should Not Be Without A Bookstore.

Thank Goodness, It Isn’t.

Quality Tomes for Persons of Quality.

We Cater to the Prodigious Reader!!

ABOVE HIS READING LEVEL.

Cape Atlantic o.

Book C 421 WASHINGTON ST. MALL CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY (609) 846-7688 capeatlanticbookcompany.com

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

A waken

your senses with a

selection of exceptional goods from around the globe .

Page 25

~ MAXIMIZE YOUR WARDROBE ~ No-one need Know your Fortune is Modest if you Choose Your Garments Wisely.

We have the Latest Modes at Affordable Prices.

BOOKS • INCENSE • ACCESSORIES • MUSIC • JEWELRY BATH & BODY • HOME DECOR • CANDLES

F E E L G O O D. L I V E W E L L .

JACKSON STREET & CARPENTER’S LANE, CAPE MAY 609-884-0014 • goodscentscapemay.com

RED OAK TRADING

324 WASHINGTON STREET MALL CAPE MAY NJ 08204.

shop@redoakcapemay.com 609.827.8320 facebook: redoakcapemay

Exit Zero

Page 26

a wooden stairway of 12 more steps leads up into the lantern.

If you count the six concrete steps outside leading into the vestibule, that totals 217 steps.

10. The tower contains inner and outer walls of curved bricks. The inner wall is a straight cylinder from top to bottom. The outer wall is cone shaped — wider at the bottom — and joins the inner wall just below the watch deck. Arched brick ceilings, known as barrel vaulting, reinforce and join the two walls at each window.

Ventilator holes at the windows allow air to freely circulate between the walls.

11. The original First-Order Fresnel lens was made in Paris and shipped to Cape May. It stands seven-feet-10-inches tall with a 6-foot diameter. The lens resembles a giant beehive of prisms girdled about the middle with a series of 16 bull’s-eye magnifying lenses.

As the lens rotated the bull’s-

eyes caused it to flash every 30 seconds, hurling a beam of light 24 miles across the ocean.

The original lens resides at the Cape May County Historical Museum in Cape May Courthouse. A clockwork weight system, similar to those in grandfather clocks, turned the Fresnel lens. The keepers simply wound up a weight and let it slowly descend, driving the lens.

12. The lens rotated around a hydraulic float lamp of five wicks saturated with sperm whale oil, also designed by Lieutenant Meade. The keepers stored the sperm whale oil in the two little rooms on each side of the entry hallway.

13. The first keeper, William C. Gregory, climbed the stairs and lighted the lamp for the first time at sunset on Halloween eve, October 31, 1859.

That date makes the lighthouse a Scorpio, a fixed watery sign, energetic, independent,

Summer of 2014

George Gordon Meade, who would go on to lead the Army of the Potomac into battle at Gettysburg, designed the current lighthouse, built in 1859.

Harry and Florence Palmer in 1940... Harry’s wife became the only female keeper of the Cape May Lighthouse after he suffered a heart attack.

passionate, determined. Its color is deep red. Scorpio’s harmonious signs are Cancer (the crab) and Pisces (the fish). Seems like the Cape May Lighthouse is a solid Scorpio.

14. A kerosene lamp, designed by Joseph Funck, an engineer at the Lighthouse Service’s supply depot, replaced the sperm whale oil lamp some time after 1878.

The Service converted all lighthouses to kerosene at that time, as whale oil had become prohibitively expensive. They built the Oil House, now the museum shop, for oil storage as the volatile kerosene was too dangerous to store

17. Following keeper Harry Palmer’s heart attack in July, 1933, the Superintendent of Lighthouses appointed Harry’s wife, Florence Arabelle Palmer, as Custodian of the Cape May Lighthouse. She served until 1935 when she retired to care for her ailing husband. They moved into Cape May at 656 Washington Street where Harry died.

Florence was the only woman and the last keeper of the Cape May Lighthouse.

18. On July 7 1939, President Roosevelt consolidated the US Coast Guard and the Bureau of Lighthouses.

19. In 1946, the Coast Guard

inside the tower. Keeper Harry Palmer (1924-1933), an avid gardener, complained that he could never grow flowers around the oil house because of the oil leakage.

15. In 1902, a new incandescent oil (kerosene) vapor lamp replaced the Funck lamp.

The oil vapor lamp had a bright white mantle similar to those in Cape May’s gas lights.

16. In 1933, the Service electrified the lighthouse with an experimental lamp that simply replaced the oil lamp.

The keeper’s daughter, Ada Palmer, told us that the electric light wasn’t as bright as it was with the oil lamp.

removed the Fresnel lens and installed a rotating beacon with two Fresnel lenses that rotated once every 30 seconds, causing a flash every 15 seconds, changing its signature from its traditional 30 seconds. This particular beacon was an advanced one-of-akind experimental system that worked perfectly from 1946 until the Coast Guard removed it in 2002 and installed the present beacon. Sadly, this historically significant World War II rotating beacon was misplaced and has never been seen since.

20. An unknown vandal burned the duplex keeper’s

IF YOU WISH TO

THRILL

That Special Someone, Make Her A Gift of

FINE JEWELRY!

STUDIO

W

BEACH ATTIRE IS AVAILABLE.

E OFFER CUSTOMERS The Most Unique Garments, All Designed and Decorated Locally. An Extensive Variety Of Styles, Sizes, And Colours, Tailored To Please The Most Discriminating Of Shoppers. Raiment For Both Adults And Children.

You Are Certain To Be Pleased!!

130 PARK BOULEVARD

WEST CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY. 609.884.2760

Designs of Timeless Fashion...

NECKLACES, BRACELETS, RINGS And LAVALIERES, And Our Expert Staff Will Assist You To Make The Very Best Choice for HER!

407 WASHINGTON STREET MALL CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY • 609-884-0334

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014 cottage on September 5, 1967, after which the State Park kept a ranger and his family on site in the remaining cottage.

21. Due to steep budget cuts, the Coast Guard now maintains only the lighthouse beacons and not their towers.

Consequently, the Cape May Lighthouse fell into disrepair.

Its paint peeled, its lantern rusted, sandy mortar seeped from between the bricks like its life blood. With Tom Carroll as its champion, the MidAtlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities (MAC), took up the challenge of restoring this valued landmark. Rumors flew about increased tourist traffic at the lighthouse. One rumor said MAC was going to paint the tower blue. A blue lighthouse would not stand out against a blue sky. The rumor may have started when the restoration architect found that the tower was not actually white, but an off-white with a tint of ochre. Its official day mark colors are off-white tower with red lantern and cannot be changed.

22. MAC opened the lighthouse to visitors with a grand opening ceremony on May 28, 1988. The attendees at that ceremony were the first to climb the tower in years.

23. The official name as listed on maritime charts, early lighthouse establishment and Coast Guard reports is Cape May Lighthouse (not Cape May Point Lighthouse).

Lighthouses are all named after their geographic land masses, shoals, or waterways.

This lighthouse marks the

Page 27

BE FIRST AMONG YOUR FRIENDS!!!!

A “HOT DOG.”

“DEE-LICIOUS!”

Sample The New-Fangled Snack That Is Taking Resorts

By Storm! A Tasty Treat That Is Easy To Eat!!!

And There Is Only ONE Place To Get The Best!

HOT DOG TOMMY’S JACKSON AT BEACH AVENUE, CAPE MAY

(609) 884-8388

An arsonist (never caught) destroyed one of the cottages in 1967, leading to a State Park ranger being stationed on-site in the remaining cottage.

peninsula of Cape May. 24. Over the winter of 1994, after receiving numerous grants, MAC contracted International Chimney Corporation (ICC) of Buffalo, New York to restore the lighthouse. They removed the roof intact and trucked it to Buffalo for renovation in their warehouse, and placed a 7000-pound “can” over the lantern room so that workers could proceed with their work in relative comfort through one of the coldest winters in Cape May’s recent history. (This period and during WWII are the only times that this lighthouse was dark.)

ICC repainted the tower with a cement-like coating called

MODAC in its true color, white with a hint of ochre.

25. Masonry Preservation Group erected scaffolding around the lantern in 1998 in order to repair stubborn roof leaks. They repointed the foundation masonry and performed major restoration to the interior of the vestibule, the spiral stairway, and watch room. With this new generation of keepers, the Cape May Lighthouse’s future seems secure.

A metal can was placed over the lighthouse during the brutal winter of 1994 so that workers could continue to carry out restoration work.

Is Your Sister IRRITABLE?

Perhaps She Is Wearing The Wrong

Undergarment!

Let Us Help Her Find The Perfect Fit! Undergarment Specialist Available Daily!

Walk In or Make An Appointment!

427 WASHINGTON STREET MALL, CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY 609.898.7448

9504 Third Avenue, Stone Harbor, NJ | Peddler’s Village, Shop #30, Lahaska PA

www.lacesilhouetteslingerie.com

This article is based on the book, Sentinel of the Jersey Cape (third edition), by John Bailey. The book is available from selected local stores.

CAN BE YOURS FOR THE ASKING! Inquire About Our Safe And Effective Hair Treatments That Will Provide YOU With The Flowing Locks You Crave!

SHEAR SUNSATIONS

1400 Texas Avenue, Cape May (609) 884-3011

Exit Zero

Page 28

Summer of 2014

HOW TO

HAVE FUN COOL CAPE MAY. IN

Presenting The GREATEST COLLECTION OF MONEY-SAVING OFFERS You Have Ever Seen... Elegantly Presented As A Designer Deck Of Cards!

Fifty-Two Different Ways To Save On Your Favorite Dining, Shopping, And Entertainments!! And All For Only $20.00!!!

Our Illustrious Participants RESTAURANTS ALEATHEA’S Save $5 on breakfast/lunch — minimum spend $20.

BACKSTREET Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50.

BELLA VIDA CAFÉ Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend of $40.

THE BLUE PIG TAVERN Save $10 on breakfast — minimum spend of $20.

CABANAS Save $10 on B/L/D — minimum spend of $40.

$

AND SAVE

450!

The EXIT ZERO DISCOUNT DECK Is Available At The Exit Zero Stores At 109 Sunset Boulevard & 316 Beach Avenue along with selected fine establishments.

It Is The Deal Of The Decade... Indubitably!

CAPE MAY BREWING CO. Save $5 on craft beer — minimum spend of $30.

CAPE MAY FISH MARKET Save $10 on lunch or dinner — minimum spend of $50.

CAPE MAY WINERY. Save $5 on wine — minimum spend of $45.

CUCINA ROSA Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50.

THE EBBITT ROOM Save $15 on dinner — minimum spend $75.

5 WEST PUB Save $10 on lunch or dinner — minimum spend $30.

MERION INN Save $15 on dinner — minimum spend $75.

FLYING FISH STUDIO Save $10 on a minimum spend of $40.

OYSTER BAY Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50.

GOOD SCENTS Save $10 on a minimum spend of $50.

PETER SHIELDS INN Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50.

RED STORE Save $5 on a minimum spend of $25 at the General Store.

SEA SALT Save $5 on breakfast — minimum spend $15.

SEASIDE CHEESE Save $5 on a minimum spend of $25.

SEA SALT Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $30.

TISHA’S Save $10 on breakfast or lunch — minimum spend $30.

UGLY MUG Save $10 on lunch or dinner — minimum spend $50.

WASHINGTON INN Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50.

ZOE’S Save $5 on B/L/D — minimum spend $25.

STORES

A PLACE ON EARTH Save $5 on a minimum spend of $30.

BATH TIME Save $5 on a minimum spend of $30.

HARPOON HENRY’S Save $5 on lunch/dinner — minimum spend $25.

BIRD HOUSE OF CAPE MAY Save $10 on a minimum spend of $35.

HARRY’S OCEANFRONT BAR AND GRILLE Save $5 on B/L, beach service — minimum spend $15.

CAPE MAY OLIVE OIL CO. Save $10 on a minimum spend of $35.

HAWK HAVEN VINEYARD Save $10 on wine — minimum spend $50.

ISLAND GRILL Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $40.

MAD BATTER Save $10 on dinner — minimum spend $50.

MAGICBRAIN CYBERCAFÉ Save $5 on a minimum spend of $15.

CAPE MAY PEANUT BUTTER Save $5 on a minimum spend of $25.

EXIT ZERO MAGAZINE Save $10 on a $25 color issues subscription.

EXIT ZERO STORE & GALLERY Save $10 on a minimum spend of $40.

EXIT ZERO BEACH STORE Save $10 on a minimum spend of $40.

TOMMY’S FOLLY Save $10 on a minimum spend of $40.

WANDERLUST Save $10 on a minimum spend of $30.

SALONS AND SPAS

ACCENT ON BEAUTY Save $5 on a minimum spend of $25.

ARTIZAN SALON & SPA Save $5 on a minimum spend of $25.

SEA SPA AT CONGRESS HALL Save $15 on a minimum spend of $75.

ACTIVITIES CAPE MAY STAGE Save $10 on a show ticket.

CAPE MAY WHALE WATCH & RESEARCH Save $10 on a trip.

EAST COAST JET BOAT, JET SKI & PARASAIL Save $10 on a trip or rental.

EAST LYNNE THEATER COMPANY Save $10 on a show ticket.

ECOVENTURES Save $20 on a minimum spend of $70 HISTORIC COLD SPRING VILLAGE Save $5 on an adult admission.

MISS CHRIS KAYAK RENTALS Save $5 on a kayak rental NASW AVIATION MUSEUM Save $5 on admission OSPREY CRUISE Save $5 on any trip.

Activities & Fun A SPECIAL ISSUE FULL OF THE SPRAYS OF THE OLD OCEAN ¯

SUMMER 2014

¯

$1

The 25 Things To Do This Summer Float in the back bays WHY: Because it’s a good workout (especially if you paddle board instead) in the serene setting of the wetlands.

WHERE: From Aqua Trails at the Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, 609-884-5600, aquatrails.com.

WHEN: There are two daily tours of the wetlands, at 9:30am and 1pm, plus sunset tours on Tuesdays and Saturdays. For an extra layer of enchantment, try the full moon tours — makes for a change from the usual date night.

Sweat it out on the beach WHY: Because you get to enjoy the beach AND get a killer workout.

WHERE: On the sand, across from Cabanas.

WHEN: Hone your skills any time; the nets are up all season long. Or show off your serving prowess at Cabanas Beach Bash Volleyball Tournament on July 19, with divisions for beginners, amateurs, and professionals. See greatamericanvollebyall.com.

Enjoy the best views of the Cape WHY: There are few better ways to enjoy an aerial view of Cape May, and it’s super-safe.

WHERE: East Coast Parasail, at Utsch’s Marina (609-898-8359); and Atlantic Parasail, at Two Mile

complete schedule... there are a lot of options, including a spooky midnight experience!

Landing on Ocean Drive Highway (609-522-1869).

WHEN: Mid-may through September, see the early morning light refelcting off the water, or take in a sunset from the air.

Try courting on your vacation WHY: Because the feeling, and sound, of connecting racket with ball on an aesthetically pleasing tennis court is a satisfying experience.

WHERE: The lovely William J. Moore Tennis Center, at 1020 Washington Street, has 16 courts. Call 609-8848986.

WHEN: Courts open at 7am. Best to call in the morning to book your game. Private lessons cost $60 per hour.

Beat the traffic, enjoy the beauty WHY: Because driving in Cape May during the summer is NOT fun, while biking is a pleasure AND a workout. Randomly explore the island or maybe go on a wine trail.

WHERE: There are four on the island: Bike Shop at Congress Hall (609-884-8421), Cape Island Bike Rentals (609-898-7368), Shields Bike Rental (609-898-1818) and Village Bicycle Shop (609-884-8500).

WHEN: That’s up to you!

Explore a city full of treasures

Strike a pose on the sand WHY: Downward dog is more fun on the beach.

WHERE: Balance teaches at the Cove Wednesday; Thursday to Sunday at Jackson Street; Monday at Madison Avenue. Visit balancecapemay.com. Karen Bosna teaches behind Convention Hall Saturday and Sunday; at Cape May Point State Park Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Visit yogacapemay. com.

WHEN: Use yoga to wake up, or relax before bed.

See what all the fuss is about WHY: Because you’re never too old

The Emlen Physick Estate is a Victorian masterpiece. to learn to ride the waves. (Okay, if you’re 96, then maybe you’re too old.)

WHERE: Surf anywhere before 10am and after 5:30pm. Otherwise, stick to Poverty or the Cove.

WHEN: Why not schedule a lesson with Summer Sun Surf Shop on the Washington Street Mall (609-8843422), or The Southend Surf Shop

on Beach Avenue (609-898-0988).

Tour the ultimate open house WHY: Because the Emlen Physick Estate is a 19th century masterpiece by famed architect Frank Furness.

WHERE: At 1048 Washington Street, next to the tennis courts.

WHEN: Call 609-884-5404 for the

WHY: Antiquing on an island full of historic buildings is so right.

WHERE: West End Garage on Perry; Antiques Emporium on West Perry; Cape May Antique Center at the harbor; Out of the Past on West Myrtle; plus several scattered on Broadway, in West Cape May. WHEN: Any time you want a break from the beach — or when it’s raining.

Watch history come to life WHY: Because Historic Cold Spring Village is a wonderful way for the whole family to see how folks lived in the 18th and 19th centuries.

WHERE: On 22 beautiful, wooded acres at 720 Route 9, three miles

from downtown Cape May. Call 609898-2300, or visit hcsv.org.

WHEN: There are themed weekends all through the season, from antiquing to Civil War weekends.

Catch your own dinner WHY: Because being on the water is a calming experience... that can end in a very tasty meal.

WHERE: Every year, 100,000 people make their way through the Miss Chris Marina, many of them looking to go fishing. Across the road, at South Jersey Marina, join a charter trip or rent a private boat.

WHEN: Any time. PS: South Jersey Marina’s Mid-Atalntic $500,000, the world’s richest marlin tournament, takes place August 17-22.

Take the stairs for an epic view WHY: Because skipping this landmark would be like going to New York and cold-shouldering the Empire State Building. It’s beautifully maintained, and the views are stunning. Plus you’ll get a little bit of a workout from climbing the 199 steps.

WHERE: In beautiful Cape May Point State Park. Take Lighthouse Avenue off Sunset Boulevard.

WHEN: Open seven days in the season, evenings too. For more information on romantic moonlit climbs, call 609-884-5404.

Continued On Page 31

YOUR PREMIER SOURCE FOR WINDOW COVERINGS Family Owned & Operated For 40 Years Shutters, Blinds, Shades, Portieres, Draperies

We Might Well Be The SMALLEST SHOP On The Mall, But We Are Full To Bursting With BEAUTIFUL THINGS.

“WAS THERE EVER ANYTHING SO LOVELY!”

Fully Licensed & Insured

Mary Ann’s

Contemporary

& Estate Jewelry

511 WASHINGTON STREET MALL, CAPE MAY (next to Fudge Kitchen) • (609) 898-8786

Other Location: 15 N. Black Horse Pike, Runnemede • (856) 939-0230

WINDOW FASHIONS 609-884-2545 | desatnicks.com

Exit Zero

Page 30

Summer of 2014

LIVE WELL. BE WELL. STAY WELL.

THE

WELL “STRESS IS INEVITABLE, SUFFERING IS OPTIONAL!”

JOANNE TESTER E N R O L L E D AG E N T

1382 Lafayette Street | PO Box 629 | Cape May, NJ 08204 P 609.846.7111

F 609.846.7074

jsketester@gmail.com

The Most Reliable

BOOKKEEPING SERVICES ACCOUNTING and TAX SERVICES OFFERS in COMPROMISE with the IRS and STATE of NEW JERSEY

A Center For Massage That Will Ease The Discomfort Of Over-Used Muscles And Nervous Fatigue. Safe, Reliable, And Utterly Discreet. Let Us Ameliorate Your Pain Today!

110 NORTH BROADWAY, WEST CAPE MAY. 609.884.3177 wellmassagecenter.com Open All The Year Around.

GAIN

We Hope You Are Enjoying Our Special Broadsheet Edition of Exit Zero!

Learn the SECRETS

of this Ancient Eastern Practice!!

Your Friends at Exit Zero

TERESA’S TIDES ANTIQUES. COLLECTIBLES. JEWELRY. FINE FURNITURE. BRIC-A-BRAC. Tuesday to Saturday - 10am to 4pm Sunday - 12noon to 4pm (Closed Mondays)

Home of Catholic Radio - WSMJ 91.9 FM

513 Seashore Road, Erma. 609.849.9531.

Enhance Your Body’s Flexibility!

Increase Your Inner Serenity!

2014 “YOGA” SESSIONS ON THE BEACH ON THE BEACH At CAPE MAY POINT STATE PARK/LIGHTHOUSE And Behind CAPE MAY CONVENTION HALL. For More Information, Call Mdme. Karen Manette Bosna At 609.827.8886 for the complete schedule check out www.yogacapemay.com

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Page 31

THE 25 THINGS TO DO From Page 29

boardwalk and, particularly, to one of three piers owned by Morey’s.

There are more than 100 rides and attractions and two world-class waterparks WHERE: Exit 4A on the Garden State Parkway or, better still, drive via idyllic Ocean Drive. Visit online at moreyspiers.com.

WHEN: We favor an early evening on the boardwalk.

Visit Delaware just for the day WHY: Taking a trip across the Delaware Bay can be a pretty magical experience, especially if you’re watching a pod of dolpins while sipping a glass of wine on a sun-dappled evening.

WHERE: The Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal is in North Cape May. WHEN: The ferry runs several times a day during the season. Visit capemaylewesferry.com.

Discover a hangar of war planes WHY: Because at Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum you will see a collection of aircraft dating back to the Second World War. The collection includes an F-14 Tomcat and an AH-1 Cobra helicopter, used in Vietnam.

WHERE: In a hangar at Cape May County Airport, on Forrestal Road.

Call 609-886-8787, visit usnasw.org.

WHEN: Open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Travel the streets in grand style WHY: It’s such an obviously touristtype thing to do, but so what? It’s also the best way to see the historic district. And that clip-clopping sound is so good for the soul.

WHERE: Pick up your horse from Cape May Carriage Company at Washington Commons Mall.

WHEN: Every day during the season, from 10am to 10pm. If you want to layer on the romance (and avoid the heat), twilight is your best option.

Experience the wartime Cape WHY: For decades, the former World War II lookout tower (used for surveillance on German submarines) was nothing more than an iconic sentinel on the island. In 2008, the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities developed a museum there.

WHERE: At the end of Sunset Boulevard.

WHEN: Open every day during the season. Become a charter member of the Friends of the WWII Lookout Tower, and you’ll get free admission.

Imagine you’re on the Savanna WHY: Because — ready for this? — Cape May County Park and Zoo was voted the third best zoo in America

The lighthouse affords the best view on the island, while Cape May County Zoo was voted by TripAdvisor as one of the best in the US.

by TripAdvisor. It has more than 200 species on 80 beautiful acres, including an African savanna.

WHERE: Exit 11 on the Parkway.

WHEN: Open every day, 10am-4:45pm. Admission is free, but donations are welcome/needed!

Get up close with the sea life WHY: Because with the Original Skimmer Salt March Safari, you can explore the area’s normally inaccessible wildlife and plant life.

WHERE: On placid inlet waters, where there’s slim chance of a sea-sick safari goer.

WHEN: The boat sails seven days a week. Call 609-884-3100.

Cruise with the coolest creatures WHY: Because it never gets old

seeing these beautiful creatures.

And if you’re lucky, you might catch a sight of a humpback whale.

WHERE: Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center, at Utsch’s Marina.

Call 609-898-0055 or buy tickets at capemaywhale-watch.com.

WHEN: There are four tours every day (lasting from two to three hours), starting at 9:30am and ending at 6pm with the Sunset Dolphin Watch, which includes free pizza and hot dogs.

Taste a slice of Americana WHY: Because it has become a Cape May tradition to visit this gem of a site and listen to “God Bless America”

by Katie Smith over the tannoy while a veteran’s flag is lowered. Plus, there is some great shopping, mini golf and a snack bar.

Play a course you won’t forget

WHERE: Aim for the flashing red light at the end of Sunset Boulevard.

WHEN: In the morning, shop and grab breakfast; play mini golf in the afternoon; but don’t miss the aforementioned sunset ceremony.

Take a silly game very seriously WHY: Because it’s still one of the best ways to give the whole family a laugh (while trying your best to beat them).

WHERE: Cape May Miniature Golf on Perry Street (which has the added attraction of Cocomoe’s Ice Cream Parlor); Ocean Putt on Beach and Jackson; Stockton Golf on Beach and Howard; and Sunset Beach, Sunset Boulevard.

WHEN: You can be the best judge, but we recommend building up an appetite by playing pre-dinner.

WHY: Because Cape May National Golf Club is a 50-acre sanctuary where you will hear birds singing, waterfowl landing in the lakes, bass leaping, ospreys circling overhead then diving to capture a fish for breakfast. And the course is pretty great, too! It’s been acclaimed by magazines across the country.

WHERE: Two miles north of Cape May, on Route 9 at Florence Avenue.

Call 609-884-1563 or visit cmngc. com.

WHEN: Course is open daily.

Enjoy the best rides of your life WHY: Because the Cape May Experience isn’t complete without a visit to the iconic Wildwood

See something really amazing WHY: Cape May is the capital of the known birding universe.

WHERE: A great birding bonus?

Taking in the island’s most beautiful spots... by trail or boat!

WHEN: See the Cape May Bird Observatory’s schedule of tours at njaudubon.org. Or call 609-846-3807 for the Young Birders Club.

Hang with cute, cuddly animals WHY: Because the animals at Bay Springs Farm are so cute and curious. Your kids will love them.

Plus, you can treat yourself to some world-class woven goodies in the alpaca shop.

WHERE: A couple miles west of downtown on beautiful, rustic New England Road. Call 609-884-0563, visit bayspringsfarmalpacas.com.

WHEN: Only open Friday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BABIES Deserve The Most W e l l -E q u i p p e d W a r d r o b e s .

OUR SHOP

Carries All The Finest I nfant A pparel & A ccessories , And Is Sure To Make Your Child A

“A LITTLE ANGEL IN DREAMLAND.”

BABY BOUTIQUE 106 JACKSON STREET CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY 609-884-5922

Exit Zero

Page 32

Summer of 2014

from the exit zero archives...

The staff of Restaurant 1919, a restaurant run by Neil and Karen Elsohn, formerly of Water’s Edge fame, in July, 2004. Restaurant 1919 is now Lucky Bones. the finest yarns..... the most exquisite fibers & hues all your knitting/crocheting needs...

ACCENT

on Beauty

WASHINGTON COMMONS. 315 OCEAN STREET. 609.898.8080.

Inspired by the Sea, Crafted on the Premises.

Custom Work is our Signature.

Design Pieces from your Existing Jewelry or C reate S omething O riginal J ust F or Y ou .

We Also Offer Expert Repair on all Fine Jewelry.

We

can

Patricia Jackson Jewelers 414 BANK STREET, CAPE MAY. 609.884.0323.

PATJACKSONJEWELERS.COM.

“I INTEND TO LOOK MY VERY BEST!”

Consistently Voted Best Day Spa. Haircare.

Facials.

Massage.

A Nature Lover’s Paradise...

And A Haven For Beautiful Home & Garden Accessories.

Spray Tan. Manicures and Pedicures.

Weddings.

Special Occasions.

Make-Up.

OF CAPE MAY 109 SUNSET BOULEVARD WEST CAPE MAY (609) 898-8871 • b i r d h o u s e o f c a p e m ay . c o m

1 2 8 S U N S E T B O U L E VA R D . W E S T C A P E M AY. N E W J E R S E Y. 6 0 9 . 8 8 4 . 7 0 4 0 .

3

Page 33

K L A W D R A O B S ’ A C I R AME

piers of amusement

2

WATER PARKS



Swing to great heights this year on the brand new

! w e N

Wave Swinger on Mariner’s Landing pier.

This classic ride features 72 vignettes of art depicting Wildwood’s colorful history.

Adventure Pier ROCKS with artBOX• offering an irresistible combination of great shopping, live music and good eating.

AC

L

E

BE

Experience the piers on a whole new level when you download our thrill-tracking app, WILDTRAX (available FREE for iPhone and Android). Go WILD as you race to the top of the leaderboards, earn badges, share photos and MORE! IL H B AR & GR

ST

BEACH BAR chicken & GRILLE

BEACH

N

captures the flavor and style of BOR NEW Taco Joint BThe O B R B Uboth Mexican and USoCal. Serving up shrimp, fish, pork,

N

ST

TACO JOINT

S

S

B

S

& & quesadillas including a and beefBAR tacos GRILLE of freshRsalsas and freshly prepared nachos.

R O variety T H E R Complete Othe E R with a margarita.

T H meal

B

LLE

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

LOCATED ON MOREY’S MARINER’S LANDING, SCHELLENGER AVE. & THE BOARDWALK

Weekly Specials

MonDAY Piers and Pizza - $30 Start your week with a slice of

Jumbo’s Pizza, a regular soft drink and a spin on ALL THREE PIERS with a ride wristband. Available beginning June 16. Valid Mon. from 1pm - 6pm. Water park admission not included. Adventure Pier opens at 4pm. Ghost Ship opens at 5pm.

TuesDAY Special - $25 Our best deal on pier ride wristbands because you can loop, spin and swing until you can’t take it anymore on ALL THREE PIERS. Available beginning June 17. Valid Tues. from 1pm - 6pm. Water park admission not included. Adventure Pier opens at 4pm. Ghost Ship opens at 5pm.

XTREME Ride WednesDAY - $35 Receive a Pier Ride Wristband

valid until 6pm PLUS two Xtreme rides of your choice. Available beginning June 18. Valid Wed. from 1pm- 6pm. Water park admission not included. Xtreme rides open at 1pm. Adventure Pier opens at 4pm. Ghost Ship opens at 5pm.

ThursDAY Special - $25 Our best deal on pier ride wristbands because you can loop, spin and swing until you can’t take it anymore on ALL THREE PIERS. Available beginning June 19. Valid Thurs. from 1pm - 6pm. Water park admission not included. Adventure Pier opens at 4pm. Ghost Ship opens at 5pm.

Double-the-Fun ThursDAY

Double your pleasure as the MOR-EZ ticket card goes twice as far on our amusement rides. Ride for only half the tickets until 6pm. Also, look for great Double-the-Fun offers at many of our game and food outlets. Available beginning June 19. Valid Thurs. from 1pm - 6pm. Adventure Pier open at 4pm. Ghost Ship opens at 5pm. *Certain rides excluded.

FriDAY Splashtacular - $50 Splash into the weekend at one of our

beachfront water parks, Raging Waters or Ocean Oasis AND go wild on ALL THREE PIERS. Expires at 6pm. Available beginning July 11. Valid Fri. from 9:30am - 6pm. Adventure Pier opens at 4pm. Ghost Ship opens at 5pm.

O B B U R

N

BEACH BAR & GRILLE

THER

Stubborn Brothers Beach Bar & Grille’s laid-back mood, tropical drinks, oversized Adirondack chairs and beach-influenced fare have made it THE SPOT to grab some shade and a bite to eat. Dress code is swimsuit casual and bare feet are not only ok but also encouraged.

LOCATED AT OCEAN OASIS BEACH CLUB + WATER PARK ON SURFSIDE PIER, 25TH STREET & THE BOARDWALK

Water Parks specials Morning Special - $33 Swim and slide from park opening until 12:30pm.

After 3pm Special - $25 Sold after 3pm. Valid until park closes.

Available June 16 - August 29, 2014. Closing times and operating hours are subject to change at anytime based on various factors including weather and crowd conditions. All specials are subject to operating hours.

Visit www.MoreysPiers.com for up-to-date operating hours and complete details on all of our specials.

Some restrictions apply.

O B B U R

N

Other new food options include Jake’s Steaks, Tony Luke’s and the ALOHA Smoothie Co.

ST

B

RO

S

ST

Fired Up FriDAY NIGHTS - $25

Light up your night by enjoying the rides underneath Coca-Cola’s weekly fireworks display! Available beginning June 27. Valid Fri. from 10pm until closing, excluding July 4. Fireworks each Fri. night at 10pm from June 27 to August 29.

Top TEN Piers in America

by CoastalLiving.com

VISIT MOREYSPIERS.COM FOR INSIDER TIPS, EVENTS AND OUR BEACHFRONT BLOG.

WILDWOOD, NJ • 609.522.3900

Exit Zero

Page 34

Summer of 2014

deSATNICK REAL ESTATE, LLC 1001 LAFAYETTE STREET, CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY 08205 Todd H. deSatnick / Broker of Record -

609.884.1300 - www.deSatnickRealEstate.com

CONTACT US for DETAILS on OUR MANY AVAILABLE PROPERTIES!!!

Allow Our Experienced Staff to Aid You in Acquiring the Domicile of Your Dreams!

O

UR MISSION is to provide the Real Estate Community with the most Comprehensive and Technologically Advanced Resources available today to allow for Efficient Buyer and Seller Transactions.

We Execute our Mission by Continually Surging Forward in the Industry with Education that allows our Team to create the Latest Innovations in the Real Estate Marketplace.

Our Vision is characterized by our Creative Insight combined with our Entrepreneurial Drive to offer our Valued Clients the most Progressive and Personalized Customer Service in the Industry.

O DRE SERVICES, LLC PROPERTY MANAGEMENT: - MAINTENANCE - INSPECTIONS - CLEANING SPECIALTY CONTRACTOR

609.898.1600

info@DREService.com • DREService.com

UR ULTIMATE GOAL is customer satisfaction and an unmatched reputation in the community.

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Page 35

Betty Steger, Queen Of The Beach MEET THE LEADING LADY FROM ONE OF CAPE MAY’S BEACHFRONT ICONS How old are you, Betty? I am 83... just a little bit older than Steger’s Beach Service!

[Editor’s Note: This interview was originally published in an issue of Exit Zero last year.

And you’re still running the business... how many hours do you put in a week?

It’s a full 40.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Where are you from? Philadelphia, originally, although I did spend all of my summers here. And I did live here for two years as a child — on the corner of Hughes and Decatur, what’s now the Empress — because my father opened a funeral service establishement on the island in 1935. But this was right after the Depression, and no one had money for a funeral, so we did end up going back to Philadelhpia full-time.

Were you sad to leave? I was a first-grader at the time and a bit too young to know what was happening, but as I got older, Labor Day did become the saddest day of the year for me, because I knew it meant leaving Cape May. I still remember the August I came down with a very bad case of strep throat, and the doctor recommended my parents not

Local legend Betty Steger at her home in Cape May, her favorite place in the world. Aleksey Moryakov

start me in school come September. I was thrilled because it meant I could stay here, in this place that’s so different than any other seaside resort. The most beautiful day I remember is the day after the 1944 hurricane; I was so happy to have the beach all to myself.

What kind of things did you do here as child? My brother and I used to go into Ricker’s Gift Shop, where my future

husband, Bob, worked as a 14-year-old boy. Actually, it’s that job that convinced Bob he wanted to work in retail when he grew up. At Ricker’s, he was told to follow people around, especially children, and make sure they didn’t destory anything. So we used to go in and tease him by touching everything. Then, when I turned 14, my mother said, ‘Okay, time you got a job rather than lying

FUN

ON THE WATER!!!

HEALTHFUL AND EXCITING!!

THE LATEST IN AQUATIC TECHNOLOGY

FOR YOUR BOATING PLEASURE!

on beach all summer long.’ So I started working for Ricker’s Ice Cream Parlor and Bob would come in and order from me.

Was he really coming for the ice cream, or secretly to see you? Well to see me, of course.

He finally got the nerve to ask me out.

Is it true that he was one of Cape May’s first surfers? Yes, that’s right.

Is that one of the things

that attracted you to him?

What attracted me to him is that he lived in Cape May! When he asked me to marry him — I was 21 at the time — I didn’t even skip a beat. I thought, ‘Oh, boy, I don’t have to go home on Labor Day!’ And he was running the beach service at the time?

That’s right. His father had started the business in 1933; he’d come here to teach physi-

cal education and coach football in 1928, and he became a legend. The football field at Lower Cape May Regional is named after him. From 1929 to 1932 he spent his summers off working as a lifeguard, and that’s how he came up with the idea to start a beach service.

How was the business different in those early days?

First, we owned a bathhouse, between Jackson and Perry.

Back then, you weren’t allowed to enter a hotel in bathing suit, so people needed somewhere to change into their suits and, at the end of the day, change back out of them. Our boys would pick them up, wash them, and hang them on the roof to dry. Eventually, people stopped using bathhouses, and this space was turned into a store called Steger’s which sold all sorts of things for the beach, and a surf shop, the first of its kind in Cape May. When my husband was stationed in Japan with the Army, he ran the on-base store, so retail came naturally to him. As for the beach service part... we hardly had any stands north of Convention Hall. In addition to umbrellas, we would rent canvas mattresses for the water called surfriders. You couldn’t buy them, because rubber was needed for the war effort and very scarce. Now, we stretch from Trenton to the Cove, all the beaches that are Continued On Page 37

A HEALTHY PET ~ Has A ~ GREAT DEAL To Smile About.

THIS LITTLE FELLOW WILL REMEMBER THAT SOON.

FOR THE BOLD AND DARING! BE SURE TO TRY OUR EXCLUSIVE

AERIAL CONTRAPTIONS! 694 Petticoat Creek Lane

Cape May EAST COAST JET BOAT ADVENTURE 1121 Route 109 • Utsch’s Marina, Cape May (609) 898-8754 • eastcoastjetboat.com

EAST COAST PARASAIL, JET SKI & WAVERUNNER 1121 Route 109 • Utsch’s Marina, Cape May (609) 898-8754 • eastcoastparasail.com

884-1729 . .

www capemayvet com

Page 36

Exit Zero

HEALTHCARE GROUP

SECURITY.

PLANS FOR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS AT COMPETITIVE RATES.

MILLENNIUM-TPA.COM

TRUST.

Summer of 2014

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Page 37

QUEEN OF THE BEACH From Page 35

serviced by lifeguards.

When was the beach named Steger’s? Way back in the forties when my father-inlaw bought the store. He also acquired Queen Street beach from the city; apparently it needed money at the time.

What kind of work did you do for Stegers at the beginning? When I first came down here, I taught at Cape May City Elementary for a year, but I soon realized I couldn’t help with the business and teach.

I worked in the store and took over payroll and bookkeeping from my father-in-law. It’s a good thing he taught me those things, because he died very suddenly of a heart attack in August of 1990, and I had to take over the books.

Did you have any moments of doubt? Every day. I was overwhelmed. But an accountant gave me great advice: Take it one day at a time.

What happened to the store? My son, Steve, had graduated from Atlantic Cape Community College and he had no interest in merchandising, just the beach. So we kept the beach service and sold the store to Larry Hirsch of the Montreal Inn, who turned it into several stores.

How many children do you have? There’s Steve, who has two sons of his own — they’re 22 and 16 — and my daughter, Linda, whose two sons are 36 and 31. They’ve all worked for us at one point or another. My son’s oldest boy just graduated from Monmouth, and he’s very

The old Steger’s beachfront store being demolished in 1992. In the picture is the late Harry Hirsch, scion of the family who redeveloped the retail zone at the old Steger site.

The late Bob Steger (far right) in Cape May in October 1967. Bob might have been the first surfer in town.

excited to take over Steger’s.

Tell us your fondest memories of watching the kids grow up in the business. There were a lot of learning experiences for them. When Steve was 13, he wanted to work a beach of his own, so his grandfather gave him a small one. He wasn’t watching closely, and when he went to set up someone’s umbrella, someone stole all of his money. He never did that again! And one night, coming home from a din-

ner during which we’d left my daughter in charge of the store, I saw a man walking out with a stack of beach towels. I went inside and sure enough, Linda was in the back, having fun with some friends. She never did that again, either.

You’ve probably watched other people’s children grow up over the years as well? Oh you get very close with the customers. When I was pregnant with my son, some of the kids were so excited they ran to tell

their mothers, and then their mothers came back to look at me. It was cute.

And you’ve grown close with your employees, too?

There have been hundreds! We visited one young man who used to work with us who is a teacher now in Florida. He told me, ‘I hold a couple of records from the years I worked. I could carry 12 surfriders at one time.’

Some start working for us at 14 and want to continue through college. One young man is 52 and still working for us.

How about a not-so-nice experience? Our employees know how to put an umbrella in the sand so that it doesn’t blow away, but one time one did. It hit a woman in the leg and she claimed she had all sorts of problems. But an insurance company investigator caught her walking!

What is the proper way to put an umbrella in the sand?

You have to stand with your legs apart and rock it back and forth. If you open it first it’s easier. Using your arms and legs, you can feel it sinking deeper and deeper. Always face it into the wind.

Whose idea were the beach boxes? That was Bob’s idea, and what a great one! People rent them, so they don’t have to carry their belongings to and from the beach every day.

What’s so special about the color they’re painted? It’s mixed by Swain’s Hardware for us. It’s named Steger’s Blue.

Can anyone buy it? Sure!

Have the storms been kind to you over the years? In the hurricane we had two years ago, we lost about 90 boxes.

Considering all of the time you’ve now spent working on

the beach, dealing with things like storms and lawsuits, is it ever difficult to remember the beauty of it? Oh no, I’m really, really lucky. There’s a song about Cape May — not ‘On the Way to Cape May,’ which everyone knows — but a song written in the 40s by a local man named Ludy Love, and it sums up Cape May to me. I’ll sing it to you... ‘Pack up your grip and come to Cool Cape May, where you’re 20 miles out at sea. Those ocean breezes send you right on the beat, and on the beaches you’ll meet peaches out of a dream.

Stroll on the boardwalk when the moon is bright, or take a sail out over the bay. You’ll love romancing and dancing on the pier... Come on down to Cool Cape May…’ I’ve always loved it here, and I always will.

Cape May Historic Homes

Circa 1850

Circa 1820

An

experience to appeal to the historian in you .

Circa 1913

CHRISTINA P. CLEMANS, LICENSED REAL ESTATE BROKER | 1159 WASHINGTON STREET, CAPE MAY NJ 08204 CHRISCLEMANSSIR.COM | EMAIL: CAPEMAY@CHRISCLEMANSSIR.COM | 609.884.3332 | TOLL FREE 800.828.9751

Exit Zero

Page 38

Summer of 2014

David’s Excellent Eco Adventure THE ULTIMATE WAY TO KEEP YOUR KIDS OCCUPIED, THRILLED AND INSPIRED When 32-year-old David Matagiese was a child growing up in Cape May, his mother kicked him out of the house until lunch, and then kicked him out again until dinner, and rightfully so. “I loved it,” he told us. “I biked to the marsh or the woods and explored them with friends. Kids have lost that get-outside-and-build-a-fort mentality. It’s too difficult to get them unplugged and away from the iPhone or iPad or computer long enough.”

So, in an attempt to make connecting with the environment — and being active — more appealing than a session of Grand Theft Auto (which is the most obscene, disturbing video game we’ve ever encountered, but we digress), David has founded EcoVentures Adventure Programs, which launched last June.

The daily activity programs will be led by a staff of trained marine specialists, including David himself, a marine biologist who graduated from Lower Township High School, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the Nova Southeastern Oceanographic Center/ Guy Harvey Research Institute before designing and imple-

menting kid’s nature programs around the world for over 40,000 kids a year through the International Game Fish Association in Florida, a position he held until moving back to Cape May almost two years ago.

“I remember a girl named MaryAnn,” David said. “She’d always had this notion in her head that horseshoe crabs are killers. But the first time she got her hands on one, you could see it in her face; her opinion had switched in a matter of 30 seconds. The crabs had gone from man-eating to friendly, and you could see the wheels turning in her head.”

The Cape May program — geared for boys and girls between the ages of four and 13 — will have the same goal: to un-detach kids. “I want them to think, ‘If I throw this water bottle on the ground, it’s going to affect me personally,’” David said. “These are going to be the voters, consumers, and policy makers one day.”

To facilitate this, each day’s programs will have a theme, one which incorporates a physical component — think fishing, bodyboarding, snorkeling, skimboarding, and grab bag games like clam-pitching. “I have always enjoyed sharing what I’ve learned through formal education by teaching it to others in an informal education center,” David said.

Case in point: the kids might learn about sharks while creating shark tooth necklaces. Or

they might learn about shoreline ecology on a walk to collect pieces for the making of reclaimed surfer bracelets. Or on Fridays, when the group will launch from the Cape May Lady for a floating classroom fishing adventure, kids won’t just cast lines, they’ll discover the different adaptations of the animals they’re bringing in. “Noth-

WILSEY REALTY

T

HE WILSEY FAMILY NAME has long been synonymous with Integrity and Dedication as part of the Greater Cape May Community.

“We see your signs everywhere, so we decided to stop in,” is a frequent remark made by buyers, sellers and visitors. Our prime Location is wonderfully Convenient for customers, and our Office is a full service real estate firm with private conference rooms available to accommodate clients.

ing will get stale,” David said.

“Every day will be something new.”

Which means every day will also bring a new opportunity for grown-ups to relax, sans the little ones. “Hey,” David said.

“Parents need vacation time, too.”

The EcoVentures home base is The Grand Hotel in Cape

May, with an office location at 1901 New Jersey Avenue in North Wildwood. Participants can register for the day ($70 for one; $195 for three), the week ($295), or the season (see EcoVenturesUS.com for more pricing info and discounts).

Lunch is also included. Programs run from 10am to 4pm Mondays through Thurs-

days, and 7:30am-12:30pm for fishing trips on Fridays.

EcoVentures also provides classroom outreach programs during the school year, and family programs, Boy and Girl Scout adventures and birthday parties in the off-season. See EcoVenturesUS.com for a list of frequently asked questions, and other good information.

Whether You Seek a Full-Time Family Home or a Weekend Hide-away... Your Castle Awaits!

Our Superior Listed Properties and our Excellent, Industrious, Solicitous Staff Will Endeavour to Make Your Dreams A Wonderful Reality!!

Wilsey Realty fully embraces the technology that has revolutionized the real estate industry, in addition to the quality of their Staff and Service.

501 LAFAYETTE STREET, CAPE MAY

609.884.1007 | WILSEYREALTY.COM | INFO@WILSEYREALTY.COM

1 4 0 0 T e x as A v e u e , C ap e M ay , N J 6 0 9 . 8 8 4 . 5 0 0 5 • C oastli n e R e alty . com

Exit Zero

Summer of 2014

Page 39

from the exit zero archives...

This Stately Landmark Building Houses a Gorgeous Hotel...

T

...and One of New Jersey’s Finest Restaurants.

HE MACOMBER, the Largest Frame Structure East of the Mississippi River, is a Family-Run Seashore Hotel Located on the Corner of Beach Avenue and Howard Street in Cape May, a mere Stone’s Throw from the Sea.

This Grand Shingle-Style Mansion is within Walking Distance of all Local Attractions. Its Relaxing, Airy Rooms Catch the Salty Breezes and Romantic Sunsets. The Main Floor Includes a Large Living Room and a Bright Solarium Overlooking the Promenade. Rockers on the OceanFront Verandas Tempt You to Linger. The Ground Level offers quaint Shops and Services. And There’s More... The Hotel houses Union Park, an Elegant, Award-winning Restaurant — one of Cape May’s Finest.

The Hotel Macomber Is Available For Weddings, Conventions, Reunions and More. Pray contact us for More Details.

AN EASY COMMUTE FROM THE METROPOLIS.

727 BEACH AVENUE, CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY. 609.884.3020 | HOTELMACOMBER.COM. April Wright, one of the famed Exit Zero puppies, dresses up for Halloween in 2004.

CRYSTAL

Marry Us!

APEX REALTY

WEDDING OFFICIANT

MARRIAGE OFFICIANT SERVICES and LOGISTICS ASSISTANCE. Ceremony Locations.

Bakeries & Caterers.

Photographers.

Gowns. Lodging.

Music & More.

CAPE MAY 609.435.1221 crystalmarryus.com

MLLE. THERESA SENICO. Offering Quality, Expert Local Service with that Personal Touch.

M

LLE. SENICO is a Licensed Broker-Salesperson with Apex Realty, who have been a part of the Cape May Community for more than 30 Years, and Specializes in Sales along the Delaware Bayside of the Jersey Shore. She is Knowledgeable in every Aspect of the Real Estate Market and Committed to Providing Quality Service to Buyers, Sellers, and Investors. She Recently Became Certified as a Resort and Second Home Specialist. Along with the most Current Knowledge and Expertise that Today’s Market Requires, She Provides Old-fashioned Service and Dedication to her Clients.

If You are Preparing to Purchase or Sell a Domicile, or if You Simply have Property Management Needs, Theresa will provide You with the Top-Notch Service You Deserve.

call on her today!!!

2505 BAYSHORE ROAD, VILLAS. 609.408.4655 800.894.2739 jerseyshorehomesbytheresasenico.com

Exit Zero

Visit Our Beautifully Designed Stores And Browse Our Appealing Selection Of Seaside Souvenirs!

Plus A Stunning Range Of Gifts And Items For The Home!

A WELL-APPOINTED EMPORIUM.

109 SUNSET BOULEVARD, CAPE MAY and BEACH & JACKSON STS., CAPE MAY

609.770.8479 EZSTORE.US OPEN DAILY 9-9 We also invite you to peruse the goods at our latest location, just a short buggy ride away in Wildwood.

THE EXIT MUSEUM SHOP at artBOX on Adventure Pier, Spencer Ave.