JerseyMan Magazine V11N3

MLB: THIS AIN’T YOUR

FATHER’S GAME ANYMORE

George Anastasia’s

MOB SCENE

Volume 11 • Number 3 – $3.95

UNIQUE SHORE ATTRACTIONS

Professional Cornhole

Back to the Shore!

The Real Estate Boom and its impact on the region jerseymanmagazine com

®

PUBLISHER

FROM JerseyMan Magazine THE VOLUME 11 • NUMBER 3 ____________________________________________________________________________________

BY KEN DUNEK

Lessons from an Old Jalopy

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t was an old white Ford Crown Victoria station wagon with red leather seats, and red rust on the bumpers to match.

My father-in-law Danny Vasturo gave it to me when he had to give up driving due to Alzheimer’s.

I had four daughters and about 4,000 bills.

The car was free, and I took it.

My Eagles alumni status gets me invites to some very nice golf tournaments at fancy clubs, with plenty of fancy cars.

Many times I would bypass the “bag drop” area. where tournament workers and fans would gather to greet the “celebrities” checking in and dropping off their clubs, sneaking in the back of the parking lot and carrying my bag to the area.

I didn’t want anyone to see the car I was driving.

Until one day I was fed up, and I swore to myself I was going to work as hard as necessary to make sure I could afford a better car.

So many times in life, the REASON to do something makes all the difference.

When I started this magazine, my reason was that I had a wife and four daughters and couldn’t afford to fail.

With the help of my business partners, I figured it out.

Who would have thought that any success I may have had would be due to an old broken down jalopy of a car?

Danny gave it to me out of love.

And I am sure he had his reasons.

Ken Dunek Publisher ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ashley Dunek EDITOR George Brinkerhoff ART DIRECTOR Steve Iannarelli CONTRIBUTING WRITERS George Anastasia, Jan L. Apple, Michael Bradley, George Brinkerhoff, Sam Carchidi, Alexandra Dunek, Ashley Dunek, Ken Dunek, Mark Eckel, Robert Kennedy, Sam Kraft, Dei Lynam, Anthony Mongeluzo, Kurt Smith, Robert Strauss Event Coordinator & Administrative Assistant Alexandra Dunek Website & Digital Coordinator Jamie Dunek Editorial gbrinkerhoff@jerseymanmagazine.com Advertising 856-912-4007 Printing Alcom Printing, Harleysville, Pa. Controller Rose M. Balcavage Sales Associates Ashley Dunek, Jamie Dunek, Terri Dunek, Allison Farcus, JP Lutz Intern Chloe Senatore JerseyMan/PhillyMan Advisory Board Peter Cordua (Chairman). . . HBK CPAs & Consultants Jerry Flanagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J Dog Brands Bob Hoey. . . . . . . . . . . . . Janney Montgomery Scott Kristi Howell. . Burlington Co. Chamber of Commerce Ed Hutchinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hutchinson Robert Kennedy. . . . . . . . . . The Kennedy Companies Julie LaVan. . . . . . . . . Advanced Mediation Solutions Doug MacGray . . . . . . . . . Stonecrop Wealth Advisors Anthony Mongeluzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCS Charlie Muracco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CLM Advisors Mike Regina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Big Sky Enterprises Scott Tanker . . . . . . . . . . . Tanker Business Solutions Joe Tredinnick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Republic Bank Les Vail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Workplace HCM Jim Wujcik. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Santander Bank

“But tomorrow may rain, so I’ll follow the sun.”

– The Beatles JerseyMan Magazine/PhillyMan Magazine, products of a partnership between Ken Dunek, Anthony Mongeluzo, and Alcom Printing Group, are published by New Opportunity Publishing, LLC, with offices at 5 Perina Boulevard Cherry Hill, NJ 08003. Copyright 2021.

www.jerseymanmagazine.com 8

INSIDE

“Summer breeze makes me feel fine.”

– Seals and Crofts

JerseyMan Magazine VOLUME 11 • NUMBER 3

Back to the Shore!

40 UNIQUE SHORE ATTRACTIONS 46 THE BOARDWALK IS BOUNCING BACK 20

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MATISSE THYBULLE

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by DEI LYNAM

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MLB 2021

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THIS AIN’T YOUR FATHER’S GAME ANYMORE

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REAL ESTATE BOOM

54

BEYOND THE PARKING LOT

60

SEEKING ADVENTURE SEEKERS

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54 60

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JOHN MARSHALL: THE FINAL FOUNDER BOOK EXCERPT BY ROBERT STRAUSS

COLUMNS Cover photograph Jamie Dunek

1 2 J O T T I N G S • 1 8 G E O R G E A N A S T A S I A ’ S M O B S C E N E • 22 GET FIT 74 THE CIGAR GUY • 76 TECH TIME • 78 THE WINE MAN

www.jerseymanmagazine.com

JOTTINGS

It was June, and the world smelled of

______________________________________________________________________________ roses. The sunshine was like powdered

BY GEORGE BRINKERHOFF

gold over the grassy hillside.”

– Maud Hart Lovelace

Life’s better in a side-car!

Photos imz-ural.com

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T’S SUMMER, AND YOU’RE LOOKING TO GO FOR A RIDE and feel the wind in your hair and the sun on your back. What do you do? You could go for a bike ride. Or, perhaps, you could go for a ride in your top-down convertible. Or, maybe you could go for something really different. How about jumping on and firing-up your very own Ural side-car motorcycle? You could take both yourself and a friend out for an enormously cool, satisfying spin. Ural motorcycles are Russian built motorcycles, and they have been building mostly very different and practical side-car motorcycles since the 1940’s, one of a very few side-car manufacturers in the world. Since the mid-90’s, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Ural motorcycles have been imported to the United States.

Sure the technology may seem a little arcane (purportedly the company began with German motorcycles bought during World War II from Sweden and then reverse engineered) but it’s also far simpler, allowing for a much more hands on approach to customizing and working on your machine.

Early ‘90s models were more primitive and had less powerful engines, but today’s models have electric starters and 750cc air cooled engines. Every Ural motorcycle is hand painted at the factory in Irbit in the Russian province of Siberia, and Ural Motorcycles continues to be led by a small team in 12

Redmond, Washington. The Gear-Up models are marketed to have off-road capacity (in keeping with their original design to handle Siberian winters and roads.)

Recently, they’ve also been working with a developer on an all electric concept vehicle. With different models and accessories to choose from, you’re bound to find the perfect model for you and a friend. For more photos, videos and much more information, check out all the latest models at www.imz-ural.com.

The Ol’ Ball Game Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics

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s confirmed by Sam Carchidi’s article, “Major League Baseball 2021: “This Ain’t Your Father’s Game,” on page 28, our American pastime is in a lull. Batting averages are way down, strike outs are up and the game itself is suffering. Still, from a purely statistical review, some things could be worse.

Certain teams were shockingly awful. Take, for example, Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics of 1916 who finished 54 and a half games out of first place with a record of 35 and 117, including 13 and 64 on the road, one of the worst teams in the modern era. The Athletics Mack in 1916 .235 win percentage is the lowest of any team since 1900, which incudes with their dismal .170 road winning percentage. As a team, they batted .242. They started out their most ignominious season getting beat 2-1 by none other than pitcher Babe Ruth at Fenway Park, and went on to make a

very good case to be the worst team ever.

On the other hand if individual achievement is your benchmark—and today’s multi-million dollar prima donna pitchers on a pitch count are just too much to stomach—consider the outing of one Eddie Rommel (right), pitcher for the 1932 Philadelphia Athletics. Rommel threw 17 innings in relief against the Cleveland Indians during a game in Cleveland when Mack had brought only two pitchers. Rommel got the call early, relieving starting pitcher Lew Krausse after the first inning, and after 9 innings the score was deadlocked 15-15. Rommel managed to cough up the lead in the seventh, ninth and 16th innings only to have the Philadelphia batters rally back each time. Along the way he faced a stunning 87 batters, went nearly 10 times through the order, allowed a major league record 29 hits (with 9 hits to Cleveland’s Johnny Burnett alone, also a major league record), and allowed 39 baserunners, a modern era major league record (1900-present). Yet somehow became the winning pitcher when the Athletics rallied to win 18-17 in the 18th inning! Turns out the victory was his last as a major leaguer — he was released at the end of the season. Rommel is honored today with his

inclusion in the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame at Citizens Bank Park.

For more stats go to Baseball-reference.com

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PHILLY’S ORIGINAL DOUBLE DECKER BUSSES You see them cruising through downtown Philly, filled with tourists, the latest wave of double decker busses with open air seating up top. But according to phillytrolley.org, Philly’s original double decker fleet started a long time before. In the mid-1920’s, the

Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company ordered 200 of the twin floored behemoths. They had a top speed of 26 mph, had one entry and exit door in the corner across from the driver (and an emergency rear door) and could seat 71 at full capacity, 32 on the first floor and 39 on the upper deck. Though they originally had solid rubber wheels (which likely made for a terrible ride) and were open-air up top, they were soon outfitted with pneumatic tires and enclosed due to the weather. Upon being fitted with a roof, the total height of the bus was 13 feet 9 inches. The upper deck was a tight 5 feet 3 inches.

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Photos phillytrolley.org

The fleet of 200 (125 delivered in 1925 and 75 delivered in 1926) were built by the Yellow Coach Company, and they plied their trade on 3 different routes Roosevelt Boulevard (Route A), Broad Street (Route C) and Chestnut and Walnut Streets (Route D), for more than 20 years. The last of the first double decker busses was removed from service in 1948. Check out phillytrolley.org for more info.

Tiki Murph – Continuing the Tradition of the Easygoing Island-Inspired Lifestyles

Photo tikimurph.net

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LONG TIME AGO, some twenty years or more, in a galaxy far, far away, or in reality just next to Route 72 in Warren Grove, NJ, there was a small roadside stand, unique in both location and inventory, on the main drag a few miles away from Long Beach Island. It was here that a curious, some might think odd summertime business called Tiki Murph’s stood, and what he specialized in was the Tiki lifestyle. With Polynesian inspired Easter Island-looking wood carved statues placed boldly all around the outside surrounding Tiki huts and bars, Tiki Murph’s looked so out of place that when it appeared on the horizon you may have questioned your senses. “What the hell is that?!”

According to Wayne Curtis in his article “Tiki” for americanheritage.com, the origins of the “Tiki” lifestyle seems to have started some time back in the 1930s in California with the opening of Don’s Beachcomber, a Polynesian themed restaurant and bar in Hollywood. (Editor’s Note: Tiki is a wooden image of the first human in Maori mythology. The word “tiki” was used to describe the style of the tropical islands of the South Pacific in the 1930s,

according to the Oxford English Dictionary.)

The style included flaming torches, rattan furniture, floral leis, shirts and rum based cocktails and punches. Inspired by Don’s, another restaurant owner restyled and renamed his restaurant called Trader Vic’s, (even telling people his wooden leg was from a shark attack, though it was really lost to leukemia), and popularized the style. This idealized vision of the South Pacific living coupled with an escapist philosophy, with drinks of choice, maybe mai tai’s and zombie’s, then faded only to come back (like zombie’s?) in style every

so often to help folks bring to life their own relaxed, island affected easygoing lifestyle.

Fast forward to today, and Tiki Murph is still in business, though his location has changed drastically. He’s now presciently located on a Delaware roadside, along Route 1, again still on the main drag on the way to another beach, Rehoboth Beach. He’s still selling the Tiki lifestyle with the Polynesian inspired carvings, custom built huts and tiki bars, but now with an online presence he’s also offering all kinds of additional chainsaw carvings including mermaids, fishermen, pumpkins and many others.

He’s also building hammocks which comes from the South American and Caribbean cultures, and claims are the “ultimate way to kick back and relax, and even doze off for a while.”

And he still has a presence in South Jersey as he continues to sell his custom carved items at the Green Top Market on Route 70. According to his website he also offers his custom built huts and bars, and carved items in New York, Florida and Pennsylvania. Check out Tiki Murph’s offerings online at tikimurph.net, at his Delaware location at 2048 Bay Road, Milford, Delaware, or at the Green Top Market, 1811 NJ 70, Southampton Township, NJ.

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16

What We Read Martial Arts: The Lessons

by Tomislav S. Peric Former Master’s World Jiu-jitsu champion, President of a PR (public relations) firm and JerseyMan/PhillyMan Magazine contributor Tom Peric has penned a first rate “How To” book for those who are uninitiated but interested in getting into the world of martial arts (it’s also a thoughtful refresher for advanced students.) By providing practical answers to nearly universal questions like, “Which is the best martial art for me?”, “Do I have to be in shape before I start?”, “What possible hurdles do I face as a woman entering the martial arts?”, “What you should know before signing up your daughter or son at a martial arts academy?”, or “When are you too old to start?”, Peric has provided an essential guide. He covers everything from the best martial arts for you to personally pursue, your training, physical fitness and injuries, schools, entering tournaments, self-defense, violence and martial arts and why children should study martial arts. Peric makes good use of his understanding and knowledge learned through his lifetime of martial arts training and this volume will help anyone choose the right route to go for every step along the way. n

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MOB SCENE

_______________________________________________________________________________

BY GEORGE ANASTASIA

The Fat Man and The Hit

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HE FAT MAN ARRIVED at the Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with a flashy blonde on his arm. His late-model Lincoln Continental was double-parked out front.

After easing his 350 pounds into a seat at a table near the fire door exit, he ordered extensively from the menu: a Caesar salad, double shrimp cocktail, veal rollatini and rigatoni with bacon, onions and tomato, followed by bananas and strawberries flambé.

He never got to finish his dessert.

About two hours after being seated at Ristorante Bravo Sergio on the night of August 8, 1987, Irwin “The Fat Man” Schiff took two bullets to the back of the head. The shooter entered through the fire door and left the same way.

Police and the FBI were called to the scene and began questioning restaurant employees.

They had seen nothing. None of Schiff’s fellow dinners in the small, 12-table restaurant were of any help, according to an FBI memo which noted that “subsequent to the … homicide, all restaurant patrons fled without paying their bills.”

Two years later, one of the top mob figures in New Jersey, Louis “Bobby” Manna, was convicted of ordering the hit on The Fat Man. Now, after serving more than 30 years of an 80-year sentence, Manna and a co-defendant, convicted shooter Richard DeSciscio, want out. In motions filed in federal court in Newark, lawyers for both men claim the prosecution played fast and loose with the rules in order to win a conviction “at any cost.”

The legal arguments are built around defense allegations that the government failed to turn over evidence prior to trial that could have undermined the prosecution’s theory of the case. The key issue appears to be a secretly recorded conversation in a Hoboken restaurant three days before the murder where, authorities said, the Schiff hit was discussed.

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Martin “Motts” Casella, who owned the restaurant, was identified as one of the voices on the tape. Casella was convicted with Manna and DeSciscio, but died in prison in 1992.

Defense attorneys argue that Casella couldn’t have been part of the conversation because an FBI surveillance video that was

The case also included allegations that Manna plotted the murders of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti and Gotti’s brother Gene. Those hits were never carried out but were believed to be part of a move by Gigante and other mob leaders to avenge the Gotti-orchestrated murder of Gambino boss Paul Castellano in 1985. That hit, outside of Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan, was part of Gotti’s hostile takeover of the Gambino organization.

T The prosecution and conviction of Bobby Manna was one of the seminal events in law enforcement’s war on organized crime. not disclosed at trial showed him leaving the restaurant before the conversation took place.

More to the point, the defense argues that the conversation did not involve Manna, but rather two other men who weren’t talking about “Irwin Schiff” but rather about “weekend union shifts.”

The defense contends the government created “a fictional version of this conversation” as part of its “malicious win at any cost agenda.”

Manna was a major figure in the Genovese crime family in New Jersey at the time. He was mob boss Vincent Gigante’s consigliere and headed up the family’s operations in the Garden State.

HE PROSECUTION and conviction of Bobby Manna was one of the seminal events in law enforcement’s war on organized crime. The government used two of the newest weapons in its judicial arsenal to nail the shrewd and ruthless Mafioso.

High tech electronic surveillance and RICO, the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, were the cornerstones of the case just as they had been three years earlier in the famous Mafia Commission trial and as they would be four years later in the conviction of John Gotti.

“We have a hope of making organized crime a historic relic rather than something that preys on people in the community year in and year out,” then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Chertoff said after winning the Manna conviction.

Whether Irwin Schiff was preyed upon or was one of the predators is one of the intriguing questions that has never been answered.

To some, The Fat Man was a lovable rogue right out of a Damon Runyon short story, a happy-go-lucky bon vivant who spread around money and cheer wherever he went, always a smile on his face and a beautiful woman on his arm.

Cash never seemed to be an issue for Schiff…and that was the rub. No one was able to clearly establish the source of his wealth. A story in the New York Times a few

days after the hit focused on exactly that.

Written by Ralph Blumenthal, one of the best reporters working in New York back then, and with a headline that read “The Enigmatic Life and Violent Death of Irwin Schiff,” the piece focused on the “contradictory picture” of the victim.

The story described Schiff as “a lavish spender who called himself a financial consultant, lived in a $13,000-a-month East Side duplex penthouse, drove a $185,000 antique Stutz Bearcat and half-million-dollar `cigarette’ speedboat, gambled away hundreds of thousands of dollars in Atlantic City, claimed ownership of hotels and casinos and clubs, and once listed his net worth as $20 million—all with no traceable sources of income or assets.”

While some friends compared him to a lovable teddy bear and said he was always ready to help anyone in need, others speculated that Schiff moved along the edges of an underworld that was more Goodfellas than Guys and Dolls.

There was talk that the convicted con-man was laundering money for the mob and that he had begun to take a bigger piece than he was entitled to. There was also some speculation that he had begun cooperating with the feds.

Either could have led to an underworld death sentence in the turbulent 1980s.

More than 30 years later, we still don’t have the answer.

Bobby Manna, of course, says the feds got it all wrong.

What’s more, he says they knew it.

“The Government fraudulently purported … that the August 5 … conversation was related to the murder of Irwin Schiff, when in fact they knew it was not, only to inflame both the Court and the jury’s perception of Manna and his codefendants,” the motion filed by Manna’s lawyer reads. “Supporting evidence clearly establishes that neither Manna nor Casella were engaged in the … conversation.”

The appeal filed in April came after Manna’s request for compassionate leave, based on the Covid outbreak and his medical condition, was turned down in December. Now 91 and suffering from several serious medical ailments, the one-time underworld kingpin is asking the court to overturn his conviction and allow him to, in effect, go home and live out whatever is left of his life surrounded by family and friends.

It’s a decent and humane request.

The Fat Man might have wanted something similar.

But it wasn’t on the menu that night. n 19

DEI LYNAM

_______________________________________________________________________________ ___

Magical Matisse

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Photo Philadelphia 76ers

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HEN SIXERS FANS reflect on the 2020-21 season, they will appreciate head coach Doc Rivers’ coaching and how it enabled them to lock up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They will be proud to have Joel Embiid listed as an MVP finalist. Begrudgingly, they will appreciate Ben Simmons is in the running for defensive player of the year.

Those are the headliners, but a significant subtitle will be Matisse Thybulle and the magic he brings to the defensive end of the floor.

Elton Brand coveted Thybulle’s talent enough to trade the team’s 24th and 33rd overall picks in 2019 for Boston’s 20th pick.

At the time, fans felt Celtics general manager, Danny Ainge, had once again fleeced his division rivals. Time would prove otherwise.

Thybulle finished his rookie campaign No.1 among his first-year peers with 1.4 steals per game. His 47 blocks for the season ranked fourth among rookies, but it is noteworthy that his 6’5” stature was three to six inches shorter than the three players who finished in front of him.

Fast forward to the start of this season, and as good as Thybulle felt about his first year as a pro, he had a new coach to win over and new teammates to compete against for playing time. Doc Rivers made it known early the high standard he had set for the second-year forward and his entire team.

“I know we should be a great defensive team,” Rivers said at the start of the season. “I know that, and we will start there. If you look at teams that win the title, they have been in the top five in defense or offense, and they are top ten in the other. You want to be top ten in both. Historically, that would say we are one of the elite teams.”

By historical standards, the Sixers entered the postseason as an elite team. They finished

“ My dad always preached defense. He realized that guys who could guard always had a place on a team. He continuously preached that to me.”

the regular season with the eighth-best field goal percentage, and defensively they rated even higher. The Sixers ranked 4th in opponents’ field goal percentage and sixth in points allowed. Matisse Thybulle played a pivotal role in the team’s defensive numbers by creating turnovers via steals or blocked shots. Thybulle has been investing in his defensive skill set since he was in the fifth grade.

“My dad always preached defense,” Thybulle explained. “He didn’t know a lot about basketball when I first started playing. Then he became a referee and taught himself the

game. He realized that guys, even at a young age, guys who could guard always had a place on a team. He continuously preached that to me, and for whatever reason, I had a knack for it, and everything fell into place.”

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HYBULLE AVERAGED 20 minutes per game in a reserve role this year, but his 2.9 steals per 36 minutes ranked first in the NBA, and his 2.0 blocks per 36 minutes were 15th best in the league.

As the regular season was winding down, the chatter of Thybulle being first-team all-

defense was kicking up. Whether Thybulle makes the official all-defense first or secondteam is still to be determined. In the meantime, Thybulle will continue to do his job and share his knowledge.

“Sometimes I come into a game because a guy’s in foul trouble or gets hurt or someone is scoring too much,” he said. “It varies, but the most important thing is energy and being consistent and disciplined on the defensive end.

“Things that you know well you want to be able to teach other people and help them pick up on. Because I have succeeded at the defensive end so early in my career and figured things out, it is a no-brainer for me to want to help young guys or even older guys who aren’t known for their defense. I like to give them little bits on what I know works that they can implement themselves.”

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HEN THIS YEAR’S playoffs started, Thybulle took his defensive prowess to new heights. In Philadelphia’s game two first-round victory over the Washington Wizards, Thybulle had four steals and five blocks. He became the eighth player since 1983 to have such a performance in a playoff game, but the first to do so playing less than 20 minutes. Seeing such a performance had his coach making comparisons, something Rivers rarely does.

“I guess you can say he is our defensive Lou Williams,” Doc Rivers said referring to his former player. “Lou Williams played for me, as well as Jamal Crawford, both offensively. You threw them into a game and said if you pass the ball once, you were going to take them out because their job was to score.

“Matisse’s job is to get stops when he comes in. Tony Allen, who I had way back, was very similar because he was coming off the bench for us too. Offensively there are very few guys like them in the league, and usually, they are the sixth man of the year.”

Allen played for Rivers in Boston and picked pockets comparable to Thybulle, but his shot-blocking skills were nowhere near the level of Matisse.

Williams and Crawford have six sixth man of the year awards between them. There is no award for a defensive specialist who comes off the bench, maybe because Thybulle is one of a kind. Many fans believe the defensive side of the ball is less entertaining to watch.

Matisse Thybulle is making a case to change that tune. n 21

GET FIT

For more guidance, follow Alexandra, NASM Certified

______________________________________________________________________________________________ Personal Trainer on Instagram at @TipsfromAFitChick

BY ALEXANDRA DUNEK

Try HIIT at OrangeTheory

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HANCES ARE AN ORANGETHEORY STUDIO has caught your eye at one time or another. The dark room coupled with the bright orange lights is hard to miss and will have you intrigued, whether you are a fitness buff or not. With over 20 locations in New Jersey and three being here in South Jersey, the studio is easily accessible to anyone looking to try something new.

The classes are considered HIIT, which stands for high-intensity interval training. HIIT is a way of training that has you alternating between periods of exercise and recovery. OT offers a 45 or 60-minute session that has you cycling between three stations: cardio using the treadmill, rowing & strength training using free weights.

I visited the Cherry Hill, NJ location on Haddonfield Road to try a 45-minute session with Head Coach, CJ Weiss. Before you begin, you will be given a heart rate monitor to wear that is synchronized to a large flat screen. This helps your coach see what heart rate zone you are in and is able to guide you to either work harder or remind you to ease up.

The heart rate zones are very important in Orangetheory. There are five zones and each zone is based on a level of intensity increasing from easy to hard. The overall goal is to spend 12 minutes in The Orange Zone, which is 84-91% of your maximum heart rate. By doing this you achieve a state of EPOC (Excessive Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption). This simply means you’ve entered a state where your body will continue to burn more calories for several hours after you finish your workout.

ment and who wants a mix of a cardio and strength workout. If you don’t like going to a commercial gym, this might be a good option for you as well.

You can try your first class for free before making any commitments.

For information on membership packages, visit www.orangetheory.com.

You can reach the Cherry Hill location by calling 856-282-1122. n

My session consisted of: • Power walk on the treadmill (not a runner here) at different inclines.

• Rowing machine for 400m followed by 10 jump squats.

• Weight lifting portion. This included doing a dumbbell squat to overhead press, 10 side lunges and 10 goblet squats.

The routines are never the same and are constantly switched up to keep it interesting. When talking to CJ, he mentioned that the best part of his job was seeing people evolve as they become consistent with his classes. He explained to me that one of his older clients used to walk the treadmill during the warm-up but now she has managed to transition into a slow jog. As a coach, I’m sure those moments are really rewarding to see.

As for myself, I didn’t break any records for my first class, but it was a fun experience trying something new. I can see Orangetheory being a great fit for someone who thrives off a group/coach environ22

CJ Weiss, Alexandra Dunek

THRU THE LENS Wildwood, NJ • Photograph by Jamie Dunek

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THRU THE LENS Ocean City, NJ • Photograph by Jamie Dunek

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

2021 THIS AIN’T YOUR FATHER’S GAME ANYMORE

BY SAM CARCHIDI

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F

OR THOSE WHO GREW UP when Gene Mauch managed the Phillies in the 1960s, Major League Baseball is a much different game today, one that is mostly absent of “small ball”—suicide squeezes, well-executed hit-and-runs, and the simple sacrifice bunt.

“ I try to think of how the game has changed for the better and I can’t come up with anything.”

Photo courtesy Larry Andersen

For those who grew up when Dallas Green managed the Phillies to their first World Series title in 1980, the game has much less strategy, many more strikeouts, and a swing-for-thefences mentality.

For those who grew up when Charlie Manuel managed the Phillies to the 2008 championship, the game has an odd look to it: a runner placed on second base (gasp) to start an inning if extra frames are needed, seven-inning doubleheaders, and a rule that makes relievers face at least three batters or finish an inning.

What in the name of Richie Ashburn has happened to the great game we grew up loving? A game that frequently now takes over three hours to play, and has become too specialized and too stale.

“I try to think of how the game has changed for the better,” former major league pitcher and current Phillies broadcaster Larry Andersen said, “and I can’t come up with anything.

Under Rob Manfred, the commissioner, and Tony Clark with the players association, I can’t think of one thing that is better. I can certainly point out a lot of bad things.”

Those who study and believe in analytics admit today’s game drags too much, and that improvements can be made. But they say the game isn’t in ruins.

Take Phillies general manager Sam Fuld, for instance, who disagrees with the many fans who say the game doesn’t have much strategy anymore.

Fuld acknowledged there’s a “different type of strategy” used today that wasn’t around when baseball’s popularity soared in the 1960s and 1970s.

A lot of today’s strategy revolves around the matchups between relievers and hitters, as managers, armed with analytics, decide when to make a plethora of pitching moves.

But many of those moves are based on behind-the-scenes stats and don’t get the fans as involved as when they are debating about the merits of, say, a hit-and-run, a stolen base, or a pitchout.

“The strategy you’re seeing now is often information-based,” Fuld said. “The strategy is, ‘How do I sequence my pitches well?’ In terms of managerial strategy, ‘It’s how do I play matchups the best way? How do I use my

– Phillies broadcaster Larry Andersen

whole bench in the most optimal fashion?’

It’s a chess match.”

Fuld believes there’s more strategy in today’s game, but conceded “it’s probably less exciting from a fan’s standpoint. Pitching

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Photo Philadelphia Phillies

changes aren’t as exciting as hit-and-runs.”

Nor are the ever-present fielding “shifts”— for instance, three fielders on the right side of second base when a lefthanded pull hitter is batting—popular among many fans. They make it more difficult to get runners on base and create action on the base paths.

Fuld pointed out that the shifts can also produce “interesting plays.” As an example, he talked about Bryce Harper bunting to the left side against a shift. “Maybe it’s not necessarily why you bought a ticket—to watch Bryce Harper bunt—but it’s a fun play to see,” Fuld said.

“ Maybe it’s not necessarily why you bought a ticket—to watch Bryce Harper bunt—but it’s a fun play to see.”

– Phillies General Manager Sam Fuld

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T

he litany of relief pitchers and the deep counts that Andersen believes are because umpires have smaller strike zones, have slowed the pace of games like never before, contributing to low TV ratings.

“Boring,” Andersen said of today’s game.

An all-time low of 9.8 million people watched last year’s World Series, according to Nielsen Media Research. MLB set its viewership World Series record when 44.3 million watched in 1978.

Head-scratching late starting times prevent kids and working adults from watching.

Those who watch can be excused for yawning.

“Baseball will benefit from a little more action, more balls in play,” said Fuld, who spent eight years as a major-league outfielder.

“I think the league is aware of it, and kudos to them for experimenting with different rules that will lead to potential changes on the major-league level.”

Some minor leagues, a branch of MLB, are experimenting with wider bases (15x15 inches to 18x18 inches) in an effort to modestly increase stolen-base attempts and reduce injuries. They have also experimented with not allowing infielders to go beyond the infield dirt.

To people who have watched the game for five decades or longer and loved baseball THE WAY IT USED TO BE, those ideas are mindboggling.

Andersen, a former reliever who spent six of his 17 major-league seasons with the Phillies, said the lack of fundamentals also turns off viewers. He is perplexed, for instance, with hitters’ inability to advance runners.

“How many times have you seen a runner get to second with nobody out, and how many times have you seen the next hitter TRY to hit the ball to the right side and move the runner?

Maybe one percent?” said Andersen, who believes analytics have caused teams to abandon

Photo Philadelphia Phillies

a one-run-at-a-time approach. “I don’t know if the players today even know how to play small ball. I don’t know if they have any concept of it. I don’t know if it’s ever taught or even explained to them in the minor leagues.”

Andersen said a lot of general managers “coming out of higher-academic colleges”— he was not referring to anyone in particular— have altered the game for the worse. “They never played on the professional level, but they’re very good at video baseball, and it just seems to me that they’re trying to turn baseball into video baseball,” he said. “That’s all they know. They weren’t good enough to go any further, so it’s like, ‘Let’s play the game the way I know how to play it.’ Like on a video game. And on a video game, all you’re trying to do is hit home runs and strike guys out.

There’s no strategy in the game anymore and that’s what is disappointing to me.

“And if they go with the universal DH”— which has been discussed—“what little strategy is left in the National League will be gone,” he said.

D

an Baker, the Phillies’ public-address announcer since 1972, has been following the team since 1954, when his father took him from his home in Mt. Ephraim, N.J., to Connie Mack Stadium.

He was more diplomatic than Andersen when he talked about the state of today’s game.

“It’s hard to say if it’s better or worse than it used to be,” Baker said. “It’s changed. I think sometimes Old Heads say it was better when we grew up—which is kind of the way I think—and they think you’re not progressive enough or you’re not changing with the times.

So I don’t necessarily assess whether it’s better or worse.”

Baker paused.

“I still love baseball, I’ll tell you that,” he said. “And I still love going to the ballpark, and it really energizes me. I love the game.

I love the atmosphere; it’s more relaxed than some of the other sports. The same principles apply, and I still think the team with the better pitching is going to win. It’s still exciting to see a triple. You still appreciate a really good defensive play. We did back in the day and we still do.”

Baker conceded he misses the little things teams used to do to produce runs and wins.

“You almost never see a sacrifice bunt anymore,” he said, “and stolen bases are way down.”

“There are times when a sacrifice bunt or giving yourself up to advance a runner is beneficial,” Fuld said. “These instances are less

“ I think sometimes Old Heads say it was better when we grew up—which is kind of the way I think.”

– Phillies P. A. announcer Dan Baker

frequent than what intuition told us before we had access to this kind of information.”

Andersen said players don’t spend enough time working on fundamentals or talking about the game.

“If players today would spend as much time talking to each other about how to play the game instead of working on their dances for when they do hit a home run, they would probably be better able to play the game the

right way,” Andersen said.

An abundance of players now have a home-run-or-nothing approach, and it’s fair to wonder if that is healthy for the game.

Will it generate enough fan interest that the next generation of fans will still be coming to ballparks? Or is more old-school, “small ball” needed to make fans feel more involved in the game as they analyze every critical move managers make?

The hitters’ approach to hitting has changed drastically. Few choke up with two strikes and just try to make contact. They swing from the heels, even with two strikes. A homer is

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shown on the TV highlight shows; punching an opposite-field single is not.

As a result of that approach, strikeouts are up. Way up.

“I’m just so frustrated with the game today,” Andersen said. “The game has been so good to me for so many things, and I don’t want to see it going backwards and losing people, losing fans.”

Heading into June, teams were striking out, on average, nine times a game. That means in a typical game, there were 18 strikeouts between the two teams. That number was 14 strikeouts per game in 2010, 13 per game in 2000, 11 per game in 1990, and about 10 per game in 1980, 1970 and 1960.

The specialization of relief pitchers over the decades has contributed greatly to the increase in strikeouts. And lower batting averages.

When the Phils won their first World Series in 1980, major-league teams compiled a .265 batting average. This year, the league average was at .234 entering June. (The Phillies were hitting .233 at the time.)

Andersen is befuddled by seven-inning doubleheaders and having a runner on second to start all extra-inning games.

Fuld thinks the extra-inning rule takes some of the stress away from pitching staffs, and that the man-on-second rule reduces the like-

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“ If players today would spend as much time talking to each other about how to play the game instead of working on their dances for when they do hit a home run, they would probably be better able to play the game the right way.” – Phillies broadcaster Larry Andersen

lihood of long extra-inning games “that can really wrench your pitching staff. … It’s not what we’re accustomed to, but as we try to protect players and protect workload, I can see where you would be a fan of it, at least from an organizational and front-office standpoint.”

Andersen is not a fan of either rule.

“It has a Little League feel to me,” he said.

“If we’re going to do that, why not just go to coach-pitch.”

The more Andersen talked, the more exasperated he sounded about today’s game.

“And they’re talking about moving the mound back a foot and a half? Really?” he

said. “… How many arm injuries do you think they’re going to have to deal with if they try doing that?”

There was anguish in his voice as he talked about relatively new rules that don’t allow baserunners to break up a double play by throwing their bodies into an oncoming infielder, and don’t permit catchers to block the plate.

“Maybe it’s just because I’m old-school,” Andersen said of the changes he feels have hurt the game. “I get fired up by this. It drives me nuts!”

You’re not alone, LA. n

33

6TH ANNUAL

Presented by T.C. Irons Insurance

Save THE Date THE 11.4.21

A Masquerade-Themed Celebration Event Ballroom at the Ben • Philadelphia

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ken at ken@jerseymanmagazine.com or Ashley at adunek@jerseymanmagazine.com

jerseymanmagazine.com

Boom!

The Real Estate Boom and its Impact on the South Jersey/Philly Region

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BY JAN L. APPLE

Unprecedented!

This is precisely how some local real estate agents describe the state of the market over the past year.

Thinking of purchasing a new home and taking advantage of all-time low-interest rates?

Turns out, in the South Jersey and Philadelphia region, inventory is scant and there are lots of others on a similar search.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Anne Koons of the dramatic changes and soaring demand for real estate. Koons is the number one producing agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox and Roach, Realtors in Cherry Hill. “There’s limited inventory—particularly in the $200,000 to $600,000 range, no new construction to speak of in South Jersey and interest rates have never been this low,” she said.

A real estate agent for over 36 years, Koons explained that currently, buyers can obtain a jumbo mortgage from 2.75 to 3 percent and a conventional loan from 2.5 to 3 percent. “I thought when they went to 6 percent, that was a bargain,” said Koons, 68, a lifelong South Jersey resident who lives in Voorhees and grew up in Vineland. “I sold homes when the rates were 10 percent,” she said, attributing the current scenario to numerous factors, including the pandemic.

According to Koons, the shortage of inventory began in June or July of 2020, after the country’s initial lockdown. People in large numbers suddenly wanted to flee from cities and tight spaces. A lot of people from New York, Center City Philadelphia, Connecticut and North Jersey began seeking residential real estate in South Jersey. The result: an abnormally large proportion of buyers vying for an extremely small amount of inventory.

Koons

It was all about supply and demand, quickly transforming to a seller’s market. And prices in our region, underscored Koons, are significantly lower than the New York market. “People wanted land, they wanted bigger homes; home offices were important,” said Koons, of the shift and desire for space in the suburbs.

In addition, a significant portion of businesses went totally or partially remote.

Koons sells properties predominantly in Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties as well as Center City and the Jersey shore.

Most of her business is residential, but she also manages some commercial properties.

Over the past year, she’s also observed a trend toward people moving to the shore in towns such as Ventnor, Margate, Longport, Avalon, Ocean City and Stone Harbor. Not only are residents from South Jersey and Philadelphia making the shore their permanent, year-round residence, but also a significant number from 37

In just about every sale, there is a bidding war, often with 20 offers. In most cases, buyers are paying from 10 to 20 percent over asking price.

New York, North Jersey and Connecticut. Rather than purchasing a property in the Hamptons on Long Island, people began flocking to the Jersey shore. “People got much more for their money down here,” said Koons, adding that some area residents also moved to Florida.

“New Jersey leads the country in real estate taxes. People are leaving because of that.”

Before the pandemic, Koons typically had about 15 to 25 homes in her inventory at any given time. Currently, she has four. In just about every sale, there is a bidding war, often with 20 offers. The result has been head-spinning, to say the least. In most cases, buyers are paying from 10 to 20 percent over asking price. This has become the “new normal.” In the past, she explained, the listing price would be the starting point of a negotiation. Sellers would expect a lower offer and negotiations would proceed from there. Today, it’s the polar opposite. “I recently listed a house in Cherry

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Hill for $395,000,” said Koons. “In two days, it sold for $450,000.” Yet the South Jersey/Philadelphia region is not the only place where supply and demand have put the seller in the driver’s seat. “I know people that bought a home in Palm Beach, Florida over a year ago for $4 million,” said Koons. “Today, they could sell that home for $8 million.”

Koons did point out that although there is limited inventory in Philadelphia in the $600,000 to $900,000 range, once you go over $1 million, there is more to choose from. And although many want to leave the city, others want to transplant themselves here as it’s much more affordable than New York.

In addition to the short supply of homes for sale, Koons noted that rentals are also a challenge. This is particularly evident at the Jersey shore, where prices for this rare commodity have increased dramatically.

Koons cited another recent example of a

three-bedroom, one-bath rental she listed in Northeast Philadelphia. “Within 15 minutes, I had 25 inquiries,” she said.

Although inventory is very low, Koons is quick to caution buyers from acting out of desperation. She’s seen people waiving home inspections and appraisals, something she advises strongly against. All the more reason, she said, to deal with an experienced, knowledgeable real estate professional. “If you’re going to buy a house today, you should work with someone who knows the area, is experienced and has your best interests in mind,” said Koons. “The same thing [is true] when you go to sell. Price is important, but it’s not the only factor.”

S

am Lepore of The Sam Lepore GroupKeller Williams Real Estate in Moorestown couldn’t agree more. In today’s market, he underscored that it’s more important than ever to choose a seasoned real estate agent with a proven track record.

Lepore, 48, has been a real estate agent since 2007. He works primarily with residential properties ranging from $800,000 to $3 million throughout Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties with a significant niche in Moorestown. He understands the delicate balance of

“ For sellers, it’s been great. For buyers it’s been tough, losing out on the homes; there just aren’t enough of them.”

Lepore

skills required in any transaction. These include an understanding of real estate law, mortgages, construction, inspections and the art of negotiation. Prior to becoming an agent, Lepore worked in the mortgage business and as a home builder, an experience that has strengthened his competitive edge in serving clients.

A South Jersey native who resides in Moorestown, Lepore acknowledges the extraordinary state of the market. “We haven’t seen anything like this,” said Lepore. Although in 2007 and 2008, it was a great market, he noted that inventory levels have never, ever been this low. Prior to the pandemic, he described the market as flat to normal. Then in March 2020, when everything was in lockdown, the market followed suit. “About a month later, things took off like wildfire,” he said. And they haven’t slowed down. In 2020, Lepore had the highest number of sales since he’s been in the industry. In his real estate group—comprised of 11 professionals, eight of whom are agents—sales were up about 25 percent.

“For sellers, it’s been great,” said Lepore.

“Most of the time, we’re able to get them over asking price (averaging from 10 to 20 percent).

For buyers it’s been tough, losing out on the homes; there just aren’t enough of them.”

Lepore attributes a shortage of sellers to numerous factors, including that people haven’t been comfortable showing their homes during the pandemic and uncertainty about the economy and job market.

Clearly, since working and attending school remotely has been the norm for many for over a year, there’s been much greater attention to the home environment. “People are staying put and improving what they have,” said Lepore. “They might be putting in a pool or redoing a kitchen.

That’s why contractors are so busy now.”

Lepore has also observed a continued exodus from New York and Philadelphia to South Jersey, flooding the regional market. “You can get something here for half the price than in New York,” he said.

With an influx of buyers and not enough

sellers, there may be 10 offers on the table for one property. In fact, in 90 percent of Lepore’s transactions, there are multiple bids. “We have to make our offer stand out,” he said.

Suffice it to say, there’s a lot more involved in selling and buying homes than one might think. “If you don’t align yourself with a true professional, you are doing yourself a great disservice,” said Lepore. Not only does an agent need to know how to navigate the market and show a house, but they must also be adept at completing the transaction. “You have to know how to talk to people and communicate properly,” said Lepore. “You need good negotiation skills to get a transaction to the closing table.”

Although Lepore can’t predict the future, he doesn’t see the market slowing down for at least another year. With COVID restrictions relaxing and more people getting vaccinated, he believes this could help with inventory. “If so, there might be a chance to level the market,” he said. n

T

hough real estate sales may have been booming, some area residents and businesses were struggling.

Lepore didn’t miss an opportunity to give back. In December 2020, he helped some community members by paying for their groceries at Ralph’s Market in Moorestown.

Lepore explained that real estate agents in New Jersey have been showing houses throughout the entire pandemic. This was not the case in Philadelphia, where showings were not permitted for a period of time. In both regions, strict health and safety measures were in place including the wearing of gloves, masks and sanitizing of surfaces.

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Shore Things

BY ASHLEY DUNEK

When Life’s Not a Beach While COVID-19 seriously impacted almost every business in our state in some way, not everything was negative. With beaches and public parks being temporarily closed, and most people confined to their homes, a few offbeat outdoor attractions still thrived.

Photo Ashley Dunek

We traveled to the Jersey Shore to find some of these unique activities that you may not have heard of!

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Stop 1

Revolution Rail Company Cape May, NJ

We’ve all seen those old rusty train tracks alongside major roads and highways, collecting dust and weeds from years of unuse. Well, Revolution Rail Company, in partnership with Cape May Seashore Lines, has found the perfect way to repurpose them – let us introduce, railbiking!

A railbike is a bike fitted with special attachments that allows it to ride on railroad tracks. This particular railbike trek runs for four miles along the old Cape May Seashore Lines (formerly the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines).

One thing I wasn’t expecting was the minihistory lesson that came along with the twohour trip. As we started on our guided peddleadventure we passed two rusted freight cars littered with graffiti and were told some of the history of the rail line and its many changes over the years. We learned that most recently Tony Macrie leased the tracks in 1996 and for a short while this particular track was up and running. After several unfortunate events, a ton of vandalization along with an assist from maybe the biggest culprit, Mother Nature, the track was unusable.

That is until Tony’s team collaborated with Revolution Rail Co. In 2020, they cleaned up this piece of New Jersey history and brought us Cape May’s hottest new attraction.

The ride was easy (at least with 3 of us peddling) and certainly family-friendly.

The first half of our trip ended at the Cape May Canal, which was constructed during World War II to provide a protected route to avoid German U-boats.

Our guide told us how disappointing it was that the draw bridge at the canal couldn’t be repaired. (If it had been, our tour could have gone on for many more miles!)

On our way back we were in for another treat – The Nature Conservancy and The Garrett Family Preserve. Here we learned that Cape May is a hub for migration and marveled at the swarms of butterflies, birds, and bees around us. We had 15 minutes to soak in the beauty of Mother Nature and we didn’t waste a second.

That ended our first railbiking experience, and my only complaint is that I wish we could’ve crossed that draw bridge and continued on! www.revrail.com/cape-may-nj 41

Jersey Shore Alpacas Cape May, NJ

Now for the cutest stop on our Jersey Shore adventure – Jersey Shore Alpacas!

We were greeted by Tish, one of the owners, for our very own private tour…right in their BACKYARD! Yes, 18 alpacas living on the small farm behind their Cape May home.

She filled us in on the rules, instructed us to wash our hands (alpacas are sensitive to hand sanitizer) and filled our aprons to the brim with carrots.

The males and females were in two different sections, and the first up was the boys. Just like us, alpacas have their own personalities. We listened to Tish as she let us know which one doesn’t like to be petted, another that doesn’t play well with others and which ones can get aggressive and are prone to spit.

(Did you know that alpacas spit to keep others from their food? Let’s just say I was targeted.) As cute as they are, these are big, strong animals weighing anywhere from 100-190 lbs. and some looking at you eye level, so we were sure to follow Tish’s instructions carefully.

I fell in love with Oliver at first sight. He looked like the movie star of the group with big brown eyes, long thick eyelashes, and the face of a stuffed animal - alpaca perfection.

Next, we met the females, fell in love a couple more times and doled out the rest of our carrot snacks. We then checked out their shop, which had authentic alpaca clothes, scarfs, and keepsakes (most of which do not come from their own alpacas). I’m not sure I’ve ever felt softer material.

If you’re an animal lover, Jersey Shore Alpacas is a MUST! www.jerseyshorealpacas.com 42

Photos Ashley Dunek

Stop 2

Photos Ashley Dunek

Stop 3

Pau Hana Tiki Boat Somers Point, NJ

When COVID-19 halted owner Brian Toner’s event production job, he and his wife Jennifer decided to fulfill a dream of theirs: to own their very own tiki bar and spend their days cruising the Jersey Shore waters.

Pau Hana is a Hawaiian phrase meaning “finished work.” It generally refers to the practice of leaving work early on Friday to start the weekend.

After seeing similar tiki boats on Caribbean vacations, they knew they had to bring this concept to the Jersey Shore, and what better place than Ocean City, a dry shore town (although they are docked in Somers Point).

We visited with Brian, his two female captains and checked out the coolest ride in town.

This is not your typical water vehicle. A giant tiki bar sits in the center of the 26foot boat and comfortably fits six guests (it looks like it can fit 20). You’ll need to supply your own booze but they’ll handle the rest, and you can even get it catered.

They offer over eight different cruises, most of which are two hours long, including a Secret Island Tour that you’ll have to check out for yourself!

EACH ONE OF THESE ATTRACTIONS IS SELLING OUT QUICKLY. TRY TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT ASAP, AND DON’T FORGET TO TELL THEM JERSEYMAN SENT YOU! 44

The Pau Hana team considers “Every Day A Party” and it’s easy to see why. www.pauhanatikiboat.com

Looking for the Big Bounceback

I

T WAS CALLED THE SYRINGE TIDE, and in the late 1980s, it drained an estimated $1 billion in revenue from New Jersey beach communities.

Ed Pohlman remembers that time, when medical waste, raw sewage and hypodermic needles washed up along the shoreline, driving vacationers away from New Jersey and costing businesses dearly. The owner of two Ed’s Funcade locations in Wildwood has seen a lot during his 45 years of business ownership at the Shore, but not even the toxic flotilla that invaded Jersey in 1987 and ’88 could top what happened last summer, when the coronavirus pandemic forced businesses to close down or operate with limited capacity and prevented patrons from visiting the usual stops on their summer vacations.

“We’ve been through ups and downs, but we’ve never experienced something like this,” he says. “It’s monumental.”

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BY MICHAEL BRADLEY

Photo Wildwoods Media

47

The promising combination of growing vaccine totals and a lessening of government restrictions should send visitors streaming back to the Jersey Shore.

48

“People were sending memories of the shore to friends and family who had canceled vacations or couldn’t make it to the shore,” Juzwiak says.

After such a difficult 2020 season, owners of restaurants on the Wildwood and Ocean City boardwalks are hoping there will be a significant rebound in ’21. The promising combination of growing vaccine totals and a lessening of government restrictions should send visitors streaming back to the Jersey Shore. With that will come a desire to eat out, engage in entertainment opportunities and shop in the boutiques and stores that have been part of the beachfront experience for decades.

Business owners expect people to remain cautious but nonetheless eager to get out and spend money again, thereby helping them through the three-plus month season that for many is their only revenue of the year. In late May, when New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy lifted the state’s indoor mask mandate and said people no longer had to remain six feet apart, it was a starter’s pistol for business owners, who expected Memorial Day weekend to be a gateway for the return to normalcy.

“It feels to me that the answer is yes, we are coming back,” Rosenello says. “There will be a percentage of people who are never going to

Photo Wildwoods Media

Last year, everything was closed until July 2, and when there was a re-opening, businesses and their customers were forced to practice social distancing and wear masks, while still trying to find some enjoyment during a frightening, surreal time. Pohlman reports that his business was cut in half from the previous year, and other proprietors experienced similar drops in revenues.

“It was like being thrown into a washing machine on the spin cycle with a blindfold on,” says Patrick Rosenello, Executive Director of the Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District and owner/operator of three restaurants in the town. “Every day, we woke up not knowing what the day would bring. Without a doubt, it was the most difficult season I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve done this for almost 25 years.”

There were plenty of challenges last year, and they forced business owners to be as creative as possible with their approaches. For instance, Johnson’s Popcorn, which has three stores along the Ocean City boardwalk, increased its mail-order business considerably to make up for a shortfall in walk-in traffic. As a result, despite decreased sales, the totals were “expected and accepted,” according to Becky Juzwiak, vice president of the company.

feel comfortable again in indoor retail settings, but a large percentage of people understand things better and have been vaccinated.

“I think there will be a dramatic return to normalcy.”

WHEN JUZWIAK THINKS ABOUT the staffing problems that lie ahead for Johnson’s Popcorn this summer, she gets upset.

“I lose sleep at night because of that,” she says. “We have a major staffing crisis. It’s a circus. In 20 years, it has never been this difficult to find employees.”

There are a couple of different factors in the trouble. The first is the all but shutting off of

Photo Ocean City C of C

the stream of J-1 visas, which allow students from abroad to visit the Jersey Shore during the summer and work at businesses up and down the coast. According to Pete Riess, who has been affiliated with Mack’s Pizza in Wildwood “off and on for 42 years” and is now the manager of the Wildwood Avenue restaurant, young people from other countries “make up half or a little a little more of our core group of employees.”

Without the foreign workers, getting the restaurants—and just about any business at the shore—up to full staffing will be impossible. Pohlman says that even if the J-1 workers can get to the U.S., there will be quite a competition for their services. Businesses will be giving out signing bonuses (he provides stipends at the end of the year to workers who show up regularly) and providing wages that could approach $20/hour.

The J-1 issue isn’t the only reason it has been difficult to find staff.

“The list of reasons why there is an employment crisis would have quite a few bullet points,” Juzwiak says.

One of those near the top would be the

“We have a major staffing crisis. In 20 years, it has never been this difficult to find employees.”

unwillingness of young American workers to rejoin the labor force, thanks to the $600 in weekly unemployment benefits they have been receiving. Even if they were to get $15/ hour to work, that would add up to $600 a 49

Photo Wildwoods Media

week, on which they would have to pay taxes.

Plus, they would have to work, rather than stay at home. Add in the trepidation of some parents who don’t want their teenagers working, even at the tail end of a pandemic, and there is quite a difficult situation.

“Employers are getting creative,” says Tracey DuFault, executive director of the Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce. “Wawa

50

There are no guarantees that business owners’ coffers will fill to 2019 levels, but the momentum is there, and there is reason for hope.

stores are offering signing bonuses of $500.

Morey’s is telling workers that if they work so many shifts, they will get season passes to their water parks and rides for them and their families.”

Business owners and operators will have to get creative if the shortage continues throughout the summer. Riess says Mack’s Wildwood Avenue location, which seats 75 in a first-floor dining area and the same amount upstairs, may not be able to open at full capacity. Juzwiak is taking a Zen-like approach, preaching patience to both workers and customers. That way, there won’t be frustrated people waiting for a chance to purchase something or overwhelmed staff trying to keep pace.

“You’re going to get your popcorn,” she says. “It may take one-and-a-half minutes, instead of one. Everybody’s on vacation. Everybody’s in a good mood, generally.”

HAPPINESS SHOULD BE ABUNDANT this year, as visitors revel in a more authentic shore experience, and those hoping to make good livings look forward to fewer (and perhaps no) restrictions. The local chambers are certainly doing what they can. Michele Gillian, Executive Director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, predicts “a magical

Photo Wildwoods Media

summer” and says administrators are committed to making visitors feel as comfortable as possible while they are out and about, and plan to move ahead with entertainment in the city and on the boardwalk to boost traffic. DuFault says Wildwood will also host its annual events, and praises the creativity of business owners and local government in coming up with ways to help bring customers to shops. Strong rental numbers are indicative of a town ready to bounce back.

“It’s very positive at this point,” DuFault says. “The numbers are much higher than last year when people made last-minute decisions to come here on vacation. This year, there’s more planning.”

There are no guarantees that business owners’ coffers will fill to 2019 levels, but the momentum is there, and there is reason for hope.

Although obstacles remain, by Labor Day it’s likely the nightmare of 2020 for boardwalk business owners will have largely receded, thanks to a profitable ’21 season.

“Up and down the boardwalk, people are working so hard,” Juzwiak says. “The people have been preparing tirelessly, and everybody is so excited to have people come down the shore. We’re in a good spot. There are going to be some little problems, but we’re all in this together.”

And hoping to reverse the tide. n 52

Stay Connected JerseyManMagazine.com

SPORTS GUYS

BY KURT SMITH

Beyond the Parking Lot Cornhole is among the most popular pastimes for tailgaters, but it’s become much more than that… it’s a genuine professional sport, played in arenas and televised. It’s also one of the few entities in the country that actually benefited from the pandemic.

Photos Kurt Smith

Kitchin

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You can write for JerseyMan Magazine and attend Legacy Club events for a decade, and almost never see publisher Ken Dunek animated enough to shout loudly and pump his fist.

Then again, you don’t see many people gain a lead against John Kitchin in a cornhole match, however shortlived that lead may be until Kitchin finds his bearings and starts effortlessly nailing throws. It’s understandable for even a reserved person to be

thrilled at the achievement.

This curious anomaly occurred at the Infinity Club Cornhole Tournament, held this summer at the PCS facility in Moorestown, NJ. The event raised nearly $4,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and for survivor T.J. Smink’s bid for the Society’s Man or Woman of The Year.

Of course, many esteemed Legacy Club members were present. It’s an ideal opportunity to avenge a recent

PRESENT AT THE GATHERING were Kitchin, a national cornhole pro who resides in West Deptford, and Joe Harsh, the American Cornhole League’s (ACL) Northeast Conference Director.

Yes, there is a nationwide cornhole league.

As seen on TV. Before 2020, the ACL had already landed some national television deals, and events could be seen on various sports networks.

Then they got a boost…professional cornhole became one of the rare entities that benefited

Photo courtesy Jeff McCarragher

defeat on the golf course. No one tanks, of course, but a loss isn’t so bad…it’s an opportunity to grab a drink and catch up with fellow members.

One would think that, in a crowd of Eagles fans, who have to have considerable tailgating experience, there would be some players standing out in the crowd. But other than Smink’s team, who prevailed in the match, most of them were unexceptional shooters.

Even by frequent tailgater standards.

The tournament was for fun and to help less fortunate people. PCS’s parking lot is obviously no billion-dollar, luxury box-filled venue.

But cornhole has grown well beyond the parking lot.

• • • • •

ESPN cornhole broadcaster Jeff McCarragher

from an outbreak. With no baseball, football, basketball, hockey, etc., there was a fairly ginormous hole in sports broadcasting to fill.

So cornhole moved into seriously choice TV slots. Harsh notes that “We had eight to ten broadcasts on Saturdays, prime time with our Pro Division, and traveled all over the country.

“We’re really fortunate,” he adds. “Everything went well for us. And the exposure and the growth, it’s been really, really beneficial to the league.

“I’ve known John for a couple of years now,

With no baseball, football, basketball, hockey, etc., there was a fairly ginormous hole in sports broadcasting to fill.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • and the fact that someone would ask John for an autograph, it’s the coolest thing.”

Kitchin has been known to drive to Cincin-

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Photos Kurt Smith

Smink Strong

Harsh

T.J. Smink, who won the Infinity Club Cornhole Event with his partner Kyle Reider, had personal reasons for both winning and coarranging the event: he is a cancer survivor.

Smink is a Senior Account Executive for Premium Seating with the Philadelphia Union. But in 2020, the shutdown of sports was the least of his worries. In December of 2019, he was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

He decided to control two things that he could control: his hair and his attitude. He shaved off the hair he felt he was going to lose from treatments...but ultimately didn’t. And he kept upbeat, all the time.

“I made sure to keep a positive attitude, to look on the bright side of life. Having that mindset, being able to say I’m going to beat this s***, that was way more than half the battle.”

Legacy Club member Devin DiNofa, at the time campaigning to be the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man or Woman of The Year, reached out to Smink.

“He’s an awesome dude,” Smink says. “He asked if I would be on his team to help raise money for others. Even then, he wanted to work with LLS to raise funds for me directly. LLS said we can’t go towards one specific person.

“That’s the coolest part. You can see him on TV on the weekend, and then Monday or Tuesday night you could literally play against him.”

Smink

“Even then, I went back and told him, I’m killing this s***. We’re good, I appreciate it, but I would prefer it goes to someone who actually needs the funding.”

Today Smink, at DiNofa’s urging, is campaigning for the LLS Man or Woman of The Year himself. The Infinity Club Cornhole event was a part of that, to great success.

“Ash [Ashley Dunek] came up with the idea of working one of the Infinity Club events into a fundraiser. And we had a really big turnout.

There were 32 teams and a lot of people that came just to hang out.

“Our team is going to get a research portfolio named after us. I’m excited to see where that research goes.”

And he and Kyle Reider topped it all with a cornhole tournament win.

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • nati for the day to throw bags. At least, that became a thing for him when someone noticed he was a pretty good shot at tailgates.

“I played in the parking lot of Eagles and Phillies games, and a guy came to me and said, ‘Hey, we have a league for this.’ I kind of laughed at him. Here I am seven years later, and if I could play more I would.”

Indeed, Kitchin started playing in a league and did well enough to compete in local tournaments. Then he became a pro. Then an ACL Pro. He’s added some impressive achievements to his league bio: #1 Northeast Conference player in 2018, ACL Man of The Year in 2019, and a 2nd place finish in the 2020 USA Cornhole Club Championships – broadcast on NBC

Sports – to name just a few. He’s so good that Bush’s Baked Beans and LG put their logos on his jersey.

You can see why even Dunek would celebrate well beyond his typical demeanor scoring a lead against him. Which, to Kitchin and Harsh, is part of the appeal…anyone can play, even against the pros.

“I play in leagues around here all the time,” Kitchin says. “I play pretty well, but there’s a lot of people who, when they play against me, they use that as a measuring stick. I don’t beat everybody, so I think that makes them even more interested…‘That guy’s been on TV!’” “That’s the coolest part,” Harsh adds. “You can see him on TV on the weekend, and then Monday or Tuesday night you could literally play against him.”

• • • • • JEFF McCARRAGHER IS a freelance sports broadcaster. His LinkedIn profile describes his most recent position as a “Play-byPlay Announcer for College Football & Basketball...and yes, Cornhole too.” His resume covering other sports is impressive, but by almost any measure, McCarragher is the Voice of American Cornhole.

He landed the gig by simply being in the right place at the right time. Literally.

A South Carolina resident, he worked col-

lege football and basketball throughout the Carolinas. Tupelo Raycom, the company that brought him announcing work, had an office there. And they knew ESPN needed a cornhole announcer.

“When COVID hit, being a freelance playby-play broadcaster was like being a waiter or server at a restaurant,” he remembers. “We were shut down immediately because all the sports just went away. When they got the contract on ESPN, they called me and said, ‘Hey, are you willing to travel if we put together cornhole through the summer?’

“I had done a little bit for them in the past, I’d done the national college cornhole championships that previous New Year’s. I said, ‘Absolutely, I’m comfortable traveling.’ And so away we went, ESPN signed a deal with the American Cornhole League.”

McCarragher’s enthusiasm for covering cornhole, of all things, is palpable. The players may not have toiled through college or minor leagues, but they definitely have well-developed skills.

“It’s a very simple sport, right? You just slide it up the board and put it in the hole. But just like any other sport, when you get to a very high level, you start to learn how technical it is. I had to learn a whole new vernacular, whether it’s replacement bags or grab bags,

So You Want To Be A Pro Cornhole Player?

In a write-up about John Kitchin from Power Equipment Direct’s website, he is described as a professional cornhole player who “practices for roughly 32 hours per week, where he throws 2,000 to 3,000 bags.”

While that is probably technically true, Kitchin doesn’t exactly work in his garage, perfecting his followthrough and stance and watching himself on video. He just plays a lot, which to him is the simple secret to improvement.

“When you figure in going to leagues and playing tournaments on the weekends and then throwing it in my shop or something like that, the amount probably adds up. I play in the leagues on Tuesday nights and Wednesday nights, and Thursday nights usually, where I try to get out too.

“If you want to become a better cornhole player,” Kitchin continues, “just get out and play, go find a local league. Even if it doubles as a night out, you know, go out and play. You’ve just got to get throws in, and if you can’t and you just throw in the backyard, go out and throw. You have to throw bags.

“So practice for a pro, to me, would be going out and playing in your own league and it’s all about getting throws in.”

Wait, no proper ways of holding the bag? No commentary on wrist movement? Nothing about how to warm up? Kitchin says that once you find a groove that works for you, the mental aspect is far more important. And that part can’t always be taught.

“I’m probably the worst pro to talk about this because I’m a firm believer of under-thinking. People overthink. It’s whatever is most comfortable to you, you just have to tweak that. Throw eight bags, and I would want to see how you threw. And I would say, was that comfortable? If that’s comfortable for you, you can tweak it from there.”

That sounds simplistic, but he’s right. Cornhole players lose matches overthinking.

“I might throw 50 bags in a row in the hole, but what changes from the time that you just threw 50 bags in a row and then you line up next to me? What just changed? Nothing changed, except for your mental, so you’re overthinking it. Now all of a sudden that same guy who’s just hit 50 bags in a row off to the side warming up, is now maybe two on two in. It’s the overthinking.”

“I try not to worry about all that.”

57

the way a player collects the bag.

“I relate it to being a really good major league pitcher. He’s got his fastball, his slider, his cutter, his changeup. The ones who play at the top level, they’ve got a little cut shot, they’ve got an airmail shot. They can make the bag curve one way or another, they can angle it and get the bag to kind of roll. Instead of different pitches, they have different technical shots that they can throw. It’s really pretty amazing.”

There’s considerable tension in big matches, too.

“It gets to be like golf,” he continues. “You’ve got a two-stroke lead, or maybe a one-stroke lead, going into the 72nd hole on Sunday. I don’t care who you are. That final tee shot on the 18th? It has to be good. There’s so much pressure. Again, I get it, it’s cornhole. We’re not talking about The Masters. But it’s still competitive, the desire to win for these players.”

• • • • • McCARRAGHER IS CONFIDENT that cornhole’s growth will continue, even with the return of other spectator sports.

“Did COVID help give it added exposure?

Absolutely. But I will tell you, they have been working behind the scenes with these little ESPN contracts now for several years. They were on ESPN a few times in 2018-2019. We had

Why We Cheer - The Human Interest Stories The ACL is fortunate to have Jeff McCarragher behind the microphone because he does what the best broadcasters do: he tells backstories about the participants.

He shared a few everyman stories of cornhole stars with JerseyMan Magazine.

“Steven Bernacet, he won the singles national that we just had in Wichita about a month ago. Outstanding cornhole pro, but in his senior year, he was a great high school football player, lineman. He was in a horrific car accident and broke his neck. He could have died.

“The doctors immediately told him he wouldn’t play contact sports ever again. Obviously to a high school kid who’s played sports his whole life, it’s devastating to him and his family. Two years later, once he was able to rehab and get back to his new normal of life, he picked up cornhole and has been playing ever since.

“It’s been his outlet and his happiness and his source of competitiveness, to fill that desire and that need in his life. Cornhole has been literally life-changing for him.

“One of the top female pros is a manager at a Taco Bell. You know, she plays cornhole on the side.

“Daymon Dennis, who’s the number one player in the world right now, worked at a cheese plant for 27 years. He used it to support his family and to keep food on the table. And now here he is, the number one player in the world.”

“It’s like American Idol,” McCarragher says. “There’s a lot of people who can sing, but what captured the audience and the ratings for American Idol are all the backstories.”

college national championships on New Year’s Eve going into 2020. The ratings were slowly going up and up. So this was already on the rise.

“Just by the sheer TV contracts that are coming in and new sponsors, I, for sure, would say that the ACL is still growing.”

Kitchin agrees.

“I think the success they had during COVID is going to allow them to continue. Will the viewership be the same? Perhaps not, but I think in this country there’s a niche for these types. Like, would you watch baseball, which is hours long? Or you’re clicking through and, ‘Oh, cornhole, this is something I do in my backyard. My buddies and I bust our chops all the time, let me watch this.’ I think that’s what’s opened it up, those types of things.”

JOE HARSH HAS ALREADY experienced cornhole’s impact beyond TV. “For me, it’s not even the size of the events and the cool venues we’ve visited. It’s some of the charity work we’ve done, like for veteran’s groups. We did an interview with a guy, [hit by a] roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Long story short, he’s a double amputee, and he’s thanking me for everything I do, and it just absolutely blows my mind.

“I would do anything for someone like that because they’ve given so much, and they’re thanking us for what we do and the release that we give them. That’s my favorite thing to take away from all of this.”

Needless to say, McCarragher is eager to keep telling the story.

“I would love that guys would call and have me do a national college football championship. As young broadcasters coming up, we all hope to get that call. But even that being said, I still really would always hope I can continue doing cornhole.

“I will do this for as long as they’ll let me, because I love it.” n 58

Seeking Adventure

M

Mike Reed says he wasn’t necessarily attracted to water, it just kind of worked out that way as he went from the Temple University crew team to being a lifeguard in Wildwood Crest to a Navy Seal.

BY MARK ECKEL

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Yes, that’s quite a jump from hanging out on the beach at the Jersey Shore to being deployed in South and Central America and the Middle East defending our country.

Just as it is a bit of a reach to go from a 21year Navy Seal to running SOF (Special Operations Force) A-Team Adventures, a business Reed began in March of 2020. More on that later.

“I played football and baseball in high school (at Central High),’’ Reed said. “I went to Temple and I wasn’t good enough for the baseball team and didn’t want to try out for the football team. So they sent me to the crew team and I actually did pretty well.’’

Rowing for the Owls set him up for his first job on the Wildwood beach, which eventually led to his 21-year career in the Navy. Yup, from lifeguard to NAVY Seal. If they ever turn Reed’s life into a book or movie, that could be the title.

“I made some connections at Temple that got me a job down in Wildwood Crest,’’ the 48-year-old Reed, who grew up in Philadelphia and now lives in Pottstown with his wife Tricia and four children, said. “I was a lifeguard for way too long. I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. I applied for jobs with the Delaware State Police, the Pennsylvania State Police, was thinking about maybe

Photo sofadventures.com

Seekers the Philly police department.’’

Then a fellow lifeguard, who had joined the Navy a few years earlier, sold him with this one line.

“He was already in the Seal program,’’ Reed said of his friend. “He told me I should check it out. He said, ‘It’s like being a lifeguard with guns.’ ’’ Reed’s only real connection to the Navy was his grandfather who was on the Navy boxing team years before he enlisted in 1999.

“I joined with the premise that I could become a Seal,’’ Reed said.

After his basic training, he headed to Coronado, California just outside of San Diego where he began BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal School).

“Looking back being on the crew team at Temple was challenging,’’ Reed said. “It also gave you that camaraderie you get from being on a team, participating in a collegiate sport. In that regard, I had some confidence going out to

“ If you’re not in war, you may as well as hang out at a Miss Universe pageant.’’

BUDS. … I knew my way around the water.’’

Six months of training followed by six more months of qualifying and Reed was a Seal.

“They give you a choice,’’ he said. “You could be on the West Coast in Coronado or the East Coast in Virginia Beach. Since I was a Philly/Jersey guy, I chose to come back to the East Coast.’’

His first assignment was with Seal Team Four. He would later be moved to Seal Team Eight and in between was involved with Seal 61

Photo sofadventures.com

For more information and to set up a group (of six) adventure, go to sofadventures.com.

Special Recognizance and Naval Special Warfare programs. Reed remained active until 2014. He then spent his final six service years with the Navy Reserve.

“They keep you busy,’’ he said. “Seal Team Four, we were deployed to South America. I learned a lot down there about jungle warfare.’’

It wasn’t all war-related, however.

“We were part of the detail for the Miss Universe Pageant when it was in Panama,’’ Reed said. “If you’re not in war, you may as well as hang out at a Miss Universe pageant.’’

When he moved to Seal Team Eight it got a little different.

“We had to go to Iraq,’’ Reed said. “That was the beginning of the end of the fun.’’

One of the deployments Reed could talk about involved backing the Prime Minister of Iraq for re-election. “We were essentially his secret service,’’ he said.

Reed served under Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump before retiring from the Reserves in 2020. That’s when he began the SOF A-Team Adventures.

“We got it all going, and we were ready to get started in March 2020,’’ Reed said. “Then 62

“ You tell us what you want to do and how intense you want it to be.”

COVID hit. Nobody wanted to go out or do anything. So we were kind of on hold.’’

Just over a year later and with the country getting somewhat back to normal, Reed and his team are ready to get SOF A-Team Adventures going again.

What does the adventure entail? Basically whatever you want it to.

“I learned a lot of skill sets that can apply to whatever you want to do. You tell us what you want to do and how intense you want it to be,’’ Reed said. “We have everything from kayaking to hiking to climbing to whatever you could imagine over a three-day event.’’

And the best part of it is that the customer

gets to stay home. Reed and his team, comprised primarily of other SEALS he trained with over the years, come to you.

“There were other types of adventure packages out there, but you had to go to them,’’ Reed said. “We come to you. That was my thought process towards what we were trying to build: take the long trip and travel out of the game. There are tons of state parks everywhere. It doesn’t matter where you are there is something nearby.’’

SOF A-Team covers what Reed calls the Mid-Atlantic region, but it actually covers more. He will book an adventure anywhere (almost) from Massachusetts to North Carolina.

“After I got out of active duty service I worked project management for a couple of contracting companies,’’ Reed said. “Doing that, it just reinforced what drove me to be a Navy Seal, which was I was better working outside than in an office. They say do what you like. I figured I’d put something together that not only I enjoyed but my teammates who come out to guide with me enjoy and the clients do as well.’’ n

John Marshall: The Final Founder

by Robert Strauss (280 pages, Lyon’s Press, March 1, 2021) With his new book, John Marshall: The Final Founder, award winning author and historian Robert Strauss (whose career includes many by-lines for The New York Times and Sports Illustrated, as well as his contributions for JerseyMan Magazine) has framed for us a more focused idea of this lesser known founding Father during the Revolutionary War and the formation of the United States.

Through Strauss’s telling, Marshall’s character, athleticism and collegial personality helped define his pivotal role in our country’s birth, as a soldier and confidante of George Washington, and as Secretary of State and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Strauss demonstrates that Marshall’s crucial contribution, the elevation of the judiciary, the third branch of government, to its co-equal status under the U.S. Constitution alongside the legislative and executive branches, was no accident. It was the result of Marshall’s leadership, maneuvering and determination during America’s tentative and contentious first steps towards nationhood.

Robert Strauss confirms that: “The Final Founder is an unconventional biography of John Marshall. I look at Marshall as the Forrest Gump of the Founders, everywhere from Valley Forge onward, and with panache. At Valley Forge, he was sort of the camp counselor, keeping the troops happy with games and sporting events. In fact, a diary entry says he could leap over a bar held on top of two soldiers’ heads, a rather early Olympics of sorts at Valley Forge.

He is well-known as the seminal Supreme Court justice who essentially bound the nation by giving it a true tri-partite coalition of institutions. I tend to look at history a little differently than most historians, as a word with ‘story’ embedded.”

– G.B.

The following excerpt is from: John Marshall: The Final Founder

by Robert Strauss. (Pages 129-135). Available on Amazon.com.

T

HE CITY OF WASHINGTON was hardly a Valhalla when the Jefferson administration, and the concurrent Marshall Supreme Court, started at the beginning of 1801. The census the year before put the population at 3,210, of which more than thirty percent were black, the much larger number of them being slaves.

There were two “neighborhoods.” One was a little bigger and centered around the “eastern hill,” where the to-be-massive Capitol was partially built. There were a little more than a dozen freestanding wooden houses, and half of them were boarding houses. Most of the rest of the buildings, also wooden, were poorly constructed. One was a tailor shop, another a shoemaker, yet another was a printer – and then there were a dry goods shop, a washer woman, a grocery and, of all things, an oyster shop.

A mile away, with a clearing through the swamp in between, lay what would become known as the White House, even then painted in that color. There was a roadway between the two villages, but it was full of stumps and what became mud holes in rainy weather. There was a small stream to be forded in the middle, rain or shine.

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The half-dozen larger structures, which held businesses and warehouses, near the White House were brick and there were a few small houses nearby, brick as well.

Paris, or even Philadelphia, this was not.

The weather, even in September, was malarial, especially given the swampy environs. Government virtually ceased in the summer, with even the Southern members, presumably used to this kind of weather, looking for solace from the heat.

Two or three Congressmen to a room inhabited the boarding houses, which went for about fifteen dollars a week, with maybe another dollar or two for boarding, whiskey and other alcohol usually thrown in for free. Jefferson boarded at Conrad and McMunn’s until the day he was inaugurated. Thirty men would set at one long table there, Jefferson being left with the lowest, and often then the coldest, seat since he was the tallest.

Once Jefferson moved into the President’s House, he made sure there were no more outdoor privies, at least for the President’s quarters, ordering indoor plumbing immediately. John Adams was so loath to see his successor come to actual power that he left town in a public carriage with two of his aides to Massachusetts at four in the morning. He lived another quarter of a century, but he never saw Washington again.

John Marshall: The Final Founder

Jefferson awoke at dawn on his inauguration day and had the breakfast he usually had when he was at Monticello—corncakes with cold ham – but still on the lowest seat at the big table at Conrad and McMunn’s.

Marshall had a rented room at the Washington City Hotel on the other side of the Capitol. Marshall had already been planning his biography of George Washington, so he had with him a footlocker full of papers and letters that Martha Washington had given him to get started. That morning, he wrote a letter to his friend, the recent Federalist vice presidential candidate Charles Cotesworth Pinckney.

“Today the new political year commences. The new order of things begins,” he wrote Pinckney. He was wary of Jefferson becoming an erratic leader, and if he did, “it is not difficult to foresee that much calamity is in store for our country.”

Marshall and Jefferson suspended their usual war of words and deeds for the inauguration. Jefferson had derided at the time both Washington’s and Adams’s inaugural prelims. Both former presidents dressed in almost monarchical garb and rode to the Capitol in grand carriages. Jefferson toned it down, wearing just a plain suit and no powdered wig, his red locks flowing for all to see. He also walked to the capital with only a few U. S. marshals and militiamen from Alexandria to guard him.

Jefferson gave a rather humble address in his somewhat squeaky voice before about a thousand people in the Senate chambers. Marshall sat on one side of Jefferson when on the dais, and Vice President

Aaron Burr on the other – Jefferson seated between his two worst enemies must have been a sight for the visitors. After giving the oath, Marshall went back to his room and finished the letter to Pinckney, being himself more subdued, calling the address “in general well judged and conciliatory.”

J

EFFERSON, seemingly, had two kinds of political philosophy – one for when he was in office and one for when he was not. He was an ardent foe, for instance, of executive power when he was challenging the Federalists, but once he was president, he felt above the rabble in Congress, and certainly was disdainful of the judiciary. It was said that not even the smallest piece of Congressional legislation got introduced without his approval and nothing that he ever opposed would become a law.

Despite some passing notes in The Federalist Papers mentioning that the courts, especially the Supreme Court in its appellate mode, could block a law, even overturn it, Jefferson, and even Madison, who wrote some of that language, primarily thought that the federal court system should be of little influence.

Though it was probably not solely because of Marshall, but more because the courts were almost wholly Federalist, Jefferson launched an assault on the judiciary, seeking to blunt its possible influence, but certainly to lessen its size. He immediately limited the number

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John Marshall: The Final Founder

of new justices of the peace in Washington to thirty, instead of the forty Adams had appointed. Proposed legislation would shrink the lower courts just expanded, and there were secret meetings on how to impeach Federalist judges, and just which ones to go after first.

Meanwhile, Marshall started going about setting up his own fiefdom in the dusky city. His initial Court session as Chief Justice started the first week in August, 1801. It had been decided by that time that the Court would meet twice a year in Washington, once in August and then again in December.

Marshall knew that little would be accomplished were the members of the court dispersed, as they had often been under Jay, who himself went abroad to negotiate his treaty, and Ellsworth, who also went on a diplomatic mission to France while Chief Justice. This was not going to be the Marshall way. It is uncertain whether Marshall came into office intending to be an activist, but he certainly was going to be active.

Marshall had spent the late spring and early summer at home in Richmond, mostly working on his George Washington biography.

When he arrived in Washington, he changed his quarters to the fancier Conrad and McMunn’s boardinghouse on the other side of the Capitol.

He liked the idea that it was essentially the Republican headquarters.

He wanted to be in the flow of things, and also to hear gossip and news from the “other side.” He had gotten rooms for the other justices there, though with no space for their wives. The point was to be collegial, to see each other in work hours and at play.

The Justices came from all parts of the country. Alfred Moore came

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up the coast from North Carolina. Marshall rode his horse from Richmond. Samuel Chase had the shortest carriage ride – from Baltimore.

William Cushing, the oldest justice, rode a carriage almost a week from Massachusetts and William Paterson, who often had bad luck in transit, regularly encountering accidents, was the last to arrive, also by carriage, from New Jersey.

Marshall, more like Franklin than Jefferson as a party – not the political type – man, was never formal and always ready to raise a glass.

A later justice, Joseph Story, who would become Marshall’s greatest friend, despite being originally a Republican, after Bushrod Washington’s death, said the constant contact, even when the Court terms were short, made the Supreme Court run efficiently and jovially.

“We take our dinners together, and discuss at the table the questions which are argued before us. We are great ascetics, and even deny ourselves wine, except in wet weather,” wrote Story. The last line was, indeed, a joke. Marshall would often ask Story to go over to a window and see what the weather was. When it was sunny, Story reported that. But Marshall would always then say that the jurisdiction of the Court was so extensive in geography that it must be raining somewhere, and ordered drinks for everyone. Story said that Marshall was “brought up on Federalism and Madeira, and he was not a man to outgrow his early prejudices.”

Marshall also hoped that all decisions of his Court would be similarly convivial and unanimous, or at least assented to. Marshall believed the Court’s deliberation was important, and minority voices would al-

John Marshall: The Final Founder

ways be heard, but once a decision was reached, that was the decision for all. As members of the Court, they might be in the majority in one case and not in the next, but they were members of a serious, educated body, and answering every call as one was important for the dignity of the Court. It did not happen always – there were some dissents, especially in Marshall’s later years, when Republicans took all the rest of the seats. But for the most part, Marshall could confidently write the majority opinion, as he did most often, knowing that even the minority in any case were believers in his system.

That first Marshall Court’s official headquarters, though, was ignominious. It was a rather restricted and remote committee room in the lower level of the Capitol – a room that often community churches would lease out for Sunday services even in the seasons the Court was in session. Marshall made one significant change, however, and that was to have all the justices in academic robes, while he wore a black robe. For Justice Cushing, this was a real change, since he had worn British Court-style ermine robes and even had a white powdered wig during his first Supreme Court session – which was also the first ever, in 1790.

The Court heard only one case in that first session, and then went home, arriving back in the city in early December, this time being there at the same time as Congress, filling the boardinghouses with more whispering and, to be sure, lots of flowing Madeira. Though the city was far more crowded, Marshall convinced the justices again to stay together By the time a quorum of justices were there, it was December 8,

and after convening early in the morning, the group recessed at 11 a.m. to go up to the Senate chambers to hear Jefferson’s first State of the Union address. To no one’s surprise, Jefferson did not deliver it in person – though quite erudite, Jefferson had a high voice and did not project the way his predecessors did. The Clerk of the House read it instead, and it followed Jeffersonian principles.

Since the most recent tense event had been the war with the Barbary pirates in Tripoli, Jefferson led off with a rather glorious note of how the Navy was about to defeat them, something even Federalists could get on board with.

Then his address turned political. He intended to shrink the federal government to the point of cutting taxes almost to nothing, farming out most of its functions to the states. Most vividly, he assailed the courts and their bloated hierarchies. The new judges the Judiciary Act of 1801 had put in place, he implied, were unnecessary.

Within a few days, though, the wheels would be turning toward a different confrontation. On December 16, a dreary Wednesday in the new capital, Marshall’s old friend from the Adams cabinet, former Attorney General Charles Lee, came to the Court with a request. Four men had come to him who had been appointed justices of the peace in the last few days of the Adams administration and had not had their commissions delivered, so were being prevented by the Republicans from taking office. Three were to be seated in Alexandria and one, William Marbury from Maryland, was to take office in the District of Columbia itself. n

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LEGACY CLUB SPOTLIGHT “Joining the Legacy Club has been an incredible experience. New members are welcomed in like old friends, and everyone comes to the events not only ready to make new connections, but also ready to give back and help others. I look forward to the events not only as amazing networking experiences, but as opportunities to see people who I truly enjoy spending time with. And I always feel that I leave the with more than I came with.

Through the Legacy Club, A Kid Again has found new supporters and volunteers, new Board members, and new families we can help. If there is just one networking group you are looking to join, this should be it!”

– Rachel Lippoff, A Kid Again Greater Philadelphia ‘I joined the Legacy Club after hearing raving reviews which included, “If you’re looking to do any networking you have to join the JerseyMan Legacy Club”. Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Legacy Club created ways to do business and network EFFECTIVELY and SAFELY. As a new member who joined during 2020 I’ve made numerous amazing connections which have helped all of my businesses prosper. The Legacy Club is more than just networking; it’s a family, the members truly care about others’ businesses and wellbeing. Unlike other organizations, when you go to an event you are filled with a room of decision makers. I look forward to every event they hold, and to continuing my membership for years to come.”

– Bryan Levens, SNEVEL Technology

To learn more about the Legacy Club contact Ken at: 68 ken@jerseymanmagazine.com or call 856.912.4007

John Wilchek Photography

LegacyClub Members

Joe Allen

Chris Ambruch

James Andreacci

Mark Anson

Suzanne Aumack

Keith Baldwin

Brian Barry

Fred Baxter

Robert Beach

Kevin Beaford

Andrew Bellia

Steve Berman

Brian Bielawski

Matt Blatz

Christine Blithe

Eric Blumenthal

Ken Bode

Scott Bornfreund

Michael Bowman

Carrie J. Boyle

Al Branca

Kimberly Bryson

Jason Burd

Taylor Campitelli

Michael Carpino

Michael Caruso

Vince Ceroli

Mike Chapman

Ren Cicalese

Jon Cofsky

Larry Cohen

Michelle Cohen

Justin Colantonio

Cheryl Colleluori

Brian Collins

Rachael Collins

Michael Colonna

Mike Commisso

Kevin Connor

Joseph J. Console

Trevor Cooney

James Corbett

Peter Cordua

Kathryn Covolus

Michael Craig

Joseph Cronin

Rob Curley

Justin Deal Anthony DeGerolamo

David DeMuth

Sheri Desaretz

Joe Devine

Gary DeVito

Holly DiDonato

Kevin Diduch

Devin DiNofa

Lia Domenick

Bob Doria

George Duffield Sr.

Ken Dunek

Anna Ehlenberger

Donald Eichman

Tim Eliason

William Emerson

Gennaro Esposito

Ryan Esposito

Bill Evans

David Ewing

Gary Farnesi

Colette Fearnley

Tina Fiorentino

Mark Fisher

Patrick Fisher

Jerry Flanagan

Sean Flanagan

Stephen Flanagan

Ted Flocco

Lauren Flounders

Steve Foreman

Lynn Fraser

Mike Fuller

Ryan Fulton

Shane Gardner

Damien Ghee

Jim Gibson

Sonitrol Alcom Printing BB&T Renovate Right, LLC AUMOST Creative Group Spike’s Trophies & Awards Catholic Partnership Schools NFL Alumni Philadelphia Chapter Procision Commercial Realty WSFS Bank Bellia Print & Design No Dog Gets Left Behind Refrigeration Technologies, LLC* PCS* ARS Truck & Fleet Service* Frankel Financial Corp Integrity Staffing Solutions The MFC Group, LLC Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board Boyle & Valenti, P.C. AXE PRIME LLC Girl Scouts of Central & Southern NJ Edward Jones Campitelli3 LLC Univest Bank CBIZ Ductz of South Jersey Tourneau Alloy Silverstein Group whitepenny BCA Insurance Group Union Home Mortgage Total Technology Resources HEADstrong Foundation CertaPro Painters Berkshire Hathaway Merchant Advocate Docutrend, Inc. Modern Strategic Branding + Communications Console Matison LLP Archer & Greiner P.C. Project Refit HBK CPAs & Consultants LexisNexis Pennworth Financial Services The Cronin Firm TD Bank PayDay* DeGerolamo Financial Services* CFO Consulting Partners LLC Looking Forward Coaching* Jefferson Health Zarwin Baum Devito Kaplan Schaer Toddy, P.C. PB Roofing KD Law Group Keller Williams Real Estate* Allstate Medford Village Country Club National Integrity New Opportunity Publishing Converge HR Solutions Alcom Printing The Madison Emerson Group DFX Sound Vision Constellation Brands Liberty Fox Technologies Coldwell Banker Beneficial Bank Profile by Sanford Health Ronald McDonald House of Southern NJ ABMM Financial WSFS Bank JDog Brands Always A Good Sign JDog Carpet Cleaning Ernst and Young Fusion Employer Services* Financial Business Systems, Inc. Emerson Group Maggianos JOTTAN, Inc. Gary F. Gardner, Inc. TD Bank Alcom Printing

Dave Gill Mark Godofsky Steve Goodman Timothy Guim Chris Green Jen Groover Rafael Haciski Sharon Hammel Ryan Harbinson Berkley Harmon Chad Harrison Leor Hemo John Herring Paul Hewitt Robert Hoey Robert Hoey, Jr. Michael Holt Nichole Howard Kristi Howell Stephen Hruby Jr. Bryan Hughes Jack Hughes Michael Hughey Kenyon Hunter Edward Hutchinson Michael Hyland William Hyndman V Tim Irons Mike Jaconelli Ron Jaworski Timothy Jennings Chris Jerjian Keith Johnson Lisa Joswick Kenneth Justice Brett Kahn Abbie Kasoff Keith Keller Lisa Kelly Bob Kennedy Robert Kennedy Jeffrey Kerstetter Eileen Kevany Sophia Khan Emma Kimenhour Phil Kirchner Peter Kleiner David Klemic Anne Koons David Kryszczak Edward Labman Joe LaGrossa Marjorie Lakatos Brian C. Lane Stephen Lang Keith Langan Julie LaVan Sam Lepore Beth Leska Bryan Levens Brian Libby Ronald Lieberman Josh Lignana Robert Lipinkski Rachel Lippoff John Lorenzo Douglas MacGray Chris Maciborski Doug Madanick Matthew Malinowski Fred Marcell Samantha Martin Tom Matera Betty Maul Stephen McCarthy Brian McGroarty Michael McGuire Steven McKeon Steve Meranus Frank Messina Jeremy Messler Thomas Migliaccio John Milne Brian Minker Justin Mirigliani

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Samir Mody Rosemarie Mohr Ann Monappella Anthony Mongeluzo Ron Monokian Kerry Morgan Lisa Morina Dan Morroni Melissa Moss Devin Muracco Peter Musumeci Carolyn Natrin Sharena Ngang Sandy O Joe O’Donnell Marc Oppenheimer Michael Pallozzi Nick Pantle Susan Papay Damon Pennington Jason Penza Tom Peric Lee M. Perlman Mike Perlow Philip Philippou Jaime Picozzi Frank Plum Peter Ponzio Scott Poris Casey Price Chris Rathke Ryan Regina Matt Ribaudo Robert Richardson Mike Rosiak Jill Ross Andrew Ruhland Richard Sanford Michelle Sapp Sergio Scuteri Jeremy Shackleford Debra Shain Lee Sheilds Jennifer Sherlock Dr. Joel Shertok Gary Shickora Joe Sigle Robert Silcox Joe Silva Joe Simone Frank Sisto Robert Sitzler Josh Smargiassi TJ Smink Chris Smith Ralph Smith Michael Snyder David Stever Jake Still Robert Sullivan Melissa C. Tagye Scott Tanker Keshler Thibert Brooke Tidswell Kenneth Toscano Joseph Tredinnick Les Vail John Vanderslice Angela Venti George Veronis Josef Vongsavanh Brandon Walker Douglas Walker Eileen Ward Bill Webb Layne Werner Andrew Whipple John White John Wilchek Jr. Christofer Wilhelm Christina Wilson Jason Wolf Vittoria Zaslavsky Jim Ziereis Jack Zoblin

Keller Engineers of New Jersey Brock & Company, Inc. Allstate PCS We Make It Personal by Joy’s Hallmark 21st Century Blueprint Jefferson Health Morroni Custom Clothiers The Alias Group CLM Advisors TD Bank Insperity First Children Services Creative Juice Fulton Bank N.A. Parx Casino HFM Investment Advisors, LLC Masso Torrence Townsquare Media ATS Group, LLC Glasstown Productions Galileo Communications, Inc. Law Offices of Lee M. Perlman Perlow Productions Top Golf SimplyPut Workplace HMC Inc.* Penn Investment Advisors 1776 at Cherry Hill Mall Price & Price, LLC Independence Blue Cross Big Sky Enterprises, LLC Body Science Media Allied Document Solutions and Services, Inc Weisman Children’s Hospital & Voorhees Pediatric Facility Flow Financial Therapy National HR Dauntless Design Collaborative Arhaus Capehart Scatchard, P.A. WSFS Bank Shain Marketing/PR Consulting Friedman LLP Jenna Communications, LLC Process Industries Consultants Northwestern Mutual Santander RCS Food Truck Kokua Technologies* Regional Resources Energy Group JuJu, LLC Sitzler Chiropractic Boomerang Philadelphia Union* Micro Integration Services, Inc.* Capehart Scatchard, P.A. Spark Creative Group D&W Sourceall, Inc. Junk Rescue Schooley Mitchell Truist Wealth Tanker Consulting Services Le Canard Tourism Farm Truck Brewing New York Life Insurance Company Republic Bank Workplace HCM, Inc. Strategic Solutions Group Alloy Silverstein* The BEMER Group Center City Photo House of Aperture LLC Walker Cutting Services LoCorr Funds Saratoga Benefit Services Temple Sports Properties Evesham Mortgage NRM Financial Group, LLC John Wilchek Photography Gateway Mortgage Hard Rock Cafe Wolf Commercial Real Estate TD Bank Tropicana, Atlantic City Cory Communications *JerseyMan/PhillyMan Ambassador

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ADVISORY BOARD

___________________________________________________________________________________ ___

Peter Cordua (Chairman), HBK CPAs & Consultants

Jerry Flanagan, J Dog Brands

Bob Hoey, Janney Montgomery Scott

Kristi Howell, Burlington Co. Chamber of Commerce

Ed Hutchinson, Hutchinson

Robert Kennedy, The Kennedy Companies

Julie LaVan, Advanced Mediation Solutions

Doug MacGray, Stonecrop Wealth Advisors

Anthony Mongeluzo, PCS

Charlie Muracco, CLM Advisors

Mike Regina, Big Sky Enterprises

Scott Tanker, Tanker Business Solutions

Joe Tredinnick, Republic Bank

Les Vail, Workplace HCM

Jim Wujcik, Santander Bank

72

THE CIGAR GUY ______________________________________________________________________________

BY SAM KRAFT

Sponsored by The

Smoking Dog

Cuco – Blackbird Cigar Co. Wrapper: Brazilian • Filler: Dominican

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Photo blackbirdcigar.com

E

VEN THOUGH BLACKBIRD CIGAR CO. IS FAIRLY NEW, the founder Jonas Santana is no spring chicken to fine cigars. Jonas premiered his brand at the IPCPR in 2019. From there, Blackbird’s popularity soared over the years. Now they supply to over 500 retailers. “Can’t Clip My Wings” is the aptly chosen slogan for this boutique cigar manufacture. Despite the mountainous task of succeeding in the cigar industry, Blackbird continues to rise to its challenges.

All of Blackbird’s cigars are named after, or relating to, birds. People often believe this cigar, the Cuco, is named after the Cuckoo bird. Not to ruffle anyone’s feathers, but a little birdy told me that the Cuco isn’t named after a real bird at all. It’s named after the mythical ghost-like bird called el Cuco. El Cuco is part of Latin-American folklore, used to warn children not to misbehave. This shadow-like bird watches from above, scoops up and eats any naughty children it finds. The Boogie Man and el Cuco are two birds of the same feather.

Perched atop an ashtray, the Cuco has a smooth walnut color. It is well constructed and smells like raisins. On its initial puff, the cigar hits its smoker with sour, bitter, and salty flavors. It also tastes like earth and cedarwood. It is reminiscent of a charcoal grilled summer barbecue.

Once the cigar enters its second-third, coffee and black pepper notes emerge. Hints of raisin, this time on the palate, are present. The cigar becomes sweeter and that sweetness migrates into the final third of the cigar. The cigar ends with coffee and black pepper.

Dark and mysterious like its namesake, the Cuco is a fantastic medium to full-bodied smoke. Though there is no pecking order, the Cuco is one of the best in Blackbird’s comprehensive lineup. Their other cigars, the Unkind, Crow, Finch and Jackdaw are all worth a try. Snag one before they fly off the shelves. n

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TECH TIME

_______________________________________________________________________________

BY ANTHONY MONGELUZO

An Uncomfortable Truth: Your Computer or Network Will Experience a Security Incident

T

HE COLONIAL PIPELINE, Acer, and Facebook all have what in common? They were all hacked in the first half of 2021.

Prepare now for the next security incident. However, despite this dire warning, there is both hope and a solution.

When you take corrective steps beforehand, it will prevent reportable security events and breaches.

One of the valuable “lessons learned” from the Solarwinds breach is the importance of endpoint monitoring and network traffic analysis.

The threat actors (hackers) easily pivoted through networks, leveraged system tools, used manual exploitation (AKA living off the digital land), and exfiltrated data due to a lack of complementary controls.

Hackers disguised their activities as “normal-looking,” which restricted known malicious codes and traditional tools like anti-virus.

This limited the definition-based software controls in their ability to detect or react to reconnaissance and attacks.

Collection of logs, network AND host-based data, correlation, and processing by both human and machine-based strategies are imperative. Many of the actions, attacks, and activities performed or undertaken by the threat actors would have been preventable or limited had these controls been in place, monitored, and reviewed by multiple parties.

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THIS INCIDENT HAS PULLED THE CURTAIN BACK ON MODERN CYBERWARFARE. We will feel the effects of this breach for many years. The bad actors didn’t stop at Solarwinds or Fireeye. In fact, these companies were likely just a means of entry or target of opportunity. This may be a persistent campaign or operation, and the best way to shield your organization from liability and a company-killing event is the collection of data, the establishment of a defensible control posture, and ensuring retention, compliance, and a detailed insight into all layers of a network and its hosts.

A large number of companies previously did not think of themselves as a target or “big enough” to be worth any hacker’s time. This incident has pulled the curtain back on modern cyberwarfare. Threats and actors are evolving, changing the rules of engagement, and refining their tactics and capabilities. n

THE WINE MAN _______________________________________________________________________________

For comments, questions, suggestions and/or feedback, contact Robert Kennedy at rkj@Kennedy-companies.com.

BY ROBERT KENNEDY

Wine Soils

T

HE WORD “TERROIR” is a fancy word which in the life of grape growing can pack a powerful punch. MerriamWebster defines the word as “the combination of factors including soil, climate, and sunlight that gives wine grapes their distinctive character.” After all, the mineral notes and flavors that dance on our palates when imbibing in some really good stuff are caused by the soils in which the fruit is nurtured and grown, right? Well, not exactly.

Contrary to popular belief, soils are not directly responsible for the wonderful flavors reflected by each swirl and swig we experience. Soil influences vine growth and grape production, and thus indirectly adds the flavors we most value. That said, it’s important to understand what soil types have a positive effect on vine and grape growth, which, in turn, lead to the pleasant wine tasting and bouquet experiences we’ve come to enjoy.

So, let’s explore some of these very important “wine soils” necessary for this wonderful fruit to be at its best in the glass.

Grapevines and their rootstock can grow in certain soil conditions, but fertile soil is not necessarily one of them. It’s very complicated, since pH levels, soil texture, nutrients,

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compounds and chemical elements residing in soil play such a big role as influencers of great wine. Drainage, structure and depth are all physical properties of good quality soils.

There’s really no perfect soil that fruit farmers can point to when describing the perfect storm for vine production and grape growth. What viticulturists do know is soil needs a balance between free draining and moisture retention that will deliver the proper amount of water and nutrients needed by the vines’ deep roots.

The proper soils also have a tendency to hold a certain amount of heat, which is extremely important during those cold nights. So, what are the best soils for grape growth, which enhance the flavors of our best wines?

Silt soil is very granular with a mixture of fine grains and sand. There is a nice balance of heat and water retainage, allowing for the vines’ deep roots to absorb much-needed nutrients. But this type of soil erodes easily, and thus, it’s challenging for the vines to take root.

Sandy soil allows the vines’ roots to take hold more readily than silty soil noted above.

Sandy soil also has a good amount of porosity to it and will retain heat easily, but as important, this type of soil drains water quickly, perhaps too much. Although sandy soil is something of a good friend to the grapevines, it may not retain enough moisture to allow

nutrients to reach and feed the fruit.

Clay soil’s structure includes small particles of clay. This type of soil can retain a much better ratio of moisture than sandy soil, but doesn’t drain well, and can drown the vines’ roots by not wicking enough water back into the ground.

NOTHER TYPE OF SOIL ideally found in growing grapes, and indigenous to the California appellations of Sonoma and Napa, is a loamy soil type.

This is made up of a clay, silt and sand combination. It’s ideal due to its balanced moisture content and good drainage qualities, as well as its perfect nutrient absorption rate.

So, soil types can add to the aromas and flavors of wines, but only indirectly through moisture and nutrient absorption, among other processes. By delivering the quintessential punch between organic compounds, soil texture, water and nutrients, this combination will help develop the fruit flavors into something special. It’s important to note that there is no proven direct effect between soil minerals and the mineral flavors found in the scent and tastes on our tongues.

The type of soils found in vineyards today will certainly influence the flavors of wine, but only to the extent of the grapes’ chemical and physical compositions and properties.

The earthy and mineral aromas and flavors in wines really do exist but are developed through the fruit itself, coupled with grape growth, production and the vinification method. The whole process remains a beautiful and quasi-mystical experience, regardless of the way this herbal essence finds itself into our stemware. Cheers! n

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