SHORE LOCAL | Coastal | July 20, 2023

Lucy's Elephant Sized Birthday

Developments in Taco Tuesday Dispute

Bike Rights: A Look at the Laws

Wind Project Passes by One Vote

Living on island time Slowing

down for safety

From the Editor

The urban Dictionary defines island time as “the time vacuum created by the ocean’s presence.”

While the phrase is often used to describe the way of life on tropical islands, summer in South Jersey offers that same slowed-down experience. Whether you live here year-round or you’re visiting for the first time, as you cross the bridge to your favorite shore town, remember to slow down for “islanders.”

Summer means more kids on bikes, more adults meandering in golf carts, and care-free pedestrians soaking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the Jersey Shore. This area belongs to all of us, from the nightlife executives leaving work at 5:00 am to the children putting their feet in the

Issue 241

ocean for the first time at 10:00 am. From morning until night, the shore buzzes with excitement all summer long.

For those behind the wheel this summer, this is a loving reminder to slow down and look around. Coming to the Jersey Shore during the summer months means crossing over into “island time,” where things are a little more easygoing.

Whether you’re driving to work

Established 2016

Publisher– Bob Fertsch (609) 334-1691 shorelocalads@gmail.com

Executive Editor - Cindy Christy Fertsch (609) 705-5323 shorelocalcindy@gmail.com

Copy Editors - James FitzPatrick, Holly Fertsch

Staff Writer - Sarah Fertsch Digital Marketing Director - Marc Berman Web Designer - Holly Martin

Contributors –Charles Eberson, Scott Cronick, Dan Skeldon, Tammy Thornton, Rich Baehrle, Steffen Klenk, Donald B. Kravitz, Fred Miller, Krystle J. Bailey, Brian Cahill, Dave Weinberg, Doug Deutsch, Elisa Jo Eagan, David Setley, Heidi Clayton, Eric Reich, Whitney Ullman, Raymond Tyler, Tim Hawk, John Loreaux, Danielle Davies, Bill Quain Mainland, Coastal edition cover art by Jon Baker. Ocean City edition cover photo by Bob Fertsch or

or the beach, remember to take your time getting there. Before you leave the house, pack an extra dose of patience or build a time cushion into your commute. However you get to where you’re going, be mindful of the people around you. Open doors with caution, drive with your eyes on the road, and keep a lookout out for those taking the scenic route. Stay in the know about bike safety and rules on the next page.

In your travels, don’t forget to stop by the local businesses that are the fabric of our community. When you shop small, you put food on the table for local families and keep someone’s dream alive. Starting a small business can feel like the world is stacked against you, but it’s the people just like you that help local business owners keep going summer after summer.

As you flip through these pages, stop and check out the advertisements from local creators, restaurants, shops, and more. When you find yourself deciding what to do this weekend or what to eat for dinner tonight, pick this publication back up and choose local first. There’s so much to experience here!

This week is Shark Week! Don’t miss our shark-themed puzzles at the back of the magazine and our Shark Week feature on page 16. Be safe, and remember to treat those around you with kindness! Together, we make South Jersey the best place to experience summertime.

& Love, Cindy

Cover photo of Carter Doorly by Dawn Doorly.

Peace

Some restrictions may apply

Some restrictions may apply.

By Holly Fertsch

Countless locals and shore visitors rely on their bike to get themselves around. Whether you bike for recreation or for transportation this summer, make sure you know the rights and rules for bicyclists in New Jersey. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to the law. Here’s a quick refresher on NJ bicycle laws:

1. Drivers, be mindful of bicycles on the road.

Did you know that bicyclists are legally allowed to ride on roadways? Not only that, but they are permitted to occupy the lane — in other words, bicyclists are not relegated to the shoulders of streets.

As someone who used to not have a car, biking can be a useful way of getting from point A to point B. Anyone who bikes on a road should remember to signal their turns: left hand up for a right turn and left hand held out for going left.

2. Know the e-bike laws. There are three classes of e-bikes: Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3. While classes 1 and 2 are legally considered bicycles, Class 3 requires registration and insurance in NJ.

Bikes have rights in NJ

Class 1 has a pedal-assist function. Class 2 not only has a pedal assist but also uses a throttle. These e-bikes are subject to bicycle laws in NJ. Class 3 e-bikes are legally considered motor vehicles and are illegal to ride without proper registration. The Class 3 e-bikes are faster than the other classes of electric bikes.

3. Texting on a bike is not illegal, but that doesn’t mean it's a good idea.

Bicycles are subject to different laws than motor vehicles. However, texting on a bike could still lead to a dangerous collision. My advice is to remain fully present and focused when biking. However, you won’t get stopped by the cops for it.

Again, Class 3 e-bikes are a different story. They follow the same laws as motor vehicles.

4. The same exception applies to biking while intoxicated.

That’s right, the police can’t stop you from biking under the influence. That said, you can still get seriously

injured in a drunken biking accident. Also, remember that Ocean City is a dry town.

Since Class 3 e-bikes are not legally considered bicycles, it remains illegal to operate them under the influence.

5. Bikes have rights, thanks to the move-over law. Give them space!

When bicyclists are riding on a road’s shoulder, motorists are legally required to give them four feet of space. What if it's a narrow road? In that case, be prepared to slow down or even stop to keep bicyclists at a safe distance. If drivers can’t safely pass them in a left lane, slow down; it is illegal to pass them if you can’t maintain at least a four feet distance from them.

This law also applies to anyone else traveling on the shoulder of roads: children walking down the street, mothers with strollers, people walking their dogs, etc. Keep everyone safe by keeping your distance.

Drivers can get a motor vehicle violation for unsafe passing or driving too close. Consider yourselves warned.

6. Helmets are a legal requirement for bicyclists under the age of 17.

If you’re taking your kids biking this summer, make sure they’re safe and following state law. Helmets are mandatory for children, not optional.

7. Bicyclists ride with the flow of traffic, not against it.

So, bicycles have a lot of protections under state law. However, that doesn’t mean bicyclists can do whatever they want. It remains the law that bicycles must travel with the flow of traffic on a road.

8. Traffic laws still apply to bicyclists.

It is still illegal to run a red light on a bicycle. Bicyclists still have to stop at stop signs too. As stated above, bikes on the road must signal their turns.

Whether you use a bike as a form of transportation or a means of recreation, stay safe this summer! We can all do our part to be mindful of bicyclists.

Come celebrate with Lucy

America's oldest roadside attraction marks 142nd birthday

After dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic and 15 months of extensive restoration, l ucy the Elephant, our local National Historic landmark and America’s Oldest Roadside Attraction is ready to strut her stuff for her 142nd birthday celebration, Saturday, July 22, 2023 from 10am to 8pm.

“It was a very long and costly fifteen months to complete lucy’s exterior restoration”, said lucy Executive Director, Richard Helfant. “We are excited to show off how amazing lucy looks as we celebrate another milestone in her storied life.”

Mackie, the Stilt Walker will once again be on hand welcoming our guests with other returning favorites such as a giant water slide, our 9-Hole Mini-Golf course, and the “ lucy Express” Trackless Train which traces the steps lucy walked back in 1970 when she was moved from Cedar Grove Avenue to her current home on lucy Plaza.

Added this year are some new features to lucy’s annual birthday bash including a high striker, money booth, and a wet obstacle course! Of course, there will be plenty of food including “ lenny’s Hot Dogs”, Funnel Cake

Fries, Snow Cones, Philly pretzels and thirst-quenching refreshments; but no birthday party would be complete without singing “Happy Birthday” to our favorite elephant, lucy, before enjoying a piece of birthday cake at 3pm.

lucy’s 142nd birthday commemorative t-shirt ($20) features lucy with her Multi-Million Dollar Makeover. “Aunt Evelyn” author of lucy’s official bedtime story, “ lucy the Elephant and Sami the Mouse” will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to autograph her book. And, of course, tours inside the World’s largest Elephant will be on-going all day long.

lucy is open Monday thru Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through labor Day. Tours through lucy’s interior are offered every 45 minutes with the first tour beginning at 10:15 a.m.

Farmers Markets

DIETZ & WATSON GOURMET LITE TURKEY

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SWEET EATING CORN

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DOZEN

Brigantine Farmers Market

▶Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Brigantine Community School parking lot Sheridan Blvd.

The Brigantine Farmers Market will be open to customers this Saturday and will run every Saturday, rain or shine, until l abor Day weekend. For more information, visit www. facebook.com/brigantinefarmersmarket.

EHT Community Farmers Market

▶Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Atlantic Christian School 391 Zion Rd. Egg Harbor Township

Just Organics Marketplace and Honeytree Health School, host a Community Farmers Market on Saturdays in July and August, featuring a variety of local pesticide-free farmers, food vendors, artists and local makers. Come enjoy live music, food, kids' crafts, games and support family farmers. For more information, visit thehoneytree.net or e-mail wellness@thehoneytree.net.

Galloway Green Market

▶Thursdays, 4 – 7 p.m.

Historic Smithville Village Greene

615 E. Moss Mill Rd.

Go Green Galloway hosts their weekly Green Market, Thursdays through September 7, featuring locally grown produce, baked goods, prepared foods, handmade crafts, specialty breads and more. Visit gogreengalloway.org/greenmarket for information and updates.

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The leadership Studio, along with Vendors and Veggie Booths. Markets held every other Tuesday in July and August, starting this week. For more information and to apply as a vendor, visit abseconlighthouse.org.

Margate Farmers Market

▶Thursdays, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Steve and Cookies Parking lot 9700 Amherst Ave. Margate

The Margate Farmers Market is now open for the season. Markets will be open Thursdays through August 31. For more information, visit margatehasmore.com.

Ocean City Farmers Market

▶Wednesdays, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Ocean City Tabernacle Grounds

Asbury Avenue from 5th – 6th Streets

The Ocean City Farmers Market is open for the season. See dozens of vendors, and crafters in the street at 6th & Asbury Ave. For more information, call 1-800-BEACH-NJ or visit oceancityvacation.com.

Somers Point Farmers Market

▶Saturdays, 8 a.m. 12 p.m.

Somers Mansion 1000 Shore Rd.

Somers Point Farmers Market has returned to Somers Mansion for 2023. For more information, go to visitsomerspoint.com.

HATFIELD LIVERWURST

BOAR'S HEAD FIRE SMITH GRILLED CHICKEN

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225 SWEET EATING PEACHES

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STORE SLICED AMERICAN CHEESE

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MIRACLE GRO VEGETABLE & GARDEN SOIL

HATFIELD LIVERWURST

49 PEPPERIDGE FARM GOLDFISH

600 ROSA CHICKEN BROTH

1.5 C.F.

Ventnor City Farmers Market

▶Fridays, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

St. James Church Newport & Atlantic Ave.

Live Well AC Farmers Market

▶Tuesday, 4 – 7 p.m.

Absecon lighthouse 31 S. Rhode Island Ave. Atlantic City

Absecon lighthouse will host the live Well AC Farmers Markets. Enjoy Free yoga at 6 p.m. sponsored by

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The parking lot at St. James Church brims with 60+ farmers, food vendors, and crafters who offer fresh, seasonal picks, delicious artisan foods, baked goods, beverages, and beautiful handmade wares. Open Fridays through September 3. Visit vcfm.org to see a complete list of vendors and sponsors.

L ARGE ASSORTMENT OF LOCAL HONEY 9 July 20, 2023

PET HOTEL

Events and Happenings

Multi-Day Events

Ocean City Theatre Company presents Mean Girls: High School Version

▶Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Ocean City Music Pier 825 Boardwalk

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. Featuring OCTC’s High School Junior Company. For tickets, visit oceancitytheatrecompany.com Fool Moon Theatre Co. presents the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

▶July 21 – 30

Margate Community Church 8900 Ventnor Ave. Margate

Grab a dictionary and welcome to the Spelling Bee. This heartfelt Tony Award winning musical follows a group of wonderfully unique and impassioned adolescents as they compete for the spelling bee championship. Featuring a thrilling score by William Finn, the 25th Annual Putnam

County Spelling Bee is a joyful night of comedy and quirkiness that celebrates the pursuit of victory and the gift of being true to oneself. Purchase tickets online at foolmoontheatre.org. Show times are July 21, 22, 28 & 29 at 7:30 p.m. and July 23 & 30 at 2 p.m.

Thursday, July 20 Market Days

▶10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Downtown Asbury Avenue, Ocean City

Enjoy strolling entertainment, face painters, and balloon sculptors while strolling Asbury Avenue. For more information, visit oceancityvacation.com.

Surf & Soul Drum Circles in Atlantic City

▶5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Caspian Avenue Beach

Join Sea Goddess Healing Arts for their monthly Surf & Soul Drum Circle Series. This is a free jam series open to all ages. No experience required. Bring an instrument if you have one. We’ll provide sticks and buckets to use during the drum circle. Free and open to all, donations appreciated. Come out and vibe with your tribe at the beach. For more information, visit seagoddesshealingarts.com.

Thrilling Thursdays Sunset

Cinema

▶6:30 p.m.

On the Beach Between Granville and Huntington Ave. Margate

Join Margate for movies on the beach between the bulkhead and dunes. Arrive at 6:30 p.m. for a prescreening free fun activity. Movies begin at 7:30 p.m. Rain dates are Fridays. This week, enjoy a screening of Puss in Boots: The l ast Wish, along with crafts for kids from lucy the Elephant. Check out the complete schedule at margatehasmore.com.

Open Mic at Ventnor Coffee

▶6:30 – 9 p.m.

108 N. Dorset Ave. Ventnor Ventnor Coffee hosts Open Mic every Thursday. Come early to sign up. Bring your songs, poetry, and jokes. Singer songwriter Pete Glaze will perform from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Family Nights

▶7 – 9 p.m.

Ocean City Boardwalk

Enjoy live entertainment on the boardwalk between 6th – 14th Street. For more information, visit oceancityvacation.com.

Friday, July 21

19th Annual Chip Miller Surf Fest

▶8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

7 Street Surfing Beach, Ocean City

Come join the Chip Miller Amyloidosis Foundation (CMAF) and local NJ pro Rob Kelly for the 19th Annual Chip Miller Surf Fest. This grassroots family event, hosted in Ocean City, has grown to be one of the largest surf events on the East Coast attracting some of the biggest names in surfing. Other great activities include plenty of the latest and greatest surfing manufactures, free apparel launches, and more. For more information, visit chipmiller.org. Beach Exercise: Low Impact

▶8 a.m.

6 Street Beach, Ocean City

low Impact Exercise on 6th Street Beach Volleyball Courts. Free. Bring a towel and a friend. Hosted by the Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Center. For more information, call (609) 398 – 6900.

Botanical Fun Friday

▶11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

C.R.O.P.S. Store, 2101 Atlantic Ave. Atlantic City

C.R.O.P.S. Store presents Botanical Fun Friday. From 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., enjoy stress-free, fun botanical drawings with local artist Gina Furnari, and from 1 – 2 p.m., enjoy botanical arts using beautiful summer blossoms with the programming staff from Reed’s Farm. This event is sponsored by liz Tran Creations llC along with four free parking passes, first come first served.

Ocean Casino Resort Fireworks

▶9 p.m.

500 Boardwalk, Atlantic City

Enjoy an extravagant fireworks display at The Park every Friday in July in celebration of Ocean Casino Resort’s 5th Birthday. The Park, located on the lobby level, offers three acres of lush landscape and firepits overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

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Saturday, July 22

Lucy the Elephant Birthday Party

▶10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

9200 Atlantic Ave. Margate

lucy’s birthday party will be jampacked with the return of crowd favorites like the Giant Water Slide, 9-Hole Mini Golf Course, and the “ lucy Express” trackless Train Ride. New this year includes the High Striker, Inflatable Skeeball, and a Money Booth. Party goers will also enjoy carnival-style foods and other elephantastic refreshments. Stop in at 3pm to sing Happy Birthday to lucy and grab a piece of cake, while supplies last.

Longport Town Party

▶6 – 10 p.m.

24th Ave. & The Bay

longport is Celebrating 125 years of Incorporation next Saturday. Enjoy refreshments and food from Josie Kelly’s, Tacocat, Essl’s, and Ducktown Tavern, with a live DJ, and activities, including face painting, seashell painting, corn hold, and children’s games. Enjoy a courtesy Jitney ride, looping in longport, to and from the party. Tickets are $30, $15 for children ages 11 and under, and can be purchased at longport Borough Hall Mon. – Fri. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., or through VIPly smartphone app. For more information, visit www.longportnj.gov.

Knee High Knuckle Buster Micro Wrestling

▶6 – 10 p.m.

Ducktown Tavern 2400 Atlantic Ave. Atlantic City

The Biggest little Event in Atlantic City will take place under the Atlantic City sky. Knee High Knuckle Buster is back and better than ever at the Ducktown Tavern’s outdoor “Back Duck” Arena. This event draws humans from all over the glove in a nearly sold – out spectacle produced by Good Time Tricycle. This epic battle of pint – sized proportions will feature four bouts followed by a no holds barred, all in a royal rumble. Tickets and information are available at kneehighac.com.

Taste of Ocean City & Slide for Amyloidosis

▶6 – 10 p.m.

OC Waterpark 728 Boardwalk, Ocean City

Taste of OC is an event within an event. The Slide for Amyloidosis will host some of the surrounding area’s finest foods. The team has hand selected some of their favorites and put it all in one place for others to enjoy. Come out and support a wonderful cause at the Ocean City Water Park along with some amazing eats. New This year – Red Fish Catering will host food donations. Registration and more information are available at chipmiller.org or by calling (717)

243-7855 ext. 113. Rain date: July 23.

EHT Movies Under the Stars

▶8 p.m.

Robert J. lincoln Amphitheatre in Tony Canale Park

EHT Recreation hosts Movies

u nder the Stars. This week, enjoy a screening of Top Gun: Maverick (2022). For more information, visit ehtrec.com.

Tropicana Atlantic City Fireworks

▶10 p.m.

Beachfront 2831 Boardwalk

Tropicana Atlantic City lights up the sky every Saturday through September 2, including Fourth of July. Fireworks are launched from the beachfront and can be viewed along the boardwalk.

Sunday, July 23

Broadway Superstar Kimber Sprawl performing with the Ocean City POPS

▶7:30 p.m.

Ocean City Music Pier 825 Boardwalk

After her successful run in the Bob Dylan-inspired show “Girl from the North Country,” Sprawl recently joined the Broadway cast of “Wicked” as Nessarose, so you can expect her voice to defy gravity as she takes you on a journey of her musical adventures. For tickets, visit oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.

Monday, July 24

Beach Exercise: Yoga

▶8 a.m.

6 Street Beach, Ocean City

yoga on 6th Street Beach Volleyball Courts. Free. Bring a towel and a friend. Hosted by the Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Center. For more information, call (609) 398 – 6900.

EHT Monday Morning Madness

▶11 a.m.

Robert J. lincoln Amphitheatre in Tony Canale Park

EHT Recreation hosts Monday Morning Madness. This week, enjoy the magic of Ken Northridge. For more information, visit ehtrec.com.

The Genesis Show

▶7 p.m.

Ocean City Music Pier 825 Boardwalk

The Genesis Show recreates Genesis’s 1980 Duke Tour live. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets available at Ticketmaster. Produced by BRE Presents.

Evening Yoga with Candace

▶7 p.m.

Join Candace Martin for a yoga class via Zoom. Wind down to a deeper state of relaxation and prepare for your evening rest. RSVP by July 20 by contacting Tina Serota at (609) 287-8872 or tserota@jfsatlantic.org.

A Zoom link will be emailed.

Tuesday, July 25

Ocean City Beach Walks

▶Tuesdays at 9 a.m. & Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

59 St. & Central Ave. at the Entrance to Corson’s Inlet

For more information, visit oceancityvacation.com.

Funtastic Tuesdays

▶10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Downtown Asbury Avenue, Ocean City

Enjoy strolling entertainment, face painters, and balloon sculptors while strolling Asbury Avenue. For more information, visit oceancityvacation.com.

Ocean City Theatre Company

Presents Pinocchio

▶10:30 a.m.

Ocean City Music Pier 825 Boardwalk

Part of the OCTC Children’s Theatre Series. Meet the Blue Fairy as she leads us on a magical journey through this retelling of the classic story of Pinocchio. Filled with original music, sing – alongs and interactivity, audiences will enjoy every minute of this show. Book and lyrics by Patty Carver. For tickets, visit oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.

Brigantine Movies on the Beach ▶7 p.m.

38th Street Beach

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Bring your friends, family, or a special someone, for a special screening of Frozen. Grab your beach chairs and blankets and prepare for a truly unforgettable cinematic experience by the shore.

Mummers Night

▶7 – 9 p.m.

Ocean City Boardwalk

The Mummers strut up and down the Ocean City Boardwalk between 6th – 14th Streets. For more information, visit oceancityvacation.com.

Somers Point Dance Society

▶7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

Somers Point Fire Co. #1 447 Bethel Rd.

Come out to Somers Point Fire Co. #1 every Tuesday for social dancing, line dances, dance mixers, and more. light snacks included in admission. $10 live musical duo each week. Call Rita Voli at (609) 408-3619 for information.

Wednesday, July 26

Beach Exercise: Pilates

▶8 a.m.

6th Street Beach, Ocean City Pilates on 6th Street Beach Volleyball Courts. Free. Bring a towel and a friend. Hosted by the Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Center. For more information, call (609) 398 –6900.

Wacky Wednesday in Ocean City: Christmas in July

▶10:30 a.m.

Ocean City Music Pier 825 Boardwalk

Celebrate the Christmas holiday season in July with a special craft and a visit from Santa while he is in town on vacation. Dressed in red and green to participate in our wacky Christmas meets summer fashion show. The contest is free and open to the first 150 participants. Open to all ages. For more information, visit oceancityvacation.com.

Wacky Wednesdays at Absecon

Lighthouse

▶11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Absecon lighthouse 31 S. Rhode Island Ave. Atlantic City

Join Absecon lighthouse for a day of crafts, activities, movies and coloring. Included with regular admission; themes change weekly. For more information, visit abseconlighthouse. org.

Positivity Project: Evening Retreat

▶7 p.m.

Shed the cares of the day and prepare for a restful night. Topics include self-care, mindfulness, gratitude, meditation, and resiliency. RSVP by July 20 by contacting Tina Serota at (609) 287-8872 or tserota@jfsatlantic.org. A Zoom link will be emailed.

Thursday, July 27

The Jersey Tenors

▶7:30 p.m.

Ocean City Music Pier 825 Boardwalk

The Jersey Tenors bring with them music from Frank Sinatra to Frankie Valli to Figaro. The four talented singers, complete with Broadway and operatic credits, are Jersey-born and -bred and Jersey-proud. The Jersey Tenors seamlessly perform some of opera’s greatest works alongside the best of Josh Groban, ABBA, Queen, Journey, Elton John, Kool and the Gang, and, of course, the best that Jersey has to offer. For tickets, visit oceancityvacation.com.

Summer Camps

South Jersey Players’ TheaterArts Camp

▶Saturday, July 22 & 29, and August 5 & 12

Ventnor Cultural Arts Center 6500 Ventnor Ave.

The Ventnor Cultural Arts Center presents South Jersey Players’ Theater-Arts Camp. learn theater, games, improv, one-minute plays, skits, and more. Age range: 6 – 11 years old. $30 per weekly session. For registration, call (347) 920-6399.

Health and Wellness

Meetings for Family Members of Individuals Affected by Mental Illness and/or Substance Use Disorder

▶Thursday, July 20, 7 p.m.

This is a workshop style meeting among peers with a new topic each month. Daytime meetings are 10:30 a.m. on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, evening meetings are the third Thursday at 7pm. Call (609) 517-8614

Dementia Support Group

▶Wednesday, August 2, 1:30 p.m.

6009 Paul and Thelma lane, Mays l anding

Held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month from 1:30 – 3 p.m. Call Diane Conover at (609) 4026966 for more information.

NAMI Connections and Family Support Groups

▶Monday, August 14, 7 p.m. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church 606 Shore Rd. Somers Point

NAMI Connection is a recovery support group for adults with a mental health condition. Family Support Group is a support group for adult friends and family members of people with mental health conditions. Visit www.namiacm.org, or call (609) 741-5125.

Registration Open for NAMI

Atlantic Cape May Family-toFamily Class

Information about anxiety, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar

disorder, and other mental health conditions. Other topics include communication, problem solving, treatment and recovery. The course is designed to increase understanding and advocacy skills while helping participants maintain their own well-being. For more information and registration please contact NAMI at (609) 741-5125 or email Nami1557@ comcast.net. Class dates are Thursdays, Sept. 7 – Oct. 26 from 6:30 – 9 p.m. on Zoom.

Mental Health Support and Discussion Groups

Online groups are offered daily for a variety of topics, including women, men, lGBTQIA+, individuals aged 1830. Boomers, anxiety, depression, eating disorder, and many others. (609) 652-3800 or unitedbywellness@mhanj.org.

Recovery Groups

Topics range from mental health/ wellness to employment, faith, and more. Groups are provided 7 days a week. unitedbywellness@mhanj.org (609) 652-3800.

Wellness Groups

These daily groups include meditation, art, music, journaling, eating healthy, exercise, spirituality, adult coloring, gratitude, and more. To register and receive links by email, call (609) 652-3800 or unitedbywellness@mhanj.org.

Senior Aging Experts

Information Senior Presentations Available. Panel of experienced professionals that cover many aspects of aging. This is not a sales presentation. Please call to arrange. For more information, contact Diane Conover at (609) 402-6966.

Do you have an upcoming event?

Let us know about it! Submit your next event to shorelocalevents@gmail.com.

Sink your teeth into ‘Shark Week’ starting Sunday

Other installments include “Serial Killer: Red Sea Feeding Frenzy,” and “Great White Fight Club.”

By James FitzPatrick Contributing Writer

Millions of Americans will be glued to the Discovery Channel starting 8 p.m. Sunday, July 23, for the launch of the 35th season of “Shark Week.”

The summer ratings blockbuster reels in viewers with heart-stopping video and dramatic stories. Expect to see amazing images of sharks flying through the air and great white shark feeding frenzies, guaranteed to get the adrenaline flowing.

“Shark Week” 2023 will showcase nearly 20 hours of new programming, beginning with an action-filled opener Sunday. “Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy.” It features great white sharks in action, with video captured from inside a whale carcass – all in search of the largest great white shark ever found in South Africa.

HOUSE TOURS

Episode titles lean toward the sensational, referring to a “harrowing shark encounter” in North Carolina, “an unknown, monstrous predator” in the Bermuda Triangle, or “cocaine-fueled sharks,” affected by drugs cast overboard by smugglers.

The themes and titles are dramatic, feeding into the criticism that “Shark Week” is less about science and more about sensational entertainment.

Smithsonian Magazine analyzed 202 episodes for a story headlined, “Discovery Channel’s ‘Shark Week’ Is Packed With Misinformation and Junk Science.” Although it has noted improvements over years, “our findings show that many ‘Shark Week’ depictions of sharks are still problematic, pseudoscientific, nonsensical or unhelpful.”

What is certain is that the series reels in viewers by the millions. An estimated 28 million tuned in last summer.

The 2022 installment also featured its first ever celebrity host, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. This year Jason Momoa will do the honors. The Hawaiian actor, conservationist, star of “Aquaman,” according to People magazine, has been trying to land the shark emcee assignment for years.

Discovery needs no help from Hollywood drumming up shark enthusiasm. Sharks draw a crowd. A good example is Adventure Aquarium in Camden which is offering Shark Summer, a lineup of shark programming underway now through Aug. 20.

With the largest collection of sharks in the Northeast, the attraction includes a shark bridge, a Shark Tunnel where guests are surrounded by sharks, opportunities to learn about shark trivia and the seven shark species at the aquarium, and even a place where you can touch them.

“See sharks swimming below your feet as you brave the 81-foot suspended Shark Bridge, be surrounded by these amazing predators inside a Shark Tunnel and even touch some of the most exotic sharks in the world,” the aquarium says on its website. “It's a shark lover’s dream!”

SeaWorld, which operates in Florida, Texas and California, is creating a week-long celebration of the sharks in its parks with the u ltimate Shark Experience ticket, a special program that allows participants to touch and feed sharks and learn about conservation.

“Approximately 100 million sharks are killed by people every year in the wild, mainly for their fins (shark fin soup), making conservation essential to preserve the species,” SeaWorld said in its announcement for the program.

Sharks are about more than entertainment.

Viewers along the Atlantic Coast will likely be taking a keen interest in “Shark Week “ this year given a recent uptick in violent interactions between sharks and humans.

On May a 15-year-old surfer needed stitches when she was bitten in the foot and leg while surfing in Stone Harbor off of 109th Street Beach.

During the Fourth of July holiday, five shark bites of swimmers enjoying long Island’s South Shore prompted New york State to distribute surveillance drones to help beach patrols

monitor shark activity. up to 60 are being made available, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Hochul said “state personnel will continue to do all we can to keep beachgoers safe. We have the tools and strategies to monitor marine wildlife and protect the health and safety of New yorkers. These new drones will allow us to scan the water and help local governments across long Island and New york City keep local beaches safe for all.”

Steve Nagiewicz, adjunct professor of marine science at Stockton university, has been scuba diving for 43 years and has more than 4,500 dives. He is also the former head of the Shark Research Institute, an or-

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ganization that works with the united Nations to protect sharks.

He said warmer water has a lot to do with the uptick in shark activity. He said sandbar sharks are the likely culprit.

“The equation is warm water close to the beach, people wanting to get into the water, sharks chasing the food,” he said. “Quite often they can’t tell the difference until they bite.”

The Brick Township resident said it's a natural thing for people to be curious about sharks.

“People are afraid of sharks. They want to see the kind of damage they can do. Is it education? Part of it is. All of those shows, National Geographic certainly, and the Discovery Channel that hosts “Shark Week,” they are there to tell you about the sharks. They are doing it in a way that entertains and scares you because that is what people want to watch on TV.”

He added that the educational value is improving.

“I ve noticed that the content on these shows is more and more about educating people about sharks, not making them afraid of them. So that is a good thing.”

He speculated that “Shark Week” is probably good for business at the aquariums.

He said it’s important to remember that sharks are an essential part of the ocean food web. Nature would be out of balance without them.

“They don't want to bite you, but be careful when you go in the water. “They’re not looking to go after you at all; they’re just looking to survive.”

Shark Week Schedule

Sunday, July 23

Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy, at 8 p.m.

Jaws vs. The Meg, 9 p.m. Serial Killer: Red Sea Feeding Frenzy, 10 p.m.

“Shark Week”: Off the Hook, 11 p.m.

Monday, July 24

Great White Fight Club, 8 p.m.

Monsters of Bermuda Triangle, 9 p.m.

Alien Sharks: Strange New Worlds, 10 p.m.

Tuesday, July 25

Mako Mania: Battle for California, 8 p.m.

Raiders of the lost Shark, 9 p.m. Monster Hammerheads: Killer Instinct, 10 p.m.

Wednesday, July 26

Air Jaws: Final Frontier, 8 p.m. Florida Shark: Blood in the Water, 9 p.m.

Cocaine Sharks, 10 p.m.

Thursday, July 27

Jaws in the Shallows, 8 p.m.

Monster Mako: Fresh Blood, 9 p.m. Shark vs Snake: Battle of the Bites, 10 p.m.

Friday, July 28

Tropic Jaws, 8 p.m.

Deadly Sharks of Paradise, 9 p.m. Haunting at Shark Tower, 10 p.m.

Saturday, July 29

Dawn of the Monster Mako, 8 p.m. Mega Sharks of Dangerous Reef, 9 p.m.

If you are looking for a “Shark Week” alternative check out “SharkFest,”Nat Geo’s shark programming marathon which first appeared in 2017 and regularly attracts viewership in the millions. SharkFest is already underway and runs through August, reaching viewers across the Disney family of channels: National Geographic, Nat Geo WI lD, Nat Geo M u NDO, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN2. It began July 2 and offers four weeks of shark programming with more than 22 hours of original content and 50 hours of enhanced material “without the distractions of celebrities.”

How a two-block move saved Lucy

Without l ucy the Elephant’s current home in Margate, she wouldn’t be America’s oldest roadside tourist attraction.

lucy was scheduled for demolition, but was given a second chance by Margate residents Ed and Silvia Carpenter. The couple founded the Save lucy Committee and attained rights her home at her current location, two blocks south of her former spot.

lucy – built in 1881 and named “Elephant Bazaar” – had fallen victim to a business deal where her original home was sold for land development. It was originally owned by lucy’s designer James V. l afferty Jr., who owned most of South Atlantic City’s land.

lafferty originally developed lucy as a method to increase tourism in South Atlantic City, now Margate City. With tourist piling into trains and headed to Atlantic City, lafferty wanted a way to advertise real estate.

After spending roughly $36 thousand on construction, lucy was a success.

She was eventually sold to the Gerston Family who kept the elephant open to visitors. With the start

of a new decade, lucy had gotten into trouble.

lucy had been deemed unsafe for tourism in 1962 because of her corroding structure. Atlantic City had also been experiencing a decline in tourism, do to increase travel by airplane.

“They no longer had to come by car to Atlantic City,” said Executive Director Richard Helfant. “They could fly all over, and Atlantic City started on the decline. And along with it went everything else that depends on tourism.”

In 1969, the Gertson’s decided to sell lucy’s location to allow a developer to build a high-rise condominium. With the deal came lucy’s scheduled demolition.

That’s when the Carpenters stepped in to save Margate’s world famous icon. With the help of other residents, fund raising events such as bake sales raised enough money to keep lucy at the Jersey Shore.

The organization earned status as a 501C3 non-profit organization, meaning it could collect money for fundraising without being taxed.

Going door to door, volunteers raised the amount of money needed to cover lucy’s move. Helfant remembers participating in bake sales for lucy as a middle-school student. His teacher Julius Woods had been a member of the Save lucy Committee and encouraged him to participate in lucy’s fundraisers.

With the funds, the Mullin & Renalli Moving Company from Mount Holly, NJ decided to take on the risky task. The company was the only one in the Northeast willing to conduct the operation.

“They had an engineering study done to determine if lucy would survive the move, and they actually didn’t think she would,” said Helfant. “They told the committee that once it went off the curb, it would just collapse to the ground.”

“They [volunteers] had to coordinate with the three utility companies to drop the power lines along Atlantic Ave, because lucy’s taller than them,” Helfant added.

On Jul 20, 1970, the mission was a success as lucy made it safely to her new home on Atlantic Ave. Doubters in the community were stunned as they crowded the street as Margate’s famous skyscraper defied all odds.

Lucy on the move

Miss New Jersey for America Strong to host Operation Barbie

to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, E.H.T. location.

“One in four young women have a hard time finding resources when it comes to female sanitation products,” explains Rice about her mission. “Most people aren’t aware of the resources available to them.”

By Krystle J Bailey

After a 15-year break from pageantry, South Jersey’s own Courtney Rice returned to the stage on a mission. The reigning Miss New Jersey for America Strong title holder is heading to l as Vegas in pursuit of the national crown, but before she goes, Rice is raising awareness about a topic close to her heart.

Courtney’s service project, Operation Barbie, is set to kick off Friday, July 21, in conjunction with the release of the new Barbie Movie hitting theatres this week. During the two-week drive, Courtney will be collecting unopened menstrual hygiene products in three public locations as well as at her Egg Harbor Township home. All products will be donated

using her Miss New Jersey for America Strong platform, Rice is encouraging young women to remember that, just like Barbie, they can become anything they want to be. While Barbie is known for being a fashionista at first glance, the Barbie franchise has shown little girls across the globe that they can be doctors, lawyers, pop stars, astronauts, teachers, and so much more.

Courtney Rice is proof that glass ceilings are meant to be broken and women of all ages and backgrounds are to be celebrated.

“There is a myth in the pageant world that says if you’re over 25, you can’t compete anymore,” explains Rice, who actively competed in pageants until the age of 17.

Now, at 32, she’s back on the main stage and looks forward to raising

There’s Equity in Your CASTLE

widowed women across the nation. The pageant is a part of the Mrs. America organization, a beauty competition established to celebrate married women in America as well as their families and contributions to the community.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she explains in reference to her upcoming trip to to the national competition. “I’m not just representing New Jersey, I’m representing Atlantic County, and we don’t get too many state title holders.”

awareness while getting to know other difference-makers across the country as she competes against 44 other state title holders.

The Miss for America Strong pageant, which began in 2019, was created to honor single, divorced, or

Dropoff locations for Operation Barbie are Bake Happy in linwood, Pinky’s Nails in Mays landing (next to Starbucks), and the Girl Scout Retail Shop in English Creek Shopping Center. Donations will be accepted through August 4, 2023. Contact Courtney Rice at courtney.rice523@ gmail.com.

Krystle J Bailey is a multimedia journalist, author and poet. Connect with Krystle on Instagram @thedailybailey5

'Live-Work-Learn' program, 70 Stockton students hired and provided with housing

this summer. The employers include casinos, non-casino hotels, AtlantiCare and even nonprofit organizations.

By Julia Train

Imagine being able to walk out of your residence building and right onto the beach and living there for free while working and earning school credits.

Stockton university is partnering with various Atlantic City businesses for a “ live-Work- learn” program for a second summer. The program allows students to work in the city, earn credits and receive free housing.

In conjunction with Stockton’s Office of the Provost, Brian Jackson, the Chief Operating Officer of the Atlantic City campus, was able to assist in aligning job opportunities for students.

The program started with 10 businesses participating last year to 15

From May 15 to August 12, students are paid the same wage as employees and provided with housing in Stockton’s Atlantic City dorms, which are subsidized by the casinos employing them.

In order to participate in the program, there’s a brief application that students have to complete. Candidates must meet GPA requirements, have no significant financial holds on their accounts and be in good academic standing.

“Assuming that they meet the criteria, they are then eligible to access the job opportunities posted on our website and they can apply,” said Jackson.

Once students pick the casino they want to work at and apply, they go through the normal interview process and get selected for various roles.

The program also benefits the

Lindy Hops

casinos, which are experiencing a shortage of employees, especially during the summer.

Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa employed the most students from the program this year, hiring 70 out of a total of 200 placed throughout the city.

For many students, employers will invite them to stay after the summer, like Michael Mora, an incoming junior who started at Borgata during last year’s program and stayed.

“I worked here year-round and they announced the program again this summer so I took advantage of the free housing. It's just been an awesome experience,” said Mora, 20, from Morris County.

When he applied last year, he was a social work major, but then he got the job at Borgata as a supervisor at the MGM tower pool bar and realized that he wanted to “try something different,” so he changed his major to business management.

Throughout the past year, Mora learned how to deal with people professionally through a plethora of situations.

“It's very interesting, the amount of situations you deal with on a daily basis is a lot,” he said. “It's just a really good learning experience that complements school where you get to have hands-on learning.”

Although career lessons are obviously learned, so are life skills.

Kayla Caputo, 20, is a marketing major from Warren County completing her second summer in the program.

l ast summer, she worked at Ocean Casino in the accounting office. Now, she’s working as Borgata’s pool and recreation supervisor.

“I like getting experience in different elements of business because I feel like it makes you more well rounded and I'm meeting more students that I go to school with,” Caputo said.

In addition to business and marketing skills, she also enjoys that the program is teaching her life skills, such as time management and cooking meals while working 40-hour weeks.

Within the past year, the program has seen significant growth, started with 145 students last summer and 245 this season.

“By exposing [students] to job opportunities here, they can see that there are a wealth of career opportunities in our region,” said Jackson. “There's a lot more interest from our students and local businesses to participate. We're already receiving interest from businesses who want to participate next summer.”

From left, Stockton University students Samantha Gallo, Dina Shenouda and Kelly Tyrrell place an order at the outside pool at the Borgata Outdoor Beer Garden. The three students are all part of the Stockton Atlantic City Summer Experience.

Michael Mora, of Mount Olive, N.J., is also part of the program. The junior business management major is a food and beverage supervisor of in-room dining at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.

Gregory’s holds their ground in the Taco Tuesday trademark fight

By Krystle J Bailey

“We’re staying in the fight,” shared Gregory Gregory, owner of Gregory’s Bar in Somers Point. The latest announcement in the Taco Tuesday trademark saga came this week as Taco John’s backed out of the fight against Taco Bell.

“This has really become David and Goliath now,” expressed Gregory about the fast food giant’s pursuit to cancel the Taco Tuesday trademark.

In May, Taco Bell filed a legal petition to cancel the decades-old federal trademark for “Taco Tuesday.” until this week, Taco John’s owned the rights to the household phrase in 49 u.S. states, while Gregory’s maintained the trademark for New Jersey.

Gregory’s first trademarked the phrase in 1982 after the family agreed to Gregory’s plea to put tacos on the menu. He had recently discovered the cuisine in a Philadelphia food court and noticed the demand for a dish he hadn’t heard of. using a salsa recipe from an old Playboy magazine,

Gregory’s introduced Taco Tuesday to the local crowd over 40 years ago.

looking forward to their 45th season, Gregory says that it’s the local legacy that keeps him in the fight.

“It’s not about the tacos,” he explained to Shore local. “It’s about the event, the night, families bringing their kids, and people having a nice meal that they don't get every day.”

If approved, Taco Bell’s petition would cancel the existing trademark held by Gregory’s. In a recent marketing campaign, Taco Bell hired NBA star leBron James as a spokesperson for Taco Tuesday. In the ad, leBron states, “Everyone should be able to say and celebrate Taco Tuesday.”

With six weeks until the first Taco Tuesday of the season, Gregory Greg-

ory says his slingshot might have gotten looser in this David and Goliath fight, but he has no plans to back down any time soon.

“ lebron is still invited to come visit,” shares Gregory. “He is more than welcome to come sling some tacos and meet some of South Jersey’s best athletes!”

Taco Tuesday at Gregory’s is paused during the summer months every year to accommodate the busy season at the shore. The first Taco Tuesday is scheduled for September 5, 2023.

“No matter how this goes, I’m going to make sure everyone in South Jersey knows that Taco Tuesday is at Gregory’s,” declared the Somers Point legendary business owner last month. “If it happens that everyone can use it, fine!”

The battle isn’t over yet. The Gregory family welcomes the legal counsel of a white knight willing to help keep the fight going, but in the meantime, they plan to keep serving delicious food and drinks in their iconic Shore Road establishment.

Staying Cool: Mission Impossible?

By Sarah Fertsch Staff Writer

It gets hot outside, then it gets oven-like, soon unbearable, and then you are googling “how to become a mermaid” so you never have to deal with this level of heat ever again. Summer means sweating through your crewneck cotton tee, dumping ice cubes down your back, and even crying because there is no escape from this agony (I’ve been

The Do’s and Don’ts of Heat Waves

there). This week is expected to be one of the hottest of the summer, so it’s time to get prepared. There’s no doubt that heat unfairly affects some more than others, because not everyone has an air conditioning unit (let alone central AC). Some have to work outdoors even when the temperatures soar. Here are ten tips for surviving a heat wave:

Do: Close Your Curtains

Blocking out the sun will keep your home cool, especially if you have a

sun-facing living room or kitchen. Ancient societies would place wet sheets over windows on a hot day so the heat would pass through the wet screen and cool the room. Even keeping a jar filled with ice by a window can help.

Do: Take a Cold Shower

Water is the magical elixir for excessive heat. Consider swimming in a public pool, lake or in the ocean to cool your body. In a bind, spritz some water on your face to reduce sweat and wake you up. Experts recommend taking a cold shower before bedtime to reduce your body temp, creating ideal sleep conditions. Even tossing a couple ice cubes down your shirt or keeping a wet washcloth on the back of your neck will do wonders.

Don’t: Use a Fan

Studies show that fans simply blowing hot air (which occurs in temps over 95 degrees) will dehydrate you and make you feel even hotter. Fans also use motors, which can heat up your space further. Opt for air conditioning instead, but if you are in a pickle, place a bowl of ice behind your fan to get some of that coldness blown onto you.

Don’t: Sleep Without Blankets

Sleeping during a heat wave can be a nightmare. The optimal temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Pajamas and blankets help our bodies regulate internal temps, so if you are tossing and turning and sweating, it is better to use a light sheet than sleep without any blankets. your body won’t be used to sleeping without a cover, which will keep you awake longer. Millions of people sleep worse during heat waves and are grumpy the following mornings, so prepare yourself.

Do: Be Aware of How Heat Affects Your Body

When your body cannot regulate its temp due to excessive heat, you may feel faint, clammy, nauseous, crampy and even confused. Heat can also make you more likely to experience a heart attack, lose your breath, and even contemplate suicide. People who are susceptible to seizures should always take their medication and actively work to stay cool. If you experience limited sight or blindness, stay indoors as the strong sun rays may negatively affect your vision and hot asphalt will burn a guide dog’s paws.

Don’t: Exercise Strenuously

When you exercise your body becomes even hotter, which is not fun during a heat wave. Save activity for

cooler days and care for your body by reducing movement throughout the day. Stay in air conditioned spaces if possible and spend time watching movies, working on an online project, or practicing art.

Do: Stay Hydrated

your body loses a lot of water through perspiration. Everyone should drink more water than usual. Think of a heat wave like running a marathon. Prioritize water consumption and boosting electrolytes. Treat yourself to some cool snacks, like popsicles or slushies. your body will thank you.

Do: Wear Appropriate Clothing

Now is not the time for sweaters, sweatshirts and long sleeves. Don light-colored attire like shorts, tank tops and dresses. Even wearing a bathing suit around the house can keep you cool. Make sure that everyone in your household is wearing moisture-wicking fabrics and avoiding heavy materials like cotton or wool.

Don’t: Let Your Kids Play As Usual Meteorologists recommend that kids play outside for less than thirty minutes per day in temperatures higher than 95 degrees. Babies under one year old should spend as little time under the sun as possible. If your child is not playing in water, consider spraying them with water via a spray bottle to keep them cool as they run around. Educate your teenagers on staying safe in the heat says before the heat wave occurs.

Do: Take Special Care of Pets

Pets are just as susceptible to heat strokes as people. Walk your dog during the early morning hours or in the evening when the sun is less strong and seek shade whenever possible. Carry a collapsible water bowl and a water bottle with you in case your furry friend starts panting intensely, indicating high body heat. Include your pet in water activities to keep them cool, like enjoying a kiddie pool or heading to a dog-friendly beach. Keep an eye on your dog, and if they seem like they are in distress, seek veterinarian care immediately.

Margate's 20th Annual MBA Wine Tasting to feature the band 'Usual Suspects'

The Margate Business Association’s 20TH Annual Wine Tasting will be held in the twilight of the recreation complex at Edgmar Circle, Friday, July 28 from 6pm-9:00 p.m. This picturesque, tree-lined setting will enhance an unforgettable evening of wine and spirit tastings, a silent auction, mouthwatering local fare and sweets, and electrifying live entertainment by the pop, rock cover band usual Suspects. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased at MBAWINE or at margatehasmore.com.

The evening will feature tasty delights from Bocca Coal Fired Pizza, Dino’s Subs, The little Sicilian and TacocaT with sweet treats provided by Jagielky’s Homemade Candy.

Over 400 guests attended the 2022 wine tasting, and the outdoor setting adds a relaxed, comfortable feel to the event as the sun sets and music fills the air. In addition to the fine sampling and auction items offered, guests can enjoy recreational cornhole, ping pong, chess and checker games. Major sponsors of this year’s event include: The Hart-

man Home Team, Steve & Cookie’s, 95.1 WAy V and Shore local.

This year, sports fans can bid on sets of Phillies baseball tickets, 6 tickets for yankees vs. Rays at yankee Stadium, Philadelphia Flyers tickets or a custom designed surfboard donated by Heritage Surf and Sport. Night owls can try and win a night out at Tropicana, (4) 3- day Power Trip Festival General Admission tickets featuring Guns N Roses, AC/DC and Metallica courtesy of 100.7 WZXl , or lionel Richie tickets at the Wells Fargo Center with transportation. Foodies might find car service and dinner at Chef Vola’s too much to resist. There’s a $250 Downbeach Express bridge card, dazzling items from Roberts Fine Jewelry, Botox treatments courtesy of let’s Face It, dozens of gift packages and baskets, and much, much more.

The auction is hosted by local celebrity lou Solomon and Diane Mitchell from the “Mike & Diane Morning Show” on 95.1 WAy V. The Wine Tasting Committee is cochaired by Paula Hartman and Dana Hartman-Hiltner. Auction items are

generously donated by businesses and individuals throughout the community.

“The MBA wine tasting has truly become the highlight of the summer,’ said Dana Hartman Hiltner. “The outdoor location has allowed the event to grow and raise more money year after year. We look forward to another 20 memorable years!”

A portion of the proceeds benefits the Margate Business Association’s Daniel and Maria Walters Scholarship Program which has awarded over $125,000 in scholarships since its inception. The scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who have attended Margate City schools and are continuing their education. The event also supports the MBA’S Children Fund in conjunction with the Margate schools which anonymously provides warm clothing, school supplies, food, eyeglasses and summer camp for latch key children. Donations have been provided to Toys for Kids, Toys for Tots, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Philly Spin, Margate Terrapin Rescue Project, Alex’s lemonade Stand and more.

Local author releases Atlantic City-themed book

By Krystle J Bailey

Local author James McCusker released his fourth novel, The Edge, this week. His series of books, inspired by his fascination with true crime and local mob life of the 1980s, includes titles such as Atlantic City Nights, left in the Sand, and Black McCool. In his 2023 release, The Edge, McCusker introduces readers to a new character, Ricky Royal.

Royal, the veteran male revue dancer, has spent years working in the mob-owned nightclub but is ready to move on to a less chaotic lifestyle off-stage. Throughout the story, he is faced with the delicate balance between the life he lives and the one he craves. Royal is a regular guy surrounded by the wrong people in a town where he is perpetually faced with a series of moral dilemmas. Readers are taken on a journey that will have them on “the edge” of their seats as they follow Ricky Royal’s thrilling adventures.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the true crime genre,” shares author

James McCusker. “I use a lot of my imagination combined with in-depth research to tell these stories.”

The Brigantine native began writing at a young age after the passing of his father. looking for an escape, he crafted carefully-woven stories that would take him on a journey outside of himself. As a student-athlete, McCusker wrote for his high school

newspaper while focusing on wrestling and other sports. It wasn’t until college that inspiration struck, and he was driven to bring a novel to life.

His first book, Atlantic City Nights, released in 2013, featured a South Philly mob boss that found his riches in the booming Atlantic City casino empire of the 1980s. The publications that followed continue down a similar storyline, including his 2016 release, left in the Sand, and Black McCool, released in 2018. McCusker has also written five children’s books that tell stories of alien invasions and noble nights who come to save the day.

The 35-year-old father and husband has captured the hearts of many readers with his plot twists, complex characters, and in-depth attention to detail.

“I just love entertaining people,” shares McCusker. “That’s what keeps the spark in me going.”

In addition to being a celebrated author, McCusker is an advocate for early literacy. A portion of the proceeds from his book sales goes to Reach Out and Read - a national organization that works directly with

pediatric care providers to share the lifelong benefits of reading together. James will be selling copies of The Edge at the weekly Brigantine Farmers Market throughout the rest of the summer. All of his books are available on Amazon. learn more about James McCusker and his other books at booksbymccusker.com.

Atlantic County 4-H fair returns for its 73rd year

By Krystle J Bailey

Over 70 years of family fun has been had on the Atlantic County 4-H Fairgrounds. The weekend of fun is back this year with a full lineup of can’t-miss events. From line dancing and pie-eating contests to car shows, baby parades, and the annual Chicken BBQ, the 4-H fair is an annual tradition that has been enjoyed by local families for generations.

On Friday, August 11, and Saturday, August 12, the David C. Wood 4-H Center and fairgrounds on Route 50 will be filled with hundreds of local families, rides, food, activities, and more.

The fair, which began in 1950, offers 4-H members the opportunity to celebrate and showcase what they have learned in their respective fields in the last year. The 4-H program takes a “learning by doing” approach in each of the offered programs. Members are welcome to join from kindergarten through high school and can choose programs that fit their interests.

Programs include nutrition, baton twirling, engineering, robotics, cooking, community service, physics, and more. With the help of adult volunteers, 4-H youth are given the resources to learn new trades and hobbies. 4-H members focus on building core values that include independence, belonging, mastery, and generosity.

The yearly 4-H fair is their time to shine. The schedule is

packed from top to bottom with family-friendly entertainment.

Friday night, fairgoers are invited to check out the annual car show that features unique cars of all makes and models. 17 trophies will be awarded to participating car owners. The show is followed by an interactive line dancing class at 8:30 pm. Saturday morning, the day kicks off with the highly-anticipated Baby Parade, followed by the Pie Eating Contest and Pet Parade. Throughout the weekend,

guests are encouraged to enjoy local food, rides, children’s activities, horse and livestock shows, firemen’s demonstrations, and more. Animal attractions are available all weekend long.

The decades-old tradition is a chance for those curious about becoming 4-H members to explore the fairgrounds, speak with volunteers, and learn about available programs. Volunteers will be scattered throughout the fairgrounds to answer questions or provide additional information about 4-H. The event is free, with affordable parking onsite.

4-H is one of the most highly regarded festivals in South Jersey and for good reason. The 4 H's represent "head, heart, hands, and health." Members pledge their HEADS to clearer thinking, their HEARTS to greater loyalty, their HANDS to larger service, and their HEAlTH to better living. learn more about 4-H at ac4hfair. org.

Photos by Steffen Klenk

A look back at the history of Night in Venice

newspaper under this headline: “Entire bay front gaily decorated and a blaze of illumination.” The boat parade was held every summer until 1927.

SURF SURF LESSONS

A Look Back

By Fred Miller

The 68th annual Night in Venice boat parade will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2023 starting near the longport bridge at 6:00 p.m.

The first Night in Venice was held August 12, 1907. The next day the Ocean City Daily ledger reported the successful event under this headline: “A Night in Venice attracts thousands.” The boat parade was held every summer until 1914.

Early in the summer of 1923 a group of public spirited citizens led by Jack G. Jernee, captain of the Ocean City Beach Patrol, decided to revive the bay boat parade. It was held on September 8, 1923. The Ocean City Sentinel covered the parade in the September 13, 1923

As the summer of 1954 began, people were looking for ways to celebrate Ocean City’s 75th anniversary. Captain Jernee again revived Night in Venice. It was held on August 14, 1954. Three days later the Ocean City Sentinel- ledger reported, “What was believed to be have been the largest crowd ever assembled along the Ocean City bayfront clogged the area Saturday night to witness a colorful and entertaining pageant by 115 craft of the resort’s pleasure boating fleet.”

The article went on to say, “The pageant of boats, arranged by a committee of yacht Club members in cooperation with Captain Jack G. Jernee, of the Jubilee Committee, was the largest event of its kind ever staged on the local bay, which was the scene of many a boating festival years ago.”

Jack G. Jernee of the Ocean City Beach Patrol, is credited with twice rescuing Night in Venice.

'Mean Girls', the hit movie turned Broadway Musical will make its Ocean City

Ocean City Theatre Company’s Junior Co students will perform "Mean Girls: High School Version" at the Ocean City Music Pier on July 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.

is presented with permission by Music Theatre International (MTI).

The show is a coming-of-age stage musical with music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and a book by Tina Fey. It is based on the 2004 film of the same name, also written by Fey, which was in turn based on the 2002 nonfiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman. The musical premiered in Washington, D.C., in October 2017 and opened on Broadway in April 2018. The show

"Mean Girls" is a ferociously funny new musical and a smash hit. Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.

The movie on which "Mean Girls" is based is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned, some material may be inappropriate for children under 13), and the musical contains some adult content and language. If you’re concerned about your child watching the play, the film is a helpful resource in making this decision.

The OCTC staged version is under the direction of Hannah Breed, Mikey Vultaggio, and Debra Rolland. High School students from across the Del -

aware Valley had the opportunity to audition for the OCTC Jr Company, and this year over 50 students were cast in this Jersey Shore premier production of "Mean Girls: High School Version."

Tickets are $15.00 and can be purchased online at oceancitytheatrecompany.com. The OCTC Music Pier Box Office will open one hour before the curtain, but advance sales via our website are encouraged.

http://oceancitytheatrecompany. com/

What's happening in Ocean City

Ocean City’s “Wacky But Not Tacky” series of Wacky Wednesdays continues at 10:30 a.m. July 19 at the Ocean City Music Pier with a sculpting contest. No advance registration is required for this free family event, which invites participants to create art from a “mystery bag” of supplies. The contest is free, but it will be open to only the first 175 participants.

The popular weekly Farmers Market on the grounds of the Ocean City Tabernacle is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday through Sept. 14. The market features the best of fresh produce from local farms in the region, along with a variety of craft vendors.

Family Night on Thursday, July 20 will bring two Mummers bands to the Ocean City Boardwalk from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the uptown String Band strutting between Sixth Street and 10th Street and the Fralinger String Band performing between 10th and 14th streets. On Tuesday, July 25, Mummers Night will return to the Boardwalk from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with more string bands providing entertainment.

Downtown Asbury Avenue will

feature entertainment, face-painters, balloon sculptors and more from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday (July 20) for Market Days and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday (July 25) for Funtastic Tuesday.

Ocean City Pops Concerts on the music Pier

At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 23, Broadway star Kimber Sprawl will take the stage with the Pops at the Ocean City Music Pier. After her successful run in the Bob Dylan-inspired show “Girl From the North Country,” Sprawl recently joined the Broadway cast of “Wicked,” so you can expect her voice to "defy gravity" as she takes you on a journey of her musical adventures.

For tickets, visit oceancityvacation.com/ boxoffice, call 609-3996111 or stop by the Music Pier Box Office.

Summer Concert Series features Genesis Tribute

The Genesis Show will take the

stage at the Ocean City Music Pier at 7 p.m. Monday, July 24. The concert will feature the only Genesis

tribute band in the u.S. that re-creates the Phil Collins era of Genesis and focuses on the 1976-1982 tours. For the Ocean City show, the band will perform songs from Genesis’s 1980 Duke Tour.

Check the Music Pier Box Office for ticket availability or visit Ticketmaster.

Family Theather Series features ‘Pinocchio’

The Greater Ocean City Theatre Company (OCTC) will continue its family-friendly theatrical series on Tuesday, July 25 with a performance of “Pinocchio.”

The show is at 10:30 a.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. OCTC will put a creative twist on the classic tale by filling it with original music, sing-alongs and interactivity.

Visit oceancitytheatrecompany. com for more information and to purchase tickets.

H O PP ES A T

E A S B U R Y

is Born

By the owners of Staintons Beautifully remodeled at the former Crown Bank 801 Asbury Avenue, Ocean City

Broadway star Kimber Sprawl

Photos by Steffen Klenk

Six words on a Boardwalk bench

how much people love coming to the Jersey Shore, in this case, Ocean City.

No place like the beachfront!

By Bill Quain

This week’s six-word story: Like a piece of screaming luggage you have to be intrigued by this week’s Six words on a Boardwalk bench, right? What does “ like a piece of screaming luggage” mean, anyhow? It sounds pretty scary. It’s actually a great story and shows just

Just before the local real estate prices began to skyrocket a few years ago, my brother and his wife bought a place right on the beach in Ocean City. It was their dream home. Both of them are retired, with a growing family of grandchildren. like many people, they knew that having a “goto” home on the beach would be just the thing to guarantee that those grandchildren would be visiting often.

They put a lot of work into that place, updating it, and fixing all the little things that can go wrong with a home after many years. like many new homeowners in O.C., they planned to rent it out for a good part of the summer. As my brother put it then, “We enjoy the shoulder seasons, when it isn’t so crowded.” Well, that sounded like a great plan, but…

That first year they arrived in early May and ended their 5-week

stay in mid-June. It was now time to get ready for the renters. I know my brother pretty well, and I could tell he wasn’t as certain about the trade-off of rent money coming in while he and his wife were heading out. Although I wasn’t there the day that they packed up the car and headed back to PA, I did speak to him a few days after they got home. I asked him how it went.

My brother said to me, “Bill, they had to tie me to the roof of the car like a piece of screaming luggage.”

Hey, we feel for you brother!

It isn’t just homeowners that feel that pang. Almost anyone who comes to Ocean City, whether it is for a day, a week, or a season, just hates that feeling when it is time to go. yeah, you’ll come back, but that’s going to be a long time away. A lot can happen during that long winter season. you never really know if you will get back, and if you do, whether all your family will be back as well.

71 hits, with just one miss

I will turn 71 this summer. In all those years, I’ve only missed one summer at the shore. I was serving in V.I.S.T.A. and just couldn’t get back here. My family has owned houses in Ocean City since 1904, so I’ve always had a place to visit. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m the oldest of seven children. Once we all became adults, we would come back to the shore for two weeks, but we rented separate properties. Our children grew up with a “shore” tradition. Each year they’d see their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and we’d all spend two weeks in pure family fun. No matter how many times we came to O.C., even though we knew we’d be back in a year, leaving was always tough. Maybe I wasn’t reduced to a piece of screaming luggage like my brother, but man… leaving was the worst.

Renters take ownership of Ocean City.

Jeanne and I have a rental property, and we’ve noticed a similar pattern

with each of our guest families. Our guests want the same week each year because it is “theirs.” While we do have many repeat customers, we’ll get a few “first-timers” each year. However, almost none of our first-timers are new to Ocean City. We hear the same story again and again. “My parents used to bring us to Ocean City when we were kids. We all loved it so much, and I want my children to have the same experience.” So our guests choose a week that fits their kids’ schedules, and then they stick to that week every year. It is their week! They own it!

The last day of the vacation

That last day can be painful to watch. People aren’t just leaving a vacation, they are leaving something that they “own” – that week or two that is absolutely theirs. yes, they’ll be back, but that’s another year away. While they were here, their kids may have learned more about being a part of a family. Maybe it was their first year going up on the Boardwalk by themselves. Maybe their parents finally had a chance to talk with them about something meaningful. Then again, maybe it wasn’t anything more special than just breathing in the salt air. No wonder we get that “screaming luggage” feeling!

Share your own “screaming luggage” stories!

We want to hear from O.C. “vacation owners”! Give us your own sixword stories so we can post them on our community’s Boardwalk Bench. Don’t forget to share the backstory with us. I’ll put your stories in a future column. It might just ease the pain of leaving, and you’ll be able to tell everyone that you’ll be back next year. Just shoot an email to bill@ quain.com, and put the words “ like a Screaming Piece of luggage” in the subject line. As I say each week, I’ll see ya in the papers!

Bill is a Professor in Stockton University’s Hospitality Management Program. He is the author of 27 books, and a highly-respected speaker. Even though he is almost totally blind, Bill is a long-distance runner and runs the Ocean City Half Marathon each year. He lives in Ocean City with his wife Jeanne, and his Guide Dog Trudy. Visit www.billquain.com or email him at bill@quain.com.

What’s Below the Surface: 10 Creatures You’ll Find in New Jersey Waters

By Sarah Fertsch Staff Writer

Do you ever think about what’s on the ocean floor off the Jersey Shore? It’s probably the last thing you want to think about, especially when you’re boogie-boarding with your kids on a hot summer day. Despite any creepy-crawly fears, learning about our friends under the sea will make you more conscious of your environment and island habitat! Here’s what you’ll find below the surface on your local NJ beach:

hunt at dusk, searching for mollusks, crabs, and lobsters. It paralyzes its prey by secreting poison through its tentacles, and then uses its suckers to wiggle its meal out of its shell. These animals are incredibly smart, smart enough to catch a crab out of a trap or unscrew a jar. Although octopi are colorblind, they have special receptors that allow them to blend into their environment, like a chameleon. you’ll typically find an octopus around coral or rocks, so be careful when exploring the seafloor!

Humpback Whale

Harbor Seal

These puppy-like creatures are all around the beaches, especially in the springtime. According to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, the Jersey shore is the largest “haul-out” site for harbor seals, meaning that seals travel across the east coast for mating and feeding, and NJ is their top spot! Seals are mammals, so they need to come up for air often, so they can be found in shallow waters, even in the summers! Adults can be about six feet long, weighing almost 300 pounds. Even though they are very cute, these creatures can be dangerous, so make sure to keep your distance if you spot a seal nearby.

Humpback whales are common in almost every ocean, but populate Jersey waters when the bay is cold, particularly in the spring, winter and fall. They search for food, eating up to 300 pounds of krill and small crustaceans per day! They reach up to 60 feet in length, with females being larger than males. Humpback whales have the largest fin of any other whale species. This species is on both the federal and state endangered species list, so be careful about maintaining your fishing nets (so whales don’t get caught). For a fantastic look at whales, check out whale-watching cruises in Atlantic and Cape May County!

Atlantic Octopus

Although rare in colder waters, you might catch an Atlantic Octopus on the bay off Atlantic City. Octopi

Lined Seahorse

Sometimes called the Northern Seahorse, these creatures can be found between rocks and coral across the Atlantic Ocean, from Nova Scotia to Panama. They span in color, ranging from yellow to black. They feed on tiny crustaceans and use their beak to suck their prey out of their shell. u niquely these animals breed monogamously, for life, and the males get pregnant and have babies!

Horseshoe Crabs

These bizarre-looking creatures are a blast from the past – one of the last remaining creatures from the Paleozoic era (445 millions years ago). Their blood contains a special clotting

agent, limulus Amoebocyte lysate (l Al), that assists humans with infection detection and prosthetic devices such as knee replacements and heart valves. These crabs are common on the Jersey Shore and around the Delaware Bay. They are most common between May and August, so keep your eyes open around the beach!

evidence to indicate that the Delaware Bay area is a primary mating ground for these sharks, according to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ. Sand Tiger sharks are critically endangered in some parts of the Atlantic Ocean, and considered a Species of Concern for NJ.

Cownose Ray

This stingray is common around the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic shorelines. They have a wingspan of three feet and can weigh up to 50 pounds. Their diet consists of various types of clams, which draws the rays close to the beach. Mating takes place between June and July, and after an 11-month gestation period, females raise a single pup for the rest of the summer. Although they appear as if they are skates or stingrays, cownose rays fall into a category of their own. Often, along the jersey shore, shark sightings are often mistaken for the presence of a cownose ray!

Moon Jellyfish

you’ve definitely seen these along the beach. These rounded-discs come to mate on the Atlantic coast, and can be identified by its translucent color and clover design in its center. Moon jellies can be found close to the ocean’s surface because they primarily feed on plankton, which grow in the sunlight. That means it’s often eaten by sea birds, though. It’s sting is relatively benign to humans (if you are stung, you may feel a mild stinging sensation that should disappear quickly).

Sand Tiger Shark

Somewhat scary to think about, this NJ shark grows up to 10 feet long and up to 300 pounds. It’s sometimes referred to as the “ragged-tooth shark” because its toothy grin makes it stand out compared to other shark species. These sharks prefer warm water, so they are most common along the Jersey Shore in the summer. They migrate to shallower waters in the summer as well, searching for small fish to feed on. There’s some

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Sea turtles populate all areas of the Atlantic Ocean, but migrate to the Jersey Shore during the summer to lay eggs on the beach. These turtles can be identified by their reddish-brown color and large head. They primarily eat jellyfish and crustaceans. loggerhead turtles are currently threatened by beach development and ocean pollution, so be sure to care for turtles if you spot a mother or eggs on the beach near you.

Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs are not crabs at all. In fact, they are actually a species of shrimp that is protected by a shell. There are two types of hermit crabs – land crabs, that breathe with lungs, and ocean crabs, which breathe with gills. These crabs are so entrenched in their shell that if they were threatened by a bird, their bodies would rip apart easier than a crab would be ripped out of its shell! Check out Martin T. Mollusk, the mascot of Ocean City!

In conclusion, make sure to always keep the health and safety of yourself and these animals in mind. If you spot a sea animal while you are basking on the beach, keep your distance and if you notice a marine mammal in trouble, contact the Marine Mammal Stranding Center at 609-266-3508.

Flyers Community Caravan makes donation to Ocean City recreation programs

Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones and Comcast Spectacor Chairman and CEO Dan Hilferty took time out during the Flyers Community Caravan event on Wednesday to announce a donation of hockey equipment for Ocean City recreation programs.

“I want to thank Dan, Keith and the entire Flyers organization for their support and their generous gift,” May-

or Jay Gillian said. “Today’s event was great fun for our kids and families, and it was a great way to connect with our Flyers. I’m proud that we were able to host the Caravan, and the team and the organization will always have a second home in Ocean City.”

The Community Caravan brought carnival-style fun – including an inflatable hockey rink, slap shot target and bungee run – to the Ocean City Civic Center on Wednesday.

Flyers alumni (including Steve Coates, Scott Hartnell, Dave Schultz, Bob Kelly and Todd Fedoruk) attended the event, and team mascot Gritty was a crowd favorite.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Dan and Gritty again next week for our annual Night in Venice celebration,” Gillian said.

Photos by Steffen Klenk

Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones (left) and Comcast Spectacor Chairman and CEO Dan Hilferty announce a donation to the Ocean City Recreation Department on Wednesday.

By Sarah Fertsch Staff Writer

New Jersey may be known as the garden state, but nothing beats freshcaught seafood from the Atlantic Ocean. South Jersey has a great reputation for clamming and shellfish. Whether you consider yourself a local or spend a week down the shore every summer, prioritize tasting the delicious seafood. From net to table, wild-caught protein tastes like the ocean, salty and bright. Bring the ocean home and try your hand at cooking Jersey seafood. Here are four recipes straight from fishermen for your kitchen:

Quahog Chowder

Ingredients:

● 30 quahogs, scrubbed

● 1 yellow onion, diced

● 1 celery stalk, chopped

● 8 anchovies, chopped finely

● 6 tablespoons of flour

● A handful of baby potatoes, quartered

● 2 cups of heavy cream

● 1 cup of whole milk

● 1 cup of vegetable broth

● ½ stick of unsalted butter

● 1 tablespoon of thyme

● 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

● 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

● 1 tablespoon of salt

● 1 tablespoon of pepper

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the clams and steam until the shells open (7-8 minutes). Remove the clams with a slotted spoon and let cool. Remove the quahogs from the shell and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Reserve 3 cups of liquid for future use.

In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat on the stove. Add the onion and let cook until translucent, then add the anchovies. Cook down for 3-4 minutes.

Add the celery to the Dutch oven and cook down for another 5 minutes. Add flour to create a roux. Once the flour and butter mixture turns caramel-colored, slowly stir in clam liquid. The soup should start to get thick.

Toss potatoes into the soup and cover, cooking for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add vegetable broth, milk and heavy cream. Stir in spices and thyme. Add the cooked clams.

l adle into bowls and serve warm.

↘Continued on 40

MUSIC

Thursday, August 17 11:30am | $55 Per Person

901 Mays Landing Road • Somers Point, NJ

Tickets are available for purchase at the Music Pier before Ocean City POPs Concerts

↘Continued from 39

Steamed Blue Crabs

Ingredients:

● 20 live Atlantic Blue Crabs

● ½ cup of Old Bay seasoning

● ½ cup of salt

● 3 cups of distilled white vinegar

● 3 cups of beer

Before steaming the crabs, flip each crab onto its back and stick a knife through its shell just below the mouth.

Combine vinegar, beer and Old Bay in a large soup pot and bring to a boil over medium heat on the stove.

Place a steaming basket or colander over the boiling liquid, sturdy enough to hold the crabs, just above the liquid.

Place crabs in the basket and steam them for 20-30 minutes until the blue color is gone and the crabs become red or orange.

Serve with leftover Old Bay and melted butter. Enjoy!

Mussels in Lemon Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

● 1 pound of half-shell mussels

● 1 cup of heavy cream

● 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

● 1 cup of dry white wine

● 1 lemon, juiced and zested

● 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

● 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

● 1 yellow onion, finely diced

● ½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped

● Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt butter and add diced onion. Cook down until fragrant and translucent.

Add white wine and reduce by a third. Stir in cream and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Add mussels and let cook covered for approximately 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Add lemon juice, zest and crushed garlic. Add red pepper flakes, parsley, salt and pepper. Serve warm with bread to dip into the sauce.

Sesame Ginger Grain Bowl with Mackerel

Ingredients:

● 4 ounces of fresh-caught mackerel, skin on

● 1 cup of brown rice

● 1 carrot, ribboned

● ½ avocado, sliced

● ½ large cucumber, diced

● 1 scallion, thinly sliced

● 1 teaspoon of sesame oil

● 1 teaspoon of grated ginger

● 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce

● 1 teaspoon of hot sauce

● Salt

● Pepper

Prep and wash veggies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the fish on a baking sheet. u se a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture on the mackerel. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Fill a pot with 2 cups of water and rinse rice, then add to the pot. Cook over low heat on the stove until all the water is absorbed, which should take approximately 15 minutes. Cover with a lid to help the rice cook faster.

Once the rice is cooked, scoop ⅓ cup into a bowl and top with veggies. In a small bowl, mix together hot sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger.

Once the fish is fully cooked, use a fork to cut up the fish and scoop a serving into the bowl.

Top the bowl with the dressing and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Upper Township farm offers family fun and activities

Photos by Steffen Klenk

Misty Meadow Sheep

Dairy held their third annual Sunflower Festival on Saturday, July 15. Attendees enjoyed a full day of food, live music, hayrides, sheep and goat races, photo opportunities, and much more.

The Summer of '65

An ongoing series

The Bikers Threat

By Bill Kelly

The call came in from the Ohio State Police Intelligence u nit to the Ocean City Chief of Police.

One of their undercover agents infiltrating criminal motorcycle gangs in that state reported that a group of Hells Angels with California rockers passed through and complained about being ticketed for speeding and kicked out of Ocean City, New Jersey, causing them much ridicule and embarrassment.

They threatened to return to Ocean City with their entire club and all of their allies for a labor Day run and ransack the town.

The Ocean City Police Department’s Intelligence u nit chief was already preoccupied with keeping tabs on the growing hippie threat.

Mrs. Helen Shriver Schilling, whose father started the candy store, now owned the entire block, all of the boardwalk movie theaters as well as the boardwalk parking lots. The boardwalk used to be a block further from the ocean but after the great fire of 1927 her father and other boardwalk property owners arranged for the new boardwalk to be built a block closer to the ocean, making the beach smaller, but giving them a free block of land, which was mainly converted to parking lots.

Riotous conditions had developed at Weirs Beach located on l ake Winnipesaukee at l aconia, New Hampshire, on the night of June 19, 1965, when a crowd of 6,000 to 10,000 men and women who had congregated on l akeside Avenue at the resort became disorderly and defined the local police. The crowd was composed primarily of motorcyclists from all parts of the united States who were in the area to attend the annual motorcycle races at nearby loudon, New Hampshire. Most of the individuals were in their twenties or early thirties.

Trouble first occurred at about 7:00 p.m. on June 19, 1965, when someone threw a smoke bomb and the crowd converged in that area. Several more smoke bombs were

thrown in the next hour with similar results. The crowd became disorderly and noisy, taunted police officers with vulgar and profane remarks, and interfered with traffic.

The crowd had become an unruly mob completely defiant of police orders. Members of the mob fought among themselves, threw firecrackers, rocks and over turned two automobiles, one of which caught fire.

An unsuccessful attempt was made to burn a bowling alley by pouring gasoline into the air-conditioning system of the building and igniting it. At 9:30 p.m., traffic was completely stopped in the area and some of the motorcyclists were drag racing amid the mob.

The Riot Squad of the laconia Police Department, consisting of thirty men, moved into the area at 10:10 p.m. equipped with shotguns and other

riot gear. They were met with a barrage of flying objects from the mob which refused to move. At that time the local police were joined by sixty New Hampshire State Police troopers and by officials of the Belknap County Sheriff’s Office. Tear gas was used by the police with little effect, the mob still refusing to disperse. Shotguns were then brought into play by the police who fired birdshot at the feet of the rioters Approximately 200 members of the National Guard detail assisted the police in the clean-up operation.

A rumor that the motorcyclists would attempt a similar riotous disturbance on the night of June 20th 1965 did not materialize. As of 12:45 a.m., June 21, all of the motorcyclists had left the area and conditions were quiet.

The Ocean City Mayor then said, “I’ve contacted Governor Hughes and

he’s prepared to help us. He said that he will make a contingent of State troopers available to us, as well as the 300 cadets at the State Police Academy, and put the National Guard on alert in case they are needed. The President and Attorney General have also been advised and they have indicated they will back us if we need any national support.

“The president of the u nited States?” the chief said incredulously.

“ yes,” the mayor said. “The President of the united States has taken a personal interest in this matter. I’ve also informed Mr. Kirkman and he said for us to take care of it. So I’ve asked Mr. Stretch the public safety commissioner to work with you and come up with a contingency plan that will effectively deal with over one thousand outlaw bikers and ensure the public safety is maintained. Now get to it.”

en weeks of the summer with the stipulation they play through l abor Day.

Tony thought for a moment and made a call to the Press of Atlantic City entertainment desk and talked to Ted Schall, giving him the details of the next morning's advertisement, telling him to take out the band he had fired the previous night and bragged about how great Cowway Twitty was doing and the Female Beatles - “they're the best girls ever!”

Tony then lit the cigar that had been hanging out of the side of his mouth when he was talking to Kutlets, exhaled a balloon sized cloud of smoke and got up from his desk in the cinder block and concrete bunker behind the nightclub where he conducted business during the day.

Walking out of the office Tony made his way through a canyon of beer cases stacked six high and silver stainless steel beer kegs and went in

the closed grill and into the nightclub where all of the chairs were turned upside down on tables and the red stools were upside down on the bars so the cleaning crew could sweep and mop the tile floor still sticky with beer and cigarette butts.

All the stools were up except one, the one that Conway Twitty was sitting on, smoking a cigarette and drinking from a pint glass filed with ice and some brand of booze.

Tony took one of the stools down from the bar and sat next to him, relighting his cigar and blowing out a thick cloud of smoke before saying, "What's a matter, Twitty?” in the deep, gravelly voice that the bartenders and musicians often mimicked. When Tony talked his few choice words cut through the room and vibrated around at a certain decibel level that you could hear him from across the room even when a band was playing.

Conway, looking a bit like Elvis with his hair combed back and shirt collar up, took a sip of his drink and a puff of his cigarette, and as he exhaled said, “Tony, I just don't get it.”

“Get What?” Tony said.

“I just don't get this rock and roll thing.”

There was a quiet pause for a moment.

Tony shook his head sideways as Conway explained further.

“I want to get back to my country roots where I belong and get out of this rock and roll racket. It may be good for Elvis and Bill Haley, but it’s just not me, even though that's where the money is.”

“ listen son,” Tony said in a softer, more personal voice that reflected a gentler, tender, fatherly nature, seldom seen.

“ you gotta follow your heart and instincts and do what's right for you.”

Tony told Twitty that Colonel Kutlets would get him some good gigs down south, where they liked country music, and predicted that he would quickly top the country charts.

“But,” Tony said cautiously, and it was a But with a capital B. “But I need you to complete your contract with me 'cause I fired the house band last night and now all I got is you and the Female Beatles and I'm depending on you until the new house band get here.”

“Tony, I feel like family here,” Twitty said. “I'll do anything for you and won't let you down.”

Just then the front door opened and a streak of bright sun light flashed across the room. It was Doobie Doberson the bartender, wearing a funny looking fake black toupee and a sporting a wide, toothy grin.

It was Monday, the slowest day of the week and all of the senior bartenders and most of the musicians and entertainers had the day off, so they played baseball. It was part of the routine.

Every Monday at noon they would meet at the Somers Point ball field under the water tower and play baseball with the local cops. They even had t-shirt uniforms – the red and white Tony Marts All Stars versus Bader's Raiders Blues, named after lieutenant lynn Bader, who was in charge of the Bay Avenue street unit responsible for keeping things under control, who would later go on to be chief.

The “Hangover league,” as it was called, was just like regular baseball –hardball, except everyone had a drink they would put down next to them before every pitch, and if the batter hit and knocked over a drink it was an automatic out.

They would have a running one hundred dollar bet to make the games interesting but the cops always won, mainly because most of the All Stars had worked until three in the morning, then made the rounds of after-hour joints, spreading their tips around. Some hadn't been to sleep at all while one young rookie bartender was passed out in the back of one of Bader's patrol cars at the ball field, where a few minutes before twelve noon they were waiting for Doobie and some of the band.

Doobie was grinning widely because he had upped the ante and doubled the regular C-note bet, and made some side bets so there was now a few thousand dollars riding on the game, and he had a ringer.

Conway Twitty stood up and stamped out his cigarette butt on the tile floor with his shoe as Doobie threw him a baseball glove.

“Ready?” Doobie asked.

“As ready as I'll ever be,” Conway

replied.

looking at Tony Doobie instructed him to, “Call the judge and put as much as you can on the All Stars today.” Doobie then looked at Twitty and grinning widely said, “We got a ringer. Conway can play ball,” and then after a pregnant pause, “Boy can he play. Tony, Conway was a prospect with the Phillies and tried out for the team with Fidel Castro, and while Castro didn't make the team they offered Conway a contract, but he'd rather perform on stage.”

Doobie and Conway left through the front door while Tony went back to his office to call Judge Helfant and put a few dollars down on the Tony Marts All Stars against Bader's Raiders.

The details of the game weren't reported in the news, but the final result was a rout – twenty-two to seven, Conway Twitty and the All Stars over the hapless Raiders, who played like the Keystone Cops.

It would have been by even more but Butch, Conway's drummer, hit a line drive with the bases loaded, and knocked over Billy Bader's drink for the final out.

After the game they all went out drinking, bar hopping, carousing the various bars, but tipping well, with the winners paying the freight. Bartenders tip big – $20 in 1965 would be like $100 today, and they joked that there was only one $20 bill they kept passing around among themselves.

And it was a few hours into bar hopping and drinking with the cops when Conway Twitty first heard the rumor that some Hells Angels had been ticketed and kicked out of Ocean City and were threatening to come back on a l abor Day run with their entire club and take the town by storm.

“I know some of those boys,” Conway said softly. “I'll see what I can do.”

NEXT u P: The Contingecy Plan unfolds – Infiltrating Bay Shores

Avalon lifeguard wins Cape May SuperAthalon

He also rowed and swam away with it.

By David Weinberg

Brandon Hontz ran away with the Cape May SuperAthalon championship last

The 24-year-old Avalon lifeguard grabbed a huge lead in the opening leg of the race - a triathlon consisting of a 2.3-mile run, 1.5-mile row and quarter-mile swim - and maintained his advantage en route to a convincing victory in the 41st edition of one of the area's most unique competitions.

"I did this race in 2018 and wound up third," Hontz said. "I was in the lead after the run in that one, too,

it was my first time in a boat. I made sure I got some practice in with rowing this time."

Hontz, who is in his fourth season with the Avalon Beach Patrol, finished in 45 minutes, 12 seconds. He became the second winner from Avalon, joining five-time champion Shane McGrath (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010-11). Wildwood's Patrick Clemons, 43, finished second for the third time in 46:14, followed by three-time defending champion Rob Moran of host Cape May placed third in 47:37.

JULY 20 | AUG 3

Anglesea Night Markets & Food Truck Festivals

JULY 22

Christmas in July Festivals & Golf Cart Parade

JULY 26

Wildwoods Baby Parade

JULY 29

Jus Nice Sneaker Convention

JULY 29

Crest 5K Beach Run

JULY 29-30

Beach Frisbee Tournament

AUG 11-12

Latin Music Beach Festival

AUG 11-13

Tattoo Beach Bash

AUG 11-13 & 18-20

Baseball on the Beach

AUG 25-27

Sports Card, Toys, Comics & Collectibles Show

AUG 26

Triathlon, Wild Child Triathlon & 5K

SEPT 3

End of Summer Block Party

SEPT 8-9

Mummers String Band Show

SEPT 10

Volkswagen Car Show

SEPT 10-14

Wildwoods Restaurant Week

SEPT 22-24 Irish Fall Festival

WILDWOODS ISLAND SHUTTLE - LEAVE THE DRIVING TO US Jitney Service from Diamond Beach to Olde NJ Ave...and everywhere in between! ~ Download the Free Jitney Surfer App ~

Moran, who also won in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021 - there was no race in 2020 or last year - was attempting to tie McGrath for the second-most victories in the SuperAthalon. Wildwood Crest's Bic Murphy (199394, '96-'98, 2001, '03, '05) won it an incredible eight times in a 13-year span."

"I gave it a good shot, but those guys (Hontz and Clemons) were really gunning for it," Moran said. "I was in seventh place after the run and made up some ground in the row, but I was a little tired after that and couldn't catch them in the swim."

Moran's fatigue was understandable, considering he hasn't been getting a lot of sleep lately. Moran

and his wife, Stephanie, have a onemonth-old daughter (Genevieve). Their son, Matthew, is 2 1/2. His children were there at the finish line, as was Clemons' 2-year-old daughter, Summer. After the race, Clemons immediately scooped her up for a celebratory hug.

Rob Moran jumping from boat,

Brandon Hontz

Patrick Clemons hugging his daughter, Summer

"Second place three times in a row," he said with a shrug. "I finally beat Rob and it figures someone else would have a great race. (Hontz) is 20 years younger than me and he's a beast."

Hontz, who ran the mile for the Nittany l ions, quickly separated himself from the pack during the run on Beach Avenue from the Cove to Poverty Beach. He was two blocks ahead after the first mile and steadily increased the lead.

Clemons, who has been a lifeguard in the Wildwood area and South Florida for 25 years, managed to close the distance a tad during the row, as did Moran.

In past years, the swim has sometimes made a huge difference in the outcome because of the swift current that runs parallel to shore. In 2021, for example, Moran was in third place entering the water, but wound up winning because the two swimmers ahead of him missed the buoy and were unable to get backtrack to get around it.

Having done the race before helped Hontz with current events. He entered the ocean next approximately 50 yards left of the buoy, hugged the jetty for as long as possible, and continued to swim straight out instead of angling toward the turnaround, letting the tide sweep him toward the marker.

"I was a swimmer in high school (in West Chester, Pennsylvania), so figured if I had the lead after the row, I had a chance to hold the other guys off," Hontz said. "I stuck as close to the jetty as I could, but even then I almost missed the buoy. I was getting nervous. I barely made it around it."

The race featured a mix of veterans and newcomers who were drawn

field also featured two teenagers: upper Township's Jim Nilson (18) and Sea Girt's Will Hefernan (19).

Gordan, who is a member of the united States Coast Guard reserves in Cape May, finished seventh as a first-timer. He celebrated with a beer and hugs from his two children.

"It was awesome," Gordan said. "I felt blessed and happy to be able to do it with so many great competitors. I hope I get to do it again next year."

EHT grad and Longport lifeguard takes on the world

Former longport lifeguard Joey Tepper turned in a solid performance in the World Aquatics Championships in Japan last week.

Tepper, an Egg Harbor Township High School graduate, placed second among u.S. swimmers and 36th overall in the 5-kilometer, open water swim. He finished in 1 hour, 56 minutes, 23.90 seconds. Germany’s Florian Wellbrock won in 1:50:40.30.

Boxing returns to A.C.

Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall will host its second boxing card of the summer on Saturday when Rising

Star Promotions brings a show to the Adrian Phillips Ballroom. Millville middleweight Thomas l aManna (35-5-1, 14 KOs) will take on Argentina’s Juan Manuel Witt (33-1-2, 25 KOs) in the 10-round main event.

l aManna’s 35 career wins put him in third place among local boxers who competed in the last 50 years. The late Richie Kates (44-6, 23 KOs) of Bridgeton tops the list, followed by former world heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon (40-8, 36 KOs).

An intriguing undercard bout pits Atlantic City super-welterweight

Justin Figueroa (5-0, 5 KOs) against versatile Mays l anding veteran Jeff lentz (5-1, 1 KO).

Figueroa, a Holy Spirit High School grad and former Atlantic City lifeguard, has gotten off to an impressive start. He might be facing a stiffer test in lentz, a former MMA champion who is returning to the boxing ring after an eight-year hiatus.

David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points. Send comments to weinbergd419@comcast.net.

Former EHT grad and Longport Lifeguard competed at the World Aquatics Championships

Local boxer, Justin Figueroa is a Holy Spirit grad and former Atlantic City lifeguard.

By Sarah Fertsch Staff Writer

Before you know it, we'll be in the dog days of summer. The weather is hot, and we need to eat something that matches the seasonal vibe. Texas folks and ranchers everywhere know that when it’s hot outside, it’s time to cook up some Tex-Mex food. What is Tex-Mex, you ask? Well, this style of cuisine combines Mexican flavors with Texas staples. Nachos, salsa verde, enchiladas, quesadillas,

It’s Tex-Mex Season

and black bean bakes all qualify as Tex-Mex dishes.

When Texas became an official state within the u nited States, Anglo-Saxon ranchers settled in the territory to raise cattle. Mexican was already popular in the former-Mexican land, so the ranchers combined their recipes with Mexican flair, thus inventing Tex-Mex in the 1940s.

In South Jersey, most of our “Mexican” restaurants actually serve Tex-Mex. Chido Burrito in Northfield serves up delicious burritos, bowls, fish tacos and churros. The surf

Food, amusement rides, animal attractions, children's activities, horse and livestock shows, firemen's Demonstration and more. Great Fair Food including Chicken BBQ and Crabcake Sandwich Platters!

theme, indoor palm trees and tropical feel make any customer feel like they are vacationing close to the equator. If you are craving tostadas, elote, or mole, check out Tacos El Tio, El Tipico in Somers Point, or Agave Mexican in Ocean City.

Of course, if you enjoy hosting pool parties. Consider serving up TexMex deliciousness. Pick up some staples like pinto beans, wheat tortillas, chili powder, pico de gallo, avocados, and onion. Tex-Mex food tends to be spicier than American classics, so make sure that your family/friends are comfortable trying something new. Here’s a recipe to make at home:

Tamale Pie

Ingredients:

● 1 corn muffin mix

● 1 can of creamed corn

● ½ cup of sour cream

● 1 cup of shredded cheddar

● 1 cup of shredded pepper jack

● 1 pound of ground beef

● 2 tsp of salt

● 1 tsp of chili powder

● 1 tsp of cumin

● ⅓ cup of red enchilada sauce

● ½ large white onion, diced

● 4 garlic cloves, crushed

● 2 large eggs

Tortilla chips for dipping

In a large bowl, mix by hand corn muffin mix, sour cream, eggs, and corn. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a pan with nonstick spray and transfer muffin mixture into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes until it’s golden-brown. let cool for five minutes.

In a large skillet with a dime-sized portion of olive oil, brown ground beef for six minutes over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and spices. Cook down for another three minutes.

Drain the fat and let the skillet continue to simmer on low heat. Poke holes in the cornbread and pour enchilada sauce on top. Add beef mixture on top of the cornbread, then cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and broil until cheese is melted for another five minutes.

let cool and scoop onto plates with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

bogy.ar t

brigantine #lbi #jerseyshore

2 н ед @ad carroll or just give up ����

bpenneyjr

Ocean Wind Turbine Project stays alive by single vote in NJ Senate

By Seth Grossman

Orsted is a Danish corporation working to install and operate 300 giant wind turbines. It wants to put them in the ocean nine miles from New Jersey beaches between Seaside Heights and Ocean City. l ast year, several New Jersey state government agencies gave Orsted permits and promised enough rate hikes and government grants to guarantee profits for Orsted.

However, during the past few weeks, Orsted claimed that it needed additional funds to cover added costs. last month, Joseph Fiordaliso, President of the NJ Board of u tilities (BPu) publicly accused wind turbine companies like Orsted of “dragging their feet”.

Governor Murphy and Democratic State Senators and Assembly Members responded by proposing that Orsted be given millions of dollars of unused federal tax credits. These credits were about to expire. The money would have been used to cut electric bills for consumers.

Opponents of Orsted’s wind turbine project strongly opposed this. They included citizen groups like Protect Our Coast in Ocean City, Defend Brigantine Beach, Save the Right Whale, and Save lBI.

local government officials including the County Commissioners (formerly called freeholders) in Cape May and Atlantic Counties adopted resolutions opposing the wind turbines. Many Republican elected officials including Congressman Jeff Van Drew and Mayor Vince Sera of Brigantine publicly spoke out against spending more money on wind turbines. Hundreds of residents and business owners displayed signs and handed out literature opposing the project.

last Friday, 44 of the 80 members of the New Jersey State Assembly, a majority, voted to give Orsted the tax credits it requested. All of the “yes” votes were Democrats. All of the “no” votes were Republicans. Five Democrats did not vote.

The vote was much closer in the 40 member New Jersey State Senate. All 15 Republican State Senators

voted “No”, together with Democratic State Senator Vin Gopal of the beach town of Neptune in Monmouth County.

At first, only 20 Democrats voted “ yes”. This was one vote short of the 21 vote majority needed to approve giving Orsted the tax credits.

Although the wind turbine project is now moving forward, the closeness of the vote showed that continued opposition can still stop the project. The closeness of the vote made national news and was reported by the Washinton Post.

If Wind Turbines produced the “abundant and affordable” electricity, they would pay for themselves. Developers like Orsted would not need rate increases and government funding to make their projects profitable. However, they don’t. Wind turbines are expensive to build and

maintain. They are also extremely wasteful for many reasons. When there is too much wind, the extra electricity is “dumped” and wasted. There are no batteries big enough to store it. Because there is no stored electricity, and wind can stop or slow down at any moment, back-up generators must constantly burn and waste fossil fuels. Otherwise, they would not be ready to supply power to stop the grid from crashing whenever the wind slows down. Solar electricity is just as intermittent and unpredictable and causes these same problems.

This is why “green” solar and wind energy is so expensive. NJ Governor Murphy and the Board of Public utilities previously agreed to double or triple our electric bills to guarantee the Danish company Orsted a profit on its proposed 300 giant ocean wind turbines. In addition, Orsted is entitled to some of the $369 billion for “green energy” to be spent by the federal government under the 2023 “Inflation Reduction Act”.

yet all this money was not enough for Orsted to make money from this project. It needed millions of dollars more in the form of federal tax credits.

Although Orsted got this money, its Wind Turbine project is still far from a done deal. Orsted still needs additional land, permits, and approvals from Ocean City and Atlantic City. It must also defend a number of lawsuits. Orsted will need more approvals and funding from the New Jersey legislature. All 80 seats in the State Assembly and all 40 State Senate seats are up for election this November. If just a handful of the State Senators and Assembly members who voted for Ocean Wind are defeated this November, Orsted will not get the funding and permits it needs to move forward.

Entertainment & Dining at the Shore

Whitney's Weekly Picks

Website: www. hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com

Celebrate good times and jam out to all of the hits of Kool & The Gang

The City Pulse with Whitney Ullman

There are some really fun happenings, so make sure to support your local venues and get your tickets in advance so you don’t miss out on any fun! Feel free to tag me in your photos and videos.

Who: Kool & The Gang

Where: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

When: Friday, July 21 Time: 8 p.m.

Who: Brian McKnight

Where: Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City

When: Friday, July 21

Time: 9:00 p.m.

Website: www.caesars.com/harrahsac/shows

Singer and Songwriter Brian McKnight will bring his decades of hits to the stage at Harrah’s Resort

What: I love the 90s Tour

Where: Ocean Casino Resort

When: Friday, July 21 Time: 9:00 p.m.

Website: www.theoceanac.com

Some of the best hip hop, rap and r&b artists from the 90’s will take the stage at Ovation Hall. Including Vanilla Ice, Rob Base, Tone loc, young MC, C&C Music Factory and more!

What: The Doo Wop Project

Where: Resorts Casino Hotel Superstar Theater

When: Friday, July 21

Time: 9:00 p.m.

Website: resortsac.com/entertainment/doo-wop

The Doo Wop project takes audiences on a journey of unparalleled authenticity of sound and vocal excellence to recreate some of the greatest music in American pop and rock history.

Who: Michael Martocci ‘Sinatra A Man and His Music’

Brian McKnight

Where: Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City

When: Saturday, July 22

Time: 8:00 p.m.

Website: https://www. caesars.com/harrahs-ac/ shows

Sinatra tribute artist Michael Martocci sings Sinatra with special guests The Dupree’s, a live 22 piece Ol’ Blue Eyes Orchestra and the event is hosted by Bill Spadea.

Who: Eric D’Alessandro

Where: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

| Music Box

When: Saturday, July 22

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Website: borgata.mgmresorts.com

Comedian Eric D’Alessandro will have audiences laughing with impressions of celebrities, comedic covers of popular songs and much more.

Who: Counting Crows with Special Guest Dashboard Confessional

Where: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa | Event Center

When: Saturday, July 22

Time: 8:00 p.m.

Grammy and Academy Award nominated rock band Counting Crows will sing their hits for fans.

What: Rising Star Promotions: Boardwalk Boxing

Where: Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City

When: Saturday, July 22

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Website: www.boardwalkhall.com

Rising Star Promotions and the Atlantic City Sports Commission bring world-class boxing back to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. Get your tickets for this action packed event.

What: Santa Hustle Christmas in July

Where: Brighton Park in Atlantic City

When: Sunday, July 23 beginning at 7 a.m.

Tickets: $15+

Website: santahustle.com/atlantic-city/register

This is the first ever Santa Hustle Christmas in July for the 5k, 9k, 12k and Kids Dash.

Ongoing Events:

Who: Gin Rickey’s & The Royce Social Hall

Where: Tropicana’s The Quarter

When: Times Vary. Gin Rickey’s Daily with l ive Music

Thursday - Saturday and an after hours

Jackson tribute show in the world, showcasing the energy, excitement, spectacle and pure joy of this legendary superstar and his music.

What: Steel Pier 125th Anniversary

Where: Steel Pier on the Atlantic City Boardwalk

When: Celebrations All Summer long

Website: SteelPier.com located on the world-famous boardwalk in North Beach Atlantic City, just steps from casino resorts and New Jersey’s beautiful miles of beach.

Who: Magical Mystery Doors at Ocean Casino

Where: Ocean Casino Resort

When: Every Sunday until September 3.

Time: 4:00 p.m.

Website: www.theoceanac. com/entertainment/5th-birthday-event-headliners/magical-mystery-doors

Winner of uSA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Casino Show, Magical Mystery Doors returns to Ovation Hall this summer. This tribute act blends and layers the music of The Beatles, led Zeppelin, and the Doors to great something new and unique for music fans.

What: Tropicana Fireworks

Where: Beachfront Area at Tropicana

When: Every Saturday

Time: 10:00 p.m.

Website: www.tropicanaac.com

Tropicana Atlantic City lights up the sky every Saturday until l abor Day. They are launched from the beach front and can be viewed along the boardwalk. Oh and it’s free!

Who: Euphoria Variety Show

Where: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

When: Every Saturday in July

Time: 4:00 p.m.

Website: www.hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com/event-calendar/euphoria-variety-show

Featuring a dynamic cast of talented performers, this show promises to take you on a journey through music, dance, and comedy that will leave you feeling euphoric.

Whitney Ullman, Stockton University graduate, and founder of gotowhitney.com is known as a “go to” resource, content creator, reporter, and influencer with established credibility in Atlantic City, The Jersey Shore, Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. With over 6 million views on her social platforms, she created TheCityPulse.com as a go-to lifeline for all things happening in the city!

Who: Dirty Heads

Where: Ocean Casino Resorts When: Saturday, July 22

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Website: www.theoceanac.com

American reggae rock band, Dirty Heads bring their Island Glow Tour to Ovation Hall.

What: Knee High Knuckle Buster Micro Wrestling Championship

Where: Ducktown Tavern 2400 Atlantic Avenue Atlantic City, NJ 08401

When: Saturday, July 22 Time: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Website: www.kneehighac.com

This is the biggest little event in Atlantic City history. Sponsored by Good Time Tricycle Productions, get your tickets before it’s sold out.

DJ Friday & Saturday. And The Royce Social Hall with live Music and DJ’s.

Tickets: Admission Free

Website: GinRickeys.com + TheRoyceAC.com

Check out both of these great venues. Gin Rickey’s has an extensive list of libations to get the party started, as well as live music and good vibes and The Royce Social Hall offers live entertainment, old snook games, craft cocktails and next level partying.

Who: MJ live

Where: Bally’s Atlantic City

When: Now - September 3 (Tuesday - Sunday) Times Vary

Tickets: Starting at $30

Website: casinos.ballys.com/atlantic-city

MJ live is the number one Michael

Eric D’Alessandro

Atlantic City Headliners

Friday, July 21

Kool & The Gang and The Commodores 8 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

I Love the 90s feat. Vanilla Ice, Rob Base, Tone Loc, Young MC & C+C Music Factory 9 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

The Brian McKnight 4 9 p.m.

Harrah’s Atlantic City

The Doo Wop Project 9 p.m.

Superstar Theater at Resorts

Saturday, July 22

Dirty Heads w/ Lupe Fiasco, G.

Love & Special Sauce, Bikini Trill

7 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

Eric D’Alessandro 7 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Gov’t Mule’s Dark Side of the Mule w/ Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin

Experience 7 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Counting Crows w/ Dashboard

Confessional 8 p.m.

Borgata Event Center

Dirty Heads w/ Lupe Fiasco, G.

Love & Special Sauce, Bikini Trill

8 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

Sinatra: A Man and His Music 9 p.m.

Harrah’s Atlantic City

Sunday, July 23

Theo Von 7 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Thursday, July 27

Alabama 8 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Friday, July 28

Santana: 1001 Rainbows 8 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Happy Together Tour w/ The Turtles, Little Anthony, Gary

Puckett and More 8 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

Abbaxadabra 8:30 p.m.

Superstar Theater at Resorts

Jabbawockeez 9 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Saturday, July 29

Santana: 1001 Rainbows 8 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Andrew Schulz 7 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

Jabbawockeez 7 p.m. & 10 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Jack Whitehall 8 p.m.

Tropicana Showroom

Herman’s Hermits 9 p.m.

Golden Nugget Atlantic City

The Ultimate Elvis Tribute

Experience 8 p.m.

Sound Waves at Hard Rock

Sunday, July 30

Donny Osmond 7 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Jabbawockeez 4 p.m. & 7 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Friday, August 4

Dan + Shay w/ Jonathan

Hutcherson 8 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Air Supply 9 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

moe. 9 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Saturday, August 5

Volbeat w/ Halestorm 8 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

Ambrosia 9 p.m.

Golden Nugget Atlantic City

moe. 9 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Friday, August 11

Goo Goo Dolls w/ O.A.R. 8 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Incubus w/ Badflower 8 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead –Acoustic 8 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Saturday, August 12

Rick Springfield w/ The Hooters 8 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Friday, August 18

Matt Rife 7 p.m. & 10 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

Daughtry w/ Ayron Jones 8 p.m.

Sound Waves at Hard Rock

John Fogerty 8:30 p.m.

Circus Maximus Theater at Caesars

Chris Distefano 9 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Saturday, August 19

Matt Rife 7 p.m. & 10 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

Chris Distefano 7 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Righteous Brothers 9 p.m.

Golden Nugget Atlantic City

Thursday, August 24

Chaka Khan 8 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Friday, August 25

Leon Bridges 8 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue 9 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean Train 9 p.m.

Circus Maximus Theater at Caesars

Jessica Kirson 8 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Saturday, August 26

Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line 8 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

Jim Breuer Live 7 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Sonu Nigam 8:30 p.m.

Hard Rock live at Etess Arena

On-Sale This Week

Chicago & Friends: Celebrating 55 Years of Chicago Transit Authority with special guests Chris Daughtry, Robin Thicke & Steve Vai

▶Friday, November 17, 9 p.m. & Saturday, November 18, 8 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

On-Sale Friday at 10 a.m.

+LIVE+

▶Saturday, October 21, 8 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean

On-Sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Magic Rocks

▶Friday, August 25 & Saturday, August 26, 8 p.m.

Sound Waves at Hard Rock

On-Sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Cirque Musica Holiday

Wonderland

▶Saturday, December 9, 8 p.m. & Sunday, December 10, 3 p.m.

Tropicana Showroom

On-Sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Free Outdoor Concerts

A Summer Evening Concert feat. Jim Craine

▶Friday, August 4, 7 p.m.

Brighton Park 1801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City

The Schultz-Hill Foundation Arts Outreach presents A Summer Evening Concert, featuring “The Singing lifeguard” Jim Craine and His All Star Band, playing the best in oldies, standards, swing, and jazz. Free admission. For more information, visit www.mbcanj.com.

Absecon Concerts in the Park

▶Sunday, 7 p.m.

Heritage Park 699 Blenheim Ave.

The City of Absecon presents Concerts in the Park. This week, enjoy live music from the Toni Teschner Band, the rock & roll jam band. The concert starts at 7 p.m. Bring your own chair or blanket. Fun, friends, food, and free admission.

Brigantine Summer Concert Series

▶Wednesday, August 2, 7 p.m.

Brigantine Community Center l awn 265 42nd St.

Brigantine Community Education and Recreation will host free outdoor

concerts on the Community Center lawn. Enjoy live music featuring Hildy & the Peptones. Bring a chair or blanket. All concerts will be held outside, weather permitting. For more information, call the recreation office at 609-264-7350 ext. 1.

Chicken Bone Beach Jazz Concerts

▶Thursday, 7 – 9 p.m.

Kennedy Plaza 2300 Boardwalk, Atlantic City

The 23rd Annual Jazz on the Beach free concert series returns to the Kennedy Plaza Stage every Thursday, June 29 through September 7. This Thursday, enjoy live music by Eddie Palmieri, plus local jazz artist Clinton Quartet starting at 7 p.m. Visit chickenbonebeach.org to learn more.

City of Atlantic City Free Summer Concert

▶Saturday, July 29, 1 – 7:30 p.m.

Gardner’s Basin

The National R&B Music Society Inc. presents the 2023 Atlantic City Free Summer Concerts. Next week’s lineup includes Rose Royce, Will Hart of the Delfonics, Blue Magic, Force MD’s, and Allure. Hosted by Maurice Watts. Vendors on site. Bring your tents, chairs, umbrellas, or coolers. Rain date: Sun. July 30

EHT Rhythm in the Park Concert Series

▶Friday, 7 p.m.

Robert J. lincoln Amphitheater at Tony Canale Park

EHT Recreation hosts its Rhythm in the Park Concert Series Fridays at Tony Canale Park. This week, enjoy live music by Gospel Duo Duncan & Rachelle.

Mardi Gras AC

▶Wednesday, 7 – 10 p.m.

Kennedy Plaza 2300 Boardwalk, Atlantic City

Mardi Gras AC returns to the Atlantic City Boardwalk for world – class free concerts this summer. This week, enjoy live music by multi – million selling classic rock star Gary uS Bonds & the Roadhouse Rockers,

Grammy Nominated Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, and Multi – Award Winner Johnny Sansone. Free concerts, cheap parking, beverage garden adjacent. For more information, visit tonymart.com.

Somers Point Beach Concert Series

▶Friday, 7 p.m.

William Morrow Beach

The Somers Point Beach Concert Series welcomes one of the greatest party dance bands in the Northeastern u nited States. The Dane Anthony Band will perform everyone’s favorites from classic rock ‘n’ roll to Motown, Disco, Contemporary Dance music, Funk and Rhythm and Blues. This is a special night for everyone’s requests of their favorite popular songs. View the entire schedule at somerspointbeachconcerts.com.

Tony Mart Rocks The Point

▶Thursdays, 6 – 10 p.m.

The Point 998 Bay Ave. Somers Point

Tony Mart Rocks The Point every Thursday night through August 31. Jersey Shore rock ‘n roll guitar hero, Billy Walton, will perform with his full band featuring Destinee Monroe on vocals. For more information, visit tonymart.com.

Ventnor City Summer Beach Jam

▶Saturday, 6 p.m.

Newport Avenue Beach listen to live music on the beach. The Summer Beach Jam is held behind the Ventnor library and Cultural Arts Center. This week, enjoy live a special tribute of the Rat Pack. live music begins at 6 p.m., with food and crafters ready to serve you at 5 p.m.

Ventnor City Sunsets at Ski Beach

▶Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Ski Beach Dorset & Burk Ave.

Want to watch the sunset and listen to live music by the bay? Join Ventnor City at Ski Beach in Ventnor Heights on Wednesdays. This week, enjoy live music by The Business. live music begins at 6 p.m., with food and crafters ready to serve you at 5 p.m.

Photo by Tom Briglia/PhotoGraphics

A few lines about one-liners

1930’s in search of a better life. It worked until my grandmother and his children came to find him.” unknown

“People have gotten so sensitive that I stopped caring about what offends them. I would be woke if it weren’t so exhausting.” Matt Bridgestone

By Matt Bridgestone

Comedy today has taken a turn in the direction of great long form storytellers. I am not knocking that format. In the 1980's certain comedians came along and changed the entire landscape. The generation before was famous for jokes such as "Take my wife.... please."

As that format ran its' course, the art of the setup-punch style was replaced by honest long form funny monologues such as Richard Pryor talking about his heart attack, and Sam Kinison screaming about the pain he was put through by his ex-wives. Today, top comedians such as Dave Chapelle or Bill Burr do not do one-liners. I am not complaining, but there was a certain charm to the style of one- liner masters such as Rodney Dangerfield, Steven Wright, and Mitch Hedberg. Here are some of my favorite one-line jokes that are fun to read and share with others.

"It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it."- Steven Wright " you can't please all the people all the time, and last night, all those people were at my show."- Mitch Hedberg.

"My son told me he was running away from home with the $200 he had saved in his piggy bank. I thought it was hilarious that he thought that money was still in there."- Jerrold Benford

My father drank so heavily, when he blew on the birthday cake he lit the candles.” les Dawson

“I was going to write a joke about being a procrastinator, but I'll do it tommorow.”- unknown

“When I was born, I was so ugly that the doctor slapped my mother.”

Rodney Dangerfield

“My grandfather moved to the u nited States from Ireland in the

“Someone handed me a picture and said this is me when I was younger. Every picture is you when you were younger. “ - Mitch Hedberg

“7 Percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.” - Steven Wright

“Why is it that when people want

to sound dramatic they say things twice? Why is it that when people want to sound dramatic they say things twice?” Dan Richelson

“I spilled spot remover on my dog. He’s gone now.”

Steven Wright

“Is that your wife Sir? Jesus...what was it, a train?”

Don Rickels

“My mother always used to say the older you get the

better you get.... unless you’re a bananna.” - Betty White

“Before you criticize someone you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when they hear about it you are a mile away and you have their shoes.” - Jack Handy

You can see Matt Bridgestone and other great comics 7 days a week in Atlantic City by visiting www.acjokes.com60

Santana bringing ‘energy, high consciousness and joy’ to Hard Rock AC

later with the release of their self-titled debut album containing such beloved tracks as “Evil Ways” and “Soul Sacrifice.”

The Casino File

By Chuck Darrow

Ask virtually any touring musician what fans coming to their shows can expect, and the answers are all but guaranteed to include the names of specific songs and/or albums. But ask classic-rock giant Carlos Santana that same question, and the answer has little to do with actual sounds.

“ lots of energy, high consciousness, and a joy that is only felt when you're based with the Holy Ghost,” he said when asked what’s in store for those attending his July-28-and-29 concerts at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.

“The material is something that I planned yesterday, today, and tomorrow: African rhythms, colors, melodies, frequency resonance…sound vibration that is very sensual and very spiritual at the same time.”

It’s an unusual response, but certainly not surprising. After all, Santana has long occupied a less-trod slice of the rock-music landscape.

He and the original iteration of his group, then based in San Francisco, exploded on the pop-music scene--first with a now-legendary performance at the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival in Aug. 1969, and a couple months

From the beginning, it was clear Santana, who on July 20 turns 76, was blazing an entirely new path with a sonic blueprint that seamlessly blended gritty blues, slick jazz, percolating, percussion-propelled latino modes, driving rock and hook-laden pop, all cradling his soaring, melodic guitar lines that have placed him among the pantheon of sixstring superstars.

Though the faces of his supporting musicians have changed regularly over the past five-plus decades, that basic musical blueprint has remained constant. And while, after some follow-up coaxing, he finally relented and name-checked “Oye Como Va,” from his iconic sophomore effort, 1970s “Abraxas,” it’s probably a safe bet the set lists will boast plenty of other fan favorites, including what is arguably his most enduring signature, “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen.”

Whether through his musicianship, interviews or writings (he’s published a number of books), Santana has made it clear his life has been a spiritual quest for guidance and enlightenment. But, he noted, one important lesson he’s gleaned has a far-more corporeal basis.

When asked how, as a septuagenarian, he prepares for the physical rigors of touring, a key part of his answer was rooted in an incident that occurred last year while he was playing a show at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clark-

ston, Mich., about an hour northwest of Detroit: In the middle of the set, he collapsed from what was subsequently diagnosed as dehydration.

“Well,” he said, “what I learned is…I have to drink more water. I have to rest a little bit more, replenish. And I have to be listening to my wife [famed jazz and rock drummer Cindy Blackman] because she's really attentive to my body. She makes sure that I eat, and drink a lot of water so I don't get dehydrated.”

Of course, this being Carlos Santana, that preparation combines the physical with the metaphysical. He noted his pre-gig checklist also includes, “Meditating and reading; ‘spiritual schematics,’ is the best way to put it.

“I deal with schematics that help me be grateful and that ignite me with enthusiasm. I know what to do to ignite myself; because if I feel it, you're gonna feel it. If I don't feel it, you're not gonna feel it. So it's important that together, I and my band ignite ourselves with enthusiasm.”

In addition to his current “1001 Rainbows” tour, another aspect of his career that is igniting enthusiasm in Santana is “Carlos,” an upcoming documentary executive produced by Hollywood heavyweights Ron Howard and Brian Glazer (“Apollo 13,” “Splash,” “A Beautiful Mind”) and directed by acclaimed documentarian, Rudy Valdez. It will be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.

According to Santana, he has fended off docu-projects for decades. “Different people have approached me and I always rejected it because…it's always been a downer. They always focus on, you know, ‘poor little victim,’” he explained.

“And my life is not like that. you know, my life is not a victim mentality. My life is triumph, victory, and glory to God.

“But Ron Howard and his company [Imagine Entertainment] approached me and they complied with everything that I requested. It was basically three

things: I wanna own my movie; I don't need to ask permission from them; I wanna be able to have my life presented with enthusiasm and as a shining example of how a person can live life-- having fun and uplifting, getting along and complimenting anything that gets in front of me.”

For tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com.

‘Decades’ returns

Back in the mid-2000s, what was then Trump Taj Mahal (now Hard Rock) hosted a series of ultra-cool, one-off programs presented under the “Decades” banner.

Staged for TV broadcast by veteran l .A.-based impresario Barry Summers, the “Decades” concept saw major rock acts not only doing their musical things, but joined by other big names who exclusively performed songs associated with the artist they were there to honor.

Among those in the “Decades” spotlight were Heart (with guests including Alice in Chains, Carrie underwood and Gretchen Wilson) and lynyrd Skynyrd (3 Doors Down, Bo Bice, Hank Williams Jr.).

“Decades” is set to return to Ocean Casino-Resort Nov. 17 and 18 with a salute to pioneering jazz-rock unit Chicago, who’ll use the occasion to celebrate the 55th anniversary of their 1968 debut album, “Chicago Transit Authority” (which was the band’s original name.

Already slotted to share the Ovation Hall stage with the band are Robin Thicke (“Blurred lines”), Daughtry, the rock band fronted by former “American Idol” contestant Chris Daughtry and hard-rock guitar high priest Steve Vai, who has shredded for the likes of Frank Zappa, Whitesnake and David lee Roth. “Decades” series creator-producer Barry Summers told us that more acts will be added to the roster.

Beyond the concept’s long-overdue return to the Boardwalk, Summers is particularly juiced by the opportunity to set up shop in Ocean’s fabulous Ovation Hall—which will house 30—count ‘em, 30—TV cameras (the festivities will be recorded and broadcast/streamed on various platforms)--and what he brags is an unprecedented menu of special, perk-laden ticket packages.

Tickets go on sale July 21 at www. theoceanac.com.

Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes Rock Ocean City

Photos by Donald B Kravitz

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes played in concert to a "Sold Out" crowd at the Ocean City Music Monday, July 17, 2023.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes provided rocking good memories to many who were part of the local live music scene in the 1970s and 1980s.

Donald B. Kravitz is an Entertainment & Special Events photographer for national publications including Getty Images & Miss America

Gary U.S. Bond headlining a week of free concerts

The 84-year-old living legend of classic rock, Gary u.S. Bonds will headline a week of free concerts in South Jersey! On July 26 at Mardi Gras AC, on the Boardwalk at Kennedy Plaza in Atlantic City, and then again at Atlanticare Concerts on the beach in Somers Point, on Friday, July 28, Gary u.S. Bonds will perform and meet & greet with the public. One of the most iconic of the American classic rock stars in the world today, Bonds will perform his multi-million-selling hits including “This little Girl,” which

is one of many songs written, recorded and produced for him by Bruce Springsteen.

On Wednesday the 26, Gary will headline a huge Mardi Gras AC Concert co-starring New Orleans Mardi Gras Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Johnny Sansone.

The show will be performed at Kennedy Plaza with The Tony Mart Cares Quality Beverage Garden adjacent. The show begins at 7 p.m. with Bonds and The House Rockers and rolls into the night with the

Mardi Gras Indian performance of Grammy-nominated Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, popular New Orleans piano performer, Tom Worrell, and Johnny Sansone, multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and top 10 Blues Rockin’ harmonica player, rock us into the night.

u.S. Bonds. like many of the great American rock n’ roll artists on the East Coast, Springsteen, Southside Johnny, John Cafferty and many rockstars frequently perform, announced and unannounced, with Bonds.

His career began in 1956. Bonds is an absolute icon and a living legend of classic rock n’ roll.

At the unique and magical Atlanticare Concert on the beach Friday night on July 28, Gary u.S. Bonds and The House Rockers will perform after a hilarious set of dueling piano-style Boogie Woogie starring The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz. According to uSA TODAy, the Atlanticare Concerts on the beach in Somers Point are the #1 free outdoor concert series in America.

Everyone knows the iconic singalong dance tune “New Orleans”; This was the only song that Dick Clark ever played twice in one program on the legendary American Bandstand television show in 1960. In 1961, Bonds had one of the biggest hits of all time, “Quarter to Three” which was played throughout the decades at Tony Marts. In the ‘80s he had a huge resurgence in his career when Bruce Springsteen wrote “This little Girl.” Bonds and Springsteen also recorded and performed together The Box Tops’ “Soul Deep”.

Springsteen has been committed to performing and supporting Gary

This will be a midsummer highlight of the amazingly free Mardi Gras AC Concert Series on the Boardwalk at Kennedy Plaza in Atlantic City. Get ready for yet another unique and magical experience, making the Atlanticare Concerts on the Beach in Somers Point the #1 Outdoor Concert Series in America!

Back To The 80’s brings A Flock of Seagulls, Stacey Q to Hard Rock Casino

By Doug Deutsch

On Saturday night, Hard Rock’s Sound Waves Theatre in Atlantic City became a dance club, where a “Back to the 80’s” show featured a triple-bill of A Flock of Seagulls, Missing Persons, and Stacey Q. People wanted to dance from the very beginning, and if anyone epitomized Back to the 80’s it was Stacey Q, the dance-pop vocalist known primarily for her 1986 hit, “Two of Hearts.”

Dressed Madonna-esque in a short skirt and black fishnet stockings, she didn’t look too bad for 64 – her songs, other than “Two…”, though, would probably not top today’s charts.

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Hard Rock’s Council Oak brings back the kind of Sunday brunch Atlantic City deserves

cio at Resorts Casino Hotel or the jaw-dropping spread at Roberto’s inside the former Trump Plaza, Sunday was brunch day.

Atlantic City’s acclaimed Nero’s Italian Steakhouse, which was home to perhaps the greatest brunch in Atlantic City history.

By Scott Cronick

There was a time in Atlantic City when nearly every casino had a lavish, overthe-top Sunday brunch in its finest restaurant.

Whether it was the Sunday Sterling Brunch at Caruso’s in the former Atlantic City Hilton, the always amazing Sunday brunch at Capric-

These weren’t ordinary brunches. They were decadent feasts where casino chefs would display their best dishes, hearty carving stations, action stations including omelet and waffle offerings and dessert creations that were worth the price of admission themselves.

Betty McHugh, the general manager of Council Oaks Steaks & Seafood at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, is no stranger to insanely good brunches. Before she made the move to Hard Rock, she oversaw Caesars

No one did it better.

But, like many brunches in the city, Nero’s brunch went away when COVID arrived. Casinos have been slow to bring them back … but their resurrection is starting to happen.

And Council Oak’s Sunday brunch is perhaps the most incredible example of the Sunday brunch resurgence so far.

McHugh has worked diligently with the Hard Rock’s new Director of Culinary Jeff Braun and his amazing team to introduce a brunch that

Upgrade your coffee game and treat your taste buds to the delicious, premium coffee they deserve. We roast on-site everyday! Don't settle for less when it comes to your daily caffeine fix. We serve single origin, 100% organic coffee every single day.

Black Turtle Coffee's subscription service is now available for the convenience of having fresh, high-quality coffee delivered right to your door.

Second location in Philly Coming Soon!

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Our entire menu is chef-curated, with only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Hand-crafted and made-to-order burgers made fresh, never frozen with 100% natural Certified Angus Beef steak patties.

Shoobie Shake® milkshakes are shaking up the game! A milkshake topped with a big slice of cheesecake? A magical cloud of cotton candy? Oreos, M&M’s, or Nerds pressed into the side of the glass? Yes, indeed. Our Shoobie Shake® milkshakes are truly works of art, and you probably need one.

(609)453-7200

3101 Revere Blvd. Brigantine

www.kookburger.com Second

will not only remind you of the great brunches of the past, but one that has the potential to be placed on the alltime greatest Sunday brunches list. And they are just beginning.

Pricy … but worth it

At first, Council Oak’s Sunday Brunch may give you sticker shock.

At $79.95 per person, that reaction is normal.

But, when you consider that Nero’s brunch was around that price when it shut its doors pre-COVID, it’s in the ballpark of where it needs to be to be successful for Hard Rock.

For starters, the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. brunch includes all-you-can-drink Bloody Marys and mimosas, and is impressive in scope in every way.

yes, there is the buffet that is spread around half of the restaurant featuring everything from carving stations to omelet stations to raw bars and a giant dessert display.

But, on top of that, diners are greeted with a large a la carte menu that is included in the price to class things up and have things brought right to your table just as you ordered them, including Eggs Benedict.

There’s even some awesome live music courtesy of flamenco/Spanish/ gypsy guitarist Joe Vlado, who provides the perfect background atmosphere for this modern-day Sunday brunch.

Culinarily proud

like any brunch worth its sea salt, Council Oak’s Sunday Brunch will be successful because of the people behind it.

McHugh’s reputation is unrivaled in the city when it comes to making

“The best coffee I’ve ever tasted” …says just about everyone.

Council Oak GM Betty McHugh and Server Victoria Hillesheim show off the amazing Eggs Benedict options at its new Sunday brunch. Photo by Anthony Gaud

people happy on a regular basis as a restaurant manager, and when it comes to a Sunday Brunch, she makes them even happier.

With a big smile, McHugh sweats the small stuff. The casino restaurant veteran knows what goes into making a brunch successful, and even though Council Oak’s Sunday Brunch is just weeks old, it has all of the Betty touches. Servers anticipate your every need, plates are swept from your table when you’re not looking, drinks are delivered cold, plates are delivered hot, and every station is immaculate, and she touches every table multiple times … all tough things

to pull off in a hectic setting with hundreds of diners.

When McHugh helmed the brunch at Nero’s, people would call it Betty’s Brunch. It won’t be long before her old customers who migrated to Hard Rock – as well as the Hard Rock customers getting to know her – call Council Oak’s offering “Betty’s Brunch,” too.

However, just like she did at Caesars, McHugh is quick to give the credit to the culinary team, and they deserve all of the credit they can get.

↘Continued on 68

Hard Rock Director of Culinary Jeff Braun gets ready to carve the 28-day-aged prime New York Strip as the flames of the Josper Oven behind him roar at Council Oak’s Sunday Brunch. Photo by Scott Cronick

That team is led by Braun, an industry veteran who has worked in some amazing kitchens in his storied career, including the Four Seasons and, most recently, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, where his skills were admired by Hard Rock President George Goldhoff, who ran the Cincinnati casino before moving to Atlantic City to run the Hard Rock earlier this year.

“When the opening became available here, he tapped me to come over,” said Braun, acknowledging that being recruited by your former boss is the ultimate compliment. “I have had a long and fortunate career in the culinary industry throughout the country, and I’m ready to embrace and be part of the Hard Rock here in Atlantic City. It’s a phenomenal company, and I’m looking forward to being part of the community and driving our culinary destination at Hard Rock and engaging everyone we can.”

Together, Braun and McHugh are offering Atlantic City something very special.

“Betty and I are getting closer and closer every day, and everyone knows Betty, and we are so proud to have her here as the frontperson,” Braun said. “I think this brunch brings luxury and finesse and an elevated dining experience, and we are looking to take the Sunday brunch to another level.”

Celebrating 30 Years!

Where to start?

Braun is correct when he says he doesn’t tell diners where to start eating at brunch because “that’s the beauty of going to brunch.”

So, we will just start with breakfast.

On the buffet, expect scrambled cage-free eggs, butcher-cut Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon, Thumann’s sausage, home-fried potatoes, brioche cinnamon-orange french toast, buttermilk pancakes with seasonal compote and warm

maple syrup, an omelet station and a bagel bar.

“It’s the little things that matter,” Braun said. “We hand cut that bacon so it’s thick but not too thick. The omelet station has lots to choose from, so the ingredients change weekly for guests who come back regularly with everything from jumbo lump crab to smoked salmon to our aged steak, along with the normal vegetables, meats and cheeses. And we developed quite a good bagel bar that is going to get even better as we explore

with more cream cheeses and smoked fish and white fish. The salmon, for example, is a three-day process where we cure, dry and smoke our salmon so people can have a fresh, toasted bagel with a smear and topping.”

Off the a la carte menu, there are four different Eggs Benedict to order, including traditional with Canadian bacon, Hollandaise and English muffin; crab cake with tomato, Hollandaise and corn muffin; smoked

↘Continued on 70

ATLANTICARE CONCERTS ON THE BEACH IN SOMERS POINT

USA TODAY BEST OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES IN THE USA

JULY 21 THE DANE ANTHONY BAND

PREMIERE NORTHEAST PARTY DANCE BAND -

TODAY'S DANCE, FUNK, CLASSIC ROCK, MOTOWN, DISCO

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GARY US BONDS AND THE ROADHOUSE ROCKERS

DICK CLARK TO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN:

LIVING LEGACY & MILLION SELLING

CLASSIC ROCK STAR

THE HILARIOUS REV BILLY C. WIRTZ

ROCKIN’ BOOGIE WOOGIE PIANO ENTERTAINER

AUG 4

STANLEY JORDAN “STANLEY PLAYS JIMI”

ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST

GUITARISTS PAYS TRIBUTE TO HENDRIX

THE BRANDON IRELAND BAND WITH “BIG BOB” ERNANO

AUG 11 TERRANCE SIMIEN & THE ZYDECO EXPERIENCE

2 TIME GRAMMY WINNERS: WORLD MUSIC, REGGAE, CLASSIC ROCK

AUG 18 TOMMY CASTRO & THE PAIN KILLERS

MULTI AWARD WINNING

“BB KING ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR”

AUG 25 TOM HAMBRIDGE & THE RATTLE SNAKES FOUR TIME GRAMMY WINNER PERFORMED WITH BUDDY GUY, MICK JAGGER, PRESIDENT OBAMA, BB KING & HUNDREDS OF STARS THE E STREET SHUFFLE

PREMIERE SPRINGSTEEN TRIBUTE PARTY BAND

SEPT 1 RED HOT NEW ALLSTAR SUPER GROUP WITH PATTY BALBO 80’S TRIBUTE – HEART-PRETENDERS-PAT BENATARJANIS JOPLIN CLASSIC PSYCHEDELIC ROCK

SEPT 8 CYRIL NEVILLE WITH OMARI NEVILLE & THE FUEL GRAMMY LIFETIME ACHIEVMENT AWARD RECIPIENT

WORLD RENOWN STAR OF NEW ORLEANS R&B, FUNK & SOUL THE ONLY “NEVILLE BROTHER” STILL PERFORMING!

THE JIMMY BROGAN BAND POPULAR JERSEY SHORE ROCKIN’ PARTY BAND

Fridays 7pm

Attendance is free to the public, and there will be limited snacks and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase at each concert. In the event of inclement weather, concert venue changes or cancellations will be posted to the Somers Point Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SomersPoint.

Platinum Sponsor

Council Oak Sunday brunch features a made-to-order omelet station. Photo by Scott Cronick

Council Oak GM Betty McHugh shows off the raw bar and ice carving station at the Sunday brunch. Photo by Scott Cronick

salmon with Hollandaise and English muffin; and my favorite, the dry-aged steak with asparagus, Hollandaise and homemade corn muffin.

It may sound simple but it’s simply delicious: a cup of oatmeal with milk, brown sugar and apricots. Don’t sleep on it.

Lunch, anyone?

The lunch part of Council Oak’s Sunday Brunch is spectacular.

The raw bar placed in a giant, stunning ice carving features shucked oysters that change in variety weekly, jumbo prawns, tuna tartare prepared individual by their sushi master and clams.

The concierge salad bar features a team member composing and dressing a salad where you pick out the ingredients that can feature proteins ranging from shrimp to flake tuna to warm, wood-grilled chicken.

If you like sushi, you’re in luck as their sushi chef freshly prepares California rolls, spicy tuna and futo maki.

There’s also an artisan bread station; fruit platters; a carving station featuring 28-day, dry-aged New york strip and Kassler pork rack with stone ground mustard sauce; king salmon with Beluga lentils and black olive vinaigrette; and Josper-roasted chicken breast with ratatouille and basil.

“The Josper Oven is where we cook all of our prime, in-house, dryaged meats from Council Oak,” Braun said. “We cook only over wood and charcoal, and do most of our fish and appetizers inside the Josper, too. There’s no gas, just oak and charcoal and cherrywood to cook over, and that rises those ingredients to a different level. The prime, New york strip comes from our aging room where we pull them out and trim them and then carve them right in front of you 28 days later.”

From the a la carte menu, lunch

items include french fries with homemade sauce and a beautiful roasted Caprese dish with charred tomatoes, basil, garlic chips and pistou.

“The a la carte menu features things we feel we do better when we plate them and bring them to you,” Braun said. “The house favorite is the Crab Eggs Benedict, which has a huge crab cake on it. We just wanted to make it unique and keep surprising people. It’s about keeping you satiated … it’s a culinary feast.”

It certainly is. And we didn’t even get to dessert, which is simply over-

whelming, but make sure you save room.

As for its future, Braun said Sunday Brunch at Council Oak is just beginning.

“I want to see the place full and keep it rolling and add stations and change food seasonally and really make it an authentic experience for guests that rocks in our culinary world.”

Well said.

(Council Oak Steaks & Seafood Sunday Brunch is offered 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Go to HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com to make reservations.)

Scott Cronick is an awardwinning journalist who has written about entertainment, food, news and more in South Jersey for nearly three decades. He hosts a daily radio show – "Off The Press with Scott Cronick" - 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays on Newstalk WOND 1400-AM, 92.3-FM, and WONDRadio.com, and he also coowns Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall in Atlantic City, while working on various projects, including charitable efforts, throughout the area. He can be reached at scronick@comcast.net.

Council Oak’s Sunday brunch features an amazing salad bar featuring anything you could possibly want on a salad made fresh by a Council Oak cook. Photo by Scott Cronick

Five reasons to get to Golden Nugget this week

2. The British Invasion

By Danielle Davies

Let’s face it — there’s almost always a reason to get to Golden Nugget. From the shows and the nightlife to the gambling and the dining, there’s never a bad time to get there. This week, the reasons are particularly compelling. Here are five reasons to get to Golden Nugget this week.

1. Champagne Brunch

Champagne and brunch — they go together better than peanut butter and jelly. Available 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays, Chart House has a brunch that rivals all others, featuring a mouth-watering buffet full of fresh seafood, carved meats, omelets, waffles and more, as well as mimosas and Bloody Marys, all enjoyed with a background of glistening waterfront views. The cost is $65 per person.

It only happens once a year, but when it does, it’s epic. Held on The Deck at Golden Nugget, the British Invasion brings the u K across the pond to AC with tributes to Britain’s top rock'n'roll acts like Britain’s Finest (The Beatles), Slow -

hand (Eric Clapton) and Who’s Next (The Who). The free show takes place from 2 to 11 p.m., Saturday, July 22.

3. Jimmy Johnson’s Quest for the Ring World-class fishing tournament? yep, Golden Nugget has that too. Newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Jimmy Johnson extends his fishing tournament from South Florida to the 3rd annual event in Atlantic City from July 16 through

23. With a $1 million guaranteed purse, as well as a kick-off party, daily dockside parties and more, the Quest for the Ring Tournament is expected to see over 80 participating boats, all vying for the top prize.

4. Tequila Tastings

There’s nothing better than fun and fiestas, especially at Dos Caminos, where a menu of authentic and upscale Mexican cuisine brings the vibrant spirit of Mexico City to Atlantic City. And while the eating’s good — you can’t go wrong with options like Baja Pescado tacos and Oaxacan Shrimp Quesadillas — things get even better with a bevy of tequilas and just waiting to be sampled.

5. Watermelon Bliss Massage

If you’re looking for a summer glow, get to the Spa and Salon at Golden Nugget for something as refreshing and delightful as summer itself — a Watermelon Bliss Massage. The 50-minute, $175 treatment is a vitamin-E, rich body kneading therapeutic massage complete with a Watermelon Vodkatini body polish, agave nectar body oil and watermelon to glide over muscles and carry all your stresses away. Book a reservation at 1-800-777-1177.

Danielle's been a writer and storyteller for the past fifteen years—her work has appeared everywhere from Philadelphia Style Magazine and The Press of Atlantic City to Cape May Magazine and The WC Press in West Chester. Nationally, her short stories have been published in Typehouse Magazine and Scary Mommy. She lives in South Jersey with her husband and two children.

Dolphin Watching Cruise departing 1pm Everyday

Skyline Cruise departing 11am Tues. thru Sat. Afternoon Delight departing 4pm Everyday

Happy Hour Cruises departing 6pm Everyday

Party Cruise with DJ and Dancing Fri. & Sat at 6pm (ages 21 and up)

Live & Local Music Calendar

Yesterday’s

Friday,

The Yard at Bally’s

3AM Tokyo

10 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

1900 Pacific Ave.

Villain & Saint at Ocean Casino

BMW Trio

6 p.m.

Changing lanes

10 p.m.

500 Boardwalk

Brigantine

LaScala’s Beach House

DJ Jojo

10 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

1400 Ocean Ave.

The Pub at St. George

Jay laBoy Duo

7 – 11 p.m.

4282 Harbor Beach Blvd.

Marmora

Yesterday’s Creekside Tavern

John Wood

8:30 p.m.

The Yard

Surrounded By Idiots

5 – 9 p.m.

316 Roosevelt Blvd.

Northfield

Atlantic City Country Club

Doug Jennings

5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

1 leo Frazer Dr.

Somers Point

Caroline’s by the Bay

The Company Band

8:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

450 Bay Ave.

Fitzpatrick’s Deli and Steakhouse

Andy Berlin

6 – 9 p.m.

650 New Rd.

Josie Kelly’s

Plaid Salmon

9 p.m.

908 Shore Rd.

The Point

Brian McConnell

4 – 7 p.m.

The Exceptions

7 – 11

Sweetwater

Sweetwater Riverdeck

Goody Blue Shoes

7 – 11 p.m.

2780 7th Ave.

Saturday, July 22

Atlantic City

Anchor Rock Club

KITOFEST

6 p.m.

247 S. New york Ave.

Bar One at Resorts Casino

lisa Camp

5 – 8 p.m.

DJ Gary

8 p.m. – 2 a.m.

1133 Boardwalk

Hard Rock Cafe

Dueling Pianos

9 p.m. – 1 a.m.

1000 Boardwalk

Nola’s Bar at Ocean Casino

usual Suspects

7 p.m.

Steal the Sky 11 p.m.

500 Boardwalk

Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall

The Shore Thing Band

5 – 8 p.m.

NJ British Invasion

9 p.m. – 12 a.m.

133 S. Tennessee Ave.

SOMERS

& EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP

The Deck at Golden Nugget

British Invasion

2 p.m.

600 Huron Ave.

The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock

Se7en Band

5 – 8:30 p.m.

Don’t Call Me Francis

9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

1000 Boardwalk

The Yard at Bally’s

DJ Redline

5 – 9 p.m.

Garden State Radio

10 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

1900 Pacific Ave.

Villain & Saint at Ocean Casino

The Zone Trio

6 p.m.

The Beverlees

10 p.m.

500 Boardwalk

Brigantine

LaScala’s Beach House

The Whitewalls

1 – 5 p.m.

Ear Candy

6 – 10 p.m.

DJ Jojo

10 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

1400 Ocean Ave.

The Pub at St. George

Vickie Austin & Mr. D

7:30 – 11:30 p.m.

4282 Harbor Beach Blvd.

Egg Harbor City

Renault Winery

Philly Keys

7 – 11 p.m.

72 N. Bremen Ave. Atlantic City

Marmora

Yesterday’s Creekside Tavern

Deangelis Duo

8:30 p.m.

The Yard

Steve Moore & MIA

5 – 9 p.m.

316 Roosevelt Blvd.

Northfield

Atlantic City Country Club

Beth Tinnon

5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

1 leo Frazer Dr.

Somers Point

Caroline’s by the Bay

Doug Jennings

4 – 7 p.m.

Bar None Band

8:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

450 Bay Ave.

Fitzpatrick’s Deli and Steakhouse

Andy Berlin 6 – 9 p.m.

650 New Rd.

Josie Kelly’s The MPG Trio 7 p.m.

908 Shore Rd. The Point

3:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Jobononno & The Godsons

7 – 11 p.m.

DJ James Strzz

10:30 p.m. – 2 a.m.

998 Bay Ave.

Sweetwater

Sweetwater Riverdeck

Escape Plan Trio

1 – 5 p.m.

Cherry Crush

7 – 11 p.m.

2780 7th Ave.

Sunday, July 23

Atlantic City

Anchor Rock Club

Joy Riding w/ Carte Blanche, The

1910 Chainsaw Co.

9 p.m.

247 S. New york Ave.

Bar One at Resorts Casino

DJ Chaz

8 p.m. – 2 a.m.

1133 Boardwalk

Nola’s Bar at Ocean Casino

DJ AP

8 p.m.

500 Boardwalk

Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall

Koko & Karma

6 – 9 p.m.

133 S. Tennessee Ave.

The Deck at Golden Nugget

The Exceptions

2:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Dane Anthony

8 p.m. – 12 a.m.

600 Huron Ave.

The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock

BMW+

4 – 7:30 p.m.

1000 Boardwalk

The Yard at Bally’s

Brat Duo

2 – 6 p.m.

Amy Faden Duo

6 – 10 p.m.

1900 Pacific Ave.

Vagabond

DJ Eddie Tully

5 – 9 p.m.

672 N. Trenton Ave.

Brigantine

LaScala’s Beach House

Incognito

1 – 5 p.m.

DJ

6 – 10 p.m.

1400 Ocean Ave.

Beth Tinnon

Sweetwater

Monday,

The Deck at Golden Nugget m80

6:30 – 10:30 p.m.

600 Huron Ave.

The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock

Dane Anthony Band

7 – 11 p.m.

1000 Boardwalk

Villain & Saint at Ocean Casino MPG Trio

6:30 p.m. 500 Boardwalk

Brigantine LaScala’s Beach House Originaire

6 – 10 p.m.

1400 Ocean Ave.

Somers Point

Josie Kelly’s D’Arc’s Family Jams 6 – 9 p.m.

Wednesday, July 26

The Deck at Golden Nugget Hawkins Road

6:30 – 10:30 p.m.

600 Huron Ave.

The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock

Turning the Tide

7 – 11 p.m.

1000 Boardwalk

Villain & Saint at Ocean Casino

Glenn Roberts Band

6:30 p.m.

500 Boardwalk

Brigantine LaScala’s Beach House

Nine Deez Night

6 – 10 p.m.

1400 Ocean Ave. Brigantine

Somers Point

Caroline’s by the Bay Mel & Tony

4 – 8 p.m.

Open Mic Hosted by Blue Eagle

8 p.m. – 12 a.m.

450 Bay Ave. The Point

James Howell

7 – 11 p.m. 998 Bay Ave.

Sweetwater

Tuesday, July 25 Atlantic City Bar One at Resorts Casino

DJ Frohawk 8 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Sweetwater Riverdeck Kenny Curcio

6 – 9 p.m. 2780 7th Ave. Sweetwater Events subject to change.

July music scene is hot Govt.

Mule/Jason Bonham? Yes Please!

Tune In, Turn On

By Doug Deutsch

One of the great rootsrock-jam bands in the u.S. if not the world, Govt. Mule, fronted by guitar legend Warren Haynes, launched their ‘Dark Side of the Mule” tour at Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City Saturday, July 22. Haynes (guitar, vocals), Danny louis (keyboards, vocals, backing vocals), Kevin Scott (bass), and Matt Abts (drums) will perform a full Govt. Mule set, along with their extremely rare Pink Floyd tribute ‘Dark Side of the Mule’ – this being the last time they’ll ever perform it in concert, which they debuted in 2008 and have only performed a total of ten times. Expect to hear tracks from GM’s latest studio album “Peace … like A River” as well as older material, in what should be an awesome concert experience. Jason Bonham’s led Zeppelin Evening opens the show, so led Zeppelin fans should be digging this act as well. Tickets/info: https:// www.hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com/

Norstep’s Indie Music Series Back At ARC

local promoter Stephen Weiss returns with a cool five-band show July 29 at AC’s Anchor Rock Club. “Via

Ripe is a genre-bending, face-melting surf rock band from long Branch,” says Weiss. “The Azures are a psychedelic blues band from Central Jersey. The Goons are punk alternative funk rock band from South Jersey. Jrotti is a raw, edgy recording artist from Philadelphia and Baron Praxis is a psychedelic grunge band with ‘90s elements from Toms River.” $12. plus fees in advance on Eventbrite, $16. at the door with an early 7 p.m. start time. Stay tuned for word of Weiss’ next 420 Festival in September, which always includes good bands.

80-Plus Year Olds Gary US Bonds, Big Chief

Monk

Boudreaux Play

AC Mardi Gras/Boardwalk: you’ll likely never EVER get a chance to see two living music legends both north of eighty years of age in concert, much less a free one, so be sure to get to Kennedy Plaza on the AC Boardwalk Wednesday, July 26 when Gary uS Bonds and the Roadhouse Rockers, and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux perform during this week’s Mardi Gras in AC Concert Series presented by Tony Mart’s. One of the most iconic of the American classic rock stars in the world today, the 84-years-young Bonds will perform his big hits including “This little Girl,” one of many songs written, recorded and produced for him by the great Bruce Springsteen (also see Bonds at the Somers Point Beach Concert series July 28). In 1961 Gary had one of the biggest hits of all time, “Dance till Quarter to Three,” long a Tony Mart’s favorite when the Somers

Point nightclub was in existence. Another octogenarian, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, nominated for his 2021 album “Bloodstains and Teardrops” on Whiskey Bayou Records in the Regional Roots category, plus pop -

ular New Orleans piano performer, Tom Worrell, and Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone, multi award-winning singer-songwriter and Top 10 blues rockin’ harmonica player, perform after Bonds. Info: tonymart.com.

News ‘N’ Notes

The Emo music genre is big in AC, so expect Emo Social, hosted by Chris Carraba of rock group Dashboard Confessional, to be a happening event! Takes place July 22 at The Seed (A living Beer Project). Deejaying the event is our pal who’s also House Sound Engineer at Anchor Rock Club, David Earl. 10pm-2am. 21 and over. Info: the

seedbeer.com.

l astly, Borgata Event Center hosts longtime roots-rock group Counting Crows July 22. The Adam Duritz-fronted group have sold over twenty million records and are considered one of the world’s pre-eminent touring rock bands. Dashboard Confessional opens. Info: borgataevents.centeratlanticcity. org.

Drink up with David Setley

For anyone whom I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with about wine, it likely doesn’t come as a surprise to read that I am a big fan of Portuguese wines. In fact, I kind of geek out on it, as you will soon see in this article. To say I was looking forward to our cruise stop in Portugal is an understatement. I shared a bit about the wines we enjoyed at our stops in Spain in my last two articles. This week, I’d like to discuss the wine that made Portugal famous. you guessed it – Port.

The earliest records of wine production in Portugal date back to 2000 BC when an ancient civilization known as the Tartessians inhabited the southern region and planted grape vines for wine production. Not only did Tartessians drink the wine they produced, it was also used as a

Port Wines of Portugal

form of currency. Wine regions and varietals grown in Portugal grew throughout the ensuing centuries, as the land was inhabited by the Phoenicians, the Greeks, and then the Romans. Interestingly, Portugal endured a time after the fall of the Roman Empire, in which alcohol consumption was forbidden. This was during the reign of the Arabs (Moors) and continued until the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula between 801-1142 AD. By the 12th century, the wine industry was reinstated in Portugal.

At the same time, Portugal also engaged in a trade relationship with England, cultivated, at least in part, by wine. England’s climate was not conducive to growing grapevines, but its people still had an appetite for wine. Although they may have enjoyed French wines, the political environment between the two nations was not always supportive of trade. Case in point: in 1693, King William III imposed a harsh tax on French wine as part of punitive actions against

France. As such, the English signed a treaty with Portugal in 1386, creating an alliance that allowed for consistent trade of numerous commodities, including wine. By 1717, Portuguese wines accounted for at least 66% of the wine in England.

you may have noticed that many of the well-known brands of Port – Sandeman, Graham’s, and Taylor Fladgate – have notably non-Portuguese names. No wine is more representative of the relationship between England and Portugal than Port. Wine writer Karen MacNeil once stated: "if Portugal is the mother of Port, Britain is certainly its father.” England’s appetite for Port, or blackstrap, as it was known at the time, continued to increase through the years. unfortunately, so did instances of fraudulent wines being sold under the Port name. As a result, authorities in the Douro River area near Porto established the Douro Wine Company, making this one of the oldest Appellations (a designated wine-regulation region) in the world. Much like Chianti Classico and Champagne, for wine to be labeled as Port, the wine must be produced in the designated region while conforming to all established regulations.

wines are not made from crushing the grapes, but are instead “stomped.” Although some “traditional” wineries still use human labor to stomp the grapes, many have converted to mechanical “feet” to provide this service.

After stomping, the winemaking process commences similarly to how it would for other wines, except the fermentation process ends earlier. This ensures that the wine is still sweet and the alcohol level is low (approximately 6%). At that time, the winemaker will “fortify” the wine by adding a distilled alcohol of about 40% alcohol content, often brandy, to the juice. The wine is then aged, usually in oak barrels, for at least 2 years, or, in the case of Tawny Ports, 10-40 years, before bottling. The result is the wonderful fortified wine that we’re familiar with, with an alcohol content between 19% and 21%. In comparison, non-fortified wines typically have an alcohol content between 10% to 14.5%. As such, a typical pour of Port is only about 3 ounces.

Port flavors vary by style and brand, but by and large, Ruby Ports offer fruitier flavors of blackberry and raspberry with notes of cinnamon and chocolate, whereas Tawny Ports have a profile of caramel, hazelnut, and baking spices, with notes of black raspberry and figs. Either style may be enjoyed as a dessert on its own, or as an accompaniment to chocolates, fruit, or cheese platters. Graham’s Six Grapes Port is an excellent example of a Ruby Port, with all the flavors noted above plus the addition of cherries. Or, try the Niepoort Tawny Port. The caramel and hazelnut notes of this wine make it an excellent dessert with chocolate or aged cheddar.

Deliver y to Atlantic County and Ocean City

Port wine is a sweet fortified wine, typically enjoyed as (or with) dessert. Although there are white ports and even some rosé, the majority are red in color and come in the Ruby or Tawny style. Tawny Ports can be aged for decades before consumption. Both styles can be found at very reasonable prices but if you opt for an “older” Tawny, you will pay a higher price. Port wines are made from grapes indigenous to Portugal. In fact, there are as many as 52 varieties of grapes native to the Douro that may be used, including Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca and Tinta Cão. Interestingly, traditional Port

Ok. So now you may be thinking “wow – he really does geek out on Portugal.” Guilty! I hope you enjoyed learning more about Port wines. Next week I’ll refocus on more about our trip to discuss some of the other great wines from Portugal. In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any questions at dsetley@passionvines.com, or stop into the store. until next time, happy wining!

David Setley is enjoying his retirement from higher education as a wine educator and certified sommelier at Passion Vines in Somers Point, New Jersey.

set to open in Northfield

Buzz

By Rich Baehrle

The King has arrived in Northfield, that is Richard King along with partner Jeffrey Barnes. They established the new King-Barnes l aw firm which is located at 2600 New Road, Northfield. The firm is a full

edge legal technology that allows attorneys to interact with clients, the courts and colleagues efficiently and securely. utilizing client portals to share documents and information, and electronically exchange and execute agreements, the firm provides information to courts and attorneys in a professional and efficient manner.

Northfield’s other new business is Act on Health. It is a full service OBGyN weight and wellness Center. It is located at 1634 New Road (former Eastern Dental Bld.) They also have locations in Galloway Township, Atlantic City and Somers Point. Their OBGyN team addresses all women’s healthcare needs from asthma, dia -

service Estate, Commercial, Real Estate l aw, Bankruptcy and Family/ Matrimonial law firm that provides honest, competent and experienced legal services in matters relating to Estates (Planning, Administration and litigation). Commercial Entities (Creation, Transactions and litigation). Real Estate (land use, transactions and litigation). Bankruptcy and Family l aw. The firm has attorneys with deep roots in Cape May, Atlantic and Ocean Counties, and has attorneys licensed to practice in New Jersey, PA. and Florida. With offices in Northfield, North Wildwood and the City of Cape May, the firm has invested in cutting

betes and hypertension to obstetrics, pregnancy and menopause. Act On Women’s Health offers “Total “Healthcare for all phases of a woman’s life. The new office will be open in the very near future. For information you can go to actonwomenshealth.com.

Remember to support local businesses.

Business

Easy Homemade Lemonade

Ingredients: (Serves 7)

● 1 cup (240 m l) of lemon juice (about 8 lemons)

● 1 cup (225 g) of sugar

● 6 cups (1.4 l) of water

● Ice (optional)

1. Juice 8 lemons to get about 1 cup of lemon juice. Roll your lemons on the countertop to make them easier to juice. Next, cut your lemons in half and press them onto a lemon press over a pitcher or measuring cup. Twist the lemon halves over the press to get as much juice out as possible.

● Microwave your lemons for 10-20 seconds to soften the pulp and get more juice.

● If you don't have a lemon press, squeeze the lemon to get most of the juice out. Then, press a fork or mixer beater into the lemon pulp and twist it to release the rest of the juice.

● you can get a lemon press at your local grocery or department store or online.

2. Transfer the lemon juice into a large pitcher.If you like pulp in your lemon juice, pour the squeezed lemon juice directly into the pitcher. If you don’t like pulp, hold a strainer over the pitcher and pour the lemon juice over the strainer to catch the pulp. Then, empty the strainer into your compost or trash. Make sure your pitcher can hold at least 8 cups (1.9 l) of fluids.

3. Pour 1 cup of sugar into the lemon juice and stir to dissolve it. Since lemon juice is acidic, it can dissolve your sugar for you, which saves you a lot of work! Add the sugar directly into your lemon juice, then stir until the sugar dissolves. This should take about 3-4 minutes.

● If you don’t want your lemonade to be as sweet, you can add less sugar. Try adding just 1/2 or 3/4 cup of sugar.

● Don’t add your water until the sugar dissolves so that the lemon juice isn’t diluted. It will take the sugar longer to dissolve in diluted lemon juice.

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RMDs and the still working exception

By Eric Reich

Ireceived a question last week that I thought would be a good topic for its own article. The question is one that I often get different variations of because honestly, Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are confusing. An RMD is the amount that the IRS requires you to take out of your retirement account whether or not you want to take the money out. This week we will cover what you need to know about taking RMDs and some of the rules surrounding them.

let’s start off with the new RMD age requirements. Prior to 2019, the age for RMDs was 70 ½. As a part of the tax law changes made by the 2019 SECu RE Act, the new RMD ages are as follows:

● Born 6/30/49 or earlier then your RMD age is 70 ½

● Born 7/1/49 to 1950 your RMD age is 72

● Born 1951 to 1959 your RMD is age 73

● Born 1960 or later your RMD is age 75 which begins in 2033

To answer your next question, no, I have no idea why they skipped age 74.

Now that you know what an RMD is, what age you need to take them, who has to take them and how much, you need to know where you have to take them from. This is an easy one. As long as you take the correct amount, you take the actual RMD from any IRA. This means the RMD can all come out of one account for your IRA RMD. This only applies to IRAs. 401(k)s require a separate RMD from each plan, as do 403(b)sand inherited IRAs and inherited Roth IRAs have their own RMDs too. Though you can aggregate multiple inherited IRAs into one distribution. People often get confused on inherited Roth distributions. A Roth IRA has no RMDs, but an inherited Roth, while still tax free, does require an RMD.

I hope this answers a few of the questions surrounding RMD distributions. As always, if you aren’t sure, just reach out to your financial advisor or CPA for more guidance.

Source: https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-required-minimum-distributions-rmds

PROMO CODE HELC23

$5.00 to qualify for offer. Upon expiration of the introductory rate, all balances will accrue interest at the variable annual percentage rate (APR) in effect for your account based on loan to value (LTV) and creditworthiness. Rates after the introductory rate will vary based on the member’s creditworthiness. Regular HELOC rates based on Prime Rate published in the Wall Street Journal on the last business day of the month plus a margin with a floor rate of 3.50%. Maximum rate is 18.0%. The introductory APR will automatically terminate at the end of the 12-month introductory period. No notice to borrower is required. Offer good on owner occupied primary residence. Borrower responsible for title insurance for any HELOC over $100,000. Terms and conditions apply. Other rates and terms available to qualified borrowers. If credit line is closed within the first (36) months you agree to reimburse the Credit Union for any third party fees paid on your behalf. Rates and terms subject to change at the discretion of the credit union. Contact the credit union for additional details.

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Now that you know the ages that you need to take your RMDs, how do you determine the amount you need to take? The RMD is calculated by adding up all of the values of all of your nonRoth retirement accounts including IRAs, SEP IRAs, and SIMPlE IRAs as of 12/31 of the previous year. That total value is then divided by the number that is published on the IRS life expectancy table known as the u niform lifetime Table that corresponds to your age. A 73-year-old for example would divide that total balance by 26.5 to determine the correct amount to take for their RMD. It is important to note that this calculation does not include inherited IRAs for a non-spouse or 401(k) plans where you are still an active participant in the plan. If you retired but left your money in your former employer’s 401(k) then you must still use the balance to calculate your RMD. you also must still use this balance if you own 5% or more of the company. This is known as the still working exception. The still working exception allows non 5% or more owners who are still active in the plan to leave their 401(k) balance out of the RMD calculation.

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Reich Asset Management, LLC is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regard to your individual situation. To view form CRS visit https:// bit.ly/KF-Disclosures.

Eric is President and founder of Reich Asset Management, LLC. He relies on his 25 years of experience to help clients have an enjoyable retirement. He is a Certified Financial Planner™ and Certified Investment Management AnalystSM (CIMA®) and has earned his Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) and Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designations. A lifelong resident of Cape May County, Eric resides in Seaville, NJ with his wife Chrissy and their sons ,CJ and Cooper, and daughter Riley.

Creatures I didn’t know could be found in South Jersey

By Holly Fertsch

Idon’t know about you, but I have been a bit surprised over the past few years at the animal sightings in South Jersey. I have seen images online of red foxes, snowy owls, and coyotes in the dunes. There have also been shark sightings and whales.

Also, I’m going to be honest: I read “Dune” by Frank Herbert this past year, which has ignited an interest in ecology. Where better to start my research than my hometown?

After some research, I found some unexpected creatures that have been found in Atlantic County and Cape May County. Without further ado, here are some creatures that I didn’t know could be found in South Jersey:

Coyotes usually avoid people, so there’s no need to panic about them. According to NJDEP’s website, it is extremely rare in the eastern states for coyotes to attack humans. For more information on coyotes in NJ, see this resource: https://dep.nj.gov/ njfw/hunting/coyote-and-fox/.

Here is what you can do to be mindful of coyotes: never keep pets outside overnight and never feed wild coyotes. If you see a coyote during the day that is not displaying any fear of humans, call the local police and NJDEP. you can reach NJDEP Wildlife & Fish at 908-735-8793 or at 877-WARN-DEP if outside of normal business hours.

3. Black Bears

There’s a story with this one, so bear with me. In college, I once stayed with my friend and her family in Maryland. My friend's father asked where I was from. When I replied New Jersey, he nodded seriously and said, “A lot of bears down there.” I was baffled. Growing up in Atlantic County, I had never once heard of bears living there. My friend and I laughed about it later. However, the joke’s on me because it turns out there are bears around here after all!

American black bears ( u rsus americanus) are native to NJ. There have been bear sightings in each of New Jersey’s counties, and these animals serve an important ecological role.

1. Snowy Owls

For Harry Potter fans like myself, this is magical news. Snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus) are native to Arctic regions but migrate south. Snowy owls sometimes use coastal habitats as breeding sites. They can be found in sand dunes because the wide open area might remind them of an Arctic tundra. These owls are also nomadic, so it's no real surprise that some decided to vacation at the Jersey Shore.

2. Coyotes

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have been sighted in every county of New Jersey as of 2004. It is a bit of a mystery how coyotes first got here, but the NJ Fish & Wildlife, which is part of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), has denied importing them to the state. NJ has eastern coyotes, which originated as hybrids of coyotes and wolves. These creatures are nocturnal. They eat roadkill and small animals. Coyotes are important for our ecosystem because they keep the rodent population down.

Don’t panic; you’re not going to run into a bear lounging on the beach. There has been only one fatal bear attack in New Jersey’s history. According to new-jersey-leisure-guide. com, it is extremely rare for black bears to attack humans.

4. Red Foxes

I’ve always associated red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) with fairy-tale-like forests. As it turns out, they like sand dunes just fine too. Remember to keep off the dunes so their habitat is not disturbed.

5. Seals

A variety of seals can be found on our shores, including Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and Harp Seals (Pagophilus groenlandica). There are plenty of other kinds of seals that grace our coast as well.

Harbor seals (also called common seals) are native to the Atlantic coast. Adult harbor seals range from five and a half feet to over six feet long. They can be found along beaches, bays, and occasionally even on fishing piers.

Harp seals, on the other hand, are occasional visitors to the New Jersey shore. Harp seals are usually found in Arctic waters. However, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) has rescued a fair amount of these cuties, including one who was eating sand after mistaking it for the ice found in its normal habitat. Thanks to the care of the MMSC, that Harp Seal fully recovered.

If you see a seal, keep your distance. Seals can become injured if disturbed, which is why harassing seals is illegal. It is also illegal to feed seals. If you see a seal that is being harassed or appears injured, call the Marine Mammal Stranding Center at 609-266-0538.

6. Atlantic Puffins

Also known as the common puffin, the Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) is the only species of puffin that is native to the Atlantic Ocean. This bird is most often found in Greenland, Ice -

land, Norway, and the state of Maine. However, it has been sighted in Cape May County. The Atlantic Puffin is a threatened species.

7. Tree Frogs

yep, tree frogs are found here! I always associated tree frogs with rainforests, but South Jersey has its share of them. Species found in Atlantic and Cape May counties include Cope's gray tree frog (Dryophytes chrysoscelis) and Pine Barrens tree frog (Hyla andersonii). Both of these species are threatened, so sightings of them are becoming rare.

8. Manatees

Manatees are not actually native to this region. However, that doesn’t mean they haven’t visited our shore. According to its website, the MMSC has previously rescued four Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus Iatirostris) on the New Jersey coast. That means at least four manatees have found their way up here.

Coyote at Corson’s Inlet in Ocean City. Photo by Abby Longstreet

Red foxes are frequently spotted in the sand dunes at the Jersey Shore. Photo by Robin Shaffer

Angels and devils in the garden

Let It Grow

By Tammy Thornton

As July roars ahead, packing a punch with hot, sundrenched days in its wake, the garden takes on a new look. Now the extroverted guests boldly join the garden party as trumpet vine, rose-of-Sharon, coneflower, vitex, phlox, and bee balm burst open with a dazzling summer display. Then suddenly, the power couple of good and evil, Crocosmia ‘ lucifer’ and Angel’s trumpet, brazenly waltz into the scene, creating quite a stir.

lucifer boasts sword-like leaves and arching stems with fiery-red blooms. Hummingbirds and other pollinators will crave these tubular, vibrant flowers. Crocosmia, derives its name from two Greek words meaning saffron and odor because, when steeped in water, the dried flowers are said to give off a saffron-like scent. Also known as montbretia or

coppertips, crocosmia can be red, orange, or yellow. Once established, these showy perennials that grow one to two feet are relatively carefree. They can be started from corms planted in the spring or divided from existing plants. Crocosmia will bloom best in full sun and will thrive in moist but well-drained soil. Once they have finished blooming, you can cut the stems, but keep the foliage until it turns yellow and dies back, as this will give energy back to the corms for the following year’s flowers. In our Shore local area, corms can be left in the ground to overwinter, but mulch will give them an extra layer of protection.

Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia) is a tropical plant that cannot take cold temperatures much below 50 degrees. But their amazing flowers and scent may entice you to plant them in your garden and find space to overwinter them indoors. In frost-free areas, they can be grown as perennials, reaching heights of twenty feet. The large, exotic trumpet-shaped flowers hang down and send an intoxicating scent through the air. In the evening, their fragrance is stronger, attracting nighttime pollinators. Angel’s trumpet blooms best in full sun and, like

its counterpart, lucifer, prefers moist but well-drained soil. But don’t let the name of this beautiful plant fool you. All parts of this plant are highly toxic! use extreme caution if you have curious children or pets nearby.

Because Angel’s trumpet will succumb to cold weather, you must bring it indoors before the first frost in the fall. If your plant is fairly small, you could dig it up and pot it as a houseplant. Another, more manageable, method would be to take cuttings. This method will work both for overwintering or for propagating new plants. your cuttings can be rooted in soil or in water. Because of its toxicity, a second warning is in order. Keep pets and children away from this plant. When I was first introduced to Angel’s trumpet, a fellow gardener gave me cuttings in the fall. At the time, rooting them in water was most practical for me, and they stayed in their vase all winter (though I did change the water frequently). What a treat to grow these fast-growing tropicals once the weather was warm. After they were fertilized, they produced the most magnificent flowers.

If this description of Angel’s trumpet sounds different than what you are familiar with, it’s possible that you are thinking of datura. The common name Angel’s trumpet is often used interchangeably for the two different plants, but ironically, datura is also known as devil’s trumpet, hell’s bells, and Jimsonweed. like Brugmansia, all parts of datura are highly toxic. Datura also has highly fragrant, large trumpet-like flowers. However, datura produces flowers (often white or purple and white) that are erect and bloom in the evening, while Brugmansias are pendulous. Because datura blooms at night, it is pollinated by nocturnal insects such

as the hawk moth. Though datura is an annual plant, it often reseeds from its spiky-ball seed pods.

Whether you decide to plant crocosmia, Brugmansia, or datura (or all three), you will, no doubt, be smitten by their exotic flowers. Meanwhile, you’ll be attracting both daytime and nighttime pollinators to your garden. Just use caution handling these dangerous beauties, especially indoors where curious children or pets could gain access to them. Do your homework to learn about these plants, because as we know, the devil is in the details.

We would love to hear about your experiences with these angelic and devilish plants. Send your comments, pictures, and questions to: shorelocalgardener@gmail.com.

Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.

Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia) flower before it opens.

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’

By Chelsea Clemens

a bald eagle soaring overhead, or a heron fishing on the shore. Maybe you’ll even catch a glimpse of a turtle or a beaver as they swim by. Don’t be shy to wave at the friendly people who live along the river – they might have some interesting tales to tell you. Kayaking in South Jersey is not just a hobby – it’s a thrilling escapade! Kayaking requires a certain level of skill, preparation, and awareness.

Before you go kayaking, you need to get ready for the trip. Here are some of the aspects of kayaking in South Jersey that you should be aware of before you embark on your journey.

you may face some of the challenges and risks that come with navigating a dynamic and complex waterway, such as currents, rapids, and obstacles. you will need to be alert, agile, and adaptable to overcome them: Sometimes you will have to bend down, paddle vigorously, or even carry your kayak to continue your route. It is a demanding but rewarding physical activity. learn some basic skills and safety tips. you should know how to paddle, steer, balance, turn, stop, and exit your kayak. you should also consider changes and surprises in the weather conditions, like rainstorms, winds, or sun. you can take some lessons or watch videos online to improve your confidence and competence. Make sure to choose a suitable route and time for your trip. you should consider your skill level, the distance, the difficulty, and the conditions. you can find some information and recommendations online or from local

Pack some essentials and extras. you need to be ready and equipped for any situation: you should bring sunscreen, a hat, a raincoat, and an extra set of clothes. Get a proper kayak and equipment. you should rent or buy a kayak that fits your size, weight, and preference. you should also get a paddle, a life jacket, a helmet, a whistle, and a dry bag. you can find some options and advice at a local outfitters or online. you should also bring water, snacks, a change of clothes, a first aid kit, a map, a compass, and a phone.

Ask questions before choosing doggy daycare

By Heidi Clayton

Last week I wrote about behavioral issues that can arise when your dog goes to doggy daycare. This week, let’s talk about things to think about when picking a doggy daycare that will work for you and your dog.

First, consider whether your dog has a good enough temperament to handle group play. Dogs are not meant to play in large groups, which is how many daycares style their play sessions. While there are those extroverted dogs that can handle running in large groups, keep in mind that your dog may not be one of them.

It is also very common for teenage dogs (roughly 9 months to 18 months) to become less social and dog tolerant, so even if your young dog at one time enjoyed group play, they can age out of it.

Questions about how large the groups are and how the dogs are grouped should be asked. Also find out temperament testing is done to introduce a new dog into the mix. I would never allow my dog to simply be turned loose into any group of dogs and hope that they “work it out.” your dog can be ruined from play all together if they have a bad experience, so consider how the daycare runs their introductions and remember: daycare should be stimulating for your dog, not over-stimulating.

Next, what is the dog-to-staff ratio? If you want to have the life scared out you, copy and paste this link: https://fb.watch/lQ1is1Eqin/ for an example of what happens when way too many dogs are in a play group with not nearly enough staff to deal with the situation.

Ask what training the staff has to break up a dog fight should one happen and what methods are used. Avoid places that use aversive methods like shock collars, cattle prods, or throwing things at the dogs. What protocols are in place if a dog is injured in the middle of play and their pain or yelping cause the other dogs to become over-stimu -

lated? Don’t be afraid to interview the staff on their experience.

Finally, in what type of space would the dogs be turned out? I witnessed a daycare situation via a client in which about 20 dogs were turned loose indoors in a room where dogs were peeing on the walls. I find it unacceptable, unsanitary and confusing to your dog that it is OK to pee inside at daycare, but not at home.

I am spoiled in having Mary Remer as my mentor who is also the owner and founder of What a Good Dog, Inc. in Malvern, Pa. The daycare program at WAGD has numerous outdoor runs where the dogs can use the bathroom, with multiple staff members

dedicated to each yard and play groups kept at smaller numbers so everyone is safe. The yards are also misted during the hot weather and all have pools for cooling off.

The dogs also get “down time” to nap and aren’t running wild all day, keeping cranky behavior and the risk of injury to a minimum.

Also consider how clean the environment is as it is imperative to prevent the spread of diseases like kennel cough.

Remember, it is more important for your dog to feel safe and clean at daycare than to come home tired and hassle-free for you. Do your homework before sending them and make it a great experience for the both of you.

Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, rewardbased dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@ fouronthefloordogtraining. net or learn more at www. fouronthefloordogtrainig.net.

A Senior’s Observations, Opinions and Rantings A Lesson from LEGO

By Charles P. Eberson Senior Moments

In the past, I have lamented about the decline in service by companies vying for our dollars. I come from a time when gas stations checked your oil and cleaned your windshield while you gassed up. If that means I’m old then, well, you know.

Companies actually had a switchboard manned by a human often in the vicinity where one lived, not in the Philippines or India. When I had to call my cable company for a transfer of service and heard a dog barking, I thought perhaps it was “Bring your Pet to Work Day” but hearing a rooster crow in the background made that a bit of a stretch.

About a year ago, we ordered a refrigerator from a large box retailer

and was given an “estimated” delivery date. The day before the delivery date, I received a call that the delivery would have to be rescheduled. I understood supply chain delays and reluctantly accepted the next delivery date. This happened four more times until the “customer DISservice” representative closed out his call in the usual manner, “Is there anything else I can do for you today?” I raised my voice and said “anything else,

ANy THING El SE? you didn’t do the only thing I paid your company to do!” Needless to say, I canceled the order. I went to a local appliance store and had our fridge in less than two weeks. lesson learned.

After repeated experiences of poor customer service, my expectations have been lowered. I would rather be pleasantly surprised by a good experience than disappointed by a poor one.

Our nine year old grandson loves lego sets and assembles the most complex kits you can imagine. I would sub him out to assemble IKEA furniture if it wouldn’t violate a host of child labor laws. Recently, he was putting together a race car with nearly one thousand pieces when he found he was missing a piece and was quite upset at the prospect of not being able to finish his car. I helped him look all over his room, including under the furniture where a treasure trove of other items were discovered but no missing piece. The fact that this piece was a small part of the front suspension measuring a little less than an inch long added

to the impossibility of finding it. He was fighting back the tears.

We sat together at my computer and logged on to the legos website. After doing a deep dive, I found a page for missing lego parts. It asked for the product name and the code on the front of the box which led to a page with all the parts. My grandson gave me the part number that was on the instructions (which were more detailed than IKEA’s) and I entered it into the field for ordering. No payment was requested. I received an email that the part will be delivered in seven to ten days.

My grandson was elated. Of course, I was skeptical and would

hate to see him disappointed. My wife and I happened to be visiting again and my grandson came up to me with a sad face. He said it had been ten days and it had not arrived. I felt that I had given him false hope and thought perhaps I should have stayed out of the situation.

l ate in the afternoon, he came rushing into the room clutching a brown envelope. In the envelope, was a small bag with a tiny black plastic piece for the front suspension of his car. My grandson immediately rushed back into his room to continue working on his lego car. I couldn’t be more impressed with the exemplary service of this company

and its dedication to the children it serves.

As for me, perhaps I should still hold out hope that there are companies out there who understand their consumers, even nine year old ones. Anyone need a dresser assembled? I gotta guy.

Charles Eberson has been in the newspaper business for over 25 years. He has worked as a writer, advertising executive, circulation manager and photographer. His photography can be viewed at charles-eberson. fineartamerica.com

We All Scream For Ice Cream

THEME: THE WIZARD OF OZ

ACROSS

1. Takes as spoils

6. Toothy fish

9. Cookbook abbr.

13. Cavern

14. Opposite of hence

15. Planktonic tunicate

16. Hipbone-related

17. *Studio lion at beginning of "The Wizard of Oz"

18. Shylock's practice

19. *It made the house pitch and the kitchen slitch

21. *Nikko and others

23. "Wheel of Fortune" request

24. Printer cartridge color

25. Public health org.

28. Judo gym

30. Porter's head gear

35. Bumpkin

37. Tap a baseball

39. Velzquez or Rivera

40. Share a boundary

41. Gardening tool

43. Prelude to a duel

44. Birth-related

46. Affirmative

47. Cannabis plant

48. Drew Barrymore's "Never Been ____"

50. Gulf V.I.P.

52. Cook's leaf

53. underwater "nose" 55. Naught 57. *lion's lack 61. *a.k.a. Tin Man 65. Relating to sight

66. Greek H 68. upholstery choice 69. like kale or spinach 70. 100 lbs.

71. The Three Musketeers' swords

72. Advil target

73. like certain dog?

74. People of Denmark

DOWN

1. Not of the cloth

2. Kind of child

3. Relating to ear

4. ____-____-la

5. Basic unit of time

6. *Dorothy's last name

7. Grow gray

8. With ample space

9. undertaking

10. *Munchkins' favorite color, in Baum's book

11. light on one's feet

12. ____ a visit, 3rd person singular

15. What cat did on the window sill?

20. Bragging mother, turned to stone in Greek mythology

22. Rowboat propeller

24. Become gelatinous

25. *Baum's middle name

26. Home to Burj Khalifa

27. #40 Across, 3rd person singular

29. *"Over the Rainbow" singer

31. DIRECTV competitor

32. Paparazzi's target

33. Old World lizard

34. *Sleep-inducing flower 36. #66 Across, pl.

38. No I in it

42. Endangered odd-toed ungulate 45. Ivy league likely applicant 49. "Can you ____ it?"

51. Took part in Stonewall events, e.g. 54. Olden day doctor's prescription 56. Parkinson's disease drug 57. Type of pop 58. 14 oil-producing countries 59. Wyoming's neighbor 60. Excessively abundant 61. W on a bulb 62. Dignified manner 63. Sheltered, nautically 64. Monster's loch

67. *Number of Wizard of Oz Oscar awards

Moving tips that will save you time and money

Real Estate Matters

By Elisa Jo Eagan

Whether you are moving across town or across the country, the logistics involved in packing up all of your possessions, relocating them. and then getting settled in a new home can be intimidating.

When you were younger, you may have just thrown a few things in the back of a pickup: a major professional move is an entirely different affair. Here are some of the best tips and tricks for making your move simpler and more affordable while saving time and ensuring maximum efficiency. The key? Being proactive, organized and flexible.

3. Get rid of things. Whether you are paying by the hour or by the weight of your items, you will save money by getting rid of things you do not like, do not need and do not use. Don't pay to move clothes that you do not wear or furniture that you want to get rid of anyway. Have a yard sale or give extra items to charity before you pack.

4. DIY it. If you are moving a long distance and you are confident in your driving ability, you may save money with a do-it-yourself move. Hire movers to fill your rental truck at your current home and empty it at your destination. By driving yourself, you will save significantly.

5. Phone a friend. Similarly, if you have an extra vehicle to haul, you may save by asking a friend to drive it to your destination, then buying them a plane ticket home. This can save you hundreds on the cost of shipping an automobile.

6. Take notes. Keep a careful record of shut-off and turn-on dates for your utilities and services, as well as the billing date for monthly insurance premiums. you don't want to pay for services and coverage in both places if you can avoid it.

7. Local advantage. If you are moving locally, handle easy-to-move fragile, and valuable items yourself. Consider moving clothing, pictures and bedding in your own car so there is less to box up and put on the truck.

By the time you have set aside the money to pay for your closing costs, you may not have a great deal of money leftover to pay for the actual move. Here are 10 ways to make your move more affordable – and a few things that are worth the extra cost.

1. Compare rates for at least three movers to determine who offers the best price for your move. Do not be afraid to negotiate, especially on extra charges and fees.

2. Schedule your move during offpeak periods, including the middle of the month and and the middle of the week. In addition, rates are normally lower in the fall and winter rather than the busier spring and summer months.

8. Take it to the door. If your movers charge by the hour, stack boxed items as close to the door as possible or even in the garage so they can grab them and put them on the truck. This will save time (and money) because they won’t have to haul items throughout the home.

9. Cushion fragile items. u se sheets, blankets, towels, pillows and other soft items as cushioning for fragile pieces in order to save money on packing supplies.

10. Consider insurance. look into moving insurance policies to protect yourself in the event that something is lost or broken during transport.

Worth the Extra Dollars

Even if you are trying to save money on your move, there are some items that are worth spending a little more on these include:

● Heavy-duty boxes for your most fragile items. While supermarket freebies may work for some things, you will want to have high-quality boxes for dishes or valuables.

● Specialty inserts like dish-dividers and glass kits to customize your moving boxes, save you time and save money on bubble wrap.

● Color-coded labels with bold-type room indicators. These will make it fast and easy to pack your items and to direct your movers once they have arrived.

● High-quality packing tape and tape guns to make packing faster, easier and less frustrating.

● Plastic mattress covers to ensure that your mattresses stay clean, dust and bug-free during the move.

Saving Time on Your Move

Here are some other ways to save time throughout the process: Label boxes carefully and completely. Don't just label packing boxes with the room that they go in. Add as many details as possible so you know exactly what is in a box before you open it. For example, instead of just writing, KITCHEN write:

● KITCHEN

● White casserole dishes

● Stainless steel mixing bowls

● Trivets

● Cookie sheets

● Cutting boards

This will allow you to ensure that everything is exactly where it should be during your unpacking process.

It will also help you to prioritize the order in which you unpack.

Allow your mover to pack and unpack. For an added charge, your mover can pack your entire house before the move, and even unpack once you have arrived at your destination. This can save you days or weeks of gathering supplies and packing up your household before your move.

After you arrive at your new home, items will be unpacked in the room where they belong, and your movers will haul away all of the boxes for you. Then, all you have to do is put each of your belongings in their proper places.

Pack a “first day” box. One of the most annoying things that you will encounter when you move is the amount of time you spend looking for things that you need in order to function during the first day and evening in your new home. By packing a box for each family member with essentials for the first 24 hours, you will save time, energy and frustration.

Pack linens, towels, pajamas, a change of clothes, a coffee cup and other must-haves for the first night and the next morning. For children, pack a favorite toy, favorite book, nightlight and any other item that is part of the bedtime routine.

Remember, there is no place like in your own home. Happy moving! With hugs, love, and warm regards…

For real estate information and advice, contact Elisa Jo Eagan, the “Real Estate Godmother,” at 609703-0432. learn more at www.TheRealEstateGodmother.com.

For More Real Estate Questions, Information and Advice Contact Elisa Jo Eagan "The Real Estate Godmother" (609)703-0432 and Remember..."There's No Place Like Owning Your Own Home!"

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NEW CONSTRUCTION TOWNHOMES IN THE DESIRABLE MARINA DISTRICT WITH DIRECT BAY VIEWS.

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BATHS, SHOWSTOPPER IN BEAUTIFUL HARBOR PINES WITH A 3 CAR GARAGE. PROPERTY ON 148x150 LOT!!

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MARGATE | $969,000

3 BEDS, 2.5 BATHS, YOUR IDEAL YEAR-ROUND HOME OR HOME AWAY FROM HOME. ON A SPACIOUS 40 by 70 LOT!

VENTNOR | $1,299,000

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BATHS, WITH BREATHTAKING OCEANFRONT VIEWS!!

VENTNOR| $1,050,000 BEAUTIFULLY RENOVATED 4 BEDS, 3.5 BATHS!! SITUATED ON A CORNER LOT JUST 3 SHORT BLOCKS TO THE BEACH & BOARDWALK!

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BED,2

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3.5