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SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY'S NEWSMAGAZINE

Fall Festivals & Fun Steel Pier Up For Sale AC Racecourse Enters New Chapter Hurricane Season Sets a Quiet Record Local School Starts Animal Therapy Farm

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September 17, 2026

Letter from the editor

Fall into festival season

all has become synonymous with festival season at the Jersey Shore. Our calendars fill with street fairs, seafood festivals, art walks, craft shows, and harvest celebrations. Every weekend offers another reason to get outside, explore a neighboring town, and enjoy the local creativity, music, and community spirit. The Shore may be known for the summer season, but locals know that September and October are among the best months of the year. The crowds thin, parking is easy, and the temperatures remain warm. Soon we will be trading beach chairs for hayrides and water ice for apple cider — though the warm weather often sticks around long enough to enjoy both. One of the things I love most about festivals is the opportunity to experience familiar places in a new way. A street we drive down every day suddenly lines up with artists, musicians, and food vendors. A quiet park fills with laughing children, neighbors catching up, and local organizations sharing their missions. Historic sites, marinas, farms, downtown

The 47th annual Good Old Days Festival was held last weekend at Kennedy Park, featuring a classic car show, live music, magician performances, food, vendors, kids’ activities and more. Photo by Alex Corson districts, and boardwalks transform into gathering places for car shows, walks, and runs. This upcoming weekend of Sept. 19-20 alone offers so much to take in: ● Ventnor Seafood Fest (Saturday & Sunday) ● Egg Harbor Township Spirit of 1776 Festival (Saturday & Sunday) ● Absecon CreekFest (Saturday) ● Smithville Italian Festival (Saturday) ● Somers Point Art in the Park (Saturday)

Issue 405

●

Atlantic City Arts Foundation 48 Blocks (Saturday)

What used to be considered the shoulder season at the Shore is now prime season, in more ways than one. Festival season is especially vital for our local businesses and nonprofit organizations. For a small shop, restaurant, artist, or crafter, a single busy weekend can introduce their work to hundreds of new people. For a nonprofit, it provides a valu-

able chance to recruit volunteers, raise funds, or raise awareness for a worthy cause. Every purchase, conversation, and interaction can make a meaningful impact. These events also remind us of the value of connecting face-to-face. In a world dominated by screens, festivals encourage us to meet one another. We bump into old friends, meet new neighbors, and discover local talent. Some of my favorite festival memories are the unexpected moments: hearing a great band around a corner, finding a unique handmade gift, or watching a child’s face light up during a parade. As you look through this week’s edition, you will find plenty of opportunities to enjoy the season. Bring your family, invite a friend, and consider visiting an event you have never experienced before. Summer may receive most of the attention, but festival season brings together everything we love about South Jersey: tradition, creativity, good food, live music, and a strong sense of community. I hope to see you out there.

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From horse racing to redevelopment: AC Race Course property sold

rating both residential and commercial uses. ore than a decade after Single-family homes are not part of the the final horses crossed company's current the finish line, the forvision, while other mer Atlantic City Race Course is moving closer to an entirely forms of housing could new identity. be developed alongPatriot Equities, a real estate side businesses that complement activity development firm based in Wayne, Pennsylvania, has purchased approxgenerated by Amazon's imately 110 acres of the historic Mays neighboring facility. No Landing property, including the forformal construction mer racetrack and grandstand area. timeline has been anThe acquisition comes as Amazon nounced. moves forward with plans for a masSome pieces of sive fulfillment center on the other the race course's past portion of the former race course. could potentially surTogether, the deals could bring vive the transformasome of the most significant changes tion. to the property since the track closed Kolar has said Patriin 2015. ot is considering pre- The Atlantic City Race Course opened in 1946. Patriot purchased its approxiserving the pond in the mately 110-acre parcel from Greencenter of the former track, potentially tistory proposal this year in favor of a wood ACRA, which had owned the incorporating it as a feature within a sprawling single-story design. race course for more than two defuture residential development. The An Amazon affiliate completed cades. The sale price has not been company is also examining whether its acquisition of its portion of the disclosed. Greenwood purchased the portions of the grandstand could be property Sept. 2, according to reports preserved, although no final decision roughly 255-acre race course propciting Atlantic County Clerk records. has been made. erty for $13 million in 2001, originally Hamilton Township has also apenvisioning an off-track betting facilThe sale follows major movement proved a 29-year payment-in-lieuity that was never built. on the other portion of the sprawling of-taxes agreement for the Amazon Patriot CEO Erik Kolar told the property. project. Township officials have said the development could generate millions of dollars in annual revenue while putting a property that has sat largely dormant for years back into productive use. For longtime South Jersey residents, however, the land carries a history that stretches far beyond warehouses and redevelopment plans. The Atlantic City Race Course opened in 1946 and became one of the region's premier entertainment destinations. Olympic rowing champion and prominent Philadelphia businessman John B. Kelly Sr., father of actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly, was instrumental in its founding. Entertainment legends including Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope were among the track's early It has been over a decade since the final horses crossed the race course's finish line. investors. Philadelphia Business Journal that the Amazon plans to construct a At its height, the race course drew company had initially considered buyroughly 1.2-million-square-foot fulfillthousands of spectators and hosted dozens of racing days each year. The ing the entire property before learnment center on the former stable and ing that Amazon was also interested paddock area. An interior mezzanine property also became part of music in the site. The land was ultimately is expected to bring the building's history in August 1969 when more divided, creating separate areas for total operational space to more than than 100,000 people reportedly deAmazon and Patriot to develop. 2 million square feet, with approxiscended on the site for the Atlantic Patriot is now considering a mately 750 full-time jobs anticipated. City Pop Festival, held just weeks mixed-use redevelopment incorpoThe company revised its earlier mulbefore Woodstock. By Sarah Fertsch

But racing steadily declined in the decades that followed. Greenwood Racing acquired the property in 2001, and the track increasingly relied on simulcasting while reducing its live racing schedule. The final races were held in January 2015. Since then, proposals for the property have included everything from offices and retail development to entertainment attractions and other commercial uses, but none resulted in a large-scale transformation. That is poised to change. Amazon's project will reshape a substantial portion of the former track, while Patriot's purchase places the recognizable grandstands, oval and infield in the hands of a developer considering an entirely different mix of uses. Hamilton Township's 2024 redevelopment plan was created specifically to encourage comprehensive redevelopment of the long-dormant property, which municipal officials have identified as an opportunity to strengthen the township's commercial and residential base. Details about exactly what Patriot will build — and how much of the old race course will remain recognizable — are still to come. But after 11 years of watching the grandstands sit empty, the latest sale signals that the next chapter for one of South Jersey's most storied properties may finally be taking shape. Sarah Fertsch of Egg Harbor Township holds a Bachelors of Arts in Public Relations. She is a locally renowned poet, storyteller, and dog lover.

September 17, 2026

Unusually calm Atlantic still holds potential for lateseason storms

By Cindy Christy Fertsch

he Atlantic hurricane season has reached its traditional peak without producing a single hurricane, an exceptionally rare stretch of inactivity that meteorologists caution could end quickly. Five tropical systems have strengthened enough to receive names this season, but none developed sustained winds of at least 74 mph, the threshold for a hurricane. The Atlantic has not gone this late into hurricane season without one since 1941. The season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, with activity typically peaking around Sept. 10. Although the first half has been remarkably calm, forecasters emphasize that more than two months remain. Before the season began, the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted below-normal activity, including three to six hurricanes. The forecast was based

September 17, 2026

largely on the development pressure can determine whethof El Niño, a climate pattern er a disturbance collapses or that often suppresses tropical quickly becomes a dangerous activity across the Atlantic. hurricane. Even so, the complete abOnly four Atlantic seasons sence of hurricanes through on record have ended with no peak season has been surprismore than one hurricane. The ing. 1905 and 1926 seasons each El Niño typically increasproduced one, while no hurries vertical wind shear over canes formed in 1907 or 1914. portions of the Atlantic and In 1905, the season’s only hurriCaribbean. Wind shear occurs cane did not develop until Oct. when wind speed or direction 8. The first hurricane of the 1941 changes at different levels of season formed Sept. 21. the atmosphere. Strong shear Warm Atlantic waters recan disrupt a developing tropmain another reason for cauical system by separating its tion. Limited cloud cover has thunderstorms from its center allowed ocean temperatures to of circulation. rise in recent weeks, creating a Although the first half of hurricane season has been remarkably calm, there are still more than two months That pattern has repeat- remaining. large reservoir of energy that edly prevented storms from could support rapid strengthbecoming better organized The same weather pattern that time to prepare. ening if atmospheric conditions this year. Tropical disturbances that limits storm development can someHurricane Andrew remains one of become more favorable. might otherwise have strengthened times create short openings during the most devastating examples of a The National Hurricane Center have encountered upper-level winds, which conditions become favorable. A quiet season turning deadly. Andrew does not expect a hurricane to form dry air or other unfavorable conditions. tropical system entering one of those did not develop until August 1992, but in the immediate future. However, it rapidly intensified into a Category 5 A broad area of Saharan dust crossopenings could strengthen rapidly, historical patterns demonstrate that hurricane before striking South Floriing the Atlantic has also limited develparticularly if it is already close to the tropical activity can increase quickly United States. opment. The hot, dry air surrounding da. The storm destroyed entire neighduring the final weeks of September the dust can suppress thunderstorms That possibility is especially conborhoods and left tens of thousands or in October. and make it difficult for tropical syscerning during El Niño years because of people without homes. For residents along the East and tems to build the sustained convection storms may develop in the Gulf of MexForecasting technology has imGulf coasts, the message from foreneeded to intensify. ico, Caribbean Sea or western Atlantic proved considerably since then, but casters remains: A slow beginning Those conditions, however, should rather than traveling for days across predicting rapid intensification redoes not guarantee a safe season, and not give coastal residents a false sense the open ocean. Systems forming closmains difficult. Small changes in wind hurricane preparations should remain in place through Nov. 30. of security. er to land can leave residents with less shear, moisture and atmospheric

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Protesters arrested during Atlantic City demonstration over ICE activity

City Mayor Marty Small Sr. said the city is not opposed to the “The law cannot only Hispanic community and emapply to the people holdphasized the city's diversity. ing the cameras,” Cristian “This is an unfortunate situation, and I want to be Moreno-Rodriguez, executive director of El Pueblo clear that, as mayor, and with Unido Atlantic City, said at respect to the Atlantic City a Monday, Sept. 14 press Police Department, we do not conference. “Review the have jurisdiction or authority traffic cameras. Review over federal law enforcement operations. While we may not our footage. Review ICE’s driving. Show everything.” agree with the tactics being The conference was used, there is nothing within held outside of the Atour legal authority that allows lantic City Police Departus to intervene in federal ment, the same location Local immigrant-rights groups and community members gathered to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations,” Small said. “Our where a Saturday, Sept. activity in Atlantic City responsibility is to continue serving and protecting all 12 demonstration ended Atlantic City residents, regardless with an altercation, and the arrests department respects the constituEl Pueblo Unido. Organizers alleged of Moreno-Rodriguez and five others. tional right to peacefully protest, but that ICE vehicles had been driving of background or nationality, and to El Pueblo Unido, along with other demonstrations cannot block access dangerously through the city and said ensure that every member of our comlocal immigrant-rights groups and to a public safety facility or interfere police stopped volunteers who were munity knows that they are valued.” community members, gathered to with the public's ability to obtain police following and documenting the vehiHe added that the city’s police protest Immigration and Customs Enservices. cles rather than intervening. department is not notified by federal A video posted on social media by forcement activity and what organizauthorities when ICE operations are ers described as cooperation between The reason behind the the organization shows Moreno-Rodriplanned in Atlantic City. federal immigration authorities and guez speaking through a megaphone El Pueblo Unido and its allies are protest local police. El Pueblo Unido, an Atlantic Cityon the steps of the Public Safety Buildcalling for an impartial investigation According to police, the demonbased immigrant-rights organization ing while demonstrators chanted “ICE into the actions of two Atlantic City stration initially was peaceful before a that organized the demonstration, Out.” police officers and their alleged indispute involving several people broke disputes the department's characterThe clip shows an officer instructteractions with ICE during the earlier incident. They are also demanding an out within the crowd. Officers leaving ization of the protest and condemned ing the demonstrators to move to the the Public Safety Building to respond the arrests in a Sept. 14 statement. side because they could not remain end to what they perceive as cooperaencountered protesters who had tion between ICE and the Atlantic City moved into the street, while another Police Department and the dismissal demonstrator was in a designated of the charges stemming from Saturaccess area that police said needed to day's protest. remain clear for officers and members At a Monday, Sept. 14 press conof the public. ference, Moreno-Rodriguez said the Police said officers ordered the group plans to continue demonstratgroup to clear the street and access ing weekly at the location where the point, and several people who allegedarrests occurred until organizers ly refused were arrested. believe their concerns have been adInvestigators also identified and dressed. charged individuals believed to have “ICE has guns. We have cameras, participated in the original altercation. and those cameras have documented One person suffered minor injuries and something the press needs to unwas taken to AtlantiCare Regional derstand: ICE is operating throughMedical Center for treatment before out Atlantic City with impunity,” Moreno-Rodriguez said. “Our rapid later being issued a summons. A press conference was held outside of the Atlantic City Police Department on Monday, Those charged were identified responders have documented vehicles Sept. 14, the same location where the demonstration took place. by police as Diana Chaparro, 50, of involved with ICE, driven by ICE agents, Hammonton, with simple assault; Jose The organization said the protest in the middle. Moreno-Rodriguez rerunning red lights, blowing stop signs, Salazar, 18, of Princeton, with simple was intended to call attention to what sponded that the area was a public making dangerous maneuvers, and disassault and illegal possession of a it described as ongoing cooperation space and told the officer to move the regarding traffic laws while attemptgroup. chemical device identified as pepper between local police and ICE, and to ing to evade community members spray; Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez, 31, demand that immigrant families be The organization said his arrest, documenting their operations. That of Atlantic City, with obstruction of able to live without fear of separation. along with the arrests of other demmatters.” justice; Keli Smith, 41, of Egg Harbor Organizers also said community memonstrators, followed. El Pueblo Unido said the defenTownship, with obstruction of justice bers should be able to document immiOrganizers also said a person dants' charges remain allegations and threatened people attending the that organizers would not litigate the and resisting arrest; Anthony Diaz, 30, gration enforcement activity and alert demonstration and that witnesses disputed facts through the press. Poof Newark, with obstruction of jusresidents without police interference. tice; and Devon Barber, 28, of Atlantic The protest followed an incident attempted to get police to intervene. lice likewise noted that all charges are City, with a complaint charging simple earlier in the week involving volunThey said the alleged lack of response accusations and that each defendant assault. teers who were documenting ICE contributed to tensions at the protest. is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Police Chief James Sarkos said the activity in Atlantic City, according to In a statement Monday, Atlantic By Julia Train

September 17, 2026

Multi-day Events

Events and Happenings

Downbeach Seafood Festival Saturday, Sept. 19 & Sunday, Sept. 20, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Ski Beach, Ventnor This two-day event offers food, craft beer, live music, and family fun. Attendees will enjoy chef-led cooking demos, interactive exhibits, and locally crafted art. Adding to the excitement is the Oyster Tour of the Shore, and the always popular Chowder Cook-Off, with proceeds benefiting the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Visit www.downbeachseafoodfest.com for tickets and more information. Spirit of 1776 Celebration

▶Friday, Sept. 18 – Sunday, Sept. 20

Veterans Memorial Park, 2153 Ocean Heights Avenue, Egg Harbor Township Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of America and the spirit of our nation at this one-of-a-kind event. Festivities will include a Patriot Parade, live musical guests and performances, kite flying competition, and fireworks. The celebration will be held Friday from 6:30 – 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Sunday starting at 12 – 2 p.m. Admission is free. Visit

www.1776sjc.org for the complete schedule of events.

Friday, September 18

JCC Active Adult & Senior Expo

▶9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Katz JCC, 501 N. Jerome Avenue, Margate Celebrate the older adult community and connect with friends in a welcoming atmosphere while learning about programs, resources, and services tailored to your lifestyle. There will be active aging vendors, health and wellness screenings, flu shots, and giveaways. The expo is free to attend. Spirit of 1776: An Evening to Remember

▶6:30 – 9 p.m.

Egg Harbor Township Community Center, 5045 English Creek Avenue The Spirit of 1776 Celebration kicks off Friday with an opening ceremony and concert to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of America. Enjoy a special performance by The Children’s Choir of South Jersey. The program is free to attend.

Saturday, September 19

Ocean City Surf Fishing Tournament

▶7:30 a.m.

Ocean City Intermediate School,

1801 Bay Avenue The Ocean City Fishing Club will host their 57th Annual Surf Fishing Tournament. More than a hundred anglers will head to the beach for a full day of fishing, friendly competition and camaraderie. Registration will open at 5:30 a.m. at the Intermediate School. For more information, please email dheisley75@gmail.com. Ocean City Airport Festival

▶10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Ocean City Airport, 26th Street and Bay Avenue This annual festival is perfect for families and aviation enthusiasts of all ages. Features include a ground display of unusual airplanes ranging from World War II planes to Classics and Warbirds. The event will also feature a parachute jump from Team Fastrax. Spirit of 1776 Celebration

▶9 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Veterans Memorial Park, 2153 Ocean Heights Avenue, Egg Harbor Township Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of America and the spirit of our nation at this one-of-a-kind event. The festivities will start at 9 a.m. Patriot Parade along Ocean Heights Avenue, followed by an inaugural ceremony at

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10:30. There will be free entertainment all day long with live musical guests and performances, special ceremonies, and a fireworks extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. Visit www.1776sjc. org for the complete schedule of events. Smithville Italian Festival

▶10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Historic Smithville Grab your family and friends and head out to Smithville for a spectacular fun-filled day, featuring three stages of live entertainment, up to 80 craft vendors, over a dozen food vendors, wine samplings, a beer tent, Bocce court, face painting, and a 50/50 raffle. The festival is free to attend. Somers Point Art in the Park

▶10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

John F. Kennedy Park Join the Somers Point Arts Commission for their annual Art in the Park Festival. This outdoor event features an art exhibit and sale of fine art painting and photography. In addition, there will be music throughout the day, a Children’s Art Exhibit from students in the Somers Point Schools, art activities, food, and much more. Awards will be given and include a People’s Choice award. The festival is free and open to the public. 48 Blocks Festival

▶12 – 8 p.m.

Uptown Park and Fisherman’s Park, 420 Melrose Avenue, Atlantic City The Atlantic City Arts Foundation is setting the stage for their free, allday, all ages festival. Celebrate the city’s creative spirit with two stages of live music, theater, and poetry, alongside mural demonstrations, art activities, food, vendors, and community

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Join Us Every Sunday 9am-1pm June 7 thru October 11, 2026 Atlantic County Library Grounds 1 Swift Drive, EHT For vendor and market information, visit www.littlepawscrafts.com

September 17, 2026

resources. The event is free to attend. Visit www.atlanticcityartsfoundation. org/48blocks for more information. Absecon CreekFest

▶2 – 7 p.m.

Faunce Landing Join Absecon Community Affairs for their annual event, featuring dozens of food trucks, drinks, and family fun in celebration of 250th anniversary of America. Attendees will enjoy live music by the Motts Creek Pickerd and Brandon Ireland Band, along with an array of activities and bayside fun. The Righteous Brothers with the Ocean City Pops

▶7:30 p.m.

Ocean City Music Pier, 825 Boardwalk Join the Ocean City Pops for a soul-stirring, nostalgic night of music at the Lovin’ Feelin’ Farewell Tour of the legendary Righteous Brothers. The show promises a captivating musical experience as Bill Medley and Bucky Heard span their combined catalogs focusing on the early days of rock and roll, the Blue-Eyed Soul era, all the way to Dirty Dancing. Tickets are available at www.oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice. Huge Yard Sale

▶8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Historic Risley Homestead, 8 Virginia Avenue, Northfield Join the Atlantic County Historical

Society for a yard sale this Saturday. Items are priced to sell with proceeds benefitting historical programs and initiatives. Enjoy free tours of the Historic Risley Homestead. Botanical Walk

▶9:30 a.m.

Birch Grove Park, 1675 Burton Avenue, Northfield Join the Native Plant Society Southeast Chapter this Saturday for a botanical walk through Birch Grove Park. Michael Stanton, one of the state’s most active and knowledgeable field botanists, will lead the group. Bring your camera, curiosity, and willingness to learn. Visit www. npsnj.org for more information or email southeast@npsnj.org. Tai Chi at the Library

▶10 a.m.

Longport Library, 2305 Atlantic Avenue Wake up your body with a gentle Tai Chi flow meant to improve balance, mobility, flexibility and coordination. Participants are encouraged to wear loose, comfortable athletic clothing. Please call 609-487-7403 to register or learn more. Parachute Pyrotechnic Show

▶8 p.m.

Ocean City Boardwalk The highly-trained and specially licensed Team Fastrax will lead a high-flying demonstration six-thou-

sand feet above the Ocean City Beach and Boardwalk, which will feature a dazzling display of pyrotechnics for spectators. The group will then land at Seventh Street Beach. The show will be viewable along the entire Boardwalk.

Sunday, September 20

Egg Harbor Township Community Farmers Market

▶9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

1 Swift Drive EHT’s farmers market features dozens of local vendors and businesses, amazing food, local crafters, and more. The market is open weekly through mid-October. Risley Square Farmers Market

▶9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

319 E. Jimmie Leeds Road, Galloway Shop for fresh produce, homemade goods, fresh baked treats, and more every Sunday at Risley Square. This vibrant outdoor market features dozens of local businesses and vendors. Explore the market every Sunday through Sept. 27. Boardwalk Aerobatic Show

▶1 p.m.

Ocean City Beach and Boardwalk Witness some of the best stunt pilots and aerobatic champions in the world, along with Coast Guard and military demonstrations at this an-

nual air show, perfect for families of all ages. The show can be seen along the Beach and Boardwalk from Sixth to Fourteenth Streets. Atlantic City Kite Festival

▶2 – 7 p.m.

Bader Field Join the City of Atlantic City’s Multicultural Services as they host a day of high-flying fun with family and friends. Enjoy an afternoon of kite flying, along with music and entertainment, food, and more.

Monday, September 21 Music Bingo at the Library

▶6:30 p.m.

Longport Library, 2305 Atlantic Avenue Grab your family and friends and join the library for a fun-filled evening of music bingo with prizes and great company. Please call 609-487-7403 to register or learn more. Monday Night Jazz Series

▶7 p.m.

Gregory’s, 900 Shore Road, Somers Point The South Jersey Jazz Society marks the return of its Monday Night Jazz Series with an evening of Straight-Ahead Jazz and Beyond by The Behn Gillece Quintet. New Jersey native Gillece leads this exciting

↘Continued on 14

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↘Continued from 13 quintet on the vibraphone, along with Willie Morris on tenor sax, Neil Podgurski on piano, bass by Madison Rast, and Wayne Smith on the drums. Admission is $20 at the door and $15 for Jazz Society members. Seating is first come, first served.

Tuesday, September 22 Sinatra Concert at the Library

▶6:30 p.m.

Longport Library, 2305 Atlantic Avenue Join your friends and neighbors at the library for a live musical concert featuring the songs of Sinatra. Please call 609-487-7403 to register or learn more. Senior Dance Society

▶7 – 9:30 p.m.

Somers Point Fire Co. No. 1, 447 Bethel Road Join in the fun and enjoy an evening of dancing with live music duos every Tuesdays. Activities include social dancing, line dancing, dance mixers and more. For more information, contact Sharon at kookiecar@ yahoo.com.

Wednesday, September 23

OCHS Surf Team Fundraiser

▶5 – 8 p.m. DiOrio’s

Join the Ocean City High School Surf Team as they host their upcoming fundraiser. The event will include a buffet with buffalo tenders, meatballs, penne, salad, and drinks. $35 per person at the door.

Thursday, September 24 St. Vincent de Paul Golf Classic

▶1 p.m.

Blue Heron Pines Golf Club, 550 Country Club Drive, Galloway Join St. Vincent de Paul Regional School for their 25th Annual Golf Classic. Grab your clubs and support a great cause. Whether you are a seasoned pro or weekend warrior, every swing, sponsorship, and gift supports the students as they grow in faith, knowledge and community. Registration and lunch will be held at 11:30 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Visit www.saintvincentdepaulevents.com to sign up or learn more.

Friday, September 25 Smithville Car Cruise

▶5 – 8 p.m.

Historic Smithville, 615 E. Moss Mill Road Cruise over to Smithville and hang out with fellow car enthusiasts. Drive to the side parking lot of the Village Green near the red-covered bridge and look for the orange cones set up.

Move a cone and park your ride. Visit www.historicsmithville.com for more information.

Wednesday, September 30

Beyond the Bookshelf: Brunch with Zeeva Bukai

▶10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Shirat Hayam, 700 N. Swarthmore Avenue, Ventnor Join JFS Village for brunch and discussion with author Zeeva Bukai as she relates her family’s history through difficult times in the book ‘Anatomy of an Exile’. RSVP is required by Sept. 22. Please call 609287-8872 or email tserota@jfsatlantic.org to sign up or learn more.

Health and Wellness Yoga in the Park

▶Monday – Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

O’Donnell Memorial Park, Atlantic City Find your balance with free yoga classes through October. Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced practitioner, these relaxing outdoor sessions offer the perfect way to unwind, recharge, and improve flexibility. The class is open to all ages and experience levels and is free to attend. Yoga mats are provided. Classes are hosted by Chelsea EDC. For more information, call Halim at 640-282-5359. Depression and Anxiety Group

▶Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m.

Atlantic Community Wellness Center, 1125 Atlantic Avenue Suite 617, Atlantic City This weekly in-person support group is offered to individuals seeking coping strategies, mutual support, self-care, wellness, and recovery. Meetings are led by peers who have lived experience. No cost to participate. Offered by the Mental Health Association in Atlantic County. For more information, call 609-6523800 or email jgimbel@mhanj.org. Planning Ahead with Heart Lunch and Learn

▶Wednesday, Sept. 23, 12 – 2 p.m.

Cancer Support Community, 700 New Road, Linwood NJHealth Hospice and Palliative Care will present a special Lunch and Learn program entitled ‘A Final Gift: Planning Ahead with Compassion and Clarity’. The program will be presented by a regional clinical liaison who will address common myths and concerns about hospice and explain how care options can support quality of life while circumstances change. Registration is required by calling 609-926-2699. Fall Flu Vaccine Clinics

▶Thursday, Sept. 24, 4 – 7 p.m.

Shore Physicians Group, 401 Bethel Road, Somers Point

Photo credit: The Downbeach Seafood Festival Facebook SPG will host its first of two vaccine clinics, offering adults a convenient way to get vaccinated ahead of flu season, available for adults 18 and older, including vaccines specifically recommended for adults age 65 and older. Individuals at higher risk for complications from the flu are encouraged to speak with their primary care provider. Please call 609-3656200 to schedule an appointment. Dementia Support Group

▶Wednesday, Oct. 1, 1:30 p.m.

Egg Harbor Township Community Center, 5045 English Creek Avenue Held on the first and third Wednesday of every month from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Call Diane Conover at 609-402-6966 for more information. NAMI Connections and Family Support Groups

▶Monday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m.

St. Joseph Church, 606 Shore Road, Somers Point NAMI of Atlantic/Cape May offers free self-help, peer led support groups for family members, caregivers, and friends of individuals over the age of 18 living with a mental illness. Family Support and Connections groups meet on the second Monday of each month. Please visit www. namiacm.org for further information.

Community Initiatives Warm Hearts for Veterans

▶Now – Oct. 15

Wesley by the Bay’s is asking for the support of local businesses, vendors, and community members by donating new winter clothing and essential items. The donations will benefit homeless veterans throughout Atlantic and Cape May Counties. Suggested new donations include men’s or women’s winter coats, socks, gloves, hats, scarves, thermal shirts, hand and foot warmers, backpacks, and gift cards to McDonald’s, 7-Eleven, or Dunkin’. To learn more, please contact Kathy Speer at 609399-6702 or email kspeer@umccomminities.org. Do you have an upcoming event? Let us know about it! Submit your next event to shorelocalevents@ gmail.com.

September 17, 2026

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Absecon schools expand therapy animal program with new on-campus farm

By Sarah Fertsch

t Absecon Public Schools, a student having a difficult day might step outside the classroom and find something unexpected waiting just a few feet away: two goats and two sheep. The district’s new Therapy Animal Farm is home to Nigerian dwarf goats VanGoat and Goatzart and babydoll sheep Midnight and Marshmallow, four furry additions whose names were chosen with help from students, staff and the community. The animals arrived on the Absecon school campus in May, giving them time to acclimate to their new environment before the district began expanding student programming around them during the summer. Absecon Public Schools describes the project as the first therapy farm of its kind at a New Jersey public school. But Superintendent Dr. Daniel Dooley is quick to make an important distinction. “It’s not a petting zoo,” Dooley said. Instead, the farm is the latest evolution of Absecon’s years-long

work with therapy animals, designed to give educators, counselors and specialists another tool to support students academically, socially and emotionally. The idea grew from more than a decade of Dooley’s experience with therapy dogs, first in another district and later in Absecon. Therapy dogs became part of Absecon Public Schools after Dooley arrived as superintendent in 2018, with animals incorporated into literacy programs, counseling, physical therapy, self-contained classrooms, behavioral incentives and the district’s Reset Rooms. Dooley said those experiences encouraged the district to look more broadly at the connection between children and animals. District officials researched animal-assisted interventions, visited farms and traveled to Green Chimneys in New York, where a therapeutic educational setting uses animals and farm environments extensively

in its work with children. “There was just no denying that there is something special there for certain subpopulations of children,” Dooley said. Before moving forward, the district sent board members and staff to observe programs and learn about the research behind animal-assisted interventions. Staff also visited multiple farms as they learned the practical side of caring for goats and sheep. “I grew up in a townhome,” Dool-

ey joked. “I didn’t know much about what it took to take care of a sheep or a goat.” That meant finding people who did. Green Chimneys began providing professional development for members of Absecon’s Child Study Team in May 2026. Shelby McCardell, owner of Straight Shot Farm in Egg Harbor City, has advised the district on animal care, while Dayna Troiano of Dayna Troiano Pet Services provides training for the animals and handlers. Dr. Rachel Scotland-Aschenbach, one of the owners of Absecon Veterinary Hospital, donates her time to provide veterinary care for the farm animals, while Merck Pharmaceuticals has donated their vaccinations and medications. “It's just been an amazing collaboration,” Dooley said.

A farm in the middle of a school campus

The result sits along the athletic side of the Absecon school campus, tucked into an enclosed area close to

September 17, 2026

classrooms at the Marsh Elementary and Attales Middle School complex. The animals have two barns, fenced outdoor space, play and climbing areas and specialized water systems. One barn measures about 20 by 16 feet, and Dooley said the enclosure gives the four animals roughly four times the recommended amount of space. The water system allows the animals to activate a fountain when they need a drink, with water immediately draining rather than sitting in a shared container. That reduces the risk of cross-contamination while helping prevent water from becoming excessively warm in summer or freezing during winter. Facilities Secretary and Therapy Farm Caretaker Kelci Allen said the animals are already showing very different personalities. The goats, she said, can almost resemble dogs in their eagerness for human attention. Because they were bottle-fed, they are accustomed to close contact with people and often seek out petting, scratches and interaction. The sheep are a little more independent. “We kind of speak of them like cats,” Allen said. “They do what they want when they want.” Marshmallow was bottle-fed and

was initially more outgoing, while Midnight took more time to become comfortable. Now, Allen said, both will approach students, walk alongside them and make it clear when they would like attention — and when they are ready for some space. Understanding those signals is part of the experience. Students from preschool through eighth grade can participate in the program, but time at the farm is purposeful and requires parental permission. Permission forms also identify allergies or other concerns that could affect a child’s participation. “Education is not one size fits all,” Dooley said. “This may not be for everyone, and that’s okay.” The farm, he said, is another resource available when it makes sense for an individual child.

Turning four animals into motivation

For some students, simply earning a trip to see VanGoat, Goatzart, Midnight and Marshmallow can be a powerful incentive. Taylor D'Augustine, behavior specialist for Absecon Public Schools, said she has worked with students who struggle with following directions, communicating their needs or regulating their emotions. One strategy involves a puzzle

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depicting one of the farm animals. When a child successfully meets a behavioral goal, another puzzle piece is earned. Once the animal is complete, the student earns a visit to the farm. The incentive proved memorable enough that students returned to school already asking about it. “I already have students coming up to me from last year saying that they’re ready to build their puzzle and do it again,” D'Augustine said. At H.A. Marsh Elementary School, counselor Mary Alvarado said time with therapy animals is also offered through “Marshy’s Market,” the school’s positive reinforcement program. Students earn tickets for positive behavior and can select among different rewards. Spending time with the therapy animals, Alvarado said, is the “number one seller.” The animals may also provide motivation for students struggling with attendance. Knowing that an interaction with an animal awaits them can give a child something positive to anticipate when coming to school. Alvarado also uses therapy animals while working with students on empathy, responsibility, self-control and positive interactions with others. “They’re part of our Marsh family,” she said.

The farm is also beginning to move beyond behavioral rewards and counseling. One of the district’s self-contained classes has expressed interest in helping care for the animals as part of life-skills instruction. Staff are exploring ways students can practice following directions, communicating appropriately, waiting, interacting with peers and learning the daily responsibilities involved in caring for animals. D'Augustine said the outdoor environment can also offer another setting for students who may find the traditional classroom distracting or challenging.

Building on results with therapy dogs

The concept is new, but Dooley said Absecon is building it on lessons learned from years of using therapy dogs. According to internal data cited by Dooley, when a child experiencing a meltdown or crisis had access to a therapy dog, staff were able to help the child return to class in under three minutes. Without a therapy animal available, he said, the process took more than 17 minutes. The district also observed an ac-

↘Continued on 18

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↘Continued from 17 ademic difference among students participating in its therapy-dog-supported literacy efforts. Dooley said about 80% of participating students reached their end-of-year benchmark, compared with fewer than 40% of a comparison group without the same therapy-animal incentive. Absecon’s therapy dog program has changed over the past year. Skye retired in June 2025 and died earlier this year. His sister, Hope, retired in June after nearly nine years as a working therapy dog. During her career, Hope logged 1,383 visits at schools and other community facilities, according to the district. The district’s current therapy dog is Luna, another Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, who completed her certification this spring and began working with students. The farm gives Absecon an opportunity to determine how some of the benefits it has seen with dogs might translate to a very different animal-assisted setting. For Dooley, one part of the benefit may simply be leaving the physical space where a student became upset. He compared it with Absecon’s Reset Rooms, which give children in distress an opportunity to enter a different environment with multisensory tools designed to promote calm. At the farm, that separation can be even more pronounced. A child can leave a classroom and, within a few steps, be “out in the middle of four animals and something unrecognizable from a school, but also part of the school,” Dooley said.

Keeping students and animals safe

That does not mean students simply walk outside and begin petting

the animals. Safety is a central part of the program, Dooley said. Absecon is using what the Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals, or AAAIP, calls a “Diamond Model” for animal-assisted interventions. Under that approach, a trained staff member focuses on the student and the educational, behavioral, social or emotional goal of the interaction, while a separate caretaker focuses on the animal’s needs and behavior. That differs from a “Triangle Model,” in which one handler may have responsibility for both the student and animal at the same time. “We send a caretaker out there of the animals at the same time,” Dooley explained. “The caretaker is advocating for the animals, and the licensed staff member is advocating for the child.” Absecon has approximately 10 to 15 people involved in caretaking duties. During the school day, staff members are available to feed and check on the animals, while an evening rotation ensures someone returns to check water, hay and the animals’ condition. Handlers have also completed a proctored exam through AAAIP covering subjects such as animal temperament, safety, health and zoonotic diseases. Dayna Troiano Pet Services works with the animals and handlers, and an outside evaluator observes interactions as part of the certification process. “We’re dealing with people’s most

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prized resources in their children,” Dooley said. “There’s zero room for error.”

Grants and community partners foot the bill

The project has largely been made possible through grants and outside partnerships rather than local tax dollars, according to district officials. Absecon received grants through AtlantiCare and the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation to help establish the farm. Those funds paid for the animals, structures, fencing, water equipment, hay, straw, minerals and other startup needs. Dooley said the district finished the previous school year with approximately $10,000 remaining in the program even after the initial farm had been established. Ongoing veterinary care from Scotland-Aschenbach is donated, while Merck is providing vaccinations and medications. The district has also launched a Therapy Farm T-shirt fundraiser to generate additional support for the program. More than 300 children had already positively interacted with the farm animals during summer programming, including students participating in the district’s STARS summer program and tutoring, according to Dooley.

Recognition beyond the district

Absecon’s work with therapy animals has increasingly taken Dooley beyond the city’s schools. In December 2024, Dooley testified as an expert witness before the New Jersey Assembly Education Committee in Trenton in support of A-1165, proposed legislation that would establish a three-year pilot program to study the academic, social and emotional effects of therapy dogs in elementary schools. The district said Dooley drew on more than a decade of experience with school-based therapy animals while speaking in support of the legislation.

His work also extends to the Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals. Dooley is a founding member of AAAIP, an affiliate of Pet Partners, and has served as its chairperson since 2020. He has presented on therapy animals at education and therapy-dog conferences and helped other schools establish programs of their own. During the Shore Local interview, Dooley said he was scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., the following day for a meeting with U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew regarding the district’s therapy-animal work. Dooley said interest from other educators has continued to grow as well, with Absecon helping dozens of other New Jersey school districts explore therapy-animal programming. That attention is now turning toward the farm.

Learning as the program grows

Absecon is not treating the arrival of four animals as the finished product. The district plans an Oct. 9 professional development program focused on animal-assisted interventions, bringing together experts from organizations and universities around the country. Dooley said school districts from Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties were invited to participate either in person or virtually. Some of the professionals involved in the training have already worked with Absecon staff, including experts who provided professional development earlier this summer. Dooley said he wants staff members to develop an understanding of the farm organically, identifying ways the program fits within their own roles rather than rushing to make the animals part of every aspect of the school day. “The goal,” he said, is to understand what the program can offer and how it can benefit the specific children in front of educators this year — while recognizing that those needs may look different next year. For now, VanGoat, Goatzart, Midnight and Marshmallow are settling into life as some of the most unusual members of the Absecon school community. And sometimes, a student who needs a reset can leave behind desks, hallways and classroom walls and spend a few minutes in a place that feels nothing like school. Even though it is still part of it.

September 17, 2026

FREE FLU SHOTS

from the Atlantic County Division of Public Health available for residents 18 years and older

No appointment necessary

Thursday, Sept. 17 10 AM - 12 Noon

Our Lady of Sorrows Church Maple and Wabash Avenues, Linwood

Monday, Sept. 21 10 AM - 12 Noon

Atlantic County Library 801 Shore Road, Somers Point

Tuesday, Sept. 22 10 AM - 12 Noon

Quaremba Hall, St. Michael’s Church 10 N. Mississippi Avenue, Atlantic City

Wednesday, Sept. 23 10 AM - 12 Noon

Brigantine Presbyterian Church 1501 W. Brigantine Avenue, Brigantine

Thursday, Sept. 24 10 AM - 12 Noon

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 591 New Jersey Avenue, Absecon

Friday, Sept. 25 10 AM - 12 Noon

Atlantic County Library 451 S. Egg Harbor Road, Hammonton

Tuesday, Sept. 29 9:30 AM - 11 AM

Buena Community Center 600 Central Avenue, Buena

Wednesday, Sept. 30 10 AM - 12 Noon

Atlantic County Library 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township

Thursday, Oct. 1 10 AM - 12 Noon

Atlantic Cape Community College 5100 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing

Friday, Oct. 2 10 AM - 12 Noon

Atlantic County Library 306 E. Jimmie Leeds Road, Galloway

Monday, Oct. 5 10 AM - 12 Noon

Atlantic County Library 33 MLK Jr. Ave., Pleasantville

Tuesday, Oct. 6 10 AM - 12 Noon

Atlantic County Library 6500 Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor

From classroom to career: Donna Albano on hospitality, tourism and the next generation Coastal conversations By Alanna Stoloff

ospitality is at the heart of South Jersey’s tourism industry, bringing together hotels, restaurants, events and experiences that welcome visitors from near and far. As a professor of hospitality, tourism and event management studies at Stockton University, Donna Albano is helping prepare the next generation of professionals to succeed in this dynamic industry. Through her teaching and experience, Donna introduces students to the many opportunities within the hospitality industry while encouraging them to view hospitality as a virtue grounded in service, leadership, ethics, respect and a genuine commitment to others. She challenges students to think beyond traditional notions of customer service and consider how thoughtful hospitality

Donna Albano is helping prepare the next generation of hospitality professionals at Stockton University. can create meaningful connections and memorable experiences. Donna shares her perspective on hospitality education, the evolving tourism industry, and the knowledge, professionalism and human connection that contribute to a successful career in the field.

ADULT FLU VACCINATION WALK-IN CLINICS WILL RESUME TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 Every Tuesday, 9 AM - 12 Noon 201 S. Shore Road, Northfield 3rd Tuesday of the month, 10 AM - 12 Noon 310 Bellevue Avenue, Hammonton PEDIATRIC FLU VACCINATIONS Available in Northfield and Hammonton Appointment Required: (609) 645-5933

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September 17, 2026

Here are some excerpts from our Coastal Conversation: AS: What inspired you to pursue a career in hospitality, and eventually become a professor at Stockton University? DA: I pursued my undergraduate degree in hospitality management and my educational journey exposed me to passionate, experienced faculty, amazing industry work experiences and a network of scholarships and support that allowed me to pursue my career in numerous aspects of the industry. My love of learning led me to pursue graduate education and ultimately a career in higher education, where I have been able to bring together two of my passions — hospitality and education. AS: What do you enjoy most about teaching students who are preparing for careers in the hospitality and tourism industry? DA: Like the hospitality industry, every class is different and so are the students. I enjoy the constant learning curve in order to stay relevant and aware of industry trends and needs. AS: What are some of the most important skills students need to succeed in today’s hospitality industry? DA: I could easily rattle off the top skills and competencies employers are seeking in recent college graduates, but I believe that hospitality is a

virtue, not just a professional skill. So I try to embed that hospitality is not just a skillset reserved for our industry. It is a human capability. It is how we build connection, foster belonging and create impact in every space we enter. AS: How has the hospitality and tourism industry changed throughout your career? DA: It’s been a long career, so I have seen a lot of change! The industry has evolved from a primarily service-focused industry to an experience-driven one. Technology, social media, changing guest expectations and personalization have transformed how businesses engage with guests. However, the human element of hospitality — making people feel welcomed, valued and connected — remains essential. AS: What opportunities are available to students interested in careers in hospitality, tourism, events or related fields? DA: The career opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry are endless. These opportunities extend globally and provide transferable skills that allow students to build careers that last a lifetime.

AS: How important is the hospitality industry to the South Jersey shore and its local economy? DA: Hospitality and tourism are part of the economic backbone of South Jersey. The industry creates jobs, supports local businesses, attracts visitors and investment, and contributes to the identity and vitality of our communities AS: Is there a particular student accomplishment or experience from your career as a professor that has made you especially proud? DA: Stockton’s Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management program has a long list of notable graduates with amazing career trajectories and accomplishments. A strong alumni

network is one of the greatest assets of our program. Alumni become mentors, industry partners, guest speakers, internship and employment connections, and ambassadors for the program. AS: What advice would you give to someone considering a career in hospitality, and what do you see ahead for the industry? DA: My advice is that the hospitality industry is a dynamic career with many A.I.-proof elements! For those with a passion for business and service there’s no better industry. Thanks to Donna, for sharing her experience and insight into the world of hospitality and tourism. Her dedication to educating and inspiring future hospitality professionals is helping shape the next generation of leaders in an industry that plays such an important role in our community. Coastal Conversations highlights people in our community who are making a meaningful impact. If you know someone who would be a great fit for a future column, please contact me at ShoreCoastalConversations@ gmail.com. From the shore to your door, let’s keep the conversation going.

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50th reunion brings back memories

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ifty years ago, my wife and I were among the 235 members of the Lower Cape May Regional Class of 1976. Last weekend’s reunion brought hugs and tears as we gathered to remember what was a special time in our lives. We all wore name tags with our yearbook photos attached, but most weren’t necessary. Sure, some of us have lost hair and added a few pounds. A few classmates were

sporting new knees and hips. But if we looked hard enough, through the wrinkles and the gray hair, once we saw the smiles and heard the laughs, the 18-year-old versions of ourselves came through clearer than any yearbook photo. Classmates came from all over to celebrate. Mike McCarty got the award for traveling the farthest, having moved to Thailand about a year ago. Harry Tillotson got the award for traveling the least. He rode his bike to the Friday get-together at the Rusty

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Nail and the Saturday official reunion at the La Mer Resort. Bill Andrews and Debbie (Miller) Cooper came up from Florida. Sharon (Hand) Maloney made the trip from North Carolina. Annarie (Arnold) Van Coesant drove down from New Hampshire. But everyone’s journey was interesting. Whether it was thousands of miles or three blocks, it took 50 years to get there. I’m guessing most of you either weren’t born or were toddlers when we were strolling the halls of Lower Cape May in the mid-70’s. Our hair was long and our pants had bells on the bottoms. We went to school dances almost every Friday night and did “The Bump” to Earth, Wind and Fire, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, and the Jackson Five. Football games were played on Saturday afternoons. “The Wilderness Family” cheering section filled the bleachers for basketball games. The auditorium was packed to see the school play, “Brigadoon.” Girls bought their prom dresses from the Deb Shop in the Rio Mall while guys traveled to the Shore Mall in Pleasantville to rent matching tux’s from Small’s Formal Wear.

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September 17, 2026

“It’s gonna be a while,” Lions coach Dan Campbell told Detroit media. “(Pacheco’s recovery) will be a significant amount of time.” Pacheco, 27, signed a one-year contract worth $1.810 million with Detroit during the offseason after winning two Super Bowls while playing four seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs. The 2018 Vineland graduate has rushed for 2,537 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career while catching 88 passes for 554 yards and Isiah Pacheco of Vineland High School will sit out most of three TDs. the season Jaguars running back are now contemplating having one LeQuint Allen (Millville) was limited to every three years or so. one offensive snap due to a hip injury Whenever we have another one, in last Sunday’s 34-10 victory over the we’ll be sure to bring the name tags. Cleveland Browns. Although we won’t need them. Cowboys safety Marquese Bell Alma Mater by Helen Porter (Bridgeton) registered one tackle in “All glory to our high school, down a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants. by the blue, Atlantic Shore… Packers wide receiver/kick return“Her fame we’ll tell no matter er Bo Melton (Cedar Creek) broke where we go, the Blue and Black, we’ll loose for a 59-yard kickoff return and cherish forevermore. … also caught one pass for 10 yards in a “Ever we’ll praise her, never forget 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Cardinals cornerback Max Melton her. Proudly her colors, we’ll raise on (Cedar Creek), Bo’s younger brother, high… “And so with our hearts staunch had one tackle and two pass defenses and true, we’ll all be loyal to Lower in a 26-14 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Cape High!!!” David is a nationally recognized Local NFL update sports columnist who has covDetroit Lions running back Isiah ered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years Pacheco (Vineland High School) will be forced to miss most of the season with The Press, he has served as a due to a back injury suffered during columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, the preseason. Dave Weinberg Extra Points. According to NFL.com, Pacheco will miss at least 12 weeks after unSend comments to weinbergd419@ dergoing surgery. comcast.net.

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Atlantic City’s historic Steel Pier listed for $85 million

By Cindy Christy Fertsch

ne of Atlantic City’s most recognizable landmarks is on the market, creating a rare opportunity to purchase an operating amusement park, a sizable section of oceanfront real estate and the right to build farther into the Atlantic Ocean. Steel Pier has been listed for $85 million after 15 years under the ownership of the Catanoso family. The property sits directly across the Boardwalk from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and occupies approximately 5.2 acres over the ocean. The New York Post first reported the listing Wednesday, Sept. 16. The existing pier is about 150 feet wide and 965 feet long, according to marketing materials. A perpetual riparian grant allows the structure to extend as far as 2,850 feet into the Atlantic, nearly three times its current length. The listing also indicates that the existing pier could potentially be widened by 25%. “How often does someone get to own a piece of the ocean?” listing

broker Ryan Serhant told the New York Post. Serhant, Michele Zyska and Kevin Bergin of the real estate brokerage SERHANT. are handling the sale. The offering includes the operating amusement park, its rides and games, food and beverage businesses, a helipad and an approximately 40,000-square-foot building at the Boardwalk entrance. A sky bridge provides access between that building and the convention level of Hard Rock. Listing materials state that the pier’s steel-reinforced concrete structure is anchored approximately 90 feet into bedrock. The structure remained intact through Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The property received approvals and permits in 2008 for a condo-hotel and entertainment complex, according to the brokers. Those plans were never carried out, but the earlier approvals illustrate the broader development possibilities

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associated with the site. Any future project would be subject to current regulatory requirements and government approvals. Serhant has suggested that a hotel and residential project could take advantage of the property’s location over the ocean. Other possibilities raised by the brokers include a music venue, resort, entertainment complex or mixed-use development. The pier, however, is more than a development site. Its history stretches across 128 years of Atlantic City entertainment.

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Steel Pier opened June 18, 1898, after construction began the previous year. Sharpshooter Annie Oakley was among the featured attractions during its opening season, according to a CBS News account of the pier’s history. Built at Virginia Avenue, the original pier used iron pilings, steel girders and concrete at a time when many ocean piers were constructed primarily from wood. It was initially about 1,600 feet long and eventually grew to 2,298 feet at its peak. Steel Pier developed into an enormous entertainment destination, promoted through slogans including the “Showplace of the Nation,” “An Amusement City at Sea” and “A Vacation in Itself.” Visitors paid a single admission price and could spend much of the day moving among theaters, exhibits, concerts, circus performances and novelty attractions. At various times, the pier contained dance halls, movie theaters, a music hall, a ballroom, a water circus and exhibits sponsored by major automobile manufacturers. Performers associated with Steel Pier over the years included Frank Sinatra, Al Jolson, Benny Good-

man, Jimmy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo, Bob Hope, Mae West, The Three Stooges and Diana Ross and The Supremes. The Atlantic City Free Public Library also lists Charlie Chaplin among the entertainers who appeared there. John Philip Sousa and his band performed a series of annual engagements at the pier. In later decades, rock ’n’ roll became part of the entertainment lineup. Bill Haley and His Comets appeared in 1955, and The Supremes played sold-out summer engagements during the 1960s. The Beatles were booked to appear at Steel Pier in 1964, but the demand for tickets became too great for the venue. Their concert was moved to the larger Atlantic City Convention Hall, now known as Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. Music was only one piece of the spectacle. Steel Pier became famous for elaborate and sometimes unusual attractions, including acrobats, animal acts, motorcycle stunt riders, a human cannonball, trained bears, high-wire performers and Rex the Wonder Dog. The pier also offered a diving bell that lowered customers beneath the ocean’s surface. Its best-remembered attraction was the high-diving horse. During the performance, a horse and rider descended from a platform as high as 40 feet into a pool of water. The act operated for decades and drew large crowds, although it later became the subject of animal-welfare criticism. One of the best-known riders, Sonora Webster Carver, continued performing after losing her sight following a diving accident. Her memoir inspired the 1991 Disney movie “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.” The horse-diving performances ended in the late 1970s. Attempts to revive the attraction in 1993 and again in 2012 were abandoned after opposition from animal-welfare advocates. Steel Pier also played a role in the early history of the Miss America competition. Contestants were crowned there from 1935 through 1938 before the pageant established its longtime association with Convention Hall.

↘Continued on 26 September 17, 2026

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↘Continued from 24 Storms, fires and changing fortunes

The landmark survived repeated damage and changes in ownership throughout the 20th century. A storm washed away part of the pier in 1904. Edward L. Bader, who later became mayor of Atlantic City, led the reconstruction after other engineers reportedly considered the job too difficult. A major fire damaged the pier in 1924. Frank Gravatt purchased it the following year and rebuilt it into a sprawling entertainment center. Gravatt’s flair for promotion and spectacle helped establish Steel

Pier’s national reputation. Showman George Hamid gained control of Steel Pier in 1945 after years of presenting entertainment there. Under Hamid, the pier continued booking well-known performers while adapting to changing tastes in popular entertainment. The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 damaged portions of the structure. Another fire in December 1969 destroyed part of the pier and reduced its length by roughly one-third. By the 1970s, Atlantic City’s traditional tourism industry was struggling. The pier was sold to local

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servation wheel that opened in December 2017. The attraction provides expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean, Boardwalk and city skyline. Steel Pier has also appeared in popular culture, including the movies “The Long Kiss Goodnight” and “The Bounty Hunter” and the television series “Cake Boss.”

A family era may end

business owners in 1973, and plans were later discussed for a hotel-casino development. Those plans did not receive the necessary approvals. Resorts International acquired Steel Pier in 1978 and primarily used it for storage. A December 1982 fire burned for more than seven hours and devastated much of the remaining historic structure.The current concrete pier emerged during the redevelopment of the site in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Trump Entertainment controlled the property through its ownership of the neighboring Trump Taj Mahal, which later became Hard Rock. The Catanoso family began operating the amusement park under a lease in the early 1990s. An ownership group that included brothers Anthony, Charles and William Catanoso purchased the pier from Trump Entertainment Resorts for $4.25 million in 2011. The transaction included the structure, its buildings and the rights to the Steel Pier name. The family subsequently invested in new rides and other improvements. One of the most prominent additions was The Wheel, a 227-foot ob-

The proposed sale would end the Catanoso family’s more than three-decade association with the landmark as operators and owners. “The next generation is pursuing other passions,” Zyska told the New York Post. Zyska said the family wants to place the property with an owner who can pursue its long-term potential. She also said Steel Pier was appraised at $87 million in 2025. The $85 million asking price is 20 times the amount the ownership group paid in 2011, although the family has made substantial capital improvements during the intervening years. The listing comes during a period of renewed development interest in Atlantic City, including proposed housing, hospitality and entertainment projects. Brokers said they have had preliminary discussions with several prospective buyers. Whatever comes next, the sale involves more than rides, buildings and development rights. Steel Pier occupies a singular place in Atlantic City’s history — one shaped by generations of vacationers, nationally known entertainers, daring spectacles, destructive storms, devastating fires and repeated reinvention.

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September 17, 2026

19 inducted into Ocean Rowing Hall of Fame By Charles P. Eberson Senior Moments

n Sunday, Sept. 13, the Viking Rowing Foundation located at the Doctor W. John Holland Boathouse in Ventnor, held a ceremony in which 19 South Jersey rowers were inducted into the Ocean Rowing Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was first instituted in 1970 and went year to year until unfortunately falling dormant. This year, with the help of Ward Holland, son of “Doc” Holland and the Hall of Fame committee, Dennis Funk, George Miller, Tom McCann and Megan Holland Robinson, new life was fittingly breathed into the Hall of Fame. The criterion to be inducted is simple; the lifeguard had to win the South Jersey Championships, the pinnacle of lifeguard races held along the southern New Jersey beaches. Often, South Jersey champions qualified by mere seconds over a very talented pool of competitors. Homage was also paid to the lifeboat builders, the Van Sant and Van Duyne families whose boats have helped lifeguards save thousands of lives along the Jersey shore over its long history. The ceremony was well attended by multi-generations of rowers as well as family and friends. Ward Holland began the ceremony with the christening of a new eightoared racing shell donated by Norma Paludi, widow of Lou Paludi, former Chief of the Ventnor Beach Patrol. One cannot speak about the South Jersey rowing scene without mentioning “Doc” Holland, Stan Bergman, also former Chief of the Ventnor City Beach patrol and Paludi. Norma christened the shell by pouring champagne over the bow. Anonymous sources say a few sips of champagne may have been ingested in the process. The Hall of Fame committee then proceeded to induct the following rowers: ● Atlantic City Beach Patrol: Michael Doherty ● Atlantic City Beach Patrol: Jim Smith ● Atlantic City Beach Patrol /Margate City Beach Patrol: Chuck Gowdy ● Ventnor City Beach Patrol: David Funk ● Ventnor City Beach Patrol: Andrew Funk ● Ventnor City Beach Patrol: Michael Tripician ● Margate City Beach Patrol: Chris Graves ● Margate City Beach Patrol: Ryan Pizagno

September 17, 2026

The Viking Rowing Foundation inducted 19 South Jersey rowers into the Ocean Rowing Hall of Fame. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Margate City Beach Patrol: Greg Smallwood Margate City Beach Patrol: Ashton Funk Margate City Beach Patrol: John Swift Ocean City Beach Patrol: Carolyn Heiner (Stephanik) Sea Isle Beach Patrol: Joann Palombo (Lombard) Sea Isle Beach Patrol: Megan Wilken (McCormick) Avalon Beach Patrol: John Glomb Avalon Beach Patrol: Dr. Erich Wolf Stone Harbor Beach Patrol: Kelly LeBlanc (Bainbridge)

Honorary Inductions for Boat Craftsmanship: ● The Van Duyne Family ● The Van Sant Family ● Bob O’Donnell Surfboats have been around for about one hundred years, their construction handed down from family to family. Now, the ubiquitous Van Duyne surfboats along with other variations are built by Christopher Denn and family of Oar House Products in Cape May County. This will ensure the saving of lives along the southern New Jersey beaches and will continue in the manner which has served the public well for decades. Ward Holland closed by saying that his father, “Doc” Holland had great dreams and visions as it related to rowing. I think we all would agree that those dreams and visions have

come to fruition thanks to the local boat builders and the strong men and women who row those boats. 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

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Ready for anything: Inside the work of local EMTs

Views from the Shore By Brian Cahill

t the Good Old Days Festival in Somers Point, an Egg Harbor Township ambulance joined us at the Shore Medical Center booth. Families had the opportunity to step inside, see its equipment and learn how emergency medical technicians care for patients before they reach the hospital. The visit also demonstrated the important connection between local EMTs and Shore’s Emergency Department. I decided to take the tour myself. Despite working at Shore Medical Center, I had never been inside an ambulance. Fortunately, my first experience was during a community festival rather than an emergency. EMTs Danielle Palmer and Matt Steinthal showed me around and explained what happens after someone calls 911. Egg Harbor Township provides emergency medical services for Somers Point, responds throughout Egg Harbor Township and assists surrounding communities through mutual aid. Palmer has been an EMT for

eight months, while Steinthal brings 25 years of experience to the role. “I always wanted to be a first responder,” Palmer told me. “Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be involved in fire and EMS, so I went for it.” Egg Harbor Township EMS averages 27 calls a day throughout the year, with its busiest days typically occurring Monday through Friday and reaching as many as 40 calls. The department is staffed by 20 full-time and 27 part-time EMTs who must be prepared for whatever the next call may bring. “You can see anything and everything on any day,” Steinthal said. “It makes every day different.” When EMTs arrive at a scene, they assess the patient and monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation. They EMTs Danielle Palmer and Matt Steinthal can provide oxygen, perform basic medical interventions and stabilize the patient for transportation. During serious emergencies, EMTs may meet a paramedic unit whose advanced life support providers can administer additional medications and treatments. I was struck by how much equipment must fit inside the ambulance. It carries trauma supplies, an automated external defibrillator, oxygen, suction equipment and even obstetric supplies. Steinthal once drove while his partner delivered a baby and, on another call, arrived at a vehicle just after a baby had been born. The ambulance also carries a sensory support kit for autistic and

nonverbal patients. It may include communication cards, a writing board, toys and other items that can provide comfort and help patients communicate. Egg Harbor Township EMS has worked with Shore as part of our sensory-friendly care program, helping create a coordinated experience from the ambulance through arrival at the hospital. Our Emergency Department relies on the observations, care and information EMTs provide. That partnership helps Shore prepare for arriving patients and continue the care that began in the community. The festival also allowed children to experience an ambulance in a comfortable setting. As Palmer explained, most children enter an ambulance for the first time during a stressful situation. Seeing one beforehand can help make it less frightening. After taking the tour, I came away with an even greater appreciation for the preparation, adaptability and compassion the job requires. EMTs must be ready for anything, and Shore is proud to work alongside them in caring for our community. Brian Cahill is the Director of Marketing for Shore Medical Center and Shore Physicians Group. He also volunteers on the Board of the Somers Point Business Association, the Somers Point Economic Advisory Commission, and is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at Stockton University.

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September 17, 2026

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Four wheels, one Shore tradition: The history of the surrey bike By Sarah Fertsch

ertain sights instantly signal a morning in Ocean City: beachgoers carrying chairs toward the sand, the smell of breakfast drifting from Boardwalk restaurants, cyclists ringing their bells and a brightly colored surrey slowly making its way down the boards. Often topped with a striped or solid canopy, filled with family members and propelled by several sets of pedaling feet, the four-wheeled vehicles have become a familiar part of the Jersey Shore landscape. Surreys are particularly at home in Ocean City, where generations of vacationers have climbed aboard for morning trips along the Boardwalk. Unlike a traditional bicycle, a surrey allows the entire family to ride together. But the unusual pedal-powered vehicle has a history that extends far beyond the Shore.

From the quadricycle to the surrey

A surrey bike is a human-powered vehicle with four wheels, bench seating and pedals for multiple riders. Depending on its size, a modern surrey may accommodate two, four or six adults, often with additional seating for children in front. The design belongs to a broader family of vehicles known as quadricycles, which emerged during the cycling boom of the late 19th and early

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20th centuries. Early models were simpler than the brightly painted versions familiar to Shore visitors today. Designed for leisure, they allowed several passengers to pedal together without balancing on two wheels. Manufacturers eventually added metal frames, multiple rows of seats, steering wheels and canopies to shade riders from the sun. The name “surrey” predates the bicycle. It originally referred to a four-wheeled, horse-drawn carriage with open seating. The resemblance between those leisurely carriages and pedal-powered quadricycles likely helped the name endure. The word became especially famous through Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1943 musical “Oklahoma!” and its song “The Surrey With the Fringe on Top.” Although the musical’s surrey was horse-drawn, its romantic image as an open-air vehicle with a canopy resembles the modern pedal-powered version. By the 20th century, multipassenger pedal vehicles had found a natural home in parks, amusement destinations and seaside resorts, where enjoying the ride mattered more than reaching a destination quickly. Few places were better suited to them than New Jersey’s boardwalks.

Made for the boards

Boardwalks are generally flat, wide and easy to navigate. Shore towns also attract families traveling together,

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giving rental shops a steady stream of groups seeking an activity everyone can share. Parents, grandparents and children can all climb aboard the same vehicle. Riders sit side by side, talk as they pedal and quickly discover that moving several hundred pounds of bicycle and passengers requires teamwork. North Beach Mini Golf and Bike Rentals in Atlantic City notes that surreys are particularly well suited to New Jersey’s boardwalk culture because of the flat terrain, mild Shore weather and abundance of rental businesses. Their leisurely pace also adds to the appeal. A surrey is not designed to win a race. Steering around pedestrians and other bicycles takes cooperation, while getting a fully loaded vehicle moving from a stop sometimes requires everyone to contribute a little muscle. That slight awkwardness is part of the tradition.

A Jersey Shore tradition

In Ocean City, bicycles and surreys fit naturally into a resort long associated with family recreation. The Ocean City Boardwalk dates to the community’s earliest years as a seaside resort and has been rebuilt and relocated several times. Today, it stretches about 2.5 miles and remains

one of the city’s defining attractions. Cycling also has deep roots in Ocean City. As early as 1893, the city’s Excursion House featured an elevated bicycle railroad that allowed riders to pedal above the beachfront. More than a century later, bicycles remain central to how many visitors experience the island. Ocean City’s 2026 regulations generally allow bicycles on the Boardwalk from 5 a.m. to noon during the peak summer season, with expanded hours during parts of the shoulder season and exceptions for certain special events. The municipal code places wide surreys and other people-powered vehicles under the Boardwalk’s bicycle restrictions. Although surreys operate in vacation destinations across the country, they have become closely associated with New Jersey’s boardwalk culture. The state’s wide, recreation-focused promenades — including those in Atlantic City, Ocean City and the Wildwoods — provide an ideal setting for the slow-moving vehicles. New Jersey also claims the nation’s first boardwalk, built in Atlantic City in 1870. Cycling has since become part of the experience on many of the state’s oceanfront promenades.

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The connection is so recognizable that Disney’s BoardWalk Inn in Florida, designed to evoke an early-20th-century Atlantic Coast resort, offers surrey rentals for guests traveling around Crescent Lake. The surrey has become more than a rental bike; it is part of the visual shorthand for the classic American boardwalk.

Why the surrey survives

The surrey can seem comically old-fashioned in an era of electric bicycles, scooters and increasingly sophisticated transportation.

That may be exactly why it has endured. A surrey offers few shortcuts. Someone must steer, and several people usually need to pedal. Passengers sit beside one another instead of staring at separate screens. The pace is slow enough to notice the ocean, wave to pedestrians and decide where to stop for breakfast. Modern versions are sturdier and more comfortable, with steel frames, adjustable seating and protective canopies. Some manufacturers also offer electric-assist models. Still, the basic experience remains largely unchanged: a group of people moving forward together. For many Ocean City vacationers, a surrey ride becomes part of the rhythm of returning to the Shore year after year. Children who once sat in the front basket eventually grow tall enough to reach the pedals. Teenagers reluctantly join the family ride. Years later, some return with children of their own. Plenty has changed along the Boardwalk, from its attractions and businesses to the bicycles themselves. But on a beautiful morning, a family can still gather beneath a canopy, put their feet on the pedals and slowly roll down the boards.

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Shoulder season for caterpillars and butterflies galore

By Tammy Thornton

omething is stirring in the gardens of South Jersey and you may miss it if you aren’t paying attention. After waiting all summer for butterflies to visit your flowers, you may suddenly find yourself being rewarded for all of your hard work in the garden. Not only will you see an influx of butterflies dancing among your flowers, but caterpillars are munching away with hopes of earning their own wings. September gardens along the coast play host to a myriad of butterflies at various stages and with different goals, but all taking advantage of the shoulder season. Monarchs that you see this time of year are powering up for the great migration south, 2,500 miles to Mexico. In contrast to the butterflies you see in early summer that live only two to six weeks, these are members of the “super generation” that live six to nine months. They use this extended lifespan to make the epic journey. Along the way, they are consuming as much nectar as possible to fuel their

voyage. Late-blooming flowers erpillars fling out bright orange like goldenrod, sedum, and asters forked “horns” that release a stinky chemical to drive away help provide these sources of nectar. After stopping for a meal predators. If you find swallowtail in your garden, they will head to caterpillars, be sure not to disCape May where they will wait turb them and incur their wrath, for the right conditions before but also provide them with large crossing over the Delaware Bay. amounts of host plants, because As they travel down the Atlantic they are voracious eaters. Unlike Coast, the tip of New Jersey monarchs, these locals are yearnarrows, creating a funnel effect round residents. The caterpillars and resulting in a bit of a monarch will wander off when they are traffic jam at Cape May Point. ready to form a chrysalis and find Meanwhile, monarch caterpillars a safe place to remain all winter. that have not yet formed their Their chrysalises are brown and chrysalises, are busy fattening bark-like, so they will crawl to a themselves on milkweed, the onstructure to blend in with their ly source of food for a monarch winter surroundings. They will remain in this suspended state caterpillar. You may have been watching them grow and then called diapause until spring. Once one day they go missing. While it becomes consistently warm in it’s possible that they were eaten April or May, the new generations by a bird or some other predator, Provide nectar-rich flowers for the late-summer brood of black swallowtails will emerge, these caterpillars will leave the of black swallowtail butterflies. beginning the cycle of life once milkweed to find a safe place again. to pupate. Look around, and you September is also a peak time to might see their majestic chrysalises find black swallowtails in your garden. trimmed in gold. In 10 to 20 days, you Formally, the Eastern Black Swallowmay be able to witness the magic of tail, our New Jersey state butterfly. this final stage of metamorphosis. This third and final brood of black swallowtails is typically the largest in population, making them more visible. Less conspicuous are their caterpillars, but once you learn how to find them, you may be surprised about how many you spot. Unlike monarch caterpillars that have only one host plant, black swallowtails are not as picky. Black swallowtail caterpillars enjoy parsley, dill, fennel, Queen Anne’s lace (and other members of the carrot family), rue, and Golden Alexanders. At first, you may think that you are hosting different types of caterpillars at once. But if you find caterpillars on your parsley or some of the other plants listed, they are all most likely swallowtails. At their first growth stage (or instar), they are black and spiny with a little white “saddle” in the middle of their back. You may have trouble finding them, because they are hard to see and are meant to look like bird droppings as camouflage from predators. This very hungry black swallowtail butterDuring the later instars, they become fly happily munches on parsley and dill. much more visible and molt into large caterpillars with green-and-black If you would like to hear about othstripes. You might mistake them for er butterflies and caterpillars hanging monarch caterpillars, which is exactly out in South Jersey, send an email to the plan. Monarch caterpillars feed on the: shorelocalgardener@gmail.com. milkweed, which can be distasteful or We would love to hear your gardening toxic to predators. Black swallowtails questions and anecdotes. use this type of mimicry to help ward Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets off birds. They also have a defense while enjoying a life of gardening, mechanism called an osmeterium. When threatened, swallowtail catcooking, and going to the beach.

September 17, 2026

By Sarah Fertsch

Ocean City Marlin & Tuna Club casts a wide net of giving

or generations, the Ocean City Marlin & Tuna Club has brought local anglers together around a shared love of fishing. But for members like Jack and Heather Davidson, some of the club’s most meaningful moments happen when fishing becomes a way to give back. Founded in 1959, the club has

grown from 23 original members into a longstanding piece of Ocean City’s fishing culture. Its history includes tournaments, social events and competitions, but charitable work has also been woven into the organization for decades. The club says members once volunteered their boats to take disabled veterans fishing, has contributed to artificial reef projects, and continues to support fishing-related organizations.

Events Here are some of the fun events happening in the Wildwoods: SEPTEMBER 18 - 19 Boots at the Beach State Fireman’s Convention, Fire Expo & Parade SEPTEMBER 19 Hispanic Heritage Celebration SEPTEMBER 24 Sean Cullen Memorial: USA vs. Ireland Boxing SEPTEMBER 25 - 27 Irish Fall Festival in North Wildwood “Monsters on the Beach” Monster Truck Beach Races in Wildwood Wildwood Kustom Hot Rod & Muscle Car Show OCTOBER 2 - 4 The Race of Gentlemen OCTOBER 2 - 3 Olde Tyme Italian Festival OCTOBER 17 Wildwoods Oldies Spectacular Concert in the Wildwoods Convention Center

OCTOBER 24 Greater Wildwood Elks Haunted House North Wildwood Trunk or Treat Halloween Block Party OCTOBER 30 Byrne Community Center Haunted Gym OCTOBER 30 - 31 Byrne Community Center Haunted Gym OCTOBER 31 5 Mile Beach Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K NOVEMBER 14 ChristmasWeen in the Wildwoods Convention Center NOVEMBER 27 Family Holiday Beach Bonfire in North Wildwood NOVEMBER 27 DECEMBER 6 Wildwoods December Restaurant Week

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Today, that spirit is especially visible through three efforts: the Special Kids Tournament, the Gold Star Offshore Open and an annual scholarship for an Ocean City High School student. For Jack Davidson, a past commodore who now serves on the club’s prize and Gold Star committees, giving back feels like a natural extension of the camaraderie that first drew him to the club. Jack has been connected to the Marlin & Tuna Club since childhood and became more actively involved as an adult. “Having been a member for my whole life, pretty much, and really been into it, and having gotten so much out of it, I decided that I wanted to start volunteering,” Jack said. “You volunteer for a little stuff, and then one thing leads to another.” Heather Davidson serves on the club’s social committee.

A day on the water for special families

One of the club’s longest-running charitable traditions is its Special Kids Tournament, held each June in partnership with the Ocean City Yacht Club. The event began in 1992 and invites children with special needs, as well as children connected with Big Brothers Big Sisters and other regional organizations, to spend a day fishing with their families. The club’s own history also traces the outing back to 1992. Jack Davidson said roughly 30 boats and about 35 families can participate, supported by dozens of volunteers from the Marlin & Tuna Club and Yacht Club. Firefighters and police officers also help families board and exit the boats, including children who use wheelchairs. The 2026 tournament was scheduled for June 20. Although the event is called a tournament, Jack said competition is not really the point. “It’s really for their families,” he told Shore Local News. “A really nice bonding experience, getting them out on the water, giving them a chance

to do something that otherwise they might not have an opportunity to do.” After fishing, families are treated to lunch at the yacht club. Some participants return year after year, with families telling volunteers they plan their summers around the event. “The energy is fantastic,” he said. “They’re so excited. They have smiles on their face, and us volunteers are really enthused just to see them so happy.” For club members, the event is ultimately about sharing something they already love. “That’s what’s at the heart of it, is the fishing,” he said. “As volunteers, that’s what we enjoy the most, and that’s what we want to share the most.”

Fishing for Gold Star families

The club’s signature offshore tournament has also taken on a larger charitable purpose in recent years. The tournament dates back to 1977 and is now known as the Gold Star Offshore Open. The club held its 49th annual event in 2026, putting it on the cusp of its 50th anniversary. Its charitable partnership grew after club members met Charlie Strange, whose son Michael Strange was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2011. Strange founded the Michael Strange Foundation to support Gold Star families, including by bringing grieving military families together and providing lodging, travel,

September 17, 2026

workshops and other forms of support. The Davidsons recalled Strange speaking before one of the club’s tournaments. “When I say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, it was so emotional,” Heather said. Strange had been organizing a separate fishing fundraiser, War on the Water. Eventually, the organizations decided to combine their efforts, establishing a nonprofit foundation around the Gold Star Open and directing proceeds toward the Michael Strange Foundation. Twenty-two boats registered for the 2026 tournament, and the event generated approximately $15,000 for the Michael Strange Foundation. The club hopes to continue increasing participation in the coming years. Jack also credited the tournament’s sponsors, whose support helps cover event costs and increase the amount ultimately directed toward Gold Star families.

arship to an Ocean City High School student who is either planning to enter the Coast Guard or pursue studies in marine biology or fisheries. It is one more way the organization connects its fishing heritage with the next generation. That heritage remains a major part of the club’s identity. The club currently hosts tournaments stretching from late spring through the end of the year, including Marlin Month in

Investing in the next generation

The club’s community work does not stop at the docks. Each year, the Ocean City Marlin & Tuna Club also awards a $500 schol-

September, Swordfish Month in October and a striped bass tournament continuing through December. Membership is also broader than some outsiders may assume. Heather and Jack Davidson stressed that members do not need to own a large offshore fishing boat — or even own a boat at all — to participate. The club currently lists family, single and youth memberships and offers both fishing and social events throughout

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the year. For Heather Davidson, the generosity surrounding those events says as much about Ocean City as it does about the club itself. She helps solicit donations from area businesses for the club’s opening banquet auction and said local businesses consistently step up. “I just think our community is amazing,” she said. For Jack, volunteering has also created lifelong friendships. “What you get out of it is just immeasurable,” he said. “All the people you meet and the friends you end up with, because when you’re working on something like that with a common goal, that’s when you really get to know people.” More than six decades after its founding, the Ocean City Marlin & Tuna Club remains rooted in fishing. But its members have also found that a day on the water can become much more: a family memory, a source of support, a scholarship opportunity or a way to honor someone who served. As the Davidsons put it, the club is simply sharing what its members love most and inviting the wider community along for the ride.

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Peter Murphy: A life shaped by writing, teaching and persistence

or Peter Murphy, writing has been more than a career. It has been a way to understand the world, explore his own experiences and discover what he “didn’t know he knew.” A longtime local resident, Murphy has spent decades developing his craft as a writer and teacher while building a body of work that includes poetry, prose, memoir and 14 published books and chapbooks. Murphy’s path to becoming a writer was not a traditional one. Throughout his career, he has held a variety of jobs, including operating heavy equipment, managing a nightclub and driving a taxi. His interest in writing began during high school. Murphy recalls discovering that girls liked boys who were sensitive and jokingly concluded, “What better way to show a girl you’re sensitive than to write her a poem?” The poems eventually became much more than a way to impress a girl. Murphy continued writing as a means of making sense of his experiences and learning more about himself. Originally from Newport, a small

city in Wales, Murphy was born to an American father and Welsh mother. His parents met during World War II, and after the war his father returned to Wales to marry her. Murphy later chronicled some of his experiences growing up in Wales and New York City in his memoir, “A Tipsy Fairy Tale: A Coming of Age Memoir of Alcohol and Redemption.” He moved to the Atlantic City area in 1974 after falling in love and getting married. Although he did not expect to remain in the area for the rest of his life, Murphy said he is glad he did. His career has included a long commitment to teaching. Murphy taught English and writing at Atlantic City High School for 29 years. He also taught as an adjunct professor at Stockton University on and off from 1982 through 2020. Today, Murphy continues his connection to Stockton through Murphy Writing of Stockton University, a writ-

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ing program he teaches. Writing has also brought Murphy recognition beyond the classroom. He has received six creative writing fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a number he believes may be a record. He also has received multiple residencies at Yaddo, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, the Millay Colony and other artists’ retreats. For Murphy, one of the greatest attractions of writing is its simplicity. “A sculptor creates with stone or metal or wood. A painter uses pigments and canvas. A weaver has fiber and a loom,” Murphy said. “I love the fact that I just have a pencil and a notebook. Sure, I use a computer, but that comes later.” Murphy counts John Irving’s “The World According to Garp” among the novels that have remained with him over the decades. He admires the way Irving normalized the absurd and transformed it into art. When he is not writing, Murphy said

he enjoys reading, which he considers essential to being a writer. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends, many of whom are writers, and attending theater and dance performances. Travel is another interest. Murphy’s publishing journey has been marked by persistence. He submitted his first manuscript to a publisher in 1974 but did not publish his first book of poems until 2005. Since then, his writing career has continued to grow. His recent books include “A Tipsy Fairy Tale,” published in 2024, and “You Too Were Once on Fire: Poems,” published in 2025. He also has a chapbook of poems, “The Buzzing of the Blue Guitar,” scheduled to be published this fall by a publisher in Sweden. Looking back on his career, Murphy credits his success to studying the craft of writing, reading, learning from other writers and, most importantly, persistence. For Murphy, decades of writing have demonstrated that success does not necessarily arrive quickly. Sometimes it comes from simply continuing to write, learn and find new ways to tell a story.

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ll eyes will turn to the sky for Ocean City’s Air Show Weekend on Sept. 19 and 20. All events are free to attend, and the early forecasts call for sunny and clear skies. The celebration starts with the Ocean City Airport Festival on Saturday (Sept. 19) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival features a ground display of unusual airplanes ranging from World War II planes to warbirds and classics. The event will feature a parachute jump from Team Fastrax, “America’s Skydiving Team.” It also will include food vendors, music, vehicle displays and kids’ activities.

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The skydiving team will perform at the Airport Festival at 12 p.m.,

depending on wind and weather conditions. A half-mile “Runway Run/ Walk” will return and is open to all ages. It offers a chance for anybody to cover ground normally traversed only by planes. The run will go off immediately after the skydiving jump. Children’s activities will include airplane and coloring contests between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Face-painting, helicopter rides available for purchase, city vehicle displays and special guests Martin and Mollie Mollusk. The festival takes place at the Municipal Airport at 26th Street and Bay Avenue. Additional parking for

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the festival will be available at Shelter Road (off Tennessee Avenue) with free shuttle service provided. The Parachute Pyrotechnic Show will go off over Ocean City at 8 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 19). The show consists of several highly trained and specially licensed Team Fastrax parachuters exiting an aircraft 6,000 feet above Ocean City’s beach and boardwalk. Brilliant white or multi-colored projectile pyrotechnics are then ignited as the parachuters fly in formation, creating a dazzling display for spectators on the ground. The jump will end with a landing on the Seventh Street Beach and will be viewable along the entire Boardwalk. The Righteous Brothers will perform with the Ocean City Pops on Saturday evening (Sept. 19). The legendary band joins the Pops for the season finale of Ocean City’s beloved local orchestra. The show is at 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier, and the entertainment will pause to allow attendees to see the pyrotechnic parachute jump just outside

the Music Pier. Tickets available at the Music Pier Box Office, online at

Show will bring some of the best stunt pilots and aerobatic champions in the nation to put on a show over the beach and boardwalk starting at 1 p.m. Sunday (Sept. 20). This year’s show will welcome Team Fastrax, Kevin Russo, the Jersey Jerks, Robert “Rooster” Schmidle, and Dougherty Air Shows, among others. Thousands of spectators typically soak up some of the final days of the calendar summer as they watch the spectacle from the beach and boardwalk. The show is best viewed

from the area between Fifth Street and 14th Street. There is no rain date for any of the shows, and air performances may be canceled if weather conditions do not allow for safe flying.

Coming up later in September

MS City to Shore Ride (Sept. 26-27): About 7,000 cyclists raise millions of dollars through a two-day charity ride from the Philadelphia area to Ocean City and back. For more information, call 1-800-445-BIKE or visit www.mscycling.org.

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15th annual HERO Walk to bring hundreds to Ocean City

undreds of supporters will come to the Boardwalk on Sunday, Oct. 18, for the 15th annual HERO Walk and Run, a day of remembrance, hope and community action dedicated to promoting the use of safe and sober designated drivers. Benefiting the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers, the annual fundraising event is expected to attract an estimated 400 family members, students, law enforcement officers, civic organization representatives and sponsors in support of the campaign’s mission to end drunk and impaired driving fatalities and injuries. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the Sixth Street Civic Center. A 1-mile fun run will be held at 10 a.m., and

the 3K walk begins at 11 a.m. Walkers will receive a commemorative 15th anniversary T-shirt. Online preregistration is $30 for adults and $20 for students at www.herowalkrun.org. Day-of-event registration is $35 for adults and $25 for students. Miss Ocean City Kayla Magazzu and Miss Night in Venice Nadia Bea Marzano are scheduled to appear,

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↘Continued from 40 along with Junior Miss Ocean City Lynnie Becker and Little Miss Ocean City Shiloh Little. The day also includes music, face-painting, a hands-on desktop DUI simulator for students and a display of 15 HERO police patrol cars wrapped with the

cruisers with the blue-and-gold HERO colors and message: “Be a HERO. Be a Designated Driver.” “If everyone had a safe designated driver to take them home, we could end drunk driving,” said Bill Elliott, chairman and CEO of the HERO Campaign and father of Navy Ensign

campaign’s blue-and-gold insignia and message: “Be a HERO. Be a Designated Driver.” The Egg Harbor Township cheerleading team will also perform. At 10:30 a.m., a moving HERO Memory Ceremony will honor the lives of individuals lost to drunken drivers at a banner featuring pictures of DUI victims. Now in its 26th year, the HERO Campaign partners with schools and colleges, law enforcement agencies, bars and taverns, businesses and communities to promote designated driving. More than 200,000 drivers nationwide have taken the HERO Pledge to become safe and responsible designated drivers. The campaign has also wrapped more than 50 police

John Elliott of Egg Harbor Township, the inspiration for the multistate campaign. “We want to be a constant reminder that no one should ever drive drunk when there are so many options to get a safe ride home.” He said the campaign is making a difference, citing a Stockton University poll in which 40% of 800 respondents said they became designated drivers because of the campaign’s designated-driver message. Ensign Elliott was killed in a headon collision with a drunken driver in July 2000, two months after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. He was driving home from Annapolis, Maryland, for his mother’s birthday celebration and was preparing to enter naval flight training that fall.

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September 17, 2026

Fall reading list: Cozy books for all ages with ancient Greek culture. During a drunken ritual in the woods, the students accidentally murder a local farmer. When a classmate threatens to expose them, the group decides they must murder him as well.

lywood icon, chooses an unknown journalist to tell the story of her glamorous life. She reveals the unedited story of her rise to fame and the hidden reasons behind her seven marriages. Evelyn is loosely based on real classic Hollywood icons.

“The Housemaid”

by Freida McFadden Genre: Psychological thriller An ex-convict named Millie takes a live-in housekeeping job for a wealthy couple, Nina and Andrew Winchester. At first, the household and job seem perfect to her, but eventually, she uncovers a web of dark abuse and calculated revenge. By Julia Train

f you’re an avid reader, chances are you have an ever-growing “To Be Read” (TBR) list. And if you like to create an immersive reading experience by reading with the seasons, that list probably gets even longer as the months change. If you’re not opposed to adding a few more titles, here are some recommendations for those days when you’d rather escape into a fictional world with a cup of coffee

September 17, 2026

“The Silent Patient”

in hand and a fluffy blanket draped over your lap.

Audience: Adults

“The Secret History”

by Donna Tartt Genre: Psychological thriller This story, set in 1992, follows Richard Papen, a college student who leaves California to attend Hampden College in Vermont. Richard becomes part of an exclusive group of wealthy students at the small liberal arts school whose obsession lies

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”

by Taylor Jenkins Reid Genre: Historical fiction Evelyn Hugo, a reclusive Hol-

by Alex Michaelides Genre: Psychological thriller After Alicia Berenson, a famous painter in London, is accused of murdering her husband, she is confined to the Grove, a secure forensic psychiatric unit in North London, and stops speaking entirely. A psychotherapist becomes determined to uncover what happened on the night of the crime.

↘Continued on 44

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when she is 7 years old, Jude and her two sisters are abducted by the faerie assassin and grow up among the dangerous and deceptive faerie courts. Ten years later, Jude must defy Prince Cardan, her tormentor — and the youngest and cruelest son of the High King — in order to win a place at court. As a civil war threatens the kingdom, Jude is forced to form a risky alliance to save her family and Faerie.

“The Thursday Murder Club”

by Richard Osman Genre: Mystery This cozy story follows four friends living in a luxury retirement community in the English countryside who regularly meet to investigate unsolved murders. When a local property developer is murdered with a mysterious photograph left by his body, their amateur sleuthing suddenly becomes much more serious as they find themselves tangled in their first active, live murder case.

“A Good Girl's Guide to Murder”

Audience: Older teens, young adults “Fourth Wing”

by Rebecca Yarros Genre: Romantasy Violet Sorrengail’s commanding-general mother forces her to attend Basgiath War College, a brutal military college. Although she wanted to study to be a scribe, she must train to become a dragon rider. Surrounded by deadly competition and powerful dragons, Violet, who is physically frail, must prove she belongs.

Rêves, a black-and-white striped circus that appears without warning and is only open from nightfall to dawn. Two young magicians are trained from childhood by rival instructors and bound to a high-stakes magical competition at the circus. The game is designed to conclude only when one competitor is left. As their rivalry develops, they begin to fall in love.

“The Night Circus”

“The Cruel Prince”

by Erin Morgenstern Genre: Fantasy This story is set at Le Cirque des

by Holly Black Genre: Fantasy After her parents are murdered

by Holly Jackson Genre: Mystery Five years ago, Andie Bell, a high school senior, went missing, and her boyfriend confessed to the murder via text message before dying by suicide, leading the police to close the investigation without finding her body. As part of a school project, Pippa (Pip) Fitz-Amobi investigates the murder. She teams up with the original suspect’s brother and uncovers Andie’s dark web of secrets, bullying, and illegal activities. Pip becomes dangerously obsessed with the investigation, and her own life is put at risk as someone in town tries to stop her from exposing the past.

“The Hunger Games”

by Suzanne Collins Genre: Dystopian, science fiction, fantasy In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, which features a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 districts. While the wealthy residents of the Capitol live in luxury, those in the districts face poverty and strict control. Each year, the Capitol forces two teenagers from each district to enter a televised battle where only one can survive. When 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in her younger sister’s place, her actions begin to challenge the Capitol’s authority and inspire hope among the oppressed.

leaving him with a lightning-bolt scar and stripping Voldemort of his power. Harry was sent to live with his unloving aunt, uncle and cousin. On his 11th birthday, he discovers that he is a wizard and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At Hogwarts, he makes friends and begins uncovering the mystery surrounding his past.

“The Wild Robot”

by Peter Brown Genre: Science fiction When a robot named Roz opens her eyes and realizes she has washed up on a remote island, not knowing how she got there or what her purpose is, she must learn how to survive in the wilderness. Roz survives a violent storm and vicious bear attack and realizes that the only way to survive is learning to adapt to her surroundings and befriend the animals around her.

“Wonder”

by R.J. Palacio Genre: Fiction August Pullman, a 10-year-old boy with Treacher Collins syndrome, begins attending mainstream school for the first time after a life of homeschooling. He is faced with bullies and feeling isolated, but his friends show him how his presence impacts everyone around him. Through courage and kindness, Auggie finds his place by the end of the school year.

Audience: Kids, middle grade “Coraline”

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone”

by J.K. Rowling Genre: Fantasy Shortly after he was born, Harry Potter’s parents were killed by Voldemort, but he survived the fatal curse,

by Neil Gaiman Genre: Dark Fantasy After moving into a new home, Coraline discovers a hidden door that leads to a parallel world that closely resembles her own. At first, this alternate world seems better than reality, but Coraline soon realizes that its inhabitants have sinister intentions. When she discovers that other children have been trapped there, she must use her courage and resourcefulness to outsmart the forces keeping them captive and find her way home.

September 17, 2026

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Italian Festival returns to Historic Smithville with food, wine, live entertainment and 80 craft vendors

he Knights of Columbus Villa Marie Council #6342 will host its annual Italian Festival on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Historic Smithville in Galloway, New Jersey. The rain date is Sunday, Sept. 20. Now in its 16th year, the festival has grown into a full-day family experience featuring Italian food, wine, live entertainment, shopping, children's activities, and plenty of opportunities to simply enjoy the unique atmosphere of Historic Smithville. This year's festival will feature 15 food vendors, with many specializing in Italian cuisine, as well as 80 craft and retail vendors offering handmade crafts, artwork, jewelry, specialty merchandise, gifts, and other unique items. Three participating wineries will offer wine sampling, and a beer truck will feature beer and White Claw hard seltzers. Entertainment will take place

Our

35th

throughout the festival on three stages. The main stage will feature four hours of live music by Jim Craine and the Atlantic City All Star Band, performing favorites associated with legendary Italian-American entertainers including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, and Louis Prima. The music begins at 11:30 a.m. Additional entertainment will include an Italian music DJ at the Gazebo Pavilion near the bocce courts,

where guests can enjoy Italian favorites and make on-site requests. Dance Forum South Studio will also present performances featuring local dancers. Families can take part in children's activities including face painting, while visitors of all ages can try their hand at free bocce ball. No experience is necessary, and instructions will be provided. Guests can register on site and learn to play while enjoying the festival. The festival will also feature a 50/50 raffle, with last year's prize pool reaching $2,400. Last year's winner took home $1,200. The 2026 drawing will take place at 4:45 p.m., and the winner does not need to be present. The Knights of Columbus Villa Marie Council #6342 organizes the Italian Festival as part of its commitment to supporting the local community and charitable causes.

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Event Information What: Annual Italian Festival When: Saturday, September 19, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Rain Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026 Where: Historic Smithville, Galloway, New Jersey Admission: Free Hosted by: Knights of Columbus Villa Marie Council #6342 Located just minutes from Atlantic City, Historic Smithville provides a unique backdrop for the event, with approximately 50 shops, restaurants, cobblestone walkways, footbridges, and a setting designed to offer visitors a step back in time. With food, shopping, wine, music, family activities, and the charm of Historic Smithville all in one location, the Italian Festival offers something for visitors of all ages. Admission to the festival is free. For complete festival information, entertainment details, directions, and updates, visit: KofC6342.org/Italian-Festival/

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By Delaney Crawford

Storybook Land welcomes fall with family-friendly fun

s the seasons begin to change in South Jersey, there are probably some mixed feelings about what the end of summer brings. The loss of beach days and our tans slowly fading, but the good news is that fall is just around the corner, which brings about its own kind of magic to the Jersey Shore. Storybook Land is a local amusement park that is home to magic all year round. From different seasons with different décor, the park always has something up its sleeve to make the most of each season here, and fall is no different. Beginning Sept. 19, Fall Into Fun starts at Storybook Land and offers a fun time for all ages and ticket values, with core memories to be made. The fall vibes come alive with 650 mums, 1,350 hay bales, 800 cornstalks and 12 bins full of pumpkins and gourds. These fall preparations require a lot of work and planning, with fall flower orders placed in the spring for delivery in September. The team

gradually starts getting ready in August, and after Labor Day, they begin decorating. “We offer a fun, interactive hay maze, pumpkin decorating, and a hayride along with our rides and attractions. All our attractions are strictly non-scary and safe for small children,” said Jessica Panetta, co-owner of Storybook Land. In addition to the décor and additional fall attractions, Storybook Land also offers Trick-or-Treat Weekends during the last two weekends of October. Children (and adults) are encouraged to come wearing their costumes and trick-or-treat at 12 stations all over the park. The snack bar joins in by offering delicious, festive food and beverage items like Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie Milkshakes, Hot Honey Chai (iced or hot), Apple Harvest Cold Brew, Harvest Salad, apple cider, and more. In tune with the neighboring and friendly vibes that Storybook Land gives off every day, the fall décor is all locally sourced, ensuring that community vibes live true. The hay bales, cornstalks, and pumpkins all

come from local farms, with deliveries coming throughout the season. “The place instantly makes you feel happy. The decorations are so beautiful, comforting, and cozy. You can’t help but get into the Halloween and fall spirit when you visit,” Panetta said. From pumpkin decorating, maze walking, hayride going, and treat eating, combined with the incredible rides and attractions there year-round, you have the perfect family outing fit for a fall bucket list check-off item. The maze is one of the most popular attractions during Fall into Fun, and it promises the perfect amount of

challenge for kids and adults. Not only is it beautifully decorated, but it’s also different every year. At the entrance, the kids are given a blank puzzle board with 12 numbered squares. As they find their way through the maze, they can look for 12 pumpkin mailboxes with corresponding numbers. Those mailboxes all contain a numbered sticker that goes on their puzzle board. If they find all 12 pumpkin boxes, they’ll have a photo to take home and display on the fridge. “Knowing they’re getting a great value and experience, easy parking, the park is easy to navigate, and there are plenty of things to do. It’s a safe, family-friendly place, the perfect backdrop for fall activities,” Panetta said. Delaney Crawford is a dynamic entrepreneur with a passion for storytelling and digital marketing. Driven by a desire to empower local businesses, Delaney founded DLC Media, a company dedicated to helping businesses enhance their brand image and thrive online.

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Entertainment & Dining at the Shore By Steffen Klenk

Top Weekly Entertainment Picks

all activities are taking shape throughout South Jersey and we have all the information you need to know on this weekend's biggest and best events. Sebastian Maniscalco returns for eight nights in Atlantic City, art and culture are on display at the 48 blocks, and taste buds come alive at Downbeach Seafood Fest. Read all about it in our Top Weekly Entertainment Picks. Who: Sebastian Maniscalco Where: Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino When: Thursday, Sept. 17 – Sunday, Sept. 27 Time: 8 p.m. Thurs. & Sat., 9 p.m. Fri., 7 p.m. Sun. Website: www.theoceanac.com/ sebastian-maniscalco-live

Sebastian Maniscalco returns to Atlantic City for another highly anticipated eight-night residency. Fans best know Maniscalco for his dynamic physical comedy and defying humor.

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He has sold out venues globally and released his latest special, "It Ain’t Right," receiving critical acclaim.

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September 17, 2026

What: Atlantic City Fashion Week Where: Showboat Hotel When: Thursday, September 17 – Saturday, September 19 Time: 7 p.m. Website: www.atlanticcityfashionweek.com See the latest fashion trends and experience the glamour of this highend fashion event. Designers from around the world will arrive in Atlantic City for three full days of runway showcases featuring a mix of couture, urban wear, and ready-to-wear items, along with the hottest accessories. Who: Rumours ATL: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute

Where: Superstar Theater at Resorts When: Friday, September 18 Time: 9 p.m. Website: www.resortsac.com/ event s-and - promotions/f leetwood-mac-tribute/ The timeless music of Fleetwood Mac comes alive as Rumours ATL brings their dynamic tribute performance to life. The group has been celebrated as one of the most authentic recreations of Fleetwood Mac’s golden era. Lifelong fans and new audiences will experience a high-energy concert the recaptures the magic and legacy of one of rock’s greatest bands of all time.

Who: Femmes of Rock Where: The Music Box at Borgata When: Friday, September 18 Time: 9 p.m. Website: https://borgata.mgmresorts.com/en/entertainment/themusic-box/femmes-of-rock.html Get ready for an electrifying evening of classic rock as Femmes of Rock take the Borgata stage Friday night. This multimedia production combines virtuosic violin performances, powerful vocals, and an immense backing band that delivers renowned renditions of classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, Queen, Rush, AC/DC, Van Halen, and many more.

What: Smithville Italian Festival Where: Historic Smithville When: Saturday, September 19 Time: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Website: www.historicsmithville. com/smithville-events-2/september-events/smithville-italian-festival/ Experience a taste of Italy in Historic Smithville this Saturday at this popular celebration. The free event includes live entertainment spanning three stages, alongside a bustling marketplace featuring local craft vendors, authentic Italian food, wine samplings, a beer tent, and family-friendly activities spanning the Village Greene.

↘Continued on 52

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September 17, 2026

↘Continued from 51 What: Downbeach Seafood Fest Where: Ski Beach, Ventnor When: Saturday, September 19 & Sunday, September 20 Time: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Website: www.downbeachseafoodfest.com Attendees will experience two full days of the most delicious tastes and bites, along with a variety of music and entertainment, superb samplings, demonstrations, local vendors, and chowder cook-off to support the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

What: 48 Blocks Festival Where: Uptown and Fisherman’s Parks, Atlantic City

When: Saturday, September 19 Time: 12 – 8 p.m. Website: www.atlanticcityartsfoundation.org/48blocksfestival2026 Community, creativity and culture will come together this Saturday as the Atlantic City Arts Foundation hosts its 48 Blocks Festival. The city’s historic Inlet will come to life with two stages of live music and demonstrations, large-scale installations, and an eclectic marketplace showcasing local talents from throughout the 48 Blocks.

What: Atlantic City Latino Festival Where: Bader Field When: Saturday, September 19

Time: 12 – 9 p.m. Website: www.aclatinofest.com Enjoy a vibrant day by the waterfront and celebrate the culture of Atlantic City at this free family-friendly event. Attendees will enjoy live Latin music, dance performances, authentic cuisine, community resources, and local vendor appearances.

dj-shortkutz Experience a fantastic night of EDM and club music as VAVO takes to the DJ booth. His unique blend of electronic dance and country has won the hearts of listeners from all corners of the world. Fans will also hear his Billboard-charting hit single "Take Me Home."

Who: VAVO Where: HQ2 Nightclub When: Saturday, September 19 Time: 11 p.m. Website: www.hq1ac.com/nightclub/

Steffen Klenk is a photographer and multimedia journalist who enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life. You may contact Steffen at shorelocalsteffen@gmail.com.

September 17, 2026

U P C O M I N G

S H O W S

SAT, DEC 5

CHRIS TUCKER

RICKY MARTIN

FRI, SEP 25

SAT, OCT 3

FRI, OCT 16

GODSMACK

CHICAGO

PAUL ANKA

FRI & SAT, NOV 6 & 7

FRI, DEC 4

TAKING BACK SUNDAY

FRI, OCT 23

DJ JOHNNY LOOCH LOBBY BAR | 9:30PM - 1:30AM

Ricky Martin, Gladys Knight and Alice Cooper among those on an iconfilled fall casino schedule

SEPTEMBER SPECIALS SUN - MON 7AM - 4PM • TUES • - SAT 7AM - 9PM

The Casino File By Chuck Darrow

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decades-sized chunk of show business history will be on display in Atlantic City casinos this autumn as the likes of Ricky Martin, Tom Jones, Gladys Knight, the team of Steve Martin and Martin Short, and Alice Cooper are headed to town. As a result, if it’s hot-and-happening acts that you’re seeking this autumn, an Atlantic City gaming hall is probably not where you want to be. But if megastars from the 1950s through the ’90s are what you’re seeking, you are in luck. In addition to the above-named entertainers, the fourth-quarter talent roster includes such glittering names as Gwen Stefani, Ricky Martin, Babyface and Jerry Seinfeld. There will also be a Broadway musical, a movie screening accompanied by a live orchestra and two stage versions of ultra-popular TV game shows. Below is a chronological look at some of the more noteworthy bookings (tickets available at ticketmaster. com):

The Doobie Brothers

(Oct. 2; Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City) This year’s “Walk This Road” tour isn’t focused on the early-’70s hippie-rock iteration of the band, but the R&B-dipped unit featuring “yachtrock” deity Michael McDonald, who’s back in the fold.

Micky Dolenz

(Oct. 3; Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa) Nothing says “time flies” better than Dolenz’s tour, on which he’s celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Monkees. Fans of the “Pre-Fab Four” will want to be there as Dolenz is the last remaining band/TV show cast member, and this is quite possibly his last go-round.

Tom Jones

(Sept. 25; Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa). Much can change in two years, but if the 86(!)-year-old Welsh popster’s September 2024 show at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City was any indication, this is not to be missed. Rather than wallowing in nostalgia-drenched attempts at capturing his hip-swiveling 1960s heyday, Jones has evolved into a thoughtful veteran who pays homage to his legendary career without embarrassing himself, primarily by reinventing his signature tunes as well as performing more contemporary songs along with his standards.

Gladys Knight

(Oct. 10; Borgata) For decades, Knight was a local-casino mainstay. While the 82-year-old singer — whose biggest hit is 1973’s “Midnight Train to Georgia” — played last October at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, she hasn’t graced a gambling-den stage since her July 2019 performance at Borgata.

“Little Shop of Horrors”

(Oct. 10; Resorts Casino-Hotel) The smash musical comedy about a nerdy Skid Row flower-shop employee who develops a blood-lusting

September 17, 2026

plant brings a taste of Broadway to the Boardwalk.

with his brand of percolating pop with a distinctly Latin feel.

Miss’d America Pageant

Alice Cooper

(Oct. 11; Caesars Atlantic City) What began as a gender-bending poke at the Miss America Pageant today stands as a major annual event for Our Town’s LGBTQ community. “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” avatar Carson Kressley will again serve as emcee.

(Oct. 31; Tropicana Atlantic City) After almost 60 years, the man who introduced traditional showbiz trappings to live rock 'n' roll remains one of pop music’s top entertainers. That the coolest ghoul of all is playing the Trop on Halloween is a great coincidence.

Babyface

Ricky Martin

(Oct. 16; Hard Rock) The Latin-pop sensation who started his career in the mid-1980s with boy-banders Menudo and went on to turn-of-the-century global chart domination is back on the road

(Nov. 6; Tropicana) Few in the pop music realm of the past 40 or so years have come close to matching the behind-thescenes track record of the guy born Kenneth Brian Edmonds. As a writer and/or producer, Babyface has been involved with an astonishing 26 songs that have hit number-one on the Billboard magazine R&B charts; he’s also earned 13 Grammy Awards. At the Trop, however, he’ll be wearing his performer’s hat. Expect the set to include such hits as “When Can I See You,” “Ready or Not” and “My, My, My.”

Jon Stewart

(Nov. 6; Ocean Casino Resort) Talk about propitious timing: The Mercer County native, who arguably reigns as the nation’s sharpest and

funniest political commentator, will be hitting Ocean a mere three days after the midterm elections. The verbal darts aimed at politicians of all stripes should be furiously flying around Ovation Hall.

Steve Martin & Martin Short

(Nov. 7; Ocean) Completing what will easily be the most laugh-filled weekend at any casino this year is the return of these two comedy giants. Assuming their format hasn’t changed, expect a twoman variety show that will include standup comedy, sketch comedy, improv comedy, musical interludes and general hilarity all bound together by the obvious affection the pair have for each other.

Gwen Stefani

(Nov. 10; Borgata) In terms of exclusivity, this is the Big One: The No Doubt frontwoman isn’t coming to town as part of a tour. Instead, this will be a one-night-only affair and her first solo gig since July, when she appeared at the Ottawa Bluesfest in the Canadian capital.

“Love Actually” In Concert

(Nov. 10 and 11; Caesars) The beloved 2003 rom-com star-

ring Hugh Grant and Emma Thompsom will be screened in the Circus Maximus Theater as a live orchestra performs the soundtrack.

Paul Anka

(Dec. 4; Hard Rock) Anka has been coming to Atlantic City since he debuted at Steel Pier in the late 1950s, and his Borgata set in April was nothing less than astounding bordering on the supernatural. He’s another octogenarian who seems to defy the laws of human aging, and if you’ve never seen him, you are strongly advised to make it to this show.

Game time

Two of the nation’s most popular game shows are headed to town. On Oct. 10, “Wheel of Fortune Live” comes to Hard Rock, while “The Price Is Right Live” checks into Borgata Oct. 30.

No shows

Finally, as was the case this summer, there are no traditional production shows scheduled between now and the end of the year, although there will be a handful of Christmas-themed programs on the boards. Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.

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September 17, 2026

48 Blocks Festival brings art, music and community activities to Atlantic City

tlantic City’s creative community will take center stage Saturday, Sept. 19, when the 48 Blocks Festival returns to the city’s Inlet neighborhood. Presented by the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, the free, family-friendly festival will run from noon to 8 p.m. at Uptown Park and Fisherman’s Park. The day will feature live music, visual art, theater, dance, poetry, hands-on workshops, food vendors and guided tours of the city’s murals. A rain date is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20. The theme of this year’s festival, “Right on Time,” explores trust, faith and the connections that bring people together at just the right moment. “This festival is a true expression of love and care from the Atlantic City community,” said Tina Notaro, program manager for the Atlantic City Arts Foundation. “Every performance, every installation, all the unique and creative things to explore at the festival are the result of countless hours of artistic practice and collaboration.” Organizers expect to build on the

festival’s centralized format, which attracted about 800 people in 2025. This year’s event will include programming throughout two parks and an open section of Melrose Avenue. More than a dozen acts will perform continuously across two stages. The Courtside Stage lineup includes Mums the Word, Grupo La Nueva Era, Mules of the Cellar, Tiffani and the AC Soul Line Dancers, Gypsy Funk Squad, Passion Project and DJs from Stockton University radio station WLFR 91.7 FM. The Garden Stage will feature Joe McGinty, Gina Roche, Soup Can Magazine, Malcolm Tent, Comics in Color with Raymond Tyler and Boardwalk-themed plays with Heidi Mae. The Melrose Avenue Market will feature 18 art and craft vendors, along with local food pop-ups. Visitors can also participate in artmaking, clay, glassblowing, tie-dye and collage workshops and watch artists create work during live demonstrations. Free guided jitney tours will depart hourly along multiple routes,

showcasing new additions to Atlantic City’s collection of public art. More than 15 community organizations will participate in the festival. The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University will host a “Cyanokites” workshop, where participants can build flyable kites while learning about cyanotype sun-exposure printing. MudGirls Studios will offer a community clay workshop. Skate AC and Heart of Surfing will provide adaptive skateboarding lessons and demonstrations for participants of all ages. C.R.O.P.S. will lead garden tours and share information about fresh produce. Nike community

ambassadors will operate a movement zone with inclusive activities designed to help children develop skills, build confidence and stay active. “We invite residents and visitors alike to enjoy Local Summer with us and a distinguished cast of visual and performing artists,” said Michael Atkins, executive director of the Atlantic City Arts Foundation. The festival is presented with support from the Inlet Community Development Corp. and Atlantic Cape Community College. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority also supports the event. Additional sponsors include Atlantic City Electric, Copiers Plus, Lang’s Garden, Cozy Cohost, the Schultz-Hill Foundation and Vista Convention Services. The 48 Blocks Festival will be held near 420 Melrose Ave. Admission is free, and all ages are welcome. For more information, visit atlanticcityartsfoundation.org/48blocksfestival2026

Sunday, October 11, 2026

8:00 p.m. • Circus Maximus Theater @ Caesars Atlantic City

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September 17, 2026

Will Keiter: ‘I try to carry myself well, especially being that I’m going into a serious profession soon’ Tune In, Turn On With Doug Deutsch

ince moving back East in 2022, it’s been my quest to discover and write about as many Shore-based musicians as possible. One musician who stood out for his mastery of the three P’s — poise, professionalism and performance — is Will Keiter. I first met Will in 2024, when he was playing bass and saxophone for

the local blues-rock trio Twisted Livin’ at one of local photographer John Loreaux’s fabulous summer parties. John and Cami throw great soirées; if you know, you know. I’ve since gotten to know him better. Working as Twisted Livin’s publicist gave me greater access, and I was so impressed that I decided to interview Keiter, 23. But first, here is some praise from others who know and have worked with Will: “Whether you’re into hard-rocking

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blues or the funky stuff, Will Keiter has you covered. His ecstatic bass lines with Twisted Livin’ and tasty solos with Plaid Salmon Horns keep the dance floors crowded. Someone needs to clone this dude. There aren’t enough of him to go around,” said Jim Tuohy, a local patron of the arts and music promoter. “Working with Will was a pleasure. He put a lot of hard work into his craft and became a tremendous bass player. We built a true connection musically; his passion and enthusiasm for getting things done the right way were very inspiring. He’s a great human and great friend,” said Denny Shiffler, guitarist and vocalist for Twisted Livin’. “I started playing trumpet because of the music I was exposed to growing up. Now, all my musical influences come from my friends and especially my brother, Will, whom I hold in high regard as a playing role model, not just because of our relationship,” said P.J. Keiter, trumpet player for Plaid Salmon. DD: You recently posted on social media that Twisted Livin’ is breaking up and that you are moving on to new adventures, including returning to school. Can you walk us through how all of this happened? WK: Unfortunately, Twisted Livin’ is coming to an end after a strong five-year run. It was a long time coming, as I knew I had to begin my teaching internship soon. Playing full time in a band that requires a daily commitment was only going to be part of my life for so long and isn’t conducive to my lifestyle as a student and aspiring teacher. I’ll still play with my band Plaid Salmon when I have time. I also have some dates booked on both bass guitar and saxophone with the Billy Walton Band this fall! DD: I’m guessing you come from a musical family. Am I correct? WK: Yes! Both of our parents played instruments in their high school bands. Our dad played clarinet, and our mom played flute in a marching band. Most of our musical influence comes from listening to their music around the house as children. DD: Which instrument did you take up and learn first, saxophone or bass guitar? WK: First, I was a saxophone player. I played alto saxophone in the school band. Then, in high school, I played alto sax in the jazz band and marching band. I learned bass guitar after meeting the guys in Twisted Livin’. We needed a bass player, and I was happy to step up.

Will Keiter. Photo by John Loreaux DD: Do you see yourself being part of another band in the future, either full or part time? WK: I definitely see myself being a part-time member of several groups. I’ll never give up playing live. It’s just that the number of shows we were playing isn’t something I can continue. I still play jazz. I have a duo with my friend Luke Nokes, a pianist from Stockton. I’m in an eight-piece local party band called Plaid Salmon, and I have several dates booked with the Billy Walton Band this fall. DD: Who are some of the people in the Jersey Shore music community who have helped or influenced your music career? WK: A huge shoutout to John Loreaux. Through his influence and amazing talent in photography, he has elevated my local music career to a level that wouldn’t have been possible without him. I’d also like to thank Carmen Marotta for having Twisted Livin’ perform at both his Concerts on the Beach in Somers Point and Boardwalk concerts in Atlantic City through Tony Mart Presents. I’d also like to give a huge thank-you to my mother, Laura, who has not only helped keep me organized but has also been a major part of my support system throughout my live music career. Will and Twisted Livin’ will perform at Hard Rock Cafe from 8:30 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Sept. 19. Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com

September 17, 2026

Thursday, September 17

Atlantic City Headliners Sebastian Maniscalco

▶9 p.m.

Sebastian Maniscalco

▶8 p.m.

Friday, September 18 ▶8 p.m. ▶9 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls

▶7 p.m.

Circus Maximus Theatre at Caesars Nurse John

▶8 p.m.

Borgata Event Center Rumours ATL: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute

▶9 p.m.

Superstar Theater at Resorts Femmes of Rock

▶8 p.m.

The Music Box at Borgata

Photo credit: Nurse John Facebook Jordan Jensen

▶8 p.m.

Sound Waves at Hard Rock Rocket Man

▶8 p.m.

Golden Nugget Atlantic City

Sunday, September 20 Sebastian Maniscalco

▶7 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino

Thursday, September 24

Sebastian Maniscalco

▶8 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino

Saturday, September 19

Friday, September 25

▶8 p.m.

Sebastian Maniscalco

Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino

▶8 p.m.

Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena Jess Hilarious

▶9 p.m.

The Concert Venue at Harrah’s Back 2 Mac: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac

▶11:59 p.m.

▶8 p.m.

Jon Pardi

Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena Sebastian Maniscalco

Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Taking Back Sunday

▶7 p.m.

Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino

Tom Jones

Borgata Event Center

Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall The Doobie Brothers

▶8 p.m.

Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena imomsohard

The Music Box at Borgata The Disco Biscuits Tropicana Showroom

On Sale This Week Brit Floyd

The Music Box at Borgata

Saturday, September 26 Mamma Mania

▶Saturday, March 20

Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena Chris Isaak

▶8 p.m.

▶Friday, November 27

▶8 p.m.

▶Friday, December 4

The Music Box at Borgata Sebastian Maniscalco

The Music Box at Borgata Hanson

Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino

Sunday, September 27

Sound Waves at Hard Rock Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening

Sebastian Maniscalco 7 p.m. Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino

▶Saturday, November 28

Friday, October 2

Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Theresa Caputo

Trey Songz and Ashanti

Sound Waves at Hard Rock KC & The Sunshine Band

▶Friday, February 6

▶9 p.m.

▶Saturday, March 13

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September 17, 2026

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By Holly Martin

Buona Vita brings classic Italian dining to Somers Point

or those looking for a taste of Italy in the heart of Somers Point, Buona Vita Restaurant on Bay Avenue offers a dining experience centered around traditional Italian cuisine, warm hospitality, and a welcoming atmosphere. Buona Vita, which translates to “the good life,” invites guests into a space reminiscent of an intimate Southern Italian villa. Tuscan-inspired décor and a warm ambiance create an atmosphere that feels both elegant and comfortable. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or enjoying a night out with friends and family, the restaurant provides a cozy setting for a leisurely Italian meal. The menu focuses on classic Italian favorites prepared with quality ingredients and traditional flavors. Buona Vita is also BYOB, giving guests the option to bring along their favorite bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner. We started our visit with the Risotto Primavera, a hearty dish featuring Arborio rice and sautéed seasonal

Buona Vita's menu focuses on classic Italian favorites. vegetables tossed in an oil and white wine garlic sauce. The portion arrived in a massive bowl that could easily be shared by two people. The risotto was cooked perfectly, with the creamy Arborio rice complemented by the fresh vegetables,

which added a satisfying crunch to every bite. It was a comforting and flavorful way to begin the meal. For my entrée, I ordered the Pollo Fantasia, and it was unlike anything I had tried before. A thin chicken breast was topped with sautéed asparagus and melted Fontina cheese, then finished with a lemon white wine sauce. The lemon sauce was the standout for me. It added a bright, citrusy flavor that balanced the richness of the cheese and transformed what could have been a heavier dish into something much lighter and more refreshing. I could Dinner was complete with a slice of chocolate easily see myself ordering this mousse cake. dish again and again. The entrée was served with steamed broccoli plete without dessert. We finished and carrots, along with two wedges our meal with a slice of chocolate mousse cake, which was smooth, of lightly fried potatoes. decadent, and rich without being My husband ordered the Pollo Buona Vita, and it was a true showoverwhelming. A swirl of chocolate stopper. The dish featured a thin sauce on the plate added an extra chicken breast blanketed in melted touch of sweetness and made for the Fontina cheese and topped with perfect ending to our meal. Prosciutto di Parma, baby spinach, As we prepared to leave, the dining and imported porcini mushrooms. room was buzzing with conversation, Everything was finished with a light laughter, and the occasional sound of demi-glace sauce. wine corks popping. It was clear that

And that sauce? I wish I could put it on everything. It was rich and flavorful without overpowering the other ingredients, and every bite seemed just as delicious as the last. I’m not sure I could do the sauce justice with words, so this may be one of those dishes you simply have to try for yourself. Like my entrée, the Pollo Buona Vita was served with steamed broccoli and carrots and two wedges of lightly fried potatoes. Of course, no Italian dinner is com-

Buona Vita had created the kind of atmosphere where guests weren’t simply stopping in for dinner; they were settling in and enjoying the experience. For your next Italian dinner in Somers Point, consider adding Buona Vita to your list. With classic Italian dishes, a warm atmosphere, and a BYOB option, it’s a spot where you can enjoy good food, good company, and, as the name suggests, a little taste of the good life.

September 17, 2026

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Thursday, September 17

Live & Local Music Calendar

Atlantic City Bar One at Resorts Karaoke w/ Kelli Glover 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. 1133 Boardwalk Rush Lounge at Golden Nugget Dane Anthony 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. 600 Huron Ave. The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock Y’all or Nothing 7 – 11 p.m. 1000 Boardwalk

Egg Harbor Township Dooney’s Pub Eric Henriksen 7 – 9 p.m. 6823 Tilton Rd. Somers Point Caroline’s by the Bay Bob Kelly’s Dance Party 5 – 8 p.m. Karaoke Night w/ DJ Mike 8:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. 450 Bay Ave. Crab Trap One Hot Mess. 6 – 9 p.m. 2 Broadway

Gregory’s Bob & Vince 6 p.m. 800 Shore Rd. Josie Kelly’s Toni Teschner & Billy Walton 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. 908 Shore Rd. Tuckerton The Lizzie Rose Music Room Will Hoge. 7:30 p.m. 217 E. Main St.

Friday, September 18

Atlantic City Bar One at Resorts Kiss & Chaos 6 – 9 p.m. DJ Ahmed 9:15 p.m. – late 1133 Boardwalk Borgata B Bar Andrew Moorer Trio 7:30 – 11 p.m. The Original Copy Trio 11:30 p.m. – 3 a.m. 1 Borgata Way Council Oak at Hard Rock Paul Jost Trio 6 – 10 p.m. 1000 Boardwalk Hard Rock Café Sidearm Trio 8:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. 1000 Boardwalk Nola’s Bar at Ocean Casino Kono Nation Duo 7 p.m. Split Decision 10 p.m. 500 Boardwalk Phil’s Carousel Bar at Bally’s KJ McNeil Duo 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. 1900 Pacific Ave. Rush Lounge at Golden Nugget Abby Lee Duo 6 – 10 p.m. The Deck Band 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. 600 Huron Ave. The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock Embers the Band 5 – 8:30 p.m. First to Eleven 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m. 1000 Boardwalk The West at Caesars Band of Make Believe 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. 2100 Pacific Ave. Villain & Saint at Ocean Casino CiBon Duo 8:30 p.m. 500 Boardwalk Egg Harbor Township The Roost Pub & Grill Friday Night Music Bingo 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. 500 St. Andrews Dr.

Galloway Fred & Ethel’s Lantern Light Shaina Faith 7 – 10 p.m. 1 N. New York Rd. Margate Bocca Cole Moore 7 – 9 p.m. 7805 Ventnor Ave. Maynard’s Café Kyle Moore Duo 6 – 9 p.m. 9306 Amherst Ave. Marmora Yesterday’s Creekside Tavern The Blitz 6 p.m. 316 Roosevelt Blvd. Mays Landing LaScala’s Mays XII Bobby Williams 7 – 10 p.m. 1855 Cates Rd. Somers Point Caroline’s by the Bay Live Music 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. 450 Bay Ave. Crab Trap Doug Jennings 6 – 9 p.m. 2 Broadway Crabby Jack’s Maya & Nat 6 – 9 p.m. 2 Broadway Josie Kelly’s Yachtzee 8 p.m. 908 Shore Rd. Tuckerton The Lizzie Rose Music Room Alexis P Suter 7:30 p.m. 217 E. Main St.

Saturday, September 19

Atlantic City Anchor Rock Club 48 Blocks After Party w/ Rhetlaw, Sleepuntildark, Shiggy Livin’ 9 p.m. 247 S. New York Ave. Bar One at Resorts Stereomotion 6 – 9 p.m. DJ Gary 9:15 p.m. – late 1133 Boardwalk Borgata B Bar Isn’t it Always Trio 7:30 – 11 p.m. Laura Lea Trio 11:30 p.m. – 3 a.m. 1 Borgata Way Council Oak at Hard Rock Emily Dinker Trio 6 – 10 p.m. 1000 Boardwalk

September 17, 2026

Hard Rock Café Twisted Livin’ 8:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. 1000 Boardwalk Nola’s Bar at Ocean Casino Dan Jost Duo 7 p.m. Steal the Sky 10 p.m. 500 Boardwalk Phil’s Carousel Bar at Bally’s JD Valenteen 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. 1900 Pacific Ave. Rush Lounge at Golden Nugget Chris Yoder Band 5 – 9 p.m. Surprise Surprise 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. 600 Huron Ave. The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock Lulu 5 – 8:30 p.m. First to Eleven 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m. 1000 Boardwalk The West at Caesars Level Up 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. 2100 Pacific Ave. Villain & Saint at Ocean Casino Ballistic Berry Duo. 8:30 p.m. 500 Boardwalk Brigantine LaScala’s Beach House Don’t Call Me Francis 1 – 5 p.m. 1400 Ocean Ave. Egg Harbor City Renault Winery Beth Tinnon 1 – 4 p.m. Mike Dougherty 5 – 9 p.m. 72 N. Bremen Ave. Egg Harbor Township Dooney’s Pub Brendan Marro Duo

Crabby Jack’s Ol’ Matey. 6 – 9 p.m. 2 Broadway Josie Kelly’s Tom Brett 3 p.m. Emerald Isle Academy 6 p.m. Galway Guild 7 p.m. 908 Shore Rd. Tuckerton The Lizzie Rose Music Room Deb Callahan Band 7:30 p.m. 217 E. Main St.

Photo credit: Embers the Band Facebook

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8 – 11 p.m. 6823 Tilton Rd. Galloway Fred & Ethel’s Lantern Light Brandon Ireland 7 – 10 p.m. 1 N. New York Rd. Margate Bocca Doug Jennings 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. 7805 Ventnor Ave. Maynard’s Café Bar None Duo 6 – 9 p.m. 9306 Amherst Ave. Mays Landing LaScala’s Mays XII Five Dollar Shakes Duo 6 – 9 p.m. 1855 Cates Rd. Somers Point Caroline’s by the Bay Plaid Salmon 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. 450 Bay Ave. Crab Trap One Hot Mess. 6 – 9 p.m. 2 Broadway

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September 17, 2026

↘Continued from 63 Ventnor Downbeach Seafood Festival Funk Daddy & Kenny Raye Band 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Ski Beach

Sunday, September 20

Atlantic City Bar One at Resorts DJ Eric & DJ Proud 6:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. 1133 Boardwalk Council Oak at Hard Rock Amy Faden Duo 5 – 9 p.m. 1000 Boardwalk Nola’s Bar at Ocean Casino Dueling Pianos. 8 p.m. 500 Boardwalk The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock Sky City Social 4 – 7:30 p.m. Daddy Pop 8:30 – 11:30 p.m. 1000 Boardwalk Galloway McGettigan’s 19th Hole Caleb Demmerle 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. 500 S. New York Rd. Margate Maynard’s Café Nancy Malcun

10 a.m. – 1 p.m. 9306 Amherst Ave. Somers Point Crab Trap Doug Jennings 6 – 9 p.m. 2 Broadway Josie Kelly’s Traditional Irish Session 1 – 4 p.m. 908 Shore Rd. Ventnor Downbeach Seafood Festival No Standards & Camille K Band 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Ski Beach

Monday, September 21

Atlantic City Anchor Rock Club Physical Media Swap & Mixer 7 p.m. 247 S. New York Ave. The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock Isn’t it Always 7 – 11 p.m. 1000 Boardwalk Somers Point Crab Trap Jeff X 6 – 9 p.m. 2 Broadway Gregory’s The Beth Gillece Quintet 7 p.m. 800 Shore Rd.

Tuesday, September 22 Atlantic City Bar One at Resorts Karaoke w/ Joe 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. 1133 Boardwalk Rush Lounge at Golden Nugget Patty & Bugzy 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. 600 Huron Ave. The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock Dane Anthony Band 7 – 11 p.m. DJ Johnny Looch 9:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m. 1000 Boardwalk Somers Point Caroline’s by the Bay Music Bingo w/ DJ Chris 7 – 9 p.m. 450 Bay Ave. Crab Trap Maya & Nat. 6 – 9 p.m. 2 Broadway Josie Kelly’s DJ Special K 5 – 9 p.m. 908 Shore Rd.

Wednesday, September 23

Atlantic City Anchor Rock Club Vinyl Wednesdays w/ Coltrane 100. 8 p.m. 247 S. New York Ave.

Bar One at Resorts DJ Gary. 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. 1133 Boardwalk Hard Rock Café Hard Rock Rising 7 – 10 p.m. 1000 Boardwalk Rush Lounge at Golden Nugget Michael Stevens 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. 600 Huron Ave. The Lobby Bar at Hard Rock Kenny Raye Band 5 – 8:30 p.m. The Benjamins 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m. 1000 Boardwalk Margate Bocca Live Jazz by Bob & The Bocca Boys. 7 – 10 p.m. 7805 Ventnor Ave. Mays Landing LaScala’s Mays XII Chris Greiner 6 – 9 p.m. 1855 Cates Rd. Somers Point Caroline’s by the Bay Open Mic Night w/ Blue Eagle 7:30 – 11:30 p.m. 450 Bay Ave. Crab Trap One Hot Mess. 6 – 9 p.m. 2 Broadway Events subject to change.

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September 17, 2026

Grub Club By Marcella Curcio

Flavors to fall in love with this autumn

s Shore locals enjoy what is known as locals summer, September at the shore still feels a little like summer, but with a crisp hint of fall in the breeze. The crowds have thinned, the streets are a little quieter, and the pace begins to slow down, but there is still plenty happening around town. It is one of my favorite times of year at the shore because you get a little bit of everything. You can still enjoy a day at the beach or a walk along the Boardwalk, but cooler mornings and evenings remind you that fall is right around the corner. And with the change of seasons comes a change in some of our favorite flavors. For this week’s Grub Club, we’re taking a look at some local spots serving up the tastes of fall —

from s’mores ice cream and tomato soup to apple cider donuts, pumpkin

pancakes and holiday pies. Whether you have been waiting all year for pumpkin season or you are not quite ready to say goodbye to summer, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a taste of fall without going too far from home. Kilwins is known for its chocolates, fudge and sweets, and the minute you walk through the door, you are greeted by the unmistakable aroma of chocolate and freshly made waffle cones. As fall approaches, Kilwins is welcoming the season with s’mores-flavored fudge and ice cream, bringing the classic campfire treat into a whole new form. Bonfires are a signature part of fall. There is something comforting about sitting around a fire, enjoying the crisp evening air while warming up by the flames. And, of course, no bonfire is complete without s’mores.

September 17, 2026

The combination of sweet marshmallow, chocolate and crunchy graham crackers is a nostalgic favorite that brings back memories of cool nights, campfires and spending time outside with friends and family. I am an ice cream fan regardless of the season, so naturally, I had to try the s’mores ice cream. Personally, I really enjoyed it. It had the right amount of sweetness without being overwhelming, while pieces of graham cracker and chocolate added the perfect amount of texture and crunch. It is a fun way to enjoy one of those classic fall flavors without having to wait for the next bonfire. And if you are someone who, like me, is not quite ready to give up ice cream just because September has arrived, it is a pretty good compromise between summer and fall. Fall is unofficially the start of soup season. Although, like me, some people enjoy soup all year round, there is something especially comforting about a warm bowl of soup when the temperatures begin to drop and the leaves start to tumble. Varsity Inn is known for its traditional, welcoming American-style breakfast and lunch, but the restaurant is also known for its signature Baked Tomato Soup, served with cheese and garlic breadcrumbs. New Jersey is known for its tomatoes, and I am admittedly fussy when it comes to tomato soup. There are certain versions that are just too watery, too sweet or lacking that fresh tomato flavor. The Varsity Inn’s version is definitely one that stands out. The soup has a creamy texture with hints of fresh Jersey tomatoes, while the cheese garlic breadcrumbs take it to another level. They add the perfect amount of crunch, along with garlic and cheesy flavor that complements the soup. It is the kind of meal that feels especially fitting for a cool fall day — warm, comforting and familiar. There is also something nostalgic about tomato soup. It is one of those foods that can remind you of being a kid, sitting around the kitchen table or warming up after coming inside on a chilly day. Pair that with a side of bread or the restaurant’s cheese garlic breadcrumbs, and you have a simple meal that feels perfect for the changing season. When you think of fall, apple picking, pumpkin picking and apple cider donuts probably come to mind. Located on New Road in Northfield, Beach Buns Bakery offers a variety of baked goods and sweets, from sticky buns to scones, along

September 17, 2026

with apple cider donuts. There is something about enjoying a fresh apple cider donut with a cup of coffee on a crisp fall morning that immediately puts you in the seasonal spirit. Apple cider donuts are one of those foods that have become almost synonymous with fall. They are simple, but somehow they capture the season in one bite. While the shore is often associated with summer treats like ice cream, funnel cake and frozen drinks, September gives us a chance to enjoy some of those classic fall flavors without leaving the area. And you do not necessarily have to make a full day out of it. Whether you are grabbing breakfast, stopping in for a sweet treat, or picking something up to bring home, an apple cider donut is an easy way to welcome the season. Add a cup of hot coffee, and you have a pretty ideal September morning. When you think of fall, pumpkins are hard to leave out. From pumpkin picking to pumpkin carving, the season is filled with traditions and memories surrounding this classic fall staple. And what better way to enjoy pumpkin than at breakfast? The name Hooked on Breakfast says it all, and the restaurant lives up to it with its breakfast and lunch offerings. As a pancake lover myself, I am always willing to try a good stack, and their pancakes do not disappoint. Among their variety of options are pumpkin pancakes, which are a perfect way to bring the flavors of fall to the breakfast table. The pancakes have a hint of cinnamon spice, giving them that familiar fall flavor without being overpowering. That is one of the things I like about seasonal dishes. You do not necessarily need an overwhelming amount of pumpkin or spice for something to feel like fall. Sometimes, just a little cinnamon or a familiar seasonal flavor is enough. Pumpkin pancakes are one of those dishes that can turn an ordinary breakfast into something that feels a little more special — especially when enjoyed with a cup of coffee on a cool September morning. It is also a good reminder that fall flavors do not have to be limited to dessert. Sometimes breakfast is the best place to enjoy them. As fall progresses, it quickly leads into the holiday season, and with the holidays comes one of the most classic desserts: pie. Mazza’s Market & Coffee House in Northfield offers a selection of pies,

including pumpkin, apple and berry varieties. Pie has always been a staple on the holiday dinner table, whether it is a traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, apple pie served warm or a berry pie for something a little different. There is something special about bringing a pie to a family gathering. It is one of those desserts that everyone can gather around, slice by slice, after a big meal. And having a local option to pick one up makes bringing dessert to a family gathering a little easier. Of course, there is nothing wrong with making a pie from scratch, but sometimes the holidays are already busy enough. Being able to pick up a pie locally means you can still bring something special to the table without spending hours in the kitchen. And, honestly, there is something comforting about a homemade-style pie during the holiday season. It feels familiar, nostalgic and perfectly suited to the time of year. September at the shore is often considered locals summer, and while the summer crowds may have disappeared, there is still plenty happening locally. It is also a great time to slow down and enjoy the transition between seasons.

The weather is still warm enough for a day at the shore, but the cooler mornings and evenings give us a preview of what is ahead. The days may be getting shorter, but that does not mean there is any shortage of things to do — or eat. From the nostalgia of s’mores at Kilwins to a warm bowl of tomato soup at the Varsity Inn, an apple cider donut from Beach Buns Bakery, pumpkin pancakes at Hooked on Breakfast or a pie from Mazza’s Market & Coffee House, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the flavors of fall right here at the shore. One of the best parts of living at the shore is getting to experience the seasons as they change. Summer may get most of the attention, but there is something special about September. The pace is a little slower, the air starts to feel different and local businesses begin introducing some of those flavors we look forward to every year. So, as summer winds down and fall begins to make its appearance, take advantage of locals summer. Enjoy the quieter streets, cooler breezes, and, of course, a few seasonal bites along the way. After all, there is no better way to welcome a new season than with good food and a little time spent enjoying the places right here in our own backyard.

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Drink Up! By David Setley

White wine is still in fashion, even after Labor Day

ou have probably heard the fashion rule not to wear white after Labor Day. This goes back to the Gilded Age when wealthy families left their summer shore homes and packed away their lightweight, white, linen clothing for their heavier fall wardrobe. Whatever you decide to do with your clothes, don’t worry – you don’t have to pack away your white wines! Instead, switch out the lighter Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Grigios with some richer, more full-bodied white wines. Allow me to spotlight a few must-try white wines for the fall season from around the world. Personally, I love Vouvray wine for fall (or winter, spring, and summer, if I’m being honest). Vouvray is the region of the mid-Loire Valley of France where the thick-skinned white grape Chenin Blanc rules. Much like Sancerre, Muscadet, and Chateauneuf du Pape, this wine is known by its region’s name rather than the grape varietal. Wines made from Chenin

Blanc grapes range from semi-sweet to sparkling. Most Vouvray wines are quite dry with flavors of stone fruits and the minerality of the limestone and silex that make up the soil of the region. It has the acidity you find in Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc but with the body of Chardonnay. Vouvray utilizes French oak barrels to age the wine, which imparts light wood notes on the palate. Grab a bottle of Vigneau-Chevreau Cuvee Silex Vouvray, a traditional dry still wine. Or, if you are looking for some bubbly, try the Vigneau Selection Vouvray Sparkling Brut that is made utilizing the Méthode Champenoise, just like Champagne. The Chenin Blanc grape can also be found in South Africa and California. The Secateurs Riviera from Badenhorst Family Wines in Swartland, South Africa, is a great example. This wine is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Viognier and features fresh citrus and tropical fruit notes with a wet stone minerality and a creamy mouthfeel. Crisp acidity and a hint of vanilla oak add to the delicious complexity and

lingering finish. Another very reasonably priced example of this grape is the Vinecrafter Chenin Blanc from the Western Cape of South Africa. Or, try California’s Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier blend. This blend marries the crisp green apple and honey notes of the Chenin Blanc with the juicy white peach flavors of the Viognier. Try each of these outstanding wines and see how significantly the terroir of where these grapes are grown impacts how the wine tastes. Chablis, a wine region located in the northern portion of Burgundy, is well-known for producing the Chardonnay grape. Chardonnay is produced throughout the world, but is most known for its French and California options. Unlike California Chards, Chablis wines are aged in stainless steel, rather than oak barrels, and do not have the oaky or buttery flavors many associate with Chardonnay-based wines. Chablis wines are great for fall; they are very dry with a medium body and moderately high acidity and flavors of pear and green apple with notes of stone minerality. For a great example of this classic French white, try either the Simonnet-Febvre Chablis or the Le Grand Chemin Chablis. Two other Burgundy Chardonnays are the Domaine Chevrot Hautes-Côtes De Beaune and the Philippe Le Hardi Clos de la Chaise Dieu Côtes D’Or. Both are from respected appellations (AOC) of Burgundy and are aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, which add a lighter oak flavor to wine than American oak. Try any of these wines with grilled poultry or seafood this fall. If you prefer the more buttery, oaky California version of Chardonnay, my recommendation for Fall is the Benoni Chardonnay from the Rus-

sian River Valley of Sonoma County. The flavors are apple and nectarine with notes of vanilla and oak. Also try the Trefethen Oak Knoll District Napa Chardonnay or the Chalk Hill Russian River Chardonnay for great examples of New-World production. Some California vineyards are now producing Chardonnay in the less oaky Old-World style. Try the Balletto Russian River Valley Teresa’s Unoaked Chardonnay. There is arguably no more divisive varietal of wine than Chardonnay, but I hope the past few paragraphs have shown you that not all Chardonnays are created the same. There is definitely a Chard for you! Spain and Portugal are best known for their luscious, full-bodied reds, but they also produce some excellent white wines that would be perfect for fall. Spain grows a wonderful white grape called Verdejo. Rueda is the region most recognized for this varietal, and the Oro de Castilla Verdejo is a must-try wine for autumn. This wine is the perfect balance of pear and peach fruit, stone minerality, and balsamic savoriness. From Rioja, Spain, the Larchago Rioja Alavesa Blanco has a lovely floral aroma with the fruit flavors of green apples and pears and a long finish. Branco de Talha Vinho Branco from Alentejo, Portugal, is made by Antonio Macanita, one of the region’s most respected master winemakers. In traditional Alentejo style, the wine is aged in Talha, or amphora, honoring the ancient winemaking traditions of the region. Blending wines is also an art form in the Alentejo, and this wine is a masterwork. It is a blend of the region’s indigenous white grapes, including Roupeiro, Trincadeira-das-Pratas, Alicante Branco, and Fernão Pires. The finished wine is the perfect balance of tree fruit and a wonderful earthy minerality and pairs perfectly with pasta dishes, grilled shellfish or poultry, mushrooms, or root vegetables, making this my top pick for the fall. I hope you enjoyed this article and will give some of these autumn whites consideration for your next dinner. You will not be out of fashion. As always, stop in the store or contact me at dsetley@passionvines. com. Until next time, happy fall y’all and 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.

September 17, 2026

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Atlantic City dining back in the day: Part II By Bruce Klauber

308 White Horse Pike, Absecon • 609-641-2000

ewspaper and magazine ar ticles about Atlantic City’s restaurants of yore always seem to elicit a healthy response from readers. The recent piece within these pages about fondly-remembered, long-gone eateries was no exception. Two responses to that piece stand out. A Galloway Township reader asked about a shore restaurant called Dewey’s. “My sister and I were young children back in the 1950s,” the reader wrote. “Many Fridays, our family drove from our home in suburban Philadelphia to Somers Point and we'd stop for dinner along the way. One place we especially enjoyed was a place with a stage and a dark curtain. In our memories, the place was called Dewey's. We always hoped to sit at a table by the curtain to sneak a peek at what was behind it. “We also remember eating cinnamon buns which came in the bread basket. I've lived in Galloway for many

years, but I've never run into anyone who can tell me exactly where this place was. My guess would be somewhere in Atlantic County. We would be grateful for any information you can provide.”

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An Atlantic City Weekly piece published in June of 2019, described the restaurant. “On the other side of the monument, heading toward Downbeach, you couldn’t miss The Great Josh’s at 3709 Ventnor Avenue,” the piece read. “Ironically, the site of this prototypical New York-style (read: Jewish) deli/ice cream parlor has now become a popular Halal meat outlet: Urban redevelopment of the new millennium. What Abe’s was to Dock’s, Josh’s might have been to the legendary White House Subs. Larger in both seating size and menu, Josh’s served all the standard grilled items and cold subs, plus juicy, heaping piles of pastrami and corned beef. You just Mark Ferguson, moderator of a Facebook group dedicated to historic Galloway, discovered this information: “Dewey's was originally built around 1918 as the Absecon Highland's Grange Hall,” says Ferguson. “In the mid-1940s, Grange became a bar and café, and in the 1950s, it became John Lingelbach's 6th Avenue Café. Owned by Dewey Felton, the venue officially became ‘Dewey's’ and grew into a massive local staple during the 1950s. It was well-known for its live entertainment. The venue was so popular, that the Absecon Lions Club was founded at Dewey's Inn in 1956. The restaurant closed in December

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gotta love a place whose signature sandwich was labeled ‘The Bellyfiller.’” Other readers chimed in with their warm memories of Atlantic City restaurants that were open for business back in the day. Herewith, a sampling: DiLullo’s Restaurant, at 1415 Atlantic Avenue, was open, according to the limited information available, in the 1940s and 1950s, and was said to be a great place for Northern Italian cooking. The more famous DiLullo’s was in Philadelphia, which opened in 1939 on 11th and Market Street.

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of 1961.” Another reader has very clear memories of one of the restaurants detailed in the “restaurants of yore” piece. “In your August 27 issue,” the reader wrote, “Bruce Klauber did a terrific job of shining a kitchen heat lamp on many fine local restaurants that are no longer with us. I remember them all, ate at many of them and even worked at a few. One slight complaint, however. On what planet was The Great Josh’s a Jewish-styled deli? It was a sub shop, period. You’d have a better chance finding an egg roll on the menu than a knish.” Memories can be strange things.

DISCOVER THE NEW

↘Continued from 71 Pennsylvania Dutch cooking in Atlantic City? You bet. Jean’s Restaurant, at 139-141 South Carolina, was in business in the 1940s and 1950s, and stayed open for almost 20 years. Kent’s Restaurants were a mini-franchise for the time, as their three, Atlantic City restaurants thrived for years since opening in 1903. The venues, which focused on breakfasts and all-American cooking, were located at 1214 Atlantic Avenue

it used the catchphrase “A meal in a sandwich.” Soloff’s may have been a precursor of sorts to the fabled Lou’s in Ventnor, which opened eight years later at 5011 Ventnor Avenue. Possibly the most popular of all these obscurities was Atlantic City’s Child’s Restaurant, likely because it was part of one of the nation’s first restaurant chains. In the 1920s and 1930s, Child’s had around 125 venues in the United States and Canada. The Boardwalk location, which opened

at North Carolina Avenue, 1700 Pacific Avenue at Illinois Avenue, and 2124 Atlantic Avenue, just opposite what was the Union Railroad Station. FYI, the station opened in 1934 and was in operation until 1964. Though it was on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, the building was torn down in 1997. McGee’s Bar and Restaurant, at 1615 Pacific Avenue, was a real destination since its opening in 1930. It’s been reported that McGee’s was nationally

in 1927 with a nautical motif, was on South Carolina Avenue and had quite an extensive menu for the day. It was notable for its “Submarine Grill,” with seating, if you can imagine, under the Boardwalk. Child’s in Atlantic City did very well until the entire chain began to suffer. By 1950, the chain was down to 53 venues, and in 1952, Child’s in Atlantic City closed. What’s there today? Resorts Casino Hotel. Ah…progress. Bruce Klauber is the author of four

known for steaks, seafood, and live organ music; and that it attracted the shore’s elite through the years. Little is known about Soloff’s Restaurant on 3805 Ventnor Avenue, except that it opened in 1938 and that

books, an award-winning music journalist, concert and record producer and publicist, producer of the Warner Brothers and Hudson Music "Jazz Legends" film series, and performs both as a drummer and vocalist.

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Spark Car Wash to open Egg Harbor Township location

park Car Wash will open a new location at 6024 Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township, continuing the company’s expansion in South Jersey. The New Jersey-based express tunnel car wash will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 24 with the Egg Harbor Township Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Laura Pfrommer. The new Spark Car Wash is located between M&S Produce and Deli and Aldi, across from Matt Blatt Nissan. The site is part of a busy retail corridor that also includes Home Depot, Lowe’s, Chick-fil-A and ShopRite. “We aren’t just opening a location; we’re joining a community,” Spark Car Wash CEO Kyle Van Decker said. “The Chamber of Commerce and our future neighbors along the Black Horse Pike have made us feel welcome from day one, and we’re excited to build the kind of local partnerships that make Egg Harbor Township home.” From Sept. 17-28, customers can receive a free Signature wash, a $25

value, at the new location. Those who enroll as Spark Unlimited members during the opening celebration can receive their first month for the price of a single retail wash. For each free wash provided during the celebration, Spark will donate $1 to Reed’s Farm in Egg Harbor Township. The farm works to provide access to fresh, nutrient-rich food, inclusive education and workforce

exploration opportunities. Spark has also partnered with DonutNV, a mobile food business based in Egg Harbor Township, as part of the opening celebration. The new location will feature an automated tunnel with Neoglide washers, nonacidic cleaning formulas and high-intensity dryers. It will also include Spark Park, a self-service cleaning area equipped with microfi-

ber towels, multinozzle vacuums and automated floor mat cleaners. Customers can choose from three membership levels — Standard, Signature and Select — and may add up to four vehicles at a discounted rate. Spark Car Wash has been a member of the Egg Harbor Township Chamber of Commerce throughout the planning process. The company’s Neighborhood program also works with local schools, athletic teams, clubs and nonprofit organizations through fundraisers, sponsorships and donations. The Egg Harbor Township facility is one of approximately a dozen Spark Car Wash locations under development in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Spark operates a growing network of express tunnel car washes throughout the three states. Additional information is available at sparkcarwash.com.

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September 17, 2026

By Rachel King

The person beside you matters more than you think

eople sometimes refer to my husband, Anthony, and me as a “power couple.” I’ve always found that interesting because if you looked at us from the outside, I’m probably the person you’d see most often. I’m the one on social media. I’m at the networking events. I’m talking about Lift & Glitz, recording the podcast, opening locations and sharing the next big idea. But behind so many of those decisions is someone most people don’t see. And that’s exactly what we’re talking about on an upcoming episode of the Lift & Glitz Podcast. Anthony and I met in 2020, during COVID, through Facebook, of all places. At the time, I was coming out of an extremely difficult chapter of my life. I was rebuilding my confidence, learning to trust my own judgment again and trying to figure out who I was. I certainly wasn’t thinking about becoming anyone’s “power couple.” But over the next six years, some-

September 17, 2026

thing happened that I think is worth talking about. I realized just how much the person beside you can influence the direction of your life. Support isn’t always someone telling you that everything you do is wonderful. Sometimes support is someone looking at you and saying, “You’re capable of more than this.” Sometimes it’s the person who makes you uncomfortable. The person who asks why you’re playing it safe. Anthony and Rachel King The person who reminds you of what you’re capable of when fear educate myself, take calculated risks and stop allowing fear to make decistarts talking louder than confidence. sions on my behalf. And I’ve realized Anthony has done that for me over and over again. There have that’s one of the greatest gifts you been major decisions with Lift & Glitz can have in a relationship. that terrified me: restructuring the A great partner doesn’t have to business, expanding into a second stand in the spotlight beside you. Sometimes they’re standing just location and, most recently, taking the first steps toward franchising. outside of it, reminding you to keep There were plenty of moments when going. Our relationship hasn’t been perstaying comfortable would have been easier. Anthony wouldn’t let me. fect. We’ve blended a family, naviThat’s not because he makes my gated careers and businesses, raised decisions for me. Quite the opposite. three kids and worked through our He challenges me to think bigger, own individual challenges along the

way. But we’ve grown — together and individually. That’s what I want this next podcast conversation to explore. We’ll certainly tell the story of how we met, fell in love and built our family. But we’re also going deeper into what it means to truly support your partner, why sometimes love means challenging someone instead of simply agreeing with them, and what happens when you have someone in your corner who sees potential in you before you can see it yourself. Maybe being a “power couple” isn’t about two powerful people. Maybe it’s about two people who make each other more powerful. And I can’t wait for you to hear our story. Rachel King is the Owner and operator of Lift & Glitz Training Studio with locations in Northfield and Galloway. P: 609-241-0214 C: 609-425-3405

By Heidi Clayton

How to rescue purebred dogs

here are 205 recognized purebred dogs in the American Kennel Club, from the Affenpinscher to the Xoloitzcuintli, and nearly every one of these breeds has a dedicated rescue organization that assists surrendered dogs in finding a new home. If rescuing a dog is how you want to bring one into your life, but you have always wanted a specific breed of dog, the AKC can help you with that. The AKC’s primary job, so to speak, is being a registration service for purebred dogs’ breeding stock. However, they also maintain a registry of dog clubs for every single breed of dog that they recognize, and they are very active in supporting breed-specific rescues. Every breed, including my own, the bull terrier, has a national breed club. For my breed, it is The Bull Terrier Club of America. These national breed clubs almost always have a dedicated group of people who foster and raise surrendered dogs of their breed. The Bull Terrier Club of America has a very organized group of people who operate under the 501(c)(3) Bull Terrier Rescue Trust, who pull bull terriers from shelters

around the country. These dogs are then fostered by people familiar with bull terriers and assessed for any issues before being placed with the right people. The AKC conducted a survey among rescue organizations to track how purebred dogs end up in rescue situations. They found that 67% of the surrenders were directly from the owner to the rescue group, and the remaining 33% came from shelters or other rescue groups. The number one reason a dog is surrendered is that the owner discovered that it was not the right breed for them. The second and third most common reasons were a change of lifestyle and being unable to provide for the dog. In the case of bull terriers, I can tell you that nearly 100% of the dogs entered into the rescue system are from “backyard” breeders, who are simply creating dogs and later refuse to take a dog back from the owner once their puppy leaves them. Every single breeder I know who is responsible would never allow their puppies to end up in a rescue or surrender situation. Always make sure when you are getting any puppy that the breeder will take the puppy back if need be.

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For instance, Amish puppy mills produce probably every single purebred dog, along with various doodle mixes nowadays. Yet they also rarely, if ever, take a dog back. In my opinion, these puppy mills produce some of the worst health and behavioral issues, which may not be found in the breeds as a whole but are almost always found in the puppy mill dogs. While a purebred dog ending up in rescue does not in any way mean that they will all have issues, it is important to try and find out as much as you can about the dog you are interested in. For example, the French bulldog rescue is inundated with poorly bred dogs that have serious health issues, such as bad skin, breathing problems, and eye issues from people creating “fad”-colored Frenchies. If you are looking for a specific breed to rescue, looking for a breed-specific club that is dedicated to preserving their breed can be very beneficial since those that are handling these dogs have years and years of breed knowledge, which is incredibly helpful when placing these dogs.

While being in the rescue system of a breed club does not mean that all of those rescue dogs are damaged, you should be realistic about your experience level. Rescuing a large, strong dog, like a cane corso or even a bull terrier with issues, may be out of your skill set. Therefore, you should ask questions about the dog’s specific temperament, what they have been through and where they came from, so you can be prepared for the task ahead. When you do rescue a purebred dog from a breed club, what is always available is access to decades of breed knowledge that can be helpful in the raising and care of your new dog. Purebred rescue groups almost always can direct you to someone who has been there and done that. They also can help you with everything from nutrition, grooming, and training. To find a breed club that offers rescue, go to the American Kennel Club’s webpage and start by looking up the parent club for whichever breed you are interested in. Be patient, because most rescue groups have all-volunteer staff, who are doing the best they can to help the dogs. If you have any questions, please email fouronthefloorschool@gmail. com. Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based 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 https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net

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By Robin Stoloff

Childhood obesity: Focus on habits, not the scale

sk any parent what they want for their kids and you tend to get the same answer. Healthy. Confident. Happy. September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, which makes it a good moment to talk about something that affects millions of American homes. Here is where we stand. About 1 in 5 U.S. children and adolescents has obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the 1971 to 1974 national survey, that number was 1 in 20. That is an alarming increase. The percentage climbs as kids get older, reaching more than 22 percent among teenagers ages 12 to 19. Those numbers matter, because carrying extra weight in childhood can raise the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and joint problems. However, there is an important distinction. Helping our kids get healthier should never turn into criticizing their bodies or making them feel ashamed of a number. So let us take the scale out of the conversation and put the focus where it actually belongs — on the whole family. Children watch us far more carefully than they listen to us. If we want them to eat fruits and vegetables, drink water and move their bodies, it helps enormously when they see us doing the same thing. Make the good stuff easy to get. Wash the grapes. Put the berries at eye level in the refrigerator instead

of burying them behind the leftovers. Keep yogurt, cut vegetables, cheese and whole grains where small hands can reach them. Kids, like the rest of us, eat whatever requires the least effort. If the apples are on the counter and the chips are on a high shelf, the apples win more often than you would think. None of this means cookies, chips and ice cream get banished forever. Completely forbidding a food often makes it even more tempting. Healthy eating is about what we do most of the time, not what we do at a birthday party in September. Movement is vital to keeping our kids healthy. Getting kids to be active does not require a team uniform. Not every child wants to play soccer, basketball or baseball, and that is perfectly fine. Walking the dog, riding a bike, swimming, shooting hoops in the driveway or racing a sibling to the end of the block all count. Make it a

fun part of your regular routine. Kids and teens ages 6 through 17 are encouraged to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. That may sound like a lot until you realize it does not have to happen in one stretch. Ten minutes here, twenty minutes there, and suddenly you are at an hour without anyone calling it exercise. One of the biggest differences between our childhood and theirs is the sheer amount of sitting kids do today. Phones, video games, computers and streaming entertainment are part of their world, and they are not going anywhere. The goal does not have to be eliminating screens, which would be a losing battle anyway. It can simply be creating more balance. A walk after dinner, a trip to the park, or turning the music up and dancing around the kitchen while the pasta water boils. No formal workout required.

Sleep deserves a spot on this list, too. Kids who are running short on sleep can have a harder time regulating appetite, energy and mood, which most of us can confirm from personal experience. A regular bedtime routine helps, and keeping electronics out of the bedroom when possible, helps even more. Here is the part I would underline twice. The comments we make about weight, whether about their bodies, our own bodies or somebody else's at the beach, tend to stick around for decades. Kids absorb all of it, including the offhand remark we make in front of the mirror. Compliment children for being strong, energetic, kind, capable and persistent, not the number on the scale. If you are worried about your child's growth or weight, talk to your pediatrician. Children grow at very different rates, and a health professional can look at the whole picture instead of one number on a scale. We cannot control every influence our kids encounter, but we can make our homes places where nourishing food, movement, sleep and a healthy attitude toward our bodies are simply part of everyday life. Living well starts young, but healthy habits can begin at any age. When the whole family gets healthier together, everyone benefits, including the grown-ups. Robin Stoloff is an award-winning health reporter in South Jersey. A former TV reporter, she now hosts Living Well with Robin Stoloff, Sunday mornings at 10 am on Lite 96.9 WFPG.

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Ken Schaffer Entertainment celebrates grand opening in Northfield Business Buzz By Rich Baehrle

he man, the myth and the local entertainment legend — Ken Schaffer — has officially opened the doors to the new home of Ken Schaffer Entertainment at 910 New Road in Northfield. On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Northfield Business Association marked the occasion with a grand-opening celebration, networking mixer and ceremonial ribbon-cutting. Mayor Erland Chau joined Schaffer, association members and representatives of the local business community in welcoming the award-winning entertainment company to its new location. The celebration reflected Schaffer’s personality and approach to business: energetic, welcoming and always centered on having a good time. Guests mingled, enjoyed refreshments, toured the eclectic new office and even competed in a few friendly games of pinball. Ken Schaffer Entertainment is a well-known South Jersey provider

of DJ and master of ceremonies entertainment, professional lighting, photo booths and virtually everything needed to create a memorable wed-

ding, celebration or corporate event. Schaffer and his team understand that successful entertainment involves much more than simply playing

music. It requires reading the room, engaging guests, keeping an event moving and creating the kind of atmosphere people will remember long after the final song. I can personally speak to the quality of Schaffer’s work. Ken Schaffer Entertainment provided the entertainment for my son Bryan’s wedding at Renault Winery several years ago. Ken and his team helped make it a fantastic and truly memorable celebration. In addition to operating his entertainment company, Schaffer has enjoyed a long career in South Jersey radio. He has been involved with WIBG Radio since 2009 and currently serves as an evening host and sales director for WIBG’s family of stations, including Wibbage FM 94.3, Hot Country 101 FM and WMID Oldies 1340 AM. After purchasing the Northfield building in 2025, Schaffer set out to create something much more interesting than a conventional business office. The result is a colorful, fun and eclectic workspace filled with pieces from his longtime personal collection

September 17, 2026

of arcade games and local-interest memorabilia. In early 2026, Schaffer enlisted the help of former radio client and longtime friend Mike Fattizzi, who joined the organization as director of business development. The Northfield office now provides shared sales space for WIBG and gives the radio stations a convenient Atlantic County location for meeting with clients. It also serves as the business and sales office for Ken Schaffer Entertainment and Cape Square Arcade. Cape Square Arcade is part of the Cape Square Entertainment complex on Route 9 in Rio Grande. The family entertainment destination brings together movies, bowling, arcade games and other activities under one roof. Although Schaffer’s businesses may serve different audiences, they all share an important theme. According to Schaffer, everything he does revolves around hospitality, entertainment and fun — and he would not have it any other way. That philosophy is evident throughout the new Northfield office. It is a place where business can be conducted in a relaxed and creative environment. The pinball machines, arcade games and memorabilia are not merely decorations; they are con-

September 17, 2026

versation starters that help clients and visitors feel comfortable from the moment they arrive. As a proud member of the Northfield Business Association, Schaffer hopes the new location will become more than simply an office. He plans to welcome additional networking mixers, business meetings and smallgroup events to the space. The grand-opening celebration demonstrated exactly how well the concept can work. Local businesspeople came together to make new

connections, strengthen existing relationships and support another business investing in the Northfield community — all while sharing plenty of laughter and friendly competition. Congratulations to the man, the myth and the legend, Ken Schaffer, and the entire Ken Schaffer Entertainment team on their grand opening. Their new Northfield home is a perfect reflection of a company that has spent years helping South Jersey families, businesses and organizations create memories that last a

lifetime. Ken Schaffer Entertainment is located at 910 New Road in Northfield. For additional information, visit KenSchafferEntertainment.com, call 609-266-3600, or call or text 609231-1188. Rich Baehrle of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach is the proud author of Business Buzz. He can be reached at 609-226-6680 or richardbaehrle@gmail.com. Visit GetRichInRealEstateSJ.com or follow Richard Baehrle on Facebook.

Weekly Horoscopes

The Cosmic Connection By Ursula Duffy

Rising sign horoscopes for Sept. 17 – 23

Aries: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your identity, sense of self, embodiment journey, and sovereignty. Hint: Your qi is the battery for everything. Taurus: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your connection to the unknown, unseen, and your own blind spots. Hint: Your inner well is deeper than you may realize. Gemini: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your social circles and how they influence your future goals. Hint: Speak your truth and unique voice, regardless of the audience. Cancer: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your current occupation, reputation, and contributions to society. Hint: Tap into your inner warrior during selfdoubt. Leo: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your beliefs, perspectives, and pushing the boundaries of your current horizons. Hint: Shedding a skin creates room to grow. Virgo: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your capacity for transformation and response to vulnerability. Hint: Keep exercising your inner knowing and trusting its guidance. Libra: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your willingness to learn the lessons that relationships are great teachers. Hint: The people around you hold up the mirror for you.

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Scorpio: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your daily habits, routines, health, and their effect on your vitality. Hint: Making a change in your work can improve your wellness. Sagittarius: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your connection to the flow of pleasure, joy, and the creative force within you. Hint: Adventure is in the act of creation itself. Capricorn: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your roots, foundation, authenticity, and private sanctuary. Hint: View your own shadows as new sources of light. Aquarius: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your relationship with your immediate environment. Hint: There’s always an ongoing verbal and energetic dialogue. Pisces: You’re now in study hall for your final exam about your self-confidence, as well as how you attain and distribute your resources.

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Weekly astrology summary:

Two main cosmic events grace us this week as we assimilate into all of last week’s major shifts and gear up for the incoming energies ramping up during the remainder of September. Master teacher and cathartic Chiron leaves the Taurean gardens behind and blazes back into the zodiac sign Aries on Thursday, Sept. 17. Chiron’s brief sojourn in Taurus began on June 19, during which lessons about natural resources, nature as healer and teacher, getting more grounded and slowing down, and the beauty of the physical earth, its gifts, and our bodies most likely began to surface somewhere in our lives. Chiron’s return to and final chapter in Aries brings a return to the burning themes and lessons we’ve been experiencing since 2018, which relate to the Aries qualities of identity, sovereignty, bravery, swiftness of action, and

where we’re at war on a personal and collective level. We all have a final opportunity to learn and integrate Chiron’s Aries-themed lessons from now until April 2027, when the crafty centaur will return to and remain in Taurus for many years. Take advantage of your study halls, and prep for your final exams. There may be a nudge to surrender to or finally release something in order to move forward as Chiron will make supportive connections with the nodes of the moon in Aquarius and Leo during this time. Heart-centered, bold, unconventional, creative resolutions could be written into mastery of this final chapter. Tap into your inner maverick! We’ll receive our biennial reminder about the balance of the light and the dark in our outer and inner worlds as the sun shifts into Libra on Sept. 22, ushering in the equinox and the beginning of Autumn here in the northern hemisphere. Balance, fairness, diplomacy, aesthetics, justice, and reciprocity in relationships all take center stage with deeper undertones than usual due to Venus’s presence in Scorpio presiding over all of Libra season. This week’s horoscopes are focused on Chiron's return to Aries; see the above horoscope for your rising sign for more specific insight and guidance. If you’re unsure what your rising sign is, you can email me at ursaalchemy@gmail.com, learn more in my tutorial video on my Ursa Alchemy YouTube channel, or cast your own birth chart for free on astro.com. Ursula Duffy is a Professional Astrologer, Certified Aromatherapist and founder of Ursa Alchemy. www. ursaalchemy.com or ursaalchemy@ gmail.com.

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SHORE FUNNY Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. Why shouldn’t you write with a broken pencil? Because it’s pointless. Why can’t your nose be 12 inches long? Because then it would be a foot. Why did the Clydesdale give the pony a glass of water? Because he was a little horse. What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta. Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants? In case he got a hole in one. What do sea monsters eat? Fish and ships.

September 17, 2026

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ACROSS 1. Furry bamboo consumer 6. Cuban dance syllable 9. 100-meter race, e.g. 13. S-shaped moldings 14. Excessively theatrical actor 15. Chap 16. Will alternative 17. Sailor's affirmative 18. At full speed 19. *Cause for fall celebration 21. *Apple-related game 23. European Union, acr. 24. Hawaiian tuber 25. Pen on a farm 28. Color of a bruise 30. *Pumpkins and squash, e.g. 35. "Give me your tired, your ____...." 37. "____ Free," movie about lions 39. Disdain 40. Caribbean color 41. Shiny suit 43. Spaghetti aglio and ____ 44. Peevish 46. Half a round, in golf 47. ____-do-well 48. Battles royale 50. Change for a twenty 52. Banned insecticide, acr. 53. *Back-to-School event 55. Hermey the Dentist 57. *Apple sauce 61. *____ weather 65. Cell phone bill item 66. Bar association 68. Wombs 69. Begin, began, ____ 70. Cut grass 71. Romanov rulers 72. Command with "at" 73. Stiff grass bristle 74. "Hobby" animal

DOWN 1. Beckham of "Spice Girls" 2. Turkish honorific 3. Not far 4. Look into 5. In the Land of Nod 6. Online conversation 7. *Cushion for certain seasonal ride 8. Naked protozoa 9. Obtuse, as in person 10. ____ bowl, frozen dish 11. Largest human organ 12. Precedes Kong 15. Hindi courtesy title, pl. 20. Modern-day aqua-lung, acr. 22. Domain 24. Wood-eating house hazard 25. Involuntary contraction 26. Chef's headgear 27. Phil Collins' "____ Be in My Heart" 29. *Maze plant 31. Upward and onto 32. Wide-____ notebook 33. *Like leaves in fall 34. Stall call 36. *Much-used fall garden tool 38. Not any 42. Extend subscription 45. Unquestioning ones 49. Fraternity house 51. Miss Marple, e.g. 54. "Is Your Mama a ____?" 56. Dom DeLuise in 1980 role 57. Rubik's puzzle 58. Away from port 59. The state before riches? 60. Malaria symptom 61. Saw, sawed, ____ 62. Drop of sorrow 63. Makes a mistake 64. Precedes shine 67. Gift topper See Solution on Page 86

September 17, 2026

Life insurance can be a useful tool

By T. Eric Reich

ife insurance: you need it or you don’t. It’s that simple, right? Well, not exactly. There are countless uses for life insurance that I’ve seen over the years, and a few times when it really wasn’t needed. Today, we’ll talk about the uses of life insurance and what to do when you have a policy you no longer need.

1. Traditional death benefit

This is one of the most popular uses. Depending on the face value of your policy, life insurance will provide your beneficiary(s) with a lump sum payment in the event of your death.

2. Collateralize a loan

Life insurance can be used to pay off a lender in the event of your death. Many lenders require life insurance.

3. College planning

Cash value life insurance (and annuities) are the only non-qualified assets that are not assessed for financial aid purposes. A policy can also be used to pay off college for your children in the event of your untimely death.

4. Fund a business buyout/succession plan

Business partners can buy insurance on each other and sign an agreement guaranteeing that they will buy the business from your family in the event of your death. A premium payment for life insurance can be a lot cheaper than writing a check for a large sum, especially when cash flow

is at a premium following the death of a partner.

when you die. If you have an old life insurance policy that you no longer need for any of the above reasons, you can potentially surrender it for the cash value, convert to reduced paid-up, convert to extended term, or sell the policy. As you can see, life insurance can be a very versatile tool!

5. Creating a legacy

You can work your entire life to save money to leave to your family, or you can buy a policy and accomplish the same thing.

6. Create a charitable legacy

It can be less expensive to leave the local hospital a life insurance policy (especially one you no longer need) than it is to write a check or reduce your heirs’ inheritance.

7. Balance an inheritance

If you own a business that some, not all, of your children work in, it may not be fair to leave it to all of them. Instead, the children working in the business inherit it, and the others get the equivalent from life insurance.

8. Pay taxes

Now that the estate tax exemption has been raised, most households won’t have a Federal Estate tax (for now) but may have a state or local tax. Why pay $1 for $1 of tax when you can transfer that future cost to an insurance company for a fraction of the cost by leveraging your dollars using life insurance instead?

9. Cash flow

In some instances, the cash value portion of a life insurance policy may be accessed tax-free. Imagine

a source of readily available capital. You can take a loan from the policy or surrender up to your cost basis for a tax-free withdrawal.

10. Alternative to money markets or CDs

A 5% potential cash value credit may be more than the interest you might receive from a CD or money market if the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates. Life insurance is its own asset class.

11. Hybrid long-term care

Life insurance may be easier to qualify for than traditional long-term care insurance. Many people resist buying long-term care insurance because they don’t want to pay for something they think they might never use. In reality, there’s a 70% chance you will need long-term care after age 65 (longtermcare.gov). With a hybrid policy, even if you don’t end up using the long-term care portion, your beneficiary(s) still receive a death benefit

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.

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.

Solutions to page 85 puzzles. Check yourself!

September 17, 2026

1033 Somers Point Road

1 Barr Court

1607 Shore Road

Egg Harbor Township $999,900

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222 N New Road

Pleasantville $650,000

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140 Asbury Ave

4108 Filbert Ave

4 Canterbury Street

Atlantic City $499,000

Egg Harbor Township $469,000

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25 Bucknell Road

301 N Franklin Blvd

Somers Point $449,000

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550 Central Ave #I-16

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605 Salma

203 Fairbanks

Mays Landing $334,900

Northfield $382,900

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4906 Willow Oak

98 Iroquois Drive

Matt Boyd 609-442-4957

Mays Landing $224,900

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