CAPE MAY BLOG

Save the Beach

2012-02-17T08:27:00.003-05:00

Jack Fichter has written an interesting story about fixing the disappearing beach problem that appears on the Herald's website today. Worth a read for a more in-depth look than one usually finds regarding the history of the beaches in Cape May and Wildwood.

Here Comes the New Convention Hall

2012-02-17T05:38:00.004-05:00

Cape May has created a brochure to read regarding the new Convention Hall. Fun to watch the idea of the Hall become real. It's almost summer!

This Job Is Better Than Whatever Other Job You Have

2012-02-15T09:51:00.002-05:00

Why Not Try Out To Be An Actor?

CAPE MAY – East Lynne Theater Company (ELTC) will have three audition days of open calls for Equity actors. On Sat., March 17 from noon to 4:00 p.m. and on Mon., March 19 from 1:00-5:00 p.m., the call will be at the theater’s venue, The First Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes St., Cape May, NJ. Sign-up for auditions on March 17 begins at 11:00 a.m. and continues through 3:55 p.m.; sign-up on March 19 begins at noon and continues through 4:55 p.m. For the call on March 19 only, Equity actors may contact the theater for a definite time-slot by e-mailing the company at eastlynneco@aol.com. On Tuesday, April 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the call will be at the Actors’ Equity Audition Center, 165 West 46th St., 2nd Floor, NYC. Sign-up for auditions begins at 8:30 a.m., and continues through 5:00 p.m. Lunch break is from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Non-union actors will be seen as long as no Equity actors are kept waiting.

The company operates under an Equity SPT 3 Contract with rehearsals beginning on Monday two weeks before the opening-performance week, and a Wednesday through Saturday night performance schedule, with two exceptions, which are noted below. All of the rehearsals will be in Cape May.

Artistic Director, Gayle Stahlhuth will be at all auditions and is directing all of the productions. Actors are asked to audition with a brief humorous monologue, or read from “The Poe Mysteries” or “It Pays to Advertise.” Sides will be available at the auditions. Visually-impaired performers may request an advance copy of the sides by e-mailingeastlynneco@aol.com. A reader will be provided for those auditioning with sides.

The Equity Stage Manager is already hired for the season, but since “It Pays to Advertise” has a cast of ten, an Equity ASM will be hired for this show. The ASM will be paid an extra $10 a week above the usual ASM’s salary for taking on a small role in the production as well as the duties of an ASM.

The season opener, “Ruth Draper’s Company of Characters,” is a two-person show revolving around the monologues written and originally performed by Ruth Draper. The two women are already hired for this Equity production, but actors may audition and be considered for this show, should there be a need for a replacement. It runs from June 13-July 21, except there is no show on Wed., July 4, and an added performance on Sun., July 8.

All roles for the other two shows are still available.

Seeking actors for the following: “The Poe Mysteries,” a world premiere written by James Rana, based on three C. Auguste Dupin detective stories (“Murder in the Rue Morgue,” “The Mystery of Marie Roget,” and “The Purloined Letter”) in which four of the six actors play a multitude of characters in this true ensemble piece, running from July 25-Sept. 1; and “It Pays to Advertise” by Roi Cooper Mergue and Walter Hackett, a screwball comedy from 1914 that proves that “advertising is responsible for everything,” running from Sept. 19-Oct. 13.

(Note: there will be no performance on Wed. Oct. 3, but an added performance on Sun. Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m.)

“The Poe Mysteries” (Although it takes place in Paris, no French accents will be used.) : AUGUSTE DUPIN – a highly intelligent, reclusive individual who helped police solve crimes in the 1840s, age range 35-60; HENRY WILLIAMS - an American journalist who is eager to interview Dupin for his newspaper, age range 30-45; ACTOR 1 – plays the Prefect (head of the police department), Dupin’s father, Sailor, and other roles, age range 35-50; ACTOR 2 - plays a professor, Jacques St. Eustache, the Minister, and other roles, age range 30-40; ACTOR 3 – plays Dupin’s mother, Estelle Roget, Agnes, and other roles, age range 35-55; ACTOR 4 – plays Josephine, Marie Roget, secretary, and other roles, age range 20-30.

“It Pays to Advertise:” MARY GRAYSON – a spunky, smart, career-minded woman, played by Carole Lombard in the film, age range 20-30; COMTESSE DE BEAURIEN – clever, street-wise American, who must speak excellent French, age range 35-55; RODNEY MARTIN – born into money and is only convinced to find a job to prove to the woman he loves (Mary) that he’s worth something, age range 25-35; CYRUS MARTIN – Rodney’s father, wealthy, and wants his son to be able to stand on his own two feet, age range 55-70; AMBROSE PEALE – a fast-talking advertising man who goes into business with Mary and Rodney, age range 35-55; DONALD MCCHESNEY – an advertising man, age range 30-45; ELLERY CLARK – son of the man who owns Ivory Soap who would rather paint than run a business, age range 20-30; GEORGE BRONSON – a buyer for Marshall Field, age range 30-55; WILLIAM SMITH, a friend of Cyrus’s, and JOHNSON, the Martin’s butler - played by the same actor, age range 45-60; MARIE, a French maid who must speak French, and MISS BURKE, a secretary – played by the same actor, age range 24-50.

The East Lynne Theater Company is committed to nontraditional casting and equal employment opportunities. Actors wishing to mail pictures and resumes should mail to the office: 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204 – and not to the church. To learn more about the company, go to www.eastlynnetheater.org.

John F. Craig House Blog Going Strong

2012-02-13T08:41:00.000-05:00

If you haven't checked out the John F. Craig House's blog recently, you should. Its most recent post features many of the fantastic dining options in town.

Brrrrr!

2012-02-12T08:01:00.002-05:00

@cookecapemay, Cape May's Chamber of Commerce President, gives us a look-in at Cape May's light snow-covering this morning. That's the Higbee Beach area for those of you who don't know -- and John's beautiful golden retriever. Thank you, John!

Seen in a Cape May Parking Meter

2012-02-11T09:31:00.001-05:00

The Bethany Beach Bums visited Cape May and then wrote about it on their blog. One of the bums is a photographer and gives us the very cool photo above. Check out their blog.

Photo by Beach Bum Jim.

Great Cape May Blog for Nature Lovers

2012-02-08T08:42:00.000-05:00

Pat and Clay Sutton are well-known naturalists in Cape May County. You can read about them HERE and check out there blog right here. Pat also has a gardening blog that you can check out, too. If you want to know about Cape May and the environment, there's is the blog to check out.

Photo of Mourning Cloak moth by Pat Sutton.

Migration to Cape May Point

2012-02-07T09:06:00.000-05:00

A very well done story on Cape May Point's role in the Fall bird migration from north to south.

Chamber of Commerce on What is Coming in Cape May

2012-02-06T09:06:00.000-05:00

Want to know the latest on Cape May? Then Click Here to read the Chamber of Commerce's in-depth run-down of summer plans for Convention Hall, events coming up on the calendar, and some profiles of local businesses.

Super Bowl Sunday

2012-02-05T12:40:00.003-05:00

Since Cape May is in New Jersey after all, I think I will link to a nice story about New Jersey Giants Coach Tom Coughlin and his charity -- The Jay Fund. I grew up a Giants fan in Jersey and converted later on to being a Jaguars fan when my new residence (Jacksonville) won the Jaguar franchise in a serious upset. Coughlin is a good coach and more importantly a good man. I've seen him at Sunday Mass on a few occasions, and he NEVER wants any attention. Read the story I've linked to if you want to know a little more about the man. And Go Giants! (I can say that since they're not playing my sad-sack Jaguars.)

P.S. Yes, I called them the New Jersey Giants. Where do they play ball?

Cape May Chris Tours the New Convention Hall

2012-02-04T16:46:00.001-05:00

Won't be long now!

Now that's a "Save the Date" Card

2012-02-03T06:41:00.002-05:00

Ali & Sean are getting married at Congress Hall this summer. Check out their Save the Date Card above and the designer who made them at this link. That's a pretty amazing design. Click the photo above to see the design enlarged -- there are references to the Mad Batter, the Rusty Nail, the Lighthouse, and more.

Card by Swiss Card Designs of Brooklyn.

New Cape May Convention Hall Article in AC Press

2012-02-02T12:38:00.000-05:00

Read the article at this link: New Cape May Convention Hall matches, adds to capabilities of previous facilities.

Photos of the Year (2011)

2012-02-01T12:05:00.003-05:00

CapeMay.Com updates its website with new articles each month on the 1st of the month. Today they have published their photos of the day photos of the year for 2011. Worth looking at -- the Cove is very popular. No surprise there.

Time to Feature Another Artist

2012-01-31T08:56:00.002-05:00

Been a while since I featured a painter or artist. Let's fix that. Toni Lee Vosika paints beach scenes, and has a variety of Cape May and Cape May Point paintings that you can see HERE. She named the above painting Early Autumn Afternoon at Cape May Point. She also has a number of beautiful photos for sale, like the one below. Check her site out.

Painting and photo by Toni Lee Vosika.

Beyond the First Resort -- New Book on Cape May from Ben Miller

2012-01-30T08:40:00.001-05:00

The Lehigh Valley Live website has a wonderful news article about Ben Miller and his new book, Beyond the First Resort. Can't wait to read it! And congratulations to Ben Miller, one of this blogger's favorite Cape May-related historians and all-around good guy.

Photo courtesy Exit Zero.

Stockton College to hold summer concerts in Cape May Convention Hall - pressofAtlanticCity.com: Lower Cape May

2012-01-27T13:28:00.000-05:00

I don't like the looks of the new Convention Hall, but certainly the music series planned for this summer at the Hall sounds promising. You can read about it at this link: Stockton College to hold summer concerts in Cape May Convention Hall - pressofAtlanticCity.com: Lower Cape May

The Burns Supper 2012

2012-01-25T23:10:00.000-05:00

It's time for the annual Burns Supper at the Ugly Mug this Thursday Night. But if you don't have tickets, alas, forget it. The event is already sold out. They should start thinking about a ticket drop in the manner Springsteen drops good tickets on the day of the show.

Have a good time, boys & girls. Impossible not to at the Mug...just don't drink too much whisky if you're driving.

Asbury Park Press writes about the Seasonal Employee-Unemployment Benefits Issue

2012-01-24T09:56:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading this blog a while, then you know that the Mayor and City Manager of Cape May, and Mayor of Cape May Point, believe that seasonal employees -- like lifeguards -- are taking advantage of unemployment benefits in the off-season. They have spoken out in favor of eliminating this meager benefit to save a few dollars -- according to the Cape May City Mayor, seasonal employees know that the seasonal job is temporary and thus do not deserve benefits after the job ends (like unemployment benefits).

The Asbury Park Press has written an excellent story regarding this controversy that you can read here. According to the story, the Mayor of Belmar, Bruce Doherty, thinks that the few seasonal employees who collect unemployment are not a problem. He doesn't explicitly come out against the Cape May Mayor and City Manager's plan, but he does make it clear that he doesn't think the idea makes a lick of sense. From the story:

Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty said the borough does not have a problem with seasonal employees collecting unemployment.
“I don’t believe that our town has an issue with it at this time,’’ Doherty said. “Most of our season employees are college or high school students, retirees, and school teachers who are not eligible (to collect).”

Belmar, by the way, plays $112,000 to the State towards those seasonal workers unemployment benefits (according to the story).

Personally, I find it exceedingly odd that the City of Cape May would try to stick it to people who are doing the town a great service during the summer tourist season. I particularly find it strange that the town would try to stick it to the lifeguards, who are a credit to Cape May and have been so for over a century. To save a few bucks on their backs is ridiculous, when there are certainly more obvious places to go for more cost savings -- for example, the City Manager's pension, for starters. Moreover, the Asbury Park Press article points out that seasonal workers do not receive health benefits, which can become very expensive. The tradeoff is a financially fair one for the municipalities, if the import of the article is correct.

Remarkably, Exit Zero Magazine has editorialized in favor of the City's position on this. If you click this link and turn to page 13 of the December 29th, 2011, edition, the journalists at Exit Zero suggest that some Cape May seasonal workers -- the article doesn't say who -- take advantage of unemployment benefits and go "hang[] ten in Costa Rica" with their unemployment benefits during the off-season. The Exit Zero editors do not name names, and do not do appear to do any investigative journalism so as to substantiate their claim that lifeguards or other seasonal employees take advantage of the system by vacationing in the Caribbean -- instead, the Exit Zero journalists simply say "you know it happens." Exit Zero tries to say it sees "both sides" of the issue, but the tone and emphasis of the comments establish that EZ sides with the Cape May and Cape May Point Mayors and Cape May City Manager on this issue.

(Not to get off track, but this Exit Zero editorial is not exactly a high point in its short history. Kicking at seasonal workers during the winter -- a few days after Christmas -- is worthy of Ebeneezer Scrooge and City Manager McLeod perhaps, but unexpected when coming from journalists who say they're "a liberal-leaning bunch" who knows how much "the city depends on its seasonal workers." Perhaps someone could have interviewed a seasonal worker or two who receives these benefits to find out whether the money goes to surfing in Costa Rica or goes to helping a family get by in the winter. The good people of Exit Zero -- and they are good people -- lost their focus when it comes to this point.)

I know firsthand the difficulties of the economy. I am a small-business owner myself and expect my tax contributions to be used wisely. But if my tax dollars were helping someone who works for Cape May scrape by in the off-season, I like to think I'd consider that a reasonable use of tax dollars.

If there are truly seasonal workers using this benefit to go surf in the Caribbean, I hope someone will speak up as to exactly who is doing that. Otherwise, for now I'll side with the Mayor of Belmar, and wonder what exactly is going on down in Cape May.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

We Will Sell No Wine Before Its Time

2012-01-23T06:16:00.001-05:00

Jack Fichter and the Herald give us a nice update about the many wineries in the area. Hawk Haven, Natali Vineyards, Cape May Winery, and Willow Creek about to open.

Patricia Rainey is a Cape May Treasure

2012-01-21T09:27:00.002-05:00

Today, The Press of Atlantic City published a very nice story about one of my favorite Cape May people, artist Patricia Rainey. If you're interested in buying her work -- an example of which I've posted above -- you can click HERE. I have several of her works -- she really does a very good job of capturing Cape May.

Beach Drive in Winter painting above by Patricia Rainey.

Getting in the Cape May Time Machine

2012-01-20T08:42:00.002-05:00

There's not much Cape May news lately, being January and all. Thus, I'm taking a ride in a time machine thanks to Google. The Baltimore Herald published an article on June 8, 1890 about President Benjamin Harrison's Cape May Point Summer White House. Click the link and you can't miss the article.

A few months (August 1890) later, the New York Times reported on a near-drowning at the Point witnessed by the President.

And that's all for today. Have a good weekend!

Violins for Valentine's Day in Cape May

2012-01-19T09:08:00.003-05:00

The Herald lets us know about Violins for Valentine's Day at the Cape Island Baptist Church on Guerney Street. Here are the details in case you are interested in attending:

On Feb. 11, at Cape May Baptist Church, Gurney & Columbia Aves., the director of the Sam Maitin Summer Chamber Music Festival, Aurelia Mika Chang, will be joined by well-known Hungarian violinist, Bela Horvath in a Valentine's Day special concert. The concert will take place at 4 p.m.

"Several years ago, we hosted a Valentine's Day concert with Kathryn Krueger, violinist, and Aurelia Mika Chang, pianist, and it was a wonderful classical concert of romantic music. About 70 people came out, and 38 of them went to dinner at the Washington Inn with the musicians. It was very European, and very enjoyable, and lovers of music were delighted." said Barbara Beitel, Access to Art, Director. "Aurelia Mika Chang began our Sam Maitin Summer Chamber Music series, and also was a founding member of the Mondrian Ensemble. She performs on three continents and has been featured on national television in China, and on WQXR in NYC as a young musician." Beitel said.

"Aurelia Mika Chang, who holds a Masters in Music from Juilliard, is bringing Bela Horvath, Manhattan School of Music pre-instructor, and former winner of competitions, including the National Janoz Konez violin competition, in Hungary to Cape May.

Definitely sounds like a romantic event.

Cape May and Slavery

2012-01-18T09:17:00.004-05:00

Shore News Today provides a very interesting story about Cape Island's opinion on slavery leading up to the Civil War. Timely article in light of this past Monday's holiday. There's certainly much more to this story, including the Underground Railroad passing through Cape May. I believe Shore News Today intends to follow up this article with another one.

More Sand (Again)

2012-01-17T08:58:00.001-05:00

Interesting article in the Coast Guard News about the latest beach replenishment project for Cape May beaches.

Yes, it's been slow for Cape May news recently. Welcome to January! I promise it will pick up soon.

That's a photo taken at the Cove Beach jetty.

Lake Lily News

2012-01-12T19:28:00.004-05:00

Lake Lily news for your reading pleasure.

Cape May Chris

2012-01-11T05:55:00.000-05:00

Cape May Chris is one of the best realtors in Cape May. Don't believe me? Try subscribing to his weekly email list and I'll bet you change your mind. Each week he sends out a summary email which includes every property for sale in the area, organized by town (Cape May, Cape May Point, West Cape May, and Lower Township). You can watch some of the videos he has created which feature Cape May right HERE. That's one of them above, in which he spends some time at the Gallery D'May. And you should follow his Twitter feed. Check out Cape May Chris Bezaire if you want to know the scoop on what's for sale in Cape May.

As always, no paid endorsements here. I link or feature people or businesses because I like the work they do.

"The Joy of Life 2011" courtesy of a Cape May YouTuber

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Cape May youtube video creator DonnaHal (a/k/a Donna Halbruner) who gave us the New Year's slide show that I featured yesterday gives us another very nice slide show. This time, the photos are from the Point.

New Beginnings 2012

2012-01-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks to YouTube user "donnahal" for posting this wonderful "New Beginnings 2012" video slideshow of photos from the first sunrise of the year on Poverty Beach. Very very cool.

Vote for Cape May

2012-01-08T08:51:00.000-05:00

Frommer's has a website named Budget Travel that is having a poll regarding the best small town in America. Now, I'm not sure anything about Cape May fits the moniker "budget travel" but I do encourage you to go vote for Cape May!

Photo of Uncle Bill's Courtesy Budget Travel Website

"It is a Jewel"

2012-01-07T12:28:00.000-05:00

NJ TV did a wonderful short story about Cape May called "Keeping History Alive in Cape May" a week or so ago. Here is that video:

Watch Cape May is a Historical Community on PBS. See more from WNJT.

Keeping History Alive in Cape May

Your Friday Cape May Links

2012-01-06T09:39:00.000-05:00

The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (The MAC) has a blog. Who knew?

The Frog Hollow Farm Girl knows a great deal about Cape May, as this blog entry shows. I can't tell if she knows that there is a neighborhood in Cape May known as Frog Hollow but she has many good photos of the area, a few off the beaten path.

Finally, Sully the New Jersey photographer has a number of nice Cape May photos on his blog that you can see HERE. That's his photo of Wanderlust above -- what a great shot!

You can find the photo above by Sully at this link.

Things to do in Cape May and the Southern NJ Shore

2012-01-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

Mad Batter Restaurant in Cape May showcases sister art forms - pressofAtlanticCity.com: Arts & Entertainment: Local artist Catherine Bosna teams with her sister, illustrator
Mia Bosna, for “Sister Act II,” a co-exhibit at the Mad Batter
Restaurant. Click the link for more details.

Wednesday Links From Here & There

2012-01-04T01:00:00.000-05:00

Click this link to see a Cape May Sunset According to A Bronx Blogger.

Click this Cape May Times link to see how warm it was the last few days of the year 2011.

Click this CapeMay.Com link to see what two of the movers and shakers in Cape May -- Bernie Haas and John Cooke -- are looking forward to this year.

Are the holidays really over? Can we just do have one more week of holidays?

2012-01-03T09:10:00.001-05:00

Rutgers University students have recently studied beach replenishment efforts in Cape May County. The REPORT makes for interesting reading. As the professor writes on his blog:

"the students thought it seemed curious how the government kept replenishing the same beaches over and over in the name of aesthetics."

Something to think about as we observe what happens to the sand that was part of the "back passing" efforts in the most recent beach replenishment effort.

A Visitor at the Virginian

2012-01-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

Anna Fravel runs a nice little photo blog you can see at this link. I feature her today because she wrote about her stay at the Virginian during the holidays right HERE. She includes some nice photos worth checking out.

Photo courtesy Anna Fravel.

Wonder What Cape May Looks Like On New Year's Day?

2012-01-01T14:13:00.001-05:00

Click Here. Or Here.

Thanks to TheSurfersView for the always-open windows into Cape May.

Five More Favorite Posts from 2011

2011-12-31T15:01:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I featured five blog posts from the first half of the year that were a bit personal. Today's posts, from the second half of the year, are more universal.

1. Fourth of July, Cape May Style - July started out with a bang this year. Fourth of July in Cape May this year was HUGE. Bigger crowds than ever. This post was one of several of mine over the holiday weekend, a weekend which saw those visitors googling up information on the smart phones about the CM holiday events and landing repeatedly on my blog. Hundreds and hundreds of visitors, for a blog that on a good day one year ago would have...say...25 or so. A fun weekend.

2. Beach Theatre Foundation Tries to Save Beach Theatre - I followed the Beach Theatre Foundation (BTF)'s efforts to save the Theatre throughout the last few years. That effort ended this year when the City political leaders decided the Theatre was a part of history the leaders did not care about. There were a number of small surprises involved with the failed effort -- the City's shutting down the Zoning Board of Adjustment's hearings on the matter, the City caving to the threat of Franks Theatres' litigation efforts, Judge Armstrong's ruling against the BTF, among others.

Perhaps a lesser-noticed but no less surprising circumstance to emerge from the debacle was the way certain non-elected city leaders criticized the efforts of the BTF to save the Theatre. That these critics only took this public stance after the effort to save the theatre failed seemed a peculiar -- and unnecessary -- attempt to add insult to injury. From this vantage point, the BTF certainly didn't deserve the unfair criticism it received after the fact.

Kudos to the BTF for fighting the good fight, even if it ultimately was in vain.

3. Hurricane Irene - This blog's visit numbers went crazy as Hurricane Irene approached. Thankfully, Irene did not damage our favorite little beach town. Check this post out for some videos of the damage, taken by "Cape May Point Chris," a new Twitter friend...which brings me to my next post...

4. Twitter/Louisa's Restaurant - I discovered Twitter this year, and I'm glad I did. You cannot get better, and faster, information about Cape May anywhere else. The Cape May denizens on Cape May love Cape May as it stands today. One of my favorite Tweet-ers is Louisa of Louisa's Restaurant, who's featured in the above post. John Cooke, of the Cape May Chamber of Commerce, is another legend of the Cape May Twitter. Check them out.

5. Cape May Time Machine and Remembering Cape May -- Finally, if you love Cape May as it stood in the past, you must get acquainted with the Cape May Good Times social site included within Facebook. Cape May Historian Ben Miller, and Cape May locals too many to count, have created a Facebook group that amazes everyday. Photos from nearly 150 years ago? Check. Photos of the Admiral throughout its lifetime? Check. Photos of people and places long gone but not forgotten? Checkmate. You must check this group out if you love Cape May.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Next year I will try once again to update each and everyday. Please leave me a comment or two if you like it! I know I have visitors -- I want to hear from you!

Happy New Year!!!!

Five Posts from the First Half of 2011

2011-12-30T11:12:00.001-05:00

I did a review of my favorite posts in 2009, but failed to do so in 2010. So, here is my bi-annual review of my favorite posts from the year. These are posts from January through June 2011. Tomorrow I'll feature the second half of the year, which was a bit more eventful. Without further ado, and in no particular order...

On June 14th I wrote a personal blog entry about what starts and ends my favorite type of day in Cape May: Sunrise~Sunset at the Point. My son and I start the day at dawn, fishing at the Alexander Street Jetty. Catching a fish or two is gravy -- it's spending the time with my son at the most peaceful place on Earth that makes this morning special. And then, regardless of what we do the rest of the day, ending the day with Marvin Hume's flag ceremony at Sunset Beach as the sun sinks into the bay. I wonder if I'll ever find a more perfect day than one that begins and ends at the Point. I doubt it.

That same month the world lost a giant of a man when it lost Clarence Clemons. His passing is related to Cape May in that: 1) he is a legend of the Jersey shore; 2) his saxophone, and his lead singer's voice, dominated the summer of 1984 in Cape May; and 3) this is my blog and I can do what I want. I'm not much of a Lady Gaga fan but I do appreciate that she featured the Big Man on her most recent album, on the song named Edge of Glory that gave Clarence one last chance to reach the top of the charts. Listen for his solo; it brings a tear to my eye. I don't think it's an accident that song has more soul than most any other song I've heard by this latest pop diva... and I give her immense credit for recognizing the immortal talent Clarence had. Rest in peace, big man.

Probably not new to you, but new to me in 2011 was Harpoon Henry's Restaurant in North Cape May. We celebrated Father's Day there, and were dumbfounded that such a great restaurant was hidden away where seemingly few tourists know about it. We went a second time for good measure, and can't wait to hit it again this summer. If you haven't been there, you need to go.

If you've been reading this blog a while you're familiar with Terry O'Brien and his world-famous Terry'oke. I may not be as famous as his most famous Terry-oke-singer (that would be Anne Hathaway), but my family and I loved our chance to shine on his stage at Congress Hall's Boiler Room. You need to try Terry'Oke if you have not tried it yet -- and this is coming from someone who had never done karaoke previousy!

And finally, I featured the old La Mer Golf Course earlier this year. I got a lot of feedback from that post, and even ended up corresponding once or twice with the now-grown-up daughter of the La Mer owner. I remember her when she was a little kid and I was a bit older, playing the video games for hours that La Mer had sitting next to the golf course. Based on the many replies I got to that post, the La Mer Golf Course is one of the truly missed things-to-do in Cape May.

Tomorrow I will feature the second half of the year, including a visit from a hurricane, and other fun memories.

This and That

2011-12-29T14:01:00.000-05:00

The Press of Atlantic City often does a good job profiling local business people. They've done it again with this nice article about the owner of The Antique Doorknob in West Cape May. Give it a read and find out more about one of the more interesting stores in the Cape May area.

In other news, Taylor Swift has been in town this week. Thanks to Jersey Shore Jen for the 411.

Tomorrow I will write the first half of my end of year blog post featuring my favorite stories of the year! Don't miss it!

A Christmas Dolphin Tale

2011-12-27T13:35:00.002-05:00

The Cape May Times shares a said but interesting story about a dolphin-rescue attempt on Christmas Day.

Thanks to the Times for both the story and the photo above.

Recycling the Past

2011-12-23T07:32:00.001-05:00

I wrote this short essay below as a blog "guest post" on a friend's blog several years ago when blogs were still sort of new. Perhaps it's not exactly on point for the "Cape May Blog" but it is on point for the season. So without further ado,

One Lawyer's Question This Christmas: Why Is It Them, Instead of Me?

"Well tonight thank God it's them, instead of you."

--from the song Do They Know It's Christmas, written by Bob Geldof, sung by Bono.

I don't know what Bob Geldof was thinking exactly when he wrote that rather arrogant (to my American eyes) lyric, but as of late the line has weighed on me. The line cuts me to the bone. If you are reading this weblog, you are blessed beyond any measure many people in this world could ever imagine. You may be a 'social work' lawyer, making pennies on the hour in relation to the time you put in to your job. Or you may be a legal 'master of the universe' (to steal and misapply a phrase from Tom Wolfe), making scads of money doing mergers, or commercial real estate, or class-action work, or defending same. Most likely, you're somewhere in between the two.

Regardless of where you fall on this professional continuum, more than likely I know what you do during much of your workday. You stare at a computer. You type. You dictate. You make phone calls. You avoid phone calls. You meet clients. You find clients. You fire clients. You research. You read. You write. You e-mail. You argue. You marshal evidence. You record. You go to court. You win. You lose. You settle. You think.

Lawyers get complained about, and do a great deal of complaining themselves. We whine about how hard we work. We moan about how little respect we often get from the public. I've gotten to know lawyers in all shapes and sizes, yet both the former and latter are consistent complaints up and down that professional continuum above-mentioned.

Meanwhile, there are Iraqis driving down the road waiting for a makeshift roadside bomb to blow up their auto.

Meanwhile, there are thousands of motherless children wandering the desert of Sudan, fleeing a brutal government which seeks to exterminate them.

Meanwhile, there are dissidents jailed in Cuba indefinitely for speaking against the government.

And meanwhile, in Ethiopia, the land which spawned the song quoted above, more than 3/4 of the population lives on less than two dollars a day.

Today.I sit here in front of my computer, and look out the window at a marvel of Mother Nature, an intracoastal waterway populated by birds of more species than I know, fish which jump out of the water with alarming frequency, dolphins, and vessels which are astounding for many reasons, not the least of which is their beauty and elegance.

This Christmas night I'll ask God ... no, I will demand of God: why is it them, instead of me?

And after hearing His answer and failing to understand, I'll give Him thanks, just as Bono and Bob told me to do, when I was a child.
______________

Merry Christmas and thanks for stopping by the Cape May Blog. Bless you and yours.

Post-Employment Benefits for Me, but not for Thee

2011-12-22T08:52:00.000-05:00

According to this story in the AC Press--

Cape May, Cape May Point officials want New Jersey to end unemployment benefits for seasonal workers --

city officials in both Cape May and Cape May Point believe life guards should not receive unemployment during the off season. I thought these benefits were both well known and well accepted but according to the story, the mayor of Cape May Point had no idea such was the case. Cape May Mayor Ed Mahaney and City Manager Bruce MacLeod both support the idea of eliminating these benefits, as well. Their point is that once you are no longer working for the city, you should no longer receive benefits from that prior employment.

Apparently it's not much money when compared to those cities' budgets but the city officials feel this is a place to make a stand on principle -- eliminating benefits for those who guard the lives of tourists and locals alike during the summer.

Money is tight these days and every penny must be accounted for, according to MacLeod and Mahaney. Mr. Mahaney says in the story:

“Our position is these seasonal employees have applied for a seasonal job. They know there is no employment after a certain date,” Mahaney said.

You have to have a great deal of respect for principled politicians like Mayor Mahaney and City Manager Bruce MacLeod. I anticipate the next move Mahaney and MacLeod will make is to eliminate any sort of post-employment benefits -- like say, pensions -- that they receive. Once these city officials have moved on from their job, neither of them should be paid, if I understand their principled stand correctly. They applied for a job and they know there is no employment once they leave their jobs -- those are Mayor Mahaney's words, after all.

Please let me know when MacLeod and Mahaney renounce any pension benefits to which they were formerly entitled. Every penny must be accounted for in these tough economic times. And these two men of principle are just the men to set an example for the rest of us.
____________

ADDENDUM: It has been brought to my attention that some readers of this post believe I am supporting the Mayor and City Manager's decision to seek to terminate unemployment benefits for seasonal workers like lifeguards. Apparently my sense of humor and sarcasm are too subtle (or my writing skills are terrible). I am criticizing the Mayor and City Manager in this post, as I'm sure they would not renounce any pension benefits they have (the City Mgr has pension benefits, I am not sure the Mayor does). My point is that there are many better places to cut costs than on the backs of the unemployed seasonal workers.

Wander Through Cape May Harbor

2011-12-19T09:40:00.003-05:00

A Science Teacher in Cape May

2011-12-18T07:40:00.000-05:00

Doyle is a science teacher in Bloomfield NJ who has a place either in Cape May or on the bay. I have featured his blog before; here's his most recent post about Cape May.

That's his hand pictured up there (the human one).

Random Cape May by Tumblr

2011-12-16T08:36:00.000-05:00

photo by gravity releasing on Tumblr

Tumblr is the blog for hipsters or something like that. I've looked at it a few times over the last year or so; I suppose my favorite Tumblr site is the famous: Mallory's Clothes, which reviews what Mallory Keaton (Justine Bateman) wore on each and every episode of Family Ties.

With photos.

Inexplicably, the site is fascinating.

If you liked Family Ties (who didn't?), then you will probably NOT want to click that link unless you want to spend several hours reading the blogger's comments on Mallory.

Since I'm way too old to be a hipster, I don't really get Tumblr for the most part. But if you click this link, you will get to see each and every Tumblr post that includes a "hashtag" for Cape May (#cape may). I discovered the great photo above by clicking that link. Click through and see if you can find something you like. But I warn you that the stuff is pretty random, although usually related to Cape May.

And again, don't click the Mallory's Clothes link unless you have nothing to do for the next two hours.

Preserving the Franklin Street School

2011-12-14T08:58:00.000-05:00

Preservation New Jersey takes a look at the recently-finished effort to preserve theFranklin Street School in Cape May. The article is worthwhile reading. Here's a portion:

Designed in the Colonial Revival Style by the architectural firm of Edwards and Green of Philadelphia and Camden, the Franklin Street School opened in September 1928 as an elementary school for Cape May’s African-American children.

The school was converted to an annex for Cape May City High School after segregation in New Jersey’s public schools was banned in 1947. It was used as a municipal storage area for some time, and through the years, fell into a state of disrepair. Advocacy efforts by the Center for Community Arts (CCA), a multicultural arts and humanities education association, led to the school’s designation as an African-American Historic Site by the state of New Jersey. The Franklin Street School was also distinguished as a contributing building within the Cape May National Register Historic District in 1995 for its significance to local African-American history.

In January 2002, CCA took their recognition of the importance of the Franklin Street School to Cape May’s history a step further, signing a 25-year lease for the school building with the City of Cape May. Currently, the Center is working with the city to rehabilitate the school for use as a community cultural center and the focal point for African-American heritage tours of the area. Funding from grants and various organizations will assist CCA in their vision to create a permanent educational center, housed in one of Cape May’s most significant historic landmarks.

Read the whole thing.

Photo of entrance to Franklin Street School Courtesy African American Heritage Preservation Network.

Let's Keep the Christmas Videos Rolling

2011-12-13T09:18:00.001-05:00

Since I've linked to the Herald's Christmas video, and CapeMay.Com's most recent Christmas video, today I link to a video taken last Christmas that includes many of the beautiful B-and-B's, like the Mainstay, the Abbey, and many others. It ends with an absolutely breathtaking lighthouse at sunset.

Hospitality Night 2011

2011-12-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

I featured the Herald's Christmas video yesterday, so why not feature CapeMay.Com's Christmas video today. CapeMay.Com's video below was taken a few nights ago as the City of Cape May celebrated Hospitality Night. It features in part the proprietor of Swede Things (hence the photo above). Enjoy...

Courtesy of the Herald: Christmas in Cape May 2011

2011-12-11T16:21:00.001-05:00

Short but nice video (click the house below not the bike above to watch):

Shelton College Blast from the Past

2011-12-10T10:39:00.001-05:00

The Cape May Good Times Facebook group provided a link to this treasure from the past: a Shelton College Pamphlet, featuring Reverend McIntyre and photos of the Admiral (the "residence for women") and Congress Hall (the "residence for men").

So what is the photo above? That's a portion of a google maps bird's-eye view of what remains of Shelton College today. Those nondescript buildings in the upper left corner are the buildings that made up much of Shelton "campus" (when you don't include the hotels and Angel of the Sea, etc.) To calibrate yourself, this is the eastern side of Cape May -- the bottom right corner is the beginnings of Poverty Beach, where Beach Drive ends. If that doesn't help you to understand the photo, then perhaps you know Cape Roc Condominium? That's Cape Roc and it's light-colored expansive parking lot in the bottom middle of the photo.But I insist that you click on the link above to the Shelton College pamphlet. It is a riot.

Sunrise, Sunset

2011-12-08T08:38:00.001-05:00

I can never get enough of good Cape May sunrise and sunset photos. Thankfully, the internet keeps washing more of them up on my shore. A Photo Addict's Showcase is a blog dedicated to gorgeous photography, and that's where I found the four photos above. The photos are the work of Victoria, a retiree who loves Cape May. You can see these photos and read about their creation right HERE.

If You Like Food and Will Travel, then Head to Cape May

2011-12-06T08:37:00.001-05:00

A foodie blog named Likes Food, Will Travel recently visited Cape May and that trip produced a very
nice review of the Lobster House. I have to agree with the reviewer that scallops at the Lobster House are really exceptional.

New Blog on the Block

2011-12-05T06:11:00.001-05:00

Seriously Southern Jersey - We're Talking Exit Zero is a relatively new blog about Cape May. Based on this Welcome Post, the blogger -- a local -- has been blogging pretty regularly since September 2011. You can read his opinions on Cape May's best pizza HERE, and Cape May's best surf shops HERE.

Catching up after a few days

2011-12-04T09:24:00.001-05:00

A 3-day hiatus for the blog may be the longest in its history. Sorry about that. A few stories I missed:

The Atlantic City Press lets us know that the Cape May Brewery officially opened earlier this week. This is a great story and I can't wait to see the many successes in store for the owners of the brewery.

Last night the City of West Cape May held its annual parade; read about it HERE in the Cape May County Herald.

And finally, the City lost another long-time member of the community: Larry Muentz, owner of Alexander's Inn. Rest in peace, Mr. Muentz.

Going to the Cape May Chapel?

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone's favorite Jersey Shore blogger, the one and only Jersey Shore Jen, reports Anne Hathaway is getting married. Jen suggests that Anne get married in Cape May. I bet odds are pretty good on that, based on how often North Jersey's own movie star has visited Cape May recently. If it happens, Jen can say it was her idea!

P.S. If you're looking for shore-related Christmas gifts, check out Jen's new E-Book (that's the cover of the e-book over there ---->)
and her recently-published Explorer's Guide The Jersey Shore: Atlantic City to Cape May: A Great Destination (Second Edition).

More Christmas Events

2011-11-29T06:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I featured Christmas events in Cape May proper. But if you're interested in broadening your horizons a bit, Shore News Today has a list of Christmas events throughout the county at this link.

Christmas Island photo courtesy Cape May Historian Ben Miller.

Biggest Christmas Weekend of the Year Coming Up

2011-11-28T07:42:00.000-05:00

New blog on the block Cape May Times News points out that this coming weekend is the best weekend for Cape May Christmas events. From the article:

In Cape May, the biggest holiday weekend of the year isn’t Christmas weekend. It’s three weeks earlier.The first weekend of December most definitely is the time to be here. Just about every group in the Cape May – Wildwood area holds a holiday event this coming weekend.From Friday night to Sunday evening, there are:Two tree lightingsTwo Christmas paradesTwo different holiday playsTwo house toursTwo open houses.

Read the whole article to learn more.Cape May at Christmas Photo courtesy The Storage Anarchist at Home.

John F. Craig House by Candlelight

2011-11-27T15:44:00.001-05:00

The John F. Craig House frequently updates its blog with worthwhile information and events scheduled for Cape May. To that end, the blog tells us about upcoming Candlelight Events set the next month leading up to Christmas. Check out both the blog and the house, one of the prettiest houses in town.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T14:36:00.001-05:00

Two things I'm thankful for:

1. You. I enjoy writing this blog knowing that at least a few people come here because they enjoy reading what I write. So thank you!

2. Jack Wright and Dan Mathers. Jack and Dan asked me to join Exit Zero as a blogger over a year ago, and I have really enjoyed the opportunity. To both of you: Thanks for asking me to join your team in the manner that I have, thanks for indulging me and basically leaving me to my own devices at virtually all times, and thanks for supporting the blog. (The Exit Zero Blog at ExitZero.US is a near-identical twin of this blog.)

Yes, that's actually three things I'm thankful for. I'm not good at counting.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Thanksgiving image courtesy Cape May County Library.

Let it Snow (Geese)!

2011-11-23T08:26:00.001-05:00

This blog's favorite bird blogger, Mike Crewe, the Brit Bird Blogger, now blogs at the Cape May Bird Observatory site. Yesterday he shared news of the many snow geese making their way through Cape May on the way to sunnier climes. The photo above shows those snow geese making their way past CM, and apparently locals heard them most of the night earlier this week.

Thanks to Mike Crewe for the above photo.

Remembering Cape May

2011-11-22T08:48:00.001-05:00

I have mentioned the old Steger's Store on Beach Avenue many times in the past, but until now I've never seen photos on the web of the store. But thanks to the wonderful Facebook group Cape May Good Times, I now have photos of Steger's to go with my memories. These photos are just the tip of the iceberg. The members of this Facebook group share photos going back more than a century. For example, today Richard Gibbs posted a photo of a trotter/race horse on Beach Ave. right in front of the corner of Beach and Ocean Street. In the background you can see the Colonial Hotel/Inn of Cape May, and in the foreground just behind the trotter there's a store ("Smith's Studio") at the corner of the intersection (where the grass lot/pool sits today for the Inn of Cape May). I cannot begin to describe how evocative this photo is -- it shows a corner we all know and recognize but it shows it as it looked more than 100 years ago. I'm not going to post the photo because I demand that you go look at it on Facebook at the Cape May Good Times group. You'll thank me after you go look at that group and see all the great photos they have shared with the rest of us.

Congress Hall's Christmas Tree

2011-11-21T06:37:00.001-05:00

Did you ever wonder where Congress Hall gets its Christmas Tree? Yeah, neither have I. But well, now you know, thanks to the Atlantic City Press. NBC40 has covered this tree story as well, and you can watch this video if you don't want to read about it.

Congress Hall Christmas Tree photo courtesy Congress Hall Facebook Page.

Dude! It's time to head south!

2011-11-19T07:55:00.001-05:00

The Monarch Monitoring Project Blog was one of my favorite Cape May discoveries this year. Here's the website's latest and likely last update of the year. That little guy pictured above is the reason for that last post. Click the link to read more about him (and then check out the rest of the blog).

Butterfly photo courtesy Monarch Monitoring Project Blog.

Odd Goings-On at the Washington Street Mall

2011-11-17T09:04:00.001-05:00

The AC Press tells us that the owner of Madame's Port is alleged to have stolen an Ugly Mug sign a few days ago. The article suggests that a dispute among proprietors in the Washington Street Mall Business Improvement District underlies this alleged theft. Regardless, it's embarrassing to Cape May and to everyone involved with the Business Improvement District. If you click thru to the Press you'll see the video that shows the alleged sign stealers doing their dirty work.

Ugly Mug photo courtesy CapeMayViews.com.

Is the Goose Getting Fat Yet?

2011-11-16T08:25:00.001-05:00

Shore News Today gives us the scoop on Saturday evening's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Physick Estate:

Cape May's Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street, will host its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, sponsored by Sturdy Savings Bank, on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. Join representatives from the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), Mayor Ed Mahaney and the Cape Harmonaires at the gazebo on the grounds of the estate for a round of Christmas carols. Old Saint Nick arrives at 7 p.m. and flips the switch to light thousands of bulbs on the giant 60-foot Christmas tree. Children can meet with Santa, sit on his lap and bring their Christmas lists. Warm beverages with traditional cookies will be available. The authentically-decorated 1879 Emlen Physick Estate, complete with Victorian Christmas vignettes, will be open for free, self-guided tours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Stop by the Carriage House Gallery at the Estate to see "An Old-Fashioned Christmas Exhibit: Holiday Traditions through the Years." This year's main attraction will be the Dickens Village collection beneath the bough of a giant Christmas tree. This impressive Department 56 collection was generously donated by Ernie and Betsy Heegard. Visitors are encouraged to share in the holiday spirit and bring a non-perishable food item for the Cape May Community Food Bank.

For other Christmas-related activities, check out the MAC's detailed schedule right here.

Christmas Tree at the Physick Estate photo courtesy CapeMay.Com.

Tie vote kills Cape May bid for ban on smoking on beaches, Promenade, in parks - pressofAtlanticCity.com: Breaking News

2011-11-15T05:14:00.000-05:00

Tie vote kills Cape May bid for ban on smoking on beaches, Promenade, in parks - pressofAtlanticCity.com: Breaking News

Dredging Today Takes on Cape May

2011-11-14T08:47:00.001-05:00

I can't start a morning without reading my favorite read: "Dredging Today." And lo and behold, in this morning's issue Cape May is the featured topic. According to the story, more beach replenishment begins this month in Cape May. There will be a City Council meeting on the topic today, as well.

Photo above of Cape May Point map from Lighthouse Museum. It shows the changing shoreline of the Cape May & Point area, a factor in the constant beach replenishment efforts made over the past 20 years. Click on the photo to get a larger view of the map.

Twitter-Photo Sunday

2011-11-13T07:18:00.001-05:00

Relax Concierge is a locally-owned business which "enhance[s] your ... Jersey Shore vacation by providing you with premium rental items and personal services." Check out their website for more info. I'm featuring Relax Concierge this morning because this morning on Twitter they shared the great Jersey Shore sunrise photo pictured above. Yeah, it's not Cape May but it's close enough for horseshoes.

And for Cape May photos my twitter feed has produced many this morning. For today's Cape May sunrise, click right HERE (photo courtesy Suzanne C). Or for the Higbee Beach meadows this morning, click HERE courtesy Carolinn P. Woody.

Cove Beach - Most Serene Place on Earth?

2011-11-10T08:47:00.002-05:00

Gorgeous series of Cove Beach sunset photos -- including the one above -- right here. The photos are from earlier this Autumn.

Photo above courtesy Daclaren of the Life on Dac's Planet blog.

Cape May in Autumn

2011-11-08T08:44:00.002-05:00

Cape May Times gives us some great photos of Cape May in the Autumn. And so does CapeMay.Com. Thanks to both websites!

Photo courtesy CapeMay.Com.

Ann Delaney from up the coast a bit is worth following

2011-11-07T09:25:00.001-05:00

Ann Delaney of Avalon blogs and tweets about life in Cape May County, and usually those blogs and tweets include beautiful photos of beautiful Avalon and/or Stone Harbor. I recommend following her blog and twitter account and if you're looking to buy a property in the Avalon or Stone Harbor area, she's a realtor, too.

As always, I write about people or businesses because I like them -- I've never been given a discount or any other enticement to write about somebody or something.

Photo of today's sunrise (Nov 7, 2011) by Ann Delaney.

Birding During a 'Noreaster

2011-11-06T12:36:00.002-05:00

The Blog This.Great.Planet visited Cape May for the Fall Birding Festival the last weekend in October. Of course, you may recall that a 'Noreaster hammered New Jersey that weekend. You can read about the adventures of a couple of birders in Cape May, as recounted on This.Great.Planet, right HERE. The photo of the Lighthouse in the rain comes courtesy of that blog. You can read about some of the bloggers' other visits to Cape May RIGHT HERE.

Passive Aggressive Cape May Blogging

2011-11-04T00:21:00.001-04:00

Don't forget to check out this week's Exit Zero. Ben Miller gets a very nice and well-deserved shout out this week in the Ramblings from the Editor column regarding his facebook posts. I'm not sure what your humble blogger has to do in order to become worthy of a passing editorial comment about the now-more-than-one-year-old Exit Zero Blog (twin sister of this here blog). Perhaps one day your lowly blogger, who toils away most every day looking for something worthy of a daily blog post, will get a mention, at least in passing, in the hallowed pages of the dead tree edition of Exit Zero. Dream big dreams, kids. Dream big dreams.

And now for something completely different... if you're in the market for a bed and breakfast that needs quite a bit of love and care but is still one of the prettiest dames on the block, The Abbey (pictured above) is still for sale and I believe the price on the place just dropped considerably. I think it would make a nice lawyer's office, myself. That last comment makes more sense when you know what I do for a living.

Two Stories in the AC Press

2011-11-03T06:40:00.001-04:00

A couple of bald eagles are visiting Grassy Sound in Middle Township this Fall. Click the link for a bunch of fantastic photos of the eagles.

And here's an article about Cape May's proposed Tourism Utility to address the $ raised by the new convention hall.

Thanks to AC Press for the bald eagle photo.

What a Photo!

2011-11-01T08:33:00.003-04:00

A nice daily photoblog today features this fawn in Cape May Point's Lighthouse State Park.

Photo courtesy the p4td.lightshedder.com blog.

Haunted House?

2011-10-31T08:10:00.000-04:00

According to this article, you will find a number of ghosts at the Physick Estate. Thankfully, the Estate no longer looks it did in the photo above, which is the Estate circa 1970. But one can imagine ghosts in that Scooby-Doo-looking haunted house!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Physick Estate photo courtesy the MAC.

A Book for Halloween

2011-10-30T16:59:00.002-04:00

Lily's Ghosts is a kid/teen mystery set in an old Cape May home that involves...ghosts. I read it a few years ago; not the most memorable book I ever read but a good read for tweens -- not too scary.

Wedding at Congress Hall

2011-10-29T08:44:00.002-04:00

Did ya ever daydream about a wedding at Congress Hall? Here are some nice photos from a wedding there recently. Photo above courtesy of Jan Thiessen, a wedding photographer from P.A.

Then & Now

2011-10-28T07:40:00.002-04:00

Great video put together by Ben Miller to show many of the old hotels and what exists on the spots where they used to sit. Thanks, Ben! (and sorry I didn't post the video correctly, but hopefully it's there now.)

Birds, Bicycling, etc.

2011-10-27T08:59:00.000-04:00

Click here for another article about the quest to see a life bird in Cape May.

Click here for a fun article about surrey bike riding in Cape May. This article proves that any topic can be interesting if the writer knows his subject and writes well. And it causes me to break my rule about not posting photos of my family on the blog. I don't have very many photos of surrey bikes, and this surrey bike is improved by the beautiful twelve-year old (my daughter) standing next to it. That's a pretty random spot where she's standing. To her right (our left) is a restaurant sign just outside the frame -- I wonder if anyone can guess the restaurant? The background limits the possibilities...

And finally click here for some random photos from the last few months which include shots of Cape May and Cape May Point, including a barren porch of the Congress Hall. Well, barren of people.(broken link fixed.)

Scary Stuff

2011-10-26T07:41:00.000-04:00

Who's been to Morey's "Fears" this October season? Since Exit Zero star Terry O'Brien is behind it, I suspect it's pretty darn fun. Read more about it HERE. (And yes, this is Wildwood news but I reserve the right to write about whatever I want.)

Cape May Map Machine

2011-10-25T01:07:00.000-04:00

The above map comes to us via the Brooklyn Historical Society Blog. It dates from 1666-67, and if you look closely you'll see "Cape May" labeled about where it should be. You can also see references to "Cape Hinlopen," "Barnegat," and "Lange Eylandt." If you want to read more about the political implications of the map (how it shows the different claims to lands by European nations at the time), CLICK HERE. The blogpost is definitely worth a read.

Goos Map image courtesy of the Brooklyn Historical Society Blog.

Birding Birding Birding

2011-10-24T07:53:00.000-04:00

It's Fall so you know I'm going to feature many birding blogs -- and and here's another one. This Quebecer has posted about his visit to Cape May several times in the last week or so; you can see those posts HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, AND ALSO RIGHT HERE. These blog posts are replete with gorgeous bird, nature, and dragonfly photos. Here's how the blogger describes Cape May:

The inspired placing of Canadian Thanksgiving during autumn migration gave us the opportunity to take a few days at Cape May in New Jersey. Despite being a good drive the birding prospects nulified the numb bum such trips bestow and we chanced upon great weather and excellent passage.

We stopped at the reasonably priced Jetty Motel, modest but very well placed for a birder. Literally on the doorstep was seawatching, a walk around the beach took you into the Meadows nature reserve and then on to Cape May State Park. Complimenting our trip was a birding cruise aboard The Osprey, $35.00 each well spent as it took us into areas we could not drive or walk to.

Here's a few more of his photos:

All Photos by blogger "NotDennis51" (that's what he calls himself)

More from Bird Light Wind

2011-10-22T14:10:00.000-04:00

The Bird Light Wind blogger blogs some more about his time birding at Cape May Point. Click the link to see more of Mr. Kitundu's great photography at the Point.

Photo by Walter Kitundu.

Bird Light Wind visits Cape May Point

2011-10-21T07:15:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for a blog that features the beauty of nature with fantastic photography, you won't do much better than Bird Light Wind. The website's proprietor is Walter Kitundu, a "Rennaisance Man" who invents musical instruments and has quite an eye for raptors and nature in general. He recently visited Cape May and has blogged about that visit here, here and here. His posts are full of amazing photos like the one above of a raccoon at the Point and the one below of a storm of birds on their way through the Point for the winter. Check his blog out for many amazing photos.
Both photos on this page credit Walter Kitundu.

Great Octoberfest Video

2011-10-19T10:58:00.001-04:00

The Chamber of Commerce has posted a great video from this month's Octoberfest. Not something to be missed!

Halloween Planning

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

The City of Cape May will host a trio of Halloween events this month to thrill and entertain children and families. Sun., Oct. 23 will be a big day with Trick or Treat on the Washington Street Mall from 12:00-2:00 p.m. followed by the Cape May Halloween Parade at 3:00 p.m., with lineup and judging at 1:30 p.m. Then on Mon., Oct. 31 the city-wide “trick or treat” will be from 5:00-7:00 p.m. The Halloween events are sponsored by the City of Cape May, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May, the Washington Street Business Management Association, the Cape May Kiwanis Club and the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts.

For information call Civic Affairs 609-884-9565 or go to www.capemayrecreation.org.

Sunday Morning Sunrise

2011-10-16T11:44:00.002-04:00

Before Sunrise October 16, 2011 (credit John Cooke)

Cape May Chamber of Commerce President John Cooke outdid himself with Poverty Beach photos today which he shared via Twitter. Hopefully I will introduce them to more people by posting the photos here, as well. Follow John on Twitter for many more great photos like the one above and the two below.

Poverty Beach Sunrise 10/16/11 #1 & #2, by John Cooke

Your Thoughts?

2011-10-14T07:32:00.000-04:00

This week's Exit Zero magazine is chock full of good stuff as always. My co-favorite feature in the magazine -- Terry O'Brien's Undertow -- is back for a special edition. Ostensibly Terry is back to talk about the scary-goings-on at "Morey's Fears" (f/k/a Morey's Piers) in Wildwood for Halloween. But really his column, like all his old columns, is just full of good writing, funny comments, and the occasional insight. Terry should be writing that column each week, if you ask this member of the peanut gallery.

But really the reason I'm featuring Exit Zero today (more than usual) is to ask for your thoughts on the back-and-forth between the publisher/editor of EZ -- the one and only Jack Wright -- and Jim Testa of the Beach Theatre Foundation ("BTF"). Jack had some comments for the BTF last week that apparently the BTF took as unfairly critical. Therefore, this week EZ (i.e. Jack) gave Jim space to respond to Jack's column of last week; finally, Jack replied to Mr. Testa's response. I encourage you to read this week's EZ online (click link and then turn to page 49) in order to read these columns if you have not read them yet. I'll wait for you to get back.... okay, now that you've read them, what do you think? Obviously, it's never a good idea to get into an argument with the man who owns the printing press, but on the other hand some might say that the man with the printing press sort of picked this argument. Having read the back-and-forth-and-back, I wonder what the readers of Exit Zero think? Please let me (and us) know in the comments section below. Thanks!

Birding Weekend Oct 28-Oct 30th

2011-10-13T01:49:00.000-04:00

Cape May's Annual Autumn Birding Festival is set for October 28 to October 30. Click HERE for more details. Should be a great time.

Wednesday Links

2011-10-12T07:21:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Cape May sunrise photos from earlier this week RIGHT HERE. Thanks to photographer Stephen Tabone for the photos.

Guy and Girl Travels reviews Elaine's Halloween show HERE.

And finally, a few of the artists featured at the West End Garage are featured HERE.

1/2 way through the week, right?

Cape May council proposes banning smoke on beach, Promenade

2011-10-11T02:00:00.000-04:00

According to this Atlantic City Press story, Cape May's City Council is proposing a complete smoking ban on the beaches and the asphalt Promenade along the ocean. Heavy handed? Yes. A good idea? Yes. Kudos to the City Council (although perhaps they should consider a smoking section).

Hopefully this bird and his feathered friends won't be picking up butts in Cape May anymore...

Monday Morning Clicks

2011-10-10T06:14:00.000-04:00

Todd Klein, longtime Cape May Point Bird Observatory volunteer, shares some nice photos and stories from this past weekend's birding and butterfly bonanza RIGHT HERE.

The Herald covers the passing of a Cape May fireman right here.

Hawk Watch Count Board photo courtesy Todd Klein.

Sunday Sunset

2011-10-09T09:55:00.000-04:00

Nothing more necessary when you're looking at a Cape May Point sunset. Have a good work week.

Lima Beans, Victorians, Birds, and Butterflies: What a Weekend!

2011-10-08T10:09:00.001-04:00

There is so much going on this weekend you would think it was the height of summer. You love Cape May because of Victoriana? Then check out the Victorian Ball and other events scheduled for Victorian Weekend You love Cape May because of the fun small-town events that regularly take place? Then check out the West Cape May's Lima Bean Festival. You love Cape May because of the abundance of nature? Then check out the birding and the butterflies that are making their way south via the Cape May peninsula as we speak. The video above comes from Philly's ABC news affiliate and its feature on the butterfly migration. Can't think of a better place to be than Cape May this weekend (or any weekend, for that matter).

Lima Bean Festival!

2011-10-07T08:02:00.000-04:00

I already mentioned that this weekend is Victorian Weekend. Click this link learn more. But in West Cape May, it's the annual Lima Bean Festival. From the West Cape May home page: "The West Cape May Annual Lima Bean Festival is the one event you must attend. Great food, quality vendors, antiques, entertainment and fun. Come out and celebrate West Cape May's farming heritage. You will never think of legumes the same way again. Located in Wilbraham Park from 9:00AM to 5:00PM. Rain date October 9. Call Diane Flanegan at 609-884-9325 for information."Lima Bean hat photo courtesy Cape May Times website.

Cape May Time Machine

2011-10-05T23:38:00.000-04:00

I usually don't have much use for Facebook, but Cape May historian Ben Miller has created a nice facebook site for Cape May fans called Cape May Good Times. He and others have posted many old photos of Cape May, the site is truly fantastic. The two photos on this page are both from the FB-site, and they are just a drop in the bucket. Frankly, there are many better photos but I'm a sucker for photos of the arcade in the 70s and the Admiral anytime.

Photos courtesy Ben Miller's Facebook site.

Falling Behind a Bit

2011-10-04T08:07:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the slow posting the last week or so. A bit hectic in my non-blog life right now. THIS is a very funny blog post about crabbing at the bridge between Cape May and Wildwood.Although every day is Victorian Day in Cape May, this weekend is the annual Victorian Weekend. Read about the many weekend events planned HERE.Wildwood blue crabs photo courtesy StripersOnline.com

Cape May Times Writes About Beach Theatre Demolition

2011-10-01T22:04:00.001-04:00

The Cape May Times website may pre-date CapeMay.Com, if I remember correctly. Whether or not I am correct on that, there can be no question that it is a longtime Cape May-related website. Earlier this week the Times wrote a very nice story about the tearing down of the Beach Theatre. The story includes many good photos, including the one above.Photo courtesy Cape May Times