Dorothy McMonagle Kulisek, So They’ll Know, Inc. © 2011
YEAR 8
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2011
No beach bag can be without it!
WAT C H
T H E
T R A M
C A R
P L E A S E
VOL. 5
!
Where YESTERDAY and TODAY meet by-the-sea
The Best Things in Life are Free. . . . . .like The Sun by-the-sea!
November notices the changing seasons. Soars alongside the scenery. Cruises into the holidays! Drives with the top down. Listens to the ocean. Wears cozy clothes. Sports a permanent smile. Knows there’s no better place to be. Seeks an endless summer. Discovers something even better. Carves the turkey! Counts blessings. Gives thanks for long weekends. Makes each day matter. Makes each wish magical ...
A W ild~ wood Holiday
December drives into a sparkling seascape. Searches for Santa. Finds many blessings along the way. Gets happily lost on the journey. Enjoys a wintry Wild(wood) ride. Poses for a photo opportunity. Crosses paths with winter. Brakes for SUNshine. Decorates a tree. Trades surfboards for skis. Spots the first snowflake. Builds snowmen by the sea. Loves family time. Lives happily in time... The Freeman family travels Wildwood-style into another Holiday season. STORY ON PAGE 6.
Photograph by Rob Kulisek
~WORDS BY MEG CORCORAN
$9.99
Christmas Mistletoe Kissing Krystals The Legend of the Mistletoe Kissing under the Mistletoe is an old European tradition. It is believed that the Mistletoe holds magical powers from the ‘soul’ of the mighty Oak tree. It grants strength, peace, health, fertility and love to those who kiss beneath it. OPEN at 10am EVERYDAY
$
WASHINGTON ST. MALL CAPE MAY 609-884-8949
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
THE S U N BY - T H E - S E A MAGAZINE
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
P . O . B OX 2101 W I L DWO O D , N EW J E R S EY 08260
○
5
.00
OFF
“HISTORIC HILDRETH HOUSE” 3137 Rt. 9 Rio Grande 609-465-3641
Any purchase of $50. or more.
WINTERWOODGIFT.COM
COUPON MUST BE PRESENTED AT TIME OF PURCHASE. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. EXPIRES 12/31/11
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
609.522.2721
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
W W W . S U N BY T H E S E A . C OM
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
S U N - BY - T H E - S E A @ V E R I ZO N . N E T
○
○
2
the SUN by-the-Sea
“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.� ~Elizabeth Bibesco (1897-1945) writer
the SUN by-the-Sea
“We demand an explanation for this wintry precipitation!” ~Farmer’s Almanac
3
the SUN by-the-Sea
“Hope has never trickled down. It has always sprung up.” ~Studs Terkel
Dorothy Kulisek 2012 ©
❈
❈
Sunday, Dec. 4th 2pm-6pm SUPPER WITH SANTA Cape Trinity Catholic 15th & Central, N. WW
WATERCOLOR BY
4
(609) 522-2704 B UILT 1874
• Dinner Buffet by The Ravioli House • Silent Auction • Games • Christmas Crafts • Photos with Santa by RHM photography!
Friday, Dec. 2nd, 5:30pm CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY • Open House • Community Gathering in the Hereford Lighthouse Courtyard • Hot Chocolate & Cookies • A Visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus • Holiday Music by Margaret Mace Children’s Choir • Art of Gymnastics Performance • Maritime Folk Singer Pater Harp
HEREFORD LIGHTHOUSE GARDENS & GIFT SHOP
1st & Central Ave., North Wildwood
❈
❈
609-522-4520
the SUN by-the-Sea
“Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.”
NOVEMBER HATH 30 DAYS.
DECEMBER HATH 31 DAYS.
E’en in these bleak November days, there’s gladness for the heart that heeds. –CHARLES D. SHANLY
He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
11/6 DayLight Savings Time In case you haven’t already Fallen Back 11/11/11 Happy ‘22’ Rob Kulisek & Tony Poukish Veteran’s Day Services •VFW Post 5491 at Hereford Lighthouse 9:30am • Spruce Ave. Monument in N.Wildwood 10am • VFW Post 3509 Spicer & Pacific Ave., 11 a.m 11/11-13 Cape May Jazz Festival 11/1 Silent Night Auction 7pm. Second Cape May Baptist Church, Marmora. Benefits HOPE Pregnancy Center 609-886-7022 11/12 Elks Hoop Shoot North Wildwood Rec. Foul shooting contest for children 8-12 yrs. Free. 12noon Reg, 609.522.2170 11/18-20 WCHS presents “MAME” Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance. Call 522-7257. Shows: 18th-19th, 7pm - 20th, 1pm - 23rd, 7pm 11/24 Thanksgiving Day.
“Giving thanks to God is what ushers one into the very presence of God. And this is why He asks us to always give thanks.” ~ANN VOSKAMP, ONE THOUSAND GIFTS
~Proverbs 15:15
12/2 Hereford Inlet Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. 1st & Central Ave., North Wildwood. Christmas Tree lighting, Santa Clause and refreshments. 5:30 p.m. Free. 12/2 Greater Wildwood Christmas Jaycees Parade. Free. 609.729.5501. See P. 4 12/2-3 Wildwood Family Holiday Celebration Wildwoods Convention Center. FREE Holiday bazaar 10am-5pm. 609.729.9000. See ad on this page. 12/3 West Cape May Christmas Parade 5pm. 884-1005 12/7 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony. St. Demetrios Church at Hereford Inlet Seawall, North Wildwood by VFW Memorial Post 5941. Noon. 609.729.5832. President Franklin D. Roosevelt described December 7, 1941, as a “Date which will live in infamy.” 12/4 Supper with Santa Cape Trinity Catholic, 15th & Central, NWW 12/10 Full Cold Moon when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark. This full moon is also called the Long Nights Moon by some Native American tribes.
11/25-27 An Island Holiday Christmas in Stone Harbor.
12/9-10 Candlelight Hospitality Night. Washington St. Mall, Cape May
11/26 GOBBLE WOBBLE Run/walk off those calories after Thanksgiving; strollers and pets welcome! 8:30am start at Wildwood Catholic HS 609.522.2704
12/11 “Sounds of Christmas” Concert at Assumption Church, Wildwood Crest 7:30pm with Bel Canto Lyric Opera Company of Philadelphia performing.
Come join the ”FOREVER YOUNG” Group of Notre Dame de la Mer Parish on our fun-filled trips to benefit WILDWOOD CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 11/20 “ANNIE” Pitman Theatre. Dinner at Maurice River Rest. All inclusive: $72 12/10 Christmas Gala at Tomasello Winery All inclusive: $85 4/19/12 “JONAH” at Sight & Sound Theater, Lancaster, Dinner at Plain & Fancy All inclusive: $117
For further info, Please call: Kay Tombleson 609-729-5773 or Doris Wade 609-522-5830
The Lynch Who Stole Christmas (From the Grinch, that is!) Making sure that every child in the Wildwoods has a present to open on Christmas morning. To help, please contact John Lynch Jlynch@WildwoodsNJ.com
12/17 Historic Dennisville Christmas House Tour & Caroling 5pm ~ 9pm. See Page 23 12/21 Chanukah begins at sundown. 12/22 Winter Solstice. The seasonal significance is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and the shortening of days! 12/25 Happy Birthday Jesus!
“A child has been born...and he is named ... Prince of Peace.” ~ISAIAH 9:6 Have a peace-full Christmas 12/26-1/2 Boardwalk Classic. Wildwoods Convention Center. The largest holiday basketball tournament in the country! Featuring 70 High School Boys and Girls teams. Admission fee. 9am-9pm. 609-884-4297. www.bbclassic.net “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” ~Edith L. Pierce
“Oh dear, another year!” Look for the next issue of The SUN by-the-sea
on March 8th, 2012
5 ~Sara Teasdale, The Philosopher
the SUN by-the-Sea
6
“Thank you God for this good life and forgive us if we do not enjoy it enough.”
from the editor
what’s inside {A CHRISTMAS GIFT JUST FOR YOU} FIVE MILES OF SMILES Pages 14, 18, 20, 33, 35, 37, 39, 40, 42 MORE THAN A FRIEND by Al Love Page 8 MOVIE BUFF GOES TO HOLLYWOOD by Meg Corcoran Page 10 WILDWOOD NOSTALGIA & RECIPES Polar Cub by Anita Hirsch Page 12 IRISH BOXING by Bob Ingram Page 15 BAR SERIES: CASEY’S 100+ YEAR HISTORY by Josh Kinney Page 16 A GIFT FROM GIA Page 18 PHILLIES with Danielle Wilson Page 21 WILDWOOD HISTORIC SOCIETY by Anne Vinci Page 22 DENNISVILLE HISTORIC HOUSE TOUR Page 23 IT’S A SCARY JOB by Alison Heller P. 24 I MET MY TRUE LOVE AT THE TOM CAT by Jessica Westerland Page 26 JFK by Steve Murray Page 28 UNCLE BABE COLLINS by Jim McMonagle Page 29 MARGHERITA DI SAVOIA by Joe Russo/Dom Capiccione Page 30 THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES DAD! by Hope Antonelli Page 32 TRUE MEASURE OF LOVE by LouAnn Catanoso Page 34
ABOUT THE COVER: Bundling up for chillier days, Greg, Brenda, Jess, and Jill Freeman coast into another SUN-filled Wildwood season in Glenn Kay’s prized 1959 Edsel Corsair convertible. Winter, spring, summer or fall, the sun provides the ultimate driving companion as it continues to shine, illuminating each pictureperfect season along the coast. Taking a drive down memory lane, The Freemans, along with Glenn’s then summerized convertible, first appeared on the cover of the Memorial Day 2010 edition, ushering in the start of summer at the shore (pictured above.) We here at The SUN would like to thank all of our cover models, along with everyone who has contributed in some way throughout the years, making each cover uniquely Wildwood. It is our goal to capture photographs for our covers that evoke the whimsical feeling that Wildwood by-the-sea consistently inspires. Many elements are essential in accomplishing that creative task and we are grateful to all who have given of their time and effort. ~ BY MEG CORCORAN
CHURCHES ON THE ISLAND Page 36 THE CHRISTMAS CARD by Marilyn Guidetti Page 38 CATANOSO ANNUAL REUNION by Phyllis Catanoso Page 40 CAPT. GARY SLOAN’S WISH LIST Page 41
The mug of cider simmered slow, The apples sputtered in a row, And close at hand the basket stood, With nuts from brown October’s wood.
I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~G.K. CHESTERTON True happiness is a by-product of an effort to make someone else happy. We would be a rare person in this world if, when asked if we would like to make other people happy, would not respond with a great big “Yes.” If we were asked “How then?”, many of us would probably answer by collecting toys, or visiting the sick and elderly, or filling shoe boxes with goodies for less fortunate children. The approaching season urges us to count our blessings and inspires us to want to give and to give thanks in any way we can. As I have spent the year being happily blessed by you, I return the happy blessings unto you. In winter, time slows down long enough for me to fully embrace the gifts I’ve been given. I humbly thank the One from whom all blessings flow. Eight years ago He led me, with my heart exposed, to create The SUN by-the-sea. I reflect back to April 1st, 2004, and realize that little did I know then, all I was about to receive. The initial reaction from readers absolutely wowed me. And since then, 42 issues later, the correspondences continue to overflow my inbox. “Thank you Dorothy for answering the call to pursue your dream. You are touching so many lives in a positive spirit. What an awesome gift you give to all who read The Sun by-thesea!” . . .Can’t wait for my paper but I need two, one for me and one for my sister. We love the SUN!. . . It is very special. . . Thank you, I always look forward to your editor letter, it’s one of my favorite parts. . . I love all the quotes at the tops of the pages! . . . Keep up the great work! . . . It is ‘all things’ Wildwood!” Notes of encouragement like these gratefully serve as ‘wind beneath my wings’, carrying me through the busy season of publishing! What I’m also so thankful for, is receiving your personal writings and old photographs that you dig out for me. I just love to hear your “Wildwood” stories. Connecting closely with so many of you has changed my life. I want you to know that the real blessing is that I get to share your stories with everyone who loves reading them in The Sun. In other words, your blessings have enabled me to bless others. I’ve learned something very valuable over these last 8 years~ that vulnerability is the birthplace of joy, creativity, belonging and love. And the world is truly a more beautiful place when you let down your guard and allow yourself to be transparent. You should go and try it and send me your personal Wildwood related story:) I’ll be looking forward to reading them and publishing them along with your old photos! In this season of abundance, I offer up two of the most profound words I know, “Thank You.” To everyone who has helped make The SUN what it is today ~ in another reader’s words... The Best Wildwoods Paper EVER! . . .Very inspiring, informative, and downright enjoyable! In the midst of soup kitchens and nursing homes, feeding the hungry and bringing smiles through singing carols, and giving gifts ~ may we turn our hearts to the Reason we celebrate in the first place. What better way to spread happiness than to wrap our hope around the lives of those with needs greater than ours. Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is. From a heart full of thanks, The miracle is this: the more we share the more we have.
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER (1807-92)
Next issue out March 8th.
~Garrison Keillor
Cider Wassail
Dorothy Artist, Editor, and Publisher The SUN by-the–sea, WILDWOOD, NJ
{warm and wonderfully festive}
Disclaimer The Sun by-the-Sea Newspaper© and So They’ll Know Inc. cannot pledge the accurateness or comprehensiveness of all editorial content in all of its constituent parts.
“Any society that needs disclaimers has too many lawyers.” ~ERIK PEPKE
THANK A VET TODAY. SEND IN YOUR VETERAN PHOTOS NOW, FOR A SPECIAL MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE.
• 2 quarts apple cider • 1 1/2 cups orange juice • 3/4 cup pineapple juice • 1 tablespoon brown sugar • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice • 2 cinnamon sticks • 1 dash ground cinnamon • 1 dash ground cloves In a large saucepan or slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot in mugs. Yields 10 servings
Artist & Editor
Photographer
Photographer
Dorothy McMonagle Kulisek 609.214.5608
Robert Kulisek robkulisek@gmail.com
Megan Rogers
no beach bag can be without it!
www.sunbythesea.com sun-by-the-sea@verizon.net The SUN by-the-sea P.O. Box 2101, Wildwood, NJ 08260
The SUN by-the-sea © 2011 is published by So They’ll Know, inc. Totally Published, Edited & Designed by Dorothy Kulisek with the help of all those listed here:
Local Journalists featured in this issue: LouAnn Catanoso • Meg Corcoran • Marilyn Guidetti • Alison Heller • Anita Hirsch • Bob Ingram •Josh Kinney • Al Love • Jim McMonagle • Steve Murray • Joe Russo • Gary Sloan • Anne Vinci • Jessica Westerland • Danielle Wilson “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment or religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” – 1ST AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE U.S.A.
the SUN by-the-Sea
“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.�
7 ~Peg Bracken
the SUN by-the-Sea
8
“Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons.”
~Anon.
More Than A Friend BY AL LOVE
B
ack in the 40’s we had neighbors across the street from us on Glenwood Avenue who also came down to the shore for the summer months. They became good friends with our family. There names were Walt and Betty Timer. Walt had retired from the railroad. They would spend their time during the days sitting on the porch and enjoying a beer or cocktail around happy hour. They would invite my parents over to join them. I guess I was around ten years old in the summer of 1949 when their son and his wife and three grandchildren started coming down for the summer. They stayed in an apartment above Walt and Betty. The kids were all girls, Mae 14, June 12, and Virginia 10 years old. Gee, Virginia was the same age as me. We soon became good friends. In our younger years, we played the kids games with her sisters and my two younger brothers Bill and Jimmy and my sister Ann. Checkers on the porch, card games, tag, hop scotch on the side walk, and dodge ball in the yards. We would play hide and go seek with the kids in the neighborhood too. It seems like every time we would hide, Virginia and I would hide in the same location together. Sometimes after the other kids could not find us and went home, we would still be sitting behind our garage talking. She was my best buddy. As young kids we started to spend more summers together growing toward our teen years. We would climb on the
next door neighbor’s roof or sit on the large tree limb next to my dad’s garage. We would spend time talking there and looking at the bright lights of the boardwalk or watch the stars on a dark night. It seemed like we were sitting high in the sky and close to heaven. But in reality we were probably only 25 feet from the ground. Her father was a pilot and flew his small Cessna airplane down to the Cape May County Airport on weekends from New York. Some days he would circle low over our homes and dip his wings as to say hello. As kids we would jump up and down and wave to the plane. It was exciting. In those days you went to the boardwalk with your family and were dressed up nice. Our family would see their family on the boards and would stop to talk. Virginia and I would exchange smiles and say hello and make plans for the next day. As teens we would walk to the beach or boardwalk and spend time together as friends. We were both a little shy. Alone on the boardwalk, we would walk together holding hands and go on some rides. One time we went on the Tunnel Of Love ride on those little boats. Into the ride we did exchange a few kisses but that was it. As we walked away we both laughed. We were still just friends . Virginia had curly blond hair, blue eyes, a big smile and a cute little figure. She was a princess. For the next seven years we remained best of friends and couldn’t wait to see each other for the summers. It was as close to a romance you could get and still be buddies. At the end of the summer of 1956, we were both 17 years old and just graduated from high school. She was so excited that she would be entering college that fall. I watched their family pack the car and the three girls said their goodbyes and piled into the back seat. Virginia smiled out the back window of the car and waved her arm out as they drove up Glenwood Avenue. That was the last time I would ever see Virginia again. The summer was over and I was kind of lost in what I would
CAPE MAY • STONE HARBOR • WILDWOOD • OCEAN CITY
$
1
$
5
The Original
plus. . .Special Discounts on all candies www.fudgekitchens.com
$
10
www.facebook.com/ theoriginalfudgekitchen
$
1
Redeem only at The Original Fudge Kitchens. Not Transferrable. This offer not valid with any other discounts or specials. Must present this coupon.
Photo of W. Glenwood Ave. taken from Virginia’s father’s Cessna airplane.
do next. I was working as a dishwasher for Jack Bickel at the coffee shop in Jackson’s Drug Store on Pacific Avenue during the summer. I continued to work there. My grandmother Kate and I decided to stay a few months at our house. The months turned into winter then spring. We were the only house on the block that had lights on that winter. It was a long cold winter and the little oil heater in the living room did not put out much heat. There were no insulation in the walls and the draft moved our curtains. Our black and white television signal came from an antenna on the roof and it would fade away when the wind changed direction. If we were lucky we could get three stations from Philadelphia. There was no cable, ipods, internets, or blackberries then. When the picture faded she would stay up and read the Bible and I would say ‘good night grandma’ and go to bed. I was really looking forward to the summer and seeing my friends again. I had applied to college and was accepted for the fall session. In June, Walt and Betty arrived first and unloaded their car. A few minutes later he walked across the street where my father and I were sitting on our porch to let us know the sad news. He blurted out, “ Virginia had died.“ She was heading back to college in upstate New York on a winter night and her car slid on ice and hit a tree. She was killed instantly. There was a long silence and disbelief. How could this be ? Life is not fair. I didn’t get a chance to say good bye, give her a hug, and tell her how much I would miss her. The summers would never be the same again. Her family did not return to Wildwood . A few years passed by and Walt and Betty sold the house and both died a few years later with broken hearts. Today I still sit on my porch and look over to their house and think of those fun days growing up with the girls. It is an empty feeling. Never again will I be a kid. Their house has changed hands several times since. We are the only family now on our block who are the original owners and still spend our summers here. Life is short and it is God’s will to determine when to take you. We all pass away at some date in time, but I wish God would have extended Virginia’s life here on earth. Heaven could have waited a little longer.
the SUN by-the-Sea
9
“You’ve been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you. You see George, you’ve really had a wonderful life.” ~Clarence
the SUN by-the-Sea
10
“When we lose one blessing, another is often, most unexpectedly, given in its place.”
—C.S. Lewis
Meg the Movie Buff Goes to Hollywood 2011 WINTER MOVIE GUIDE by Meg Corcoran
Book your holiday party early!
facebook.com/ Alfe’s Restaurant Wildwood
New Year’s Eve!
Movies & Dinner Gift Certificates STAR make great Stocking Stuffers!
BOARDWALK As Seen on PBS 2003 longshore films
greetings from
Wildwood -by -the -sea
Written by Bob Ingram and Joseph Van Blunk Narrated by Bob Ingram Produced by Bob Ingram, Joseph Van Blunk & Gustave Rosanio and Directed by Joseph Van Blunk and Gustave Rosanio Bob Ingram is a contributing editor for
the SUN
pick up your copy at: THE WILDWOOD HISTORICAL SOCIETY George F. Boyer Museum
3907 Pacific Avenue • Wildwood, NJ • 523-0277
or send check or m.o. VIDEO
$25
.00
DVD
$30.00
includes shipping & handling
order form
DVD VIDEO
Name _____________________________________
to: Bob Ingram
Address ___________________________________
706 North Wildwood Blvd. Lot 29 Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
City, State, Zip _____________________________
or call to order:
609.465.9968
Phone _____________________________________ Quantity ________ Total ___________
Before Santa arrives by sandy sleigh, our holiday cast of characters is creatively preparing their festive wish list. With the sounds and sights of the holidays Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, twins Jack and Jill have opposing ideas on how to celebrate the merriest of seasons. J. Edgar, naturally, takes charge, organizing a salute to lazy, sun-drenched days spent along the coast eating sugar cookies and sipping hot chocolate. Experiencing a ladylike sugar high, The Iron Lady happily loosens her steel bun and offers her spacious ocean view condos to strangers and dignitaries alike. Caught up in the Christmas spirit, The Muppets generously present the entire cast with soft and fuzzy beach chairs. As they gaze out at the frosty seascape, the stars among us know there’s no better gift than time spent with those we love (and a priceless ocean view). Before planning a priceless holiday trip to your local theater, please check your local listings for release date changes... Planning a Tower Heist (opens November 4th) proves to be more difficult that building sand castles in the sea for a group of inept criminals (including Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy) who plot to steal $20 million from a wealthy resident (Alan Alda) of the apartment complex where they’re employed. The life of J. Edgar (Leonardo DiCaprio, opens November 9th) is explored, ranging from his Washington, D.C. childhood through his 50 years of FBI service and ultra-private life that may or may not have included a private island getaway in director Clint Eastwood’s powerful story. Jack and Jill (played by Adam Sandler, opens November 11th) become strangely inseparable when difficult Jill visits brother Jack for Thanksgiving and decides to stay for the Hereford Inlet Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (Dec. 2nd) and beyond. A family-friendly beachside reunion for The Muppets (opens November 18th) is planned by Muppet devotee Gary (Jason Segel) and his dedicated girlfriend (Amy Adams) when they learn the Muppet Theater is in danger of being destroyed by an evil oil tycoon (Chris Cooper). The Descendants (opens November 23rd) of disrupted lives include a Hawaiian land
baron (George Clooney) and his comatose wife (Patricia Hastie) who he learns was having an affair pre-coma. Only sea air and the soon-to-arrive Santa can raise his spirits. New Year’s Eve (opens December 9th) arrives a little early when two dozen lonely New Yorkers (including Ashton Kutcher, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Robert De Niro) search for love (and an endless romantic summer) before watching the ball drop in Times Square. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher becomes the ultimate beach bum following her notable role as The Iron Lady (Meryl Streep, opens December 16th) through seven decades of her reign of power. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Rooney Mara, opens December 21st) finds herself wishing she’d taken time to attend the Wildwood Tattoo Beach Bash instead of using her computer hacking skills to solve an old mystery with a Swedish journalist (Daniel Craig). A London newspaper columnist and recent widow (Matt Damon) forgoes a Family Holiday Celebration (Dec. 2nd - 3rd) when he finds himself uttering We Bought a Zoo (opens December 23rd) he is determined to reopen. Also stars Scarlett Johansson. Beneath a soothing, starry seascape, the world becomes Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (opens December 25th) for an intelligent 11-year old (Thomas Horn) searching for the lock that fits a key belonging to his dad (Tom Hanks) who died during the terrorists attacks on 9/11. With New Year’s Eve quickly approaching, the cast decides to make the last night of 2011 a memorable movie celebration. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo shares colorful stories as enormous as what is happening on the big screen. Meanwhile, the animal lover two rows behind her is telling anyone who’ll listen We Bought a Zoo. The Descendants of Wildwood movie lovers, however, are wishing everyone would be quiet so they could enjoy each festive film. Constructing a mighty Tower Heist consisting of all things Wildwood, our cast happily settles in for a season of beauty and bounty, wishing everyone a joyous holiday season and a Happy 2012!
the SUN by-the-Sea
11
“As bread is the staff of life, the simple sustenance of the body, so appreciation is the food of the soul.” ~Priscilla Wayne
WE BUY OLD GOLD. THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RECORD GOLD PRICES!
Highest Possible Prices Paid! IMMEDIATE PAYMENT!
Jewelry Take to
Studio
250 96TH STREET STONE HARBOR, NJ WATCH and JEWELRY REPAIR GIA Graduate Gemologist
609-967-4653 (GOLD) SHOP ONLINE AT WWW.JEWELRY-STUDIO.COM
The Greatest Name in Fudge!
ORDER ONLINE
www.laurasfudgeshop.com
Wildwood & Ocean Ave.
WILDWOOD, NJ Since 1926
609-729-1555 OUR GIFT TO YOU
10% OFF YOUR TOTAL PURCHASE
SUN
With this Coupon. Not valid with any other offer or Mail Orders
the SUN by-the-Sea
12
“We must always have old memories and young hopes.” ~Message from a Fortune Cookie
WiLDW OO D by-the-sea: Nostalgia & Recipes Polar Cub to Jimbo’s BY ANITA HIRSCH Jimbo’s in North Wildwood at 25th and Atlantic Avenues, is a family restaurant that is also part of a family history in the Wildwoods. In 2007, Jim Muccie and his wife Bernadette, purchased the Athens Restaurant from Harry Karamansoukis. The 175 seat restaurant, built in the sixties, was patterned after Howard Johnson’s restaurants with their unique roof slant and plate glass windows. When Harry wanted to retire, he hoped to sell the restaurant to someone who would continue it as a restaurant and keep the integrity of the outside. He was only getting offers from builders who wanted to demolish it and build condos. It finally closed in 1999. Jim and Bernadette bought the property, promising to maintain it as a restaurant, and renamed it Jimbo’s. Jim’s father, Tony, began in the concession business as a partner with his Trenton childhood friend Jim Konides and their wives, Mary Muccie and her sister Rose Konides. Rose and Jim Konides started with an Aloha Tropical Drink concession in 1956. Eventually the partners owned four beverage businesses on the Boardwalk. In 1958, Tony Muccie opened the Polar Cub concession, an ice cream shop next to the Hawaiin Tropical Drink concession across from Hunt’s Pier. On a busy day, Tony made 16-18 flavors of hard ice cream, Italian ices, red dipped candy apples (almost 2000 a day which he sold to 4 stores), frozen bananas, cotton candy and soft pretzels. The beverage concessions closed when partners, Rose and Jim Konides retired in 1992, and Tony kept the Polar Cub open until 1998. Mary and Rose have since passed away. Jim Konides operates a hotel in North Wildwood with his son Nick. Tony Muccie, now 85, can be found working in Jimbo’s. Jim Muccie worked in the family concessions on the Wildwood Boardwalk for his uncle and father. After graduating from Trenton High School, Jim went on to Drexel University, graduating with a Business Management degree. He worked for Aramark and was the General Manager of food and beverage at the Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Convention Center until 2006. Although Jim’s connection to Food Service was in management and not production, he learned on the job at Jimbo’s. He wasn’t a trained chef, but he knew what he wanted
to serve, so he learned to cook. All of his omelettes are made from fresh ingredients. He learned to make creamed chipped beef which is a popular item on his breakfast menu. He also prepares Scrapple, a Philadelphia request. Jimbo’s is one of the best breakfasts in the Wildwoods. Jim supports local suppliers, buying from local farms, bakeries, and the Lehigh Valley Dairy here on the island. Jim has been building up a local clientele as well as his tourist business. He is involved in the community and is a volunteer fireman. Jimbo’s sponsors a little league team. He donates to local causes including the Light the Night in the fall which benefits the Lymphoma Society. All the profits from the sale of Jimbo’s T-shirts goes to the Lymphoma Society. It has been five years since Jim learned that he had a lymphoma and now that he has gotten to the five year mark, he will be celebrating this year.
Tony Mucci and Jim Konides at Polar Cub
Little Jim Muccie at the Polar Cub
Jimbo’s EASY LUMP CRAB CAKES 1 lb lump crab meat 2 eggs beaten 1/2 small red pepper, finely diced 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Old Bay crab seasoning Juice of one whole lemon 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce 1/2 cup to 1 cup Panko bread crumbs Empty the crab into a large bowl, sort through, looking for pieces of shell to remove. Beat eggs and add pepper, mustard, mayonnaise, crab seasoning, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Slowly add crab meat. Don’t be too rough, mix together slowly so not to break up the crab. Add enough bread crumbs to keep it together. You have to feel the mixture, so use hands to mix it. You don’t want the mixture to be too wet or dry. Let mixture set-up in refrigerator for about an hour before forming into cakes. Once formed, cook in a hot frying pan in vegetable oil. If you chose to broil cakes, spray with olive oil before placing in broiler. Serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce. Yield: 8 cakes
Mary Muccie in the early days on the boardwalk at Polar Cub
The Polar Cub remained a favorite ice cream spot on the Wildwood boardwalk up until closed in 1998. This photo is circa 1970s. Hawaiin Tropical Drinks and Polar Cub were next to one another on the boardwalk between Juniper & Poplar Aves.
Where Jimbos is today, once stood the Dr. Margaret Mace Hospital that opened in 1915. It remained in operation until 1950. It held 40 beds. Extra cots were sometimes set up in case of emergencies. It had x-ray equipment, an operating room and was open 24 hours a day. Every Wednesday was Tonsil Day and Dr. Sheppard from Millville came and did up to 20 operations a day. Major surgery was performed by many famous surgeons from Philadelphia. Over 6,000 babies were delivered by Dr. Mace. It was built by Frederic Sutton, who perished on the Titanic.
The Athens Restaurant which replaced Dr. Mace Hospital in the 1950s.
Tony Mucci holding his son at their new family business in 1958. Thank you Jim & Tony Mucci, as well as Wildwood Historic Society for the photos. To read more on Aloha Tropical Drinks go to www.funchase.com and click on Cuckoo for Coconut Heads Jim, may you continue to be cancer-free for many years to come.
Tony & Jim at the end of another successful season at Jimbo’s, 2011
the SUN by-the-Sea
13
“But thou, doing kindness, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.” - Matthew 6:3
Season’s Greetings!
BEECHER-KAY
Providing Service to the Wildwoods for 104 Years! 1907-2011
Realty Co.
Homeowners • Motels • Restaurants Boats • Retail Stores • Auto • Flood
from the
Also Sales & Rentals Available
101 E. Wildwood Ave., Wildwood, NJ
COOLING & HEATING, INC NJ License # 13VH01834100
Specializing in Central Air Conditioning & Gas Forced Air Heat for 3 Generations
1-800-638-4393 www.bowmansair.com 5104 Pacific Avenue, Wildwood • 522-0121 • Fax 522-7313
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
609-522-2434
Fax: 609-522-6280
Wishing everyone a happy & safe holiday season!
Stefankiewicz & Barnes, LLC 111 East 17th Street • Suite 100 • North Wildwood Tel: (609) 729-5250 • Fax: (609) 522-7532
David Stefankiewicz
the SUN by-the-Sea
14
“In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want.” ~Irish proverb
No
l a I u n r n i s ! h l A a F v i s a t l s l e F ' r t h W il d w o od September 22-25,2011
Peggy Haldeman & her mom Kathryn Held walked together at the 10th Annual Tink Haldeman Memorial Run/Walk to benefit Wildwood Catholic High School.
Brothers, Mario & Vic Capuccino Vic was the winner of the large 50/50 that night and donated it back to the Harrowgate Boxing Club in Philadelphia.
CAPE TRINITY PTA ~ Cheryl Nolan, Ingrid Pasciucco, Elizabeth Clarke, Michelle Rosenello- VP, and Joanne Messer - Pres.
David Adams with his son Jan Adams. Jan boxes at the Wildwood Boxing Club. David has been making the world a sweeter place at Douglass Fudge since 1974.
Mike & Peggy Haldeman & John Lynch
Tom Dooley, BA for Operating Engineers Local 542 with Belfast’s Paul McMullan who won his bout against Max Stein. Sonny Upton with Dr. Ray Marotta CAPE TRINITY 4th to 8th grade Tarck Team: Michael & Owen Haldeman, Dylan Barry, Joey Catanoso, Coach Diana Lillo, Coach Gail Peters, Maggie, Sophie, & Rosie Peters, and Hennessy Barry
Katie & Bob Davis of North Wildwood
Max Stein of Harrowgate Boxing Club
Kelly Ryan getting ready to take on Michaela Walsh in the first bout
Jimmy & Trish Mikula of Coconut Cove Runners/Walkers in the Tink Haldeman Memorial are Otter & Krista Donahue, Carl, Barbara & Justin Arenberg, Patti Killian, Eric Arenberg, & Becka Haldeman
Maryann Miller, Billy Mack & Bernadette McCarthy
Michaela the Irish Boxer wins again
John & Chris of JC Building Concepts specializing in Wildwood decks.
Sonny & Anthony Upton of Belfast Ireland with Erin O’Brien and her grandfather Jim McKee who helped to bring the Irish Boxing event to Irish Weekend
Ring Announcer and Card girls, Nino Del Bruno with Megan & Nicole
the SUN by-the-Sea
15
“There’s magic in fighting battles beyond endurance.” ~Paul Haggis, Million Dollar Baby
Irish Weekend Boxing: Harrowgate Boxers Gain on Belfast Foes BY BOB INGRAM sorbing any damage. These young ladies fight like tigers – er, tigresses – but after the last bell they are the same gracious young ladies as before they start throwing bad-intention punches. Hope they do it again next year.
“At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year.”
Bring Home the Gift of Holiday Cheer!
In the guy fights, the 123-pound matchup between Holy Family’s Ryan Phillip Adams and Harrowgate’s Verdil Rivera saw the Irisher start too late and loose the decision. The next go, at 132 pounds, was a slow starter that drew some boos early on and saw Harrowgate’s Kieran Hooks lose a decision that I thought he had won to Tyrone McCullough.
Michaela Walsh from Belfast, Ireland
F
our seems to be the lucky number for the boxing squad from Philly’s Harrowgate Boxing Club, as they kicked off Irish Weekend on Thursday night under the big tent in Moore’s parking lot by winning four of the nine amateur fights on the card against the Holy Family team from Belfast, a big jump up from the two fights they’d managed to win in each of the three prior years. Fighting out of the blue corner, the Harrowgaters were a much improved aggregation this year, much more aggressive than formerly against the mostly stand up, European-style Irish pugilists. From here, the best bout of the evening led off the show, a female re-match between Holy Family’s Michaela Walsh and Harrowgate’s Kelly Ryan at 126 pounds. The result was the same as last year, with Michaela getting the duke in an action fight from bell to bell for all three rounds. Michaela is a slick article, countering and then getting out of harm’s way before ab-
Another 132-pound fight between Ireland’s Gerard Matthews and Joshua Jones was more of a war and saw Jones get the nod. At 142 pounds, Belfast’s Anthony Upton took Eric Chandler and another Upton, Sonny, won by forfeit at 147 pounds when his opponent fell out. There were only two Uptons on the Irish team this year, as compared to four last year, but no problem because there are six more Upton brothers waiting in Belfast. The seventh bout, at 165 pounds, between Holy Family’s Paul McMullan and Harrowgate’s Max Stein, could have been fought in a phone booth, the fighters toe to toe all the way, with the Irish kid getting the decision. The evening’s finale, between super heavyweights Karl Moore of Holy family, and Corey Morley, ended in TKO victory for Moore when Dr. Raymond Marotta, in his first time as a ring physician, wisely called a halt to the proceedings. Afterwards, fighters, coaches, trainers, and officials repaired to the new Coconut Cove, the official Irish boxing sponsor, where they were treated to an Irish feast of ham and cabbage and shepherd’s pie. Hats off to Coconut Cove and to all involved. Slainte!
The Irish entourage
Free Gift Wrapping Hildreth & Pacific Ave. Wildwood Crest (609) 522-WINE
26th & New Jersey Ave. Wildwood (609) 729-WINE
the SUN by-the-Sea
16
“Happiness is not a reward — it is a consequence.” - Robert Green Ingersoll
CASEY’S ON THIRD ~A Series of old Wildwood Bar Stories~ BY JOSH KINNEY
GARVIN’S IRISHMAN’S CAFE, CIRCA 1970
It’s hard to imagine a property on the five mile island of Wildwood being sold for $450 but that’s exactly how much Robert A. Smith of Philadelphia paid for the lot on the corner of 3rd street and New York Avenue in November of 1906. Talk about a bar with a history! What is now Casey’s on 3rd has a heritage that dates back to October 1881. Fast forward to 2005 and Michele Casey and her husband Tom and her brother-in-law Kevin were sitting together in a Wildwood bar with a realtor friend of theirs who had helped them sell some condos during the condo boom. They had gone out to celebrate when their friend had mentioned that there was a bar for sale and asked if they would ever be interested in something like that. “No way,” said Michele, “We go to bars but never thought of owning one.” Though, after talking it out and a few more drinks they decided to entertain the idea. “We thought, wow you know, how cool would that be, to own a bar?” From there the ball began rolling. They called the bank who gave them the money when they never would have imagined they would even finance them. And there it was, a conversation in a bar led to owning one for the Caseys. Everything was in place at just the right time for just the right owners to inherit such a rich history. The land on the corner of 3rd and New York was among hundreds of Angelsea lots which Rebecca Simpson, a “single woman” of Philadelphia purchased for a total of $10,000 from The Five Mile Beach Improvement Co. in October of 1881. At that time our Wildwood looked much wilder than it does today. Simpson’s deed contained covenants against “hog pens and slaughter houses.” ...Interesting. It wasn’t long until Simpson left the property in May of 1882 for a nominal amount to a man named James Patrick who subsequently passed away. Patrick’s widow married John Rowbotham who would
then sell the property to Louis H. Wehmeyer in July 1905 for the grand total of one U.S. dollar! Only a year later in November of 1906, Wehmeyer sold to Robert Smith of Phila. for $450. By August 1922, Smith sold to Giacomo Mattera for “$100 and other lawful money” according to historical records. During the late 1930’s the structure was built which is today Casey’s, back then: ‘Giacomo’s Saloon’ and by the early 1950’s ‘Spinner Wheel Café.’ It wasn’t until 1970 that Mattera sold the place to Albert and Elizabeth Turpin for $30,000. The couple kept the place for five years and then sold to William and Elizabeth Kelly for $47,500 who kept it for about five years before selling to Theresa Garvin for $248,000 naming it Garvin’s Irishman’s Café. From 1970-2002, the corner property transferred hands almost every five or six years with sale prices fluctuating even more dramatically than its many owners. In May of 1986, Mark Rohlfing purchased the building from the Garvin’s for $250,000 and then sold in 1989 to Robert and Woodrow Hall for $200,000. In 1997, the Hall brothers sold Ollie’s to HuNan Realty Inc. for the exact price that they purchased the property. HuNan Realty sold to Thomas and Arlene Thornton for $350,000 in May of 2002 and in June 2004 they sold to David Chiavoroli and Dina Cataldi for almost double, $600,000. Only a year later to the month did Chiavaroli and Catadi sell to Striped Bass LLC for again, almost double, $950,000. It was during these times that there were various name changes from The Bent Elbow to J.D. McGillicuddy’s in 2005 when the bar ended up in the hands of the Casey’s. As new owners they immediately impressed both new and old customers with their innovative management. “It’s pretty cool that it has such a history,” said Michele Casey, “People come in here all the time and say ‘my grandfather used to bring me here...’ their stories are pretty cool!” Michele and her brother-in-law Kevin were always in the food service business and her husband Tom in construction which made owning the bar a great fit, being able to bring their specific skill sets to the table. “We’ve met so many people and became friends with so many people, not just customers and acquaintances but real good friends,” she said. The Casey’s take great care and pride in their bar, hoping to get better and better every year. As the latest torch bearers of the corner’s history, they’re moving forward and keeping things fresh.
MULLINS BAR, CIRCA 1987
THE CASEY’S IN FRONT OF THEIR BAR, CASEY’S ON THIRD, CIRCA 2006 TOM, MICHELE & KEVIN CASEY CELEBRATED THEIR 5TH ANNIVERSARY ALL YEAR LONG!
THANK YOU TO THE WILDWOOD HISTORICAL MUSEUM FOR THEIR RESEARCH ASSISTANCE AND THE PHOTOS
the SUN by-the-Sea
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow..."
17
~ Doxology, Thomas Ken, 1674
Oct. 22-23 ~ 1st Annual Celebration of Woodrow Wilson at the Wildwood Civic Club
Mayor Ernie Troiano presents a declaration to Civic Club members Theresa Williams, Cathy Smith and Jacob Schaad.
Wildwood High School students, KShawn Ford and Luzmary Soto volunteer their service at the Woodrow Wilson tea.
The life of John Philip Sousa, American conductor, composer and patriot during Wilson’s presidency, was portrayed in an enactment performed by Richard Shimago. Some of those who enjoyed the tea party and presentation were (L-R) Jane McNutt, (twin sisters) Blanche Rollins & Diane McMonagle , Theresa Williams, Adele Hunter & Michael DiBiasio. Thanks to all who involved.
IRISH PUB
WINTER HOURS: Tuesday - Thursday 11am to 2:30pm Friday 11am to 4pm Saturday 11am to 5pm Closed Sun & Mon
Lunch • Dinner • Late Night • Live Entertainment Book your Holiday Parties Now! Call early! Visit us at
www.westysirishpub.com
our Happy H i. F Mon.- r bar t the 4-6pm a ks
Are They O ut of Their Mind? $11.9
9 PRIM
E RIB Sun., Tue., Thurs. from 4pm Drin $3. Well ic Bottles Cooked to t P s erfection, e Not too Slo $2 Dom Products w • Miller r Specials Served with Potato of • Not too Fast the Day, Ro e ll & Butter • Appetiz
OPEN 7 DAYS YEAR ROUND An eatery with an eclectic menu at 25th and New Jersey in always sunny North Wildwood 609.522.7466 (Shoo)
Enjoy the endless Ocean Views & Breezes on the Upstairs Deck
101 E. Walnut Ave. North Wildwood 609-522-4991
the SUN by-the-Sea
18
“One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind.”
~Malayan Proverb
A Gift from Gia In the true holi-
day spirit, we are compelled to want to give. There are many organizations that vie for our generous hear ts at Christmastime. A well known local Wildwood family, the Chiarella’s, would like to call upon your hearts once again to support their annual “Gift from Gia” program. The Chiarella’s have used their broken hearts over the past 13 years to bless the many children who must spend their Christmas inside Cooper Hospital. Their sadness at Christmastime is now softened every year by an unspeakable joy that only comes from a giving heart. In that spirit, their daughter Gia’s memory continues to live on. Read below to find out how you can be filled with the same kind of Christmas joy. A Note from Bethie Chiarella: We accept and distribute gifts for the sick and needy children at Cooper Hospital in Camden, which is the sending hospital for severe trauma cases from our county. We spent our last Christmas with our daughter Gia there in 1998, and experienced the heartbreak firsthand. The staff was wonderful to the patients and their families, but at this most festive time of year, the despair is completely overwhelming. What initially started as a way to fill the empty spot under Gia’s tree has turned into an incredibly remarkable tribute to her. Each donation is tagged “A Gift from Gia,” and as they are dispersed, the families naturally ask who Gia is. The staff tells her story, and so her name and memory continues go on. In 1999, our first year, we sent up a packed van full of gifts. Last year, we were extremely proud to see our volunteers box, tag and pack over 1,000 gifts. The holidays are an extremely difficult time for us, but the outpouring of love, compassion, and generosity, all in Gia’s name, helps us more than you could ever understand, and we are forever grateful. Any donations for children aged newborn through teen, will be greatly appreciated. The gifts may be dropped off unwrapped at any of our local schools, at our home at 2309 Central Ave. in North Wildwood, or at GIA, 3001 Pacific Ave. in Wildwood. If you have any questions, please fell free to call us at 609-729-0344. Enjoy a Happy, Healthy & Safe Holiday Season. Thank You.
Sisters~ Gisele & Bethie Vince & Beth Chiarella
Jennifer DeWeese & Kelly Belasco
Girlfriends ~ Jennifer, Beth, Kelly, Mia, Katie, Brianna, Kristy & Lauren
Joe Rullo Kelly Murray
Lauren Zucarella Thomas & Michael
Kristy Thall & Beth Haflin
Paul Chiolo & son Michael
Mia & Friends
J.J. loading up the truck {Photos taken December 21, 2010}
the SUN by-the-Sea
19
○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○
Happy to be Open for your Holiday Shopping!
○
Happy Baby
○
“How golden the melons lie; enrich them with sweets and spices, and give us the pumpkin-pie!”~Margaret Junkin Preston
106 Jackson Street, Cape May, NJ 609-884-5922 INTERESTED IN ANTIQUE POSTCARDS? South Jersey Postcards
BOUGHT and SOLD
OVER 5,000 WILDWOOD POSTCARDS
405 C EDAR A VE . B URLEIGH , NJ
Woody G’s Postcards (609) 465-0273 Specializing in Cape May County Towns • Also have 8x10 Photos
609.463.0606
OPEN Mon. - Fri. 10-6 Sat. - Sun. 10-5
Natural Health & Gourmet Chef Mia Chiarella • Chef Vince Chiarella RDS GIFT CA AT RE MAKE G AS M T CHRIS GIFTS!
3167 Rt. 9 South • Rio Grande, NJ ( L o c at e d n ex t t o Ava l o n C o ffe e ) w w w. g re e n s t re e t m a r ke t . c o m
1.
$ 3001 Pacific Pacific Ave. Ave. Wildwood, Wildwood,NJ NJ Reservations: Reservations:609.729.5959 609.729.5959 3001 Open Year Round Available for Catering giawildwood.com Open Year Round Available for Catering giawildwood.com
00 Off
with minimum purchase of $10 on any Green Street Market Supplement
Must present coupon for discount. Not to be combined with any other offer.
the SUN by-the-Sea
20
“Never allow yourself to become one of those people who, when they are old, tell you how they missed their chances.” ~Claire Ortega
h o t s e e v W o L i l d . w . oo d D ays! . Sunset Lake, Wildwood Crest, NJ Oct. 1, 2011
The Wildwoods Hydrofest made a splashy return to the borough’s sunset lake on October 1-2 after being cancelled last year due to scheduling conflicts. The much-anticipated powerboat races consisted of approximately 70 competitors travelling from the East Coast, Ohio, Michigan, and Canada. The free, two-day event, which included four hours of racing each day along with a six-block marketplace with craft and food vendors, drew a crowd of approximately 20,000 people. Winners were chosen each day. Competitors had the opportunity to win two prominent awards or titles-The North American Championship and The New Jersey Governor’s Cup.
Theresa Williams
Dave Williams
HYDROFEST Volunteers that make everything work for a successful weekend event ~Michelle Mettler, Sharon Stocker, Ann Fitzgerald, Jane Schell.
Sunset Lake Hydrofest
Micro Cars at the Beach PHOTOS ABOVE SUBMITTED BY DAVE & THERESA WILLIAMS OF WILDWOOD CREST
Fred & Michelle Mettler
PHOTOS ABOVE SUBMITTED BY GEORGE CAPUA, PHOTOJOURNALIST
the SUN by-the-Sea
21
“You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself.” ~Harvey S. Firestone
Maybe next year I’ll get my sandwich!
OLD PHILLY STYLE SANDWICHES
OPEN WEEKENDS FRI - SAT - SUN
(609)770-7033 On the corner of Sweetbriar & New Jersey Aves. in Wildwood Crest, NJ SPORTS BY DANIELLE WILSON It still hurts to think about how the 2011 season came to such an abrupt halt. I can’t even fathom how it happened, really. While the Phillies did everything in their power to move on to the World Series, this postseason was a test. A test to show just how great of a team they were. Was this a team, or just bunch of guys thrown onto a 25-man roster? How can a team with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, and others be worse than the 2008 team? That was a real team. A team that didn’t win 102 games or feature a magnificent pitching staff (although, say what you want about Jamie Moyer, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Brett Myers and Adam Eaton). But, they won it all. This was supposed to be the year. Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt, Raul Ibanez, and Pence were supposed to get their rings. Sadly, there’s no way to explain what happened to this team come October. It seemed as though everyone was hitting and scoring
Follow me @CBPhresh runs. That all suddenly stopped when it really mattered. Shane Victorino was making a run for 2011 MVP with what was arguably his best season. Well, the postseason was a different story for Shane, who went 6-19 with two RBI and just one extra base hit. It’s the same story for Hunter Pence. In the regular season as a Phillie, Pence played in 52 games, smacking 67 hits and driving home 35 runs, 11 via home run. In the NLDS, he went 4-19 with four RBI. He did not hit a ball out of the infield. With the top of the order (Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley) hitting, the bottom of the order didn’t even bother to show up. Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz went a combined 3-34 in the NLDS. And there’s no other way I’d rather not see the season end with Ryan Howard completely tearing his left Achilles and being the final out of the season. Howard has in fact had surgery on it, and will not be expected to play for 5-6 months. The Phillies’ GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and manager Charlie Manuel will have a lot of decisions to make this off season. Will Jimmy Rollins stay? How about Ryan Madson? Is Raul Ibanez coming back? Will Domonic Brown start the season in AAA again? We’ll see how this off season unfolds hopefully soon.
After months of preparation, Tony Luke’s owners Nicky Luke and Mike Vicario didn’t know what to expect when they opened their doors on a chilly Black Friday November morning last year. Selling out on their first day prompted them to remain open all winter long, a decision a hungry group gratefully approved. After a successful first year, they look forward to serving you all winter long again!
Thank You Nick & Mike! for a great first year
22
the SUN by-the-Sea
“There is an eternal landscape, a geography of the soul; we search for its outlines all our lives.”
Notes from the Wildwood Historical Society
~Josephine Hart
A Blast From the Past! PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILDWOOD HISTORIC SOCIETY
located at 3907 Pacific Ave. in Wildwood. 609-523-0277 Nov. & Dec. Hours: Fri. & Sat. 9:00am - 2:00pm We are now into the Fall, and there’s been a change in our winter schedule. We will be open Friday and Saturday, 9AM to 2PM. This will remain in effect until January 1. Then we will be open on Saturdays only, through March. However, we are a phone call away if you need the resources of the museum. Just call our number, 523-0277 and leave a message, and someone will get back to you. One of our current most important projects is the digitizing of old microfilm files on to DVDs. The subject film is very old and we’re having a difficult time trying to find a company, somewhat local (within the state), to say they can do it and give us a price. Another monster problem that has surfaced is the replacement of two flat roofs to the tune of $15,000.00. You can bet we’ll be out there “begging” for donations. Help us out if you can. As you know, we are always collecting items for the museum that are part of the history of the Wildwoods. One day this summer, a lady by the name of Joanne Sprague, called to say she had a vintage maternity crib that was used at Mrs. Long’s Maternity Home on East Montgomery Ave. The story goes that Mrs. Long gave it to Joanne’s mother and told her that most of the babies born at the maternity home rested in this crib. It needed a bit of “sprucing” up, and one of our volunteers, Ed Calabrese, was kind enough to clean and paint it. It now stands in our new south wing for your inspection. My daughter, Joanne Vinci, has promised a few of her vintage dolls to put in it for display. In reference to the alumni of the two area schools, this is the time of the year that we
Playland Pier circa 1940s. Now Mariner’s Pier.
hear about reunions. One tradition that has survived 28 years is the Wildwood High School 50 Plus Reunion. This dinner dance is open to anyone who attended school prior to 1961 (or 50 years ago). This year it was held at the Wildwood Convention Hall. There were almost 250 people in attendance representing every class from 1942 on to 1961. The evening was an absolute success. There were people that hadn’t seen each other in 50 years and there were hugs and handshakes all over the place, not to mention the clicking of camera shutters. The 50 Plus Committee works very hard trying to bring this affair together each year looking for value for their guests. This year the Convention Hall people did an outstanding job trying to accommodate everyone. If you haven’t given it much thought, think about it for next October. It will be held at Convention Hall, again, and the committee has already lined up a date; Sunday, October 7, 2012, which happens to be Columbus Day weekend. Plan now for a long weekend. “Watchthetramcarplease.com” Ever heard of that website? It was founded by Bob Ingram and Tony Deutsch. These blogmates are doing a great job of bringing current events to the fore. They’ve also added old photos from the archives of the Wildwood Historical Society. Thanks guys for giving me an opportunity to write my very first blog. Before signing off, I must remind you of TWO important things: stop in to see us, AND make a donation to our badly needed, leaky roof fund. Until next time . . . . . be happy and be well!
Joanne Cavalier Hinke WCHS 1955
Evelyn Snooks Bailie WHS 1954
Brook Koeneke WHS 1954
Ron McGowan WHS 1960
Gertrude Hubbard McGowan WHS 1964
John D’Amico WCHS 1955
Millie Tozour Baker WHS 1954
Jack Baker WHS 1954
Rita Rosenberg Best WHS 1954
Vince Piccirilli WCHS 1955
Tom Kinnemand M Mace 1951
Kenneth Tabone WCHS 1963
Anne Vinci, PRESIDENT OF WILDWOOD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
Courtesy of Wildwood Historical Society
If you would like your Wildwood High or Wildwood Catholic High School yearbook photo featured in The Sun, please send us an email with your name, graduation year, & maiden name for girls. Include in Subject line: “Yearbook Photos” email: sun-by-the-sea@verizon.net or call (609) 522-2721
the SUN by-the-Sea
23
“Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance - each beautiful, unique and too soon gone.”
~Deborah Whipp
Historic Dennisville Christmas House Tour ~ Dec. 17th, 2011
Photos above & below ~ The Rev. John Goff Plantation House, Store and Church (Circa 1773) and The First East Creek Post Office (1842-1875) and current home of Steve & Corinne Crist.
2011 Featured House: Jacob B. Souder, Sr. Tenant House, c. 1840. Editor Note: My mom and I had the opportunity to attend last year’s Historic Dennisville Christmas House Tour, visiting 11 charming homes that put us in the Christmas spirit. The full moon provided a well-lit path to each home where we were greeted by warm hosts and cozy fireplaces. The slight chill in the air reminded us that Christmas was coming! We’re looking forward to it again. Save the date! Saturday, December 17, from 5-9. Maybe we’ll see you there!
On the 3rd Saturday of December each year a minimum of 10 beautifully decorated historic homes, as well as several public buildings, are open to the public. Please think about starting your holiday season with a festive glimpse of history in Dennisville at Christmas time! Tickets are $10.00, sold at the Dennisville Post Office, the night of the tour only beginning at 4:30 pm. Greeters will distribute programs and get tour goers started on their way. Houses open at 5pm. Soup and sandwich supper at the South Dennis Trinity United Methodist Church beginning at 4pm until food runs out $8adults, $3.50 children under 12. Refreshments and comfort stations at the Dennisville United Methodist Church Social Hall. Sunnyside Up Carolers will perform throughout the village. For more info visit www.dennistwp.org/dhhoa.htm or contact Jack Connolly at (609) 861-1338 or at Dennisvillechristmashousetour@verizon.net.
“Each home was more beautiful than the one before!”
An harpist filled the night with beautiful Christmas music
Carol Hauser, dressed in period costume as she served as a tour guide inside one of the older sections of the Rev. John Goff house
Corinne Crist with her son Jesse who both enjoyed the night of festivities as they entertained visitors at their historic Dennisville home, the Rev. John Goff house. Music and dancing filled their ballroom with
“At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year.” ~THOMAS TUSSER
Frank Unkle & Connie Ross enjoyed welcoming visitors into their lovely old home which was the featured house last year. The Isaiah B. Christian House, c. 1800.
Tim & Simone Barry
Steve Crist proudly poses by the sign hung on his home for his son: PROUD of OUR PATRIOT 1Lt. Louis J. Crist Serving God & the U.S. Army Reenactment of a Civil War soldier encampment outside the Rev. John Goff house
We love you! Mom, Dad, Jesse & Corrie “IF A MAN DOES HIS BEST, WHAT ELSE IS THERE?” ~GEN. GEORGE PATTON
Above: The Thomas Ludlam, Jr. House, c. 1790 and owner Joan Berkey
Diane McMonagle was impressed with the way each historic home added to the old fashioned Christmassy feel of the evening. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening!
24
the SUN by-the-Sea
{PHOTOS BY ROB KULISEK}
“I like to scare people, and people like to be scared.”
~Stephen King
BY ALISON HELLER
Alison Heller of Morey’s marketing team showing off her charming Kellogg facial
Nick Lassor of Morey’s marketing team transformed into Felix the Boardwalk Barker.
As Mariner’s Landing transformed into the haunted ruins of an abandoned park for Morey’s FEARS- Terror on the Boardwalk, something strange began happening to our staff. The office personnel started shuffling around the coffee maker mumbling about beans or brains and no amount of caffeine seemed to perk them up. Our mechanics turned menacing, laughing maniacally as they dismembered rides for off-season storage. Morey’s FEARS- Terror on the Boardwalk, Morey’s Piers’ inaugural Halloween event brought all hands on deck to make the event a success. Every department pitched in to make costumes, learn and apply various makeup techniques, decorate the pier, build the mazes, props and facades and even act as zombies, evil clowns and living scarecrows. “I never expected to join the undead crew in the Ghost Ship, but I definitely had a great time scaring guests,” said Greg Rodgers, a Morey’s mechanic turned zombie. “Once you get your first scream, you really feed on that energy... kind of like a real zombie.” Acting like real zombies became much easier once our skilled team of cosmetologists applied festering wounds and dabbed fake blood on our faces as naturally as if they were powdering our cheeks. The different make up looks transformed us outside and in. “We took classes to learn proper sanitation and application techniques for a variety of characters,” said Kristel Jenkins, Morey’s Events and Entertainment Manger turned Undead Cosmetologist. “The transformations were incredible. Everyone really got into their character as soon as their makeup was finished.” Anne O’Boyle, Morey’s Corporate Sales Manager, became nearly unrecognizable as a
creepy clown heckling guests and spouting twisted rhymes in CarnEvil. Like many of our associates, she spent the weeks between event nights perfecting her costumes and coming up with new ways to scare people. “It was really fun to discover I had a bit of a dark side,” said Anne. “I don’t let her come out to play often, but CarnEvil was the perfect opportunity!” I started out as a creative, ambitious writer and ended up a stiff husk of my former self, lumbering around the corn maze and traumatizing guests. As a roaming scarecrow actor in CornStalkers, my makeup was one of the most interesting styles. I had to look like I was made of straw and burlap to be a convincing scarecrow. My face was first covered in a layer of liquid latex and topped with crumbled rice cereal, which I dubbed “the Kellogg facial” (it’s all the rage this Halloween season!). However, I looked liked a walking Rice Krispie treat, which might be the least scariest thing ever. After the latex dried, I was subjected to an airbrush for an ample coating of brown paint. Black accents were airbrushed over my eyes, mouth, neck and cheeks and then artists dabbed my face liberally with fake blood, pus and other oozy fluids. “Pus was definitely the most fun application,” said Kristel. “It was disturbingly realistic and got great reactions from guests.” From our bearded ladies in the ticket booth to our cackling clowns in CarnEvil, everyone embraced the spooky spirit of Morey’s FEARS and made sure all our guests enjoyed our first year of fear on the pier. We’re all looking forward to next year, perhaps a little too eagerly.
Rich Peterson, longtime Moreys employee was NOT a happy clown Jack Morey was candidly caught being scared inside the Ghost Ship
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY ROB KULISEK
Morey’s Maintenance Men turned Zombies Long time Moreys employee, Hope Schaff had fun at her new job assignment!
Marketing intern, Rob Kulisek joined in on the zombieness
Five makeup artists were on deck who artistically helped create the zombie characters that frightfully roamed the pier
the SUN by-the-Sea
25
“All that we behold is full of blessings.”
~William Wordsworth
Providing EYE CARE at COURT HOUSE for over 20 years
DR. CARDILLO has moved to 5 S. Main Street Cape May Court House, NJ Dr. Cardillo’s new office is easy to find. It is located between The Bellevue Tavern and The Press
• Eye Exams • Eyeglasses • Contact Lenses • Treatment of Eye Diseases • Medicare Certified Office
DR. DENNIS A. CARDILLO Optometric Physician
ERNEST TROIANO, JR., PRESIDENT
609-522-3355
NJ Lic #OA 0404701 CERT #OM 58500
All of Dr. Cardillo’s patient’s records have been transferred to this office.
CONCRETE & MASONRY CONTRACTORS
Phone: 609.536.2667 Fax: 609.536.2793 Website: www.drdenniscardillo.com eMail: vision@drdenniscardillo.com
Four Generations Serving THE WILDWOODS & Cape May County for over 92 years! QUALITY COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL WORK
Tired of the standard install? CUSTOM TILE & FLOORING CO. All Work Fully Guaranteed!
(609) 729-7156 i a (215) 852-3307 q r WE ACCEPT
www.michaelstileandfloor.com
Serving South Jersey & the Philadelphia Area
TUB/SHOWER MAKEOVER MADE EASY! Business & Residential ■ Web Design & Hosting Computer Programming “If you’re looking for a savvy, practical vendor for your IT needs, Magic Brain Computing is a wise choice.” ~JOSEPH GRASSI OF BARRY, CORRADO, GRASSI & GIBSON
609-729-1301
Complete for Just $2995
Winter Special!
PRICE INCLUDES: Complete Demo Choice of Three Pre-Selected Tiles New Shower Fixtures for your Stand-up Shower Glass Doors
NJ STATE LIC. # 13VHO4780000
the SUN by-the-Sea
26
“True love stories never have endings.” ~Richard Bach
I Met My True Love at the Tom Cat! BY JESSICA WESTERLAND
W Ray Forbes and Beth Davies
The Tom Cat on Rio Grande Ave. in Wildwood, where Ray & Beth’s love began
were both graduates of Wildwood High
Picking up his date at her home on E. Hand Ave. Ray & Beth Forbes in North Wildwood
Ray’s Valentine, a blushing Beth
Ray & Beth Forbes, October, 2011
But the greatest of these is love. ~1CORINTHIANS 13:13
A regular boardwalk stop for the Forbes
Tommy Taylor of the Tom Cat, c. 1955
illiam Shakespeare said that “Love is an ever fixed mark.” The Bible says “Love never fails.” You can Google quotes about love, and read them all, but never really understand or see true love. That is, unless you have ever met Ray and Beth Forbes. Then you know without a doubt, that you have seen true love with your own eyes. Straight from fairytales and romance movies, Ray and Beth met at the Tom Cat on Rio Grande Avenue, in 1955. Beth was going on 16, and Ray was 18. The Tom Cat was the place to be, complete with a big black cat up on the roof, and milkshakes and burgers everyone came there for. “I was sitting with my friend Arlene, and Beth walked in. Arlene introduced us, and I fell in love immediately,” Ray smiled, so glowing proud that he picked Beth. “All the girls needed a ride home, so I gave them a ride home,” he continued. “Of course he made me sit in the middle,” Beth interjected laughing. “Because all the cars had bench seats, so you could sit 3 in the front. So he sat me in the middle right next to him.” Not long after that, they had their first official date to a public swimming pool in Atlantic City with their church group, and began dating each other. Ray moved to Wildwood as a boy with his family who were from Philadelphia. Beth moved to Wildwood as a kid also, as her father, John, became the pastor of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) on Rio Grande Avenue. Previously the family lived in Wisconsin and were missionaries to the Native Americans there. Beth had 4 sisters and 2 brothers and fairly strict parents. However, despite the rules, Beth and Ray found ways to spend as much time as possible together. “Her mother said that she could only go out on Friday nights, but I could come over the house if I wanted. And that is how it all got started,” Ray said. Beth continued, “Well then I worked at Lock’s, a soda fountain and variety store, and Ray would drop in there when I worked the supper hour. But later on in the evening [when I was home] I would tell my mother I had to walk down to Lock’s to get a soda or something, and take a break from studying, so then Ray would um...” Beth started laughing as Ray finished, “So I would happen to just be there!” Beth and Ray both lived on the island growing up, and had many of their dates through the years in Wildwood. “We were on the boardwalk endlessly,” they agreed, walking, eating and relaxing on a bench. They loved to walk up and down Pacific Avenue and window shop, and hang out with their friends. They both went to the OPC and would have tea after services and chapel. They went to movies, and played board
games throughout the winter months on the island. Their love for Wildwood has never changed, as they still enjoy spending time here today. They continued to date all through high school, and in fact got in trouble for doing so! “Ray would come over at lunch when I was in high school, and my French teacher would look out the side window of Wildwood high and see Ray drop me off and kiss me goodbye,” Beth said. “Well my teacher took me upstairs and told me ‘this has got to stop, this parking and making out!’ After that, I guess it got spread around. At graduation we used to always get a novelty gift that would describe your personality. And I, well, I got a window shade!” After Beth graduated high school, Ray proposed and they got engaged. They both worked hard through their year of engagement to save up money, and then got married June 28th of 1959. When asked how he proposed, Ray admitted he honestly didn’t remember, because he proposed “all the time!” “A couple weeks after we started going out I told her we were going to get married!” Ray laughed. “By junior year of high school it was a given, I knew we were going to get married,” Beth agreed. After they got married, they got their first apartment in Arctic Court on Arctic Avenue, and also lived on Ocean Avenue before buying the house they still share today, in North Cape May. They still both go to the same church they grew up in, although they admit they have gone from being the young couple to one of the older couples! They have always been there for each other, and in fact the only time Beth and Ray have ever been separated was when she stayed in the hospital over night for the births of their three children, Guy, Mark and Scott. They have grown up together, and they are just as much in love now as they were then. Their eyes sparkle when they tell the stories of their childhood together, from teaching Beth to drive, to practical jokes that Ray and his friends would play, to the tall, slim Beth finally gaining some weight after they were married. They tell stories like one person, finishing each other’s thoughts and interjecting what details the other forgot. While joking and poking fun at each other and their memories, it is apparent that the jesting is out of true and deep admiration for each other. When talking about life in general, Beth mentioned they had a very down to earth kind of life, but “it goes fast, so just relish every second of it!” Relish, value, and treasure is what Ray and Beth have done with their lives, and their relationship with each other. They are a beautiful example of true love, and how true love never fails.
the SUN by-the-Sea
27
“If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.”
~Gerald Good
JUNKE AND TREASURES CHRISTINE & LAINEY’S
Thrift & Gift Shop
Come and Get Your Holiday Hair!
Old, New Unique Gifts & Home Decor. . . a treasure for everyone!
$ale {Closed Tues - Weds}
Handpainted furniture & unique items!
4501 Pacific Ave.
1
$
.00
WILDWOOD 609-522-0060
BETWEEN BURK & DAVIS AVES.
Nana’s Deli
This little piggy is in the market!
5803 New Jersey & Heather Aves. WILDWOOD CREST
New Menu Items! Green Mountain Coffee Breakfast Sandwiches HOME MADE ITALIAN PULLED PORK Hoagies Homemade Soups & Salads
Take Advantage of our Holiday Gift Certificate Specials! Hair Feathers I Airbrush Makeup $12 Men’s Haircuts ~ Mon & Tues
Second time Clothing
NEW! NJ LOTTERY!
$20 off Keratin Treatment w/Connie ~ Tues & Weds $10 off all Chemical Services w/Lisa ~ Mon & Sat 102 W. Spruce Ave. • North Wildwood • 609-522-8585
Mention this Ad
Behind flip-flops
Walk-ins WELCOME
TOMMY ROWAN the HANDYMAN Over 30 years of Carpentry Experience No job too small: caulking, wood rot repair, weatherstripping, trim work, drywall repair, minor painting, hanging doors, installing vinyl railings, building decks and so much more.
Servicing the Wildwoods CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE
Deli Meats & Cheeses Sliced to Order!
215.913.7902
Boars Head Brand Headquarters
We’re Open November & December!
609-729-6200
609-846-5418
BUST PINS Not Budgets! Affordable Fun for the Whole Family!
TOGETHER
Pizza, Pins & Coke! • 2 hours of Bowling • Shoe Rentals • Lg. Cheese Pizza • Pitcher of Soda • Up to 5 people for one lane
consignment@shorevintage.com
Clothing • Furniture • Household Items Cardinal & NJ Aves. Wildwood Crest (next to Ocean Outfitters) Welcome RENEE’S SHORE VINTAGE STORE at Cardinal & NJ in Wildwood Crest, OPEN ALL YEAR! (next to Ocean Outfitters) A new consignment shop overflowing with a large array of goods. Jacqui Romaine-Hinker, aka Miss Jacqui of Joanne Regan Dancers, was inspired by her mother, Renee, (pictured left with Jacqui) who formerly owned Renee’s Consignment in late 1980s (now Adele’s in the Villas.) Jacqui opened her shop this summer with the help of her husband Jonathan and children Alex and Joseph.
$49.95 (over $70.00 value) FRI- 5PM-9PM SAT-SUN NOON-6PM Plenty of FREE Parking
Subject to lane availability. This special cannot be used for Birthday Parties.
3401 New Jersey Ave.Wildwood, NJ
609-729-0111 Winter Hours Closed Weds
M - T - TH - F 4-12mid SAT 11-12mid SUN 12-10
www.3jwildwoodbowl.com
5.00
$
off
PIZZA, PINS & COKE Subject to lane availability. This special cannot be used for Birthday Parties.
28
the SUN by-the-Sea
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy
T
here are some dates in everyone’s life that you will al ways remember. Unfortunately these are usually tragic rather than happy events. The first of these to occur in my lifetime happened when I was nine years old. It was November 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. When this date comes around each year, I don’t really think about that horrible day but rather reflect on the man and his short, but inspiring time as president. If you were a kid or a young adult during that time, he was probably just as much a hero to you as he was to me. He took office on Jan 20, 1961. Movie star handsome, a Pulitzer award winning author, Harvard graduate, war hero and the most inspiring speaker of our time he looked and sounded like a president should. The young voters of America were completely taken by him and inspired by this charismatic man with great vision and new ideas for the future. He was filled with a youthful, energetic optimism and it was contagious. He spoke of the “New Frontier” of the 1960’s and emphasized the need for new scientific inroads, space exploration, securing peace in an unstable world (the cold war) and trying to end poverty and prejudice that still was very much of a problem. The allure of his own little family, in fact the entire extended Kennedy Clan, added to the mystique. They were like a strange cross between the landed gentry, and Hollywood celebrities but at the same time down to earth people with strong social concerns. The president, by the way, donated 100% of his salary to charity. His beautiful, cultured wife Jacqueline Bouvier, became an icon in her own right. Everything about the Kennedy years, to many, seemed so special and full of hope they were referred to as the “Camelot” years. I felt a tiny bit of a connection to the president because of my father. He was a Philadelphia police detective in the Intelligence Division who was often given security details with visiting political leaders. He and his partner were assigned to the president during an extended visit to the Philadelphia area. On at least one night, they slept in adjoining motel rooms. J.F.K. was one of the first presidents to go hatless (maybe because of his great head of hair). One day they were es-
{November 22, 1963} by Steve Murray
LT. JOHN F
D
ITZGERAL
KENNEDY
Headlines, November 22, 1963, on the 6:25 train to Stamford, Connecticut. By Carl Mydans
corting the president who was following in an open convertible. It began to rain on and off and the president was starting to get a drenched head. My dad and his partner ran into a nearby 5 & 10 store and bought him the only piece of headware they could find, a kind of cheap throwaway hat. After wearing this in the rain for awhile it soaked right through, so they bought another, which got him through the day. My dad’s partner kept one of these hats as a souvenir and I’m sure his family still has it after all these years. A big part of what made Kennedy such a hero to us was an incident during World War II that earned him the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. In 1943, he was a young lieutenant assigned command of a PT boat (109) and its crew that were stationed in the South Pacific. Their mission was to conduct nightly patrols around the Solomon Islands, heavily infested with Japanese soldiers. One evening without warning, a Japanese destroyer (the Armagiri), not seeing or hearing the small vessel running quietly on one engine, rammed the PT boat, cutting it right in half,. Two men were killed instantly and several wounded. Lt. Kennedy in pitch black darkness, gathered the survivors together in the
water and with only a few salvaged emergency items, paddled to a nearby island while clinging to some floating wreckage. Kennedy, a former member of the Harvard swim team, towed the worst of the wounded men by swimming breast stroke and holding the strap of the mans life vest in his teeth for the 3 1/2 miles to the island. The little speck of the island they landed on, however, had neither food, water or much cover. The Lt. went back in the water and swam about four miles until he found a more suitable island, He returned and led the crew to the new location that had coconut palms and fresh water. The men stayed here for several days, keeping well concealed from frequent enemy patrols. Eventually 2 island natives, scouting for the US Navy, stumbled on to Kennedy and crew. The scouts could not speak English so the Lt. carved a message for help on a coconut shell. The men took this back and soon a boat arrived to rescue the PT crew. They were stranded a total of 6 days. The summer before the presidents’ death, a motion picture entitled PT 109, staring Cliff Robertson, was released. My friends and I “played” the story on the beach in a large lagoon. We pasted wet sand on our faces which would dry to look like (we thought) the unshaven
ship wrecked sailors. Curious adults just looked on as we swam around “rescuing” each other as we scouted for Japanese soldiers. A year or so after this movie came out local sight seeing boat Captain Sin purchased a replica of the PT 109 and had regular tours along Wildwoods’ beach front. If I remember right, the PT boat may have been one of several used in the movie. I was in school when the teacher gave us the horrible news from Texas. It was an unreal day for a fourth grader. The entire world seemed to go into mourning for the next several weeks. A wise teacher told us kids if we were smart we would make scrap books of this tragedy because it would be known as one of the most important days in history. I took this advice and collected all of the news clippings and special pullout features on JFKs’ life. One of these, a beautiful color photo portrait, ended up framed and hanging in thousands of Irish Catholic homes across the country. (I still see some hanging) I also included, in a special section, the articles about the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald which happened two days after the presidents’ death. No tears shed here though. During the next several years I tried to read everything that came out about JFK including “A Thousand Days” by Arthur Schlesinger but some of it, including this book, would have to wait until I was a little bit older to understand. Many years later as I became an adult, and had a mature knowledge and wisdom, I could more realistically assess the man and his legacy. Many of the great ideas he championed (like medicare) did not come to be until Lyndon Johnson came into office. In his short time in Washington however, JFK was able to get more legislation passed than at any time since the 1930’s. I was also aware now of some more things, some controversial, such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crises, Berlin Wall, Space race with the Russians, Vietnams beginnings, Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Kennedy. Funny thing is, my views about him haven’t changed a bit. When I see his old newsreels I can’t help but get that same inspired feeling that I haven’t had since then and say to myself “man - now there was a man born to be president” and wonder what could have been if he had the time.
the SUN by-the-Sea
29
“The true soldier fights not because of what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” ~G.K. Chesterton
Uncle Babe Collins
DLJ
by James W. McMonagle
CornerStone Construction 609-408-0602 : h. 2
20
Ep
Walter “Babe” Collins, 3rd from the left at Bougainville Island, 1944. He got his name from being such a great baseball player
Let Us Build Your Dreams
T
he day that John F. Kennedy started his fateful patrol in PT 109 on Sunday, August 1, 1943 I was born in the Episcopal Hospital in Philadelphia. The doctors didn’t think I was going to make it through the day, so I was baptized in the hospital, a doctor and a nurse stood in as Godparents. I still don’t know who they were but that isn’t important. My Godfather was supposed to be my mother’s older brother Walter “Babe” Collins who had been born 30 years earlier on the same day and my Godmother was his fiancée Agnes Flannigan. He wasn’t around at the time. In the summer of 1941 he had enlisted in the Army in a program called “See You in A Year Dear”. It was to be a one year enlistment. After basic training he came home for a couple of weeks in the fall of 1941. Shortly after his return to the army base we all know what happened on December 7, 1941. By February of 1942, Babe was on Fiji Island in the South Pacific. On August 1st, 1943 when I was born, he was kind of busy on the island of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. Although Babe never talked about his time in the Pacific, I was told that while engaged in combat on this island his actions earned him the Silver Star, the second highest military medal. After this campaign Babe’s unit would be involved in campaigns in the Marshal Islands and the Philippines. It was during his service in the Philippines that he earned his second Purple Heart while scouting ahead of his unit. He would not leave the Pacific and return home again until 1945. Once home he had a hard time adjusting to civilian life and suffered from combat fatigue, what now would be diagnosed as PTS. He supported himself by doing handyman work, paperhanging and occasionally giving me a haircut with hand clippers that he
Jerry Rosenberg Licensed and Insured Agnes Flannigan & Babe Collins on Ann St. in Port Richmond, Phila., 1941
had used in the war (boy did that hurt, they weren’t very sharp and really didn’t cut the hair as much as just rip it out of my skull.) Although he probably qualified for a disability pension he always refused to ask for one, he felt he just did his duty. He and Aunt Agnes never did get married but they remained engaged until the end. He spent his final years in the Veterans home in Philadelphia. Before entering the VA, Agnes had broken her leg so Babe moved in with her to help out (they were in their seventies at the time.) When the intake worker at the VA interviewed Aunt Agnes about the living arrangement she was quite emphatic that although Babe was living in her house “Nothing was going on!” (times have changed.) Walter “Babe” Collins was born August 1, 1913 and died February 24, 1995. His brother, Frank Collins was killed in WWI in France. My Grandmother, Frank’s mother, was a Gold Star Mother, (a group formed during WW1 to help grieving mothers who lost a son or daughter in war.) Gold Stars were displayed on their homes, and continued during WWII. He is buried in Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in Fere-En-Tarde, France. My mother (Dorothy C. McMonagle, Frank’s sister) had flowers sent to his grave every Christmas. Frank and Walter’s Grandfather, Henry Durfor, fought in the Civil War in the Battle of Gettysburg. He was in Andersonville Prison Camp, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
#13VH05755000
cornerstoneconstructionllc@live.com
Free Estimates
Licensed & Insured
Interior & Exterior
w!
Call No
TIM WADE (609) 846-1211
All You Need is LOVE! LOVE’S PEST CONTROL Complete Pest Control Services ~ 24/7
Termite & Pest Control Flea & Tick Control Specialists COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE 609-463-0778 OCEAN CITY 609-390-7901
WILDWOOD, NJ
Bed Bug Treatment! CALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE
609-729-0110
the SUN by-the-Sea
30
“Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!”
~Albert Einstein
Margherita di Savoia: Wildwood’s Sister City By Domenic Capacchione and Joe Russo
On Sunday, September 11, 2011, my cousin Pam Orsini Grimme held a luncheon at her home in Wildwood Crest for a few cousins who live in the area. We all feel very fortunate to have grown up in the Wildwoods, a small town where our fathers, aunts and uncles settled in after coming from Margherita di Savoia, Italy. Thank you Pam and family for hosting such a nice affair and for bringing us all together to shar laughs, tears and wonderful memories. ~Phyllis Bilotti Bethel
(L-R) Bee Stanbach, Dom Capacchione, Fem Raucci, Phyllis Belotti Bethel, Pamela Jean Johnson, Liz McPherson, Anna DeAngelis, Susan Mercier, Pam Orsini Grimme, Bianca Russo Sanford, Don Grimme
Above photos at the Cousins Reunion luncheon hosted by (R) Pam Orsini Grimme, of Pat Russo with a delicious looking homemade birthday cake, and Bianco Russo on far left.
SENT IN BY PHYLLIS BILOTTI BETHEL THESE NAMES WERE PRESENTED BY PAM ORSINI GRIMME TO HER GUESTS AT THE COUSINS REUNION LUNCHEON.
Above, MarLou Compare from 1970 at her family’s restaurant, DINO’S located on Cresse Ave. in Wildwood Crest, (now Little Italy.) Her parents, Pete & Marty Compare built this very successful restaurant in 1962 and named it in memory of Pete’s younger brother Dino who passed away at an early age. MarLou’s 2 brothers Pete & Paul worked in the kitchen alongside their father, while she worked in the dining room with her mother. The Compare’s were one of the family’s who immigrated to Wildwood from Margherita di Savoia, Italy in the early 1900s.
SENT IN BY MARLOU COMPARE
REMEMBERING: Maria & Domenic Capacchione, Filomena & Federico Bilotti, Nino & Viola, Tony Capacchione & Antoinette Bilotti, Lizzie & Joe Russo, Fannie & Sam Compare, Margaret & Lou Compare, Pete & Marty Compare, Cos & Ruth Capacchione, Cele & Mike Smith, Mary Sabatino, Jimmy Sabatino, Paul, Gilda, Jean, Dolores, Marie, Moffie, Ray, Pete, Dino, Marie Taylor, Douglas Raucci and Michael Grimme II. These are the immigrants from Margherita de Savoia, Italy and their descendants who settled in Wildwood by-thesea, who have gone before us.
A view of Margherita showing a similar resemblance to the wide beaches of Wildwood by-the-sea with its white powdery sand. Photo by Domenic Capacchione The town of Margherita di Savoia, in the Apulia region of Italy, has been in existence in one form or another since the 4th century B.C. Because of its location by the salt marshes of the Adriatic Sea, the town (originally named Salinae Cannarum) became one of the chief areas for the distribution of salt throughout Italy. In the 14th century, a malaria epidemic forced the town to be abandoned, but it was soon restored and renamed after the first Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the salt mining industry declined and the ensuing poverty throughout the region forced many young Italians to immigrate to America. Among them were the members of eight families from Margherita di Savoia who eventually made their way to, and settled in, Wildwood, New Jersey: the Capacchione’s, the Russo’s, the Compare’s, the Bilotti’s, the Salvatore’s, the Ricco’s, the Sabatini’s, and the Orsini’s. During the 20’s and 30’s, they all played a part in Wildwood’s evolution from a sleepy fishing village into a tourist destination. They opened businesses such as The Gingham Club (Russo’s Restaurant), Golden Dragon, The Victoria, The Sorrento, and The Blue Heaven Nightclub (operated by Cosmos Capacchione) and contractors like Mike Orsini built them. The Bilotti’s opened P&S Furniture Co., the Compare’s had Dino’s Restaurant and Pete Ricco ran a barber shop for many years. Many of these families put down roots close to Otten’s Harbor, because it reminded them of their hometown. Some
of the men worked for either the Union Fish Co. or in one of the four ice houses located along the harbor. Their children learned to swim in the harbor and when they were old enough they went to work for the Swedes and Norwegians who operated the fishing and clamming boats. In 1932 they created the local chapter of the Sons of Italy. To those who have visited the Margherita di Savoia area, the resemblance to southern New Jersey is striking. Many have remarked that the view from a train window upon approach is the same view that motorists on the Garden State Parkway see on their way to Wildwood: a wide stretch of coastal marshland with a low-lying seashore town shrouded by the ocean’s mist in the distance. Upon arrival in Margherita, one is treated either to an eclectic display of 1950’s architecture known as doo-wop, or a collection of stucco building that are hundreds of years old and bear the signs of resistance against sand and sea. It will not take long to locate a member of one of the families mentioned here, and when you do, you will be welcomed with open arms as though you were a long-lost cousin, and fed and mothered to the point of breaking. To walk off all of their food, you will head toward the beach where you will discover a wide expanse of sand and an ocean which beckons you with a soothing display of waves breaking against the shore. It is then that you will realizeno matter where you are, Wildwood, or Margherita di Savoia, you will always be home.
EDITOR NOTE: In my last letter, I wrote about the serendipity that has arisen from The SUN. This page of stories is another example, as all were sent to me within weeks of each other by different ones whose families came to Wildwood from Margherita di Savoia in the early 1900’s.
the SUN by-the-Sea
31
“Christmas is a time to open our hearts to God and his gifts. Just like the rest of the year.”
~Anon.
tdlimos.com Gift Certificates make happy, healthy holiday gifts!
! l a i c e p S Holiday of 3!
e c i r p e h t r o f s h t 4 mon
Email your Old Photos to sun-by-thesea@verizon.net or Snail mail to: P.O. Box 2101, Wildwood, NJ 08260 or Call 522-2721 if you would like to drop them off. There is no fee. . . we’re just wild about Wildwood and these are the things that make The SUN so much fun!
10th & New Jersey Ave. North Wildwood, NJ (609) 729-2286 Find us on facebook “The Gym at 10th Street” www.the gymat10thstreet.com
Well tis the season! and it’s back in full gear, and maybe a fuller figure...Or NOT! The holidays are right around the corner, and so is the dreaded 5 pounds we tend to gain because of all those yummy cookies, cakes, and pies. Well you don’t have to worry; Mia is here to help you guide yourself into being fit and still let yourself indulge and keep the weight off! Sounds tricky… but it’s true, you don’t have to deprive yourself to lose weight! The mind is a powerful thing... basically you only have to tweak a few things and that chocolate cake will be all yours! The key is to eat a clean healthy diet, and leave room for your cheat days! Yes I said it; CHEAT days…we all do it, and it’s like Christmas day!!! For instance, you pack your day with good proteins, such as egg whites, chicken, fish; It will keep you fuller, and actually is quite satisfied if you use the right herbs and seasoning. I like to eat 6 small meals a day, and by doing that my appetite never goes hungry. It keeps me going and going like the energizer bunny! Fruits and vegetables are a great alternative because they are packed with good carbohydrates and natural sugars that don’t turn into bad fats. They also contain fiber which makes you feel fuller than you actually are, and we all need our fiber! Now here’s the kicker ladies and gentlemen…you do this for 5 days out of the week with a healthy workout regimen and I will guarantee you that you will feel better, look better and be able to have your cake and it eat too! It’s not hard; you will actually become acclimated to it and feel much better! Bad carbs such as fries, fried chicken, hoagies, burgers... well they fill you, but they make you come to a crashing halt! If you eat properly, you won’t crash and burn because you’re not adding bad fats and carbs to your body. So get to the gym, it’s that time of year! Or your skinny jeans might not fit, I do fear! The 10th Street Gym is right in your town! Happy Holidays….Love Mia!
W EATHER V ANES • G ARDEN A RT • H AND H AMMERED C OPPER C OOK W ARE • P OTTERY
REPAIRS • RETINTING • POLISHING • LACQUERING
You’d better sign up, you’d better not cry, you’d better workout, I’m telling you why! The 10th Street Gym is right in your town. They’re checking your weight, they’re checking your abs, and you’re in a routine so you don’t go to flab! The 10th Street Gym is right in your town. They see you when you’re cheating; they know when you’ve had cake! They know when you skip a workout, so you’d better be good for goodness sake! You’d better sign up, you’d better not cry, you’d better workout, I’m telling you why! The 10th Street Gym is right in your town!
by Dorothy Kulisek
COLD TIME The sun is lower each day, the Monarch butterflies have come and gone, and the Fall festivals are fading, dappled memories now.
FIND A MISTAKE? It is our policy to include something for everyone. Since some people like to find errors, we regularly include a few in our publications.
Halloween cats have scatted and Tom Turkey is a skeleton, as Christmas joy infuses old and young alike, while an infant New Year waits in the wings. Then, we’ll be in old, slow Winter, bundled and brave against the blasts that sweep off the sea like unwanted memories, and Spring is a distant dream. – BOB INGRAM
POT RACKS • KITCHEN ACCESSORIES • CUSTOM WORK
MIA’S Christmas Jingle
Sharon McMonagle, ‘the Blonde Bomb”, Wildwood by-the-sea 1968
the SUN by-the-Sea
32
“A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart.” Wildwood has been such a blessing in our lives. It gives us such happiness. ~HOPE ANTONELLI
~Anon.
Thanks for the Memories Dad! BY HOPE ANTONELLI Growing up in Manhattan, my father, Ronald P. Chlystun, saw few beach sunsets. His summer days were spent at city pools or playing stick ball. Family vacations, however, were spent near the water he loved, a love he passed on to me. Vacations with my parents and sister were always near a lake or the beautiful Atlantic Ocean, creating irreplaceable memories that continue to heal my heart when it is breaking. Inspired by my father’s love for the Atlantic Ocean, my husband and I bought a beach house to share with our three children, my sister, and my parents who to this day remain the two best people I know. We purchased a home on 25th Avenue in North
Wildwood in 2007 that was large enough so my parents could have their own apartment. Wildwood is truly our second home which has given us a second family including the staffs at the Ravioli House, Sam’s Pizza, Remax, and Lees. My wonderful father passed away in December 2009. Although greatly missed, he will always be a part of our hearts. A special bench on the boardwalk near our home on 25th Avenue is dedicated to my father. It has become the place we frequently go to feel close to him and share the lifetime of memories he left behind.
The Antonelli’s with Tony Sprea of Sam’s Pizza . . . at the beach
. . .at The Bayview, the Best in the Crest
. . .with Sam Spera of Sam’s Pizza
. . .with AnnaMarie & Steve Jakel of the Ravioli House
. . .Pa & John,III . . .with Theresa Alosi of the Ravioli House
. . . at Schellenger’s Restaurant
. . .on the boards
the SUN by-the-Sea
33
“Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live.” ~Jacqueline Winspear
5 MILES
ALGIE’S PLACE BICYCLES
of Smiles! Imagine all the people living life in peace.
sales ★ parts ★ accessories clothing ★ service ★ repairs Vic & Roxane Krivitski at the benefit held in memory of their son Victor at the Bayview in Wildwood Crest, on Sept. 8th.
~J. Lennon
Amy & Emily Coleman came out to the benefit to show their support to the Krivitski’s during this difficult time in their lives.
Old time quality & service since 1979 by Vic our expert & owner Rose Alfe with her grandson Anthony Alfe at their booth at the Old Time Italian Festival held October in Wildwood’s Fox Park
Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano and Vince DiPrinzio enjoyed some food, fun and music as the Italian Festival kicked off on a beautiful night of Sept. 30th until it was abruptly ended by heavy rains later in the evening.
6207 New Jersey Ave. ★ Wildwood Crest www.algiesplace.com
Riley had fun dressing irish for the Irish festival. Here she poses at Beach Bums Coffee Shop in North Wildwood. Ed & Kathy Ruth were among the 300 friends at the Bayview who came out to show their love & support.
Rose came out for Victor’s benefit after reading about him in The SUN. She is a Wildwood Crest condo owner from North Jersey.
Algie's Place offers THE UNUSUAL...Unicycles to tricycles to ordinaries to pedal planes. Unique cycles from all over the world. Bikes for show. Bicycles that go uphill and downhill. Bicycles built for two. Yes, Algie's Place has bikes and trikes for kids and for Moms and Dads, too. All are "Uncle in the Business" priced of course. AND THE EXPECTED...When you buy a bike from Algie's Place your bike comes fully assembled and ready to ride. We even do the fine adjustments to give you that perfect fit. If your old bike needs fixing up or upgrades, regardless of where you bought it, our service department can fix it fast. Bought a bike in a box? We can do a professional assembly for you and then hide it here till the holiday. And of course Algie's Place has a great selection of clothing, shoes, helmets, accessories, and safety and security products for either the man or the woman on your Christmas list. Now taking holiday lay-a-ways. Service, selection, fast repairs, open all year, and a holiday $ale.... Algie's Place has it all. We accept American Express, Ca$h, Discover, MAC, Mastercard, and Visa. We’re your bicycle store at the Jersey Shore!
Call Now!
(609)
729-5669
Coloring the beach around you! Joe Fleming at the Italian Fest
The SAM’S PIZZA crew winds down their 54th fantastic year on the Wildwood boardwalk. (PHOTO TAKEN IRISH WEEKEND, THUS EXPLAINING THE GREEN DILLY-BOPPERS WORN BY RICK
& KELLY)
Call for your FREE Estimate!
JIM STANFIELD PAINTING CONTRACTOR 609-408-3602
Gigi and her dad Carl Galucci at their new boardwalk Mister Softee. They wish to thank everyone for a great year!
Jim Grant at the Firehouse Tavern after his daily morning walk along the boardwalk.
Ken Tabone, WCHS ‘63 volunteers at CRMC helping to transport visitors in the golf cart.
• 30 Years Experience • Attention to Detail • Reliable & Dependable Service • Committed to 100% Customer Satisfaction
• Clean, Quality Workmanship • No Job Too Big or Too Small • Referrals upon Request • Interior - Exterior
“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” ~1 CORINTHIANS 10:31
the SUN by-the-Sea
34
“For love that is shared is a beautiful thing- it enriches the soul and makes the heart sing!”
~Helen Steiner Rice
The True Measure of Love by Lou Ann Catanoso
25th Wedding Anniversary Charlie & Louise Catanoso, two weeks before their wedding day,1948
Charlie & Louise Catanoso filled with wedding bliss on April 25th, 1948
Louise Catanoso in 1953 at their first home on 21st St. in North Wildwood
Proud granddaughter and daughter, Lauren & LouAnn helping to celebrate anniversary #55 on April 25, 2003.
25th Wedding Anniversary celebration at Neil’s Restaurant in 1973 (L-R) Allen Pierce, Bill, Cathy, Joe, Anthony, LouAnn, Chuck, Charlie & Louise
When I was a young girl of fifteen, my boyfriend gave me a card which read, “This is the true measure of love: when we believe that no one has ever loved before us, and that no one, will ever love in the same way after us.” To be honest with you, it was a little overwhelming for me at the time. So, you can only imagine the panic I felt when he wanted to give me an engagement ring just a few months later. But, when my mom was that same age she knew exactly what, and who, she wanted in life. My mother grew up in West Philadelphia, but moved to Wildwood in her junior year of high school to live with, and take care of a sickly aunt. My dad was 20 years old at that time. He and his eight siblings were raised in North Wildwood. His family owned and operated a small grocery store on 18th and New York Ave. Two weeks before my mother’s 16th birthday, my mom and dad were introduced to each other for the first time. Their mutual friend, Frank DelCorio, played matchmaker at a Wildwood High School dance. My parents met each other for the second time when my dad delivered roses to her from another boy on the day of her birthday, (while he partnered in business with his brothers Joe and Len at Wagon Wheel Florist.) That day was April 11th, 1947. One year later, on April 25th, 1948, my mom and dad married. My sister Cathy was born in August of 1949. And then five more children soon followed. I believe my parents fell in love with each other on the very first night they met. (Thanks Frank!) My mom always says it was her dream to have six children, and my dad couldn’t have been happier. Mom was in her glory, being a housewife and mother; and dad never complained while working multiple jobs on a daily basis to support his large family. And, our home was always open to visiting friends and family. Every summer our huge home was filled with company. Throughout the years some of our friends took up temporary residency in our home at one time or another. My parents were, and still are, surrogate parents to many of them. My mom often jokes, that ‘if she hadn’t met her true love in Wildwood’ some 65 years ago, this world would be a lot less populated. She happily gave up her singing career when she became pregnant with me, her third child, in order to devote all of her time to her ‘life’s dream’, being a mom and a wife. My parents’ signature song is ‘Embraceable You’. Mom is still asked to sing this song at almost every affair they attend. While some of the crowd may be thinking she is singing to them, anyone who knows my parents, know that she is singing the song to my dad. Some of the songs that come to my mind when I think of my parents are; ‘So Much in Love’, by The Thymes, the love theme from the old ‘Spartacus’ movie, and ‘I Say a Little Prayer’, sung by anyone. My mom’s wedding dress still rests in the cedar chest my dad gave her on their first Christmas together. Their love for each other has been an inspiration, and beautiful example for their children, grandchildren, and friends. I can’t begin to express the amount of love I have for both of them. And, I am very proud to be their daughter. This past April my parents celebrated 63 years of marriage together. I think their life together can be defined as ‘The True Measure of Love’.
Charlie & Louise Catanoso with Molly, 1986
On October 25th, 2011, LouAnn celebrated being cancer-free for 12 years. This photo was taken of her & George Durante at a Relay for Life event held at LCMR High School 11 years ago. Dedication: This story is dedicated to my boyfriend George. We are making our own memories over the years, watching Saturday night concerts in Wildwood Crest during the summer, sharing vegetables from our garden with our neighbors, and hitting the Newark Ave. beach in Wildwood Crest (our beach!).
the SUN by-the-Sea
35 ~John Boswell
“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour. “
8th Annual Firehouse Tavern Scooter Club Race Oct. 8th, 2011, on W. Pine Ave.
ON YOUR MARK! GET SET! SCOOT! Open Tues-Sun at 7a.m.
Breakfast & Lunch
ECIAL
LUNCH SP
99 $ . 5 for 5
FROM
M 11:30A I MON-FR
ICH SOUP-SANDW NA, EGG TU , N KE IC BLT, CH CHEESE ED LL RI SALAD, G LESLAW CO IPS PICKLE - CH
BREAKFA
S SPECIAL T Inquire about our Special Occasion Catering! MON-FRI 7-10AM and Party Trays 2 EGGS - 2 P A for the 2 PCS. BACNOCNAKES $4.50 Holidays! a i AFTER 10AM
$2.22
CORNER OF ANDREW & PACIFIC AVES. WILDWOOD 522-5006
Supercharged Jim the Roofer took 1st
3 % HOLLY BEACH TRAIN DEPOT 1/2
SALES TAX
4712 PACIFIC AVE. WILDWOOD 609-522-2379 Firehouse Tavern owner, Freddy Maher with good friend Bill McCann
Lionel • MTH • K-Line • LGB • Atlas • AM Flyer Gargraves Std. Ga. - HO & N
WE BUY-SELL & REPAIR TRAINS Cape May County’s Only Authorized Lionel & MTH Dealer & Service Centers BOARDWALK TOY TRAM CARS IN STOCK LIONEL N.J. TRANSIT SETS
Ken Novsak and Remi come in 2nd
www. HollyBeachTrainDepot.com
Open Every Day November & December
Koehler Floor Covering ContractoR For All Your Flooring Needs!
Mark cheered the scooters on from the sidelines
SPECIALIZING IN CARPET - VINYL LAMINATE - TILE - HARDWOOD FLOORS Finest Quality Installations!
Call ED KOEHLER for a Free Estimate Today! 609-729-2703 609-780-0253 Marlin & grandson Anthony came in 3rd
NJ State Licensed & Insured
Sherrie Moore got the race started
FIREHOUSETAVERN Park Blvd. at Pine Ave. Wildwood “We’re just a Little Bar on a Big Island” • Hot & Cold Sandwiches • Package Goods • Ice Cold Beer
Chris was an innocent bystander. Other Firehouse Tavern Scooter Club members, (not pictured) were Bert Duffy & Jack Cotton , who also joined in the race
Try Our Homemade Pork & Spinach Sandwich!
Bev Brown & Ken Novsak, with Remi, Scooter Race participants
609-729-9487
the SUN by-the-Sea
36
“In everything give thanks.”
Dec. 9-11, 2011 The Good
~1 Thessalonians 5:18
Anglesea Baptist Church
Eureka Baptist Church
3rd & Atlantic Ave. 522-2951 Sunday Worship 10:30am Eve. Prayer Meeting 6pm Wednesday Family Bible Classes 7pm
News Players Presents “The Homecoming” 7pm at Tabernacle UM Church, 702 Seashore Rd. Erma, {A free event, donations accepted.}
Asbury A.M.E. Church
142 W. Spencer Ave. 522-1028 Sunday School 9:45am Sunday Service 11am Wed Prayer 7-8pm
First Presbyterian Church 4511 Pacific Ave. 522-1244 Sunday Service 11am Wed. Bible Study 10am Youth Program Fri. eve
Young & New Jersey Ave. 729-5584
NOTRE DAME DE LA MER PARISH Assumption RC Church
More Than Enough FOOD PANTRY Crest Community Church Crocus & Pacific Ave. Wildwood Crest, NJ
609-522-1618 Open Mondays 4:30-6:30pm
Brothers, Jon & Jerry Rosenberg of The Good News Players will be performing in the Homecoming, Dec. 9-11 at TUMC in Erma. Be sure to mark your calendars for this year’s Christmas show presented by The Good News Players at Tabernacle UMC. “The Homecoming” will be a spiritual highlight of your holidays, serving to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. Come out and bring a friend. AA 11/24 TWELFTH STEP HOUSE Annual Gratitude Feast on Thanksgiving Day. 1pm-6pm. Meetings all day long, as well as regular schedule. 113 Oak Ave. Wildwood. Food, beverage donations appreciated. 90+ days can sign up to speak during the weekend alcothon meetings. For more info 609425-6207
FIND HELP AND HEALING DivorceCare is a 13-week program and support group that meets every week to help the recovery of those hurting from separation or divorce.
REV. JEFF SALASIN & JIM STANFIELD of Crest Community Church help serve those in our community, including feeding the needy through their ministry of "More Than Enough" Food Pantry. Hundreds of thankful families depend on this pantry for their daily meals.
TUESDAYS 7pm-9pm at Seaview Baptist Church, 2025 Shore Rd., Linwood, NJ. 609-927-5015 www.divorcecare.org
7110 Seaview Ave. Wildwood Crest 522-4114
First U. M. C. of Wildwood Crest 6700 Atlantic Ave. 729-4265 Sunday Service 9:30 Women’s Bible Study Tues. 9:30am Pastor’s Bible Study Wed. 11am
Mon-Fri 8:30am Sat. 4pm Sunday 8:30am
Dec. 11th 7:30pm “Sounds of Christmas Concert” with BelCanto Lyric Co. & Symphony Orchestra St. Ann's RC Church 2900 Pacific Ave. Wildwood 522-2709
Sat. 5:30pm / Sun. 10am Weekday Masses Mon-Fri 7am, Marian Devotions Sat. 9am Spanish Mass Sun 7pm
Beth Judah Temple Pacific & Spencer Aves. 522-7541 Shabbat Services Saturday 9:30am
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church 2810 Atlantic Ave. 522-5000 8am Spoken Service w/Communion 10:30am Traditional Service w/Communion ~ Sunday School. Third Sunday of each Month 10:30am Contemporary Blended Service w/ Communion
North Wildwood United Methodist Church 2nd & Central Ave. 522-2271 Sunday Service 9am
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox
Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Plenty of parking
301 Anglesea Ave., 522-0152 Orthos 9am Divine Liturgy 10am
119 E. Rio Grande Ave. 522-8489 Sunday 8am 97.9fm radio Sunday School 9:45 Sunday Service 11am Eve. Service 6pm
St. Simeon's by-the-Sea Episcopal 26th & Central Ave. 522-8389 Sun. Holy Communion 9am Wed. Healing 6:30pm Fri. Messe Francais
Central Bible Church 18th Ave. & Central Ave. 522-5917 Sunday Service 11am & 6pm
Crest Community Church
West Wildwood Bible Church 9 Neptune Avenue 523-8863 Sunday Service 10am Eve. Prayer 6pm Wed. Prayer 7pm
Crocus & Pacific Aves 522-1618 Sunday Services VERY CASUAL: 9:30AM KIND OF FORMAL: 11AM ‘MORE THAN ENOUGH’ FOOD PANTRY
JIM STANFIELD & JOHN SMALLEY serving those in need while serving Christ. Any size donations can be made through a paypal account at crestcommunity.com
SHOULD GOD BLESS AMERICA Transgression at birth attacks our character Many difficulties determine what boundaries we should make Lots of hate, discrimination, and violence Compassion we surely lack Having privilege to weep out loud and humble to Your assistance With forgiveness, God will bless America WRITTEN AND SUBMITTED BY ‘LUNCHBOX’ FROM WEST CAPE MAY
First Baptist Church Maple & Atlantic Ave. 522-2981 Sunday School 9:30am Sunday Service 11am
Comfort and Joy Served up at United Way’s Hot Lunch Program THURSD
AYS Pantry opens10:30 Hot Lunch served 11:30
First Baptist Church 230 E. Maple Ave., Wildwood (609) 729-2002 www.uwcmc.com
HOPE PREGNANCY CENTER 3808 Rt. 9S Rio Grande 609-886-7022
321 West Ave. Ocean City 609-398-9449
www.hopepregnancyofnj.com Sweet Treats Silent Auction Lift FM 97.9 &FM CapeNight May/Wildwood Friday, 2011 7PM SOUTHNovember JERSEY’S HIT 18, MUSIC CHANNEL Second Cape May Baptist Church 600 S. Shore Rd. Marmora www.liftfm.com $15 Reservation. Benefits HOPE.
the SUN by-the-Sea
37
“Home is where the heart can laugh without shyness. Home is where the heart’s tears can dry at their own pace.” ~Vernon G. Baker
5 MILES of Smiles! I'VE NEVER SEEN A SMILING FACE THAT WAS NOT BEAUTIFUL.
. . .Stroll down Memory Lane
A Golden Anniversary!
Happy 90th Birthday MS. RUSTY MEISSNER
March 25th, 1960 Louise Kindermann & Elwood Garrison on their first date.
Coastline Construction has no other care, except to always make the customer HAPPY!
Rusty celebrates her 90 birthday at her favorite hang out, Owen’s Pub, with one of her 3 sons, Paul Meissner
Sheri Davis with her favorite Owen’s Pub patron. Sheri says Rusty is one of most fabulous people you ever want to meet!
Rick, Sherri & Rikki Davis with another happy customer, Dave Nause
Above are Elwood & Louise Garrison with Rev. J. Francis Peak on their wedding day, 50 years ago on June 20, 1961. They were married at First Baptist Church at Maple & Atlantic Aves. in Wildwood. Louise worked at Marie’s Luncheonette, (now Holly Beach Train Depot). Woody worked for Tap Cab and asked Louise if she needed a ride to work because she missed her bus. It was love at first sight! Congratulations on your golden anniversary! SENT IN BY WOODY & LOUISE GARRISON
Rick Davis builds the coastline one house at a time. From installing a door, to building a large condominium complex*. . . from start to finish. . . from drawing up plans for your dream home, to building it. . . Rick Davis wants you to know. . . there’s no job too big or too small for Coastline Construction. *Coastline Construction is responsible for much of the finishing details on the 60-unit beachfront condominium complex at the Pointe at Moore’s Inlet.
Rusty with Janet Raucheison
Rusty with her favorite bartender, Dale
• Incorporated since 1993 • Fully licensed and insured NJ13VH04275700 • Free Estimates • Free Plans & Drawings • Large local customer reference base • Senior Citizen Discounts SERVING ALL OF CAPE MAY COUNTY • Born & Raised in the Wildwoods
The former Senator James Cafiero in 1961 when he served as City Solicitor for North Wildwood. This picture was found in a North Wildwood City promotional book from 1961
Rick Davis - WCHS ‘74 Rick is also on the following committees• Volunteer North Wildwood Fire Co., 20 yrs. • President Wildwood Rotary • Volunteer Five Mile Beach Firemen’s Assoc.
Times are Tough! Building shouldn’t be rough! Ask us about local discounts.
Look for our New Office at 2500 New Jersey Ave., North Wildwood
the SUN by-the-Sea
38
“Words that come from the heart stay warm three months long.” ~Anon. WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ THE SUN BY THE SEA
FAN US ON FACEBOOK The Sun by the sea
dear “Talk about The SUN bringing back old friends! I was sitting on my porch last Sunday when a car parked across the street and a guy got out. He walked up to me and said ‘Butch Love?’ I had no idea who he was. He told me we had worked together when we were 14 and 15 years old. We worked for Mac’s Beach Umbrellas for two summers. Gosh, I haven’t seen him since that time about 50 years ago. He parents sold their home on 17th Street right after that time. He bought a summer trailer off shore a few years ago. He saw one of the stories my son wrote in The SUN and saw my address. He was surprised that I still lived in the same house. We sat and talked about those days for over an hour. His name is Bob Kane and is still married to the same girl that he met at the beach stand. (Sure to become a future SUN story!) It is the magic of your paper Dorothy. ~AL LOVE
Written in response to the Sept-Oct ‘11 Editor Letter Dorothy wrote: “It was pure serendipity in that both the readers and I all found in The SUN something none of us were expecting to find. An entire issue could be devoted to such wonderful stories that would have never been, if not for this paper.”
Michael Cummiskey, owner
Full-Service Quality Dry Cleaning Pick-Up & Delivery Service Same Day Service Alterations • Repairs 3209 NEW JERSEY AVE. WILDWOOD 609-522-6291 609-522-4499
I love reading your editor letters in this charming and inspirational newspaper. Thank you for your hard work and lovely result. ~MARY H. HERON
The Guidetti Grandchildren ~ Alexa, Sofia, Jessica, Luciano and Nicole
THE CHRISTMAS CARD By Marilyn Guidetti
A
few years ago I got a brilliant idea to create my own Christmas card. I wanted it to be different so I thought a summer beach theme would be unique, especially since we are a “beach” family. So one sunny summer morning I gather the grandkids together and tell them we are taking a special picture for Grandma’s Christmas card. Sounds easy enough! I said it sounds easy, but I did not say it was easy.. Did you ever try to pose children ranging in age from 2 to 12 and have them act natural. I enlisted my son to take the pictures while the rest of us tried to get them to smile or look at the camera or pose a certain way. We finally got a snapshot worthy enough for a card. Then in the fall when things calmed down I composed a personal greeting for the inside. The cards went out and friends and family, especially those I do not see often enough, called or wrote notes in their cards about how much they enjoyed the personal touch. I felt good, it added to the joy of the holiday. Come the next year, I thought about it again and since I received so many good comments I decided to do another card. The grandkids were older but we had a new addition (no problem he was just an infant, what could he do?) Ha, babies do not always co-operate and he would rather cry then smile and when he finally did smile the others would look away. Finally after my poor son was about to call it quits he got a picture for my card. While composing my greeting, I got carried away and wrote about keeping in touch with old friends and how special some people are to me even though we do not keep in touch and my Christmas card is my way of letting them know I remember the way they
have touched my life. This brought an even bigger bundle of notes saying my card was the best they ever received because it was so personal and they loved seeing the picture of my grandchildren. Well, another year goes by, let me try again. I have a different idea, we will do it on the beach by the water, just take a picture of their feet and in the wet sand I will write “Merry Christmas”. We lined them up and told them to stand still. The youngest did not like the water coming up, one did not want to stand next to her sister, another complained she was itchy, Complain! Complain! Complain! “This is it!” my son says, “no more card pictures, I am on vacation and this is stressing me out”. I pleaded with him and finally he was able to get a decent picture. My niece happened to be with us on the beach that day and she said, “Aunt Marilyn, now that I see what it takes to get the picture for your Christmas card, I will appreciate it even more this year and I will remember this day on the beach”. I decided that was the last year of my special cards. But, again I got raves about my cards and whenever I saw or talked to the friends and family they said don’t stop we love seeing how your grandchildren change and grow each year and we love your greetings, you make us feel so special. We took a picture again this year, but one of my other sons volunteered to be the photographer and he said if he could not get the grandchildren to all smile together, he would do it digitally. I have not seen the finished picture yet and have not written my greeting but I guess a tradition was started and has to be kept up, also I still have yet one more son I think I can persuade to be the photographer.
the SUN by-the-Sea
39
“Appreciation can make a day—even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” ~Margaret Cousins
5 MILES
dear
of Smiles! D EAR SUN ,
“The SUN makes me SMILE:-)))”
So Thankful for The SUN being online! Keeping me smilin’ all winter long! ~NANCY DE PIETRO SCELSO Larry Camp, a new Wildwood summer condo owner, reading his favorite paper The SUN, remembering the Summer of 2011 and reminiscing of days gone by. The SUN + You + the Beach= Perfect Together!
SENT IN BY CASS DIEGEL CAMP
Frank Lozowisky, 87 year old summer resident who rode his bicycle 1,000 miles this summer. Each summer he rides from one end of the island to the other, while venturing over to neighboring islands. He is a volunteer at St. Ann’s Car Raffle on the boardwalk and proudly served our country in WWII and the Korean War.
Congratulations to the Newlyweds!
Mr. & Mrs. Kyle Mumford September 17th, 2011 {Jessica Westerland Mumford is a contributing writer for The SUN by-the-sea}
“Happy Birthday to Geri Fick Browning” another longtime local who has moved away and now resides in Florida. Geri & Louann stay in touch by post, as she is on LouAnn’s SUN by-the-sea Mailing List. Geri loves The Sun because it keeps her up to date on all things Wildwood! ~PHOTO FROM 2005 AT GERI’S OLD WILDWOOD HOME, SENT IN BY HER GOOD FRIEND LOUANN C.
Congratulations to the Newlyweds! Mr. & Mrs. Owen Maguire on October 1st, 2011 Krista & Owen took their wedding party to Keenan’s where the couple first met.
Just absolutely LOVE your newspaper. . . I save all of them. . . you are truly a gem and an asset to this area. ~DOT QUILL, NORTH WILDWOOD
I had the extreme pleasure of reading The SUN on my plane ride back to Florida. As always, it was splendid and my heart always feels so full and happy when I am finished reading it :-)) ~LISA LAURIELLO BUKOWSKI
As much as I love the other local papers. . .The SUN is something I look forward to the most! You do a heck of a job!! Reading this paper always makes me smile!! ~BARB ADAMS RAIMO
. . . never have we come across such a unique paper as The SUN! Keep up the good work! ~JACK & LOIS NARK
Every issue is pure delight. ~KAE DRUMHELLAR
40
the SUN by-the-Sea
“And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen.�
~Terri Guillemets
Jean Foti, Kelly Sparks, Chris Foti Mary Nestor & Leona Catanoso Betz
(St. Gaetano Catanoso photo in background)
Anthony Catanoso & Jack Foti Phyllis & Tony, proudly display 54 years worth of memories in these scrapbooks!
Catanoso Reunion The Catanoso family held their 54th Annual reunion at the Avalon Campground in Clermont on September 17th, 2011. As usual, it was a very happy day. The campground is owned by brother Len Catanoso and his family, and is the perfect spot to hold our rather large get-together. The majority of family members live here in Cape May County and we see each other often throughout the year, but it is a great treat to welcome those who come from longer distances and to fill each other in on the latest news. After asking a blessing, our day starts out with a great variety of delicious foods, topped by a luscious dessert table, and then the games begin! The highlight of competition is the Bocci Tournament, which is a fiercely fought series of games, with a process of elimination, until the trophies for 1st & 2nd place are awarded. The patriarch of the family is Tony, who will celebrate his 95th birthday this December. Our darling newest member is baby Madeline whom we welcome to our fold as #157... and counting! ~Phyllis Catanoso
Mary, Louise, Charlie, and Maria Joe, Anthony, Heather & Greg
Jackie & Kevin Burns, Toni Callahan with her grandchildren Gavin & Baby Madeline.
Ann Dolores, Louise, Frank, and Tommy
Art Sparks with Toni
Stella, Carli & Nola Quinn
Kathy LaRosa, Cathy Pierce, Pat LaRosa Ava, Hannah, Caylee, Isabella & Rosie
Carol & son David Catanoso
Marlene, Nina, Pati, Connie, Len, Phyllis
Joe & George 1st Place winners
Chuck & Charlie 2nd Place winners
Bill, Lenny, Amber, Chuck & Nina
Joey, Vinnie & Jordan
Lenny leads the gang on a hayride
Dana & Sue
the SUN by-the-Sea
“And though I ebb in worth, I'll flow in thanks.”
Captain Gary’s Autumn Fishing Report & Christmas
Wish List I wish that your days on the sea give you the warmth of the sun on your skin, a fair breeze to your face, a calm ocean to reflect the beauty which abounds, and a catch to enjoy with friends and family. Hello and Welcome to all of you! As I put this together in the first week of November, I wonder how the fall time could have ebbed away so swiftly. The first brisk breezes, the colorful leaves, the sound of migrating geese, the first touch of white snow all bring forth the fall. The fishing so far this fall has been the opposite of fast. Thanks to Marine fisheries the closing of Flounder, Sea Bass, and a limited Tautog catch have made it a really slow fall. Kingfish have been the highlight in the surf with some small Blues adding to the catch. The big hope for the future is a strong showing by the Stripers. Recent seasons have them being a little late to the dance of autumn. You can only hope the weather stays decent so you can fish. I know you Striper guys love that strong northeast wind in your face, damped hair from salt spray, and cold feet and fingers from the fifty degree water. Probably why you don’t see a lot of old anglers into the Striper surf fishing. Weather will really impact the off shore fishing. Tuna will stay through the fall if the weather stays decent. I urge all fisherman remember the dangers of cold water. Boating 1 or 20 miles offshore will still bring the same result if you get dumped into the water. Surf fisherman should secure their waders properly so they can survive a fall or knockdown in the surf. Air inside the your waders can make it difficult to regain your footing. I am sure in the excitement of a Striper bite in the surf some anglers have worked out to a sandbar to find their return precarious due to a rising tide. I am not a doomsday guy, But I can assure you I have shared some these experiences. Since this will cover the Christmas season I have a few request for Santa? -Can your elf’s properly secure, clean, and replace all my boat and fishing tackle by Spring. -Can you send us a weatherman who report the weather not create a media event. - Can you put a little passion into everyone’s stocking for fishing and the outdoors. -Can you have everyone share at least one of those moments in nature with a loved one or a friend. -Can Mother Nature give us many days with warm sunlight on the back, a gentle breeze on your face, and the smell of fresh salt air in your nose. Fisherman having the optimistic nature already has an eye to next year’s fishing. Wise men have said “Change is inevitable”. Hopefully, Marine fisheries would be the first to change. Recognize and redress the failures of their policies and obvious unintended consequences. Next year will bring a big change for me. The 2011 season was my last with the Adventurer. I would like to thank the many friends and patrons over the years for the memories and kind words. I will have the opportunity to pick my days on the water next year with a smaller boat and a young crew of Ryan, Dylan, Ethan, Aidan, Jack, Julianne, Elijah, Gabe, and Landon. Hopefully these grandchildren will learn and enjoy the mystery and bounty of nature. Maybe they will ponder about their place in this world. May you enjoy the holidays and have a peaceful winter. God bless, Capt Gary
41 ~John Taylor
A Fisherman’s Prayer: “KEEPER” I pray that I may live to fish Until my dying day; And when it comes to my last cast, I then most humbly pray. . . When in the Lord’s great landing net And peacefully asleep, That in His mercy I be judged good enough to keep.
tides roll in... tides roll out
the SUN by-the-Sea
42
He who forgets the language of gratitude can never be on speaking terms with happiness.” Anon.
h o t s e e v W o L i l d . wo o d . . D ays! So you think you can dance?
The Wildwoods celebrated its role in the birth of Rock ‘n Roll music during the 8th Annual Fabulous ‘50s Weekend – October 1416, 2011 with Little Anthony & the Imperials, Diamond Dave Somerville, Jimmy Beaumont & the Skyliners, The Capris and the Elegants.
Legendary DJ JERRY BLAVAT, the Geator with the Heater, the Boss with the Hot Sauce kicked off the Fabulous 50s Weekend @ The Hop!
Fabulous Local Dancin’ Machine TOM MELCHIORRE representing the Wildwoods!
SY & ANITA HIRSCH were fabulous volunteers at the 50s Weekend:-) Find Anita’s column on Page 12
HANK, TAMMY, FRED & ROWLAND, longtime Wildwood friends enjoy a beautiful day for the Seafood & Music Festival on Oct. 8th
The Martinez family came to The Hop ready to dance!
The Fabulous Duo from Newark, NJ, Richard & Cheryl THE SCIARA FAMILY OF DOGTOOTH Bar & Grill & KONA at the SEAFOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL.
Fabulous Wildwood friends, John, Jolanta, Rose & Natalie
BOB VILLONE ENJOYS THE FESTIVALS OUTSIDE OF HIS TUCKERS PUB
FABULOUS WILDWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERS: KAREN, TOM, PAT & KELLY
At the Fabulous 50s weekend concert, Little Anthony and the Imperials put on a good show for the large Wildwood audience. Their performance was enhanced with a stage visit by the Philly Phanatic, who, by the way, received a Key to the City from the Chamber of Commerce that afternoon. SUBMITTED BY GEORGE CAPUA
Randy Ritschard, John Bassero & Judd Shoemaker in front of this 1969 Camaro with BDS Blower that was featured in the WILDWOODS CLASSIC CAR AUCTION held in September
Sisters/cousins had a fabulous time during the 50s Weekend in Wildwood by-the-sea! (L-R) Sandy, Natalie, Dorothy, Sharon
the SUN by-the-Sea
43
"Only with winter patience can we bring the deep desired, long-awaited Spring." ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Keller Williams has put its mark on the real estate industry by offering these unprecedented advantages: • Most Innovative Real Estate Website. -2011 Winner of Inman Innovator Award • No. 1 ranked Real Estate Franchise on the 31st Annual Franchise 500 list -Entrepreneur Magazine • Ranked KW highest in overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers for three years in a row. -J.D. Power and Associates • Highest ranking Real Estate Franchise on the annual Training Top 125, #47 Overall -Training Magazine • Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board Gary Keller named one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Real Estate. -Inman News • No. 1 Industry Trendsetter of 2009 and 2009 Most Recognizable Real Estate Franchise Brand -Swanepoel TRENDS Report Survey • No. 1 in number of agents and total closed transactions. -RISMedia’s Power Broker Report
Ocean City’s French Realty announced a merger with Keller Williams Oceanside Realty. Paul Chiolo, founder of Wildwood’s Oceanside Realty said “We are thrilled that we can now service all of Ocean City. We believe that the combination of these two offices will have a positive effect on both our agents and for the buyers and sellers we service.” French Real Estate Agency has been in business since 1921 after moving to the shore from Philadelphia. At the age of 90, Bob French has decided to retire and has chosen Keller Williams for the merger. As the third largest real estate franchise in the U.S. with more than 690 offices and 80,000 sales associates, Keller Williams Oceanside Realty offices will now operate out of 1 Atlantic Avenue and 3329 West Avenue in Ocean City. French Real Estate was a very well known and respected company at the shore. “I can see why the business has such a good name,” said Chiolo, “So many people are used to dealing with French agents and those French agents will remain with us.” The Ocean City community will continue to be served by the great agents who live and work there. The office is set to be updated and will be what Chiolo calls “the nicest office in Ocean City when we are finished.” “The economic benefits of the merger give the new market center a huge strategic advantage in the new market place,” said Chiolo, who has led the merger along with Gregg Gipp as Managing Broker and his entire transition team. Now having two offices in the Wildwoods along with the two in Ocean City, we now have the geographic advantage to service our clients countywide. The office will be led by Michelle Bush as Team Leader and will operate out of two key access points in Ocean City: the former French Reality office at 1 Atlantic Avenue and 3329 West Avenue in Ocean City. “It’s tough to see it go,” said Bob French, though at 90, the French family patriarch may finally be able to relax a bit.
44
the SUN by-the-Sea
“Good-bye, kind year, we walk no more together, but here in quiet happiness we part.” –Sarah Doudney (1841–1926) They have some good photographers on their staff, and the editor is excellent. She gets some good writers, too! It is a most remarkable publication.
Every time I get this newspaper I want salt water taffy, inflatable beach toys and to head out to the sand... They are so delightful! ~CHRISTINE ARFSTEN
~R. MULLEN
Take nothing for granted.
Call now to find out about the best advertising deal in the paper everyone loves. 609.522.2721
A message from The SUN by-the-sea, Wildood’s original nostalgic publication!