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This Weeks News 8/29/2019
This osprey is in the midst of dinner on a late August afternoon.
Numerous osprey nests behind Avalon & Stone Harbor are occupied, as osprey
numbers have rebounded dramatically in recent years.
COOLER AIR MOVED INTO THE AREA this past weekend, as a
northerly breeze dropped the heat and humidity levels noticeably.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the upper 70s and low 80s for the
next several days. The surf temperature is still a pleasant 74 degrees.
IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, IT'S A WORLD WAR II BOMBER! The
annual AirFest returns to US Naval Air Station Wildwood over the Labor Day
Weekend, and will feature WWII vintage aircraft. Friday afternoon from 2pm
to 5pm, and 9am to 5pm Saturday through Monday, self-guided walk through
tours of B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator aircraft are included with
admission, and other aircraft are visible on the ramp. Regular admission to
AirFest is $16 for adults and $12 for children, and also includes admission
to the NASW Museum. Live music, food trucks, a beer garden, and children's
activities are available all weekend. For those wanting a little bit more,
25-30 minute rides are available in vintage warbirds, starting at $400 per
person. If you've always dreamed of flying in a B-17, B-24, P-51 Mustang, or
P-40 Warhawk, here's your chance! For details on AirFest and flight
opportunities, click here:
US NAVAL AIR
STATION WILDWOOD AIRFEST. For those along the beach over Labor Day
Weekend, keep an eye to the skies, as these vintage aircraft circle the
skies during passenger flights.
MIDATLANTIC MILLIONS! $3,528,760 in prize money was awarded
to fishermen weighing in winning catches during the annual MidAtlantic
tournament, hosted last week in Cape May and Ocean City, MD. Notable catches
include a pair of 72-pound white marlin, and blue marlin weighing
473-pounds, and 549-pounds, plus the winning 630-pound blue marlin, worth
$555,365 in prize money. In addition to tuna, mahi, and wahoo catches,
numerous marlin were released during the tournament.
CLEAN UP, CLEAN OUT: Avalon & Stone Harbor will conduct
bulk pick up in September. In Avalon, bulk items may be placed curbside
beginning August 31st, with pick up beginning at 7am on Tuesday, September
10th. In Stone Harbor, items may be placed curbside up to 72 hours in
advance of the Monday, September 16th pick up date.
CONGRATULATIONS TO AVALON LIFEGUARDS Erich Wolf and Craig
Whitehead, who won the 14th Annual Hammer Row last week, with a time of 38
minutes, 39 seconds. Wolf and Whitehead won in 2013 and 2016 as well.
This Weeks News 8/22/2019
MARKET STATS: During the month of July the median sale
price increased to $1,790,000, while the number of active listings decreased
by 6%. Strong demand and limited inventory continue to define the market.
For a detailed look at the market see the latest Long & Foster Market Minute
Report:
View The
Latest Long & Foster Market Minute Report | Download/Print
PDF
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS! Saturday night's Festival of Lights
boat parade had dozens of decorated boats parading along Stone Harbor's
entire bayfront on a beautiful moonlit evening, in front of decorated docks
and cheering crowds. This year's theme was "Broadway," with participants
including Grease, Frozen, Blue Man Group, Cats, Aladdin and more. A gentle
breeze made for a perfect evening!
Dozens of boats paraded along the bayfront during Stone Harbor's
Festival of Lights last weekend.
DR. STEWART FARRELL reported to Avalon officials last week
that north-end beaches grew during the March-May quarter, thanks to minimal
storm activity. Farrell estimated that about 34,000 cubic yards of sand were
added to the beach by southeast winds during that time, supplementing sand
added during the borough's sand backpassing project.
TWO BIG COBIA were caught in local waters, and may be new
state records. A 90-pound cobia was hooked off Cape May and fought for an
hour-and-a-half by angler Len Andalis. Joe Cunningham caught a 74-pound
cobia while spearfishing off Sea Isle City. Both fish must be certified by
the Division of Fish & Wildlife before becoming official state records. Warm
water from the Gulfstream increases the variety of fish caught in nearby
waters during the mid- to late-summer.
CAPE MAY COUNTY'S new flood risk mapping system is designed
to provide the public with a way to assess the potential impact of a
flooding event on their neighborhood. Martin Pagliughi, Mayor of Avalon and
also Cape May County's Emergency Management Director, said the system will
provide exactly what homeowners want to know: "How may it affect my property
and neighborhood," allowing people to make educated decisions prior to
potential flooding. The system can be found here:
Cape May County Tidal Flooding Awareness
ANYTHING YOU NEED...CALL ME! Whether you have a quick
question, or you're contemplating a shore home purchase, please call me! I'm
ready to assist with anything you need!
This Weeks News 8/15/2019
Turtle barriers like this are designed to keep diamondback terrapins off
busy roadways as they look for places to lay eggs. For those that find a way
around the barrier but don't make it safely across the road, The Wetlands
Institute collects turtle eggs from local roadways. Read a heartwarming
story below about three children who donated to their effort.
THREE VISITORS arrived at The Wetlands Institute last week
with $46 in hand. Evelyn (4), Trey (8), and Charlotte (6) sold lemonade at a
stand at home for 50 cents a cup, and donated the entire proceeds to The
Wetlands Institute! The children told their customers that they were selling
lemonade because they "wanted to help the turtles." Upon making their
donation, Evelyn, Trey, and Charlotte were given a tour of the lab at The
Wetlands Institute, and met new hatchlings. The kids even got a chance to
name a hatchling: Tilly. Way to go Evelyn, Trey, and Charlotte! If you'd
like to support The Wetlands Institute, too, visit their donation page here:
THE
WETLANDS INSTITUTE - DONATIONS
FUN FOR KIDS 3 THROUGH 93! The Harlem Globetrotters will
host four games and four clinics in Wildwood from Wednesday August 14th
through Saturday, August 17th. With their amazing basketball talents and
incredible stage presence, the team entertains kids of all ages! Use the
code SAVE5 to save $5 off select tickets.
HARLEM
GLOBETROTTERS - WILDWOOD
HOW'S THAT SUMMER BUCKET LIST? We're well past the
mid-point of the summer season…still haven't gotten to those things on your
Summer Bucket List? The time is now! Catch a sunrise, catch a fish, catch a
movie on the beach, or catch a concert under the water tower! Whatever is on
your list, set aside the time and make it happen!
A 496-POUND SWORDFISH was caught by Joe Hevener and his
crew at the Wilmington Canyon last week, in water 1,500 feet deep. After a
3.5 hour fight, plus another 45 minutes to get the fish into the boat, the
catch was weighed at Canyon Club Marina in Cape May. Just one day earlier
Canyon Club weighed a 441-pound swordfish. More big fish are likely to be
weighed next week as The MidAtlantic tournament gets underway. From August
18th through 23rd, sport fishing vessels will ply "the deep" looking to
outdo each other in the tournament, which is based in both Cape May, NJ and
Ocean City, MD.
MORTGAGE RATES are very attractive, with thirty-year fixed
rates below 4% for both conforming and jumbo (over $484,351) loan amounts.
Low rates with strong rental income (see below) help minimize the cost of
owning a shore property.
RENTAL INCOME generated by a shore property can exceed 3%
of the property's value annually, and in some cases can be even higher.
Combine that with low mortgage rates and it's a winning combination! Want to
take a look at ALL the numbers? Call or email me today! You might be
surprised to learn just how affordable a shore home can be!
This Weeks News 8/8/2019
Wow! Megan King captured this great photo of a whale just off Seven Mile
Beach! Megan says the whale was off the 96th Street beach when she took the
picture aboard a boat. What a magnificent creature!
WHALE WATCHING, ANYONE? Whales and dolphins can often be
seen in South Jersey waters. Whales are usually further offshore than the
one Megan King saw last weekend (see photo above), but are frequently seen
on whale watching trips or by those fishing several miles out. Pods of
dolphins can often be observed from the beach as they make their way right
along the shore. At times they can be seen in inlets or even the back bays.
Like other creatures they follow their food source, and will go wherever
their next meal can be found.
PARASAILING TRICK SHOT! Zeus McClurkin of the world-famous
Harlem Globetrotters made the world's first trick shot while parasailing
just off our coastline! Check out the unbelievable shot here:
PARASAILING TRICK SHOT
| HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS (YOUTUBE). The Globetrotters will host four games
and four clinics in Wildwood from August 14th through 17th--fun for the
whole family! Use the code SAVE5 to save $5 off select tickets at
HARLEM
GLOBETROTTERS - WILDWOOD.
Check out Harlem Globetrotters' Zeus McClurkin's parasailing trick shot!
PHILLY SPIN STUDIO COMES TO AVALON! A premier boutique
exercise facility has come to Avalon & Stone Harbor. Revel Ride, which has a
location on South Street in Philadelphia, opened at 271 21st Street, next to
the Whitebrier. The experience will match what riders have grown to expect
from Revel Ride, with iPad check in, complimentary cycling shoes, surround
sound music and eucalyptus-scented towels. Enjoy your vacation without
breaking your workout routine...and have fun at the same time. To read about
how this studio came together so quickly, read the story at
PHILLYMAG.COM.
AUGUST FAVORITES! Mark your calendar for these August
favorites!
7 Mile Island Designer House Tour, Saturday, August 10th, 11am to 4pm. Tour
nine breathtaking homes! For tickets click here:
7 MILE ISLAND DESIGNER HOUSE TOUR.
Festival of Lights Boat Parade, Saturday, August 17th, 8:30pm. Decorated
boats and docks along the entire Stone Harbor Bayfront! Visit
YACHT CLUB OF STONE HARBOR
to register your boat or dock.
Atlantic City Air Show, Wednesday, August 21st, 11:30am to 4pm. See aircraft
of all kinds in action, including the United States Air Force Thunderbirds.
Visit ATLANTIC CITY
AIRSHOW for Airshow info.
NEED A LAST MINUTE VACATION? There are still some great
options available for last minute rentals, especially if you can be flexible
with your vacation dates and price range. Call or email me today!
This Weeks News 8/1/2019
A happy crowd gathered to watch the reopening of the Townsend's Inlet
Bridge last Friday!
DRIVERS HONKED AND ONLOOKERS CHEERED as the Townsend's
Inlet Bridge was reopened to traffic last Friday! Toll collections were
waived during the bridge's first weekend of operation, and resumed Monday.
OFFSHORE FISHING ACTION remains hot! Yellowfin tuna catches
in the offshore canyons have slowed, but Bluefin tuna catches slightly
closer to shore have picked up. As the ocean water has warmed mahi mahi have
been plentiful, while white marlin have arrived in "the deep," beyond the
canyons, following warm-water eddies of the Gulf Stream in water many
thousands of feet deep. Near-shore fishing has been good, too, with captains
reporting catches of summer flounder, weakfish, stripers, and bluefish. Want
to get in on the action? Fish aboard the Miss Avalon which sails daily from
the Avalon Sport Fishing Center, or rent a fishing boat at Smugglers Cove at
83rd Street & the bay.
$6.6 BILLION! That's the annual value of tourism in Cape
May County, as revealed at the 2019 Cape May County Tourism Conference, held
earlier this summer. In addition to the beaches the county is famous for
craft breweries, wineries, restaurants, fishing, and historic sites which
all contribute to the county's popularity with visitors.
SAIL ABOARD THE AJ MEERWALD this summer, as New Jersey's
Tall Ship visits Cape May several weeks during August and September. This
year more than three dozen public sailing trips are available, including
morning, afternoon, and evening trips, as well as oyster trips (featuring a
raw bar) and music trips (featuring onboard music.) If you've never
experienced sailing...it's something you won't forget!
More
Info & Tickets: Bayshore Center Public Sailing Schedule
THE STONE HARBOR ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL returns this
weekend for its 57th year! Located at the 80th Street Recreation Field, the
Festival features more than 200 artisans from 12 states, and will run from
9am to 5pm Saturday and 9am to 4pm Sunday. Live music, a food court, and
children's activities are also featured. Admission to the show is free, and
a complimentary shuttle service will stop at the following pick up/drop off
locations: