We had a great time at last week’s Feasting On History event, which was held at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum (NASWAM) and raised money for Historic Cold Spring Village. Pictured here are Sheryl Sherwood, Shirley Stefanovicz, Trish Zackey, Kathleen Newman, and Sue Witt. More pictures in next week’s issue!

A Family Paradise

CAPE May is a little like that annoying kid in high school who received all the awards — dean’s list, MVP, perfect attendance, you name it. Our National Historic Landmark city and its assets have been honored time and again. Remember our placement on Budget Travel’s “10 Coolest Small Towns in America” list in 2012? Or how about TripAdvisor naming Sunset Beach the 24th best sandy stretch in the nation? The Albert Stevens Inn on Myrtle Avenue? It’s 18th in the world’s B&b rankings, also according to TripAdvisor. And the Mission Inn on New Jersey Avenue? Number 25 in the country.

 
You might think another award would be ho-hum at this point, but the most recent honor bestowed upon our charmed city — a number five designation among the Top 10 Best Beach Towns in the country, according to a recent Parents magazine article — has us buzzing.

 
Never mind that Parents has a readership over two million strong and a Facebook page with nearly one million likes — it’s the methodology behind their Top 10 piece that caught our attention.

 
“I use the TripAdvisor service, myself,” article author and Parents Contributing Editor Karen Cicero told us. “And of course we value people’s anecdotal experiences, but our surveys are not typically comprised of only that.”

 
Instead, Karen, who says the piece had a year-long gestation period, started out by removing all towns with poor water quality from the running, using information provided by the National Resources Defense Council. “I was surprised,” she said. “We began with hundreds, and eliminated about 50 percent right there.”

 
After that, Karen knocked out all beach spots with no lifeguarding services (at least another third). “Parents are watching their own kids on the beach,” Karen said, “but rip currents can happen any time, and having a trained professional is important.”

 
At this point, Cape May was still in the running, so Karen called the city to see about one not-so-minor detail — whether or not we suffered great devastation, like so many of our unfortunate neighbors to the north, at the hands of Hurricane Sandy.

 
“It made me very happy to hear that Cape May had been spared,” said Karen, who is herself a Cape May vacation vet. “I have a 10-year-old daughter, Katie, who we brought to Cape May about two years ago,” she told us. “I live in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and my family has vacationed often in Wildwood, but I always wanted to try Cape May, and I was charmed by it, from beginning to end. We loved the old-fashioned carnival nights offered by Congress Hall, and the welcoming vibe of the city. My daughter still asks to go back.” (Check out a blog post on Karen’s Cape May experience by visiting parents.com/blogs/goodyblog/2013/05/33709/.)

 
Karen was especially impressed with the Nature Center on Delaware Avenue. “It was Katie’s favorite memory,” she told us. “She participated in a program that allows kids to cast their net into the ocean, and discover the little critters that come into it. The experience stuck with her. And I remember thinking how affordable it was.”

 
It is inland activities like this that were also taken into account when researching the Parents article. “We have done similar types of stories in the past, where we rank each resort or beach by itself,” Karen said. “This is the first time we looked at entire towns, and it’s important because families want to experience not just a resort or beach, but all a place has to offer.”

 
Other factors included price, overall vibe (“Are you going to feel comfortable there with your child,” Karen said, “or is it going to be full of college kids on spring break?”), and anecdotal experience. “We wanted the perspectives of people who actually live and vacation there,” she told us. “We wanted an insider’s view, rather than that of a travel and tourism board member. It is real parents who helped us decide what to feature.”

 
And it’s real parents we spoke with this week, when we asked for advice on how to make a vacation with your kids just a wee bit easier. Because even on the fifth most family-friendly beach in the country, the under-four-foot set can add a fair amount of stress to a relaxing stint on the sand. In fact, one of our readers sent us a message that read: “There are no hints. Ike put 200,000 troops on the beach at Normandy with less hassle than putting three kids on the beach in Jersey.”

 
But for those of you who are feeling less, ahem, melodramatic, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite reader-submitted tips, beginning with one from Karen herself.

 
Karen Cicero: “I buy regular sunscreen, but for touch-ups, I rely on the Supergood brand of sunblock wipes, which can be purchased online. That, and figure out where the restrooms are!”

 
Ben Miller: “Pack snacks like granola bars and fruit that will give the kids nutrients and energy, but not upset their stomachs if they run around afterwards. Plus, if you opt for a hot dog from one of the vendors for lunch, your kids are still getting something healthy to go along with it, instead of chips.”

 
Catherine Pagliuca: Draw a big circle in the soft sand and tell your kids to play ‘the running around game’ inside it. This worked with mine until they were six! They get tired out, and you get to sit still while they play. Also, limit the souvenirs, but market it right, by saying something like, ‘Today, everyone gets to bring home THREE seashells!’ Otherwise, you end up with a big bucket of smelly dead stuff in the trunk. And make peace with the sand; vacuum the car in the fall.”

 
Danielle Coraddinno: Rent a box on the beach for all of your gear. (Reporter’s note: Stegers Beach Service offers box rentals — they hold up to five chairs! — for individual days, or an entire season. Reserve online at stegerbeachservice.com).

 
Melanie Thiel: When kids get cranky in the afternoon, take them back to air conditioning and a bed/ or crib and let them nap! You can still enjoy yourself with an adult beverage on the porch and a copy of Exit Zero until they wake up.

 
So there you have it, parents. And remember, only one month until school lets out…

Oh No, Mosquito!

 
THEY are widely considered among the most dangerous creatures on the planet. We’re not talking about saber-tooth tigers or great white sharks or any other creature with a two-ton bite capable of gnashing human bone. We’re talking about a bug. A bug that can kill you or, at least, kill your plans for an evening barbeque.

 
It’s true — mosquitoes have been putting a damper on this otherwise idyllic place for the last 170 million years, so we called the affable Superintendent of the Cape May County Department of Mosquito Control, Peter Bosak, PhD, to find out what, exactly, he’s doing to salvage our summer.
The answer? Quite a bit… and not what you might think.

 
“When I tell them what I do, children of the 50s, 60s, even part of the 70s picture a truck going down the street with a giant plume of white smoke coming from the back,” Peter told us. “That’s the image that’s ingrained in the baby boomer psyche. But mosquito control has evolved.”

 
Forget pesticides; that’s the last resort. Instead, the commission relies on a multi-faceted approach, the first step of which is water control. “There are 45 different species of mosquitoes in this county,” Peter said. “And there is only one thing that applies to every one of them — they all start out in the water.”
So, with a lot of equipment and a great deal of liaising with wildlife conservation agencies, Pete oversees the elimination of standing water, often through the use of ditches which redirect it towards a larger body and, at the same time, allow mosquito larvae-eating fish greater access to their prey. Then comes the use of bacterial larvacides and, on the bottom of the hierarchy, chemical control.

 
But no matter how successful these initiatives are, the fact remains that our county is “essentially one big marsh,” and mosquitoes are a fact of life. As for how big a fact? Your guess is as good as ours.

 
“It’s a fair question,” Pete said, “But predicting how heavy the mosquitoes will be in a given season would be like predicting the weather for the month of July. There are many variables. The insects are an immediate function of what goes on in the environment, so their numbers are determined less by long-term climate changes.”

 
However, there is one annoying set — the salt marsh mosquitoes — that you can bank on more at certain times than others. “They revolve around the lunar tide cycle, which we generally have twice a month,” Peter said. “These are slightly stronger and higher, and they flood areas that wouldn’t flood normally. So, if you’re planning a big event and you have the ability to change its date, it is possible to hedge your bets by not holding it a week to two weeks after the lunar cycle.”

 
And if that’s not an option, Peter doesn’t see anything wrong with DEET, a common ingredient in most over-the-counter insect repellents that’s been around for 40 years. “Anti-pesticide people will tell you the opposite, but I’m a big believer in looking at the science, and nobody’s grown two heads from using DEET,” Pete said. “But Skin So Soft is another story. It’s not a proven repellent. Many people just put so much on, they become an oily mess, and the bugs stick to them.”

 
Other myth-busters? Bats and barn swallows are not all that adept at catching the insects. Even dragonflies, which rely heavily on mosquitoes as a food source, make a negligible dent in the population. “And that would be the case even if dragonfly numbers were doubled,” Peter said.

 
Or, how about this: not ALL mosquitoes are blood-sucking spawn of the devil. In fact, some don’t bite humans at all. And within the groups that do, it’s only the females who get under your skin. (Insert misogynist jokes here). Taking your blood is not how they feed — they rely on nectar for that, same as the butterfly — but how many of them obtain protein necessary for egg production, which is accomplished by first inserting saliva into a host to prevent blood-clotting. Think about that the next time an itchy red bump appears while you’re mowing the lawn.

 
And no, you’re not imagining it, some of us are way more vulnerable to attacks than others. “Just like we all have different personalities,” Peter said, “we all exude different concentrations of chemicals which emanate from our pores, and mosquitoes are more attracted to some combinations than others.”
So, if you’re one of those unlucky folks whose chemical combo is appealing, how worried should you be? After all, these are the creatures that transmit malaria (essentially eradicated from the US now, but still the greatest killer on the planet), yellow and dengue fever, even a parasitic disease called filariasis which leads to elephantiasis and blindness. Not to mention West Nile virus, which a Cape May County resident contracted just last year, and eastern equine encephalitis, which is even more dangerous, according to Peter.

 
“I wouldn’t let it determine your outdoor activities,” Peter said. “Unless there comes a press release from our department saying you should.”

 
Turns out, the Cape May County Mosquito Commission is the only in the state which tests their own mosquitoes in-house, grinding them up in a state-of-the-art lab until they’re nothing but a buggy paste which researchers can analyze. All together now: Ewwww.

 
So rest easy, Cape Mayans. You’ve got a capable team making sure our little island is safe from these bastard bugs. And try not to let them drive you too crazy. “Like every living thing,” Peter said, “they are part of the food web.”

The Great Race(s)

 
How about running on an airport runway, jumping off the Cape May-Lewes Ferry and swimming to shore or running in a two or five mile competition in a borough that looks like a picture postcard? You can’t do all three things in one race — they are separate events — but all are coming up in a few weeks.
When you were a kid, you probably made motor sounds and ran down the sidewalk with your arms extended pretending to be an airplane. On June 8, you can do that on a runway of the county airport in Naval Air Station Wildwood museum’s Runway 5k and 1-Mile Fun Walk.

 
The event begins at the airport at 9am, and proceeds benefit restoration of Hangar #1 which is listed on the both the national and state registers of historic places. The run will be held rain or shine.

 
“When was the last time you could run on a runway?” asked Dr. Joseph Salvatore, Museum Director. The airport will shut down from 8-11am so runners, walkers and airplanes are not competing for runway space.

 
Participants 18 and older who register before June 1 will be entered into a drawing for a free flight on the B-17 Yankee Lady, a World War II bomber which will visit the museum June 10- 12.

 
Early registration is encouraged (and available online at usnasw.org.) Day-of registration will begin at 7am at the aviation museum. The fee is $25.

 
Admission to the museum will be free until noon on race day.

 
What promises to be an intense event June 2 starts with participants jumping off the Cape May-Lewes Ferry and swimming to the beach in front of the ferry terminal in North Cape May as part of the inaugural Escape the Cape Triathlon. The race takes place entirely in Lower Township due to the assistance of Recreation Director Mitch Plenn.

 
Event founder Stephen Del Monte said the only other triathlon that involves jumping off a boat is San Francisco’s Escape from Alcatraz, that includes a 1.5-mile swim from a ferry adjacent to the former prison known as The Rock.

 
To escape the cape, participants will dive 10 feet off the car deck of the ferry more than one mile from shore, all this with the blessing of the Delaware River and Bay Authority.

 
“We’ll have tons of water safety personnel that will be in position to guide the swimmers along and make sure are able to handle anything that may arise,” said Del Monte.

 
The second leg of the triathlon is biking from the ferry terminal to Jonathan Hoffman Boulevard over the Seashore Road Bridge to New England Road and returning to North Cape May.

 
The third leg, a run, begins at the beach near the ferry terminal moving onto Beach Drive to Town Bank and Cape May Beach and returning to the terminal.

 
The triathlon promises to be a local economic stimulus with 1,000 participants registered for the event and hailing from as far away as Arizona and Colorado.

 
“This is going to have an economic impact of a minimum of $500,000 to the community,” said Del Monte, who staged his first triathlon in North Wildwood in 2004.

 
“When you race, you generally effect yourself, but when you produce, you have the chance to effect thousands of lives,” he said. “It’s a very positive atmosphere with the right people there; they are trying to achieve a goal.”

 
Online registration is available at escapethecape.com.

 
On June 15, the Cape May Point Volunteer Fire Department will hold a five-mile run to benefit the department. The event began in 1979 and is one of the oldest continually held footraces in South Jersey.

 
The race has a history of hundreds of runners and spectators participating. Billed as the largest annual event in Cape May Point, it boasts both a two-mile and five-mile run over a course described as “fast and flat.” It passes Lake Lily, Cape May Point State Park and the Cape May Lighthouse.

The two-mile run begins at 8:30am with the five mile run following at 9am. Participants can register at the fire house on Yale Avenue on the day of for $25, beginning at 7:30am. Early registration can be by mail (send $20 Cape May Point Five Mile Run, PO Box 84, Cape May Point, NJ 08212) or in person June 14 from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Online registration is available at cmp5m.org.

Ryan Platzer has been very hands-on with the gutting of his new business, Galvanic, on the Washington Street Mall. See our story on page 16.

Sean Is Smokin’

MOST folks coming to Cape May for a visit want to slow down the pace of their lives, whether it’s by building a sandcastle on the beach, riding a bike past West Cape May’s farmland or dining out at a fun or exotic restaurant.

 
So, on this purposefully slow piece of earth, it’s not surprising that Cape Island is not known for its fast food. You won’t find any golden arches or pig-tailed redheads offering burgers. More our style is the new restaurant opening Memorial Day weekend, Beachside Smokehouse, which will offer the ultimate in slow food: barbecued meat that’s been smoked for 12 to 14 hours.

 
Cape May has not lacked for good restaurants, but an eatery dedicated to barbecue has not been an offering until recently. So, on a breezy porch a few months ago, two gentlemen who have known the restaurant business practically from birth, Steve Fischer and Bill Freitz, were sipping Jack Daniels and eating some barbecue they had smoked that very afternoon. Fischer is known for Baby Blues BBQ in Philadelphia and Freitz of the Savona in Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania.

 
Joining them on the porch that evening was Sean Conners, the chef who ran the former 32-seat Sean’s on Beach Avenue and was a much-loved waiter at Gecko’s. He had an idea for a restaurant with a menu combining sweet, tangy barbecue with fresh seafood and local produce.

 
“They brought me on board to incorporate some seafood dishes, some vegetarian dishes and run with a few of the salads,” said Sean.

 
Like the birth of the blues, they nursed it and rehearsed it and now occupy the one-time site of Daniel’s on Broadway, Moonfish Grille and the Cooper Fish, in one of the county’s oldest homes, 416 South Broadway, once known as the Whilldin-Miller house. Historian Joan Berkey dated the back portion of the structure to 1730 or earlier.

 
Sean closed his restaurant after an unfortunate turn of events. He was showing off on a bicycle at a skate park for his nine-year old and five-year-old sons and did a 360 that crushed his ankle. Unable to stand, it was time to close the doors of his restaurant. Now healed and happy, the chef said he can’t wait to cook again here. “I really missed preparing food for Cape May,” he said.

 
While barbecue and seafood will be the draw at Beachside Smokehouse, Sean also cooks vegetarian. Both his sons were raised on such a diet.

 
Some of the game on the menu will be unusual — think ostrich, emu and elk tenderloin, he said. The restaurant has teamed up with Fossil Farms of Boonton, NJ which offers organic meat products free of growth hormones, antibiotics, medications or preservatives.

 
One goal is restore the restaurant’s building to its historic roots. The back room features the original fireplace with ceiling beams that were once part of whaling boats. Wide-plank wood floors in several dining rooms were covered with carpet or tile, something that will eventually be removed to restore the historic flavor of each room, Sean said.

 
A patio area will also be available for dining. One of the second floor dining rooms offers a view of the Cape May Lighthouse.Beachside Smokehouse will use both indoor and outdoor smokers which can be moved for catering.

 
The barbecue menu will include ribs, beef brisket, chuck burgers and pork. Sean said barbecue requires a lot of preparation time including a rub which remains on the meat for a day. Another day is spent marinating the meat. Then it remains in the smoker for 12 to 14 hours, he said.

 
“It’s good comfort food and I think the building and the food will match very well,” he told us. Steve added that different types of wood, such as hickory, cherry and apple, will be used to smoke the meat. Sweeter woods are better for pork, hickory best for brisket and ribs and a combination of cherry and apple wood for chicken and poultry, he said.

Should barbecued meat fall off the bone? Steve said the meat should have a little “grab” on the bone. “If you can pull the bone clean right out, you know that it’s been parboiled or steamed,” he said. While that is not bad, it is a different process which diminishes the authentic bark flavor.
As for prices… they’ll be kept in a range that will allow families to eat happily. “If you want to come in and get a $7 to $8 pork sandwich, we’ve got it,” Steve said. “If you want a fantastic, freshly-smoked rack of ribs for 23 bucks, we’ve got it.”

 
While two partners have roots in Philly, Sean’s job is to bring in his knowledge of what diners in Cape May will enjoy. Local produce from Rea’s Farm and others may be incorporated into the barbecue sauce.

 
“I think everything tastes better the less hands that touch it,” he said. “We’re resourcing our local farms, our local wineries just to see what we can incorporate.”

 
Those on gluten-free diets will be accommodated, Sean said. PS: Another barbecue restaurant, the Cape May Smokehouse, has taken over the site of the former Lemon Tree restaurant on the mall.

Hot New Addition

 
THERE is a shop on the Washington Street Mall — the former site of Gifts Galore — with windows covered in brown butcher paper. We’d heard whispers about what’s going on inside, about a cool new concept unlike anything else on the mall. So, curiosity got the best of us, and we made an appointment with the store’s owner, 23-year-old Ryan Platzer, before the big opening on Memorial Day weekend.

 
“I have no interest in a basic, generic shop with chrome racks in the center,” he told us. “I want a shop that’s going to excite people when they walk in the door. That’s where the name, Galvanic, comes from. It means to have an electrifying effect.”

 
It’s a goal that might be hard to picture — right now, Galvanic is gutted, with a dirt floor and naked support beams that leave everything to the imagination — if it weren’t for Ryan’s enthusiasm. When he speaks about the space, you can’t help but get swept up in the excitement of an industrial vibe complete with concrete floors, walls made of reclaimed wood from north Jersey barns and Atlantic City’s post-Hurricane Sandy boardwalk, and old-school, gymnasium-style lighting. “That’s very important to me,” Ryan said. “Even in my own home, I’m constantly dimming the lights.”

 
On the loft space above his customers, Ryan will project “any kind of cool exciting videos,” like one of a guy making reclaimed wood tables in Vermont, or fashioning bicycle frames in California. And those are just the plans that are definite; the permits are still underway for the rest of the ideas Ryan and project architect Rich Stpkes — of Steven Starr restaurant fame — have ironed out.

 
But a stimulating atmosphere can only get a shop so far, Ryan realizes, which is where the merchandise comes in.

 
“Cape May is a difficult place to find men’s apparel,” he said. “So, while we’ll carry women’s clothing eventually, I wanted to make sure I fill that niche right off the bat.”

 
And fill it well.

 
“I knew I wanted board shorts, but I didn’t want Hurley or Billabong. I looked for the smaller, grassroots people who don’t want to be in PacSun, for instance. These companies have no interest in being just another shirt in a rack. A lot of the manufacturers in New York wanted to check me out as much as I wanted to check them out.”

 
Among the brands Ryan will carry is Philadelphia-based Iron and Resin, the most passionate jean-maker he could find. “They’re stamping the leather patches on the back by hand,” he said. “You visit this company, and it makes you want to make jeans.” Then there’s the cutting-edge sunglass line, Ivy, for which Ryan is the only east coast rep. And the handbags by Krochet Kids, the sales of which benefit economic growth in developing nations. Or the “hard” products, like hand-carved tables, surfboards, and skateboards that are as much works of arts as they are practical. “Mostly, it excites me to be doing something I can constantly change,” Ryan said. “I want the shop to look a little different every time people come in.”

 
While Ryan admits to being nervous about the venture, we’ve got a feeling he’s going to be a natural. After all, running a Cape May business is in the Platzer blood… his father, Mark, was a long-time owner of the C-View Inn. And, actually, being a Cape Mayan is in his blood, too.

 
“I left for Florida for a while to get my captain’s license and work on commercial fishing boats,” Ryan told us. “But there’s something about this place that draws you back. I’m so excited to be back on dry land and, most importantly, to be back in this place.”

Cape Equality

 
NEW Jersey’s reputation leaves much to be desired. It’s a chuckle-worthy reality, considering Cape May alone has been ranked nationally for our beaches, bed and breakfasts, and overall vibe. The Travel Channel once touted even our “overwhelming propensity for politeness.” And now comes another feather in our area’s ‘Jersey strong’ hat: The Garden State Equality Issues Forum will be held down here on May 18 at the Old Cape May County Courthouse in Cape May Court House.

 
Maybe you’ve heard about Garden State Equality already. This is the only American, statewide civil rights organization to be featured in an Oscar-winning documentary, AKA Freeheld. Not such a surprising accomplishment when you consider that, since the organization’s founding in 2004, 213 LGBT Civil Rights laws have been enacted. In 2012, it was largely the work of Garden State Equality that led to the the marriage equality bill (later vetoed by Governor Christie).

 
But this grassroots effort, 125,000 members strong, isn’t devoted to bettering the lives of only one demographic; this is a collective which campaigns for the rights of all ages, orientations, and faiths. It was GSE who fought for the passage of New Jersey’s groundbreaking anti-bullying law, which the New York Times calls the nation’s greatest legal deterrent to harassment — of all students — in American schools.

 
“But there is still a ways to go,” GSE Field Manager Michael Maher told us. “When you look at New Jersey’s Constitution, the promise of equality for all people is outlined clearly. We need to look at what’s not being done, and what we need to do to fix it.”

 
In order to engage the community, Garden State Equality holds town meeting sessions, like the one at the Old Cape May County Courthouse. We were told about the event by Anne McCabe, a local therapist and child welfare consultant, but such meetings have been attended by tens of thousands across the state. On tap, according to Michael, are the issues of marriage equality and bullying, specifically.

 
Check out gardenstateequality.org, or email maher@gardenstateequality.org.

Kahuna Mama Coleen Carusi McCoy takes a break in front of her teaching boards with her sons,
future shredders Leo and Axel.

Swell Girl

MAYBE you’ve heard about the women who’ve been — no pun intended — making waves in the surfing world. Layne Beachley — also, no pun intended — has won seven world championships. It was Keala Kennelly who charged a 25-foot wave for the win in the world’s first big wave contest for women. And Steph Gilmore —who once signed an autograph for your star-struck reporter — was inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame this year. But there’s one woman you won’t find on ESPN who’s also paving the way for future generations of female surfers, and in our own backyard.

 
We caught up with mother, world traveler and Cape May local Coleen Carusi McCoy about the female-only surf clinics she pioneered in the area for the first time last year, and why waves are a passion worth having.

 
“I was hooked on beach living from the get-go,” Coleen said. “I started out lifeguarding at local pools, and then progressed to guarding at Diamond Beach, and that’s how my interest got peaked in all things ocean.” After graduating from high school at 17, Coleen took a surf lesson with the newly-formed Atlantic Surfers Organization and, by the time she completed college, she was ready to move to Maui, where Time Bomb Surfboards sponsored her to ride.

 
But it wasn’t until Coleen relocated to Sayulita, Mexico that her career took off. Every winter season she she was flown down to work as surf instructor (and tour guide, translator, and medic) for Las Olas Surf Safari — a camp by women, for women — before advancing to head instructor in just seven years.
“Up until this point,” Coleen said, “all of my surf idols were men. But the girls I worked with at the camp were amazing waterwomen, hailing from Australia, Mexico, and other parts of South America. That’s when it really clicked for me. These women were tough, and making a living out of their passion for the ocean.”

 
Beginning in 1988, during summers spent on American soil, Coleen began working at Ocean Outfitters in Wildwood Crest. That same year, under the direction of longtime Merion Inn server Dean Lyon, the shop began offering all-age surf camps for both guys and girls, a program that was wonderfully received. “But for some reason,” Colleen said, “for some of the women who have always wanted to try the sport, the intimidation factor is still there. Not so much for the younger, 12-year-old set, who seem to jump right in, but for girls 18 and over. Women are more cautious by nature, which is a gift, but also at times a fault. A woman is more likely to look before she leaps.”

 
So, in an attempt to help the girls of Cape May County go ahead and leap, Coleen spearheaded her women-only surf camp through Ocean Outfitters last year. She was met with ringing endorsements by icons like Kristy Murphy, a former Las Olas colleague and Longboarding Champion of the World, who posted online that Coleen in the only instructor she’d take a lesson from in New Jersey.

 
Which is, perhaps, not only because Coleen has the experience (she’s even assisted Endless Summer star Robert “Wingnut” Weaver in his surf school), but because Colleen gets it… she understands the challenges facing females in the sport. “A lot of people have this concept in their mind of surfer girls as Roxy models,” she said. “For a while, I was trying to live up to that. But then I became friends strong women who charge some of the world’s heaviest waves, and let me tell you… none of them come close to a Roxy model image. I’ll do what I can to dispel that misconception, that surfing is only for tan 16-year-olds who are a size two.”

 
Rather, Coleen says, surfing is for any woman who wants to connect with the natural world (“To feel that sense of vast open water is worth the experience right there,” she told us), and, also, anyone who wants to feel just a little bit more alive.

 
“I’ll never forget the day I was teaching in Mexico, where there are many dangers to contend with in the water — reef beds, poison fish, and large rocks that are difficult to see,” Coleen said. “I was explaining to a woman from Illinois that she needed to do the turtle roll maneuver, or she was going to get swept back over the rock reef by huge waves. She didn’t understand the importance of this, and she hurt her leg. While we were getting her to the clinic, so that she could get stitches, all she could say is, ‘When can I get back in the water?’”

 
But that’s one of the greatest things about surfing… it teaches you to get back up again. “You learn to keep going when you take a beating,” Coleen said, “to not panic when you get in a jam. I was in labor with my first son, telling myself to just keep paddling. As cliché as it sounds, surfing is the ultimate life lesson.”

 
The all-women clinics, which will incorporate nutrition education, will take place on Sundays this summer, for two hours at a time, and will be geared toward women 18 and older. “I don’t want more mature women to think they’ll be getting in the water with young kids,” Coleen said. The clinic will also accommodate events, such as bachelorette parties or corporate retreats. Look for the first one on Mother’s Day, especially if you’re still in need of a cool gift for the water-loving matriarch of the family.

 
And don’t worry… there won’t be any rock reefs or poison fish to contend with during your lesson, which will be taught in the forgiving break of Wildwood’s Rambler Road beach. (Coleen, who gave up teaching in Mexico after getting married — to a man who agreed to always live near a beach in his wedding vows — has even had Axel and Leo (her three- and two-year-old sons, respectively) safely out on boards here.)

 
What you can expect is an encouraging environment. “I’ve never seen a lesson of girls go badly,” Coleen said. “There’s zero competition. It’s all ‘Go, Becky, Go,’ and the support is fantastic.”

 
For more information, contact Ocean Outfitters at 609-729-7400, or email coleencarusi@hotmail.com. “The ocean is exercise, recreation, and therapy,” Coleen said. “What else do you need?”

 
Art Man

 
MARTY Santry, the Washington Inn’s affable, 60-year-old bartender, doesn’t spend a lot of time talking about himself, so despite the great deal of people he meets on a given night, not many Cape Islanders know much about him. “That’s okay with me,” he told us. “I’m there to do a job. When I’m at work, it’s more about the customers.” More about the customers, and less about Marty’s affinity for horseshoe crabs, or his adorable two-month-old grandson named Elliot, or the joy he finds in sitting in the backyard with good friends and a bottle of wine after a long day on the beach. And, definitely, more about the customers than the artwork Marty spends so much of his time creating.

 
But on May 3, Marty won’t be able to avoid the spotlight, because the bartender will be one of two artists featured at Sunset Hill Fine Arts Gallery in West Chester, Pennsylvania, as part of the show called “Land and Sea”. “I’ve always loved painting,” Marty said. “It’s a form of expression and meditation.” But, here again, Marty is too humble to tell the whole story; in his case, painting isn’t just a pleasurable hobby… it’s a serious talent. We know this because, in his West Cape May home, we got a sneak peak of Marty’s work, which we discussed over biscotti, tea, and pictures of Elliot.

 
“The first artist I really saw was Van Gogh at the Philadelphia Museum of Art,” Marty said, as his cat — a female called Freddie — rubbed against his chair. “My mother’s friend took me, and I was totally overwhelmed. Even though I didn’t really understand the art, it blew me away. I still remember the way the Van Gogh banners looked as I made my way up the steps.”

 
And that’s saying something, because Marty has had a great deal of life experiences worth remembering… like herding goats in the Mediterranean, for instance. “I have lived a lot of places,” he said. “California, England, St. Croix… but I have to say my most memorable travel experience happened in Crete. I was 22, and I was hiking a huge gorge with my brother. On the way back, we discovered this wonderful, rugged little port where we ended up staying with a family for a month. There was no electricity and no running water, but we were surrounded by antiquity — a 2nd-century Christian church and a medieval Turkish castle. We helped the family out, herding their animals, and tourists took our picture, thinking we were native to the area. It was such a wonderful time.”

 
For his artwork, Marty draws inspiration from these travels, but also from the natural world around him, like when he works plein aire by the dunes by the lighthouse, or when he recreates a plant in his own backyard. “I started painting that last spring,” he said, pointing to a pear tree on the lawn. “And I’ve been waiting all winter for it to finish blooming so I can complete it. I just have 10 more hours of work to go.”

 
Some of Marty’s other pieces depict New York models. Others, like the one of horseshoe crabs that incorporates neon light and hangs in Lucky Bones restaurant, depict sea life. Still others depict nothing at all, like the “string paintings” which are not representational but, rather, convey only movement and color. The pieces even range in size, from two to seven feet long. So what’s the common thread? “I just think they’re happy, joyous paintings,” Marty said. “And I hope people feel good when they see them.”

 
If history is any indication, there’s a fair chance this will be the case. For the last 10 years, Marty — who has organized shows for the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and whose been asked to put on shows by such big name firms as Philadelphia’s Tigue Lighting —has done only commission work. One family flew him to California so that he could paint a portrait of their daughter, as well as the landscapes there. “They became interested after buying a painting I did of the black-eyed Susan plant,” he said. “The woman’s name was Susan, thank God.”

 
As for how this latest show came about? Sunset Hill owner Sandra Riper, who spends much time in Cape May, has been a longtime customer of Marty’s; one day, his art finally came up — reluctantly, no doubt — in conversation. “That was about a year ago,” Marty said. “Sandra asked to see my work, and I’ve been preparing for this show ever since. I don’t feel nervous; I feel ready, and so happy to be able to do this.”

 
“Land and Sea” will run from May 3 to May 24, with an opening reception on May 3 from 5-9pm. For directions or more info on Marty or Peter Quarracino, the other featured artist, visit sunsethillgallery.com.

Drama School

 
IT LOOKS like Cape May might finally have some hope of altering the funding formula that determines how much it costs to send students to the Lower Cape May Regional High School District.

 
Last year, city taxpayers paid $72,000 for each student sent to the regional school district. As a cost comparison, for the same money you could send your kid to Rutgers University or Richard Stockton College, living on campus for $24,000 per year, add on a new car for your student each year, like a 2013 Acura ILX with premium package for $29,200, and top it off with a brand new Bayliner 180 Bowrider 18-foot boat each year for $18,000. At the same time, Lower Township taxpayers were paying the equivalent of $7,753 per pupil.

 
At the April 16 city council meeting, council member Jack Wichterman said he had some good news in the form of a decision from Administrative Law Judge Leslie Celantano in Bergen County in a school funding formula case between the towns of Oradell and River Edge. The case was handled by Vito Gagliardi, an attorney specializing in changing school funding formulas who was hired by Cape May last December with $48,000 budgeted over the next two years for his services. “Although their problem is not as severe as ours, the judge agreed entirely with what they asked for,” said Wichterman, adding that they were not paying anywhere near as much as Cape May.

 
“To me, it shows what’s going on now in New Jersey, the courts are waking up,” said Wichterman, who is very optimistic about Cape May’s prospects for change in the funding formula following the court decision. Gagliardi is expected to visit council in May. He has been preparing a feasibility study on how to change the regional school funding formula.

 
City Solicitor Tony Monzo said Oradell petitioned the state Commissioner of Education for reapportionment on the heels of a case in North Haledon which gave courts the authority to review and come up with a more equitable funding formula. He said Judge Celantano provided a recommendation to the commissioner of education that neither a per pupil or a per property assessment formula was equitable for Oradell. “The more equitable solution in this case was 80 percent pupils and 20 percent property values,” said Monzo. Celanto recommended the new formula be phased in over two years.
The commissioner of education can accept, reject or modify the decision of the administrative law judge. The commissioner’s decision can be appealed in the Appellate Division of Superior Court for further review.

 
Monzo said the disparity in the school funding formula of Oradell and River Edge was not nearly as bad as that of Cape May and Lower Township. He said there was a difference of cost per pupil of $19,000 for Oradell versus $13,200 per pupil for River Edge. “This is the third case where towns that are really getting hit hard are getting relief,” said Wichterman. “Number one was North Haledon, then Seaside Park and now Oradell and I’m hoping we’re going to be number four.” The City of North Haledon has saved over $4 million.

 
Gagliardi was hired as consultant to Cape May in 2005. At that time he recommended a voter referendum on the regional school funding formula but it did not come to fruition when the West Cape May Board of Commissioners and West Cape May Board of Education voted no.
Deputy Mayor Bill Murray said the funding formula would never be changed “politically” because of the size of districts and the difficulty for legislators to try to convince a municipality to allow their taxes to be increased because the school funding formula is unfair.

Rudytoo takes a rare (really rare) nap under a desk at EZ Global Headquarters. When he’s not resting, he’s romping on the beach, running up and down stairs for no real reason, and playing ball with the other Exit Zero mutts.

Bugging Out

IF YOU’VE been reading the papers lately, maybe you’re bracing yourself for insect catastrophe. We’re referring to the 17-year cicadas known as Brood II which have been growing underground for — you guessed it — 17 years. They’ll emerge locust-style — up to one billion of them per square mile, according to the The Huffington Post — when the soil reaches 64 degrees. A repulsive siege, in the oh-so-scary words of the news media, will take over the east coast, from the Carolinas to New York, essentially ruining your summer and your lunch.

 
The Philly Post predicted a Garden State Parkway covered in “an apocalyptic swarm of screeching bug-missiles on rumspringa.” So… should you be hiding your children? Packing up and heading west? Plugging your ears with balls of cotton when you sleep? We called an expert to find out what we can expect in Cape May.

 
“You can expect to be disappointed,” said Michael Raupp, Professor of Entomology at the University of Maryland. Uh-oh, we thought… We’re really in for it. “Cape May is a little out of the range. The nearest counties to you guys that will experience the Brood are Atlantic, Cumberland, and Burlington.”
Huh? Then why should we disappointed, we asked of Michael. Sounds to us like we dodged a bullet. Or, in the words of The Philly Post, billions of bug missiles. We’re avoiding a summer of sweeping crunchy exoskeletons from our porches… that’s what the 17-years leave behind after they mate and die, according to National Geographic. And we’re bypassing the deafening song the male cicadas create when courting the females… a noise that will cause permanent hearing damage, according to Gizmodo.com.

 
“You’ll be disappointed because you’ll be missing the splendor of the cicadas,” Michael said. “I want people to stop thinking of this as the seventh plague and, rather, as a really cool natural phenomenon. Nowhere else in the known universe experiences such a synchronized emergence after an extremely long period of time, where the strategy of a species is to fill all the bellies of its enemies and still have enough of itself left over to reproduce. Safety in numbers is an unusual tactic in the animal world. This event has everything… life, death, birth, sex, drama. It’s better than reality TV.”

 
Okay… but what about the blacking out of the sun by cicada swarms we’ve been reading about? “Oh god,” Michael said, “It’s not going to be like The Mummy movie.” And the deafening noises? “About 90 decibels,” he said. “That’s the same level as a loud lawn mower or a rock concert. Hey, I lived through the 60s, and I can still hear. The only way you’ll experience permanent damage is to stick one in your ear, and that, I don’t recommend. The cicadas aren’t going to harm you or your pets, and they aren’t going to hatch in your house.” In fact, the only things the cicadas might damage are orchard plants, since inside the branches is where they like to lay their eggs. “They do affect the quality of life, though,” Michael said. “They improve it.”

 
Still, there will be people who will be utterly freaked. “Entomophobia is a real phobia,” Michael said. “I’ve heard from psychologists and psychiatrists that people are going to struggle with this.” So what’s a bug-fearing soul to do? Michael recommends talking with a counselor, and learning as much as one can about the cicadas. And if all else fails? “Think of this as a cool antidote to the dastardly mosquitoes that plague south Jersey,” Michael said. “And take a trip to Cape May.”

Beach Book

WE READ a study recently that said when you’re just about to give up on a project, tack on an extra 15 minutes of trying, and your chances of success increase exponentially. Just 15 minutes. Of course, there are those people who keep at a project for 15 years. That’s how long Cape May local Carol Fragale Brill— whose work has been recognized by Poets and Writers and Philadelphia Stories—worked on her first novel, Peace By Piece, now available for purchase. “I had a burning desire or passion… I don’t know what else to call it,” she told us. “I just knew there was a book inside of me.”

 
Carol, originally from Philadelphia, started coming to Cape May to visit the mother of her future husband, Jim. “I was more of a Margate girl at that point,” she told us. “And every time we’d pass that exit, I’d think, Why can’t your mother live here? But I just fell in love with the area, and 15 years ago, we moved down here permanently.”

 
Though the book is set in a fictional town, Carol says she was impacted by her surroundings. “I always wanted to live near a beach,” she said. “Having achieved that goal, I think I was more confident that I could achieve other goals, like finishing this story.”
Finishing the story and, in the process, offering female readers especially a character with whom they can connect. “When I started the novel,” she told us, “I thought the book was really about a woman with an eating disorder. But as the character and plot evolved, that became just one part. It’s a love story, and it’s about relationships. It’s the story of a woman dealing with everyday stuff women deal with.”

 
Of course, for every author, there’s the challenge of balancing one’s writing life with one’s work… Carol served as HR Director for AtlantiCare before moving into organizational development and leadership coaching. But for the Cape May author, there’s an added obstacle. “Living here,” she said, “there are lots of opportunities to have company during the summer, so I always let friends know that they’re welcome to be here, and I’ll come out to cook for them, but that on Saturdays, I work on the book in my off-limits office.”

 
In her office, or on the beach, that is. “I’d bring my notebooks and do some writing in front of the lighthouse,” Carol said. “There, it doesn’t feel like work. There’s a joke in my family that I’ll set up a stand and sell books next to my beach chair this summer.”

 
If you’d rather not wait that long, the book, which Carol self-published despite offers of representation from agents, is available on Amazon.com and at Cape Atlantic Book Company and Tommy’s Folly, or as an eBook. You can also join Carol on April 21 at the Point Diner in Somers Point (1 Macarthur Boulevard) for a “Literary Lunch,” during which she’ll read from Peace By Piece and chat with attendees about the writing process. To register, email carolfragalebrill@comcast.net.

 
Be on the lookout also for Carol’s second book— one that will be set in the Cape May area — which she’s in the process of finishing now. We don’t know whether or not that narrative will have a happy ending, but we do know that Carol’s own story is shaping up to be pretty great. “Hey,” she said, “I’m a kid that grew up on fairytales.”

Music Man

THERE are people in this town who never seem to stop moving… the kind who always have exciting projects in the works. Case in point: Mike Boschen, who’s going to be doing Cape Island proud in the Big Apple.

 
You might have met Mike and his wife Nicole Pense, owners of Bliss Organic Ice Cream. They’re the couple who, before settling in Cape May for good, launched a cross-country search for the the perfect place to raise a family (a story we documented in one of our color issues).

 
It all started more than three years ago, back when Mike and Nicole were full-fledged New Yorkers living the fast-paced city life. Mike, a skilled trombone player, worked as part of the orchestra for a Broadway show and taught at Juilliard in the high school division. Nicole ran an agency matching special education teachers to kids with special needs. But after Sage, the couple’s first child, was born, they decided it was time to start over in a family-friendly small town.

 
Enter the cross-country journey that, after he quit his job and she gave up her business, would take Mike and Nicole to all 50 states. In each one, they interviewed a couple who has been together 50 years or more, with the hopes of turning the interviews into a book that would enhance the relationships of all who read it. Everywhere, they kept an eye out for the ideal place to settle down, although they had a feeling they’d probably land in San Francisco.

 
The very first interview took place in Cape May, and the last happened nine months later, in California, that place the couple thought they’d be most taken with. But, by that time, they knew what they’d been looking for had been in front of them all along.

 
“I don’t know how we didn’t realize it,” Mike told us. “When I was a kid, my parents bought a house in Cape May and it was a second home for 10 years. While my wife and I were dating, I took her there and she loved it, so we went to visit all the time from New York City. We even got married there. I think we were just so set on leaving the East coast, we didn’t notice that the perfect place for us was right there. This place is a rarity. It packs a lot of culture into a small space.”

 
But the trip was not for naught. “We love organic food,” Mike said. “And on the road we were always looking for homemade food, if not organic. When we were discussing what to do for work, Nicole mentioned the idea of an ice cream shop.”

 
She started making the sweet stuff at home, before selling it at Big Wave Burrito and the Cape May Farmer’s Market. Shortly thereafter, the couple opened their Park Boulevard and Carpenter’s Lane locations.

 
Add two more kids to the mix, along with that book they’re still working on, and you’d think Mike and Nicole were busy enough… but what’s one more (uber-cool) undertaking?

 
“It felt weird to go without playing for so long,” said Mike, who took a short hiatus from his trombone while on the road. “So I started to play again, and by the time we settled in Cape May I wanted to get back into it.” He became a regular performer at the Merion Inn, and in the Baltimore and New Jersey Symphonies. After reconnecting with friends in the music business, Mike got an offer to play for Matilda on Broadway. Since February, he’s been commuting from Cape May to New York several times a week. “I’m doing what I always wanted to do. Play music and live at the beach.”

 
Now, the family is thinking about finding a second home in New York, so that the kids will get to experience the buzz of the city along with the calm of Cape May.

 
“This new job is a great way to get New York back in our lives, and at the same time, keep our roots in Cape May,” Mike said. “This place is important to us.”

Taylor Smith takes a break on one of his benches with Bob Gleeson (far left), who helped build the first batch of furniture, and his brother Zach Smith (far right), who has also contributed. See our story on page 16.

A Cape May Feast

 
FOR most of us, spring cleaning means putting some elbow grease into the deepest, darkest corners of our living space… plenty of work, even if one’s space is not 92,000 square feet. That’s the size of the hangar at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum where 22 aircraft, among other displays, currently reside. “It will take five days to clear them all out,” Director Bruce Fournier told us. “Then we’ll do about two days of prep work — our spring cleaning — to get it all nice and ready.” Ready for what, you’d like to know? On May 7, the museum will host the 13th Annual Feasting On History event, a major fundraiser for Historic Cold Spring Village, and an unofficial kick-off to Cape Island’s season.

 
“This year, we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the village’s founding,” Kate Devaney, HCSV’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Programming, told us. “I think it’s important to understand where we’ve been, and to understand the experiences of our ancestors, so that we’re better able to understand where we are now. Feasting on History is a wonderful way to toast all of the preservation work the village has accomplished over the last 40 years.” Preservation work, like the saving of 26 buildings from the Early American era including, most recently, the Coxe Hall Cottage, built in 1691 and believed to be oldest surviving structure in Cape May County.

 
In these buildings, which span 30 beautiful acres, interpreters and artisans in period clothing showcase the trades and crafts pursued in south Jersey between 1789 and 1840. “It’s especially wonderful to see children discovering history,” Kate said, “and to see them having fun that doesn’t include an iPhone or a video game.” Part of the village’s mission, she explained, is education via school trips, classroom visits and interactive teleconferences. “In one program, kids learn about games children played in the Early American period and subjects they studied in school, but they’re always most fascinated by discipline… how a child could have been smacked across the hands with a hickory stick or forced to stand on a wooden block with a dunce cap for misbehaving or not keeping up in school.”

 
Adults are equally enthralled by the village’s offerings. “Something I’ve learned,” Kate told us, “is that Concessions and Agreements, a text written by Jacob Spicer, Jr and Aaron Leaming, both lawyers and Cape May County residents, was a source of inspiration used in crafting the US Constitution. Pretty cool, huh? The Spicer Leaming House on the village grounds belonged to Jacob’s grandson.”

 
So it’s fair to say that a fundraiser benefiting HSVC is a great cause… but, importantly for the approximately 700 people who will attend Feasting on History, the event is also a great time…. this due, in large part, to the 40 area restaurants who will be serving food. “It’s the highlight of the spring, as far as we’re concerned,” said Harpoon Henry’s owner Teresa Henry. “We’ve participated for the last eight or nine years, and the event seems only to be growing. It’s a lovely opportunity to mingle, and to taste the offerings of so many restaurants you may not have time to visit during the summer. You’ll see the same favorites represented every year, and always a new place or two. Many of them bring their most popular dishes.”

 
In the meantime, the preparations continue. “Our volunteers have been wonderful,” Kate said. “One thousand invitations went out in January, and we had a group of people who spent three days stuffing those and addressing them by hand. And a couple — Liz and Merrill Miller — have volunteered to spend three weeks folding the 850 linen napkins I just ordered. They’re just awesome.”

 
And Feasting on History will be, too, no doubt. To buy your tickets, priced at $75 per person, contact Kate at 609-898-2300, or visit hcsv.org.

 
Oh, and if you’re wondering where all of those 22 aircraft will end up during the festivities, look no further than the 40 feet of property on the north side of the aviation museum. “These are military aircraft,” Bruce told us, “so they won’t mind a bit of rain.”

Cape May Seals

 
IN THE past two weeks, a couple of readers have sent us pictures of seals resting on our beaches, one near Queen Street, the other just south of the lighthouse. We shared the photos on Facebook; 249 of you “liked” the former, and 368 of you, the latter. One hundred and seventy two shares later, we got the hint… everyone really enjoys seals. And hardly anyone, judging by the 40 mostly befuddled comments these photos garnered, is familiar with them. We called the Marine Mammal Stranding Center — a nonprofit based in Brigantine which has responded to 4,000 calls about dolphin, whale, turtle and, of course, seal, strandings in New Jersey — for more information.

 
“It happens more than you’d think,” Seal Stranding Technician Danielle Monaghan told us. “Up and down the coastline, we see gray, harbor, and harp seals. Just today, we received three calls. Not too far offshore, like in Great Bay and the Sandy Hook barrier spit, there are several colonies.”

 
While it’s possible the animals who come ashore are in trouble of some sort (think shark bites, net entanglements, ingestion of plastics, illness and the like), seals on the sand are often just looking for some R and R. “The animals don’t sleep in the water, so they come out for rest,” Danielle said. “Beaches, docks, jet ski ramps… wherever they can take a nap, they will.”

 
It’s an explanation that many have found suspect. “People want to know why a seal who’s healthy doesn’t make a break for it when they approach,” Danielle says. “The answer is that the seal doesn’t want to… it’s likely that he just swam a great distance, and he wants to take his nap.”

 
And just for the record, it’s actually illegal to test this out. “No one is allowed within 150 feet of any marine mammal, unless you have the proper permit,” Danielle told us, explaining that the folks of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center are the only ones in the state who do.

 
So how should you react when you spot a seal? “Call us, and we’ll come check out the animal, just to make sure everything is okay,” Danielle said. If it’s not, the center will rehabilitate and release it.

 
Perhaps most importantly, remember that these are wild animals. “Seals aren’t puppies,” Danielle said. “We’ve had many cases where people have been bit… one woman in the face, another in the arm. When that happens, we have to quarantine the animal, and it’s really not fair. It’s a perfectly healthy seal.”

 
If you simply can’t resist these adorable creatures, try adopting one of your own. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center runs a program that allows you, for a donation of $25, to secure food, medicine and care for one special seal. Check out the pictures and video on marinemammalstrandingcenter.org for a seriously awww-inducing moment.

 
Because the seals are here in the winter, usually between November and April (they head toward New England in the warmer months), we’re expecting to see fewer and fewer. But if you do happen to run across a rubber-skinned sunbather, call 609-266-0538. And send us a picture.

The Wood Man

 
A COUPLE of weeks ago, while pulling into Sunset Liquor to buy an outrageous amount of wine (hey, it was the weekend), we spotted 22-year-old Taylor Smith posting an advertisement for his custom-made woodworkings. We love stories about local people doing cool things, so we gave Taylor a call to find out what he’s up to.

 
“Right after the hurricane,” Taylor told us, “I was walking on the beach with my dogs, and I came across an Australian Red Cedar. I liked the wood so much, I wanted a way to make it into something special, and I decided a bench would allow me to keep the natural look. Since then, I’ve made eight benches, and I’m doing lamps and wood pieces for walls… I’m having fun experimenting. I’m just starting to branch out.” No pun intended.

 
But it’s more than just a hobby; woodworking is a craft Taylor’s learned from doing various construction projects on the island (he was laying 102-year-old Tarracotta tiles at the Mission Inn when we called him, and he did help his cousin build a post and beam barn house just over the Cape May Bridge from a Lincoln Log-style kit). And it’s also a talent that’s in Taylor’s blood. “My grandfather, Mickey Blomkvest, was a Cape May Mayor, and he worked on some of the most amazing places in Cape May between the 50s and the 80s, including the original Convention Halls.”

 
Actually, Taylor’s whole family is comprised of Cape May movers and shakers. His mom, Stina Smith, owns Jersey Cape Dance Studio, and you may have seen his father, Parker Smith, acting on stage at Elaine’s Famous Dinner Theater.

 
So it’s fair to see that Taylor — himself a graduate of Lower Cape May Regional High School who’s been working on a commercial fishing boat out of Lund’s Fisheries since he was 18 and who serves tables at Crab House at Two Mile Landing in the summer — knows this area like the back of his hand. And he knows that what he’s offering might just appeal to your typical Cape Mayan. “This town is made of artsy people who are organically-minded,” he told us.

 
Plus, we’re a group who’d rather support the grassroots up-start — like the guy building benches out of his Washington Street apartment — than any kind of faceless chain. So, if you’re in the market for some cool new furniture, check out Custom Woodworks By Taylor on Facebook, or give him a call at 609-408-0563. He does do special requests. “I could never do a nine to five,” Taylor said. “But the physical act of working with my hands… I really enjoy what I do. And that the possibilities are endless.”

Jennifer Papendick, Mike DeMusz, and Julie Menz enjoyed Oyster Bay’s hot new bar on opening night, Friday, March 29.

Easy Being Green

REMEMBER when “going green” was a phrase reserved largely for dreadlocked hippies in hemp clothing? Before climate change and carbon footprints were part of the everyday vernacular? Even then, our city’s administration was ahead of the curve… that’s right, we’ve been critical of our officials in these pages, but we give props where props are due. And not just to our city officials… there’s a beautiful synergy in this town between politicians, business owners, restaurateurs, and residents all working toward a common goal: creating a sustainable future. The Green Fair happening from 10am to 4pm at Convention Hall on April 13 might be considered a culmination of so many forward-thinking efforts.

 
“Sustainability has been a focus for probably about 30 years,” Mayor Ed Mahaney told us, explaining that the city’s environmental commission has been a major catalyst for increased awareness regarding the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between the natural world and human life.
The benchmark accomplishments have been many. There was the water conservation program which made low-flow showerheads and toilets available to residents. There was the building of the desalination plant, still the only one of its kind in the state, during Mayor Mahaney’s first administration, between 1995 and 1998. And there have been tree-planting programs, anti-idling enforcement campaigns, efforts to use recycled mulch in local gardens, the birth of community paper-shredding days, the installation of energy-saving appliances in public buildings that lowered the city’s electric bill by approximately $17,000… the list is extensive and even a bit overwhelming.

 
By 2011, the establishment of a nonprofit certification program called Sustainable Jersey — meant to recognize municipalities doing such work, and to provide training and financial incentives for those wanting to do more — had led Mayor Mahaney and the city council to put together a green team, comprised of 21 proactive residents. The group was responsible for cataloging the city’s green accomplishments to date so that they might be presented to Sustainable Jersey. That same year, Cape May’s first formal year of participation, the city was awarded the organization’s highest honor, a silver designation. In 2012, it achieved the same. “They are one of the elite,” we were told by Sustainable Jersey representative Kristy Ranieri. “Cape May is a star.” It’s likely why the organization has sought out Mayor Mahaney to join their board, along with four other New Jersey mayors, a position he’s accepted. Out of 566 municipalities in the state, only 113 are certified, and only 11 of these are labeled silver.

 
But Cape May isn’t slowing down when it comes to going green. The honors come on the heels of more exciting developments, like the city-wide move to single-stream recycling that was put into place last Monday, or the work the city’s construction office is doing to counsel people undertaking construction projects on the most responsible building materials. Or the installation of the wind turbine being worked on this week at Cape May City Elementary, while the kids are on spring break. The city got a grant for it in 2011, not only in order to reduce the school’s energy costs but to open young eyes to the importance of alternative energy, as operating the turbine will become an integral part of the curriculum.

 
And so many of these endeavors are being done with “free” money. “We’ve gotten over $200,000 worth of city improvements paid for by grants and rebates,” Mayor Mahaney told us. Over the last three years, Cape May has worked with the State Board of Public Utilities on an initiative called Direct Install. The city underwent an energy audit, and because it agreed to make more than 25 percent of the suggested improvements (you’ve probably noticed the solar panels on the beach patrol headquarters, for instance), not only was the cost of the audit rebated, but Direct Install footed the majority of the bill for the work. Now, more than 30 businesses in town are pursuing their own energy audits, and the city is working on extending the same opportunity to home owners.

 
And these are just the projects that get mentioned at meetings of city council (mentioned to sparse crowds, but mentioned nonetheless). There are other under-the-radar movements afoot, like the building of a 1,600-square foot house on Roslyn Avenue in North Cape May that’s intended to be a near-zero energy home. Michael Sebright of Energy Reconsidered, Inc, based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, told us he’s working as the energy consultant for the project, but that all of the parties involved in its construction, including architect John Huber, have worked together from the beginning to create a home that will generate nothing in utility costs… think solar paneling and a sophisticated heat recovery ventilation system that introduces fresh air to a building in an efficient way. An electrical panel will monitor every circuit in the house, nicknamed by those involved as “Exit Zero house,” sending a data feed to Michael’s office so that energy output can be analyzed.

 
“We’ve built several of these homes in the Philadelphia area,” Michael told us. “But this will be the first of its kind in the area, and we’re hoping the prototype will be replicated. There are 50 homes in that neighborhood in which the exact same thing could be put in place.”
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the work of some of the establishments in town, like the Mad Batter restaurant and Caroll Villa Hotel, with floors of sustainable bamboo, a bar made of recycled material and men’s rooms featuring waterless urinals, among other eco-friendly features. Or the work of Cape Resorts, which sources 80 percent of the produce for its restaurants from its Beach Plum Farm. Or the work of the Cape May Bird Observatory and the Nature Center, who do great work promoting eco-tourism.

 
So, it makes sense that this city would be hosting the Green Fair on April 13. “There won’t be vendors,” Mayor Mahaney told us. “We’re not trying to sell people something.” Instead, exhibitors will be on hand to entertain and educate. Look for best-selling authors, as well as representatives from Cape May Film Society, who will be showcasing some environmental movies, the Cape May Coast Guard Base, who will explain some of the ways they’ve made their base more energy-efficient, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, US Fish and Wildlife, The Cape May Nature Center, The Atlantic County Utility Authority, the Audubon Society and, of course, Sustainable Jersey. You’ll get tips for ways to make your own home more green, and you’ll enjoy the entertainment provided by the Turtle Singer and the Brian Height Quartet.

 
Local chef Jimmy Burton of the Rusty Nail will be on hand making some tasty, and sustainable, treats. “The value to any resident is to come out and see how we maintain our quality of life through some simple steps,” Mayor Mahaney said. “The people here truly care about conservation, and this program will have something that everyone will appreciate and learn from.”

Down On The Farm

SINCE we’re on quite a sustainability kick here, we would be remiss not to mention an exciting, sustainably-minded event happening in the Congress Hall Ballroom on April 18: Forum On The Green — Farm-To-Table Dinner.

 
The dinner is a part of this year’s Cape May Forum, a series of events which facilitate discussion between Cape Mayans about a topic important to the community. This year’s theme, “Water Matters”, seems especially pertinent for our neck of the woods. “Our mission is to bring speakers and experts who will benefit everyone, locals and tourists,” Cape May Forum President Ronnie Cohen told us. “This is an initiative that a number of people in the community wanted to bring to Cape May, so now here we are, in our fourth year, and we have a few special things up our sleeve. We are partnering with National Geographic, we’re hosting our very first book club with the help of the Cape May County Library, and we’re partnering with a lot of local non-profit organizations, including the New Jersey Maritime Museum, who are sponsoring a lecture. We’re also inviting some renowned speakers.” Among these keynoters? West Cape May resident John Francis, otherwise known as the PlanetWalker, who was so abhorred by human treatment of the planet in the ’70s that he gave up traveling by motorized car for 22 years and walked the length of America.

 
The Farm-to-Table Dinner is one of the Forum’s biggest fundraisers. “It began in our second year, when the topic was ‘The Politics of Food in the 21st Century,’” Ronnie said. “People absolutely loved it, so we decided to make it yearly.”

 
The event, open to everyone, is a product of Cape May Forum’s partnership with Slow Food South Jersey, an organization that emphasizes the importance of eating local, fresh, and in-season food. “It will be delicious,” Ronnie said. “We’re featuring Cape May oysters, scallops, fish, local cheeses and crackers, and local wines.”

 
Ronnie also told us that all of the evening’s produce will be coming from West Cape May’s 62-acre Beach Plum Farm, which provides the produce for all of the Cape Resorts restaurants (Ebbitt Room, Blue Pig Tavern, Tommy’s Folly, The Rusty Nail) so we caught up with head farmer/ manager Jaime Alvarez. But what’s on the evening’s menu, he told us, is yet to be decided. “The thing about this type of event,” he said, “is that whatever is growing well at the time of the dinner is what’s served. Judging by the things that we’re growing right now, you’ll probably see our greenhouse tomatoes. And you might see other vegetables, like parsley, carrots, turnips, beets, and lettuce.” A 3,000-square-foot greenhouse has increased the options. “Right now, and in the past couple of months, we have been growing all kinds of different things in there,” he said. “Different varieties of lettuce, baby greens, and some spices, which are delivered to restaurants at least once a week.”

 
But no matter how broad or narrow your palette, Ronnie assured us, you’ll leave the Farm-To-Table Dinner satisfied. “We will have something for everyone,” she said. “We’ll even have vegan and vegetarian options. This dinner gives us a way to both contribute to the community and eat healthy, delicious food at the same time.”

 
So far, there are about 175 guests expected, and tickets are still on sale at the Forum’s website, priced at $60. For more info, visit capemayforum.org.

After The Storm

WE OFTEN print pictures of our readers holding Exit Zero on white sandy beaches and picturesque mountaintops, but there’s one subscriber whose been reading his issues in a war zone.

 
At least, that’s how 59-year-old school teacher Mike Letso describes Lavalette, New Jersey, post Hurricane Sandy.

 
A lifelong surfer, Mike is comfortable in the water, but even he was terrified by the ocean that, during the storm, turned his home town into an unrecognizable mess. “Houses are upside down,” he said. “One was spun completely around. Many are splintered with nothing but a roof on them. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

 
Mike and his wife, who chose not to evacuate, spent two days trapped inside their own house. “In retrospect, we were ignorant,” he said. “We should have left. We watched the water go from a trickling down the street to a river. We were freaked out, and in total darkness. When we finally came out, we saw the devastation everywhere. There are places, just blocks away, where you can’t tell where the street used to be. It’s a reality check… one night can destroy everything.”

 
In addition to losing so many sentimental things — 50-year-old Christmas decorations, children’s toys Mike had hoped his grandkids would enjoy one day, all of his old music books — the couple lost three vehicles, as well as their plumbing, water and electricity, rendering their house unlivable… a reality, they say, that pales in comparison to that of so many neighbors. “I have survivor’s guilt,” Mike said. “We were some of the lucky ones.” Still, the Letsos hitched a ride out of town and took up residence with friends in Point Pleasant for four-and-a-half months.

 
But the week of St. Patrick’s Day, the couple returned home, the only ones on their street to do so. “I sat on the stoop after midnight,” he said. “I felt like playing, so I took a big can of Guinness and the 1982 Fender F-75 I got for my high school graduation and played in the freezing cold. People ask why we don’t move, and it’s a good question. I actually think Cape May is much nicer, but this is the place I know. The awful stench of the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay still pervades everything. A coating of muck won’t wash away. The stench and gloom are still unbearable.”

 
Or at least it would be, if it weren’t for the solace Mike takes from surfing, songwriting, and one of his favorite pastimes, visiting Cape May. “The first time I went there was my wedding night,” he told us. “My wife kept her dress on while we were on the promenade, eating funnel cake. It was beautiful.”
Now, the couple visits Cape May four or five times a year. Immediately following the storm, they spent a few nights at the Grand Hotel. “It was the most wonderful feeling to know Cape May wasn’t affected, especially because we’d heard rumors that the town didn’t exist anymore. And recently, we wanted to go surfing. Because it’s so sad here, where you have to walk by mashed-up houses, we got up at dawn and drove to Queen Street. What a wonderful diversion.”

 
A diversion, Mike told us, that makes the road ahead feel just a bit less arduous. “Being in Cape May,” he said, “that’s the first time we’ve been able to think about something other than this tragedy. A drive down the Parkway, and we’re in a peaceful place.”