SHAKY GROUND: Tuesday's earthquake
centered in Virginia shook towns throughout New Jersey, and the barrier
islands were no exception. The 5.9 magnitude earthquake caused the
ground to shake and buildings to vibrate for about 10-15 seconds. No
damage or injuries were reported in our area.
HURRICANE IRENE is making her way toward the
United States, and depending upon the storm's track, could make a big impact
in New Jersey. Residents and visitors are advised to watch the weather
forecast carefully, secure all outdoor furniture, boats, and other items,
and be aware of potential flooding. If advised by authorities to leave
the island, please do so promptly.
CLEAR & DRY: despite the approach of Irene,
the weather on the Island has been magnificent, with clear blue skies, puffy
white clouds, and cool, dry air. Humidity is expected to increase as
the weekend draws near.
THE MID-ATLANTIC $500,000 fishing tournament
has returned to Cape May again this week for the 21st year. More than
100 boats paid a $6,000 entry fee to chase fish, and prizes of as much as
$100,000 for the largest fish. Additional side bets, called Calcuttas,
take the total prize money to $1.56 million. Catches are weighed daily
at the Canyon Club Marina.
"FEDERAL MONEY" was cited by state Senator
Jeff Van Drew as the reason the project to remove traffic lights along the
Garden State Parkway has recently stalled. About $20 million of the
project's $100 million cost is coming from the federal government, and
because of that, wetlands disturbed by the project must now be "mitigated"
by creating an equivalent area of new wetlands elsewhere. Van Drew
expressed frustration that the Army Corp of Engineers and the State
Department of Environmental Protection are in a bureaucratic deadlock over
the issue.
SEVEN MILE BEACH Realtors played in a charity
softball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Ball Girls and the
Philadelphia Flyers Skate Girls on Sunday. The game and after-party
were organized by John Allison of the Golden Inn. Former Phillies
pitcher Ricky Bottalico umpired the game. A great time was had by all,
as the Realtors edged out a victory over the Ball Girls/Skate Girls!
Ricky Bottalico, far left umpired the game; Avalon
Real Estate Agency participants included
Randy Leiser, center, and Rick Ogen, far right.
DOLPHINS IN THE BAY! On rare occasions
the porpoises so commonly seen in the ocean will enter the back bays.
A pair of them were spotted in Stone Harbor's back bay Thursday morning.
The dolphins entered Pleasure Bay, between Corinthian Drive and Golden Gate
Drive, two times before heading into the Intracoastal Water Way. The
presence of dolphins is a sign that there are schools of bait fish in the
area, soon to become a meal for the dolphins.
LOCAL ARTIST Stan Sperlak will have two of his
paintings hang in the US Embassy in Uzbekistan. One painting features
a sunset over Delaware Bay and the other features an Avalon beach scene.
The paintings were selected by Ambassador George Kroll, and will hang in the
embassy for two years. Mr. Sperlak resides in Cape May Court House.
WHO HAS the most beautiful house in Sea Isle
City? We're going to find out on Sunday, September 18 when a winner of
the "Beautification Award" is selected. Properties may be nominated by
their owners or neighbors; application forms can be obtained at Sea Isle
City Hall, or at
www.seaislecitynj.us (under the "quick links/downloadable forms" tab.)
REST STOP FARM MARKET: The Cape May
County rest stop on the Garden State Parkway has been without food service
for nearly two years. That will soon change as a farm market and
several food vendors are expected to open on the site from Thursday
to Sunday through September 18. If successful the program could be
extended through the Columbus Day weekend, and could operate full time next
summer.
THE ISLANDS have been noticeably quieter this
week with peak summer time crowds behind us. But we've got a lot of
great summer time fun left! If you haven't been here already, come on
down! Enjoy warm ocean water and delightful seabreezes, shopping,
dining, and more!
AVALON LIFEGUARDS won the Dave Kerr Memorial
Lifeguard Races this past Sunday. Avalon's team was followed by Sea
Isle City (2nd), North Wildwood (3rd), and Wildwood Crest (4th). Stone
Harbor was tied for fifth place with Ventnor.
LAST CHANCE to catch the Harlem Globetrotters
while they're at the Wildwood Convention Center! The Globetrotters play
evening games through Saturday, August 13. As a friend of Avalon Real
Estate, we're offering you a discount on tickets.
View
the Schedule and pick the game of your choice. Enter the code HOMES on
the Ticketmaster page for $5 off each ticket (valid for tickets priced at
$20, $25 and $30).
THE BEESLEY'S POINT BRIDGE, which carried
Route 9 over Great Egg Harbor Bay for 83 years, will soon be partly removed.
The bridge span has structural problems and was closed several years ago.
The drawbridge span, which has been left in the open position, will be
removed for safety reasons. Officials say that at some point in the
future, the rest of the bridge structure will need to be removed.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? If you can't, blame
the crowd. Slower 3G and 4G connections can be blamed on limited
capacity and higher summertime demand according to an AT&T spokeswoman.
AT&T has added a mobile cell site in Ocean City, and Sprint has plans to
increase capacity in South Jersey. T-Mobile and Verizon are increasing
capacity, too. A Verizon spokesman said that for the first time, 3G
data service usage has surpassed voice call usage, taxing the existing
system.
NEW JERSEY'S TALL SHIP, the AJ Meerwald, has
returned to Cape May Harbor for its 15th season. The Meerwald will
sail from Cape May through September 2nd, with public sails at 1:30 and 5pm
most days. Tickets range from $15 to $45 depending upon the time of
day and type of sail. Visit
www.bayshorediscovery.org or call 856-785-2060 for reservations.
THE OCEAN TEMPERATURE reached 83 degrees this
past weekend, the highest ocean temperature recorded in the region in 10
years. July's extreme heat and weather patterns favorable for warm
surface water have led to above average ocean temperatures almost all
season. The average surf temperature at this time of year is 72
degrees. Offshore winds can cool the surf temperature dramatically by
blowing warm surface water offshore, causing upwelling of cooler bottom
water--that may happen as the next cold front approaches the area.
MARKET STATS: from January 1 through July 31
the local market saw 158 properties sell, up 52% over the same period last
year. This year's average sale price was $1,277,927, up 3.4% over last
year, while the median price was $869,750, down 14%. The large drop in
the median price resulted from an increased number of sales in the sub-$1
million category of the market: last year through July 31, 52 properties
sold under $1,000,000; this year 93 were sold under $1,000,000.
THANK YOU, BLOOMS! Our guests checking
in to rental properties have enjoyed fresh flower arrangements in our lobby
provided each week by Karin Parker of Blooms in Cape May Court House.
Need flowers? Call Blooms at (609) 465-1662.
SEE THE PHILLIE PHANATIC in Sea Isle City on
August 10. The popular Philadelphia baseball mascot will hold a
"meet-and-greet" at Gillian's Funland Amusement Park at 42nd Place and the
bay between 6 and 7pm. There's no charge to meet the Phanatic.
PLEASE PASS MY NAME along to a friend,
neighbor or coworker who wants to buy, sell, or rent! I will take
great care of anyone you refer to me, and appreciate each and every
referral.