Slide Shows
Lucy the Elephant: America’s First Roadside Attraction
Audio and Photos by Gabriel Arnold
MARGATE – Lucy the Elephant, a six-story tall, wood and tin pachyderm-shaped building, has dominated the shoreline view of Margate since 1881. Now celebrating 130 years as a Jersey shore novelty, Lucy continues to be a popular tourist attraction. “Lucy was built here before there were roads,” says Bob McGuigan, assistant director of the Save Lucy Committee. “Before there were casinos, Lucy was here. Before there were condos, Lucy was here.”
A Ride in “The Capn’s” Rolling Chair
Audio and Photos by Mat Boyle
ATLANTIC CITY – Joe Rechten, who dresses in red, white, and blue and is known as “The Cap’n,” is one of the most recognizable rolling chair operators on the boardwalk. Rechten has a history of unusual jobs, including mascot for the Atlantic City Surf minor league baseball team and ventriloquist. He recently pushed an elderly woman, who made a special trip to the boardwalk to ride in his chair. “That’s when you don’t mind doing a 14 or 16-hour shift,” said Rechten. “That’s what makes it worthwhile.”
Sue Actually Sells Sea Shells
Photos and Audio by Damian Biniek
CAPE MAY – Sue Hobbs is a globetrotting conchologist or scientist of shell life. As a leading authority in her field, she loans her findings to museums, galleries, and collectors. Several of her shells have toured through the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian. She is also an expert on the knobbed whelk, the official state shell of New Jersey.
Piloting the A.J. Meerwald, New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship
TUCKAHOE – Jesse Briggs, one of the captains of New Jersey’s official tall ship, the A.J. Meerwald, grew up in a seafaring family in the tugboat business. But he gave up a higher-paying tugboat job in Hawaii to seek out his paradise at the helm of the Meerwald in the remote former oyster port of Bivalve.
By Lauren Briede and Robert Stern
Rediscovering History in the Old Barracks
Photos and Audio by Philip Bolger
TRENTON – The Old Barracks Museum is one of the oldest standing public building in New Jersey and an icon of the Revolutionary War. Today it serves as an educational center for schools across the state. The staff regularly coordinates elaborate reenactments to teach residents about the state’s role during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. “You can do it in your own backyard,” said Richard Patterson, the executive director of the museum. “Half a tank of gas, $5 on the train…anything they do at Williamsburg, we do it here.”
A Family Farm for Modern Times
Photos and Audio by Kristen Vaughn
SEWELL – Duffield’s Farm, a 130-acre property owned by the family of Dave and Mary Duffield, is an integral part of the Washington Township community. In addition to its agriculture, Duffield’s operates a market and a year-round calendar of activities to provide local families with a South Jersey farming experience. It is also part the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program, a state wide effort to save scenic landscapes from development and help family farms continue to operate.
The Birthplace of the Submarine Sandwich
Audio and Photos by Don Woods
ATLANTIC CITY— The White House Sub Shop on Arctic Avenue continues to make the same-patented submarine sandwiches that have made them famous since 1946. Movie stars, tourists and residents all come to the shop to sample a taste of Atlantic City. But don’t order a hoagie or a cheesesteak. “When people order a Philly cheesesteak, we tell them ‘You are in the wrong state and the wrong city,’” says Anna Marie Donohue, a cashier at White House.
Battleship New Jersey Now Fights to Save Camden
Photos and Text By Stephen Finn
CAMDEN – After 44 years of service in the U.S. Navy from World War II to Desert Storm, the Battleship New Jersey arrived at its final resting place in Camden, New Jersey on October 15, 2000. Today the ship is open to the public and serves as a floating museum.
“The battleship is a fascinating piece of equipment,” said Norman Roton, a Navy veteran and docent on the ship since its opening. “It’s history that you can actually see and touch.”
The Battleship New Jersey is one of three Iowa-class battleships ordered by the U.S. Navy in 1939 for operations in the Pacific during WWII. It is the most decorated vessel in naval history and was the only U.S. battleship to provide gunfire support during Vietnam.
Despite its illustrious career, the ship belongs to a dying breed. In light of modern warfare tactics, naval battles are a distant memory. These once proud, hulking war machines have become all but obsolete.
“The New Jersey is a dinosaur, the last of the Mohicans,” said Roton. “There are no longer any battleships being built or operated on in the world today.”
In addition to its value as a historical site, the battleship, along with the nearby Adventure Aquarium, is part of a larger revitalization effort in Camden.
Joseph Myers is the vice president of the Cooper’s Ferry Development Association, which has coordinated over $600 million of private and public investment for the city. The organization kick started revitalization efforts in 1984 with development plans for the Camden Waterfront.
“Waterfront attractions like the battleship are of great value to a city like Camden,” said Myers. “By improving the city’s image and bringing people over to visit these attractions we hope to draw new businesses and support local business growth.”
Although the Battleship New Jersey will never again see action on the high seas, it hasn’t stopped serving its country. Its final mission may be it’s most challenging: to help save the struggling waterfront city of Camden.
All Abuzz About Bees
Photos and audio by Damian Biniek
DIAS CREEK – Although Gary Schempp is new to beekeeping, having only become interested in the activity in the past three years, he has quickly expanded his hives. Schemmp started a small business centered around them and educates others about the honey bee. As a member and teacher with the Jersey Cape Beekeepers Association, he helps to instruct “newBees” constructi and care of their own bee hives using his own experience as an example. His home, garden and hives are located in Cape May County.
Greening the Garden State, One Backyard at a Time
Photos and Audio By Allison Mechanic
MONMOUTH COUNTY – Renee Mongiovi left the corporate world to create Oasis Back Yard Farms, a unique business that plants organic gardens in New Jersey backyards. Clients provide the space and water while Mongiovi does the rest, including planting and maintaining the gardens. “If you look at what it costs to replant a garden year after year compared with the much higher prices of organic produce, it can be a money saver,” says Mongiovi.
Mack and Manco, an Ocean City Staple
By Kristina Pritchett
OCEAN CITY – Mack & Manco has been serving pizza to families for generations.
“I’ve been going to Mack & Manco with my family ever since I can remember,” said Sarah Wecht, a student at Rowan University.
Mac & Manco was started in 1956 when the owners, Anthony Mack and Vincent Manco traveled to Ocean City from Trenton with their own unique idea of pizza.
“During the off season we’re slow,” Matt Smith, an employee of Mack & Manco for eight years, said. “But we rely on people coming down from North Jersey, Philly and South Jersey.”
The pizzeria is operated within in the Manco family, and the backbone of their business is serving families. There are three locations on the boardwalk, and there is frequently a line stretching out of each one.
Joelyn Cook, a 34-year-old resident of Marmora frequents the boardwalk. “It’s the best pizza in town,” Cook said. “But it’s not only that, it’s the ambiance, the atmosphere and the families around you that make you want to keep coming back.”
Bringing the Color Violet to the Community
Photographs by Stephen Finn. Audio by Kristen Vaughn
BERLIN – Florist Debbie Briggs is enthusiastic about her profession and thrives on giving back to the community in Camden County. She also has a working relationship with the violet, the official flower of New Jersey.