Cat & Carry

The Press of Atlantic City
The Cape May County Zoo moved its 500-plus pound Siberian tiger so his exhibit could be renovated. Rocky is the zoo’s only tiger and one of the most popular attractions at the zoo. Born at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, Ocean County, he has enjoyed good health since his arrival in 2002.
Veterinarian Dr. Alex Ernst used a dart in Rocky’s rear to sedate him in a matter of minutes. Ernst and zoo Director Dr. Bert Paluch examined Rocky, took his blood, hooked him to a heart monitor to check his vitals before moving him.
They with help of county employees hefted him onto a tarp then onto a pallet that transported him to his temporary den.
Once the move was complete, Ernst gave Rocky an injection designed to reverse the effects of the sedatives. In a matter of minutes, Rocky was conscious, and enraged.
Ernst said Rocky’s reaction was expected. The drugs made him delirious and excitable. When the cat woke, he was disoriented and in a new surrounding. This lasted about a minute before he settled down and slept it off. Once settled he will most likely explore the pond and surroundings. All in all the move was a success. In a month or two the zoo will repeat the procedure when they return him to his old pen.
Friday, April 3, 2009

www.capemaycountyzoo.org/

WASHINGTON — A male from this county traveled to our nation’s capital to find a mate and according to early reports, he’s been successful.

Tate, a male red panda who lived at the Cape May County Zoo for the past several years was sent to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to meet a female red panda there and hopefully make more little red pandas in the process.

According to Dr. Alexander Ernst, a veteranarian at this county’s zoo, Tate’s trip was part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, a sort of animal dating service that matches endangered and threatened animals.

“It’s a program that happens every day in accredited zoos to manage the population of animals in captivity,” Ernst told the Herald.

He said the program’s goal is to have a strong, healthy, genetically diverse captive population in case animals needed to be reintroduced into the wild.

Before programs such as this, animals were inbred, Ernst said, causing weakness in the subsequent generations.

Tate was sent to the National Zoo about a month ago and probably spent a few weeks in quarantine, Ernst said.

According to a report from Washington’s ABC News Channel 7, after a day’s acclimation to the exhibit, Tate was introduced to one-and-a-half year-old Shama and immediately exhibited breeding behavior.

“That’s great news,” Ernst said upon hearing the news.

Because of loss in their native Asia habitats, red pandas are endangered with an estimated 2,500 adult pandas in existence.

Herald Article & Photo by Joe Hart

www.capemaycountyherald.com/

Cape May Jazz Festival April 17-19

Posted 4/04/09
By Debra Donahue
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Cape May, NJ —The Cape May Jazz Festival celebrates 16 years of renowned jazz performances in the upcoming the April 17-19 “Legends and More Blues” festival.

The festival takes place at eight venues around Cape May.

Like the previous 30 Cape May Jazz Festivals, the performances are carefully scheduled so that you can go back and forth between venues.
Friday, April 17

The festival kicks off with a Tribute to Billy Eckstine and Sarah Vaughn with “Have a Song on Me Celebrating Mr. B” and the Big Band Music of the 40s and 50s with the B Swingers Big Band and Steve Butler.

Baritone Billy Eckstine, known as Mr. B, was one of the most influential ballad singers of his era. Steve Butler not only looks and sounds like Eckstine, but his gestures and style are “hauntingly similar” as well.

Sabrina Carten IS Sarah Vaughn, the Grammy Award winning contralto (and Jersey girl.) You’ll have two opportunities to see this show, both on Friday night, so do try and catch it.

Other highlights of the evening are Odean Pope…a tenor sax legend who performed with the Max Roach Quartet (Aleatheas); Andrew Jr. Boy Jones (picture above right) who will slings the blues with his tasty quartet (Cabanas) and then there’s Brazilian/Latin and original material with the Sylvia Cuenca Group (Carney’s Main Room).
Saturday, April 18

Open your eyes, grab some coffee, and head over to the workshops if you’re inclined to have excellent instruction on vocals, guitar, improv or percussion. OR, sleep in and head over to Carney’s Other and Main Rooms, where from noon to 4PM , you can hear a talented group of West Trenton teens, Tom Zmuda and the Thursday Night Jazz, in addition to the Divine Jazz Combo.

Don’t miss the Saturday Jams featuring many of the festivals performers. At the same time, Cape May favorite Alan Weber and Frenz will be jamming at Cabanas.

During a brief break in the performance action,stop at the Boiler Room at Congress Hall where many of the artists will be signing their CD’s.
James Cotton

Now, have a quick nap then drive over to Lower Regional High School’s theater for one of two of tonight’s performances by the truly amazing Grammy Award winner James “Superharp” Cotton.

If you’re never seen him, don’t miss Superharp, whose impressive resume is a Who’s Who of the Blues community. His love affair with the harmonica began as a youngster in Mississippi, developing a signature style that remains one of the most recognizable in the world.

As a kid, he was playing for tips outside juke joints while more famous performers played inside; next was busking on Beale Street and being taken under Howlin’ Wolf’s wing, touring all over the blues-soaked South. He was building a reputation as a world-class blues harp player and before long, he found himself playing with Muddy Waters’ band, an association that lasted more than a decade.

With 65 years in the business, Cotton is known as the ultimate showman. After he blows just a few notes, it will be abundantly clear why he earned that moniker.

No time for lollygagging, get back to Cape May for the last three hours of performances. Vocalist Sharon Clark will serenade you at Aleatheas Restaurant; phenomenal Cuban percussionist Marya Casales will remind you why you brought your dancing shoes to Carney’s Main Room; dazzling guitarist Roni Ben-Hur will be blazing away at Carney’s other Room; and hard-bop and blues with the Michael Thomas Quintet in the Boiler Room at Congress Hall.
Eddie Shaw

Simultaneously, you can catch Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang at Cabanas for more blues.

Shaw on tenor and alto saxes and harmonica, is a supremely talented songwriter and musician, who like James Cotton, played with both Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf’s bands.

Still performing in Chicago, the high-energy band is considered one of the best around.
Sunday, April 19

You’ve probably only had a few hours of shut-eye, but you’ll want to snap on your ears and rev up your soul for the Sunday Jams at Carney’s Other and Main Rooms.

The Jams are a chance to see and hear many festival performers and invited guests strut their bluesy stuff.

Today, see Barbara Walker, Lois Smith, Jimi Odell, vocals; Michael Pedicin, Tim Price, Alan Weber, Jim Fittipaldi, sax; Leon Jordan Jr, Eleazar Shafer, Emanuel Jimenez, Joe Breidenstine, Eddie Morgan, Clifford Buggs, trumpet; Reut Regev, trombone; Geno White, Don Moore, Bruce Hector, guitar; Austin Marlow, drums.

Enjoy this stellar collection of blues makers plus Little Jazz Giants and the Young Lions Jazz Quartet.

Juke Joint Central

Just a few steps away, Cabanas hosts another ending event with more blues than you can shake a tail at. It’s Juke Joint Central, a thrilling band with a bluesy jamming feel, led by organist Greg Lamont and vocalist Dick Smith, joined by blues guitarist David Cole, saxophonist Randolph Spencer and drummer Percy Smith.

The Cape May Jazz Festival is an awesome gathering of familiar names with incredible pedigree and “street cred” — an amalgam of the most outstanding talents ever heard. This is uniquely American music and lots of it, so rest up…it’s jazz and blues you can use to keep you hopping, bopping and shaking your moneymaker.

Tickets

Weekend passes for all events are $150. Passes for either Friday night or Saturday night only are $55. The Sunday afternoonn jam session is $25. Tickets can be ordered at (609) 884-7200. In addition to the concerts and jam sessions, be sure to take advantage of unique (and free) workshops Saturday morning.

Debra Donahue is a writer and public relations gal with a long history in Cape May.

Cape May Times Article

www.capemaytimes.com

Cape May, NJ — In recent years, Easter weekend has become the unofficial start of the “season” here in Cape May. (This year, Passover is falling on the same week. )

Throngs of people, eager to get a jumpstart on the warm weather, head to the beach in this rite of Spring.
Easter Parade

The highlight of the weekend, along with brunch or dinner, is the annual Cape May Easter Parade.

The tradition of wearing new clothes at Easter time goes back to the 16th century, according to Wikipedia. Spring is a time for renewal and what better way to show it than by putting on a new bonnet.

For years, families in Cape May paraded inside the Star of the Sea auditorium, showing off their spring outfits.

This year, weather permitting, fashionistas will march in grand style on the Washington Street Mall.

Judges will have the unenviable job of picking winners in a variety of age groups and among the adults as well.

The parade starts at 1PM. If you’d like to take part, get there by noon to register. It’s free and all are welcome.
Easter Egg Hunts

Saturday seems like the officially designated egg hunting day.

Little ones from preschool age to 2nd grade can search for eggs at the Cape May Elementary School on Lafayette St. starting at 10AM.

There’s also an Easter egg hunt at Cape May Point State Park for little kids starting at 10AM. Older kids – ages 6 to 9 can take part in a beach scavenger hunt while their little brothers and sisters are looking for eggs.

In Wildwood, there are two egg hunts Saturday at noon: on the beach at 17th Avenue, North Wildwood for children 11 and under and on the beach at Lincoln Avenue, Wildwood for children up to 12.

Congress Hall is hosting two Easter Egg hunts on their lawn on Sunday, at 11AM and again at 1PM. Both are open to the public.

Sunday at 12:30PM, children 12 and under can search for eggs on the the boardwalk at 23rd Ave., in North Wildwood.
Easter Brunch / Dinner

Food is always a centerpiece of any holiday.

Several restaurants are doing prix fixe Easter Sunday brunches – starting around 10 or 11AM. Make sure to make reservations early.

Many other restaurants are serving Easter dinner – some starting a little earlier than usual. Again, make reservations.

Enjoy the weekend!

Cape May Times Article & Photo

Dear South Jersey tournament fishermen and women,
The 2009 South Jersey big game tournament season is just about here and everyone has been telling me how anxious they are to get out on the rip, compete, and have some fun. It is our intention to accommodate that desire in the most enjoyable way possible and that includes giving you the best tournament experience found anywhere, and the biggest bang for your tournament buck!
Again for 2009 we have several great events to choose from. Whether you like lunk’n for stripers or hunting those crazy white marlin, it’s time to have some fun and get back to what we all love doing – chasing fish!
If you have any questions whatsoever, simply pick up the phone and give me a call. We’re in the process of upgrading all of our websites and each one will have a new look and some special features. The photo galleries are really neat and you’ll be able to use them to send e-cards, etc. Most importantly, there will be no interruption as we make the upgrades.
In the meantime, break out the gear, ready the boat, and let’s go fishing
See you at the weigh station,
BobG_

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
Published: 8/26/08
Written By: Jacqueline L. Urgo

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, N.J. – When the Cape May County Park and Zoo opened in 1978, it wasn’t much more than a plot of land off Route 9 with a few goats and some chickens.

But from humble beginnings, the place has grown from a petting zoo featuring mostly barnyard critters into a 200-acre facility with more than 600 animals, including 250 rare and exotic species.

Want to see cheetahs? Cape May has them. African bongos, the largest and heaviest of the forest antelopes? They’re here, too. Lions, kookaburras, anteaters? They’re all at the mid-sized zoo, which until about a decade ago was mostly a rainy-day family destination.

From fewer than 10,000 visitors a year, the zoo – one of 218 facilities nationwide accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums – is now visited by more than 500,000 people annually, say county officials.

“Our parking lots are full even on nice, sunny days. We’re very proud of that,” said zoo director and veterinarian Dr. Hubert “Doc” Paluch, whose staff is hosting a variety of events to celebrate the zoo’s 30th birthday, including evening tours, concerts and new educational programs.

Paluch cites the economy and a trend toward “green” pursuits among the reasons why the Cape May Zoo is packing them in.

“This park and zoo not only does its part in preserving open space and wetlands in an area where that is shrinking, it’s also always been a place where families can come and enjoy an entire day together without spending very much,” he said.

The facility, which relies heavily on funding from the county government, doesn’t charge admission. As he directs drivers to the parking area, a volunteer collects dollars and coins in a plastic bucket bearing the word “Donations” in black marker.

Of the facility’s $1.1 million operating budget last year, about $620,000 came from donations, which helped pay the salaries of 10 employees.

So popular has the zoo become that the county is expanding its parking, says Lenora Boninfante, a spokeswoman for Cape May County.

Brenda Douglas, of St. Davids, Pa., dropped a $20 bill into the pail on a recent morning before easing her family’s SUV into the lot.

“I don’t think that even covers the enjoyment we get out of coming here,” said Douglas, who summers in Stone Harbor and often brings her three children to the zoo.

They enjoy the picnic area in the adjoining park and the miniature electric train that carries kids around the perimeter of the zoo.

But mostly, Douglas and others say, they come to see the animals, imaginatively displayed in exhibits such as the 57-acre African Savanna, where giraffe, zebra, bongo, ostriches, and other species roam while visitors view them from a raised boardwalk.

Along the shaded trail of an area called Pathway to Diversity, zoo-goers encounter habitats containing endlessly entertaining ring-tailed lemurs, kookaburras, red pandas, and spotted and snow leopards.

Cougars, cheetahs, tigers, and lions nap nearby in shady, grassy areas. Bison, elk and black bears roam, as do camels, giant anteaters, monkeys, prairie dogs, and wallabies, all in their own exhibits.

There is also a small-mammal area for skunks, raccoons, and red foxes. And a farm-animal exhibit – with the requisite goats, chickens, pigs, and sheep – is still among the favorite stops along a path that winds through 85 acres of woodland.

The World of Birds aviary is home to more than 20 species that live amid lush vegetation and a cascading waterfall. And the beloved Reptile House – rebuilt with about $700,000 in public donations after a devastating fire killed more than 70 species in 1998 – is another favorite stop.

These days the must-see at the Reptile House is the pointy-snout Tomistoma, a rare Asian crocodile that can grow to be more than 15 feet long. No more than a dozen zoos in the United States have one.

Despite its mid size, Cape May zoo has gained international recognition for its participation in a number of important conservation projects, Paluch said.

In one, the Mountain Bongo Repatriation Project, a female bongo born at the zoo was brought to Kenya, where severe poaching and habitat destruction had driven the mammals to near-extinction. The two calves born so far will help repopulate depleting stocks in that country, Paluch said.

“You may hear more about zoos like the San Diego Zoo or the Bronx but it’s really in many small and medium-sized zoos, like Cape May County’s, where important works like the bongo repatriation project are going on,” said Steve Feldman, a spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

“It’s within these smaller facilities that the expertise and the care for these kinds of projects resides,” Feldman said.

But some visitors remain impressed simply by how the Cape May zoo has grown.

“I’ve been coming to this zoo since it opened,” said Sal Bellopede, 56, of Alden, Pa.

“I brought my kids here when they were little, and now they’re 34, and I bring my grandchildren here. I can’t believe what they started with and now what they have here now. You could spend all day.”

1st – Emlen Physick Estate
A visit to the Physick Estate today offers a look back at our Victorian past as evidenced by its architecture, decorative arts, customs, and the lives of one particular Cape May family, the Physicks. Emlen Physick Jr., his widowed mother, Frances Ralston, and his maiden aunt Emilie Parmentier moved into their home when it was completed in 1879. Emlen, who never married, was descended from a famous and wealthy Philadelphia family. His grandfather, Dr. Philip Syng Physick, was considered the father of American surgery and invented numerous surgical procedures and medical instruments that are still in use today.

2nd – Historic Cold Spring Village
Historic Cold Spring Village is an Early American open-air living history museum. The Village brings to life the day-to-day activities of villagers living in South Jersey during…
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3rd – Museum of New Jersey Maritime History
This corporation is a museum organized exclusively for educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This corporation’s educational…
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4th – The Jersey Shore Children’s Museum
Children ages 1-10 can enjoy exhibits with hands-on activities. Exhibits are work place themed with authentic props and clothing to allow creative role-play. Children are doctors…
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5th – Noyes Museum of Art
Opened in 1983, The Noyes Museum of Art was the vision of local entrepreneurs Fred W. and Ethel (Lingelbach) Noyes, Jr. who were avid art and antique collectors. Fred was also an…
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