tkelly

Imagine a free dinner for you and nine friends and/or family members at Mike’s Seafood & Dock Restaurant in Sea Isle City. One lucky friend on Mike Seafood’s Facebook page won’t have to imagine it: The winner of a new promotion for the landmark seafood store and restaurant at 4222 Park Road in historic Fish Alley will live the dream. “It’s a pretty nice prize,” said restaurant owner Mike Monichetti. “The winner could use it to celebrate a birthday or anniversary or other special occasion. Or they could just hang with their friends for a great evening out. Whatever the winner decides, we’re going to make it a special event.” Entering the contest is easy and fun. For a chance to win, simply go to the Mike’s Seafood Facebook page, like it, comment on the post about what it is you love about Mike’s, share it with your favorite friends and you’re in the game.

On a cold but clear night, members of the Ocean City skating community got together Saturday for a fun night and an opportunity to help others. A “Night Skate” at the Ocean City Skatepark, on Asbury Avenue near Fifth Street, drew a large group of youngsters, each of whom donated a Christmas present. The gifts are to be distributed to less fortunate local children. “It was highly successful,” said event organizer Willie Fannon. “It’s just a great opportunity for the community to get together and to help kids learn that it’s cool to give back.”

Michael Testa said it was "surreal" and "humbling" to assume his new role as a state senator representing New Jersey's 1st Legislative District. Those emotions didn't stop Testa from hitting the ground running on his first full day in office. Testa, whose district consists of Cape May County, Cumberland County and parts of Atlantic County, issued several press releases since taking the oath of office on Thursday, including an explanation of one of his first major votes, a vote against spending $9.5 million for family planning services and a statement mourning the passing of Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello.

Like most pedestrians strolling past City Hall on a recent late fall day, Carla Samson and Kristen Drake walked right past the historic “Temperance Fountain” without so much as a second look. “I’ve noticed it before and I always wondered what it was,” said Samson, of Milford, Pa., who was in town with her friend Kristen Drake for a day of shopping. She’s not alone. The elegant 107-year-old granite fountain, located on the northeast corner of Ninth Street and Asbury Avenue, was one of thousands of varying sizes and designs installed around the country by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. The local fountain is one of several hundred still in existence. Donated as part of the WCTU’s campaign encouraging citizens to consume water as a healthy alternative to alcohol and to promote abstinence, the fountains gained popularity in the early part of the 20th century.

It was fitting that the Ocean City defense was on the field for the final minute and seven seconds of the Red Raiders’ 26-0 defeat of Pleasantville on Thursday in their traditional Thanksgiving Day game. “It’s been that way all year. Putting up shutouts (Thursday was their fifth of the season) or holding teams to very few points,” said Michael Rhodes, whose blocked punt in the third quarter set the Raiders up for the touchdown that essentially put the game on ice. Ocean City held a 12-0 advantage on a pair of first quarter Brendan McGonigle field goals of 22 and 36 yards, and quarterback Joe Repetti’s 18-yard pass to tight end Brad Jamison. Then Rhodes made his big play.

One of South Jersey’s oldest Thanksgiving Day football rivalries will be renewed 10 a.m. Thursday at Carey Stadium when Ocean City gets into it with Pleasantville in a series dating back 98 years. This year’s game takes on a sad significance with the tragic passing of 10-year-old Micah Tennant, a spectator who was fatally shot at Pleasantville’s home playoff game against Camden on Nov. 15. School officials are discussing ways to honor the boy during the Thanksgiving Day game.

For many Ocean City businesses, an entire year’s efforts are compressed into a prime season of just three months. As a result, Ocean City takes business very seriously. Well, except for one night each year. The Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce took a time-out on Tuesday to celebrate some of the town’s many business superstars, and for its member businesses to celebrate each other. The annual dinner took place in the packed main ballroom of the Flanders Hotel. Carrie Merritt, an Ocean City teacher, entrepreneur, athletic trainer, mentor – among many other active roles in the community – was named the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year.

Scott Coulter is a New York City resident by way of his native Tennessee. Like many visitors, Coulter holds a special place in his heart for Ocean City. The producer of the Ocean City Pops “Musical Sounds of the Season” concert at the Music Pier and a special vocal performer at the show puts it this way: “Coming to Ocean City is like coming home.” Coulter designed an event that has it all to help audience members get in the mood for the holiday season. The show takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Music Pier, Moorlyn Terrace and the Boardwalk.

The phrase “game of inches” is a cliché for a reason: there’s truth to it. Unfortunately for the Ocean City High School football team, the Red Raiders were on the wrong side of those inches Friday night. They were knocking on the doorstep of the Shawnee goal line near the end of the third quarter of the South Jersey Group 4 championship game to draw to within a touchdown of the two-time defending champs. That was when Shawnee abruptly slammed the door shut with a goal line stand to deny the Raiders by inches. Shawnee went on to win 28-0 to capture its third straight sectional title.

Everybody loves a winner, and an underdog winner gets extra love. At least that seems to be the case for the seventh-seeded Ocean City High School football team, which lines up at top-seeded, two-time defending champs Shawnee’s Medford campus, 7 p.m. on Friday for a shot at the South Jersey Group 4 title. The Red Raiders, currently 8-2 overall, including two come-from-behind playoff wins on the road against higher seeded teams, have been attracting a lot of attention lately.