I can’t believe that we’ve reached the end of another summer. I’d swear we were just preparing our Spring issue. And now we’re here, at Endless Summer. Unbelievably, this is our 17th Endless Summer issue for Seven Mile Times since becoming its publisher in 2006. Time does pass too quickly.

Although the summer is ending, there is still plenty to do across Seven Mile Beach! This year’s shoulder-season event lineup is perfect for sipping, shopping, and spending time with friends.

It was a dream season, perhaps the ultimate season.

The Avalon Beach Patrol sports the rare distinction of not one but two South Jersey Lifeguard Championships in a single year. Its men’s and women’s teams toppled 14 rival patrols ranging from Brigantine to Cape May, notching the equivalent of two Super Bowl titles in one week. Or a Super Bowl and a World Series.

Shop till you drop this weekend at Avalon’s annual End-of-Summer Shop Hop! Participating stores will offer special deals on clothing, shoes, apparel, accessories, home decor and more! Take a break for lunch with specials all weekend at Bobby Dee’s Rock ‘n Chair.

Stone Harbor Elementary School educator Antonio Martin Franco, known across Seven Mile Beach as Señor Martin Franco, recently took on another title: Cape May County’s Teacher of the Year, as named by the New Jersey Department of Education.

Martin Franco is originally from Armilla, Spain, located in the province of Granada. He comes from a family of educators. “Seeing my mother and other family members’ impact on their students influenced me to pursue a teaching career,” he says.

As the nights get shorter and summer winds down, this selection of items is perfect for back-to-school and a seamless transition from summer to fall.

“I grew up in Saugerties, N.Y.,” Leighton says. “I was always musically inclined and sang in the chorus, but didn’t really start singing solo until high school. I was around 15 when I started taking voice lessons, which was the first time I was exposed to opera and certain forms that I would later work in.”

You’d no doubt recognize him after seeing him in his inflatable response boat. But chances are, you might not know his name. But then, that’s probably a good thing, because that means you haven’t had a recent marine emergency or haven’t required assistance on the water lately.

Coastal marshes, tidal creeks, and bays are the cradle of life.

They host a phenomenal diversity of wildlife that rely on them for food, nesting, and resting. They are nursery grounds for fish and shellfish. They are crucial to coastal resilience, offering protection against damage to property and infrastructure and reducing loss of life during storm surge and flooding.

It takes a rare 13-year-old to grasp nostalgia, the wistful art of looking back.

Nate Saleski somehow fits the category, using this summer to recall an epic 2023 journey. Unfurling on the Avalon beaches was the flashback of playing baseball before 20,000 fans, marching in parades, meeting Bryce Harper, and gaining national attention on ESPN.

Sure, you can look skeptically at the headline for a record-setting hurricane season and think it’s hype or “click bait.”

After all, the science of meteorology is what some call an “inexact science,” among many other things not fit to print.

What’s that old saying? “Hell hath no fury like a 10-year-old cheated.” Or something like that. Well, it’s true. As we approach the 65th anniversary of the debut of the Avalon Gems midget football team, it’s amazing how clear the memories are in some cases, more than six decades later.

Approximately 175 people attended the annual Avalon Home and Land Owners Association meeting Aug. 10 in the Avalon Community Hall. The event featured a state of the borough address delivered by Mayor John McCorristin as well as a Q&A session with the mayor, Business Administrator Scott Wahl, and Police Chief Jeff Christopher.

Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh stopped by Fred’s Tavern for a visit and a chance to hang with the locals. Back row, from left: Kevin Gallagher, Marsh, Matt Saunders, and Joey Hand. In front, Jim Madden and Stacey Hand.

As we wind down the summer and slide into fall, it’s time to take a breath and prepare for the next season. To assist with that transition, it just so happens that September is National Yoga Month. This month-long celebration is intended to honor those who practice and to introduce those who don’t to its many benefits – and there are so many.

As the sun begins to set on another unforgettable summer at the shore, there’s still time to savor the season with a few exceptional wines that deserve a place in your glass before autumn arrives.

As summer draws to a close, many of us long to hold onto the joy, warmth, and carefree spirit to carry with us throughout the year. While we can’t bottle up the sunshine, balmy evenings, or late sunsets, we can harness the essence of summer joy and use it to help us ward off something called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Well, this summer season sure flew by! Lots of beach trips, a European getaway and some great road trips exploring cool cities with my kids, made this an exceptionally fun, albeit hot, summer. I’m looking forward to cooler temperatures to get my outdoor workout routine back on track and a normalized schedule to improve my sleep.

About five or so years ago, we had our first “Wim Hof” seminar. I know I have written about it before. Wim Hof helped to popularize ice baths that have been all the rage as of late. Ice baths have been proven to reduce inflammation and be good for the circulatory system, among a myriad other benefits, physical and psychological.