You’ve probably been there a million times, maybe for dinner or perhaps to see BLT on a Saturday night.

You’ve likely attended a wedding or some other special function there, possibly a longstanding community event like the Lions Club spaghetti dinner.

Cosmic, colorful and creative.

Ask iconic artist Peter Max for his memories of 1967 – the so-called Summer of Love – and those are three words that roll off his tongue.

Musically, the Beatles, the Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin and psychedelic rockers Vanilla Fudge recorded the soundtrack of the Summer of Love, which sprang out of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district and spread around the country.

July might be my favorite month of the year. As the month begins, you can actually feel a buzz of excitement through town as cars pack the side streets. Flags come out, grills turn on and there’s a festive vibe as families gather on the beach for the town’s fireworks. Maybe I’m biased, but I really do feel that the Seven Mile Beach is the best place to be when celebrating Independence Day.

Pastor Glenn Schoenberger has led the congregation and welcomed people of all faiths to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Our Saviour of Stone Harbor for 35 years. Come October, the ecumenically minded man of God will retire from that position after 40 years in the ministry.

“Is there a Mr. Moore in the house?” Phil Matalucci’s sonorous voice boomed from the stage of the Banjo Room at the Princeton Hotel on a summer night in 1976. Wednesday nights were Amateur Night, and Phil, bedecked in a lily-white sport coat, peach-colored pants, hair combed straight back, emceed the evening with the flair and personality of a true showman.

Beer Cap Maps: To complete this wall art, it will require more than your favorite six-pack! Imagine the laughter, fun and stories that each cap will bring!

You need to be careful when you use the term “salad days” around Franny Green, the onetime banjo wizard who was a summertime music star at the Jersey Shore for the better part of 20 years.

In early June, the most important hockey game of the year took place. No, it was not Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals when the Pens won their second straight Cup. It was the Atlantic City Skate Zone Men’s C League Final, of course. The game featured two of the most dominant teams in the Cape-Atlantic C level men’s hockey: the Pigeons and the Squids.

“Teaching is so much more than ‘We have to get through this curriculum,’” says Stone Harbor Elementary School third-grade teacher Mary Beth Ross. This, among other things, was on Ross’ mind as she mused about the completion of her career at the end of the school year.

Ross’ retirement seemed to be on everyone’s minds that school day in June.

Like many area visitors, Carl Jablonski became enamored with Seven Mile Beach.

Unlike many, he was able to invest in it. Twice.

The owner of Avalon Seafood and Bud’s Fresh Market in Stone Harbor preserves and enhances two noted establishments. Avalon Seafood, which Jablonski purchased eight years ago, celebrates its 40th anniversary as the island’s first seafood takeout store.

Sometimes you just need a night in. After a long day at the beach in the summer sun, you are probably too tired to go out. We get it. However, a night in at the shore is a little different. You never know who is going to stop by or when you want to make a before-bed run to get some ice cream.

There aren’t a lot of stores on Seven Mile Island that carry men’s clothing, but there is a new one that certainly hits the spot. The Spot was new to the island last summer, carrying lines of surf-branded clothing that no one else in town has. One brand we are particularly fond of is Faherty.

The long-anticipated grand opening of the Stone Harbor branch of the Cape May County Library was held May 26. Residents and visitors joined Cape May County freeholders and officials, Mayor Judy Davies-Dunhour and members of the Borough Council for the event.

Summer really sets in once July rolls around. The days are hot and the nights are, too! It isn’t always easy to find the perfect outfit that can keep you cool on a warm summer night but keep you warm when you are having dinner in an air-conditioned restaurant.

Here at Seven Mile Beach, we are blessed with beautiful beaches characterized by tall dunes, shells galore and nice swimming opportunities. Many species of nesting birds agree that our beaches are the place to be, and as such, we are lucky to share our beaches with some of the most charismatic birds on the Atlantic Coast. Here is a beach-nesting bird lineup to help you get to know them better:

Join the Borough of Avalon to celebrate Independence Day with its All-American Celebration, July 1-4.