Chili & Chowder Cook-Off Returns to North Cape May to Support Make-A-Wish

Issue #829

October 04, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

🌶️Chili & Chowder Cook-Off Returns to North Cape May to Support Make-A-Wish

♜County Backs $345K Restoration Project at Fire Control Tower No. 23

👮🏻‍♂️Police, Coast Guard Search for Man Last Seen at Benny’s Landing

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: Shop Local

Here’s what’s going on in the Cape May Local Area👇

 October 4

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Chili & Chowder Cook-Off Returns to North Cape May to Support Make-A-Wish

Chili, chowder and community spirit will come together in North Cape May on Sunday, Oct. 11, as the 2026 Chili & Chowder Cook-Off raises money for Make-A-Wish New Jersey.

The fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Harpoon’s on the Bay, 91 Beach Drive. Chefs participating in the competition can begin setting up at 10:30 a.m.

The annual event brings together local cooks, residents and visitors for a friendly culinary competition while supporting children facing critical illnesses. Guests will have an opportunity to sample chili and chowder entries and help support the charitable effort.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Make-A-Wish New Jersey and its work granting wishes to eligible children with critical illnesses, including children in Cape May County.

The cook-off combines a popular fall food competition with a larger community fundraising effort, giving participants and guests an opportunity to enjoy local flavors while contributing to the organization’s mission.

Those who cannot attend, or who would like to provide additional support, can make an online donation at https://charity.pledgeit.org/chilichowder26.

Additional information about the 2026 Chili & Chowder Cook-Off is available through Make-A-Wish New Jersey at https://wish.org/nj/2026-chili-chowder-cook.

Event Information

Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Chef setup begins at 10:30 a.m.
Harpoon’s on the Bay
91 Beach Drive, North Cape May, NJ

 

County Backs $345K Restoration Project at Fire Control Tower No. 23

Cape May County has approved up to $172,626 in historic preservation funding to help rehabilitate Fire Control Tower No. 23 at Sunset Beach, a World War II landmark overlooking the Delaware Bay.

The Cape May County Board of County Commissioners authorized the Historic Preservation Trust Fund Grant Agreement during its Sept. 22 meeting. The agreement involves Cape May MAC and the state of New Jersey and provides funding through the county’s Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.

The overall project is estimated to cost $345,252. Matching funding of $172,626 is being sought from the New Jersey Historic Trust through its Development of Historic Structure program.

The grant agreement runs for one year beginning Sept. 22, with the possibility of a one-year extension.

The state of New Jersey owns Fire Control Tower No. 23 and leases the property to Cape May MAC. Under the agreement, Cape May MAC will be responsible for obtaining permits, completing construction and overseeing the tower’s operation and long-term maintenance. Preservation work must comply with federal standards governing historic properties.

Plans call for concrete repairs, rehabilitation of 19 wood awning windows, replacement of walkway decking and part of its supporting structure, replacement of split-rail fencing, recoating of the roof membrane and installation of a passive roof vent.

The county’s Open Space Review Board recommended the grant on June 16, and a public hearing on the proposal was held July 28 at the County Administration Building.

County officials said the project fits the goals of the Open Space Program by preserving a publicly accessible historic landmark while combining county and state preservation funding to cover the anticipated cost.

Built between June and September 1942 as part of the Harbor Defense Modernization Program, Fire Control Tower No. 23 helped protect the Delaware Bay during World War II. The tower worked in conjunction with another observation point at Fort Miles in Delaware, allowing military personnel to help determine the position of vessels in the bay.

The defense system was intended to protect strategically important military, shipping and industrial resources in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

The tower is listed on both the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

Cape May MAC has operated the attraction since its restoration in 2008. Today, visitors can climb the tower and view exhibits explaining its wartime role. The site also contains a Wall of Honor recognizing more than 160 area veterans.

Approximately 8,000 people climbed the tower in 2025, according to the county.

County officials said preserving the structure will allow future generations to experience an important part of Cape May County’s World War II history while continuing to recognize local veterans.

The preservation project has also received letters of support from elected officials and community organizations, including U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, state Sen. Michael Testa, Cape May City, the Cape May County Coast Guard Community Foundation, Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum and the New Jersey Audubon Society.

Police, Coast Guard Search for Man Last Seen at Benny’s Landing

Police and the U.S. Coast Guard are searching for Michael Clemens, 38, who disappeared after he was last seen at Benny’s Landing in Middle Township during last weekend’s nor’easter.

Clemens was captured on a neighbor’s surveillance camera at approximately 10:38 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, while cleaning a dock in the waterfront community near Cape May Court House. His personal belongings were later found on a picnic table on the dock, but Clemens was nowhere to be found.

Clemens has a mobility impairment stemming from a previous work injury and walks with a noticeable limp. He is originally from the Philadelphia suburbs and frequently visited family in the Benny’s Landing area. His disappearance occurred as the coastal community was dealing with flooding associated with the nor’easter.

Clemens’ family has considered the possibility that he slipped or fell into the bay while working near the dock. However, no evidence has been found confirming that he entered the water, and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unknown. Police and the U.S. Coast Guard have been involved in the search.

As days have passed without information about Clemens’ whereabouts, his family has appealed to the public for help and called for additional resources and continued urgency in the search.

The family is particularly interested in hearing from anyone who was in the Benny’s Landing Road or Jenkins Sound area on the morning of Sept. 26. Residents and visitors are also being asked to review surveillance, doorbell-camera or other video that could provide information about Clemens’ movements after he was last seen.

Clemens’ family describes him as someone who enjoys music, cleaning, helping others and spending time with his family. Relatives have continued searching while awaiting information that could explain what happened after he was recorded at the dock.

Anyone with information that could assist investigators is urged to contact the Middle Township Police Department at 609-465-8700.

Which Cape May hotel, originally dubbed "Tommy's Folly," was mocked for being too large but later became one of the city's most iconic buildings?

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 Answer to the October 3rd Trivia Question 

Which U.S. figure composed a march specifically for Cape May's Congress Hall?

A) Theodore Roosevelt
B) John Philip Sousa
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) James Madison

Answer: B) John Philip Sousa​

John Philip Sousa, while visiting Cape May, composed the "Congress Hall March" in 1882 and conducted it on the lawn of Congress Hall, one of the town's most famous historic hotels.

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