Home Care In Deal, NJ

Stop Borough of Deal From Charging Nonresidents More For Beach Access

The Surfrider Foundation’s volunteer-led Jersey Shore Chapter has a long history of battling the borough of Deal, NJ, over beach access. It seems Deal always has a new idea for how to reduce the public’s right to enjoy the beach.

The latest chapter popped up on October 1st, when the Deal Mayor and Commissioners introduced (and passed through “first reader”), Ordinance 2025-28 , which would change their summer season beach pass to $150 for residents and $200 for nonresidents.

Besides being exorbitantly expensive (that would be $800 for a nonresident family of four!), New Jersey law clearly states that municipalities cannot charge different rates for residents vs. nonresidents. In the 1972 Neptune City versus Avon-by-the-Sea state Supreme Court decision, the Court said in part, “... while municipalities may validly charge reasonable fees for the use of their beaches, they may not discriminate in any respect between their residents and non-residents."

The Jersey Shore Chapter got wind of this change in early November, and swooped into action. Executive Committee member Don Greenberg added information to the beach access focused COBRA Facebook group, and spoke with the Deal clerk to hear what the next steps for Ordinance 28 would be. Don then showed up to the Deal public hearing on December 5th, and testified in front of the Commissioners.

Ex Surfrider Board Member and long-time volunteer Bill Rosenblatt spoke with the media in November and was quoted in this article. The NJDEP then proceeded to send a letter to Deal (still looking for a copy) about this ordinance.

On (TBD!), the Borough amended the ordinance to make the prices equal for residents and nonresidents. There is still the issue of the high prices, but that is a battle for another day. The Chapter has been urging the NJDEP to look into high prices for beach badges up and down the NJ coast, and is supporting a state level bill to require public financial reporting on beach badge revenues and beach maintenance costs.

Our Jersey Shore Chapter will continue to monitor local municipalities for beach access transgressions--join us and become a member today!

One of the best modern holiday traditions is the wide array of huge deals on streaming services for Black Friday. Paramount+, in particular, usually makes some unmissable offers.

In 2024, a monthly Paramount+ subscription was marked down to only $3 per month (a massive savings of 76%).

It’s the only time of year that a premium streaming service will offer over 75% in discounts.

The official streaming home for everything CBS has not yet released the details for its Black Friday sale in 2025. However, considering the service’s history with similar promos, it is likely that they will continue the tradition this year.

The price of Paramount+ has risen since the previous Black Friday sale, however, so there is also decent possibility that the price tag is a bit higher this year. An offer like $3.99 or even $4.99 per month is possible. The prices of streaming services have begun to rise on an almost yearly basis, so this would not come as a surprise.

If you are interested in grabbing Paramount+, the sale is the perfect time to try it out. You might be surprised at the range of content available, which reaches from classic CBS comedies like “The Big Bang Theory” to the spinoffs of “Yellowstone,” Paramount Network’s recent megahit drama.

Paramount Plus also licenses tons of movies that you probably wouldn’t expect, like “Novocaine,” “Naked Gun,” Gladiator II," and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.”

You can check out everything they offer here.

Paramount+ costs $7.99 per month to watch with commercials, or $119.99 for an annual membership.

Waiting for a Black Friday offer or scoring a bundle deal is the best way to get this streaming service, but, if you’re a Walmart+ member, you can get also Paramount+ for free. You can learn more about that here.

Every Black Friday, we’re always surprised by the number of deals that sell out in record time. Some are expected, others we’re often shocked by. But oftentimes, the deal is so good, it’s hard to pass up, especially if it’ll fit under the Christmas tree.

Black Friday is the biggest shopping event of the year, and we’re anticipating huge markdowns for 2025 with some products discounted more than ever before.

Every year, those viral products on everyone’s wishlist get harder and harder to find as the season goes on. If they’re on sale for Black Friday, they’ll disappear in the blink of an eye, leaving you and your cart without a gift.

To make sure you don’t come up empty-handed for the holidays, I’ve compiled what items we think will sell out first on Black Friday this year, just like I did in 2024 and for Prime Day in July.

Trust me, I’ve covered Black Friday for the last five years. If any of these 10 items are on your shopping list, I suggest you shop early or grab them now.

10 hot-ticket gifts expected to sell out on Black Friday

Here are my predictions for what I think will sell out first on Black Friday in 2025.

Black Friday is notorious for TV deals. We see tons of deep discounts on models of all sizes during the holidays, especially at Walmart. But when these markdowns are good, those TVs fly and before you know it, they’re all sold out.

We expect 2025 to bring a similar trend, with the biggest markdowns on TVs selling out faster than you’ve ever seen before. We anticipate seeing major price drops on Samsung, LG, Hisense, TCL and more popular brands, but here’s your warning — they won’t last long, so grab them fast.

Oh, AirPods! Apple recently released a new generation of AirPods, which you might be able to guess means big blowout sales on previous models. We’ve already seen the AirPods 4 drop to just $80 and that’s before Black Friday even rolled around.

Apple devices are always hot-ticket gifts for the holidays, but this year you can bet that the biggest deals will be offered on AirPods, especially the older models. So, if you’re looking for an impressive gift to grab on Black Friday, don’t hesitate to check out all the deals on Apple AirPods.

One of the top Apple devices we sell out all the time is the AirTag, especially in the 4-pack. These affordable tracking devices have become a lifesaver for many who’ve lost luggage, keys, wallets and more.

Not only do we think the Apple AirTag 4 Pack will drop to a ridiculously low price for Black Friday 2025, but we think when it hits that marked down price, it’ll sell out fast. This is a great gift idea that you can typically pick up for around $65 or less — but do it before they’re gone.

For 2025, we don’t think you’ll be able to beat the deals that’ll be offered on wireless headphones, especially from Beats. We’ve seen Beats headphone prices creep lower and lower throughout the year and we think they’ll reach the pinnacle of cheap prices for Black Friday 2025.

Usually, we see Beats headphones discounted around the 50% mark. If the sale price drops even lower, they’re going to vanish fast. We think you’ll be hard pressed to find them at Amazon, Walmart, Target or at any other retailer after selling out during Black Friday.

Calling all grill masters! This one’s for you. Blackstone griddles have been hot this year and the deals that have been offered on them have been sizzling. All joking aside, we think there’s going to be quite a few markdowns on Blackstone griddles for Black Friday.

However, we expect to see some unbelievable discounts that will prompt quick purchases and fast sell-outs. Based on the reduced prices we saw during summer (grilling season), we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few Blackstone models sell out at Walmart and Amazon.

Everyone’s an ice fan these days and GE Profile’s Opal Nugget Ice Maker is going to be a popular holiday pick. While we don’t know if there will be any deals on this bestseller, we do think this will be one of the top gifts to pick up for Black Friday.

Now, if this ice maker does get a big price cut, we think we’ll see it sell out. We also predict that other ice maker brands are at risk of selling out for Black Friday, too, especially if they are revealed to have a major markdown.

Update on Nov. 26: As I predicted, the UGG Tasman has a huge markdown for Black Friday! For a limited time only, the Tasman II (in Moss Green and Burnt Magenta) and the Curly Tasman (in Chestnut and Black) are both 30% off.

If we had to pick one product that everyone wants for Christmas, it’s always UGGs. The UGG Tasman, however, is at the very top of the wishlist, and this beloved slipper never lasts long. While UGG now has the Tasman available in 10 colors, it doesn’t mean you won’t see this style make it to the end of the day on November 28th.

With more colors, more people want more than one pair. If we happen to see a rare discount on the Tasman slipper, you can be assured that you won’t see this UGG favorite sit on the shelf for long. Our advice is to grab it now or you’ll be lucky to get your hands on it at all before Christmas.

Black Friday is the one time we actually expect to see the Dyson Airwrap and its other hair styling tools go on sale. We typically see a price drop of around $150, which is significant savings on these stylers that are upwards of $550.

If a discount as big as this (or bigger) comes around for Black Friday, we are certain the Airwrap won’t last long. It’ll either sell out or the deal will disappear as fast as it arrived.

The BISSELL Little Green Machine Carpet Cleaner is a bestseller on Amazon. Time and time again, we see this little miracle worker drop in price and sell out. We’ve seen this numerous times during previous sales events and we wouldn’t be surprised if it happens again for Black Friday 2025.

Be ready to grab this popular carpet cleaner if it gets a big markdown around the $85 (or lower) range, as it’s not going to be sticking around for long at that sale price.

If you’ve been paying attention, Stanley Quencher tumblers are in everyone’s hands these days. Stanley launched a new Holiday Collection of tumblers and other drinkware on its website as well as at retailers like Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Nordstrom and others.

These limited-edition festive tumblers make great Christmas gifts, especially for Stanley collectors and they get scooped up fast for this reason. We expect these can’t-miss holiday gifts to sell out on Black Friday, including the new Black Honey color that Stanley has already teased will drop on Friday, Nov. 28 at 12 p.m. ET.

Black Friday is a big day to buy toys, too. This yea,r we predict that the Jurassic World Dinosaur & Egg will be one of the first to sell out. This popular toy is already low in stock on Amazon, which we’re hoping is temporary and will make a reappearance for Black Friday.

At $109 at Walmart, this interactive toy is expected to sell out even if it doesn’t go on sale for Black Friday, as this is the one toy every kid is asking for Christmas. Because really, who doesn’t want a pet dinosaur, right?

Traveling for the holidays? NJ Transit is bringing back its popular travel discounts including its “Buy One, Gift One” deal this holiday season.

The deals are valid all through December until Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.

“Last year, we saw a 9% increase in December weekend ridership compared with November,” NJ Transit Spokesman John Chartier wrote in an email. “We expect a similar trend this year.”

Buy One, Gift One

The Buy One, Gift One campaign “is designed to attract new customers who may not have ridden NJ Transit, or have not utilized our services in a while,” Chartier wrote.

For any roundtrip train ride, a customer can bring a friend along for free by entering the promo code SLEIGHRIDE25 on the NJ Transit app.

Customers can purchase four one-way tickets between the same origin and destination, tap “Proceed to Checkout” and enter the promo code. All four tickets must be activated on the same day and must be used before Jan. 5, 2026 at 2 a.m.

The promo code can only be used once per customer account.

“Because the buy-one-get-one offer requires same day activation, it does not subsidize existing commuters, but rather encourages customers to introduce new riders to the system,” Chartier wrote. “We ran the same promotion this time last year, which likely played a role in increasing weekend ridership.”

The Buy One, Gift One promotion cannot be used for those traveling to and from Newark Liberty International Airport, SEPTA or Metro-North Stations. They cannot be combined with other promotions or discounted tickets.

Atlantic City and Philadelphia Pass

In addition to the Buy One, Gift One promotion, customers traveling to and from Philadelphia or Atlantic City can get other discounts on separate trips.

When traveling on the Atlantic City Line, customers can get 40% off up to four round trip tickets for each city.

The promo code for trips to Philadelphia is SLEIGHPHILLY25. And the promo code for trips to Atlantic City is SLEIGHAC25 on the NJ Transit app.

The four one-way tickets for each city have to be between the same origin and destination. All tickets must be activated on the same day and must be used before Jan. 5, 2026 at 2 a.m. The two promo codes can only be used once per customer account. The discounted tickets are not valid on SEPTA.

Kids Ride for Free

Up to three kids who are four years old and under can ride for free on NJ Transit with a fare-paying customer.

And up to two children 11 and under can ride for free with a fare-paying adult. Tickets are not needed for kids traveling under NJ Transit’s family discount. The Family SuperSaver promotion for children 11 and under lasts until Jan. 5, 2026 at 2 a.m.

The Family SuperSaver promotion is not available for travel to and from Metro-North stations and on the 355 bus route from Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City to American Dream in East Rutherford.

More information on all the discounts can be found at: https://www.njtransit.com/holiday

Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at [email protected].

If you thought Black Friday in South Jersey was chaotic before, buckle up. This year’s shaping up to be next-level.

With budgets tighter than ever, everyone’s trying to stretch their dollar as far as humanly possible. Honestly, can you blame us? When you’ve been side-eying your electric bill all year, snagging the best deal on Black Friday becomes a competitive sport.

New data from WalletHub is already calling the winners for biggest discounts this season. JCPenney and Kohl’s are reportedly leading the pack with discounts up to 45% off, especially on gift cards. And in the world of gift cards, this year’s MVPs include Starbucks, Sephora, and Target. Or, as I call it… the holy grail of millennial survival.

Interestingly, multiple sources say that about 10% of items at major retailers will actually be pricier on Black Friday than they are on Amazon right now. Just a reminder that the “doorbuster” sign doesn’t always mean it’s actually a deal.

Here’s your friendly South Jersey PSA: as you’re hunting down the lowest prices, don’t forget your local small businesses. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of big-box deals, but your friend with the boutique, the cute bakery down the street, the family-run craft shop, whatever it may be, they’re the ones who feel every single purchase.

When you shop small, you’re not padding a corporation’s Q4 earnings report. You’re helping a local family pay rent, put food on the table, and keep their dream alive. And honestly? You’d be shocked at how good their holiday deals can be. Many are offering seasonal bundles, freebies, or discounts that beat the generic big-store stuff anyway.

By all means, be frugal. Score your deals. But this season, try to balance the big steals with the small shops that make South Jersey feel like home.

From one side of South Jersey to the other, here are nearly two dozen places where you can get a really good cup of coffee.