DEAR ABBY: I’ve been seeing “Brad” for nine months. We both have children of our own. He has a daughter, and I have a son.
The little girl is a few months older than my 7-year-old son. I can see myself having a family with Brad. However, one of my biggest pet peeves is when children use baby talk. Brad’s daughter seems to be doing it more and more, and it’s driving me crazy! My son doesn’t talk like that, and when he has, I’ve corrected the situation. It’s not just because it’s his daughter; I would feel this way with any other kid who spoke like this.
I don’t think Brad notices. I have tried addressing it with his daughter by telling her that big girls don’t talk that way, but it has been futile. I feel the need to bring this up with Brad, but I’m afraid my reason is not valid. I don’t want to tell him, “Have her stop because she’s annoying the heck out of me.” Brad has addressed some things with my son, and I’ve been OK with it. I think we can speak openly about our concerns in regard to each other’s children. I need help with wording my dilemma without sounding like a harpy. Please help.
— BEYOND ANNOYED
DEAR BEYOND ANNOYED: Brad’s daughter uses baby talk because that is how the adults in her life have spoken to her. If they had used plain English instead, she wouldn’t be speaking the way she does. I agree that you can’t tell this man that what she’s doing drives you up a wall. Instead, explain to him that if she does this around other children, she is likely to be teased for it and that it’s time to teach her to speak properly. You can’t control what her mother does, but her father could be helpful in this situation once he recognizes that it may create problems for her.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I’m an 82-year-old retired librarian, openly gay and a member of the Friends of the Library. The Friends group I’m active in is associated with a branch library I managed more than 50 years ago. The current branch manager is a gay man around 30 years of age. I see him at the meetings of Friends as well as when I visit the library for my own reading. I’d be lying if I said I’m not attracted to him, but I have no romantic designs, and there’s no way he would think of me in those terms. I’d like to invite him to lunch, as an act of friendship, but in view of my attraction to him (which he may be aware of), I’m afraid it may seem a little creepy. Should I ask him to lunch or just try to put him out of my mind?
— TORN IN TEXAS
DEAR TORN: You may want to believe you “have no romantic designs,” but you’re clearly open to the idea. Instead of a one-on-one lunch, why not invite him to a social gathering as part of a larger group? That will keep your overture friendly rather than romantic. As you get to know him better, if you find you still want more than friendship, either confess your feelings or take a step back to end the self-torture.
Director Jon Turteltaub came to Philadelphia’s first NationalTreasure weekend with a treasure of his own to pass on — a third movie in the historical treasure hunt franchise starring Nicolas Cage is a go.
Turteltaub confirmed “it’s happening” on Friday night to Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, hosts of the National Treasure Hunt podcast, during a taping of the podcast before a live audience at the Philadelphia Visitor Center.
Audience members listen as “National Treasure” director Jon Turteltaub speaks with Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, creators and hosts of the “National Treasure Hunt” podcast, during a live recording at the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia on Friday.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
Initially, the crowd was stunned with disbelief, as if Turteltaub had just told them he was going to steal the Declaration of Independence, but after the director confirmed they were “the first people I have said this out loud to,” fans broke out in thunderous applause and cheers.
“I have not said anything before this, but you deserve to have the scoop,” Turtletaub told Paris and Black. “It’s finally real. Now, it’s Hollywood real, meaning things could happen. Nic gets hit by a bus, there’s no National Treasure 3. If I get hit by a bus, there’s probably a National Treasure 3. Welcome to Hollywood.”
Jon Turteltaub, director of the 2004 film “National Treasure,” speaks during a live recording of the “National Treasure Hunt” podcast at the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia on Friday.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
Turteltaub — who also directed Cool Runnings, While You Were Sleeping, and The Meg — said there’s a script he and Disney like and “to whatever extent we can, everyone’s back” in the National Treasure cast, including Cage.
The first film in the franchise was released in 2004 and several iconic scenes were filmed in Philadelphia, a city whose tough-to-please residents have come to embrace the film.
Hundreds of people gathered for a free screening of National Treasure on Independence Mall on Friday after the chat, one of several events over three days celebrating the movie. A sold-out tour by Paris and Black of filming locations around Philadelphia and a screening of the 2007 sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, were among other events slated for the weekend.
People gather on Independence Mall for an outdoor screening of the 2004 film “National Treasure” in Philadelphia on Friday.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
Turteltaub said one of the reasons it’s taken nearly two decades to make another chapter in the saga is the political climate of the country. He told a story about former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy calling him out of the blue to ask for a private screening of National Treasure for Congress.
“He, like others, were surprised that Democrats made that movie because Democrats can’t be patriots. That’s the thought and it just got worse,” Turteltaub said. “And on the Democrats’ side: ‘Oh, Republicans, they just want to keep stuff to themselves, they hate everybody, they want to kill everyone, and blah blah blah.”
Turteltaub said because of the internet, people are quick to read politics into everything and take sides, and that will be addressed in the third film.
People gather on Independence Mall for an outdoor screening of the 2004 film “National Treasure” in Philadelphia on Friday.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
“We have to be very careful, but I don’t feel we are allowed to ignore it,” he said. “I think we have to include that idea in the story somehow without making someone feel put off.”
Turteltaub did not say whether the third film would include any scenes in Philadelphia, nor did he offer any further details about the plot.
Saturday sees the return of the Philly Naked Bike Ride, which brings cyclists to a 12-mile route of bare-as-you-dare city riding for the event’s 17th edition.
This year, the ride is slated to kick off at 5 p.m. at the Dragon Boat Dock along Martin Luther King Drive, with a slightly different route than in previous years. For 2026, riders will head toward Eakins Oval and use the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to make their way around Logan Square to get to City Hall before heading to Rittenhouse Square and South Philly and making their way back north.
It all wraps up at the Iroquois statue on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a work created by artist Mark di Suvero that the city has owned for nearly two decades. The route’s finish stands just east of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, roughly two miles from its start.
That’s a slightly different route from 2025, which had riders start at Lemon Hill and end at the art museum itself. Lemon Hill also served as the ride’s starting point in 2023 and 2022.
The 2026 Philly Naked Bike Ride will start at the Dragon Boat Dock at 1233 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.Philly Naked Bike Ride
Traditionally, pre-ride festivities like body painting sessions start a few hours before the ride.
Held annually with the exception of the pandemic year of 2020, the Philly Naked Bike Ride began in 2009 as a four-mile course that attracted roughly 400 riders. Now, it often brings out thousands of participants for the clothing-optional festivities. No fee or registration is required.
As per usual, this year’s event aims to promote cycling advocacy, body positivity, environmentalism, and safe cycling infrastructure. Nudity is not required to participate, organizers note online, and the ride is designed to be “safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
According to a code of conduct posted to the event’s website, organizers expect that participants not participate in “any form of sexual or physical harassment,” and refrain from any “unwelcome behavior.”
“Ultimately, one of the goals of the Philly Naked Bike Ride is to desexualize nudity and to encourage everyone to embrace nudity as a normal, enjoyable way of life,” the code of conduct reads. “Following this policy will help further this goal and teach all of us how to be better people in general.”
An Outdoorsy reader named Bill Moore was searching for scenic trails around Media for his church group of middle-aged and senior adults. So I checked in with my colleagues on The Inquirer’s Greater Media desk, and they gladly took on the challenge, narrowing down 10 suggestions that are suitable for every skill level.
Here’s a preview:
🌳 Tyler Arboretum boasts 17 miles of hiking trails, including the 1.07-mile paved Scenic Loop (stroller, wheelchair accessible). Some more rugged experiences like the 7.9-mile Minshall Trail will take about four hours to complete, and gains nearly 1,000 feet in elevation.
🐦 Hildacy Preserve spans 55 acres of meadows that draw a number of bird species to gawk at while you hike. The Hildacy Preserve Loop clocks in at 1.8 miles and is considered easy. All paths are unpaved.
🌊 Newlin Grist Mill is a historic property featuring 8.5 miles across seven trails, some which wander along or cross the water (pictured above). It’s free to enter.
Upper Darby residents are rallying to save the “Mozino Forest” from mixed-use development plans. Locals have long used the private, unmaintained forested land to walk, hike, and commune with nature.
A “historic” El Niño developing in the Pacific Ocean could mean a gentler Atlantic hurricane season, and maybe less risk of flooding in Philadelphia.
Now that FIFA Fan Fest has come and gone, Lemon Hill’s caretakers fear the city’s $4 million in park upgrades won’t include the long-term maintenance funding they’ve long asked for.
The hazy skies may have mostly cleared, but wildfire season is far from over. Approximately 17.5 million acres of land have burned so far this year across the United States and Canada combined.
🍄🟫 Your outdoorsy experience
Shoutout to Outdoorsy reader Barbara B., who spotted this cool-looking (and humongous) wild fungus:
It’s quite large! Bigger than my head for sure. Appeared on the base of a weeping cherry tree after the recent rains at Ashbridge Park in Lower Merion.
Thanks for sharing!
If you’re into mushroom-curious, check out Jason Nark’s story about the Pennsylvania woman who wants to demystify mycology: “When it comes to wild mushroom foraging, Barbora Batokova has a simple rule for beginners: learn what can kill you, then go have fun.”
What are you doing or seeing out there?Send me an email with any recent or past happenings (plus pictures, if you have them). You may see it featured here.
🎤 Here’s Terri Akman with a report for The Inquirer on Shore gardeners’ efforts to plant native vegetation.
Virginia Rettig’s garden is her passion.
The 60-foot-by-100-foot plot on her Cape May property boasts about 200 varieties of native plants, which she estimates have drawn roughly 135 wildlife species. Monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, cardinals, gray catbirds, moths, and a host of other creatures suck nectar from her flowers and drink water from the small waterfall that flows into a pond.
Once she even saw a black-billed cuckoo, a rarity in Cape May.
“During spring and fall migration, millions of birds fly through Cape May County, and every blade of vegetation is critically important for them when they need to stop for food,” Rettig said.
Rettig owns Cape NativeScapes in Cape May. After a 30-year career in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, she is sharing her knowledge and passion for managing wildlife habitats by helping clients create native gardens.
She’s found plenty of customers who live at the Shore and want to help — not hinder — native species with their own landscaping choices. Nearly 80% of self-identified gardeners incorporate native plants into their outdoor spaces, according to gardening consumer research organization Simple Spring. And over a third dedicate a quarter to half of their garden to local flora. — Terri Akman
Loris Assadian, a viral French singer-songwriter and animal advocate known as Plumes, stopped by the Philadelphia Zoo this week with his signature flamingo-pink guitar to serenade the tortoises.
👋🏽 Until next time.
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I’ve been a fan of the Portal ever since I spent five hours documenting how Philadelphians reacted to it and how the world reacted to us when this interactive installation arrived here in 2024.
The soundless, circular livestream screen with sci-fi vibes that connects strangers around the world was at its best at its first location in LOVE Park. But after it was vandalized twice, it was relocated to the courtyard of City Hall last year, where it has remained.
Honestly, I’m impressed it made it this long. Most of us didn’t give it 24 hours.
The Portal’s time here may soon be up though if organizers can’t find a new home for it. The city didn’t extend its permit, citing upcoming commitments to the holiday market in the courtyard, Nicolas Klaus, CEO of Portals.org, told The Inquirer last week.
Steve Farkas holds up a heart sign to people in Lithuania at the Philadelphia Portal installation in the courtyard of City Hall on June 11, 2025.Kaiden J. Yu / Staff Photographer
With the permit due to expire at the end of October, Portals.org is now looking for a new home for the 3.5-ton video screen and a sponsor to cover the cost of relocation and annual maintenance, which averages about $30,000 a year, according to Klaus.
Philly could lose the Portal to another city if a new site isn’t found, and Philly doesn’t like losing anything — even if it is our fault — so I asked readers on social media where it should head next.
With money no object and logic an afterthought, here’s where people said they’d like to see the Portal go.
The Art Museum steps
If you want to frame this city beautifully for outsiders, there’s perhaps no better place to put the Portal than at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps looking down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This was the clear winner from people who answered my question seriously (I was surprised I got any serious answers).
I’m sure the “Rocky” statue won’t mind if we put the Portal right here for the best view. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
We could put it right in front of the Rocky statue so that when folks run up the stairs, people around the world can cheer them on or make fun of them for tripping. Nobody will be able to hear their laughter, so what does it matter anyway? Let’s give the viewers what they really want — athleticism and slapstick. Plus, the Art Museum is where all of our great city celebrations are held. Next time one of our teams wins a championship and ends its parade at the museum steps, folks could fly to Lithuania for a front-row seat to the celebration. Pirmyn paukščiai!
The sports complex
For a crash course in our culture, there’s nowhere to get the full-on Philly quicker than by putting the Portal at the sports complex, so long as organizers can also slap an R-rating and a force field around that thing.
Several people suggested putting the Portal in tailgating lots (particularly K and Jetro), which I think the Irish would really get a kick out of. I can picture “Whiskey in the Jar” sing-a-longs across the pond and peat moss fires in the parking lots.
Welcome to our tailgating, world. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Others suggested placing the Portal right on Lincoln Financial Field or at third base at Citizen’s Bank Park (please meet our king, the Phanatic, and his court of jesters, the Galápagos Gang) and one guy wants it put in the “Last stall, men’s restroom Section 323 at the Linc,” which is oddly specific and unsettling, sir.
Personally, I think it should go inside Gritty’s secret hideout at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Gritty is a master at entertaining without talking and we’d finally get to see what he does at night. Plus, Gritty could invite LeBron James to hang out after Sixers games. Portal ratings would go through the roof!
Boner 4ever building
When it comes to indelible Philly landmarks it’s hard to top the “Boner 4ever” building, the 14-story building on North Broad Street that’s been adorned with the graffiti tags “Boner 4ever” on one side and “Forever Boner” on the other for as long as anyone can remember.
Thanks to Shana Fallon on Bluesky for this fantastic suggestion.
“I mean, honestly, this is the only right answer,” Fallon wrote. “Bunches of tourists taking the BSL up to Broad and Erie for Max’s, the Portal, and Boner 4ever/Forever Boner. What a full, Philadelphia experience.”
The Beury Building is more commonly known in Philadelphia by its nicknames, the “Boner 4Ever” and “Forever Boner” building. STEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer
Putting the Portal here would also ensure that the building and graffiti remain forever, as is foretold, and spotlighting a building festooned with such an enduring nickname will make people even more confused about just what goes on here in Philly.
At a Wawa
For an easily-digestible microcosm of Philly, putting the Portal inside of a Wawa would be a Sizzli move, as Larry Durland suggested on Threads. You may not like that one of our region’s cultural touchstones is a convenience store with touch screens, but for many it’s a third space on the go, which makes it a classic fit for the Portal.
Could the most convenient place for the Portal be in Philly’s hometown convenience store? JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer
With the Portal at Wawa, the world could see our sartorial splendor on full display — men in matching tracksuits and slides, women in pajama pants and flip-flops, and without fail, someone whose every item of clothing is Eagles-branded. Plus, the doors at Wawa are already like a portal all their own, making us all a little more polite toward our fellow man.
Of course, everything changes after midnight at Wawa, so if viewers get bored watching folks patiently stand around waiting for their order numbers to be called, they need only wait for the clock to strike midnight Eastern for the real show to begin.
Four Seasons Total Landscaping
Few places in Philly are as iconic as the garage doors of Four Seasons Total Landscaping, the site of one of the greatest and worst news conferences of all time. It’s inspired shirts, a beer, a run, a concert, and countless memes, and perhaps a whole new era of the Portal as well.
Rudy Giuliani, a former lawyer for President Donald Trump, speaks during a news conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia in November 2020.John Minchillo
Working together, Portal organizers and Four Seasons staffers could bill this as the hottest spot, in between a crematorium and a sex shop, to hold news conferences that have absolutely nothing to do with landscaping — and they’d be broadcast around the world, too! Sure, they wouldn’t have sound, but I’d cover every one to let you know what was said.
Four Seasons has already proven it’s great with lawn-distance relationships and the Portal sows goodwill so let’s make this thing happen. Thanks to Bluesky user Tim Bak for the suggestion.
Reading Terminal Market
As a place frequented by both residents and tourists, putting the Portal “dead center” inside of Reading Terminal Market would definitely give folks a flavor of Philly, as Bluesky user Mike Zufel suggested. It’d provide phenomenal foot traffic and captivating aesthetics, but organizers would risk people in other cities demanding a scratch-and-sniff function be added to their devices.
Patrick Moser works on his Tush Push scrapple sculpture at Reading Terminal Market’s annual Scrapple Sculpting Contest on Oct. 10, 2025.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
If the Portal was inside Reading Terminal, viewers would also get to watch one of Philly’s more unusual traditions — the market’s annual Scrapple Sculpting Contest. Explaining scrapple is hard enough, explaining why people here chisel sculptures of the Eagles’ Tush Push out of blocks of it to win a pig trophy would be sow hard, especially since you can’t use words. We’re gonna need the Philadelphia Ballet to start working on an interpretive dance about this now to help us explain it to the world.
President’s House Site
This suggestion from a Threads user is about as serious as it gets, and it’s an excellent one, too. No place in Philadelphia has faced more scrutiny, controversy, or whitewashing of history this year than the President’s House Site, which until recently laid bare the Founding Fathers’ role in slavery and told the stories of the people George Washington enslaved here in Philadelphia.
After months of legal battles and under the cover of night in mid-July, President Donald Trump’s administration installed its own watered-down panels at the National Park site on Independence Mall, panels that experts say dilute Washington’s position as an enslaver of human beings. Large, solar-powered surveillance cameras now loom over the President’s House, giving it an eerie surveillance-state vibe.
The President’s House on Independence Mall is flanked by three mobile surveillance trailers with cameras on Aug. 11.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
So let’s give Big Brother a taste of its own medicine by putting the Portal at the site so we can keep an eye on what the federal government is doing there at all times. Plus the more people who see the President’s House, the more questions they may ask about it, questions that could lead them to research the full history. And even if Philadelphians can’t talk to people through the Portal about what’s happened at the site, I guarantee they will volunteer to hold up signs in front of it that speak the truth.
Outside a cheesesteak shop
Several people who didn’t skirt around the fact that Philadelphia is probably most internationally known for the steak sandwich that carries its name suggested putting the Portal right outside of a cheesesteak shop to help give folks a taste of Philly.
These sharp readers were on a roll, but they differed on exactly which shop the Portal should go to. Some said it should be flanked by cheesy Pat’s and Geno’s, so people can gawk at tourists, while others suggested local favs, like Angelo’s or Dalessandro’s, so visitors know where to go.
Patrons of Angelo’s Pizzeria in South Philly wait in line for the shop’s famous cheesesteaks last year. Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
Though it’s cliche, I’m on board wit this idea for one reason: I’ve been hoping for a Portal love connection story since day one and if there’s anywhere a meat-cute is bound to happen in Philly, it’s at a cheesesteak shop.
I can see the handwritten love sign on dirty butcher paper being held up to the Portal now:
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.J. — Taxidermy and weathered photos line the walls at Higbee’s Bait and Tackle in Fortescue, artifacts from bygone days when the sleepy Delaware Bay town was truly the “weakfish capital of the world.”
The taxidermy is a dusty, 12-pound “tide runner,” the nickname fishermen bestow on the biggest, trophy weakfish, a member of the drum family with a tan, often iridescent body and a reputation for fighting hard on a fishing line. The black-and-white photo shows a single fisherman standing beside his catch, about 30 weakfish of various sizes.
Tide runners are unicorns today, a rarity on New Jersey coasts and across the bay, in Delaware. Catch limits enacted by state fisheries would prevent a single fisherman from catching dozens of fish today, though most would be happy with one legal keeper they could fry up in lemon and butter.
Fishermen have plenty of theories about where all the weakfish have gone. They blame dolphins and dogfish for gobbling up the young; nuclear power plants; the rise of other popular game fish, like striped bass; and offshore seafood trawlers.
Some are introspective.
“I’ll be real honest. It’s us. Back in the day, in the ’80s, we fished these things so hard,” said Mike Rothman, captain of the Bonanza II, a 65-foot charter boat out of Fortescue. “We did it to ourselves, and I’m the first one that — 100% — we did this to ourselves.”
A weakfish hangs on the wall of Higbee’s Bait and Tackle located at the Higbee Marina on Monday, Aug., 3, 2026. Once known as the “Weakfish capital of the world,” locals are curious where the fish has gone.Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer
Jessica Gorzo, a scientist with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, who’s studied weakfish, said the population has been on the decline since the mid-2000s. She said the decline over those two decades is the result of natural mortality from predators, not fishing.
“The prevailing thought is the majority of predation is likely dolphins, offshore, in the winter. It’s estimated that 55% of the mortality can be attributed to dolphins,” Gorzo said. “Coming in second, a far second at 21%, is attributed to striped bass, but the dolphins are taking the lion’s share.”
Like all things under the sea, however, there’s a degree of mystery involved in spawning stock estimates. Gorzo said weakfish spawning stock estimates, in 2017, were 1,922 metric tons, which was a low number.
“To have a healthy weakfish population, the spawning stock threshold would be 6,170 metric tons,” she said.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act protects dolphins, and most fishermen and beachgoers agree their populations have grown along the Jersey coast in the summer for decades.
“More than ever,” said Joseph LoBianco, owner of Cape May Bait & Tackle. “When I go out on the Delaware Bay, I see them year-round. They are here all the time, and they’re eating a lot of the smaller fish.”
‘I would’ve released all those tide runners’
In 2010, New Jersey tightened weakfish regulations, allowing fishermen to keep just one fish, 13 inches or longer, per day, but many said it was too late to stop the population free fall.
“Back in the day, you were allowed to keep 15 fish per fisherman,” Rothman said.
Mike Rothman looks at a picture of weakfish, from 1920, that hangs on the wall of Higbee’s Bait and Tackle located at the Higbee Marina, Monday, Aug., 3, 2026. Once known as the “weakfish capital of the world,” locals are curious where the fish has gone.Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer
Gorzo said tight regulations on weakfish should result in a comeback. That’s what happened with striped bass, arguably the most popular sport fish along the Jersey Shore, a species that seems more abundant today than it was decades ago.
“Striped bass do seem to be doing really well,” she said.
Striped bass are also voracious and grow large enough to swallow bigger weakfish.
“They are the vacuum cleaners of the ocean,” Rothman said of striped bass.
In May, Gorzo appeared on the Finnsylvania podcast to discuss the decline of weakfish. The episode was titled “The Ghosts of Cape May,” another longtime weakfish destination for anglers. Host James Suleski reminisced about catching them during childhood summers there.
“They were just so abundant,” Suleski said.
Suleski, in his podcast, described the population collapse as one of the biggest mysteries in marine biology.
Around the same time the episode was released, avid fisherman Frank Ruczynski posted on Facebook, reminiscing about Fortescue’s claim to be the “weakfish capital of the world.” It received close to 700 likes and 200 comments, many of which discussed theories or dismissed the issue.
“They are probably cyclical like many species,” one man wrote.
Another said you could almost walk across the backs of weakfish in the bay at one time.
“If I would’ve known, I would’ve released all those tide runners,” another wrote.
Weakfish caught by New Jersey angler Frank Ruczynski.Frank Ruczynski
Ruczynski, who also works for NJDEP, said 2026 was especially bad for him.
“Overall, I think it’s a mix of 100 different things going on,” he said in May, in Fortescue. “They just disappeared. It’s a shell of what we had here, back in the day.”
Ruczynski said he’s followed weakfish north, up into Cape May County and even into New York, and he wondered whether water temperatures were prompting the species to move. He said he received a message from a man in Portugal — straight east from New Jersey — who claimed that he caught a weakfish there.
Weakfish caught by New Jersey angler Frank Ruczynski.Frank Ruczynski
Rothman, the mayor of Downe Township, which includes Fortescue, said he can take customers out and still catch weakfish, but he relies on other species, or whale and dolphin sightseeing, and even dinner cruises, for the bulk of his business.
“I’m in the entertainment business these days,” he said.
Fortescue has never been bustling as far as Shore towns go. There are no traffic lights, few businesses, and plenty of biting greenhead flies. Fishermen will always go there, but the loss of the weakfish gives it a bit of a ghost-town feel at times.
“We had a world-class fishery here, right in our backyard,” Ruczynski said.
Across the road from Rothman’s boat, at the tackle shop, owner Cliff Higbee Sr. said there were far larger weakfish in the Delaware Bay than the taxidermy on his wall.
“We had 16-, 17-pounders in here,” he said. “Used to at least.”
Higbee isn’t waiting for the tide runners to return, though. The family tackle shop is for sale for just under $400,000.
Cliff Higbee Sr. owner of Higbee’s Bait and Tackle located at the Higbee Marina, talks about the lack of weakfish, Monday, Aug., 3, 2026. Once known as the “Weakfish capital of the world,” locals are curious where the fish has gone.Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer
DEAR ABBY: My friend of many years, whom I consider to truly be part of the family, has made food the only thing that makes her happy. Besides my husband, she’s all I have left. She went to a doctor a couple years ago who told her she must lose weight, but she ended up gaining more. I’ve tried talking to her, but she says I am preaching to the choir. It doesn’t help that her husband is also obese. They enjoy eating out constantly. She has many physical things wrong with her, most of which could be helped greatly by losing at least 80 pounds.
I want to write her a letter and tell her how hard it is watching her kill herself by not trying to help herself. She has a heart problem, and the extra weight certainly is not helping it. She has several other problems, too. She has aches and pains everywhere — her knees hurt, her feet hurt and her liver is not doing well from all the medications. Getting rid of most of the excess weight would definitely help her get around and make her healthier. It most likely would even get her off some of the medications. I wish I could write her and tell her that her daughter, son, husband, brother, sister-in-law, and especially her 7-year-old granddaughter and I really need her and want her to be around. Talking to her doesn’t help, so do you think a letter would be inappropriate?
— STATING MY CASE IN IDAHO
DEAR STATING: I am going to assume that you have already told this friend all the things you have in your letter to me. I am not sure how helpful it would be to put those thoughts in a letter. Your friend and her husband have a ritual they practice together — eating out. Unless both of them are willing to recognize it is causing serious health problems and are willing to do something about it, nothing will change. There is a group that has been mentioned in this column many times called Overeaters Anonymous. It is a self-help group with a long and successful history. In these meetings there is no weighing, no shaming, no dues or fees for members. (They are self-supporting through their own contributions.) While it might not be something your friend is willing to explore, it might make you feel better to suggest this to her if she’s unaware of it. The website is oa.org.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: My mother has accused me of removing personal papers from her file cabinet. I have never gone into her file cabinet, nor have I ever removed any papers. This accusation is extremely hurtful. It has strained our relationship. I place great emphasis on honesty and integrity. I am now considering taking a polygraph test to validate my defense. Should I follow through or just let it go?
— HONEST DAUGHTER
DEAR DAUGHTER: Let it go. A polygraph test has a wide margin of error, so it wouldn’t provide conclusive proof anyway. Instead, try to understand that your mother’s accusation may come from frustration with herself at having misplaced the papers. She was wrong to take it out on you, but please show that you can be more forgiving than she has been.
DEAR ABBY: I am 70 and consider my mental faculties to be normal. One aging issue my wife and I have noticed is that I tend to repeat stories to our children, grandchildren and friends. Our children can be less than forgiving toward this old boomer as they deliver a comment like, “Yeah, we’ve already heard about that,” sometimes in a rude or caustic tone. We think this phenomenon is common to a lot of people our age. I have started prefacing my stories with “Did I tell you about …” before talking. They could be nicer by saying early on in the story: “Yes, Dad, you’ve told that story. Is anything new?” What does Dear Abby think?
— RECOLLECTIONS ON REPEAT
DEAR RECOLLECTIONS: I agree that your family and friends could be more polite when they point out that they’ve “heard this one before.” However, if you find people are interrupting your “greatest hits” too often, it’s time to mention it to your doctor.
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DEAR ABBY: My thoughtful staff bought me a Fitbit last Christmas. It’s a generous gift, but I haven’t used it, and I don’t think I will. How do I tell them I appreciate the gift and their generosity but I just don’t want it and won’t wear it. They have already addressed the fact that they haven’t seen it on my wrist.
— WON’T USE IT IN FLORIDA
DEAR WON’T USE IT: Your staff must be devoted and wish you a long and healthy life. I find the fact that they gave you a Fitbit to be quite impressive. In fairness, I must warn you. If you put it on, I know from experience that you may find yourself immediately addicted. The way to handle this might actually be to give it a try and tell your employees that you are using it at home. It may prod you off your behind and into a healthier lifestyle.
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DEAR ABBY: My husband and I were together for 10 years, married for nine. He recently passed away at the age of 42. His death was unexpected, and I was the one who found him. He’d had an epileptic seizure while home alone. I have serious anxiety driving home every day now. I’ve been looking for grief counseling, support groups, etc., but there seems to be a recurring theme: Young widows and widowers (under 50) are underserved. I don’t mean to diminish anyone else’s grief, but at the same time, I do not want to hear “We had a great long life together” from a much older woman when my experience has been nothing like hers. Members of the younger generation need different support, and it just isn’t there.
— YOUNG AND GRIEVING
DEAR YOUNG AND GRIEVING: Please allow me to offer my deepest sympathy. Losing your husband at such an early age must have been a terrible shock. It’s not surprising that you have trouble relating to people whose loss happened much later in life. For a support group geared toward younger people, you might have better luck online. Search for “young widow support group,” and you will find chat forums and video meetups as well as resources to help you rebuild your life. It’s not the same as meeting face-to-face, but it may help.
DEAR ABBY: A few years ago, I started receiving mysterious phone calls from a man claiming to have in his possession videos of me performing sexual acts. I do not know where he would have gotten something like that. I changed my phone number, but somehow he got my new number and started harassing me again.
After a while, the phone calls stopped, and I haven’t received one in years. Recently, I was sent a request on Facebook by a girl with no profile information who then sent me a message saying something about a video and accosting me with sexual language. I have since deleted all my social media accounts. My question is: What if there is some video I have no knowledge of, and how do I handle it if someone decides to leak it?
— SCARED AND EMBARRASSED
DEAR SCARED AND EMBARRASSED: What has been happening to you amounts to harassment and blackmail. That is why you should notify the police about what has been going on. I seriously doubt that there is a video. (The whole thing is probably a scam.) If there is one and it is leaked, I recommend that you hold your head high and say to anyone who mentions it that yes, like most of the adult population in the world, you, too, have a sex life. At least then you will know who filmed it, and you can share that additional information with the authorities.
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DEAR ABBY: I am 70. My sister is 68, and her husband is 80. He has kidney failure and needs 24 / 7 care. Our mother is 98. She lives independently in a condo and is mentally fully functional, but she can’t cook or do housekeeping anymore. (She has cleaning help.) My sister and I take turns making Mom warm meals, and my sister also does some light housekeeping. It takes one to two hours. My sister does this three times a week while her husband is at dialysis at a nearby facility. She also has my mother’s medical and financial powers of attorney and prefers to be the one to take care of things.
I am in fairly good health but have some medical issues that may eventually make it difficult (or even impossible) to travel. This fall, I plan to go to Europe for three weeks. I would like to have someone come in to help my mom three times a week while I am gone. I would introduce this person ahead of time so that Mom could get to know them and I could show them what needs to be done.
Unfortunately, Mom doesn’t want anyone other than my sister and me to care for her. My sister’s plate is already more than full, so I don’t want to add to it. Is it unreasonable of me to expect my mother to accept outside help?
— PERPLEXED IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR PERPLEXED: Your plan is not unreasonable, but it’s common for someone your mother’s age to resist change. Remind her that the clock is ticking on your travel opportunities, and emphasize that the arrangement is only temporary. Tell her you will call to check in while you’re away, and promise to bring back lots of photos and stories to share with her when you resume your normal caregiving routine.
DEAR ABBY: I am a 54-year-old woman who, after 40 years, reconnected with my childhood best friend, “Neil.” We are now engaged. I have no children, but Neil has two girls ages 11 and 13.
The 11-year-old is in therapy and on medication for depression and anxiety. I love them as if they were my own. Their mother is useless and irresponsible, and Neil can’t stand her.
My problem is that his behavior is not much better. Neil has severe anger issues. He has cursed at me and called me horrible names (in front of the girls) many times. Since we started couples therapy, he has improved, but he still displays anger issues, has a drinking problem and has no control over his children.
They have no rules, discipline or any kind of parenting from him or their mother. I am miserable and want to leave. We’ve been together almost five years, and I don’t want to hurt him again. He’d be destroyed. Worse, the girls would be devastated. I’m scared about how the younger one would react. I would also be devastated. I am bipolar, and my mental and emotional health have been severely affected.
My physical health is also deteriorating because of so much stress — stomach issues, weight loss, psoriasis. My personal therapist is not much help. What do I do?
— OVER MY HEAD IN NEW YORK
DEAR OVER: My first thought is that you should change therapists if this one isn’t helpful. Then, after you regain some strength, stop worrying about Neil. You might find it helpful to attend some Al-Anon meetings. If you do, you will come to understand that his anger and alcohol issues aren’t something you can solve by staying with him. Neil’s children are not and should not be your responsibility. If you haven’t been able to establish a healthy, stable environment for them (at least when they are staying with their dad), accept that it isn’t likely to happen. Explain to the children that it is not their fault that you are leaving, and then move on.
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DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for 26 years. I have often felt as if we were growing apart, often finding interests in different things. We seem unable to discuss our emotions without one of us getting hurt feelings and the talk devolving into awful arguments.There has never been any real question of extramarital affairs.
One night, I playfully asked if I could go through his computer. He immediately became defensive, saying he just doesn’t like people getting into his computer, messing with his stuff. I get that. I wouldn’t want just anybody getting into my computer, either. However, I am not just anybody; I’m his wife. He has full access to all of my computers, phones and digital accessories. Why do I feel like he’s got something to hide? I don’t know what to do.
— PRESUMPTION OF GUILT
DEAR PRESUMPTION: Pressing your husband on this issue right now will only lead to more arguments. If you want to repair the marriage, you both need to learn to communicate more effectively. Without mentioning his computer, invite your husband to see a licensed family therapist with you. If he refuses, go without him. If he agrees, work on the basics now and save the privacy issues and your suspicions for future sessions.
