Friday, April 15, 2005
By Brian Scheid, BCT staff writer
BURLINGTON CITY - It seemed the only thing on anyone's mind here yesterday was the lates sighting of the most unusual visitor in years to the Delaware River.
"Everybody's been asking about the whale," said Barbara Fisher, co-owner of Cafe Gallery restaurant at the end of High Street. "It's created a major buzz."
At JB Bakery, the big seller was a whale-shaped sugar cookie.
Stephen Simon, the owner, and his brother, Paul Simon, came up with the idea for blue frosted beluga cookies after they heard about the hundreds of visitors who had flocked to this city to catch a glimpse of the whale.
"Things like this don't happen around here that much," said Paul Simon. "There's a lot of hype going on."
"Everybody's excited about it and they think (the cookie is) a cute idea," said Stephen Simon.
The Simons said they already had sold five dozen whale cookies for $2 apiece by yesterday afternoon and said they would continue selling them at the family bakery as long as the whale made its home along the Delaware River.
Hundreds of whale watchers, like William Allen of Westampton, flocked to the city waterfront hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious mammal.
"This is really the hot item in town," said Allen, who stood along the Riverfront Promenade with his children Ariel, 8, and Chase, 4, and a pair of binoculars. "This is pretty exciting."
Cafe Gallery overlooks the Delaware River where the elusive beluga was spotted this week. Fisher said she's not sure if the whale has sparked more buisness downtown. "It's really just created a real thrill," she said.
Elsewhere on High Street, Joe Cawthon stood outside his store, Premier Impressions Menswear, and laughed as dozens of cars made their way toward the river.
"I think this is real entertaining," Cawthon said. "It's just one of those things that gets people out. It's fun."