Ashley Shaffer, 22, of Millstone Township, won the title Saturday night at the Ocean City Music Pier.

First runner-up was Ashleigh Udalovas, 21, of Millville.

Last year's winner was Ashley Fairfield, of Egg Harbor.

Ashley S. will now compete in the Miss America Pageant, scheduled for Jan. 30 in Las Vegas, something so sacrilegious to Atlantic City that New Jersey shouldn't even send a contestant in protest.

For the talent portion of Miss New Jersey, Ashley S. performed an aria from Puccini's "Turandot." No judge asked her for her views on gay

marriage.

"I have no idea what's going on right now," she said, shaking. "I'm going to Miss America! I can't believe it!"

Mercy travels fast

Madonna's new daughter has left Malawi.

An anonymous airport employee said Saturday that 3-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James left late Friday on a private jet to London, with a stop in South Africa. The girl, the second child that Madonna has adopted from Malawi, was reportedly accompanied on the flight by a nanny, a child nurse and a third aide.

Hmmm . . . sounds like one person didn't make the trip - Mom!

Malawi's highest court had granted the adoption June 12, overturning a lower court ruling that Madonna had not spent enough time in Malawi to be given (don't they mean sold?) a child.

The high court said that the first judge had imposed too narrow a definition of residency.

With this new broader definition, "residency" now means "occasionally visiting with a fat checkbook."

Tattbits

* After over 16 years of marriage, Bradley Whitford ("The West Wing") and Jane Kaczmarek ("Malcolm in the Middle") are divorcing.

They have three children.

The announcement did not cite "irreconcilable differences" but it's still early.

* Dennis Quaid and his wife have agreed to a $500,000 settlement with L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where their newborn twins nearly died in 2007 from an overdose of blood thinner.