50 Years of Fond Memories, Not All Changes Deemed Positive

COURT HOUSE – The Cape May County Zoo and Park and the removal of the traffic lights from the Garden State Expressway Exits 9, 10 and 11 were among the top positive memories according to an informal poll conducted on the Herald’s Facebook page.
In light of the Herald’s 50th anniversary this year, readers were asked to share their memories and positive changes over the past 50 years.
Other memories mentioned included roller derbies in the Wildwood Convention Center, grilled corn muffins at the Rio Motel coffee shop, eating at the South Jersey landmark in Anglesea known as Zaberer’s, and the replacement and updating of some of the bridges connecting the islands with the mainland.
Wildwood’s Hunt’s Pier, the Rotary Park and gazebo in Cape May and sidewalks in Lower Township were also mentioned as positive changes in the county over the past 50 years.
While the beauty of the shore area and fond memories of foods and various activities were noted, some residents also pointed out some of the pitfalls of living in a shore resort area, including commercialization, over development, lack of year-round employment, increasing homelessness and the heroin epidemic.
“Our Cape May County Zoo has come so far,” said one woman identified on Facebook as Peggy Blank. “I remember when it started with two raccoons many years ago when my Uncle Paul Hoffman worked there. He would be amazed at it now.”
County Park Zoo
The Cape May County Zoo was created in 1978 within the Cape May County Park. At the opening of the zoo, it consisted of an African lion, Numar, primates (spider monkeys), various barnyard animals and New Jersey wildlife animals.
At the zoo’s beginning in 1978, the animal population was around 70 animals. Today, the zoo consists of about 550 animals representing 250 species.
“Have to agree about the removal of the three traffic lights from the Parkway and improvements to our wonderful Cape May Zoo!” mentioned Mary Beth Coughlin Hager in her Facebook post. “Also the gazebo and park at Cape May’s Rotary Park.”
Coast Guard Training Center
Other fond memories included the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, which is the fifth largest base in the Coast Guard and the sole accession point for the enlisted workforce. The special relationship between the Coast Guard and the people of Cape May County earned the County the title of “Coast Guard Community.” Going through boot camp or being stationed there was also mentioned by some.
“My husband went through boot camp with the USCG in the late ’90s and later was stationed in Cape May,” noted Maggie Smith in her Facebook post. “We eventually got married in Cape May, and he was transferred in 2008, just before our first child was married.  Now nearly 10 years later, we are lucky enough to be able to visit yearly and share our love of Cape May with the kids.  I still have wonderful friends and coworkers from Elementary 2 that we visit with.”
Aging Bridges
Some of the county’s bridges, including the Beach Creek and Grassy Sound bridges, were among the positive memories as well.
“Building the raised road from the mainland into North Wildwood and taking down the rickety bridge,” was mentioned by Beverly Clark in her Facebook post as a positive change.
A Cape May County Herald article from 2006 talked about the “old wooden bridge that once served as North Wildwood’s umbilical cord to the mainland.
“It spanned Beach Creek and provided comic relief for loafers who pretended to be fishing along the creek but who were actually watching drivers cross the bridge,” according to the article. “Especially fun were the drivers who were obviously new to the game.”
The old wooden bridge sat low at road level, which was just a notch or two above sea level. At high tide, “you couldn’t get your boat under the bridge unless you were captaining a submarine and everyone on board ducked.”
The bridge consisted of wooden planks, “some of which were actually nailed down. Most of the planks were free spirits and moved liked piano keys whenever a car crossed. The faster the car moved, the more lively the bridge’s music. Cars tended to move very slowly, drivers certain that they were doomed to join the canoe that was stuck trying to squeeze underneath, almost at eye level.”
“There are a lot of improvements,” said Joan Duncan Fath, in her Facebook post. “I have lived here 42 years, and the bridge into Angelsea (North Wildwood) is one of the best improvements.”
But not everyone thought the county had seen positive changes over the past 50 years.
“The Cape May Park and Zoo is probably the only thing around that hasn’t been destroyed! It’s amazing the transformation over the years! The rest of the county, ugh!,” lamented Tracey Graver Lamonica in her Facebook post.
Stunning Landscape
“The positive?” she noted. “God gave us an absolutely stunning landscape. We have a beautiful ocean. Beautiful nature, but that has always been here. In fact, in the past 50 years, we’ve done a number on that too!”
No So Good
Another responder, Kathleen Robbins Ackley, summarized what many others said. “Have we had positive changes in the last 50 years? I will strive to think of one. What sticks out in my mind is lack of employment and most of the employment that we do have is short-term, part-time, dead-ended, lackluster, going nowhere. Whilst we suffer through these employment struggles, we pay through the nose for…what are we paying for? Oh yes, to live in an area of extreme wealth and extreme despair.
“We do have different communities now versus 50 years ago,” she continued. “The extravagantly wealthy folks who purchase their second or third property on our gorgeous islands for merely several million. For the most part, the communities only exist for these seasonal residents.
“On the other hand, we have pop-up homeless communities now,” she added.
“We are a shrinking community, except for all the over-55 communities!” Ackley said. “This is convenient since we have no job market!”