Fishing Creek School Reopens For Early Childhood Education

VILLAS – Partisan politics took a back seat to the return of the 134-year-old Fishing Creek schoolhouse and an early childhood education program at the Aug. 15 Lower Township Council meeting. 
The return of education to the one-room schoolhouse, built in 1888, was championed by Independent Deputy Mayor Norris Clark, with the enthusiastic support of the Independent Mayor Michael Beck and Republican council members Erik Simonsen, David Perry, and Thomas Conrad.
Clark began the presentation by saying “this is a big story about a little school house.”  He repeated the history of the preservation of the building leading to its final chapter as the host school for the early childhood education program developed by the Lower Township Elementary School District Superintendent Jeff Samaniego.
Samaniego was joined by pre-school teachers “Miss Mary” Penn, and “Miss Meagan” Young who provided an outline of the program.
The program’s mission statement explains: “Our goal is to provide parents with information, support and encouragement to enhance their child’s development and school readiness.”
According to Penn, children who reach the age of 3 years before Oct. 1 are eligible for the program that features either home visits from teachers, or meetings at their new office in the schoolhouse.
She spoke about how excited the children, parents, and grandparents are to have the opportunity to transition their children into a structured educational environment.
Young talked about the social and emotional development of those 3-year-olds that will benefit from this one on one and non-threatening interaction between teacher, child, and parent.
“We can increase our enrollment to as many as 100 students now,” Young stated because of the old Fishing Creek School and the support of the township elected and appointed officials. 
Reduce Flood Insurance
Tyler Ardron of Smart Vents Inc. appeared with Lower Township Assessor Jen Dowe to explain the company’s Community Outreach Program.
According to Ardron, his company can help residents lower their flood insurance premiums by having their homes inspected by his company to determine if there are any mitigation opportunities that will reduce flood risk and therefore flood insurance premiums.
Ardron described an “elevation certificate” that documents the property’s risk based on elevation above sea level, and that his company can offer that service as part of the inspection.
According to the company website, Smart Vents manufactures and sells vents that are installed around the building line. The flood vents sense when water is entering the property from the outside and close to seal the building from water intrusion; when not activated, the vents open to provide ventilation.
Township Administrator James Ridgway asked if there were funding options for residents who were financially strapped. Ardron replied that some certificates cost between $400 and $600, but that there may be grants available for mitigation expenses that reduce flood risk.
Dowe suggested that a public meeting is scheduled at the Municipal Hall for residents to learn more from company representatives. Ridgway agreed that such a meeting could be scheduled.
Beach Access Plan
Perry announced that the state Department of Environmental Protection had approved the Beach Access Plan that had been submitted some months ago. He was confident that work could begin on the project very soon.
Simonsen notified everyone that Conrad was absent because he had been taken to the Emergency Room with heat-related problems; all wished him a fast recovery.
Benefit for Joey
Beck announced a special benefit event to be held this Sat. 8-20, between 3-7 p.m., at Mulligan Field in Villas. He stated that a 6-year-old youngster suffers from Retinoblastoma, cancer that affects the retina, and that this event called “Jumping for Joey” will benefit his recovery efforts.
The event will include food, a bouncy house, music and other attractions.
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.