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March 27–April 2
Court Rulings
The judiciary has had a lot to say this past week. Both civic and criminal cases in Cape May County were impacted by judges.
In a civil case before the Chancery Court, North Wildwood did not succeed in having the court reverse a state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) decision to deny a bulkhead extension. North Wildwood could still challenge the DEP decision in the Appellate Division of Superior Court or in the Office of Administrative Law. Mayor Patrick Rosenello is highly critical of the DEP.
In a criminal case, Jerry Rosado, 62, accused of sexually assaulting Susan Negersmith, a tourist found dead in Wildwood over Memorial Day weekend in 1990, was ordered released by the Appellate Court. A three-judge panel ruled that the statute of limitations to bring charges had expired in 1995.
Another hopeful did not get a favorable ruling in court. Susan Mazzone lost her bid for post-conviction relief and will continue serving her seven-year term based on her 2019 guilty plea involving the drug-induced death of Eric Nolan, son of Cape May County Sheriff Robert Nolan.
Not yet before the court but headed there is the case of Hugo Michael Maucher, the Marmora man accused in a hit-and-run accident that left an 80-year-old woman dead in the street. Maucher was indicted by a Cape May County grand jury March 28.
Skipping College
Total college enrollment remains far below pre-pandemic levels. Many high school grads have elected to skip college and head directly into the workforce. The fall 2022 enrollment decline did slow the pace of decline in the previous two years. The National Student Clearinghouse says enrollment in institutions of higher education declined 1.1% in fall 2022, following a 2.1% drop in 2021 and a 3.4% loss in 2020.
Hundreds of thousands of young people who came of age during the pandemic have elected to pass on an immediate transition from high school to college. Some economists fear that the 8% drop from 2019 to 2022 could signal a generation of students who see a diminished value in a college education.
Meanwhile, the national student debt has soared. President Biden’s plan to erase a large swath of that debt is before a skeptical Supreme Court. Many potential students have found jobs that pay more than they once did for those without a college education. Even the gig economy has attracted young people who, just a few years ago, would have headed for college.
The unquestioned value of a college degree may be open to debate for many high school graduates. The U.S. Department of Education says many young people are looking to education programs other than traditional college. Unlike college enrollment, the number of new apprenticeship programs has rebounded to near pre-pandemic levels.
Eggs
It is that time of year again. Egg hunts, Easter baskets, and colorful dyed eggs are all part of the ritual that comes with the onset of spring. This year, the prime ingredient, the lowly egg, is in short supply and costly.
A tight supply of eggs caused by a deadly avian flu outbreak has hammered the egg industry. Since the virus surfaced, millions of farm-raised chickens have died, causing supply problems and soaring prices.
The global outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) surfaced in early 2022, decimating egg-laying hens. Experts now worry that the migration season could bring further spread of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the bird flu outbreak has spread to 47 states. HPAI is carried by aquatic birds that can transmit the virus to domestic poultry, according to the CDC. That makes the annual migration a point of concern.
Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seeing a large increase in eggs seized at the southern border. Customs has put out an advisory reminding travelers “to be mindful that certain agricultural items such as raw eggs and poultry from Mexico are prohibited from entry into the United States.”
Happenings
Budget season continues as Sea Isle City adopts a budget with no tax rate increase. Upper Township residents will see an 11% increase in the local tax rate. This follows a 15% increase in 2022.
The U.S. Department of Energy released a strategy for offshore wind implementation that states, “The lease areas available for offshore wind energy development will need to grow considerably.” Meanwhile, the Cape May County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution calling for a halt to offshore wind activities in order to better determine their impact on sea mammal fatalities.
Islands need stable sea levels. That was the message from a retired professor of ecology at Ohio State University during a lecture at the Nature Center of Cape May.
Sea Isle adopted two ordinances to give police some flexibility in dealing with rowdy groups of young people who officials say have disrupted shore communities the last two years.
Stone Harbor held a special council session to present plans for a flood mitigation project the borough is about to implement.
State Republicans, including Sen. Michael Testa (R-1st), are calling on Gov. Murphy to end the New Jersey state of emergency. They claim Murphy maintains the pandemic-era measure simply because it gives him special powers he would not otherwise enjoy.
A U.S. Army Korean War veteran recently celebrated his 100th birthday. Henry Flurer still takes his prized 1950 Studebaker Land Cruiser to county auto shows.
County Commissioner Director Leonard Desiderio gave his first ‘State of the County’ report, highlighting the county’s strong financial position, one that allowed the commissioners to vote a decrease in the county tax rate in 2023.
Cape Regional Health System reports that due diligence on its proposed merger with Cooper Health System is going well, with the expectation of a definitive agreement signed in April.
The Wildwood Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance this week that will allow balconies to extend out over the city’s Boardwalk.
Cape May’s Planning Board approved an amended site plan that will allow the developer of a 13-home subdivision on Pittsburgh Avenue to meet the affordable housing obligation with two rental units on Lafayette Street.
Cape Regional Medical Center was awarded $1.7 million in federal relief funds as reimbursement for the cost of hiring additional staff during the pandemic.
Over 20 dead birds were spotted along the Delaware Bay in Villas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be collecting the birds and performing tests for toxicants and pesticide exposure.
Spout Off of the Week
Wildwood Crest – With regard to school shootings, I suggest that there are probably a ton of things we can do between A) nothing and B) banning AR-15s that would help reduce instances of mass shootings in schools. I for one find it incredibly sad that we can’t put aside politics and policy positions for a second to have a calm, rational discussion on how to make school shootings less common. IMHO everything should be on the table to start with and both sides should come in with an open mind. I find it hard to believe that some progress could not be made if we did this.
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
