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April 12-18:
Covid Numbers Continue to Improve
Here is what you need to know about the numbers this week:
- Covid’sjust over 567,000 in the U.S., 22,551 in New Jersey, and 199 in Cape May County. global impact crossed a new threshold this week, with 3 million confirmed deaths,
- No fatalities among residents were reported in the last week. All county long-term care facilities remained at zero active cases for another week.
- The county reported 185 new cases this week, ending with 267 active cases, the best numbers since early November. The average of 26 new cases a day still leaves the county listed as very high risk by most of the major tracking sites.
- The latest vaccination numbers for the county show 76,148 doses administered, with 44,848 individuals having one dose and 34,404 being fully vaccinated.
- The pause in the administration of Johnson & Johnson‘s one-shot vaccine continues, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) panel scheduled to meet again April 23 to consider lifting the restriction. The state dashboard indicates approximately 4% of the doses administered in Cape May County were Johnson & Johnson.
- The VA Clinic, in Rio Grande, is scheduling a second vaccination event.
Cannabis Hesitancy Remains High
Despite county voters overwhelmingly supporting legalized recreational cannabis use, municipalities continued to erect barriers to sales, cultivation and manufacturing within their borders.
The nature of the state law accounts for some of the severe restrictions since the state statutes will allow lessening of restrictions in the future, but will not permit tightening for five years after Aug. 22.
This week, Sea Isle City, Upper Township, West Wildwood and Ocean City moved to ban the sale of cannabis products. The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce scheduled a webinar on cannabis in the workplace.
Offshore Wind Farm Opposition Grows
As Danish firm Orsted seeks federal permits for a planned wind farm off the South Jersey coast, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a federal agency, held public hearings.
Residents from several county towns expressed concerns. County Commissioner Director Gerald Thornton urged officials to listen to the voices of the county’s commercial fishing industry.
While some oppose the project, which calls for 98 large wind turbines to be spaced 1 mile apart along the coast, from Atlantic City south, one municipality would welcome a link between the wind farm and the idle B.L. England generating station, in Beesley’s Point.
Upper Township expressed support for the plan to connect the wind farm to the decommissioned plant, taking advantage of the plant’s existing energy grid.
Budgets Still Being Introduced
Formulating 2021 municipal budgets the year after Covid devastated parts of the county economy is no easy task and is taking some municipalities longer than usual.
This week, Stone Harbor had second thoughts on the budget it introduced in March, rescinded it, and introduced a new one with reduced spending.
Meanwhile, West Wildwood joined the list of towns that introduced their annual budgets, with Middle Township scheduled to do so April 19.
Ocean City has yet to introduce a 2021 budget, electing to wait until the state provides guidance on how Covid relief funds may be used.
Memorial Day Weekend Nears
The race is on to be ready for the traditional start of summer.
In Avalon, a back-passing operation to move sand to eroded north-end beaches was delayed by road work on the Ingram’s Thoroughfare Bridge, the only bridge onto the island that can handle the weight of the heavy equipment.
The sand transfer will begin in late April, with the hope that it can be completed by Memorial Day. The borough is also dealing with an emergency remediation effort at its Public Works building due to unsafe levels of silicon dust.
Sea Isle City is working to have pickleball courts and a new fishing pier ready for summer use, with a ribbon-cutting for the pier scheduled May 1.
The county is busy finishing the Rio Grande Gateway project, a renovation of the main entryway into the Wildwoods.
Golf carts and motorcycles will have special meter parking spaces this summer, in Wildwood Crest.
Meanwhile, a citizen advisory committee in Cape May is urging the governing body to raise the municipal occupancy tax from 2% to 3%, arguing that the fear that the added tax would impact tourism “has no basis in reality.”
Crimes Abound
Two State Police detectives were criminally charged with filing false reports after an incident in a North Wildwood bar in 2020.
Lower Township police responded to a hit-and-run incident, which resulted in the arrest of an Ohio fugitive from justice.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced a set of sweeping changes he said would reduce firearm violence. The proposed reforms are sure to be controversial in Cape May County, which, by resolution of its governing body, in 2020, is a “lawful gun owner sanctuary” county.
And…
Taylor Swift remembers her summers at the shore. In a new music video for her song “The Best Day,” Swift is seen as a young girl, wearing a Sea Isle City sweatshirt.
Schools and their students are moving ahead with plans for proms and graduations, even as the health emergency continues.
Homeowners may find themselves paying more for flood insurance, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) moves to a new pricing program.
For the second year in a row, school standardized testing will be cut this spring. The state will institute Start Strong alternative testing in the fall, aiming, among other objectives, at collecting data on learning loss.
Spout Off of the Week
Cape May - I love all the Biden and Trump spouts but guys please stop watching CNN and FOX and broaden out a little. Focus on what you can control which is things locally in your towns. These beach towns have a lot of challenges – just look at our school rankings, poverty and kids Use your free time to help them and quit complaining about things you cant directly fix but for one time voting every 4 years.
