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June 13-19:
Deadly Start
Cape May County is off to a deadly start for this summer season.
There have been three drowning deaths in the Wildwoods since Memorial Day. Upper Township officials have pointed to an increase in the number of distressed swimmers and water rescues already this summer. Stone Harbor’s recent governing body meeting began with a discussion of an unusually high number of rescues, at least two of which were at the same beach one week apart.
Rip currents have been noted as especially strong this year. Statewide, New Jersey has had 14 accidental drownings before the start of summer June 21. The most recent water death was a 70–year–old Wilmington, Delaware man, who, according to NJ.com, suffered “apparent cardiac arrest” while participating in the swim portion of the Escape the Cape triathlon. He was transported to Cape Regional Medical Center but did not survive.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) drowning data shows New Jersey has the second lowest number of drowning fatalities per 100,000 of the population among all 50 states. The Garden State has a ratio that is less than a third of that in Florida or Louisiana, the two states among the lower 48 that top the list for fatal unintentional drownings. The highest among the 50 states is Alaska.
Moving from the ocean to the county’s roadways does not dramatically improve the picture. A fatal accident on Hand Avenue in Middle Township June 17 brought the number of crash deaths in the county for 2022 to eight. The total for all of 2021 was 12, with only three of those prior to June 21 last year.
Some Unwelcome Visitors
May arrest reports from the 11 county municipal police departments show that the influx of summer visitors can have a downside, especially near Memorial Day. There were 270 arrests in May, with a disproportionate number coming toward the end of the month. In North Wildwood, 70% of the month’s arrests were in the 10 days from May 21–31. Of Sea Isle City’s 39 arrests in May, only one was a county resident.
During the offseason, the mainland communities of Middle and Lower townships would lead any list of arrests for the simple reason that they are the towns where the permanent population lives. With the approach of summer, things change. In May, 45% of the total monthly arrests were in the four communities that make up the Wildwoods, with North Wildwood leading all county police departments with 57 arrests. The May statistics also showed a sharp rise in DWI arrests, adding to concerns about road safety.
Add to this the chorus of complaints about disruptive youth on boardwalks and beaches. Sea Isle City’s mayor spoke of his strategy for dealing with the problem this year. Meanwhile, city officials in Sea Isle and Ocean City are considering options to respond to safety concerns caused by e-bikes on the city’s boardwalk.
Critical Milestone
This week, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released its draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on the Ocean Wind I project. The 1,406–page report will now be available to the public for a 45–day public comment period starting June 24. Gov. Phil Murphy isn’t waiting for the public comment. He is already calling the DEIS “a crucial step in the project’s federal review.” The governor’s remarks appear to assume swift acceptance of the draft statement with the state looking forward to working with the federal government and wind farm developer Orsted, as the “project moves to the next step at the federal level.”
Happenings
Some Upper Township residents complain that short-term online rentals are destroying their quality of life. It is an issue many of the county’s municipalities have wrestled with.
An entrepreneur hoping for a state cannabis license is already developing plans for an April 20, 2023, grand opening in West Cape May. The plan is to hit the ground running if the license is approved.
Covid metrics are trending down, with low levels of hospitalization usage. However, the New Jersey Covid Activity Level Index (CALI) for the most recent week still rated the county has one with high activity spread due to too high new case counts.
An Ocean City police officer pleaded not guilty to fourth–degree stalking charges. The officer is accused of tracking a woman through an electronic device placed on her car.
Dennis Township approved an ordinance for $500,000 to be used for Chestnut Street Park upgrades.
Sea Isle City withdrew an ordinance that altered setback requirements for accessory structures,specifically pools. Officials say more discussion is needed.
Upper Township has been amending a 48–year–old campground ordinance, adding regulations on fees, construction add-ons and setbacks.
A state report concludes that water supply in New Jersey is adequate to meet projected demand. The report notes that challenges exist in Cape May County, requiring continued “innovative water management strategies.”
The Lower Township Municipal Utilities Authority (LTMUA) has a new executive director. One current LTMUA project aims to bring fresh water to Del Haven in Middle Township.
In a narrow vote, Ocean City approved a 2022 budget with an increase in the local purpose tax rate. The hike was necessitated by an out-of-contract increase in fees for trash collection and removal.
Middle Township School District has authorized the use of armed guards at each ofits schools. The move had been a recommendation made by Middle Township police in the wake of the school shooting in Texas.
Ocean City was the location for protests aimed at promoting stricter controls on gun ownership following a number of active shooter incidents that came on the heels of the Texas school shooting.
Christopher Fox’s ethics case may finally be resolved, with the state Local Finance Board agreeing that Fox must pay $11,500 in fines.
A welding accident was the cause of a fire that raged through a Wildwood motel. As many as eight fire companies responded to the call for assistance from the Wildwood Fire Department.
Spout Off of the Week
Sea Isle City – In my opinion, I think this recurring problem with rowdy teenagers on the boardwalks and beaches needs to be readdressed. The warnings that these rowdy teenagers are getting from the police are obviously not working. If they have the time to destroy, then they should have the time to clean up those messes. Those warnings should be turned into hours of community service. The more “warnings” you receive the longer you should stay and clean up with the public works teams across the county or volunteer. Do good things for our community ,because we are tired of the nonsense.
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
