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May 30 – June 5:
Unruly Crowds
An Ocean City resident asked in a recent social media post, “Is the teenage mob now a new regular phenomenon in Ocean City?” The concern about crowds of young people engaged in rowdy behavior arises from the experience of last year, when several local beach towns had to deal with bad behavior by groups of young people who raised the ire of older residents and visitors.
In Avalon over Memorial Day weekend, there were at least two instances reported to borough police, one by a property owner who said fence posts had been thrown against his property and a memorial bench was removed from the boardwalk and deposited in his landscape area. So far, incidents appear to be few, but the busiest part of the summer season lies ahead.
Several local officials point to changes in state law and attorney general directives that they claim have hamstrung police in dealing with juvenile disruptive behavior.
School Safety
A tragic mass shooting at a Texas school took 21 lives, all but two of them young children. Immediate local reaction in Cape May County included beefed up police presence at county schools.
Now, police are looking at current safety measures and reevaluating them where necessary. In Middle Township, the police have recommended an armed, trained security presence at each school. In Avalon and many of the county’s smaller municipalities, police will increase their patrols of the local schools.
School districts are also reassessing security measures, with many feeling they already have an extensive series of protocols for protecting students. Teachers are engaging in discussions to draw out any student concerns about safety to relieve latent anxiety.
New Worries
For over two years, our worries were rooted in the pandemic – in the threat of illness, in the lives it took and in the damage it did to the economy and to the learning experience of students. Covid is not gone, but it has relaxed its iron grip on our psyche.
This week, the Cape May County Department of Health announced that the regular posting of Covid metrics on the county website stopped, as of June 4.
As if we needed a replacement for the top spot on the worry list, other issues have popped up this week to try and claim the limelight.
The respected hurricane and major storm forecast from Colorado State University (CSU) was adjusted to reflect an even more threatening storm season, which began June 1. Their update prediction begins with the ominous statement, “We have increased our forecast and now call for a well-above average Atlantic basin hurricane season.”
CSU now projects up to 20 named storms, with 10 reaching hurricane strength and five of those becoming major hurricanes. The report lists a probability of at least one major hurricane making landfall in the U.S. at 76%, with a 51% chance that landfall would be along the East Coast.
The newest medical issue seeking a spot on the worry chart is monkeypox. As of this week, medical researchers have detected at least two strains of the monkeypox virus with cases in 11 states. So far, New Jersey is not one of those states, but neighboring New York and Pennsylvania both have seen confirmed cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says infected individuals may experience illness that lasts two to four weeks. In Africa, where the disease is more common, it has been known to cause fatalities. Medical experts urge the public not to overreact, pointing to the fact that the monkeypox virus is not new, is well understood and can be treated.
Happenings
A new directive from the state attorney general will end arrests for municipal bench warrants issued for minor infractions. Some see it as a positive step that frees police for more important issues while ending a practice that often unnecessarilydisrupted lives. Others point to the move as yet another step that erodes an atmosphere of law and order.
A motorcyclist and a beachgoer were the latest victims in a rising fatality rate associated with motor vehicle crashes. Both have now been identified.
A former Ocean City lifeguard has been arrested on sexualassault charges. This comes as a former Ocean City police sergeant faces trial for aggravated sexual assault.
The crisis that many county municipalities have faced with solid waste disposal company Gold Medal Environmental has forced Ocean City to raise municipal taxes for 2022 to pay additional funds to Gold Medal for trash removal under an existing contract. Meanwhile, inflation and increased expenses in the Public Works Department resulted in North Wildwood adding a tax increase to its 2022 budget, as well.
The body of a swimmer missing off a Wildwood beach has been recovered. The 19-year-old was one of four young people in distress during a period when no lifeguards were on duty. Three were safely returned to shore.
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a new push for stronger building codes nationwide June 1. The initiative is aimed at the two–thirds of communities that have outdated building codes, making them more vulnerable to climate impacts.
South Jersey economic development officials presented the highlights of a new Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan. The plan is expected to guide future economic development in the county.
A husband has been arrested for the 2013 murder of his wife, a Middle Township High School graduate,ina cold case. Meanwhile, an individual convicted under a plea agreement lost an appeal in which he tried to overturn evidence obtained in a search of his vehicle following a 2016 stop by Wildwood police.
Three county municipalities are receiving federal funding to modernize public housing facilities in Wildwood, Ocean City and Cape May.
Wildwood motel owners express concerns over Mahalo development plans.
The Wildwoods International Kite Festival filled the sky abovea Wildwood beach with colorful characters from sharks to octopi.
Spout Off of the Week
Belleplain – We’ve had great sun and rain. Looking forward to some excellent blueberry picking come late June into July. One of the simple pleasures of life.
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
