Wildwood News Notes 2/8/2006

Not even the distraction of an upcoming Super Bowl halftime show featuring the Four Tops could divert my riveted attention away from the one, annual, crucial event that could dramatically impact the fate of the nation in the days immediately ahead.
So you can imagine my chagrin when the day of that big event came and…
The groundhog saw his shadow.
 Six more weeks of winter.
Of course, if the next six weeks of winter are anything like the month of January, all I can say is “bring it on.”
But the weather has been quirky, with thermostats tickling the sixties one day and tumbling back into the twenties the next.
Everyone has a pet theory about what is causing the mercury to behave the way it has in recent weeks.
One that seems to be gaining credence in scientific circles involves global warming.
Scientists have been studying and studying the problem, some venturing to the far ends of the planet to study at weather stations in places like Greenland and Antarctica.
Maybe the eggheads’ first clue that the planet was heating up came when the glaciers on which they’d set up camp began breaking apart and floating toward Florida.
Our unusually warm winter brings me to another state of the union event that took place last week, the president’s annual address to the nation.
I didn’t watch the president’s speech because I hate the distractions of the applause (or lack thereof) coming from congressmen in the audience.
The forced nature of the response always reminds me of old sitcoms which employed annoying laugh tracks to convince you that the stupidities taking place on the screen are screamingly funny.
I don’t need a laugh track to know when something’s funny.
I don’t need a congressman either.
Fortunately, I had a few free minutes read the text and one statement jumped out at me.
According to George Bush, Americans are addicted to oil. Hardly a news flash.
In his speech, he talked about the country looking at ways to break that addiction;: everything from wind power to corn could become our nation’s primary source of energy in the years ahead.
According to Bush, “breakthroughs in technology” could help the country replace more than 75 percent of its oil imports from the Middle East within twenty years.
Heady stuff for a nation addicted to Hummers and central air-conditioned McMansions.
The president’s speech didn’t mention global warming, a subject about which our government seems to be in denial.
But any movement away from dependency on fossil fuels has to be seen as a positive check against global warming by anyone who is concerned with maintaining some semblance of the balance of nature.
Historically, we have a wonderful system of checks and balances governing the government in our country.
These days, though, everyone seems to be writing checks and no one is paying attention to those balances.
According to the Groundhog Club, Punxsutawney Phil’s prognostications have been correct 84 out of 96 times, and he hasn’t been wrong since 1996.
If only our elected officials had such a good track record.
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North Wildwood Zoning Board meets Monday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. on the second floor of City Hall, 901 Atlantic Ave.
Planners meet tonight at 7 p.m. at the same location.
West Wildwood Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall, 701 W. Glenwood Ave.
North Wildwood Board of Education meets Monday at 6 p.m. in room 206 at Margaret Mace School, 1201 Atlantic Ave.
Wildwood City Commission meets tonight at 7 p.m. on the second floor of City Hall, 4400 New Jersey Ave.
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The fifth annual Polar Plunge for Andrew takes place on Saturday, March 5 at noon on the Jefferson Avenue beach in Wildwood Crest.
The event is named for Andrew Alameno, who was lost in the World Trade Center attack.
He was a graduate of Wildwood Catholic High School.
The plunge is sponsored by Fitzpatrick’s Crest Tavern.
Proceeds from the event will go into a scholarship fund established in Andrew’s name at Wildwood Catholic.
Cost to participate is $25.
There will be a post plunge party at the Crest Tavern.
For more information, call Lisa Fitzpatrick at 729-0048.
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Margaret Mace Home and School Association is holding a Valentine’s Day Candy Bingo for the kids on Tuesday, Feb.14 from 2:30-3:30 p.m.
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Story time for preschool age children continues tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at the Wildwood Crest branch of the county library, 6301 Ocean Ave.
The program is free. Call 522-0564 for more information.
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High winter energy bills got your pocket feeling low?
You may be eligible for heating energy assistance from a government program administered locally by Cape Human Resources, 4101 New Jersey Ave.
To apply, you will need to show social security cards and proof of income for all household members, proof of housing, and heating bills.
To find out more, call CHR at 522-0231.
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Cape May County Emerald Society holds its regular monthly meeting on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Moose Lodge in North Wildwood.
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There will be a Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance on Saturday from 7 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Holly Beach firehouse, Montgomery and New Jersey avenues.
Cost is $25 per person.
Price includes buffet, soda, beer, and wine. Music will be provided by DJ Lisa DiBruno.
Call 729-5676 or 729-0193 for more information.
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The Center for Community Arts is once again offering Youth Art Programs (YAP) on Saturday at 6 p.m. For more information, call 884-7525.
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