“Let’s go to the free zoo party on Sunday to say happy 50th birthday to the newspaper that invites me to write the column!” And so it was that daughter, Dr. Juliette Galbraith and I packed up granddaughters Sara, 7, and Ava, 11, and met our friends Amita, Miles, Meadow and their mother, Megan Smith, at the field and playground in front of our iconic zoo Aug. 26 at about 10:30 a.m.
Perfect blue skies and moderate sunshine graced the day. I wanted to meet Erin Ledwon, the efficient editor who has taken over for Joan Nash in helping process my columns. I also wanted to say thanks to both Al Campbell and Art Hall, each long, loyal veterans of the Herald, for their generosity in supporting my column for nine years!
Those with me wanted to enjoy the great rides, educational tables, and free lunch! Spotting a light blue table cover with cobalt blue-shirted smiling faces, I recognized the Herald team greeting guests and passing out favors.
Nearby bouncing games, informational tables, and a band provided merriment, dancing under the sun. The kids with us loved the pirate ship and the bouncing wagon. We all loved the free lunch: fat sausages, followed by water ice with a healthy twist.
I recognized Managing Editor Al Campbell. We reminisced about moving the paper from the print version to both online and print versions.
Finally, I found owner Art Hall, who reminded me that he and his wife bought the Herald decades ago and have advanced it ever since.
The long-standing loyalty of the Herald staff mirrors the local pride of the older citizens I know.
I feel pleased when members of the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor occasionally stop me to tell me that they enjoy reading the column. One woman sometimes approaches me when she sees me at the club, to ask how my husband, daughter, granddaughters, and dogs are. She knows them only from my columns.
My local friends, ages 58 to 85, love living here full time. Husband John and I feel privileged to wake up to herons flying over a teal green bay and bright green marsh grasslands all summer and love the quiet after the bustle settles in September.
But what makes our county a wonderful home for the Baby Boomer generation? My research unearthed a fascinating trend.
My generation is leading a demographic revolution. As 10,000 people turn 65 each day, we are quickly approaching the first time in U.S. history when those over 65 will outnumber children under 15.
Pedestrians on Stone Harbor sidewalks in September sport bright eyes and graying hair. Most of my age mates want to stay and adapt their current home as they age. This is a national trend. I learned that a truly livable community appeals to residents from the youngest children to the oldest adults.
Around me, I see well-maintained sidewalks and safe crosswalks to help older adults and parents pushing strollers. The New Jersey Transit bus helps us get to more distant locations. Affordable housing helps us find and maintain affordable homes. Free community resources recognize the dangers of social isolation in creating depression and support ways to stay connected.
A livable community needs to be as comfortable and socially engaging for an 80-year-old as it is for an 8-year-old. And sure enough, our citizens find jobs, shopping, health care, and recreation near home. Deeper principles involve wise land-use decisions for clean, safe public spaces and safety and comfort for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
So the next time you take our comfort and safety for granted, take a minute to thank our local police, fire department, and local community planners for making Cape May County a great place for us all to live. And thanks to the Herald for bringing us news, in paper and online, about the place we all call “home.”
To consider: As you consider your neighborhood, what makes you proudest to live there and why?
To explore: What Do Baby Boomers want? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-do-55-plus-residents-want-its-complicated_us_58c95706e4b0009b23bd94da
Find Dr. Judith Coche working with younger and older clients in Cape May County and at Rittenhouse Square. Reach her through www.cochecenter.com.
Stone Harbor – Come on CNN, FOX shows democrat AND republican news! Get with it or you are going to lose again. DeSantis was just now and you CNN did not show it. How are people going to get fair and balanced news…
