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Jan. 29-Feb. 4
North Wildwood vs. DEP
The long struggle between North Wildwood and the state Department of Environmental Protection took on a new urgency this week when the DEP rejected an emergency application from the city for the construction of a bulkhead. The city maintains that a multi-block section of the town is vulnerable to severe flooding due to a breach in the dune system. The DEP argues that there is no emergency or imminent threat. With the city filing an appeal it looks as though the courts will have to resolve the impasse.
Along with the denial of the request for an emergency permit, the DEP sent a letter pointing to deficiencies in a permit application the city filed in 2020. The state says it is still waiting for the city to clear those deficiencies.
All of this is part of a multi-year struggle to gain state and federal support for a shore protection project that was presented to the public a full decade ago in 2014. An extended easement acquisition process has been at the center of the struggle, along with a time delay in gaining support from other municipalities on the island.
While fingers point in all directions, the sea’s relentless advance has decimated many of the beaches in North Wildwood. The city has sued the DEP. The DEP has levied record fines against the city. The comprehensive resolution of the struggle lawyers were working on may have been sidetracked by this latest turn in the conflict.
Sea Mammals
Reports this week put the number of 2023 dolphin strandings in New Jersey at a 20-year high. A high number of sea mammal fatalities helped galvanize public attention on the state’s offshore wind initiative. Many of those opposed to the construction of the wind farms saw the rise in sea mammal deaths as evidence of a direct link to preconstruction activities conducted by the offshore wind developers. The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration argues that no evidence ties offshore wind development to the rise of sea mammal fatalities.
In January, NOAA Fisheries and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a strategy for protection of the endangered right whale while “responsibly developing offshore wind energy.” The report is not likely to calm the waters with opposition marshalling against the Atlantic Shores project off the coast of Atlantic City. This all happens as the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced the award of two additional wind farm projects in lease areas along the state’s coastline.
Gov. Phil Murphy has also accelerated the schedule for yet another solicitation, which should occur in the first half of 2024. The state’s push is seen as a way to minimize the disruption to the offshore wind energy plan caused when the Danish firm Orsted withdrew from its two wind farm projects late last year.
Violence and Health Care Workers
For readers of the weekly indictment column in the Herald, an all-too-frequent item is an indictment for assault on health care workers engaged in providing care. The most recent list of indictments handed up on Jan. 30 included a count for aggravated assault on a health care worker. It was not an isolated incident in Cape May County.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care workers account for 73% of all nonfatal workforce injuries due to violence. That is five times the rate of any other worker in another industry. A Colorado Hospital Association study showed that a health care worker in the U.S. in 2023 was assaulted on average every 30 minutes. Outpatient clinics and emergency rooms are the most frequent sites for such violence.
The risk isn’t new. Violence in health care settings escalated during the pandemic. But there is little evidence that the trend will subside. Instead assaults on health care workers are rising.
In New Jersey one attempt to counter this trend in health facility violence is the state law that makes most simple assaults rise to the more serious status of aggravated assaults when the assault is against health care workers employed by a licensed health care facility to provide direct patient care and while engaged in providing that care.
When a female in Middle Township on Sept. 9 attempted to cause bodily harm to a health care worker, she found herself indicted one month later for fourth-degree aggravated assault.
In 2023, Becker’s Hospital Review published the results of a survey of health care workers in which 25% said they considered leaving their roles as a result of workplace violence.
Happenings
Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano’s defense attorney may take a dream job as an environmental crimes prosecutor, potentially creating ethical conflicts in the ongoing health benefits fraud case against Troiano.
Two teens were seriously injured in a car crash on Swainton-Goshen Road. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support their recovery, seeking donations, thoughts, and prayers.
A head-on collision on Route 47 North involving two cars resulted in injuries to both drivers.
Ocean City raised boardwalk entertainers’ license fees to $200 for the summer and implemented restrictions on hours, locations, and donation activities, aiming to address concerns from local businesses.
Lower Township’s storm sewer issues persist on Roseann Avenue due to leaf blockages, prompting the Department of Public Works to explore alternatives such as using biodegradable bags for leaf pickup.
Avalon’s business administrator gained Borough Council support for an education campaign addressing increased water consumption, urging property owners and visitors to adhere to irrigation rules.
Two men were arrested in connection with a home invasion on East Bennett Avenue in Wildwood.
A public meeting on a $37.5 million ecological restoration project at Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area will be held on Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Lower Township Municipal Building. The project will enhance habitats, re-establish tidal flow, and introduce new trails and wildlife viewing platforms.
During a motor vehicle stop, two individuals were arrested after a police dog found suspected cocaine and methamphetamine in their vehicle.
Atlantic City Electric and its related utilities reported over 2,200 phone scam attempts targeting customers in 2023, a 5% increase from the previous year.
Cape May County has received a $2.98 million grant to fund the construction of a technology building at the Cape May County Airport. The building aims to attract technology-related companies and startups to further expand the county’s presence in the technology industry.
Cape Issues, a volunteer group, discussed the complexities of affordable housing in Cape May County, addressing factors such as defining affordability, zoning, available land, and government regulations.
Upper Township Committee introduced an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, seeking to balance property owners’ income generation with protecting the residential character and welfare of the community.
Former North Wildwood Mayor Aldo Palombo Sr., who played a key role in revitalizing the city during his tenure from 1994 to 2005, passed away at 90.
Spout Off of the Week
Ocean View – A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good just because it’s accepted by a majority. Booker T Washington
