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This Weeks News 10/29/2015
A BIG CHANGE was announced at a recent
dredging forum: the lifting of a wintertime ban on dredge projects in the
back bays. For years dredge permits required the suspension of work
during the winter months due to the breeding of winter flounder. After
determining that winter flounder are not breeding or even living south of
Absecon Island (Atlantic City), it was announced that the winter dredging
ban would be lifted. Removing the winter ban will allow future dredge
projects to proceed uninterrupted, speeding the projects and reducing the
costs of mobilizing and demobilizing equipment. Allowing work to occur in
the winter months will also mean less impact on the summer boating season.
FLOODPLAIN COMMITTEE: Avalon has formed a
Floodplain Planning Committee tasked with helping the Borough further
improve its flood mitigation efforts, with the goal of maintaining the
community's 25% discount on flood insurance, or even increasing the discount
to 30%. The committee will hold several meetings from October through
December, 2015.
Read More On The Committee, And View A List Of Meeting Dates
This beautiful sunset was captured from the 96th
Street bridge in September by Long & Foster friend Ed Herrmann!
AN OLD HOUSE that collapsed into the bay in
Middle Township three weeks ago has been fully removed from the waterway.
The old home stood on pilings along Grassy Sound, behind North Wildwood and
had been unoccupied for years. It finally gave way during the strong winds
and high tides experienced during the northeast storm that affected the area
about four weeks ago, and ended up partially submerged in a creek not far
from where the home formerly stood. Middle Township officials quickly
contacted state and federal officials and created a plan to remove the
debris from the water; the project was completed last week.
ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE: Long & Foster's Avalon
office is collecting food items for its annual donation to the Holy Redeemer
Food Bank. This year's collection has already been kicked off with several
generous donations. If you'd like to help, please stop by our office during
business hours with non-perishable food items. If you prefer to make a
monetary donation, you may drop off a check payable to "Holy Redeemer."
PLAN AHEAD, SAVE THE DATE! Avalon and Stone
Harbor will once again celebrate the holiday season with numerous
festivities on Thanksgiving Weekend. Family activities include games, music,
shopping, crafts, aquarium feedings, and a huge Christmas parade Saturday
evening, November 28th. See below for a list of events, and stay tuned for
more details!
THE BLUE HIGHWAY: Avalon Mayor Martin
Pagliughi spoke at Monday evening's dredging forum, in which officials
discussed the often-complex issue of dredging local waterways. Issues ranged
from the complex permitting process to the need for a common sense-based
approach to regulatory guidelines. A variety of stakeholders attended the
meeting, including owners of local marinas, commercial fishermen, and owners
of private boats and waterfront properties, many of whom voiced concerns
about "the blue highway," including shallow navigation channels and boats
unable to enter or exit marinas at low tide. Representatives from the NJDEP
and Army Corps of Engineers participated in the forum, along with
Congressman Frank Lobiondo. It's encouraging to know that officials at
all levels are looking for ways to make the dredging process smoother, as
it's critical to Cape May County's economy to keep local waterways
navigable.
Long & Foster friend Joe Van Thuyne captured this
glorious Avalon sunrise on a recent morning! Do you have a great
Island photo you'd like to share? Send it to me!
THIRTY-YEAR MORTGAGE RATES INCHED UP to an
average of 3.82% last week, marking twelve consecutive weeks that rates have
been below 4%. Fifteen-year rates averaged 3.03%, also up slightly. Whether
you're considering a purchase or a refinance, lock in your borrowing costs
now, while rates are near historical lows. For reliable mortgage lenders,
please call or email me!
10,000 DUNE GRASS STOLONS were planted in
Avalon last week, by 75 volunteers. The new grass will help stabilize the
dunes, preventing erosion and providing storm protection. Aerial
fertilization of the new dune grass is expected to occur this week.
A LITTLE FRIENDLY COMPETITION: The first
annual Mayor's Bocce Tournament was held last Saturday at Avalon's 39th
Street Park. Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi and his team defeated Stone
Harbor Mayor Suzanne Walters and her team. While Avalon holds the Bocce Cup
for now, a rematch is slated for October, 2016.
YANK MARINE in nearby Upper Township will be
featured in an upcoming reality television series on National Geographic
Channel. A film crew spent two months at the boatyard earlier this year, as
workers went about their business building and repairing vessels. John Yank
founded the business nearly fifty years ago along the banks of the Tuckahoe
River. Recent Yank Marine projects include the construction of two Hudson
River ferries, as well as the maintenance of 87-foot Coast Guard Patrol
Boats stationed in Cape May. For more on Yank Marine and the upcoming show,
click here:
Press of Atlantic City - National Geographic Series to Feature Tuckahoe
Boatyard.
DREDGING OF COUNTY WATERWAYS will be
discussed by a variety of local, county, state, and federal officials at a
forum on Monday, October 19th. Topics of discussion will include
legislation, fish habitats, disposal of dredge material, as well as
solutions to dredging-related problems. Speakers are expected from the US
Army Corps of Engineers, Stockton Coastal Research Center, and the NJ
Department of Environmental Protection, as well as Congressman Frank
Lobiondo. Cost to attend is $20; for more information call (609) 465-7181,
or visit The Cape May County
Chamber of Commerce. The forum will take place at Stone Harbor Country
Club from 5:30pm to 8pm.
Dredging has been a hot topic among local Bayfront property owners as well
as boaters, as many local waterways are quite shallow at low tide. Avalon
and Stone Harbor have both undertaken dredging projects to deepen local back
bay waterways. Avalon is in the second year of its project, while Stone
Harbor's dredging is expected to begin later this month.
A boat heads south in the Intra-Coastal Waterway as the sun gets low in an
October sky.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO PLANT DUNE GRASS this
weekend, your help is appreciated! Please contact Chuck McDonnell at
Community Hall (609-967-3066) or Sue Keen at Mayor Pagliughi's office
(609-967-5924) with questions or to sign up. Volunteers will report to
Avalon Community Hall at 8:30am Saturday, October 17th, for donuts and
coffee as well as a planting demonstration. Transportation and a
complimentary lunch will be provided!
STONE HARBOR'S HARVEST FESTIVAL returns
Saturday, October 24th from 11am to 5pm. Bring the family for trick or
treating at local shops and businesses, plus crafts, activities, and free
hay rides.
OCTOBER MIDWEEK GETAWAYS at The Golden Inn
begin at just $149 per couple--a great way to enjoy a bit of the fall season
at the shore! To book a Golden Inn getaway package, visit
Golden Inn - Hotel
Packages Escape for a night or two and enjoy sunny days, cool weather,
and the slower pace of the Island during the shoulder season! And if you'd
like to spend an hour or two looking for your very own place at the shore
while you're here, please call or email me!
SEA ISLE CITY'S ACME and several adjoining
stores met the wrecking ball last week. The 9,000 square-foot Acme had been
there since 1959, but will be replaced by a 26,000 square-foot store for
summer 2016. Rick's Breakfast House and Uncle Oogie's Pizza will move into a
new 6,400 square-foot building on the site.
PLAN AHEAD FOR WINTER--call your plumber to
schedule the shutdown of your outside shower and water lines, and other
house winterizing jobs. The off season is also a great time to undertake
major projects, when contractors and vendors aren't quite so busy. Whether
you're painting a room or two, ordering new furniture or appliances, or
remodeling your entire house, get started now to avoid the spring "jam up!"
Need a recommendation for a contractor or other service provider? Email or
call me!
MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES are expected through the
weekend, with a chance of showers Friday evening into Saturday. Sunday and
Monday of the Columbus Day Weekend are expected to be picture-perfect fall
days, with daytime highs around 70 degrees, and overnight lows in the 50s.
Stop by Avalon's Seafood Festival (Saturday & Sunday) or take a walk on the
beach!
LAST WEEK'S WEATHER pattern brought northeast
winds and rain to the area over a period of several days. Coastal flooding
and beach erosion occurred over several high tide cycles, before the winds
and tides subsided. Generally speaking property damage was very minimal,
with only the very lowest of properties threatened by the flooding.
AVALON DUNE GRASS PLANTING has been
rescheduled to October 17th. Volunteers should report to Avalon Community
Hall at 8:30am for donuts, coffee, and a planting demonstration. Tools and
transportation will be provided, followed by a complimentary lunch at
Community Hall. For questions or to sign up for the planting, please contact
Chuck McDonnell at Community Hall (609-967-3066) or Sue Keen in Mayor
Pagliughi's office (609-967-5924).
During a very high tide last weekend a sailboat
floated across the marsh just a couple of hundred yards from Stone Harbor
Boulevard, as seen here. Receding waters later left the sailboat grounded in
an area that is normally too shallow to navigate. No word yet on what caused
the boat to get so far off course.
THE TOWNSEND'S INLET BRIDGE will close again
for two months beginning in early December, following a period of
alternating single-lane traffic patterns in November. The upcoming closure
will see work performed on the roadway on the Avalon end of the bridge,
along with reinforcement of the seawall on the ocean side and the
installation of rip-rap on the bay side. The work is part of a multi-year
project to repair and upgrade the bridge and roadway that connect Avalon to
Sea Isle City.
A NEW LIBRARY will soon rise at 96th Street
and Second Avenue in Stone Harbor, as county and local officials broke
ground on September 30th at the site. The new library will be 9,400 square
feet, and is expected to be finished in October 2016.
AVALON SEAWATCH: Cape May Bird Observatory
has staffed the Avalon Seawatch from dawn to dusk from September 22nd to
December 22nd every year since the early 1990s. Each fall a count of
migratory birds is made, with annual counts averaging 800,000. In 2014 the
count exceeded 1,000,000 birds. Avalon Seawatch is currently housed in a
small hut on the beach between the 8th Street jetty and 9th Street. Cape May
County in general is known as a good birdwatching area, as the county's
shape funnels birds into the area before they cross the Delaware Bay. For a
look at the migratory bird data collected by the Avalon Seawatch click here:
Avalon Seawatch.
FLOOD PLAIN MANAGEMENT: Stone Harbor recently
issued a Flood Plain Management Annual Progress Report in which it detailed
several projects designed to further mitigate the threat of flooding on the
Borough. Among the projects Stone Harbor has or will be undertaking are
upgraded outfall pipes to carry storm water to the bay, improvements to
existing drainage pipes, and utilization of a reverse 911 system to alert
residents of flooding or approaching major storms. Previous efforts
undertaken by the Borough have improved Stone Harbor's National Flood
Insurance Program Community Rating, and those with flood insurance policies
in the Borough already enjoy 15 to 25 percent premium discounts. The Borough
of Avalon has undertaken extensive projects too, and the resulting rating
improvements have reduced flood premiums there as well.
STARGAZER'S DELIGHT! Sunday evening's super
moon lunar eclipse arrived right on schedule. There were clouds in the area
but a steady breeze kept them moving, allowing for a great view of the
eclipse. The time lapse photo below shows the view of the moon from Cape May
County, as it transitioned from full to a "blood" moon in the earth's
shadow.
Sunday evening's super moon lunar eclipse, as seen
from Cape May County!
POWER OUTAGE RESCHEDULED: A planned power
outage in Avalon scheduled for Tuesday, September 29th has been rescheduled
due to weather concerns. Power was expected to be off for approximately 20
minutes Tuesday afternoon so the Piermont substation could be de-energized
while a new substation was to be constructed over the winter. Rain, wind,
and thunderstorms in the forecast for the next several days led to the
postponement of the planned outage. It could occur next Tuesday, October
6th, but that date is still tentative, and subject to change.
PLAN AHEAD--AVALON'S SEAFOOD FESTIVAL returns
on Saturday and Sunday, October 10th & 11th. The popular annual event will
feature more than 20 local vendors serving up some of the best seafood
around. Live music, children's activities, crafts and shopping will be part
of the event, too. The Sound Advice Lounge will feature beer & wine, along
with live streaming of the weekend's football games. Be sure to catch the
Chowder Championship Sunday at 12 noon, as local restaurants square off in
the annual contest!