Times Talk
Jake’s Place Playground
82nd ST. PLAYGROUND REOPENS AS ‘JAKE’S PLACE’
Stone Harbor celebrated the grand opening of the 82nd Street Playground, named “Jake’s Place,” on June 28.
The new playground is dedicated to Jacob “Jake” Myles Cummings-Nasto, a boy from Camden County whose cardiac conditions limited his access to typical playground equipment before he passed at 2½ due to complications from heart surgery.
His parents have honored his memory by spearheading the refurbishment of playgrounds across the state as Jake’s Places to make them accessible for people of all ages and abilities. The 82nd Street Playground now includes accessible ramps, adaptive swings, communication boards, sensory elements, and transfer stations.
Working closely with the Stone Harbor Recreation Advisory Committee and Recreation Director Jenny Olsen, DeBlasio & Associates designed, permitted, engineered, and organized the grant coordination for this project.
The opening featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, remarks from Mayor Tim Carney, hot dogs and refreshments from the ICONA Resorts, and ice cream from Springer’s Homemade Ice Cream. The opening was attended by the Stone Harbor Borough Council, the Recreation Advisory Committee, residents, and families.
Jake’s Place and the newly upgraded 97th Street Recreation Complex, which opened on June 6, are part of a $1.6 million recreation complex improvement project. Stone Harbor received an $800,000 grant from the State Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program, which aims to preserve and enhance New Jersey’s natural environment and recreation resources for public use. The Borough of Stone Harbor made matching local investments as well.
The grand opening of Jake’s Place marks a special moment for Stone Harbor as playgrounds across New Jersey recognize the need for play equipment to be accessible for children of all abilities.
E-BIKES SUBJECT TO NEW RULES, REGULATIONS
In July, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission implemented updated rules and regulations for e-bikes. All e-bikes must now be registered and insured, and all drivers must have a valid permit and helmet. Motorized stand-up electric scooters are exempt from these new rules.
Now, all e-bike drivers must be at least 15 years old and possess a valid driver’s license, e-bike license, or e-bike permit. To obtain an e-bike license, you can schedule an appointment at a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Licensing Center. You have to pass the knowledge and vision test, have 45 days of practice driving, and pass a road test. In addition, all e-bikes must be registered. To do this, you must schedule an appointment, insure your bike, provide ID and valid proof of ownership, and provide a manufacturer’s certificate of origin.
“We’ve noticed an increase in e-bikes on the road,” said Avalon Police Chief Jeff Christopher. “A lot of them are adults who follow the laws of the road, but we’ve seen an increase in younger kids who operate these things as if they are regular bikes, but they’re not. The kids don’t know the motor vehicle or traffic laws. A lot of them didn’t realize they had to stop at stop signs or traffic lights. It’s a recipe for disaster because they don’t know the laws, the traffic is significant, and they’re going at excessive speeds.”
He notes that these new rules are for the public good.
“I believe that this is going to increase the safety of everyone, not just the people who own e-bikes, but also pedestrians,” Christopher said. “I do believe that it’s going to increase safety all over the state and certainly in Avalon.”
The new rules and regulations are now fully implemented. For more information, visit the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission website https://nj.gov/mvc/.
From left: Firefighters Chief Roger Stanford, Josh Otton, DJ Fancher, Lou Taylor, Mike Gihorski, Bob McClure, Bob McClure Sr.
STONE HARBOR PROMOTES FIREFIGHTERS
Four members of the Stone Harbor Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 were promoted to the rank of captain and one firefighter was sworn in as the Borough’s newest full-time firefighter at the July 7 Borough Council meeting.
Joshua Otton, Mike Gihorski, Robert McClure Jr., and Donald Fancher were those promoted to captain. Louis Taylor III was elevated to the position of full-time firefighter.
“The creation of our career fire department and these promotions reflect our commitment to protecting the community,” said Mayor Tim Carney. “Providing rapid response to fire and medical emergencies remains one of our highest priorities, and today, Stone Harbor has some of the fastest emergency response times of any municipality in New Jersey.”
The department’s Facebook post noted that the four new captains “were among the original members who helped build our paid combination fire department. Through years of dedication, training, leadership, and service, they have earned the respect of their fellow firefighters and our community. We are confident they will continue to lead our department with professionalism and integrity.”
Otto, a lifelong Stone Harbor resident, joined the Volunteer Fire Company at the age of 16 and returned to his hometown in 2021 after serving with Prince William County (Va.) Fire and Rescue. He helped develop policies for the combination department, and serves as president of New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association Local 151. Otto will serve as captain of the Alpha Platoon.
Gihorski began his fire service career in 2004 with the Dennis Volunteer Fire Company, where he rose through the ranks to become Fire Chief in 2017. He also served as a supervisor with the Belleplain Emergency Corps, joined the Stone Harbor Volunteer Fire Company in 2019, became a career Firefighter/EMT in 2021, and now serves as an instructor at the Cape May County Fire Academy.
McClure joined the department in 2008 and is a third-generation Stone Harbor firefighter. After serving with the Volunteer Fire Company and working for the Borough’s Department of Public Works, he became one of Stone Harbor’s first career firefighters in 2021.
Fancher began his firefighting career as a volunteer with the Marmora Volunteer Fire Company in 2009. Along with structural firefighting, Fancher operated as one of Sea Isle’s skilled Emergency Medical Technicians. In 2021, Fancher transitioned to professional firefighting when he was hired by the Stone Harbor Volunteer Fire Company.
The promotions reflect the continued growth of the Stone Harbor Fire Department and the Borough’s commitment to providing residents, businesses and visitors with responsive, professional fire protection and emergency medical services.
Avalon’s new Flood Dashboard showing the “Observations & Predictions” section.
AVALON INTRODUCES ‘FLOOD DASHBOARD’
Avalon has developed a new Flood Dashboard that contains real-time and projected data gathered from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and USGS.
The live conditions reported include the maximum, minimum, and current water elevation of the day, as well as the flooding outlook for the next 72 hours.
Other sections of the Flood Dashboard include “Observations & Predictions,” “Cumulative Annual Flooding,” “Flooding over the Years,” “Average Number of Floods Per Month,” “Historic Flooding Filter,” “Top Ten Highest Tides,” and “NJ Tide Gauge Map.”
This dashboard was made possible by a partnership with meteorologist Joe Martucci and ShorelySafe. ShorelySafe is a weather consulting organization that aims to deliver early flood and storm warnings.
Over the years, Avalon has taken many precautions to prevent flooding and protect residents, including creating the flood map, putting in height markers, implementing the reverse 911 system, and increasing the elevation of the bulkheads. The Flood Dashboard is the most recent precaution.
“It’s just another tool,” Mayor John McCorristin said. “We’re trying to see how it works out, and we really, really hope it helps people. Our flood maps will always be available, which show, in general, what areas flood under certain conditions, but [the Flood Dashboard] will be more accurate. It will be tuned in to the day, time, and location.”
He noted that one of the best features is the ability to compare upcoming and current floods to previous floods and storms. This will allow residents to better gauge the amount of flooding they can expect.
“[Residents] can utilize this, and they’ll have an idea of flooding in advance,” McCorristin said. “They will be able to decide whether or not to move their car up to Borough Hall, away from the bay, or if they should leave the island.”
He hopes residents use this software and says, “It’s probably going to take a bit for it to kick in, but once people learn that it is available, they will realize that there are real positives to it.”
Check out Avalon’s Flood Dashboard through the borough’s website or directly at https://hondrospj.github.io/Avalon/.
Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office members at the annual Public Safety Recruitment event with students from Middle Township Middle School and Middle Township High School.
COUNTY LAUNCHES HIGHWAY SAFETY TASK FORCE
Cape May County has launched a task force initiative to enhance highway safety and reduce traffic fatalities. The initiative’s name, SHIELD Task Force, stands for Safety on Highways through Intensive Enforcement & Law Enforcement Deployment.
Because of seasonal tourism, Cape May County faces safety challenges due to increased traffic and heavily traveled highways. The task force will address this by increasing enforcement and focusing on educating residents and visitors about the dangers of speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, and aggressive driving. Additional messaging such as “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” will be posted as part of the public awareness campaign.
The task force will identify high-risk locations through crash analytics and traffic trends. There will be targeted operations in these areas, including saturation patrols, speed enforcement, and DUI checkpoints.
On July 6, a 4-hour enforcement detail was deployed along the North Wildwood Boulevard and Wildwood Boulevard corridors, which are locations that have been identified as high risk. Twelve officers from multiple municipal police departments conducted 93 motor vehicle stops. From these stops, officers issued 48 motor vehicle summonses, 25 moving violations, and 23 non-moving violations. In addition, one individual was arrested for driving while under the influence.
This is a countywide partnership involving all Cape May County police departments, the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office. While the task force is currently funded through partnerships, it seeks additional state and federal funding to ensure long-term operation.
For more information, contact the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.