AVALON TO DRILL FOR REPLACEMENT DRINKING WATER WELL AT 67^TH STREET

(Avalon, NJ)—The Borough of Avalon will be getting a new water well in 2009. Avalon Engineer Thomas Thornton from Hatch Mott MacDonald reports a new will be drilled to replace Well #7 at 67^th Street during the first part of the new year.

“Avalon needs this well to be drilled in 2009 to ensure that Avalon has a safe, reliable source of drinking water”, Thornton said. “This well will replace an existing well and help Avalon meet its potable water needs for many years to come.”

Drilling for the new well is expected to commence on or about January 10^th, 2009. The project is expected to take approximately four to five months to complete, and should be completed in the middle of May, 2009. The new well will be drilled at a depth of up to 900 feet, according to Thornton. The contract for the $750,000 project has been awarded to A.C. Schultes.

“We want the public to know that at times during this project crews will have to work 24 hours a day, around the clock, to accomplish this well drilling procedure. Drilling on a continuous basis is necessary to prevent the drilling equipment from seizing up in the well and to maximize the efficiency of the drilling process”, Thornton said. “Avalon fully understands that at times noise will be created in the immediate neighborhood and that will be an inconvenience for residents who live near the well. We would like to assure residents that everyone involved in this project is very aware of the noise issue, but it will be unavoidable at times while work is being done”.

There will also be a traffic detour in the project area. Traffic will be diverted southbound on Dune Drive to Ocean Drive at 66^th Street. Traffic will then be redirected one block south on Ocean Drive. Motorists will then have the option to return to Dune Drive on 67^th Street or proceed in a southbound direction along Ocean Drive. Emergency management and public safety officials have been advised of this detour which will be in effect for about five months. Letters are also being distributed to residents who live in the project area alerting them about the noise issue, and the traffic detour.

“There will be a project manager on site for the duration of this well drilling project”, Thornton said. “Every effort will be made to reduce the impact in the immediate area and safety will always come first. The end result will be a brand new water well for Avalon, and the ability to continue to meet the water demands for the community in the future”.

The 67^th Street well is one of five drinking water wells owned by the Borough. Avalon’s water system is owned by the Borough and operated and maintained through a contract with New Jersey American Water.

Updates on the creation of the new water well in Avalon will be updated online at www.avalonboro.org.

AVALON BOARDWALK TO UNDERGO RE-DECKING IN 2009

(Avalon, NJ)—A small section of the Avalon boardwalk will be closed in January for reconstruction. The Avalon Public Works Department announced that the borough’s boardwalk from 28^th Street to the south side of Avalon Community Hall will be closed starting on January 12^th, 2009.

The pilings that are in place for the boardwalk will remain, but the boardwalk deck will be replaced during this reconstruction effort. The Avalon Public Works Department will be doing the work, and will be using traditional treated pine wood for the new deck on the boardwalk.

The remainder of the Avalon boardwalk will be open while this work is being done.

AVALON EMERGENCY PERSONNEL VISIT SENIORS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

(Avalon, NJ)—Avalon emergency personnel paid a visit to seniors who live in Avalon on Friday, December 19^th, spreading some holiday cheer and making sure the seniors were safe heading into the holiday season.

“This is a very special program for us”, said Avalon Police Chief David Dean. “We’re pleased to reach out to our seniors during the holiday season and show them how much they are appreciated in our community”.

Throughout the day, Avalon police, fire, and rescue officials dropped in on seniors who are part of the “Seniors Check In Program” that encourages seniors call dispatch once a day to ensure their safety and health. Special gifts were dropped off at each home visited on Friday. Seniors also received new batteries in their smoke detectors and were reassured that emergency help is just a phone call away, 24 hours a day. This is the sixth holiday season where emergency personnel brought gifts, and checked in on the seniors.

Approximately 20 seniors are involved in this special program which is open to any senior living in Avalon. If a phone call is not received by 11am, dispatchers will call that individual to check on his or her safety. If there is no answer, police will go to the home to personally check on the senior’s well being.

Seniors enrolled in this program also receive personal telephone calls from emergency personnel in Avalon in the event of a storm or other weather-related event. Avalon’s emergency officials find out if the seniors are in good health, and have all their medicine to get through the weather emergency.

For more information on this program, call the Avalon Police Department at (609) 967-3411.

AVALON TAKING ENTRIES FOR 2009 FISHING TOURNAMENT

(Avalon, NJ)—Avalon officials announced today that the 2009 Greater Avalon Fishing Tournament will take place all year long in the community.

“This is a great way for local fishermen and women to have fun, and compete for great prizes”, said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “The fishing tournament continues to grow every year, and we’re hopeful for a record number of participants in the 2009 tournament”.

People who want to be a part of the 2009 tournament will have to complete an entry card that will be available at local marinas in the Avalon area. The participants must also secure a weight-master’s signature on the card. The cards are returned to the mayor’s office at the Avalon Borough Hall, 3100 Dune Drive.

All entrants in the 2009 tournament will be mailed a “Fishing Tournament Recognition Certificate”, suitable for framing. Additionally, winners in up to ten categories will received handsome plaques with the Avalon logo, their name, and winning catch.

The local marinas where entry cards are available include: Hodge Podge, 2389 Ocean Drive, Avalon; Anchorage Marina, 885 21^st Street, Avalon; Moran’s Dockside Marina, 14^th and Ocean Drive, Avalon; and Smuggler’s Cove, 370 83^rd Street, Stone Harbor.

Categories for fish include: Dolphin, Flounder, Striped Bass, Tuna (Bluefin and Yellowfin), Weakfish, Drumfish, Bluefish, Tautog, and Sea Bass.

For more information, call Sue Keen in the mayor’s office at (609) 967-5924.

AVALON SELECTS NEW BEACH TAG DESIGN FOR 2009

(Avalon, NJ)—The Borough of Avalon has selected its new seasonal beach tag for 2009.

An event was held at the Avalon Elementary School on Wednesday, December 17^th to unveil the new design for the 2009 seasonal beach tag in Avalon. Michael Fazio, a fifth grade student at the Avalon Elementary School, has his art work chosen from among dozens of entries. Fazio’s art will be on every beach tag sold in Avalon in 2009.

“We’re very proud of Michael’s efforts”, said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “This year, there were 54 very creative entries for the beach tag art contest. Now, Michael’s art work will be seen by everyone who buys a seasonal beach tag in Avalon next year”.

Children at Avalon Elementary School were asked to draw six entries on one sheet of paper. The art work was then submitted to the mayor’s office for review and the selection process. The art work is transferred to the Jersey Cape Diagnostic Training and Opportunity Center at Crest Haven so the beach tags can be created. Numbered beach tags cannot be purchased in Avalon until 2009. The Avalon Borough Council has to set the rates for the beach tags before they can be sold and distributed.

This is the 11^th year that the Beach Tag Art Contest has been held at the school. Borough Administrator Andrew Bednarek presented Fazio with a certificate and congratulations from the mayor and council.

OCEAN DRIVE WORK IN AVALON SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN JANUARY 2009

(Avalon, NJ)—A construction contract has been awarded for some work that will come to a portion of Ocean Drive in Avalon in January, 2009. Cape May County Engineer Dale Foster announced that the county’s Board of Chosen Freeholders awarded a construction contract to F. W. Shawl & Sons, Inc. of Marmora for the stormwater conveyance system upgrades in Avalon.

This construction contract will result in improvements to the stormwater drainage system on Ocean Drive between 14^th Street and 29^th Street. Work under this drainage improvement contract is slated to begin shortly after January 1, 2009 and be completed by March 20, 2009.

The second phase of the construction involves resurfacing improvements to Ocean Drive from 14^th Street to 29^th Street. The project consists of milling the asphalt pavement five inches deep and resurfacing the roadway with SuperPave asphalt materials. Deteriorated section of concrete curbs, gutters, driveway aprons are scheduled to be replaced. The traffic signal systems at 21^st Street and 25^th Street intersections are to be upgraded to include pedestrian displays. The west side of the 21^st Street intersection is to be modified by reducing the sweeping radii that currently exists. The roadway improvement construction contract is anticipated to be awarded in January, 2009, with construction starting in March, 2009. Construction is expected to be completed on June 11, 2009.

AVALON RECOGNIZES BOROUGH EMPLOYEES FOR ACHIEVEMENTS

(Avalon, NJ)—The Avalon Borough Council recognized six employees for their years of dedication to the borough.

Avalon Council President Dave Ellenberg presented Certificates of Achievement to employees for their contributions to the borough. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, December 10^th, at the beginning of the Avalon Council meeting.

“Avalon has very hard working, dedicated employees”, Ellenberg said. “We were very pleased to recognize these five individuals for the contributions they have made to Avalon throughout the years”.

The Avalon employees who were recognized :

*Amy Kleuskens, Avalon Borough Clerk

*Richard Judycki, 20 years, Avalon Department of Public Works

*Cherie Kowalski, 15 years, Avalon Tax Assessor’s Office

*Jeff Hesley, 15 years, Avalon Tax Assessor

*Dan Lloyd, 10 years, Avalon dispatcher

*Christine Schroter, 10 years, Avalon dispatcher

CAPE MAY COUNTY MAYORS MEET TO TALK ABOUT COAH REGULATIONS IN NEW JERSEY

Mayors pledge to meet again in December to ask legislators for help, and to consider legal options

(Avalon, NJ)—Cape May County mayors and municipal leaders gathered in Avalon today to have a lively, open discussion about the latest Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) regulations that are being imposed on communities in New Jersey. The meeting was arranged by Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi and Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano, and held Friday morning, December 5^th, at Avalon’s Borough Hall. Also in attendance were William John Kerns Jr, General Counsel, New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLM); Michael Cerra, Senior Legislative Analyst for the New Jersey League of Municipalities, and Assemblyman Vincent Polistina who represents the 2^nd Legislative District)

“I’m very pleased to see so many officials from Cape May County come together and meet on this important issue”, said Pagliughi. “We came out of the meeting with a consensus: We will address these onerous regulations proposed by COAH legislatively, or through the courts if we have to. There is strength in numbers, and local leadership in Cape May County clearly voiced their concerns about COAH during our open discussion this morning”.

Local mayors and public officials from many Cape May County communities received a formal explanation from the NJLM regarding the various regulations regarding affordable housing that local towns are being asked to create. Communities around the state of New Jersey are struggling with the latest set of regulations; many of them do not have available land to create affordable housing and are being asked to meet numbers that they cannot achieve. The state of New Jersey wants 110,000 affordable housing units to be built in the state and insists on participation from every community.

“It’s not necessarily the cost of building the units that’s troublesome to municipalities, it’s the cost of providing the services that result from these units”, Kerns said. “We need to work together throughout the state on this issue. These regulations are seriously flawed. This is the first time that the NJLM has decided to bring legal action against the state relating to COAH”.

Kerns explained to the audience that municipalities in the state of New Jersey are no longer able to transfer their affordable housing obligations to other communities. Kerns also noted that the cost of the land in shore communities is very often more valuable than the actual cost of the unit itself. He stated that communities in New Jersey are being asked to build affordable housing units where public transportation to jobs, and job opportunities, simply do not exist. Compounding the problem is that New Jersey is the densest state in the country.

As of the December 5^th meeting, 249 municipalities in New Jersey pledged to join a lawsuit filed in behalf of the league. Cerra says that number is expected to continue to grow. Local communities are also being asked to meet a December 31^st deadline to come into compliance with the latest COAH regulations or they potentially could leave themselves open to lawsuits from the building industry.

“We have a unique situation in Cape May County”, Pagliughi said. “These COAH regulations are simply out of control, and terrible. Once again, the state of New Jersey is trying to impose the same set of regulations on every community, and is yet another attempt at social engineering. We can handle this politically with help from legislators, or we can litigate”.

Polistina pointed out to officials at the meeting that these regulations come at a time when New Jersey offers the highest property, sales, and income taxes in the entire United States. “The regulatory environment is bad in the state of New Jersey”, Polistina said. “The state needs to take a step back and examine this problem. Officials need to come into towns where affordable housing simply cannot be created. There should not be a broad-brush approach to this problem”. Polistina also told local officials that he plans on introducing a bill on Monday, December 8^th that would ask the state to track housing prices and delay these latest COAH regulations.

Pagliughi says that there will be an immediate attempt to hold another meeting involving legislators from our First District this month to seek legislative guidance on this issue. That meeting is expected to be held in December.

The NJLM sent a letter on November 14^th, 2008 to Governor Jon Corzine, asking for an Executive Order that would extend the current December 31^st deadline faced by municipalities to submit petitions for substantive certification by COAH. The letter, drafted by NJLM Executive Director William Dressel, Jr., notes that the ‘third round’ of COAH regulations were amended with changes effective October 20^th, 2008. Dressel stated in the letter that “..the December 31^st deadline simply does not offer municipalities enough time to plan accordingly, but does require the expenditure of significant taxpayer dollars”.

The governor’s office has not implemented the Executive Order.

Municipalities who were represented at the meeting include: Avalon, Cape May, Cape May Point, Middle Township, Stone Harbor, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, North Wildwood, Sea Isle City, West Cape May, and Woodbine.

Veteran Avalon Police Officer Assigned To Detective Division

(Avalon, NJ)—A veteran Avalon police officer has been assigned to the detective division. Craig Smith, who has been a patrolman with the police department on a full time basis since 1987, is now working as a detective, according to Avalon Police Chief David Dean. Smith began his new duties in October, 2008

Smith started as an intern with the Avalon Police Department following his graduation from West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1985. Smith worked as a summer police officer in 1985 and 1986, and became a full time officer the following year. Smith attended high school in Reading, Pennsylvania. He is married to his wife, Melanie, and they have three children. Smith lives in South Dennis.

Smith joins Det. Ben Geary in the Avalon Police Department’s detective division. He will be doing follow up investigations, and will be in charge of all juvenile matters that come through the police department. Smith has also served as a counter-terrorism officer since 2002, and received special training for that program.

Smith has coached 7^th and 8^th grade youth football in Dennis Township for the past seven years. He is also active in the “Police Unity Tour”, a bike ride from Philadelphia, PA to Washington, DC. Smith has made that 300-mile bike ride each of the past five years.

Avalon Elementary School Students Conduct Food Drive For Needy Families

(Avalon, NJ)—Students who attend the Avalon Elementary School successfully collected, and donated, over 1,100 non-perishable items during a food drive that was conducted during the first three weeks of November, 2008.

The collection and the distribution of the food items was a joint activity by the Avalon Student Council and the Junior National Honor Society under the direction of Mrs. Patty Fottrell and Mrs. Linda Camp. A total of 1,152 items were collected during this food drive.

The first grade class collected the most items with 306; the eighth grade class was second with 241 items. Third place went to the fourth grade, with 221 items collected.

The Avalon Elementary School has “Character Education” as part of the school’s curriculum. Each month, students have a designated character word, and the word for the month of November was “caring”.

All food items that were collected were distributed to Cape Human Resources for use within Cape May County.

The bully has been tamed and those who have been hurt by its brass-knuckle tactics are doing a victory dance if not in the streets, at least in the municipal hallways and corridors everywhere of those who hate abuse of power.

The bully I refer to is the state agency known as the Department of Environmental Protection. It has for so long run amuck, assuming powers that had never been granted to it, that people forgot the agency worked for the taxpayer, and not the other way around. It squandered what should have been the good will of a group dedicated to protecting our environment by its long unfettered romp over the ordinary citizen and his concern for his own private property.

It has made up regulations, granted grievously expensive permits, changed regulations after the fact, and then rescinded the permits. It has been criminally slow in granting permission and then acted capriciously in so many instances that to call it draconian is to understate.

Thank you to those who took up the cause and sent the bully to the principal’s office.

==============

Finally a champion has come forward. First in the form of the plucky mayor of Avalon, Marty Pagliughi, who had the audacity to think that the citizens of his town were empowered through their volunteer boards to conduct the affairs of their fair town. He dared to think that because they lived there, they could best manage beach access, restrooms and parking spaces. The state bully read DEP begged to differ and wanted to act like a typical play yard hooligan. “If you don’t play by our rules, you can’t play at all.”

Mayor Pagliughi was joined in his pursuit of the rule of law by Stone Harbor and the county freeholders. On Nov. 19, the Appellate Court took the bully to task and hopefully taught it some manners. Judy Skillman ruled “the directives are not statutorily authorized and infringe upon the statutory powers of municipal government.”

In other words, those local elected officials are to make decisions on local affairs. One wonders why in these times when New Jersey state government is so close to being “broke” that it is necessary to spend so much for an overreaching agency that is clearly out of bounds and tries to do the job that largely is done by volunteers (that means free) at a local level.

Thank you to the champions who took up the cause and sent the bully to the principal’s office. (For the record, I am not naïve enough to believe that he’s going to change his ways without more fights. It’s going to take a lot more people developing backbone to make that happen.)

ART HALL, publisher

Demolition Begins Of Avalon’s Old Public Safety Building On December 2^nd

(Avalon, NJ)—Demolition began Tuesday, December 2^nd of part of Avalon’s former public safety building, located on Dune Drive right next to the new public safety building.

Work crews began dismantling the former public safety building around 7:30am. Heavy equipment was brought in to knock down the portion of the public safety building that sits next to the Avalon Fire House. This structure will be completely removed and replaced by a pre-fabricated garage that will house all of Avalon’s emergency management equipment. Currently, some of that equipment is stored in a couple of locations, including Avalon Public Works. This will enable emergency and rescue crews to have access to all of their emergency equipment and vehicles in one location.

The Avalon Police Department is currently working out of the new Public Safety Building, located right next door to the old building, on Dune Drive. There will be a public open house of the new facility in the near future to show the public how public safety is being improved thanks to the new facility.

Photos taken of Tuesday morning’s demolition are courtesy of Norman Gluckman, Director, Avalon Free Public Library.

Work Continues On Avalon Water Tower Located On 13^th Street

(Avalon, NJ)—Work continues this week on a water tower project along 13^th Street in Avalon. Work crews have erected scaffolding around the tower and continue a major rehabilitation of the tower.

The rehabilitation of the water tower on 13^th Street began in late September, 2008. All interior and exterior paint is being removed from steel surfaces by sandblasting; then, three coats of paint are being put on the interior and exterior of the water tank. The entire project is expected to take about eight weeks, weather permitting.

A containment system is part of the work being done on the exterior of the water tank. The New Jersey American Water Company will have an inspector on site to ensure that all safety and engineering regulations and painting standards are followed.

If you have any questions about the project, please contact the engineering department at the New Jersey American Water Company at (856) 824-2567.

Photos included were taken by Joseph P. Breslin Jr. on Friday, November 28^th 2008.