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The Newsletter of Cape May Point Volume 1 • Issue 14 August, 2007 |
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The Point Is. .
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The Newsletter of Cape May Point Volume 1 • Issue 14 August, 2007 |
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The Point Is. .
Offers some insight to what’s going on at The Point
Hit a snag – literally. Either the water level is too low or the grass in the lake is too high. Take your pick.
The grass in the lake kept fouling the propeller that was on the electric motor that pushed the boat that pulled the air hose that carried the compressed air that fed the bubblers that Brian made.
Brian and Clean-Flo will be back to install the bubblers when he can navigate the lake and the air-hoses. It’ll take the grass dying off and/or a heavy rainfall, probably in the fall.
And yes rowing was out of the question.
I am beginning to dislike dog owners. I realize that is a generalization. I realize like most generalized statements, it includes a lot of people who do not belong there. To those people, I apologize in advance.
The problem is I am not versed in scatology. When we have to pick up a mess off the beach or someone steps in it or little Sally Ann eats some, I can’t tell if your dog did it or some else’s dog did it. I think Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter” had the right idea. People should have to wear some sign of their position/attitude. Responsible dog owners could wear royal-blue ribbons, irresponsible owners could wear chartreuse, and those who lie about being responsible could wear puce. Then I’d know who to be ticked at. The closest I can come are phrases like “He’s not hurting anything” or “What’s wrong with him being here?” or “I didn’t know”
The following comments are for the non royal-blue people. Who do you think you are? I understand that your dog is more important than I am or your neighbor is or your friends are. If your dog is such an elevated creature, why don’t you take their feces home and treasure it or bronze it? (Oh GRROOOSSS – DISGUSTING) - YOU pick it up off the beach. YOU clean it off your feet. YOU rake it out under trees and bushes in the circle and the lake – THEN we can talk about gross and disgusting.
Non-royal-blue people either don’t pick up after their dog or they pick it up and throw the bag in someone’s trash or under a bush or behind a tree. They won’t even take it home to discard. I mean if you don’t want it, what makes you think that I or anyone else wants it?
People come here because it so beautiful, quiet, pristine, THEN despoil it with their dog’s fecal matter with or without a plastic bag. We chase them off one beach, only to have them reappear on the next beach???
Feces are a health hazard. Plastic is death to the environment
Lastly, when the wild geese soil the road, a hue and cry goes up to empty the lake of geese. Why then, is it ok for people to have their dogs “go” all over the borough and we let it go because “they are not hurting anything”? Go online to the Center for Disease Control and then talk to me about “not hurting anything”.
I can’t help it if that is the way you do things at your house. This is MY house and it is not welcome.
We’ve put it off as long as we could. Our assessments are down to about 55% of market value and the law requires 85%.
The last time we were re-evaluated was in 2002 by Vital. This time our tax assessor will do it for considerably less money. Vital will be involved in a minor capacity. Work will be done in 2008 with the new values going on the 2009 tax rolls.
Don’t panic – this does not mean that everyone’s taxes will go up. The borough has a finite need (say a million dollars). Whatever your assessment is - is divided into the borough need. Theoretically, if your assessment is doubled, the borough’s tax rate should be halved. What we expect to see is a small increase in county tax and, of course, whatever falls out from the current school tax issues. Hopefully the school tax rate will remain the same.
The DEP has proclaimed that we need to have a bathroom every half-mile on our beaches. The DEP has also proclaimed that we can’t put it on the beach or the dunes. The only thing that they haven’t proclaimed is the money for it.
The boundary between St. Pete’s and Cape beaches is the half-way point and is approximately a half-mile from each end. As the borough owns property where St. Pete’s entrance is, that seems the most likely spot. Some folks favor spot-a-pots hidden by screens, etc. The idea is that they would be serviced by the vendor and hauled off after the season. Others favor a permanent building.
Currently, we are filing for permits from DEP and CAFRA for the St. Pete’s location for both a permanent bathroom and a beach patrol facility. We figured that we’d go for the whole wish list. What ends up where will be decided after we find out what we are permitted to do, what it will cost and if any grant money is laying around. What about a bake sale?.
End of round one – who won? Hopefully we all did.
Our griping and bitching got Assemblyman Van Drew, Assemblyman Albano and DOE Commissioner Eleanor Davy to talk to us and explain matters.
Assemblyman Albano didn’t say anything; Commissioner Davy evokes confidence and indeed is an excellent “front-person” for this kind of discussion; Assemblyman Van Drew supported Commissioner Davy and us in the school re-districting and tax issues.
Assemblyman Van Drew explained that there is legislation and then there are the resulting regulations and guidelines that will be written by Commissioner Davy’s staff.
The Commissioner’s main thrust is streamlining our education system and providing a better education for our children.
Both maintain that our school tax will not go up. Assemblyman Van Drew promised an amendment that ensures no increased school tax.
Bottom line – the service taught me to buddy-up with people that you trust your back to – I trust my back to Commissioner Davy – she is a feisty little North Jersey lady who convinced me that she cares and will do everything in her power to keep our school tax where it is IF SHE IS ALLOWED TO!!!! As one gentleman in the back said – this is all well and good – what happens if Commissioner Davy is replaced or Trenton overrides her – it needs to be written into the laws. Assemblyman Van Drew agreed and said he would address that.
So, we have been heard, we have been placated and we have been promised. It’s wait and see time. There are two indicators on the table in the form of amendments to look for. The Commissioners of the Borough have to keep on top of it all, keep watch on Trenton and get in the face of the Cape May County Superintendent when he starts his deliberations.