Strathmere officials report alarming increase in bike accidents

STRATHMERE -"They are not following the rules of the road and they don't understand the rules of the road," said Steve Nickelsberg, Safety Officer with the Strathmere Fire Company. 

And officials in Strathmere say this summer, because of that, the number of bicycle accidents has reached a record high.

"We've had more than a dozen accidents including one fatality. Not one accident that we've been to has been the fault of a car. Everyone has been the fault of the biker not following the rules," said Nickelsberg.

"The bicyclists don't have a care in the world. They think they own the roads," said Derek Neill, a resident in Somers Point.

Beach goers and nearby residents say it's a hassle driving down Landis Avenue in Strathmere, with bikers riding in the middle of the road, ignoring traffic laws.

"We had a fire truck responding to a call with sirens, lights and an air horn and bicyclists weren't moving out of the way, forcing us into ongoing traffic to get out of the way," said Nickelsberg.

And that's why Nickelsberg made a post on Facebook urging bike riders to adhere to the rules and stay as far to the right of the road as possible.

"We have large vehicles full of steel. They really need to be a little bit more cautious," said Neill.

"We are subject to the same laws as motor vehicles so that gives us the same rights to the road," said Roy Gehrig, a bicyclist. 

But folks we spoke with say something needs to be done to fix this problem.

"I wish there was a bike path or somewhere for them to go," said Nicole Boland, a resident in Strathmere.

Meanwhile, officials with the local fire company are asking the county for help.

"We've asked them for alternate side parking or a bike lane or anything that would help us," said Nickelsberg.

But for now, the riding dispute remains in the small town.

"Lighten up and share the road," said Gehrig. 




Story from NBC  News 40 - http://www.nbc40.net/story/26399930/strathmere-officials-report-alarming-increase-in-bike-accidents?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10527270#.VABa1SNwap8.facebook



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SIA Newsletter 8 6 2014 - SIA Meeting Friday; Beach Party Saturday at 7 (not 7:30); Castaway at 9; Sports News; Suncatcher; Piano Available; Canning Program; Kayak Festival; Updated Calendar; SIA Dues

To All Strathmere and Whale Beach Homeowners and Visitors,

 

Our August SIA Meeting will be held this Friday, 8 pm at the firehouse.

The next night, Saturday, we’ll have our rescheduled beach party at the Sumner Road Beach.

Note that we’ve moved the time up to 7:00 pm.

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 7, the Library will hold a FAMILY SCAVENGER HUNT at 7:00 pm (sign up at the library).

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In sports news, Strathmere Lifeguard Ford Palmer broke the four-minute mile barrier last Friday, winning the Sir Walter Miler Race at Meredith College in 3:57:61.

Congratulations, Ford!

The feat was reported in the Press of Atlantic City in this article.

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Congratulations also to Brian Furey and the rest of the Ocean City / Upper Township 11-12 Little Leaguers, who won the Section 4 Championship, but then lost the State Final game by one run in a tremendously exciting game. Read about it here in OCNJ Daily or here on Ocean City Patch.

Furey and the Upper Township 9-10 Little Leaguers, who did win the NJ State Championship and are now playing in the National Regional Playoffs in Cranston, Rhode Island, where they are 2-1 in games so far, beating the New York and Maryland champions but losing to Pennsylvania.

They play the Delaware State Champions at 11:00 am tomorrow, with semi-finals and finals on Friday and Saturday.

Unfortunately, CJ has not been able to play since he was hit in the knee by a pitch in the District Finals. At first it was thought to be a broken kneecap, but luckily was not.

He is recovering well but has to root for the team from Strathmere

We believe both Brian and CJ will be attending Friday night’s SIA meeting to receive their Bergus Scholarship Awards.

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Remember that the SIA’s fund raiser this year is a $5.00 suncatcher / tree ornament with a picture, taken by Ted Kingston, of Strathmere’s snowy owl.

 

If you’d like one (or more - great for Christmas presents), call an SIA Board member and pick them up. We’ll also have them at Friday’s meeting and Saturday’s Beach Party.

 

Linda Bateman: 609-970-0157; 14 East Tecumseh Road 

Elaine Holsomback: 609-504-8636; 29 E. Sumner Road 

Ken Weaver: (609) 263-6846; 212 S. Bayview Drive 

Rosemarie Whelan: (609) 263-2507; 33 E. Sherman Road 

Donna Diefenderfer: 215-801-5876; 401 S. Bayview Drive

The Evans family on Bayview Drive have a piano that is available free to a good home!

The dimensions are 35 3/4” high, 57 1/2” wide, and 23 3/4” deep. 

It plays, but does need some repair work. 

If you are interested, please email Jane at jle408@verizon.net

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Upper Township’s Green Team, in conjunction with the Schiavo Library, will sponsor a Canning Program On August 12th, 10:00 am at the Strathmere Firehouse.

You can learn how to can South Jersey Tomatoes with local experts Terry Halter Burrell and Michele Bradley, who have been canning for more than 55 years.

Cost is $20, all equipment will be provided.

To register, call Christine Rohrman, Rita Schiavo Library Director, at (609) 486-6265.

Better hurry, there is only room for 8 participants.

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Mark your calendars for the UTBP Kayak and Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Board Festival on next Saturday, August 16th.

 It will begin with a 5K Run / 1 Mile Health Walk at 8:00 am.

The Ocean Kayak / Stand Up Paddle preliminary races begin at 11:15 am and the finals should conclude around 3:00 pm.

More details as we get closer to the date.

 

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Remember to follow and "like" the SIA (click the "Thumbs Up" box ) on Facebook:

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Strathmere-Improvement-Association-SIA/184810134906201

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Upcoming Events - please mark your calendars:

 

*Schiavo Library Family Scavenger Hunt, 7:00 pm, Thursday, August 7

*SIA Meeting, 8:00 pm, Friday, August 8

*SIA Family Beach Party, 7:00 pm, Saturday, August 9

*Castaway Lounge, 9:00 pm, Saturday, August 9

*Canning Program at the Firehouse, Tuesday, August 12 at 10:00 am

*UTBP Kayak / SUP Festival, Saturday, August 16

*SFEC Nightmare in Strathmere Boat Parade, 6:30 pm, Saturday, August 23

*SVFC Fund-Raising Barbecue, Thursday, August 28, 6:00 pm

*SFEC Kids’ Surf Tournament, Saturday, August 30, 9:00 to 11:00 am

*Last Day of Flounder Season Saturday, September 27

 

Services at the Strathmere United Methodist Church every Sunday until October: 9:15 Hymn Sing; 9:30 Service.

 

Let us know of additions or corrections!

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Also, please let us know if you have comments or suggestions for the newsletter or for SIA in general, or if you'd like us to change your e-mail address in our records.

You can contact us by responding to this e-mail at strathmere1912@gmail.com or by mailing SIA at PO Box 57.

 

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Thanks very much for your continuing support of the Strathmere Improvement Association!

 

Linda Bateman

Elaine Holsomback

Donna Diefenderfer

Rosemarie Whelan

Ken Weaver

SIA Newsletter 4 12 2013 - Flood Zone Stuff; Property Taxes; Fires; Recycling; Franks to Whale Creek; Lost & Found; Mahjong; Walkers; Restaurants; Tax Returns; USPS; SURF

To All Strathmere and Whale Beach Homeowners and Visitors,

It's been some time since our last newsletter, so we have lots to share...

 

Our February 11, 2013 Newsletter on flood zones and flood insurance has been posted on the new Upper Township website here (under General Information... Announcements... Super Storm Sandy).  We suggest you make the website location one of your "favorites" or "bookmarks", as you'll probably want to refer to it as the BFE / FIRM saga continues to unfold...

At the FEMA Meeting at Township Hall on February 23, we asked the FEMA representatives to review our document for accuracy. We were pleased that they responded, "This was one of the most accurate write-ups (we) have seen in awhile. It was extremely thorough". While they recommended a few word changes, none were related to the accuracy of the document.

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As many of you know, the local papers have been filled with articles and letters on the flood heights and zones in the Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps released by FEMA in December.

 Lynn Fayter wrote a great letter to the Press of Atlantic City, here, that most of us would agree with. The Press also published this "guest editorial" from the Biloxi (Mississippi) Sun outlining the pain Gulf Coast residents are feeling.  Unfortunately, many people in the area between the Garden State Parkway and the West Coast (except for the Southern Coast, river valleys, etc.), probably agree with this letter to the Press. With all the issues facing Congress, it seems there is little chance they will revisit the 2012 National Flood Insurance Program law any time soon.

 As explained in the 2/11 Newsletter, FEMA said at the time they released the ABFE's that they were conservative, meaning that they were more strict than the preliminary maps to be issued later this year. Municipalities in South Jersey are now working together so that once the preliminary maps are issued, they can make a coordinated appeal. We believe that the "V-Zones" will be scaled back, but that the new elevation requirements will not change much.

 

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Taxes: the Upper Township Committee voted for no tax increase, holding the rate at 9.4 cents per $100 of assessed value, or $940 on a Strathmere property assessed at $1.0 million. The Upper Township School Board, however, voted for a 3.5 cent tax rate increase, which means that school taxes on that $1.0 million property will increase from $10,110 to about $10,460, or by $350.

 

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Fire Danger - If you follow us on Facebook, you know that we've had several fires and even more "close calls".

The former Curran Real Estate Building (and Strathmere's first Post Office in 1912) suffered a fire that originated from the furnace, and caused significant first floor damage.

 

 

 

There was a second fire at a home on South Bayview Drive in Whale Beach, just off Taylor Avenue, that apparently started from wiring corrupted by Sandy.

 

 

This one was fought with several feet of bay water in the street.

 

 

 

Quick action by the Strathmere Volunteer Fire Company prevented a total loss in both cases, but it was close. The SVFC also reported a number of "near misses" where wiring exposed to salt water during Sandy nearly started additional fires.

If you had flooding in your home and haven't had the wiring checked by an electrician, please do so!

 

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Trash Collection Info - Upper Township has revamped their website. You can find info on trash and recycling collection schedules here.

 

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"Single Stream" Recycling - Cape May County has installed equipment that will permit all recycling products to be mixed together by residents. There is optimism that this will increase the amount of products recycled, resulting in both reduced collection / landfill costs and costs to our environment. The Township has already begun collecting our recyclables on this basis.

 Here are the items that can be mingled curbside:

aluminum, glass, newspapers, office paper, junk mail, magazines, steel and tin cans, aerosol cans, plastics labeled #1-7, rigid plastic five gallons or less (such as buckets), uncontaminated cardboard boxes (such as pizza or cereal), paperback books, phone books, non-foil wrapping paper, six-pack rings, microwave trays, health, beauty and cleaning containers, yogurt and margarine tubs, shredded paper, brown paper bags.

Do not recycle:

food-contaminated boxes, styrofoam, plastic egg cartons, wax-coated cardboard, window glass, paint cans, light bulbs, plastic bags, pvc pipe, chemical or hazardous products.

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 No more boat rentals in Strathmere! Frank and Candy Jankowski have sold their business (not the real estate) to Morgan and Missy Delaney, so boats, tackle, website, etc. will all be moving to Whale Creek Marina in Whale Beach.

 

If you took the Centennial Trolley Tour last year, you'll remember that Oscar Wermuth started Oscar's boats in 1926. Frank's dad (also Frank) bought out Oscar in 1950 and it's been Frank's Boats ever since. Best wishes to Frank and Candy and to Morgan and Missy!

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Lost and Found:

Found - We reported on this dock box after Sandy, and it washed around again in the March Nor'easter. It's a very nice box (though the water sheared off the hasp) and is filled with crabbing equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

Lost - A recycling container identical to this one, and the brown matching lids for both - lost in the Nor'easter.

If you have info on either of these, please reply to this newsletter. Thanks!

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A group of Strathmere women is forming to learn and play Mahjong at the Schiavo library. A schedule will be available soon.

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Also, some residents are interested in starting a “Walking Group.” It will be open to anyone who would like to walk as a form of exercise or socialization, and will be a loosely formed group that will meet at 21 Williams Road at 8:15 AM daily, starting Memorial Day weekend. Everyone is welcome. There are no rules or requirements. The starting date is Saturday, May 25th @ 8:15 AM. Some suggested names are the "Ludlum Steppers" or the "Corson Crawlers", but the name has not been finalized...

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We're getting close to many of our favorites reopening for the season. At present, the Deauville Inn is open five days a week and Mildred's is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Both Twisties and Uncle Bill's will reopen on May 10 for Mothers' Day Weekend. We're not sure of the date for La Fontana.

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Tax returns are due this Monday, April 15. If you had a property loss from Sandy exceeding 10% of your adjusted gross income, remember to complete Form 4684 and deduct the remaining loss on Schedule A. If you already filed, you can complete a 1040X.

 

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Postal Hours Changing - We are sorry to report that the USPS has announced it will not honor the wishes of Strathmere residents, and will institute four-hour (only) window service from 12:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday beginning Monday, May 20. Boxes will be available in the mornings, though that day's mail will not be sorted and available until around 1:30. Thanks to those of you who wrote to elected officials attempting to have the Postal Service honor our request for morning hours.

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SURF - The SURF treasury is quite low but committee members are still seeking information on anyone who has suffered damages and is in need of some help - especially as folks open up after the storm. Email: Strathmeresurf@yahoo.com. Donations of cash and gift cards are welcome. Checks should be made payable to Strathmere United Methodist Church, and mailed to SURF, PO Box 49, Strathmere, NJ 08248

 

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Remember to follow and "like" the SIA (click the "Thumbs Up" box ) on Facebook:

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Strathmere-Improvement-Association-SIA/184810134906201

 

You'll get an early look at lots of things going on in Strathmere!

 

 

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Upcoming Events - please mark your calendars:
Ocean City DooDah Parade, Noon, Saturday April 13
SFEC Membership Meeting, 4:00pm, Saturday, April 20
SFEC Surf Fishing Tournament, Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11
SFEC Herb Hollinger, Sr Opening Day Flounder Tournament, Saturday, May 18

Schiavo Library Used Book Sale, May 24 to June 14

Strathmere Fourth of July Parade, 10:30am, Thursday, July 4
SIA Meeting, 8:00pm, Friday, July 12 (time & date tentative)
SIA Meeting, 8:00pm, Friday, August (time & date tentative)
Nightmare in Strathmere Boat Parade, 6:30pm, Saturday, August 24

Let us know of additions or corrections!

And once again, check out Carol Baker's wonderful Strathmere History website at http://www.strathmere.net/

 

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The Strathmere Improvement Association includes all owners in Strathmere and Whale Beach and many visitors. It was founded in 1951 as a community organization with the simple objective of making Strathmere a better place. We are proud of the organization's many accomplishments over the years.

Please let us know if you have comments or suggestions for the newsletter or for SIA in general, or if you'd like us to change your e-mail address in our records.

You can contact us by responding to this e-mail at sia6@comcast.net or by mailing SIA at PO Box 57, Strathmere 08248.

  

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Thanks very much for your continuing support of the Strathmere Improvement Association!

 

Linda Bateman

Elaine Holsomback

Donna Diefenderfer

Rosemarie Whelan

Ken Weaver

 

 

 

2 recent fires in Strathmere

On Friday 3/8/13 there was a fire at the corner of Tecumseh and Commonwealth (formerly Curran Realty) No one was at home when the fire broke out, the family dog was saved, two Ocean City firefighters who were helping our Fire Department received minor injuries (hand and neck)

Here is a story and photos from The Ocean City Patch

Here are some photos from Ed Tettemer - http://www.flickr.com/photos/23891145@N05/sets/72157632953347599/


NBC40.net NBC40.net

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Then on Saturday 3/9 another fire broke out on Bayview off Taylor Ave. The road was partially flooded from the super high tide, so our Fire Department had to use the 'new' military style truck to get to the fire.



Below is a video from ABC News