Local News Notes
For the week of Sept. 17, 2009
Sep, 16-2009 5:28 pm
Township looking for old photos
LOWER TOWNSHIP—Mayor Mike Beck and the members of township council, in their efforts to develop a pictorial history of the township, are asking for especially old photos of activities in the township that could be used to decorate and embellish the township municipal building's main entry and hallways. If anyone has such photos please contact city clerk Kathleen McPherson, Beck or any council member at 886-2005.
Man charged with stabbing, obstruction and resisting arrest
ERMA—A Newfield man was arrested here on Wednesday, Sept. 9, after assaulting two brothers who came to the rescue of a female friend.
At about 10:30 a.m., Lower Township Police received several 911 calls reporting a fight in progress in the middle of the street in the 200 block of Sunset Drive. When police arrived, they found three males involved in the altercation.
Questioning on the scene determined that Andrew Loiseau, 19, of Cape May Court House and his brother, Steven Loiseau, 26, had received a phone call from a female acquaintance stating that she was being held against her will at a residence in the 200 block of Sunset Drive by a Christopher Thompson Jr., 20, of Newfield, N.J.
The Loiseau brothers arrived at the Sunset Drive and, according to the police report, upon exiting the car, they were immediately charged by Thompson who began assaulting them.
During the course of the physical altercation, Thompson allegedly struck Andrew Loiseau in the head repeatedly causing swelling to the back of his head, as well as swelling and abrasions to his forehead. He was transported by the Lower Township Rescue Squad to Cape Regional Medical Center for treatment.
At some point during the altercation, Thompson is said to have produced a knife and allegedly cut the finger of Steven Loiseau causing it to bleed. Steven Loiseau refused treatment.
The police report states that after cutting Steven Loiseau, Thompson threw the knife at the car that the brothers had arrived in, causing damage. Then, Thompson allegedly picked up a large piece of asphalt from the road and smashed the windshield of the vehicle.
When Sgt. Thomas Beeby attempted to interview Thompson at the scene, Thompson is reported to have become highly belligerent and combative towards the officer and allegedly attempted to flee the area on foot. He had to be tackled and restrained by Beeby.
Thompson was eventually arrested at the scene for obstruction of justice and resisting arrest. He was transported to Lower Township Police Department and charged with the additional offenses of possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, aggravated assault with a deadly, simple assault and criminal mischief and placed in the county jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.
Pedicab proposal being reconsidered in West Cape May
WEST CAPE MAY— The borough is still considering its approach to the pedicab business.
According to Commissioner Peter Burke, the issue arose when a person had come to the commission asking to be able to offer the service in the borough.
At the July 22 meeting, borough solicitor Christine Cote distributed packets of information regarding pedicabs and how they are handled in Key West, Fla. and Annapolis, Md., as well as horse drawn carriage regulations from Cape May.
From there, the commission debated whether to allow a pedicab business with some regulations or to prohibit it completely.
“The issue is not the vehicle. The issue is that it’s a business,” Commissioner Ramsey Geyer noted.
During the Sept. 9, Cote said that she had researched the pedicabs in Philadelphia and found they had just passed substantial regulations. Since the fall is approaching, Cote suggested to the commission that it take another look at the issue and consider it with some regulations.
She said it could be placed under mercantile license ordinance and requires the pedicab owners to have insurance and a separate registration.
“It would be better, not necessarily to promote it, but to put regulations in place,” Cote said.
“For us to allow them…would that be then creating conflict with other towns that didn’t allow them?” Mayor Pam Kaithern asked, mentioning Cape May, Cape May Point and Lower Township.
“It may be something to broach with other communities,” Cote said, and she suggested it may even provide an alternative way to ease the parking and transportation problems during the summer months.
“It is a taxicab service in a non-motorized vehicle,” she said.
Kaithern directed borough clerk Elaine Wallace to draft a letter to the surrounding communities informing them that the issue has arisen and that the borough is looking into a solution.
Commissioners looking for quick fix to alley parking
WEST CAPE MAY—After recently receiving parking violations for parking in the alleys next to, or in front of their homes, residents here came to council to inquire about the parking restrictions. What they are calling previously unenforced laws are becoming a burden to some residents who were under the impression, from the date they moved into their home, they were allowed to park on the alley in front of their home.
However, the most recent law against parking in alleys was amended on Oct. 3, 2000 and before that in 1997, 1987, in 1983 twice and in 1979.
Currently, the law does not allow parking on either side of Borough Hall Alley which is 20 feet wide, Goldbeaten Alley which is 20 feet wide, McCullough Alley which is 20 feet wide and Sees Alley which is 20 feet wide. Within the borough code, there are three other unnamed alleys where parking is prohibited on both sides of the street. They are refered to as School House Lane, Vasser Lane and Stewart Lane.
Borough engineer Ray Roberts said that within the next week, he will be going out to the four alleys, completing a survey and reporting back to the commission with his findings.
“One of the comments that I have gotten back from the public…was that the parking on the alley be limited to residents only,” Mayor Pam Kaithern told the commission.
Commissioner Peter Burke pointed out that it will be difficult to identify the residents and asked what would happen if they were to have guests over and what to do about the businesses that share the alley. He said these are all things that the commission must consider before moving forward with a solution.
Commissioner Ramsey Geyer said that the commission needs to determine what the conditions of the alleys are before making any judgments or decisions.
Ann Butcher is a part time resident of West Cape May’s Goldbeaten Alley. She said there was misrepresentation when she bought her home about the parking available.
“Why enforce now?” Butcher asked the commission.
“What happened was the police wrote some tickets for something else. They wrote them against something that wasn’t on the books,” Burke said. He said that the municipal court had to throw the tickets out, so the police asked the court office for a list of ordinances that are enforceable by borough law. After receiving that list, the tickets for parking on the alleys were written.
“I completely empathize with your position and we are trying to find a solution for you,” Kaithern told Butcher, adding that she wishes it could be faster.
Planning partnership with Rutgers grad students possible
WEST CAPE MAY—The borough may become the subject of a Rutgers University graduate class on professional planning and development. Mayor Pam Kaithern said that she was contacted by professors from the college teaching the course this fall who said they were interested in making West Cape May the study case for the course. There would be about nine students in the class and they would analyze the borough’s planning, including the Master Plan. She said that she was told a commercial district feasibility study could be a definite possibility. The borough would be allowed access to all the materials that the students develop. She said it looked like a win-win situation for everyone.
Young Cape Singers seek new voices
The Young Cape Singers, southern New Jersey’s premier singing group for kids, will have an open audition on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The event will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 10th Street and Central Avenue in Ocean City.
The group is seeking new singers age 9 to 15, from Cape May and Atlantic counties.
Young Cape Singers is designed for kids who want to go above and beyond the typical academic choral repertoire.
The group rehearses weekly during the school year, in preparation for a series of local concerts in the spring followed by summer tour.
They have traveled to California, New York, Montreal, Virginia, Tennessee, Delaware and Pennsylvania. They have performed in venues including the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Montreal, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, King’s Chapel in Boston, the Arden Theater in Philadelphia and were among the select few chosen to perform at Citizen’s Bank Park, new home of the Philadelphia Phillies, where they sang the National Anthem before a capacity Father’s Day crowd.
For more information, call 501-2901 or visit the website at youngcapesingers.org.
Intern program turns a profit for charity
In the spirit of Rutgers University’s “Rutgers Against Hunger” program, the 4-H Junior Intern Program at the Nature Center of Cape May conducted a farm market this summer at the Nature Center to raise funds for the First Presbyterian Church of Cape May’s Food Bank. Nature Center Director Gretchen Ferrante and Junior Interns presented a check for $450 to Liz Favre from the church. For information on the Cape May County 4-H Youth Development Program or Junior Internships at the Nature Center of Cape May, contact 465-5115, ext. 605.
Fall migration program on butterflies and dragonflies at Lower Branch Library
VILLAS—Lower Cape Branch Library invites you to explore the fall migration of some of the largest and most colorful insects, butterflies and dragonflies, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19. The library is located at 2600 Bayshore Road, Villas.
Will Kerling presents an indoor program followed by a fieldtrip to a local area to observe species. The program highlights vivid examples of butterflies and dragonflies that gather in large numbers locally because of Cape May County’s rich diversity of habitat, such as fresh water and salt marshes, ponds and ocean, dunes and meadows, pine and swamp forests found in our area. Discover the species of dragonflies that are moving south and which butterflies are going north and which are going south.
Kerling received the Montana Educator of the Year award from Montana Environmental Education Association. For decades Kerling has lead trips and done naturalist workshops for nearly all of the major national conservation groups and national and state agencies. A resident of South Jersey, Kerling volunteers for NJ Audubon and The Nature Conservancy.
For more information please call 886-8999 or visit www.cmclibrary.org.
Local libraries offer Art for Children
CAPE MAY—The county library’s Cape May City and Lower Cape Branch public libraries invites children to enjoy “Art at the Library.” The program, sponsored by Cape May Center for Community Arts, takes place at the Cape May Elementary School Library, 921 Lafayette Street, in Cape May and at the Lower Township branch location, 2600 Bayshore Road, Villas.
Children ages 6 through 10 are invited every other Wednesday, from 3 to 4 p.m. in Cape May and from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Villas.
• Sept. 23– “What Does Peace Feel Like?” A story about world peace and make a printed fabric peace flag
• Oct. 7– “Wabi Sabi” – A story from Japan and create a cat collage and haiku project
• Oct. 21– “The Spider Weaver” – A tale from Ghana and weave a beautiful spider web
• Nov. 4– “Day of The Dead” – A story from Mexico and make you own clay skeleton or monarch butterfly
• Nov. 18– “Ready to Dream” – A story about the land down under and make an aboriginal painting
• Dec. 2– “The Legend of The Cape May Diamond” – A story about our hometown and make a “diamond” treasure
The Cape May Center for Community Arts is a multi-cultural educational organization whose arts and humanity programs foster creativity, community building and appreciation for the rich diversity of our world. Registration and a valid library card are required to attend. Call 884-9568 or register online at www.cmclibrary.org.
A Tribute to Sculptor Gerald Lynch at Lower Branch Library
VILLAS—The September exhibit at the Lower Branch of the Cape May County Library is presented by The Aquarian Project as a tribute to that organization’s inspirational founder, sculptor Gerald Lynch. The library is located at 2600 Bayshore Road in Villas.
Gerald Lynch, a Villas resident until his death in 2000, was a master stone carver with a world embracing vision expressed through his “Earth Goddess Series,” encouraging a sensitive relationship between man and nature through art.
Lynch was a principle carver at the National Cathedral and received many significant commissions throughout the United States and Europe, including “The Family” for the Cape May County Special Services building, “The Holocaust Memorial” in Brigantine, New Jersey and “The Freedom Torso” in Osco, Poland.
For additional information please call 886-8999 or visit www.cmclibrary.org
Youth Arts captures culture and character
The Youth Arts Program (YAP), a free program from the Center for Community Arts, begins its fall schedule on Sept. 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. (in Wildwood from 4 to 7 p.m.) The program is open to youth in grades fifth through eighth and is offered at three Lower Cape Area locations: in Cape May at the Cape May United Methodist Church, in Lower Township at the Millman Center, 209 Bayshore Rd. in the Villas, and at the Byrne Community Center, 401 W. Youngs Ave. in Wildwood. Participants at the Wildwood location must also register with the Byrne Community Center.
Visual arts projects for the fall season include American Indian charm bags, Mexican metal sculptures, Chinese parade lions and dragons and much more. A field trip will take place in November to Taller Puertorriqueno, a Latino community arts organization in Philadelphia.
New to the program is the YAP Radio Club. YAP is looking for students interested in developing a radio show to be broadcast on CCA’s community radio station, WCFA-LP/101.5 FM. Participants will write and read their own stories, interview other youth and select music for a new radio show by and for youth. For more information about CCA’s Youth Arts Programs call the Center for Community Arts at 884-7525.
