Beach Spreading
We’ve all been on the beach next to the group that just – you know – keeps spreading. Chairs, towels. Maybe tents, and even tables have been witnessed. Amy Rosenberg covers the phenomenon of beach spreading in Sea Isle, where she encountered “a stretch of beach dotted with 6-by-6 portable cabanas, 10 by 10 canopies, half-moon baby tents, folding end-tables, a 12-by-12 canopy, wading pools, rafts the size of a twin bed and other elements of these elaborate compounds.” Read the full piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Foreclosures
The foreclosure rate in the Atlantic City area has slowed but is still the highest in the nation. And it’s not just AC that’s still struggling around here. Foreclosure rates in the Trenton and Philadelphia metro areas also remain high in spite of some recent improvement. And New Jersey has the highest foreclosure rate of any state in the United States. Sorry to bring the gloom – here’s the full RealtyTrac report.
Looking over the bay from Margate, via @monicanask on Instagram.
Atlantic City Crust
“Maybe if people see what’s going on to our f*cking beautiful home, they’ll want to do something about it,” says Erik Klemetti, at the start of an Atlantic City documentary he and friends from the @AtlanticCityCrust Instagram feed have put together. It’s a 40-minute mashup of videos Klemetti and the Crust crew filmed in Atlantic City, including interviews with all of your favorite AC characters. And in amid the chaos and confusion there are some wise words spoken about the Queen of Resorts.
We’ve written about Klemetti before. Earlier this year, he set up a GoFundMe page to help out Alex, who was sleeping rough behind an Atlantic City gas station for more than a decade. Lynda Cohen of BreakingAC also wrote about Klemetti and the Atlantic City Crust when they wound up capturing on film the aftermath of a shooting at Tropicana earlier this year. The loose-knit group, armed with phone cameras, have been capturing one of Atlantic City’s many realities for a while now. As one interviewee in the documentary says, “AC Crust is the real deal. It captures what’s really going on in Atlantic City.” And yes, it’s just one slice of the city, one sampling of interviews. But it really is an authentic slice. Here’s the full documentary.
In the rest of the day’s headlines, a Margate firefighter and a former Margate firefighter (Ashton Funk, of Wawa shoplifting infamy) were among those arrested yesterday as part the state’s uncovering of an Egg Harbor Township-based Oxycodone ring, a Brigantine resident is leading in the final nine of the World Series of Poker, greasy pizza boxes can’t be recycled (in Philly or Atlantic County), there is a $5,000 reward for information related to the killing of three Boardwalk cats in March, CRDA is spending $7 million to bring more events to Atlantic City, Dan Skeldon says it’s going to stay hot and humid with no signs of the heat wave breaking in spite of thunderstorm chances, and read this feature on the Atlantic City collection at the New Jersey Maritime Museum. All that and more below:
A Big-Picture View of How Climate Change Is Affecting the Garden State–With mounting threats from climate change, New Jersey needs to embrace tougher protections for the environment, cleaner energy options, and better planning, a new report from The Fund for New Jersey says.In a wide-ranging report issued as voters gear up for gubernatorial and legislative elections this fall, the Fund for New Jersey outlines a series of actions the state needs to take to prevent climate change from being disastrous for New Jersey. www.njspotlight.com
Summer Camp for Teens Puts CSI Careers Under a Microscope–This summer camp at a South Jersey university serves as one big cautionary warning for the many teens who lack a good understanding of real crime scene investigation work. PhillyVoice
Two Bodies Pulled From South Vineland Park Lake–Two unresponsive bodies were recovered Wednesday night from South Vineland Park Lake.Detectives are now trying to piece together how they ended up there. The Daily Journal
Lyft Tapped as Ride-Share Partner for Boardwalk Hall, Convention Center–Spectra by Comcast Spectacor has named Lyft its official ride-sharing service at various sites, including the Atlantic City Convention Center and Boardwalk Hall. Press of Atlantic City
Rowan Helping to Keep Doctors in Garden State–South Jersey high school students are getting a head start on a future in medicine this summer at Rowan University's School of Osteopathic Medicine. “Through the generosity of the Kal and Lucille Rudman Foundation we have 25 amazing high school students who are here for six weeks in a summer program," said Paula Watkins, assistant dean of admissions at Rowan University's School of Osteopathic Medicine, about the new summer program called "RAISE," Recognizing Achievement and Inspiring Student Excellence. www.snjtoday.com
Gubernatorial Candidates Talk Health Care Reform at South Jersey Forum–Both Kim Guadagno and Phil Murphy want to preserve Obamacare, but diverge on how to fix it. NJTV News
With Temps Rising, South Jersey Cities Open Cooling Centers–As the heat and humidity continue to increase over the coming days, several municipalities in South Jersey are issuing heat advisories and offering cooling centers for those who may be unable to get out of the high temperatures. Residents are reminded to drink plenty of water and check on elderly family members and/or neighbors who may not have air conditioning. www.snjtoday.com
LETTER: Sweeney Keeps South Jersey on Front Burner–Everybody knows that South Jersey historically has always gotten shortchanged whenever it comes to state funding for projects and resources. The Daily Journal
Volunteers on Reach Mission Trip Serve South Jersey Communities–Reach Mission Trips, an organization headquartered in Colorado, has been holding camps around the country since 1992 to provide aid to the elderly and low-income communities. On a recent visit to South Jersey, volunteers worked on homes in Pitman, Deptford, Woodbury, Paulsboro, Woodbury Heights and elsewhere. NJ.com