More Camping, Fewer Port-A-Johns Coming Soon To Lake Lenape

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The west side of Lake Lenape Park in the Pinelands of Atlantic County is about to get a major refit, with Atlantic County and the Atlantic County Improvement Authority coming together to build a bathhouse and extend the number of camping sites along the water’s edge. The nearly 2,000 acre park is in the pinelands, which means there are additional hurdles to build or develop the area. The only bathroom at the site is at the boathouse at the southern end to the park and visitors to the 18-site campground in the northern section of the park rely on port-a-potties. Still, the $17-a-night sites are in demand throughout the April-November season, and the county’s parks department has been looking to extend camping options for some time. In fact, a plan to extend sewer, water and electricity lines out to the campsite area in the north of the park was part of plans formed two decades ago, said Glen Mawby, director of facilities management for the county.

More about: Government, Homepage Featured, atlantic county, camping, lake lenape, parks

Get Your Winter Cornhole Fix and Say Farewell, Furloughs! – Thursday’s Roundup

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It’s been almost a year since Atlantic City’s Wonder Bar got a refit. Like a lot of places around here, it was struggling to straddle the seasons – its bay-side deck make it a great summer hangout, but what to do in the winter? Apparently, the answer is indoor Cornhole and who are we to disagree. The Press of Atlantic City paid a visit to check it out. (The place is also a favored watering hole of local politicians, according to those in the know.)

today in Atlantic City, just another George Norcross sighting.

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Bags of Heroin And Crazy Clowns – Today’s Roundup

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If you’re going to smuggle heroin, go big. At least, that appears to be what a Cape May ferry rider tried to do earlier this month. Unfortunately for her (and presumably her future customers) some bright spark from the Delaware River and Bay Authority asked to search her bag, at which point apparently the lady with the heavy handbag confessed, “You got me, it’s drugs … it’s heroin.” Only in South Jersey. Meanwhile, the creepy clown craze is spreading apace throughout our area. PhillyVoice’s Kevin Shelly analyzes what exactly bothers us about clowns and spoke with EHT Halloween experts, Spirit Halloween, to get their fantastic smackdown to the new fad. “Spirit Halloween does not encourage or associate with the recent clown sightings, and we do not comment on ongoing police investigations,” said media manager Trisha Lombardo.

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Atlantic County Needs More Family Activities – Dr Miller

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Atlantic City and the surrounding area needs more places and activities for families, according to chiropractor Dr Thomas Miller. The local economy surrounding the resort town has been more stable since casinos brought year-round jobs, but cinemas, bowling alleys and other places for family entertainment disappeared when the casinos arrived, Dr Miller told us in a wide-ranging interview that is part of our series of local business profiles. “If they had places like they did years ago where people could go to a movie, it would be nice,” said Dr Miller, noting that in the summer many potential visitors drive by Atlantic City to stop in Ocean City or Wildwood. “There’s nothing here for people to do,” if they don’t want to gamble, he said. Pleasantville, which has seen its reputation marred by poverty and crime in recent years, is a good spot for business, according to Dr Miller, who has owned his own practice and office in Pleasantville for more than a decade.

More about: Business

Ankle Bracelet, What Ankle Bracelet? And A Refurb In Somers Point

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In today’s roundup, The Press of Atlantic City tells us there’s no need to worry about more escaped criminals cutting off their ankle bracelets around here, since that only happens if they also abuse drugs… and we all know that there’s no overlap on the substance-abuse-plus-incarcerated venn diagram, so that’s a relief. In more upbeat news, The Press also reckons The Taj could yet reopen. And SNJ Today has a video piece on an apartment complex in Somers Point that’s getting some much-needed refurbishment.

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Search For Atlantic County Business Leader Turns Up Empty

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Atlantic County has failed to hire a director for a planned million-dollar development corporation, a setback for a wider plan to steer the sluggish regional economy away from an unhealthy dependence on low-wage casino industry jobs. Even after a substantial search this spring and summer, no candidates from outside South Jersey could be drawn in to run the development corp. Instead, Max Slusher, the Atlantic County Improvement Authority’s (ACIA) economic development head, will perform double duty in the role for an interim period, the county’s chief of staff Howard Kyle said in an interview Monday. Although the non-profit development corporation, which should have about $1.2 million when it is fully funded, found candidates for the executive director gig, one turned it down for a better-paid alternative, and another withdrew, apparently because they couldn’t quite be persuaded to move to Atlantic County, Kyle said. Low local salaries and difficulties attracting workers to the county were both issues that were highlighted in a report by Austin, Texas-based consultants Angelou Economics that was commissioned by the ACIA and published a year ago.

More about: Atlantic City, Business

Flood Warning In Effect Through Friday

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Watch out for flooding on Absecon island and offshore, particularly around high tides Thursday evening and through Friday as the wind strengthens and could bring waves of five to nine feet onto the shore, the National Weather Service said on Thursday. A blocked pattern of strong easterly surface winds is causing a storm surge raising waves by two feet, according to the NWS alert. Those winds are expected to strengthen during Thursday and the storm surge could reach up to two and a half feet, the Service said. “Easterly winds will whip waves of five to nine feet onto the shore as well,” according to the warning, which said that tidal flooding on Thursday night is expected to be deeper than the morning’s flooding. You can read more here and here are some extracts from the report:
AT LEAST MINOR TIDAL INUNDATION FLOODING IS
ANTICIPATED WITH THE FRIDAY MORNING HIGH TIDE CYCLE, AND
POSSIBLY AGAIN FRIDAY EVENING.

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UPDATE: Atlantic City’s MUA Seeks Bankruptcy Advisor To Tackle Casino Trustee’s Claims

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This story was updated on Monday Sept. 26 to include new information in the first three paragraphs and other details from an interview with the MUA’s executive director. Atlantic City’s Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) is seeking bankruptcy counsel, according to a request for qualifications published on the authority’s website on Friday. The MUA is seeking legal advice after it was sued by the trustee supervising the bankruptcy of Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal casinos, the water authority’s executive director Bruce Ward said on Monday. The MUA was a vendor to the casinos and the legal action is part of a typical bankrupcty process, Ward said.

More about: Atlantic City, Atlantic City, atlantic city municipal utilities authority, bruce ward, emergency loan, mua

EHT: Public Property Up For Auction

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Egg Harbor Township is auctioning off land at 7208 Tremont Avenue, or lot 4, block 5953. The auction will be held on Thursday Oct. 20 at 10 am, according to a public notice on the township’s website. The minimum bid for the property will be $3,000 and the successful bidder will have to pay a 10 percent deposit in cash or by banks check at the auction. For more details, see the notice here.

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What’s The Deal With Atlantic City’s Municipal Utilities Authority?

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Remember when Atlantic City needed to borrow $73 million from the state to pay its bills? Well, the Queen of Resorts got her money, but it came with a few strings attached. One involves Atlantic City’s Municipal Utilities Authority, which provides water to more than 8,000 residents, businesses and vacation-home owners.  

The small print of the loan creates a Catch-22 situation for the city and the water authority.  The loan says Atlantic City’s Council must agree by September 15 to an ordinance that would hand over the water authority, in the event the city is unable to pay back the loan. But the loan also says that if City Council can’t agree on that ordinance before September 15, it could wind up handing over the water authority’s assets anyway, since it would be violating its borrowing terms. And some people worry that if the city agrees to the ordinance, it will give the state a chance to seize the water authority assets anyway, even if the city follows the terms of the agreement.

More about: Atlantic City, Homepage Featured, american water, Atlantic City, atlantic city municipal utilities authority, atlantic county, emergency loan, MUA assets