Route 40 (https://rtforty.com/author/elinor-comlay/page/4/)
You’d be hard pressed to say it was a thriving Main Street, but the barbershop, Mexican restaurant, pizza place, tobacco store, mini-mart and even the closed-looking gift store are all open on the short span of Atlantic City’s Ventnor Ave, between Harrisburg and Trenton. In an age of dying malls and online shopping, something is working here.
Laurie Egrie is walking down the hallway of Sovereign Avenue School carrying a cardboard box filled with odd little balls and popsicle sticks with notelets stuck to them, and she’s wedged an easel-sized writing pad under one arm. The corridor is half dark. School let out 15 minutes ago.
eorge Norcross has lawyered up – or his company, Conner Strong & Buckelew has – to tell us all that the task force investigating recent EDA credits and grants (many of which went to Norcross-related companies) was “unlawfully constituted” the Inquirer reports. NJ Spotlight reports the lawyers also say the process is “tainted” and political retribution.
It is still possible to buy discounted tickets to Atlantic City from the Port Authority bus terminal in New York. But you have to know where to look. Greyhound ended its discounted first-come, first-served policy for the Atlantic City-New York route on April 1. Now tourists and commuters using Greyhound buses have to buy tickets for specific departure times and dates, and the minimum cost of a round trip between the Port Authority and the Atlantic City bus terminal is $26. It is, however, still possible to get a discounted ticket if you select a specific casino to travel to and from.
The New Jersey Tree Recovery Program will be handing out free trees around the state over the next few weeks. The program, a joint venture between the state’s Forestry Service and the Arbor Day Foundation, aims to provide trees to communities that lost urban canopies after Superstorm Sandy. To date, more than 300,000 trees have been handed out.
Healthcare
Colt Shaw of the Press of AC reports on cuts to Atlantic City’s healthcare department that have left the city with a fraction of its previous support for services such as cancer screenings and immunizations. Funnily enough, over the period of time the cuts were being implemented, emergency-room visits in Atlantic City increased, Shaw found. Back Bay Flooding
New Jersey’s coastal communities could see $1.6 billion a year in damages from back bay flooding if action isn’t taken soon, according to last week’s Army Corps of Engineers report written up here by the Inquirer. The engineers believe flood gates could be possible in some inlets (including Absecon and Great Egg Harbor), Avalon Zoppo reports. The Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment on the report (full version here).
A new pizza-and-cocktail-bar project will get state funds to refurbish a storefront on the beach block of Tennessee Avenue, Mayor Frank Gilliam said in a press release. The restaurant, Rhythm & Spirits, will open this summer and sit between Hayday Coffee and MADE chocolate bar and it is the latest project by developer Mark Callazzo.
The Atlantic City Police Department on Tuesday will promote Sgt. Wilbur Santiago to Lieutenant, marking the first time in the department’s history that a Latino has held this rank.
Ice cream and donut store Drip ‘n’ Scoop is hoping to open this summer, after work was held up over the fall and winter, according to one of the owners.
Projects in South Jersey got a disproportionate chunk of the money awarded under tax incentive programs that are now under scrutiny by lawmakers and the state comptroller.