Storm-Water Runoff
There’s no sexier way to start your Monday than contemplating storm-water runoff… It’s important, since some of the flooding on Absecon Island (and also offshore) is related to bad drainage and too much concrete. Cities such as New York, which benefit from having lots of rich people and well-funded non-profits alongside their flooding problem, have been developing inventive and decorative ways to deal with storm-water runoff (basically, planting shrubberies or ‘rain gardens’ to help drain flood water). Why can’t we copy them? Some cities in northern New Jersey are already trying to, and the Department of Environmental Protection just announced $10.4 million in funding for such projects. NJ Spotlight has details on the funding and some floodwater schemes that are already operating.
News alert: Trees are blossoming! Picture via @graveyardghosts on Instagram.
Transportation
From that exciting start to today’s roundup we will pivot to transportation, another topic sure to get you going… New Jersey will spend $400 million more on transportation projects thanks to the latest budget, and you probably could have guessed that most of that money will be spent in the top half of the state. Down here, though, there will be some money spent on studying the environmental impact of extending the Camden-Glassboro line, which potentially brings that pipe dream of local planners one step closer to reality. Read more here via Townsquare.
Drones’ Silicon Valley
Newsworks takes a deep dive into the world of commercial drones and New Jersey’s efforts to promote this hi-tech industry. The piece focuses on projects at Cape May County Airport but it also draws in the FAA’s William J. Hughes Tech Center in Atlantic County, which is key to efforts by officials here to help add well-paid jobs to the local economy.
The rest of the headlines from the weekend and this morning include NJ Spotlight’s look at the governor’s idea for using lottery money to bail out the state pension plan, I know you’re pretending you don’t care, but just in case, Jon Gosselin didn’t actually strip in AC this weekend, and we’re all really excited about the new ARTeriors project in Atlantic City (we’ll have more on this later in the week). All that and more below:
Super PAC attacks Atlantic City council president’s run for mayor–A new group that has joined Atlantic City’s political spectrum claims City Council President Marty Small’s affiliation with an accused heroin-trafficker makes him unworthy to be mayor. BreakingAC
When oyster boats ruled Delaware Bay and Port Norris was NJ’s wealthiest town–BIVALVE -- When they look out over the languid Maurice River these days, Joan Riggin Harper and Clyde Phillips can still see the regatta of sorts that used to appear each Sunday afternoon when hundreds of wooden boats would be under sail, racing out of the mouth of the river to get to oyster beds in the Delaware Bay to begin their work week of harvesting the shellfish. Philly.com
Changes in Policing Take Hold in One of the Nation’s Most Dangerous Cities–CAMDEN, N.J. — Every few months, the police chief here asks which officers wrote the most tickets. www.nytimes.com
In Camden, little suspense so far in mayor’s race–Standing before a crowd assembled at Camden’s City Hall last week, Mayor Dana Redd could have been describing a newly elected official as she endorsed Council President Francisco “Frank” Moran as the city’s next leader. Philly.com
Judge allows OC corruption lawsuit to proceed–A Superior Court judge in Monmouth County has rejected Ocean County's motion to dismiss litigatio that a lawsuit filed by a former detective in the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office alleging corruption in the law enforcement agency can proceed forward. Asbury Park Press
Atlantic City homeless day center planned–ATLANTIC CITY — Since last summer, Allen AME Church has been sitting closed on Bishop Richard Allen Avenue in the Westside neighborhood here. Press of Atlantic City
Community rallies behind Holy Spirit coach–MARGATE — In life, as in football, Holy Spirit High School assistant coach Bill Walsh believes teams need five qualities to achieve success. Press of Atlantic City
Former Revel Tenants are Moving On–When Revel Casino Hotel closed in September 2014, it left many — including club promoter Ivan Kane — looking for their next project in the city. Now, restaurant and club owners, such as Kane and his Kane's Royal Jelly Burlesque nightclub, are starting to return to the resort, just in a different location as the former Revel struggles to reopen.
ARTeriors Pop-Up Exhibit to Transform Ginsburg Bakery–The pop-up art installation exhibit that transforms unused spaces in Atlantic City will return Friday. ARTeriors is celebrating its third year of presentations that will allow artists to create their own installments and features performance artists, this year in the former Ginsburg Bakery at 300 N. Tennessee Ave. Press of Atlantic City
Teen Dies After ATV crash in Burlington County–Authorities say a 14-year-old boy has died and two others were injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident on Saturday. New Jersey State Police say Nicholas Cunningham was riding an ATV in the area of West Patty Bowker and Friendship roads around 3 pm Saturday with a passenger. Courier-Post