Donald Wittkowski

Motorists who usually pay their tolls in cash have been getting a break lately while crossing over the five Ocean Drive bridges that link the Cape May County beach communities. The Cape May County Bridge Commission, the agency that operates the spans, stopped collecting cash tolls on March 26 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. But that doesn’t mean the bridge commission won’t be seeking payment. Bills for unpaid tolls will be mailed out to motorists starting in the next couple of weeks, the commission said Thursday during its monthly board meeting. Karen Coughlin, the bridge commission’s executive director, described the billing statements as “very friendly, nice invoices.”

If you’re swimming in the ocean and suddenly the lifeguard yells “Shark!” what would you do? You’d get the heck out of the water – fast. That’s pretty much how a seagull reacts when a falcon flies overhead, Joe Kosakowski explained. “Falcons are like the great white shark of the sky. When you put them in the air, all of the other birds leave.” Kosakowski and his son, Matt, are the owners of Wildlife Control Specialists, LLC, a Lebanon, N.J., company that has an assortment of trained raptors and specializes in keeping pesky birds like seagulls away from people. The company has been awarded a $193,600 contract by City Council to prevent the gulls from bothering Ocean City’s tourists and residents on the beaches and Boardwalk this summer.

Ocean City officials confidently predicted Thursday night that the resort town will come roaring back as strong as ever once the coronavirus pandemic is over and an “invisible enemy” is conquered. The inspirational words from Mayor Jay Gillian and members of City Council came during an unusual backdrop – a public meeting devoid of any in-person audience. The Council meeting was held without anyone from the public in attendance as part of social distancing requirements to help stem the spread of the lethal contagion.

Ocean City police officers are used to wearing body armor to protect them from gunfire. Now, they have added another type of personal protection equipment – medical-style masks to prevent them and the public from being exposed to the coronavirus. Police Chief Jay Prettyman has issued a new order for officers to wear cloth masks. He did so after reading the most recent update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and consulting with medical and law enforcement experts across New Jersey and the country.

Five toll bridges linking the Cape May County beach communities along the Ocean Drive will no longer accept cash payments in response to the coronavirus outbreak. They include the Ocean City-Longport Bridge between the northern end of Ocean City and Longport, the Corson’s Inlet Bridge between Ocean City and Strathmere, the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge between Sea Isle City and Avalon, the Grassy Sound Bridge between North Wildwood and Stone Harbor and the Middle Thorofare Bridge between Cape May and Wildwood Crest. The Cape May County Bridge Commission, which oversees the bridge network, announced that it will implement a cashless toll system beginning 6 a.m. Thursday until further notice “as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.”

Don’t be surprised if a toll collector holds out a basket the next time you pay in cash on the five bridges linking the Cape May County beach towns along the coast-hugging Ocean Drive. Hoping to limit their exposure to coronavirus, toll takers with the Cape May County Bridge Commission are wearing protective gloves and asking motorists to drop their cash and coins in a basket when they pay their $1.50 fare. Officials with the bridge commission stressed that the coronavirus pandemic is a strong reason why motorists should stop paying in cash and should instead use the E-ZPass automated toll system.

A groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for April 4 to celebrate the start of construction on a nearly $7 million affordable housing project for senior citizens in Ocean City has been postponed indefinitely amid the coronavirus outbreak. City Councilman Bob Barr, who also serves as chairman of the Ocean City Housing Authority, said the event was expected to draw a large crowd, so it has been called off for the time being.

Steve Beseris says that even during the coldest days of winter there is one place in town that is always bustling with activity – the Ocean City Skatepark. “On days I would never be outside, they’re out there all day long,” Beseris said of the skateboarders. He hopes that the park’s popularity in the daytime will persuade city officials to install permanent lights to give skaters even more time to enjoy an attraction that everyone agrees has become a big hit. Beseris, a local educator and advocate for the skatepark, appeared at the City Council meeting Thursday night to urge the governing body to consider adding lights to the facility. He immediately received the backing of at least three Council members who spoke in favor of installing lights.

Ocean City will continue with its strategy of improving the beaches, bayfront and Boardwalk to strengthen its reputation as a popular family-friendly vacation resort, Mayor Jay Gillian said Thursday night in his annual State of the City address. In his remarks, Gillian repeatedly focused on infrastructure projects and quality-of-life issues that are critical for making the city attractive to residents and tourists as well as promoting its image as “America’s Greatest Family Resort.” He also unveiled his proposed 2020 municipal budget, a nearly $83 million spending plan that would increase local taxes by a half-cent. Under the budget, the owner of a $500,000 home would pay an extra $25 annually in local taxes, the city’s Chief Financial Officer Frank Donato said.

In simple terms, it is described as a “bathtub.” But this isn’t anything like the bathtub in your home. Instead of filling up with water, it will capture large amounts of muddy sediment in Snug Harbor, one of Ocean City’s most troublesome spots for muck and silt accumulating on the bottom of lagoons along the back bays. Also known as a “sediment trap,” the project will be part of the city’s 2020-2021 dredging program proposed by Mayor Jay Gillian when he presents his five-year capital plan to City Council in March.