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Mayor's Message: Feb. 14

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Dear Friends, Starting on Tuesday, 11th Street will be closed from West Avenue to Central Avenue to allow for restoration of crosswalks from water company work. Traffic patterns on West Avenue, Asbury Avenue and Central Avenue will remain unchanged and provide access to local businesses. Bay Avenue will be open to traffic next week from 34th Street to 18th Street as the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority wastewater main project moves northward. Detours will be in effect from 18th Street to 14th Street and from Eighth Street to Ninth Street. Visit ocnj.us/projectupdate for the latest updates on this work. The fire station at 29th Street was closed on Thursday to allow for remediation of some minor mold issues related to condensation from the HVAC system. Firefighters were reassigned to the other two stations in town, and they are expected to be able to return after the weekend. The U.S. Census comes around only every 10 years, and it’s exceptionally important that all of Ocean City’s citizens be counted this spring – as the data is used to determine funding and services that help all members of our community. In a town such as ours – with its seasonal and transient population – it is especially important to get an accurate count. The Census Bureau will make it very easy for residents to complete survey information online, by phone or by mail. More details on how to respond will be available in mid-March, but I want to let people know that it’s coming – particularly those who may be away for the winter months. More detail is available 
here. Local grocery stores have recently been selling plastic bags labeled as “recyclable.” I want to remind everybody that no plastic bag is acceptable in our single-stream recycling program. Plastic bags should not be placed in with recyclables, and recyclables should not be placed in plastic bags at curbside. Plastic bags can be dropped off for recycling at bins at most grocery stores and now at five locations in Ocean City as part of a new program being run by the Ocean City Intermediate School in partnership with the county Municipal Utilities Authority. Click here for more information. I want to remind everyone about the free “Family-Friendly Nature and the Environment Fun-Day” 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday (Feb. 15) in the Howard S. Stainton Senior Center at the Ocean City Community Center (1735 Simpson Avenue). The event will feature zoo animals, crafts, games, music and stories and more. I wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day and hope you have a great holiday weekend. Warm regards, Mayor Jay A. Gillian