HCTA January 2012 Update (emailed to members)
To quote the Sandpaper: Responding to complaints from resident and visitors, Harvey Cedars officials wanted to turn the four lane Long Beach BLVD in to a 2 lane roadway with a center turning lane and wider shoulders to more safely accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. Barnegat Light officials worried the configuration would impede evacuation and first aid responders and turn shoppers away from the northern end of the Island. Perhaps no other issue resulted in as many Letters to the Editor in the Sandpaper- ALL year long. In the end there was no change made to the roadway, which is controlled by Ocean County, but the issue is yet to be resolved.WE NEED TO KEEP THIS ISSUE IN THE PAPER! And, we need to stagger these letters and keep the flow steady. Please, even if you have already written a letter, take 5 minutes to sit down and email another letter to the Sandpaper. OR- mark your calendar to write a letter to the editor next week or next month. The point is, if we want to see change for a safer BLVD, we have to keep this issue out there and we need all the help we can get!
The Sandpaper letters/editor email address is: letters@thesandpaper.net.Thank you.
Get The Latest Info From HC on Your Phone or Email. And… The HCPD Winter House Watch Program
Being able to be informed of important happenings in Harvey Cedars while out of town as related to the weather or Police activity offers taxpayers peace of mind and is now possible. The Harvey Cedars Police Department is utilizing a new communications service that allows them to send important, valuable community information directly to residents using the latest technology.
The Nixle Community Information Service allows the police department to create and publish messages to bedelivered to subscribed residents instantly via cell phone text message and/or email. Notifications canalso be accessed online at Nixle’s web site at www.nixle.com. Messages may include emergency notifications as well as other relevant safety and community event information.
There is NO spam and no hidden cost. Standard text messaging rates do apply. Residents of Harvey Cedars and those in neighboring communities can immediately begin receiving pertinent information via text message, email and web by registering at www.nixle.com. The HCPD is very excited to have you experience this service for yourself.
In addition, the HCPD offers an off season house check program. We encourage HCTA members to take advantage of this free of charge service from our hardworking police department. To sign up for the Winter house check program , please visit http://www.hcpolice.moonfruit.com/. Remember, they offer this service to homeowners at no cost to the homeowner but you must sign up to receive it.
This program is active between October 15th and May 30th. During this time officers are randomly checking unoccupied residences even if they are not on the list. The HCPD encourages all residents that are away during the winter months to register.
IMPORTANT!! The registration must be updated every year in the fall- there is no carry over from year to year.
Stay safe!
2011 Annual Meeting Notes
HCTA Annual Meeting Notes – Sept 3, 2011 (rescheduled due to Hurricane Irene)
Welcome to the 2011 Annual Meeting:
Thanks to our outgoing Trustees Barbara Frank and Charlie Gaver. Both served on the HCTA Board since the resurgence of the HCTA. Thanks also to Andrew Shaffer who volunteers his technical expertise to assist with our website. Andrew has been invaluable and we appreciate his time.
Bryan Lewis concludes three years as President. Phil Kunz is installed at the 3rd President of the HCTA.
What we’ve accomplished this year:
The HCTA made a ‘community donation’ of new beach umbrellas for the HC Beach Patrol.
We hosted the Community Yard Sale again this year. One addition for next year: we’re working to enlist Goodwill to pick up unsold items after next year’s sale. Tentatively, we hope to have a central drop off at Sunset Park the Sunday after the sale.
Pertinent community information is on our website. Additionally, we will ad reverse 911 sign-up info you members and family members ( in case you are not available ).
Board Reports:
Treasurer Jim Loudon: Acct Balance: 2010 Meeting: $9000.00/ 2011 Meeting: $13180.00
Major expenses since the beginning of 2011: Membership mailing-$710.00. 3inHC Campaign-$1225.00 (does not include unpaid $215 for ads). Dog Day Race-$250.00. Lifeguard Umbrellas-$1418.00. Annual Meeting Costs-$380.00
Membership Chair Saul Ellman: We added a significant number of members during our spring membership drive. If you have yet to renew your membership or would like to join the HCTA please send in your $25.00 dues to us at P O Box 3065, HC, NJ 08008.
Media Rep Kathy Ries: If you are interested in serving on the HCTA Board of Trustees, please let us know after the meeting. Additionally, please be sure to sign our petitions in support of a safer Blvd. – Either on line or in person here after the meeting.
JCTA Rep Barbara Lehman: The JCTA is a group the represents the interests of all taxpayer groups on the whole Island. The most pressing issue currently is the school taxes the island pays. We are looking into paying tuition instead of the current formula. If you would like to help the HCTA by attending JCTA meeting with our Rep, please let Barbara know.
Corresponding Sec Susan Lewis: I’m touching on Voter Registration. In order to keep our school and County taxes down, we need to vote on the budgets. The way to do that is to split your votes in your household. If you are an NJ resident, we urge one of you to register to vote in Harvey Cedars. It’s easy to do online and you will find the voter registration link on our website at harveycedarstax.org. Pay a lot of taxes into the school budget pot and until we register and start voting here we can’t do much about it.
Blvd Safety -Bryan Lewis (outgoing pres), Phil Kunz (incoming pres): We ran a 5 week ‘advitorial’ campaign in the Sandpaper to inform residents and visitors about the BLVD safety issues where we partnered with the Borough and received funding from them. In addition to 3inHC signage and car magnets, we have pushed a letter writing blitz by our members to the paper and County Freeholder Jack Kelly as well as sending an ‘open letter’ to BL Mayor Kirk Larson and LBT Mayor Joe Mancini urging them to meet and discuss a safe resolution to these issues. At our next Trustees meeting, we will discuss how to move this issue forward.
HCTA Trustee Q & A.
What is Freeholder Kelly’s phone number? Answer: 732-929-2003
Road signage: Can we post which way to walk/ride/etc? The County can provide road stencils. Boro can look into this or possibly the HCTA can ‘sponsor’.
Residents requested stepped up police enforcement of walking/biking in correct direction. Another resident asked for BLVD safety statistics. She thinks if would help to put out the ‘near misses’. We said there is not much info on this-people don’t or are embarrassed to report it.
Additionally, it was suggested that we research lawsuit potential for the Co/Kelly/ BL/LBT if someone is hit/hurt and publish that info to pressure them. Another suggestion was that we leverage our water supply and cut them off if they do not agree to safer BLVD.
‘No Parking’ Signs in front of old video store on Blvd next to the Shellfish Co. – These signs are tacky, look ugly and they make town look ‘unfriendly’. Can Boro/HCTA can approach the property owner?
I support the safer 3 lane configuration. When the road repaving happens, can town look into ‘quiet asphalt’? JO said ‘yes’.
Beach Badge Checkers get push back and harassment from those who don’t have beach badges. Can we (HCTA) provide them with walkie-talkies to call for Beach Patrol management back-up? Great idea. We did not know they had ‘push back’. We’ll follow up on this.
How much do we pay per Harvey Cedars student to attend Southern Regional HS? around 324K per HC student!
Dogs on the beach: A resident wants this after hours similar to Ship Bottom. He asked for a hand count. Many feel he did not count correctly. Previously, the HCTA Board as agreed w/ the Boro- no dogs on the beach. Boro stance has not changes on this and the majority of the HCTA Trustees support the Boro.
Resident suggested recepticals for dog poop. She is tired of people leaving it in her yard or in her trashcans.
Needs Action Items: Listed in Trustee correspondence. These will be followed up and discussed at the Oct Trustee meeting.
Late Summer News Flash
HCTA Member Update:
The HCTA has an advertorial series underway in the Sandpaper highlighting our 3inHC Blvd Safety initiative. We now also have two simple ways you can support the effort too. As you know, this initiative is focused on improving the width and safety of our Boulevard shoulders to benefit the residents & visitors who use Long Beach Blvd. for recreational purposes and for those who simply traverse the Blvd. in heading to & from the beach or visiting the retail establishments in town.
This week’s installment features Ocean County Freeholder and Director of Public Safety, Jack Kelly, not following his own Professional Engineers’ study recommendation which suggests a simple plan to create a safer road for all. (The complete Stantec study is available on our website)
First, as we do in the Sandpaper, we are asking Members and Friends to kindly contact Jack Kelly’s office at 732-292-2003 and tell him you want him to do the right thing: Make Long Beach Boulevard the safest it can be by instituting the 3-lane configuration in Harvey Cedars.
Second, in continuing this life-saving campaign on the “home turf”, we are looking for Members and Friends who live along the Boulevard in Harvey Cedars who will ‘host’ our 3inHC yard signs (they are attractive and reasonably-sized at 12” x 18”). If you will help us out and serve as a host, please reply to this email with your name and local address. A sign will be placed in your yard within the next week.
Finally, we’ll look forward to seeing our members at the HCTA Annual Meeting, where we’ll review the year’s programs and talk about what’s coming up next year – both front burner and back burner. Please join us on Saturday 8/27, 10am at the firehouse on 80th Street. Doors open at 9:20am.
Sincerely,
The HCTA Safety Committee
www.harveycedarstax.org
www.3inHC.com
President’s Blvd Plea and Update
Hello Fellow HCTA members –
It is not only the temperature that is heating up lately; activity regarding the Boulevard is heating up as well – and again I am asking for your help.
It was with great irony that I read in the attached Asbury Park Press article that Mayor Mancini of Long Beach Township is considering closing Ocean Boulevard because it is becoming unsafe. The article opens with “Joggers and bikers run and ride along Ocean Boulevard for their early morning workouts, while traffic flies by, motoring to the destination, creating a dangerous mix, township officials said.”
I would say that is the exact same argument we are making, yet Mancini won’t allow us to make our roads safe. I guess he feels the owners, renters and day-trippers to his town are more worthy of safety than those in Harvey Cedars. If you find Mancini’s position as ironic (and selfish) as I do, please let him know and write a letter to the Asbury Park Press and the Beach Haven Times. Linda Reddington is responsible for both publications and her email address is yourviews@app.com
We have started a “3inHC” campaign and have secured funds from the town to assist us with some of the cost associated for these educational initiatives.
The first was an open letter (attached) to Mancini and Larson asking for an open dialog. Even though we have been spurned every time we have tried to open a dialog, we thought we would give it one more try. No word from either mayor yet.
We registered the domain name www.3inHC.com, which we will be referencing in a series of educational “infomercials” that we will run each week in the SandPaper. We are also creating flyers with the pertinent facts of the study, how the data was collected, how it does not impede emergency vehicles or evacuations, etc. We hope to get these flyers at the checkout counter of island businesses. We believe that when people see the facts, and not the hype, they will understand the expert’s proposal makes perfect sense.
So, now for the plea for help. You may have seen the SandPaper letter-to-the-editor in which a writer suggests we don’t care anymore and have gone away. I know that is not the case, so please, let’s continue to be heard. Write to the papers. (for the SandPaper: letters@thesandpaper.net ) Call Jack Kelly. Call the mayors and ask why they won’t have a real discussion. Mancini thinks this is a dead issue. We do not. If you’ve helped us previously by writing a letter, please do it again. If you haven’t, please throw a quick letter together and be heard. Boulevard safety is far from dead.
On a lighter note, please mark your calendars – our Annual HCTA meeting will be held on Saturday, August 27 at the firehouse. Doors open at 9:20 am and the meeting starts at 10:00 am. Email ‘tickets’ will be sent to those members who have already “re-upped” their membership for the 2011-2012 year. All others are asked to bring a check(made out to HCTA) for $25 so we can speed you through the line. If you want to avoid the renewal line, you can now join the HCTA thru Paypal. Visit our website at www.harveycedarstax.org and click on the “membership/donations” tab. Then click ‘join us’ on the drop down menu and the rest is explained on the site.
Thanks for stepping up to assist us in making the Boulevard safer for all.
Regards,
Bryan Lewis, President
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Business Members
