According to The Sandpaper 2011 Countdown of Newsworthy Items, Hurricane Irene targeting the Shore was the BIG news of 2011. What was number 4 on their 2011 Countdown of Newsworthy Items? The HCTA/Harvey Cedars fight for a safer BLVD.
To quote the Sandpaper: “Responding to complaints from resident and visitors, Harvey Cedars officials wanted to turn the four lane BLVD in to a 2 lane roadway” with a center turning lane and wider shoulders to more safely accommodate other traffic in Harvey Cedars, namely pedestrians and cyclists. Barnegat Light officials worried the configuration would impede evacuation ( did not happen during Irene), first aid responders (the County traffic model says it won’t) and turn shoppers away from BL businesses (huh?). Here’s the kicker: No other issue resulted in as many Letters to the Editor in the Sandpaper- ALL year long!
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, 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.