All About The Wildwoods - Happenings and More

Dispute over visas has ripples at Shore

2008-03-23T13:22:00.000-04:00

A standoff in Congress over foreign labor could hurt tourism this summer, merchants warn.
By Jacqueline L. Urgo
April 23, 2008

Inquirer Staff Writer

WILDWOOD - Accountants and sales reps for Morey's Piers could be on the amusement park's front line this summer, operating rides and working in guest relations.
And the double duty won't be by choice.

Morey's, where hundreds of seasonal foreign guest workers did everything from strap riders into the Tilt-A-Whirl to dish out ice cream in 2007, is caught in a congressional immigration standoff that some say could cripple New Jersey's $37 billion tourism industry this year.

At issue is a critical shortage of H-2B seasonal-labor visas that last summer allowed about 7,500 foreigners to legally work at an estimated 700 businesses on the Jersey Shore.

"This is a huge economic issue for New Jersey," said Denise Beckson, director of operations and human resources at Morey's Piers, where the payroll grows to 1,500 in the summer.

Morey's, a landmark in this resort town, opened on Friday with a limited staff of mostly local employees. They are augmented by about a dozen college students from Thailand, whose J-1 visas will allow them to work for 90 days.

Hiring J-1 laborers has become a popular stopgap measure at the Shore, though employers would prefer H-2B workers whose six-month visas make them available in both of the "shoulder" seasons, before Memorial Day and for about a month after Labor Day.

"If you don't have enough employees, you ultimately can't provide proper service for your guests, and that could have both short-term and long-term impacts on New Jersey's tourism industry," Beckson said.

In 1991, the federal government set a quota of 66,000 seasonal H-2B visas per year - half issued in winter and half in summer - that allow residents of countries such as Ireland, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, South Africa, and Thailand to take mostly low-paying U.S. jobs that employers say are difficult to fill.

The laborers pay taxes and contribute to Social Security, then return home at the end of the season. By law, they must be paid prevailing wages. The H-2B visa program does not apply to seasonal agricultural workers.

Shore businesses "have historically tried to hire as many local kids as we can," said Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce. "But there are usually more jobs than there are local students."

As tourist season has lengthened, hotels, restaurants, amusements and other businesses have relied less on American students because of their restrictive school schedules. And U.S. adults tend to seek higher-skilled year-round jobs, employers say.

Not only is the annual H-2B cap too low, say the business owners, but regulations that prevent laborers from applying for a visa more than 120 days before starting work hurt their industries. The 33,000 visas made available on Jan. 2 were gone in one day, before workers who would arrive in spring were allowed to apply.

This year, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus added a wrinkle by blocking legislation that would have extended a measure, first passed in 2005, that exempted returning H-2B workers from the quota. With that exemption, some say, more than 225,000 visas for new and returning workers were granted last year. The caucus has said it is holding out for a comprehensive immigration overhaul.

Local employers fearful of a summer labor shortage say immigration reform is separate from the issue of H-2B work permits and have called on Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), a member of the caucus, to get things moving.

"We have tried to make it clear to Sen. Menendez the negative impact that this standoff can have on his own home state," said Beckson. The Morey's Piers official is a member of a group called Save Small Business that recently made the rounds in Washington, asking legislators to reform the work-visa system.

Menendez is sympathetic, he said, but he is not inclined to reform immigration laws piecemeal.

"I am aware of the problems that small businesses face. Clearly, there aren't enough Americans to do the number of important jobs in this country," he said in an e-mail last week.

"We need to see the bigger picture: We need a complete package to fix the [immigration] problem," Menendez said.

And the chance of that in a presidential-election year is virtually nil, say many political analysts.

In the meantime, recruitment and hiring at many Shore businesses have come to a virtual standstill.

Beckson and others from Morey's did their customary off-season recruitment tour of Asia and Western and Eastern Europe this year. In the past, they signed up H-2B workers who were typically college-age or just out of school. The company stayed competitive, she said, by offering dorm housing and slightly better pay than other Shore businesses.

Morey's had hoped to recruit from South Africa this year, but canceled its trip there due to the visa issue.

The company expects as few as 35 H-2B workers to be on its payroll this summer, Beckson said. She hopes to hire more three-month J-1 workers, and she will dragoon Morey's administrative personnel if things get tough, she said.

Jenkinson's Piers, in Point Pleasant Beach, is looking for more domestic labor.

"We had a job fair last month, and we're having another one this month to try to find more local kids to fill in positions where we may need them later on in the summer," said Marilou Halvorsen, director of recruitment for Jenkinson's, which will open in a few weeks, weather permitting.

Jenkinson's hires about 1,500 employees for its amusement piers, beaches and aquarium, Halvorsen said. Last year, about 100 were H-2Bs.

In January, Jenkinson's contacted ski resorts out West in hopes it could persuade H-2B employees there to stay in the country and work at the Shore. The complicated process of applying for a visa extension has led few to come forward, Halvorsen said.

Gillian, of the Ocean City chamber of commerce, said some in her organization are worried about what will happen if Memorial Day arrives and they aren't fully staffed.

A labor shortage would affect New Jersey businesses large and small, Gillian said. At Six Flags Great Adventure, in Jackson, N.J., about 400 of the park's 1,800 workers were on H-2B visas in 2006, according to the most recent statistics available from the state Department of Labor.

"It could be devastating and seriously hurt our Shore communities if these workers can't return," Gillian said. "And it seems like we really won't know for sure what the numbers will be until the season gets into full swing in June."

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Contact staff writer Jacqueline L. Urgo at 609-823-9629 or jurgo@phillynews.com.

Be Fit

2007-10-02T21:39:00.000-04:00

Fitness park off to running start in Wildwood Crest

By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Tuesday, October 2, 2007

WILDWOOD CREST - Mayor Carl Groon summed up what made the borough's new fitness park different from similar settings in other cities and towns.
"(It is) a great park overlooking one of the best beaches in the world," Groon said as the park was officially opened Monday afternoon.

Jogging with an ocean view - what jogger could ask for more?

The name fitness park, however, is being used for lack of a better term, Commissioner Don Cabrera explained.

The park features a jogging path, five laps of which equal slightly more than a mile, but otherwise it is primarily a place to stop and relax thanks to the lush green lawn and plenty of comfortable benches.

The original plan was to have six to eight fitness stations with balance beams and other exercise aids, but they were not included in the final project budget of $475,000.
Cabrera hopes that a private donor will provide the approximately $30,000 needed to put that part of the park into action.

Meanwhile, residents and visitors alike have a new place to spend their time.

In fall 2006, Cabrera introduced the idea of turning two vacant borough-owned lots between Forget-Me-Not and Palm roads at Ocean Avenue into the fitness park with the help of money being returned to the county's municipalities by the Cape May County freeholders.

The money was the result of an ample 2006 budget surplus, which the county opted to use to encourage communities to make recreation or quality-of-life improvements.

The county set aside $3.8 million for those projects and Wildwood Crest received more than $156,000 to put towards the property's transformation from sandy, weed-covered lot to an inviting place to play.

In addition to the fitness stations, Cabrera said there are also plans to add an entertainment area for concerts and puppet shows.

The lots covered about 4,000 square feet and the jogging path measures 1,069 feet with five laps equaling just over a mile at 5,345 feet.

Cabrera credited the county and local residents for supporting the project.

"The park improves our recreation and our quality of life," Cabrera said.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:

Mediation scheduled

2007-08-12T23:11:00.000-04:00

Meeting set to settle costs, code violations in Wildwoods
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Saturday, August 11, 2007

WILDWOOD — A voluntary session with a state mediator is scheduled Wednesday in the ongoing effort to finally fix and pay for repairs to hundreds of Wildwoods condominium units not built to code.

At a February hearing, Superior Court Judge Steven Perskie urged mediation to settle the case he named “JCOW versus most of the western hemisphere.”

Attorney Glenn P. Callahan, representing the former Joint Construction Office of the Wildwoods, or JCOW, said he is dealing with 101 buildings, which were found to have violations related to fire safety.

“We are in settlements. We are about halfway through,” Callahan said.

Callahan said that of the 101 properties, 51 are settled between at least two parties, meaning they are awaiting closing agreements.

The parties involved in the agreements can include the construction office, builders, architects and condominium associations.

Callahan said another 35 properties are in the midst of “active negotiations” and about 15 are in a holding pattern.

All parties were invited to attend the mediation session in Trenton, but the session is voluntary, and Callahan said he won't know how many will take part until Wednesday.

Of the 51 described as settled, some of the work has been done to fix the violations while work is scheduled to begin on others.

The violations were first spotted in a 2005 review by the state Department of Community Affairs, which found as many as 500 units were not built to code. The violations included missing firewalls, inadequate exits and other fire-related issues.

Perskie had said he would take away the certificates of occupancy for units unable to work out the problems, but in February he was satisfied that was not necessary as settlement talks progressed.

Callahan said about 65 percent of the 101 buildings have seen the work completed, but questions remain about who will ultimately pay for the repairs.

Attorney Henry Lewandowski, who represents 42 of the condominium associations involved, said Friday that a few have seen their matters resolved with the work done and paid for already.

The rest, however, remain in settlement talks.

Lewandowski said he is working with the construction office and any architects with insurance.

His clients, meanwhile, continue to wait for their cases to reach some conclusion.

“Anger is the most significant, most consistent emotion,” Lewandowski said. “They get angrier as the days go on.”

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Film Fest

2007-08-12T23:09:00.000-04:00

Wildwood by the Sea Film Fest planned for fall
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Saturday, August 11, 2007

WILDWOOD — Never made it to a Hollywood premiere?
Well, not to worry. Organizers of the Wildwood by the Sea Film Fest hope to bring a little bit of Tinseltown to the shore.

“We're going to join Wildwood and Hollywood. We’ll call it Wollywood,” joked Paul Russo, co-director of the festival.

The festival, being presented by the Greater Wildwood Hotel Motel Association, is designed to combine music and movies for what organizers describe as “a world premiere event.”

Russo said a number of films will debut at the festival, which will run for from Sept. 27 to Sept. 30 at the Wildwoods Convention Center.

Russo said film director Shawn Swords asked why the island didn't host a film festival, and the festival grew from there.
Swords was one of three directors who helped announce the festival Friday inside the new Doo Wop Experience, the city's Ocean Avenue museum devoted to the culture of the 1950s and 1960s.

Near the podium was an artist's rendering of a red-carpet gala complete with limousine outside the entrance to the convention hall.

Russo said about 100 films will be shown during the festival, with cast and crew coming from as far away as Tokyo.

Bruce Smith, president of the hotel motel association, introduced three directors who will be premiering their latest ventures in Wildwood.

They included George Manney, director of “Pipes of Peace,” Carolyn Travis, director of “Airplay,” and Swords, director of “Philly Music Scene.”

Each of the films is related to the music industry and features some of the acts who also made a name for themselves in Wildwood during its musical heyday.

Travis said she couldn't think of a better place to debut her film, which focuses on the rebel DJs who made music available to audiences who might otherwise not have heard it.

Manney focused on the life of Rufus Harley, who was billed as the world's first jazz bagpiper, while Swords film takes a look back at the Philadelphia music scene between 1952 and 1963 with the aid of performers like Chubby Checker.

Swords promised a “couple of Hollywood people” would be among the crowd when the film debuts here in September.

While Friday's event was to introduce the festival, organizers also recognized doo-wop supporters and the musicians who made the era so memorable.

The owners of the Caribbean Motel, George Miller and Carolyn Emigh, received an award marking the motel's 50th anniversary.

“They made an investment in what we believe in,” said Dan MacElrevey, president of the Doo Wop Preservation League.

Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, was also on hand to present several proclamations to the motel owners and musicians Dee Dee Sharp and members of The Orlons and The Dovells.

Van Drew credited the island with finding ways to create economic opportunity and move the community forward while appreciating its history.

“Celebrate the past and look to a better and brighter vision of the future,” Van Drew said.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Waterpark in North Wildwood

2007-07-18T09:01:00.000-04:00

Piering into the future North Wildwood approves plan for waterpark high-rise hotel
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Wednesday, July 18, 2007

NORTH WILDWOOD — City Council has approved a plan to turn the now-vacant Seaport Pier into a 90,000- square-foot pirate-themed indoor waterpark.
WB Resorts Development plans to invest $175 million in the project, which includes both construction of the water park on the east side of the Boardwalk between 22nd and 23rd avenues and a 16-story 425-room hotel on the west side.

Tentatively named “Captain Andy’s Indoor Waterpark Resort,” the water park could be open in 2010 if the project receives all the permits and approvals it needs.

Attorney M. James Maley, representing WB Resorts, called Tuesday’s decision by City Council the start of a partnership that will revive the dilapidated pier and bring new business activity to the area around it.

“If you’re not growing, if you’re not improving, then you’re dying,” Maley said of the need to bring new life to the pier.

He predicted the project would also deliver not only construction jobs, but 300 to 400 year-round job opportunities on the island.
Under the redevelopment agreement, the city would sell the pier to the developers for a yet undetermined price. WB Resorts already owns or has the option to buy the property across from the pier.

The plan also calls for the pier to be moved slightly to the south to align it with the hotel while also improving the view at the street ends at 22nd and 23rd avenues.

The pirate-themed water park would be enclosed in glass, visible from the Boardwalk, and built in what Maley called a “Disneyesque” fashion designed to draw visitors to the island beyond the traditional tourist season.

It would be open to hotel guests first, and then to other island visitors based on availability and the park’s capacity.

The 187-feet, 16-story hotel, meanwhile, would feature some form of condominium ownership, but all the rooms would be used as hotel rooms, Maley said.

An overhead pedestrian walkway would link the two properties. The resort would also feature three restaurants and a 600-car parking garage.

Maley said the developers plan to meet with the neighbors around the site within the next month to discuss any concerns about the effect the resort will have on the neighborhood.

He said the entrance for vehicles would be within the building’s footprint to avoid traffic backing up into city streets.

Maley said the property will also handle its own trash collection and security to reduce reliance on city services.

With the city’s approval in hand, the developer can now work on obtaining Coastal Area Facility Review Act, or CAFRA permits, along with local Planning Board approvals.

City Planner Stuart Wiser said the city currently permits buildings as tall as 90.8 feet in the Boardwalk location, so variances will be required.

Special counsel Robert Beckelman said the city has to approve the design and final site plan, and the developer is obligated to stay in constant communication with the city on the project’s status.

Beckelman said the redevelopment agreement also requires city residents to get the first crack at the resort’s jobs.

Wiser said the city’s Planning Board has also declared the west side, where the hotel will be built, as an area in need of redevelopment and an agreement on that portion of the project will be forthcoming.

WB Resorts is a limited liability company founded in 2006 by Andrew Weiner, Brian Baratz and David Baratz.

Weiner is the managing partner of Splash Zone, a water park in Wildwood. Brian Baratz is an accountant and founding partner of Baratz & Associates. David Baratz is director of operations and marketing for Splash Zone.

The project is expected to have a 2008 ground breaking with an opening planned for 2010.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

2007-07-11T02:32:00.000-04:00

South Jersey Journal
Cradle of Rock? Two Towns Stake Their Claims

By ROBERT STRAUSS
Published: July 10, 2007
WILDWOOD, N.J.

Bill Haley and the Saddlemen performed at Jack's Twin Bar in the early ’50s, before the Comets and “Rock Around the Clock.”

Dick Richards was pounding the drums and thinking of the girls on the beach. It was Saturday night during Memorial Day weekend in 1954, and more than 500 people were jammed into the HofBrau Hotel here to hear his band, the Comets, kick off the summer.

“We had just recorded this song in April,” he said, “and that night we introduced it to the crowd. I guess that was the first real night of rock ’n’ roll.”

The song was “Rock Around the Clock,” by Bill Haley and His Comets, considered by many to be the first rock-’n’-roll hit, and the first song with the word “rock” in the title to hit the top of the Billboard charts.

Now officials and residents in Wildwood, which in recent years has put a high polish and a healthy dose of kitsch on its 1950s- and ’60s-era motels to promote tourism, are saying that their town near the southern tip of New Jersey in Cape May County is the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll.

After all, for a few summers Dick Clark held record hops in Wildwood while he was the host of “American Bandstand.” And there are plaques where the HofBrau once stood, as well as the site of the former Rainbow Club (now a nightclub called Kahuna’s), where Chubby Checker first performed “The Twist.”

But Gloucester City, another New Jersey town, about an 80-mile drive northwest of Wildwood, wants to cut in right there. And on Saturday, Mr. Richards and other Comets plan to headline a show in Gloucester City, in Camden County along the Delaware River, to commemorate an 18-month span in the early 1950s when Mr. Haley led the house band at the Twin Bar.

The thing is, though, at the time that band was Bill Haley and the Saddlemen— not the Comets — and it started out playing traditional country-and-western music.

“Before I joined them, they had started playing a song called ‘Rock This Joint,’ which had a rhythm-and-blues beat, but mostly they were a western swing band,” said Mr. Richards, who today is 83 and has homes in Ocean City, N.J., and in Missouri, near Branson, where the Comets play at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater about 80 times a year.

“Then they added a drum and a lead guitar and became the Comets,” Mr. Richards added, “and the rest is history.”

Or maybe not.

No matter what claim these two towns make, competition for the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll stretches from Philadelphia, the home of “American Bandstand”; to Cleveland, where the disc jockey Alan Freed came to fame and home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum; to Memphis, the site of Elvis Presley’s Graceland home.

“I don’t know that rock was born — more that it evolved,” said Bob Santelli, a former education director at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a former chief executive of the Experience Music Project museum in Seattle. “Memphis, New Orleans, the Mississippi Delta all significantly helped the American music scene after World War II, though certainly these New Jersey towns played roles.”

Still, he acknowledged that Bill Haley, who died at age 55 in 1981, “has rarely been given his due.”

Mr. Santelli said of Mr. Haley, “He was among the first to blend black and white music and saw that country and western and rhythm and blues could have a hybrid.”

Steve Martarano, 78, who still lives in Gloucester City, said he was just back from the Navy when he started hanging out at the Twin Bar.

“Ladies weren’t allowed in the front room of the bar, but they could go back in back where the Saddlemen played,” said Mr. Martarano.

Dennis Galligan, a trucking executive from Williamstown, about 20 miles south of Gloucester City, was looking for a business that he and his wife, Tammy, could run while caring for her sick father. He ended up buying Burt’s Shamrock Bar in 2004, and soon afterward had an out-of-towner come in and look around.

“It was a guy named Marshall Lytle, and he said he played there as one of the Comets,” Mr. Galligan said.

Mr. Lytle, indeed, played bass with the Comets in the 1950s, and still does along with Mr. Richards, and Mr. Galligan’s business was the former Twin Bar. Mr. Galligan painted the exterior yellow and renamed the place Jack’s Twin Bar. It has outdoor seating by Gloucester City’s main intersection, and the front doors are copies of the original hardwood-and-glass ones that Mr. Haley strode through.

While Gloucester City’s rock commemoration will feature an afternoon of music, Wildwood is planning an entire weekend — its fourth annual Fabulous ’50s Weekend — in October, with performers like the Coasters and, the Cadillacs and Little Anthony and the Imperials.

“We’ll let them have their version if they let us have ours,” said Paul Russo, the owner of Cool Scoops, a ’50s-themed ice cream parlor in North Wildwood and a promoter of the weekend celebration. “It’s just important that people know South Jersey wasn’t a backwater, but an innovator of a great part of American culture.”

4th of July

2007-07-01T23:31:00.000-04:00

Wildwood Is Having a July Fourth Bash
Four Days of Fun Set Up Around July 4th in Wildwood,NJ
Chris Kirk
AC - The People's Media Company
July 1, 2007

Some cities celebrate July 4th in style. Wildwood, NJ though has decided to turn July 4th into a five day celebration with details on this website. They have decided at this beach town on the southeast coast of New Jersey that just one day, just plain isn't enough. The resort town will of course be having some of the traditional celebratory activities, including fireworks on July 4th, but they will add to it. Considering that there are fireworks every Friday night in season in Wildwood, it was only natural to try to do something a little bit different for the Fourth Of July, and Wildwood has done just that.

The celebration will last a total of five days. The resort town will start and end the celebratory period of our nation's independence with concerts, and also have fireworks, a barbecue, and boxing during that time period. The celebration will start on July 3rd at 8 PM, as Jefferson Starship, the band with hits from the 60's through the early 90's, will open the celebration up with their concert. Other bands will appear with Jefferson Starship as was as Tom Constanten of The Grateful Dead.

On July 4th, Wildwood is turning the beach into a huge backyard barbecue! The back deck of the Ocean Front Arena is where everyone will want to go starting at 5:00 PM. There will be a large "all you can eat bbq buffet" starting at that time which will include hamburgers and hotdogs, sausage and peppers, chicken, fruits, vegetables, and cookies. All of this will be available for adults for $14.95 and only $6.95 for children ages six and under. The barbecue will also offer peel and eat tiger shrimp and clams as well for an additional cost for anyone wishing to purchase them. After the bbq, there will be a live DJ playing music until the fireworks display at 10 PM.

On Friday July 6th, Wildwood will host live boxing matches along with mixed martial arts matches. There will be six boxing matches, along with 8 mixed martial arts matchups for a total of 14 contests. Tickets will be good for both shows. The doors for the Ocean Front Arena (Wildwood Convention Center) will open at six o'clock with the mixed martial arts matches starting right away, the boxing matches will begin at eight o'clock on the 6th.

The Fourth Of July week celebration will end on Saturday night with Mary Wilson of the Supremes performing a concert. She will be joined by The Angels, The Dixie Cups, The Ronettes, and The Shirelles. The concert will be held once again at The Wildwood Convention Center, and will begin at 8 PM.

Tickets for the concerts and the martial arts and boxing event can be purchased through Ticketmaster

Beach Boardwalk

2007-06-29T16:45:00.000-04:00

Wildwood meets bathers halfway
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Friday, June 29, 2007

WILDWOOD — Sure, a moving sidewalk that carries beachgoers and their belongings the 1,800 or so feet between the Boardwalk and the water's edge here would be perfect.But visitors such as Diane Dunham are almost as thrilled with the next best thing — a wooden walk that makes at least half the trek across the city's expansive beach just a little easier to manage.

On Thursday, public works crews installed the new wooden walks at several streets. Most of the wooden sections ordered by the city should be in place in time for the Fourth of July holiday.

“You're not having to walk in that hot sand,” said Dunham, of Woodstown, as she and her friends and family prepared to make the trip toward the Atlantic Ocean from the Boardwalk at Leaming Avenue.

They came to town for the day, but with what appeared to be provisions for a much longer stay. There were beach chairs, a cooler, buckets and shovels, beach towels and more. The little ones in her group helped carry what they could, and the new wooden walk eased their burden, too.

The wooden walkways, made of pressure-treated pine, were built through a Department of Corrections program and funded by an $80,000 grant from Cape May County, said city development director Lou Ferrara.
Nine hundred of the 4-by-10-foot-long sections will be planted up and down the beach as they come in. By Thursday afternoon, Roberts, Rio Grande, Leaming and Hildreth avenues had the walkways in place.

Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. said the city hopes to improve access for everyone, particularly those in wheelchairs, who want to enjoy the beach. Beach ends with ramps were among the first to receive the new walkways.

In addition to the 900-foot-long walks, the city has added portable toilets at the end of the walks, including handicapped-accessible facilities, said acting Public Works Director Kevin Verity.

Along the way, extra boards have been added at certain points to allow room for beach- goers to pass each other. Benches will likely be added later, Troiano said.

Ferrara said the boards will likely stay in place until the season comes to a close, and then they will be stored until next summer.

And in the meantime, the mayor warned those with permits to drive on the beach not to drive across the walkways, which could crack or break under the weight of a car or truck.

“Anybody caught driving over them will be shot at sundown,” the mayor joked.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Diamond Beach

2007-06-09T04:24:00.000-04:00

Construction Underway for Luxury Jersey Shore Condo Complex
June 08, 2007
Commercial Property News USA
By Amanda Marsh, Associate Editor

The Grand at Diamond Beach condominium complex in Diamond Beach, N.J., is well on its way. The property, which is just south of Wildwood in Cape May County, is a 12-story building that will contain 125 upscale condo units along with associate amenities and recreation areas upon its completion, expected in fall 2008. The site is the former location of the Grand Hotel, which was razed to make room for the development.

The Dick Corp. was recently awarded a $100 million contract to provide construction services for the project along with Baumgardner Construction. Paul Chiolo, the sales director for the project and the owner of Oceanside Realty, which is marketing the condo units, told CPN the total build-out would be in the "couple hundred million dollar" range.

The Grand at Diamond Beach is an unprecedented project for the Cape May area. "This is the only condo/lifestyle project of its type on the Jersey Shore," Chiodo said. The project is in response to the growing affluence of the area, and is unique because of its private beach. The parcel next door, which is currently home to the Pier 6600 Motor Inn, will house the second phase of The Grand at Diamond Beach a few years down the line, he added. The second phase is currently in its design stage by the project's developer, Achristavest L.L.C., which specifically focuses on waterfront residential developments.

Other upscale residential projects Achristavest currently has under development include: Shoals Resort in Bald Head Island, N.C.; Santa Rosa in Ocean City, N.J.; and Deerfield Estate in Deer Valley, Park City, Utah.

Tourism Tax

2007-06-03T18:51:00.000-04:00

N.J. tourism tax deal no winner, locals say

By PETE McALEER Statehouse Bureau, (609) 292-4935
Published: Saturday, June 2, 2007

TRENTON — When the state adopted a 7 percent lodging tax in 2002, it cushioned the blow with a promise seemingly backed by the force of the law.
By statute, the Legislature dedicated a portion of the revenue from the room tax to tourism and the arts. The win-win scenario had the state collecting more tax dollars from the lodging industry but investing more into tourism to attract new visitors.

Five years later, half of that scenario has held true. Guess which half.

“The only part of the bill that they enacted is the part about taking the money,” said Diane Wieland, director of tourism for Cape May County.

Tax revenue from hotel and motel visits continue to grow each year, bringing $78 million to this year's budget and a projected $87 million in the upcoming budget.

Meanwhile, tourism officials are back in Trenton, fighting for money they thought had been guaranteed. The state cut tourism funding from $12.76 million to $10.1 million last year and proposes to spend the same $10.1 million this year.
“The state is reneging on a promise they made,” said Aldo Tenaglia, owner of the Royal Canadian in Wildwood and Shalimar Resort in Wildwood Crest.

For hotel and motel owners, the tax puts their businesses at a disadvantage not only with other states but with their neighbors, Tenaglia said. Hotels and motels must charge both a 7 percent sales tax and a 7 percent lodging tax. The state does not collect either tax from condominiums or rental properties.

While hotel and motel owners feel shafted, state treasury officials are pointing to the fine print. The statute recommends the state spend $12.7 million on tourism, but it allows for a minimum appropriation of $9 million, said Treasury Department Spokesman Mark Perkiss.

“When you look at the statute, it doesn't say ‘you must,'” Perkiss said. “We're in compliance.”

John Siciliano, executive director of the Wildwood Convention Center, said the state takes the wrong attitude toward the tourism industry.

“This is a $47 billion industry for the state, and we're going to be sitting down arguing over $2 million,” Siciliano said. “I'm shocked we're even having these conversations.”

Two weeks ago, Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew — who is chairman of the Tourism and Gaming Committee — held a hearing about the issue. He plans to rally tourism officials to attend an upcoming budget hearing and fight for full funding.

“Our argument is we know the budget is tight, but the city of Philadelphia spends more in tourism promotion than the entire state of New Jersey,” Van Drew said. “I think as distasteful as that tax is, the redeeming factor was there would be a statutory requirement to fund tourism. You really are breaking the intent and the spirit of the legislation.”

Van Drew said he will introduce legislation that requires the state to fund tourism fully or eliminate the occupancy tax. He said the bill will not move in time for this budget, which must be adopted by July 1.

A similar “poison pill” amendment requires the state to fund beach replenishment fully if it wants to collect the real estate transfer tax. Those types of arrangements typically are set before a tax is adopted and not after.

State Sen. Nicholas Asselta, R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, said the Legislature pulled a similar trick when it promised to direct money from an income tax increase toward property tax rebates, then later cut the rebates while keeping the tax.

“Where does it end?” Asselta asked. “We should be fighting for more money, not what's owed to us. This is the livelihood of the state, tourism, and you're shorting them $2 million in marketing money. Is this maybe one of the underlying reasons for why we still have a deficit? It's penny-wise and pound-foolish.”

For Weiland, the director for Cape May County's tourism department, the biggest concern is that the numbers show a trend toward daytrippers. She said Cape May County's accommodations industry has remained flat for three years at $2.2 billion annually, while revenue for attractions has risen 60 percent.

“If we reduce tourism funding by $2 million, are we doing everything we need to do?” Weiland asked. “We need to use every penny of that to expand our market and open new markets to create overnight stays.”

Statewide, tourism has fallen from the state's second largest industry to its third, behind pharmaceuticals and technology. Marilou Halvorsen, president of the New Jersey Travel Industry Association, said the state's own study shows every dollar spent on tourism promotion brings back $29 to the economy.

“I don't know any investment on Wall Street that yields that kind of return,” Halvorsen said.

To e-mail Pete McAleer at The Press:PMcAleer@pressofac.com

On the Boardwalk

2007-05-25T06:53:00.000-04:00

Wildwood mayor: Choice of wood for Boardwalk not set in concrete

By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Thursday, May 24, 2007

WILDWOOD — Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. on Wednesday restated his willingness to use something other than tropical hardwood to rebuild the city's Boardwalk if an alternative can be found that will meet both the city's structural needs and spending limits.

During the city's regular commission meeting, Ocean City resident Stephen Fenichel asked the mayor about the city's plans to use a tropical hardwood called ipe certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Designating the wood as certified means the council can track its origins and certify it has not been illegally harvested.

Fenichel, pointing to a January 2007 issue of National Geographic, told the commissioners that the logging of tropical hardwood's is destroying the rainforests and should not be supported by local governments.

As he has done before, Troiano told Fenichel the city is willing to consider using an alternative wood, black locust, if the wood meets the city's needs.

City Engineer Marc DeBlasio told Fenichel that “mechanically the wood meets the specifications,” meaning a Boardwalk made of black locust could be strong enough to support both the millions of visitors who come here and emergency equipment if needed.

The question is whether the city could readily access a large enough supply by the time the Boardwalk reconstruction is scheduled to begin in October and whether it could be found for the right price.

Phase one of the project, which stretches across Oak, Cedar and Schellenger avenues, is expected to cost $3.4 million.

Urban Enterprise Zone director Lou Ferrara said the city has been willing to work with Fenichel and Rainforest Relief, but he suggested the push for black locust was “another stall tactic.”
“If you're serious about us getting black locust, get us a price,” Ferrara said.
Troiano echoed his comments.

“We will use it if the price is right,” Troiano said, explaining that the city's bid specifications allowed for the use of ipe and other materials of equal or better quality.

Fenichel said he would attempt to get the city a price with the help of Rainforest Relief.
Also during Wednesday's meeting, the commission introduced several bonding ordinances to support a range of capital improvements and equipment purchases.

They include $5 million for water-main replacements and another $658,000 for drainage upgrades in the back bay area, sewer repairs and equipment purchases. The city also expects to receive $240,600 in grant money for the drainage projects.

The city also introduced an ordinance to spend $42,000 for a revision of the master plan.
That revision was deemed necessary by the state Department of Environmental Protection if the city hopes to move forward with the construction of multiple high-rise hotels.

The city also held a public hearing on the 2007 budget Wednesday, but no members of the public spoke.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press: TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Rental Tax for All

2007-05-23T09:01:00.000-04:00

Make all rentals pay room tax, say Wildwoods hotel owners

By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Wednesday, May 23, 2007WILDWOOD — The island's leading tourism groups are urging the state to require owners of condominium units to charge their renters the same taxes imposed on motel guests.

“They should collect the tax like everybody else is forced to do,” said Bruce Smith, president of the Greater Wildwood Hotel & Motel Association.

Smith said condominium owners have an unfair advantage over motel owners who are required to charge a 14 percent room tax in the Wildwoods and at least 12 percent elsewhere in the state.
In addition to the 7 percent sales tax, motel and hotel guests in the Wildwoods pay the following taxes:

n 2 percent tourism tax for operation and maintenance of the Wildwoods Convention Center

n 1.85 percent tourism assessment for advertising and marketing by the tourism authority
n 3.15 percent room occupancy tax for the state

During a news conference Tuesday, Smith, owner of the Tangiers Motel in Wildwood Crest, read a resolution passed by the association's board of directors asking the state to enforce existing state law, which they believe applies to hotels, motels and other room rentals including condominiums.

The state's administrative code requires that taxes on hotel-room occupancy must be imposed and it defines hotel as meaning “a building or portion thereof which is regularly used and kept open as such for the purpose of furnishing sleeping accommodations for pay to tourists, transients or travelers. It includes, but is not limited to the following: an apartment hotel, motel, inn, tourist home, tourist house or court, tourist cabin and club; a boarding house or rooming house containing eight or more units; and any other building or group of buildings in which sleeping accommodations are normally available to the public on a transient basis.”

The law does not address forms of ownership or amenities provided.

However, Mark Perkiss, a spokesman with the state Department of Treasury, said Tuesday the rental of a condominium is not subject to the state's room tax.

“The law is specific to motel rooms,” Perkiss said, adding condominium rentals involve the rental of real property as opposed to designated hotel or motel rooms.

The Wildwoods tourism authority disagrees.

“We do believe the law is written very clearly,” said John Siciliano, executive director of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority. “It's time for the state to apply it as it's written.”

Siciliano said the state is missing out on an estimated $345 million in tax revenue that could be generated by condominium rentals through the state's 7 percent sales tax and the 5 percent room-occupancy tax.

Siciliano said the additional revenues could support the state's meager tourism advertising budget and plug holes in the state's troubled budget process.

More importantly, he said, the amount paid in taxes is forcing visitors to spend their nights in condominiums rather than in the island's hotels and motels.

Mary Erceg, a member of the tourism authority board and owner of the AA Heart of Wildwood Motel, recalled the case of a guest who checked into a motel room and quickly checked out after learning there would be no occupancy or sales taxes charged in a nearby condominium.

Erceg said she doesn't understand why the state has failed to act.

“We have not gotten any response other than a deaf ear,” she said.

Steve Tecco, owner of the Armada Motel, said not requiring condominium owners to pay the same taxes amounts to a 14 percent subsidy by the state.
“We cannot compete as those serving as pseudo-motels,” h
e said.

A brief Internet search led to several condominiums in the Wildwoods that list the lodging tax as zero or none. The owner of one of those properties said the zero sales tax is not the primary concern of her guests.

“They are interested in the number of rooms and how many can sleep in a unit (not the tax),” she said.

Tecco said the many taxes paid support advertising for the island, which in turn brings new visitors here. When those visitors opt to rent condominiums instead of motel rooms, the condominium owners benefit without paying their fair share, he said.

Smith said he a number of motels on the island have chosen to move to the condominium form of ownership simply to avoid paying the various taxes, and he fears more will do the same, thereby reducing advertising dollars for the island.

Siciliano sent a letter last week to the Division of Taxation asking the state to once again take a look at the issue.

“It is the financially prudent thing to do,” he wrote.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press: TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Watch the Tram Car Please

2007-05-18T07:29:00.000-04:00

'Voice' Behind Wildwood's Tram Cars Never Expected Fame
POSTED: 5:28 pm EDT May 17, 2007
NBC Ted Greenberg

WILDWOOD, N.J. -- The tram cars are a staple of the Wildwood boardwalk, and along with them comes that famous voice.

Slideshow: Wildwood To Unveil New Tram Cars

You know the one. She tells us to "Watch the tram cars please!"

The woman who made that recording still lives here in the Wildwoods. When she made it in the early 70s, she never thought it would become a phrase so many people instantly connect with the Jersey Shore.

They are five words that first rolled off Floss Stingel's tongue 36 years ago.

"They were looking for a new recording," Stingel said. "I just spoke into a little tape recorder and that was it. Watch the tram car please. Watch the tram car please. … I became the voice of the tram car."

Stingel, now 67, made the recording in 1971 as a favor to her then-boyfriend, who worked for the company that owned the Wildwood's boardwalk tram cars.

"Didn't think much of it," Stingel said.

The boyfriend is long gone. But Stingel's voice never left the resort's wooden way.

"I think it still sounds the same except once in a while when it skips," she said. "… Sometimes it's annoying to hear it too much if I'm walking up here and hear it a lot."

But for many others, the phrase instantly transports them back to the childhoods in the Wildwoods.

"A lot of people walking will tell me hit the button," said tram car supervisor John Gigliotti. "People want to hear it."

The trams have fixtures in the wildwoods since 1949. This summer, five new passenger cars -- designed to be more comfortable -- are being built for the first time in 44 years.

"I think it's great. Anything they do to them, it's great … any improvements," Stingel said.
Stingel is now retired after working for South Jersey Gas Company for 40 years. She lives in North Wildwood, and still finds time to ride the tram cars that have carried her voice up and down the boards for more than three decades.

"It's something you expect to see. It's part of the town," Stingel said.

NBC 10's Ted Greenberg reported that Stingel was not paid a cent to make the recording, but these days she usually gets to ride the trams for free.

Seawall Bans

2007-05-15T10:10:00.000-04:00

North Wildwood to ban certain activities on new seawall

By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Tuesday, May 15, 2007

NORTH WILDWOOD — The city's new seawall is perfect for a stroll along the water's edge, but the wall — with drops about 6 feet in some places — is not the perfect spot for, say, go-cart racing.

Today, City Council is expected to approve a ban on such activities to keep the city's newest attraction safe.

“We're playing catch-up on this thing. We never expected it would be such a popular promenade,” said city Administrator Ray Townsend.

City Police Capt. Robert Caruso said that so far the seawall, which stretches around the northern end of the city and varies in width from 10 to 12 feet, has been free of any serious problems, and the ordinance was designed to keep it that way.

The new rules take a cue from an existing Boardwalk ordinance also designed to keep people moving safely.

Under the new guidelines, “self-propelled wheeled devices” such as skateboards, bicycles, roller blades and scooters will not be permitted along the seawall.

Motorized devices such as motorcycles and minibikes are also banned.

The ordinance does not, however, apply to medically necessary devices such as wheelchairs or walkers.

In addition, the ordinance bans the consumption of alcoholic beverages, sleeping on the seawall or peddling and vending.

Violators will be subject to as much as $1,250 in fines and 90 days in the county jail.

Mayor Bill Henfey said that as the wall was completed last year, the city noticed the number of bicycles making use of the promenade, which Townsend said stretches about 6,000 feet along Hereford Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean to the beach.

“There's a concern about any collisions or people falling off there,” he said. “We want everybody to enjoy the walk and keep it safe.”

Some repairs are under way on a small section of the walk, and once those are done the city also plans to install railings along the ocean side of the seawall and the street side where necessary, Henfey said.

The city has already set aside$1 million in bonds for that project.
A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at City Hall followed by a vote on the seawall regulations.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press: TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Doo Wop

2007-04-24T11:41:00.000-04:00

Doo Wop Experience taking shape in Wildwood

By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2007

WILDWOOD — The grand opening of the city's Doo Wop Experience museum is set for this weekend, but visitors won't get the full experience for some time.

The building itself, housed within the steel structure of the former Surfside Restaurant, is in the final stages of its construction, and Monday workers busily poured concrete to complete the sidewalks, finish the flooring installation and other last-minute jobs.

During a visit to the museum Monday, Frank Nave, museum-exhibit designer, said it will still be many months before the high-tech interactive exhibits planned for the museum are online.
But if Nave's enthusiasm for those exhibits is any indication, they will be worth the wait.

“This is not going to be artifact intensive,” Nave said, explaining there will be no shelves stacked with memorabilia at this museum.

“How do you get young people or international people passionate about (doo-wop)? The idea is to make it interactive and constantly changing,” he said.

Artist's renderings of the museum's interior feature several different exhibits designed to be a world apart from standard museum fare.

Among them is an interactive I-Wall that will deliver doo-wop details via a 42-inch plasma screen that visitors can control.

Doo wop fans will also be able to stroll along a giant map of the Wildwoods that will feature music and information about various doo-wop motels.

He likened the technology to the giant piano keyboard actor Tom Hanks played in the movie “Big.”

Visitors will also be able to harness the hidden designer in them at a display that will allow anyone to design his or her own doo-wop motel.

“They can choose the railings or how many palm trees. You've got to have the palm trees,” Nave said.

Nave said other plans include an exhibit of photographs that can be manipulated on three screens by a control device.

Within each photograph will be more photographs offering different glimpses of period cars, hotels, people and places.

For the more traditional visitors, there will be a couple of less high-tech exhibits including a decorative array of period chairs and a column covered in period lamps.
There is also room within the approximately 3,000-square-foot space to have changing exhibits.
One month a hot rod could be on display, the next, a typical 1950s kitchen, Nave said.
“This was really one hell of a place. It was like Vegas east, and we want to find ways to bring that forward,” Nave said.

At Saturday's grand opening, some of the renderings along with a few vintage pieces and signs will be on display, and Jack Morey, of the Doo Wop Preservation League, said temporary exhibits will also be added until the interactive pieces are ready.

A fundraising effort is also planned to support the exhibits, he said.

And when it's done, Nave said visitors will have a reason to keep coming back because the museum will constantly change its offerings.

“This is going to be pretty unique,” Nave said, “You'll never be able to see it all.”

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press: TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Housing Decision

2007-03-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

Wildwood faces split decision on housing

By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Monday, March 5, 2007

WILDWOOD — The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development is moving its public housing authorities toward a new way of doing business through project-based accounting and budgeting with a goal of operating those authorities more like their counterparts in the multi-family real estate business.

But the move has some, like Wildwood Housing Authority Executive Director William Harris, concerned that the change will actually make the small housing operation less efficient.

“This year, we should be able to maintain the status quo, but it could result in staff reductions later on,” Harris said.

The authority has one part-time and five full-time employees, two full-time and two part-time housekeeping staffers, and six full-time administrators.

Under project-based accounting, the authority will have to divide its two housing entities, Sandman Towers and Commissioners Court, by using two separate budgets and conducting two separate audits.

Sandman Towers has 100 efficiency or one-bedroom units, while Commissioners Court has 70 two-, three- or four-bedroom units.

The units in Sandman Towers are open to those meeting federal income guidelines who are older than 60 or permanently disabled, while Commissioners Court is open to low-income families.
While the change should make the Housing Authority more cost conscious, Harris said it will also add expenses, such as the need to install a second water meter, to allow the two facilities to be billed separately in keeping with the new accounting system.

It's a move Harris fears could make things less efficient given the small size of Wildwood's housing complex.

“This won't have any impacts in 2007 or through mid-2008, but possibly an effect later on in areas such as being able to turn over units and getting new people moved in,” Harris said.
Authority employees will have to undergo new training to meet the requirements of new Housing and Urban Development job descriptions that are more in keeping with their private sector counterparts.

Harris said the authority also is coping with budget changes as its federal subsidy drops from $640,569 in fiscal year 2007 to a projected $502,362 in fiscal year 2008.

The agency's total budget also will drop slightly from $1.27 million in 2007 to $1.25 million in 2008. Tenant rents, interest on the authority's reserves and grants from the state Department of Health and Senior Services support the budget.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press: TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Doo-Wop

2007-01-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

Things looking up for doo-wop devotees in the Wildwoods
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Saturday, January 20, 2007
Press of Atlantic City

WILDWOOD — The year is off to a strong start for doo-wop enthusiasts.
This week, Doo Wop Preservation League board member Mary Fox said the league's doo-wop trolley tours will continue in 2007, thanks to $5,000 in funding from the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority.

The tours, which last year took doo-wop fans past 1950s and 1960s motels primarily in Wildwood Crest and Wildwood, drew about 200 people in the summer of 2006 with an additional 200 taking the tour during the annual Fabulous 50s Weekend.

Fox said the tour program got off to a late start in 2006, with tours starting in mid-summer, but this year they are scheduled to run every Tuesday and Thursday from June 19 to Aug. 30.

With the money in place, Fox said organizers can also devote time to other aspects of the tour program.

“We have time now to improve the whole look and feel of the tour,” Fox said, noting that doo-wop design with its plastic palm trees, neon signs and kidney-shaped pools remains popular with visitors around the globe.
“There is a lot of interest in doo wop,” she said.

While many doo-wop era motels have been lost to new development, the recent slow down in real estate sales has also slowed demolitions, Fox said.

“It's giving everybody time to catch their breath,” Fox said. “Even those who want to develop maybe think demolition isn't the way to go. They are asking what can we do instead.”

Visitors will also get to the experience the tour during the island's salute to the '60s Weekend at the end of April when the city unveils its new doo-wop museum, another doo-wop highlight.

The museum, across from the Wildwoods Convention Center on Ocean Avenue, will likely become the first stop on the trolley tour.

Built using the steel superstructure of the former Surfside Restaurant, the museum will house all manner of 1950s artifacts from the Wildwoods and elsewhere.

Preservation league President Dan MacElrevey said Friday the league is even looking on eBay to locate small items, such as period dinnerware, it doesn't already have.

The museum, which will be known formally as the Doo Wop Experience, is nearly complete and is expected to be open to the public the last weekend in April. A neon sign garden will follow.

The league has enlisted museum exhibit designer Frank Nave to help create interesting displays, what MacElrevey called first-class exhibits.

“It's a whole new focal point for Wildwood. It opens up a whole new entertainment center for the city,” MacElrevey said, noting the connecting band shell to the museum.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Wildwoods Improvement Plans

2007-01-13T00:48:00.000-05:00

Wildwoods improvement districts make budgets, plans
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Friday, January 12, 2007
Press of Atlantic City

WILDWOOD — The Boardwalk Special Improvement District is looking to add to its lineup of family entertainment and enhance its sponsorship efforts in time for the 2007 tourist season.

The district, made up of Boardwalk property owners in Wildwood and North Wildwood, has presented its annual budget to fund those efforts to City Commission and will do the same next week for North Wildwood City Council.

Managing Director Patrick Rosenello said the district already supplies free entertainment on the boards most nights of the week except Tuesday.

The plan is to add child-friendly entertainment such as strolling childrens' characters. Also topping the group's agenda are ways to enhance an existing sponsorship agreement with Coca-Cola, possibly with a Coca-Cola sponsored event.

The largest chunk of the district's $1.24 million budget comes from its operation of the Boardwalk tram cars, but sponsorships and other revenue sources, such as funding from the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority add about $250,000 to district's spending plan.

Assessments on the Boardwalk property owners account for $115,000, just 9 percent of the budget, and tram revenue adds $873,000, Rosenello said.
The district took over the tram operation in the spring of 2004, something Rosenello said was a positive move for the district.

He pointed to the trams recent appearance in Philadelphia's annual Mummer's parade and Coca-Cola's tram sponsorship.

"After three years, I'm pretty happy with it," Rosenello said. "We've greatly enhanced the value of the trams to the Boardwalk."

Rosenello, who also serves as managing director for the Downtown Business Improvement District, said that group is also pushing ahead with its 2007 budget and its priorities for the year.

The business district has proposed a $315,000 budget for the year, which requires Wildwood City Commission's approval.

"The focus is on capital projects, bricks and mortar operations," Rosenello said.

The business district is busy redoing sections of Pacific Avenue in the hope that improving the appearance of the downtown will draw new businesses and new customers.

Burk to Spicer avenues are expected to be done by Memorial Day, he said. The outlying blocks not complete by that time will follow.

Grants, obtained with the city, have supported those projects which include new sidewalks and decorative features such as trash cans and street lights.

A design study, supported by the district, is also under way to help business owners win the grants they need to improve the look of their storefronts.

City Commission is expected to hold public hearings and final votes on both the Boardwalk and downtown district budgets on Feb. 14.

North Wildwood City Council will introduce the Boardwalk budget at its Jan. 16 regular meeting.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Changing Times

2006-12-13T23:32:00.000-05:00

Jersey shore amusement hotspot ditches paper tickets
December 12, 2006, 10:00 AM EST
Press of Atlantic City

WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) _ You aren't going to need a ticket to ride at one New Jersey shore institution starting next summer.

Instead, you'll need a plastic card.

Morey's Piers, a string of five seaside amusement parks, is doing away with its traditional paper tickets _ long the stuff of scrapbooks and displays at the Wildwood Historical Society Museum.

For rides from the mini tea cups to the AtmosFEAR, admission will be paid starting in 2007 with plastic cards that look a lot like credit cards. That means no more tearing off two or three tickets per ride.

Will Morey, president of the piers, told the Press of Atlantic City for Tuesday's editions that he thinks customers will be comfortable with the switch _ even if nostalgia seekers aren't.

The cards can be reloaded from home computers and registered so that it will be possible to find the owners of lost ones _ and to trace the track of kids lost while playing at the pier.

"We're a unique breed," Morey said, "and we don't want to be outdated."

JCOW

2006-11-13T22:16:00.001-05:00

Former commissioner says now a good time to get out
e-published 10/31/2006

WILDWOOD CREST – Before commissioners moved into a closed-door executive session on Wednesday evening last week to discuss the status of their membership in JCOW, former Commissioner Robert Young wished them luck and offered some advice.
“If you could find a qualified construction official, certainly now would be a good time to disembark (from JCOW),” Young said.

The problem has been ongoing, he reminded them. Concerns about the performance of the JCOW office – including its inspection practices and financial administration -- surfaced periodically over the past several years in Wildwood Crest. In February 2005, Mayor John Pantelone’s administration discussed their concerns with former JCOW construction official Michael Preston. Shortly after taking office, Mayor Carl Groon’s administration considered severing ties with JCOW in June 2005as the result of alleged questionable accounting practices and a buy-out package offered to Preston at his retirement.

At that time, commissioners reported discussing the possibility of hiring a code enforcement inspector through JCOW who would be solely responsible for construction in the Crest.

In an interview with The Leader last June, Commissioner Don Cabrera described withdrawal from JCOW as a “last resort option.”

“I am one for structure,” Cabrera said. “You need to know someone is going to come by and check on you. Right now the only time you get enforcement is if someone complains.”

Commissioners said with Preston retiring, they would give a new construction official a chance to address their concerns. They would use the additional year to consider their options, they said.

It was eventually uncovered by The Leader that Preston retired while under investigation by the State Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and he forfeited his license at their request. In September, code violations in 79 buildings inspected under Preston’s watch were revealed.

Young said on Wednesday that he believed that all of the participating municipalities have to take some responsibility for the problems at JCOW. Young noted that Preston worked part time as the Crest’s zoning officer while also working for JCOW.

“He certainly bears a lot of the brunt (of the responsibility, but I think we bear some responsibility, too,” Young said.

-- Maureen Cawley

JCOW

2006-11-13T22:16:00.000-05:00

Former commissioner says now a good time to get out
e-published 10/31/2006

WILDWOOD CREST – Before commissioners moved into a closed-door executive session on Wednesday evening last week to discuss the status of their membership in JCOW, former Commissioner Robert Young wished them luck and offered some advice.
“If you could find a qualified construction official, certainly now would be a good time to disembark (from JCOW),” Young said.

The problem has been ongoing, he reminded them. Concerns about the performance of the JCOW office – including its inspection practices and financial administration -- surfaced periodically over the past several years in Wildwood Crest. In February 2005, Mayor John Pantelone’s administration discussed their concerns with former JCOW construction official Michael Preston. Shortly after taking office, Mayor Carl Groon’s administration considered severing ties with JCOW in June 2005as the result of alleged questionable accounting practices and a buy-out package offered to Preston at his retirement.

At that time, commissioners reported discussing the possibility of hiring a code enforcement inspector through JCOW who would be solely responsible for construction in the Crest.

In an interview with The Leader last June, Commissioner Don Cabrera described withdrawal from JCOW as a “last resort option.”

“I am one for structure,” Cabrera said. “You need to know someone is going to come by and check on you. Right now the only time you get enforcement is if someone complains.”

Commissioners said with Preston retiring, they would give a new construction official a chance to address their concerns. They would use the additional year to consider their options, they said.

It was eventually uncovered by The Leader that Preston retired while under investigation by the State Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and he forfeited his license at their request. In September, code violations in 79 buildings inspected under Preston’s watch were revealed.

Young said on Wednesday that he believed that all of the participating municipalities have to take some responsibility for the problems at JCOW. Young noted that Preston worked part time as the Crest’s zoning officer while also working for JCOW.

“He certainly bears a lot of the brunt (of the responsibility), but I think we bear some responsibility, too,” Young said.

-- Maureen Cawley

JCOW

2006-11-13T22:12:00.002-05:00

Former commissioner says now a good time to get out
e-published 10/31/2006

WILDWOOD CREST – Before commissioners moved into a closed-door executive session on Wednesday evening last week to discuss the status of their membership in JCOW, former Commissioner Robert Young wished them luck and offered some advice.
“If you could find a qualified construction official, certainly now would be a good time to disembark (from JCOW),” Young said.

The problem has been ongoing, he reminded them. Concerns about the performance of the JCOW office – including its inspection practices and financial administration -- surfaced periodically over the past several years in Wildwood Crest. In February 2005, Mayor John Pantelone’s administration discussed their concerns with former JCOW construction official Michael Preston. Shortly after taking office, Mayor Carl Groon’s administration considered severing ties with JCOW in June 2005as the result of alleged questionable accounting practices and a buy-out package offered to Preston at his retirement.

At that time, commissioners reported discussing the possibility of hiring a code enforcement inspector through JCOW who would be solely responsible for construction in the Crest.

In an interview with The Leader last June, Commissioner Don Cabrera described withdrawal from JCOW as a “last resort option.”

“I am one for structure,” Cabrera said. “You need to know someone is going to come by and check on you. Right now the only time you get enforcement is if someone complains.”

Commissioners said with Preston retiring, they would give a new construction official a chance to address their concerns. They would use the additional year to consider their options, they said.

It was eventually uncovered by The Leader that Preston retired while under investigation by the State Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and he forfeited his license at their request. In September, code violations in 79 buildings inspected under Preston’s watch were revealed.

Young said on Wednesday that he believed that all of the participating municipalities have to take some responsibility for the problems at JCOW. Young noted that Preston worked part time as the Crest’s zoning officer while also working for JCOW.

“He certainly bears a lot of the brunt (of the responsibility), but I think we bear some responsibility, too,” Young said.

-- Maureen Cawley

Membership in JCOW

2006-11-13T22:12:00.001-05:00

Former commissioner says now a good time to get out
e-published 10/31/2006

WILDWOOD CREST – Before commissioners moved into a closed-door executive session on Wednesday evening last week to discuss the status of their membership in JCOW, former Commissioner Robert Young wished them luck and offered some advice.
“If you could find a qualified construction official, certainly now would be a good time to disembark (from JCOW),” Young said.

The problem has been ongoing, he reminded them. Concerns about the performance of the JCOW office – including its inspection practices and financial administration -- surfaced periodically over the past several years in Wildwood Crest. In February 2005, Mayor John Pantelone’s administration discussed their concerns with former JCOW construction official Michael Preston. Shortly after taking office, Mayor Carl Groon’s administration considered severing ties with JCOW in June 2005as the result of alleged questionable accounting practices and a buy-out package offered to Preston at his retirement.

At that time, commissioners reported discussing the possibility of hiring a code enforcement inspector through JCOW who would be solely responsible for construction in the Crest.

In an interview with The Leader last June, Commissioner Don Cabrera described withdrawal from JCOW as a “last resort option.”

“I am one for structure,” Cabrera said. “You need to know someone is going to come by and check on you. Right now the only time you get enforcement is if someone complains.”

Commissioners said with Preston retiring, they would give a new construction official a chance to address their concerns. They would use the additional year to consider their options, they said.

It was eventually uncovered by The Leader that Preston retired while under investigation by the State Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and he forfeited his license at their request. In September, code violations in 79 buildings inspected under Preston’s watch were revealed.

Young said on Wednesday that he believed that all of the participating municipalities have to take some responsibility for the problems at JCOW. Young noted that Preston worked part time as the Crest’s zoning officer while also working for JCOW.

“He certainly bears a lot of the brunt (of the responsibility), but I think we bear some responsibility, too,” Young said.

-- Maureen Cawley

Membership in JCOW

2006-11-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

Former commissioner says now a good time to get out
e-published 10/31/2006

WILDWOOD CREST – Before commissioners moved into a closed-door executive session on Wednesday evening last week to discuss the status of their membership in JCOW, former Commissioner Robert Young wished them luck and offered some advice.
“If you could find a qualified construction official, certainly now would be a good time to disembark (from JCOW),” Young said.

The problem has been ongoing, he reminded them. Concerns about the performance of the JCOW office – including its inspection practices and financial administration -- surfaced periodically over the past several years in Wildwood Crest. In February 2005, Mayor John Pantelone’s administration discussed their concerns with former JCOW construction official Michael Preston. Shortly after taking office, Mayor Carl Groon’s administration considered severing ties with JCOW in June 2005as the result of alleged questionable accounting practices and a buy-out package offered to Preston at his retirement.

At that time, commissioners reported discussing the possibility of hiring a code enforcement inspector through JCOW who would be solely responsible for construction in the Crest.

In an interview with The Leader last June, Commissioner Don Cabrera described withdrawal from JCOW as a “last resort option.”

“I am one for structure,” Cabrera said. “You need to know someone is going to come by and check on you. Right now the only time you get enforcement is if someone complains.”

Commissioners said with Preston retiring, they would give a new construction official a chance to address their concerns. They would use the additional year to consider their options, they said.

It was eventually uncovered by The Leader that Preston retired while under investigation by the State Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and he forfeited his license at their request. In September, code violations in 79 buildings inspected under Preston’s watch were revealed.

Young said on Wednesday that he believed that all of the participating municipalities have to take some responsibility for the problems at JCOW. Young noted that Preston worked part time as the Crest’s zoning officer while also working for JCOW.

“He certainly bears a lot of the brunt (of the responsibility), but I think we bear some responsibility, too,” Young said.

-- Maureen Cawley

Hotel/Condo Project in Wildwood

2006-10-24T23:22:00.000-04:00

Developers Unveil $225M Hotel/Condo Project
By Eric Peterson
October 24, 2006
GlobeStreet.com

Wildwood Beach Hotel(To read more on the multifamily market, click here.)
WILDWOOD, NJ-A Princeton-based group headed by a 9/11 survivor has unveiled plans for the Wildwood Beach Hotel and Resort, a combination of residential condos and hotel rooms. The project, which will rise 25 stories along a full city block, will encompass 190 luxury beachfront condos and 150 hotel rooms. It will cost $225 million. Pending a coastal permit, required for construction from the New Jersey DEP, targeted completion is December 2009.

The developer is Princeton Junction Development Partners LLC, headed by Christian Nickerson. And for this project, Nickerson has partnered up with William Meyer of Meyer Jabara Hotels, which will operate the property once it’s completed, and Dr. Gerard Klauder, whose firm Klauder & Associates will serve as construction manager of the W.B., as the property is being called. This city is on the Atlantic Ocean between Atlantic City and Cape May, and the hotel site itself is adjacent to the Wildwood Convention Center.

“As a survivor of the 9/11 attack on Tower One of the World Trade Center, I believe people think differently about travel,” Nickerson says. “Many families would like to have a taste of the Caribbean without the hassles of airport security, passports and a long plane ride. Even in winter, visitors would be able to relax at our indoor beach.”

That indoor beach is part of an indoor water park, according to plans unveiled over the weekend. Also part of the amenity package for the W.B. are a spa, restaurants, retail shops and indoor parking.

“Our location, steps from the new convention center, combined with the amenities, will help us turn Wildwood into an all-season resort,” Nickerson says. “Our project is expected to fuel Wildwood’s revitalization.”

The W.B. is the fourth project Nickerson’s group has been involved in recently. The others include a luxury condo property on the bay in Wildwood, two residential developments in Deptford and ongoing management of the Oceanic Hotel here.

Meyer Jabara Hotels, meanwhile, is a Danbury, CT and West Palm Beach, FL-based group with a portfolio of 26 hotels with more than 4,700 rooms in 12 states operated under licenses from Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton and Holiday Inn. Klauder & Associates is a Hollywood, FL-based construction management firm.