Local Energy Grid Strengthened Before Summer

MAYS LANDING – Summer is quickly approaching, and Atlantic City Electric has been performing essential work to ready the local energy grid against severe weather and increased customer demand. Atlantic City Electric crews continue to perform essential maintenance and upgrades that further enhances service reliability and makes the local energy grid more resilient to power the company’s 560,000 customers across southern New Jersey. This hard works helps to harden Atlantic City Electric’s energy infrastructure against the growing impact of summer severe weather and hurricanes.

“Our commitment to provide reliable energy is proven everyday by the thousands of employees working to protect the local energy grid against increasingly severe weather events and prepare for increased customer demand,” said Tamla Olivier, senior vice president and COO, Pepco Holdings, which includes Atlantic City Electric. “We take our responsibility to keep homes and business powered seriously. The work we are doing is not only making the grid more reliable and more resilient, but is creating the pathway to cleaner energy options for our customers.”

Several major projects are underway to enhance grid reliability and resiliency, including:

• Beach Haven Battery Storage Project

– Installing a battery storage system at an existing substation on Second Street in Beach Haven to improve the quality of energy service for thousands of customers and seasonal visitors in Beach Haven and Long Beach Island during times when customer demand for energy is highest.

• Greater Gloucester and Camden Counties Reliability Project – Upgrading 10 miles of transmission line between Monroe Township and Pine Hill to improve reliability for 13,600 customers in Gloucester and Camden counties.

• Salem County Reliability Project – Rebuilding 3.5 miles of transmission line, that primarily runs along Route 130 between Penns Grove and Pennsville, to enhance the quality of energy service for thousands of local customers.

• Wind Port Power Connect Project ¬–Upgrading approximately 11 miles of transmission line with new, stronger steel utility poles and more modern equipment to serve the New Jersey Wind Port, a South Jersey facility that is essential for the staging, assembling, and manufacturing activities for offshore wind projects along the East Coast. Atlantic City Electric’s efforts to reinforce the local energy grid and add new technology has helped strengthen service reliability.

Just last year, Atlantic City Electric customers experienced the lowest frequency of electric outages ever, with a more than six percent decrease in the frequency of outages since the previous low set in 2021. The company’s ongoing investments in the local energy grid reduced the frequency of outages by more than 75 percent since 2012 for Atlantic City Electric customers.

Just as Atlantic City Electric prepares for the summer storm season, the company encourages its customers to be ready as well. Here are some tips:

• Download Atlantic City Electric’s mobile app at atlanticcityelectric.com/MobileApp. Customers can use the mobile app to report outages, view estimated restoration times and more.

• Sign up for emergency alerts that provide outage updates and severe weather alerts by going to atlanticcityelectric.com/Alerts.

• Assemble an emergency storm kit. Include battery-powered radio, flashlight, a fi rst-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, medications, multi-purpose tool, and list of important/ emergency phone numbers.

• Have a supply of bottled water and easyto-prepare, non-perishable foods available to last at least 72 hours.

• Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home.

• Identify an alternate location for you and/or your family in case of an extended outage.

• It’s extremely important to review the manufacturer’s instructions for safe operations of your generator. Do not connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring, and never use a generator indoors or any enclosed area.

Being prepared is a responsibility everyone should take seriously. If a severe storm hits, monitor local weather reports regularly and follow the advice of local emergency management officials. Residents should stay away from downed wires and immediately report a downed wire or service issue by calling 800-833-7476, visiting atlanticcityelectric.com, or through the company’s mobile app. Customers can also report an outage by texting “OUT” to 20661. Customers must fi rst text “ADD OUTAGE” to 20661 to sign up for this service.

Sundays At 68th St. Beach

LONG BEACH – Join Long Beach Township on the beach on Sundays from 12 to 2 p.m. to enjoy the sun, the sand, and some great local music!

July 2: The Pickles; July 9: Skip Winters; July

16: The Danksters; July 23: BMW & Late Last Night; July 30: Lick of Sense; August 6: Bryan Hansen Band; August 13: The Black Ties; August 20: Ryan Zimmerman; August 27: The Accousticrats; September 3: The Pickles.

Visitors:

Continued From Page 1 hesitant to ascend the winding staircase leading to the pinnacle of the lighthouse can now enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view through newly installed cameras. Presently, the livestream is exclusively accessible for viewing at the Visitor Center, but plans are underway to make it readily available on the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park website, maintained by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The restoration project began with a primary focus on the lighthouse exterior, with masonry recoating, painting, roof repairs and window replacements. Additionally, significant interior repairs were carried out, particularly targeting the steel platform of the lantern. Other essential interior renovations included tasks like painting, lightbulb replacement, and thorough cleaning.

“To cap off all of this work, we had a donation from Friends of the Barnegat Lighthouse, of the lantern, the beacon light on top and the security fencing around the lighthouse,” said Rebecca Fitzgerald, Administrator of the State Park Service.

The tall black aluminum fence replaces a chain-link fence that existed before the lighthouse restoration project.

Mark Texel, Administrator of State Historic Sites, provided some intriguing insights into Old Barney. He revealed that the Barnegat Lighthouse is among the six lighthouses managed by the state, with two of them being staffed by park staff volunteers. The Navesink Lighthouse in Highlands is the other lighthouse under their supervision.

“There’s been a lighthouse at this location since 1834,” Texel shared. “The reason this is an important spot is because we know the shoals are very dangerous.”

Originally constructed as a wooden structure, the lighthouse served as a warning to sailors, urging them to stay away from the treacherous shoals.

The recently restored lighthouse, designed by Jim Will George Gordon Mead in 1857, stands as a testament to architectural brilliance. Its first lighting in 1859 drew a crowd of 200 spectators, witnessing the inaugural use of a Fresnel lens imported from France. Today, the lighthouse boasts a newer LED Fresnel lens, that can be seen for a distance of 21.5 nautical miles.

Over the years, the lighthouse has undergone many transformations. Its history includes use as a lookout tower during World War II, when it was used to spot enemy ships along the surrounding waters.

In 1957, the lighthouse became a state park and formally opened to the public. Its popularity enhanced further when a jetty was constructed in 1991 and attracted people who enjoyed walking along the water’s edge or throwing rods into the surf.

“Fourteen years ago, the lighthouse was relit for the first time since it was extinguished (in 1926),” said Texel. “There were 8,000 people in attendance.”

To fully experience the breathtaking scene from the top of the lighthouse, visitors must take note that operational hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A dedicated volunteer diligently tallies the number of individuals entering, managing the traffic on the steps leading both up and down the historic structure.

Library:

Continued From Page 1 for senior citizens to socialize and enjoy library services.

It will also feature a new teen area, study rooms, maker space for STEAM educational activities, and a sensory space to provide a welcoming environment for people with autism, Alzheimer’s or other sensory processing needs.

“Today is the result of strong partnerships, working together for a common cause – to bring a new library branch to the southern part of Ocean County that can be enjoyed by all of our residents,” said Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Joseph H. Vicari, liaison to the Ocean County Library system. “We look forward to the day that we can walk through the doors of this new branch and see the vision of so many talented and creative professionals that brought this to fruition.”

Vicari was joined by Stafford Mayor Gregory A. Myhre; Chairman of the Ocean County Library Commission Timothy McDonald; Jennifer R. Nelson, New Jersey State Librarian; Director of the Ocean County Library Susan Quinn; Library Commission Member Henry Mancini; and a host of representatives from various county, local and state agencies at the ground breaking for the here.

“The new Stafford library branch will be a great asset to Stafford Township and Southern Ocean County. A library is not a school or a university, but it is still a special place of learning,” Myrhe said. “Having the library built here will tie everything together nicely and make a one-stop resource center for the Southern part of Ocean County.”

The new branch will be located next to the Ocean County Southern Service Center which houses a number of Ocean County services including a main nutrition site for seniors, the Ocean County Clerk’s Office, Senior Services, Department of Human Services and Veterans Service Bureau.

“This new branch replaces an aging facility,” Vicari said. “Relocating it to 179 South Main Street brings it closer to existing county gov- ernment services. In a county as large as Ocean County, accessibility to programs and services is important.”

Vicari said he appreciated the effort to secure the grant from the state Library Construction Bond Act.

“This is a big savings for the County,” he said. “Our county library staff in concert with the administration worked tirelessly to make certain our funding application would gain the state support needed to be approved.”

The Ocean County Library was selected to receive a $4.8 million grant in the second round of funding for the Library Construction Bond Act which allocates $37 million to 36 library projects from 13 counties across New Jersey.

New Jersey State Library Librarian Jennifer R. Nelson said, “the one thing libraries give people is hope, part of what we say at the New Jersey State Library is that life happens at the library, and we hope life happens here at your new library branch.

On April 5, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners awarded a contract to Newport Construction Management Corp, Pennsauken, to construct the new branch. The cost of $9,488,700 is offset by the $4.8 million grant from the New Jersey State Library Construction Bond. The project is scheduled to be finished in September 2024.

In anticipation of building a new library branch at the County-owned property at 179 South Main Street, the County has already extended a water main to the site and drainage. Parking at the site will be reconfigured to meet the needs of all the services sharing the complex.

Ocean County Library Director Susan Quinn said, “we deeply appreciate the work of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, the Stafford Township Mayor and Council, the Library Commission, the state Library Construction Bond, the library staff and the County staff as we all work together to bring the best services and programs to the residents.”

“The new library will be a field of dreams and possibilities. It holds an exciting future for all of us at the Ocean County Library,” she added.