By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
UPPER TOWNSHIP – Members of Township Committee decided to hold off until Friday on a decision on whether fireworks will go off at Amanda’s Field July 4, waiting as long as possible before canceling the event.
At a meeting Monday, June 8, members of the governing body continued the ongoing discussion about the proper community response to the global pandemic, as New Jersey sees new infection rates wane and businesses worry about the summer.
The popular Independence Day parade in Strathmere has been canceled, Mayor Rich Palombo announced at the meeting.
At previous meetings, committee members discussed what to do about the fireworks display at Amanda’s Field. Committeeman Hobie Young has repeatedly asked the township to hold off on canceling the fireworks, arguing that residents need something to look forward to through the crisis.
He reiterated that on Monday. At one point, he said he would want to make it clear that it was Trenton that canceled the event.
“If we have to cancel it, let it go on him, not us,” Young said. Many people have asked to hold the event, adding that it would be little different than going to the beach or attending a protest, which have both been allowed under the executive order.
The governor’s order specifically includes fireworks in parks, Palombo said. Several municipalities have already canceled July 4 events. He said he would support the township holding an event if the majority of committee supports that, but does not want to include vendors or other elements.
The township has until June 15 to let the contractor know the fireworks will be delayed. Canceling after that would mean paying for the event, but if the decision is made before that, the fireworks can be delayed without an additional charge.
“I don’t want to forfeit the funds for it,” Palombo said. “If we don’t hear any kind of change from the governor between now and Friday, then they’re going to be postponed. And we’ll pick a date, either at the end of August or sometime in September and we’ll have some sort of festival.”
If that happens, he said, he wants the event focused on children, saying they’ve had a hard time with the stay-at-home orders.
At a recent meeting, committee also discussed ways the Upper Township School District could use township fields for an eighth-grade graduation.
“As it turns out, we can’t use any of our fields, because there are strict guidelines put in place by the state NJEA (New Jersey Education Association). Basically, its’ a security issue,” he said.
The school will host a ceremony in a field adjacent to the Upper Township Middle School on July 9. Participants will be required to wear masks, Palombo said.
The coronavirus appears to have also delayed the opening of a pedestrian and bike lane on the Garden State Parkway Bridge over the Great Egg Harbor Bay. Upper Township officials have requested the lane be opened since the conclusion of that project.
Palombo said the emergency executive order prevents the lane be open. Other members of the committee pointed to a similar lane connecting Somers Point and Ocean City, pointing out that the route was recently used by Black Lives Matter demonstrators.
“That was already open. This is a grand opening, quote-unquote,” Palombo said. “That’s the last excuse that they said.”
The email said the opening was delayed until July 8.
According to figures from the state Department of Health, New Jersey has tested almost 1 million people. The state reports 12,214 deaths from COVID-19, with the most recent report putting the number of confirmed infection at 164,497. Cape May County and other areas of South Jersey have fared better than other counties, with 659 cases, including 51 deaths.
At the meeting, Palombo said the township is bound by the statewide emergency orders.
“Everyone who’s on the call or potentially could hear this later on should realize that we’re still in an emergency situation,” Palombo said. “I just think we should be clear on that.”
Early in the meeting, township administrator Scott Morgan called on residents and visitors to continue to follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including keeping a distance of at least 6 feet from others, covering their mouth and nose in crowds, frequent hand washing and other preventative steps.
Gov. Phil Murphy’s emergency orders remain in effect, he said.
“Moving forward we hope many of these orders will relax as we saw during the month of May, and that will hopefully continue,” Morgan said. “The COVID-19 has not left, just because it’s the summertime.”
In May, Murphy announced a multistage approach to reopening the economy, with more businesses and public spaces reopened and businesses allowed. The second stage is set to begin June 15, to include the return of outdoor dining and non-essential retail stores. On June 22, barber shops and hair salons are set to return. Some restrictions are expected to remain into the third stage of the process.
With the expectation that this will continue through the summer, local governments have sought new ways to allow businesses to operate within the guidelines. In Upper Township, that will include an expedited process for the township to approve amended site plans to allow restaurants to incorporated outside dining, Morgan announced at the meeting.