After weeks of shutdown, Ventnor beaches are NOW OPEN. You can now walk, run, exercise, and even take your leashed dog on the beaches of Ventnor.
But don’t even think about going in the water. No sunbathing either. No sitting in chairs or on towels. No organized sports. No groups of people. And especially… no surfing.
No surfing? wtf. A protest was planned for Sunday, May 10 at Jackson Ave. For now, that’s been postponed. “Protest Paddle” was set up by a local group called ‘Ocean Access Warriors’. Protesters were going to participate in a 1.5 mile paddle.
Ventnor surfers not happy. No proof that surfing spreads COVID-19.
Lauren P: If I was a surfer I would just surf. Not too sure anyone controls the ocean. If you can walk the beach, you can surf.
Ventnor City Hall has suspended many outdoor activities to discourage travel to Ventnor. NJ Governor Murphy allows municipalities like Margate & Ventnor to use their own judgment about local affairs.
Ventnor Mayor Beth Holtzman says: Pickleball, tennis, volleyball, playgrounds & baseball will have to wait a good bit longer before opening.
- No Kayaking
- No Paddle-boarding
- No Fishing
- No Sailing
- No Fun.
NO ACCESS TO BOARDWALK OTHER THAN CROSSING TO THE BEACH
Ventnor’s plan: Make coming to town as unattractive as possible, for the time being.
Ventnor Police Chief Biagi and Fire Chief Cahill provide input to the 3 commissioners on a regular basis.
Ventnor’s plan is to slowly reduce restrictions. But how slow is slow?
VENTNOR PLAN: Restrict activities that normally draw residents and guests to Ventnor. The 3 commissioners have decided that it’s best to try and reduce the summer population density of Ventnor. Good luck with that.
Ventnor Police Chief Biagi is hoping Ventnor will start to reopen by Memorial Day. So far, Ventnor City Hall providing very little guidance on how that 4th of July weekend will pan out.
Small businesses, especially Ventnor restaurants, will just have to suffer a little longer.
Small business, especially restaurants, depend on warmer months. Not enough locals to keep our eateries alive throughout the off-season.
City Hall actively discouraging people from traveling to Ventnor.
VIDEO > Ventnor Keeps Boardwalk & Beach OPEN. March 26.
Glenn Klotz: The Ventnor beach didn’t need to be closed in the first place. It’s a wide open public park with a sea breeze. Keeping the boardwalk and beach closed is what’s called “security theater”. It’s so local authorities can claim they’re protecting you. The boardwalk is actually safer than most streets where you’re more likely to be hit by a car. Studies show sea breeze and sunlight are free of virus. The Ventnor Boardwalk is 20 ft. wide. A sidewalk is less than 6 ft. wide. Being outside is far safer than being inside a building with possibly infected people. The smaller the space, the worse the ventilation, the more dangerous. The boardwalk is the opposite. Wide open, windy and sun-lit. Keeping it closed served no purpose.
Joe A. Most businesses will go under if they don’t open soon. The “shoobies “ you ridicule come into town and spend lot’s of money. Ventnor business districts can’t survive without a summer.
Margaret B. A ‘shoobie’ is someone who helped me pay bills for last 50 years. Hope they all come back????♀️ I also think the term has a negativity to it and should not be used.
Natalie S. I saw that the Farmer’s Market will be able to operate in Ventnor. I’m glad to hear that, but I don’t understand how congregating in a congested parking lot to shop is permissible, but gathering on a wide, open beach or swimming / recreating in the water, is not. There’s no uniform logic being applied here.
Ralph B. What could possibly be the logic in banning sitting in a beach chair? Illogical can breed contempt for the rest of the regulations.
SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENT: No data to support transmission of virus on the beach. Stop fear mongering. A sunny beach is a disinfectant! Strong dispersion effects of wind, high humidity, strong absorption effects of sand and destabilizing effect of salt water. The sunny beach has to be considered one of the safest places to go. Certainly safer than homes, where most transmissions occur.
Not sure why radio radical, Harry Hurley, continues attacking Team Holtzman, Landgraf & Kriebel. Maybe he needs to boost his sagging radio ratings? Maybe all three refused to kiss his ring? Hurley says this about the Ventnor surfing ban: This is exactly what you get when you have entrenched politicians, who are running unopposed. They have made some ridiculous decisions. If they had a challenge in this Tuesday’s election, you’d be surfing the waves “legally.” Instead, they feel safe and comfortable to do this. First, they closed the boardwalk, beach and ocean. Now, the beach is open and the boardwalk and ocean are still closed.
Note: Hurley is a supporter of Atlantic City Mayor, Marty Small (arrested 14 times). Hurley also fawns over inept Atlantic City Board of Education, who recently sent a million dollar tuition bill to Ventnor.
Short term rental ban scheduled to be lifted MAY 15. Each town can decide if they’re going to follow that recommendation.
In other Jersey shore towns….
Wildwood Crest reopened its basketball and tennis courts.
Wildwood and North Wildwood allowing people to sit on beach, read, and lay on a blanket
Atlantic City never blocked their beach & boardwalk.
Ventnor always trying to be more like Margate. Problem is, Ventnor government doesn’t want people coming to Ventnor.
That’s evident by behavior of Mayor Beth Holtzman who started this off with ‘Shoobies Stay Home’. Second homeowners are second-class in her opinion. After all, they can’t vote.
Mayors of Ocean City and Wildwood, and most other beach towns are talking about reopening. Trying to get up and running in time for Memorial Day while Mayor Beth uses her army (30+ police force for a 3sq mile town) to fine you for walking on her boardwalk.
Smh. No fun in Ventnor.
As a 30 year second-homeowner, I find the term ‘shoobie’ particularly offensive.
Mayor Beth and her ilk are PAID by us taxpayers without representation. We pay the high property taxes, but don’t use year-round police, fire protection and other services.
We may not vote, but we pay, pay and pay. We deserve some respect!
You can SELL SELL SELL!
The police are a constant here in Ventnor driving up and down the main streets as well as side streets. Who will be called if your house is burglarized or on fire.
Yep the year round police and fire departments who are risking their lives!
As for “Shoobies”, get over it, that name has been used probably before you were born!
You lost Mrs mayor. The governor won. Find another job
And why exactly would we want or need badges when we can’t: swim, surf, sit, or even stand in one place on the beach?!
Are you serious right now? Pay for beach badges?!
Can’t sit on Ventnor beach, but damn sure they collect $ for beach tags….
The Ventnor police should be ashamed of themselves if they enforce any aspect of this lock down. They’ve sworn to defend the Constitution, not the bidding of three incompetents.
It’s draconian overkill from a small town Government run amuck. I hope Ventnor residents remember this the next time there’s an election.
These “summer people” pay more real estates taxes than full-time residents. They spend more money on restaurants during the season to help keep the town going.
Maybe our smart Mayor Holtzman should tell the people she doesn’t want, to not pay their taxes!
I just sent in my quarterly taxes and for what? Not much! Taxes are so much higher than Margate, Longport, & OC for those of us who have 2nd homes in Ventnor b/c we love the town.
But the poor decisions that are made consistently, lack of smart investments, & overall empathy in cleaning things up is very discouraging.
Why does local government continue to ask for so much & provide so little in return?
AND THEN I’m told “shoobie stay home”. I was a local when I was a kid & anyone knows that “shoobies” are the economic blood that flow through the heart of all those beach towns during those critical 12wks.
I worked hard so I could one day buy a 2nd home in the town I love so my kids can experience it…and this is how I’m treated!? Oh yeah. and taxes continue to go up.
Can someone else PLEASE get voted in? Please!
Yes I am a so called “Shoobie”.
I spend more money in Ventnor in 12 weeks than the year round residents and you want us people to purchase badges and not use the beach.
Mrs Mayor forget it. Learn how to treat your summer neighbors .
The short-sighted restrictions are outrageous and stupid. I’m a year round resident of Ventnor and i resent these 3 commissioners dictating restrictions that have little or no effect on COVID-19.
You are making this great little town a laughing stock.
Open Ventnor, just like other nearby communities.
To not allow me and other residents / voters to enjoy walking the boardwalk is ludicrous and unfair.
The term “shoobie” actually refers to people who would come to the shore for just the day with their change of clothes in a shoe box. Does anyone understand that?
It has nothing to do with 2nd home owners who, in my opinion, should have the right to vote in local elections. After all, we’re paying our real estate taxes the same as anyone else. Yes, we’ll all be there for Memorial Day….
If you want to vote here, change your primary residence.
Rich people don’t get more votes because they bought more stuff.
That is the DUMBEST response I have ever heard. If you pay local taxes you should be allowed to vote locally. Taxation without representation is exactly what led to the USA being created. You’re misguided
Thank you for explaining that term. I have spent the last couple months trying to find out the original.
I bought my condo in Ventnor five years ago and have loved every single moment we are able to spend there, a at there, support the street fair and the local shops.
We understand everyone’s fear at this time and I am sure that no one wants to be the cause of any spread of any virus.
But as many of these comments have stated, second home owners in Ventnor are very much a part of the rejuvenation of the area. To shut them out seems to me to be a detriment not a resolution.
Thanks, Murray, for the correct definition of “shoobie.” They came to be a derided group because it was felt that they spent no money in the community–using the beach, bringing their food in a shoe box and changing in their cars. Perhaps they were just poor folk who wanted to escape the city heat for a day at the beach, or perhaps they were just cheap.
However, this term has NOTHING to do with part time residents, who spend thousands of dollars during the summer, and pay exorbitant taxes with no representation.
I’m also a 30 year 2nd homeowner. I support local restaurants and businesses for a solid 6 or 7 months during the year. Yet, We get NOTHING from “our” Ventnor government.
We don’t send kids to schools, don’t use any social services, don’t bother the police or anyone else. We have pot holes on our street large enough to swallow a bear but there’s NEVER money to do the repairs.
Now they don’t want use breathing the air, enjoying the sunshine, or using the beaches and the boardwalk even in a responsible manner.
Not sure you could find a more backwards seashore community on the entire east coast. I’d rather have Barney Fife and Sheriff Andy Taylor running the town. Total disgrace.
We part timers should organize a plan to influence the full time voters to get these clowns out once and for all.
Wonder how they will like the tax base once they put all the local shops out of business.
They can stuff those beach badges.
I’m a local. Let me explain what’s going on here. The locals don’t care if you come here or not. If you don’t like it, bye bro. Ventnor existed before you and it will exist long after you.
Why do you presume that the restrictions that are in place now will still be in place Memorial Day?
As for the studies discussed above regarding coronavirus, there aren’t any .
This is a new virus which can be spread by asymptomatic people.
I don’t know how you can socially distance 6 feet away on the boardwalk, and I would prefer not to take my chances.
That being said, I was surprised that the farmers market was opening, unless they intend to implement some form of distancing.
Let’s have a tax strike and bring these people to their knees. We just have to get a lawyer who knows how to handle this and pay our taxes into an escrow account.
We can demand that these 3 people go for starters. Us summer people have much more power than we use.
But now is the time to end this travesty!
Hey JFC, why are you such a HATER ? Without the summer residents you might be selfishly happy but they are the group that support the local stores and restaurants which you don’t seem to care about.
Thank you Ventnor City and Mayor Beth, for considering the safety of community above all else. It is good to be part of a community that protects its residents.
The original 15 day shutdown was to guard against hospitals being overwhelmed. We are now at about 60 days and I would challenge anyone to say the hospitals are overwhelmed.
You year rounders are blind. Us shoobies are the ones who keep your town afloat. Without our tax revenue Ventnor would be Atlantic City.
I pay over $20,000 a year in taxes to Ventnor and after 14 Years as a homeowner am ready to look for a more second homeowner friendly Shore town to pay my tax money to. Watch what you wish for.
Stupid is as stupid does. Boardwalk is about 20 feet wide. Sidewalk is about 6 feet wide.
Why would Commissioners force walkers on Atlantic Ave sidewalk to pass one another by one couple having to leave the sidewalk, go on the street to keep the 6 foot distance rather than use the Boardwalk.
I see it happening all the time. They would not have to do such a thing if walking on the Boardwalk were permitted. Stupid is as stupid does.
Commissioners, what is your answer so I/ we can understand?
Right … we don’t care about the restaurants and most of the stores. They are there soley for the tourists and part timers. So go away. The town will be quiet, nice, less noise, and cheaper.
I was at fence on the beach between margate and ventnor looking north last Saturday. The beach in ventnor is almost gone, with water nearly up to the dunes 1 hour before high tide for the entire length down to the pier. Margate beaches remain intact.