Hey Middle Township!

Police Youth Camp Exemplifies Community Policing

Since the early 2000’s, the Middle Township Police Department has been committed to community policing. Our steadfast philosophy has been that through ongoing engagement with the residents we serve, we can better foster the trust and confidence required to build lasting partnerships that keep our community safe and improve our quality of life. 

This commitment is most evident in our many efforts to positively engage with our youth in their schools, in our recreation programs, through our ACES initiative, our LEAD anti-drug instruction, and via partnerships with local support groups and youth mentors like Cape Assist and No Limits Academy. 

A centerpiece of this ongoing commitment is our annual MTPD Summer Youth Camp. 

The annual camp features fun team-building activities such as laser tag, boat rides, and a zip-line course. Representatives from Cape Assist, a Wildwood-based substance-abuse treatment and prevention agency, talk to the campers about making healthy decisions. Physical training is also a daily part of the program. The experience is designed to develop communication, empathy, generosity, leadership skills, and, of course, teamwork.

The camp is open to 6th-8th graders and each year the number of campers has increased, thanks to the generosity of our many donors. Around 450 local middle-school students have graduated from the MTPD camp over the past six years. The township relies on annual grants, business sponsorships, and individual donations to offer the week-long program at no charge to Township students. On May 6th, the Middle Township Police Department accepted a New Jersey Department of Law and Safety Grant totaling $9,161 to help support the MTPD Summer Youth Camp.

The 2024 Youth Camp kicked off with sixty-seven campers on Monday, July 22nd. The kids went on a fishing adventure aboard the Miss Chris and a took a trip to see Despicable Me 4 at Harbor Square Theaters in Stone Harbor.

On Tuesday, the campers got down to business on Academy Day with demonstrations and instruction from the Cape May County SWAT team, Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Prosecutor’s Office Robot, Middle Township Drone Unit, and firefighting and safety demonstrations from Township Fire Companies.  

Wednesday through Friday featured fun-filled excursions to a minor league baseball game, waterpark, a speedboat ride, and Morey’s Piers. In between all the fun, campers received a heavy dose of instruction on how a modern-day police department interacts with our youth, protects the community, and investigates crimes. 

On Saturday, senior campers were escorted by instructors on a memorable journey to our nation’s capital. In Washington, DC, campers visited the National Law Enforcement Museum and Memorial to Fallen Officers. They also toured the Washington Mall and Monuments, returning to Middle Township on Sunday morning.

None of this would be possible without our sponsors and the countless hours of challenging work by the officers of the MTPD and partner agencies. Community volunteers, Township employees, peer leaders, the Sheriff’s Department, Prosecutor’s Office, Cape Assist, and many other groups have partnered to make the camp a positive, memorable and, life-changing experience for our kids.

As Police Chief for many years (and now as the Township’s Mayor), I’m proud of the ongoing commitment of Township Committee and the MTPD to a truly proactive approach to youth engagement. The emphasis each day was goal setting, managing stress and anxiety, decision-making, communication, and self-esteem. Interacting with our kids at an early age and providing positive role models and engagement with law enforcement is a key component to fostering lasting trust and cooperation with the community we serve.

Thank you to former Chief Pooler, Chief Super, and the entire MTPD for another great Youth Camp in 2024.

Chris Leusner

Mayor, Middle Township

1. Honored Middle Township resident, Elizabeth Mendel, Miss New Jersey;
2. Established Tabulation Committee to review bids for reconstruction of Church Street in Rio Grande;
3. Accepted NJ DEP Grant to support the Middle Township Clean Communities Program in the amount of $73,263.23;
4. Authorized purchase under cooperative purchasing agreement ($120,620.00) to fund the replacement of the Shunpike Pump Station through the NJ Wastewater Cooperative Purchasing System;
5. Held Work Session presentations on Ridge Road Drainage and pending ordinance to regulate residential house boats;
6. Final adoption of capital ordinance appropriating $335,000 for various capital improvements in the sewer department;
7. Final adoption of capital ordinance appropriating $1,382,855 for capital improvements for various Township departments; 
8. Awarded bid in the amount of $110,350 for the reconstruction of the Public Works Complex parking lot
9. Amended ratified contract with the Middle Township Ambulance Corp (MTAC) entering into agreement for EMS Services related to Township special events.

Middle Township residents are encouraged to attend Township Committee meetings to share their thoughts, questions and concerns with Township Committee. 

Visit the Township website for information on meeting dates and times: https://middletownship.com/

Middle Township’s seventy-two square miles encompass a diverse array of communities, none more unique than Grassy Sound. Located on the eastern edge of the township, an eclectic mix of about three dozen homes clings precariously to the vast salt marsh along the Grassy Sound Channel, nestled in the shadow of the Route 147 Bridge.

Most of the homes are built on wooden pilings over the wetlands. Weathered wooden gangplanks create a rustic boardwalk that connects many of the houses. The salt cottages, some dating back to the early 1900s, have withstood countless high tides, nor’easters, hurricanes, and superstorms. Like their owners, these homes stand as a defiant testament to the will to survive and the effort to preserve the history of one of New Jersey’s last original fishing villages.

The village on Grassy Sound emerged with the arrival of the Anglesea Railroad in the late 1800s. The railroad was soon followed by the advent of automobiles and the construction of the narrow, two-lane North Wildwood Boulevard. Dozens of marsh-side shanties sprang up along the causeway, with little regulation and minimal utility services. Many seasonal residents were considered squatters. Anyone who visited the Wildwoods from the mid- to late 1900s would remember the ramshackle collection of shanties, the narrow, pothole-studded roadway, and the rickety wooden plank bridge to Anglesea.

The March Storm of 1962 washed away many of the original houses, and even more were lost to eminent domain when the new Route 147 divided highway rerouted the gateway to the Wildwoods in the 1990s.

Fifty years after the shore's 1962 nor’easter, Hurricane Sandy—also referred to as Superstorm Sandy—hit the Jersey coastline in October 2012. It was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record and brought winds of 115 miles per hour, causing more than $70 billion in damage. Two million New Jersey homes lost power, and 346,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

The Grassy Sound community took a major hit, with homes being lifted off their foundations and thrown onto the roadway.

Despite the hardships and New Jersey’s efforts to declare the Grassy Sound homes "unfit for habitation," the homeowners remained determined to defend their property rights and preserve their unique heritage and community.

A major obstacle to Grassy Sound's future sustainability was the lack of a permanent sewer system. After years of effort led by Grassy Sound Sewer Association President Carole Powell, the property owners reached an agreement with Middle Township in May 2017 for a state-of-the-art sewer system, supported by funding from the USDA. With the completion of the sewer system, the threat of property condemnation was removed, and many property owners felt confident enough to invest in major renovations to improve their properties and increase their long-term value.

Through more than a century of adversity, the resilient inhabitants of Grassy Sound have defied the odds, weathered numerous storms, and overcome dire predictions of their demise. Today, the future looks bright for this salt marsh enclave.

Middle Township remains committed to preserving and protecting Grassy Sound to ensure the village's ongoing sustainability while safeguarding the surrounding marshland and waterways for generations to come.

The Middle Township Cable Television Advisory Board plays a key role in regulating cable service and access in the municipality and overseeing the renewal of the cable franchise agreement. The Board has been diligently led by MTPD retiree Bob Bongiovanni for several years. It has a broad representation of community members and is supported by a board secretary and board attorney. 

Board Members:

Robert Bongiovanni - Chair

Alexis Kalish - Secretary

Dave Cohn

Bill Riches

Scott Webster

Susan Van Rossum

Robert Myers

Brian Hamilton

Matthew Rooney, Esq.

Some of the duties of the Cable Television Advisory Board are: 

• Making recommendations to the governing body; 

• Developing an understanding of cable television issues; 

• Analyzing which services can be required of a cable operator; 

• Evaluating the cable operator's reliability and performance; 

• Ascertaining community needs; 

• Producing a municipal report; 

• Establishing a dialogue with the cable operator;

• Participating in franchise negotiations to the extent permitted or allowed by the governing body. 

The Cable Advisory Board meetings are held at 6:30pm on the 4th Monday in January, April, July and October in the Municipal Courtroom.

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