Bridgeton Summer Activities and Covid

                                  Bridgeton Summer Activities and Covid

By Albert B. Kelly

Ever so slowly, New Jersey is easing restrictions put in place because of the Covid-19 public health crisis. I know this has been incredibly hard on families and businesses and on entire communities, but I appreciate the work done by Governor Murphy in trying to balance public health and safety with our economic well-being. It is easy to criticize his decisions and plenty have done just that, but it’s a hell of a lot harder to make those decisions and few would want the weight of having to do so.

But that aside, things are opening up slightly and that includes here on the ground in Bridgeton. As of this past Wednesday (July 1^st), the Cohanzick Zoo is open and receiving visitors. The maximum number of people permitted inside the zoo at any one time is 125 persons and staff will be keeping track at the entrance to keep things moving and lessen any waiting times. Visitors need to wear a mask and observe social distancing at exhibits. Bathrooms will be opened to guests upon request only to permit staff to keep up with wiping down high touch areas. Foot-traffic will flow one-way through the zoo and staff will trim back foliage at certain exhibits so that guests don’t have ‘cluster” at exhibits to get a decent look at the animals.

As for the Splash Park, the hope is to have it open on or near July 11th but there are no guarantees. Ahead of anything else, more staff will need to be in place and the Splash Park has to be inspected by the appropriate health officers but as you might imagine, they have been very busy with the all things pandemic. The capacity of the Splash Park at any one time will be limited to 35 persons. Those seated or looking on from pavilion areas will need to wear a mask and observe social distancing. Staff will wipe down high-touch areas after each session. Private bookings are available as well.

The picnic areas in City Park are available and guests can obtain permits for these venues but the schedule for the picnic areas will be staggered. Because the virus doesn’t survive on surfaces beyond a certain number of hours, any permits issued will factor in a 48-72 hour timeframe allowing for sufficient time between reservations and events. If interested in reserving picnic areas or other venues, please call the Recreation Department at (856) 453-1675 for more information.

As for Sunset Lake and swimming, that remains a work in progress. Part of it involves having the necessary minimum number of lifeguards (three) with the proper credentials while also being dependent on water quality. At this point, I can’t say for certain if we will have lake swimming, but we do have canoes and kayaks for those who want to enjoy the lake. We are also looking to add paddle boats as well.

This season, the Recreation Department is having the popular “Out to Lunch Children’s Program”, but this year it will be held at the amphitheater at Sunset Lake to allow for social distancing ensuring that everyone can spread out. The program will take place on Mondays through July at 1:00pm and will feature music, performers, and educational demonstrations for children.

Another staple of the summer season is the Sunday Night concert series. The first show of the season will be July 12^th at the amphitheater and feature the “Jazza Funk Band”. The rest of the season will take place downtown at the Riverfront plaza and feature such acts as the Bud Cavallo Duo (July 19^th), the Kenny Jeremiah Trio (July 26^th), Irv & Friends (August 2^nd), Randy & Ryan (August 9^th), and Norman Taylor & Blue Soul (August 16^th). All shows start at 7:00pm and the rain dates will be August 23^rd and August 3th if needed. Guests will be required to social distance and wear masks.

Beyond that, we recognize that people want to get out of their homes and enjoy the outdoors and perhaps get some exercise. We are asking that people social distance whenever feasible, where a facemask as much as possible, bring hand sanitizer with them and use it, and stay home if they have any symptoms whatsoever. We’re starting to open up now, but we can’t get complacent about the protocols. Who knows what autumn will bring, for now enjoy the summer, but please do so safely.