Cooper Street Flashing Lights

I hear that the contract for fixing up Cooper Street and West Franklin should be awarded soon. Well, thats great, because Cooper Street has become the gateway into Edgewater Park and I can't believe it has taken four years to get started. 

Mayor Hall blamed the delay on the Feds, but I remember two years ago when she attended a function at the Coopertown Meeting House, Mayor Hall was blaming Ex Committeeman VanBrunt (Chris works for the Cnty. Engineers Office I believe) and the county. She told this story when she was asked why nothing was happening. 

By the way, the township project engineer at that time didn't know that Cooper St was a County Road, but he got paid for the engineering and for screwing up.

Now a little history; Ex-Mayor Carol Ashinoff (2003) found information on street revitalization project grants being available to towns like Edgewater Park. Carol brought this to the attention of Administrator/Clerk Linda Dougherty. Linda didn't think the town qualified, but after reading information in the application she finally agreed to move forward, but asked to have West Franklin added to the request. The grant application was submitted by the Grant Writer working for Edgewater Park at the time and the grant was approved in 2003 for $410K. 

The engineering for this was started the following year (2004) and after a year of changes and screw-ups; sometime in 2005 the final drawings were completed and presented to the public. If you have old copies of the Beverly Bee you can read the comments of Committeewoman/Mayor Hall on this project. Compare the story in the BCT several weeks ago and the articles Mayor wrote in the Bee to see how the story changed.

If you are in any way familiar with construction and material cost, you know how much they have increased between 2004 and 2008. What we could have received in improvements in 2004 was a lot more then we will receive today. The four year delay has been very costly in the amount of improvements and benefits, Edgewater Park will receive for this project.

Now what are we going to get for Cooper Street, not a lot. We will get a total of 2 new historic street lamps, new sidewalks, curbs, street signs and trees, between the Railroad and the Franklin Ave intersection. And 2 new historic street lamps, no sidewalks or curbs from Franklin to Hendrickson. Wow!!! all of that for $400K. 

But I forgot West Franklin, home of many good friends of township committee and the mayor. Remember how Linda wanted W. Franklin added? Now many of you long time residents will remember, this will be the third revitalization of W. Franklin in 20 some years. Some of you may wonder why this street gets so much attention, well the way it works in Edgewater Park, it is who you know. 

We are going to spend money on a street that has had more than enough attention these past 20 years, at the expense of our "gateway street" Cooper St. The north side of the block, between Hendrickson and E. Franklin has no sidewalks and will get none with this project.

Well, this brings me to the meaning of the title. I was driving home this past Monday night coming from Rt. 130 and I was again blinded by the flashing lights on the "COOPER ST SIGN" and I realized that maybe this will be part of the new historic lighting our Mayor speaks about. One thing I am confused about, on the sign it list "Organic Eggs for Sale" what is that all about?

The Edgewater Park Reporter