VENTNOR CITY, N.J. (CBS) — Hurricane Ernesto is hundreds of miles away, but its effects will be felt at the Jersey Shore this weekend. The storm is expected to kick up the threat of rip current risks and make for rough surf.

Ventnor City Beach Patrol Captain David Funk expects swimming to be restricted to waist-deep water, if allowed at all.

“The ocean’s going to wake up and be very angry this weekend,” Funk said. “Exercise extreme caution when you come down to the beach.”

On Friday, swells at the beach were two to four feet high. They’re expected to substantially increase on Saturday and Sunday.

“I feel pretty safe with the lifeguards around,” Brooke Kaffenberg from Cinnaminson said. “Whatever they say is what they follow.”

There are 11 towers where lifeguards will keep a close eye on swimmers. They’ll also be patrolling up and down the beach.

“We’ll still be on the beach,” Kathryn Mountis from Northeast Philadelphia said. “We’ll still enjoy the sun.”

However, staffing is becoming an issue since Ventnor City Beach Patrol relies heavily on high school and college students, who will go back to school.

“Over one-third of our beach patrol is under 21, so we lose anywhere from 10 to 20 lifeguards between last week and Labor Day,” Funk said.

The beach patrol will shift instructors and lieutenants into lifeguard positions to continue keeping beachgoers safe.

“I want to go in the water and use my boogie board,” Kalli Hatziathanassiou from Northeast Philadelphia said. “It’s pretty fun.”

Many families are heading to the shore to squeeze in one last beach trip before the first day of school.

“I’m kind of sad, but I’m also excited but summer is always nice,” Olivia Zegen from Cherry Hill said.

Freelance writer and editor Kim Kavin was at the Peapack train station in Somerset County on July 30, excited for a night out in New York City with a friend from California she hadn’t seen in years.

Unfortunately for Kavin, she was planning on NJ Transit getting her to and from the city. But after a 20-minute delay, the train was canceled. Kavin, who had already bought a round-trip ticket, asked NJ Transit to refund her $36.50 and has yet to hear back.

Kavin does not think much of Gov. Phil Murphy’s Thursday announcement that, as an apology for the transit agency’s abysmal performance this summer, all riders will get free trips on NJ Transit for a week starting Aug. 26.

“I don’t need a ride. I needed a ride when my friend was visiting from California. Now I need my $36.50 back. That’s what I want from Phil Murphy,” she said.

Listen, riders aren’t itching to get one or two train or bus trips for free; they want good, reliable public transportation year-round. And the prospect of a few on-the-house NJ Transit rides the week before a holiday weekend will not reassure them that, after the fare holiday ends, service will get any better.

“This fare holiday is a gimmick,” said Alex Ambrose, a policy analyst with progressive think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective. “It does nothing to actually address the structural problems that exist in NJ Transit, one of the biggest of which is that lawmakers have neglected to adequately fund transit for decades.”

This is a rare issue where progressive wonks and business leaders agree.

Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, also opposes the fare holiday, though for a different reason. Siekerka hates it because it represents a bait-and-switch by Murphy’s administration.

Murphy helped push through a new surtax on some of the state’s most profitable businesses, which he said would help give the financially beleaguered NJ Transit a steady revenue stream for the next few years. Instead, Siekerka noted, the $1 billion the surtax is expected to generate in its first year is going to the state’s general fund — not to NJ Transit.

“If there was such a desperate need, why did we money-grab a billion dollars from the business community to stick in surplus for a year? It makes no sense,” she said. “It’s illogical, it’s nonsensical, it’s irrational, and it’s very, very difficult to have a legitimate discussion about.”

It’s not just the business community paying more to help fund public transit. NJ Transit approved a big fare hike this year — some fares rose 15% — and will tack on 3% fare hikes annually starting next July.

So after raising taxes and hiking fares to rescue NJ Transit from its a budget crisis, the Murphy administration will take $19 million the agency was expected to make from fares the last week of August and flush it down the toilet.

What sense does this make?

Murphy offering an apology to NJ Transit users is good, though he undercut it with his don’t-blame-me attitude (“A lot of this is out of our hands,” said our powerful governor who claims to have a close relationship with the president of the United States). What the apology should come with is not a gimmick to appease riders for one week, but a concrete plan to make sure NJ Transit service is frequent, reliable, and accessible. Hopefully we see that soon.

WILLINGBORO, N.J. (CBS) —  Peter Parker famously says, “Anyone can wear the mask.”

In the case of a stolen wallet, South Jersey police officers are putting on the mask, and stepping up to save the day.

“I could see myself in him a little bit. I just wanted to put a smile on the young man’s face,” Willingboro Police officer Alan Allen said.

Jahmene “JJ” Cubbage showed off his new backpack Thursday evening. After pulling out a notebook, he shared why he loves it: Spider-Man – his favorite superhero – graced the cover.

“I like him because I like his colors on his suit,” Cubbage said.

Rewind to earlier this month, and JJ met a real-life superhero.

“Everybody was kind of stunned. They didn’t know what was going on,” Allen said.

Like any good superhero story – there’s a back story.

“You don’t see that too often – a bad situation being made positive,” JJ’s mom, Danika Thames-Cubbage, said.

This one happened a few weeks ago after Thames-Cubbage called 911 when someone broke into her car. JJ’s beloved Spider-Man wallet was taken out, emptied and thrown into a nearby bush.

Inside was just $3 and a couple of gift cards.

“He likes to get hashbrowns in the morning before school. So I usually just keep a few dollars and money in there,” Thames-Cubbage said.

Allen originally responded to the call, and then returned to the family’s home a few days later with some friends and a surprise.

Together – the department gifted the 8-year-old a backpack stuffed with Spider-Man things — a water bottle and Chick-fil-A gift card. In a video captured by Cubbage’s dad, the future third-grader hugged Allen.

“It caught us off guard that they came back to even think about him. That he was even a second thought. We were grateful. Very, very grateful,” Thames-Cubbage said.

As Spider-Man himself says, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Responsibility is something Allen says he doesn’t take lightly.

“I want the community to expect a positive outreach from police. We are here to help. I don’t want them to be fearful of police,” Allen said.

It’s certainly a moment these two won’t forget. One day, JJ said he too wants to be a superhero — following in Allen’s footsteps.

As for the case, the department said it remains active and open as detectives continue their investigation. 

Willingboro Township police want to remind residents – “if they see something, say something” – and to always lock their car doors and homes.

Willingboro Township police also offer several programs for the community including alarm registration, security camera registration and vacation checks.