I recently had the pleasure of attending a brief ceremony at VFW Post 1963, during which U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Michael Gavaghan donated a special American flag to our local veterans – a flag that flew on a KC-10 Extender plane from the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
It was such a pleasure to meet Sgt. Gavaghan and to thank him for his donation to VFW Post 1963 – and for his service to our nation. Sgt. Gavaghan’s flag is now on display at the VFW, and it serves as a proud reminder of all that our nation’s military does for us, day in and day out.
I also had the honor of attending a ceremony on Aug. 26 at our local Police Officers Memorial at 26th Street and Landis Avenue, where the Sea Isle City Police Department hosted a gathering in honor of Officer Michael “Mickey” Cullinane, a devoted member of the SICPD who died in the line of duty in 1992 while rescuing a construction worker from a pit that had filled with toxic gas – just one day after Officer Cullinane had gone down into that same pit to rescue a different worker the day before.
In attendance were several members of Officer Cullinane’s family, Councilman J.B. Feeley, former Mayor Mike McHale, Deacon Joe Murphy from Saint Joseph Church, numerous retired police officers, many of our current officers and other welcomed guests.
Each time I pass the memorial at 26th Street, I am reminded of the difficult job that all police officers have, and how they can never take anything for granted because they never know when they will be in harm’s way. My hope and prayer is that all police officers are able to return home to their loved ones at the end of each shift – but sadly that is not always the case.
With that in mind, I feel we should all be thankful for the hard work our police officers perform and for the protection they provide us. And speaking of being grateful to a police officer, during the Aug. 28 City Council meeting, we honored former Sea Isle City Police Chief Tom D’Intino, who retired earlier this year.
During the years he led our police department, Chief D’Intino guided us safely through Hurricane Sandy and other major storms, he took great care to plan our new police facility at City Hall, and he ensured that the SICPD became an accredited agency with the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. Thank you, Chief D’Intino, for your many years of service to this community!
Since Labor Day Weekend begins tomorrow, I would like to remind everyone that this is the perfect time to begin making plans for 2019 in Sea Isle City. I know it seems early, but most of us realize how quickly time flies by, so why not begin to make your plans for the year ahead in order to have something to look forward to? After all, there really is no time like the present.
In 2019, you can expect the return of all of the wonderful events you enjoyed during 2018 – including the many City-sponsored activities at the Excursion Park Band Shell, such as our free weekly concerts, Movies Under the Stars and Family Dance Parties. If you enjoyed this year, you won’t want to miss a moment of the fun in 2019!
In the meantime, don’t forget that we have many worthwhile events on our immediate horizon, including a Wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony on Sept. 8, our annual Patriot Day Ceremony on Sept. 11, Fall Family Festival on Sept. 15-16, Sea Isle’s Irish Festival on Sept. 21-23, Harborfest on Sept. 29, and other family-friendly activities throughout the coming months. For a complete calendar of events, please go to www.VISITSICNJ.COM.
Smile … You’re in Sea Isle!
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
