We have been under stay-at-home orders from Governor Murphy for two months now. Obviously, when those orders were first given, we all hoped that the Coronavirus would be a memory by the time Memorial Day Weekend rolled around.
Even though we are still working toward better days ahead, in recent weeks we have been able to move beyond some of the initial stay-at-home restrictions by reopening Sea Isle City’s promenade and beaches, making several of our recreation facilities accessible to the public once again, and increasing commerce in our community – including allowing curbside service for retailers.
Our next goal is to be able to allow indoor dining at local restaurants and shopping inside all retail establishments.
That being said, we all realize that this won’t be the Memorial Day Weekend we are accustomed to enjoying here in Sea Isle City. However, we should not give up hope for the immediate or long term future.
Your elected officials and the city’s administration are doing all we can to provide everyone with the latest and most accurate information available as the light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter and brighter.
We are continually working with our local, county and state partners to handle this situation in the best ways possible.
In addition to our government partners, we are also regularly communicating with nearby healthcare professionals and agencies – and that has given us further hope as we strive to keep everyone safe and continue to work towards reopening our economy.
As we all are aware, the summertime is very important to our tourism-driven economy and we must make the most of this annual “window of opportunity” – all the while keeping people safe by maintaining all social distancing measures, wearing face masks, and generally doing the right thing.
It is up to each of us to follow all safety directives in order to protect our fellow citizens and reach all of our goals.
None of us can be complacent, and we all must follow social distancing guidelines when on the promenade, at the beach, while shopping and even when we are simply passing through doorways and walking down the street. I know we can do this, so please keep you facemasks handy at all times and keep your distance from others as necessary.
As I have said before, I am very proud of the people of our community, and I am confident that if we continue to practice social distancing, wear face masks when we have to get close to others, and respect each other in all ways, we will find the strength we need to forge ahead and ultimately become a shining example for other communities when we successfully emerge on the other side of this pandemic.
Because of COVID-19, unfortunately we will not be able to gather at Veterans Park for our annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday morning.
In lieu of that time-honored tradition, we are creating a Memorial Day Video, which will soon be shared with the public via our website, email alert system, and social media.
Even though we will not physically be together to honor the men and women who died for our country while serving in the United States Military, I hope you find meaning in the video as you and your loved ones commemorate this important holiday.
You may have noticed that we placed an electronic message board on JFK Boulevard near Park Road that displays a rather eye-catching message. If you have not yet noticed it, I hope you do so the next time you enter town.
As always, please stay safe, stay well, remain optimistic, and remember that we are all one Sea Isle City and together we will be stronger than ever.
Sincerely,
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
