I begin this week’s newsletter message by congratulating our new Police Chief and Director of Public Safety, Anthony Garreffi Jr., who I had the honor of administering the oath of office to on September 1.
I have every confidence in Chief Garreffi, and he has assured me that he will do all he can to be the best Chief of Police Sea Isle City has ever had. Congratulations to our new Chief!
I hope everyone enjoyed the summer of 2022 and that your Labor Day weekend was a happy one! It was a great summer in Sea Isle City – for both weather and events – and I hope you were able to relish every moment.
I realize that many people hate to see the summer come to an end, simply because it is a favorite time of year for many of us.
However, if you feel sad about the summer’s departure, think about what a fantastic community we have in Sea Isle City – no matter what time of year it is. Also, remember that the autumn months are wonderful here in Sea Isle – and for good reason – because the weather is delightful, our beaches are quieter, and we have plenty of autumnal events planned that you won’t want to miss.
Case in point, we will host our annual Patriot Day Ceremony on Sunday, September 11, at 9 a.m. in honor of the victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. We hope you can take the time to join us at Veteran’s Park on this important occasion – which we must never forget.
Sea Isle’s annual Fall Family Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18. Hosted by our Division of Tourism, Fall Festival will once again feature a wide variety of vendors selling everything from fashion apparel and crafts to artwork and seasonal decorations.
There will also be a food court, free amusement rides, live music, and an antique auto show that will feature an impressive array of classic cars and trucks. So, please mark your calendar and plan to be in Sea Isle City for this year’s Fall Family Festival.
In addition to the arrival of cooler weather and autumn activities, this is also the time of year when we resume our municipal improvement projects, which typically include paving roads, updating utilities, and making other enhancements to our town’s infrastructure that help maintain our high standards and keep our community looking great.
Of course, the down-side of all this work is that occasionally our residents and guests must endure minor road detours or other small inconveniences that are necessary to accommodate the contracted work taking place – and, for that, I want to extend my apologies and thanks in advance of the work that will occur in the months ahead.
Thank you all for your patience!
In an effort to expand our hours of operation and offer some flexibility to our local tax payers, on September 17 we will initiate a small addition to our hours of operation at City Hall.
Our goal is to open the administrative offices of City Hall to the public on four different Saturday mornings each year – and the first Saturday will be September 17 (during Fall Family Festival), when City Hall will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon.
As a reminder, City Hall is also open each week, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except on holidays), and you are invited to stop by or phone 609-263-4461 during business hours if you wish to speak with a city official.
We have two “Shout Outs” this week.
The first goes to Chief Renny Steele and all of the lifeguards at the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol for a job well done, while keeping our beach-goers safe.
The second goes to Pat Allen and all of the beach tag inspectors who were on the sand this summer and served as ambassadors for our community.
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication.
Here’s to a beautiful autumn season ahead!
Smile…You’re in Sea Isle,
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
