Spring has sprung, and the weather outlook for Easter Weekend in Sea Isle City looks terrific – if you don’t mind sunny skies and temperatures in the '50s. This, of course, if great news for the many people who will be in town celebrating the Easter holiday, as well as everyone who will be attending our Second Annual Spring Fling Family Fun Day on Saturday, April 8, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Excursion Park.
During the Spring Fling, children will enjoy a variety of seasonal activities, including photo-ops with the Easter Bunny and other “characters,” face painting, crafts, “Bunny Hop” sack races, sweet treats, and more. This event is hosted by Sea Isle City’s Department of Community Services, and it is a “must do” for families who want to celebrate the arrival of spring in style.
Last week, I was honored to host our annual Vietnam War Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Park, where we said “thank you” to the men and women of our nation’s armed forces who served during the Vietnam War.
It is always a pleasure to gather with our local veterans – but more importantly, during the ceremony we acknowledged that many of our veterans did not receive the proper welcome they deserved when they returned home from the Vietnam War.
As I said during the ceremony on March 29, “the treatment many of our Vietnam veterans experienced upon arriving home from Southeast Asia created a dark chapter in our nation’s history – but it is a chapter that I feel we must continually shed light on, so that we can attempt to make amends to those who were treated wrongly, and also ensure that it never happens again to future warriors.”
With that in mind, I ask everyone to remember that the job of those who serve in our nation’s military is to answer the call of duty for the sake of our nation – and it is the job of those of us on the home front to support our troops and our veterans.
As you may have heard, the Environmental Commission’s Spring Beach Clean-Up did not take place last weekend, and it was postponed until a later date due to rainy weather on Saturday morning and very windy conditions on Sunday morning.
Those of you who look forward to this event each year will be happy to learn that the Environmental Commission has announced that the new date for the Spring Beach Clean-Up is Saturday, April 22, starting at 10 a.m. – so please mark your calendars and try to attend this important community event later this month.
And speaking of the Environmental Commission, their annual Tree Raffle is now underway. The names of this year’s raffle winners will be drawn in early June, and soon after thirty beautiful trees will be planted on private properties across Sea Isle City.
The members of the Environmental Commission do their best to make our community as “green” as possible, and their annual Tree Raffle and Beach Clean-Ups are just two examples of the numerous efforts they perform throughout the year. My thanks go to every member of the commission, and I ask them to please keep up the good work!
As I mentioned, the weather keeps getting better and better, which is what we all want to hear!
Knowing how quickly spring can slip-by, this is a good time to check-out our calendar of events at www.VISITSICNJ.com and make note of the many events and activities that are coming your way.
One of the many events that is worth mentioning is the Chamber of Commerce’s Spring Girls Weekend, which is scheduled to take place from April 21 thru April 23.
Girls Weekend is a very popular event that always puts smiles on faces, and I hope you can be in town and take advantage of the many discounts and special deals that participating businesses will be offering.
As the temperatures get warmer, we inevitably will see more and more people in town – and that means we will also see more people traveling along our roadways.
I respectfully ask all motorists to please drive slowly, safely, and cautiously, because safety should be everyone’s top priority.
Also, I remind everyone that our local police officers will be strictly enforcing all of Sea Isle City’s traffic laws – so please slow down and enjoy every moment of your time in our beautiful community.
This week’s “Shout Out” goes to all our nation’s veterans (from the Vietnam War and all previous and subsequent wars and conflicts).
As I have said many times before, we can’t express our gratitude to our veterans enough – and I encourage everyone to please take the time to stop and say “thank you for your service” whenever you see a veteran or someone who is currently serving in our armed forces!
I hope everyone has a Happy Passover and a Blessed Easter!
Smile…You’re in Sea Isle,
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
