This past weekend was a very busy one here in Sea Isle City. The weekend started with a special Remembrance Ceremony on Friday night, which was hosted by the members of VFW Post 1963’s Auxiliary in honor of National POW-MIA Recognition Day.
I was privileged to be invited to speak during the ceremony; and it was also wonderful to see that our local Boy and Girl Scout Troops participated in the event too (just as they do at many community gatherings).
I am very grateful to Post 1963’s Auxiliary for honoring our nation’s prisoners of war and our military members who are still missing in action, and I am also thankful to all of the people who were in the audience on Friday evening. Thank you all!
Saturday was “day one” of this year’s Fall Family Festival, which is hosted by Sea Isle’s Municipal Tourism Office. As is the case each year, the festival attracted huge crowds – however, this year’s crowd was the largest we’ve seen in recent memory.
On Saturday, thousands and thousands of people enjoyed the festival’s Seaside Vendors Market along the Promenade, free amusement rides and other family activities at Excursion Park, and a Food Court on JFK Boulevard.
On Sunday, Fall Family Festival’s annual Antique Auto Show featured 66 classic vehicles – and each one was terrific. My thanks go to Jim and Karen Ambro for once again hosting this year’s auto show, and my congratulations go to the owners of this year’s winning vehicles: Janet Raffa, of Sea Isle City, who took home the Best In Show award for her beautiful 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible; and Dave Fiedler, of Absecon, the owner of an amazing 1946 Chevrolet pick-up truck, which won the Mayor’s Choice award.
Also on Sunday, the members of Sea Isle City’s Environmental Commission distributed their 2023 Beautification Awards to nine local property owners, who carefully maintain their home’s appearances and enhance our community with beautiful gardens and eye-catching architecture.
I want to thank the Environmental Commission for acknowledging the properties that help make Sea Isle City shine (especially Dudley McGinty, who organizes the Beautification Awards program each year). I also want to thank and congratulate the property owners who received 2023 Beautification Awards – and everyone else who maintains a beautiful home or business here in Sea Isle City.
Earlier today, the 2023 New Jersey Run for the Fallen passed through Sea Isle City in honor of the men and women from the Garden State who served in the United States military and died in battle.
Each year, this event is a sight to behold, thanks to the active-duty military members who solemnly run from the City of Cape May to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Holmdel.
My thanks go to all of the people of our community who took the time to stand on the curbs along Landis Avenue and show their support for the runners during this important, awareness-raising effort.
Please mark your calendar now for Sea Isle City’s 2023 Autumn Beach Clean-Up, which will take place on Saturday morning, October 14. The only reason that our Beach Clean-Ups are successful is because good people offer their time to volunteer. So, please show Mother Nature that you care, and participate in this year’s “beach sweep” if you can.
As you may have noticed, now that summer has ended, some roadwork has resumed here in Sea Isle City – and more is on the way during the approaching off-season. By making improvements to our infrastructure, we will keep in step with the needs of our community and ensure that we have safe and functional roads and utilities well into the future.
That being said, I want to thank everyone for showing patience and understanding if you encounter a road detour, and I remind everyone to please drive slowly and safely through work zones – and everywhere you travel in Sea Isle City – because obeying the posted speed limit is every motorist’s responsibility!
This week’s “Shout Out” goes to the employees of Sea Isle City’s Department of Community Services – in particular, the municipal staff in our Divisions of Tourism and Recreation.
In case you are not aware, Sea Isle’s weekly concerts at Excursion Park, as well as our “Family Fun Nights,” “Movies Under the Stars,” and many other events are organized and hosted by our Tourism Office – just as our Summer Youth Basketball Program, Basketball Tournaments, Halloween Parade and other events are run by our Recreation employees.
I am very pleased with the hard work that our Recreation and Tourism employees performed this year – and I want you to know that we will continue to use your taxpayer dollars wisely as we host these and other popular events in the future. Thank you, Department of Community Services!
Smile … You’re in Sea Isle,
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
