Mayor Leonard Desiderio, with donut-making guidance from Joanne Jenkins, shows off one of his creations.
I begin this message with words of thanks for the good folks at the Fractured Prune, who graciously invited me to be “Guest Donut Maker” on June 19 inside their bakery at 5004 Landis Avenue.
For one enjoyable hour that morning, I dipped, sprinkled, glazed and decorated a mountain of delicious donuts, which were sold to raise funds for the veterans of VFW Post 1963, VFW Post 1963’s Auxiliary, and (in honor of Juneteenth) Shiloh Baptist Church in Ocean City.
In addition to 100% of the sales being donated to these worthy organizations, many individuals also arrived at the Fractured Prune simply to make generous donations, thus allowing us to raise more than $1,000 that morning.
My thanks go to the Jenkins family and all of their employees at the Fractured Prune – and each of the customers who supported our fundraiser with their purchases and much-appreciated donations. Thank you all!
On Monday morning, I was honored to meet brothers Brian, Paul and Tom Connolly (and their families) at Veterans Park, where we hoisted a very special American Flag to the top of the park’s flagpole.
The flag, which was a gift from a family friend of the Connolly’s, was flown over the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2012. After their friend presented the flag to the Connolly clan, they began traveling with it around the country in the hopes of flying their flag in all 50 states – and we are very honored that they brought it to Sea Isle City this week!
I want to thank the Connolly family for allowing us to fly their flag at Veterans Park for a few days – and I wish them well this summer as they travel with “Old Glory” to New York, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia and New Hampshire.
While we are on a patriotic theme, don’t forget that Sea Isle City is a wonderful place to celebrate Independence Day. In addition to offering fantastic restaurants, terrific shops, and the most beautiful beaches anyone could hope for, we also have several events planned during July Fourth Weekend that families won’t want to miss, including this year’s Junior Olympics competition for children and our annual July Fourth Fireworks Show.
To learn more about this year’s July Fourth Weekend events, please see the special section in this week’s newsletter – and get ready for another memorable Independence Day in Sea Isle City.
Now that the 2025 summer season is in full swing, our free weekly family events are underway – including the popular Beachcomber Guided Tours, which will delight families on Tuesday and Thursday mornings now through August.
Also, don’t miss the Chamber of Commerce’s Farmers Market on Tuesday mornings, our Family Fun Nights each Monday evening, Movies under the Stars on Wednesdays, and our much-loved Concerts Under the Stars every Saturday night.
For more information about these and the many other events that are happening in Sea Isle City this summer – including our summer camps, sporting events, and other recreation programs – go to www.visitsicnj.com, or call the Welcome Center at 609-263-8687.
I would like to thank the many volunteers who braved the heat on Monday evening and donated their time during the Tourism Office’s annual Sara the Turtle Festival at Excursion Park, including the representatives from Sea Isle City’s Environmental Commission, Beachcomber Guided Tours, Sea Isle Terrapin Rescue, and Garden Club.
In addition to these well-established organizations, there were also other environmental groups present, as well as numerous individuals from our community who shared their time to make certain the evening was a success – and I am very grateful for all their efforts.
Additionally, I want to thank everyone who has shared positive responses with me about our new electronic message sign on the corner of JFK Boulevard and Central Avenue. Not only is this new fixture a great improvement to the mobile sign we had been using in that location in recent years, but it will also bring timely and important information to everyone who passes by for many years to come – and I hope everyone enjoys the colorful graphics and images it will be displaying.
This week’s “Shout-Out” goes to Councilman Jack Gibson and Councilman J.B. Feeley, who will be ending their time as City Council members on June 30. Throughout their lives, each of these fine community servants has shared their intellect and wisdom with others in a variety of ways, and I hope they know how much we appreciate their hard work, dedication, and years of service to our community. Thank you for always putting Sea Isle City first, Jack and J.B.!
Smile … You’re in Sea Isle!
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
