Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio
As I mentioned in my report to City Council earlier this week, Congressman Jeff Van Drew has helped secure $99 million that will be used to add sand to New Jersey’s shoreline – and we are very grateful for his efforts.
This unexpected, good news will result in Sea Isle City’s beaches being enriched from approximately 29th to 53rd streets, with at least 300,000 cubic yards of sand coming our way.
On April 10, this important beach replenishment project went out to bid, and we anticipate the Army Corps of Engineers will award the contract shortly after April 24. Following award of the project, we’ll know more on the timing, but we could see this project start as soon as this June.
As we know from past beach replenishment efforts, individual towns are not able to control the timing of these herculean improvement projects, and because only a handful of companies are capable of completing beach replenishments on this scale, we must take the opportunity to receive new sand whenever it presents itself.
In addition to giving us more room for recreation activities, large healthy beaches also help protect our community during serious storms and extreme high tides; therefore, we greatly appreciate everyone’s cooperation and patience as we undertake this latest beachfill endeavor.
Additional details about this important project will be shared as new information is made available to us – so please keep reading this E-newsletter and the various reminders and alerts you receive from our E-News System whenever they arrive in your email inbox, because keeping you informed is very important to us!
In other news, I am happy to report that our new Community Center continues to be very well-received, and it is such a joy to see so many people (young and not-so-young alike) happily walking through the facility’s front doors every day of the week.
We have received a great deal of positive feedback from property owners, who have told us that the Community Center is a wonderful asset for Sea Isle City – and I could not agree with them more! I hope everyone will take full advantage of the events, activities and programs that are being offered inside our new Community Center, and that it gives you one more reason to be proud of Sea Isle City!
And speaking of the Community Center, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to speak with me inside the building’s lobby, where for the past two Saturday mornings I have hosted very productive “Chat with Mayor Desiderio” sessions with the public.
I very much appreciated everyone’s candor and honesty during those gatherings, and I look forward to hosting our next “Chat” session on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in the Community Center.
As you are probably aware, earlier this year we initiated a Hometown Heroes Banner Program, which allows people to purchase custom-made banners that honor individual veterans and active-duty military members.
We are extremely happy with the wonderful response this new program has received, and I am very happy to announce that 128 applications were submitted for banners that will soon be displayed along JFK Boulevard and elsewhere in our downtown area, featuring photos and the names of men and women who have served our nation with honor.
I greatly look forward to seeing the banners when they are hung later this year – and I hope this program serves as another reminder of something I have said many times in the past: “Here in Sea Isle City, we don’t simply honor our veterans on Veteran’s Day, we honor them every day of the year.”
I want to thank my assistant, Pattiann Ponichtera, for helping me launch the Hometown Heroes Banner Program – and for being such a wonderful ambassador for Sea Isle City in general. Thank you, Pattiann!
Obviously, now that spring has arrived, we are going to see more and more events taking place as the weather warms up – and this weekend will be no exception.
Starting tomorrow and running through this coming weekend, the members of the Chamber of Commerce will host their yearly Spring Girls Weekend at participating businesses throughout Sea Isle City – and that’s an event every lady (and gentleman, too) won’t want to miss.
After enjoying the many discounts and special deals that will be offered during Girls Weekend, I hope you can also attend Sea Isle’s annual Arbor Day Celebration inside our new Community Center on Saturday, April 25.
Then, next month there will be a long-awaited reunion for all past students and teachers from Saint Joseph Elementary School on May 2, a “Once Upon a Restaurant” fundraiser hosted by Sea Isle City’s Historical Society on May 3, and our annual Community Day on Saturday, May 9, which will feature free document shredding, a municipal bicycle auction, a meet-and-greet session with local civic organizations, and much more.
For additional information about these and the many other events that are coming your way in the weeks and months ahead, please go to the “Event Calendar” page at www.VisitSICNJ.com.
Smile … You’re in Sea Isle!
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
