January can be one of the quietest months of the year in Sea Isle City – and following a very busy holiday season, many folks are happy to slow-down and take a deep breath of fresh salt air (while wearing the appropriate number of layers to fend-off the chilly temperatures, of course). However, even though Sea Isle may seem like a sleepy little town during the month of January, our local civic organizations are going strong. In clubhouses, churches and meeting rooms all across our community, you’ll find people organizing events, donating their time to worthy causes, and re-discovering the “joys of the off season” in ways that remind everyone why Sea Isle truly is a “City for all Seasons.”

To learn more about the many civic groups that call Sea Isle City home – and the numerous ways they serve our community, while keeping people active and productive – click the “Organizations” link on the home page www.seaislecitynj.us, and discover one of the reasons why our community is special twelve months a year.

Listed among our many civic organizations is a group of young ladies who make up several girl scout troops in Sea Isle City – and they want you to know that it’s “Girl Scout Cookie Season” again! For those who are not aware, our local Girl Scouts (and our Boy Scouts too) can often be found helping at local events and serving the people of our community in a variety of ways. We have always been very proud of our local scout population – many of whom have grown from hard working youngsters into fine upstanding leaders who appreciate the values of “giving back” and “serving others” – and supporting our local scouts is always a worthwhile effort. So, please notice the special “Girl Scout Cookies” section in this week’s newsletter, and show your support for a group of girls who do an outstanding job representing the future of our nation!

As I indicated above, winter is here and we all must dress appropriately. Unfortunately, in addition to warm layers, we will most likely need to wear snow boots and extra-heavy coats in the coming days, thanks to a winter storm that is expected to affect our region this weekend. If you are in Sea Isle City when the storm arrives, please try to park your vehicle in your driveway, if possible, to allow our snowplows to perform “curb to curb” plowing operations. And, as always, if you have any emergency during the storm (or any other time of the year) please don’t hesitate to dial 911 for assistance.

If you haven’t already done so, please consider registering to receive Emergency Alerts sent from the Sea Isle City Police Department and our Office of Emergency Management, which are issued whenever there are noteworthy weather events, changes in traffic patterns, or other urgent situations you should know about. It’s quick and easy to do, and you can choose to receive alerts in the form of pre-recorded phone calls, text messages or emails (or all three if you like). Obviously, you are already receiving Sea Isle City’s E-Newsletters and other timely reminders through our E-News System, which we created to keep you informed about useful day-to-day information regarding “life in Sea Isle City” – and the SICPD and OEM alert system will help keep you even more informed. Here’s the link if you want to register: https://www.sicpd.us/register-for-emergency-alerts

January seems to be passing by very quickly, and before we know it February will be here – as will the long Presidents’ Day Holiday Weekend. This year, Valentine’s Day falls on the Saturday of Presidents’ Weekend, which is also when the Mike’s Seafood Run-Walk for Autism takes place. Plus, many of our local businesses will be open and ready to serve you that weekend too; so, plan to spend the entire holiday weekend in Sea Isle City and be sure to make your dinner reservations for that weekend sooner rather than later!

As I have stated in the past, this is the time of year when we work on infrastructure projects in an effort to continually make Sea Isle City better and better. One of the projects we currently have “in the works” is the reconstruction of 31st, 49th (both from Landis to Central) and 75th Streets (from Central to the bay end), which already has been advertised for bids. We anticipate opening those bids in the weeks ahead and then awarding a contract that will allow work to be completed in time for the busy summer season. For more information about our current (and recent) construction efforts, be sure to read our “Project Updates” in every E-Newsletter – or look for them on the home page of www.seaislecitynj.us.

Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!

Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio