Today is the first day of spring, which means warmer weather – and plenty of seasonal events – are rapidly coming our way. If you are eager to learn what we have planned for you during the months ahead, be certain to check-out our 2025 Calendar of Events at www.VisitSICNJ.com, where you can find information about this year’s “Weekly Summer Events” such as our outdoor concerts and movies, as well as our recreation programs, summer camps, and festivals – and the wonderful privately-run events that take place in Sea Isle City year after year.
When reviewing our Calendar of Events, please keep in mind that it is still a “work in progress.” Even though we have already finalized plans for a wide variety of much-anticipated events and activities, we are still waiting to receive confirmation from several organizers about a few privately-run events that we look forward to welcoming back to town in 2025. Therefore, if you have questions about a specific event that you don’t see on our calendar, please phone Sea Isle’s Tourism Office at 609-263-8687 or our Recreation Office at 609-263-0050, and one of our friendly municipal employees will give you any updates we have at this point.
One event that we are extremely proud to host each year is our annual National Vietnam War Veterans Day Ceremony at 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 29, at Veterans Park. I realize that I mentioned this event in my most recent newsletter message; however, as you probably have heard me say in the past: “Here in Sea Isle City, we don’t just honor our nation’s veterans on Veterans Day, we like to honor them every day throughout the year” – and March 29 is a perfect opportunity to do just that! With that in mind, I hope you will join us at Veterans Park on National Vietnam War Veterans Day as we say “thank you” to the men and women of our country who served in the Vietnam War.
Another event worth mentioning is a Blood Drive being hosted by the Knights of Columbus of Saint Joseph Church on April 3, which will take place inside Sea Isle’s Community Lodge (next to the Welcome Center). According to the American Red Cross’ website, the recent winter weather has forced thousands of blood donations to go uncollected, and there is currently a shortage of platelets and Type O blood – so I hope you will donate blood on April 3 if you can!
If you love the beach and you would like to show Mother Nature that you care about our local environment, mark your calendar now for the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission’s 2025 Beach Clean-Up on Saturday morning, April 12. Our Beach Clean-Ups are a success each year simply because good-intentioned volunteers are willing to donate an hour or two of their time to collect wind-blown trash and other debris from our beaches, dunes, and public parks – and there’s always room for more volunteers!
Have a Happy Spring – and remember: No matter what the beginning of March was like, let’s hope this month “goes out like a lamb” and we are all wearing short-sleeved shirts and shorts soon!
Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
At the start of the March 11 City Council meeting, Mayor Desiderio delivered his annual State of the City Address, and he also presented City Council with Sea Isle City’s proposed 2025 Municipal Budget, which the members of Council subsequently reviewed during our Budget Workshop on March 13.
Each of the resolutions on the March 11 Consent Agenda was approved, including…
• Resolution 041, which authorized a Change Order that reduced the city’s cost for a construction contract with Arawak Paving, of Hammonton, NJ, by $57,052 (for the reconstruction of Central Avenue, 56th to 69th Street).
• Resolution 043, which authorized the city’s participation in a program that enables the Sea Isle City Police Department to request and acquire excess Department of Defense equipment.
• Resolution 044, which authorized the approval of a Raffle Application for the Yacht Club of Sea Isle City’s Sailing Foundation.
• Resolution 045, which authorized a contract in the amount of $124,000 with Go Events, of West Berlin, NJ, for entertainment at the Excursion Park Band Shell (including this year’s Summer Concerts Under the Stars on Saturday nights, musical performances during Skimmer and Fall Family Festivals, and a DJ/Emcee during Family Fun Nights on Mondays).
• Resolution 047, which authorized a State Contract in the amount of $163,851 with Sparks Contractors, of Dorothy, NJ, to repair the fueling system foundation and relocate the fuel pumps at the Public Works facility at 401 JFK Boulevard, in compliance with NJDEP regulations.
• Resolution 049, which authorized a National Co-Op Contract in the amount of $65,150 with Numeritex, of Murray, KY, for the purchase and installation of a Digital Information Sign on JFK Boulevard.
• Resolution 050, which authorized a National Co-Op Contract in the amount of $839 per month (for 60 months) with Kyocera, of Fairfield, NJ, for the lease of copiers/printers for Sea Isle City’s municipal offices.
• Resolution 051, which was written to urge the State of New Jersey to pass legislation that will authorize municipalities, counties, school districts and all local governments to publish legal notices and meeting announcements in a clear, timely and transparent manner on local government websites (rather than in newspapers), thus saving time, resources, and tax-payer money.
• Resolution 052, which authorized a National Co-Op Contract in the amount of $584,438 with W.S. Darley & Company, of Chippewa Falls, WI, for the purchase of a Tactical Pumper mounted on a Ford F550 chassis for the Sea Isle City Fire Department, replacing an existing pumper.
• Resolution 053, which authorized a National Co-Op Contact in the amount of $77,376 with H. Barber & Sons, Inc., of Naugatuck, CT, for the purchase of a Surf Rake, which is used by the Department of Public Works for cleaning the beaches.
• Resolution 054, which authorized the approval to submit a FY 2026 Community Project Funding Grant Application to the Office of Congressman Jeff VanDrew, related to Federal Funding for the installation of a shade structure over Sea Isle City’s playground fixtures on JFK Boulevard.
City Council expects to introduce Sea Isle City’s proposed 2025 Municipal Budget during our next regular meeting, which will be held on the third floor of City Hall at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, March 25.
Best regards from the members of City Council,
Council President William Kehner
Frank Edwardi
J.B. Feeley
Jack Gibson
Mary Tighe
