I want to start off by thanking everyone who attended our Patriot Day ceremony on September 11th. Once again, we had an outstanding turnout. As we gathered and reflected that day on the events that took place 25 years ago, we were reminded not only of the tremendous losses suffered, and the acts of courage and heroism; but of the manner in which we united as people – in the United States and across the world. We will certainly never forget, and we must always strive to act together to uphold the ideals of our country – liberty, equality, justice, and self-governance.
Tomorrow, another important event will be held honoring courage and sacrifice. Friday, September 18 is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and the VFW Post 1963 Auxiliary is hosting the POW/MIA Recognition ceremony at 6:00 p.m. on the lawn of the VFW at 301 JFK Boulevard. POW/MIA Recognition Day is held to make sure that we remember to stand behind those who serve and to make sure we do everything we can to account for those who have never returned.
This Saturday, September 19, is Fall Family Festival, and we’re looking forward to another great event. The festival runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and as usual we’ll have our vendor’s craft market along the Promenade and the food court on JFK, along with a number of other attractions including inflatables for the kids, face painting, a photo booth, balloon art, and live music. On Sunday, we’ll have our Antique Auto Show and parade from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Auto Show awards will take place at 1:00 p.m. on the Promenade, and the parade will start at 1:30. The parade runs south along Pleasure Avenue from 44th Street to 93rd Street, then runs north on Landis Avenue from 93rd Street to JFK Boulevard – and ends at JFK Blvd.
As part of the city’s ongoing efforts to ensure accessibility at all of our facilities, we recently met with one of our residents, Steve Matyszczak, to review options for handicapped access at our marina. Steve presented us with an idea for designation of a handicapped accessible slip at the marina, which we are going to implement. The work will involve installation of an appropriate ramp from the marina walkway down to the dock slips, along with installation of a hoist on the designated slip. We take pride in making our city facilities as accessible as possible, and appreciate Mr. Matyszczak’s collaboration with us in putting together this plan. Our objective is to have the work completed in advance of the next summer season.
The Sea Isle City Fire Department’s 135th anniversary is this year, and the department will hold a celebration of this occasion, along with a housing ceremony for two new fire trucks, on September 26. The housing ceremony is a long-standing tradition in the fire service that signifies that a new fire truck is ready for duty and officially “housed’ in the station. The event will take place at 1:00 p.m. at fire headquarters on JFK Boulevard, right next to City Hall, and the public is invited and encouraged to attend. I want to congratulate all the members of the fire department, past and present, for their long and dedicated service to our community. We are truly grateful for what you do for Sea Isle.
This week’s shout out goes to Kellyann Iannone, who is the daughter of Rose Milano and Joe Iannone. Kellyann is attending the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts, and on September 14th, she received her “White Coat,” awarded at The Ross Med White Coat Ceremony, which is a special event that welcomes incoming medical students into the study of medicine and emphasizes the importance of compassionate care, scientific aptitude and ethical behavior. Congratulations to Kellyann Iannone - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine class of 2030.
Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
At the September 8 council meeting, Mayor Desiderio spoke about t1he resolutions on council’s agenda that were necessary to prepare for an upcoming bond sale. The mayor explained that the bond sale will provide for permanent financing of several of the city’s capital improvements made over the past few years and is part of the city’s ongoing financial management planning. The mayor also reiterated his previous statements that Sea Isle is in excellent financial shape; and that current tracking of revenues and expenditures points to a solid position for establishing next year’s budget.
The mayor also mentioned a great accomplishment by our city clerk’s daughter, Julianna Romano, who is one of only fifteen high school students nationwide selected to participate in the Sea Otter Sound Coastal Academy, where she is studying and living for a semester in Naukati Bay, Alaska. She flew out to Alaska in the last week of August and will explore the coastal ecosystems of Southeast Alaska during her time there, which goes through the first week of November.
Following the mayor’s comments, the Sea Isle City Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services Division were honored for their outstanding service to the community. The city council joined the mayor in congratulating and honoring several members of the Fire Department and EMS Division who were in attendance at the meeting.
Each of the resolutions on the consent agenda were approved, including…
• Resolution 127, which authorized the approval of vouchers.
• Resolution 128, which provided for the combination of several prior issues of general improvement bonds into a single bond issue of $22,000,000, in preparation for a bond sale.
• Resolution 129, which determined the form and details of the $22,000,000 bond sale, which will take place in October.
• Resolution 130, which authorized the installation, removal and storage of the 2026 Holiday Display by Mosca Design for $154,856.
• Resolution 131, which designated old security cameras as surplus property to be auctioned online.
• Resolution 132, which designated a 2016 jet ski as surplus property to be auctioned online.
• Resolution 133, which designated a beach patrol boat as surplus property to be auctioned online.
During the “Citizen Comment” portion of the meeting, several citizens stepped to the microphone and commented on the following:
-Potential hours for the Community Center during the fall and winter, with requests to maintain hours until 8 p.m. (The administration will be reviewing this matter and will inform council and the public of any future changes to operating hours).
-Remembrance of the September 11 attack on the country; and the support the United States received from many nations of the world.
-Request for crosswalk markings on Park Road at the Community Center.
-Question regarding the construction of the ADA ramp to the promenade at 47th Street. (It is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year).
-Question regarding the city’s overall debt. (The debt to be incurred by the bond sale is not the city’s total debt).
Our next City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 22, at 10:00 AM on the third floor of City Hall – and we hope to see you there!
Council President Michael Jargowski
Ian Ciseck
Frank Edwardi
William Kehner
Mary Tighe
