I recently took my second “close up” tour of Sea Isle City’s future Community Center – and I’ve noticed that each time I am there, I get more and more excited about what’s to come. Since we have been planning this project for many years – and, when completed, the Community Center will have many different components – I would like to take this opportunity to offer you some “fun facts” that hopefully will serve as reminders of the various features the Community Center will ultimately offer us all…

For example, I look forward to seeing people of all ages enjoying the Community Center’s 9000-square-foot gymnasium, which will have an NBA-size basketball court, stripes on the gym floor for volleyball and pickleball games, retractable bleachers that will seat hundreds of spectators, a retractable curtain that will divide the gym into two separate areas when we want multiple activities to take place simultaneously, and an elevated “Sky Track” that will allow people to run and walk in a climate-controlled environment any time of the year.

In addition to the gym, the Community Center will also have a fitness room that will be dedicated to instructional fitness classes like Yoga and Sit-Fit-Seniors, an expansive lobby that will serve as a waiting area and a “swing space” for special events, several smaller rooms for indoor summer camp programs, after school events, board meetings and other gatherings, and a large “Community Room” that will serve as the main gathering space for local civic groups, large community events and a wide range of other purposes.

I hope you are as excited as I am about the Community Center – because I promise to keep that excitement going strong, right up until we host a Grand Opening Ceremony in the autumn of 2025!

As I mentioned in my Report to City Council on Tuesday morning, I was very pleased to see so many people attend our annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Monday at Veterans Park. Moreover, I want to thank everyone who took the time to join us as we honored the men and women who served in our nation’s military – and a special “thank you” goes to each of the veterans who were with us that day. I also want to thank the good folks at the Quilts of Valor Foundation for presenting handmade quilts to two local veterans during the ceremony (Nicole Harkins and Kelly Rakus Sherwood, both of whom are Army veterans who served in “Operation Enduring Freedom”). –Thank you all!

Looking ahead, don’t forget that the Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization will host their annual Girls Weekend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 22-24. Girls Weekend is a great opportunity to take advantage of discounts and special deals being offered at participating businesses throughout Sea Isle City – so I hope you can be in town to enjoy all that Girls Weekend has to offer!

Now that November is half-way over (if you can believe it), I remind everyone that Sea Isle City is the perfect place to enjoy the holidays – beginning with Thanksgiving Weekend, when the City’s Tourism Office will host a Holiday Parade on Friday night, November 29, which will culminate at our annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Excursion Park. Also, the Chamber of Commerce will host their “Winter Village” at Excursion Park on Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving Weekend. Then, once December arrives, there will be many other events and activities coming your way – so don’t miss a moment of the fun as you celebrate the holiday season in Sea Isle City!

And speaking of the holidays, I am very happy to announce that my beloved “Elves” and I will be hosting our 32nd Annual Mayor’s Holiday Toy & Food Drive from Thanksgiving Weekend to December 16 – and I hope everyone will join us as we spread holiday cheer to families in need. You can find more information about our 2024 Toy & Food Drive in this week’s E-Newsletter or by phoning 609-263-4461, ext. 1245 – so please help us if you can!

This week’s “Shout Out” goes to the participants of the Recreation Office’s 2024 Trunk-or-Treat event, who distributed candy and other treats to more than 100 children on Halloween Night – and that includes Mike and Lori Jargowsky, who received the prize for the “Best Decorated Vehicle,” and Mike Spille and Gina Karrasch, who had the “Most Creative Vehicle.” –Thank you all!

Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio