During last week’s City Council meeting, we were very happy to announce the winners of this year’s Beach Tag Art Contest, during which dozens of talented young artists submitted an array of wonderful designs for our 2025 beach tags. It is my pleasure to congratulate this year’s winners: Aubrey Ganster, who drew an umbrella-carrying seagull for our “Seasonal” beach tags; Santino Quercetti, who created a very “cool” snowman for our Holiday tags; Julianna Romano, who’s eye-catching “Irish Turtle” will appear on our Saint Patrick’s tags; and Regan Cunningham, who’s patriotic Bald Eagle will grace our 2025 Veterans beach tags.

I am very grateful for the efforts that were put forth by the winners of our annual Beach Tag Art Contest – and every youngster who submitted artwork. We were very impressed by the level of talent that was displayed during this year’s competition and choosing this year’s winners was not an easy process! Nonetheless, we are very happy with the winning designs, and my thanks go to all the participants who shared their artwork with us.

The autumn season continues to unfold, and fortunately the weather has been extremely pleasant. Thanks to the recent sunny days and wonderful temperatures we have been experiencing, many people have been able to spend extra time on our beaches – and more time enjoying the many outdoor events and activities that make autumns in Sea Isle City so memorable. For example, approximately 120 individuals participated in the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission’s 2024 Autumn Beach Clean-up on Saturday morning, when families, scout troops, and other eco-minded people collected trash and debris from our shoreline. I want to thank the members of the Environmental Commission for once again hosting this important event, and special thanks go to all the folks who donated their time to help beautify our town’s beaches and dunes!

Another autumn event people always look forward to will take place tomorrow evening, when our Recreation Office hosts Sea Isle’s annual Halloween Parade along Landis Avenue (from 45th to 40th Street). Hopefully you will be in town to enjoy our annual “Spooky Stroll,” which will feature a variety of bands playing lively music, floats carrying costumed characters, and many other participants – not to mention the countless spectators who will be wearing their favorite Halloween attire simply to add to the evening’s festivities! The parade begins at 7:00 PM, but make certain you arrive a few minutes early so you can find a good viewing location and not miss a moment of the fun!

Also this weekend, the Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce & Revitalization will host their annual “Harvest Classic” festival at Excursion Park, where there will be a variety of family-friendly activities – including pumpkin painting and free hayrides on the beach. To learn more about this event (and the Chamber’s annual Scarecrow Contest), see the special section in this week’s E-Newsletter or go to www.seaislechamber.com for more details.

Halloween is just around the corner – and so is the Division of Recreation’s annual Trunk-or-Treat event on October 31, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in the parking lot of the Sea Isle City Library. There’s always room for additional participants at Trunk-or-Treat, so if you would like to distribute candy to children from the comfort of your vehicle, please phone our Recreation Office at 609-263-0050 for more details.

As always, please remember that we are one Sea Isle City and together we’ll be stronger than ever.

Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio