The 2025 autumn season is off to a great start here in Sea Isle City!  Aside from a little rain, we have had some amazing weather since Labor Day – which is very good news for the events that have taken place in recent weeks, including our annual Patriot Day Ceremony on September 11 at Veterans Park, where we gathered to remember the thousands of lives lost during the 9-11 terrorist attacks. I want to thank everyone who attended that ceremony – especially 9-11 survivor, ground zero worker and organizer of The 9-11 Project, John Kostick, who was kind enough to step to the microphone and share a few words with the audience, even though he lost most of his voice after being exposed to the dangerous conditions at ground zero.

Two days later, our community gathered for a much happier occasion, when the Tourism Office hosted our town’s annual Fall Family Festival Weekend on September 13 and 14. On Saturday, the festival featured a food court on JFK Boulevard, live music and other family-friendly entertainment at Excursion Park, and 146 merchandise vendors along the Promenade. Then, on Sunday, over 50 classic vehicles appeared in the Fall Family Festival Antique Auto Show and Parade, during which Howard Barth received the “Best in Show” award for his amazing red 1960 Chevy Corvette, and Gregory Guarini was presented with the “Mayor’s Choice” trophy, which he took home in his pristine 1985 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. 

Also on Sunday, the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission distributed their 2025 Beautification Awards to eight local property owners, who have notably improved or maintained the appearance of their homes.  My thanks go to everyone at the Environmental Commission for recognizing the homeowners who enhance our community with their attractive homes – and my congratulations go to each of this year’s Beautification Award recipients: Marianne and Mark Dever, Patti and Lenny DiNote, The Sisters of Saint Francis House, Maryann and Mike Gallagher, Megan and Rick Lewis, Linda and Dennis Maguire, Tara and Michael Palma, and Habib Troudi. Additional congratulations go to Rich Weiner, who received the Environmental Commission’s 2025 “Endless Beauty” award.

Looking ahead, VFW Post 1963’s Auxiliary will host their annual POW-MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at 6:00 PM tomorrow evening on Post 1963’s front lawn, where our community will honor the American service members who were held as prisoners of war, as well as those who went missing in action. Attending this special event is an ideal way to show your respect for the individuals who made tremendous sacrifices for our nation – so I hope you can join us on Friday night at Post 1963!

On Saturday, the Cape May County Library System will celebrate its 100^th Anniversary with a special event inside the Sea Isle City Library at 4800 Central Avenue, from 12 noon to 2:00 PM. During this once-in-a-century gathering, visitors can enjoy live music, children’s activities, and complimentary refreshments – so bring your entire family to the library on Saturday afternoon, and while you are there be certain to check-out the amazing view of the wetlands from the library’s second floor balcony!

Now that summer has passed, many of Sea Isle City’s civic organizations are beginning their off-season activities, including hosting regular meetings and other events.  With a wide variety of local organizations to choose from, it’s no wonder that our residents can happily stay busy once they store their beach chairs in the garage for the winter. Anyone hoping to join one (or more) of Sea Isle’s various civic groups can find contact information and meeting schedules by clicking the “Organizations” link on the home page of www.seaislecitynj.us – and, when you see the list of active organizations we have, you might be surprised by how many different groups serve our community. 

I have two “Shout Outs” this week.  The first goes to the employees of Sea Isle City’s Department of Public Works, who always do a great job keeping our town clean and running smoothly – plus they recently beautified the gardens at City Hall, where you’ll find new grass, flowers and trees along the sidewalks. Thank you, DPW!

Our next Shout Out goes to the members of the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission, who are celebrating their organization’s 40^th anniversary this month! In addition to selling commemorative “Save a Turtle” tee-shirts to raise funds for their initiatives, our Environmental Commission volunteers also host an annual Tree Raffle that has resulted in scores of new trees being planted on private properties across Sea Isle City.  The Environmental Commission has also planted numerous trees in our parks and along JFK Boulevard – plus, they host Sea Isle’s Spring and Autumn Beach Clean-ups, they financially support our Beachcomber Guided Tours, and they quietly perform other tasks that greatly benefit our community! Happy 40^th Anniversary Sea Isle City Environmental Commission! 

Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!

Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. --Abraham Lincoln