Times Talk
YCSH summer sailing campers are wide-eyed during chat from space.
ASTRONAUT VIDEO CHATS WITH YCSH CAMPERS
Last summer, Nick Hague and his family enjoyed a simple summer: mornings out on the beach, mini golf in the afternoons and dinners at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor. This summer, however, Hague is stationed about 250 miles above Earth on the International Space Station.
Nick Hague video chats with YCSH campers from the International Space Station.
An Air Force colonel and NASA astronaut, Hague is a part of the Expedition 59 and 60 crew. He launched into space in March of 2019 after being selected by NASA as an astronaut in 2013. On June 28, Hague video chatted with young campers who attend the YCSH’s summer sailing camp to discuss exploration on Earth and space with campers, counselors, family and friends.
“For the kids who are participating in the yacht club summer program, I am thrilled that you’re doing what you’re doing. You’re figuring out how to go out there and navigate the world around you and learning how to be independent, and sailing is a great way to do that,” Hague said to the campers. “It wasn’t until much later in life that I tried to do something like that by getting my pilot’s license.”
With the help of his wife, Air Force Col. Catie Hague, Nick spoke to the Yacht Club campers for more than an hour. He answered questions and demonstrated how astronauts battle zero gravity — like when showering and eating or drinking.
Hague is expected to return from the International Space Station this fall.
Work is nearing completion on the Townsends Inlet Bridge.
TOWNSENDS INLET BRIDGE UPDATE
Cape May County officials hope that the Townsends Inlet Bridge is reopened by the time you read this.
“As it currently stands right now, we anticipate that the bridge will be open by July 30,” County Engineer Robert Church wrote in an email on July 16. “However, there is still work remaining and unanticipated construction issues and/or weather could impact that date. However, the July 30 date seems reasonable.”
Less than two weeks before the target date, Agate Construction had completed the superstructure of the bridge, poured the bridge deck, poured the bridge sidewalks and poured the approach slabs. In addition, the new bridge railing has been installed through span 2 entering new span 3.
Remaining work included pouring concrete pylons for railing attachment, pouring the approach transition slab overlay, setting the remaining railing, saw cutting the bridge deck, striping the roadway/new spans, and cleanup of the site including the removal of the shielding/scaffolding.
Further updates from the county will be available on avalonboro.net and seaislecitynj.us.
‘TEAM AVALON’ SWORN IN
Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi and Borough Council electees Barbara Juzaitis and Sam Wierman were sworn in for their four-year terms by Superior Court Judge Susan Sheppard during the council’s reorganization meeting July 1.
Pagliughi, Juzaitis and Wierman ran together as Team Avalon for the May municipal election. Pagliughi won his eighth four-year term, making him one of the longest-serving mayors in the state.
Juzaitis and Wierman will each begin their first four-year term.
Pagliughi has served as mayor of Avalon since 1991, after one term as a council member. Juzaitis was appointed to the council in 2018, following the retirement of Richard Dean. Wierman, a former chairman of the Avalon Planning and Zoning Board, was elected to the seat vacated by Chuck Covington’s retirement.
Also at the meeting, Dr. Nancy Hudanich was named council president and John McCorristin vice president.
Avalon Borough Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 4pm.
STONE HARBOR AMENDS CONSTRUCTION ORDINANCE
Stone Harbor will allow bulkhead construction and repair to move forward during the months of July and August following the Borough Council’s approval of a construction ordinance amendment July 16.
This is an exception to the construction and demolition regulations that prohibit demolition and driving of pilings for the period July 1 until the Friday immediately following Labor Day in residential and business districts. The amendment was a clarification to the ordinance, as the original intent was not to restrict bulkhead repairs and construction during the summer months.
In 2018, the borough made five major changes to its construction ordinance to help facilitate the quiet enjoyment of resident properties throughout the summer season. In addition to elimination demolition and driving of pilings, changes eliminated construction work on Sundays from July 1 through Friday after Labor Day, as well as no work Memorial Day weekend, Thanksgiving weekend, July 4, or Labor Day weekend. Work on Saturdays is permitted from 9am-5pm from July 1, up to and including the Saturday after Labor Day with the exception of prohibited work, which includes: rough framing, roofing, exterior siding and trim, cutting of masonry materials related to installation of a foundation for any structure, and any equipment related to the installation of cement or plaster materials related to the installation of a pool or spa structure.
Quiet hours were also added, and no work is to be done on any site before 8am or after 6pm at any time of the year as well as no heavy equipment usage before 9am from July 1 through the Friday after Labor Day.
All contractor information, including name, address and emergency contact numbers, along with all permits issued, must be prominently displayed in a waterproof box on the construction site. The specific size and location of the box shall be determined by the borough construction official.
All violations can be reported to Michael Koochembere in the Borough Construction Office (609-368-6814) or to Code Enforcement Officer Ray Poudrier (609-368-6813). If you see a violation during the weekend or after hours, please contact Police Dispatch (609-368-2111).
The Surfside Park ribbon-cutting: From left, Borough Council members Jim Deever, Barbara Juzaitis and Nancy Hudanich, Cape May County Planning Director Leslie Gimeno, Mayor Martin Pagliughi, County Administrator Elizabeth Bozzelli, and Councilman John McCorristin.
SURFSIDE PARK’S GRAND OPENING
With the snip of a yellow ribbon June 22, Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi, Borough Council members and Cape May County officials celebrated the grand opening of Surfside Park, located at 30th Street and the beach. Hundreds of residents and visitors joined the celebration and enjoyed a night out at the park featuring music, food and fun for everyone.
“The feedback that we have received from the creation of Surfside Park has been nothing short of extraordinary, and overwhelming,” Pagliughi said. “This park will provide a lifetime of smiles and fun experiences for generations to come. Avalon is deeply appreciative of the support for the park from the Cape May County Open Space Program.”
Introduced by Big 5 Hall of Famer Fran Dunphy, Jimmy and the Parrots performed a concert on the newly constructed stage. Many people brought their beach chairs and blankets to sit on the lawn for the show, while some took advantage of photo ops in the replica Avalon lifeguard boat and lifeguard stand. The Avalon Recreation Department supplied funnel cakes, soft pretzels, cotton candy and water for the crowd. Kids enjoyed the state-of-the-art playground, complete with a slide off the boardwalk, as well as face painters and visits with characters inspired by Elsa and Captain America.
Throughout the summer, Surfside Park will feature free family events such as Surfside Live on Monday nights and Surfside Jam on Friday nights. For more information, go to avalonrecreation.org.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew presents proclamation to Dr. Lenore Tedesco.
WETLANDS INSTITUTE CELEBRATES ITS 50TH
From exploring the wetlands in a neon kayak to releasing a terrapin back into the wild, The Wetlands Institute celebrated its 50th anniversary June 22-23 with a weekend full of activities and celebration.
After 50 years of research, conservation and education, the institute commemorated its longstanding excellence with live music, nature walks, arts and crafts, lectures and live animal presentations to the general public.
With a mission to study, preserve and protect wetlands and coastal ecosystems, Herbert Mills founded the nonprofit Wetlands Institute in 1969. Mills, executive director of the World Wildlife Fund at the time, took inspiration for the institute from diminishing recreational fisheries, the spike in water pollution and the large-scale loss of wetlands due to human development.
The institute maintains the same duty today, educating and inspiring attendees to conserve and sustain the environment.
“Today, the threats to wetlands have never been greater with rising sea levels already impacting wetlands,” Executive Director Lenore Tedesco said in a press release. “The struggle to address these seminal issues and engage the public in understanding and mitigating these impacts is significant and the Wetlands Institute is responding to these needs.”
During the celebratory weekend, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District spoke along with other advocates of the institute, noting the importance of educating the next generation in proper environment conservation.
For the rest of the 50th anniversary season, The Wetlands Institute is offering free admission on the first Wednesdays of August and September.
Visit wetlandsinstitute.org for more information.
Oil and acrylic winners Ray Hayworth, Jeanine Baum and Chuck Law flanked by APAC Art Show Co-Chairs Susan McLaughlin and Ramona Sanabria.
APAC ART SHOW WINNERS
Featuring one-of-a-kind wooden sculptures and delicate watercolor paintings, Avalon Elementary School’s gymnasium transformed into an art exhibit June 21-22 for the Avalon Performing Arts Council’s 32nd annual Art Show.
The APAC Art Show showcased the work of 55 artists from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New York. The 2019 commemorative poster was designed by Jeanine Baum. Over the course of the weekend, the APAC hosted a silent auction and art judging.
Original work by artists of diverse styles was judged by Margaret Winslow, the curator of Contemporary Art at the Delaware Art Museum; Ruth Snyderman, the owner of Works Gallery, which merged in 2011 to become Snyderman-Works Gallery; and Michael Brian Doyle, a teacher at the Wayne (Pa.) Art Center and an affiliate of Somerville Manning Gallery in Greenville, Del.
The results of the judging:
Oil/Acrylic: 1, Chuck Law; 2, Jeanine Baum; 3, Ray Hayworth.
Watercolor: 1, Laura Bethmann; 2, Keith Mountford; 3, Connie Steiner.
Mixed Media: 1, Chris Boyd; 2, Renee Leopardi; 3, Nancy Edwards.
Photography: 1, Arlene Soloman; 2, Lindsay Wray; 3, Stephen Zarycranski.
Best of Show: Mujahid Abdul-Ba’eth.
The Pollinator Habitat at Armacost Park.
AVALON ADDS POLLINATOR HABITAT
Avalon’s Armacost Park, located at 71st Street and Ocean Drive, now features a pollinator habitat intended for use by
pollinators and birds during migration. This will also help rebound the numbers of important pollinators including monarch butterflies on the East Coast. The Borough of Avalon created the habitat at a site where a mowed lawn previously existed.
“This Monarch Butterfly Habitat project will be an integral part of Avalon’s stewardship of our natural environment and provide an important educational piece for local property owners to consider for incorporation into their own landscapes,” Mayor Martin Pagliughi said. “This project has been enthusiastically embraced by Avalon’s important environmental partners, and we are excited to begin the discussion in our region of the importance of pollinators to our overall sustainable ecosystem.”
The project is a collaborative effort involving the Avalon Department of Public Works, Avalon Environmental Commission, Taylor Design Group, The Wetlands Institute and Bayshore Landscaping. Nearly 30 herbaceous perennials and woody species were added to offer an attractive location for the pollinators including purple coneflower, cardinal flower, milkweed, golden alexanders, and seaside goldenrod, to name a few. The area also includes an educational component with interpretive signage and an accessible viewing area for the public to learn how these pollinators contribute to the natural environment.
The newly constructed tennis support building / restrooms at 81st Street Complex.
STONE HARBOR TENNIS COMPLEX PROJECT COMPLETED
The Borough of Stone Harbor recently completed the final phase of the tennis and playground improvements at the 82nd Street tennis complex. The tennis/pickleball support building and restrooms were completed and opened to the public in May. They were part of a county project that also included the installation of clay courts as well as new fencing and the creation of dedicated pickleball courts.
Stone Harbor applied for a Cape May County Open Space grant to complete the project and has been finishing different aspects of the project over the past three years. The contract to complete the tennis support building/restroom facility was awarded to Aliano Brothers Construction of Vineland. Construction costs were $484,620, of which $105,000 was funded by the partial funding received from the Cape May County Planning Department Open Space Program. Construction of the tennis support/restroom facility took about eight months to complete; previously, it was an empty space. The building features a restroom, a tennis office and observation deck located between two of the courts.
Previously, four of the 11 hard tennis courts were converted into four Har-Tru courts, two into six permanent pickleball courts, and five courts were resurfaced to attract 10-and-under junior players as part of the project. That part of the project was awarded to West Bay Construction in the amount of $582,500, with $348,000 funded by the Open Space Board.
Visit stoneharborrecreation.com for details about the recreation complex and activities.
Mayor Martin Pagliughi is flanked by beach-tag designers (from left): Holly Stone, Ashlynne Martorana, Noel Wright, Victoria Deever, Holly Schall, Kaitlin Bailey, Matthew Metzler, Lindsay Ettlinger, Dylan Villano and Aiden Foxx.
AVALON UNVEILS DISPLAY OF STUDENTS’ BEACH-TAG DESIGNS
For the past 20 years, students from Avalon Elementary School have provided the beach-tag designs for the Borough of Avalon. To recognize the milestone, Mayor Martin Pagliughi unveiled a display inside Borough Hall featuring enlarged photos of each beach tag dating back to 1999. The unveiling took place before the June 26
Borough Council meeting, with many of the designers in attendance.
“This beach-tag art program conducted by the Avalon Elementary School is a legacy project in the Borough,” Mayor Martin Pagliughi said. “We are very proud of the students whose artwork was chosen for the beach tags, and this wall will honor past and future winners of the beach-tag art contest.”
Over the spring, Business Administrator Scott Wahl took a photo of each tag. Each photo was converted to a small canvas picture that now adorns the wall in Borough Hall foyer. The concept for the project was developed by Borough employee Kimberly Mastriana. Dave Garafolo, of the Department of Public Works, framed and painted the display wall with enough space to include future beach-tag designs.
The beach tags depicted in the display were designed by Holly Stone (1999), Fred Sylvester (2000), Logan Sykes (2001), Jennifer Perrotta (2002), Christopher Romeo (2003), Ashlynne Martorana (2004), Noel Wright (2005), Victoria Deever (2006), Kaitlin Bailey (2007), Chris Convery (2008), Michael Fazio (2009), Holly Schall (2010), Cara Heenan (2011), Kaitlin Bailey (2012), Matthew Metzler (2013), Zachary Willuski (2014), Lindsay Ettlinger (2015), Anna Bond (2016), Nynoshka Vazquez (2017), Aiden Foxx (2018), and Dylan Villano (2019).
Nina Ranalli presents Clamshell Pitch awards to doubles champs Rob and Mark Broadwater.
ROB BROADWATER & SON SWEEP CLAMSHELL PITCH
Veteran clamshell-pitcher Rob Broadwater swept the 10th annual W. Norman Mackey Clamshell Pitch Tournament hosted by the Avalon Historical Society on July 20 at the 30th Street beach.
Among the dozens of participants who braved the sweltering heat, two families accounted for the top two places in the singles and doubles categories.
After two hours of competition, Broadwater emerged victorious in the singles as well as the doubles, teaming up with his son, Mark. Randy Dean, the singles runner-up, was joined by his brother-in-law, Steve Schappell, to take second place in the doubles.
The tournament is a tribute to the horseshoes-like sport historically played on Avalon beaches in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. The tournament is named for Mackey, who taught the game to his son, Allan. Competitors are given game-certified shells to use during the competition. The game is played by digging two holes about 25 feet apart and trying to toss the clams into the holes. Points are earned by getting closest to the hole or in the hole.
The next event hosted by the Avalon Historical Center will be the Mayors Bocce Tournament in September, featuring music, food, games and fun for all.
