Times Talk
Judith Davies-Dunhour
STONE HARBOR PRIMARY WRAP-UP
Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour, Reese Moore and newcomer Robin Casper were the winners in the Stone Harbor Borough Council primary election held July 7. The results were announced July 14 after the unusually large number of mail-in ballots due to the pandemic were counted. Davies-Dunhour ran uncontested for mayor, and Moore and Casper were running for three-year terms on the council.
The general election will be held Nov. 3, with Davies-Dunhour, Moore and Casper on the ballot in the Cape May County Regular Republican column. As of the filing deadline, no other names had been listed, so the candidates will be running unopposed.
“I am both humbled and honored to be given the opportunity to continue to serve as mayor of Stone Harbor,” said Davies-Dunhour. “I am thankful to all of those who cast their votes and participated in this primary election which was like no other in our recorded history. I will continue to serve the residents and taxpayers of Stone Harbor with honesty, integrity and transparency.”
Moore will serve a full term after previously filling the seat vacated by Karen Lane in 2018. He became the chair of the Utilities Committee and continues to address the island’s infrastructure for water and sewer services and issues including flooding, beach replenishment, back-bay dredging and bulkhead initiatives.
Reese Moore
Robin Casper
“It is my honor and privilege to serve on Borough Council. Serving has given me valuable insight into what it takes to preserve the quality of life we enjoy here in Stone Harbor,” said Moore. “There are challenges to maintaining this quality of life including protection and preservation of our beaches and bay, aging infrastructure, flood mitigation, and having vibrant local businesses. It is important to me as a member of Council that these challenges be discussed and resolved in an informed and caring way.”
Casper looks forward to her time serving the Borough of Stone Harbor. Her passion for sustainability led to her appointment in 2019 as a member of the Borough’s Go Green Committee. In addition, Casper writes for a local publication, The Roasted Beet, and volunteers with her mother at the Stone Harbor Museum.
“I extend my deepest thanks and am so grateful to see so many willing to support the ‘new kid on the block,’” Casper said. “I am so happy this is proving to be a very positive experience, and look forward to representing the town I love, and the wonderful people who bring it to life.”
POST 331 DONATES TO FIRST RESPONDERS
Members of the American Legion Post #331 in Stone Harbor voted to award three donations in July to local organizations for the purchase of personal protective equipment. The organization donated $1,000 to Cape Regional Foundation and $500 to both the Avalon EMS and the Stone Harbor Volunteer Fire Company.
The Post’s donation to the Cape Regional Foundation was its second for a total of $3,000 during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Our first responders are on the front lines everyday helping our veterans,” said Post 331 Trustee Jon Ready. “We as the Legion now have the ability to thank them, and help them in return.”
Post 331 represents all branches of the Armed Forces in Avalon and Stone Harbor and includes many members from outside of the area, too. The post, located at 11617 Second Ave., in Stone Harbor, occupies the oldest building in Stone Harbor, the Tatham Life Saving Station.
Membership is comprised of past and present members of the nation’s military services and as such all are required to serve under an oath very similar to that of the surfmen’s motto. Members and volunteers participate in parades and ceremonies for Memorial Day and Veterans Day at Seven Mile Beach, fund-raisers and various other events throughout Cape May County.
For more information on Post 331, go to stephencludlampost331.org.
Cece and Charlie Coskey show off crafts from their Wetlands Institute Adventure Chest.
WETLANDS INSTITUTE OFFERS WEEKLY ‘ADVENTURE CHESTS’
The Wetlands Institute recently introduced an exciting adaption to its popular Summer Nature Program: a weekly Adventure Chest for children ages 4-13. The traditional in-person summer program was canceled due to coronavirus restrictions, and the weekly Adventure Chest gives children the chance to experience nature in their own backyards.
“This summer has been difficult and certainly very different for all of us at the Institute. We know how important nature discovery is for young minds, and we are really excited to be expanding our programs to be able to include the Adventure Chest program,” said Lenore Tedesco, executive director of The Wetlands Institute. “We are working very hard to create additional new opportunities for exploration and discovery this fall so that we can keep our marshes and coastal ecosystems accessible to the community.”
Two Adventure Chests are available each week; one for children ages 4-7, and one for ages 8-13. The cost is $75 per chest and includes a variety of items related to each weekly theme including activities, games, crafts, experiments, access to themed videos, suggestions on places to explore and even a special surprise from the Institute’s Tidepool Shop.
“We hold strong to the notion that children need nature, and nature needs children,” said Brooke Knapick, director of Educational Program Development. “Summer Nature Program is about exploration and discovery, the warmth of the sun, the saltiness of the breeze, the smell and feel of the salt marsh, and the joy of being outdoors. It is at the heart of what we do, and while our in-person Summer Nature Program is canceled, the Summer Nature Program experience is not.”
The Wetlands Institute recently reopened its doors and grounds on July 1
and is now open daily for visitors from 9:30am-4:30pm. For more information and to sign up for an Adventure Chest, go to wetlandsinstitute.org.
Avalon has announced late-evening and overnight curfews for the beaches and boardwalk.
AVALON IMPOSES CURFEW FOR BEACHES, BOARDWALK
Avalon beaches are closed from 9pm-4am, and the boardwalk is closed from 11pm-4am, following the municipal ordered issued by Mayor Martin Pagliughi. The order was placed in an attempt to remove and disperse the large groups of minors in these areas who were violating municipal and state orders that require social distancing and the wearing of masks.
“The closing of the beach and boardwalk during the later evening and overnight hours is a necessary step to take this summer in light of the pandemic that has continued a public health emergency in New Jersey,” Pagliughi said. “We are asking not only teens and young adults, but their parents, to join us as committed stakeholders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by socially distancing and wearing masks.”
The executive order was placed on July 11 and is in effect until further notice. Avalon police officers have frequently encountered groups of minors and young adults totaling in the hundreds who were violating social-distancing guidelines and resisted orders to disperse.
“It’s important for the safety and protection of minors and young adults to follow this order and simply not gather in another location,” said Police Chief Jeffrey Christopher. “New Jersey remains in a public health emergency, and the Cape May County Department of Health has identified a growing high-risk group that includes teens and young adults. This is a necessary proactive measure that will be enforced by the Avalon Police Department.”
In addition to the order, Pagliughi also released a statement expanding his cancelation of special events beyond the end of July, until further notice. The only event that remains for the town is the Tuesday evening Beach Movies held at dusk at 30th Street, and social distancing is managed and executed by Borough staff.
For the latest updates on news, alerts and releases, go to avalonboro.net.
Public Works Director Bill Macomber (left) and employee Mike Silvert pose at the public trash and recycling depot at 15th Street and Dune Drive.
REMINDER: NO PLASTIC BAGS IN RECYCLING
Avalon’s Department of Public Works is reminding residents and visitors to the island that plastic bags can not be a part of the recycling trash system in Cape May County. Avalon participates in a single-stream recycling system, where all clean recyclables can go into one container. However, the container will not be picked up if it contains plastic bags.
In addition, placing a bag full of recyclables into the regular trash creates two issues for the Borough of Avalon: the Borough then has to pay additional tonnage fees as the recyclables are then counted as trash; and the recycling numbers go down, which impacts the amount of recycling grants the Borough receives.
“We appreciate everyone’s cooperation regarding this plastic-bag issue,” said Public Works Director Bill Macomber. “Recycling rules and regulations vary greatly from county to county, and from state to state. If any recycling container has a plastic bag in it, it will not be picked up by the contractor. Please put any plastic bags in with your general trash waste, or better yet, find a company or business that will accept these bags as a recyclable product.”
The trash and recycling depot at 15th Street and Dune Drive remains open for those taking their trash on alternate pickup days. However, a reminder to those utilizing this courtesy to not put recyclables in a plastic bag and then dispose of that in the trash bins. Remove disposables from a can instead and do not co-mingle plastic bags with recycling.
For additional information on trash and single-stream recycling, go to cmcmua.com/single-stream-recycling.
A sampling of trash picked up on the beaches of Avalon by Love Blue volunteers.
LOVE BLUE ADDS AVALON TO ITS CLEANUP SITES
A group of lifeguards in Wildwood Crest came together with a mutual love and respect for the ocean and environment and created the nonprofit organization Love Blue. The group so far has removed more than 4,000 pounds of trash from local and national beaches with more than 40 organized beach cleanups. And Love Blue has recently arrived in Avalon.
What started as a group of lifeguards cleaning up after their daily shifts on the beach, has now grown to host beach cleanups in more than 10 locations including Avalon, Sea Isle City, Atlantic City and even Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Boca Raton, Fla. Their mission and vision are to bring action and awareness to the growing ocean pollution situation.
“Our mission is that through the cleanups, people will see the impact our trash has on the environment and they will be less likely to contribute to the problem and become a part of the movement which we call our Blue Movement,” said Sean Lavender, external vice president of Love Blue. “It started as a few of us and then through the help of social media and Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol, the cleanups grew and we have multiple locations with new areas coming soon.”
In addition to the cleanups, the organization is seeking donations and support from businesses and volunteers to provide funding for supplies including buckets, carts, trash cans and even a sustainable, reusable barrel bag made in California that assists with large removal of trash.
A schedule of cleanups is listed on the organization’s Instagram profile LoveBlueInc. The weekly event in Avalon is typically scheduled on Tuesdays at 6:45pm at the 28th Street beach.
More information can also be found at lovebluecleanups.com.
Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi will address the “State of the Borough” on the AHLOA digital presentation.
AHLOA PRESENTATION IS VIRTUAL THIS YEAR
The Avalon Home and Land Owners Association typically hosts an annual meeting in August, welcoming property owners to join the group at Avalon Community Hall for an update on local policies, regulations and more. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the in-person aspect of this event has been canceled this year. However, AHLOA continues to strive to “Stay Connected” and has announced a digital aspect for 2020.
While details are still in the works, the organization is working with Borough officials to create a Q&A session and PowerPoint presentation. The goal is to publish the session on the website, ahloa.com, and on its official Facebook page, facebook.com/ahloanj. The publishing on this session will allow for the Avalon community to hear directly from the administration on current and upcoming activities and plans.
“Having made the decision not to hold the Avalon Home and Land Owners Association meeting in August, to protect the safety and well-being of our members and visitors, we are going to provide the information on our website,” said AHLOA President Chuck O’Hara. “It is important for us to ‘Stay Connected.’ A ‘State of Avalon’ PowerPoint presentation by Mayor Pagliughi will be posted later this summer. The presentation will focus on topics important to all property owners and visitors.”
AHLOA’s primary goal is to promote the general welfare of Avalon residency. Meetings are held the second Saturday of every month at 10am, and the public is welcome to attend. Membership information is available at ahloa.com. AHLOA urges the community to “Stay Connected” and look for future announcements via the website and social media.
