Times Talk
CARNEY, CASPER WIN STONE HARBOR COUNCIL SEATS
Tim Carney and incumbent Robin Casper, Republicans who ran unopposed in the Nov. 7 general election, have won the two available three-year terms on the Stone Harbor Borough Council.
Of the 570 votes cast, Carney received 268 (47.02%), Casper got 176 (30.88%), and 126 (22.11%) went to write-ins. There were 57 early voters, 363 people who voted in-person on election day, and 150 mail-in votes.
Carney, originally from King of Prussia, Pa., has lived in Stone Harbor for 15 years. He holds a degree in finance from Penn State and serves as vice president of a healthcare technology company.
He has been a member of the Stone Harbor Zoning Board for two years, and serves with the Stone Harbor Fire Company. Carney also is a member of the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor, is active in the Sons of the American Legion, and serves as lead vocalist and guitar player in a local band, The Seabillys.
“I love our town and I want to ensure that it is managed properly,” he said.
Carney wants to help restore fiscal discipline to Stone Harbor and mentions it has the highest debt payments of all 17 municipalities in Cape May County. He plans to help restore Stone Harbor’s flood rating, hold the line on tax increases, and collaborate with other council members on investments in the borough’s beaches and bays.
Casper has a long history with Stone Harbor, having attended Stone Harbor Elementary School before moving on to Middle Township High School. Originally from North Wildwood, her family’s introduction to Stone Harbor came when her parents purchased the Colonial Lodge in 1966. Her mother, Marlene Casper, who celebrated her 90th birthday in May, is the last original founding member of the Garden Club of Stone Harbor.
After graduating from Villanova with a degree in communications in 1984, Casper spent six years working for General Electric in Valley Forge as a systems definition analyst before starting a family and becoming a stay-at-home mom for her sons Mark and Luke. In 2016, after more than 30 years living in Pennsylvania, she returned to Stone Harbor.
“I take my job on Borough Council very seriously,” she says. “Stone Harbor is a small town with big issues. We must become much more fiscally responsible and determine the distinction between wants and needs.”
Her primary responsibilities throughout her first term on council include chairing the Natural Resources and Go Green committees, and serving as the Borough liaison to the Museum and Bird Sanctuary. She “enthusiastically support[s] more open space/less density; vibrant beaches, dunes and waterways; native landscapes; water conservation; natural lawn and garden care; kindness to all wildlife; and preserving irreplaceable history wherever possible.”
Casper’s interest in local government was sparked when she joined the Go Green Committee in 2019. “In that timeframe, I began feeling the desire to be a voice for my town,” she said.
HOLIDAY BEACH TAGS AVAILABLE
Give the gift of a relaxing summer this year by purchasing a 2024 Holiday Beach Tag! Avalon and Stone Harbor both are offering holiday tags again this year.
Stone Harbor Holiday Beach Tags will be available beginning Friday, Nov. 24 at the Beach Tag Office at the Beach Patrol Headquarters, 95th Street and the beach. Tags are $32, and will be sold through Sunday, Nov. 26 from 10am-4pm. Remaining tags will be available at Borough Hall, 9508 Second Ave., open Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4pm.
Avalon Holiday Beach Tags will be available during Festive Friday and Snowfest Saturday, Nov. 24 and 25. Tags are $30 and will be sold at the Beach Tag Booth on 30th Street and the beach. Any remaining tags after the weekend will be on sale starting Monday, Nov. 29 in the Avalon Tax Collector’s office at Avalon Borough Hall, 3100 Dune Drive. The office’s hours are 8:15am-4:15pm.
The artwork for Stone Harbor’s holiday tags was done by Jersey Cape, and Avalon’s artwork was chosen by one of Santa’s little elves. The tags in Avalon and Stone Harbor are reciprocal. Both towns will also be selling them online at jersey-cape-tags.myshopify.com. There is a small processing fee for online orders, and gift boxes are available for a nominal fee.
Becky Carfagno’s winning photo
SUNRISE PHOTO WINS SHPOA CONTEST
Becky Carfagno’s image of a sunrise over cresting waves was voted the winner of the Stone Harbor Property Owners Association photo contest. Carfagno, from Blue Bell, Pa., is a homeowner in Stone Harbor. She snapped the winning photo “in the water” on 83rd Street, and said her favorite things about Stone Harbor are the sunrises and the sunsets.
Second place went to Sydney Bauer and third to Kristina Fransisco. Winners were announced at the SHPOA fall membership meeting on Sept. 9.
To choose the winner, a panel of independent judges selected 12 finalists from more than 190 entries. The finalists’ images were then put up online for voting. There were 660 voters who decided the top three. Gift cards were awarded: $250 for first place, $150 for second, and $100 for third.
“SHPOA started the photo contest eight years ago to promote what a lot of us already know,” said Scott Jarden, who has been running the contest for three years. “Stone Harbor is a beautiful place, and what better way to capture that than in pictures? The contest is open to all, as long as the photos were taken in Stone Harbor and in that year.”
SCHOOL DISTRICT WINS CROSS-COUNTRY TITLE
The Avalon Stone Harbor Schools’ cross-country runners are now the Cape Atlantic Junior League champions. It is the first time the team has won the title.
Under coach Laura Salvesen, the 32 runners capped off a 9-0 season on Oct. 23 when both the boys’ and girls’ squads beat Bishop McHugh in a 1.5-mile race from Surfside Park in Avalon. The boys finished the meet with a score of 16-39 (lowest number being the better score) and the girls won by a score of 15-40.
This is the third year the school district has had the cross-country program. Salvesen said one of the highlights of the season was watching one of the youngest runners, JJ Corrado: “He’s a standout runner and performer for being so young and inexperienced.” At 10, he’s one of the youngest runners on the team. He has broken his own school record multiple times this year, and tied it at final meet.
Corrado finished first for the boys’ team with a time of 9 minutes, 34 seconds. He said he enjoys being on the cross-country team because it enables him to get close with people he otherwise may not have had the opportunity to meet. “It’s a good way to stay in shape and it’s a good experience overall,” he said. “If you have an opportunity to join the team, you should do it.” Alex Gonzalez, 13, came in second at 9:51, and Ford Smith, 11, was third at 9:55.
Brynn Cunningham, 12, was the girls’ winner in a time of 10:00. Cunningham, who wears her lucky socks to every meet, said one of her favorite things about being on the team is being with her friends and classmates. Addison Webster, 13, was second in 10:08, and Morgan Sharpe, 13, was third at 10:20.
The top three boys and girls went on to compete in the Cape Atlantic Middle School Cross Country Championship, aka the Meet of Champions, Nov. 1 at William Davies Middle School in Hamilton Township. The boys finished fourth behind Mullica, Ocean City and Margate. JJ Corrado finished fifth overall and broke his own school record again, finishing the race in 9:32. The girls finished sixth, led by Cunningham at 10:32.
“We have a wonderfully youthful and energetic team,” Salvesen said. “It’s only our third season competing as a school and it’s truly inspiring to see our strength lies in our numbers. I’m grateful to have athletes who are always very eager to improve and support one another. With an undefeated season for both boys and girls, I look at the past season and future seasons with great excitement and anticipation.”
Three of the Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children’s scholarship recipients (from left): Talyn Robinson, Treymir Forman, Rose West.
DILLER BLIND HOME AWARDS COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
The Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children Foundation, Inc. announced the five recipients for its 2023 college scholarships. This is the second year the foundation has provided scholarships to alumni campers. The winners for this year are Treymir Forman, De’Nez Johnson, Talyn Robinson, Stefan Spohn, and Rose West. The recipients were awarded their scholarships at the Barefoot Ball fundraiser Sept. 9 at ICONA Windrift.
Scholarships are awarded in the amount of $5,000 per year for up to four years. To apply for the scholarship, applicants need to have attended the Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children at least one summer, prove acceptance to a college, university, or training program, and complete the scholarship application.
Forman attends St. Joseph’s University and is majoring in business management. Johnson is a nursing major at Stevenson University in Pikesville, Md. Robinson is studying biomedical sciences at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Spohn attends Bucks County Community College, where he is a computer information systems major. West is majoring in political science at Swarthmore College, with a double minor in English and psychology.
“The scholarship program is a wonderful addition to our mission as a home for blind children,” said Camp Supervisor Emily Mulhern, who runs the scholarship program. “We feel so fortunate that we are able to support our alumni campers’ academic success in this way. Avalon and our community continue to significantly impact the campers who come through our doors each summer. Because of this support, we will be able to continue our scholarship program for years to come.”