Times Talk
A shot from the Telly Award winning video for the Avalon Department of Recreation.
The Telly Award
MEMORIAL DAY VIDEO A WINNER
What do the Avalon Department of Recreation and actress Jennifer Garner have in common? They both were Silver Award winners in the 42nd annual Telly Awards. While Garner was recognized for a cooking demonstration program she produced, Avalon’s recreation department was honored for its 2020 Memorial Day video.
The Telly Awards are the premier awards honoring video and television programming across all screens and platforms. Established in 1979, the Telly Awards received more than 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents. Entrants were judged by an industry body of more than 200 experts including advertising agencies, production companies and major television networks reflective of the multiscreen industry.
The production was created by Seven Mile Publishing & Creative, the parent company of Seven Mile Times. It was produced by Chuck McDonnell, Dave Coskey, Jake Glassey and David Pashuck. Local broadcasting legend Robin Mackintosh added his own touches as well. The video, which was viewed more than 10,000 times during the 2020 holiday weekend, was intended to help fill the void caused by COVID-19-related cancellations in the town and featured local hometown heroes in Avalon’s Veterans Plaza.
DALLAHAN, PARZYCH WIN STONE HARBOR COUNCIL TERMS
Stone Harbor filled two Borough Council seats in its primary election June 8, with the return of councilman Frank Dallahan and the addition of Bernadette “Bunny” Parzych. The electees won full three-year terms.
Dallahan has served on Stone Harbor Council for the past 2½ years and is a member of the Utility Committee and the Natural Resources Committee. In addition, he chairs the Public Safety Committee. Dallahan’s goals in moving forward on Council include continuing to maintain budgeting and focusing on a consumer’s focus on taxes, providing planning for beach and bay conservation, and monitoring zoning regulations effectively.
“It is gratifying to have been selected by the voters of Stone Harbor to represent them for another three years,” he says. “Thank you to all the voters who endorsed my candidacy and who gave me their personal vote of confidence. I look forward to the next three years and meeting the challenges that will be presented to the council. My primary objective is to keep Stone Harbor the special place it has become.”
Bunny moves into the seat vacated by her husband, Ray, after five years on council. She plans to focus on two main platforms: preserving and enhancing the town’s tight zoning code, and controlling the borough budget. Parzych maintains the need to focus on zoning to provide for more open space, increase the side-yard setbacks on oversized lots proportionately to that of the standard sized lots. She will also work to hire a full-time chief financial officer for strong advice to council when it comes to capital budgeting and controlling taxes.
“During my campaign, I tried to knock on every voter’s door,” she said. “I spoke with interesting people, and heard great ideas for the future of Stone Harbor. I thank everyone in Stone Harbor, residents and second homeowners alike, all who hosted yard signs, sent me emails or texts of support, those who prayed for me, and those who voted for me. I am humbled by the mandate that you have given me and promise to work hard for our town. I love Stone Harbor.”
Stone Harbor Borough Council meets the first and third Tuesday of every month with a work session beginning at 4:30pm, and the regular meeting following. For agendas, minutes, and recordings, please go to shnj.org.
Raffle sales have begun for the AVFD’s Annual Elimination Raffle, plus limited-edition prints of Doris Zogas’ 9/11 Memorial watercolor are on sale.
RAFFLE TO BENEFIT AVALON FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Friends of the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department announced the 12th Annual 50/50 Cash Elimination Drawing for Tuesday, Sept. 7, 6pm at The Princeton, 2008 Dune Drive. The raffle is held annually the day after Labor Day, and proceeds from the ticket sales benefit the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department.
Only 300 numbers will be drawn during the event, with a prize of $500 for the 1st, 50th, 100th, 150th, 200th, 250th numbers; $2,000 for the 299th number; and $10,000 for the 300th number drawn.
Tickets are on sale for $100 and can be purchased by mailing a request for tickets to the Friends of the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 362, Avalon, NJ 08202. Payment must be accompanied with name, address, email address and phone number.
“The Avalon Volunteer Fire Department is staffed by volunteers, year-round,” said secretary Kevin Scarpa. “Friends of the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department is a 501(c)(3) charity that exists to raise funds equipment, maintenance, and volunteer recruitment and retention.”
In addition to the raffle, the AVFD continues to sell the remaining limited-edition prints of Avalon’s 9/11 Memorial watercolor painting by Doris Zogas, a renowned painter who passed away in 2016. Zogas was commissioned by the AVFD to paint the 9/11 Memorial, of which 53 remain for sale at $100. Prints can be purchased by calling the department at 609-967-4411.
Go to avalonfiredept.com for more information.
STONE HARBOR BEACHFIT EXPO SET FOR JULY 10
The Borough of Stone Harbor is showcasing local health and wellness professionals for an interactive fitness event on July 10 from 6am-2pm. The Stone Harbor BeachFit Expo is open to all ages, and will feature classes, vendors and lectures in a unique and natural beach and bay setting.
The fitness and wellness-centered day will include free outdoor fitness classes such as yoga, bootcamp, cycling, barre, and a kids’ run. Lectures will be held in the morning sessions featuring “Preventing Athletic Injuries with Breath,” “Mental Health Nutrition: Diving Deeper into the Mind-Body Connection,” “Speed School: The Importance of Spring Training to Get Faster and Prevent Injury,” and “Benefits of Drinking Juice and Cold-Pressed Juice.”
Local island fitness studios and health and wellness vendors such as Avalon Fitness Upstairs and Pure Juice + Kitchen will be on hand to distribute products and information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In addition, meet fitness instructors, learn about local spa services, and pick up the latest in fitness and wellness merchandise and apparel.
“The Borough of Stone Harbor is excited to create our first event for the Seven Mile Island’s enthusiastic, health-conscious community,” said Stone Harbor Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour. “This event provides an opportunity to explore new trends in fitness, indulge in some nostalgic favorites, and maybe even break some bad habits. The goal is to focus on health, fitness, and wellness for all ages.”
The Stone Harbor BeachFit Expo will take place at the 82nd Street Recreation Field and building. For more information, go to stoneharborrecreation.com, or call 609-368-5102.
AVALON’S TOURISM WEBSITE GETS A MAKEOVER
The 7 Mile Business Community Association (7MBCA) launched a new design for Avalon’s tourism website, visitavalonnj.com, paid for by a grant from the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism. The organization applies for the cooperative marketing grant each year, and funds received are used for marketing Avalon as a premier tourism destination. The Avalon Chamber of Commerce partnered with 7MBCA on the new design, which highlights island businesses including accommodations, real estate, dining, retail, activities, and organizations.
In addition to an updated layout and design, the site also features a detailed event calendar, featured event highlights, membership information, business hours, and important announcements.
“The new site really caters to a visitor’s experience,” said 7MBCA President Jacquie Ewing. “It has a simple and easy-to-use navigation, and guides visitors through the best aspects of the island including the beach, the bays, and the businesses.”
The site, designed and developed by 7 Mile Publishing & Creative, was launched in mid-June. A new Membership Promotions section lists current deals and ongoing promotions hosted by businesses including accommodation discounts, offseason rental opportunities, store promotions, and more.
“The Seven Mile Beach is a unique community and a great place to vacation,” said Avalon Chamber of Commerce President John O’Dea. “We appreciate our partnership with 7MBCA and ability to get grant funding. The new website design portrays everything that makes this island a premier vacation destination.”
Go to visitavalonnj.com to check out the new design and start planning your vacation.
MESSAGE-IN-A-BOTTLE MYSTERY
Imagine Mike Dolan’s surprise one early June morning when he was cleaning up the area around his home in Avalon Manor that sits on the South Channel. “I noticed some weeds and things,” he says. “That’s when I noticed the bottle. I thought that it was kind of neat, so I called out to my wife, ‘We have a message in a bottle!’ ”
A message in a bottle? How exciting! What exotic destination might it be from? How far had the ocean carried it? You can probably imagine what was going through their minds. So, they carefully uncorked the bottle and retrieved their treasure: a note, a treasure map, and even a little pirate booty was inside the bottle. According to the note, the bottle was set adrift by a gang of pirates. The pirates from Stone Harbor, N.J.! Stone Harbor? You mean this bottle drifted around for a year and only went from Stone Harbor to the other side of Avalon? But who are these pirates?
Mike Dolan followed the directions on his letter very carefully and we can report – mystery solved. He heard from one of the pirate leaders … Beverly Thompson, of Bucks County and Stone Harbor. It seems the Thompsons celebrate a “pirate’s weekend” every summer in Stone Harbor with their grandchildren. They have been doing it for 11 years. The festivities include dressing up like pirates, searching for treasures and taking their boat out in the back bay to send off their message in a bottle. “It’s fun for the kids,” Thompson was saying recently – we are not sure exactly where she was calling from, maybe a desert island somewhere? “And we get a great response from our neighbors and people around town.”
Thompson and her pirate grandchildren had pretty much written off this bottle. After all, it had been a year. And they normally hear back sooner. Maybe this one was out in the South Pacific? “We were surprised that it only went as far as Avalon in a year,” Thompson adds. “And we had already done our pirate weekend this year.”
So, mystery solved. But you should still keep your eyes peeled for any pirates wandering down 96th Street.
STUDENTS RESUME TERRAPIN RELEASE TRADITION
The kindergarten and first-grade classes at Stone Harbor Elementary School resumed a three-decade tradition with a field trip to The Wetlands Institute to release diamondback terrapins on June 8. The students spent the school year participating in the Diamondback Terrapin Turtle Project, created by retired teacher Roberta Dean.
Dean created the project 31 years ago, and to date more than 500 kindergarten students have participated. The current kindergarten teacher, Brie Schenck, continued the project after Dean’s retirement in 2016, and spends the year educating students about the diamondback terrapin, and the institute’s “head start” program.
During the nesting season for diamondback terrapins, Wetlands Institute staff patrols the roads for injured or deceased turtles struck by motor vehicles. Undamaged eggs from the terrapin are retrieved and artificially incubated. The hatchlings are put into a year-long head start program and then released back into the wild. Students visit the institute at the end of the year, and release the head start terrapins back into the bay, after giving each a name and bidding it safe travels, of course.
Traditionally, as students learn about the head start program, they also sell “turtle cookies” throughout the school year, and have the opportunity to donate the proceeds to the institute during their visit. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the kindergarten class of 2020 was not able to visit last year, and this year’s class was not able to sell cookies. So instead, donation requests were sent to students’ families, and the kindergarten and first-grade classes traveled together to the institute for a visit. The students, with a match from Sturdy Savings Bank and an additional donation from Edith Perry, the mother to kindergarten aide Sue Jones, presented donations amounting to more than $800. Following the visit, local businesses Nesting and Island Watersports further matched the donation with $250 each, providing an additional $500 donation to the Institute.
“The turtle release has been a tradition for more than 30 years,” says Dr. Renee Murtaugh, supervisor of curriculum and instruction for Avalon Stone Harbor Schools. “We are so fortunate to have a close partnership with The Wetlands Institute that brings amazing programs to the students in Avalon Stone Harbor Schools. We look forward to continuing this tradition for many more years to come.”
For more information on The Wetlands Institute and its conservation, research, and education programs, go to wetlandsinstitute.org.
Entries and winners for the Avalon Historical Society’s Annual Photography Contest are on display at the Avalon History Center.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS
The Avalon Historical Society hosted its 17th Annual Photography Contest, and received more than 50 entries from local, amateur photographers. The entries were judged by local photographers Al Campbell, Cal Sampson and Suzanne Dagit Sennhenn.
Event chairperson Rose Marie Chew announced the first-place photographs in the following categories:
Avalon: “Under the Pier” by Sharon Fletcher;
Nature: “Storm Rolling In” by Sharon Fletcher;
Portrait & Personality: “Good Night Sweetheart” by Diane Bove;
Scenic: “Osprey Nest – Sunset” George Wallace.
“Thank you to the judges and the amateur photographers that submit their beautiful work to this annual contest,” Chew said. “The Avalon Historical Society looks forward to exhibiting these photos every year, and I encourage visitors to enjoy this beautiful display of Avalon and surrounding areas. ”The entries are on display at the Avalon History Center at
215 39th Street, through the month of June. The History Center is now open Monday through Friday, 10am-4pm, and Saturday, 10am-1pm.
The Avalon Free Public Library has installed a StoryWalk along the field at the Elementary School featuring “Outside In,” by Deborah Underwood.
AVALON LIBRARY HAS ACTIVE SUMMER LINED UP
The Avalon Free Public Library announced a long list of programming, and exciting new features for the summer including virtual events, outdoor programs and hands-on activities.
What special box makes green cars go? Where is a kite that flies year-round? These tricky questions are part of the newly launched Avalon Library and History Center Community Scavenger Hunt. Participants can pick up a copy of the clues and follow them to capture a photo of the answers. Submit your photo answers before Sept. 10 to be entered for a drawing to win a basket of fun gifts, and also earn fun prizes for participating.
Take a stroll around the Avalon Elementary School field and read along with the newly installed StoryWalk. On your way to the playground, enjoy illustrated posts of “Outside In,” written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Cindy Derby. This thoughtful children’s book highlights the many ways nature affects our everyday lives, even when we’re stuck inside. The StoryWalk project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vt., and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
The library’s Authors in Conversation Series will feature renowned authors virtually for a discussion on their latest published works. Authors include Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella on June 17, Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig on July 15, and Lee Child and his brother Andrew Grant on Aug. 19.
The library is also co-sponsoring a number of outdoor events including weekly Dune & Beach Walks with The Wetlands Institute every Wednesday at 9:30am at the 48th Street beach, and Beachside Science at Surfside Park with The Wetlands Institute and the Avalon Environmental Commission, the third Wednesday of every month at 6pm.
“With online programs and in-person activities and events, the library aims to have something for everyone this summer as we expand our services,” says Library Director Erin Brown. “Open daily, we hope patrons will find time to borrow books and more, pick up a craft in our newly renovated Children’s Room, and check out our new seating, perfect for reading a good book or making use of the Library’s Wi-Fi.”
And those missing the Bay Atlantic Symphony’s moving performances should mark their calendars for two special virtual concert experiences on Saturday, July 17 and Saturday, Aug. 21. Viewers will enjoy selections by Elgar, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, and more performed by the Bay Atlantic Symphony Ensemble, Woodwind Trio, String Quartet, symphony director Jed Gaylin, and concert master Jorge Avila. These events will remain available for two weeks following the premieres.
Along with these exciting events, the library announced a full schedule of workshops, programs and activities held virtually including weekly Story Times, genealogy workshops, book clubs, language lessons, and more. For a full schedule of programs, go to avalonfreelibrary.org.
