A New Dawn in Avalon: Incoming Mayor McCorristin's Life Has Been Building Up to This
Minutes after polls closed on election night.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one definition of “dawn” is “to begin to appear or develop,” using the example “a new era is dawning.” Oddly enough, that’s exactly what will happen in Avalon on July 1, when for the first time in 32 years the mayor will not be someone named Marty Pagliughi. Avalon will experience the start of a new era. Or a new dawn.
So, do you believe in coincidences?
One of mayor-elect John McCorristin’s first entrepreneurial ventures in life took place in Avalon back in the early 1970s. It was a business that he operated with another well-known local teen, George Salvesen. The two called their venture New Dawn Surf Shop.
Coincidence, or perhaps fate?
McCorristin, like his predecessor, was born in Cumberland County and came to Avalon in summers as a child. As often happens to so many summer visitors, McCorristin got sand in his shoes. He’d end up spending more and more time in Avalon. His love for Avalon certainly wasn’t a secret. Even the personal caption his senior year in the Millville High School yearbook made mention of how much time he spent in Avalon.
“I always loved it here,” he says during a break from his successful construction business. “I’ve always had a love for Avalon and a strong desire to do whatever I can for this town.”
A quick look at only a small part of his community resume helps illustrate that statement: 12 years on Avalon Borough Council, including a stint as council president; 18 years on the Avalon Board of Education as president, along with involvement with Avalon’s Little League and Boy Scout programs. When Pagliughi called to recruit McCorristin for a seat on Avalon’s Borough Council, he probably wasn’t surprised when McCorristin didn’t hesitate to serve.
Friendly, positive, and affable are all descriptors commonly used to characterize McCorristin. But it was his experience that Pagliughi points to when describing him in a recent interview with Seven Mile Times.
“John played a key role in much of what we’ve done over the years,” he says. “Especially when we worked on the Avalon Library Project. We have Avalon in a good place right now. John played a key role in helping us get there.”
Mari Coskey, as an Avalon councilperson and teacher in the Avalon/Stone Harbor School District, has had the opportunity to work with McCorristin on two levels. She says she has “always found him to be a caring and responsive leader who loves Avalon and strives to find ways to improve his hometown now and for future generations.”
Perhaps those who know McCorristin best are the people who have known him the longest. They have seen their relationships grow from friendship into one of trust and respect over the years.
“John and I were born on the same day,” says lifelong Avalon resident Susan Brown. “We both came from large families living on the bend [across the 25th Street Bridge]. John always said that he’d live here in Avalon when he ‘grew up.’ And just like he does today, he always tackled everything he did with a big smile. He always has. I’m happy to have him as our mayor.”
Allan “Dutch” Dechert, the broker of record at Ferguson-Dechert Realtors, looks forward to supporting McCorristin as Avalon’s new mayor.
“I moved to Avalon in 1975,” he says. “John was already a part of the fabric of the town. From an early age, he had an entrepreneurial spirit. He was always working on something. And he was also always interested in giving back to the community. John also is a real family man. He looks after and takes care of his family.
“Over the years I’ve relaxed with John, celebrated with him, mourned and cried with him. We’ve traveled together and gone through almost every aspect of life. I think that I’ve gotten to know him as well as anyone. I believe that he will be great as our mayor, and I intend to do whatever I can to support him and our town.”
Retired educator and president of the Avalon Board of Education Lynn Schwartz wonders if everyone knows how much McCorristin does for the community.
“Obviously people are aware that he’s a member of Borough Council,” she points out. “But John is key on so many projects by so many organizations because of his expertise and experience. Most of what he does is done quietly. John has always been an asset to our community. I’d certainly expect that trend to continue with him as our mayor.”
McCorristin is a graduate of Richard Stockton College (now University). He and his wife Lisa have four adult children and have lived at the same address since 1976. Those who know him are quick to point out that he isn’t afraid of rolling up his sleeves and putting in a hard day’s work. In addition to several retail experiences, McCorristin began his career as a builder working for local construction companies before branching out on his own. Today, McCorristin Construction – where he continues to work every day – specializes in new construction and renovations primarily here on the Seven Mile Beach.
Strong and impressive praise from friends, associates, and his predecessor. If he feels any pressure following in the footsteps of the much-accomplished Pagliughi, he doesn’t show it.
“Marty did a great job,” he says. “There’s no doubt about it. He’s provided us with a blueprint for success. Obviously, there will be some things that may change a bit as I begin to do some things my way. But we have an amazing town here and we are all committed to continue that excellence.”
Sadly, one of the people who would take the most pride in his friend being elected mayor is no longer here to experience it. George Salvesen, a popular Avalon native, builder, sportfishing captain and youth sports coach, died unexpectedly in 2009.
“George always said, ‘You’ll be mayor of this town someday,’” McCorristin muses with a smile, thinking back on his good friend. “But today he would probably shake his head and say, ‘What the hell are you doing?’” the mayor-elect adds added with a laugh.
Salvesen and McCorristin met, fittingly enough, on surfboards in the late 1960s. It was a gray, misty day as McCorristin recalls: “I paddled out and there was just one guy sitting out there on his board, waiting for a wave.” McCorristin paddled over. Small talk included observations about the boards that each had. Then, Salvesen asked why McCorristin risked paddling out when everyone else headed for the beach after someone believed that they had seen a shark.
“I told him I’ve been around sharks, I surfed in Florida,” McCorriston explains. Then they both shared a laugh as a pod of dolphins surfaced and passed. “So, we had the ocean to ourselves,” McCorristin says with a laugh more than a half century later.
The two would form a bond that would last throughout their lifetimes. McCorristin would even spend several years living with the Salvesen family. As young men, they would work in the building trade for Salvesen’s father, Bill. They coached together and against each other on county baseball and soccer fields. They rented and sold surfboards from Avalon’s 29th Street Pier and eventually opened New Dawn Surf Shop on Dune Drive in part of the space now occupied today by Surfside Fitness.
Although McCorristin already possesses a great familiarity with Avalon, since his election in May he’s spent a great deal of time visiting all branches of Avalon’s government.
“I’m just trying to learn as much more as I possibly can,” he explains. His efforts are not going unnoticed.
“First, I want to thank Mayor Pagliughi for the amazing job that he’s done,” says Casey O’Hara, who owns and operates the remarkably successful Uncle Bill’s Pancake House and manages the O’Hara family real estate properties. “But I’m also a big fan of John’s. I believe that John will follow suit and maintain what Marty accomplished while putting his own stamp on things. I think that he has a good grasp on what Avalon is becoming and where it should go. I’m looking forward to supporting him and his efforts.”
Asked about the challenges ahead of him, McCorristin pauses, thinks momentarily and then briskly rubs his hands together with a big smile and says, “This is going to be a good thing. A really good thing!”
Chances are good that you never had the opportunity to see the New Dawn Surf Shop logo from back in the day. Just imagine the sun breaking the horizon, full of bright, vibrant colors and energy.
Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe not.