Times Talk
Retiring Councilman Chuck Covington congratulates Avalon Mayor Marty Pagliughi on his successful reelection, for his eighth term, as Mayor of Avalon.
TEAM AVALON WINS ELECTION
The Team Avalon ticket, consisting of Mayor Martin Pagliughi, Councilwoman Barbara Juzaitis and Sam Wierman Jr., swept the borough’s municipal election on May 14. In the race for two council seats, Wierman received 269 votes and Juzaitis 262. The other candidate, local businessman James Lutz, received 117 votes. Each four-year term will end June 30, 2023.
Pagliughi, running unopposed, was elected to his eighth term as mayor. He took office in 1991 and is one of the longest-serving mayors in the state.
Barbara Juzaitis
“It continues to be an honor to serve as the mayor of a great community like Avalon,” he said. “Barbara has been a great addition to council, and Sam will pick up many of the duties performed by our good friend, Chuck Covington. The team approach works in Avalon, and works well. We are honored to continue good government in Avalon.”
Juzaitis was appointed to council last December to serve the remainder of Dick Dean’s term, vacated by his retirement.
“I want to thank the voters in our community for supporting Marty, Sam and I,” she said. “Avalon has leadership that works together, and we humbled by the support provided by residents on Election Day.”
Sam Wierman Jr.
Wierman fills the seat vacated by Covington, a longtime councilman who is retiring. Each four-year term will end on June 30, 2023.
“I am thrilled to be part of this team, and anxious to get to work in behalf of all citizens and property owners in Avalon,” Wierman said. “I have very big shoes to fill as Chuck Covington has done a magnificent job with budgets and financial planning for our community. Thank you to all the voters who supported Team Avalon.”
Team Avalon will officially be sworn in during the Borough Council’s reorganization meeting in July.
Council meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday each month at 4pm. For details, go to avalonboro.net.
Work continues on the Townsends Inlet Bridge.
T.I. BRIDGE UPDATE
The Townsends Inlet Bridge connecting Avalon and Sea Isle City will not reopen by Memorial Day weekend as anticipated. The County of Cape May issued a press release on April 8 notifying the public of the delay and reported that it would remain closed through late summer.
Despite adding more workers and increasing work shifts, with some construction activity underway 24 hours a day, the delays were unavoidable due to geotechnical complications and challenges pertaining to demolition and underwater salvage operations.
The $8.6 million project was awarded to Agate Construction Company in 2018. Once completed, it will result in the replacement of the old steel spans 1-7 on Avalon’s side with four new larger spans made of concrete. In 2018, the bridge also received a railing replacement for 25 of the 27 spans; railings for the other two spans were replaced under a previous construction contract.
Throughout the entirety of the project, representatives from Avalon and Sea Isle City have pledged to remain transparent and any updates provided by the county will be shared and available on avalonboro.net and seaislecitynj.us.
The bridge opened to traffic in 1940 and has had several upgrades and emergency repairs over the past five years.
SINGLE-USE PLASTICS BAN STARTS JUNE 1
The boroughs of Stone Harbor and Avalon are taking steps to reduce single-use plastics within the community to keep the waterways and beaches clean while helping the environment. Effective June 1, all single-use plastics such as bags, straws, utensils and polystyrene products will be banned in both boroughs.
“Stone Harbor is proud to be part of a worldwide initiative to reduce the inadvertent over-consumption of single-use plastic,” said Mayor Judy Davies-Dunhour. “As a coastal community, it’s our responsibility to take the first step and lead by example. Stone Harbor cares about the environment. Our beaches, natural resources and wildlife will greatly benefit by restricting the availability of single-use plastic.”
In working with Dr. Lenore Tedesco of The Wetlands Institute, Avalon and Stone Harbor have adopted similar ordinances to remove single-use materials. The ordinances discourage the use of certain polystyrene food-service products, single-use plastic bags, and plastic straws and utensils. These products are not accepted as recyclable by the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority and all of it is placed in a local landfill.
Many restaurants and retail stores are already taking steps in advance of June 1. Some restaurants have opted for paper straws, and recyclable takeout containers and utensils while many of the retail shops and stores are switching from single-use plastic bags to paper or reusable bags.
“We deeply appreciate the involvement of the Avalon business community in our Clean Water Initiative to remove non-recyclable plastics and Styrofoam from our marine environment,” said Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “This will be a sustainable, ongoing discussion between our merchants and the Borough as we continue to explore all opportunities to protect our fragile marine environment.”
Avalon’s Clean Water Initiative not only aims to remove single-use materials from the waterways, but it also includes an effort to increase locations of monofilament disposal locations and to educate boaters on the importance of securing these non-environmentally friendly materials during a day out on the water.
For more information on the single-use plastics ban in the Boroughs of Avalon and Stone Harbor go to shnj.org or avalonboro.net.
SURFSIDE PARK GRAND OPENING SET FOR JUNE 22
As Surfside Park nears completion, the Borough of Avalon has announced plans for its grand opening on June 22.
Held from 6-8:30pm, the event will include remarks from local officials, fun activities for the entire family, and live music by Jimmy and the Parrots.
“It is very exciting to see Surfside Park go from concept to design to construction in only a couple of years to be the crown jewel of recreation facilities in Avalon,” said Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “We are excited for the big grand opening celebration on June 22 and I promise some special guests at the celebration that will get people very excited before the big Jimmy Buffett-style concert.”
The $2 million project, funded by the Cape May County Open Space Program, broke ground Oct. 22 and features brand-new, state-of-the-art playground, restrooms and changing stations, a play area and more. Located adjacent to the boardwalk at 30th Street and the beach, Surfside Park also has a picnic pavilion, tables, chairs, bike racks and a stage area for community events.
This summer, two family-oriented events will debut at Surfside Park: “Surfside Live” on Monday nights and “Surfside Jam” on Friday nights. Every Monday from July 1-Aug. 26, families will have a chance to head to the park and enjoy interactive performances featuring all your children’s favorite characters, and there will be face painting, a DJ and more. From princesses and superheroes to Trolls and Frozen fever, Surfside Live will highlight live performances. On Friday nights, kick off the weekend at Surfside Park with Surfside Jam from 6:30-8pm, June 28-Aug. 23. Featuring a DJ Dance Party for the entire family, there will also be games for kids of all ages, prizes and face painting.
For more details and a calendar of events, go to avalonrecreation.org.
From left, Bill Cripps, Sam Wierman, Roger Stanford and Lou Donofrio of the Stone Harbor Fire Department.
SHFD SALUTES OUTGOING PRESIDENT
Samuel Wierman was honored for his 28 years of service as president of the Stone Harbor Fire Department at the organization’s annual banquet. Mayor Judy Davies-Dunhour presented Wierman with a proclamation from the Borough and the fire inspector, and the incoming president, Bill Cripps, and Fire Chief Roger Stanford presented him with a plaque and a gift from the department.
“Sam continues to dedicate his time to this community, going over 3 decades,” Cripps said. “He just completed 28 years as president of the Stone Harbor Vol. Fire Co. #1 and has decided to turn the gavel over. Sam remains a loyal and dedicated member as our safety officer and is involved with many of our committees. He exemplifies true leadership and has been instrumental in many ways toward our progress. His knowledge continues to be boundless. We are grateful he is staying put and not hanging his helmet up. I have been given an amazing opportunity to succeed him. He has been available for any questions that I have. I know I will not in any way replace him, but if I could do some of what he accomplished over the years, I am doing something right.”
In addition to Cripps, new officers who were named included Vice President Lou Donofrio, Treasurer Frank Vaul and Secretary Bob McClure Jr., as well as Deputy Chief Robert McClure, Battalion Chief James Bailey, and Lieutenants Matt DeRose, Dave Bosacco, Lou Donofrio and Bob McClure Jr.
The Stone Harbor Fire Department, which has been serving the Borough since 1912, now boasts more than 50 members.
During the back-passing project, a pump station was used to improve efficiency.
AVALON BACK-PASSING PROJECT UPDATE
The Avalon Department of Public Works is completing its spring sand back-passing project for Avalon’s north end in advance of hurricane and tourism season. Due to persistent northeasterly winds, the beaches from 9th Street south to 14th Street were eroded and in need of this emergency project. At the conclusion of the project, approximately 30,000 cubic yards of sand will have been relocated on the north-end beaches.
“Back-passing sand to its point of origin has proved to be an effective and fiscally responsible means to restore beaches that are damaged by storm events, especially during the offseason,” said Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “By doing this project in-house, we were able to restore beaches that were compromised earlier this year, save money, and improve the beachfront where the sand was deposited during these storm events.”
This is the sixth back-passing project completed by the Borough of Avalon’s Public Works Department. Avalon Borough Council and municipal engineer Thomas Thornton obtained the state and federal permits required to more forward with the project, and the Public Works Department rented the necessary equipment. The final 6,000 cubic yards of sand were slated to be stockpiled May 17, with two days built in the timeline for transporting to the north-end beaches.
“The four coastal storms in March could not have come at a worse time, but within weeks we surveyed the beaches, secured the permits, and conducted the project,” Pagliughi said. “Emergencies are unpredictable, but Avalon’s short- and long-term planning allows us to deal with these emergencies when they arise.”
Back-passing projects serve as a temporary measure for resiliency and recreation, and extend the work of the larger, more expensive hydraulic beach-fill projects.
Visit avalonboro.net for more information.
Councilman Robert Levins
LEVINS VACATES STONE HARBOR COUNCIL SEAT
Stone Harbor Borough Councilman Robert Levins announced his resignation from Borough Council, only five months after winning the seat vacated by the retirement of Joan Kramar. Citing medical issues that might involve a long recovery process, Levins submitted his resignation that became effective May 1.
Since Levins’ resignation missed the primary election deadline, the Stone Harbor Republican Club will have 15 days to recommend three individuals to Borough Council. Council will have 15 days to appoint one of them to be sworn in on June 4 and serve through Dec. 31. The Republican Club will have until Sept. 12 to provide the Borough clerk with the name of the person who will assume the seat in January 2020 and fill the unexpired term of two years. This person will need to run in the November general election.
Levins and his wife Helen purchased their Stone Harbor home in 1989 and moved here permanently in 2003. He is a graduate of La Salle University and is a retired police inspector with the Philadelphia Police Department, with which he served 30 years. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
For more information, go to shnj.org.
Recreation Director, Chuck McDonnell at Avalon Community Hall.
AVALON OPENS ADULT BASKETBALL LEAGUES
The Avalon Recreation Department is now accepting registration for its men’s and women’s summer basketball leagues, new additions to the lineup of activities for summer. Recreation Director Chuck McDonnell approached Borough Council with the idea after receiving requests.
“We wanted to add the men’s and women’s summer basketball leagues to our activities for the summer because we felt like a lot of the summer programs are geared toward kids and families,” McDonnell said. “We just wanted to offer another activity for our 21-and-older crowd to enjoy, and we hope that everyone makes plans to join us for this fun and engaging league.”
The women’s league is open to ages 21 and older and games will be played on Thursday evenings from July 11-Aug. 22.
The men’s league is open to ages 30 and older and games will be played on Tuesday evenings from July 9-Aug. 20. All games will be played in Avalon Community Hall, 3001 Avalon Ave. Registration is open through July 1. The cost is $700 per team; $70 per person for 10-player teams or $87.50 for eight-player teams. All teams will receive a T-shirt for games as well.
For more information, call the Avalon Recreation Department at 609-967-3066 or visit avalonrecreation.recdesk.com to register online.
One of the four homes to be toured during the annual Olde House Tour in Avalon.
AVALON OLDE HOUSE TOUR JUNE 15
The Avalon Historical Society invites you to browse the charming homes of Avalon during its 14th annual Olde House Tour, scheduled for June 15 from 1-4pm. The Olde House Tour gives the public a chance to tour some of Avalon’s finest architectural gems while also raising awareness to help preserve these homes that are so much a part of the island’s history.
Another home to be viewed during the Olde House Tour in Avalon.
“I feel that these houses are real treasures,” said Rose Marie Chew, the event chair and secretary of the Historical Society. “They each show the owner’s love of their early Avalon house, where they saw the beauty of it and improved on it rather than destroy it.”
The Olde House Tour features four homes, with the oldest dating back to 1924. From cozy cottages with the original interior and a claw-foot tub to beautifully restored homes built in the 1940s and 1960s, each home boasts a unique feature and look. Attendees will also browse a 1935 seashore cottage that also has retained its original natural beauty, boasting the last of the Avalon beach plum trees.
In conjunction with the Olde House Tour, the Avalon History Center will debut its “Early Avalon” exhibit, which will highlight the early years and fascinating artifacts of the era.
Tickets for the Olde House Tour cost $20 and can be purchased at the Avalon History Center located at 215 39th St. For more details, call 609-967-0090.
