Dear Readers,

It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the Summer of 2021. Wow, does it ever feel good to say that!

I know that you’re going to love our Memorial Day issue. It is packed with tons of useful information and lots of great reading.

Restaurants in Avalon and Stone Harbor are open and ready to serve you! As Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, it also marks the best time to cruise around town and check out which restaurants have reopened their doors for the season and what is new in town.

As the sale of another comfortably familiar local establishment begets change, a look back at the Windrift Hotel before looking forward to Icona Windrift is in order.

The Wetlands Institute has announced a full schedule of conservation-based, interactive activities for the 8th Annual Spring Shorebird and Horseshoe Crab Festival. A variety of programs are scheduled throughout the island including guided marsh tours, shorebird identification, back bay boat cruises, creature features, crafts, and more.

Memorial Day is upon us and that means it’s time to spruce up that summer wardrobe and get yourself beach-ready. From bathing suits and cover-ups to hats, flip-flops and sundresses, everything you need, you’ll find right here on the island. There are plenty of new stores to check out, along with all of your old favorites, so get ready to shop until you drop!

Long, meritorious excellence.

That’s a career summary for Nancy Hudanich, one of Avalon government’s all-time greats.

Her exemplary 32-year tenure on the Avalon Borough Council – including seven stints as its president – is a leadership blueprint. Hudanich has served parts of five decades, from the 1980s until a June 30, 2021 conclusion.

You probably don’t recognize his picture, but his name should be familiar. The old U.S. Life Saving Service and Coast Guard station at the southern end of the island has been home to Stephen C. Ludlam American Legion Post #331 since its inception in 1948. Growing up in Stone Harbor, chances are he might even have run up and down the steps of the old lookout tower as a child.

Sunrise, sunset.

A new era of Avalon Beach Patrol stewardship begins on the heels of its predecessor.

The sunrise is the new leadership duo – Chief Matt Wolf and Captain Ryan Black, who assumed command early this year and launch their first summer season together in charge on Memorial Day.

After 16 years of being at the helm of the Avalon and Stone Harbor schools, Mrs. Stacey Tracy is ready to sail into the sunset. She is retiring on June 30, and while she’s looking forward to both domestic and foreign travels (if COVID allows), she leaves with fond memories of Seven Mile Island schools.

As Seven Mile Beach continues to buzz with activity after a pandemic year that was unprecedented in our lifetime, anticipation grows with several new businesses opening their doors in town. From new shopping and dining destinations to services offered throughout the island, there are several new businesses planting their roots in Avalon and Stone Harbor.

Driving down the causeway to Seven Mile Beach, you can’t help but notice the expanse of salt marsh outside your window. As summer approaches, those watching get the privilege of seeing the marsh turn from a dull brown backdrop to a lush landscape teeming with life.

PowerHouse Field Hockey camp hosts a fun and competitive environment created to sharpen skills from beginner to advanced. Campers will enjoy a curriculum built to cater to all participating ages and skill levels, and will boost players to the next level. Take part in focused drills and games designed to sharpen skills, improve strength and speed, and gain leadership and confidence both on and off the field.

My first teacher was my mother. She was an excellent cook and began to teach me when I was just 5 years old. She came from a very big family and loved to host dinner parties for up to 30 guests, and would always write the menus and have me help her prepare the food.

Avalon filled three Borough Council seats in its municipal election May 11, with the return of Council President John McCorristin and the addition of newcomers Mari Coskey and Jamie McDermott to replace outgoing members Dr. Nancy Hudanich and James Deever.

Walking barefoot on the sunny, soft sand of our New Jersey beach, it’s hard to conjure the reality of another American state where it is so cold that planes take off and land on frozen lakes. A place where a popular endurance race is not a hot run through a city, but a 900-mile trek on a sled pulled by a pack of 14 dogs.

Welcome to Summer 2021! With Memorial Day weekend serving as our unofficial kickoff, this year is sweeter than ever considering our situation just one year ago. Now with a renewed hopefulness for something resembling normal, I know I am more than ready for some socializing of the not-so-distant kind.

It’s been more than a year now that sweatpants and T-shirts have been the norm for getting dressed. One of the hardest things about getting back to normal life is actually having to get dressed again each day. Fortunately, you can still stay comfortable but look good, too.

When “Mare of Easttown” closes the book on the Erin McMenamin murder case and Mare (we hope) finds some peace in her own life, the credits will roll on the final episode and fans from the Philly suburbs will bid farewell to people and places that were at once singular yet familiar. 

Say hello to your new partner.

You might already be familiar with his work.

Tor Andersen, a major force implementing the home-building process for Harbaugh Developers, was named a partner in the company by owner Steve Harbaugh in March. It was a life-changing promotion for Andersen and a long-term investment by the company in its Seven Mile business operation.

The primary election for Stone Harbor Borough Council is set for July 8, and three candidates are running for two council seats that have three-year terms: incumbent Frank Dallahan and two newcomers, Bob Bickford and Bernadette “Bunny” Parzych.