Times Talk
The James R. Iannone Fishing Pier and Kayak Launch at 60th Street and Central Avenue.
NEW FISHING PIER/KAYAK LAUNCH DEDICATED
The James R. Iannone Fishing Pier and Kayak Launch was dedicated May 1, named for the man who served Sea Isle City as a commissioner for 22 years as well as the director of recreation and tourism. Jim Iannone passed away last year at 73.
The pier is located in Dealy Field at 60th Street and Central Avenue. It consists of a walkway that splits; the left side has a covered pavilion for fishing and watching the bay, the right features a ramp down to a kayak launch. The nearly million-dollar pier was fully funded by the Cape May County Open Space Program.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio, who worked alongside Iannone for and counted him as a friend, said: “Jim Iannone was the best of the best. He loved his family, he loved his country, and he loved his community. He did everything with a smile and a joke. He really cared about helping people, he was someone I learned a lot from. It has been a privilege to know Jim Iannone and the Iannone family.”
Said Iannone’s widow Barbara: “He would be beyond proud that his name is associated with a recreational facility such as this which is bound to bring years of enjoyment to so many.”
City Council members Mary Tighe, Jack Gibson, and J.B. Feeley.
TIGHE, GIBSON, FEELEY RE-ELECTED TO COUNCIL
Mary Tighe, Jack Gibson and J.B. Feeley won re-election to City Council in the May 11 municipal election. They ran unopposed under the slogan, “Committed to Community, Dedicated to Progress.”
Tighe was elected to her third four-year term. She also had served a two-year term under the previous form of government.
“My heartfelt thanks to all who helped me get re-elected,” she said. “I intend to prove that your vote was not wasted. I take my responsibility seriously and will continue to listen and be your voice.”
Feeley was elected to his second four-year term on City Council, and Gibson was elected to his third term.
“As a member of the team of Mary Tighe, J.B. Feeley and myself, I thank the voters for their vote of confidence,” Gibson said. “It has been a pleasure working harmoniously with my colleagues on council and the leadership of this talented administration. One of my personal goals during this next term is to continue with providing the necessary infrastructure for flood protection as rising sea levels continue to threaten coastal communities.”
Sea Isle City Council also includes William Kehner Sr. and Frank Edwardi Jr., who are not up for re-election until 2023. Mayor Leonard Desiderio heads the city administration and will also be up for re-election in 2023.
Tighe, Gibson and Feeley will be sworn in during the July 1 reorganization meeting held at either Excursion Park or the council chambers.
SEA ISLE NOW OFFERS PARKING VIA APP
Parking in Sea Isle City just got a little easier. As of May 15, the city has become the latest to join the ParkMobile app, which allows you to pay for parking via your smartphone. The app is available to download on both Apple and Android devices. The app can be used for all metered parking areas throughout the city.
Using the app for parking will cost the same amount as the kiosks, 25 cents per 15 minutes, plus a 30-cent transaction fee each time the app is used.
With the addition of the app, some kiosks will be taken away. But there still will be kiosks in all paid parking areas.
What is the largest benefit? “The ease of using the app,” said SIC Police Lt. William Mammele. “Once your vehicle information and payment information are set up in the app, it is easy to pay for the spot and add additional time if needed.”
So, once users set up the app, they don’t have to worry about searching for a meter or standing in line at a kiosk. The app will also notify users when their parking time is running out so they can add time and avoid a parking ticket, which in Sea Isle City starts at $30.
“It can also be used in many other cities using ParkMobile,” Mammele noted. Wildwood and Cape May are among those cities.
The app can be used to pay for parking throughout the metered season, which runs from May 15 through Labor Day.
SICBP EXPANDS ITS COVERAGE
Come June, beachgoers at the northern end of Sea Isle City will be able to swim under the watchful eye of a lifeguard.
The Sea Isle City Beach Patrol is adding lifeguard stands to the beaches on 3rd, 6th and 9th streets this summer. The SICBP will man the 3rd and 9th Street stands daily, and the 6th Street stand on weekends, depending on lifeguard availability.
The stands are being added because the northern beaches have become more crowded over the past few years due to the recently constructed parking lots between 5th and 9th streets.
“At the end of this past summer, it was determined, because of the number of people in the water, that it was a safety issue,” SICBP Chief Renny Steele said. “We really had to supply some lifeguards down there.”
Steele said the additional lifeguard coverage would promote increased safety for both beachgoers and the lifeguards, especially because an EMT will now also be stationed at the northern end of the island for medical emergencies.
To provide the manpower to support the new stands, Steele said the patrol will hire up to nine new guards this summer, bringing its total to just over 100.
The northern stands will be open from June 26 to Aug. 15, according to the beach patrol’s summer schedule. They will operate under the same hours as the rest of the lifeguard coverage: 10am-5pm on weekdays and 10am-5:30pm on weekends.
SYCAMORE TREES DEDICATED AT ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION
The 2021 Arbor Day celebration in Sea Isle City was held April 30 at the corner of 44th Street and Landis Avenue on the lawn of the St. Joseph Church. It was hosted by the members of Sea Isle City’s Environmental Commission, Garden Club and Historical Society.
During the celebration, two sycamore trees were dedicated to the community, one on the corner lawn of the church given by the Garden Club and the other on the sidewalk along 44th Street given by the Environmental Commission.
Father Perry Cherubini, of St. Joseph Church, opened the celebration with a prayer. Remarks were made by former mayor Michael McHale, speaking to the importance of trees for the further beautification of Sea Isle City. The Historical Society’s Ron Kovatis read the famous Joyce Kilmer poem, “Trees.”
Mayor Leonard Desiderio reminded those in attendance of a tree’s role in the environment and its purification of our air. To express his gratitude, he gave “all the trees in Sea Isle City the day off.”
Garden Club President Mary Tighe read the Frank Lloyd Wright quote: “The best friend on earth of man is the tree: When we use the tree respectfully and economically, we have one of the greatest resources of the earth.”
Environmental Commission Chair Annette Lombardo gave the audience information regarding the commission’s tree raffle, with winners of 30 trees being announced May 16. Also from the Environmental Commission, Amy Powell read a Bible passage, and Sue Ahern spoke about a sustainable New Jersey and distributed free reusable bags to promote Sustainable Jersey.
ST. JOSEPH CHURCH SEEKS DONATIONS FOR HISTORIC STRUCTURE
St. Joseph Church has been a pillar of the Sea Isle community since 1884. Before it was closed in 2011, the original structure housed services for nearly 7,000 people a week in the summer, according to parishioner Michael McHale.
Due to the growing size of the congregation, St. Joseph’s set out to build a larger church on the premise that the old structure would not be torn down. Once the new facility was opened, the historic building fell into disrepair and talk of demolition began. After a hard-fought battle with the Diocese of Camden, it was saved from demolition by a 501(c)(3) organization, Save Our Historic St. Joseph Church.
But there were some things that needed to be done to the building to get it back up and running. The first step was to remove the mold that had developed over the past decade, a $50,000 project that has just been completed. The next step is to fix the heating system, the reason the building was shut down in the first place. This step has been estimated to cost about $10,000 to $15,000. Then the gutters need to be replaced and the stained-glass windows need to be repaired, as well as the air conditioning. Painting of the exterior of the building is set to take place this summer.
The parish hopes to have the building open this summer. Once the building is restored, the parish plans to host tours and concerts. The building has a lot of potential uses that could benefit the community, not just the parish.
The organization is asking for donations to help make this effort possible, as well as help to pay expenses such as the gas and electric bills once the building is functioning. Donations can be sent to Save Our Historic St. Joseph Church, 8305 Landis Ave., Suite 5, Sea Isle City, NJ 08243.
“It’s a 137-year-old building that started Catholicism here in Sea Isle City,” McHale said. “It’s our history. People have all their memories there. We want to save that.”
