Mayor Jay Gillian
Dear Friends,
We’re very lucky to have so many veterans call Ocean City their home. These men and women have given everything to their country and community, and they deserve our thanks and appreciation. From here forward, every August in Ocean City will be Veterans Month.
It makes me proud when I see the crowds gathered at the Music Pier each summer morning for the flag-raising and national anthem, and for the rest of the month, the ceremony will recognize a “Veteran of the Day.” This started yesterday with a tribute to five of Ocean City’s finest and bravest veterans who are no longer with us: J.R. Robinson, Doie Barnes, Bill Cruice, Joe Caserta and Joseph DiOrio.
Ocean City’s Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies are always well-attended. But Ocean City goes beyond these holidays. I watched last month as more than 100 veterans were honored at the American Legion with a Vietnam veteran lapel pin during a ceremony that marked the 50th anniversary of the war. Ocean City held a dedication ceremony on Flag Day for a POW/MIA Chair of Honor in the entrance to the Ocean City Community Center.
The chair is a permanent reminder of those who served in the military but have not returned home to us. For more than a decade, the American Legion has paid tribute to active service members and their families by providing free week-long vacations in Ocean City. Ocean City starts every summer by hosting the Memorial Beach Challenge, a race on the beach that raises money for the support of veterans and their families. In September, the annual Run for the Fallen will pass through Ocean City, as it does every year.
These are just a few of the ways we recognize our veterans, and we work with the VFW and American Legion all year on programs and events. But we can never thank veterans enough. That’s why we are starting Veterans Month.
I hope everybody in Ocean City will join me in taking some time to thank a veteran this month.
I want to thank everybody who donated to the Food Cupboard in memory of Regina Ralston, the vice president of the Ecumenical Council and the manager of the Ocean City Food Cupboard who passed away in June. The drive collected 435 pounds of food to help stock the shelves of local Food Cupboard, which does so much to help meet the needs of local families in town. I can’t think of a better way to honor her memory.
Our Community Services team announced earlier this week that the pool at the Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Center will close for a major repair and renovation starting on Sunday (Aug. 4).
Our pool is an invaluable resource to swimmers of all ages and to a wide variety of aquatic programs, and it sees exceptional usage every day throughout the year. The repair has been put off for as long as practical, and if it doesn't get made, nobody will be able to use the pool. The current renovation plan is well-planned and will deliver the best results in the least amount of time.
More information on the closing is available here.
I hope you all will join me in wishing a happy 60th birthday to Bill McGinnity and many more to come. Many of you may know him from his Cousins Restaurant, his catering business or the Ocean City Yacht Club. But he’s been a selfless and reliable volunteer for many Ocean City events and programs, including OCNJ CARE.
There are a lot of special events this weekend, including the Boardwalk Art Show and Art of Surfing Festival. I hope you all get a chance to check some of them out, and I hope you have a great weekend.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
