Mayor Jay Gillian
Dear Friends,
I’m proud to announce that the Ocean City Recreation Division was selected today as the recipient of the Special Olympics New Jersey Outstanding Volunteer Group Award. More than 200 nominations were considered by the SONJ Awards Committee, so the achievement speaks highly of Ocean City’s commitment to serving Special Olympics athletes and programs.
Ocean City hosts the SONJ Area 8 Track and Field Meet and Area 8 Swim Meet each year, and our team is always supportive of local athletes as they advance to the statewide Special Olympics. Our pool is home to the Ocean City Stingrays swim team. Among other new initiatives, we hosted a new Unified Pickleball event earlier this year.
I want to thank Dan Kelchner, Jackie Adams, Lisa Rumer and the entire Community Services Department, Recreation Division and city team for this honor. Most of all, I want to congratulate all of our Special Olympics participants and families. I look forward to continuing to make Ocean City a hub for Special Olympics events.
The repair and renovation of the pool at the Aquatic & Fitness Center is nearing completion, and we will reopen the facility at noon on Monday after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. I want to thank members for their patience and understanding during the project.
We’re lucky to have such a wonderful resource in town, and we will continue to invest in maintaining it for generations to come. More information on programs and memberships is available here: www.ocnj.us/AquaticFitnessCenter.
The Ocean City Fire Department and the local firefighters’ union will hold their annual Open House at the station at 550 Asbury Avenue from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10.
Everybody in the community is invited to this free event. It will feature live fire demonstrations, a helicopter landing, face-painting, food, drink and giveaways. The annual event coincides with national Fire Prevention Month and gives the community a chance to learn more about how the department works.
I’m sad to report on the passing of Ocean City resident Dale Braun. A banking executive, Dale retired to Ocean City with his family and immediately poured his time and energy into the community.
He was a volunteer with the Ocean City Parent Teacher Association and After Prom Committee, a Eucharistic minister in the St. Damien Parish and a long-time member of the Ocean City Board of Education. People like Dale are what make Ocean City such a special place to live. Please join Michele and me in extending deepest condolences to Dale’s family and many friends.
The forecast looks great, and I hope you all have a great weekend.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
