LAVALLETTE – When you unlock something as large and valuable as the Atlantic Ocean, you need a big key and that is exactly what local government officials brought with them to the beach to kick off the summer season.
The event showcased the Philadelphia Avenue gazebo and shoreline of Lavallette. It included county and local public officials, students and staff of the Lavallette Elementary School, US Navy Captain James B. Howell, commanding officer, Naval Support Activity Lakehurst and Deputy Commander of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and several Navy sailors and residents.
“It is a glorious day. I can’t tell you how proud I am that Lavallette was chosen as the location for the very first open the ocean ceremony. Ocean County has 44 miles of beaches. We have one mile and we are very proud of what we have here,” LaCicero said.
The mayor added, “anyone who has traveled the world and been to many beaches knows that Ocean County beaches are second to none. The color of the sand, the texture, the softness combine to make this the absolute best place in the entire world to vacation and as everyone knows tourism is the number one industry here in Ocean County.”
The mayor was joined by Council President Anita Zalom, Councilwoman Joanne Filippone, Councilman David Finter and Police Chief Christian LaCicero at the event that he said, “will kick off what is going to be a very busy tourism season here in 2024 in Ocean County.”
Captain Howell whose sea duty assignments include HSL-46, HSL-42, Tacron 22 and USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) led the flag salute. He became commanding officer of NSA Lakehurst last summer and introduced the NAS sailors that were present.
Commissioner Frank Sadeghi, who serves as liaison to Business Development and Tourism office, also noted the sunny warm day. “I don’t know if there is anything better than to be at the Jersey shore on a day like this.”
The Business and Tourism department arranged for some giveaways at their table which included refreshments, event frisbees, and bottles of water and the popular local small business.
Joint Base U.S. Air Force Senior Airman and Public Affairs member Matt Porter sang the National Anthem and then it was time for the Lavallette Elementary School students to sing Auli’i Cravalho’s “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney animated film “Moana” which they also provided sign language for.
“We have a guest here. My favorite mascot. Buster is here,” Commissioner Sadeghi remarked. The big yellow character traveled from the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, a minor league baseball team that plays at the Shore Town Ball Park in Lakewood.
Buster greeted and had his photo taken with the students and some adults after the unlocking ceremony had concluded.
“I want to wish everybody a healthy fun summer. We hope the weather will cooperate. Good luck to all the small businesses that are the backbone of the economy of this country. Tourism is an economic engine here in Ocean County,” Sadeghi said. Tourism is a $7 billion industry in Ocean County and results in the creation of 40,000 jobs annually.
Ocean County Director of Business Development and Tourism Sandra Lazzaro said, “the Ocean County Vocational School’s culinary department made beautiful cookies with a nautical theme and there is also a pail for some summer fun and we have copies of the 2024 travel guide.”
Borough resident Judith Leblein Josephs came out to not only witness the ceremony but to share some information about the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance’s bathing suit and goggle drive. She noted that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children ages 1 to 4. “We lose an average of 10 children to drowning each year. Swimming lessons are essential to the safety of children, especially in under resourced communities.”
The NJSSA works to get children swim lessons. “Some children in New Jersey – believe it or not – don’t have bathing suits and because they don’t have bathing suits they can’t take a free swim lesson. We collected 1,800 last year and this year we are hoping to get 2,000 new bathing suits and distribute them to various agencies.”
“One of the agencies is the Monmouth/Asbury Park Boys and Girls Club. They provide swim lessons,” Leblein Josephs said. To learn more about the programs offered and how to support the group visit NJSwimSA.org. The agency’s Facebook page is @NJSwimSA and you can also e-mail info@njswimsa.org for information about water safety programs, newborn “introduction to water” classes and infant swim courses in your area.
“I’ve been working on drowning prevention for most of my career with parks and recreation and now a water park consultant,” she added. “This is state wide, non-profit, all volunteer.”
