Revised: July 7, 2023 Newsletter

July 7, 2023

Greetings Bradley Beach

What a successful weekend for Bradley Beach! Our BIG weekend- July 4th, went off without a hitch. The long weekend weather cooperated, with the exception of the Tuesday concert on the Promenade which we postponed due to a severe weather warning.

I have heard many compliments on the fireworks display. We changed companies this year- looks like a good choice.

Special thanks goes to our Office of Emergency Management (OEM) who did a great job organizing a team of critical players who developed and executed the plan flawlessly. Chief Guida appointed Bob Pearsall to lead the team- great job- and Thank You!!!

I’ll update you on a key Infrastructure project we are focused on right now. I also want to acknowledge our Fletcher Lake Commission for some bulkhead work they were involved in initiating. More projects to come as we get more into planning for the remainder of the year.

New Infrastructure project: The Biase Center roof replacement

The Carmen A. Biase Center at our municipal complex has had a roof leak for some time. We brought in an architect and the recommendation was for total replacement. We start work next Monday- the10th The roof will be completely replaced. Following that, a mold remediation effort for the building interior will take place. This was necessary and long overdue!

We will then move the Community Development (Zoning/ Code, etc.) and Meals on Wheels back into the building; and groups like the Seniors, Arts Council, and committees/ commissions will have access to the facility.

Now, back to Fletcher Lake. Our partners, Neptune Township (specifically Ocean Grove) has been working on funding to fix the northeast bulkhead portion of Fletcher Lake. Work began recently. This is a key project in terms of safety and stability of the bulkhead and contributes to our continued improvements to Fletcher Lake. Thank you Neptune and the Fletcher Lake Team for advocating for this important project!

As I said last week, congratulations to the Bradley Beach First Aid Squad for 90 years of continuous service to the community of Bradley Beach.

As many of you know- the Bradley Beach First Aid Squad is an all- volunteer organization who does not charge for any of the services it provides. You may have seen the squad last weekend on the Promenade soliciting your $ support. The squad will extend their Promenade presence into the summer- please support the efforts!

Shuttle Service Pilot starting!!!!!

We have arranged a pilot with “Feel Good Shuttles” (FGS) to assess how we might proceed in 2024. We see benefits in freeing up parking, safety, support to businesses, and improving our environment. You just set up an appointment and FGS will pick you up.

https://foodshuttle.appointlet.com/s/bradley-beach

More information about Feel Good Shuttles is also on their website-

https://www.feelgoodshuttles.com/

This should complement the restaurant experience in our community. Restaurants have become a defining characteristic of our community.

A few other quick topics to highlight a busy summer in Bradley Beach:

This Sunday is our second annual Parkfest celebration. Please join us- Great bands, Great food, and Bradley Brew Project beer garden!!

An update: A 3rd stage to our Parkfest festivities has been added thanks to the generous support of Tito's Handmade Vodka. We'll have performers from 2pm to 5pm at the UVA Restaurant's "Two Day Tiki Bar", just a block from Riley Park at Main Street & McCabe Street. Drift on down to UVA's, see Anthony and his family and enjoy! Rain date is Sunday, July 16th.

Our Thursday night “Songwriters on the Beach -2023” concert series began and will continue all summer. Steve Forbert and Cranston Dean rocked the beach; and take a look at the short video- HUNDREDS (maybe a thousand!) residents, visitors, and friends enjoyed the evening!!! WHAT A SETTING! What a night! Can’t wait for next week!

Starting last year, we made a concerted effort to improve our entertainment offering in the summer. Parkfest, Concerts on the Beach, Saturday concerts in the Park (starting July 15th), and our other beach and park events point to Bradley Beach being an entertainment destination- every week. This brings people to our town and residents out to events- this is a noble endeavor that we are undertaking and so far- achieving! It has so many benefits I don’t have the time to list right now- getting late! I do want to clarify and explain something about the events I just listed. How do we fund these events? Taxes?- NO. We collect Tourism fees from rentals and other applications and we have used these funds to improve the “Bradley Beach experience”. So please don’t let anyone tell you your property taxes are paying for these activities- THEY ARE NOT! I do believe we are creating value….

I also don’t want to leave out of the event/ entertainment discussion our Arts at the Beach (ad below) and our Bradley Beach Business Community Alliance (BBBCA) efforts. These two groups partner extensively with the Borough to improve our quality of life- and they too are succeeding!

Last- I’ll have an update next week on the 319 LaReine Avenue church disposal and a few infrastructure projects we have on the board.

We will continue to focus on Service and Progress as a Municipal Team.

That’s all for now!

We have a lot to be thankful for here in Bradley Beach, and much to celebrate.

Thank you- and see you around town!

Mayor Larry Fox

The Bradley Beach Shade Tree Commission has named this Northern Catalpa, as July’s Tree of the Month.

When Bud and Patty McCormick purchased their home on the corner of McCabe and Central Avenue in 1983, this Northern Catalpa already had a long history in Bradley Beach.

For the last century, every year this late bloomer bursts with large white flowers, which made this a very popular tree- especially during the Victorian times. The flowers attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. In addition, the Catalpa tree is the sole host for the catalpa sphinx moth. In the Fall, large pods - some up to 20 inches, can be found hanging from this tree, hence the nickname, cigar tree.

With dense foliage and large leaves, the Catalpa provides excellent shade and shelter for a variety of song birds. This tree in particular has been a host to piñata parties, a hammock, bird feeders and a tire swing. In fact, the McCormick’s children, after many fun filled summer days swinging and dragging their feet on that swing, unearthed a dime from 1890!

If you'd like to have a tree planted in honor of someone special, please Click Here.

Pictured is Bud McCormick in front of the Northern Catalpa. (Photo by Jane DeNoble)

Bradley Beach Public Library

There are lots of great programs hosted by our favorite library, the Bradley Beach Public Library!

Visit the website to learn about their latest offerings.

Library Website

Please visit the website for updated meetings, events and information.

www.bradleybeachnj.gov

Borough of Bradley Beach | www.bradleybeachnj.gov