Date: February 1, 2025 | Issue: 147

Borough officials, Avalon Free Library management, Chamber leaders, and heads of all Avalon-related community associations are well underway in organizing the 2nd annual Spring into Summer -- a special series of entertainment, educational, and cultural events and programs spanning the first four weekends of June.

Our goal is to eventually create the Spring/June version of the now traditional and highly successful Thanksgiving Day weekend of fun for all ages, hopefully enticing property owners and visitors to further enjoy Avalon throughout the month of June. We hear continually from AHLOA members seeking more dining and entertainment options, and there is no better way to stimulate (current and potential/hopeful future) businesses in Avalon than to help fill up the typically quiet month of June.

The complete June schedule of events, which will take place predominantly on Friday and Saturday each of the four weekends from May 30 through June 21, will be announced soon. At this time, we can share “save the date” preliminary details for the three AHLOA co-sponsored events that are part of the Spring into Summer schedule. Please mark your calendars for the following AHLOA events:

1) Friday night May 30^th, 7:00 to 9:00 PM: The Paul Green Rock Academy (PGRA) will perform in concert at Surfside Park at 7:00 PM as the kick-off event for Spring into Summer, co-sponsored by AHLOA and the Avalon Free Library. This group of musically talented middle school and high school students play regularly in the Philadelphia and Southwest Connecticut area and tour domestically and internationally as the opening act for professional bands throughout the summer break from school. Their range of music and vocals is amazingly wide, but they typically perform classic rock at events like this to deliver on the “Rock” that is part of their name and at the soul of Paul Green, founder and band leader. For more information about PGRA, please visit this link. Dust off your beach chairs from their long winter’s nap and come out and support these kids. You will enjoy this kick-off night of live music and help usher in another musical season at Surfside.

2) Saturday night, June 7th, 6:30 to 9:30 PM: Put on your dancing shoes and enjoy the June Jam at Community Hall. This event is also co-sponsored by AHLOA and the Library. Performing from 7:00 to 9:00 PM will be the South Jersey band Loose Ends. More information on the band is available on their Facebook page.

Attendance at this event will be limited in order to allow for table seating and ample dance floor space. You are welcome to bring dinner or snacks to the event. AHLOA will offer beer and wine for sale, provide limited other refreshments, and offer members some extra incentives to attend. Entrance tickets are free, but advance arrangements will be required to reserve space and/or pick up tickets prior to opening of the doors at 6:30. Please save the date and bring your family and friends. If you have Avalon neighbors who are not AHLOA members, give them a nudge and invite them along so we have an opportunity to educate them about AHLOA and our community role.

Further details and ticket reservation options for AHLOA members will be provided in upcoming newsletters.

3) Saturday morning, June 14th, 8:00 to 11:00 AM: The Lions Club and AHLOA are sponsoring a joint event at Community Hall. The Lions annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser starts at 8:00 AM and runs to 11:00 AM in the front-half of Community Hall. From 9:00 to 10:30 AM, AHLOA will host our annual Community Connection event in the back-half of the Hall featuring Borough departments and key Avalon organization information tables with give-aways. Please consider supporting the Lions charitable efforts and arrive for breakfast before visiting with AHLOA board members and Borough staff at the information tables. This is Father’s Day weekend, so enjoy the weekend in Avalon and buy Dad a breakfast.

Spring into Summer is a shared marketing and event initiative supported in part by a grant from the NJ Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism to 7MBCA. It combines existing community events with new offerings to create a range of activities to draw homeowners and visitors to Avalon in June to grow shoulder season engagement across business and community services. Using the grant and other community-supported funding, these events will be marketed via a central focus through multiple channels.

Spring into Summer 2025 will be structured as four themed weekends, starting Friday, May 30, each with anchor events, as well as other weekend and weekday activities for a variety of ages. Events will be supported by a range of community organizations, including the Chamber, 7MBCA, Borough of Avalon, Library & History Center, AHLOA, Avalon Environmental Commission, Avalon Garden Club, and more.

Avalon Beach Patrol (ABP) is looking to hire lifeguards for the 2025 season. All information regarding the application and hiring process is available here at the ABP website. Applications must be submitted by May 1. There will be a swimming test and a running test in May at Cape May Special Services in Cape May Court House (exact date TBA) and a June 1 test at ABP Headquarters at 32nd Street and the beach. Follow ABP on Instagram to get the latest information on the application and testing process over the next few months.

The Beach Patrol made nearly 400 rescues last summer. Also, it celebrated team wins for both its male and female guards. In the South Jersey Championships, the oldest lifeguard competition in the country, Avalon won the team title with Gary James Nagle, David Giulian, Alex Zoldan, and Ryan Finnegan. Also, ABP claimed the Bill Howarth Memorial Women's Race with Regan and Molly McDonnell winning the doubles row and Becca Cubbler taking the swim competition.

Additionally, information regarding applications for beach tag inspectors for the 2025 season is also available at this ABP website link.

Owners of rental properties are prohibited from using wood-based mulch and other combustible landscape materials near buildings, starting April 15, because of changes to the New Jersey Fire Code. While the code changes do not apply to owner-occupied dwellings, the Borough encourages all property owners to comply. The Borough notes that the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department responds to multiple mulch fires each year as wood-based mulch can and does spontaneously combust under the right conditions.

Fire-resistant mulch is permitted. Also, live plant material such as shrubs, flowers and trees are permitted, provided that they are not located within 18 inches of the building or structure, or beneath a combustible overhang with less than six feet of clearance.

For more information, go to the Avalon Borough website here, or read the New Jersey Fire Code article at this link.

For the second season a row, Avalon Seawatch counted more than 1 million seabirds migrating south from October 1 until December 22.

The count, performed from sunrise to sunset each day by N.J. Audubon Society staff, ranged from the largest seasonal record of 389,000 Black Scoters to the first-ever Red-billed Tropicbird sited in Cape May County. And at least one Humpback Whale was sighted on 25 different days as these are becoming increasingly visible from north Avalon beaches in the fall.

The Seawatch counters were stationed daily on 8th Street beach and were protected by a shed provided by Avalon Public Works. This beach was chosen because the northern tip of Avalon extends a mile farther out into the Atlantic than the coastline to the north.

Why the number of birds following the coastline is increasing year-over-year is a finding that intrigues the Audobon experts. It may mean the northern breeding season has been more successful than before. Or maybe slight changes in sea surface temperature and food availability (that is, fish in the ocean) may draw migrating seabirds closer to our coastline.

In addition to the Black Scoters, the 2024 count of 1,170,000 south-bound birds included familiar Double-crested Cormorant (187,000), Surf Scoters (158,000), Red-throated Loons (116,000), and Northern Gannet (103,000).   The counters also tracked north-bound birds who may be coming from inland breeding areas. The entire list of 2024 results is available here.

Rare sightings included a Brown Booby, a Pacific Loon, and a Long-Tailed Jaeger. Seawatch, which began 31 years ago, had never recorded a Red-billed Tropicbird until last fall. It was sighted November 14, last seen heading north. This was an adult bird, but experts noted its flight pattern was way off. Still, an adult Tropicbird was seen from Ocean City MD during the winter a few years ago. Is ours the same bird still flying off-course in the fall? Or a new Tropicbird? For now, it’s a natural mystery.

• The Free Public Library is offering Open Tech: Drop-In Help on Thursday, February 6 from 3:00 to 4:30 PM for help with questions about a computer, phone, software, or an app. No registration is needed.

• New baskets and backboards were recently installed at the Community Center.

Visit us on the Web at AHLOA.com or call 609.796.2491

The Avalon Home & Land Owners Association

Tony Newshel, President      Mary Flannery, Newsletter Editor