May and June Events

There is plenty to do in Avalon and Stone Harbor in both May and June. Events range from free outdoor concerts on the Veteran's Plaza to a Seafood Festival on 96th Street.

Dandy After Sandy

Superstorm Sandy roared ashore in October and left almost no Seven Mile Beach business untouched. Flooding ranged from moderate to severe in stores and restaurants in Avalon and Stone Harbor. But, it seems no matter how much flooding there was, the damage was significant. From piles of muddy debris to toppled refrigerators to soaked inventory, Sandy left her mark. With grit, resilience and a lot of hard work, island merchants have recovered and are ready to start a super 2013 summer season. Here are a few of their stories:

Mary Lamb

A Lifetime a Legacy: Jane Letzkus Scott

She was known as the unofficial town historian of Stone Harbor, having spent nearly all of her 91 years there, with family roots reaching back to the turn of the 1900s. Talk with anyone who knew her, and they all say the same thing: Jane L. Scott, who passed away on Dec. 10, 2012, loved Stone Harbor with a passion. The desire to preserve its history was a key factor in her drive to make the Stone Harbor Museum a reality in 1999.

Linda Dougherty

Echoes of the Past

It's time, once more, for the AValon Historical Society's annual Olde House Tour. Why visit some of Avalon’s historically significant homes on a weekend afternoon when beach and bay beckon and there are so many titanic new houses to see in passing? “We strain to listen to the ghosts and echoes of our inexpressibly wise past,” documentary filmmaker Ken Burns told Preservation magazine, “and we have an obligation to maintain these places, to provide these sanctuaries, so that people may be in the presence of forces larger than those of the moment.”

Marybeth T. Hagan

A War Story for the Ages

Memorial Day holds special relevance for Dr. Ken Graf. America’s salute to fallen soldiers underscores his own unselfish – and unconventional – life choice. This civilian doctor turned Army medic toiled in world battlefields for more than a decade because of 9/11’s impact. On this, his favorite holiday, the Pennsylvania native and Stone Harbor seasonal resident will address veterans as part of Avalon’s official festivities.

Dave Bontempo