Times Talk
Roger Stanford
HAIL TO THE CHIEF
The Borough of Stone Harbor announced the retirement of Roger Stanford as the Borough’s Fire Official after 16 years of service. Borough officials were quick to thank Stanford for his years of service and for guiding the department through transitions while protecting the safety of Stone Harbor residents. Stanford remains the chief of the Stone Harbor Fire Department.
Mary Grace Keen
MARY GRACE KEEN DIES
Sad news to pass along with the loss of another of Avalon’s pioneers. Former Avalon Borough Council vice president Mary Grace Keen passed away on March 14, at her home in Lake Worth, Fla. Mrs. Keen was a resident of Avalon for more than four decades and served on the Borough Council from 1979-83, before relocating to Florida in 1994. Mrs. Keen also helped her husband, Dan, operate Keen’s Pharmacy, an institution here on the Seven Mile Beach for several generations. She was extensively active in civic endeavors, including serving as president of the Upper Cape Chapter of Deborah Hospital in Browns Mills, N.J. Mrs. Keen is survived by her husband of 72 years, W. Daniel Keen, her children Louise Grabowski, Julie Thyrring, William Keen, and Bonnie Cote; nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
A historic marker honoring William H. Tozour Jr. was unveiled in 2025.
NEW AVALON HISTORIC MARKERS ANNOUNCED
The Avalon Historical Society announced that the Wells Memorial Presbyterian Church and the former United States Lifesaving/United States Coast Guard Station will be recipients of Avalon historical markers in 2026. The program, founded by the Avalon Historical Society in 2025, recognizes people, places, and events that played key roles in the establishment of the Borough of Avalon. Nominations are open each summer. A blue-ribbon committee votes on nominees, and the two nominees getting the most votes are awarded with historical markers. The markers, which are cast out of aircraft-grade steel, are intended to last for generations. The 2026 markers will be dedicated in June during the Borough’s Spring into Summer celebration.
American Legion Post 331 Commander Heather Runyon (left) receives her Quilt of Valor.
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE, COMMANDER
Heather Runyon, Commander of American Legion Post 331 in Stone Harbor, was recently honored with her own Quilt of Valor. The presentation took place on March 6 in Ocean City and was attended by numerous members of her post. The quilt recognizes veterans touched by war by symbolizing comfort, healing, and gratitude for their service and sacrifice. Commander Runyon was deployed in three war zones during her eight years of service in Air Force Intelligence.
The Avalon Planning and Zoning Board reviews a proposed hotel amendment at Borough Hall.
AVALON ZONING BOARD OK WITH PROPOSED HOTEL AMENDMENT
Among other agenda items, at the Avalon Planning and Zoning Board meeting on March 11, the board found that the proposed amendment to the Avalon Zoning Code that establishes an overlay zone to permit boutique hotels was consistent with the Borough’s Master Plan. The Board recommended that the Borough Council adopt an ordinance implementing the proposed amendment.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew tours storm-damaged beaches with federal and local officials.
VAN DREW HIGHLIGHTS BEACH DAMAGE
While government officials took a break from Capitol Hill in February, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew made a break for the Jersey Shore, with Assistant Secretary of the Army Adam Telle in tow. The entourage toured some of the most devastated beaches along the Jersey Cape. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said the federal government is preparing to provide “tens of millions of dollars” for rapid emergency repairs before summer crowds return.
Van Drew and Telle toured beaches in Ocean City, Upper Township, North Wildwood, and Avalon for a full day on Feb. 13.
“We’re going to bring money into the district for beach nourishment, for these emergency areas, for the worst areas of erosion,” Van Drew said.
A prolonged cold snap left the bay frozen and the island covered in snow.
THAT WAS A LOT OF SNOW ...
At least that’s the way it felt this winter on the Seven Mile Beach. With some help from Avalon’s official meteorologist, Joe Martucci, we’ve been able to determine the following:
The closest snow totals for a barrier island for this winter that we were able to collect was from Ocean City — and even these numbers aren’t official, but OC reported 24.1 inches of the white stuff, as opposed to an inland locale such as Lower Township, which reported 16.7 inches. As a point of reference, we can usually expect an average of 14.1 inches. So yes, that was a lot of snow.
What probably made it seem like even more was the snowpack – the length of time that snow remained on the ground. Typically, the Seven Mile Beach does a pretty good job of clearing fallen snow from hard surfaces quickly on its own, thanks to its moderating ocean temperatures and salt air. This year, the especially prolonged spell of extra-cold temperatures meant that we had snowpack on the ground longer than at any time since the winter of 1978.
Even the bay, which doesn’t normally freeze over, reacted to the cold. Princeton Harbor in Avalon was frozen from side to side for the first time since the winter of 1977. Ouch! That’s cold.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t give a shout-out to the public works departments in both Avalon and Stone Harbor, who did an exceptional job of clearing our local streets — and even pitched in on county roads that run through the island.