AĂ‚Â friend and long time Avalon property owner who works for the American Red CrossĂ‚Â contacted me last week.Ă‚Â While she is personallyĂ‚Â thankful for the outcome at the shore, the needs in other areas of New Jersey are overwhelming.Ă‚Â
For additional information, and to donate:
Owners and visitors returning to the island for Labor Day Weekend.
Ă‚Â Downtown Stone Harbor is busy with the (postponed) annual sidewalk sale.Ă‚Â Avalon Coffee and Kohler’s Bakery have lines out the door!
My niece and nephews (and their parents) enjoyed a great week in Avalon- a slightly delayed vacation after Irene.Ă‚Â
Tim Kerr 7 Mile/ 5K RunĂ‚Â – tomorrow morning at 8:30am.Ă‚Â Registration later this afternoon and early tomorrow morning before the race.Ă‚Â Avalon Community Hall. 30th and the beach.
Another beautiful day!Ă‚Â A welcome relief, especially for the tenants delayed by Irene.
Owners and tenants are asking for guidance regarding time missed due to the hurricane. Thankfully, evacuations are not common at the Jersey shore. The last mandatory evacuation for Avalon/Stone Harbor was in 1985 (in October- so far fewer tenants on the island).
This is an excerpt of a letter from Power Play Realty to our property owners:
Last week was overwhelming for all of us. A major hurricane on a direct track toward the shore during a busy summer weekend is a worst case scenario for emergency management officials.
Ă‚Â On Thursday, August 25, the evacuation orders were in place.Ă‚Â We contacted the current tenants, as well as those due to arrive on Saturday.Ă‚Â Earlier that day, we thought the tenants had until Friday evening to leave.Ă‚Â However, by the afternoon, the order specified that non-residents should leave Thursday evening, and residents by Friday.Ă‚Â
The current tenants were very gracious with our requests to secure outdoor furniture and trash cans prior to leaving the island.Ă‚Â The incoming tenants were told they were not permitted to check in due to the mandatory evacuation order.Ă‚Â Obviously, there was much disappointment all around.
Because the property was not available during the mandatory evacuation period, tenants are requesting a refund for days lost.
Some property owners are providing additional time, and others are pro-rating the weekly rate and returning money to our office for us to process a refund to the tenants.Ă‚Â This is an unusual situation, and we appreciate the cooperation of both the landlords and tenants.
Avalon, NJ- The annual 7 Mile Run and 5K Run/Walk will take place this Sunday, September 4th at 8:30am. Registration held Saturday afternoon and before the race on Sunday morning. Avalon Community Hall- 30th and the beach.
The Cedar Island Swim (postponed by Irene last Sunday) will take place on Monday, September 5th.Ă‚Â And the kid’s Splash N’ Dash takes place Saturday, September 3rd at 6:30pm.
For additional information: http://www.timkerrcharities.org/
How did we exist before social media?Ă‚Â
I originally signed up for Twitter for business reasons, and shortly after, the blizzard of 2010 hit.Ă‚Â Phone and InternetĂ‚Â were out for more than 1 week, yet I was able to deliver updates via my Twitter account.Ă‚Â Local property owners appreciated the information…and I was hooked.
AfterĂ‚Â thisĂ‚Â weekend, I REALLY appreciate the value of Twitter.Ă‚Â IĂ‚Â was connected to others evacuated from the shore, and able to read updates from those who stayed behind.Ă‚Â Even the municipalities “tweeted”Ă‚Â regular updates.
A big thank you to my life lines: @CookeCapeMay (Cape May) @amysrosenberg (Ventnor/Margate) , and @JasonNark (North Wildwood). Their messages allowed me to provide  information to other shore family members, and have a clear perspective of the situation near my home. You all deserve a sunny beach day!
Sunrise watching- Friday, and again this morning.
The views may have been similar, but my emotional response was completely different.Ă‚Â Ă‚Â
On Friday, we walked down prior to evacuating the island, and I was overwhelmed with sadness and fear.
Today, I was welcomed back by the wide (and intact) beach, dolphins just beyond the wave break, and a warm sun.Ă‚Â Ahhh…that’s better 🙂
Back to work and inspecting a few homes before tenants move back in.Ă‚Â Minimal damage and onlyĂ‚Â minor flooding issues.Ă‚Â Most businesses are back open (although I did hear that Kohler’s Bakery won’t open until Friday- darn) and preparing for the Labor Day weekend.
Our house once again looks like a typical beach house instead of a hurricane ready structure.
Walked tonight after the winds settled down. There were a few surfers out in the big waves, and a beautiful sky just before sunset.
In downtown Stone Harbor, the flooding was far less than expected. Even the businesses along Third Avenue and in the 300 block were dry (flood prone section). Ă‚Â Open tonight: Wawa, Marabella’s, Fred’s, and Stone Harbor Pizza. Couldn’t tell if the Nemo’s crew was cleaning or actually cooking tonight.
Lights on and owners returning to check their homes. Welcome back 🙂
We are thrilled to be back on the island!
Our shore communities were fortunate, yet it’s important to inspect your property for damage as soon as possible.
We are unable to allow tenants entry or re-entry to a property until the owner or their designated contractor verifies that all utilities are functioning, and that there are no safety issues.
She has yet to arrive, but already creating widespread grief.
We are watching 6ABC news on the Internet and I’m obsessed with Twitter.
This is so much more than a shore event- especially with the current tornado warnings in effect. Scary.
We all REALLY deserve a peaceful beach day…soon.
Summer Images
Okay, I will avoid wearing white…but I will not declare summer over just yet!
A beautiful 7 mile island with so much to see and do.