Lavallette water tower. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
A freshly-painted water town – inside and out – is ready in Lavallette, but there is one change that switches up a Jersey Shore tradition.
For decades, the Lavallette water tower was the only one on the island where the town name was visible from the water, since the lettering was printed “east-west.” It is credited for having made Lavallette a recognizable name in the world of transient boaters navigating the Intracoastal Waterway. But the new coat of paint has “corrected” the placement of the letters so it can be more easily seen by motorists traversing the Route 37 bridge or motoring down Route 35.
“The boat people told me, ‘wow, now there’s no way of knowing,'” said Council President Anita Zalom.
Councilwoman Joanne Filippone said boaters can still pinpoint Lavallette from the water – “It’s the only all-blue water tower around,” she said.
Plus, boaters may still get an idea of what town they’re passing.
“As long as you have the LAV or the ETTE, it seems okay,” Councilman Michael Stogdill joked.
