Lavallette life boat. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The temperature dipped below freezing Monday night after the Lavallette borough council meeting came to a conclusion, but dreams of summer were in the air inside borough hall.
Lavallette began its annual holiday beach badge sales earlier in the day and, as one might expect from a true beach town, residents were chomping at the bit to get back on the sand.
“People were lining up outside borough hall before it opened for business,” said Councilman Michael Stogdill, who reported the first-day sales added up to $24,830.
Lavallette has topped $1 million in beach badge sales in recent years, as the borough has continued to attract larger and larger crowds dating back to the Covid era, during which local travel dominated people’s summer plans. That trend, combined with larger homes, more year-round residents and the attraction of the borough’s downtown area and restaurant scene has seen the borough become a more popular vacation spot than ever before. The first-day sales represented only seasonal badges and senior badges (more on obtaining them below).
Always Improving
At Monday night’s council meeting, the governing body approved the purchase of a new Honda quad, or ATV, for the Beach Patrol. The $8,545 contract was awarded to Ocean County Powersports, of Toms River.
The purchase came at the request of the borough’s lifeguard captain, Stogdill said, who favored adding an additional ATV since it could respond more quickly to emergencies while also ferrying EMTs to those in need of medical attention faster than the John Deeere utility cart that is currently used. The ATV will be a new, 2025 model.
Additionally, Councilman Robert Lamb said new snow fencing had arrived from the county, free of charge, and is currently being used to coral sand across the borough’s oceanfront and bayfront beach areas where needed. New fencing near the volleyball court, which often experiences blowing sand that needs to be managed, is also on the way.
Finally, Mayor Walter LaCicero said he is set to attend a pre-construction meeting in the coming weeks that will map out the schedule for the upcoming federal beach replenishment project, which was awarded a contract earlier this fall.
Badge Sales Underway
Early season beach badge sales are nor officially underway in Lavallette. Seasonal and senior badges are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at borough hall. They will also be available for purchase on several Saturdays – Dec. 7, 14, and 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Season badges cost $60; senior season badges cost $20.
