Volunteers are appreciated in Ocean City

Written by Cathy Finnegan Tuesday, 17 January 2012 00:00

Mike Dattilo, Jay Gillian, Katie Jewell and Mark and Toby Soifer gather with volunteer of the year Doug Jewell. The Howard S. Stainton Senior Center at the Ocean City Community Center was the setting for the Volunteer Appreciation Night hosted by the mayor and City Council. Maribeth Neall and I stopped at the front desk to pick up a fitness schedule and ran into Mary and Tommy Miles who checked out the newly renovated Aquatic Center then walked down the hall with us to the Senior Center where Bill McGinnity of Cousins and Andrew Yoa of Island Grill and their staff were setting out the buffet.

Vicki Balezzi greeted guests and gave them programs when they stopped to enjoy the hors d’oeuvres. Tym Cox and the Ocean City High School jazz band entertained at the dinner. Scott Ruch, Ocean City High School class of 1979, who sang in the high school choir, caught up with Larry Town, Ocean City High School class of 1980, who recalled when he played in the Ocean City High School band with Warren Miller as the director. Larry plays the piano and trumpet in two bands at the Golden Nugget and Caesars in Atlantic City. It was great to see John Kemenosh out and about again. Linda MacIntyre, Debbie Buckley, MaryAnn Coggins and Linda DeLanzo work with Waves of Caring. Geoff MacIntyre and Harry Buckley take a break from playing golf to help deliver the toys at Christmas. MaryAnn gave me her business card for her new business Wags ‘n Whiskers Pet Sitting. Linda and MaryAnn are headed for Cape Coral to soak up some sun this winter. Jane Charles arrived early to stake out a table for Art Center board members Marion Talese, Peggy Lloyd and Jack Devine.

When I wondered why Becky Sultan looked so familiar, she jogged my memory and told me she was second runner-up in Miss Night in Venice a couple of years ago. Becky is an elementary school teacher in Upper Township and director of the Ocean City Hawks cheerleaders.

Lynne Lewis was joined by Dog Park Association members Susan Niskanen and Dick Waddell. Nancy Larrabee liked the picture I took of her much more than the one taken at the library luncheon.

Brenda Moiso has some great ideas for the Colony Club fashion show tickets this year. Ed Price just finished a six-year term on the library board and didn’t let any grass grow under his feet as he was recently appointed to the housing authority. Don Pusseal told me he cleans the marshes in the back bay, but never finds anything worthwhile. Fred Marcell packed away his Christmas ties and trousers and sported a turtleneck jersey to the dinner. Ken Thorpe, who serves on the aviation advisory board, told me that he and wife Betty are looking forward to spending the winter at their home in Newport Richey, Fla. Keith Hartzell passed out flyers promoting the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and Volunteer Day of Service encouraging everyone to attend and participate. He even convinced Maribeth Neall and this columnist to help with the citywide cleanup.

Mayor Jay Gillian introduced the VIPs at the dinner then made special presentations to retiring volunteers who each received a clear glass candy jar with the city’s insignia, which was filled with chocolate nonpareils. I understand our mayor is a chocoholic with lots of candy on his desk at City Hall. Retiring volunteers from the advisory council on physical fitness and sports were Tom Heist, Drew Fasy and Lee Ann Wentzel; from the aviation advisory board were Ken Thorpe and Tony Crisci; from the library board was Ed Price; from the lifeguard pension commission was Frank Donato; from the local assistance board was Anne Gallagher; from the shade tree committee was John McNeil; from the utility advisory commission was Bill Sundermeir; and from the zoning board was John Quinn. And Jay saved the best for last when he presented the volunteer of the rear award to Doug Jewell. Doug thanked Jay for this honor and commented when he came to Ocean City 33 years ago and met Mark Soifer, he asked him what he could do and Mark told him to “go fly a kite.” Doug took him seriously and opened Air Circus on the boardwalk at 11^th Street and has been flying kites ever since. Doug also provides entertainment at many community events and activities at block parties, First Day at the beach, Miss Crustacean pageants, sand sculpting contests, Martin Mollusk Day. During the summer at Family Nights on the boardwalk he has children lined up at the 11^th Street pavilion participating in hula hoop and yo-yo contests. My granddaughter loved these contests when she was younger. Doug’s daughter, Katie Jewell, a student at Rutgers, who just returned from studying in Australia, was on hand to take pictures of her father receiving this honor. Jay announced that last year’s volunteer of the year, Jane French, apologized for her absence, but she had tickets to the Flyers game.

I chatted with Jen Bowman and Monique Frost as we checked out the dinner buffet. Jen was just appointed special events and kitchen coordinator at St. Peter’s UMC while Monique owns Compass Spa and Wellness at Eighth Street and Atlantic Avenue. I enjoyed dinner chatting with Gretchen and Ralph Bingham, Linda and Curt Gronert, Bob Roth, Beverly and Frank McCall and Maribeth Neall. When I told Gretchen and Ralph we had taken all our Christmas decorations down and packed them away, they decided it was time they did the same. I enjoyed catching up with Barbara and Rich Deaney who enjoyed the Mainland Regional High School vs. Jersey City High School basketball game a few days before. Barbara is a graduate of Jersey City High School Class of 1959 where she was captain of the cheerleaders. Bert and John DeVries enjoyed the Christmas holidays with their family in southern California with temperatures in the high 70s. Bert sported unique earrings made from CDs. Chet Czerpak has spent seven years on the utility advisory commission. Chet has been married to his wife, Katie, for 42 years and was general manager of a steel mill in Reading until he retired in 2003. Chet and Bill Sundermeir bike the boardwalk every morning and even when the temperature got down to 14 last week that didn’t keep them home. I hurried back to our table to check out the decadent desserts and Curt Gronert was surprised when this columnist practically inhaled two of these tasty treats.

Tony Wilson enjoyed the opening ceremony of First Night at the Music Pier with his son, Tony Jr., who had to steer clear of Michael Allegretto’s 6-year-old daughter, Lexie, who was in charge of cutting the ceremonial ribbon with a pair of very large, sharp scissors. Edwina and Roy Wagner were still finishing dinner when Maribeth and I picked up two pretty white flower centerpieces from two tables by Mark Videtto at Spinning Wheel Florist.

Debbie Clark, Barbara Deaney, Greg Donahue, Marj and John Loeper and Rich Deaney smile at the volunteer appreciation dinner. Ken and Betty Thorpe, Lee Ann Wentzel, Keith Hartzell, Monique Frost and Jen Bowman get together at the volunteer appreciation dinner. Dick Waddell, Susan Niskanen and Fred Marcell, seated, are joined by Nancy Larrabee, Chris Maloney, Ed Price, Lynne Lewis and Don Pusseal at the volunteer appreciation dinner. Becky Sultan, Drew Fasy, Cathy Finnegan, Joe Clark and Brenda Moiso enjoy Volunteer Appreciation Night. John Kemenosh, Geoff MacIntyre and Harry Buckley, seated, are joined by MaryAnn Coggins, Linda MacIntyre, Linda DeLanzo and Debbie Buckley at Volunteer Appreciation Night. Larry Town chats with Mary and Tommy Miles, Maribeth Neall and Scott Ruch as they arrive at Volunteer Appreciation Night. Peter and Diana Probasco, John and Bert DeVriew, Chet Czerpak and Kay and Bill Sundmeir enjoy Volunteer Appreciation Night.