SUMMER 2026

Happy Summer, Oceanport!

Summer is one of the most special times of the year in our Borough. Our parks are full, neighbors gather for community events, families enjoy everything our town has to offer, and we take time to celebrate both our rich history and the bright future ahead. As we settle into another memorable summer, I'd like to reflect on all we have accomplished together and share some of the exciting events and projects that continue to make Oceanport such a wonderful place to call home.

Although Mother Nature had other plans for our annual Memorial Day Parade, the rain certainly did not stop our community from honoring the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We gathered inside the Port Au Peck Firehouse, where we experienced a moving and meaningful ceremony with an incredible turnout from our residents. I want to thank everyone who attended and helped ensure that the true purpose of Memorial Day remained our focus. A special thank you goes to our Grand Marshal, Oceanport's own James Leslie, whose heartfelt remarks reminded us of the tremendous sacrifices made by so many in defense of our freedoms.

This year marks the 250th Anniversary of our nation's founding, and Oceanport is proud to be celebrating this historic milestone throughout the year. On the Fourth of July, we continued that celebration with the burial of our new community time capsule alongside the original capsule buried during our nation's Bicentennial in 1976. This special project was conceived and completed as an Eagle Scout project by Zachary Fichter and sponsored by the Oceanport Historical Committee. It is exciting to think that future generations will open both capsules together in 2076, offering a unique glimpse into our community's history across an entire century.

Our 250th Anniversary celebration is far from over. In the coming months, we will continue commemorating our nation's rich history with the planting of our Liberty Tree, a monument dedication recognizing the Revolutionary War history that took place right here in Oceanport, and, of course, our annual Summer's End Festival and fireworks display. I encourage everyone to participate and proudly display your patriotic spirit. Let's see whose home, business, or festival setup earns the title of Oceanport's most patriotic!

It has also been another exciting season at Monmouth Park. Father's Day drew more than 30,000 visitors, creating an incredible atmosphere and showcasing one of Oceanport's greatest attractions. The excitement continues with Haskell Weekend. On Friday, July 17, Monmouth Park will celebrate BOOK'EM DANNO DAY, where all Oceanport residents will receive free admission to Monmouth Park. The following day, Saturday, July 18, the prestigious Haskell Invitational returns with another outstanding day of racing and entertainment.

Don't forget that Oceanport residents also have access to the Oceanport Box throughout the racing season. Reservations can be made through the Borough Clerk's Office, providing residents with another wonderful opportunity to enjoy everything Monmouth Park has to offer.

One of the most significant milestones in our borough's future occurred last month with the topping-off ceremony at the Netflix Studios development. This important construction tradition marks the placement of the final structural steel beam and represents another major step toward bringing this transformative project to Oceanport. Construction continues to move ahead of schedule, with a tentative opening planned for the summer of 2027, including the first four state-of-the-art sound stages.

Projects of this magnitude simply would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our Borough employees, the continued cooperation of our neighbors in Eatontown, and the tremendous support from our Monmouth County and State leadership. This has truly been a collaborative effort, and I want to thank everyone involved for helping to move this exciting project forward.

Our investments in infrastructure and recreation continue to make steady progress throughout the Borough as well. I am pleased to share that the new playground at Blackberry Bay Park has now been completed and is already being enjoyed by many of our youngest residents. We also recently received a grant from Monmouth County that will help fund the next phase of improvements at Blackberry Bay Park, including replacing the existing lighting with modern, energy-efficient fixtures and the complete renovation of the ball fields, tennis courts, and basketball courts. These investments will enhance both the appearance and functionality of one of Oceanport's most popular recreational destinations while helping reduce the financial burden on our local taxpayers.

The Two River Water Reclamation Authority tunneling project at Sommers Park is also progressing well and is expected to complete tunneling operations by mid-September. Following completion of the underground work, the contractor will spend the remainder of the year completing surface restoration and final improvements throughout the park. We will continue working closely with the Authority to fully restore Sommers Park next year so residents can once again enjoy everything this important community park has to offer.

Road improvements remain one of our highest priorities, and residents will begin seeing significant paving activity throughout Oceanport over the coming months. Between our municipal road program, New Jersey Natural Gas, and New Jersey American Water restoration projects, more than four miles of roadways will be paved throughout the Borough.

Residents often ask why some roads receive full paving while others appear to receive only partial restoration after utility work. State regulations require utility companies to fully mill and pave roadways from curb to curb and end to end if the road has been resurfaced within the previous five years. On older roadways, utilities are only required to restore the portion they disturbed.

Rather than simply accepting the minimum restoration requirements, your Borough worked collaboratively with our utility partners to calculate roadway square footage and negotiate additional paving wherever possible. As a result, many streets will receive complete resurfacing beyond what was originally required, while any remaining sections will be incorporated into future municipal road improvement programs. Our goal is to ensure taxpayers receive the greatest long-term value while maintaining the highest quality road network possible.

The Borough paving program scheduled for August includes Port Au Peck Avenue from Pocano Avenue to Genesse Avenue, Ausible Avenue, portions of Manitto and Burnt Mill Circle, as well as the Port Au Peck sidewalks and off-road parking spaces. New Jersey American Water has completed or is completing improvements along Comanche Drive, Ticonderoga Avenue, Genesse Avenue, Ithaca Avenue, Wyandotte Avenue, Pocano Avenue, Mohican Avenue, Serand Avenue, Horicon Avenue, and Hiawatha Avenue. New Jersey Natural Gas is also scheduled to complete paving work on portions of South Pemberton Road, Elizabeth Drive, Evergreen Lane, Burnt Mill Circle, and Pocahontas Avenue during August.

I certainly understand how frustrating it can be when utility work disrupts newly paved roads. Every year, we provide utility companies with a five-year outlook of our road improvement program to help coordinate construction and minimize unnecessary disruption. Unfortunately, emergencies and infrastructure upgrades cannot always be avoided. However, I want to assure residents that whenever utility work impacts our newer roadways, those companies are responsible for restoring them to the standards required by law, and we closely monitor their work to ensure those obligations are met.

As always, I want to thank our Borough Council, Borough employees, first responders, volunteers, local businesses, and residents for everything you do to make Oceanport such an outstanding community. Your continued support, involvement, and pride in our town are what make all these accomplishments possible.

On behalf of my family and the entire Borough government, I wish you and your families a safe, healthy, and enjoyable summer. I look forward to seeing everyone around town as we continue celebrating our nation's 250th Anniversary and everything that makes Oceanport such a wonderful place to live.

Thomas J. Tvrdik

Mayor, Borough of Oceanport