Fade from Black

Mayor Thomas Black III gave way to Council President William MacInnes. It was a pattern that would repeat itself in careful stability, unusual in politics. The Borough Council President took more and more responsibility and eventually replaced the retiring mayor. Elections were mostly uncontested.

Black had served the borough since 1956, and was Mayor since 1969. He was 73 years old and ready to retire. Shortly after him, Helen Brash, the long-serving Borough Clerk, retired after 31 years of service. Black joked that if Helen had retired earlier, he would have had to. Helen was probably the third most important employee ever in Sea Girt, behind the two legendary superintendants, Clarence Corneilus, and Charles Roberts.

Thomas Black’s last act as mayor was a Dec 19th wedding he officiated at the Sea Girt Lighthouse between Marylin Molnar and Michael Montroy.

He also did not attend a forum on the Homeless problem in Monmouth County hosted by the Homeless Coalition that same month. Mayor Black gave a statement that showed the nature of the community during his tenure. He was sensitive to the issue, but noted that Sea Girt, which occasionally had someone with a problem, helped their neighbors. “We are a small town. People here know each other and help each other. There is a lot more personal contact when 50% or more of the people know each other.”

Homelssness, accelerated by drug problems and the closing of mental health institutions, was a growing problem of the 1980s

Black’s legacy is the residential nature of Sea Girt. He had stopped the redevelopment of hotels, condominiums, and tamped down the party atmosphere for quiet enjoyment. He was proud that Sea Girt was a complete single-family residential community of 2,600 people, with a top school and civic organizations, many of whom had grown up going to the beach at their parents’ summer house, and then made Sea Girt their permanent residence. The former lifeguard promised to return to the sea and fish. The Coast Star noted he caught a rare 31-inch baracuda off the Spring Lake Beach that year.

William MacInnes, who lived on First and Baltimore, was well known for his long work on the council and for taking the presidency of the Sea Girt Lighthouse Citizens Committee when it most needed the council’s support.

The 10th annual Sea Girt Lifeguard Tournament was held, and the squad was up to 30 members. They had formed the Sea Girt Lifeguard Association, and as its first gesture, senior lifeguard Rich Aljian presented the mayor with $1,000 toward dune grass. Mayor Black and town volunteers came out to plant the 10,000 plugs.

Dune grass catches windblown sand and holds it on the beach

The beach was crowded again after the needle scare of 1987. The state public advocate tried to lower beach fees from $5 weekdays and $7 weekends to $2-$3, claiming the pricing was exclusionary. Sea Girt argued that the beach utility did not turn a profit, and the fees were for all adults regardless of residence. There would be a lawsuit. The public advocate had opened Bay Head and Deal through the courts, and had set his target at the higher-priced beaches. They argued that Sea Girt, Spring Lake, and others had expensive equipment, extra-large staffs, and could spend less. Sea Girt countered that they provided a safe, well-run beach, which had no trouble attracting patrons.

The beach needed work. The newly built flume under the dunes at Wreck Pond for flood control was undermined after the State modified the plans. Spring Lake, Sea Girt Wall, and Spring Lake Heights had contributed to the first build, and they insisted that the state make repairs at no additional cost.

The beach was so narrow from erosion in spots, some of the Lifeguard stands were set up on the west side of the boardwalk. MacInnes lobbied hard for a solution to the disappearing sand.