Cape May and Coast Guard to celebrate a long marriage

Whether it's Coast Guard children attending the local schools, Coast Guard families renting homes, or Coast Guard spouses working in the community, the marine rescuers touch every facet of life in Cape May County, according to Vicki Clark, president of the county Chamber of Commerce.

For more than 150 years, Cape May County has housed the Coast Guard, and the relationship has been symbiotic from the beginning, Clark said.

On Friday, the strong ties will be recognized in a ceremony designating Cape May County a "Coast Guard community." Cape May is one of two counties and 15 cities in the nation to receive this title.

The county is marking the honor with a three-day festival featuring tours of the local base, buffets on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, and other events open to the public.

The commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Paul Zukunft, will present the designation at a proclamation ceremony Friday evening.

Training Center Cape May (TRACEN), the Coast Guard's sole recruit training center, is in Cape May, with 2,400 recruits on average graduating each year.

The Cape May base is the fifth largest in the service, with a combined 860 military and civilian personnel. In addition to basic training, the base provides command support, air and sea rescue, vessel support, and homeland security services.

Each year, the Coast Guard generates about $173 million in direct and indirect revenue for Cape May County, according to Gerald Thornton, freeholder director.

Chief Warrant Officer John Edwards, public affairs officer at TRACEN, said the Coast Guard community designation is a "natural fit."

"Cape May - it sort of goes hand in hand with the Coast Guard," Edwards said.

The Coast Guard's impact on the town inspired the chamber of commerce, the county, and the City of Cape May to apply for the title, Clark said.

Cape May Mayor Edward Mahaney said the designation is an honor. It's "about what the community does for the Coast Guard, not what the Coast Guard does for the community," he said.

Edwards said the process began in 2012. The first step was to demonstrate a long-standing, positive relationship with the community.

He said it wasn't hard to find residents, businesses, churches, and other local groups who were willing to write letters of support to Coast Guard headquarters discussing the effect the service has had on their businesses. After receiving approval from headquarters, Congress had the final say, Edwards said.

Kevin Maloney, president of the Cape May Maritime Museum and Education Center, is one community member who has benefited from having the Coast Guard nearby.

As part of the museum's mission, volunteers work to salvage artifacts that capture the history and tradition of the Coast Guard, Maloney said.

Maloney and his volunteers are working on several restoration and replica projects. He said recruits and officials often stop by to help the museum work on their restoration projects.

"We've received terrific support from the training center," Maloney said.

Maloney said the museum will have a booth at the festival where volunteers will provide a glimpse of the history of the Coast Guard as well as the current replica project - a lifeguard tower.

Mahaney said he estimates that thousands may attend the festivities. "It's a unique opportunity to witness history in the making," he said.

Coast Guard Community Festival director Nina Ranalli said that if all goes well this weekend, Cape May County has plans to make the festival an annual event. She said this weekend is a rare opportunity for civilians to get access to the base.

"There are people who live here and know [the base] is here, but it's kind of mysterious," Ranalli said. "This is a chance for them to go beyond the walls and see what goes on."