Memorial Day Weekend

(Hometown View returns on Tuesday, May 26)

While it won’t be nearly as nice this Memorial Day as it was last year hopefully the weekend will provide a major jumpstart to the summer season at the Jersey Shore. This appears to be a year when nobody really knows what to expect as far as tourism is concerned. Will the shaky economy mean more people will stay close to home and visit our beaches instead of going to places far away? Or will that same economy result in people simply staying home and not heading anywhere? Nobody seems to know although some real estate agents fear it could be a miserable summer for rentals which would have major ramifications on a lot of businesses. Those who rent for a week or more spend money in many different places and spread dollars around. However if it’s a summer filled with day-trippers it means they’ll not only wait for a nice day to make a trip but probably will do all they can to limit their spending.

If past form holds up though this should be a very good weekend for many
businesses and merchants. In many cases Memorial Day is the biggest weekend of the year as out-of-towners flock to beach towns, boardwalks and amusement areas. This year does bring a bit of a bonus…the longest possible summer. Memorial Day is as early as it can be and Labor Day is as late as possible so there are 16 weekends during the season. Here’s hoping most of them are filled with sunshine and visitors because we could sure use plenty of both.

On a somewhat related note. While this weekend is mostly dominated by good things like the beach, barbeques and the like we should pause for a moment to think of those who made the ultimate sacrifice which allows us to have a good time. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died while serving our nation and they should not be forgotten.