Point Beach Mayor Has No Qualms About Canceling Seafood Fest

If he had to do it all over again, Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Stephen D. Reid would cancel the popular Seafood Fest in a heartbeat.

Reid made the decision on Saturday morning little more than an hour before the event began, after a pipe bomb exploded in Seaside Park.

He called it the "easiest and the hardest" decision he's ever made.

It was easy because of the safety factor involved and any potential danger to the thousands show attend the borough's most popular event. It was difficult because he knew business owners and vendors had been preparing for it for weeks, he said.

"I felt very badly for everyone," Reid said.

The decision was made after consulting with the police chief and law enforcement officials. They have also discussed how to handle similar situations in the future and planning for future events, Reid said.

Members of the Point Pleasant Beach Chamber of Commerce met today to discuss the possibility of rescheduling the event later this year, the mayor said.

by Patricia A. Miller

Image: Point Pleasant Beach