To the Editor:

I am 56 years old and have been vacationing my whole life on LBI every summer. My parents introduced me and my siblings to the Island. Now we have four generations vacationing together every summer. I am sure many families have similar stories.

My mom turns 90 in October, and we unfortunately lost my dad, “Poppy,” almost two years ago. Without the Gator our summers would look very different. The Gator allowed my dad to be on the beach until the very last summer he was alive.

July 30, 2026