Recognizing Long Beach workers that don't get enough thanks

The Beach Maintenance crew is vital to the city’s operations all year round. The workers do so much and help so many people, but often don’t receive the thanks they deserve.

The Long Beach Chamber of Commerce took notice, however, and after being on the receiving end of the crew’s help recently, wanted to flip the script.

In 2023, chamber board member John Boland applied for PSEG’s Chamber of Commerce Outdoor Commerce and Beautification program grant, now called the Long Island Thrive Outdoor Commerce and Beautification Program. The chamber was approved for $10,000 on June 21, to install a new “Welcome to Long Beach” sign on the south side of the Long Beach Bridge, on Long Beach Road.

But the grant didn’t cover labor costs. So the Beach Maintenance workers helped out, installing the sign at no cost to the chamber late last month. Boland and other members wanted to show them their appreciation.

“We really wanted to say thank you,” Boland said. “And if I’m being honest, it seems like sometimes they don’t get the thanks that they deserve. Everybody there does a great job on a daily basis. We appreciate it.”

The chamber showed its appreciation by ordering food, beverages and snacks — sandwiches, soft drinks and bottled water, chips and cookies — for all of the workers on July 11, catered by Brand’s Deli. City Council President Brendan Finn, chamber Co-chair Leah Tozer, Boland and chamber member Ian Danby dropped by to thank them.

“They’re the ones that are doing all the work all the time to make our city what it is,” Tozer said. “They help our businesses, and our residents love to be here and bring people in from outside the area. It’s important to thank the people that are doing all that work, and that’s what we love to do.”

The Division of Beach Maintenance, led by Director of Operations Tommy Canner, doesn’t just tend to the city’s beaches. In addition to the year-round maintenance of the boardwalk and beaches, the department also oversees the upkeep of the boardwalk and does seasonal planting in the downtown malls and gardens. The workers also help prepare the city for storms and clean up after them.

“When I was growing up in Long Beach, the sign said, ‘Welcome Long Beach,’” Finn recalled. “I went to Tommy and said, you know, we have to get a ‘to’ in there. All joking aside, I think everyone really appreciates what you all do. I certainly do, and I always have. Before I became a politician, I always appreciated seeing what you all do on the beaches. So thanks a lot for everything you’ve done.”

Canner, who has been with the city for 37 years, said it felt great for him and his workers to be recognized. He added that the department does so much work that people may not be aware of, so being thanked for all of it goes a long way.

“It’s great to be recognized, because the chamber obviously supports all businesses in town,” Canner said. “We clean streets, pick up the trash, put up the Long Beach sign and do the flowers. So we make the community better to bring people into the community, and they’re making the business better. We all have the same common goal. To the workers, it just boosts their morale up. ‘Thank you’ is just two small words, but it’s such a big gesture.”