Port Hueneme to name beach walkway after longtime councilman Sharkey

Brian J. Varela, Ventura County Star
·1 min read
Port Hueneme is dedicating a portion of its beach walkway Sunday to longtime councilman and mayor Jonathan Sharkey during a ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m.
Port Hueneme is dedicating a portion of its beach walkway Sunday to longtime councilman and mayor Jonathan Sharkey during a ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m.

Port Hueneme will dedicate a portion of its beach walkway to former mayor Jonathan "Jon" Sharkey on Sunday.

The Jonathan Sharkey Memorial Walkway will extend northwest from the pier to Market Street. Signage along the path will designate the area dedicated to the longtime councilman.

Sharkey was elected to the City Council in 1994 and served five terms as mayor. During his 24-year stint on the council, Sharkey wrote and passed the city's charter, addressed coastal erosion, advocated for affordable hosing and backed the budding cannabis dispensary industry.

In January 2020, Sharkey was diagnosed with brain cancer and died later that year at 71. 

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Jon Sharkey, center, listens to fellow City Council member Jim Hensley during a November 2015 Port Hueneme City Council meeting. Sharkey died from brain cancer Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020.
Jon Sharkey, center, listens to fellow City Council member Jim Hensley during a November 2015 Port Hueneme City Council meeting. Sharkey died from brain cancer Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020.

Beverly Kelley, Sharkey's wife, submitted an application to the city in December requesting a portion of the beach walkway be dedicated to Sharkey, according to city documents. The council approved the request in April.

Donations will cover the approximately $3,230 costs to name the walkway, according to the documents. The city will contribute $250 annually for maintenance.

Former Councilwoman Sylvia Muñoz Schnopp first floated the idea of honoring Sharkey in April 2019 when she suggested renaming the pier after him. Following pushback from the public, the proposal was dropped.

Sunday's ribbon-cutting will begin at 2 p.m. near the pier.

Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Port Hueneme to name beach walkway after Sharkey