Committeeman Ray Gormley said the project cost nearly $1 million to complete, but grants reduced the township's share to less than $90,000.

Mayor Scott Stites called the renovated docks an asset to the township.

"It gives the residents a safe and clean recreation environment," Stites said. "It's all about quality of life and having this kind of recreation here provides us that."

The day was a particularly meaningful one for Gormley, who not only spearheaded the renovation project, but also saw the docks renamed in honor of his late father, James J. Gormley.

James J. Gormley, who died in 1997, was a former township committeeman and longtime dockmaster at the docks.

"I am honored that the Township Committee surprised me with this. My dad loved this area and he loved seeing people down here enjoying it," Ray Gormley said. "But I also wanted to make sure the sign (at the docks) also mentioned all of the other people who helped make the Parkertown Docks special."

A plaque attached to the sign also reads the names of more than a half dozen charter fishing captains and baymen.

Gormley thanked former state Sen. Leonard Connors Jr. for helping the project get started.

"(Connors) was the first guy to take an interest in this," Gormley said. "And none of this would be here today if it weren't for him."

A majority of the work on the docks has been done for a several weeks, but the township wanted to wait until October to officially reopen them.

"The goofiest thing about this location is that there are so many bugs out there in the summer months," Gormley said. "But by waiting until the fall, we were able to hold an enjoyable event without having to worry about greenheads, mosquitoes and gnats."

Township resident Paul Earnst was one of the hundreds of locals on hand to celebrate the reopening.

"It's a lot nicer than it was, that's for sure," said Earnst, 69, adding he thought the renovated docks would now attract people of all ages. "It's a perfect setup here. There's something for everyone, especially in the summer when the lifeguards are here and the children can swim in the water."

While the event did mark the end a major project at the docks, Gormley said there is still more work planned for the site.

"Our next approach will be working to redo the beach and the playground area so we can add additional recreations to the area," Gormley said. "My hope, in all of this, was to bring the docks back to what it was when I was a child. It's a place that people can, and should, be able to enjoy."