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So, tomorrow is the first day of spring 2009. We all know what that means: summer is right around the corner. For all the doom & gloom in the air, we had a pretty good winter. There was more activity in the downtown and boardwalk than we have seen in the many, many years. I’m going to go on record that this will be our best summer in decades. Stay tuned!
Bruce and the E Street Band have been in the city practicing for the upcoming “Working on a Dream” tour. There is always a great buzz when Bruce is in the Park. We are all hoping there will be some rehearsal shows. Surprise, Surprise. Stay tuned!
It’s the third Friday of the month so it must be Collide-A-Scope. This is our monthly art event. Each month this event grows. Friday night festivities will include two opportunities for guided art tours of the city’s premier galleries complete with special discounts for Collide-A-Scope guests. This month’s events include: ArtsCAP Wine Tasting at Mattison Park; Mike Bell: Mondo Deluxe and The Pop Surrealism Group Show at Parlor Gallery; Dapped Joy and Strange Praise at Mattison Gallery; Classical Guitarist Keith Calmese at Plan B; Briefs and Shorts at The Garden Marketplace; Chris Hartsgrove and Martina Smejkalova at Market in the Middle and so, so much more. Go to www.collideap.com. If you are looking for a very different art happening, see you in the downtown on Friday night. Big!
Garden State Film Festival preview: Don’t miss Thursday, April 2nd‘s
opening film and the NJ premiere of The Magistical. This magnificent animated masterpiece is not to be missed. This special screening will benefit Joey Travolta’s short Film Camp “Inclusion” in NJ as well as GSFF’s after school video program at the Asbury Park High School. Make sure you also attend the opening ceremonies on Friday night at the Paramount theatre. New Boy , Oscar award nominated short will be followed by Wild Ocean. Wild Ocean is an uplifting, action packed experience capturing one of nature’s greatest migration spectacles. There’re are so many great events, I could never fit it all in. Check out www.gsff.org for additional details. Do yourself a favor and purchase the weekend pass. Huge!
Thursdays are taking on new meaning in the city. Langosta Lounge has invented Surftastic Thursdays. Quincy Mumford heads up tonight’s show. Mercury Landing and Mystery Man are at The Saint starting at 8 PM. Less Than Jake is at the Stone Pony. Only in Asbury Park!
Hope you saw last Friday’s Asbury Park Press’s Jersey Living section. The main feature profiled Asbury Park photographer, Dennis Carroll. Dennis is launching a show featuring his great photographs at The Paint Place Gallery, 605 Cookman Avenue. I am a big fan of Carroll’s work. Don’t miss this show. It opened yesterday and will be part of Collide-A-Scope on Friday night. The artist’s reception will take place on Sunday, March 22nd from 1 to
6 PM. Only in Asbury Park!
Congratulations to Tom Pavinski who was appointed the Director of the Office on Aging, Disabilities and Veterans Interment last Thursday night by the Monmouth County Freeholders.
On Tuesday, the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce announced this year’s Carousel Award winners. The 2009 winners are:
Economic Development Award: Revision Theatre
Business Achievement Award: M Sutdio
Spirit of Asbury Park Award: The Center
Landmark Business Award: The Empress Hotel
Public Official Award: Councilman John Loffredo
Special achievement Award: Ken Roth
A very special awards dinner will be held on April 15th at The Berkeley
Oceanfront Hotel to honor the winners. Contact the Chamber at 732.775.7676 for sponsorship and ticket information. Congratulations to the winners. HUGE!
Speaking of our Chamber, next Thursday, March 26th the monthly business
card exchange will take place at Old Man Rafferty’s, 531 Cookman Ave. Last month, we had over 200 professionals at our meeting. Call 732.775.7676 to sign up. Where else does a Chamber draw over 200 business people to a business card exchange? Only in Asbury Park!
A very special thank you to Taka for offering to fund FREE parking in the Bangs Avenue Garage every Saturday. If you don’t know TAKA, you need to stop by for dinner at TAKA, 632 Mattison Avenue. Japanese will never be the same. Huge!
Patti and I are planning to attend the free screening of “The Pace of Youth” at the Paramount Theatre on Saturday night. This is the film that the AP High School students created based on Stephen Crane’s story about a pair of young lovers in Asbury Park. “The Night Is Young” after film gala hosted by Susan Pellegrini will be held at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel to honor the students. $20 donation will benefit The Bike Church, Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County, Police Athletic League, Prevention First, The Spot and APHS. Be there!
This Weekend:
Friday, March 20th: Black River Circus at McLoone’s Supper Club
Expressway at The Wonder Bar
Saturday, March 21st: Paradise Spring Fling Gold Party
John Eddie at The Wonder Bar
Fat Saturday – Big Easy – New Orleans inspired food at Langosta Lounge
Sunday, March 22nd: John Luraschi at The Wonder Bar
Monday, March 23rd: APFI presents Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest at the Paramount Theatre at 8 PM.
Joe Harvard’s Long Weekend at O’Toole’s
All Ahead is sponsoring a Guide to Owning Your Own Home at their offices on Saturday, March 21st of their offices located at 603-605 Mattison Ave., 4th
floor . Call 732.791.1484 of go to gary@allahead.org for info.
This week’s AP Ambassador is Cindi D’Onofrio. Cindi is the Executive Director of the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce and a true promoter of our great city. She is also the biggest Bruce fan I know. In her job, she “goes beyond” almost every day. The increased membership and well being of the AP Chamber of Commerce was a direct result of her tireless recruiting efforts. Congratulations, Cindi!
Have you “Bought in” in Asbury Park? In these difficult times, we need your help. Come to our wonderful city and invest in our future.
Wishes for a wonderful, fun and safe weekend,
Tom Gilmour
Director of Commerce and Good Times
If you know anyone who would like to receive these weekly email updates, they may go to the city’s web site, www.cityofasburypark.com and subscribe.
Tom Gilmour serves as the Director of Commerce for the City of Asbury Park and is responsible for economic development, the APUEZ (Asbury Park Urban Enterprise Zone Program), special events, and the city’s employment initiative; “Asbury Works.”
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