Belmar beach photo taken 7:00am Aug.30th 2007

 

I counted a group of 7 dolphins this morning on the 10th ave. beach at 8am

sorry no pictures i did not have a camera with me, it was a very nice sighting seen by many on the boardwalk

Just another day at the beach in Belmar

 

This aint no farewell tour Springsteen says

DATES ARE SET! SPRINGSTEEN REVS UP E STREET MACHINE FOR FALL
In an exclusive Backstreets interview, Springsteen talks about the tour and says Magic was "built for it."

The release of Bruce Springsteen's Magic isn't the only thing to look forward to on October 2 -- there's magic in the night, too, as an extensive E Street Band tour kicks off that evening in Hartford, CT.

The opening leg has Bruce and the band playing 16 North American cities through November 18 in Boston. Just after Thanksgiving, a European jaunt with 13 stops begins in Madrid and runs through December 19 in London. [For the full itinerary, see our Tour/Ticket info page]

Springsteen and the E Street Band played a brief series of dates in 2004, but their last full-scale outing was the tour for The Rising in 2002 and 2003. Since that time, Bruce has continued to tour extensively: as a solo artist in 2005, and with the Sessions Band last year, playing, as he put it at the time, everything that leads to rock music, but not rock music.

Reminded of that now, Springsteen says emphatically, "Yeah -- I'll be playing the rock music this time. " He laughs, adding, "In case anybody's wondering."

Speaking with Backstreets by phone as tour preparation gets underway, Springsteen makes it clear that he tapped his rock side for Magic, an album meant to be played live: "It's just built for it," he says. "I wrote with a lot of melody, and with a lot of hooks, and there's a lot of band power behind the stuff that I wrote this time out. So I'm excited to hear that come straight off the band."

The 2007 E Street Band line-up will be the same as in 2002-2003 -- including violinist Soozie Tyrell, a veteran of the Rising tour and of last year's Sessions Band. Though not mentioned in today's press release, Springsteen confirms, "Soozie will be with us."

He still raves about the Sessions Band -- "a tremendous discovery, and just such an amazing group of musicians" -- and says he looks forward to working with them again. But when he refers to "the band," it goes without saying that he means E Street.

"The band is the band, you know?" Springsteen says. "It's the only place where I really do the thing that I suppose that I'm most known for, which is... it's a peak experience."

For Springsteen, transition between styles is second nature. He's been doing it to a large degree since 1982's Nebraska, his stark solo record between the big E Street blasts of The River and Born in the U.S.A. As his sonic repertoire expands, his commitment to performance -- whatever the sound may be -- remains constant.

"For it to be really great, you've got to be 100 percent committed at that moment. So when you're in it, that's all there is," he explains. "I think that's what it takes to be really good. So I'll just lose myself in whatever form I'm working in at any given moment. And the other things seem distant: 'Oh yeah, I like to do that too, and I like to do that too...' But really, I'm very comfortable moving between all the different formats that I play in now."

In fact, it's much like -- and as easy as -- shifting gears. It's no surprise to hear Springsteen employ a car metaphor, with the E Street band as the hotrod, as he looks toward reconvening the band for tour rehearsals.

"First of all, we start playing just to feel the machine again," he says, describing what happens after they initially plug in. "You've gotta drive it a little bit before you push the envelope on it." While Springsteen recorded Magic with the E Street Band, the studio process had them laying down tracks individually; September rehearsals will bring them back together to work up the new material as a unit. "We may run through a few things we know, just to reacquaint ourselves with the sound and the power of the band. How it moves underneath you, and everything. That's sort of the first thing I do, I refit myself into that bucket seat. 'Oh yeah, okay, now I remember...' And that takes all of about 15 minutes."

After that? Well, it's early enough that he's not ready to say. "I don't really go in with any rigid ideas. I'm interested in seeing where the music is going to take us and where the band feels best.... I think the initial thing you try to do is to find a place for a lot of your new work. I'm excited about that. We played a lot of The Rising on the [2002-2003] tour because, once again, it was stuff that just played really well live. We've got that again in spades on this record.

"And then you've got to see what people respond to. I have a good idea, but it's still a conversation with your audience. And when they start listening, and talking back, then different things come to the front."

How about "The Price You Pay," from The River, which hasn't made a setlist since 1981?

"It's become a thing just because I haven't played it," Bruce laughs. "If I had played it, nobody would give much of a damn if they heard it or not! Just because it hasn't been played.... You know, my recollection is that it's been a while since we've played 'Crush on You.' And I'm not sure that one's going to be popping up in the set any time soon, either, you know?"

But it could, and that's one of the things that has had fans itching for the E Street Band to hit the road again -- the idea that anything can happen. "We leave the door very open, because over the course of a long tour, we end up playing so many songs.... obviously, we try to make the shows unique. I've got a lot of songs that I'm carrying around at this point, and it's fun to get to them as the tour goes along."

When Springsteen got the band back together in 1999, part of the joy of the reunion was the very fact that everyone was able to reunite. Sure, available, and arguably playing better than ever, but at a very basic level, alive. Many bands haven't been so lucky, a quarter-century down the road. Another eight years along, gearing up for the Magic tour, it's still the case.

"That's something that you become more grateful for as time passes," Bruce says. "You know, I just lost Terry [Magovern], my great friend of 23 years. That was a big loss. And so you're aware that things are finite. The band really did take care of one another over the years, and like I've always said, it's one of the things I'm proudest of. And I continue to be. I mean, there are a lot of ways that life can take you, and you never know what tomorrow brings. So to have that kind of stability -- and not only that, but also that the personal relationships remain so thoroughly enjoyable -- it's a great gift."

All things being finite, does it enter his mind that this could be the last time out? A "farewell tour"?

"Oh, I'll never do that, man -- you're only gonna know that when you don't see me no more."

Of course, no doubt -- but for the E Street Band as we know it?

"Hell, I don't know," Springsteen laughs. "I envision the band carrying on for many, many, many more years. There ain't gonna be any farewell tour. That's the only thing I know for sure."

-interview by Christopher Phillips

Springsteen sets major E Street Band tour,

Springsteen sets major E Street Band tour, with Chicago date
Bruce Springsteen announced Tuesday that he will tour this fall with the E Street Band for the first time in four years, including an Oct. 21 concert at the United Center.

Tickets ($95, $65) for the Chicago show will go on sale at 11 a.m. Sept. 8 through the United Center box office and Ticketmaster. The tour begins Oct. 2 in Hartford, Ct., and will play 16 North American cities before moving to Europe in November.

Springsteen and the E Street Band are also scheduled to release a studio album, “Magic,” on Oct. 2. The first single, “Radio Nowhere,” was made available for free at the iTunes store Tuesday. The uptempo rock song echoes some of Springsteen’s guitar-driven work of decades ago, rather than the more somber material of recent vintage.

The singer has toured recently as a solo act and with the large string band he assembled for his 2006 “Seeger Sessions” album, but neither of those generated the sales buzz of an E Street Band tour. When last on the road, in 2002-03, Springsteen and the E Street Band raked in $157 million in revenue.

The band includes keyboardists Roy Bittan and Danny Federici, saxophonist Clarence Clemons, guitarists Steve Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, bassist Garry Tallent, vocalist Patti Scialfa, and drummer Max Weinberg. The E Streeters have been performing with Springsteen in various guises since the early ‘70s, and underpinned the tours that cemented his reputation as one of his generation’s greatest live performers.

Homeowners to host "lawn chair" meeting

Homeowners to host "lawn chair" meeting
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/25/07
BELMAR: The Belmar Homeowners Association will host its annual "lawn chair" meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Belmar First Aid Squad building, 414 9th Ave.

The event will include two guest speakers: Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle and Borough Council President Meredith Brennan.

The meeting is expected to focus on an update and progress report concerning Belmar's quality of life programs.

Tiki torch fire ignites a squabble in Belmar

Tiki torch fire ignites a squabble in Belmar

Authorities say it wasn't arson
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/28/07
BY ERIK LARSEN
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

Post Comment
BELMAR — Borough police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office were at odds earlier this month over whether to charge two New York City firefighters with arson at a summer bungalow in town, Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle said.

Pringle addressed the dispute in an e-mail he wrote to one of the victims' mothers this past weekend concerning the Aug. 17 fire at 108 13th Ave. There were no injuries, but four people had their possessions damaged. The mother provided a copy of the e-mail to a reporter.

"I strongly agree with your view of the incident and its seriousness, as does the Belmar Police Department," Pringle wrote Saturday morning. "Unfortunately, the ultimate decision to charge suspects with major crimes rests with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Not only did they decline to charge the suspects with arson — which is what our police department had urged — they declined even to charge them with a failure to report the incident."

First Assistant County Prosecutor Peter Warshaw declined Monday to comment on Pringle's e-mail. However, Warshaw confirmed that the Prosecutor's Office and the county Fire Marshal's Office have determined that the small blaze was accidental.

"It involved individuals who were trying to light a tiki torch, which was apparently accidentally dropped and caused there to be a fire on the furniture and other combustible items that were on a porch outside the residence," Warshaw said. "As I understand, the fire was quickly extinguished and caused minor damage."

Both the firefighters and the four bungalow occupants are seasonal renters with units on the same lot. The bungalow is a freestanding unit at the rear of the property and includes an open porch where the tiki torches and a gallon of lighter fluid had been left overnight.

The bungalow occupants were asleep when the fire started in the early morning hours of a Friday.

The firefighters had told investigators they stumbled upon the fire and extinguished the blaze without alarming their sleeping neighbors. But police were convinced that the firefighters themselves had set their neighbors' tiki torches ablaze while horsing around on the property after a night of drinking.

The tiki torches normally consume about eight ounces of lighter fluid, but the gallon-sized container — full the night before — was empty the following morning.

"I can't account for their decision, and can only recommend that you contact Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin and ask that he explain it to you," Pringle said in the e-mail. "I think you and your daughter and her housemates deserve an explanation."

"Much ado about nothing"


Police Chief Jack Hill on Monday sought to downplay the perception of a disagreement between the two agencies.

"This is much ado about nothing," Hill said. "The investigation led where it led. . . . It's negligence, they knocked over a tiki torch. There's no intent there. We couldn't establish any intent we could have prosecuted."

While Hill acknowledges an initial difference of opinion, he said he takes no issue with how the Prosecutor's Office investigated the matter and said he agrees with their findings.

Nevertheless, Hill said Belmar planned to forward his department's case files to the New York City Fire Department for internal review to determine whether administrative action against the firefighters was warranted.

Hill and Warshaw declined to release the names of the firefighters.

Bruce Springsteen's new album, "Magic

For those who still have their record players, they'll have a chance to listen to the "Magic" album before the rest of us.

This was posted on the Billboard website on Thursday:

From Billboard:
August 23, 2007, 4:15 PM ET

In an unusual move, Bruce Springsteen's new album, "Magic," is expected to be released on vinyl a week before its CD version hits stores. The vinyl is due Sept. 25 via Columbia, while the CD will arrive Oct. 2. A handful of major releases have appeared on vinyl prior to CD; Pearl Jam released its 1994 album, "Vitalogy," on vinyl two weeks early, prompting a premature No. 55 debut on The Billboard 200.

The first single from "Magic," the driving rocker "Radio Nowhere," is due to hit U.S. radio outlets on Sept. 4 but has begun making the rounds online in the past 24 hours.

Springsteen and the E Street Band are widely expected to play some live shows in the U.S. around the album's release, but dates have yet to be announced.

-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.


And yes, the single "Radio Nowhere" has started to circulate among Springsteen fans on the Internet.
My colleague Jay Lustig, wrote about "Radio Nowhere" in Friday's Star-Ledger. You can find his story here.

The lyrics to "Radio Nowhere" are:

"I was trying to find my way home,
But all I heard was a drone.
Bouncin' off a satellite
Crushing the last long American night.

This is radio nowhere.
Is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere.
Is there anybody alive out there?


Been spinning 'round a dead dial'
Just another lost number in a file.
dancing down a dark hole'
Just searching for a world with some soul.

This is radio nowhere.
Is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere.
Is there anybody alive out there?
Is there anybody alive out there?

I just want to hear some rhythm.
I just want to hear some rhythm
I just want to hear some rhythm.
I just want to hear some rhythm.

I want a thousand guitars.
I want pounding drums.
I want a million different voices speaking in tongues.

This is radio nowhere.
Is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere.
Is there anybody alive out there?
Is there anybody alive out there?

(Sax solo)

I was driving thru the misty rain
Yeah, searching for a mystery train.
Bopping thru the wild blue
Trying to make a connection with you.

This is radio nowhere.
Is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere.
Is there anybody alive out there?
Is there anybody alive out there?

I just want to hear some rhythm
I just want to hear some rhythm
I just want to hear some rhythm
I just want to hear some rhythm
I just want to hear some rhythm
I just want to hear some rhythm"

Look for the song to be played on radio stations starting this weekend.
It is a rocker. I can't wait to hear it played live in concert.


Post a comment | View comments (1)
| Permalink (Learn More)
Share: Reddit | Digg | del.icio.us | Google | Yahoo | What is this?
Here's the "Magic" album cover
Posted by By Stan Goldstein August 20, 2007 11:43PM
The cover of Bruce Springsteen's upcoming album "Magic" has been released.
You can find it here.
It reminds a lot of fans of earlier Springsteen album covers, such as "The Wild, Innocent and E Street Shuffle, "Darkness On the Edge of Town" and "The River."
The album comes out on Oct. 2.
Talk is that one of the song off the album "Radio Nowhere" will be playing on the radio sometime next week.

Beach Wedding at Matisse in Belmar NJ

 

Matisse is the perfect place to consider for your next special event. Located beach front with majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean, you will find a setting for special occasions that is unmatched! Our critically acclaimed chef, experienced managers and fully trained staff are ready to plan and coordinate your affair with a genuine desire to make you and your guests conscious of the gracious hospitality of Matisse.

A picture perfect view from every table at Matisse

 

Book you fundraiser at Matisse 732-681-7680

 

Ocean view deck at Matisse in Belmar

 

Dems spurn homeowners group forum

Dems spurn homeowners group forum

Alternate debate sought
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/23/07
BY ERIK LARSEN
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

Post Comment
BELMAR — Democrats will skip an annual candidates forum this fall hosted by the Belmar Homeowners Association, with one councilman calling the organization's leadership "clearly partisan."

Instead, Democrats have asked The Coast Star, a weekly newspaper, and the League of Women Voters to host and moderate a debate Oct. 22 at Taylor Pavilion, one day before the association is scheduled to host its forum there.

"We think this clandestine action is underhanded and unprincipled," the association said in a written statement Wednesday. "When Lord Acton said, "Absolute power corrupts,' he was making an observation that a person's sense of morality lessens as his power increases. We think it has in this case."

Democratic Councilman Matthew J. Doherty, whom the association has described as Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle's "pit bull," said he is behind his party's decision to cut ties with the forum, which first began when the debates started in 2004.

"In an effort to have a truly nonpartisan and independent debate for the benefit of all the residents of Belmar, I approached the Coast Star and the League of Women Voters," Doherty said. "The leadership of the BHA is clearly partisan and openly claim credit for the election of Councilman Bill Merkler," the first Republican elected to the five-member Borough Council since 1990.

Doug Sweeny, association president, and Sandy Alvarez, a spokeswoman, said Wednesday that Doherty's statement and others he has made against the association are false.

Doherty said he was merely repeating what has been previously reported about the association in local newspapers.

"Apparently, he and the mayor have seized control of this event," the association wrote. "The BHA (leadership) team sees this as a thinly disguised approach to disempower one of the largest and most active citizen groups in Belmar, turning it over to groups outside the borough. Furthermore, Doherty's actions serve to divide the community."

The association said it's willing to work with the League of Women Voters to demonstrate its commitment to bipartisanship.

Council President Meredith Brennan, a Democrat seeking re-election this November, said the association is overreacting. She said the party's decision has more to do with the reputation and credibility that a League of Women Voters debate brings to the political process.

"I'm sorry if the BHA feels bad. I can't speak for the other candidates but I have not accepted an invitation to their debate and I don't know that we ever said we would," Brennan said. "Given the choice of the two, I think as I said, the League of Women Voters has the years of experience and the reputation, to bring about an objective, nonpartisan and positive kind of debate and that's the one I would like to participate in."

Michael Seebeck, a Republican candidate for council, said he was unaware of the controversy when reached Wednesday afternoon.

"This is the first I'm hearing of this, and I need to find out more information about the forums and the willingness of my co-candidates to participate," Seebeck said.

The association, which claims about 200 members, was founded about three years ago out of concerns over the borough's quality-of-life issues. The group provides residents with a forum to make complaints and appeal to the borough for solutions.

While the group professes to be nonpartisan, it doesn't shy away from diving into the borough's political disputes and has at times been critical of Pringle and the Police Department over whether enough has been done to curb rowdiness during the summer.

rare video The Doors live in Asbury Park 1966

The towns with the 5-10 million dollar homes, The beaches are closed due to pollution from Wreck Pond

Spring Lake, NJ 07762

School Info Community Info


Property Info

Price: $7,700,000
Property Type: Single Family
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 6 Full, 1 Half
Garage: 2 Car
MLS ID: 20718626





Spring Lake, Sea Girt beaches closed today
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/22/07
BY TODD B. BATES
ENVIRONMENTAL WRITER

Post Comment
For the third day in a row, two ocean beaches in Spring Lake and two in Sea Girt are closed to swimming today, according to state officials.

Those beaches are at Brown and York avenues in Spring Lake and at Beacon Boulevard and The Terrace in Sea Girt, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection Web site.

When rainfall reaches at least one-tenth of an inch, bathing is automatically banned
at the four beaches because of pollution concerns linked to the outfall from Wreck Pond, which is in Spring Lake and Sea Girt.

The four beaches were also closed to swimming on Saturday, DEP spokeswoman Darlene, Yuhas said Tuesday.

All other ocean beaches with lifeguards are open today, the DEP Web site says.

Meanwhile, there is a moderate risk of rip currents today, with 4- to 6-foot waves in
the surf zone, according to the National Weather Service Mount Holly office Web site.

"A moderate risk of rip currents implies that individuals planning to enter the surf
should check with local beach patrols first,'' the Web site says. "Be sure to swim
within sight of a life guard, and never swim alone or at night.''

Better than a Jetski

Gibbs Technologies Ltd, the world’s only High Speed Amphibian (HSA) technology specialist, today unveiled a prototype of the first commercially viable high-speed amphibian Quadbike/All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) - Quadski.



Quadski is the third demonstration of Gibbs’ HSA technology following the successes of the Aquada and the Humdinga. It is capable of travelling up to 50 mph (72 kph) on land and water and makes the transition at the flick of a switch.

Commenting on the launch of the Quadski prototype, Alan Gibbs, the founder of UK based Gibbs Technologies Ltd. said, “Quadski is both exciting and practical with a multitude of uses”.

“I know consumers will love the fun of driving a Quadski on land one minute and then head straight into the sea or river the next. But there is a very serious side to Quadski as well: emergency services and aid workers will be able to reach areas and people no two or four wheel drive vehicle could reach.”

Belmar plans for the future

On August 21, 2006, at 7 p.m., the Belmar Planning Board will hold a public hearing on its proposed Fair Housing Plan. To read the draft of the Borough's Fair Housing Plan, click here.

All New Jersey municipalities in New Jersey are now required to adopt a Fair Share Housing Plan. The plan, which must be approved by the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing ("COAH"), defines each town's obligation to provide affordable housing pursuant to the First, Second and Third Round calculations, and sets forth a plan for satisfying that obligation. Specifically, a municipality’s Fair Share Plan must address its (1) rehabilitation share, (2) any remaining prior round obligation and (3) projected growth share. Prior to this year, the adoption of a Fair Share Housing Plan was optional unless ordered by a Court or COAH. Belmar has never submitted a Fair Share Housing Plan to COAH before this year.

Summary of the Plan

Calculation of the Borough's COAH Obligation

First Round COAH Obligation: Zero Units

Second Round COAH Obligation: 62 Units (the Borough's plan seeks to reduce this total to zero because of the lack of undeveloped land in the Borough.)

Third Round COAH Obligation: 75 Units (This is an estimated total based upon projected growth in the Borough over the next several years. The Third Round formula is also known as "Growth Share" and requires that one affordable housing unit be built for each 8 units of net new market rate housing that is built, and for each 25 jobs created by a commercial development.) This figure will reviewed every three years and adjusted upward and downward depending upon the progress of the Seaport Redevelopment Project and other redevelopment in the Borough.

Third Round Rehabilitation Obligation: 27 Units


Belmar's Plan for Meeting Its Fair Share Obligation

Belmar's Fair Share Housing Plan imposes the obligation to meet the Borough's estimated 75-unit Growth Share on the redevelopers who create this obligation through as a result of their proposed redevelopment.

The Borough is proposing a series of alternative approaches by which redevelopers can satisfy the Growth Share obligations their projects create.

I. Providing Affordable Housing On-Site

Redevelopers can satisfy their Growth Share obligation by providing the required number of units on site as part of their redevelopment project. For example, a developer that builds a project consisting of 8 market-rate residential units could satisfy its Growth Share obligation (1 affordable unit per 8 new market rate units) by including a ninth unit that meets COAH affordability requirements in the project.

II. Making a Contribution In Lieu of Providing an Affordable Housing Unit On-Site

The Borough's proposed plan will allow redevelopers to satisfy their obligation to provide affordable housing by making a contribution in lieu of providing a unit. The Borough estimates that the actual cost of constructing a new housing unit that meets COAH requirements will be $250,000.00. Accordingly, redevelopers will be required to contribute to the Borough's Fair Share Affordable Housing fund $31,250 for each market rate residential unit they construct, or for each commercial space they develop that results in the creation of 25 jobs.

III. Making an In-Kind Contribution of Affordable Housing

Belmar's plan also proposes to allow redevelopers to satisfy the the growth share obligation their projects create by making in-kind contributions of qualified affordable housing units. Such units can be provided through a variety of means. These include the following options:

A. Entering into agreements with owners of existing rental units pursuant to which the landlord will agree, in exchange for a lump sum payment from the redeveloper, to dedidate a rental unit as an affordable housing unit for a period of at least 30 years. The unit will be deed-restricted, and the unit will thereafter be affirmatively marketed in the region to individuals who meet low or moderate income guidelines in accordance with COAH regulations. Additional payments by the redeveloper may also be required to bring the rental unit up to COAH-standards.

B. Making a lump-sum payment to a mortgage company to "buy down" the rate on mortgage for a home buyer who meets the income guidelines for moderate income individuals. The effect of such a buydown is to lower the monthly mortgage payment such that an otherwise unaffordable home becomes affordable to a moderate income family.

C. Entering into agreements with owners of properties that have unheated rear-lot rental units (i.e., summer rentals) pursuant to which the property owner will agree, in exchange for a lump sum payment from the redeveloper, to renovate the unit to bring it up to COAH standards and to restrict the unit as an affordable housing unit for a period of at least 30 years for use by income eligible senior citizens. The unit will be deed-restricted, and the unit will thereafter be affirmatively marketed in the region to senior citizens who meet low or moderate income guidelines in accordance with COAH regulations. The Borough will adopt an Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance to permit such conversions.

D. Constructing affordable housing units, or buying multiple unit properties on the open market and renovating and reselling them subject to deed-restrictions that will make one or more of the rental units affordable in accordance with COAH regulations.

Rehabilitation Credits

The Borough anticipates that some property owners will be willing to agree to renovate their summer-only rear-lot dwelling units and restrict them for use only by income eligible senior citizens, but will want to reserve the right to choose their own tenants (e.g., a mother-in-law or aunt). These conversions will satisfy the Borough's rehabilitation obligation, but because COAH regulations require that affordable housing units be "affirmatively marketed" in accordance with COAH regulations, they will not reduce the Borough's affordable housing unit obligation.

Ensuring Equity in the Location of Affordable Housing

The Borough's Fair Share Plan contains provisions that will prevent any redeveloper from concentrating affordable housing in any existing residential area of the Borough, or from attempting to satisfy all of its growth share obligation through one category (e.g., income eligible senior housing) of affordable housing.

8TH ANNUAL FRIENDSHIP REGATTA DRAWS 59 YOUTHS

Competition draws sailors of all ages

8TH ANNUAL FRIENDSHIP REGATTA DRAWS 59 YOUTHS
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/20/07
BY TERRY GAUTHIER MUESSIG
STAFF WRITER

Post Comment
BELMAR — Hogging a division championship is something Adrianna Matyas did not want to do, but the teenager's performance in a regatta on Sunday proved she could be considered a sailor to reckoned with.

Adrianna, 13, of Manasquan along with 58 other youths participated in the eighth annual Friendship Cup Regatta sponsored by the Friends of the Belmar Harbor. The races were held in the Shark River at the Belmar Marina at L Street.

Last year, Adrianna participated in the optimist division races, a single-person boat and won in her age bracket. This year, she opted to race in the 420s boat competition, a two-person sailboat.

"I didn't want to hog it," she said referring to possibly winning a second year in a row for the single-person event. So for this event she partnered with Siobhan Kenney, 16, Wall. Kenney was the skipper, and Adrianna was her crew person.

Kenney said she has been sailing for about five years.

"I started racing last year," she said.

She began the sport for fun. Then last year, she decided to take her sport to the next level and began racing.

"Racing is fun too," she said. The events added a new dimension to her sailing, and "I love the competition."

The races started about 10:30 a.m. There were five divisions: the 420s; JY-15s; three optimist called "opti" for short, a single-man craft, as well as a first-time sailor opti division. The first-time division was recognized as a green fleet. The sailors in this division all received certificates for participation.

The three opti races for placing in the race were defined by age brackets. The white fleet was for sailors up to 10 years of age; the blue fleet was for 11 and 12 year olds, and the red fleet was for ages 13 to 15.

The courses for all the races called for participants to maneuver their boats around the river rounding buoys that were placed in the water to form a triangle-shaped course.

There were eight boats in the 420s competition. By the time Siobhan and Adrianna rounded the first buoy, it was clear they would win the race.

James Britton, 19, of Middletown, an instructor for the club, was skippering a small raft in the water and was grinning ear-to-ear and yelling "way-to-go," to the obvious winners of the first race.

"They (Adrianna and Siobhan) are doing an amazing job, today," Britton said. Although he rooted for the other sailors, he was a bit partial to the two girls' performance. He is their sailing instructor at the club.

The FOBH is a community sailing club in Belmar, and is open to the public for membership.

The program was established to promote and foster the enhancement of the Shark River Basin, said Michael Mixson of Belmar, a past president of the organization and retired school teacher and vice-principal of Neptune High School.

There are sailing programs for junior sailors and advanced sailors as well as adult instructional programs. Membership fees range from single member at $100 per year to $150 for a family per year. Other membership programs such as supporting and life members are available.

"I joined four years ago with my wife (Mary Clanton-Calnan) so we could take sailing lessons," David Calnan of Avon said. He is now the president of the club. Their daughter Caroline, 12, was among the sailors in the opti races.

"You don't have to be a member of the club to take lessons," he said.

The races for each division were being conducted on the river at the same time, but in different locations near the docks.

The prizes for the event are mainly bragging rights for the year, Mixson said. However, the sailors also received ribbons and medals for their efforts.

Both Adrianna and Kenney said they were happy with the results.

Adrianna will be racing again next year and will see if she could win a "triple crown."

TAXI !!!!! Drunken driving deaths up in 22 states to 17,602 last year

Drunken driving deaths up in 22 states


ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Drunken driving fatalities increased in 22 states in 2006 and fell in 28 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, federal transportation officials said Monday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released data showing there were 13,470 deaths in 2006 involving drivers and motorcycle operators with blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher, which is the legal limit for adults throughout the country. The number was down slightly from 2005, when 13,582 people died in crashes involving legally drunk drivers.

The overall number of deaths involving drivers and motorcycle operators with any amount of alcohol in their blood was 17,602 last year. That was up from 17,590 in 2005, according to spokeswoman Heather Ann Hopkins.

"The number of people who died on the nation's roads actually fell last year," U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said at a news conference in this Washington suburb. "However the trend did not extend to alcohol-related crashes."

Transportation officials announced the new figures as they unveiled a $11 million nationwide advertising campaign as part of a Labor Day weekend campaign "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Puerto Rico | District of Columbia | Drunk Driving
"This crackdown is very, very, very important because it's the penalties that are imposed when someone chooses to ignore the law that really have the ability to make changes," Peters said.

Among states, Arizona, Kansas and Texas had the greatest increases in number of drunken driving deaths last year. But Utah, Kansas and Iowa had the largest percentage increases compared with 2005. Texas had the largest actual number drunken driving deaths with a total of 1,354.

Florida, Missouri and Pennsylvania had the greatest decreases in numbers of drunken driving deaths last year, while the District of Columbia, Alaska and Delaware had the largest percentage decreases compared with 2005. The District of Columbia had the smallest actual number of drunken driving deaths with a total of 12.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Posted 6h 10m ago

another review about the dump called The Mayfair Hotel, Belmar NJ

1 Review for Mayfair HotelFirst to Review Heather B.
Selected Review

Heather B.
Reviews
Written: 7
06/11/2007 3 star rating
It's hard to write this one because I wanted The Mayfair to be better than it is. The Mayfair is this really charming hotel, perfectly located right across from the boardwalk at 10th Ave in Belmar. It was built in the 1920's. From the outside it looks like a gigantic east coast wood-sided porched house. Inside it possesses a nostalgic beach hotel elegance with its grand staircase and high tin ceilings. The lobby rooms are large and sunny with many many plants and comfortable rocking chairs. Once there was a dance floor and restaurant...it must have been quite a place. Actually, I think the place is fine for couples without kids.

As a family we found The Mayfair fairly inconvenient and run down. The toilet area was carpeted, not too recently either. One of our double beds was sagging and uncomfortable. There is a kitchen downstairs but it had some fast crawly friends whose names I won't mention. Also, the worst part (for me) was that they don't make any coffee. Come on! Even the cheapest hotel should offer good coffee to it's guests. Being able to quickly grab a cup first thing in the morning without worrying about leaving the kids for 10 minutes while you brew it yourself or walk to 7-Eleven can make the difference between a good and a bad day.

So, listen close Mayfair Hotel:

1. fresh coffee at all times
2. lose that toilet carpet
3. check for sagging mattresses

And I'll take this all back.

Movies on the beach in Belmar

 

Two Dead, Over 80 Arrested After Rowdy N.J. Concert

Two Dead, Over 80 Arrested After Rowdy N.J. Concert

Two Dead, Over 80 Arrested After Rowdy N.J. Concert
WNBC-TV
Updated: 11:18 a.m. ET Aug 17, 2007
NEW YORK - Two people are dead, 83 were arrested and drinking in the parking lot has been banned following an unruly concert at the PNC Bank Arts center on Thursday night, police said. WNBC.com's Brian Thompson has learned that Raymond Guarino, 26, died Thursday night at Bayshore Hospital. Guarino, of Forked River, N.J., had to be resuscitated in the PNC Bark Arts center parking lot shortly after 3:15 p.m. on Thursday before being transported to the hospital.

New Jersey state troopers received information that Guarino had injested cocaine, marijuana and alcohol prior to the incident. Troopers searched the vehicle he arrived in and discovered small amounts of both drugs in the vehicle.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death, and whether the presence of drugs is detected.

According to police, another concertgoer, Patrick Norris, 24, of Coram, N.Y., passed out at the concert around 10 p.m. and was transported to Bayshore in cardiac arrest. He was declared dead in the hospital. Police said he had also injested cocaine, marijuana and alcohol before and during the show.

Drinking alcohol in the parking lot of the PNC Arts Center will be banned starting with Friday night's Velvet Revolver concert.

Patrons were previously allowed to bring their own alcohol and tailgate in the parking lot.

New jersey Turnpike Authority officials, who own the amphitheater in Holmdel, said the drinking ban is permanent.

A free Ozzfest concert on Thursday resulted in a larger than usual crowd, to big for the 17,000 seat outdoor amphitheater to accomodate. There were 83 arrests made by New Jersey state police on a variety of drug related and drinking charges, one of the highest totals so far this summer. Fifty-nine of the arrests were for underage drinking. Eighteen juveniles, some as young as 15-years-old, were among those arrested.

Authorities launched a crackdown on drinking after the season's first show in May because 13 young patrons had to be taken to hospitals with alcohol-related illnesses. The youngest was 11 years old. More than 90 patrons were arrested at the O.A.R concert on Saturday and 54 people were arrest at the Incubus show last Friday. Officials said there have been over 300 arrests at the concert venue this week alone.

Altantic City airshow The Airforce Thunderbirds over the beach

 

The Mayfair Hotel in Belmar

I have never been there in 20 years not sure what its like but the latest review is not too nice...i know it looks like a dump ...

read this

last chance to play breakfast bingo, Tropical Pub has sold

Good luck to the guys at the Tropica Pub in Belmar, you better get there soon as the place will be closing, its been sold to make room for more homes. So if you have always wanted to go back to the trop to play bingo you better hurry up. cause it might be over at the end of this summer

Our search for a good Cuban sandwich? in Belmar not even Matisse will make one

Our search for a good Cuban sandwich takes a surprising turn
Posted on Thu, Aug. 09, By ENRIQUE FERNANDEZ
efernandez@MiamiHerald.com

CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Norman Brothers Produce's Cuban sandwich
» More Photos
A Do-It-Yourself Sandwiche Cubano
IF YOU GO

BIN NO. 18

• 1800 Biscayne Blvd., Miami.

• 786-235-7575.

• 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 6-11 p.m.; later on weekends.

• Sandwich $8.

• FYI: Cuban sandwich is an occasional special; call to check availability.

L & L MARKET BISTRO

• 11338 Miramar Pkwy., Miramar.

• 954-437-0071.

• 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

• Sandwich $7.

NORMAN BROTHERS PRODUCE

• 7621 SW 87th Ave., Kendall.

• 305-274-9363.

• 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

• Sandwich $5.99.

• FYI: Cubano panini is available Thursdays only, beginning at 9:30 a.m., and often sells out by 4 p.m.
Sometimes what you need is a hot Cuban.

Un sandwiche cubano.

A Miami staple.

Or is it?

The Cuban sandwich is not, in fact, a Cuban Miami invention. It hails from Tampa -- specifically Ybor City, the old cigar-factory town within Tampa.

Andy Huse, a University of South Florida librarian who is the sandwich's major historian, had his first Ybor City cubano in 1992. It was love at first bite.

''Miamians think they invented everything Cuban,'' Huse told the St. Petersburg Times with all the pride of a transplanted Tampan. (He is from Chicago.) ``When Miami was hardly a gleam in an alligator's eye, we had a thriving community in Ybor.''

I concur. Having lived in Tampa from 1957 to 1964, Ybor City's last years as an authentic Latin town-within-a-town, I can attest that the Cuban sandwiches rocked.

The Tampa cubano was made on shortening-free Cuban bread, filled with hand-cut ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, thinly sliced pickle and a slather of yellow mustard. Plus either mortadella or salami, which was dropped in the Miami version. It was usually, as now, heated in a sandwich press.

Even in their birthplace, Huse says, ``Cuban sandwiches seem to be getting worse.''

Miami, too, once prided itself on its cubanos, with the original Latin American Cafeteria setting the standard, but Huse's dictum applies here as well.

Not just Miami but all of South Florida is awash in variations of the Coral Way cafeteria -- now gone -- but their cubanos don't measure up.

The original, Huse says, was called a mixto -- ''mixed'' meats as opposed to just ham and cheese or just roast pork (pan con lechón, a topic for another time) -- and it was a classic in Havana sandwich shops that in Tampa became known as a cubano.

In both cities, they were first made by Spanish immigrants, mostly gallegos, who hand-sliced home-roasted pork leg (i.e., fresh ham), home-glazed ham, also on the bone, and big rounds of Swiss cheese.

At tony Havana sandwich shops like OK, Siglo XX and El Carmelo, they also added mortadella, according to Mary Gladys Peón, a self-declared Cuban-sandwich nut whose husband, Ramón, owns La Taberna de San Román in Doral.

Searching the food websites, I find lamentations: ''Where can I get a good Cuban sandwich?'' Sometimes there are tips, but the cubanos to which they lead are, indeed, lamentable.

I follow leads from friends, colleagues, foodies. Close, but no cubano.

After sampling countless examples (they're served at every Cuban coffee-shop in town), I am forced to conclude that, like other popular Cuban specialties, the sandwiche cubano had descended to fast-food quality in South Florida, made by -- and often for -- folk who no longer know the right stuff.

But there is hope, albeit unconventional.

At L & L Market Bistro in Miramar, the owners are Cuban, but theirs is not an ethnic deli. There is jazz on the sound system, a variety of sandwiches and salads on the menu and a good selection of wines on the shelves.

Their Cuban sandwich is made with thin-sliced ham, the pork is house-roasted, and the bread -- a sandwich-sized French loaf -- is toasted with grill marks -- an unconventional but nice touch.

On Thursdays, Norman Brothers Produce in Kendall makes a ''Cubano panini'' with pork that is braised rather than roasted and then shredded -- atypical but very, very tasty. There's only one thin slice of ham -- a welcome relief from overstuffed cubanos at more ''ethnic'' eateries -- and the bread is a small, crusty, French loaf, nice but not Cuban.

We live in a curious gastronomic era. Good-quality, traditional food is almost impossible to find commercially, and at the higher end, the buzzword is deconstruction.

That is precisely what accounts for the best cubano in town. Or best non-cubano cubano.

At the trendy Bin No. 18 on Biscayne Boulevard, chef-owner Alfredo Patiño marinates pork loin in sour orange and onion, then braises it for six hours and tucks the shredded meat, along with Swiss cheese, inside a ciabatta loaf that's been slathered with Patiño's own mix of Dijon mustard, horseradish and mayo. No ham, but traditional dill pickles (he uses kosher) sliced lengthwise.

The result is something that is not a Cuban sandwich but hits all the right Cuban sandwich notes. Alas, Patiño only serves it as an occasional special.

Perhaps we have entered the era of nuevo cubano sandwiche. Or perhaps we just have to wait for one of our Cuban-culture obsessives -- and the diaspora is full of them -- to decide it's time to bring it all back home.

At the eating end, this obsessive is waiting.

Happy National Root Beer Float Day! Visit Matisse

I haven't had a root beer flavored popsicle in a long time. That would really hit the spot right now.

I know, I know, it has nothing to do exactly with National Root Beer Float Day, but it got me thinking about root beer. How did root beer, something I drank all the time when I was a kid get pushed out of the picture in favor of Diet Pepsi and other sodas?

Here's a recipe for a root beer float (it's very basic, just root beer and vanilla ice cream). How about a root beer float cake?

And just to make you feel bad, A&W Restauants gave away free root beer floats on National Float Day, which was June 21, the first day of summer. Sorry!

ANNIVERSARY PARTY LABAMBA AND THE HUBCAPS

Sunday, August 12
It's Our
26th SUMMER
ANNIVERSARY PARTY
with
LABAMBA AND THE HUBCAPS
http://www.labambaandthehubcaps.com
703-5 16th Ave
Lake Como (formerly S. Belmar), N.J.
(732) 681-7422

As seen in the Max Weinberg 7
of the Conan O'Brien Show
Show Starts at 8 pm

Doors at 7 pm
with
$2.75 Miller Lites
All Night
This is LaBamba's Only
Jersey Shore Show of the Year!

Sailing in Belmar

 

Sunday 9am Belmar photo of the beachfront

 

Preventing Swimmer's Ear

Preventing Swimmer's Ear



Preventing Swimmer's Ear


Reprinted by permission from American Swimming Magazine, published by ASCA


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You don’t have to be a swimmer to get swimmer’s ear. Athletes who frequently get water or perspiration in their ears are susceptible to the condition. Staying in a pool too long can reduce the acid level of the ear wax, which is there to help resist infections.


Swimmer’s ear (otitis extema) is actually one of several names that refer to an infection of the outer ear. It can be caused by a fungus, but is more commonly associated with bacteria that is brought into the ear with water. If the water then runs out, the ear and the bacteria dry up. But when some of the water remains trapped in the ear canal and the skin gets soggy, the bacteria are in a perfect environment to grow into a problem.



SYMPTOMS



The first symptoms are a feeling that the ear is blocked, muffled hearing, and an itch. Later, the canal can become swollen and painful, and a watery discharge accumulates in the area. If the ear gets to the point of being tender to the touch, it’s time to get to a doctor.



PREVENTION



There are several ways to prevent swimmer’s ear from ever occurring. Here is a summary of preventive methods:



Don’t swim in dirty water.

Wear earplugs while swimming.

After a swim, tilt and shake your head to allow the water to drain.

Dry your ears with a clean cloth after showering and with a hair dryer set at low speed, held about 12" from your ear.

Use one dropper of commercial eardrops, isopropyl alcohol, or white vinegar in your ear after swimming or showering. Wiggle your ear to let the solution get to the bottom, then let the fluid drain out. Drops should not be used by people with tubes in their ears or perforations in their eardrums.

Some experts suggest that you use a dropper of mineral oil, baby oil, or lanolin to create a protective coating before you exercise. Get advice from a physician or trainer before using this method.

If you wear a hearing aid, remove it frequently to allow your ear to dry.

Avoid excessive cleaning that removes all of the protective wax naturally present in the ear canal.

ROWDY RENTERS, "ANIMAL HOUSES" TOP CONCERNS IN BELMAR

Text Size:|| E-mail Print Subscribe E-mail Alerts
Survey cites summer woes

ROWDY RENTERS, "ANIMAL HOUSES" TOP CONCERNS IN BELMAR
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/2/07
BY ERIK LARSEN
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

Post Comment
BELMAR — Group rentals, "animal houses" and other summer disturbances from tourists remain the top concerns of the influential Belmar Homeowners Association, which has released its third annual survey on quality of life in the borough.

Pet control, affordable housing and public education are the least of their worries, according to the survey, which was conducted between June 28 and July 10 and delivered to the Borough Council last week. About 70 residents, just over 1 percent of Belmar's population, participated.

While not a scientific poll, the seven-page document is touted as an educational resource for municipal leaders interested in what is on the minds of the borough's strongest advocates for a kinder, gentler Belmar.

The association is considered influential because in 2005, for the first time since Kenneth E. Pringle became mayor in 1990, a Republican was elected to the five-member Borough Council. The association credits that election result in part to its efforts to better inform the electorate, with such venues as its annual candidates forum, with questions submitted to the candidates beforehand. The association started hosting the forum about two years ago.

Pringle said some recommendations made in the latest survey, such as a 10 percent municipal sales tax on all liquor sold in bars and another 50 percent municipal sales tax on all cover charges, are outside the jurisdiction of municipal government in New Jersey.

Another recommendation proposes that a portion of revenue generated from beach badge fees be diverted to more police coverage and road repairs, but that idea is also prohibited under state law, Pringle said.

The association's survey also takes a jab at the Police Department, which the association contends has not done enough to rein in the wilder elements of Belmar's summer tourist scene.

"We've been complaining for years about group rentals," one comment reads. "Very happy that the administration is finally doing something about it. What took so long? What's different this year vs. the past? Could it be that new homes aren't selling and developers are getting cranky? Maybe because our police chief is running for sheriff and needs to say he's doing a great job in Belmar."

Police Chief Jack Hill is the Democratic nominee for Monmouth County sheriff in this November's election.

Hill replied Wednesday: "This particular year has not been the result of a sudden crackdown, but is the result of prolonged, consistent professional enforcement of all our codes/ordinances and synergy between the mayor and council, and the various departments of the borough on quality-of-life issues."

Tourists are also more educated than ever before as to what is allowed and not allowed in Belmar. Residents, too, get credit for their participation by calling in complaints, joining various community police programs and volunteer boards, Hill said.

"Their participation adds to our efforts and keep us focused," he said. "That being said, the job is far from over and through continued focus, the quality of life will continue to improve."

Other recommendations, comments and criticisms, all made anonymously, include:

"There are many huge rooming houses and quasi-hotels in Belmar, I don't think code enforcement is as focused on them as they are on smaller group rentals and even individual homes."

"Plans regarding the Seaport Redevelopment are a joke. They change every time a question is asked. How many times can the mayor talk about the progress he's making giving a different answer as to what we'll see?"

"We should plant tulip and other perennial bulbs in the median strips to make Belmar look more attractive."

"Ensure all the kids going to Belmar Elementary School are legal residents."

"Our municipal services are disappearing. Can't get a curb painted. Lots of work done by our public works department at direction of the administration to encourage the tourist to come to Belmar. The priorities are not in the right order."

Association President Doug Sweeny could not be reached for comment.

Councilman Matthew J. Doherty, a Democrat, said it is the association — a group he considers a front for the local Republican Party — whose priorities are not in the right order.

Doherty said the survey never addresses the needs of Belmar's senior citizen population, while it ranks education and recreation among its issues of least concern, after pet control.

"I believe most residents care about keeping property taxes in check, maintaining quality education and recreation for our children, expanding services for our senior population and moving redevelopment forward," Doherty said. "The BHA survey seems to draw unscientific conclusions from a very small, homogenous group of residents that offers little guidance to the mayor and council."

Catering your party at the Jersey Shore

Award-winning cuisine at your place or or oceanfront deck at Matisse. If your group can’t come to Matisse, but you want to enjoy the taste of wonderful fresh seafood Steak,or chops without slaving away in the kitchen, we can make that happen. Do you want to just stop in and pick up food for your event? We can do that! Want to have food delivered to your event? We can do that! Want someone to come in and set up, run, and clean up your event? We can do that, too! Just say the word and we’ll be there – complete with all the gourmet touches.
From casual family functions, to office meetings, to summer barbeques or elegant private functions, our experienced team of catering professionals can cater your event with sensitivity and assurance. Your board room. Your office. Your home dining room. You pick the place. We love working in any and all venues.
At Matisse Restaurant Ocean Ave. Belmar, we offer complete catering services to help you create the most memorable occasion. We offer extensive menu selections and will customize the menu to fit your catering needs. In addition, a professional and acclaimed culinary team is available to assist you with every detail: menu planning, party rentals, flower arranging, decor, full service food and beverages, freshly baked pastries and desserts. For groups 10 to 500, your place of choice. Our goal: To make your event a truly festive occasion.
You can order our Simply Fresh Party Platters Menu for your home or office. We're now providing the tastiest party platters, big salads deserts for your next party. Our menu includes everything from big party trays of salmon canapés, fresh seafood salads, Matisse’s white chocolate mousse cake. And a bunch more.
We look forward to serving you and ensuring that your next event is the absolute best it can be.
We have catered many parties this summer at the shore, and look forward to helping make you the star party of the summer

Last week Matisse catered a house party of 24 people featuring a New England
Lobster and Clam Bake, complete setup of all food and cleanup, be a geust at your next party instead of slaving away in the kitchen

call Mary at Matisse phone 732-681-7680

Belmar native Terry Magovern

A lovely tribute from Backstreets.com:

"It is with great sadness that we report that longtime Springsteen associate and close friend Terry Magovern, 67, passed away in his sleep on Monday night. For the last 20 years, Magovern could be seen regularly at Springsteen's side. An imposing figure, seemingly the walking embodiment of "You better be good for goodness sake" wherever he accompanied Springsteen, Magovern had a kind and gracious nature, one pleasantly at odds with his professional image. Magovern began working for Springsteen in 1987, but the two had already known each other for decades by that point. They met at the Upstage in Asbury Park in the late '60s; "Right from the first time I heard [Bruce] play," Magovern told journalist Robert Santelli, "I believed in him and his music." In 1971, as manager of the Captain's Garter in Neptune, Magovern hired the Bruce Springsteen Band to play.

In the years that followed, Magovern managed a number of Shore clubs, including Clarence Clemons' Big Man's West in Red Bank. By the time he went on the road with Springsteen for the Tunnel of Love Express Tour in 1988, he had a wealth of experience in the music business. He has been an intergral part of Springsteen's work life ever since.

It would be hard to overestimate the impact Magovern's loss will have on those with whom he worked, just as it's hard to pin down what his job actually was. Magovern was "Road Manager" on the Tom Joad tour, "Personal Assistant" on the Rising tour... but just as often his official role was no more (and no less) than being himself, as in the multiple tourbooks that list the credit, "Terry Magovern: Terry Magovern." Personal aide, liaison, researcher, reconnaissance man, right-hand man, right arm... Magovern played a larger role than we can probably know in helping Springsteen navigate the demands of his profession and get his music to the masses. And he touched many other lives along the way. Our hearts go out to all those who knew and loved him.

Magovern's death follows that of his fiance, Joan Dancy, from ALS in 2005; after Dancy passed away, Magovern established an organization in her honor to help others who suffer from ALS. Donations, in lieu of flowers, will help that group's continuing work: The Joan Dancy & PALS Support Group, Riverview Medical Center, 1 Riverview Plaza, Red Bank, NJ 07701.

Watch for a tribute in Backstreets #87.
-August 1, 2007"

R.E.M. w/ Bruce Springsteen - Man on the Moon

for terry