Max's hot dog prices are insane $4.25 plus tax

CIRCUS DRIVE-IN

Saturday morning

An Abundance of Choices, Defying Expectations

An Abundance of Choices, Defying Expectations


By DAVID CORCORAN
Published: June 29, 2008
YOU arrive for dinner, shoulder your way into the tiny foyer through a flock of waiting customers, give your name to the cheerful but feverishly multitasking hostess, and hope for the best. (No reservations are accepted.) At length, she calls your name and escorts you to a cramped table.

An equally upbeat server greets you and begins reciting a list of specials — five appetizers, five entrees, each of them with enough moving parts for a clock factory. Daunted, you consult the printed menu, only to find 52 more dishes, many with long descriptions of their own. As the ambient noise rises, your concentration wanes. Is this going to be a meal or an endurance test?

Astonishingly, Vivas — a 10-month-old restaurant in a weary-looking Belmar strip mall a few blocks in either direction from the Atlantic Ocean beaches and the marinas of the Shark River Inlet — manages to bring it off. Dinner here is an exuberant experience, a lesson in shaking expectations.

The shaker in chief is Will Vivas, the 31-year-old chef and co-owner (with David Pollack, a builder). Born in Venezuela, Mr. Vivas came to the United States at 19, learned the trade at the New York Restaurant School and, in 2002, opened the lively, urban-pioneering Bistro Olé in downtown Asbury Park.

Needing a break, he returned to South America in 2005 and traveled for two years, soaking up the vibrant flavors and techniques of culinary cultures that know how to make great food with humble ingredients. Hence, a dish like pork serrano, which Mr. Vivas learned in Colombia: essentially, pork stuffed with ham and cheese.

There, he says, they use a pork chop, farmer’s cheese and thick, floury espagnole sauce. Here, diners will spring for pork tenderloin, Manchego cheese and a distinctly non-Colombian garnish of shiitake demi-glace. The upscaling suits this dish: It comes out generous and juicy, with a beguiling interplay of flavors and textures, from the smoky ham to the faintly sharp cheese to the deep, earthy mushrooms.

Now and then, Mr. Vivas’s instincts fail him. Two special seafood appetizers — tuna sushi and salmon “bites,” really croquettes — were fussy and unsatisfying, and a main-course short rib was salty and tough, in a viscous brown sauce.

But most of his combinations are as unexpected, bright and winning as the multicultural folk art on the walls. Polenta with shrimp and garlic-poblano-pepper sauce. Halibut with bacon sofrito (a sauce based on chopped tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic). Duck with sofrito and pineapple ratatouille. And, towering over about half the dishes, a whimsical, sculptural but compulsively edible fried plantain chip.

A “surf and turf” appetizer salad combined tender, fatty skirt steak and a skewer of fried shrimp over greens and slivered red onions with a high-powered mustard vinaigrette — all of it in a tostada basket. Enough for a main course, but never mind: These dishes are for sharing. Strike up a conversation with the jovial foursome at the next table, and maybe you can pull off a trade.

Entrees continue in this high-spirited vein. First-rate rack of lamb was turbocharged by a cumin-and-cream sauce. A seafood combination — lobster tail, calamari, scallops and white-fleshed fish, along with vivid green spinach — came in a brick-red sofrito sauce that left a hot afterglow. And a tuna special with yellow-pepper-chipotle sauce, peppercorns, capers, roasted-tomato salsa and (don’t stop!) mushroom risotto with blue cheese was a diva of a dish, a Patti LuPone showstopper.

Desserts, as you might expect, were delightful and almost, but not quite, over the top — particularly berry cheesecake and tres leches cake with three sauces, passion fruit, berry and chocolate. As we were finishing them, the heavens opened and Belmar was swept by a late-spring storm. Then the rain quit, the sun appeared and out over the Atlantic a giant rainbow formed. Clearly, we’d found the pot of gold.




Vivas

801 Belmar Plaza

Belmar

The Belmar Casino circa 1997

here is an old ad

LARGE FAMILY FUN CENTER AT AUCTION
SATURDAY APRIL 7, 2001, 10:00AM
BELMAR CASINO AND RESTAURANT
1400 OCEAN AVE. ( 14TM & OCEAN) BELMAR N.J.


Belmar Casino has closed its doors and will be razed for residential development. Everything must be sold! The auction includes many video games in 25' cabinets, 33' cabinets, sitdown drivers including Cruisin the Worlds, Daytona USA, Alpine 50' racer, Top Skater, Street Viper Wide Screen, 2 T-Meks, 2 Title Fights, Area 51, classics including Ms. Pac Man, 2 Pacmans, Robotron, Galaga, Play Choice 10, Ladybug, Centepede, Mario Bros., Asteroids, Gyruss, Indiana Jones, Zaxxon, Bombjack, Kamov, Shinobi, Space Invaders, many Cranes including singles, jumbos, triples, and a double wide Smart Candy Crane..........

Mike and the Mad Dog at Bar A in Lake Como

 

Slow night in Belmar

 

JONATHAN PETERS @ HEADLINER FRIDAY JULY 4TH, DOORS OPEN @ 8PM

JONATHAN PETERS @ HEADLINER FRIDAY JULY 4TH, DOORS OPEN @ 8PM

JONATHAN PETERS For the 1st time EVER.
Headliner 1401 Highway 35, Neptune NJ
(Exit 100 off the Garden State Parkway) ...

Lake Como Flip Cup Tournament PK's Shamrock Pub ~ 415 18th Avenue, Lake Como, NJ

PK's Shamrock Pub ~ 415 18th Avenue, Lake Como, NJ
July 12th at 3pm
6 players per team.
$30 per player, $25 per spectator.
3-Hour Open Beer Bar, free playing beer, and more!

Rules
Teams consist of 6 players. At the start of each series, teams will be placed on opposing sides of their designated tables. The Flip Cup Guys will determine the amount of beverage to be poured into each cup at the start of each competition. The Flip Cup Guys will designate the side of the table that will start the race. Games begin with a gentleman’s tap (tap cups, down to the table, up to the mouth). Once the tap is completed, the relay race begins. Once a cup’s contents are finished, the player must place the cup mouth up on the edge of the table. The cup will be flipped from this position until it lands mouth down. Players cannot touch their cup until the previous player’s cup is 100% face down on the table. The remaining players will repeat the same process until all members have successfully flipped their cups. In the event that the last 2 cups land and settle at the same time, the game will is considered a do-over. The first team to successfully flip all of their cups wins the round. The first team to win 4 times will win the best of 7 series. Each player must flip each game and can only use one hand to flip cups. Players who spill or pour out excessive beverage from their cup will have to start over.

HEADLINERS INSANE THURSDAYS $1 HEINEKEN AND HEINEKEN LIGHTS TIL MIDNIGHT

HEADLINERS INSANE THURSDAYS
Body: $1 HEINEKEN AND HEINEKEN LIGHTS TIL MIDNIGHT
$2 DOS EQUES
$4 STOLI DRINKS AND 007 MIND ERASERS
AND $1 TACOS FOR YOUR MUNCHIES
ALSO CHAPTER 11 WILL BE JAMMING OUT ON THE STAGE

Jersey virgin

The TONY Blog > Seek: Travel, Features > Jersey virgin

Jersey virgin
Posted in Seek: Travel, Features by Jonathan Shannon on June 23rd, 2008
Making my first trip to the Jersey shore, rattling along the ol’ local North Jersey coast line, felt a bit like Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. I was journeying farther than civilization’s reach, in search of something mysterious, powerful, awe-inspiring. In short, I hoped to glimpse the mighty and legendary Guido.

Okay, forgive the melodrama, but my New York friends did a good job of hyping this stereotype. “Asshole Jersey folk are cheesy and rude,” they warned, adding that “they have a name for people like you too: Bennys.”

For a Londoner, this sounded all too familiar. Jersey translated to me as Essex. Always in London’s shadow, also by the coast and populated by shirtless lads who love to pound the daylights out of each other, Essex natives tend to be drunk off their heads on luminous-colored alcopops while dancing to some primal beat. To be avoided at all costs. This Jersey voyage promised to bring all of my cowardice flooding out. Thus, when I passed a pack of Guido-looking guys outside a summer house recently in Belmar, I quickened my pace and looked straight at the pavement. Except soon I was unsure of my bearings (I was looking for a place called Bar A), and these guys’ beer-strewn yard made me think they would know the location of virtually every bar on the Shore (they did), so I doubled back and approached with caution.

Within a few minutes, I was kicking back in a deck chair and shooting the breeze with beer in hand. One of the guys owned the summer house and every weekend hosted a group of about 20 friends to hang out in the sun and party. Soon enough, they had invited me along for a night out at Headliners, a bar down the road in

I also got to witness the famed (yet still inexplicable) pride. "Jersey’s great, I love Jersey," one declared. And at that moment, I couldn’t help but agree. So as I said goodbye to my new Guido friends, I’d like to think I bid farewell to some lazy stereotypes as well.

Sunrise in Belmar

Todays sunrise in Belmar photo is in the memory of Lois London

 

New clue to Alzheimer's found by Elan Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe, MD

Key Executives for ELAN PLC (ELN): Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe, MD
View All Key Executives

Dr. Selkoe was appointed a director of Elan in July 1996, following our acquisition of Athena Neurosciences, where he served as a director since July 1995. Dr. Selkoe was a founder of Athena Neurosciences. Dr. Selkoe, a neurologist, is a professor of neurology and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School. He also serves as co-director of the Center for Neurologic Diseases at The Brigham and Women's Hospital.

New clue to Alzheimer's found
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID – 21 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Researchers have uncovered a new clue to the cause of Alzheimer's disease.

The brains of people with the memory-robbing form of dementia are cluttered with a plaque made up of beta-amyloid, a sticky protein. But there long has been a question whether this is a cause of the disease or a side effect. Also involved are tangles of a protein called tau; some scientists suspect this is the cause.

Now, researchers have caused Alzheimer's symptoms in rats by injecting them with one particular form of beta-amyloid. Injections with other forms of beta-amyloid did not cause illness, which may explain why some people have beta-amyloid plaque in their brains but do not show disease symptoms.

The findings by a team led by Dr. Ganesh M. Shankar and Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe of Harvard Medical School were reported in Sunday's online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.

The researchers used extracts from the brains of people who donated their bodies to medicine.

Forms of soluble beta-amyloid containing different numbers of molecules, as well as insoluble cores of the brain plaque, were injected into the brains of rats. There was no detectable effect from the insoluble plaque or the soluble one-molecule or three-molecule forms, the researchers found.

But the two-molecule form of soluble beta-amyloid produced characteristics of Alzheimer's in the rats, they reported.

Those rats had impaired memory function, especially for newly learned behaviors. Studies were also done on mice and when their brains were inspected, the density brain cells were reduced by 47 percent. The beta-amyloid seemed to affect synapses, the connections between cells that are essential for communication between them.

The research, for the first time, showed the effect of a particular type of beta-amyloid in the brain, said Dr. Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad, director of the division of neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging, which helped fund the research.

It was surprising that only one of the three types had an effect, she said in a telephone interview.

Morrison-Bogorad said the findings may help explain the discovery of plaque in the brains of people who do not develop dementia. For some time, doctors have wondered why they find some brains in autopsy that are heavily coated with beta-amyloid, but the person did not have Alzheimer's.

The answer may lie in the two types of beta-amyloid that did not cause symptoms.

Now, the question is why one has the damaging effect and not others.

"A lot of work needs to be done," Morrison-Bogorad said. "Nature keeps sending us down paths that look straight at the beginning, but there are a lot of curves before we get to the end."

Dr. Richard J. Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, said that "while more research is needed to replicate and extend these findings, this study has put yet one more piece into place in the puzzle that is Alzheimer's."

In addition to the Institute on Aging, the research was funded by Science Foundation Ireland, Wellcome Trust, the McKnight and Ellison foundations and the Lefler Small Grant Fund.

Weather forecasters were wrong again

Why does anyone even listen to these jokers on TV ....a nice sunny Sunday and the beach in Belmar is empty

Sunny at 11am on the beach

Sunday morning AVP Belmar 2008

 

Join Brandon Tierney and ESPN Baseball Analyst Steve Phillips as they take the show on the road, broadcasting live from Bar A in Belmar, NJ on June 28

BT's First Annual Co-Ed Volleyball Challenge

Updated: June 20, 2008, 11:03 PM ET
1050 ESPN is teaming up with Coors Light to bring you the ultimate Subway Series Summer Bash.

Join Brandon Tierney and ESPN Baseball Analyst Steve Phillips as they take the show on the road, broadcasting live from Bar A in Belmar, NJ on June 28th from 1:00-4:00PM.

At the Subway Series Bash, compete in the First Annual Co-Ed Volleyball tournament for your chance to see Bruce Springsteen at Giants Stadium!

Here are the details of the tournament:


Teams will consist of three players.
Each team must have at least one player of the opposite sex.
Grand prize for winning team: 3 Pairs of Tickets to See Bruce Springsteen at Giants Stadium!
Simply Click the link below to register your team.



If you're not already a member of the 1050 Club, click here to sign up now. It's free and easy to join, and once you're a member, you're just one click away from every contest we have at 1050espnradio.com.

Sunday morning picture Belmar Beach taken at 8:30am

 

We never listen to the New York weather reports for the weather in Belmar NJ. looks like a real nice day.

Scott Kalitta dies in Funny Car crash

Scott Kalitta dies in Funny Car crash
He was a two-time champ in NHRA's Top Fuel division

Sunday, Jun 22, 2008 - 12:07 AM Updated: 12:50 AM

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Scott Kalitta died Saturday when his Funny Car burst into flames and crashed at the end of the track during the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. He was 46.

The NHRA said Mr. Kalitta - the 1994 and 1995 Top Fuel season champion who had 18 career victories, 17 in Top Fuel and one in Funny Car - was taken to the Old Bridge division of Raritan Bay Medical Center, where he died a short time later.

Mr. Kalitta's Toyota Solara was traveling at about 300 mph when it burst into flames.

The Palmetto, Fla., resident started his career at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in 1982. His father, Connie Kalitta, was a longtime driver and team owner known as "The Bounty Hunter," and his cousin, Doug Kalitta, also drives competitively.

"We are deeply saddened and want to pass along our sincere condolences to the entire Kalitta family," the NHRA said in a statement. "Scott shared the same passion for drag racing as his legendary father, Connie. He also shared the same desire to win, becoming a two-time series world champion. He left the sport for a period of time, to devote more time to his family, only to be driven to return to the drag strip to regain his championship form. . . . He will be truly missed by the entire NHRA community."

Mr. Kalitta had most of his racing success in Top Fuel, highlighted by his series titles in 1994 and 1995. He retired from racing in 1997, sitting out most of two seasons before returning for a 10-race campaign in 1999. He sat out three more seasons following that brief stint and then returned again in 2003, joining cousin Doug as a second driver for the family's two Top Fuel dragsters.

Mr. Kalitta started his pro career in Top Fuel in 1982, running limited events for four seasons before moving to Funny Car in 1986 for his first full season of competition. He returned to that category full-time in 2006.

One of only 14 drivers in NHRA history to win in both premier nitro categories, Kalitta's last victory came in Chicago in 2005 in Top Fuel. He had a runner-up finish two weeks ago in Chicago, his 36th career NHRA final-round appearance.

He's survived by his father, wife Kathy and sons Corey, 14, and Colin, 8.

NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski - a native of Rochester Hills, Mich., about 20 miles away from Kalitta's hometown of Mount Clemens - learned the news from a television report.

"That really hits close to home," Keselowski said after winning the pole position for last night's race at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis. "[He was] a friend of my family's, and I send my thoughts and prayers out to him. That's tough to hear."

Last year, Funny Car driver Eric Medlen died after an accident in a testing session at Gainesville, Fla.

The handicap mats are gone from the 10th ave. beach

The handicap mats are gone from the 10th ave. beach , does anyone know why ?

 

AVP returns to Belmar 2008 photos link

MTV cribs visits Belmar 2008

check out these guys, they are funnier than Belmar Benny, but going onto some ones private property is not cool

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=36175902

New York Times article about Belmar 1910

BELMAR.; Warm Days Lure Back the Old-Time Cottagers and New Ones, Too.
E-MAIL
Save
Special to The New York Times.

June 26, 1910, Sunday

Section: Society Fashion Drama Automobiles Real Estate, Page X3, 409 words

BELMAR, N.J., June 23. -- The hot weather which set, in last Sunday sent scores of cottagers into town this week. Arrival lists were heavy every day, and the railroad station was jammed with their luggage. Prior to this week the weather has been so cool that comparatively few had taken up their Summer abode here

Triathlon will put skateboard park on a roll

Triathlon will put skateboard park on a roll
Sunday, June 15, 2008
BY J.F. HANNAN
Special to the Times
While competitors' hearts are pumping blood to oxygen-starved muscles and limbs in Hightstown Borough's upcoming triathlon, the athletes will simultaneously be pumping funding into the construction of a local skate park.

Darek Hahn, triathlon organizer and a member of the borough's Parks and Recreation Commission, says the triathlon should attract between 250 and 300 competitors from throughout the state. The event, which is scheduled for Sept. 28, will be incorporated into the Hightstown Fair.





"Other triathlons in the area have had that amount of success, so we're expecting the same," Hahn said. "We're in a good location because we're in central Jersey."

Hahn said the triathlon, which is classified as a sprint triathlon because it is shorter in length than an Olympic or Ironman triathlon, will feature a quarter-mile swim, a 10-mile bike ride and a 5-kilometer run. The swim will take place in Peddie Lake, the bike ride will wind through the borough's streets and the finish line for the run will be the Peddie Lake Bridge.

According to Hahn, who is a veteran of several triathlons, "These small triathlons are really focused for people locally who want to try it." He said the easier terrain and shorter race length draw many novices into the competition.

Aside from offering community members the opportunity to attempt a triathlon, the event also will introduce people to the downtown area of Hightstown, including its shops, restaurants and historic district.

The group that stands to gain most directly from the triathlon, however, is its skateboarders.

"The main point of the triathlon is to raise money for the kids in Hightstown and the surrounding area," Hahn said, adding that the triathlon should raise about $10,000 for the construction of a skate park.

Rick Pratt, a Hightstown community member and the person spearheading the planned skate park project, said communities often view skateboarders as "nuisances" or "insurance liabilities." Pratt said that skateboarders in Hightstown currently do not have a safe place to practice their sport.

"Right now, we have kids skating downtown and skating in the street, and that's dangerous," Pratt said. "We're working to find a safe place for kids to skate, play their music and have fun without being in traffic, and in places where the police don't want them and businesses don't want them."

He added that a tragic event in Freehold called his attention to the need for a skate park. "There were a couple of kids in Freehold a few months ago that were tragically killed by a car, and they were just on their street," Pratt said. "We don't want that to happen again."

Matt Lucas, owner of Lucas Electric on Mercer Street, will donate land at the rear of the company's lot adjacent to Hightstown High School for the construction of the park, according to the Hightstown skate park website. The size of the skate park has not been determined.

Pratt said he will be seeking additional funding for the park at tomorrow's council meeting through the Mercer at Play matching grant program.

For more information about the triathlon or the proposed skate park, visit Hightstown-skatepark.org.

Dollars and sets: Beach volleyball commissioner is building his brand

Dollars and sets: Beach volleyball commissioner is building his brand
Friday, June 20, 2008
Star-Ledger Staff
Professional beach volleyball returns today to Belmar for its 16th AVP tournament since 1991.

The AVP Crocs Tour Belmar Open will go through Sunday, when the men's and women's finals will take place on the beach at Fifth Avenue.

As the 2008 Beijing Summer Games approach, the AVP Belmar Open will be one of the last times fans can see their favorite AVP Crocs Tour stars and Olympic hopefuls in action before the games.

But looking past the Olympics, commissioner Leonard Armato is trying to turn the money-losing tour into a successful business. Armato, an agent who has represented Shaquille O'Neal and Pamela Anderson, spoke to The Star-Ledger about those efforts this week.

Q. So, professional beach volleyball returns to Belmar.

A. Belmar has been a traditional hotbed of East Coast beach volleyball. Even before I acquired the tour in 2001, when it was struggling, it did very well in Belmar.

Q. How is AVP volleyball doing now?

A. We're doing great. We're building a tremendous brand around the world. We acquired the tour, the AVP Crocs Tour had seven events. In 2008, we will have 19. ... We've grown from three hours of network television coverage in 2002; we will have 15 hours in 2008. ... On the revenue side, we've grown from $3 million in 2002 to $32 million in 2007.

Q. But you're still in the red

A. Right now, we're in the red. We diverted a lot of time and money when Shamrock Capital (unsuccessfully) attempted to acquire AVP in 2007. We intend to make money in 2009. We still continue to make our business plan more efficient.

Q. Did beach volleyball at the Athens Olympics help the cause?

A. Yes, Athens helps. These added attention and exposure to our stars. The men and women are reigning world champions and are expected to win the gold in Beijing.

Q. What can we expect to see at Belmar?

A. You're going to see some outstanding athletes, a number of Olympians and stars. Holly McPeak (Armato's wife) will be playing her last game at Belmar, as she will retire at the end of this season. We have the self-proclaimed "Team Gorgeous." And they are absolutely gorgeous. Kids can come and get free stuff, and the athletes are very accessible.

Q. What kind of money do the players make?

A. The stars compete for a total of $4.5 million in prize money, plus their own endorsements.

Q. Give me an anecdote about one of your players the public wouldn't know about.

A. Mike Lambert, one of our great players, an Olympian who graduated from Stanford and speaks five language. I invited him to our sponsors summit. We had some high-octane people in the room. He walked in and pulled out his guitar, and started singing the AVP anthem, which he wrote.

Well, he brought the house down. If you ever get a chance to hear it, you'll understand why.

Q. What attracted you to beach volleyball?

A. I grew up in Southern California, I played Division I basketball. I played volleyball in the summer for cross-training. Over the years, I watched the professional matches, and thought, "This is an interesting sport, and it's fun."

When it went into financial difficulty, I decided to go for it.

Q. How much did you buy it for?

A. We bought it for $1.9 million. We worked on it and we grew it.

Q. But it's still a fringe sport.

A. You might consider it that. I don't. Let's call it a high-growth sport.

Q. What will the tour look like 10 years from now?

A. It has a chance to grow significantly. It really hasn't been marketed that effectively. ... It's arguably become the hottest ticket at the Olympics. In Athens, it was the runaway hit.




© 2008 The Star Ledger

Dollars and sets: Beach volleyball commissioner is building his brand

Dollars and sets: Beach volleyball commissioner is building his brand
Friday, June 20, 2008
Star-Ledger Staff
Professional beach volleyball returns today to Belmar for its 16th AVP tournament since 1991.

The AVP Crocs Tour Belmar Open will go through Sunday, when the men's and women's finals will take place on the beach at Fifth Avenue.

As the 2008 Beijing Summer Games approach, the AVP Belmar Open will be one of the last times fans can see their favorite AVP Crocs Tour stars and Olympic hopefuls in action before the games.

But looking past the Olympics, commissioner Leonard Armato is trying to turn the money-losing tour into a successful business. Armato, an agent who has represented Shaquille O'Neal and Pamela Anderson, spoke to The Star-Ledger about those efforts this week.

Q. So, professional beach volleyball returns to Belmar.

A. Belmar has been a traditional hotbed of East Coast beach volleyball. Even before I acquired the tour in 2001, when it was struggling, it did very well in Belmar.

Q. How is AVP volleyball doing now?

A. We're doing great. We're building a tremendous brand around the world. We acquired the tour, the AVP Crocs Tour had seven events. In 2008, we will have 19. ... We've grown from three hours of network television coverage in 2002; we will have 15 hours in 2008. ... On the revenue side, we've grown from $3 million in 2002 to $32 million in 2007.

Q. But you're still in the red

A. Right now, we're in the red. We diverted a lot of time and money when Shamrock Capital (unsuccessfully) attempted to acquire AVP in 2007. We intend to make money in 2009. We still continue to make our business plan more efficient.

Q. Did beach volleyball at the Athens Olympics help the cause?

A. Yes, Athens helps. These added attention and exposure to our stars. The men and women are reigning world champions and are expected to win the gold in Beijing.

Q. What can we expect to see at Belmar?

A. You're going to see some outstanding athletes, a number of Olympians and stars. Holly McPeak (Armato's wife) will be playing her last game at Belmar, as she will retire at the end of this season. We have the self-proclaimed "Team Gorgeous." And they are absolutely gorgeous. Kids can come and get free stuff, and the athletes are very accessible.

Q. What kind of money do the players make?

A. The stars compete for a total of $4.5 million in prize money, plus their own endorsements.

Q. Give me an anecdote about one of your players the public wouldn't know about.

A. Mike Lambert, one of our great players, an Olympian who graduated from Stanford and speaks five language. I invited him to our sponsors summit. We had some high-octane people in the room. He walked in and pulled out his guitar, and started singing the AVP anthem, which he wrote.

Well, he brought the house down. If you ever get a chance to hear it, you'll understand why.

Q. What attracted you to beach volleyball?

A. I grew up in Southern California, I played Division I basketball. I played volleyball in the summer for cross-training. Over the years, I watched the professional matches, and thought, "This is an interesting sport, and it's fun."

When it went into financial difficulty, I decided to go for it.

Q. How much did you buy it for?

A. We bought it for $1.9 million. We worked on it and we grew it.

Q. But it's still a fringe sport.

A. You might consider it that. I don't. Let's call it a high-growth sport.

Q. What will the tour look like 10 years from now?

A. It has a chance to grow significantly. It really hasn't been marketed that effectively. ... It's arguably become the hottest ticket at the Olympics. In Athens, it was the runaway hit.




© 2008 The Star Ledger

Council agrees to go out to bid on steel skatepark ramps

Council agrees to go out to bid on steel skatepark ramps


By Kelly Skellinger
http://starnewsgroup.com/weekly/2008/06.19.08/council_agre_06.19.08_54410.html
The Belmar Council agreed to go out to bid on the borough’s proposed skatepark during last Wednesday evening’s workshop meeting, after weeks of toiling with the decision regarding what materials should be used to construct the skatepark’s ramps and various attractions.

After shooting down Councilman William Merkler’s proposed wood structures for the skatepark just weeks ago, the council was pleased with the alternative steel and aluminum structures presented to them by Councilman Merkler and his right-hand man in the skatepark project, Bob Losito, owner of the Belmar Pro Skateboard Shop.

The council agreed to go out to bid on the aluminum and steel structures, giving bidders three options — to bid on the first phase of the skatepark, otherwise known as the mini ramp, to bid on second phase of the skatepark, known as the street plaza, or to bid on both structures.

Currently, the cost of the entire skatepark project is set at $77,000. The borough currently has $55,000 on hand to fund the project, money raised by the borough, Councilman Merkler and Mr. Losito during fund-raising events.

If Councilman Merkler and Mr. Losito are able to raise the remaining $22,000 to fund the entire project, a bid will be awarded based on the least expensive price proposed by bidders to complete both phases.

“All the credit should go to Bob,” Councilman Merkler said last Friday, of receiving the OK to move forward on going out to bid on the project. “He has been researching night and day.”

The aluminum and steel structures proposed for the skatepark were discovered by Mr. Losito, after Mr. Losito came across a company called Who Skates, out of Maine, that construct steel and aluminum structures at a reasonable cost.

According to Mr. Losito, the first phase of the skatepark will feature a mini ramp, which will contain two ramps extending perpendicular from flat banks.

Mini ramps, a universal skatepark apparatus found in skateparks throughout the country, have been around since the late 1970s, Mr. Losito stated last Friday.

The ramps contained in the mini ramp will reach two different heights — a four-foot high ramp, with an extension to a five-foot high ramp.

The second phase of the project will feature a street plaza, Mr. Losito said.

The street plaza will contain two flat banks, two hubbas — box-like structures descending stairs — one set of six or seven stairs and a euro-gap with a platform. At the top of the platform, flat banks will be located.

Mr. Losito explained that the purpose of the street plaza is to simulate everyday obstacles, such as railings and other man-made structures found in front of office buildings and other areas where skateboarders frequent and are not permitted to skate legally.

Mr. Losito added that he and Mr. Merkler are trying to build the same man-made attractions in the borough’s skatepark, so the skateboarders frequenting the skatepark do not feel the need to skate illegally throughout the town.

On the ground, four concrete attractions, consisting of manual pads and ledges, also simulating man-made structures, will be sandwiched between the mini ramp and the street plaza.

The skatepark will be housed in a 10,000-square-foot area, which was recently repaved, on 16th Avenue, in Belmar.

Mr. Losito noted that a portion of the park will not house any structures and will remain a flat surface on which children can practice.

In the future, Mr. Losito hopes to open up this area to children as young as 2 or 3 years old, who would have the ability to learn how to skateboard on attractions specifically constructed to cater to their age group.

Councilman Merkler presented Borough Administrator Robbin Kirk with a check for $2,500 for the skatepark last Wednesday evening. The check was donated by his sister, Elizabeth Merkler, on behalf of Elizabeth Merkler Pediatric Dentistry, in Wall.

Mr. Losito presented Ms. Kirk with a check for $3,000 as well, $300 of which came from the proceeds raised during eS Game of SKATE, held in Belmar the weekend of June 7.

A total of $200 of the $3,000 presented to Ms. Kirk was provided by area children who dropped change in a can at Mr. Losito’s shop on a daily basis to fund the skatepark.

Robert Taurosa, of Manasquan, donated the remaining $2,500.

Councilman Merkler informed the council that he is still waiting on two $2,500 donations from area residents wishing to contribute to the skatepark.

The additional $5,000 would bring the funds raised for the skatepark to $60,000.

Perforations in the steel structure will allow for minimal water build-up between the Skatelite, a phenolic fiber laminate used for skate ramps, and the steel structure, further delaying the deterioration of the Skatelite, Mr. Losito informed the council and Department of Public Works [DPW] Superintendent Andy Meuerle at the meeting.

Mr. Meuerle had expressed his concern, numerous times at previous meetings, over the maintenance of the skatepark and the deterioration of Skateline when used on wood structures, which are less protected from damage caused by rain and other weather-related factors.

The DPW will ultimately be in charge of maintaining the skatepark once all of the phases are complete.

Councilman Merkler, seeking alternative means of funding for the skatepark, announced last Wednesday that he will be applying for a grant from the Monmouth County Open Space Grant Program in September.

The grant, however, will not be awarded until 2009. The maximum amount awarded from a Monmouth County Open Space Grant Program is $250,000. If awarded to the borough next year, the councilman explained that the extra funds will go towards additional features at the park, not the phases going out to bid currently.

Councilman Merkler stated last Friday that he believed the switch from wood to steel construction was the deciding factor in the council’s decision to go out to bid on the project.

For Mr. Losito, he believed the town’s major concern with the project was skatepark maintenance.

By providing the council and DPW Superintendent Mueurle with an aluminum and steel weather resistant structure, Mr. Losito believes the council was assured that the maintenance at the skatepark would be minimal.

Councilman Matthew Doherty has expressed, on numerous occasions, his disapproval of the wooden structure originally proposed for the park and his concerns regarding safety and supervision at the skatepark.

Councilman Doherty stated last Friday “the primary reason” the council approved the motion to go out to bid was because of the steel and aluminum structure presented to them at the meeting.

“Superintendent Andy Meuerle visited skateparks with both [wood and steel structures] and felt the steel structures were far superior to the wood structures,” Councilman Doherty said. “The DPW, at the end of the day, will have to maintain the park, just as they maintain other parks in Belmar.”

“What still has to be addressed is [Belmar Police] Chief [Jack] Hill’s concerns regarding public safety of the park,” Councilman Doherty added.

Chief Hill had previously informed the mayor and council, after researching skateparks throughout the area, that at the Point Pleasant skatepark alone, there were 1,800 calls for service to the police department in just one year.

According to Chief Hill, the calls for service involved reports of graffiti, vandalism, drug use and alcohol consumption, just to name a few.

Skateboards have been confiscated on numerous occasions and arrests have been made, Chief Hill has said.

Both skateparks in Stafford and Berkeley townships have closed down because of the number of calls for service police received at the locations, Chief Hill has said.

While the borough will be going out to bid on the project, issues such as safety and supervision of the skatepark remain.

Mr. Losito, who recently researched statistics of sports-related injuries in the United States which were reported to hospitals in 2006, explained that skateboarding injuries rank ninth on the list of sports known to incur serious injuries in which athletes are taken to hospitals for care.

According to Mr. Losito, basketball ranked number one in causing sports-related injuries in the country.

Running and jogging ranked number two, soccer ranked number three, football ranked number four and baseball ranked number five.

“When asked the question, “Who makes more trips to the hospital — tennis players or skateboarders,” most people would respond skateboarders,” Mr. Losito said last Friday. “One tenth of one percent of tennis players go to the hospital more than skateboarders.

“A lot of people don’t realize [that skateboarding is a legitimate sport which inflicts even less injuries than most organized sports], they stereotype it, they think, “Oh, it’s dangerous, they are going to get hurt,” Mr. Losito said.

Mr. Losito added, that is not the case.

“There are 2.9 million children registered to play baseball in the US,” Mr. Losito said.“There are 15 million skateboarders in the U.S.”

While all of the shore communities in the area are equipped with a baseball field, most are not equipped with skateparks, when there are “five times more skateboarders than baseball players,” Mr. Losito reported.

“I believe in the cause,” Mr. Losito added, explaining the reasoning as to why he has done the research on the safety and structures of the skatepark.

For those wishing to donate funds to the skatepark to enable the borough to go out to bid on both phases of the park, contact Councilman Merkler at bmerkler@belmar.com.

Make-A-Wish fund-raiser set for June 28 at Bar Anticipation

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Make-A-Wish fund-raiser set for June 28 at Bar Anticipation
The New Jersey Chapter of the Marty Lyons Make-A-Wish Foundation will be hosting a Summer Fun Barbecue fund-raiser at Bar Anticipation, on 16th Avenue, in Lake Como, on Saturday, June 28.

Proceeds from the Summer Fun Barbecue will be used to grant special wishes for children from New Jersey who have terminal or life threatening illnesses.

An all-you-can-eat barbeque will be offered from 6 to 9 p.m. and will include hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chips, baked beans, corn on the cob, watermelon, potato and macaroni salads and a choice of one drink, whether it be beer, wine, soda or water.

Admission is $25 for adults. Children, ages 8 to 15, will be charged $15 at the door. Children, under 5 years of age, will be admitted free of charge.

The foundation will be offering a free Marty Lyons/Bar A t-shirt to the first 50 people who register to attend the fund-raiser.

The Marty Lyons Foundation is a non-profit organization known for its generosity in granting special wishes for children, ages 3 to 17, who have been diagnosed with terminal or life threatening illnesses.

The foundation has granted over 4,000 wishes over its 26-year history of fulfilling its mission.

It was Marty Lyons, the remarkable Jets football player, who in 1982 established the charitable organization. The foundation now has 10 chapters across the United States.

For Summer Fun Barbecue sponsorship information or to make reservations for the event, contact Lenny Erlanger at 732-280-5964 or by e-mail at lerlanger@live.com.

Please join the New Jersey Chapter of the Marty Lyons Foundation for an evening of fun as they aim to raise money to make area children’s special wishes come true.

Trop West is just a portion of Paul’s Tavern in Lake Como

Skellinger

After nearly two hours of deliberating and fielding comments from the public, the governing body, acting as the Lake Como Alcohol and Beverage Control [ABC] Board, unanimously voted to approve the liquor license of Paul’s Tavern, located at 1703 Main St., on Tuesday evening.

The liquor license was filed under the name of Payday Inc., a corporation owned by both Paul Heaney, owner of Paul’s Tavern, and Reggie Hyde, owner of Bar Anticipation, located on 16th Avenue.

The license was renewed for the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.

While no conditions were placed on the license on Tuesday evening, Mr. Heaney agreed to ban beer pong from being played at his establishment after the board asked him if he would consider doing so.

Councilman Brian Wilton had noted that beer pong was both “unsanitary” and “encouraged binge drinking.”

According to Rachel Goemaat, a spokeswoman for The New Jersey Division of Alcohol and Beverage Control [ABC], “there is no law or regulation prohibiting beer pong on a licensed premises or prohibiting a licensee from having a promotion involving beer pong where it is advertised that beer pong will be played at a bar.”

“However, the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control has sent a strong message to the industry that licensees who hold promotions that tend to encourage overconsumption will face stiffer penalties if they are found guilty of violating the rule against serving intoxicated patrons,” Ms. Goemaat said. “Holding such promotions will be deemed an “aggravated factor” for such violations which can lead to a longer license suspension.”

According to a police report, submitted by Lake Como Detective Sgt. Joseph Oleszkiewicz detailing the annual investigation of the ABC licensed premises, the Lake Como Police Department responded to 17 calls for service at Paul’s Tavern from April 24, 2007 to April 24, 2008.

Officers from the department responded to one call for assault, four calls for disorderly conduct, four calls for first aid, one call for aggravated assault, two calls for noise complaints, four miscellaneous calls and one call for criminal mischief, according to the report.

Sgt. Oleszkiewicz informed the board, “The majority of the ‘disorderly’ were outside of the establishment, which also resulted in arrests and complaints being issued.”

While the board found no cause in the report to place conditions on the license, the public disagreed.

Trop West — a portion of Paul’s Tavern recently named after Belmar’s recently razed, infamous watering hole, The Tropical Pub — was the main cause for concern for the residents in attendance at the hearing on Tuesday.

George Pappas, owner of The Tropical Pub for nearly four decades, is now the general manager of Payday Inc., the corporation under which Paul’s Tavern’s liquor license is filed.

Mr. Pappas sold his liquor license for The Tropical Pub to Belmar resident William Shipers and his wife, Deborah, when he sold the property where The Tropical Pub used to stand. The Shipers agreed to pocket the license and have not yet disclosed what they plan to do with it.

According to Mr. Heaney’s statements on Tuesday, Mr. Pappas is merely an employee of Payday Inc.

While it was rumored by many in the audience that Mr. Pappas was operating his own business out of the tavern under the name of Trop West, Mr. Heaney assured the public that the rumors were just that, rumors.

Mr. Heaney and his wife, Margaret, are still the sole owners of the establishment, Mr. Heaney informed the public.

Mr. Pappas manages the tavern and the Trop West, which mirrors The Tropical Pub in its décor, food, drinks, bar games, such as beer pong and bingo, and employees, many of whom are former employees of The Tropical Pub.

While residents expressed concern that Mr. Pappas was reaping additional monetary benefits from The Tropical Pub’s name being used to draw large crowds to the tavern, Mr. Heaney explained that Mr. Pappas receives a weekly salary like all of his employees and receives no additional payment for the use of The Tropical Pub name or the crowds the name draws to the establishment.

Mayor Michael Ryan informed those in the audience that the borough has been in contact with Mr. Heaney in regards to whether Mr. Pappas had any ownership in the tavern since the portion of the tavern marketed as Trop West came into existence.

Mr. Heaney had told Borough Attorney William Gallagher prior to the hearing on Tuesday evening that he and his wife remain the sole owners of the tavern, Mr. Gallagher said.

If two businesses, one owned by Mr. Pappas under the name of Trop West and one owned by Mr. Heaney under the name of Paul’s Tavern, were operating under one liquor license, that would be illegal. However, that is not the case, Mr. Gallagher added.

Mayor Ryan explained that the naming of a portion of the tavern as Trop West was merely a marketing strategy being used by Mr. Heaney.

“I’m here to tell you there is no Tropical Pub at Paul’s Tavern,” Mr. Heaney reiterated. “There is Paul’s Tavern. It is owned by Margaret Heaney, my wife of 46 years, and myself.

“That’s the facts,” Mr. Heaney added. “That’s how it is.”

“A good guy came along, I hired him,” Mr. Heaney said of Mr. Pappas, whom he added was “not just the general manager of one room or two rooms, but the general manager of Payday Incorporated.”

“That’s [Mr. Pappas’] job,” Mr. Heaney said. “That’s his title. He owns nothing.”

Tom McCann, owner of McCann’s Tavern, on Main Street, in Lake Como, sent a letter to the borough expressing his disapproval of the way in which Paul’s Tavern is being marketed as an offshoot of The Tropical Pub and the possible legalities of what he believed to be two businesses operating under one liquor license, prior to speaking at Tuesday’s hearing.

“The opening of The Tropical Pub West will not help the town move in the positive direction it started,” Mr. McCann stated in his letter, which was read aloud by Mr. Gallagher at the hearing. “Main Street in Lake Como has come a long way in the last few years. This town does not have room for another Bar Anticipation.”

Mr. McCann, like many residents in attendance, also expressed his disapproval of the marketing strategies being used to promote the Trop West portion of the tavern.

A recent advertisement for the Trop West featured a bikini-clad woman lying seductively across lettering which read “Trop West.”

“It seems likely that objections over an advertisement featuring a provocative young lady, resting atop the new Trop West logo, pushing dollar beers every Tuesday is just the beginning,” Mr. McCann stated in the letter.

Mr. Heaney later responded to the audience’s dislike for the advertisement, stating that he too believed the advertisement to be “despicable” and claimed that he did not review the advertisement prior to it being distributed in the form of a flier.

Residents also voiced a number of complaints about the establishment, ranging from excess noise to litter and rowdy crowds. Many residents claimed the patrons frequenting the Trop West were to blame.

According to a letter submitted by Lake Como resident Vincent Mineo and read aloud by Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Mineo stated that he would have reconsidered purchasing two homes on Fernwood Road had he known “a Tropical Pub was going to be two blocks” from the properties.

Resident Kylie Schneider, who recently purchased a new home on a lot located to the rear of Paul’s Tavern, stated that she would not have bought the property if she had known a portion of Paul’s Tavern was going to be named Trop West and, in turn, attract rowdy crowds to the establishment.

Joe Maguire, owner of Little Artists, on Main Street, argued bar games such as beer pong and bingo attract rowdy crowds to the establishment.

He added that the use of The Tropical Pub name “scares people” into thinking that Trop West will cause as much controversy in town as The Tropical Pub did in Belmar previously.

Many other residents, such as Belmar Board of Education President Robert Kirk, urged the council to consider the Trop West’s impact on residents’ quality of life.

The board members were advised by Mr. Gallagher that they could only base their votes Tuesday evening on the police report placed before them, as none of the residents’ complaints had been filed with police prior to the hearing and, therefore, could not be used as evidence.

Mayor Ryan added that, while the residents were entitled to their concerns, the board could not “legislate the future” and needed to have documented complaints in hand in order to put conditions on Mr. Heaney’s liquor license.

Councilman Douglas Witte and Councilwoman Patricia Tzibrouk stated, prior to voting in favor of the application, that while they did understand the concerns of the residents, their decisions were based on the facts brought before them by the police department.

Councilman Kevin Lynch urged Mr. Heaney to approve all advertisements prior to mailing out fliers or placing ads in local publications.

The board agreed that should issues arise at the tavern after the license is renewed, the issues will be addressed accordingly.

The board also approved the liquor license of Weinstein’s Liquors, located at 1601 Main St., on Tuesday evening, without further comment from the board or the public, for the period of July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.

Storm clouds over Belmar Beach

 

AVP returns to Belmar

Ball in Belmar's court

After two years, volleyball tournament returns

By FRAIDY REISS
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

Seaside who?

"I never even heard of Seaside Heights," said Vicky DeTample of Morrisville, Pa., as she lounged on the Belmar beach Tuesday morning. "I don't know where it is or how to get there."

Behind her, a crew of some 30 workers rushed around the sand, preparing for the AVP Crocs Tour Belmar Open, scheduled to run Friday through Sunday. After being played in Seaside Heights for the past two years, the tour is returning to Belmar this year — the 16th time the borough has hosted the national volleyball tournament.

DeTample probably will attend the event, now that it has returned to one of her favorite beaches.

"Belmar is the place," the 18-year-old said.

Similar Seaside Heights-bashing sessions echoed all along the boardwalk and beyond.

"If we are doing a better job of keeping (AVP), we deserve it," said Maureen Read, 70, a borough resident who lives close enough to the Atlantic Ocean that she can see it from her house. "Nothing is as pretty as this" beach.

Belmar marks the eighth stop in the 2008 AVP Crocs Tour, which began in April and will have visited 18 beaches by the time it ends in September.

The tour bypassed Belmar during the last couple of years because of scheduling conflicts, Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle said. Tournament officials wanted to hold the Belmar event in July, when the borough's inns and restaurants already are full and the tournament only would drain borough resources.

Belmar brings in enough money from the tournament to cover its expenses, not to earn a profit, the mayor said. So volleyball benefits the borough only during the "nonprime" part of the summer, when the tour brings thousands of customers to local businesses, he said.

After two years in Seaside Heights, AVP officials asked if they could return this year to Belmar, provided they stick to a June date, Pringle said.

"We said, "sure,' " he recalled. "But if they would be looking for a July date next year, we'd wish them well."

Tournament officials hope they are back in Belmar to stay, said Leonard Armato, commissioner of the AVP Crocs Tour. The borough boasts an "upscale, trendy, hip beachfront area" that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators over the weekend, he said, and the tour's stop in Belmar long was considered "the East Coast event with the most prestige."

"Hopefully, it's a move we'll never make again," Armato said. "Nothing against Seaside Heights."

John Camera, the Seaside Heights business administrator, said he was "really bummed" that AVP had pulled out of his borough in favor of Belmar, but he was not taking the decision personally. The tournament simply made more money in Belmar, he said.

However, Seaside Heights still is "willing to take them back," Camera said. With time, he predicted, AVP would make as much money in Seaside Heights as it does in Belmar.

"It's not like we're trying to steal (AVP) from Belmar," Camera said. Perhaps AVP could stop in both Shore towns in future years, he suggested.

"Best beach on East Coast"

An AVP crew has been on the beach here since Sunday night, building enough bleachers to seat 4,000 people in four volleyball courts and setting up the tents that will house the tour's sponsors.

Scott Moore, the crew's boss, said he was glad he was once again setting up in Belmar.

"This is definitely our best beach on the East Coast," said the Florida resident, who serves as director of operations for AVP.

Seaside Heights is fun, Moore said, but Belmar's beach is cleaner. And Belmar's oceanfront is "huge" and "flat," he said, with soft, deep sand that reminds him of California beaches.

"Deep sand," Moore said Tuesday morning, as he labored on the sun-soaked beach. "Hard to work in, good to play in."

Across Ocean Avenue, Nick Fuccilli also was glad — or, in his words, "beyond thrilled" — that an AVP crew once again was milling about Belmar's beach. Fuccilli owns La Dolce Vita restaurant and the Casa Vittoria pizzeria, both of which sit in direct view of the volleyball bleachers and the hungry people who soon will sit in them.

"It can't be more perfect," Fuccilli, 31, said.

He compared AVP and Belmar to a husband and wife who were together for a decade and a half and grew tired of each other. Belmar wearied of the traffic and garbage the tournament inevitably brought to town, and AVP wearied of Belmar's ban on alcohol at the beach, he said.

So AVP began viewing Seaside Heights, which allows alcohol on its sand, as "the younger woman," Fuccilli said. In truth, though, volleyball belongs in Belmar, not Seaside, he said.

"Now they've both realized they're perfect together," Fuccilli said. "Hopefully they'll have a happy future together."

"Aggravation"

Not everyone was happy to see AVP trucks parked near the boardwalk Tuesday morning.

"It's more aggravation than anything else," Lou Saulino, 58, said as he stood outside his oceanfront condo and listened to the beeps of the trucks reversing on the beach.

He was relieved when AVP relocated to Seaside, he said. But he figured he would gain nothing by stressing over the move back to Belmar.

"In 10 days, it will all be gone, and everything will go back to normal," Saulino said. "Until next year."

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Bring this idea to Ocean ave. City to Experiment With Car-Free Streets

City to Experiment With Car-Free Streets
By Fernanda Santos


The musician David Byrne, left, joined Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the bicyclist Lance Armstrong and the Manhattan borough president, Scott M. Stringer, on Monday for the announcement of “Summer Streets.” (Photo: John Marshall Mantel for The New York Times)Emulating similar experiments in Paris, London, and Bogotá, Colombia, New York City will close off to traffic a 6.9-mile route from the Brooklyn Bridge to East 72nd Street on three consecutive Saturdays, giving New Yorkers to a chance to explore and enjoy “car-free recreation corridors” — well, for six hours a stretch, at least.

In making the announcement, the mayor summoned some star power: the cyclist and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and the musician David Byrne of the Talking Heads, who said he commutes by bicycle daily to his work in SoHo from his home in Midtown.
The route will run from Lower Manhattan to East 72nd Street via Centre Street, Lafayette Street, Fourth Avenue and Park Avenue. Major crosstown routes — including Chambers, Canal, East Houston, 14th, 23rd and 59th Streets — will remain open to traffic. Buses that ride along the 6.9-mile route will be rerouted during the street closings — which have been scheduled for Aug. 9, 16, and 23, from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Standing on a wide stretch of sidewalk outside the uptown entrance to the No. 6 train station on Astor Place, the mayor said of the program: “There might be some minor disruptions here and there, but I think that those will be far outweighed by the huge benefits that Summer Streets will bring to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.”
He added: “In the end, Summer Streets is an experiment. If it works, we’ll certainly consider doing it again. If not, we won’t. But we have never been afraid to try new ideas, especially the ones that have the potential to improve our quality of life.”
Ms. Sadik-Khan said, “We’re really committed to treating our 6,000 miles of streets as more than just travel corridors, but as really vital public places. For many of us, our streets are really our front yards and this new initiative will allow us to enjoy them free of vehicles.”
It was after consultations with the New York Police Department that city officials settled on the 6.9-mile route that stretches from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, slicing along the heart of eastern Manhattan on Park Avenue as the least disruptive for the event. The mayor said that traffic on Park Avenue is lighter on Saturdays than it is on Sundays.
The city’s transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, said: “We’ve been making very careful preparations on our traffic front to make sure that we’re dealing with the access issues that residents have, with the delivery issues that businesses have and also to make sure that we’ve got appropriate access for emergency vehicles.”
Ms. Sadik-Khan mentioned similar initiatives in Paris, London and Bogotá, where one of the city’s main streets, Carrera Séptima, is closed for traffic on Sundays year-round and about 1.5 million people come out to walk, ride their bicycle, jog or skate along the route. In New York, Crunch Gym instructors will offer free aerobics class and the city is working with other private partners to develop a bicycle-sharing program.
Mayor Bloomberg said that he does not plan to ride his bike along Park Avenue, “but I’ll certainly walk.” “I just think it would be a media circus and I’d pretty likely run down somebody, so I’d better not.”
“Look, there will be minor inconveniences,” the mayor said about potential disruptions for business owners and residents along Park Avenue. “There’s minor inconveniences when it rains, when you have snow; inconveniences when it’s hot, when it’s cold; inconveniences when there are people on the streets, when they’re not.”
“Think about the smoking ban,” he added. “Everybody was so afraid of it, but today I don’t know if you’d find very many bar and restaurant owners or people who work in bars and restaurants that would go back.”
“You’ve got to try new things,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “It’s three Saturdays. If it does hurt and it doesn’t provide any benefits, we won’t do it anymore. If it turns out that it’s great, we’ll do it a lot more, I hope. But there’s only one way to find out and that’s to go and to try new things and to minimize the disruption.”
According to the mayor’s office, several cities have adopted similar temporary car-free corridors, including El Paso, Tex., and Cambridge, Mass. Portland and Chicago are said to be planning similar initiatives.

Belmar Seafood festival 2008

 

AVP Tour dates

The AVP Crocs Tour willreturn to Belmar, N.J., this weekend for the first tournament of the Crocs Slam. The tour returns to Southern California at the end of next month for two tournaments beginning in Long Beach July 24 through 27, and San Diego Aug. 1 through 3. The San Diego tournament will be the last competitive tournament heading into the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

 

Belmar AVP Volleyball 2008 schedule

All times are local
Friday, June 20, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 8:30 a.m.
Competition start time 9:00 a.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 21, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 8:30 a.m.
Competition start time 9:00 a.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 22, 2008
Men's and Women's Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 9:00 a.m.
Competition start time 9:30 a.m.
Men's Finals 2:30 p.m.
Women's Finals 4:00 p.m.
Competition End Time (Approx) 5:00 p.m.

Spitzer's girl hits the beach in Sea Girt

Call girl in Spitzer scandal hits the beach in Sea Girt
Showing off the curves that wiped out former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's career, Ashley Alexandra Dupre hit the beach Sunday in New Jersey, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

The report said the 23-year-old brunette and her youthful-looking mother turned heads as they relaxed on Sea Girt's beach, tanning in their string bikinis.

Fishing in Belmar Charter boats in Belmar

Bluefish have proven again this season that they are the species that can be counted on for food and recreation when regulations or natural causes affect other species.

Day in and day out the brawny, ubiquitous blues are there, usually ready to hit at any time.

Capt. Howard Bogan Jr., Jamaica, Brielle, said he has been fishing for blues 15 miles east-southeast of Manasquan Inlet, and the action has been dependable.

"The last two days the blues moved in a few miles to the west,'' Bogan said. "(They) weigh from 6 to 12 pounds and are being caught on either bait or jigs during the day and bait at night. We were chumming on both the day and the night trips.

"There were plenty of readings of bluefish and bait spread over a wide area, and all of the boats were catching fish,'' he added. "We made a few drifts for striped bass Wednesday, but there was no morning bite that day.

"We will be looking for them each day,'' he said. "If the action is worthwhile, we will try for them.''

Jim Manson, Trenton, won one pool with a 12.5-pound bluefish, and Clay Chilson, Slatinston, Pa., won another with a 12-pounder.

Capt. Len Forsyth, Miss Belmar Princess, Belmar, said he has enjoyed good fishing for blues along the edge of the Mud Hole.

"There are lots of sand eels out there, and plenty of fish five miles south of the Oil Wreck,'' he said. Many anglers had the limit.

Capt. Jack Bevins, Prowler V, Atlantic Highlands, has been hitting the blues and striped bass at night in the Shrewsbury Rocks area where he has been chunking. His bass catch usually averages 14 or 15 keepers.

Capt. Scott Hilliard, day skipper of the Prowler V, hit the bass Monday when he fished with clams, and the boat catch totaled 19 keepers and 20 throwbacks. Thursday he fished out east and had seven keeper bass.

Brian Brice, Holland, Pa., won the pool on the Prowler V with a 24-pound bass caught on clams.

The staff at Bait Bucket and Tackle Shop, Neptune, reported plenty of excitement there when the boats docked.

Capt. Charlie Martino, whose Light Tackle is frequently at the center of big fluke action, opened with a 9-pound fluke. Tommy and Nicki Thompson came in with a catch of stripers up to 39 pounds, and Drew LaFrance and crew had 13 bass up to 35 pounds on the Due East. The Deep Pockets docked with a catch of bass up to 30 pounds.

Pete Pawlikowski of Oceanic Marina, Rumson, said bluefish and fluke are providing plenty of action in his stretch of the Navesink River.

Terry Biunno, Edison, came in with his limit of fluke that he took on killies and squid in combination. His only problem was getting the killies past the bluefish to the fluke.

Greg Bogan of Brielle Bait and Tackle said Dave Jr., Ronald and Steven Meehan came into the shop with a 26-pound striped bass and a 10-pound bluefish caught off Spring Lake.

Lou Ottrando, Holmdel, and Jim Jansen, Bergen, fished on Capt. Paul Regula's Bounty Hunter and caught their limit of stripers to 30 pounds on live bunker.

Kris Trasborg, Brick, stopped at Brielle Bait and Tackle with a 35-inch striper that he caught on a black Bomber at Bay Head.

Bob Matthews of the Fisherman's Den, Belmar, said popping plugs are bringing big returns in the surf when the bunkers and bass are close.

Ray Soyka, Asbury Park Fishing Club, had two bass … 24 and 31 pounds, 9 ounces … and Chris Whitt of the same club had a 24-pounder. Brian Biedinger, also an Asbury Park club member, had a 24•-pound bass.

Belmar Fishing boats are out early Saturday Morning

 

7PM Sunday night

Belmar 97 degrees today