A Vision For Pt. Pleasant: Pt 2

"If you build it, they will come."

This simple expression of faith has become cliché, a punch line used to denigrate a dreamer and belittle their ambitions as naive or misguided, especially those who envision something so completely different, or so far in the future that most other folks can't see it. An example that comes to mind is the Dakota Building in New York City, best known as the home of John Lennon. When Edward Clark began building in 1880, the upper west side was so remote his friends said he might as well have built it in the Dakota Territory. Clark knew that it was just a matter of time and today NYC’s streets and buildings roll far beyond 72^nd St. A better illustration might be Disney World. When Walt Disney bought 44 square miles of swamp in the middle of nowhere, in a state with little to no major transportation or infrastructure, his associates thought he was ruined, but Walt's vision was so far reaching there are elements he designed for the park that are still decades away from being built. Every story we tell to inspire our children share these elements, vision and undeterred faith: Marco Polo, Brunelleschi, Colombus, Jefferson, Adams, Ford, Sears, Gates, Jobs... Of course not everyone sees their dream realized. The list of failures is certainly longer over history than the successes, but the list of those that dared not to dream or were too afraid to try, is longest of all. So I propose a modified call to arms for Point Pleasant in our time of trial and transition:

"If you build it I can't promise they'll come, but if you don't, I guarantee they won't."

When my wife and I moved here it didn't take long to identify the businesses that were well established cornerstones, but other than that handful, what I saw was a lot of turnover and a lot of vacancy, and this was before the "financial collapse". I remember thinking what a shame it was that businesses didn't seem to do so well here, but I chalked it up to two things; Pt. Pleasant Beach had a "downtown" and the Boardwalk that drew traffic and commerce away from the Boro, and because of Rt. 88, the Boro was more similar to a "highway town" with scattered strip malls and storefronts like Middletown, where I grew up. From the background I’ve been given this condition was neither intentional nor accidental. Businesses in the Boro were left to sink or swim, no special conditions, little nurturing, and no sign of brighter days down the road, with the general feeling that more business, like active recreation, was an unwelcome disturbance to a “quiet vacation and retirement community”.

The more Pt Pleasant became my home, the more disappointed I was in the under utilized potential. We have so many great places and spaces to offer a visitor. The problem I began to see was that the successful, established businesses are all individual destinations. Someone patronizing one of our stores comes, takes care of their business, then turns around and leaves. If the real potential is going to be fulfilled then they need a reason to stay.

The example I always fall back to when talking about my views on business and the inter-workings of a business community is Red Bank. That’s just where I worked, grew up, observed, and learned. Whenever I bring up Red Bank it's usually pointed out that they already had a downtown area, but let me tell you as a firsthand witness to the challenges they faced, our towns are far more similar than not, and the conditions are surprisingly the same.

As a small child I certainly wasn't aware that Red Bank was at a historical low point but I vividly remember when the McDonalds closed. It was devastating to a 6 or 7 year old and looking back now I realize that it was certainly the death knell. If McDonalds can't survive in your commercial climate than no one can. For more a decade little or nothing was done to try and resurrect "Dead Bank" as it had become known. Occupancy was 40% at best and much like our own Boro if you went to Red Bank it was to go to Dorn’s, Clayton & McGee, Hobby Masters, or Jack's Music Shoppe and leave. There was nowhere to walk to and no reason to stay.

The turn around was pure synchronicity. There was no plan or design, at least at first, just a divine confluence of events. It began with Kevin Lynn moving the Dubliner Pub from Bridge Ave to Monmouth St and opening the Dublin House. There were no restaurants at this time, just a few breakfast diners and dive bars. Now there was a reason, albeit a small one, to come to Red Bank and stay after 5pm, and half a block’s worth of Monmouth St was where it all began. The House of Coffee opened in its first location across from the Dublin House. No one knew what a Starbucks was and this was a real first. Soon came the Laughing Bean Coffee House and Comedy Club, Backward Glances vintage shop, and the Upstairs Coffee House. The spark caught elsewhere in town too: the Murphy Style Grille, the Broadway Grille, No Ordinary Joes Coffee Shop, the Internet Café, Broad Street Cinemas, the Downtown Bar, the Galleria was created out of an old factory and soon became home to The House of Coffee, the Pool Hall, TCBY, and the first Two River Theatre- home of Pt Pleasant’s own Mike O’Keefe’s Comedy Improv Jam, even the old Red Bank Diner closed for 20 years was re-opened. All of this and more happened from about 1990-1996. Once the spark was lit, the transformation was fast and furious.

There was a feeling of community and support that had not existed during the down years. Prior to this informal business association Red Bank's town officials were just making a pit stop on the way to higher county and state jobs and the chamber of commerce was an ineffective old boys club. Notice was out that things were changing for the better and new people came in with new ideas and new desire. Red Bank established a Special Improvement District and formed the Red Bank River Center to direct the growth of the town. They certainly had their work cut out for them. Red Bank’s infrastructure was a shambles. The first couple of years all they could manage to organize were sidewalk sales and car show nights to start raising the town’s profile and improve visitorship, but they had a careful, long-term plan. Money was invested to fix up Marine Park and begin the Riverfest. Momentum continued to build, new businesses came, and residential ownership increased. Better home values and increased tax revenue were invested in the future. An ambitious streetscaping project was designed to connect all the little established commercial pockets and make the town walk-able. Walking from Monmouth St, down Broad, and up West Front is a much longer distance than the length of Bridge Ave from Forte to Sundae’s. The "antique district" that struggled for years became a marketing entity. New buildings were going up. Old ones were being restored. Riverfront Park was built and became the home of “Jazz in the Park” as Riverfest had grown and splintered into multiple events.

Of course the rush to prosperity created a bubble destined to burst. The goldfish overgrew its bowl and you can argue how that happened, but I agree with the skeptics that say we don't need to become another Red Bank or Princeton. We know our community couldn’t support that kind of growth and it would undermine the closeness and smallness we all value. But that doesn't mean we can't learn from their example and adopt the aspects of their growth that would serve our community and help us become a fertile and desirable location for new business.

As I wrote in the first part of this essay, we have a huge leg up on Red Bank and the challenges they overcame because of our parks and facilities. They had to build all the wonderful places they enjoy; we already have them. The next piece of the puzzle is our “Complete Streets” program. Not only is this an important goal for our neighborhoods’ and residents’ quality of life, this is a critical move toward a walk-able, shop-able commercial district.

Simply for the practical benefits and safety concerns this is a long-term goal we must commit to. There are sections of every major road in town that are perilous to a bicyclist or pedestrian. There are so many streets that I don’t feel safe on with a stroller that I do most of my walking with the baby backpack, but not just the neighborhood and through street, there are whole sections of Bridge Ave and 88 that are flat out dangerous. There are too many streets I would be terrified to let my children cross on their bikes. A Complete Streets program creates bicycle, pedestrian, and stroller safe routes for all major traffic routes. This is an undeniable value to our families. Point Pleasant is bustling with bike and foot traffic all year long, children and adults alike, going to school, work, or play. Making this aspect of our community a priority protects something we already value, adds to our town’s attractiveness, will positively impact home values, and supports our commercial future immeasurably.

The Bridge Ave corridor is a mile of road that if connected by an unbroken series of sidewalks and parking areas would be as attractive as any downtown area to visitors and prospective businesses alike, and what existing business would not benefit from increased visibility and traffic? Of course pockets of like businesses and mini sub-districts would form- just as they do in any robust town, but this should be encouraged, it's the basis of the character and uniqueness that will come to further define Point Pleasant. Imagine a family restaurant somewhere between Dairy Queen and Community Park and maybe a coffee house creating a nice little area to go out on a Friday with your kids or on a date? Maybe a restaurant and bar closer to Stop and Shop and a single screen theatre that shows old drive in movies and show cases bands or local theatre? What about a block or two running west of River with a series of boutique shops like Bay Ave in the Beach and a nice outdoor café or two for an afternoon with friends?

As I wrote in Part 1, opening our parks to events like Summerfest, Earth Day, hopefully Jazz In The Park and more will draw new people and new commerce to Point Pleasant. Our town has grown and changed. The mean average age in Pt Pleasant is 37, and 5 out of 7 homes have school age children. No longer a “retirement and vacation community” we are a young and vibrant community with the demand and the means to grow. “Complete Streets” will be a momentous second step in developing an attractive and prosperous environment.

Step three, the final part of this essay, will get deeper into the “reasons to stay” and how to cultivate the commercial identity of a new Point Pleasant. Once we've cleared the fields and tilled and fertilized the soil, we have to decide what to plant and how to manage the crops for the optimal yield and sustainability?

A simple googling of “complete streets” or “pedestrians and economic growth” will lead you to thousands of pages worth of supportive data, but here are some places to start. The first is an awesome article, now almost 20 years old, that many credit as the start of this movement, detailing the need for renewed focus on suburban planning after decades of neglect.

http://www.walkablestreets.com/duany.htm

http://www.completestreets.org/changing-policy/local-advocacy/current-campaigns/

http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/issues/business/smart-growth-boosts-foot-traffic/

http://www.nj.com/morristown/kendraarnold/index.ssf/2009/03/asking_for_complete_streets_an.html

http://www.cic2020.org/FinalPapers2011/Greg-Schunk.pdf

http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/luka/urbandesignhousing/602fall2010/readings/Atash1994.pdf

Not All Budgets Are Created Equal. Or Six In One Hand; A Million And A Quarter In The Other

After months of rumor and speculation as last year’s financial records were untangled and reconstructed, the residents and employees of Point Pleasant Borough finally have answers as to the depth of our current crises. The situation we find ourselves in today is not the result of any particular individuals or any one council. This is the cumulative effect of years if not decades of insufficient planning and short term “fixes”. Some actions of past councils have brought relief and some have made matters worse, but no laying of blame, whether deserved or for political gain, will change the deficit laid before us. As it stands if the Borough were to meet its current obligations using only available funds we would be short $1,125,000 above cap. If we were to close this gap only by raising taxes the increase would be 22.5%. This would be illegal at best and unconscionable at worst.

What we are really presented with is a two fold problem; creating a formula of available tools to balance this year’s budget and stop the bleeding, and putting into place a 3 year plan consisting of new revenue, cuts, and new efficiencies that will bring back to balance what we have all realized by now is a repetitious and worsening condition. Balancing this year’s budget and cauterizing the wound will have to be achieved through a combination of furloughs and layoffs, reduced services, bringing taxes to the 2% cap, and in the worst of scenarios deferring more school taxes. This is an equation. We know what is on the total side and we know what factors are on the other, but the equation is not solved by determining the value of x or y, but by placing value on what x and y represent. If you lower the number of furlough days(x), then taxes(y) or deferred school taxes(z) go up. If keeping property taxes(y) down is felt to be the most important factor, we have to increase furloughs, layoffs, and lost services(x) and/or the amount of deferred school taxes(z).

I would ask the residents of Point Pleasant to contact their elected officials and tell us how you feel about our town and what about it is most important to you, so that when we are deciding how to balance this equation we understand what you value most. This isn’t as simple as saying “keep my taxes down” because every factor we lower causes others to go up. If not an equation, imagine a set of scales. On one side are the revenues and on the other are the expenses. If furloughs that impact the Rec. Dept, Public Works services, or Administrative offices are unacceptable or too severe, an equal increase has to be made elsewhere to keep the scales balanced. If increased taxes or school tax deferrals are unacceptable, then an equal reduction must be made to services. The only way off this merry-go-round is to make long term recurring changes to our revenue and our expenses. These changes can and will be made to bring the Boro back in line, but as meaningful as they will be in the long run, none of them can impact the immediate problem, this year’s problem that must be settled in the next week. What you are witnessing, balancing a budget for introduction, is THE END of the process. This budget began immediately after passage of the last, and little to nothing was done in anticipation of problems compounded by depleting surpluses, over estimating revenue, under estimating costs, and failing to anticipate the impact of furloughs on operations.

This is the worst of all possible scenarios. To introduce a balanced budget we will have to create a cocktail of every inadvisable accounting maneuver. The only way I can even begin to reconcile this with myself is because on the one hand we have no other option, and on the other there is a commitment by this council to make the big changes and the difficult choices that can no longer be avoided. We begin here, at the bottom, and as I said implement a plan that will reduce the need for emergency and unsustainable savings like furloughs, service cuts, and deferred school taxes incrementally over the course of 3 years while new means of revenue and cost saving plans reduce our dependency on these measures and close the gap between the cost of operating the town and our means to do so.

Our community will not be damned by the mistakes of the past, but by our failure to learn from them.

Everything I Needed To Know In Life I Learned From ROCKY!

When my wife and I were first dating she thought it was a joke when I told her I thought ROCKY may be the quintessential American Film. I assured her that there was only about 8 minutes of boxing in the whole movie and that it was really a love story. After some begging she gave in and came to agree…at least that it was a love story, but placing it next to Citizen Kane or the Godfather still raises an eyebrow.

ROCKY

Before the dialogue became punch lines and the series a parody of itself, there was a sweet story about two “losers” so removed from social pretense that they see and love each other for exactly who and what they are. I don’t think you can find many other cinematic examples of such innocent love, such selfless affection. Watch the scene in the ice-skating rink and try not to feel it. Originally meant to take place in a fancy restaurant, budget constraints forced some inspired innovations that led to this and many of the film’s most memorable scenes. Instead of juxtaposing the characters in a world in which they don’t belong, we witness two lonely and reticent souls cautiously coming together and developing a trust they share with no one else in the world.

Rocky may not be the deepest character but he is complete and dimensional. He is real to anyone that grew up in a tough neighborhood, and he is easily understood by those of us who had a dream that left us adrift when it didn’t come true. Mickey’s a loser too, and he isn’t the benevolent trainer he became in later films, he’s a leech, a sycophant cashing in a meal ticket. Paulie too, the embodiment of failure and resentment, who trades his sister like an IOU. Apollo is a truly Shakespearian foil. A man consumed by success and riches, there is nothing honorable about him or his offer; Apollo is exploiting Rocky, an interestingly subtle racial statement, and he is such an example of ego run riot that he’s offended and embarrassed by Rocky’s humility at the press conference. Most significantly doesn’t take his trainer Duke’s advice to take the fight seriously.

Rocky won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the score is haunting; one of my favorites, but the best part of the film is that Rocky loses. He didn’t need to win; he just needed to feel valuable and legitimate, and most importantly proud of himself. The most important lesson however, is Apollo’s: Never pick a fight with someone who has nothing to lose!

ROCKY II

Not nearly as good as the first, but I genuinely love the story, and this one’s not about boxing either.  Rocky II is really Apollo’s story. Even though he won, the world thinks he’s a chump and he cannot reconcile his ego. Rocky in the meantime has something real in his life for the first time, a wife and a baby on the way. Retired after the loss to Apollo he can’t pretend to be something he’s not and agrees to a re-match. Does it matter that he wins? Not so much. This one is all about acceptance and overcoming fear.

ROCKY III

What can you really say about Rocky III? Tied with IV for the guiltiest pleasure of the series it is exquisite spray cheese! Thunderlips, the ultimate male! Oh how do you top that? That doesn’t mean there aren’t lessons to be learned: lying to protect the people you love doesn’t protect anyone, fear is the most cripplingly powerful of all emotions, and blind jealousy will only destroy you. My prediction for those that don’t heed Clubber’s demise? Pain!

ROCKY IV

If Rocky IV didn’t end the cold war I don’t know what did! When Drago waves his fist at Gorbechev and cries “I fight for me!” Reagan only had to turn off the lights on the way out. As with all tragic tragic Greek heroes, Apollo’s pride and arrogance brings his ultimate doom.  Rocky must strip away his comforts and attachments to return to his core, his most primal being, and prove that the heart is stronger than the mind. What’s the big lesson? James Brown is far too funky for those raised in the emotional and artistic void of an oppressed military/industrial state, so if you’re not careful somebody’s gonna get killed!

ROCKY V

Let’s skip straight to the lesson: The more complacent you are in life, the more likely you are to do something stupid!

ROCKY BALBOA

The return to the emotional roots of the character. This one caught me off guard and I admit I got pretty chocked up. It almost doesn’t matter that there’s a fight. There’s always another fight. As corny as it may seem Rocky’s fights and victories always take place before he even steps in the ring. Adrian is gone and the loss and longing Rocky feels is tangible. He finds a little peace and in a way comes full circle with the friendship of the girl who told Rocky to screw himself in the first film, now grown up, and her son. I guess in the end victories don’t make us immortal, we live on in the lives we touch.

Oh, I forgot the most important sequence in any Rocky movie-the training sequence! How can you watch that and not want to go out and kick someone’s ass? Seriously though, there is very little I’ve ever gotten without having to make a deep, deep commitment to and work my butt off for. Whenever I’m in the middle of something like that and my faith begins to waiver I tell myself I’m “gonna eat lightning and crap thunder!” and it always perks me up!

I Hope Cell Towers Are Around As Long As Betamax

Just because a thing can be done doesn’t mean it should be done. This is an attitude and concept that seems to be sorely missing in culture and society today. In an age of parents disengaged from their children, either willfully or circumstantially, we have enabled a generation who feel entitled to everything and act without any consideration of consequence. Whether its online activity ranging from the asinine to the criminal, pregnant teenagers who are made rich exploiting themselves on TV, or the Matrix like mind altering reality where Snookie is a New York Times best selling author, children see no reason to stop, think, and consider the consequences of their decisions and their actions. What has become of personal responsibility and responsibility to your community?

Is this the legacy of TV westerns and those raised on them: rush into action, shoot first, and ask questions later because no one will really get hurt? Look at the media that reports assumptions as fact, then tries and convicts in 15-second teasers. Our politicians and sports and entertainment stars seem to be on a never-ending circuit of apologizing to the public for “ being selfish” and “not thinking first”. Kurt Vonnegut joked that all products should come with a universal warning: “THINK BEFORE USING” because it was clear that we were becoming a society in a constant state of re-action, usually to messes of our own creation, and that caution had become the enemy of progress.

Technology is always a big area for this type of anxiety. From the atomic bomb, to the human genome, to stem cells, one central question must precede all others: Should we do it just because we can? Some say that ethical arguments have no place in science as they are inherently biased, but contrary to accepted belief, science does not exist without a bias of its own. All human endeavor has been conducted with at least some feeling that the result will either be “good” or save us from “harm”.

Cell towers may not be as attention grabbing as cloning, but they have been a serious cause of concern and anxiety from their inception. They don’t bother me so much, but I know they bother most, and I can sympathize. I would never want to live next to one of those huge generator stations. What got my back up about the Edgar Rd tower issue was not that I was against towers, but that I was appalled by the treatment of the surrounding residents. No one should defend their property and their peace of mind from their own government. Our government is supposed to be an instrument of the people that does for us as a community what we cannot do for ourselves as individuals, not decide when we’re equal and when we’re not.

A new tower has just been approved in another neighborhood. The same fears and arguments were heard, but there was no technicality in this instance to put the brakes on. I don’t know if this was the right or wrong thing, but I feel as I did with Edgar Rd that in the face of direct objection, even if they are a minority of the community they are the majority of this neighborhood, compromise must be sought. These “Not In My Backyard” conflicts are messy at best but I can’t believe the best outcome should leave some feeling less equal than others. That being said, I wonder how many of us would have electricity and telephones if they tried to put up all those poles and lines today?

I applaud Mike Permuko for voting with his conscience and his conviction, that the surrounding residents’ concerns should be at least equal to the monetary benefit of the town. We will all see fractions of a penny’s worth of tax relief paid for by the Burnt Tavern residents who will see their home value negatively affected. I guess one person’s gain is always at another’s expense. You can argue all day that the technology is safe, but the public perception of safety, regardless of “fact”, is what dictates the market.

I don’t mean to say the other Planning Board members acted dishonestly. I think Mr. Giordano was clear and correct when he said he acted as the law allows, but this does bring me back to my point: We don’t have to approve something just because the law allows it. An allowance in the law does not bind us to action. We are a community that has direct influence on our composition. We must all act, whether as public servants or as private citizens, for our common good, a common ideal that holds us all equal. I know absolute execution of this is nearly impossible but there is a second part to my belief: Just because something seems impossible doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to achieve it.

This has been a recurring notion since stumbling into public life and the most important thing I feel I can do in my time is to find folks that feel the same and support them. That’s why I’m glad to call Mike my friend. I know that whether or not I agree with him that I can be sure of his honesty and his integrity, I trust him. There are too many people out there acting in “our interest” that have to be studied and dissected and whose motivations will always be in doubt. When Mike shares an opinion I don’t second guess him the way the Burnt Tavern residents will forever second guess the safety of the tower out their windows. At least they will no longer need to second-guess the government that has certainly let them down.

Please let cell towers be a short-lived transitional technology.

Message From The Mayor: The Storm Is Coming But We Have A Lifeboat

Editor, The Ocean Star:

Former Mayor Konkus, Sue Rogers and their team have created a financial crisis in Point Pleasant. In their last year in office, instead of balancing the budget and cutting spending, they raided our schools and borrowed $560,000 from the school fund.

Now, Rogers and Konkus are gone, but they have left us with approximately $1.2 million in debt and budget shortfall.

Where did all this money go? We don’t even know, because the Rogers and Konkus team failed to keep adequate records, as legally required. Last month, the Boro was forced spend $50,000 on an auditor to reconstruct the books so we can trace the money trail. We are contacting the prosecutor’s office, and requested an investigation into the possible misuse of funds.

We do know how some of our money was wasted. Millions of dollars of purchases and contracts went to friends and campaign contributors. Just one example was the unnecessary purchase of a $150,000 computer system that has been virtually unused.

Who will pay for their waste and mismanagement? We all will. Police and other public workers may be furloughed despite the fact that they did not create this mess. The taxpayers are on the hook for the $560,000 loan from the schools and the $600,000 budget shortfall from 2010.

What is our team’s plan to fix this mess?

1. We reduced the Boro payroll $650,000 by incentivizing early retirement of public workers.

2. We expect to generate $250,000 or more in new revenue by putting an on-site liquor consumption license up for bid.

3. We have identified a potential cost savings of $400,000 by exploring alternatives to current trash and recycling contracts.

4. We will continue to look for ways to cut spending and expand revenues in order to balance the budget.

The combination of debt and budget shortfall left to us by our predecessors has created a fiscal crisis. We may not have created this crisis, but we are willing to make the tough choices that it will take to fix it — and that means putting everything on the table.

We commit to keeping you fully informed throughout the coming months as the situation continues to unfold, and we look forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions. We encourage you to attend the next council meeting, or call us at 732-892-3434.

WILLIAM SCHROEDER MAYOR OF POINT PLEASANT

Spring Is Here And It's Time To Open The Skate Park

An open letter to the residents of Point Pleasant, in particular my fellow council members:

This Tuesday, I will be introducing a management ordinance for the Municipal Skate Park to replace the “Board of Skate Park Commissioners” ordinance passed last fall. It is my belief that the special commission approach to managing the park, while well-intentioned, is impractical. There are already bodies in place to address concerns with the park’s facilities and deal with users that do not respect the rules and regulations. It is unfortunate that problems with a handful of teenagers have escalated to this point, but it is entirely unreasonable to expect a group of “deputized” neighbors to enforce the rules upon children who have a well-documented history of disrespect, if not outright contempt, for members of our Police, Public Works and Recreation Departments. This is an invitation to even more trouble when people who are not trained in conflict management, as our officers are, are expected to intervene in what may be a tense situation between several parties.

I have spent some time researching this issue and looking to other towns that have overcome similar difficulties. I have also had great input from our Recreation, Public Works, and Police Departments, as they are the ones who will bear, and have borne, the responsibility of park management. I can say that this plan for a provisional opening with limited hours, and a policy of strict enforcement of the rules and penalties, has the full support of these departments. It is my contention that the best way to deal with those that choose to abuse their access to the park is to make doing so, from this point on, an inconvenient and expensive attitude. I’m proposing hours on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sundays until it’s demonstrated that the atmosphere has changed. I will also be in search of grants or other funding to purchase the camera system that will transmit to Police headquarters as well as the Recreation Department’s website’s skate park page where parents or any resident will be able to monitor the park at any time. It will not be long until the park can be returned to full operating hours and this yearlong ordeal is a grey memory.

I hope this matter will not be like some that have come down to a split vote. Because of my involvement and commitment to this cause, and my complete faith in this as the simplest and most practical solution, I implore my fellow council members to please, at the very least, move this ordinance past the introduction and take the next three weeks to consider the matter and confer with all the involved parties. When the final vote comes, I will beg you that we not be remembered as the council that let a milestone of our community disappear, because we couldn’t figure out how to curb a half-dozen 15 and 16 year-olds instead of preserving it for the scores of children that use the park without incident.

A Vision For Point Pleasant: Part 1

It would be difficult if not impossible to find someone in our community that would not put our parks and natural resources at the top of their list of Point Pleasant’s greatest attributes. Those that have lived their lives here have seen the preservation of Slade Dale and Dorsett Dock, and witnessed, if not advocated for, the development of Beaver Damn, Community, and Riverfront Parks.  For those like me that chose to settle in Point Pleasant, these great spaces drew us here because they couldn’t be matched in any other town. Plenty of towns have playgrounds or basketball courts hidden away behind developments, but how many have carefully planned and developed spaces like ours? And more so, how many have parks with the great potential of ours?

I vividly remember the first time we went to Community Park and the visions of big bands, orchestras, community theatre, movie nights, festivals, and holiday celebrations that flew through my mind. Our band shell is iconic and I think the poster art for the new and improved Summerfest is proof positive. That is an image that can help brand our town to a degree that no other town in Ocean or Monmouth could hope for. Think of how many great destinations are instantly recognized by the silhouette of a building? The Statue of Liberty, The Liberty Science Center, Disney, The Sydney Opera House, Big Ben, The Eiffel Tower, or my favorite, the stands at Hayward Field! I don’t mean that we should exploit or town. I know how deeply we want to preserve the intimacy and connectedness that we all enjoy. What I do mean is that as we look to the future development and growth of our borough we have an opportunity to develop its identity, and in creating that identity we have every marketer’s dream-an easily identifiable image, a symbol, of Point Pleasant.

More important than the symbol of something special, we already have the ingredients of a great town. We are small, self-contained, and more like one large neighborhood than anything else. We enjoy schools and services we can all be proud of and that are the envy of surrounding towns. We don’t need to create a vibrant commercial area, we just need to nurture the one we already have. And as we move forward with new ways to celebrate our community and share it with neighbors near and far, we don’t need to create the settings, they’re already here and they are magnificent. I can’t wait to see Summerfest in Community Park. I can’t wait to see the Relay For Life on full display in the heart of our community, sending the signal to other towns that we don’t tuck our relay away, we put it right up front so everyone can see our strength and passion. Riverfront Park provides an intimacy perfect for other events like this year’s Earth Day Festival. How could you not celebrate the spirit of Earth Day in our finest example of forward thinking and environmental planning? Now just imagine Jazz in the Park, Car Shows, parties, flower shows, cook outs, you name it! We have the raw material and as I wrote in my letter to the Ocean Star, now we need the willingness.

Fortunately Point Pleasant’s greatest resource is our friends and neighbors. There are so many of us with visions and beautiful dreams. I’ve been fortunate to meet many of them this past year in the schools, sports clubs, the skatepark, and making the rounds campaigning. Our community has a rare opportunity for self-examination and careful planning. This is our chance to turn the earth and prepare for next year’s crops. I for one can’t wait to see what springs up.