The Coaster

By GARRETT STASSE and JOANNE PAPAIANNI

Coaster Photo: Shrubs have been added to Bradley Park in front of Convention Hall in Asbury Park.

The boardwalk in Asbury Park is promising to be a busy place this season with almost 25 retailers who have signed letters of intent to rent space.
And this week the Planning Board gave the green light to several new additions at the beachfront including a volleyball court and new sets of stairs for access to Convention Hall from the beach.

By DON STINE
Redevelopment of the North End in historic Ocean Grove took a major step forward on Monday when the Neptune Township Committee adopted an ordinance authorizing the project.
We are still so far from the end concept of what will be allowed (in the project) and it may change over time, said Mayor Randy Bishop.
But both committee members and some of the public said this is at least a start.

By TOM CARDINALE
The Bradley Beach Borough Council heard from a parade of vendors this week with summer business propositions ranging from beach rentals to transporting visitors in pedicabs.
Howard Flood returned to the council to again discuss his plan to open a news stand at the beachfront and again offered a rendering of an eight foot by 10 foot building he thought appropriate. However, while his idea was again approved of by the council the building was once again met with some resistance.
“A lot of issues were being raised,” Mayor Stephen Schueler said, citing residence worried about their beach views being compromised.

By DON STINE
The public, and particularly Ocean Township residents, are invited to celebrate the grand opening of the refurbished Colonial Terrace Golf Course on Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18.
We are very excited about the golf course reopening. We have spent the fall and winter months preparing it and the club house for the grand opening and I hope residents take advantage of it and turn out to play, said Mayor William F. Larkin.
The official opening festival for the 9-hole golf course, on Wickapecko Drive, will be Saturday, May 17 at 10:30 a.m. There will be youth golf activities and demonstrations, face-painting, games, balloons and free hot dogs and refreshments.

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
The Neptune City Borough Council voted to amend a temporary 2008 budget in the amount of $2,485,805 in order to approve improvements to streets in the borough.
The municipal budget would normally have been introduced by this time, but because of cuts in state aid and the postponement of firm state figures the entire process has been delayed.
Borough Administrator Joel Popkin said the law dictates that the appropriations made under the amended temporary budget must be inserted into the permanent budget when it is formally introduced.

Asbury Park is holding a public meeting April 3 at 7 p.m. to present revisions to the draft of the Main Street Redevelopment Plan along with revitalization strategies.
The meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers.
The public is urged to attend and express their opinions.
On Feb. 7 Urban Partners presented its recommendations at a public meeting.
They have since made revisions based on public input from the meeting and have prepared a series of shorter-term Main Street revitalization strategies that will be presented at the April 3 meeting.

By DON STINE
The replacement of concrete decking around the pool at the Deal Casino on Ocean Avenue will continue under a contract recently awarded by the Borough Council. The council awarded the $245,434 contract to Nova Crete Inc., based in South Amboy.
The borough replaced half of the decking last year and this will complete the project, said Borough Administrator James Rogers.
Rogers said the borough received 10 bids for the project, with the highest bid coming in at $523,823.
Nova Crete was the low bidder, he said.

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI

Eileen Meyers directs her film Asbury Park, an entrant in this years Garden State Film Festival.