By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Asbury Park is seeing a surge in beach badge revenue this summer as totals surpass $100,000 ahead of last year at the same time.
Gary Giberson, Beach Utilities Manager said Sun., July 2 topped the most badges sold in one day.
The upswing continued this past weekend with revenues of $104,000. Last year’s weekend total at this time was only $48,000 and Giberson said the records do not indicate inclement weather.
“If the weather gods cooperate we will exceed our revenue goals for the year,” Giberson said.
Giberson said last year’s goal was $2 million for the season and that goal was exceeded.
He hinted that this year’s goals are higher than last year’s but there is still one and half months left in the season.
Giberson said the boardwalk and beaches were packed last weekend and said he heard that vendors were running out of food over the weekend.
“It was a fun day for people at the beach and a fun day for us,” he said.
Parking spaces remain a challenge he said, but many of the newly installed bike racks were being put to use.
“It was a real nice mix of people, young old, different languages,” he said.
Despite the crowds there were no accidents or incidents to report, other than two heat exhaustion cases and one asthma case which were treated by the first aid squad.
