Susan McLaughlin

FOURTH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK DOCUMENTARY from Backstreets.com
Greetings from Asbury Park, an award-winning documentary feature film that offers a personal perspective on how eminent domain abuse has affected the Jersey Shore town, can be seen on PBS stations in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

The film follows 91-year-old Angie Hampilos, a Greek immigrant and the great aunt of filmmaker Christina Eliopoulos, as she learns that her seaside bungalow - her home of over 50 years - will be taken by eminent domain to make way for (more) luxury condominiums. In fact, 29 city blocks of homes, businesses, apartments and historic boardwalk attractions are now boarded up and ready for the wrecking ball. They belong to a private developer and will be razed to make way for 3,100 luxury condos.

The movie combines intimate recollections, home movies, rare archival footage, thrilling cinematography and a dynamic soundtrack to recreate the postcard playland and boardwalk dreamland that was the resort city of Asbury Park.

An orchestral score by composers George Vahamonde and Nik Everett employs the evocative strains of acoustic guitar, piano as well as toy instruments and music boxes to recall the mythic ideal of Asbury Park. Two rare, turn of the century piano compositions, "On the Boardwalk in Asbury Park" and "Wear a Boardwalk Smile," long considered lost artifacts, were found and recorded for the film.

"Both George and Nik are children of the boardwalk with longtime ties to Asbury Park," said Eliopoulos. "They created an incredible score with exquisite sensitivity. The music takes us from the boardwalk funland to a wistful kind of memory or dream-like state, and on through to the city's decline and frustration." The film's dynamic soundtrack includes archival works, and numerous compositions from noted area bands and singer-songwriters including Jeff Saxon, The Misteriosos, as well as bandleaders from the fabulous '50s including Irvin Bell and Martin Weinblatt and Jersey favorite Red Mascara, who wrote and performed the jaunty little ditty "I'm from New Jersey."

Bruce Springsteen also approved the use of his music for the film: in one poignant sequence, "Tunnel of Love" plays over images of teenagers on the famous fun house rides of Palace Amusements and is followed by footage of the dismantling of the carousel horses, and finally, the destruction of the Palace.

"The Palace was a cultural touchstone and playland for those of us who grew up Asbury Park, and of course for anyone who knows Mr. Springsteen's music," director Eliopoulos tells Backstreets. "I am very grateful that Bruce granted me permission to employ his achingly beautiful song, 'Tunnel of Love,' for the film. I've been in love with the song, hearing it not just on my iPod but in my head, for most of my life."

Stations airing the documentary include WHYY, NJN2 and WLIW. For more information about the film, the broadcast schedule and to view a short trailer, visit greetingsfromasburyparkmovie.com.

p.s. And don't buy condos built on land taken through Eminent Domain. Don't eat at restaurants, enjoy gelato, get massaged in spas or sleep in hotels built on land taken through Eminent Domain. Susan

Head for the backyard or beach Tuesday or Wednesday night! The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show this week for those willing to stay up until midnight or willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning and wait patiently for the shooting stars.

In Monmouth County, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 11th and Aug. 12, weather permitting.

The Perseids are always reliable, and sometimes rather spectacular. The only things that puts a damper on the August show are bad weather or bright moonlight. Unfortunately this week, as the Perseids reach their peak Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the moon will be high in the sky, outshining the fainter meteors.

The Perseids are bits of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has laid down several streams of debris, each in a slightly different location, over the centuries as it orbits the sun. Every August, Earth passes through these debris streams, which spread out over time.

"They are typically fast, bright and occasionally leave persistent trains," says Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Skywatching Columnist. "And every once in a while, a Perseid fireball will blaze forth, bright enough to be quite spectacular and more than capable to attract attention even in bright moonlight."

Low numbers of Perseids, including some bright fireballs, have already been reported as Earth began entering the stream in late July. Seasoned observers have counted up to 25 per hour already, or nearly one every two minutes.

Most meteors are no bigger than a pea. They vaporize as they enter Earth's atmosphere, creating bright streaks across the sky.

The Perseids appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, which rises high in the sky around midnight and is nearly overhead by dawn. Like most meteor showers, the hours between midnight and daybreak are typically the best time to watch, because that's when the side of Earth you are on is rotating into the direction of Earth's travels through space, so meteors are "scooped up" by the atmosphere at higher rates, much like a car's windshield ends the lives of more bugs than does the rear bumper.

Astronomers expect up to 200 meteors per hour in short bursts of up to 15 minutes or so. But many of the fainter meteors will simply not be visible due to moonlight, and rates will go down even more for those in urban areas. More likely a typical observer under reasonably dark skies might hope to see a meteor every couple minutes when the bursts come, and fewer during lulls.

When to watch: The best time to watch is between midnight and dawn Wednesday. Forecasters say the best stretch could come between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. ET (1-2 a.m. PT). Some Perseids might be visible late Tuesday night, and Wednesday night into Thursday morning could prove worthwhile, too.

Viewing Tips: The best location is far from highway and suburban lights. Ideally, find a spot where you can use a house or tree to block the moon. Then scan as much of the sky as possible. The meteors can appear anywhere, heading in any direction. If you trace their paths backward, they'll all point to the constellation Perseus.

Seasoned skywatchers advise using a blanket or lounge or beach chair for comfort, so you can lie back and look up for long periods. Allow at least 15 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust to the darkness. Then expect meteors to be sporadic: You might see two in a row, or several minutes could go by between shooting stars.

Estate Sale this Saturday on Fair Haven's Navesink waterfront

Browse 156 years of family treasures including: Large antique wardrobes, handsome biblioteque' and other furniture, Kitchen ware: glassware, pressed glass, dishes, old cooking tins and molds, soup tureen, old framed pictures & prints, books, tools and a red canoe.

The exact address will be posted on Friday to deter zealous "Early Birds" from knocking at the door.

Address is 78 DeNormandie Avenue, off River Road. Turn towards the river at The Java Stop. Drive slowly down DeNormandie to end on right.

Great Prices - No charge for the view.

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The US House of Representatives has already passed the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act. Urge our senators to do the same. This beach bill is long overdue.

It will take less than a minute for you to take action by clicking here:

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/pass_beachbill/idu636brrj7xm6wx

----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----

Dear [Your senator's name automatically inserted here],

I urge you to co-sponsor the Clean Coastal Environment and
Public Health Act (S 878). Beach water pollution is threatening
the health of beach-goers and the vitality of coastal economies
across this nation. Reliance on slow and outdated monitoring
methods is forcing beach managers to make important public
health decisions with day-old water quality information. This
puts public health at risk and often forces pre-emptive beach
closures, which may or may not end up being necessary.

The Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act mandates the
adoption of rapid testing methods that provide water quality
information within hours of sampling. It forces states to issue
beach advisories within 24 hours and sets new standards for
public notification. This bill will also, for the first time,
allow state beach grants to be used to track the sources of
beach pollution and to clean up these sources.

Help our coastal communities manage clean, healthy beaches by
co-sponsoring and supporting the prompt passage of this
important piece of legislation. To sign-on, please contact the
office of Senator Lautenberg.

----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/pass_beachbill/forward/idu636brrj7xm6wx

With thanks - feel free to re-post this,
Susan McLaughlin

Keller Williams Realty, Monmouth County NJ

Member, Surfrider Foundation

http://www.SusanMcLaughlin.com