Historical Society to Attend Polo Match

The Asbury Park Historical Society will once again attend the fifth annual Polo Match hosted by the Monmouth Conservation Foundation on Sunday, June 24 at Bucks Mill Park in Colts Neck. The society received a $7,000 donation from the foundation last year, with the money slated to purchase and install a water sprinkling system in Library Square Park at Asbury and Grand Avenues.

The society has rehabilitated the park, with new plantings, benches and repairs to the TenBroeck fountain in the middle of the park. In addition to installing the sprinkler system, the society is now looking to install new lighting fixtures in the park. "The Foundation has been partnering with us to restore the park and the society is thrilled to once again be the beneficiary of the foundation's generosity and goodwill said Society President Johna Karpinski. She said the donation will be put to, 'good use" by restoring historic lighting in the park.

Karpinski said the society is looking various levels of sponsorship to help pay for the society's participation in the match. Corporations, groups or individuals wanting to help fund or attend the event can telephone the Asbury Park Historical Society at 732-869-4478 or send an e-mail to info@asburyparkhistoricalsociety.org

Fourth of July Parade

Watch for the Asbury Park Historical Society's participation in the city's annual July 4 th parade!

The society has participated in all of the Fourth of July parades, since the traditional event was revised in 2003, but this year the society will explore the possibility of entering a decorative float in the parade. Anyone interested in helping with the float project can send a message to info@asburyparkhistoricalsociety.org

The society will also have a booth in Bradley Park, near Convention Hall, after the parade, where the society's newsletter, membership applications, books and merchandise, and historic preservation information will be available.

The parade, which will be held on Wednesday, July 4, will begin in the downtown Cookman Avenue area at 1 p.m., head north on Main Street , and east on Fifth Avenue to the beachfront. A reviewing stand will be erected near Fifth Ave. and Webb Street .

Fireworks will be held at the beachfront at around 9:30 p.m.

To sponsor your own group in the parade telephone Hazel Samuels at 732-502-4579.

“The parade gets bigger and better every year,” said Deputy Mayor Jim Bruno.

Historical Society Strives to Save Historic Building

The Asbury Park Historical Society invites the public to learn more about the historic B.P.O. Elks Lodge 128/Charms building in Asbury Park , which is in danger of demolition under the city's beachfront redevelopment plan.

The Historical Society hopes to save the building from the wrecking ball and invites people to attend an informative lecture about the history of the building to be given by Elks historian Tom Gardner.

The lecture, which will include some memorabilia, will be held on Thursday, June 14 at the Asbury Park Public Library, Grand and First avenues. The program begins at 7 p.m. and refreshments will be served.

The Elks Lodge was built in 1914 at the intersection of Heck Street and Monroe Avenue , near the beachfront, and enlarged in 1924. It was later used to house the Charms candy company and was vacated several years ago.

“Many well-known people in the area were members of the lodge and there were many different rooms and activities in the building,” Gardner said.

One primary goal of the Elks Lodge was to provide free health care for needy children in the area, regardless of race or religion. Gardner said the lodge created the free health-care project in 1922 and carried it on through the 1930s. The Elks provided a walk-in clinic and staffed it with doctors and nurses.

“You just walked in through the door and the Elks took care of you,” Gardner said.

Society President Johna Karpinski said the Elks building is on the Monmouth County Historic Sites Inventory and also listed in the historic preservation element of the city's Master Plan but she added that neither designation can prevent the building from being torn down under the waterfront redevelopment plan.

“We urge the public to turn out for this lecture and learn more about the building,” she said