Piled in my car were the 40-page beachfront subdevelopers agreement and the 50-page tax abatement document that we'd been debating all morning, along with more than 50 pages of reading for that night's council meeting.

That's when an obviously brave city employee thrust the less-than-glamorous "Wastewater Treatment Plant Odor Control Report" into my unwilling hands.

"No wonder people run from me at parties these days," I muttered, flipping through 40 pages of engineering specs for wet scrubbers, dry scrubbers, aerobic digesters, and centrifugal degritters.

Just then, Henry Vaccaro climbed into that giant yellow dinosaur with rubber-band feet that my husband calls a grappling track hoe (yeah, right) and happily ripped the first concrete slabs from C-8. A chorus of cheers went up, and I waved the odor report enthusiastically above my head.

"Why don't I ever get the really cool jobs, like rock star or demolition expert?" I pondered.

Actually, after several months of unexciting but necessary background work, August has once again been a banner month for beachfront redevelopment in Asbury Park.

In the past few weeks, the council has signed detailed subdeveloper agreements with the Kushner Companies' Wesley Lake Building Associates (for 3-story townhouses along Wesley Lake that will rise to 4-story flats, townhouses and shops along Cookman Avenue) and with Paramount Homes (for a five-square-block area that will begin with three stylish condominium buildings just north of the Berkeley-Carteret Hotel).

Preliminary designs for the first three Paramount projects have already been approved by the new Technical Review Committee (TRC) and city council, and are on their way to the city Planning Board.

And Kushner's proposal for the area bounded by Lake, St, James, Cookman, and Grand has passed muster with the TRC and is now undergoing city council review.

Simultaneously, our huge CAFRA (Coastal Area Facility Review Act) application has been under state review since late spring, and members of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection told us last week that a public hearing will likely be held here in late September.

As you may know, CAFRA protects state coastal waters and adjacent lands, and a CAFRA permit is required before redevelopment can begin. Our joint application with Asbury Partners, our master developers, examines the potential effects of beachfront redevelopment on everything from sand dunes and herring migrations to storm water run-off and historic structures.

Following one or more public hearings, which will be advertised at least 30 days in advance, we anticipate that the CAFRA process will take an additional 90 days, meaning that the first shovels should hit the ground in early 2004.

Hitting the ground much sooner, of course, is the unfinished, three-story section of C-8 that currently blocks Ocean Avenue. That section of Ocean Avenue will be temporarily repaved until the entire road is permanently rebuilt with improved underground utilities - all at our developer's expense. (The fate of the remaining C-8 skeleton will be decided as soon as a subdeveloper is selected for that spot.)

In addition, the complete demolition and rebuilding of our battered boardwalk should begin very shortly, starting at the Casino and moving north.

As you may recall, the city owns the actual boardwalk and is financially responsible for its replacement - a job that could cost as much as $9 million, given that the entire substructure is rotted.

As part of our agreement with Asbury Partners, however, they'll perform the demolition and rebuilding under supervision of the city's engineers, and we will credit them up to $4 million of their costs when they purchase the remaining boardwalk buildings - a much-needed break for city taxpayers.

Asbury Partners is also working closely with city hall and the STARS Community Development Corporation to ensure that city residents - particularly minorities and women - get a first crack at upcoming jobs.

Last year, STARS began collecting data on local contractors and city residents seeking employment, and up to 20 of these individuals will be hired for boardwalk demolition. (Watch the Coaster this fall for information on the next STARS sign-up.)

The boardwalk demolition contract has been awarded to a minority contractor, and local minority businesses have already been hired by Asbury Partners to perform landscaping, security and even catering work. (Jennie's Restaurant will supply food to the newly opened Cadillac Ranch Saloon.)

Asbury Partners and the city have also partnered with Rutgers Small Business Development Center to counsel local business owners, and one woman-owned business - Max's Cleaning Service - has already incorporated, developed a business plan, and expanded its employee base with Rutgers' assistance. (Call 732-774-1143 for program details.)

And, yes, we've already insured that Bergh Street won't be widened, and we're close to a resolution on the "infill area" coverage issue that should greatly please concerned residents between Grand Avenue and Bergh or Webb Streets. (Details to follow.)

But, even before rebuilding begins, there's a new spirit on Asbury Park's beachfront. The beach continues to see record numbers of paying visitors, drawn by curiosity, new businesses, and the continuing "win a visit with Springsteen" promotion.

Last weekend alone featured both the two-day Clearwater Festival and a free surfing clinic for city children sponsored by the New Jersey Surfrider Foundation.

In addition, Asbury Partners coordinated a kite contest, children's tricycle races, an art show, live music, a concert by Jay Black and the Americans, and a fabulous car show featuring over 200 vintage autos. (Needles and I opted for a 1940, cream-colored Packard that would make even us look like Asta and Myrna Loy.)

But we need your help to make these weekends a success. So hop on the Internet or look through the Coaster - now - and pick out a few events you'd like to support. And invite your friends to join you, maybe as part of your next cook-out or family gathering.

As for me, I'll be out there cheering on the first day of boardwalk demolition. I'm kinda' hoping they'll let me throw out the first hand-grenade.