"Pulse rate: up. Body fat: up. Bad cholesterol: up. Good cholesterol: down," ruled the nurse, as I collapsed in the last of what seemed like 14,000 booths on the main convention floor for a free health screening.

Oh well, I'd always heard that public service was extremely broadening.

Of course, part of what sent my pulse rate soaring was that last workshop on public relations, where a north Jersey mayor had cheerfully ticked off the tools her township uses to notify residents of everything from leaf collection to street closings.

"But how do you handle major controversies?" someone asked.

"Controversies? Controversies?" she blinked. "Our community is pretty stable. We've only had one real issue that brought people to council meetings in the last six years."

"Waaah," I whined from the third row.

As the Asbury Park City Council moves into the second half of its four-year term with a new city manager, our work pace is again accelerating as we try to stuff the proverbial ten pounds of projects into a four-pound term.

As you probably know, some of the significant issues we're hammering out in council meetings and in extended (make that very extended) committee meetings include redevelopment (beachfront, West Side, downtown, scattered site, Main Street), budget (not a pretty forecast for the next two to three years until redevelopment really kicks in), economic development (housing, jobs and transportation for longtime residents who need it most), crime, and capital improvements (urgent needs range from senior and recreation services to improved streets to a new fire house).

Over the next several columns, I'll update you on many of these topics - starting today with recreation and senior services - and I'll let you know where we need your help.

The day after I returned from the League meetings, I got to slog off some of that added body fat by helping a swarm of volunteers build a new recreation area between the Middle School and the Bangs Avenue Grade School.

That long-neglected patch of earth now includes sturdy new playground equipment, picnic benches, fresh sod, and new landscaping. Next year should see a water playground and workout area, thanks to a successful collaboration between the city, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), the Asbury Park YouthCorps, Bruce Springsteen (those wonderful concert donations again), and an anticipated Green Acres grant and low-interest loan.

Credit for kick-starting the project also goes to Councilman John Loffredo, who originally brought NAIOP money and volunteers to the table; to Director of Human Services Tony Nuccio and his staff, for months of coordinating the project with NAIOP; and to our Department of Public Works, which provided the heavy-duty muscle and machinery.

In addition, John Loffredo, Mayor Kevin Sanders, Board of Education President Remond Palmer, Board of Education Member Rudy Smith, and a variety of community and business volunteers are serving on a new city Recreation Commission that has helped fund such ventures as a city soccer league, a summer bowling program for kids, and the Asbury Park Pop Warner Junior Pee Wee team's recent championship trip to Florida.

On a larger scale, the council is also firmly committed to establishing a much needed, centrally located Community Center with top-notch senior and recreation facilities, financed by a combination of low-interest bonds, economic development donations from beachfront redeveloper Asbury Partners, and our own fund-raising efforts.

And Bruce Springsteen, the Max Weinberg 7 and fellow performers including Jon Bon Jovi, Sam Moore, Southside Johnny and Danny DeVito gave those efforts a star-studded boost last week when they agreed to make a whopping donation from their Convention Hall holiday concerts to our new "City of Asbury Park Community Center Fund". (Expect to hear more about our fund-raising efforts - and how you can help - in up-coming months.)

As you've probably read, the city is considering buying and rehabilitating the former YMCA building on Main Street, and structural and environmental analyses are currently being performed to determine if this is a feasible Community Center site.

In the meantime, we've assembled a committee of seniors representing Asbury Tower, Phillips Seaview Tower, the Asbury Park Housing Authority, and individual residents to plan special events like the recent Stone Pony senior party and Atlantic City bus trip and to provide input on possible long- and short-term Senior Center options.

After several road trips to scout out short-term locations this fall, the committee gave the thumbs-up to the former convent at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. We have now worked out a preliminary agreement with parish officials and obtained approval from the Monmouth County Office on Aging, and the council was scheduled to consider a resolution approving that temporary site at our December 17 meeting.

Following a review by Catholic Church officials in Trenton, we hope to sign a rental agreement in January and establish our short-term Senior Center there by February.

And synchronistic partnerships continue to bloom: The Asbury Park Rotary Club is joining our Senior Center fundraising efforts, the Asbury Park YouthCorps offered to help with painting and fix-up projects, and Seabrook Village - a luxurious retirement community in Tinton Falls - has offered free monthly movies for Asbury Park seniors in its plush, 250-seat auditorium. (Contact Senior Center Assistant Director Wendy Lukowitz at 732-775-2089 for more information.)

Needless to say, none of us will sleep very soundly until the seniors have actually been settled in a new temporary home and rehabilitation or construction of a long-term Community Center is underway.

But, as City Manager Terry Reidy points out, making a firm public commitment is a key first step in accomplishing our goals.