asburypark.net: Opinion

There are the binders of statistics notes, left over from graduate school. Did I ever understand those formulas? Was my handwriting really that neat? There's the catch in your throat when you find a handwritten note from a college sweetheart, recently deceased. And there's that six-foot surprise hidden behind a cabinet - so what do you do with a life-sized painting of you and your first husband?

Then there's the brimming file box, assembled as part of the Homeowners Association's harrowing 1997 drive to get someone - anyone - in government or law enforcement to respond to Asbury Park's raging corruption and dizzying decline.

And finally there's the sheer soul-brightening relief of lobbing half a life's physical and emotional baggage into a rusty metal dumpster: Good-bye Linear Models and Calculus notes. Good-bye carefully compiled Bell Labs reports. Good-bye city council agendas and redevelopment papers.

And, not surprisingly, there's the sudden nostalgic rush of seeing those city council papers again - maybe because they're so fresh - bringing back an adventurous and exhausting three-and-a-half years, now blessedly over.

I'll never forget an early meeting with my future city council colleagues, days after an election recount belatedly catapulted me from eleventh place to fifth.

Former councilman John Hamilton - who vowed to do whatever it took to keep me from assuming office - shoved his face into mine and promised that, over the next four years, "I'll humiliate you worse than you've ever been humiliated in your life."

In response, the spokesman for the other three candidates raised three fingers in the air, as his running mates sat in silence. "We only need three votes," he told me, making it clear that my vote - and voice - weren't needed.

That's when Dave, my always wise, favorite husband, counseled me, "If you can't have direct power, you'll just have to accomplish things by influence, Kate." And so this column was born in July, 2001 - just days after our swearing-in ceremony.

For a variety of practical and personal reasons, Dave and I have now moved to a brand new home in Wayside, Ocean Township - out of Asbury Park, but definitely still in "Coaster country" - and, yes, we're looking forward to new adventures and expanded space to renew those art and construction avocations we've neglected for so long.

And after an extended summer off, I'll be trading in my bimonthly "Asbury Park...The Adventure Continues" column for a new one entitled "Behind the Scenes" that will cover Asbury Park and beyond, with topics ranging from political escapades to just plain fun.

In the past five years, I've written over 100 Asbury Park columns on everything from citywide redevelopment and election fraud, to city characters and the often-outrageous Asbury Park rumor mill.

It's been fun, educational, and easily as cathartic as that big, rusty dumpster. I hope you've found some value here, and will join me again when my new column begins in two weeks.

In the meantime, Dave and I have finally narrowed it down to two options: On one hand, that six-foot painting would work perfectly on the empty wall in the new foyer. On the other, it would make a great drop cloth for his new workshop.

PREVIOUS COLUMNS
SPREADING THE GOOD GOVERNMENT VIBES (JUNE 29, 2006)
REMEBERING LORENZO HARRIS (JUNE 1, 2006)
YOU, TOO, CAN BECOME A MILLIONAIRE! (MAY 18, 2006)
HOPE RETURNS TO OCEAN AVENUE (MAY 4, 2006)
FLASHBACK TO THE BAD OLD DAYS (APRIL 23, 2006)
TOUGHER PAY-TO-PLAY LAWS NEEDED (APRIL 6, 2006)
GETTING INVOLVED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE (MARCH 23, 2006)
WHAT ABOUT THE SENIORS? (PART 2) (MARCH 9, 2006)
WHAT ABOUT THE SENIORS? (PART 1) (FEBRUARY 23, 2006)
TWO APPROACHES FOR THE BOARDWALK (FEBRUARY 9, 2006)
DOING IT RIGHT (JANUARY 26, 2006)
JED, A SHED AND A POP ON THE HEAD (JANUARY 12, 2006)
LIGHTING UP A CITY (DECEMBER 22, 2005)
IT'S BEACHFRONT NEGOTIATING TIME (Part 2) (DECEMBER 8, 2005)
THANK YOU, LOU (DECEMBER 5, 2005)
IT'S BEACHFRONT NEGOTIATING TIME (Part 1) (NOVEMBER 23, 2005)
IT'S HERO TIME (NOVEMBER 10, 2005)
A BURDEN, NOT A BOOM, FOR THE ARTS (OCTOBER 27, 2005)
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN (part 2) (MARCH 3, 2005)
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN (FEBRUARY 17, 2005)
NAMASTE (JANUARY 13, 2005)
APFD TO THE RESCUE (Part 2) (DECEMBER 16, 2004)
APFD TO THE RESCUE (DECEMBER 2, 2004)
BREAKING NEW GROUND (OCTOBER 28, 2004)
ORDER IN THE COURT (OCTOBER 14, 2004)
TAXING TIMES, PART 2 (SEPTEMBER 30, 2004)
WISH FULFILLMENT, ASBURY PARK STYLE (SEPTEMBER 16, 2004)
TAXING TIMES (AUGUST 26, 2004)
'THE ASBURY PARK ORGANIZATION IS DISMANTLED' (AUGUST 12, 2004)
HELP A CHILD, CHANGE THE FUTURE (JULY 29, 2004)
COLOR BLIND-SIDED (JULY 15, 2004)
LIFE'S A (JULY 4TH) PARADE (JUNE 24, 2004)
SAVING TILLIE (JUNE 17, 2004)
BREAK THE CHAIN (JUNE 10, 2004)
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE (APRIL 22, 2004)
TURNING ON THE LIGHT (APRIL 8, 2004)
MUNICIPAL BUDGET UPDATE (MARCH 25, 2004)
WHO GETS TO GO TO THE PARTY? (MARCH 11, 2004)
REDEVELOPMENT PROGRESS REPORT, PART 3 (FEB. 26, 2004)
REDEVELOPMENT PROGRESS REPORT, PART 2 (FEB. 12, 2004)
REDEVELOPMENT PROGRESS REPORT, PART 1 (JAN. 29, 2004)
A BRAND NEW YEAR (JAN. 8, 2004)
RUN FOR OFFICE, EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS AND OTHER THINGS (DEC. 18, 2003)
LIVE THE LIFE YOU HAVE IMAGINED (NOV. 20, 2003)
IT ISN'T EASY BEING CLEAN (OCT. 30, 2003)
WHO NEEDS A BIG BOX? (OCT. 16, 2003)
ROCKTOBER IN ASBURY PARK (OCT. 2, 2003)
A SENIOR MOMENT (SEPT. 11, 2003)
WHY DOES HENRY GET TO HAVE ALL THE FUN? (AUGUST 21, 2003)
BORN TO RUN TO ALICE'S RESTAURANT (AUGUST 7, 2003)
UP AND DOWNTOWN (JULY 10, 2003)
THE EYES AND EARS (JUNE 26, 2003)
A TRUE PIONEER (JUNE 12, 2003)
LATE-NIGHT ENCOUNTER (MAY 29, 2003)
SISTER MARY PHILLIP'S REVENGE (MAY 15, 2003)
GUEST COLUMN BY CITY MANAGER TERRY REIDY (MAY 1, 2003)
THE EVER-CHANGING BOARDWALK (APRIL 17, 2003)
SPRING CLEANUP 2003 (APRIL 3, 2003)
RUMORS FOR RENT (MARCH 20, 2003)
AN UNACCEPTABLE LEGACY (MARCH 6, 2003)
PAPER CHASE (FEB. 13, 2003)
NEITHER DEVIL NOR ANGEL (JAN. 30, 2003)
SEEING STARS (JAN. 16, 2003)
BUSINESSES, JOBS ON THE RISE IN ASBURY PARK (JAN. 3, 2003)
A NO-NONSENSE APPROACH TO CRIME (DEC. 12, 2002)
HONORING THE PAST (NOV. 21, 2002)
NO LONGER 'BUSINESS AS USUAL' (NOV. 7, 2002)
UNSHAKABLY CONVINCED (OCT. 17, 2002)
A JOB ON THE BOARDWALK (OCT. 10, 2002)
DANCING THROUGH LANDMINES (SEPT. 26, 2002)
ASBURY PARK ROADSHOW (SEPT. 12, 2002)
GUEST COLUMN BY MAYOR KEVIN SANDERS (SEPT. 5, 2002)
(STILL) RIDING THE ROLLERCOASTER (AUGUST 15, 2002)
GUEST COLUMN BY COUNCILMAN JOHN LOFFREDO (JULY 25, 2002)
KATE'S TOP TEN PICKS (JULY 11, 2002)
THE POWER OF THE PRESS (JUNE 20, 2002)
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME (JUNE 6, 2002)
WHEN MUSIC IS MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT (MAY 23, 2002)
SPREADING THE WEALTH (MAY 9, 2002)
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS (APR. 25, 2002)
HAMMERING OUT A BUDGET (APR. 11, 2002)
BEACHFRONT REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS (MAR. 28, 2002)
FIGHTING DOOM AND GLOOM (MAR. 7, 2002)
HOW TO STEAL AN ELECTION (Part 2) (FEB. 21, 2002)
HOW TO STEAL AN ELECTION (Part 1) (FEB. 14, 2002)
TIME TO EXPECT THE BEST (JAN. 31, 2002)
FIVE SUDDEN BROTHERS (JAN. 24, 2002)
IMPORTANT FIRST STEPS (JAN. 10, 2002)
REAL LIFE ANGELS (DEC. 20, 2001)
TOO MUCH REALITY (NOV. 29, 2001)
TEMPLE OF KNOWLEDGE (NOV. 15, 2001)
THE 'NEW' BEACHFRONT (NOV. 1, 2001)
DISCOVERING 'LITTLE VICTORIES' (OCT. 18, 2001)
THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO (OCT. 11, 2001)
A MAJOR OPPORTUNITY (OCT. 4, 2001)
LIGHT A CANDLE (SEPT. 20, 2001)
BEACHFRONT REDEVELOPMENT (Part 2 of 2) (SEPT. 6, 2001)
BEACHFRONT REDEVELOPMENT (Part 1 of 2) (AUGUST 23, 2001)
RIDING THE ROLLERCOASTER (AUGUST 9, 2001)
COMMUNIVERSITY: ALL THE RIGHT REASONS (JULY 26, 2001)
CREATING 'NEW' MEMORIES (JULY 12, 2001)