There are only 2 more weeks until we officially call Red Bank home. And just over a month until the official start of our favorite season–Summer. But for the people of Red Bank, Summer is already in full swing with the opening of Boondocks Fishery this past Wednesday. The opening of this popular lobster house is all Red Bankers need say, “Summer’s here!” And we’re all for that.
June 1st is our official move date to Red Bank. We are excited for our new home. And we are excited to become part of the culture and the community that makes up all that is Red Bank. And, as you can see, we are not the only ones.
For those of you who are unaware, piri-piri sauce is a Portuguese style hot sauce that is (per Saveur magazine), “more unctuous than Tabasco, yet less pulpy than sriracha”. And who knew that Saveur’s new favorite fiery piri-piri sauce can be found here in NJ? It was lovingly created by Peter Mantas, owner of the dearly departed Mazi restaurant in Bradley Beach, and current maitre d’ at Langosta Lounge, an Asbury haunt. The best part is that it’s available at Sawtooth favorite semi-local gourmet shop, Sickles Market.
Turn on mass-market radio. Listen for 8 hours. Hear Katy Perry once every half hour. Radio was not always so. In the late 60’s and 70’s freeform radio stations abounded – giving DJs control over their time slots with programming based on themes rather than play counts and responsible in no small part for the growth and success of FM. While this type of programming has been demolished almost entirely across the dial, we are lucky enough to have the longest running freeform station right here in New Jersey – WFMU out of Jersey City.
WFMU (91.1 FM) is everything a freeform station should be – listener supported, fully programmed by some of the best DJs in the country, and eclectic as all get-out. It gives voice to specialty shows that feature gospel, independent hip-hop, world beats, country, indie rock, documentary interview-collages and some of the funniest call-in shows I’ve ever heard. Tune in at 3 different times during the day and there’s no doubt you will be exposed to 3 completely novel sound experiences – and passionate voices of volunteer DJs who share their musical knowledge purely for the love of it.
WFMU kicked off their annual fundraising marathon this week in an effort to keep this kind of programming alive for another year. Tonight will feature one of the greatest traditions in WFMU marathon fundraising – from 9 PM to midnight, Yo La Tengo will play a cover of any request live on the air in exchange for a pledge to the station. Every year, Yo La Tengo puts on an amazing display of musicianship and comedic timing – it is not to be missed. Tune in to WFMU tonight and help keep freeform radio alive in NJ!
The folks at Saveur have discovered what has been a well-kept Sawtooth secret up until now. Page 22 of their March issue celebrates what we’ve always known-that neighboring Oak Tree Road in Iselin is “New Jersey’s most delicious South Asian strip.” The editors appear to have missed Udupi, but maybe we’ll keep that secret to ourselves (and our faithful readers) for now.
Just wanted to keep all you blog readers informed about two great events we have coming up. Coincidentally they’re both on May 22nd, so come check them out.
The 4th Annual Fundraiser for Rescue Ridge
Rescue Ridge is a non-profit, no-kill animal rescue group based locally at the Jersey Shore. The 4th Annual Fundraiser will be held at The Headliner in Neptune, NJ from 3pm–7pm. Festivities will include BBQ, music, games, prizes and more. Tickets are $25 per adult and $10 per child. To purchase tickets contact Kelly at 732-974-5738 or email kellyerickson@optonline.net.
Night at the Carousel for the Sisters Academy
The Sisters Academy is a middle school, grades five through eight, dedicated to educating at-risk girls in an academically challenging and highly disciplined learning environment. Night at the Carousel will be held at The Old Carousel Building in Asbury Park, NJ from 7pm–11pm. Expect an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvers, music, dancing, auctions and even a surprise signature cocktail. Tickets are $100 per person. To purchase tickets go to mercycenternj.org.
Join us for a good time. And help out a good cause.
By now you’ve met most of the key team players here at Sawtooth. But you haven’t met one of our most important people. Our mailman, Tommy.
Thanks to Noreen, our magnificent receptionist, we found out this week was Tommy’s birthday. So this Wednesday, when Tommy came for his daily delivery, we surprised him by putting something a little special in the mailbox.
Stay tuned for more about Tommy our Mailman.
By day, Joe Siano is our Media Director. In principle, he is a member of the New Jersey Libertarian Party and is currently running for the House of Representatives. He first ran back in 1998 for the 12th district and is running again this year in the 4th district.
Joe recently received the endorsement of his party and attended the NJ Libertarian Party convention on March 13th. He will now have until the first week of June to officially petition to be on the ballot. He needs 100 signatures—a pittance for a man with such intelligence, energy and good humor.
His campaign will not be one of glittering budgets and glossy TV ads. He depends on the goodwill of volunteers who want to invest in the message of the party. Charlie Valan, our Media Supervisor, has valiantly agreed to help Joe with the day-to-day efforts of the campaign. Charlie says that while he is not a “political devotee,” he believes in people, adding “the reason I support Joe is while I don’t necessarily believe in every point, I believe that as a person, he will listen, learn, evaluate and deliver—just like a good media person when critiquing a client’s opportunity.” For Joe the Candidate (not Joe the Media Director), it isn’t about billboards. “I run because I care,” he says with conviction and clear passion, adding, “it’s not about me, it’s about a message.”
To get his campaign off the ground, Joe seeks out forms of free media. As he did in 1998, he will participate in local debates and get his platform out in the candidate sections of New Jersey newspapers. He hopes to again speak at schools and visit political science classes. This year, Joe is creating a website and looking to tap into forms of social media like Facebook and Twitter. He is also taking a class on blogging to get him into the spirit of sharing his message. But, he says, the real heart of the campaign happens while he’s out meeting people, having conversations and “opening people’s eyes to different perspectives.”
Joe really enjoys the fact that when he runs, he becomes even more highly engaged in researching issues, developing lines of rationale and writing about his positions. He had a great time running in 1998 and is looking forward to getting out there and talking to constituents this year. We wish him luck out on the campaign trail!