6/19/2008
Red Bank RiverCenter Newsletter | |
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Welcome to Red Bank RiverCenter
Wh'appen?! (Gettin' into some Jamaiican dialect, ya know mon!) Tiki Party, that's what! Time for jammin on the river Wednesday night, June 25th! Aside from the obvious reason to join us (havin' fun!) here's the reason we need this fundraiser.  To raise money for holiday decorations. Why? They're not cheap, that's why!
The first time I was managing a SID/BID (Special/Business Improvement District), I was astounded by the costs associated with holiday decorations in the district! I couldn't believe such a large portion of our relatively small budget was for a project that lasts a mere month or so. Yet, holiday decorations for the business district were (and are) considered essential to business owners and residents alike.
But rarely is there an awareness as to the costs associated with decorating an entire business district. And as anyone who has decorated their house with lights and decorations knows, putting them up again the next year is not as simple as it should be. "What? That string of lights worked last year!!" "How did those decorations get broken??"
So, multiply the number of decorations needed for your home by a gazillion and imagine paying someone to install, repair, maintain, and remove them too! Imagine having a 35-foot tree to trim instead of a 6-foot one. Imagine 100 trees outside your house that need lights, not just a couple. Imagine the decorations you put up are on public property or JCP&L poles! Well you get the point.
Thus, the necessity for a Tiki Party Holiday Decorations Fundraiser! The cost for adorning the business district last year exceeded $35,000. As we try to find more locations in the expanded district to make festive too, our costs go up.
A great way to raise the money necessary to fulfill the expectations of Red Bank business, property owners, and residents is to have fun overlooking the river and listening to live reggae music at the Red Bank Elks Club on Wednesday, June 25th!! Please join us for bbq, prizes, and fun from 6 - 10 PM for $40 per person!!
More time, (See you later!)
Nancy Adams, Executive Director |
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| Programs & Services
RiverCenter's Flower Pots!! A big thank you to the Navesink Garden Club, Tommy Karafa of DPW, Todd Thompsonof Guaranteed Plants, and The Language School's Ingeborg Perndorfer for getting this year's flower pot program going again!!! The initial planning and planting along with the ongoing maintenance and watering make Red Bank's business district the most beautiful around!! This year's program includes additional lightpost baskets as well as filling the pots at the Train Station! Great job and thanks again!
RiverCenter Marketing Committee needs members! RiverCenter has started a couple of committees to focus on specific needs of the business community with regard to marketing. It was volunteer members of the Marketing Committee (SoapMarket's Ellen D'Amore and Red Ginger Home's Rob Amend who brainstormed the idea for Spring Into Red Bank. The Committee worked together to flesh out the idea and get it done!) We need more creative, energetic, and positive people to join this committee which meets once/month. Please contact Valerie at our office for more info and to sign up! The next meeting is Tuesday, July 1st at 9:15 AM at RiverCenter's office.
RiverCenter assisted some restaurant owners in forming a Restaurant Association to focus on restaurant needs and offer a venue to communicate. If any restaurant or eatery owner would like to join this group, we welcome you! Please contact Valerie at our office if interested. This committee meets about once/month also.
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| Business to Business
Wooly Monmouth, 9 Monmouth St, is holding its Anniversary Sale June 21 - 28th. Up to 50% off all yarns plus spend $100 and get $10 toward any in-stock book purchase or spend $200 and get $20 toward the same! 732-224-YARN or go to their website for more information.
Dieter Bornemann, The Little Kraut, has positions available. Starting on July 3, the Beer Garden is opening for the summer and positions are open for servers, bartenders, and busboys. If interested, please contact The Little Kraut at 732-842-4830.
RiverCenter welcomes Patricia Keating to Red Bank. Patricia is the new owner of New York Trends at 43A Broad St. The store specializes in clothing and accessories, stop in and say hi to her!!
Mimmo Colorissimo Summer Special! 30 Monmouth St. Color & Go! Eight- minute Goldwell Color Touchup with a relaxing shampoo and hair color conditioner. $35 special for first time customers only. Wednesday - Thursday - Friday, 11-3pm. Promotion ends September 1st. Call for appointment: (732) 219-9500
Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony! Gaetano's Market of Red Bank, 10 Wallace St. Gaetano's is pleased to announce its market's ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday June 24, 2008 at 5:00 PM. followed by a reception (all are invited, please RSVP to 732-741-1321 by June 22!) The new market addition to the restaurant will feature Gaetano's own bottled olive oil and homemade pastas. 10% of the sales from the Sunday Family Style Dinners and all products sold at Gaetano's Market of Red Bank will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House until September 30, 2008.
Adding even more spirit to the town of Red Bank a new shop, The Sun and The Moon recently opened its doors at 27 Monmouth St, inside the Monmouth Street Emporium. It offers distinctive home decor to those who are looking to complement their home interior/exterior with unique handcrafted artwork. Stop by to welcome Sheri Berry and check out their ever-changing inventory! 732-915-8949 or Jbbugle@yahoo.com. |
| Membership News
Come see the Ferraris line Broad and Monmouth Streets!!! On Sunday, June 22, the Garden State Parkway southbound from the Driscoll Bridge will be closed briefly so that 75-85 Ferraris can let loose at their high speeds to shoot down to Exit 109!! They will be escorted by police down Newman Springs Rd. to Broad Street. They will park and then attend an invitation-only fundraiser (benefitting cystic fibrosis) at Hamilton Jewelers and also walk around town shopping Red Bank. Lots of press is anticipated, including national press. RiverCenter urges businesses to be open and ready not only for the Ferrari owners to shop, but for those coming to town to gawk at the Ferraris all afternoon. Pray for no rain on Sunday and come enjoy the Ferraris from 12:30 - 5:00 PM.
Congratulations to Kelly & Ray Adams of K. Samm Living, 29 Monmouth Street, on the birth of their baby boy, Reed, born at the end of April!! RiverCenter sends our best wishes!!
Thank you to Fameabilia for helping out RiverCenter!! Earlier this year, Fameabilia conducted auctions at a couple of networking events. They were kind enough to kick back 10% of their sales from those auctions to RiverCenter amounting to over $700! RiverCenter is using those funds toward some much-needed upgrading of our website. (A work in progress.) Thank you to Julie and Bruce Baron for their generosity and commitment to the business community!!
THANK YOU! A big thank you goes out to our Holiday Decorations Tiki Party sponsors! Title Sponsor: Riverview Medical CenterTiki Torch Sponsor: Merrill Lynch, Investors Savings Bank
Aloha Sponsor: Wells Fargo
Hang Ten Sponsors: Walt Street Pub, Fameabilia, Leonardo Jewelers, Metrovation
And an equally big thank you to all businesses who have donated to the Fundraiser! Your donations will make it possible to raise more funds for the district's decorations. We hope to also see you jammin with us at the Tiki Party! |
| Community Partners
July 3rd Road Closures! On Thursday, July 3rd at 4:00 PM, the area north of Front Street and surrounding Riverview Medical Center will be closed to all but emergency traffic. This will include Boat Club Court, Union Street, Wharf Avenue, and Riverview Plaza. At approximately 6:00 PM, the entire DOWNTOWN area will be closed to vehicular traffic. No traffic will be permitted north of Harding Road / Reckless Place between Maple Avenue and Spring Street. This will include Front Street, Broad Street, White Street, Monmouth Street (east of Maple) and all other side streets downtown. Streets will reopen after 10:30 PM.
Attention Red Bank Parking Permit Holders!!! The Parking Utility has issued an advisory that Permit Parking is restricted to parking spaces designated for Permit Parking Only. These spaces are identified with green signs attached to the meter posts and are located in the following lots: White St., Wallace St., Gold St., Union St., Great Swamp. Persons with permits who choose to park at a non-permit meter are required to pay the meter fees. Effective July 7, 2008, summonses will be issued to vehicles with permits that are parked in non-permit, metered spaces with time expired. Questions: 732-345-8135.
New Jersey Natural Gas has an Economic Development Program that offers eligible businesses an incentive discount on the natural gas bills for up to three years. To be eligible: have at least two permanent, full-time employees; and establish your business in a building that is new or has been vacant for at least one year. This is a very helpful program for new businesses to save on their energy bills. Go to their website for information. | |
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Events
Tiki Party Holiday Decorations Fundraiser. Wednesday, June 25, 6 - 10 PM, Red Bank Elks Club. $40 per person.
Bank of America presents StreetLife. Saturdays, June - August, 7PM - 10PM. Sponsored by Bank of America and RiverCenter. Performers are at five locations throughout the district providing live entertainment to fill the evening.
Farmers Market at the Galleria.Sundays, 9AM - 2 PM, May - Oct. Pkg Lot at Bridge Ave. & W. Front St. Info: 732-530-7300.
An Event of Elegance. Sponsored by Hamilton Jewelers, benefiting Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 75 Ferraris will arrive en masse and park along Broad and Monmouth Streets. Sunday, June 22nd, 12:30 - 5 PM.
Kaboom! Fireworks on the Navesink. July 3, raindate July 4. For info, click here.
54th Annual Red Bank Sidewalk Sale. Fri - Sun, July 25, 26, 27th. Fri & Sat, 9 AM - 8 PM, Sun 10 AM - 5 PM.
Click here for more information |
"Staycations," The Up Side of High Gas Prices
Red Bank is in the midst of what is traditionally its busiest season. This year, we believe Red Bank (and all of New Jersey) has the potential to actually benefit from the high gas prices. How? More and more people are choosing to stay closer to home for entertainment and vacations. With gas prices soaring, "Staycations" and daytrips are replacing "vacations" as a trend this summer.
While all businesses are looking for ways to increase sales that are down in what are also tough economic times, we need to recognize opportunities where we can too. Businesses need to take advantage of those people who are "staycationing" by staying open and perhaps offering "Staycation" specials.
Red Bank is a regional destination for entertainment thanks to our galleries, theaters, restaurants, clubs, shops, antique shops, and of course the River! So, we hope you'll open your doors, invite in those people who are here during weekends (and that includes Sundays) and late into the evenings, especially Thursday - Saturday. Daytrippers and evening visitors alike need to have stores open for business as part of their Red Bank entertainment experience. So, keep your doors open as much as possible and hopefully you can increase your sales in spite of the bad economy!
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 A Note From RiverCenter
Red Bank RiverCenter is a non-profit alliance of downtown businesses, property owners, and residents working toward the economic revitalization of Red Bank's business district. The organization has a Board of 30 from which is an Executive Committee of 13 that dictates the work of the organization. RiverCenter is managed day-to-day by a staff of 1 part-time and 2 full-time employees. The staff is experienced and trained in downtown management, revitalization and marketing.
The goal of this bi-monthly newsletter is to not only promote what's happening in the district, but to disseminate current information and advice. Advice given may not always apply to every business, but does apply to some. Advice given is also based on proven tactics and industry information. RiverCenter hopes the businesses understand and accept advice in the spirit with which it is given, that is to help make Red Bank's business district the best it can be to the benefit of all.
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| Nancy Adams, Executive Director, exdirector@rbrivercenter.com
Red Bank RiverCenter, 20 Broad Street, Red Bank 07701 732-842-4244
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