Save Tillie

Beyond the Palace

1999 Guestbook entries

Kathleen Sat Dec 25 09:52:58 1999

Hi, Just surfing the web and found your website. I can't find the words to say how happy I am right now that there is finally signs of hope for Asbury Park. In the Asbury Park Press just this week, there were two articles about a redevelopement plan for the oceanfront and other areas of Asbury, including the old Steinbach's building. I am soooo relieved to hear that these developers want to bring Asbury back. I remember my childhood days on the boardwalk and riding the carousel, playing a variety of games and munching on my favorite sweet treats. On June 12, 1999, I wrote an article in the A.P. Press regarding my memories of Asbury Park. It was in the "Out and About" section, titles MY TOWN: Asbury Park. The picture of Tillie is one of many pictures of Asbury that I took while there in the spring. I REFUSE to believe there is no hope for the Palace!! IT CAN BE SAVED - PRESERVED!! Like many other people, I continue to keep tabs on the progress of the redevelopement plans in Asbury, hoping that the Palace will be included. To destroy the Palace would be erasing a part of Asbury's history - forever!

From:  New Jersey

E-mail: tropicgirl@gurlpages.com

Steven Kern Thu Dec 16 17:21:30 1999

Growing up in the late 70's and early 80's, many of my weekends were spent with my father and brothers at the Palace saving up SkeeBall tickets for a big prize! Also trying to kick my older brothers butt at SkeeBall. While many of my friends growing up would have birthday parties at the bowling alley or the movies, I chose to drag my parents and friends to Palace Amusements for my parties. Today, when I return to the East Coast (2-3 times a year), I usually make it a point to drive from Sea Bright to Belmar (where my father now lives) via Ocean Avenue. It's really a shame what has happened to Asbury Park. I wanted to thank all of you who have put this organization together and those who support it. Even when I drive through Asbury Park today and see the run-down Palace, and a weathered Tillie, Tillie's smiling face still brings memories of the great times that I spent in Asbury Park during my childhood. To loose Tillie and the Palace and what the memories and good times they represent for me and the many others who have had the Asbury Park experience, would be a devastating loss. Keep up the good work. 

From:  Marlboro, NJ -- Los Angeles, CA

E-mail: SKern@foxsports.net

Polly Mattson Wed Dec 15 20:12:35 1999

I have written my letter, have you?? If you haven't please take a few minutes and do so, you and your letter can and will make a difference! After you write your letter, encourage a friend or two to do the same. We can save Tillie!! To Bob and everyone at the Save Tillie office, THANK YOU!!!! 

From:  Park City

E-mail: flamsp@aol.com

Rich Filippone Tue Dec 14 12:08:36 1999

My first and only visit to Asbury Park was this past summer of 1999. With all the E Street Band news, I felt that it was time to finally make the trek to AP. From what I had heard, it was a ghost town and that it was. But when I first headed towards the circuit, there he was on the right, almost towering above anything else. It was there that I had realized that I was in the presence of something very speacial. Mostly know for his connection with Srpingsteen, you could also sense how Tillie was a huge part of the shore scene in general. Hopefully, Tillie as well as the entire shore area of Asbury Park, will once again be a hot spot on the New Jersey Coast. Rich Age-26, Parisppany, NJ 

From:  Parsippany, NJ

E-mail: richieflip@earthlink.net

Rich Ciaccia Mon Dec 13 11:58:46 1999

Keep up the great work to save tillie. Couldn't imagine Asbury Park with out Tillie!! I remember my high school days (class of 89) skipping class with my fellow Bruce Tramps and heading up the NJ turnpike to tour Asbury Park. I Always new that i had the right shore town once i saw "Tillie!" 

From: Woodlyn, PA

E-mail: ciacciar@pchidta.org 

Frank Saragnese Thu Dec 02 18:30:33 1999

Perhaps it's pre-millenium optimism or post Seattle re-believe in the power of people speaking up for something(or in this case some place) that they feel deeply about and then the news that the various potential developers have made peace and are willing to work together in a redevelopement plan but after many times of hopelessness and futility this past year I now feel this is the turn-a-round, that this is the time, i can feel it. YES indeed the Palace/ Tillie can and WILL be saved!! Hope to see you all at the Palace next century. Happy Holidays/New Year to all! .......... Frank 

From: Ocean Grove,NJ,USA

E-mail: ogfjs@webtv.net

Julian Farell Sun Nov 28 13:02:16 1999

Long Live Tilie Asbury Park will return to glory and the Palace should be the anchor in this rebirth and restoration. 

From: Long Island

Ivan De Rocker Sun Nov 28 01:48:53 1999

From:  Belgium

E-mail: ivan007@freegates.be

Jenny Chrisman Fri Nov 26 22:08:28 1999

I can't believe I found this website! I was searching for Asbury Park info. and landed here. My husband and I just returned from a cross-America trip that included a trip to Asbury Park. I was shocked and moved to tears at the state of things there. This may sound naive, but my visions of Asbury Park were born of 20 years of Springsteen fan-dom, and I had rather idyllic hopes. What will become of Bruce's muse? 

From: Chehalis, WA

E-mail: chrism@localaccess.com

sean Fri Nov 12 10:46:48 1999

From:  grand island ny

E-mail: slenhard@dentinstitute.com

Jennifer Lange Wed Nov 10 20:38:48 1999

From: Celebration,Florida

E-mail: lilshebah@aol..com

Marco Mon Nov 01 15:22:52 1999

Good luck Tillie !! I hope to see you next time I will come in Asbury Park. 

From:       Milano (Italy)

Web Site: LOOSE ENDS - Bruce Springsteen fans Site

E-mail:     jungleland@libero.it

Kylie Burns Thu Oct 28 05:14:15 1999

I've been a Bruce fan for 15 years & like many "tramps" one of my dreams is to make a pilgrimage to NJ & of course Asbury Park. I'll get there one day & no visit will be complete without Tillie looking down welcoming me with such a great smile. Good luck with the Save Tillie Campaign, I sincerely hope it all works out. See you when I finally get there Tillie! 

From: Australia

E-mail: kylieb@senet.com.au

Lori VanKluyve Sun Oct 24 17:49:55 1999

I can truly say that Tillie stirs up alot of childhood memories for me. More so than almost anything else. We very seldom went anywhere on vacations. Absury was my thrill. My first feel of rides, first taste of taffy. The smells of the Jersey Shore... The Palace music. The moment my eyes met Tillie's smiling face, it was fun time. We finally made it. Although the trip from Paterson was only about an hour and 1/2, as a child it seemed like a cross country trip. Feelings stayed the same through my teens....And now at the prime age of 40 something, to think it will be gone is very sad. An era gone..Asbury is gone...childhood is gone.... Help Tillie live on..... (Bruce Lives......) 

From: West Paterson, New Jersey

E-mail: jlvk@worldnet.att.net 

Patrick Schiavino Thu Oct 21 13:32:41 1999

I have very fond memories of Asbury Park, and would love to see it fixed. But not to be totally torn down and modernized. I think that we should save as much of the archetecture as possible, since most of the City's most beautiful landmark sites have been demolished. I just purchased a building on Cookman Avenue to move my studio, office, gallery, and home into. I hope to be instumental in bringing in other artists to the area, in the hopes to revitalize the downtown area, and salvage most of the buildings there. Let me know if I can be of assistance to you in your efforts. Peace, Patrick. 

From:     Ocean Grove, NJ

Web Site:          Patrick Schiavino, Artist

E-mail:    Patrickarts@msn.com

Thu Oct 14 11:12:29 1999

From:  Bradley Beach, NJ

E-mail: sainte_mary@yahoo.com

Peter Myers Mon Sep 06 23:54:38 1999

Just want to let you know that Vienna cares about Asbury Park ! 

From:      Vienna (Austria)

Web Site: The Jukes

E-mail:      PMyers@rocketmail.com

John Mon Sep 06 16:17:51 1999

Here is a stupid question. If the Palace is in danger of being torn down, and all it will take to help save it...why didn't Bruce Springsteen just tell the fans at one of the Meadowlands shows to go to the site and help save it? I mean c'mon, if he askes all those fans to help out, the post office would be swamped with letters. I'm not saying anything bad about Bruce, I've been a big fav of his forever. I know he likes to give back to the community and stuff, so why didn't he just say "Hey go to www.savetillie.com and save the Palace?????? 

From: Long Branch, NJ

Nick Mancini Sat Sep 04 05:26:37 1999

Hello, it's me again. I just wanted to clear something up that I wrote in the message below this one. I don't want the "Save Tillie" campaign to get the wrong idea here. I stated that once Bob Crane knew what kind of sticker design he wanted me to make, I would give anyone free "Tillie" stickers if they e-mailed me for one. I wan't eberyone to understand that once the stickers go to Bob Crane, he may do with them what he pleases. Whether he sells them or just gives them away, it does not matter to me. I just don't want to screw up any plans he might have. BUT.....I still will send you a free sticker of my own that is totally different from the one he sells or gives away. I just want to see the campaign do well. That is why I have no problem sending out free stickers to you good folks. So once Bob decides on a design I will post a link to a pic of my version. And if you want one, simply ask. I hope I cleared up any misunderstanding that the "Save Tillie" campaign might have once they read the other message I posted. Later all. 

From:       South Amboy, NJ

Web Site: Nick's Godzilla/Kaiju Game Page

E-mail:     Godzilla_80@Hotmail.com

Nick Mancini Fri Sep 03 19:23:06 1999

I have been keeping up to date with all that has been going on for a while now, and it seems that there is a good chance of saving the Palace (so it seems to me). I go down to the Palace at least once a week. I do my usual routine, I start from the front and look over the entire building (just to see if anything else has collapsed or anything like that) I feel I need to do this. I have this fear that one day I will go down there and see a giant pile of rubble. Call me nuts or just crazy but ever since I heard about the Palace being in trouble about a year ago, I have been gung ho on helping in any way I possibly can. I have had a bunch of friends and their mothers writing the letters to save it. Let's just hope we do. I personally, (and I am sure I am speaking for alot of people) when I say....if the Palace is saved, and the save Tillie commitee needs workers to clean, repaint, etc. the Palace, I will take off from my job to do so. I am also talking with bob crane about donating stickers to the campaign (I make signs and stickers for a living) Once he comes up with an idea he likes, I am going to make them. So once I find out what is going on with that situation I will post another message to anyone who want's a FREE "Tillie" sticker. Once we see what the future of The Palace will be. Maybe it will be a sticker saying "The Palace has returned" or something. Anyway, if anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me. 

From:       South Amboy, NJ

Web Site: Nick's Godzilla/Kaiju Game Page

E-mail:     Godzilla_80@Hotmail.com

Pamela Thu Sep 02 12:10:26 1999

Its hard to write in words or for anyone to really understand what Asbury Park or Tillie means to me. I am 16 as of today.. and people do not take me serious about anything. To them I am just another kid. If they choose to look at me like that thats there closemindedness. The first time I ever been to Asbury Park was November 14th 1997 to go to a concert at the late Stone Pony. As soon as my older sister started driving through I felt something.. I wasn't sure what it was I was feeling it was just a heavy type of feeling in my chest. I wouldn't know either to call it dissapointment that the Asbury Park I heard about as a little kid has turned out to look like this.. or was I just dumfounded by the looks of it.. or even scared of it. I stood VERY close to my sister that night.. making sure i wasn't farther then 2 steps behind her. Then I went more times.. and began to love it and every time we would go to the Stone Pony or Convention Hall we would always end up taking Cookman Avenue and always at the end I would look up and see a clown face little did I know back then that was Tillie. And just seeing Tillie up there on the Palace; smiling automatically made me aware that I was in Asbury Park. And I started becoming more and more interested and finding out information and everything. And here we are September 2, 1999. Almost two years since I first stepped foot in Asbury Park and what a long and sucessful two years this has been. I am 16 years old now and love going to Asbury Park (yes i don't need my older sister anymore) and I have snuck inside the Palace (dumb I know I had to though) I have taken some of the most breath taking pictures there. Of the Palace, Casino, Stone Pony, some run down hotels.. just everything. And i always write articles about Asbury Park that have got me a lot of A's in English.. I want to share a piece of it with you.. I never got to be a part of the mobs that used to venture to the Palace Amusements, play skeeball at the Casino, or share a cone of frozen custard while walking down the boardwalk with a loved one. I have been to Asbury Park a number of times now. To say the very least it is extremely visible that things have changed. Kingsley and Ocean avenues are lucky to see but 10 cars drive by daily. You will see but one or two hopeless Bruce Springsteen fans walking down the boardwalk retracing his steps of the "Tunnel of Love" days. People always wonder and ask what and when did this all happen. This question but I ask myself daily. All i know is though the crime, graffiti, and vacant buildings I see the beauty. Nowadays when I venture down Ocean Avenue I stop to look at the Stone Pony, a venue that Bruce Springsteen played more then any other and I don't see an old down down venue thats absolutely deserted. I see and so vividly hear, "Glory Days" playing in the background as hundreds of people wait in line to get inside and see the Boss. That was only a clip but it goes on and on i just wanted to share this all with you. Thank you for making such a great page.

Pamela Perin  

From:  Brick NJ

E-mail: ecfp12@aol.com

Charles Smentkowski Sun Aug 15 16:54:32 1999

From:  Asbury Park

E-mail: csmentkowski@monmouth.com

Nick Mancini Tue Jul 27 17:44:19 1999

Let me say that the "Save Tillie" site is great! I was recently down at the palace for the first time in 12-13 years, and I have to say it's a sad sight. This was the place my parents took me and my brother to back in the 70's. I felt I needed to go down to take some photos just in case it is torn down.As you asked I had wrote the mayor of Asbury park a letter asking to keep the palace in the new refurbishing plans for the 21st century Asbury Park. I heard all the news about the possible demolition about 2 months ago. Then while at the Bruce Springsteen concerts I had seen MANY "Save Tillie" shirts going around. I am very moved by this and I hope I can help out in any way possible. See you all at the palace someday again I hope. Nick 

From:   South Amboy, NJ

Web Site:       Nick's Godzilla/Kaiju Game Page

E-mail:           Godzilla_80@hotmail.com

Suzanne Jorgensen Tue Jul 13 14:31:32 1999

Good luck with your plans. I saw representatives of the Save Tillie campaign at the Ocean Grove Fourth of July parade, riding in or pushing antique wicker boardwalk chairs. What are the plans for the chairs? Will they be used for fundraising? Tell us more. 

From:   Pt. Pleasant, NJ

E-mail: suzzy@gateway.net

Brian Maher Mon Jul 05 18:40:47 1999

Hello, I was the last Assistant Manager of the Palace Amusements before it closed down on November 27, 1988. I am now teaching Instrumental Music at a high school in North Jersey. Kudos on your page as well as your efforts. A little over a decade ago, I used to trip the switch in my boss's office (Bill Foster) that used to turn Tillie's neon on!!! The Palace was a magical place to work at, and I believe that the only ones who knew that it was closing in 1988 were the workers, and us, the Management. I think that I was the only one to bring in rolls of film to fully document the interior that last day. I even brought in a tape recorder and walked around the building taping the sounds of the Palace for half-an-hour!!! The workers thought I was crazy, but you'll never guess just how many people are trying to get copies of those interior, last-day shots now!!! I just want to share the sights and sounds of the Palace with my children.Keep up your efforts, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to E-Mail me. It was truly a Palace!!! 

From:   New Jersey

E-mail: mahermusic@hotmail.com

Jennifer Collins Thu Jun 10 07:46:03 1999

Nice web site, great writing, but would like more pictures. 

From: Point Pleasant

Jan Funhouse Sat May 29 16:38:51 1999

Lock and Load Carl 

Truely outstanding!! I will be back. If YOU Have Time Visit Mine..... :=) Keep up the cool work! What's new this week in FUNHOUSE???? Live Cameras around the World !!!! I just add tons of new site. Little White Lie :=) (Don't miss this!!) Get your FREE Tarot Readings Cults - Phenomena - Spirituality - Witchcraft Near Death Experience Past Lives If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me. My mailbox is always open

Funhouse Web Site 

Sign My guestbook Please, Thank's

From:      New Jersey

Web Site: Funhouse

E-mail:     funhouse@full-moon.com

Gregory A. Raymer Mon May 17 20:11:05 1999

I am currently working with several parties in the Asbury Park area in getting to a positive solution about our beloved Tillie. The structure in which Tillie is on is in disrepair but is salvagable. Please do not listen to those that say it cannot be. My company, Historic Preservations Inc. is planning a rally in Asbury Park in the next 30 days to raise awareness about this matter. If you would like to be a part of this worthwhile event, please call my office at 303-642-3087.Yours in Preservation.Greg R. 

From: Denver, Colorado

E-mail: gregoryaraymer@yahoo.com

Andrew Wertz Sun Apr 04 19:33:39 1999

I enjoyed this website very much. I think the organization has surpassed anyone's expectations. When news of tillie's "fate" came last summer, i remember hearing a quote of one of asbury park's officials saying "as of two weeks ago no one cared about the palace amusements building." With all the work that this organization has done and more importantly is prepared to do. I really think you have sent a great message to the town of asbury park, and have also acted as a channel of expression for those who truly care about the future of asbury park. I have made my own web page with a story on the palace amusements building. You can find it at http://elevation.freeservers.com/palace.html Sincerely, Andrew Wertz, 19 The lawrenceville School PO Box 6015 Lawrencev 

From:      Newtown, PA

Web Site: unnamed

E-mail:     awertz@lawrenceville.org

Heshy Tue Mar 23 14:54:36 1999

This is a great site. Congratulations on the good work on both the site and the campaign. 

From: Ocean Grove, Indonesia

The Hesh - Singer, Songwriter, Bad Influence 

Web Site:

E-mail:     TheHesh@juno.com 

Vini Lopez Mon Mar 15 07:58:17 1999

From: Ocean Grove NJ

E-mail: Vinidog@bellatlantic.net

Gerry Vos Sun Mar 14 13:43:34 1999

I would love to attend the benefit concert by Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers because i'm a big fan of them (saw them twice in Belgium in 1996) Say hello to them.You guys are doing a good job. Keep up the good work. 

From: Belgium

E-mail: G.Vos@village.uunet.be

Yvonne Tue Mar 09 19:49:36 1999

Carl, Way to go Beamer! Hope Tillie survives! Heard Bruce is doing sound-checks at the Paramount! Come back to Red Bank - I promise I won't bug you for anything! Love ya! Yvonne 

From: Red Bank, NJ

E-mail: YvonneM17@aol.com

Greg Owen Fri Mar 05 16:04:28 1999

Hi Carl and friends, Bravo's to this website to save Tillie. Best of luck in your efforts to save Tillie. If the Palace is not saved, then I hope you can bring Tillie to it's new home as safely as possible. I know you will once again restore Tillie in all it's glory. Thank God for this special site. I know Tillie is proud. Thank You Carl, for your love and dedication in this project as well. 

From: New Bern, North Carolina

Web Site: Asbury Park, Then and Now

E-mail:     gowen@cconnect.net