Ok Werner, you say I'm not a City Historian. Let's talk about that.
First off, let me be perfectly honest here, as I assume you will be
about this: There is no official burden of proof one must overcome
to call himself a "Historian." There is no degree or licensure.
Just like anyone can hang a sign at his office and call himself
a "Public Accountant" or as was the case for "Home Inspector" for
many years, anyone can call himself a Historian.
Just like with a Public Accountant, it will ultimately be up to the
public to rate the Historian's skills and his worth, and by that his
credibility will be measured.
I wonder if you think Helen Pike, Peter Lucia or Wolff to
be "Historians" of Asbury Park?
Let's talk about you Werner. You went to some class with the STARS
program and exited calling yourself expert in several areas, like
History and re-development. That's your right to do so, I guess.
I recall a person I knew years ago who was very strange. I actually
thought him to suffer some sort of retardation. He was absorbed by
a certain historical topic, and one day I saw him on TV in a
documentary as an expert on that topic. He convinced some producer
he was credible. I knew then to be skeptical about what I see on TV
and who calls himself an expert.
I also have a suspicion of "experts" from cross-examining so many in
Court. I've watched many whom the Court accepted as an "expert"
crash and burn. No one should be believed for the sole reason that
he calls himself expert. In the final analysis, he still has to
prove his worth.
I note that you and others claim that since Terry Weldon was
involved in the redevelopment plan, and Weldon is a felon, that
casts doubt and suspicion on the Plan.
Well, Mayor Butch Saunder's administration appointed you City
Historian. Butch is a felon, Councilman Condos is a felon. John
Hamilton is facing a trial for being a felon. Does the fact that the
majority of people who anointed you "City Historian" turned out to
be felons detract from your credibility as a Historian? I say no,
but using your logic about Weldon, you would have to say yes.
I don't mean to hurt your feelings here, but I suppose you weren't
concerned about my feelings with your post, so here it goes: People
in the know have joked that Butch gave you that informal, un-paid
title to shut you up from all your unnecessary criticism. I've heard
Butch regretted it because it didn't work.
I've sat at Council meetings and counted your historical
inaccuracies, as have others. I note that you being fired from an
unpaid position and replaced by nobody is a serious indictment of
your credibility and worth as a historian.
You are also far too absorbed with the historical relevance of how
high curbs were in this or that year and other such mundane matters,
and unconcerned about the history of Asbury's people, to call
yourself historian. Not that those issues don't have some
importance and should be ignored, but you can't ignore the "people"
history in favor of say, "zoning history" and seriously call
yourself an historian of any import. You bore people and they stop
listening, and that is the antithesis of a good historian.
When the Merchants Guild asked you to give speeches on the bus trip
from Asbury to Ocean Grove as a "Cinema Tour," I took one of those
bus trips. You were supposed to talk about our area's connection to
Cinema. Instead you couldn't help yourself but to talk about how
people mis-identify the type of Asbury Park architecture, and then
pointed out some curb markers in Ocean Grove. Most of the trip you
were silent, and only mentioned Cinema when you lamented the
condition of the Casino and said Woody Allen shot a film there.
That was it.
People got off the bus in Ocean Grove complaining that it was
nothing more than a bus ride, and that they would skip the return
trip and walk back.
To save face for the Merchants Guild, I asked them to stay for a
moment and told them about the various movies that were shot in
Asbury, describing what landmarks they could see in the various
movies, and anecdotal stories of interactions some of the locals and
their businesses had with the movie people. I described Walter
Reade's theaters and their chain of ownership. I told them which
building housed his popcorn making plant for all his theaters, and
how as kids we could buy 3 foot bags of popcorn there of $1. I
described the TV shows shot in Asbury. I talked of Asbury Park
references in movies and TV shows even if they weren't shot here. I
talked of our celebrities that came from here.
I talked of why Movies come here, including the incentives offered
by our tax structure that makes it cheaper to shoot movies here than
in NY and California. I talked to them about cinema, which is why
they were there.
No, I didn't talk about whether AP's plans for curb heights are the
same as they were at the turn of the 20th century. While giving
them history, I entertained them, which a historian should do. They
applauded and thanked me.
I have a slide show and speech that I've given to civic groups
around the County about the history of Asbury Park. It's full of
fun facts about our founding, our connection to professional sports,
movies, and famous people that have a connection to AP. It is full
of fun facts you probably don't even know about. People love it.
Instead of taking a stipend which they offer, I ask instead that the
audience meet me downtown on a Friday and then I turn them loose on
our stores so they can see how great it is Downtown.
You don't even know enough about our history to give such a speech,
and don't care enough about our struggling businesses to have the
sense to say something positive about the City in public, let alone
use your position as "historian" to draw people here. I do that.
It's what a responsible City Historian does.
When I publish columns about Asbury Park, I often get letters from
people who grew up here in the '30's, '40's and '50s who say that
even if they don't always agree with my political columns, my
history columns are consistent with their recollections.
I've studied Asbury Park history, I've collected data, I've
witnessed a good portion of it, and I'm confident in my analysis of
it.
I will continue to call myself an Asbury Park Historian, and will
let the people that read my work and attend my seminars judge my
worth in that regard.
I know how I will be judged on this board, as there is a political
prejudice against me to start with.
Good day.
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "wernerapnj" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> Tommy should stick to law and politics.
> Perhaps I can retain him to sue himself for misrepresentation.
> He's about as much a historian as I am a brain surgeon.
>
> Werner
>
> --- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, Allan Peterson <nnjallans1@>
wrote:
> >
> > From justifiedright.com
> >
> > See Me on TV Tonight
> > I will be interviewed tonight on News 12 New Jersey as an Asbury
Park City Historian
> concerning the sale of the Historic Berkeley Carteret Hotel.
Please tune in!
> >
>
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