The Coaster _Wonder Bar Hosting Grand Re-Opening July 11_ (http://thecoaster.net/wordpress/2008/07/10/wonder-bar-hosting-grand-re-opening-july-11/) : The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park will host a grand re-opening party July 11. The well-known Wonder Bar on Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park has been reopened and the public is invited to attend the grand re-opening celebration Fri., July 11 at 8 p.m. “Everyone has always been so supportive of the Wonder Bar over the last six years and we would like to express our thanks to all our friends for their help in convincing Madison Marquette to re-open the doors again this summer,” said manager Debbie DeLisa. The bar has had a soft opening for several weekends and a new deck on the southern end of the building, featuring a tiki bar and lounge chairs, will open soon. As part of the grand-opening celebration, the popular band deSol will perform in a benefit for animal welfare- one of DeLisa’s favorite causes. “We are honored to have the tremendous deSol take time from their North American tour to play a special show at the Wonder Bar for this great event,” De Lisa said. Funds from the event will go to Three Little Kittens (_www.threelittlekittens.org_ (http://www.threelittlekittens.org/) ). Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. A special raffle will also be held to win a Wonder Bar t-shirt signed by Bruce Springsteen and a CD signed by Jon Bon Jovi. Springsteen signed the t-shirt when the Wonder Bar closed its doors last September. Three Little Kittens is a nonprofit organization based in Asbury Park that focuses on caring for kittens too young to be put up for adoption or those having special needs. “We accept kittens up to eight weeks of age, as long as they can be handled,” organization founder Dee Dee Williams said on the web site. DeLisa, with the help of boardwalk redeveloper Madison Marquette, spent the winter rescuing and caring for more than 40 cats which were homeless along the beachfront. Madison Marquette’s Gary Mattola, along with his wife Irene, helped build a special sanctuary for the cats overlooking the boardwalk “Dee Dee helped me all winter, especially with special-needs kittens, those with injuries and disabilities. She helped nurse them back to health. This is such a good cause and I urge people to visit her web site and help in any way they can,” DeLisa said. The Wonder Bar originally opened at its present location, Fifth and Ocean avenues, around 1953 and boasted the longest bar in the world. The bar eventually closed for a number of years until DeLisa and her boyfriend Lance Larson reopened it in 2002. The bar closed in September last year because of oceanfront redevelopment issues. Madison Marquette, the city’s beachfront redeveloper, now owns the Wonder Bar business. “The reopening is very exciting and I’m very happy to see many of the old friends who have supported us over the years. When Lance and I came to the Wonder Bar no one came to the beachfront and now it’s exciting to be a part of the oceanfront’s great rebirth,” DeLisa said. DeLisa said the bar will be open on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a Dog Happy Hour, where owners can bring their dogs for socialization, music and fun. She said Madison Marquette also plans to have fireworks every Thursday night. The Wonder Bar will also be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer and special events can be booked. “We can work with people on whatever they want,” DeLisa said. For more information call the wonder Bar at 732-502-8886. The entertainment agency Live Nation will also be booking events at the club.
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