There seems to be alot being said recently in terms of Tillie... and rightfully so. Here's an editorial from APP:
Don't let Tillie just fade away ASBURY PARK PRESS EDITORIAL August 18, 2008 Asbury Park is poised to reach new heights. But it shouldn't come at the expense of its glorious past. Tillie, the iconic face of the city and lowbrow equivalent of the Mona Lisa, is moldering away in a shed not designed to fully protect the mural, which once adorned the walls of the now-demolished Palace Amusements building and was made internationally famous by its use in promotional material for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The same fate has befallen two other murals from the same building depicting a joyous bumper car ride. Immediate steps should be taken to adequately protect the artwork until a permanent home for it is found. Four years after Asbury Partners contractually committed to preserving and eventually reusing the mural, Tillie rests in a shed on the grounds of Asbury Park's wastewater treatment plant. Two protective sheds made of stronger materials and built according to the specifications of a private conservator to control air flow and moisture, sit empty on city property. Madison Marquette, which now has the legal responsibility for preserving the murals, should transfer them immediately to ease growing concerns about the deterioration of the famous face. Unfortunately, Asbury Park hasn't pressed Madison Marquette forcefully enough to honor its commitment. If the developer continues to stall, the city should press harder. If necessary, the City Council should use the issue as leverage in negotiating a new redevelopment agreement with Madison Marquette. As a last resort, the city should move the murals and bill the developer for the cost. Former Asbury Park council member Kate Mellina says of the whole sad, sorry mess, "I'm convinced that Madison Marquette is intent on seeing the murals destroyed. There's no other explanation for the delay." Let's hope that's not the case. Let's hope that given all Madison Marquette has had on its plate, moving Tillie to a safer place has not been high on its list of priorities. If so, it's time to move it up. One of the saddest love-gone-wrong lines in Springsteen's catalog is "I don't want to fade away." Tillie needs to be spared that fate. http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? AID=/20080818/OPINION01/808180305/1029/OPINION ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
