Bond Burning Ceremony At Blue Claws Stadium

Be careful. It jumps over everything. This isn't This isn't uh Pine Beach. Andre, is that stuff going to be in the way you wanted to? No, it's fine. Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, God. Excuse me. No, no, no. This is over the lens. Mrs. Will set it up. The lens is going to be good right here. So, what you want to do is just block the uh Hey, how are you? Bob, the fire's cold. Just put your hand. We going to say a few words or what? Can we say a few words? Uh, pay attention, Miss. Hey, Ray. Jeff, get in the picture. Yeah, Jeff. I would just like toh to say, where's the thing with Bernie? Brian, where's the supper of burning? Oh, first couple of papers right in front of her. Burning light as though it's the bond kind of like Okay, let let me just let me just share share something with everyone that's here even though we're a small crew and newspapers are here. Uh, this project uh was a classic project. Um, and and uh uh Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ray Kohl's is involved in it. mayor certainly involved him later and Nash and Steve. But but but this goes back to the concept with with Shelley Franklin, Marty Harrison um and uh Charlie Punl and all of us. Um we had had an opportunity and I'm going to be brief. We had an opportunity to bring uh um a ball team to Laker and unfortunately uh it was a it was a a Yankee franchise team from New York State. they couldn't get uh the sign off uh to come here and the project died on the vine. Um I was called then by uh um Joe Finley um from uh Trenton Thunder and met with them and talked about them bringing a team here, a Philadelphia franchise team here to the first hurdle that that I had to accomplish is to talk to the committee about is how are we going to fund it? because as you know this type project cannot be funded strictly by a township. It's too costly and other uh stadiums are built by counties and the county of Ocean had really had no desire to build a stadium told us that. So, um I felt that this would be a great urban enterprise zone project and that we could fund the entire cost of this via the urban enterprise zone and I took this uh concept to Trenton and spoke to them and they bought into that that concept and uh they said that they would guarantee bonds if we could do that. I came back to the committee with the concept and and the committee liked it and of course ran with it and we were able to uh not just build the stadium bring the team here. Um this is a a really a milestone. Think about it. Built in the stadium and we paid for it in 10 years and none of this is local tax dollars and state tax dollars that would not have come to Lakewood. And that's important to understand. But also the fact is it was it was the beginning of something that the it kind of changed the way the urban enterprise zones in the state do business. We're the envy of all. Uh no one else has done this since no one else had the vision to do this. Uh we did and and I I have to tell you it's the thanks to to this committee to allow these things to go forward. Ray Kohl's, Mayor Lickenstein, uh Minaj Miller and Steve Langanger because though we're paying for the stadium today uh in full uh that's the beginning. We have other projects we plan on doing here. Uh through the efforts of Ray, uh we've purchased uh cover for the field to be able to bring more concerts here. We plan on doing that. Uh we plan on as as you may or may not know, we've reserved the land on the side that side over here. Uh we're going to be building a new town hall here in the future. That land is set aside for that. Um uh we're be looking for funds for that. Uh so not only that have it own parking lot, it'll be overflow lot will be here. The police will be out there. Everyone will be here. So, we're really looking this as as as a as a beginning of many many projects and an important aspect to Lakewood. So, I want to thank the township committee uh for for trusting me. I want to thank them for their continued work. Uh and um I want to thank the team. Uh Jeff Brown, who's represented the team as long as I've been here, has done a wonderful job. The owners have always been supportive. Um we are uh renegotiating the lease for a longer stay, which is positive. They want to stay here longer, which is great. We're talking about a possible expansion of the stadium for more seats, an additional 2,000 seats, uh, which they are willing to to fund, not us, which is a very positive thing. Tells you how successful it is. So, there are many, many good things happening. Um, and and even though we were in tough economic times, uh, this stadium did very well this past year. Um, and certainly is planning to do very well this coming season. So, kudos to the owners. Kudos to Jeff that does a wonderful job. It's a good corporate neighbor. I see him every place. She's involved in everything from the hospital to Big Brothers and Big Sisters to all these other great projects. You can always count on the blue applause of Jeff Brown. So, on behalf of the township and the township committee and all the wonderful residents of of of Lakewood, uh we're going to do this. Wait a second here. Yes, cuz there's um too much space. Well, and a couple of VIPs back there are not seen. So, we'll have four four people and then we're looking in between the uh you're VIP. That's great. Just lean in half. I I didn't want to mention also Mike Deia who was on the committee. We first saw this about so fear me Mike. I don't want to feel right through here and you're half a step out just so that but you're in represent. Let me know when I can do it. Uh just one sec here. How? Just got it. Yep. Okay. Hold on. Here's what you can do it. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Deputy mayor, move it. Just you just come into the fire. I told you to tell the 9:30. Okay, let's fire up like this. I'm in the fire. Okay. And you're right here. Okay. And if I can see you, Michael, let me see you. Okay. Good. I'll just One sec. Here we go. Okay. Smiles. Smiles. Okay. We're doing it. Good. Good. Senator, uh, mayor, we're looking up this way. That's it. In the back, half ahead in. There you go. Good. Perfect. On the open fire. Okay. Smiles again. That's it. That's it. Very good. Very good. 26 million. Right. Fast. Should be around on the public works. Okay. Great. We'll have to dig you up. You'll have to dig Ray and I up for that one. Okay. Fruggest the committee committee, you know. Got you. Okay, that's fine. I just want to get the groupings. Okay.