H O M E S T Y L E S

ADVERTISERS

~ {G o I n G N u T s} ~
A Humorous Look at Life in NJ

Summertime = Movie Time
                     Reliving the Magic of Drive-Ins                    

One of the better things about living in the Garden State is that you can generally find almost everything here. And for the few things that you can't find in New Jersey, a small trip to a neighbor-ing state will generally take care of it. All you need to do is find the source. For a while that meant word of mouth or a stop at the library to check out the out-of-town phonebooks. The Internet has changed that and made searches for such items quicker and easier than in the past.

Almost anyone in the Baby Boomer group can recall watching movies under the stars while spread out in either the back of your parent's station wagon, or the back seat of the car while wearing your favorite pair of PJs. Our children have for the most part missed the whole experience of The Drive In, which like the celluloid projector film itself has been replaced by sophisticated, "improved" audio/video technology and theater development.

The summer I moved here I managed to catch a showing of "Ghost Busters" at the Ledgewood Drive-In at the Ledgewood Circle...alas it was the last golden summer for that Drive-In which is now only a memory and a self storage center (...even the circle itself has been replaced with an "improved" intersection that resembles more a tar-covered octopus than a roadway!)

One of my co-workers lives in Allentown, PA and makes the daily Route 78 run for his commute to Jersey City. He mentioned that he was going to the Drive-In that weekend because it was cheaper than the regular theaters and you got a double feature to boot!  Well, that led to a web search on the subject and a trip on a weekend to the Lehigh Valley for a chance to relive my childhood again. Last summer, I introduced my teenage daughter and her friend to the joys of a summer night, cheap movies, and intermission with at least one requisite trip to the snack bar, as we watched both last summers hit movies, "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Cars".

Of course, one tradition, those speaker boxes that you used to have to put in your window, (and almost without fail, forgot to remove before you drove off!) are long gone, and now low-power broadcasting units in the projection booth send STEREO right to your car radio (of course, make sure you HAVE a radio in your car...CD players or MP3 won't cut it!)  Where I grew up...the only "stereo" was when we were lucky enough to have TWO speaker boxes; one in each of the driver and passenger windows!

I have since learned that NJ has recently had a Drive-In REOPEN! Of course, it is in Vineland which is a bit of a drive for me, but not for my friends in South Jersey. The lower part of New York (which folks in this area refer to as "Upstate") also has one.

Interested in trying something different some weekend? Check out the following web site: www.driveintheater.com and make your plans for happy viewing. (And don't forget to bring plenty of munchies and money for the snack bar!!!)

Until next time...have a great summer...see you at the Drive-In!

LIKE THIS ARTICLE. WANT TO READ MORE? E-MAIL THE EDITOR AT editor@myupbeatnews.com and let us know your thoughts.
_________________________________________________________

ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER...

PANZARELLA CONTRACTING AND TIMBER CREEK LANDSCAPING RENEW ADOPT-A-SPOT CONTRACTS

Two members of the South Plainfield Clean Business Association have renewed their Adopt-A-Spot agreements with the CBA.  Timber Creek Landscaping has been clearing litter and trimming weeds on the Clinton Avenue Extension since 1993.  Panzarella Contracting, Inc. has been maintaining the landscaping in Monument Park since its construction in 2004.

Brian Mazellan and his brother Don are founding members of the Adopt-A-Spot program.  Paul Panzarella, a relative new-comer, joined the program when he donated the services of his company to install the landscaping at the new Park.  Both companies exemplify the com-munity spirit, commitment and enthusiasm that make South Plainfield such a good place to live.

For more information about the Adopt-A-Spot program, contact the Clean Communities Coordinator at (908) 226-7621.

_________________________________________________________

89.7 FM WITR RADIO
HOSTS ON-AIR REUNION

College Radio is an integral part of the whole broadcasting spectrum and for many of those involved in a college station, it became more than a club, but in some cases a lifelong hobby, 2nd job or in some cases...a career!

Such is the case with many of the people at WITR-FM, the 1,000 watt FM Stereo Dolby station owned by Rochester Institute of Technology in Henrietta, NY, just outside of Rochester in Western New York.  At a recent Reunion and Station Outing on the outskirts of Rochester, several former WITR Radio alumni gathered to share stories, catch up, and generally, enjoy recollecting their memories of this unique broadcasting facility.  The station, which broadcasts at 89.7 FM in also transmits over the internet at www.modernmusicandmore.com

 

WITR RADIO REUNION

(l to r) Barry Gould of South Plainfield, NJ, Jim McGrath of Rochester, NY, Denise (Dorb) Thomas of Rochester, NY, and Tom Caine of Mt. Lakes, NJ,
were among th0se who attended the WITR Picnic & Reunion in May at Mendon Ponds Park in
upstate NY. Each one continued in broadcasting or related fields.