Here are some pictures of the Wildwood Centennial Opening Ceremony Celebrations !!

Wildwood Centennial Committee Announces

Opening Ceremonies and Family Beach Party

TODAY, May 19, 2012

WILDWOOD, NJ – A free, family-oriented beach party will kick off the celebration of the City of Wildwood’s 100th Anniversary on the world famous beach at Rio Grande Avenue in Wildwood. A full day of fun, games, activities, food and entertainment is planned. Families, friends and neighbors of the Wildwoods are encouraged to participate and join the party!

The schedule for Saturday, May 19 is as follows:

12:00 noon – Wildwood Centennial Grand Opening Ceremonies
Location: The WILDWOODS sign, Boardwalk and Rio Grande Avenue, Wildwood, NJ.
Details: Local radio personality Scott Wahl will emcee the opening ceremonies and will provide the audience with fun facts from Wildwood’s interesting and entertaining 100 year history. State, county and local dignitaries are expected to participate.

1:00 p.m. – Wildwoods Mayors Tram Car Race
Location: On the Boardwalk in front of the Wildwoods Convention Center, 4501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ.
Details: Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano, Jr., North Wildwood Mayor Bill Henfey and Wildwood Crest Mayor Carl Groon will compete in a race with the famous Tram Cars

1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Family games and activities on the beach
Location: Beach at Rio Grande Avenue, Wildwood, NJ.
Details: Island wide civic organizations will provide free games and activities, including clamshell throws, sack races, corn toss and much more. Also included will be educational activities, including nature interpretations and fire safety demonstrations. A food court, including many island culinary specialties, will have a wide variety of delicious items available for purchase throughout the day.

7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. – Bonfire and DJ music
Location: Beach at Rio Grande Avenue, Wildwood, NJ.
Details: A bonfire is scheduled on the beach at 7:30 p.m. A family-oriented DJ from Kids Parties to Go will provide the entertainment, including exciting, interactive dances.

10:00 p.m. – Fireworks display
Location: Beach at Rio Grande Avenue, Wildwood, NJ.
Details: The finale of the beach party event will be a spectacular fireworks display beginning at 10:00 p.m.

The rain date for the event is Sunday, May 20. For more information about the Wildwood’s Centennial Celebration Family Beach Party, please contact Ellen DeVito by phone at 609.846.2046 or by email at e.devito@wildwoodnj.org.

The Wildwood Crest boardwalk bike ramp extension is under way, expected to be finished early this summer it looks like an addition to the boardwalk, with pilings on the ocean side of the boards it looks like the first addition to the boards in many years, I cannot even remember the last time the boardwalk was extended. Bike on riders, it will be a smooth ride this summer not having to exit the ramp at Cresse Ave trying not to crash into someone.. this is a great addition to the boardwalk !!!

My good friend Willie Brown’s parents are in town with their 49 Plymouth,  for the boardwalk car show, so even though I have known Willie for 30 years and every summer since I was a kid we would always get together and have a lot of fun, I only meet his parents one time before.

So this week Willie texted me and said that his parents were going to be on the boardwalk with their 49 Plymouth, so he told me to go and pick his dads car apart and then see what he says, so I agreed.

And I told Willie I would offer him $50,000 for the car, Willie said he would never sell that car,  well we’re gonna see about that.. I bet he takes the money and I get my car.

Will has no idea I am going to buy his car today !!!

So now I get to pick apart his car.. and get him down to $40,000, a look under the hood and I see a new oil filter system …hum?

Mr and Mrs Brown are some great people, and my wife Joanne and I had a great time looking at their beautiful car,  so after having some fun with them for a few minutes I said listen” How about I offer you 50,000 for your car.. and I will drive it off the boardwalk right now and take it home”  and they still did not know who I was… so I said ” some guy named Willie Brown sent me up here to pick your car apart an make you an offer” and Mrs Brown said..” huh what did you say” and I said it again and she said to me.. ” thats my son.. Willie Brown” .. I said “really? he put me up to this”

So we had a good laugh with them and we really enjoyed their company, Will and Dot Brown are the kind of people you want to be around, down to earth folks with a great sense of humor..  they are from the generation of people that built this country, fought for this country, and believed that hard work and faith was all you needed to live the great American dream.

I remember as a boy growing up in S and SW Philly and my neighborhood was full of this hard working generation of people,  and oh how I miss that small street and the people of that generation, thank you Will and Dot Brown for making me remember that their once was a time this country was full of people like the both of you, it was my pleasure spending time with you today, I hope to see you both again back here soon !!

Joanne and I had a lot of fun with Will and Dot..

So now I have to go make room in my garage for my new car… thanks Will !!  I will take good care of it..and yes it is for sale..I’ll take $60,000 for it.. any buyers?