Patch will be providing regular updates on President Barack Obama's appearance at Convention Hall in Asbury Park on Tuesday. The visit to see the recovery of the Jersey Shore after Hurricane Sandy comes on the heels of a trip the president made to Oklahoma to see the damage done by the recent tornadoes in that part of the country. If you will be in the crowd or on scene to capture the moment, share it through Twitter using #ObamainAP. 1:39 p.m.: Obama is leaving the podium now. 1:37 p.m.: Millions of dollars and more are on the way, Obama said. 1:34 p.m.: The head of FEMA was here before Sandy made landfall and they are still here, he said. 1:33 p.m.: "I came back to let people know we're going to keep going until the job is done," Obama said. The weekend recap is that the Jersey Shore is back in business but the work is not over. 1:32 p.m.: "When I was here seven months ago, Sandy had just hit...You kept going. From the moment the hurricane hit, you came together, but we are not done yet," Obama said. 1:31 p.m.: Obama quoted Jersey Girl, "down the shore everything's alright." "Whether you spend a lifetime here or are on a visit, the shore holds a special place in your heart," Obama said. 1:28 p.m.: Obama said he played Frog Bog at Point Pleasant. Thanks to the hard work of a lot of people, he saw what thousands saw over the weekend, he said. The Jersey Shore is back and open for business but there is more work to do. "If they let me have some fun, I'd have some fun here at the Jersey Shore." 1:26 p.m.: Obama is now on. 1:25 p.m.: Seven months later, Christie is thrilled with the progress, although he made sure Obama understood there is still more to do. He said he is not going to let anyone get in the way. 1:24 p.m.: "Asubry Park is a great place to be, whether it is raining or not," Christie said. 1:22 p.m.: Gov. Chris Christie is on now. He is introducing Obama. He called this weekend an incredibly important weekend. 1:15 p.m. The owner of Style Rocket, an Asbury business, read the Pledge of Allegiance. 1:12 p.m.: The national anthem is being sung. 1:07 p.m.: They are now playing Bruce Springsteen's Jersey Girl and when they got to the lyric, "down the shore everything's alright," the crowd went wild. 12:57 p.m.: Marine police and coast guard boats are patrolling along the water. 12:47 p.m.: Rumor is Obama will make his appearance around 1:30 p.m. and he will give a 25-minute speech. 12:43 p.m.: Jack Lehmann of Allenhurst brought his nephew Tommy Glynn, 10, today because he saw Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan speak. People should take the opportunity to see the president speak when they can, he said, adding that Glynn will always remember this experience. "After the storm, things are getting back to normal in the tourist areas, but not everywhere," he said. "A lot of people don't realize people are still living in trailers and motels." Lehmann hopes that point is driven home. 12:33 p.m.: They are playing Soul Man over the loudspeaker, and everyone in the stands is clapping along to the beat. 12:19 p.m.: The podium where Obama will speak is covered with plastic bags. Many people are wearing ponchos. Umbrellas are not permitted. 12 p.m.: Personnel have been working on setting up since yesterday morning. They wouldn't divulge exact numbers, but police and security presence is strong, with state troopers perched atop the Paramount. 11:30 a.m.: Dan Toskaner, Manager of Silver Ball Museum, said that today is quiet so far since everyone is on line to see Obama. The museum is open all day. He thinks it is great that Obama is in town and is "very happy he is here supporty Asbury Park and the Jersey Shore." 11:07 a.m.: Standing in the line, Barbara Marino, a Manalapan resident, told Patch she wanted to attend today's speech because "as a 20-year Monmouth County resident who was first introduced to Ocean County in the wake of Sandy, voluteer efforts became a regular part of my weekends, and seeing Obama's reaction to progress we made is important to me." 11 a.m.: A line of people are winding down Ocean Avenue...hundreds. There are Christie protesters across the street, shouting "no emergency plant, no second term."
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment