Seaside Heights’ ‘Stopover’ a Success

Last week I said Seaside Heights officials were rolling the dice a bit by hosting a weekend music festival as ambitious as the “Gentlemen of the Road Stopover” featuring Mumford & Sons which took over the town for several days. I’m glad to report that they did not crap out but rather rolled a 7 as by most accounts the weekend was a smashing success.

Things started a bit slow on Friday and a little wet weather did not help but Saturday was spectacular for the concert-goers and most local businesses. A year after a different type of music festival brought nothing but bad publicity this one was a PR home run with few problems of any kind.

The event was well-organized and left many with positive feelings about Seaside Heights and surrounding towns. I’m sure there were some complaints and they should be taken into consideration but borough officials should feel good about their ability to host similar music festivals in the future. Clearly after Superstorm Sandy and a horrific boardwalk fire they need to get themselves back on the map and this past weekend was a step in the right direction.

The longest Triple Crown drought in horse racing history is over and “American Pharoah” left no doubt Saturday that he is a super horse with his convincing victory in the Belmont Stakes. The good news for racing fans is the horse will continue to run this year and it seems like the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on August 2nd is a strong possibility. Trainer Bob Baffert has a very good relationship with officials of the Jersey Shore track and has won the Haskell four times in the last five years.

A big win Sunday for Stafford Township native Martin Truex Jr. as he snapped a 69-race winless streak by taking the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway for his first Sprint Cup victory since 2013. Truex graduated from Southern Regional High School in 1998 and was inducted into the school’s Wall of Fame ten years later.

My daughter and I went to see “Entourage” over the weekend, a movie that has been pretty much panned by critics. I’ll make it simple here. If you really liked the HBO series then you will likely enjoy the movie for what it is, just another long episode. It’s not for everyone and earns its “R” rating but we laughed and as usual Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold steals the show.