Palace brings back memories of many days gone by

A huge mistake was made recently and unfortunately there is no way to go back and change things. They have torn down a part of history in Asbury Park; physically it is gone forever, but it will always stand proud in the hearts and memories of those who lived their youth in a Palace.

My first "real" job was at the Palace Amusements as it was for hundreds, maybe thousands of teenagers and young adults. I worked with people from Thailand, Ireland and Russia to name a few; those days are memories and experiences that will live with me forever.

Taking a ride from my Jackson home to Asbury to view one last time our family’s special night out as a young child and my introduction to a world I had previously never really been able to touch and understand, I found I was not alone.

As car after car passed, many slowing for one last glimpse, I took a spot along side of the road (a spot that 20 to 25 years ago on Memorial Day Friday, though it seems like yesterday, would have been impossible to find) to get a closer look.

During my time there many visitors to the demolition site silently mourned as they leaned against the makeshift fence just looking to pay their last respects to a good friend, while others found solace with strangers sharing a common thread of memories they had about Asbury and the Palace.

Walking up to the Palace one could quickly see that demolition would be swift and painful but among the pile of rubble the Funhouse still remained standing. The Giant (I remember his huge hands summoning visitors to his lair) who once loomed over the midway is now gone, but his ghost still seemed to be present, his hands still waving but this time a final good-bye.

I could almost hear the sounds of the carousal and the cheesy 8-track music still resonating through the debris. The smell of popcorn and the sweet smell of carnival fare even now faintly wafting among the remains.

Mr. Fishman, chief operating officer for Asbury Park Partners, stated in a recent newspaper article that he felt that the demise of the Palace was not a sad occasion but a time for excitement in the city. I, for one, disagree Mr. Fishman. This is a sad and heartbreaking time for Asbury.

Joe Kienzlen

Jackson