Sides still talking about Kruise Nite for 2008

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

FREEHOLD- The future of the landmark community event that some people say put Freehold Borough on the map remains in question.

Freehold Borough officials and members of the Freehold Center Partnership were expected to meet this week to continue their discussion about the future of Kruise Nite, which has been held in downtown Freehold for almost 20 years.

The event, which is held on the last Thursday of May, June, July and August (Kruise Nite in September was eliminated several years ago), faces an uncertain future afterMayorMichaelWilson said that the 10,000 to 15,000 people and hundreds of vehicles that show up for Kruise Nite is too much for the town to handle.

In the past, classic and custom cars have lined Main Street and parked in the Monmouth County Hall of Records Annex parking lot on Kruise Nite, while hundreds of motorcycles parked on Main Street between Court and Throckmorton streets. Thousands of admirers crowded borough streets to examine the twowheeled and four-wheeled beauties up close and the borough’s restaurant row overflowed with customers.

Some business owners have asked borough officials to keep Kruise Nite going.

Another meeting of the interested parties was scheduled to be held today, April 16, according to Mike Page, owner of The Court Jester and chairman of the partnership. Page acknowledged that some frustration has set in at this point.

He said proposals between the two groups – the borough and the partnership- have bounced back and forth since the issue of the future of Kruise Nite came up in March.

The March 24 Borough Council meeting brought members of the partnership to Borough Hall to voice their opposition to the news that the event would be suspended for 2008 in order to give officials time to work out solutions to problems such as excess traffic, congestion, noise and too many motorcycles riding through town.

After hearing from business owners who pleaded with borough officials to keep Kruise Nite going, Wilson softened his stance just enough to say that a limited time frame existed for solutions to be offered that would address the concerns and allow Kruise Nite to be held in 2008.

“We are trying to satisfy all of the issues people are concerned with,” Page said this week.

He said there has been a tremendous outpouring of support from non-restaurant members of the partnership who wish to see Kruise Nite remain. He said residents he has spoken with have all given him a positive response to the event and expressed their desire to keep it as main summer fare for the town.

“I haven’t had one person say to me that they want it to go,” Page said, adding that “more dialogue is always a good thing.”