Historical assoc. director to discuss latest exhibit
Gamblers, bathers, rogues and presidents - the original "bennies" - had an enormous impact on modern Monmouth County. They populated the mansions and boarding houses and established the world-renowned resorts that made the county and its shore the place to be.

"Monmouth County is a wonderful place to live and we can thank visitors who came before us for creating the diverse and colorful environment we enjoy today," said Bea Duffy, director of the Monmouth County Department of Economic Development and Tourism. "This is an opportunity for residents and business people to learn about local history, so we have invited the county's top historian to explain it."

Lee Ellen Griffith, director of the Monmouth County Historical Association, will address the Fifth Wednesday Squires Luncheon at Branches, 123 Monmouth Rd., West Long Branch, at noon Oct. 31. She will discuss the association's newest exhibit of resort artifacts from the early 1800s to 1940. Supported by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, the exhibit is at the association's museum at 70 Court St., Freehold.

"We want to let people know about the exhibit and to give the audience a sense of how history affects everyday life," Griffith said. "We want to make history relevant to today's world, and hopefully people will see something and make a connection. There's a lot about Long Branch in the Gilded Age of the 1870s to 1890s. We have some wonderful pieces on view, from fine art to a rolling boardwalk chair from Asbury Park. There are period bathing costumes from 1920 and earlier, photo views and quite a few pieces of souvenir wares."

Tickets are $30 and include lunch. The menu is sliced London broil or pasta and shrimp alla panna. To reserve a seat, call

732) 431-7470.

Fifth Wednesday luncheons are sponsored by the Monmouth County Department of Economic Development and Tourism. They allow leaders in business, government and civic associations to gather and exchange ideas. It is the largest regularly scheduled event of its kind in Monmouth County, and it features speakers whose expertise expands each attendee's knowledge of important topics, according to a press release.