In the ten years since I decided to make Asbury Park my work place as well as my home, I've had the good fortune to work on some exhilarating (and frankly scary) initiatives: There were all those art forums, festivals, clean-up days, and public meetings aimed at kicking some life into (what was in 1996) a long-dead downtown.

There were the not-so-glorious days working with other city residents to get someone - anyone - in state government or law enforcement to pay attention to our flagging beachfront, troubled schools, crime-ridden streets, and - well - crime-ridden city hall.

There was the rush and pain of hammering out a beachfront redevelopment agreement and the endless "everything's-broken-and-needs-immediate-attention" initiatives of my time on the city council.

And there was the excitement of seeing - and actually believing - that something good had finally begun.

Back in 1996, I spent hours listening to customers reminisce about the "old" Asbury Park in my Cookman Avenue gallery. Invariably, they'd end with, "but Asbury Park's never going to get any better," and wish me luck before leaving me in a state of gloom.

No more, of course: Now those same people are kicking themselves for not investing at a time when a sizable downtown building was overpriced at $50,000 - or even $20,000. In fact, it's extremely rare to find anyone who believes that Asbury Park's latest rebirth is a false alarm.

Which means we're reaching that critical point: the point where we're justifiably a bit giggly because things are - finally! - looking up again. The point where we might forget what it is that really matters.

Because the story doesn't stop with new condominiums on the beach, or sharper looking houses on city streets, or recurring visits by the U.S. Attorney and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. (Although we certainly welcome them back.)

The thing that will really measure our success is whether we open that new senior and recreation center next year; whether we find a way to provide pleasant, affordable housing for the city's working families; whether we expand our successful new job-placement service; and whether we convince our own disaffected kids by example that real community is something worth striving for.

Heaven knows it would be easy enough to put off some of those initiatives, particularly with our currently stressed-out tax base. But ignoring the "people issues" has led to our downfall time and time again in Asbury Park, as Daniel Wolff's perceptive new history, "4th of July, Asbury Park" makes painfully clear. (And if you haven't seen Wolff's book, I hope you'll put it at the top of your "must read" list for 2006. It's an eye-opener.)

Which is why I feel good every time I drive along Main Street, Asbury Avenue, Springwood Avenue or the downtown and see those sparkling holiday lights. They may not have the pizzazz of a ground-breaking ceremony or a federal drug raid, but they're part of the fun things, the silly things, the intangible things that - like Santa's annual visit or the senior center dance parties - tie our community together.

(And, before I lose points in the "Christmas" versus "holiday" debates, let me acknowledge that I do have a Christmas tree in my living room and Christmas wreaths on my windows, but those citywide holiday decorations are for all of us.)

So in this season of holiness and renewal, please remember to be extra generous to your favorite Asbury Park charities. As you know, many of them are particularly hurting this year because of worldwide disasters that cut down on local giving.

And don't forget to give your favorite councilmen a well-deserved thumbs up: A few weeks ago, I wrote that the council was considering a model pay-to-play ordinance aimed at restricting campaign contributions from city developers.

If things went well at Wednesday's (December 21) council meeting - and I'm betting they did - Asbury Park just became the first New Jersey city with any appreciable redevelopment to pass this proposal, developed by the statewide Citizens Campaign with assistance from our city attorney, Fred Raffetto.

Will that eliminate corruption forever? No - but in a city where I heard a sitting council member chortle last year about how he collected absentee ballots from boarding house residents too mentally challenged to understand what they were doing - it's a definite stake in the ground. (And, just in case you're concerned, that particular individual is no longer on the city council.)

So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa to all of us - and may 2006 prove to be the real turning point for Asbury Park.

Finally, to my friends on the Urban Enterprise Zone board, don't forget: those holiday lights go on sale in January and February. I'm thinking maybe a few more skaters, a snow man, and a giant jack-in-the-box would work in Fireman's Park....