HOBOKEN – If one were to walk by Sinatra Park on Thursday night, they might be mistaken and think that Ol’ Blue Eyes himself was serenading a group of residents. However, it’s just the annual ‘Sinatra Idol Contest’, held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sinatra Drive between 4th and 5th streets.
The winner of the contest will automatically be cast in the 2011 Sinatra Birthday Bash at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.
There are 14 announced contestants, and they are from all over North America.
Paul Coyne, a financial analyst, and Barry Wayne, a financial broker, are the only two scheduled contestants from Hoboken.
The contestant with the most travel time to Hoboken is Rick Valiant, who lives in Vancouver, BC (though he may be a little upset that the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks last night).
The rain date for the event is scheduled for June 17.
For coverage, see this weekend’s Hoboken Reporter, www.hudsonreporter.com. – Ray Smith