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Video has enhanced the Asbury Park rock star.City bands have utilized video in multiple formats,

and they’re set to be featured in the inaugural AsburyPark Music in Film Festival, which takes place Friday,April 10, through Sunday, April 12, at multiple locales.

Several city bands will be featured in the Soundtrackof Our Lives night, which takes place Friday night at theWonder Bar on Ocean Avenue.

“The Battery Electric video for ‘The Heart and theThrill’ came out, and it features local people in the area,”said Christine Feola of the city promotion group DarkCity Entertainment and the promoter of the Wonder Barshow. “Brick and Mortar has full production musicvideos — actually, they’re films — and they’re insane.”

The Soundtrack to Our Lives night will feature theCreeptones performing the music of “A Hard Day’sNight,” the Hive-Mind doing “Dawn of the Dead;” Wy-land’s take on “American Beauty,” the Porchistas doing“Platoon,” and the Long Faces picking hits from movies

Local bands are stars of Asbury Park festival

CHRIS JORDAN @CHRISFHJORDAN

FILE PHOTO

Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo’s film “Jaco: A DocumentaryFilm,” about legendary bass player Jaco Pastorius, screensSaturday at the Paramount Theatre.

ASBURY PARK MUSIC IN FILM FESTIVAL

ON THE WEB: For tickets, a full schedule and more informa-tion, visit apmff.com. Follow the fest on Twitter at #APMFF.

PARAMOUNT PASS: This special weekend badge grants youaccess to the following films and events at the ParamountTheatre: “Salad Days,” DMC Squared, Directing Music Videos &Concert Films Panel, “Take Me to the River,” “JACO,” TalkingStory With Danny Clinch, “Made in Japan.” Does not includeaccess to VIP receptions at Paramount. Cost: $75.

DOWNTOWN DAY PASS: This special Saturday badge willgrant you access to all APMFF film blocks at: ShowRoom, BTIIGallery, City Council Chambers, Salt Studios, The Saint, PaletteGallery. Does not include access to films at Paramount or As-bury Lanes. Cost: $20.

Individual screenings and performances start at $15.

See BANDS, Page 5A

ASBURY PARK — It’s a music and film lover’s dream. Spend a weekend in one of the nation’s best music

cities watching live performances, videos and filmswhile meeting celebrity musicians.

Sound enticing? If so, pencil the inaugural AsburyPark Music in Film Festival in your weekend plans be-cause it’s offering all of that and more.

From Friday to Sunday, the Asbury Park Press andthe Asbury Park Music Foundation will host the festivalat 12 venues including the Paramount Theatre, TheStone Pony, Wonder Bar, The Saint and Asbury Lanes.

“It’s taking over the whole city,” said Matthew Hock-enjos, the festival’s executive director. “We want peo-ple to see what Asbury Park has to offer.”

Here are seven reasons why you should attend theMusic in Film Festival:

1. There’s nothing else like it

This weekend’s festival brings a combination ofevents that the Jersey Shore hasn’t seen in recentyears. For three consecutive days beginning Friday,

Hang like rock stars atevent unlike any other

NICQUEL TERRY @NTERRYAPP

See REASONS, Page 5A

REASONS TO ATTEND THE

WEDNESDAY 04.08.15

VOLUME 136

NUMBER 84

SINCE 1879

ADVICE 5D

CLASSIFIED 1E

COMICS 4D

LOCAL 3A

OBITUARIES 15A

OPINION 10A

SPORTS 1C

TABLE 1D

WEATHER 10C

YOUR MONEY 14A

2DAYSTO GO

Get your tickets now!! apmff.com

EXCLUSIVE: SECRET PROGRAM TRACKED OUR CALLS LONG BEFORE 9/11 PAGE 1B

FREEHOLD — A petite baby sitter stood before a juryTuesday and tearfully demonstrated what she said washer attempt to save a baby from choking on applesauce,at her trial for murder of a child she said was like part ofher own family.

“I hit him hard between the shoulder blades, four orfive times,’’ Michelle Heale told a jury, explaining howshe was able to dislodge applesauce from a choking 14-month-old Mason Hess as she baby-sat him in her TomsRiver home on Aug. 28, 2012.

“I thought he would be a little scared and crying,’’Heale said.

But that’s not what she said she observed when sheput the baby down on the floor of her family room.

“His head snapped back fast,’’ she said. “… Like arag doll, he went completely limp. I threw him backover my shoulder, and I ran down my hallway to call911.’’

Heale, 46, said she checked Mason’s mouth with herfingers to see if there still was food lodged in his throat,and there wasn’t any. Then, she said, she checked for aheartbeat and, finding the baby had one, chose not toperform chest compressions and waited for help to ar-rive.

While Heale described her actions as a frantic at-tempt to save Mason’s life, prosecutors allege what she

Emotionaltestimony in death ofbaby MasonKATHLEEN HOPKINS @KHOPKINSAPP

See BABY, Page 4A

TOM SPADER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Michelle Heale testifying at her trial for themurder of 14-month-old Mason Hess. Heale isaccused of shaking the baby so hard that hisneck snapped. Mason was reported dead justdays later.

The merger of Meridian Health, the parent companyof Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and Rari-tan Bay Health Services Corp., its neighbor in Middle-sex County, is moving forward.

After nearly seven months of review, the boards oftrustees for the two not-for-profit health systems havesigned off on the deal, which still requires approvalfrom state regulators, a step expected later this year.

The merger will create a health care giant in CentralNew Jersey and the Jersey Shore, with eight hospitals,15,000 employees and more than 2,700 physicians onstaff.

It will add Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridgeand Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, whichtogether serve Middlesex County and part of northernMonmouth County, to Meridian’s hospitals, Jersey

Meridian Healthgetting bigger viamedical mergerDAVID P. WILLIS @DPWILLIS732

See HEALTH, Page 4A

Five Shore area

restaurants share

secrets to their

success. TABLE, 1D

REASONS TO ATTEND THE

MUSIC IN FILMFESTIVAL

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