April has arrived – it's cafe patio season! Or as About Town has been singing like Van Morrison: “whoa, oh, patio!”

Baseball has begun too. Friday we watched the Philadelphia Phillies play their opening game on the screens at Mulligan's. Mulligan's is a Phillies bar, but About Town is a Mets column.

Congratulations to the stylists of Dreamz Beauty Salon on the corner of 9th and Jefferson Streets, who celebrated their grand opening Saturday.

Recycle! (and more trees, please)

The Committee for a Green Hoboken, an initiative of the Quality of Life Coalition, held its first silent auction fundraiser Thursday at Room 84.

Melissa Abernathy, a QLC member, explained to About Town how the current group grew out of a commingling of residents, led by activist Helen Manogue, who rallied together during the 1970's to thwart oil industry plans to construct installations along the waterfront (Manogue remains involved as member of the modern QLC).

The QLC now encourages both residents and city government to make environmentally conscious lifestyle and policy choices. Their goals include making recycling more efficient and accessible, constructing or converting buildings with energy efficient components, and planting more trees, in conjunction with the city's Shade Tree Commission.

The QLC welcomed a guest speaker, Mary-Ellen Gilpin, director of environmental programs with the Hudson County Improvement Authority. Gilpin discussed the history of the county and municipal recycling laws, and local recycling success rates and how to acheive an improvement.

About Town also spoke with QLC committee member Jason Tezca, who explained that Hoboken faces unique circumstances that hinder its ability to become a thoroughly green city, including lack of space for recycling and waste management, a greater need to educate residents about environmental choices, and failure of the city to develop a comprehensive and committed long-term environmental policy.

The QLC hopes to help raise awareness among residents, especially children. They will devote a large portion of the proceeds raised towards supporting educational outreach in local schools.

True Mentors scores with basketball tournament for kids

Saturday evening About Town watched the VCU-Butler college basketball game at the Boys & Girls Club with mentors, volunteers and kids involved with True Mentors. The group, which launched in January, has already provided mentees with several positive activities, including fun and informative classes during the week.

We sat in the kitchen in front of the big screen television. Inside the adjoining gym True Mentors organized a 3-on-3 basketball tournament comprised of kids and adults.

Throughout the night everyone dined on pizza and later a cake showing a basketball going through a net, donated by local baker Teresa Pfeiffer of Paresah Cakes.

In between games we asked one of the adults playing in the tournament, Hoboken Housing Authority executive director Carmelo Garcia, if he had broken a sweat.

 “Not yet, brother,” he said with a smile. “But soon.”

These brown Sketchers sneakers were made for walkin' (the campaign trail)

With Board of Education and City Council elections approaching, About Town has attended as many campaign events as possible.

This past Saturday we saw Third Ward Councilman Michael Russo at a meet-and-greet in front of Biggie's Clam Bar, and chatted with Board of Education candidate Steven Feinstein at a barbecue supporting him and the Kids First slate thrown by politico Scott Siegel.

We also recently went to a fundraiser Fourth Ward Councilman Tim Occhipinti held at the Village Pourhouse, and later that same night a meet-and-greet former City Council president Tony Soares hosted in his apartment for Occhipinti's challenger Rami Pinchevsky.

We told Soares that he has a nice apartment, in the Skyline building, to which he responded that he's actually trying to sell it.

Our interest was piqued. We suddenly became very amused with the idea of potentially passing along the tip to the person who actually does buy the apartment.

How cool would that be, if this column helped sell Tony Soares' apartment? We wouldn't even ask him for that standard 6 percent realtor's fee. I think the 10 grand, flat rate would be fine.

Alan Skontra was a big dork who never went anywhere. Then he started writing the About Town column for Patch, and now he's everywhere. Have a hot tip on an event in Hoboken? Send an invitation, questions and comments too, to alanskontra@hotmail.com. And if he gets enough followers he might actually post his first tweet @ twitter.com/alanskontra.