By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Eating saltwater taffy. Taking a dip in the ocean. Soaking in the rays on the sand. Enjoying a stroll on the Boardwalk.
    All of these are great summer traditions in Atlantic City. And, you can add another one, as the Atlantic City Airshow celebrates its fifth anniversary with another spectacular day of demonstrations on Wednesday, August 15.
    “I absolutely think it has become a summer tradition,” says Joe Kelly, president of the Atlantic City Mainland Regional Chamber of Commerce. “The nice thing about this tradition is that everybody looks forward to it. It has appeal to residents of Atlantic City, the surrounding area and visitors. And the economic impact on the entire county is substantial.”
    The best part of the airshow—billed as “Thunder Over the Boardwalk”—is that you can enjoy all of those previously mentioned summer traditions while watching fighter jets soar, parachutes unfold and harriers hover.
    The Atlantic City Airshow—a collaboration of producer David Schultz Airshows, the Chamber, the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority and the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard—is unique because onlookers can view all of the festivities from the comfort of their beach chairs, or even cooling off in the ocean. You can even walk to the Boardwalk to grab a bite to eat. Or go to the beach bars and sip on margaritas. The best part of the airshow is that it’s free, thanks to sponsors like Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, which is officially presenting the event for the second year in a row.
    “It’s so great because it’s over the beach, the Boardwalk and the ocean,” says Michael Bruckler, media relations manager for the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. “There’s not a bad seat in the house. You can literally be anywhere on the beach and Boardwalk and have a spectacular view of the show.”
    David Schultz, president of David Schultz Airshows, says Thunder Over the Boardwalk should remain the second largest airshow on the East Coast, behind Fort Lauderdale.
    “Unlike some shows, where performers aren’t always that eager to show up because they aren’t treated great, the opposite is the case with the Atlantic City Airshow,” says Schultz, a former writer and photographer for aviation magazines who turned his passion into a full production company that produces approximately 20 airshows a year all over the world. “We have to beat them away with a stick. They want to come to Atlantic City left and right. The whole aspect of being able to go to the beach with the whole family and swim or lay on the beach is great. And there aren’t many free airshows of this magnitude. It’s an amazing event.”
    The airshow, which will run from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., will feature enough demonstrations and fly-bys to please the most avid aviation fan.
    The United States Air Force Thunderbirds will return for the fourth consecutive year to headline the festival with a 30-minute program that will kick off the finale at 3 p.m.
     “Why are the Thunderbirds such a big draw?” Schultz asks. “Well, there’s six jets during the demo, and it’s a full 35-minute demonstration that features the best of the best of the Air Force. It doesn’t get better than them.”
    The United States Marine Corps will bring its AV-8B Harrier II back to the airshow as well.
    “People love that,” Schultz says. “It’s a great demo. It hovers and flies backwards over the water.”
    With the absence of the U.S. Navy’s legendary Blue Angels this year (they made a rare joint appearance with the Thunderbirds last year), the airshow has the room to bring back the Navy’s F/A-18C Hornets, who will show off some major speed, along with the Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle and the F-16 Falcon.
    “You’ll see them hit just under Mach-1,” Schultz says. “If it’s nice and humid, you’ll see some vapor. They really move. They don’t break the sound barrier, but they are fast.”
    Schultz is particularly enthused by the presence of three aerobatic champions, Rob Holland, Matt Chapman and Matt Mancuso. Holland, of New Hampshire, will fly an MX-2 model wing plane, which Schultz says is a relatively new model of plane designed specifically for amazing aerobatics.
    “He is a great pilot, and so are Matt and Mike,” Schultz says. “Matt and Mike do solo demonstrations, then follow them with a dual formation just prior to the Thunderbirds that is one of the best two-plane formations you’ll ever see.”
    Airshow-goers will also see the Air Force’s Heritage Flight, the United States Army’s Golden Knights, the United States Coast Guard’s Multiple SAR demo and the “Skytypers,” as well as fly-bys by the Air Force’s B-2A, C-5, KC-10, C-17, EC-130J, A-10, F-16 and KC-135, the FAA’s Bombardier, the Navy’s MH-53, the Marines’ CH-46, the New Jersey State Police and the Horizon Blue Cross Blimp.
    What it takes to get all of those planes to fly over the Atlantic City beach is nothing less than remarkable. Schultz says flights will be based out of seven different airports, as close as the Atlantic City International Airport and as far away as Missouri, from where B2s will make a three-hour trip to the city.
    “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff the public never sees or knows about to make this thing work right,” Schultz says. “There’s holding points and frequencies and a lot of things going on. Last year, we were perfectly on schedule. The public didn’t know which direction to look. They were coming from behind, left and right. There was always something for people to see.”
    Schultz says he didn’t know if a tribute would be made to honor the Blue Angels pilot who died in a crash in April in South Carolina.
    “(The crash) is something that has been talked about and something that has been mentioned,” Schultz says. “I’m not sure what or if anything will be done, but I don’t think it will be a major, formal thing.
    “The pilots who are in these airshows are extremely skilled. Each one of these guys has well over 1,000 hours of airtime. They know the nuances of all these jets and have gone through more training sessions than you can count. They are flying five or six different demos just for practice. Their skills are honed; safety is not an issue.”
    Schultz stresses that the airshow is the culmination of hard work, sponsorships, organization and teamwork between his company, the Borgata, the Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Chamber, the ACCVA, the 177th and others.
     “Also, the city does a fantastic job of coordinating police and fire rescue to emergency service personnel,” Schultz says.
    “We have a committee of well over 20 members, and we all have ownership over particular things, and we all do those things extremely well to make sure it all comes together.” “We have well in excess of 200 volunteers that support this and make it happen,” Kelly adds. “We plan the next one the day after this one is over. It takes a 12-month commitment for this airshow to operate the way it does.
    “Between the city’s police, fire, EMS, the 177th, the Coast Guard and 50 or 60 sponsoring organizations, it is truly amazing. And if we didn’t have all of this support, we couldn’t pull it off.”
    But Schultz particularly notes the Borgata’s involvement.
    “They are extremely instrumental,” he says. “They have come to the table as the title sponsor again this year, and they are doing everything they can to promote it and be great hosts. It is a top-shelf organization. There is nothing second class about Borgata.”
    “This simply would not happen without Borgata,” Bruckler adds.
    Kelly says that while Borgata is the main sponsor, other casinos are contributing this year, proving to naysayers that casinos do support community activities and are great for the city.
    “We have casino support across the board,” Kelly says. “People should be talking about how the casinos are getting together to make sure this airshow remains the great attraction that it is. And the fact that Borgata makes such a commitment to something that happens near the Boardwalk—despite Borgata being located on the bay—shows what kind of company that is. It just speaks loudly that they are doing this for the community.”
    The ACCVA, Chamber of Commerce and others are joining Borgata to get the word out so that hundreds of thousands of people return this year like they have the last few. “We’re doing our best to let everyone know about this as much as we can,” Bruckler says.
    “We’re using the internet to attract visitors more than ever.”

Watching in Style
Not everyone has to “rough it” on the beach, however.
    Corporate sponsors and invited guests are able to use chalets on the beach, which offer great views and other amenities.
    Hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city means booming business. Restaurants will be crowded, parking lots will be full, and lots of people will be buying everything from suntan lotion to beach chairs.
    “It is a great day for the city,” Bruckler says, “because it shows another side of Atlantic City. Everyone knows the casinos are the driving force here, but on this day, it’s about a different kind of visitor experience. It’s a special event that shows people we have more than casinos. We have a beautiful beach, Boardwalk and other businesses. It’s a day to show off the seashore.”
    Since parking is always an issue, planners are doing their best to accommodate as many people as possible. People are encouraged to take public transportation and jitneys. Borgata is offering parking at its surface lot beginning at 9 a.m., and shuttles will bring people to the Boardwalk.
    Bernie Robbins Stadium’s parking lot also will be available with shuttle service. And, of course, the casino parking lots will be open. Plan ahead and get a casino players’ club card so you won’t have to pay high parking rates, which will be undoubtedly inflated that day. Or—better yet—take your boat or watercraft out on the ocean and enjoy the show.
    If you’re looking to avoid the crowds Wednesday, go to the practice session on Tuesday, when most of the participating pilots will be flying over Atlantic City throughout the day. And after Wednesday’s event, after-parties at the beach bars and Borgata will most likely take place, although none were scheduled at press time.
    If previous airshows proved anything, it’s that August 15 will be a fun day in Atlantic City.
    “The Atlantic City Airshow is definitely more fast-paced than many other airshows,” Schultz says. “We plan so that the crowd has something to look at for the entire four or five hours they’re out there.
    “There’s always something in the sky. We call it aviation overload.”

Presented by Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, the Atlantic City Airshow “Thunder Over The Boardwalk” is a community partnership between the Atlantic City Regional Mainland Chamber of Commerce, the 177th Fighter Wing of the N.J. Air National Guard, David Schultz Airshows LLC, the City of Atlantic City (Police Department, Fire Department, Emergency Management, Public Works, Beach Patrol) and the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. Performance sponsors include the South Jersey Transportation Authority, Atlantic City International Airport and William J. Hughes FAA Technical Center and the Atlantic City Air Traffic Control Tower. Contributors include the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, NJ Military Police, Tow Boat U.S., Atlantic City Surf, Exceptional Medical Transportation, Sea Isle Ice Company, Atlantic City Housing Authority, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, NJ Casino Control Commission, Atlantic County Emergency Management Services, Atlantic City Medical Center, Atlantic City Special Improvement District, Boy Scouts of America, Atlantic County Women’s Center, and media and chalet sponsors.

By   Fri, Sep 19, 2008

By Frank Legato   Thu, Jun 19, 2008

By Roger Gros   Mon, May 19, 2008

By Roger Gros   Mon, May 12, 2008

By Roger Gros   Tue, Mar 11, 2008

By David Schwartz   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Today, millions of people flock to Atlantic City for casinos and entertainment, but the city’s biggest draw once was its beach. Even when bathers wore full-body complements of tops, skirts and stockings when going in the ocean, they needed protection—and the Atlantic City Beach Patrol was there to provide it.
    The first “constable of the surf” patrolled the city’s beaches in 1855. William S. Cazier was at the time a 25-year-old man who was paid $117 for his first summer’s work: he was to assist any bathers in need. As the city grew more popular, the beach constables were replaced by on-duty members of the regular police department, who put on bathing suits and stood ready to jump to the rescue of any endangered swimmers—but only between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
    This system left most of the beaches unprotected most of the time. As a result, many hotels hired private lifeguards to chaperone their guests, and volunteer brigades formed as well. Though the volunteers weren’t paid, they did get their share of excitement, and the chance for occasional gallantry. Since they were untrained, they were not always successful at preventing swimming accidents, and drowning continued to be a major problem on Atlantic City’s beaches.
    In 1870, city authorities took another tack, installing “life lines” at certain beaches. These were heavy cables run from the beach out to sea, where anchors secured them. Theoretically, bathers were supposed to enjoy the surf while holding onto a nearby “life line.” Not surprisingly, this system had only limited appeal.
    The city took its first steps toward creating a full-time professional beach patrol on August 21, 1891. In June of the following year, the Atlantic City Beach Patrol was first deployed.
    The beach patrol figured into the first rescue of the 1892 season, but not in the most flattering way. On June 20, a passer-by on the Boardwalk noticed 14-year-old Clarence Hopper struggling in the surf, and he notified two lifeguards, who apparently didn’t notice the tumult. The lifeguards then struggled to pull their large boat into the ocean, and were taking so long that the lad surely would have died had not H.H. Parker, a passing swimming master, jumped into the waves (wearing a full suit of clothes) and dragged him to safety himself.
    Later rescues went a bit smoother—for the most part—as the Beach Patrol for a time posted its guards in boats offshore, where they effected quick rescues and warned back bathers who tried to swim further than was safe.
    The Beach Patrol assumed its modern form in 1904, when Mayor Franklin Stoy appointed Dr. J.T. Beckwith as beach surgeon. That summer, the Beach Patrol performed 891 rescues without a single beach fatality. Beckwith was later promoted to police and beach surgeon, and in 1913 his assistant, Dr. Charles Bossert, was named the head of the patrol. By this time, 90 guards and captains patrolled the shore.
    During World War II, with most able-bodied young men called to serve their country, the city faced a lifeguard shortage. As a publicity stunt, the city hired a crew of female lifeguards, who found that “drownings” increased remarkably when they were around—most of the victims were seemingly healthy men. Though the women did not last, by the 1980s women had returned to the beaches as lifeguards, and they were taken far more seriously.
    The patrol continued to grow, with over 150 members by the 1950s. Today, it continues to protect and serve swimmers and beachgoers throughout the city, and is one of the city’s proudest institutions.

By Dave Bontempo   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

For Delta Duran, it’s all about the smile, the eye contact and the verbal interaction. On the impromptu stage of Resorts Atlantic City’s Breadsticks Grille, she won the casino version of an Academy Award.
    Duran, a food server, captured the property’s Employee of the Year award at a March banquet. Her name was announced as the elite performer in a field of about 2,500 employees.
    The distinction gains extra significance because of her position. A food server cannot provide comps, supply a better room or deliver the amenities that might coax a customer to praise an employee to a supervisor. Her achievement could be the equivalent of a write-in candidate becoming president. Customer letters praising her service indeed played a substantial role in Duran being noticed.
    “It was overwhelming,” Duran says. “I guess what the award means is that if you do your job responsibly, no matter what it is, you will make it in this world.”
    Duran makes it, with a twist of panache. She serves about 1,000 customers a week with pride, professionalism and the personal touch. Duran conveys warmth, openness and accessibility, a nice blueprint for customer service.
    “You keep the customers happy and you want them to come back again and again, no matter what,” Duran says. “You build a relationship with them. It’s important to try and always be happy. Bring that with you every day, show it to everybody. You put yourself in the position of the guest and think of how you want to be treated when you are out to eat.”
    Relationship-building for Duran includes a nod, a wink and a bit of embellishment. The Dominican Republic native, who came to Resorts 16 years ago, enjoys being asked about a famous Panamanian boxer.
    “For a long time, people asked if I was related to Roberto Duran,” she says. “He is one of my favorite fighters anyway, so I told them I was his sister. You get them going about that for a little while and then you finally just tell them the truth, which gives them a good laugh. I say that I’m Roberto Duran’s sister and that I also own the airline (Delta), but do this for fun.”
    Duran has perfected a subtle gaming dynamic. A solid customer-employee relationship profoundly affects business. Customers make a couple of extra trips a year if they consider a place home. The visits provide revenue.
    The relationship can’t be officially measured in dollars, but it is gold. For Duran, this has occurred for several years.
    “It’s gotten to the point where I do see a lot of guests and they ask for me,” Duran says. “Even if I am not serving them, it’s important to go and welcome them, make them feel like they can say anything to me. You may be busy and it has to be quick, but that comes with the territory.”
    Part of Duran’s proficiency occurs by simply showing up. She often obtains a four-day pay bonus for going the whole year without calling out. Duran is conscientious about not burdening co-workers by being absent.
    As for the bonus money
    "I shop till I drop,” she says, laughing. “Shoes, pocketbooks, jewelry. I go until I have no more money, then I feel hungry.”
    That’s just one more discussion item for her clients.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Household duties have never been your favorite, but now it’s time to clean up. Try making a daily calendar of chores and sticking to it. Doing one thing at a time makes the tasks less daunting. (Start by tossing the empty beer cans.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Stop admiring from afar. It is time to get up some nerve and go talk to that someone you’ve had your eye on. That person will turn out to be a perfect fit from personality to psyche. (To restraining order.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Give some thought to how you can assist those in need this month. Whether donating food, money or time, your little contributions will bring great happiness and relief to those in need. (No joke.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

This month you are looking and feeling good. Reward all your hard work in the gym with a fancy dinner, but be sure to avoid the fatty foods. The new, healthier you is sure to turn heads. (While the old you just turns stomachs.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Now is not the time to embark on a wild shopping spree. Resist the urge to hit the mall by putting those extra dollars directly into the bank. The interest will prove valuable in future months. (And then, you can blow it on a boat.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

You always plan everything down to the smallest detail but sometimes it is better to just be spontaneous. Throw out the daily organizer for a night and let loose. (After careful planning, of course.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Sometimes your passion for the job takes over your life. Lately, you have been neglecting your loved ones by working late. Take a long weekend at the month’s end for a bonding family outing. (If they’re still speaking to you.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

You will be forced to handle more responsibilities at work than usual this month. Keep in mind that attitude is everything. Staying positive and calm helps the entire office get through the month. (Or, explode in a rage. Your choice.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Feel like the “wheel of love” always lands on “lose a turn?” Keep your Friday nights free because your luck will change early in the month with an unexpected dinner invitation. (I’m thinking… Arby’s!)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Don’t fall victim to the office rumor mill. A piece of incorrect gossip will cross your path mid-month, but don’t pass along the information unless you are prepared to suffer the consequences. (Selling it to the Enquirer is an option.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Your co-worker seems to be on a rampage lately. Avoid his wrath by steering clear and staying quiet. Remember, everyone has bad days, and by month’s end he will be back on track. (Or in a straitjacket.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Don’t let the remaining summertime dwindle away without enjoying it. Savor every day by hosting backyard barbecues and frequenting the local ice cream parlor. (And of course, the local bar.)

By Brendon Costello   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Chuck Palahniuk emphasized his talent and adoration for journalism in Stranger than Fiction. Now, with Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey, the writer has attempted to create a story that seems to be too strange to be classified as regular fiction.
Rant is the transcription of interviews of people who were all, in some way, related to or touched by country boy Buster “Rant” Casey. Rant is dead; we know this from the beginning. What we hear is his voice through the stories of his peers, family and even complete strangers. This being the case, the book is written in the dialect of each particular character. Each interviewee, never the narrator, is heard recounting the stories of how Rant Casey became the god-like martyr or deadbeat bum he is reported to be.
Like Palahniuk’s well-known Fight Club, Rant takes place in a fictional city with a post-modern feel to it. This time, however, the story dabbles in the realm of science fiction.
In the big city, Rant Casey runs with the “nighttimers.” This lower class, restricted by curfew, roams the world under the moonlight while the wealthy “daytimers” sleep. Rant is involved with the party crashers, who ride junker cars in illegal demolition derbies on the street.
Citizens jack computer cables into their brains when they want to watch a movie, enjoy a walk on the beach or experience fine foods. This, however, is the only modern innovation that this city seems to boast in this future.
The book crescendos very similarly to Palahniuk’s Survivor, which is also the retelling of the main character’s life story. The point of climax here, however, does not seem quite as high as it could be, even with the twists the author likes to throw in.
Looking for something new? You won’t find it here. Palahniuk does not create many surprises in Rant, but relies on shock elements to maintain the reader’s attention. It is not a bad read, if you enjoy that sort of thing, but with such a warped talent as Palahniuk’s one expects a little more.

By Joe Legato   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Ninjas are so cool. Players can now walk on walls, run across water and harness the power of the elements as Tecmo unveils Ninja Gaiden Sigma, its third release of Ninja Gaiden since its Xbox debut.
Sigma tells the tale of Ryu Hayabusa, a young ninja in the Hayabusa clan who has just returned from training to discover his village attacked and his friend murdered. In addition, the attackers have stolen the legendary Dark Dragon Blade, an evil sword capable of great destruction. Ryu must now take the Dragon Sword and go out to avenge his clan and return the Dark Dragon Blade to its rightful place.
Sigma keeps many of the features of its Xbox predecessors while adding some unique qualities of its own. The ninja abilities may be among the most amazing features, as Ryu can gracefully wield an array of swords when battling hand to hand, or harness “Ninpo” to control fire, ice or electricity. Gamers can also choose Mission Mode as opposed to the normal story line and attempt to conquer a plethora of different objectives without worrying about the plot.
One new feature of Sigma is the ability to play as Rachel, a Fiend Hunter who has a common enemy with Ryu. With Rachel, you can practice new moves and take on alternate missions as you battle the same enemy.
Sigma was released exclusively for Playstation 3, and its graphics definitely utilize the power of the system. Characters and environments look amazing, so the game can be fun even when you’re not playing. You could just sit there watching a friend play and enjoy viewing all the scenes and battles.
At any rate, the game is definitely worth a shot. Plus, it’s always fun to pretend you’re a ninja for a while.

By Chris Borino   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Jack and Meg White own their genre—contemporary classic rock. Some call it a revival of garage rock. Call it what you may, the White Stripes are a big-time band in the mold of the rock gods of the late ’60s and early ’70s. They even look like rock stars, and have summoned the whole creepy Bowie/Jagger-esque “did they or didn’t they” with their kin/spousal ambiguity.
They’re not trying to be the Rolling Stones, though—they’re comfortable being the White Stripes.
Other artists acknowledge heavy influence from legends like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and the Who, and often reinterpret their styles. The Stripes, however, are clearly influenced by the same rich history of American blues, folk, bluegrass and country that inspired the legends. Instead of mimicking what’s on classic rock radio, the Stripes create their own sound. Their influences, of course, are no secret—just look at the songs they have covered; “Your Can is Mine” by Blind Willie McTell, “Death Letter” by Son House and “Boll Weevil” by Leadbelly.
On Icky Thump, The Stripes cover “Conquest,” a song made famous by 1950s pop/country star Patti Page. Jack’s guitar and Meg’s drums are brilliantly complemented by Regulo Aldama’s trumpet as the strings and horns duel it out in this flamenco-mariachi jam. The song is an anti-sexist, female-empowering narrative about love and marriage. The printed word doesn’t give the lyrics the same gusto that Jack’s avid, emotionally charged voice does.
Another classic song on this album is “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You’re Told),” in which Jack complains about “all those empty ‘I love you’s.’ White’s lyrics are not flawless, but what they lack in poetic deftness, they compensate for with a feeling of authenticity. Even when millionaires Jack and Meg ad-lib about essentially digging through trash, one can imagine the eccentric duo actually recognizing a value in something that would have otherwise landed in a dump.
The White Stripes are a classic rock band in the making. Icky Thump isn’t Who’s Next or Dark Side of the Moon, but it’s still a solid effort.

By Robert Rossiello   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

If you’re looking for a gentle, amiable movie that the whole family can enjoy, then The Astronaut Farmer will do the trick. This mild film stars Billy Bob Thornton as Charles Farmer, a former Air Force pilot and aerospace engineer who spends his days on his Texas ranch tinkering with an enormous rocket he has built in his barn. Charles has never given up on his dream to fly into outer space, an enterprise that involves his whole family. His 15-year-old son Shepard is in charge of the control center, while his two adorable daughters help out in superficial ways. Charles’ wife Audrey, deftly played by Virginia Madsen, offers loving support to her eccentric husband.
Everyone in the small Texas town knows Charles, and though they think he’s a bit wacky, they are mostly inspired by his aspirations and dreams. In what might be his most laid-back, lived-in performance, Billy Bob Thorton creates a likable, intelligent hero whose determination often overshadows his common sense. Charles has put everything he owns into his rocket, and is in threat of losing his land to the bank. To complicate matters, the FBI is watching him and the FAA won’t give him approval to take off. His only recourse is to go public, whereupon he becomes a media darling, a symbol of the great American spirit to succeed.
This is common fare for movie hokum—the subject of countless underdog stories that go out of their way to inspire. Shot like a Hallmark card full of sunsets and open prairie, the liesurely pace of The Astronaut Farmer might turn some people off. But the movie is never clunky or heavy-handed. Director Michael Polish brings a light touch to movie naturalism, and the themes of family bonds and achieving one’s goals are effortlessly woven into the plot. Free of the noisy mayhem of most Hollywood blockbusters, The Astronaut Farmer is a pleasant distraction.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

August 2
Chris Issak, House of Blues
Beastie Boys, Borgata

August 2-5
Tom Jones, Resorts

August 2-Sept. 2
Illusionist Jeff McBride, Trump Marina

August 3
Bruce Bruce , House of Blues

August 3-4
Dion DiMucci, Bally’s

August 4
B.B. King, Etta James, Al Green, Taj Mahal
Squeeze, Borgata
Deep Purple, House of Blues
Foreigner, Trump Marina
311, Borgata

August 5
Josh Gracin, House of Blues

August 9
Dave Mason, House of Blues
Stone Sour, Borgata

August 10
Los Lobos, House of Blues

August 10-11
Howie Mandel, Tropicana
The Moody Blues, Borgata
Lewis Black, Borgata

August 10-12
Don Rickles, Hilton

August 11
Patty Smyth & Scandal, John Waite, House of Blues

August 12
Kenny Loggins, House of Blues
The Black Crowes, Borgata
The Saw Doctors, Borgata

August 12-16
Martha & the Vandellas, Resorts

August 16
The Wailers, House of Blues

August 17
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, House of Blues

August 18
Meatloaf, Borgata
B-52s, Resorts
Anita Baker, Taj Mahal

August 18-30
The Coasters, Drifters & Platters, Hilton

August 19
Richard Marx, House of Blues

August 23
George Thorogood, House of Blues

August 24
Mike Epps, Tropicana
Jason Michael Carroll, Trump Marina

August 24-25
Tony Bennett, Caesars

August 24-26
Frankie Valli, Borgata

August 25
Velvet Revolver, Alice in Chains, Borgata

August 26
Michael MacDonald, House of Blues

Tickets for most Atlantic City shows are available at property box offices, or through Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or www.ticketmaster.com

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

An American pop icon and one of the biggest stars of the ’70s, Donny Osmond, returns to Atlantic City at the House of Blues on September 1.
    The legendary Osmond Brother is on tour to support his latest CD, Love Songs of the ’70s, an album he recorded while performing as Gaston in the Broadway smash Beauty and the Beast. The collection of memorable pop and R&B ballads takes listeners back to a special time, with covers of “Laughter in the Rain,” “Oh, Girl,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” “You Are So Beautiful” and other gems.
    Love Songs is on the heels of What I Meant To Say, which showed Osmond keeping his goody-two-shoes image intact with some melodic ballads and some more rocking tracks, most of which he wrote with Gary Barlow, featuring the Top 10 hit “Breeze On By.”
    Osmond’s concerts are full of the songs that made him famous as well as his take on some of music’s most cherished standards and Broadway hits. Any baby boomer knows that Osmond once was one of the biggest superstars on the planet, first singing with his older brothers and eventually co-hosting his own television show with his equally talented sister, Marie.
    Osmond has garnered enough gold and platinum records to make most of his peers extremely jealous thanks to hits including “One Bad Apple,” “Down By the Lazy River,” “Go Away Little Girl,” “Hey Girl” and successful covers of Paul Anka’s “Puppy Love,” Roy Orbison’s “Sweet and Innocent” and Johnny Mathis’ “The Twelfth of Never.”
    The former daytime talk-show host recently had four seasons of his popular Donnie and Marie variety television show released on DVD in a collectors’ edition. He is performing a 50th anniversary of the Osmonds in Las Vegas August 13 and 14 at the Orleans casino with his brothers and Marie. And he is slated to host a re-launch of Name That Tune for CBS.
     Donny Osmond performs 8 p.m. September 1 at the House of Blues at the Showboat. Tickets are $40, $50 and $75.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Once the laughing-stock of the comic world, Carrot Top has developed into a great comic, earning respect from fellow comedians and big dollars from his devoted fans who see him wherever he roams, which includes Trump Marina on August 11.
    Known for his red locks and manic demeanor, no one does prop comedy better than Carrot Top, whose act arguably takes more time to create than any other on the comedy circuit.
    Carrot Top, a.k.a. Scott Thompson, has appeared on every network late-night show. The comedian became a pop culture icon thanks to his 800-CALL-ATT commercials, which may be more annoying than funny, but helped AT&T tremendously in the competitive collect-calling business.
    He’ll stay in the mainstream consciousness, since he was featured on the cult-phenom cartoon Family Guy as well as Comedy Central’s zany Reno 911.
    His 2003 DVD, Carrot Top Rocks Las Vegas, really shows off his manic routine.
    Carrot Top performs 9 p.m. August 11 at Trump Marina’s Grand Cayman. Tickets are $30 and $40.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Fans of classic country music won’t want to miss a great night of exceptional talent as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price team up for an all-star concert at the Trump Taj Mahal on August 31.
    Nelson defines the term music legend. Crossing from country to folk to blues to jazz to pop to rock to reggae and back to country again, Nelson defies being stereotyped. His songs crossed from the country to pop charts with regularity thanks to songs like “On the Road Again,” “Always on My Mind” and “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
    Alongside outlaw country star Waylon Jennings, Nelson was unstoppable. Fans will now be treated to another potentially legendary partnership as Nelson joins with Haggard and Price, two more of the most influential country stars of all time.
    Haggard’s music always pushed the boundaries of country to incorporate jazz, blues and folk in a traditional Americana style. Haggard is an actual outlaw. Plagued by financial problems in the 1950s, he turned to robbery, resulting in an arrest and a prison sentence in San Quentin that helped him turn his life around.
    Haggard’s songs are some of the most memorable in country history—“Sing a Sad Song,” “Just Between the Two of Us,” “Swinging Doors,” “The Bottle Let Me Down,” “Sing Me Back Home,” “The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde,” “Mama Tried”—at one point, he had a remarkable run of 23 No. 1 singles.
    Speaking of legends, Country Music Hall-of-Famer Price practically invented the honky-tonk style of country before scoring legendary hits in the 1960s with ballads such as “Make the World Go Away” and the crossover smash “For The Good Times.” At 80, Price—who recorded a duet effort with Nelson in 2003 titled Run That By Me One More Time— is still cranking out hits, including this year’s critically acclaimed Time.
     Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price perform 8:30 p.m. August 31 at the Trump Taj Mahal Arena. Tickets are $49 and $59.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Take a trip back to the ’80s metal scene as Vince Neil, Quiet Riot and Slaughter team up at the House of Blues for a night of black spandex rock on August 31.
    Fresh off the heels of a successful reunion tour with Motley Crue, Neil encourages you to bring your earplugs because he’ll be performing that band’s biggest hits, including “Dr. Feelgood,” “Shout at the Devil,” “Wild Side,” “Girls Girls Girls” and “Home Sweet Home.” While there may not be all of the pyrotechnics and drum-set acrobatics that the Crue usually offers, Neil’s raunchy style will surely prove he is still a monster of metal.
    Neil will play some material from his two solo albums, Exposed and Carved in Stone. His band usually includes bassist Dana Strum and guitarist Jeff Blando (both from Slaughter) and Will Hunt (Dark New Day).
    Despite not having a hit for nearly 20 years, Quiet Riot keeps pumping out its hard-edged rock music on tour nearly every year. In 2005, the band teamed up with Cinderella, Firehouse and Ratt for an ear-piercing tour and shocked many longtime metalheads for arguably being the strongest act on the tour.
    The band is back with another rock assault for 2007, proving that one hit could make you an overnight sensation most people won’t forget. “Cum On Feel the Noize” became a hair metal anthem that is still widely played on classic rock radio stations. Paired with their other smash, “Metal Health,” Quiet Riot still tours around the world to packed houses, basically because of two hit songs.
    They were the first metal band to hit No. 1 on the pop charts. Quiet Riot’s last release, 2001’s Guilty Pleasures, was the first album from the band’s signature lineup in 17 years, so expect to hear some songs from that album as well as all of their classic head-thumpers.
    Slaughter, one of the most underrated bands from that era, will also be on hand. Led by lead vocalist Mark Slaughter, who got his big start with the Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Slaughter will rip through their hits that include “Up All Night” “Fly to the Angels” and “Spend My Life.”
    So get out the hair gel, black leather and jean jackets and put a lighter in your pocket for the ballads. The ’80s are back.
     Vince Neil, Slaughter and Quiet Riot perform 8 p.m. August 31 at the House of Blues at Showboat. Tickets are $30, $50, $55 and $75.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Country crooners Rascal Flatts bring their rollicking brand of music to Boardwalk Hall on August 23, in a show sponsored by Resorts and Hilton.
    With just four albums under their belt, Rascal Flatts has become one of the most popular country music artists today, receiving Vocal Group of the Year awards from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Awards. In 2005, they added Billboard and R&R Artist of the Year trophies, and were nominated for three Grammy Awards, winning Country Song of the Year for “Bless The Broken Road.”
    The most-played band on country radio, Rascal Flatts is a trio consisting of members Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay DeMarcus. They got their start in Nashville, playing in a small club in Printer’s Alley, where their smooth harmonies and versatile musicianship created a sensation. They released their self-titled debut in 2000, followed by Melt in 2002. But their breakthrough album, Feels Like Today, came in 2004.
    Collaborating with some of Nashville’s best songwriters, the band released Me And My Gang last year, which debuted at No. 1 on the Soundscan Top 200 albums chart. Their current tour will rely on hits from that disc and their upcoming release, Still Feels Good, scheduled to hit stores in September.
    Rascal Flatts performs 8 p.m. August 23 at Boardwalk Hall. Tickets are $55, $85, $110, $135, $175.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Here’s a double bill you won’t want to miss. Guitar legend and Montclair High School graduate Joe Walsh makes an appearance alongside fellow Jersey boy Bruce Willis at Borgata on August 4.
    A rock and roll prankster, Walsh scored his first success as lead guitarist for the James Gang, a power trio that relied on his crunching guitar rhythms and inventive leads (“Funk 49” contains one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time).
    He left the band in 1971 to embark on a solo career, releasing his debut album Barnstorm the following year. His major breakthrough came in 1973 with the album The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get, including the hit single “Rocky Mountain Way,” which became an instant classic and a song that Walsh likes to play in his live shows.
    After releasing the live album You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind, Walsh put his solo career on hold and joined the legendary Eagles. By adding a hard-rock edge to the band’s laid-back California sound, Walsh went on to help the Eagles become one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
    Following the release of the Eagles’ Hotel California, Walsh reignited his solo career with the 1978 success of But Seriously Folks, an album that produced the hit single “Life’s Been Good.”
    After leaving the Eagles in 1980, Walsh continued his solo work, playing not only guitar but keyboards, bass, harmonica, bagpipes, oboe and clarinet.
    Opening for Walsh will be the award-winning actor and Penns Grove native Bruce Willis, best known for his roles in the Die Hard series, along with memorable turns in The Sixth Sense, Armageddon, Pulp Fiction and others. Willis, who just scored a box-office hit with Live Free or Die Hard, is no stranger to the musical stage. He picked up his love for the blues while working as a bartender in New York, and showed his chops on harmonica on The Return of Bruno, which generated the hit single “Respect Yourself.” Willis has played with legends like B.B. King and has recorded two other CDs. This is a rare appearance for this Hollywood heavy-hitter.
    Joe Walsh and the Bruce Willis Blues Band perform 8 p.m. August 4 at Borgata Event Center. Tickets are $55 (standing) and $65.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

One of the biggest celebrities on the planet makes her way to Atlantic City as Beyonce performs at Trump Taj Mahal on August 11.
    Beyonce has made several local appearances at the 40/40 Club on the arm of her longtime boyfriend Jay-Z, but now the most popular R&B singer of the last decade returns to do what she does best: sing and perform.
    The Houston native was a natural performer, dancing and singing at 7 years old and eventually co-forming Destiny’s Child, a trio whose smooth blend of R&B and hip-hop made them one of the most popular acts of the ’90s.
    With Beyonce as the lead singer and creative force, the group made its debut in 1990, selling millions of albums, earning several Grammy Awards and scoring hits including “Jumpin’ Jumpin,” “Bills, Bills, Bills,” “Say My Name” and “Survivor.”
    Beyonce broke away from Destiny’s Child by releasing her first single, “Work It Out,” simultaneous with her performance as Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember. She later appeared in the Oscar-nominated Dreamgirls, scoring rave reviews.
    In 2003, her debut album, Dangerously In Love, went multi-platinum and scored four Top 10 singles and five Grammy Awards. Beyonce, originally known as Beyonce Knowles, is currently on tour to support her latest solo effort, B’Day, a well-received album that shows off her diversity as an artist.
    Beyonce performs 8 p.m. August 11 at Trump Taj Mahal’s Arena. Tickets are $97, $167 and $197.

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

You still have more than a month to enjoy summertime in Atlantic City. If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to get out to Kennedy Plaza on the Atlantic City Boardwalk on Thursday nights to enjoy cool jazz under the stars during the Chicken Bone Beach Concert Series.
    Each week continuing through August, the audience is treated to two acts—a jazz headliner and an emerging jazz artist. Headliners for August include AZUCA on August 2, Plan B on August 9, Eric Frazier on August 16, Maurice Brown on August 23 and Helen Sung on August 30.
    The free concerts begin at 7 p.m. and conclude at 10 p.m. Kennedy Plaza is located on the Atlantic City Boardwalk at Mississippi Avenue. For more information on the concerts, visit www.chickenbonebeach.org.
    Also jazzing things up this summer is the Atlantic City Free Public Library. They will finish their jazz concert series on Wednesday, August 1 with a concert by the Hassan Abdullah Quartet. A saxophone player and composer, Abdullah says his influence comes from such jazz greats as John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Sonny Stitt and Dexter Gordon. The concert will take place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the second-floor meeting room of the Main Library on 1 North Tennessee Ave. For more information, visit www.acfpl.org or call 609-345-2269.
    Have a ball in Atlantic City this summer at Great American Volleyball’s “Battle Royale.” The “Battle Royale” tournament takes place on Saturday, August 4 and Sunday, August 5 on the beach in front of Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino next to the beach bar. Admission is free for all spectators. The beach gets crowded quickly, so plan on arriving early for a good spot, close to all the action. For more information, visit the Great American Volleyball website at www.greatamericanvolleyball.com.
    Featuring music, and fine arts and crafts, the Fourth Annual Atlantic City Arts Alive! Festival hits the Boardwalk Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12. The Arts Alive! festival takes place at Kennedy Plaza, just outside of historic Boardwalk Hall. For more information, call 609-287-8655 or e-mail info@martywilsonartmusic.org.
    On Sunday, August 12, the 11th Annual Atlantic County Puerto Rican Parade and Latin Music Festival will take place on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The parade, which begins at 12 noon, travels the Atlantic City Boardwalk from Albany Avenue to New Jersey Avenue. Immediately following the parade, the celebration will continue with the Latin Music Festival at New Jersey Avenue and the Boardwalk. The Latin Music Festival features delicious authentic Puerto Rican food, folk music, dancers and many other attractions. For additional information, call 609-226-8183 or 609-909-0262, e-mail yvettesoto@hotmail.com or visit the website www.atlanticcityparade.com.
    On Tuesday, August 14 is the traditional Wedding and Blessing of the Sea. Before the annual blessing, a concelebrated Vigil Mass will be performed by Father Matysik, pastor of St. Michael’s Church, at 4:30 p.m. in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom of Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall. St. Michael’s Choir, along with other local church choirs, will provide music for the liturgy. After the blessing, a lifeguard will take Father Robert B. Matysik and Atlantic City Mayor Bob Levy into the surf, where they will cast a wedding ring and floral garland into the sea. The rite symbolizes the wedding of the sea and the city.
    After you experience the heart-stopping feats, aerobatics maneuvers, formation flying and solo routines of the Atlantic City Air Show “Thunder Over the Boardwalk,” presented by Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa on Wednesday, August 15, you can relive all the action with a free screening of Top Gun, brought to you by Caesars Atlantic City.
    Caesars will continue its free screenings of classic movies, which started with Jaws in July, with the premier of Top Gun on Tuesday, August 14 and Wednesday, August 15 on the Arkansas Avenue beach between Bally’s Atlantic City and Caesars. The film will be shown on a 19-by-35-foot screen.
    There’s nothing quite like August in Atlantic City. But the warm weather won’t last forever. Make sure to get out and enjoy these events and more. For a complete listing of summertime activity in Atlantic City and the surrounding region, visit www.atlanticcitynj.com.

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

No one likes ticks (except maybe the birds that love to eat them), but like fleas and cockroaches, they are a fact of life. There are many species of ticks that can carry various types of diseases, from Lyme to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, to tick paralysis and anaplasmosis. Some diseases remain species-specific, but some, like Lyme disease, can cross species and infect deer, dogs and humans.
    Cats seem to be resistant to many tick diseases like erlichia and Rocky Mountain fever. Felines are not as predisposed to tick-borne illness as humans and canines.
    Dogs are 50 percent more likely to get Lyme disease than humans, and if left untreated, it can cause a number of symptoms including lameness, fever, joint swelling, kidney failure and heart problems. These symptoms may be hidden in the early stages of the disease, so it’s important to have your dog tested every year.
    Rocky Mountain spotted fever causes similar signs and symptoms as Lyme diseases, such as joint pain, stiffness, limping or lameness that actually may come and go. The danger of these general symptoms is that we owners, and vets, often chalk the symptoms up to “he sprained a ligament,” or “he twisted his knee,” because the pet is better in a day or two.
    A couple of keys to diagnosis are fever, repeating symptoms and when lameness shifts legs. A blood test is available for Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
    Ehrlichiosis is the second-most common infectious disease in the United States, and it is spreading every year. Carried by several common dog ticks, it is potentially life-threatening, since this parasite attacks the blood cells, not the joints. Intermittent fever and lethargy are the main signs, and routine blood screening will often show a decreased platelet count. The disease can result in permanent blindness, autoimmune disease, bleeding complications and even death.
    There is no vaccine available. While there are no proven cases of direct transmission of the ehrlichiosis parasite from dogs to people, ticks can transmit it to you. A simple in-office blood test can determine if your pet has this disease.
    Treatment of all tick-borne diseases is primarily the antibiotic doxycycline for three to four weeks. Follow-up testing is indicated after a time to see if the disease is gone. There is no vaccine for erlichia or RMSF, and the decision to vaccinate for Lyme disease depends on exposure risk. There are several species of ticks that carry these diseases, so it's not just the deer tick anymore.
    Daily grooming and combing to search for ticks remains the best non-medical treatment for your dog. The use of some of the topical tick control “spot-ons” (like Frontline) or collars (like Preventic) is recommended. However, consumers should note that store brands are not the same as the veterinary brands, which are more effective and safer.
    Risk versus benefit is the rule in what is prescribed for each individual pet. As always, the best source of information and advice about how to treat your pet is your veterinarian.

By Martin Baird   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

It’s the bane of most casino middle managers—employee turnover. The employees come; the employees go. Sometimes it’s like a revolving door.
    Many managers assume most of their new employees won’t make it past the first 100 days. They don’t even want to get to know these people until it appears they will stay for a while. Why bother when it’s likely they will walk out the door within three months?
    Why should you, the middle manager, bother? Why should you do everything you can to help your employees succeed in a very demanding line of work? It all comes down to money.
    Simply put, your casino is in business to make a profit, and the bottom line takes a hit every time an employee quits. Sure, you know it costs money to hire a replacement, but you really have no idea just how expensive turnover is. Turnover is incredibly expensive, and it comes right out of profits.
    If you think I’m exaggerating, take a look at some numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Cornell University.
    The government puts turnover in perspective. According to the bureau, the typical American worker holds nine different jobs before age 32. Overall, U.S. voluntary turnover (they quit rather than being fired) increased slightly to 23.4 percent in 2006, up from 22.7 percent the previous year. The highest turnover by far is in the accommodation and food services sector at 56.4 percent and the leisure and hospitality sector at 52.2 percent. Some sources say employee turnover is as high as 200 percent to 300 percent per year in the hospitality industry. If that doesn’t paint a clear picture of how serious a problem turnover is, I don’t know what does.
    Here are some numbers that will knock your socks off. Last December, Cornell released research of the hospitality industry with a focus on hotels and resorts. But the university’s findings can easily apply to casinos as well.
    Here is what the university discovered. The cost of replacing employees in less complex jobs is $5,693.89 per new hire. Read that again—per new hire! The cost of replacing someone in a complex job jumps to $9,932.05—and the majority of positions at casinos are more complex. If a casino has 1,000 employees and 40 percent turnover, the annual cost of that revolving employment door runs in the millions of dollars. In reality, many casinos have 80 percent turnover or worse.
    But there’s more. Cornell researchers say if a business is “mid-market and below,” turnover may only be costing $4,434.57 per person. On the other hand, if the business is upscale, that cost skyrockets to $12,135.85 per person. Thus, if a casino has a vision statement that includes words and phrases such as pre-eminent, leader, destination resort and the number-one destination, its cost per lost employee probably is about $12,000. Look at your turnover and do the math. That is a lot of money going down the drain.
    You’re probably shaking your head and muttering there’s no way it can cost that much just to replace one employee. Cornell took a look at that, too, and what they found shows that costs quickly add up. Cornell identified five major categories that contribute to the total cost of replacing an employee. They are pre-departure, recruitment, selection, orientation and training, and lost productivity. Cornell even broke those categories down into line item expenses, and it was enlightening.
    Let’s focus on productivity, because that’s something middle managers can easily gauge for themselves day to day. This is the area that has the greatest impact from turnover. Productivity that is lost when people fly out the back door is overwhelming. It’s not just the direct loss of productivity from the person who left, but also the effect that departure has on the people who remain. It doesn’t matter if the person who left was not a good worker, the rest of the people around them are affected by the loss. That creates stress. They feel like they’ve lost a part of themselves and their productivity drops.
    Research shows that managers hold most of the keys to keeping employees on the job. So do your part. Step up and help your employees find a reason to show up for work every day. Show them how to do a good job. Help them succeed. Praise them when they get it right. If every middle manager at a casino did that, the revolving door would slow considerably, profits would climb and everyone would be much happier.

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Have you ever wondered where the plants come from that brighten up hotels, casinos, offices, even local florists? Why are they there? Why should my organization be spending money on them? What do they do for us? How can we reduce the cost of having them?

Why Plants?
These are all great questions. Let’s start out with why we need plants inside. In a major two-year study in Oslo, Norway (and countless others), researchers found an average 23 percent reduction in fatigue, headaches, sore/dry throats, coughs and dry facial skin when plants were placed in offices, versus having no plants. Additionally, there was a 14 percent drop in absenteeism.
    A study from Washington State University found that participants working in the presence of plants were 12 percent more productive and less stressed than without plants. NASA studies have found that rooms with indoor plants have up to 60 percent fewer airborne molds and bacteria. Plants give a positive image to a property, and scientific evidence proves that having plants in your home or work environment makes you and your customers healthy, both mentally and physically.

Plants in a Casino
Hotels and casinos are always planted with interior foliage. It’s not merely coincidence; it’s proven to be profitable. As a business, a casino’s atmosphere is one of the most important assets it has. Studies that surveyed the largest hotels, casinos and their patrons around the country all concluded that one of the reasons guests returned was because of the “beautiful green foliage.”
    Those same surveys found that people were more willing to pay extra when their rooms overlook heavily planted atriums. The business need for a greener building is met by higher customer satisfaction, and better customer retention.
    We can actually tell a client how many plants and what varieties they need in order to remove certain chemicals from the air. Carpets, glues, inks and various other commonly used materials can all emit chemicals that can be harmful under prolonged exposure. Plants naturally filter these toxins, and leave the air fresher, cleaner and healthier.

‘Caveat Emptor’
In other words, “Buyer beware.” Plants that seem very inexpensive may not have been hardened off to the proper environmental conditions they will encounter indoors. Buy from a professional!
    There is a paradigm between cost, quality and service as management and ownership changes. There is no question that the top properties insist on quality plantscaping and design. Those that have the ability to look at the big picture, and keep their goals set in the long run, know how important the image of the property matters to attract customers and generate reliable profitability. Those that become too concerned with costs and cutting back eventually feel the effect they were trying to avoid in the short term, later on.

Health Tips
How can you keep your own plants looking beautiful? Follow this basic guide and look for more articles in the future for tips.

1. Light. One of the most important parts of caring for your plant is making sure it gets enough light.

2. Water. The second most important thing that your plant needs is water. Most people over-water their plants. Be cautious.

3. Placement. Something to keep in mind when placing your plants is the environment in which they will live. Is the plant close to a heater? An air conditioner? A high traffic area?

4. Bugs. What can you do about the bugs that love your plants? Simple. Just pick up an insecticide spray at your local supermarket or florist. To ensure effectiveness, make sure to follow the directions.

By Dave Bontempo   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Mary Frabbiele is grateful for several things—intuition, imagination and the world of gaming.
    All three propelled the 30-year industry veteran to lofty status. The former Atlantic City vice president of Asian games guides the Binion’s poker resurgence in Las Vegas. It’s been one year since Frabbiele returned as director of table games—poker and keno—to the place that made poker famous.
    Las Vegas launched her career 30 years ago and led to a big Atlantic City run. Frabbiele learned Asian games by chance at the Hilton and Riviera while connecting with an insightful mentor. His name? Dennis Gomes.
    After reaching supervisor status in Las Vegas, Frabbiele indirectly followed him here in 1991. The move lasted 15 years.
    “The news was out that they were looking to add Asian games in Atlantic City,” Frabbiele says. “Then, I visited a friend in New York who said the same thing. I came down to Atlantic City, just to see if Dennis was around, because we’d lost touch for about a year and a half. Sure enough, I get to the Taj Mahal and he was going up an escalator as I’m going down. We saw each other, and he hired me immediately and said the Taj Mahal was going to have Asian games.”
    Frabbiele actually spearheaded the process. Industry rules required a level playing field for new games. Every property had to share in the development. Frabbiele became the resident authority, giving demonstrations to the Casino Control Commission and dealers from other casinos. She taught surveillance personnel, supervisors and employees. Frabbiele even became a professor at Atlantic Community College.
    In Atlantic City, Frabbiele followed Gomes, who had become one of the industry’s biggest pioneers. Five years into her Atlantic City tenure, Frabbiele joined Gomes at the Tropicana and ascended further. She became one of the first female VPs in the Atlantic City industry, and gained a new area of influence.
     “We built the Asian gaming room to showcase the tile game,” Frabbiele says. “We made the décor acceptable to the Chinese, who are superstitious. You put lucky colors in the room. You can’t put dragons on the floor. We included the food as part of our package, with noodle bars on the casino floors. There were lucky kinds of noodles.
    “It was a wonderful stretch of time. We had fun and ran with the ball.
    “Dennis was a proponent of promoting females, and that’s been a trademark of the Tropicana,” Frabbiele adds. “I was thrilled at the promotion, but I knew his philosophy, so it wasn’t a shock.”
    Frabbiele helped her property prosper. Gomes assigned her to market, recruit and supervise the Asian games operation. Frabbiele orchestrated the bus trips, the food and Chinese-speaking personnel to shatter the language barrier. Consequently, Frabbiele experienced an industry high point.
    “As a dealer, you are doing what somebody else thinks is important,” Frabbiele says. “It’s really great when you can become a supervisor and form an idea that gets put into practice. Niche marketing was just being born in those days, especially in the East. With pai gow tiles, we were on the cutting edge.”
    Few understood the nuance behind pai gow tiles, an ancient Chinese game with 32 pieces that resemble dominoes. Pai gow poker and sic bo also fit into the Asian mix. Few realized that Asian games would produce a windfall, seemingly from nowhere. They would be worth $125 million some years later, with 20 percent hold, at the Tropicana.
    Bean counters rejoiced. Casinos barely had to hire staff to accommodate the new demand. They merely needed to educate workers. For Frabbiele, it was a fitting reward for past diligence.
    “I always wanted to know about pai gow in Las Vegas, but when you asked people if they knew it, there were no books written in English about it,” Frabbiele says. “I got friendly with every Asian who knew the game, and began compiling info. In the end, I started writing my own stuff.”
    Frabbiele prospered, came East and experienced the contrast between two gaming powerhouses. Las Vegas built whenever it pleased, while Atlantic City experienced stringent regulations. Frabbiele thrived in both environments, and loved this area enough to maintain a residence.
    The New Orleans native lauds an industry that revolutionized her life. Frabbiele had moved to Las Vegas and was a divorced mother of four when gaming beckoned. By necessity, she entered the business.
    “I am a lucky, lucky girl,” Frabbiele says. “The gaming industry was a savior in my life. I had no real work skills when I got into it, but it produced many friends and mentors. Gaming afforded me the chance to provide for my children and send them to college, in a professional manner. It has been a great thing in my life.”

Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Arriving in Stone Harbor off the Garden State Parkway, you realize how attached the small community is to nature. On both sides of the road, homes are perched over salt marshes outfitted with boat-filled docks, crab traps and fishermen. The serene drive into town is highlighted with produce stands, residential housing and a national wildlife refuge.
Stone Harbor consists of the southern half of Seven Mile Island extending from 80th Street to Hereford Inlet. While the original land, known as Seven Mile Beach, contained 2,725 acres, the borough of Stone Harbor, incorporated on May 12, 1914, spans a mere two miles.
“Stone Harbor is a walkable community,” says Mayor Suzanne Walters. “You can park your car, go to the beach, shop, go out to eat, or go to the recreation field all by walking or taking a bike. A trolley service also is provided free to all borough facilities, like borough hall, the museum, recreation fields, the bird sanctuary, etc.”
Before walking around downtown, take time out to interact with nature at Stone Harbor’s Wetlands Institute. Dubbed “the Natural Place to Have Fun,” the institute allows visitors to trek along the salt marsh trails and enjoy educational guided tours.
Open year round, the nonprofit facility combines the outdoors, nature, art and education for all ages. Guests can visit the terrapin station to see diamondback turtles, or hike the 125-foot pier to watch one of the world’s largest colonies of laughing gulls. Visitors can observe flying coastal creatures from the blue heron to the great bald eagle, or climb the spiral staircase 40 feet above the building to see the Jersey shore from Sea Isle City to Wildwood.
Don’t think for a minute that Stone Harbor is simply a bird-watcher’s paradise; it has a thriving downtown district complete with more than 100 specialty shops, restaurants, rooftop miniature golf and a skate park.
Just two blocks from the ocean, 96th Street is the heart of Stone Harbor’s downtown area. The borough is a shopper’s delight. There are two Christmas shops; Just Bead It, a create-your-own jewelry store; Frog and Toad, a unique gift shop; and an extra large Seashore ACE for any hardware need, just to name a few.
Looking to get a little more bang for the buck from stores like Barrie Shoes or Glass Roots Gallery? This year, Merchant’s Day is on August 25 with discounted sidewalk sales from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
“The business district is a hub of activity and an original ‘Main Street America,’” says Stone Harbor Chamber of Commerce President Debbie Orzech. “In an age where so many commercial developments try to simulate ‘small town charm,’ Stone Harbor is the real deal, with many of our stores family-owned and operated for generations.”
Most retail stores are seasonal and close after the December holidays. However, some restaurants stay open to accommodate the local crowd. A year-round favorite, Marabella’s, offers Italian attitude and flavor in a family-run restaurant. (It’s entirely BYOB, so don’t forget to bring the wine.)
After dinner, walk down to a staple of the Stone Harbor downtown district that is just slightly off the main street. Springer’s Homemade Ice Cream, located at 9420 Third Ave., remains a necessary stop for borough residents and visitors alike.
“It’s more than ice cream here; it’s an American tradition,” says Mary Humphreys, Springer’s general manager. “The community meets on the porch to talk and enjoy the season.”
The 60 flavors, from mint chocolate chip to teaberry, made daily, bring the crowds to Springer’s, but it’s the friendly atmosphere, quality service and downtown view that lure them back to the porch year in and year out.
Take a short walk down the block from the downtown district to Stone Harbor’s pristine beach. Stone Harbor was awarded the 2007 Blue Wave Beach certification for its clean and healthy beach and water conditions—it is the only beach in New Jersey to receive this honor. Promoting eco-awareness, water monitoring and erosion management, the borough holds a Beach Awareness Day to clean beaches on October 20.
“Stone Harbor beaches are among the nicest in the country,” says Barry Mastrangelo, council president. “Soft sand, gently sloping beaches and calm waters provide easy access to the ocean, and conveniences like restrooms and concession stands located along the beach make Stone Harbor a terrific seaside destination.”
During the summertime, Stone Harbor has 21 protected beaches. Wooden ramps provide handicap access at several beach entrances. The town also has raft and surfing beaches assigned, to give the whole family a chance to enjoy the clear water in a safe environment.
Stone Harbor combines small-town charm with a family-oriented community. With a direct connection to nature from the ocean to the marsh, the borough preserves the beauty of the Jersey shore.
Stone Harbor’s slogan rings true: “The seashore at its best.”

City Hall Address
9508 Second Ave.
Stone Harbor, NJ 08247
609-368-5102

Mayor: Suzanne Walters
City Council: Barry Mastrangelo, Randall Bauer, Karl Giulian, Brian Levinson, Julian Miraglia, Anne Wannen
Population: 1,128 (up to 25,000 summer residents)
Tax Rate (per $100): 0.51
Schools: Stone Harbor Elementary School (K-8)
Middle Township High School (9-12)

Fun Facts
Springer's Homemade Ice Cream parlor was founded in the 1920s as a front for Eugene Springer’s rum-running business during Prohibition.

With slightly under 600 households, Stone Harbor was voted number 47 in Forbes magazine’s list of the most expensive zip codes in the United States in 2006.

This year’s annual Wings ‘n Water Wildlife Arts Festival will be held September 15-16 at the Wetlands Institute, featuring an aquarium touch tank, birdhouse making, sculptures, paintings and carvings of critters including ducks, birds and fish.

Every Monday is Family Night. Starting at 7 p.m., residents and visitors can enjoy entertainment at the Stone Harbor firehouse including juggler Al Grout on August 6 and magician Tom McDonnell on August 20.

The 44th Annual Stone Harbor Arts and Crafts Show will be held August 4-5, featuring 325 artists and crafters from 16 states and Canada at the 80th Street Recreation Field.

By Patrick Roberts   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

The gaming entertainment industry will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Responsible Gaming Education Week August 6-10. Created by the American Gaming Association, this week of activities focuses on educating casino employees about disordered gambling and promotes responsible gaming education within host communities and nationwide. The theme for the week is “Responsible Gaming: In Your Own Words.”
    A press event will be held at Caesars Atlantic City on Monday, August 6 to kick off RGEW. The event will feature gaming industry employees from Atlantic City properties such as the Tropicana, Harrah’s, Resorts, Bally’s, Caesars, Showboat, the Borgata and the Atlantic City Hilton.
    Speakers will include Gary Loveman, chairman, CEO and president of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. and chairman of the AGA; Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the AGA; Linda Kassekert, chairwoman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission; and Kevin Mullally, general counsel and director of government affairs for Gaming Laboratories International and a member of the board of directors for the National Center for Responsible Gaming.
    These leaders will speak about the importance of responsible gaming for the industry and the community, and then unveil the four winning posters from the Responsible Gaming Poster and Essay Contest held earlier this year.
    One poster submission was selected as the RGEW 10th anniversary commemorative poster. It will serve as the graphic centerpiece of the week, with buttons, ribbons, stickers, posters and table tents using the winning design. Three additional designs were selected to make up the Responsible Gaming Education Poster Series, which will be distributed throughout the year leading up to RGEW 2008.
    In preparation for this year’s activities, the AGA also asked gaming employees, from casino floor staff to corporate executives, to submit short essays focused on the importance of responsible gaming. The works of the 15 essay winners will be featured in a soft-cover, bound book I n Their Own Words: Voices of Responsible Gaming, to be released during RGEW.
    The role gaming industry employees had in the creation of this year’s RGEW materials ties directly into the theme for the event.
    “The theme of this year’s RGEW campaign, ‘Responsible Gaming: In Your Own Words,’ was chosen as a way to energize the level of employee participation and encourage employees to think about what responsible gaming means to them during RGEW and beyond,” said AGA President Fahrenkopf. “RGEW provides the industry with an opportunity to carry its message into the community to raise public awareness of what is being done, why it is being done, and why the public’s participation is vital in order to successfully address the various issues surrounding disordered gambling.”
    Many casino employees across the country also will be wearing bright orange “Keep it Fun” responsible gaming awareness wristbands during RGEW to demonstrate the gaming industry’s continuing dedication to responsible gaming awareness. As with most other responsible gaming materials, the wristbands are available to employees and the public in English and Spanish.
    These wristbands, along with buttons, stickers and ribbons, will be worn by employees during RGEW, and are designed to attract the attention of patrons to encourage them to talk to employees about responsible gaming.
     “The hundreds of thousands of gaming industry employees across the country are the most visible faces of our industry,” Fahrenkopf said. “Employees are truly at the heart of any responsible gaming effort because they are on the front lines, interacting with casino guests and ensuring that visitors receive the best casino entertainment experience possible.”
    It is this kind of individual interaction that is the best way to spread the word about responsible gaming—by word of mouth, friend to friend, neighbor-to-neighbor or family member-to-family member. RGEW, says Fahrenkopf, is an important part of work being done every day by the gaming entertainment industry to educate employees, patrons and the community at large about the issues of problem gambling and responsible gaming.
    “We’re excited about celebrating the 10th year of this event,” Fahrenkopf said, “and we look forward to working with employees at all our properties to make this education effort our most successful yet.”

By Beth Joseph   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

A cross between a loud, overpacked dance club and relaxed after-hours cocktail lounge, 10’til at the Hilton offers just the right mix of energy and exclusiveness.
    Leather sofas, plush, oversized booths and raised ceilings set the precedent for the recently redone Chairman’s Club premium player’s lounge, which transforms at 10 p.m. nightly into the aptly named nightspot.
    Suspended light fixtures and earthtone décor offer an atmosphere that is both modern and comforting. With seating around three sides, the centralized bar is the perfect place to watch bartenders serve up drinks around the pink, illuminated inner island.
    The multimillion-dollar redecoration is complemented by the club’s focal point, floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the outside wall that overlook the ocean and Boardwalk.
    “It is one of the most beautiful rooms in the best location on the Jersey coast,” says Phil Juliano, vice president of marketing for Hilton owner Resorts International. “We felt that the property needed an injection of fun later in the night on Saturdays, and this was a chance for the public to see the new Chairman’s Club and some unique entertainment starting with the Dueling Pianos.”
    Starting at 10 p.m. every Saturday throughout the summer, the lights are dimmed as the club opens to the public with specialty drinks, appetizers and desserts. Designed specifically for the after-hours patrons, the “opening act” menu features an “Ebony and Ivy” sushi dish, cheese plate, trio of mini Kobe burgers and assorted chocolates and cakes. Hilton carries its classy atmosphere into its drinks menu with the “Martini Masters” favorites and “Scores of Wine” list highlighted by scattered music notes.
    An ideal stomping ground for the baby boomer crowd, 10’til does have a $10 cover charge that is waived for Elite and Ultra Destination Club members. As an added convenience, all Hilton players can use comp dollars for both food and drink in the club.
    “Opening night (July 7) the place was packed,” says Mark DeLeo, Hilton director of advertising and marketing. “The piano players were rocking the place and people got up and were singing. It was great.”
    Two facing white pianos take center stage as the pianists feed off each other’s music. The ivory duel adds a unique twist to the Atlantic City nightclub scene as patrols gather around to become a part of the live entertainment. “It’s interactive and encourages our customers to get involved,” says Juliano. “At the same time, it’s one piano player reacting to the other, which makes it a lot of fun.”
    Keeping the late-night experience entertaining yet not overbearing, music videos are played over the more than 20 plasma-screen televisions when the pianists break. Guests can expect to hear Elton John and Billy Joel, and even see concerts including Billy Manilow well into the night.
    “Just as the name says, 10’til—as long as the party is going then we will it keep going,” promises DeLeo.

By Sharon Harris-Zlotnick   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

After emigrating from his native China, Li Lin worked for years in Japanese restaurants in Queens, New York and northern New Jersey. When he decided to buy his own eatery, he chose Atlantic County because he felt the people were so friendly.
    Lin and his manager Irene Tong opened Osaka Sushi and Steak House over Memorial Day at the site of the former Pho Ha Vietnamese restaurant. He had searched the region for the past three years before finding this location.
    Osaka Sushi is spacious, with high ceilings and fans for extra air circulation. An open dining room seats 71, and a new sushi bar accommodates another seven guests. The large entry area prevents anyone waiting to be seated from feeling crowded.
    White linens and glass top overlays cover the tables. One fresh red rose sits atop each table in a small vase. Turquoise and black chairs complement the tables, which are far enough away from one other to prevent conversations from being overheard.
    Recipes use vegetables that are available all year, and Lin cooks only in vegetable oil. He makes all his sauces, and any dietary requirements or cooking requests are easily adaptable. Also, Osaka offers both regular and low-sodium soy sauces.
    The menu includes dishes from the kitchen and the sushi bar. Hibachi entrees are prepared in the kitchen. Lin claims that because of an upstairs residence in the building, fire codes prevent them from cooking on a hibachi grill in the main dining room. However, he assures hibachi fans that the dishes are identical to those prepared before a large table audience.
    Appetizers are priced from $4 to $10, and sushi and sashimi a-la-carte items cost from $4 to $5 for two pieces. Complete sushi, hibachi dinners and combination dinners are priced from $11 to $24. Twosomes who want some variety may opt for a sushi ($35) or sushi/sashimi ($45) combination platter served in a “love boat” plate.
    Other menu items may be individually ordered. More than three dozen rolls are available for $3 to $13.95. For those preferring a main course without any side items, dinner-sized portions of fish, chicken and steak may be selected for less than $8.
    Three types of ice cream desserts—tempura, banana tempura with ice cream and mochi ice cream, which includes ice cream with a rice dough exterior—cost $3 to $4.50.
    Casino employees receive a 10 percent discount with an I.D. Daily appetizer and roll specials are available. All a-la-carte sushi and rolls are reduced 30 percent on Monday and Tuesday. Other specials include free appetizers, when eaten in the dining room, on Wednesday and Thursday.
    Osaka Sushi and Steak House is open noon to 10:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday; until 11 p.m. on weekends and from 1:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. There is free street parking. Reservations and credit cards accepted. BYOB, but Lin will heat sake for customers. A full menu is available for takeout.

CHEF’S CORNER
Tuna Dumplings
Because it is raw, sushi is made with only the freshest ingredients. Osaka uses high-quality Bigeye tuna for this dish. The tuna needs to be fresh, not previously frozen, and make sure the tuna steak you buy is a nice dark red and has a translucent appearance, and the steak is not falling apart.

Ingredients
Bigeye tuna steak
Snow crab meat
avocado
tempura flakes (panko bread crumbs)
wasabi mayonnaise
eel sauce
black caviar

To Prepare
Slice the tuna thinly into four-by-four inch squares.

Place equal parts snow crab meat and avocado in the center of fish (approximately one tablespoon worth). Sprinkle with panko bread crumbs.

Bring all four sides of tuna together and pinch into dumpling. Top with black caviar.

Plate on top of wasabi mayonnaise and eel sauce. (Wasabi mayonnaise is equal parts wasabi paste and mayonnaise, and along with eel sauce can be found in most Asian grocery stores.)

By Felicia Lowenstein   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

The stage was set for competition. Rows of gleaming glasses lined up perfectly along tables draped in white linen. Attendants poured the sparkling liquid into each glass.
    Judges peered, sniffed and swirled, jotting comments about aroma, taste and feel. Once again, Atlantic City was among the finalists—and a clear contender.
    The place was Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and the occasion the International Water Tasting, also known as “Toast of the Tap,” held during that town’s annual Winter Festival. Atlantic City’s tap water has made many appearances there, and has won the coveted first place a record three times.
    It’s not the first time that Atlantic City has been lauded for its clear, cool water. The Collingswood Earth Day Celebration awarded Atlantic City’s water first place in 2001 and second place in 2002, and the American Water Works Association gave it second place in 1987.
    “I’m a big believer in Atlantic City tap water,” says Neil Goldfine, executive director of the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority, the agency which manages the water supply. “I drink it every day. It’s funny, because I have this bottle that we produce for promotional purposes, for charity events and such, with a label as the best-tasting water. I just keep refilling it from the tap.”
    Atlantic City’s water may be so good because “there’s nothing in it,” according to Goldfine. The water goes through a rigorous filtration and treatment process that removes iron and heavy organics as well as finer materials. Carbon is used to neutralize the taste, odor and color. The water is processed so it meets and exceeds rigorous environmental standards.
    “Our water is devoid of any minerals,” he explains. “Other municipalities will have manganese or calcium, for example. That creates hard water. Atlantic City has very soft water. That’s what they say makes Atlantic City bread so good. The bakers will tell you that without minerals in the water, the dough bakes up lighter and fluffier. It creates that great crispy crust, too.”
    Fluffy bread is not the only benefit of having soft water. With no calories, caffeine or additives, Atlantic City water is the perfect health cocktail for the 21st century. With its awards as the best-tasting, it’s a natural choice for Atlantic City residents to stay hydrated and healthy. The Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority works hard to keep it that way.
    They’ve been managing the water supply since 1980. That’s when the authority acquired the Atlantic City Water Utility and assumed operation and maintenance of the system. Facilities include a water treatment plant in Pleasantville, three water towers with a combined capacity of more than 9 million gallons, and an administrative office and maintenance garage in Atlantic City.
    The water itself comes from two surface-water aquifers, Kuehnle Pond Dam and Doughty Pond Dam, with a combined capacity of about 500 million gallons. Plus, there are 12 wells, 10 of which are located in the Cohansey Aquifer and two in the Kirkwood Aquifer. There are also more than 150 miles of water transmission lines.
    Residents of Atlantic City are not the only ones drinking the award-winning water. While the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority supplies water to Atlantic City, the authority also sells between one million and 5 million gallons a day to the New Jersey American Water Company.
    To maintain the high quality of its water, the authority is in the process of renovating its treatment plant. It also does a lot of water testing on a regular basis. Detailed results of that testing are available in the water report on the authority’s website at www.acmua.org.
    “We have continual monitors, and we do readings hourly and testing daily,” says Goldfine. “We monitor the water 24 hours a day. It’s all electronic and very up-to-date. We are very proactive. We believe in fixing things before they’re broken. Atlantic City is a 24-7 town and we need to provide water 24-7.”
    The monitoring system, known as SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) analyzes the results for significant trends. The authority is in the process of upgrading the system and in the next 10 months will include cameras and greater remote access. That diligence to preserve Atlantic City water quality has helped to earned the water its accolades.
    “It’s pretty prestigious to have won competitions like the Toast of the Tap,” says Goldfine. “It’s a highly rated international contest and the competition is tight. We’re very proud of the fact that we’ve won three times and also placed a couple of times in fourth.”
    According to Jeanne Mozier, vice president of travel, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, “The common wisdom around the water-tasting, and among the municipal guys (from other jurisdictions), was that Atlantic City has the advantage of having their water source naturally filtered through sand. I think the fact that totally different sets of judges selected Atlantic City as the number-one water three separate times validates both the choice and the process.”
    The Toast of the Tap competition began in 1991 with 27 contestants. By 2003, there were more than 100 waters from nine countries, 23 states and the District of Columbia. Entrants come from as far as England, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Republic of Tajikistan. They compete in any of four divisions: commercially bottled water, sparkling and non-carbonated, purified drinking water and municipal water. There is also a People’s Choice Package Design Award.
    The competition is a double blind taste test using a scorecard to judge clarity, smell, taste, mouth feel and aftertaste. Arthur von Wiesenberger, noted water expert, author and radio and TV personality, serves as “water master.” He also trains the judges, who come from the food and beverage industry and the media.
    Jack Soronen, chair of the local water resources committee, was impressed with the training. “Even at our rudimentary level, Arthur taught us a significant amount of technique,” he says. “Most surprising was that, having been instructed, I discovered that I actually tasted differences in water. Because of the training, I could recognize what those differences are.”
    Fourteen judges do a preliminary tasting to narrow the field down to 20 finalists. In a separate session, the finalists are judged in front of an audience that also makes its selection for a People’s Choice packaging award. Stacks of bottles surround the judges, more for display than necessity. They are available for the taking once the winners are announced.
    The event has become the largest and longest-running water tasting in the world. There are plenty of repeat winners, so “the good waters rise to the top,” according to organizers. Winners receive an engraved glass bowl, critical acclaim in the water industry and sometimes even some corporate interest in negotiating bottling and distribution rights.
    Americans currently consume more than $4 billion in water annually, and there are more than 600 brands of non-carbonated water on the market. Even municipalities are getting into the act, bottling their water for sale. Atlantic City, thus far, has bottled it purely for promotional purposes for use at charitable events.
    “Since the beginning, the goal of the ACMUA has been to produce the highest-quality drinking water for all of our customers,” says Goldfine. “We are proud of our history of quality service. We’re run by a group of directors who are appointed by council, and who represent the people. We have a simple task, and that’s providing good water for the city. We are very focused on our goal. We will continue to produce the highest-quality water at the least-expensive price.”

By Dave Bontempo   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Call it pride, vanity, competition, lust or the big-bankroll aroma. However one labels it, RotoBowl attracts the fantasy football masses.
    August ignites the registration process for one of the nation’s most lucrative fantasy football tournaments. RotoBowl III, a conglomeration of fantasy football experts and wannabes, unfolds September 8 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The event underscores the raging popularity of fantasy football, now played by 15 million people annually.
    RotoBowl brings a new gambling niche to Atlantic City, and it appeals to hard-core sportsmen. Sixteen states and three countries were represented in the 2006 field of 238 teams. Players come for bragging rights, an Atlantic City weekend and substantial cash—the winning team receives $27,500, broken down into two Super Bowl tickets and $20,000 in cash. Prizes have been extended to 10 places.
    Casino involvement keeps rising. Trump Taj Mahal has embraced RotoBowl owners with a discounted weekend rate of $150 for September 7 and $250 for September 8. Showboat is expected to host a poker tournament the same weekend.
    Media personalities highlight the event, including Absecon native John Hansen, the “Fantasy Guru.” Hansen, who launched the nation’s premier fantasy football newsletter several years ago, later became an ESPN and NFL Network fantasy football analyst. He helped RotoBowl find an Atlantic City home and used the contest to recruit new business.
    Hansen also played, and found himself competing against his own subscribers. Proving that the contest was difficult, yet fair, Hansen made the playoffs and did not win the top prize. The results indicate that anyone can win in any given year if the fantasy gods smile upon them.
    RotoBowl is interesting and balanced. Contestants generally have a one-in-six chance of recouping their $250 entry fee, making this similar to any league they would enter. Then comes the postseason blitz for about 40 qualifying teams. In a dizzying three-week period, an owner could get hot and pocket the big money.
    Most fantasy drafts occur at someone’s home. It seems fitting that this one unfolds in a gaming capital.
    “We love the fact that it’s in Atlantic City. We want it to stay here forever,” says Chris Clarke, who founded RotoBowl along with fellow Fairlawn native Matt Pepe. “This keeps growing. It’s a mainstay and a positive for Atlantic City.
    “We think this is quite unique. When else do you have an opportunity to have a draft on the opening NFL weekend with about 500 fantasy football fans in one huge room? It’s like going to a big game, but you are actually partaking in it, for a relatively affordable price. The whole nature of the event makes it very exciting.”
    RotoBowl is the Pro Bowl of fantasy football. Players have sharpened skills by participating in several drafts prior to this one. A buzz circulates around the drafting room as contestants arrive from throughout the East Coast region. The atmosphere includes FHM magazine girls serving as draft assistants.

League Logistics
As for the rules, RotoBowl is the closest thing to a perfect fantasy league. It is democratic, above-board and well-organized. The first distinction is the abolishment of trades and their inherent collusion.
    Participants compete in several 12-team leagues. Each of these is divided into two six-team divisions. A team that wins its division automatically gains a postseason berth.
    A fun twist marks the regular season. For the first 11 weeks, every team has two results. One is against a scheduled opponent, the other against the entire division. The top three scores each week obtain a win; the bottom three take a loss. This system rewards teams that reach a high score only to be bested by a great one.
    “If you are fighting the first-place team, you might score a couple hundred points and lose, while that team gets a low score and wins,” Clarke explains. “Under this system, every week is important and your score counts.”
    It counts toward the playoffs, too. After 11 weeks of going 0-1, 1-1 or 2-0, a team plays against its own conference in week 12. League championships occur in week 13. For the survivors, their average season-long point total constitutes one week of postseason. Then comes December Delirium, fantasy football’s version of March Madness.
    All division winners and select wild-card teams make the Big Bowl. For weeks 14-16, a cumulative total gets added to the average season score and determines all winners.

Draft Specifics
Players sit according to their draft positions, and have 90 seconds to make their selections. The pick is then placed on the board, allowing everyone to see who has been drafted.
    The draft order goes 1-12 and back for the first two rounds, but 12 down to one in the third round to compensate teams drafting late.
    Once a team is established, it receives 1,000 free-agent points to use during the year. Teams bid on players eBay-style, and must treat the free-agent points like a bank account. Once they disappear, a team cannot pick up players.
    Casino Connection Publisher Roger Gros, pigskin aficionado Jim Guzzo and myself took the challenge last year and formed a team for the magazine. We nabbed diamond-in-the-rough running back Frank Gore, emerging star Willie Parker and unknown receiver Marques Colston.
    We were the only team to win a division from the 11th drafting position (of 12). Casino Connection also defeated the team with the most points in the entire 238-team tournament to win our league championship.
    Although the team flattened out in the final weeks, we obtained a minor prize and a major glimpse of elite competition. Very little separates the competitors, and one injury can change the entire power structure. An injury to Ladanian Tomlinson derailed a number of teams in the postseason and rewarded the balanced teams. The ultimate league champion triumphed by a mere couple of points. In the fantasy world, that’s micro hair-splitting.
    “The second-place team called us up after we posted the results and insisted he won,” Clarke recalls. “He was in a bar watching, and was certain he had it. He said he bought drinks for everybody at the bar, but he hadn’t won the top prize.”
    There was no refund for the drinks, either.
    Some small changes can occur between now and draft day. For the latest information, go to www.rotobowl.com.

By Beth Joseph   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Imagine a luxury ski lift that spans from Hilton above the beaches to the inlet, then over the back bays, Borgata and even the Convention Center. Cynthia Cortopassi of TS Creations, LLC has developed a method of transporting people throughout the city by using “air gondolas” that stop at the city’s casinos as well as local retail locations, Boardwalk Hall and the Convention Center.
    The ropeway people-mover system would create a complete loop around the city. It has the capability of moving 4,800 people per hour going both ways. Run by computers using electricity, the environmentally safe transportation would move riders one mile every 5.5 minutes. Similar to a ski lift, the air gondolas would consist of more than 350 eight-passenger cars. Donning various colors and even themes, the cars are wheelchair-accessible and contain plush seating, televisions and even champagne bars in select cars.
    The plan is to have each casino own at least 10 VIP cars to transport high rollers between Atlantic City locations. In addition to being a safe, inexpensive form of transportation, air gondolas will be used for city sightseeing tours and theatrical performances. The in-car video system would allow for city history, updates and events to be announced to riders.
    “My mission is to make Atlantic City the destination stop that people will return home and say that it is not only ‘Always turned on’ but that it also ‘has it all going on,’” said Cortopassi, project creator. “This is better than traveling in a stretch limo, and the best part is everyone in the city will profit from this.”
    Similar citywide transportation is available throughout the world, and can be erected and running in as little as a year pending city permits. Top Harvard engineers recently completed a study on all forms of transportation and ranked gondolas as the top choice for effectiveness, low cost and safety.
    The project is in its evaluation stage and is searching for investors to join.

By Beth Joseph   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

Packed full of beach chairs, boogie boards, suitcases and screaming children, the car inches toward the city in anticipation of the weekend fun ahead. A typical Friday evening: Instead of the casino lights of the Atlantic City skyline, hundreds of brake lights is all the eye can see.
    With more than 35 million visitors to the resort each year, transportation into and through Atlantic City is increasingly becoming an issue.
    While transportation such as shuttle services, daily trains, buses and airplane flights are in order, many city guests are finding getting into the city by car is a growing problem. While Airport expansions and extended rail service plans are in the works, but there is no easy solution for southern New Jersey’s transportation issues. The South Jersey Transportation Authority recently partnered with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to address the issues and formulate a plan to improve and expand the commute into and around the Atlantic City market.

The Issue at Hand
"Transportation needs to be a positive part of the visitor’s experience,” said SJTA Executive Director Bart Mueller. “We are always going to be a drive market, so traffic management and technology will play a major role to remedy transportation issues and stimulate economic development in Atlantic City.”
    According to the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, more than 27.5 million visitors came to Atlantic City by automobile in 2006, which more than triples the numbers arriving by bus, airplane and train combined. The CRDA has been commissioned to carry out a four-phase traffic analysis that will develop a blueprint of the transportation issues affecting South Jersey currently, as well as over the next 25 years. Once the core problems are addressed, the analysis will seek a way to implement solutions that will expand road, rail and air transportation, in turn stimulating the Atlantic City economy for long-term success.
    “The key to the success of this analysis is the partnership forged with all the stakeholders,” said CRDA Executive Director Tom Carver. “Everyone involved understands the importance of addressing the transportation needs of Atlantic City and the surrounding region, and together we will identify and develop the right solutions for the future.”
    DMJM Harris Inc. was selected as consultants for the analysis, which is scheduled to take 12 months. Phase one consists of collecting any available information on South Jersey transportation. This involves collecting area demographics, determining the land layouts and analyzing area economics. Past surveys, models, construction plans and ideals will help provide useful data.
    Next, DMJM Harris will seek to identify the core problems that affect area transportation, through interviews and focus groups. The second phase was designed to fill the gaps in data and then work to boil down the main problems and seek viable and obtainable solutions. In phase three, the consultation group will develop an action plan, starting with the most important issues. The final stage consists of actually implementing a plan.
    “Fitting everything into a master plan is going to be very tricky,” said Karlis Povisils, CRDA director of project management. “We are going to look at other states and use them as an example. It is going to be a lot of hard work but we are taking the ‘no stone unturned’ approach for this project.”
    Finally, pairing the need for improvement with an estimated capital investment, transportation agencies involved will develop a plan, design, construction schedule and estimated time frame for the projects.

Pounding the Pavement
While the analysis is still in its research phase, road expansions are under way on the Parkway, Expressway and Turnpike in addition to several overly congested interchanges. The SJTA is getting a jump-start on several projects, the largest being a multimillion-dollar expressway expansion with additional lanes, updated E-ZPass and interchange upgrades.
    The SJTA Board of Commissioners recently approved funding for three major projects, beginning with the widening of the westbound lane of the Atlantic City Expressway. The design is being planned though 2008 with construction beginning in 2009. The widened portion will extend from Exit 7 to Exit 31 (which links to Route 73).
    Next, expanding the interchange at Exit 41 (Berlin/Cross Keys Road) from its current four lanes to six lanes is planned. The estimated $500,000 project, which also includes adding left-turn lanes, should be finished sometime next year. Another interchange getting SJTA attention is located at Route 50. Environmental and permit issues are currently being addressed, and the $7.7 million full interchange project should begin construction in the fall.
    “There is only so much land out there to keep expanding the roadways,” said Mueller. “We need to work smarter, not harder.”
    South Jersey is working to establish fiber optic-based communications, to allow traffic management and signal flow to be coordinated on various roadways. The network will connect the airport, parkway, turnpike and expressway with multi-use communication systems.
    The fiber optic system will allow a shared network of voice and data as well as tolling management. In addition, the network can be linked to cameras, radio and video that are controlled by sensors. The advancement in roadway technology allows not only speed tolling but also manage of signal flow and traffic. Once the fiber optic roadway system is completed, the SJTA will be able to monitor traffic problems and develop a solution based on the issues presented.

Up, Up and Away
The Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) is not yet a major regional airport like Philadelphia or New York’s Kennedy International, but with increasing passenger volume, expanded airline services and airport upgrades and expansions, it is quickly climbing the air travel charts.
    Tucked away in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic City airport is located only 20 minutes from Atlantic City and approximately an hour from Philadelphia, making it a secret jewel of the South Jersey transportation junket. Carriers Spirit Airlines and Delta Connection reach dozens of locations throughout the United States, carrying approximately 3,000 passengers daily into and out of the Atlantic City airport.
    With more than a million passengers using ACY for air transportation each year, the airport and its services are quickly growing. Earlier this year, Spirit added more flights per day to Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando and Ft Myers, Florida. Delta started direct service to Orlando as well. The largest addition has been Spirit’s nonstop flight between ACY and Las Vegas, which began on May 3. Over the past month, the flight has carried a 95 percent load factor for its 6:35 p.m. departing and 5 a.m. arrival flights.
    Due to the overwhelming response to the recent additions, discussions are in the works to add airlines and flights that support areas not currently being served by ACY. The airport is also looking at the prospect of adding to the frequency of existing carriers’ flights.
    “Atlantic City International Airport is a safe bet for airlines looking to expand air service, because when an airline puts seats in our market, they are filled,” said Mueller. “The airport is expanding both inside and out, and within the next five years, we will be a major regional port.”
    Passenger volume has increased 40 percent over the past year. Due to the significant air increase, building and runway expansions are under way to accommodate the airport growth.
    “It’s the convenience—it’s easy to get in and get out, so the airport itself has been discovered,” said Sharon Gordon, SJTA director of marketing and communications. “Right now, we are going through a massive expansion program. Both airside and interior are doing a whole improvement.”
    On the exterior, the issue of parking that plagues the airport is being combated with the construction of a new parking garage located in front of the airport terminal. Once completed, the six-story garage will create an additional 1,400 spaces. The two current paved parking areas have approximately 2,600 spaces. All three parking areas will be equipped with E-ZPass Plus to assist travelers with parking payment.
    After parking, the second issue air travelers face is check-in and baggage screening, which, using new technology, will minimize counter check-in time at ACY. As part of the airport’s $90 million expansion project, the lobby is undergoing a complete renovation, as are the baggage facilities and service counters.
    Customer service is being expanded from 28 to 44 check-in counters, but an extraordinary feature is the airport’s common-use technology capability. Instead of dedicating an area for one carrier, this allows several airlines to use the same space at varying times throughout the day. This advanced technology lowers the cost for airlines to use ACY, as well as creates smoother process for those flying.
    A $7 million security enhancement project, currently under way, includes a new baggage screening area that uses state-of-the-art screening technology. ACY was using its lobby area for the baggage screening since security was tightened in 2001. However, the new upgrades, scheduled to be completed in October, open up the lobby area.
    The project freed the lobby space of baggage screening machinery. However, it revealed that the area needs a facelift. The SJTA dedicated $1.7 million to update the interior, from carpeting to ceiling tiles. According to Mueller, the interior upgrade will be an ongoing project.
    The authority also is in the process of accepting bids for a $12 million apron expansion, as well as doubling the number of gates in the airport terminal. This will ultimately result in more than 20 gates with an additional concourse at ACY.

Riding the Rails
Currently, train transportation into and out of Atlantic City is limited to other South Jersey communities and the Philadelphia region, with nearly a dozen stops along the way. However, according to the ACCVA 2004 Visitors Survey, 24 percent of Atlantic City guests travel from New York and another 21 percent hail from northern and central New Jersey, leaving them without the option of using convenient train transportation.
    While the option of transferring trains or taking a bus are viable forms of commuting to Atlantic City, area casinos have partnered with NJ Transit to develop a nonstop rail service between the Big Apple and the East Coast gaming resort.
    “There are still small details that need to be worked out, but it is a done deal,” said Povisils. “The total cost is more than $18 million, and $1.5 million per year will be given by the CRDA over a three-year period.”
    The new rail line is being funded by Borgata, Caesars and Harrah’s, which are purchasing the rail cars and locomotives as well as absorbing the costs of NJ Transit to operate the direct train service between Atlantic City and New York. The two-and-a-half-hour trip will leave Penn Station and stop once in North Jersey to accommodate the more than 775,000 yearly visitors from that region.
    The casinos plan to transport upscale customers by providing a complimentary rail trip with varied levels of seating. While the ticket pricing is still being determined, 25 percent of seating on each trip must remain available to the public. NJ Transit will run the service, but the operating costs will be absorbed by the casinos. Remaining costs to NJ Transit of around $4 million per year are being taken into account to determine pricing. The service will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning in late 2007 or first-quarter 2008.

EZ Passing
The SJTA will use the electronic E-ZPass system to relieve commuters of long lines and the need to fumble for change. Currently, E-ZPass is accepted in 12 states from Maine to Indiana, including five South Jersey locations such as the Pleasantville Plaza and Egg Harbor Plaza tolls and exit 5, 9 and 12 ramps.
    The E-ZPass toll-collection technology makes traveling more convenient by reducing traffic congestion and auto emissions while eliminating stopping at tolls for payment. Using an electronic prepaid vehicle tag, cars can travel through the toll plaza at a reduced speed without stopping, thus speeding up travel time and reducing roadway congestion. E-ZPass processes an average of 250 to 300 percent more vehicles per lane than those paying with coins or cash.
    The latest electronic tolling advancement seen at the Pleasantville Plaza is Express E-ZPass, in which electronic data collecting equipment allows customers with tags to bypass the toll booths altogether. Express E-ZPass allows tag-carrying vehicles to travel through the toll at 45 m.p.h., saving valuable travel time and reducing inconvenience.
    “This is a high-growth region, and we need to come up with a stable plan to not only address the problems we are seeing today but also address the future issues with transportation in the area,” said SJTA Chairman Kris Kolluri. “On the Atlantic City Expressway, the Express E-ZPass is an automatic congestion relief.”
    After surveying the improvement in traffic flow and congestion alleviation, the SJTA has begun to develop the Egg Harbor Plaza’s Express E-ZPass. The $25 million project has already completed a concept study and a request for design proposal has already been issued. The express plaza is scheduled for completion by late 2009.
    Once into the city, many visitors find the issue of parking extremely difficult, especially during the busy summer season. While the casino garages are all privately owned, the SJTA has worked with E-ZPass to develop E-ZPass Plus to pay for parking at various city lots. The New York Avenue Garage and Atlantic Avenue parking lots currently offer the E-ZPass Plus payment option, but the SJTA is working to give E-ZPass customers the option to use the direct electronic payment in all city parking lots and facilities.

Transporting in Time
With so many updates already in the works, it seems that South Jersey’s transportation troubles may soon be a thing of the past. However, as Atlantic City grows, so does its number of visitors.
    The addition of three Atlantic City casinos and numerous retail and entertainment amenities is quickly approaching, and the need get around is a continuous issue. Additional options include creating one-way streets in Atlantic City, an airport hotel, expanded shuttle services and even air transportation throughout the city.
    “Whether it is building bridges or expanding roadways, there are going to be a lot of changes in infrastructure,” said Kolluri. “If we think it through, we can prevent the mistakes made in other parts of the country and really make a positive change for the future.”

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jul 24, 2007

10:45 a.m. — US Army Golden Knights Flag Jump
10:47 a.m. — NJ-ANG F-16 Flyby
10:52 a.m. — US Army Golden Knights Mass Exit
11:01 a.m. — USAF F-16 Flyby (NJ-ANG)
11:03 a.m. — USAF-ANG KC-135 Flyby (NJ-ANG)
11:05 a.m. — USAF KC-10 Flyby (305 AMW)
11:07 a.m. — USAF C-17 Flyby (305 AMW)
11:09 a.m. — USAF-ANG KC-135 & F-16 Flyby (NJ-ANG)
11:10 a.m. — Mike Mancuso Extra 300 Solo
11:23 a.m. — NJ State Police Helo Demo
11:29 a.m. — Matt Chapman CAP232 Demo
11:40 a.m. — CJ/YAK Formation Flight & CJ6 Solo
11:55 a.m. — USAF B-2A Spirit Flybys
12:00 p.m. — Jim Beasley Jr. P-51
12:07 p.m. — USAF F-16CJ Falcon Demo
12:20 p.m. — USAF F-15E Strike Eagle Demo
12:33 p.m. — USAF Heritage Flight (P-51, F-15, F-16)
12:45 p.m. — USAF-ANG EC-130J Flyby
12:47 p.m. — USMC CH-46E Sea Knight Flyby
12:49 p.m. — FAA Bombardier Flyby
12:51 p.m. — US Navy MH-53 SeaDragon Flyby (2-ship)
12:53 p.m. — FAA Bombardier Flyby
12:55 p.m. — Geico Skytypers
1:12 p.m. — CT-ANG A-10 Thunderbolt II Flyby
1:15 p.m. — US Navy F/A-18C Hornet Demo
1:33 p.m. — USCG HH-65 & HH-60 SAR Demo
1:40 p.m. — USCG HU-25, HC-130 Flybys
1:45 p.m. — USMC AV-8B Harrier II Demo
1:58 p.m. — USAF C-5B Galaxy Flyby (436 AW)
2:00 p.m. — Rob Holland MX-2 Aerobatics
2:12 p.m. — US Army Golden Knights Full Show
2:37 p.m. — Matt Chapman & Mike Mancuso 2-ship
3:00 p.m. — USAF Thunderbirds
4:30 p.m. — Airshow Ends

By Roger Gros   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

Casino Connection: Looking back on your first term as chair, what stands out for you?

Kassekert: The opening of Borgata, which was the first new casino in a number of years, and first casino to go completely coinless, occurred about six months into my term. After that we had probably the re-licensing of every casino here in Atlantic City, new acquisitions, the acquisition by Harrah’s of Caesars, the acquisition by Colony Capital of the Hilton, and the start of private equity firms coming into Atlantic City. And, of course, the shutdown last year was a large challenge.

What are some of the reasons you wanted to continue doing this for the next five years?
Well, I am really excited about where Atlantic City is right now. Although it has been a tough year with the competition in neighboring states, I really think we are poised to take the next big step. With Morgan Stanley and Revel Entertainment coming in, with Pinnacle, with hopefully other entities interested in Atlantic City, I think we are really right there with the construction of more hotel rooms that will make us more of a destination, increase the convention traffic… I think it’s a great time to be in Atlantic City.

Tell us about the state shutdown and how you and your staff handled it.
I was really pleased about the discussions that occurred when it looked like we were going to move toward a shutdown, and I presented information to the governor’s office. I sat down with all the directors of security and the councils of the casinos to talk about the timing. Obviously, we had a big concern about the July 4 holiday. They gave me the information I needed to go back to the governor’s office and suggest that we reconsider the date that we shut everything down. With July 4 weekend, millions of people were going to be down here and we didn’t want to incur any sort of panic in terms of leaving the city. We are an island here in Atlantic City, and that could have been problematic.
    To his credit, the governor was very supportive of that and allowed us to wait until July 5, given those circumstances. That day, we closed the casinos at 8 a.m. We had our state police contingent from the Division of Gaming Enforcement on the ground. It was a very smooth closure. Nobody wanted to see this happen, but we really didn’t have a choice.
    I am most proud of our ability to reopen the casinos within an hour of the governor signing the executive order reopening the state. My staff really rose to the occasion. I had inspectors who were on call and were ready at a moment’s notice as soon as the order was signed.

What kind of cooperation did you get from the casinos first for the closure and then second for the opening?
We had a lot of cooperation. As I said, it was a tough time for everyone. There are a lot of people in the casino industry who frankly depended on that paycheck. We developed a very good working relationship with the various CEOs, and I think they knew that as soon as things were resolved we were going to get them open.

Do you believe that CCC and DGE employees should be considered “essential,” thereby insulating the casino industry from subsequent shutdowns?
I think that, in whatever fashion, it is important that there be some sort of remedy to this. I understand there is some concern about some of those bills with respect to meeting constitutional muster but I know that the governor has said publicly that he wants to see the issue resolved. I think that between all of us putting our heads together, we can come up with a solution.

Regarding your second term, let’s start with the MGM Mirage application for approval of its partnership with Pansy Ho, the daughter of Macau casino baron Stanley Ho. What are some of the issues that you’ll be looking at in those hearings?
We are not sure when that is going to happen. We have not received the Division of Gaming Enforcement’s report, so it’s a little premature for me to comment on it. I think we will do as we have always done—we will look at what the division says, the commissioners will examine the issue very carefully and we’ll make that determination.

The role of private equity groups is another big issue—what will be your focus when Harrah’s Entertainment comes before the board for approval of its acquisition by two firms, Apollo Management and Texas Pacific?
Obviously, we have to take the Casino Control Act and the standards that are in them and apply them to a very different sort of financing. We’ve had experience with Colony (buying Resorts and Hilton) and with Columbia Sussex (Tropicana), but this is going to be a much bigger proposition. It is really going to be a balancing act. The private equity companies have a different perspective on how they manage companies, so obviously we are going to be looking at that. But I really don’t see it as a problem. I think the established standards will be applied to the process.

Columbia Sussex took control of the Tropicana earlier this year. Since that time, they’ve fired more than 15 percent of the staff. Some officials are very upset and accuse the company of gutting the casino employment base. What role does the CCC play in this kind of situation?
Our role extends strictly to the gaming floor. Part of our requirements under the act is that we must collect the gross revenue tax, and if there are any issues with respect to the collection of that tax or issues with respect to the reporting of tax, that is where our concern comes in. So we are limited in terms of our areas of review, but we work with the Division of Gaming Enforcement, and if there are issues with respect to the collection of that tax and the gaming floor itself, we will be active in that process.

There is no standard for the number of employees that are required to work a gaming floor per square foot, is there?
There are not. They have to be able to meet the requirements under the act in terms of the collection of taxes, reporting, variances and the like, and that is what we will focus on.

Another employment issue that has been facing the AC casinos is the attempt by several unions to organize casino floor workers, primarily dealers. Do unions need to be licensed? If not, what kind of oversight do you have on those organizations?
There are certain licensing requirements that a union must satisfy in terms of filing with us and providing information. I am not sure what the status of UAW is right now, but I am assuming they are filing the appropriate paperwork.

Are they permitted to begin negotiations on a contract before they get a license?
Yes, and I think that falls under the National Labor Relations Act.

A lot of people say the New Jersey regulatory process is a gold standard in the industry because it really made gaming legitimate in the eyes of politicians and Wall Street. Do you feel a responsibility to uphold that reputation?
I absolutely do. I think we have set the standard. When you look at the states and the countries that have adopted similar statutes to ours, I think it points to the fact that New Jersey really led the way on this issue.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

Less than a month after they left Trump Entertainment Resorts, two of the leaders of that company have joined Isle of Capri Casinos. James Perry, who was CEO of Trump until a conflict arose during the bidding process to buy the company, will join Isle as a board member. Virginia McDowell, Trump’s former chief information officer, has been named the new president and chief operating officer of Isle. Both Perry and McDowell were driving forces behind Argosy Gaming and its success, which led to a profitable buyout by Penn National Gaming in 2005. They also worked together at the Tropicana in Atlantic City the 1990s when Perry was president. Isle has been a disappointing performer recently in the casino sector. Its most recent president, Tim Hinckley, resigned late in 2006.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

MTR Gaming Group Inc. announced an agreement to sell Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel in Downtown Las Vegas to TLC Casino Enterprises, Inc. for $32 million.
    TLC Casino Enterprises is controlled by Terry Caudill and also operates the Four Queens on Fremont Street.
    The closing is expected to quickly follow the receipt of regulatory approvals, which the buyer must obtain within six months. TLC said it plans to keep the property’s employees.
    MTR purchased the property from Harrah’s Entertainment for $20 million in 2004. The company recently expressed its interest to leave the Las Vegas market and focus on operations in its home state of West Virginia. The company recently announced a deal to sell its Speedway Casino in North Las Vegas for $18.2 million.
    “While we have enjoyed working with the employees, the Nevada gaming regulators and Harrah’s to reopen this legendary property, we believe it is now in the company’s best interest to concentrate our efforts and resources on our core properties in West Virginia and Pennsylvania,” said MTR Chairman, president and CEO Ted Arneault.
    “Terry Caudill has a proven track record in Downtown Las Vegas with the Four Queens, and we believe that Binion’s and our employees will benefit from his stewardship.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

MGM Mirage assembled the acreage necessary to develop on the North Strip in Las Vegas a project larger than its $7 billion Project CityCenter. While CityCenter sits on 66 acres, the company announced a $575 million land deal that will give it 100 contiguous acres stretching from Circus Circus to Sahara Avenue.
    “This land assemblage creates a very interesting and exciting opportunity for our company to create an integrated resort complex on the north end of the Strip,” said MGM Mirage President and CFO Jim Murren.
    The company will spend $444 million to purchase a vacant 25.8-acre lot owned by Sahara owner Gordon Gaming Corp. It will also spend $131 million for a 7.6-acre piece of land owned by Concord Wilshire Partners.
    The land connects with Circus Circus, which the company acquired in 2005, and will average about $17 million an acre.
    “What’s exciting about this purchase is that it fully unlocks the value of the Circus Circus land,” Murren said.
    The company plans to eliminate the RV park and low-rise motel at Circus Circus, freeing up an additional 44 acres.
    Murren said the land could be used for a project similar to CityCenter—located between the Monte Carlo and Bellagio—with a mix of hotel-casinos, boutique hotels, high-rise residential and a retail, dining and entertainment district. The company will seek partners to help finance the new development.
    While Murren has no timetable for development, he said work could start before CityCenter is finished. He did not comment on the possibilities of a development on a similar scale that has been discussed in Atlantic City on a 55-acre parcel adjacent to the Borgata.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

Boyd Gaming officials unveiled details about the company’s newest project, Echelon, releasing unseen renderings and an updated construction cost for the resort being built at the former site of the Stardust in Las Vegas.
    The project is now expected to cost $4.8 billion, up from earlier reports of $4.4 billion. Boyd is covering $3.3 billion for the components it will own and operate, and entering into joint ventures for other amenities.
    The property will feature five hotels with a total of 5,000 rooms. It will have more than 30 dining and nightlife venues, 4,000-seat and 1,500-seat entertainment venues, a 300,000-square-foot retail promenade and a 140,000-square-foot casino.
    “We are creating a destination resort that will be seen for miles, and yet, be accessible within feet,” said Echelon President Bob Boughner. “With Echelon, we are making the most of our extraordinary and highly visible Las Vegas Strip site by building five hotels with world-class amenities, in one dramatic phase.”
    Boyd is entering a $500 million joint venture with General Growth Properties for the retail promenade and a $950 million joint venture with Morgans Hotel Group for the Delano and Mondrian hotel towers.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

It’s one of the many heartbreaking stories that accompanied the arrival of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Hard Rock Casino Hotel was preparing to open just two days after Katrina hit. Hard Rock General Manager Joe Billhimer had just given his troops his final pep talk before sending them off to evacuate their homes and button up the new casino.
    “I was actually glad we’d be able to get away for a couple of days,” he says, never believing that Katrina would bring the devastation it did. “After all, we had been hit by four or five storms the previous couple of years and were able to get back into business in a few days. I was hoping the staff could relax for a couple of days and return even more energized.”
    Little did Billhimer realize that the storm surge from Katrina would reach nearly 30 feet, upending the barge housing the casino and effectively destroying the new property. Although all but one of the original employees survived the storm (the one fatality occurred when returning after the hurricane), the destruction set into motion a series of events that threatened the very existence of the Hard Rock.
    “We had insurance issues, bond issues and we now have an entirely new ownership group,” says Billhimer. “It’s been a wild ride but we’ve come through it with flying colors.”
    The opening was celebrated with a traditional Hard Rock “guitar smash,” featuring at least 50 guitars being destroyed by the principals and invited guests at Hard Rock Biloxi. The event was staged near the casino in front of the trademark giant guitar, which itself is a symbol that Biloxi is back.
    Mayor A.J. Holloway believes the Hard Rock opening is just another sign that the city is ready to welcome guests back to its casinos.
    “I have tremendous admiration for the Hard Rock people,” he says. “What they’ve gone through for the past two years and then to deliver a product like this is impressive. It demonstrates that Biloxi is back and is only going to get better.”
    Jim Allen, the president of the gaming division of Hard Rock International, says the company never wavered in its support of the property after the hurricane.
    “We knew we wanted to be here,” he says. “It was only a matter of time before the owners were able to get everything squared away, and we were willing to wait.”
    For Gulf Coast gaming veteran Billhimer, the opening represented the closing of a circle, albeit two years late. “We can’t think about storms anymore,” he says.
    “We have to concentrate on making Biloxi great. Our associates are truly the greatest. They have dedicated themselves to giving the best service, and they enjoy working for a company that has a positive message. And that’s what we want to stress from now on.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

Along-awaited condominium project is now back on track at South Florida Avenue next to Boardwalk Hall. Bruce E. Toll bought the site in 2005 for $25.15 million, with plans of developing a 630-foot-tall luxury condominium.
    That project was put on hold, however, when casino moguls Donald Trump and Steve Wynn began discussions on a joint venture that would encompass the lot, along with Boardwalk Hall and the adjacent Trump Plaza. Once the site of his Trump World’s Fair Casino, Trump sold the property to Toll on the stipulation that a casino could not be built there.
    That deal never materialized, and last month Toll recieved approval from the city planning board to go forward with his project. Located at the center of the Boardwalk, the proposed condominium will include two glass towers with 431 residences, garage space, retail and restaurant outlets.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

Atlantic City is quickly becoming a shopper’s haven as the Walk shopping district has now expanded by 40 stores. To celebrate the 100 factory stores now open, Atlantic City Outlets is hosting a full day of fun, freebees and fashion on August 5.
    Big Joe Henry broadcasts live for 101.5 FM beginning at 10 a.m. to kick off the festivities. The day includes activities and shows such as freestyle motocross demonstrations and a fashion show starring Deal or No Deal briefcase #1 star, Claudia Jordan. For the little ones, the event has face-painting, spin art, a rock wall and a moonbounce, as well as two Nickelodeon shows featuring live characters on stage. Take a swing at the golf analyzer or sports cage before heading to the new Nike and Adidas stores.
    To commemorate the second phase of the Walk, the event will feature two free concerts by the Jonas Brothers and the Pat McGee Band.
    The Atlantic City Outlets stores will offer in-store specials and sidewalk sales as part of the celebration. The newest store openings include BCBGMAXAZRIA, Perry Ellis, Jones New York and Rockport. Aldo Shoes, Maidenform, Ashley Stewart and Easy Spirit are also among the new 40-store expansion. While additional stores are still being added, the Walk now spans from the foot of the Expressway to Atlantic and from Christopher Columbus Boulevard to Baltic.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

Resorts opened a new gaming pit in late July, complete with 28 tables just steps away from the Boardwalk.
    Mainly featuring Asian-style games including pai gow tiles, pai gow poker and mini baccarat, the parlor was opened to give players the best of both worlds when it comes to Atlantic City gaming.
    “We’re delivering popular games in a setting that’s comfortable, relaxing and unbeatable when it comes to the view,” said Phil Juliano, Resorts regional vice president of marketing.
    The closest table games area to the beach in Atlantic City, the new parlor also contains 10 poker tables, seven blackjack, two roulette and a craps table. Every Tuesday and Thursdays, Texas hold ‘em tournaments will be hosted in the new room, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and does permit smoking.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

She didn’t announce any construction dates or outline any design plans during the MBCA Summer Conference, but Pinnacle’s Executive VP Kim Townsend did state that there will be fireworks this fall.
    In her first formal city speech, Townsend announced the demolition team of R.E. Pierson Construction Co., Controlled Demolition, Inc., Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor and Fireworks by Grucci. The team is in charge of imploding the 21-story Sands Casino Hotel, the nine-story parking garage, the former Jefferson Hotel and neighboring properties.
    Preliminary demolition work includes removing windows and elevators, and drilling dynamite holes. The buildings are being entirely emptied down to the bare concrete. In all, 75,000 tons of concrete are scheduled to fall sometime in October to make way for Pinnacle Entertainment's new megaresort. A fireworks display is scheduled to accompany Atlantic City's first-ever casino implosion, making it a highly anticipated event.
    Townsend also held firm in her speech on the company’s position of leaving Atlantic City should any casino development occur at the Bader Field site. She announced anticipated groundbreaking in 2008 and construction beginning in 2009. Townsend ended her speech by saying, “see you in 2011,” the year the new resort is scheduled to open.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

98th Annual Baby Parade
August 9, 10 a.m.
6th Street and Boardwalk, Ocean City
609-525-9300, www.oceancitychamber.com

4th Annual Atlantic City Arts Alive! Festival
August 10-12 (times vary)
Kennedy Plaza at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
609-287-8655, info@martywilsonartmusic.org

Outdoor Movie: Rudy
August 10, 8:30 p.m.
Newport Ave. Beach, Ventnor
www.ventnorcity.org

11th Annual Atlantic County Puerto Rican Parade and Latin Music Festival
August 12, 12 p.m. parade, festival to follow
Albany Ave. to New Jersey Ave.
609-226-8183, www.atlanticcityparade.com

Cape May Kids Playhouse
Mondays & Thursdays through August 13, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m,
Cape May Convention Hall, Beach Drive at Stockton Place, Cape May
609-884-5404, www.capemaymac.org

Weird Week
August 13-17, begins 11 a.m.
Music Pier, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace, Ocean City,
609-525-9300

Movies on the Beach: Top Gun
August 14-15, 8:30 p.m.
On the beach between The Pier at Caesars and Bally’s, Atlantic City

Alice in Wonderland
August 23, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Dante Hall, 14 North Mississippi Ave., Atlantic City,
856-344-8877, www.dantehall.org

Wildwood Block Party & Festival
August 26, begins 10 a.m.
Pacific Ave., from Burk to Rio Grande Ave., Wildwood,
609-522-2444

Library Park Concert ( Rubber Souls)
August 31, 7 p.m.
Margate Library, 8100 Atlantic Ave., Margate
609-822-4700, www.margatelibrary.org

“Jazz It Up,” presented by the Garden State Wine Growers Association
September 1-2, begins 11:30 a.m.
Historic Allaire Village, Monmouth County
609-758-5400, www.newjerseywines.com

11th Annual Cape May Food & Wine Festival,
September 15-20
Throughout Cape May
800-275-4278, www.capemaymac.org.

Mid-Atlantic Blues & Music Festival
September 29-30, begins 11 a.m.
Bernie Robbins Stadium, 545 N. Albany Ave., Atlantic City,
888-333-3091 www.bubbamac.com

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

Donald Trump’s baby girl, Ivanka Trump, has traded the runway for the boardroom as the newest member of the Trump Entertainment Resorts board of directors. She replaces Wallace B. Askins, who retired in June, as the ninth board member, and will be one of the trustees overseeing the company’s hotels, golf courses and real estate holdings.
    Bringing his 25-year-old daughter on board falls on the heels of the recent announcement of ended negotiations for a potential buyer of one or all of the Trump Atlantic City properties. Trump Entertainment Resorts recently stated that a sale is not in the best interest of its shareholders, and that “previous discussions with prospective acquirers of the company have concluded.” The company added that there are no ongoing discussions with parties currently interested in buying the company. Trump, said the statement, will “continue to review other strategic corporate options while implementing its strategic operating plan with a view towards maximizing value for the company’s shareholders.”
    Those options include capital upgrades to all three Atlantic City casinos, including a new 786-room hotel tower at Trump Taj Mahal, and a merger of the databases of the player’s clubs at the three casinos into the new “TrumpONE” program.
    Meanwhile, Mark Juliano had the “interim” title taken off “chief executive officer” in July. Juliano, a former Caesars executive, replaced Trump CEO James Perry at the height of negotiations with a group headed by longtime Atlantic City casino executive Dennis Gomes. Sources say Perry quit when the board ignored his recommendation to continue to search for qualified buyers and instead limited their talks to Gomes’ group. Apparently, negotiations hit a snag over the wide gap between the price being sought and the price being offered.
    Wall Street analysts have predicted that the company will in all likelihood be sold piecemeal, to individual operators looking to break into the Eastern market.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

The final beam was lifted into the air as local officials, Borgata executives and the project’s 1,000 construction workers looked on. The Water Club, a signature boutique hotel by Borgata, celebrated its vertical completion on July 20 with the traditional topping-off ceremony.
    The $400 million hotel tower was announced shortly after Borgata’s opening in 2003. The Water Club’s opening in early 2008 will mark the completion of the $600 million second phase. A joint venture between Boyd Gaming Corporation and MGM Mirage, the upscale hotel brings the Las Vegas style to Atlantic City. The Water Club will feature 800 guests rooms, three residences, five heated pools, six retail shops and a two-story spa along with 18,000 square feet of meeting space.
    The last construction beam was signed by casino executives and project workers as a traditional way to commemorate the accomplishment. Perched atop the last beam of the tower sat a lone evergreen tree to symbolize prosperity. A tradition among construction projects, the tree reportedly brings good luck to the property. After being signed by Borgata COO Larry Mullin, Boyd Gaming President Keith Smith, Chairman Bill Boyd and others, the beam was lifted along with the tree as the last piece of the framing stage.
    “Upon its opening in early 2008, the Water Club will continue Borgata’s efforts in redefining Atlantic City as a travel destination by introducing a new, uncharted hotel experience to the market,” said Mullin.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

Normally, a new casino company would have the support of most local organizations, but the rocky start for Columbia Sussex as owners of the Tropicana may come back to haunt it. Local 54 of UNITE HERE, the industry’s largest union covering food-and-beverage and hotel workers, announced recently that it would oppose a permanent license for the Tropicana when hearings start next month. Recently re-elected President Bob McDevitt says the company isn’t acting ethically or responsibly when it fires almost 20 percent of its workforce.
    “The objective of the successful effort to create casino gambling in Atlantic City was to create a world-class tourist destination from a faded resort, down at its heels,” McDevitt explains. “The experiment worked and Atlantic City has grown and improved each year with billions of dollars of investment here, many thousands of jobs and a tremendous impact on the New Jersey state economy.
    “The Tropicana has become more than an embarrassment to Atlantic City. The way that Tropicana now goes about its business of running a tourist attraction is nothing less than a menace to the entire tourism industry here at a time when we are being economically challenged by emerging gambling destinations.”
    Because of that, McDevitt says Columbia Sussex should be denied a casino license in New Jersey, even though the Casino Control Commission says its definitions of duties would make that difficult.
    “Local 54’s position is that Columbia Sussex is not complying with the requirement under the Casino Control Act to ‘operate a world-class facility,’” says McDevitt. “But this should not be just a ‘union issue.’ It’s an ‘Atlantic City issue,’ as well. The current corporate model at Tropicana is not only unacceptable, it is in direct opposition to this entire community’s combined efforts to improve the Atlantic City product and to make our resort a world-class destination.”
    Tropicana officials contend that they are employing a Columbia Sussex business model that is new to Atlantic City, and will run a facility that will appeal to visitors, but also become a profitable company that will benefit not only the city but all employees, as well.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

It’s not a Stephen King novel, but Atlantic City locals know what it’s all about. It’s called the “Dead Zone,” and it’s defined as the no-man’s land between the former Sands and Resorts casinos. Steeped in history—much of Atlantic City’s early history occurred in this region—the Dead Zone has seen several development plans in the casino era fall through, but now there is a glimmer of hope, tied to its lifeline, the Boardwalk.
    Bob and Abe Schiff have owned Central Pier for many years. They’ve made it work by offering low-budget restaurants, games and a go-kart track. But now they’re dreaming big, and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is helping. Plans include a renovation of Central Pier, including retail, dining and entertainment, as well as the vacant block immediately across from the pier and the South Carolina Avenue block, which recently experienced a devastating fire. The fire-damaged stores are owned by Joseph Zoll, who is currently negotiating with the CRDA for assistance with the project. The Arcarde Building, which houses offices of the Casino Control Commission and the Division of Gaming Enforcement, is not included in the project.
    As the main Boardwalk entrepreneurs—they own nearly two-thirds of the Boardwalk’s non-casino properties—the Schiffs have a big stake in the Wooden Way. That’s why they’re so pumped up about the new development.
    “We think this will connect the two casino zones on the Boardwalk,” says Bob Schiff, in a podcast interview with Casino Connection. “With improvement to this part of the Boardwalk, visitors will have a reason to walk this way.”
    Although previous plans for the area had some casino component, Schiff says he isn’t looking for gaming.
    “Access to this area is not very good,” he says. “Casinos attract tens of thousands of people each day, and need superior access. We’ll attract thousands but can make do with the access we have, with some improvements, of course.”
    Tom Meehan, the director of development for the CRDA, says a small part of the funding for the development will come from the $99 million fund approved for Boardwalk redevelopment.
    Schiff hopes to attract national brand-name stores to the development.
    “In most Boardwalk stores, the properties are too small to fill the needs of national retailers,” he says. “We’ll build whatever they want and give them a long lease so they’ll have continuity.”
    It’s the short-term leases that have helped to prevent the Boardwalk from developing, some observers say. Land owners for years have refused to offer more than one- or two-year leases in the hopes that a buyer with deep pockets would show up. That’s changing, says Schiff.
    “The Boardwalk is in transition,” he says. “Within the next few years, you’ll see an entirely different set of stores and restaurants, with a great atmosphere. The market will respond and long-term leases will be the way to go.”
    In addition to retail and restaurants, Schiff says they want to include a “signature attraction.”
    “We haven’t determined yet what that should be,” he says, “but it will give people a reason to come here, something they’ll have to see and experience.”
    Schiff says he doesn’t begrudge developments like the Walk, the Pier and the Quarter their prosperity—and their CRDA support.
    “They’ve done great because they’re bringing new people to Atlantic City,” he says. “The Boardwalk will catch up, and become the equal to those."
    Meehan says the CRDA enthusiastically supports the Schiff project, and hopes that it will transform this area of the Boardwalk.
    “The piers were always major attractions in Atlantic City,” he says. “The Pier at Caesars is great, and I’m sure whatever happens to the Steel Pier will also be great. But it’s the non-casino aspect of the Central Pier development that will be so unique.”
    Schiff believes that when his company’s development is announced, the “Dead Zone” will truly come to life. “It will be the hottest area of Atlantic City,” he says.

Mon, Jul 23, 2007

You might have seen the scene on the Atlantic City beach: two men in business suits talking to each other over the roar of the ocean. Or maybe on the Boardwalk, as one man pushes another in a rolling chair.
    Sights you see in Atlantic City every day? Yes, but did you happen to catch the cameraman, the sound guy with the microphone, the lighting expert and the many, many interns milling around also? That’s because these scenes weren’t just another day in Atlantic City. They were actually scenes being filmed for a Korean television mini-series titled Angel.
    That production alone brought more than $160,000 in direct spending for area businesses. Around $65,000 went to participating hotels, such as the Tropicana Casino Resort, the Knights Inn and the Comfort Inn, and $34,000 went to feed the cast and crew breakfast, lunch and dinner during their time filming in Atlantic City.
    Angel is just one of the many productions the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority has been instrumental in getting made, after making film and television production one of its major directives. When I started at the authority, I made film marketing a major goal for us. A couple of things factored into my decision. Our convenient location and the multitude of settings—the city and the casinos, the beach and Boardwalk, suburbs and the pine barrens—all make the Atlantic City region an ideal location for filming.
    But mostly, while Atlantic City’s location is beneficial to these productions, Atlantic City benefits greatly when these productions come to film. For instance, filming of an Atlantic City segment for the movie Ocean’s Eleven took place at Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, among other areas in and around Atlantic City, in 2001. It initiated a frenzy of George Clooney sightings as he and co-star Bernie Mac visited White House Sub Shop on Arctic and Mississippi avenues. More importantly, the filming of the Atlantic City segment used 437 room nights and generated more than $729,000 in expenditures for the Atlantic City area.
    To lure film production to Atlantic City and the surrounding region, I set up the Film Office in January 2004 to work in conjunction with the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission.
    Overseeing the Film Office is Heather Colache, director of tourism for the authority. What does running the Film Office entail? Some of the major responsibilities of the ACCVA Film Office are to assist producers with scouting locations and to secure overnight rooms and office space. The office also provides resource referrals, expedites the permitting process and acts as a liaison with area governments and businesses.
    We’ve made great strides with the Film Office. Over the past couple of years, the popularity of Atlantic City has increased dramatically as producers see the varied locations we have to offer, as well as the conveniences and personalized services we have available to them.
    As a result, the ACCVA Film Office, along with the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission, played a major part in the production of film, television, commercials, documentaries, student films, music videos and more, for the United States as well as productions from around the world.
    In March 2004, the independent film Duane Hopwood, starring David Schwimmer and Janeane Garofalo, finished filming in Atlantic City and the surrounding region. As a result, the production of the movie brought $160,000 in direct spending for area businesses.
    Other films include a Tony Palma Film, Shades of Paradise (2004), Mort (2005), Cut Out (2005) and Frankie and Maddy (2006).
    Television projects filmed in Atlantic City include the You’re Not the Man I Married pilot episode (2004), The Simple Life (2005), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2005), American Eats (2005), Sunday Project (Japan, 2006), the television movie Underworld Histories (U.K., 2006), The Sopranos (2006), Astonishing News (Japan, 2007), and MTV’s Big Ten (2007).
    Of course, we are always on the lookout for the next Beaches, Rounders, Snake Eyes or Ocean’s Eleven. Maybe George Clooney will return to Atlantic City for Ocean’s Fourteen?
    For more information regarding the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority’s Film Office, contact Heather Colache at 609-449-7151 or email hcolache@accva.com.

By Joseph Corbo, Jr.   Mon, Jul 23, 2007

I am sure that for all of you, the date Wednesday, July 5, 2006 conjures up some very vivid memories. As you may recall, on that day at 8 a.m., our 12 privately owned casino businesses were closed by order of the state, victims of the budget impasse. In addition to impacting our operations, this event affected each and every employee who, as a result, lost significant wages and tips that would have otherwise been earned had they been allowed to work.
     Last year at this time, CANJ encouraged each of you to participate in the Casino Association employee voter registration campaign at each casino. A year later, we remind you that it is critical that we demonstrate to our state government that we are united as casino employees, and as such, our block of 45,000 employee voters, who with their families could easily make us a force in excess of 100,000 voters strong, wield tremendous statewide power.
    With the upcoming elections in November, in which the entire legislature is up for election, CANJ believes this is the opportune time to renew our efforts to register each and every casino employee to vote.
    As a refresher, the registration criteria for voting in New Jersey are as follows:

Who Can Register:
To register in New Jersey, you must be:
• a United States citizen;
• 18 years old by the next election; and
• a resident of your county for 30 days before the election.

    Our casinos will continue and strengthen our efforts to provide voter registration information and materials for our employees on-site, with many properties implementing staffed booths with registration materials and mailing envelopes. Be sure to check with your human resources department to learn more.
    Voter registration applications can also be obtained from the Division of Elections, Commissioners of Registration office in the county where you live, or from your municipal clerk.
    Registration forms are also available in various state agencies and at Division of Motor Vehicles offices, where the forms can be obtained while transacting agency business. You can also print a registration application online at www.state.nj.us/lps/elections/vote and mail the completed form to the Commissioners of Registration office in the county where you reside.
    In addition, this form can be used for name and address changes. Remember that the Commissioners of Registration cannot accept faxed copies or an electronic transmission of a voter registration form, since an original signature is required. Also remember that the registration deadline to vote in the next election is 21 days prior to election day. Election Day is November 6, so this means that you must be registered to vote before October 15.
    On a related topic, CANJ believes the time has come for a law to be passed allowing casino employees to hold political office in Atlantic City. Atlantic City casino employees and executives are currently prohibited from holding public office at the state level or in Atlantic City. They are not prohibited, however, from holding office in surrounding towns or the county.
    Under a new bill, which awaits a hearing in the Senate Tourism and Gaming Committee, gaming employees would no longer be barred from running for local office in Atlantic City (under this bill casino employees would still be barred from running for state legislature or statewide office).
    CANJ believes that over the years, Atlantic City has lost the opportunity to consider many otherwise qualified candidates as a result of the current prohibition on casino employees from holding public office and certain appointed positions.
    Consequently, we support the overturning of this law that prohibits some very successful, intelligent and hardworking individuals who work in our industry from participating in the political process.
    An additional message of the repeal of this prohibition would help to legitimize our industry by taking away the stigma associated with a limitation that does not restrict any other business or industry in our state.
    We urge you to participate in the electoral process by voting in November—and by registering to vote if you have not already done so. We also urge you to request to your state legislators that they support the passage of a law that would remove the current prohibition of casino employees from holding public office. As we learned during the shutdown last summer, we are impacted by the political process, and as a result, we should participate to the full extent permitted under the law.
    Our country is based on, and is strong because of, the principle of citizens participating in their government. We all have a solemn duty to vote. Please take the time to exercise this freedom and have your voice heard through your vote.

Mon, Jul 23, 2007

When you consider the competition that Atlantic City is facing or will be facing—slot parlors in Pennsylvania, racinos and Indian gaming in New York state, sports betting in Delaware—it really is no contest.
       Anyone who has visited the existing slot parlors at the Pennsylvania racetracks knows that, while they are designed to appeal to regular Atlantic City gamblers, they are simply second-rate. There are no table games, little non-gaming entertainment, and restaurants that will leave you searching for a fine-dining experience amid a lot of food-court-style offerings.
       They call it “critical mass,” and we’ve got it in Atlantic City. We’ve got 11 casinos that are virtually next door to one other, so if a gambler feels unlucky at one casino, he can simply step across the street to another to try his luck.
     Outside of Nevada, that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the U.S. And if you do end up losing, you will have accumulated players’ club points that make losing a little more palatable. In Pennsylvania and New York, those “points” are very scarce, because the astronomical tax rate makes it impossible for customers to be rewarded at the same level.
      But even if you don’t gamble, Atlantic City is the place to be. Entertainment abounds in the lounges and showrooms. Shopping is now found in almost every casino, and it’s concentrated in the Quarter, the Pier and the Walk. Hungry or thirsty? Don’t miss all the great bars, lounges and restaurants inside and outside the casinos.
      The one thing that really sets Atlantic City apart, however, is the ocean and the Boardwalk. No matter how impressive the competition gets—and we can include Las Vegas, Connecticut, Mississippi and all the states in between—none of them has an ocean and a Boardwalk.
      We can’t change the ocean—unless you listen to the “global warming” wackos—but we can change the Boardwalk. And we must. The Boardwalk is Atlantic City’s diamond-in-the-rough. Where else can you walk in the glorious sunshine, alongside an expansive sandy beach and glistening ocean, while enjoying an escape from reality?
      The Boardwalk has much to offer, but it also has many impediments to its future. Several groups have been set up to solve the problems of the Boardwalk, but it won’t happen unless everyone gets behind those efforts.
      The façade program designed by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is just a first step. If you haven’t seen the results of the completed sections, check it out. The upgrade is astounding.
      And of course, the Pier at Caesars has simply transformed that area. Now that it’s fully operational, the customers are streaming in. And those customers could become Boardwalk customers with a little effort and marketing.
      Last month’s announcement by the CRDA and the Shiff brothers about the reconstruction of Central Pier is very encouraging (see story, page 12). We all know the “Dead Zone” between the former Sands and Resorts is one of the most thorny problems being faced by Boardwalk boosters, and this project likely will solve that.
      But these are the “big issues.” Right now, groups are focusing on the “small issues”—and rightly so. If we can make inroads into the safety and cleanliness issues, the Boardwalk will be halfway home. And then if we can get landowners to commit to improving their properties—and by osmosis, the products offered in those properties—the Boardwalk’s future can be as bright as the flashing lights on a slot machine hitting a jackpot.

By Roger Gros   Wed, May 23, 2007

By Roger Gros   Wed, May 23, 2007

By Frank Legato   Tue, May 22, 2007

By Roger Gros   Tue, May 22, 2007

By Frank Legato   Thu, Mar 01, 2007

By NBC 40 WMGM   Tue, Feb 02, 2010

Convention Center:  Feb 3-7 is the International Power Boat Show. Feb. 20 Spirit Unlimited Cheerleading Competition. February 26th to 28th is the Atlantic City Classic Car Show & Auction.

Boardwalk Hall: February 27 Show of Shows, featuring the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association, 12:00 noon and 5:00 p.m. in Boardwalk Halls arena. 

February 25 9th Annual Men R Cookin at Atlantic City Boys & Girls Club to benefit Boys & Girls Club

It's the Second Annual Atlantic City Restaurant Week from February 28th to March 6th.  70 restaurants with prefix menu's at prefix prices... mark your calendar NOW!

For more information go to http://www.acrestaurantweek.com/

January 30 2010 Casino Connection Magazine update with Lisa Johnson on NBC 40

By NBC 40 WMGM   Fri, Jan 29, 2010

By NBC 40 WMGM   Sat, Jan 23, 2010

By NBC 40 WMGM   Thu, Jan 21, 2010

Late last month the founder  of Beal Bank, who is also known as a high-stakes poker player, made a surprise move by joining billionaire Carl Icahn in a new bid for Trump Entertainment. Beal hopes to convert his multimillion-dollar loan into equity in the company.

“Trump jumped ship at the last minute,” Icahn attorney Edward Weisfelner said in court, “and left Mr. Beal standing at the altar.”

see entire article here:  http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/january-2010/article/games-the-same-but-players-have-changed

By NBC 40 WMGM   Wed, Dec 02, 2009

http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/november-2009/article/ac-outlets-the-walk-your-holiday-headquarters

 

By NBC 40 WMGM   Wed, Sep 30, 2009

By NBC 40 WMGM   Tue, Sep 22, 2009

FAREWELL TO A LEGEND

Atlantic City bids goodbye to a favorite adopted son, the late Arturo Gatti, September 19 at Bally’s. A professional card has been established, with fights being sandwiched around highlight presentations, speeches and tributes to the most prolific fighter in Atlantic City history.

Gatti, based first in Montreal and then in Jersey City, became the only sure thing in a town known for gambling. Twice a year, he’d fill up Boardwalk Hall against any opponent, and his loyal fan base substantially spiked the drop in nearby casinos. Gatti was responsible for nine consecutive sellouts here, including the second and third bout of his famed trilogy against Micky Ward, and a matchup with Floyd Mayweather that established a non-heavyweight record for gross sales receipts in Atlantic City.

Gatti’s appearance was the brainchild of Bally’s then-President Ken Condon.

“We should have a special day for Arturo,” Condon said while Gatti was still alive. “I’d be the first to put that together.”

The tribute is appropriate. While earning about $20 million for himself, Gatti performed some other memorable deeds. He stayed with one promoter, Main Events, for his entire 16-year career. That’s now unheard of. He waged several Fights of the Year in boxing and created high paydays for Ward, Ivan Robinson, Mayweather, the gaming industry and HBO.

Gatti died under mysterious circumstances July 11 in Brazil (authorities first believed he was murdered by his wife, then changed the determination to suicide, which the boxing community does not believe).

He is sorely missed, not only for the exciting boxing, but for his effervescent, approachable personality. Gatti could laugh at himself, display respect for his opponent and make good copy for the media. He reminded those around him why they loved boxing.

Casino Connection salutes the athlete who symbolized the boxing-gaming marriage and carried a presence we may never see again.

By NBC 40 WMGM   Tue, Sep 22, 2009

By NBC 40 WMGM   Mon, Sep 21, 2009

Here is a link to the written article "Colony's Atlantic City Headache" on casinoconnectionac.com.

 

By NBC 40 WMGM   Sat, Sep 12, 2009

Don Marrandino named president of Harrah's Eastern Division Tides Story