The Sea, The Sea and Some Financial Stuff – Friday’s Roundup

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The Press of Atlantic City takes a look at the impact of casino
gambling on small businesses, declaring the effects “both a blessing
and a curse.” “When they brought casinos in, I don’t think that they ever envisioned
that they would be all-encompassing, that they would be closed off to
the city — and to the ocean for that matter,” said Mayor Don Guardian. Oh, Donnie. You are so naive! Meanwhile, the same Atlantic City mayor has been cracking on with his plan to keep the Queen of Resorts out of the state’s clutches, mainly by coming up with a faintly sketched roadmap for paying down debt and reducing interest payments.

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Stockton University Island Campus Progress Report

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Maybe you’ve lived through more than one of Atlantic City’s many revival phases. Maybe you’ve seen the big buildings come down as well as go up.  Maybe you’re a foreigner and a bit of a cynic like me. But put aside your reservations for a minute and take a look at the Stockton University Island Campus. Skipping over the mess surrounding the project’s origins, it’s hard not to be at least a little bit lifted up by these massive machines at work.

More about: Atlantic City, Stockton University Island Campus

Atlantic City’s D-Day Is Monday, An Existential Taj Mahal and Picky Eaters – Thursday’s Roundup

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Atlantic City last night took a step closer – maybe, just maybe – to getting out from under the bizarre and complex terms that came with taking a controversial state emergency loan earlier this year. The city council agreed (just – the vote was 5-4) to sell former airstrip Bader Field to the city’s water utility in return for $110 million (and yep, a lot more debt for the Municipal Utilities Authority). Next step is the announcement of a five-year recovery plan which will be presented at a public meeting at City Hall on Monday at 5pm. If it doesn’t appease the state, it won’t be for Mayor Don Guardian’s lack of trying. Guardian has sold everything from scrap metal and filing cabinets to bicycles and vacant lots to raise money and he’s persuaded hundreds of city staffers to take early retirement and do without city courtesy cars to trim costs.

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School Vouchers, Pot and Pocket Fluff – Wednesday’s Roundup

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Atlantic City residents will be voting November 8 on a school voucher referendum that would, theoretically, give parents $10,000 to send their kids to the school of their (the parents’) choice. The referendum was proposed by Councilman Jesse Kurtz (who was home-schooled and home-schools his kids) and passed the city council unanimously. The teacher’s union opposes it, rather strenuously. And vouchers are currently illegal in New Jersey. But with the sky falling down the way it has been, proponents see an opportunity. Read Diane D’Amico’s story.

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A Notorious South Jersey Mountain Lion and Trump? Who’s He? Just Show Me The Money

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In news from the paranormal school of clickbait, Philly Voice reported on a Mountain Lion possibly roaming through South Jersey (wait – you didn’t realize you were living in a mountainous snowy wonderland? Us neither). There was “trail camera” footage, a genre familiar to everyone who’s ever googled ‘Jersey Devil’ or ‘Big Foot’, and Winslow Township police were on the case. Spoiler alert – the story was later updated and the party poopers at the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife snuffed out the wannabe viral image. ‘Tis the season, folks.

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Ice Cream ‘Smackdown’ and a Casino Architect Wonders if it was all Worth it – Monday’s Roundup

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It’s 40 years since the referendum was passed to legalize casino gambling in Atlantic City, and the town has been completely saved and rejuvenated by the sainted industry. Right? Anyway, the Press of Atlantic City has a neat interview with Steve Perskie, ‘father of casino gaming’, looking back on those 40 years. Probably a good time to remind everyone that Perskie was found to have committed serious ethics violations as a judge and to have lied to a senate panel a few years ago. Also, for those with time on their hands, we have a neat document that shows how the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has spent all that tax money.

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More Camping, Fewer Port-A-Johns Coming Soon To Lake Lenape

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The west side of Lake Lenape Park in the Pinelands of Atlantic County is about to get a major refit, with Atlantic County and the Atlantic County Improvement Authority coming together to build a bathhouse and extend the number of camping sites along the water’s edge. The nearly 2,000 acre park is in the pinelands, which means there are additional hurdles to build or develop the area. The only bathroom at the site is at the boathouse at the southern end to the park and visitors to the 18-site campground in the northern section of the park rely on port-a-potties. Still, the $17-a-night sites are in demand throughout the April-November season, and the county’s parks department has been looking to extend camping options for some time. In fact, a plan to extend sewer, water and electricity lines out to the campsite area in the north of the park was part of plans formed two decades ago, said Glen Mawby, director of facilities management for the county.

More about: Government, Homepage Featured, atlantic county, camping, lake lenape, parks

Get Your Winter Cornhole Fix and Say Farewell, Furloughs! – Thursday’s Roundup

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It’s been almost a year since Atlantic City’s Wonder Bar got a refit. Like a lot of places around here, it was struggling to straddle the seasons – its bay-side deck make it a great summer hangout, but what to do in the winter? Apparently, the answer is indoor Cornhole and who are we to disagree. The Press of Atlantic City paid a visit to check it out. (The place is also a favored watering hole of local politicians, according to those in the know.)

today in Atlantic City, just another George Norcross sighting.

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