Rowan v Stockton, Water and Icahn – Tuesday’s Roundup

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Rowan v Stockton
Since we wrote about Stockton’s interest in Atlantic City’s Bader Field site (the Press of Atlantic City has more details on that project here) we’ve heard a lot of people questioning everything from Stockton’s debt load to its tuition fees, so we thought we’d look at the raw numbers and also see how Stockton stacks up against its neighbor, Rowan University. Stockton University is still small, compared to Rowan (which has medical schools), and although its tuition is slightly higher, there’s not much in it. You can see the detailed breakdown here, comparing everything from SAT scores to the number of state-funded personnel. Water
A state legislative committee yesterday proposed a bill that would force water companies to perform audits to see how much water is wasted before reaching customers.  Maybe it seems odd that – as businesses – they don’t already do that, but apparently they’re not required to.

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Naloxone, Solar, Stockton – Monday’s Roundup

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Naloxone
A pharmacy in Egg Harbor Township is giving out brands of the so-called overdose-antidote drug naloxone for free, to help more people get access to the life-saving medication. “This is our way of helping get naloxone to patients. It’s our civil duty at this point,” Andrew Lyle, director of business development at Curexa in EHT, told the Press of Atlantic City here. Solar
The solar industry nationwide is booming – but in New Jersey, it’s not. Solar industry employment last year fell 14 percent in the garden state – you can read more at NJ Spotlight and also listen to an interview the reporter did with WNYC (link on the same page).

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AC Firefighters, Healthcare, Obituaries – Friday’s Roundup

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AC Firefighters
Atlantic City’s firefighters’ union – so far the only organization to challenge the state’s takeover of the casino resort town – on Thursday filed a brief in federal court, where a judge has the task of deciding whether to hear the case or send it back to a state court. The state’s move to have the case heard in federal court could draw out the litigation and increase expenses for both sides. The union urged the federal judge not to allow the state to “abuse the court system in order to frustrate plaintiffs’ ability to challenge the defendants’ unlawful actions.” Reporting by Amy Rosenberg of the Philadelphia Inquirer here. Healthcare
Two healthcare stories today, both via NJ Spotlight.

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Property Prices, Lawyers, PILOT – Thursday’s Roundup

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Property Prices
There’s a chasm between the top and bottom of New Jersey’s property market, according to Cat Country 107.3 in a story that – on closer inspection – turned out to be a rehash of a piece originally reported by NJ.com last week (for those charting the decline of the media, this is a practice known as ‘churnalism’). It’s worth revisiting the original report, though, because it gets at something that we’ve talked about – and lots of people talk about – often around here. Absecon Island is home to Longport, where property sales recently reached the highest median price for the greater Philadelphia region, and Atlantic City, at most eight miles away, and where property prices have been sluggish at best for a decade. It’s also worth revisiting this map from NJSpotlight, which shows another factor in the property-price mix. Longport has one of the lowest tax rates in the state, but one of the highest average tax bills per household, while Atlantic City has one of the highest tax rates in the state, but a still-low average tax bill per household.

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Craft Beer, Bail Changes, Atlantic City Art – Wednesday’s Roundup

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Craft Beer
If you’re interested in the craft beer movement and if you’re particularly interested in how breweries in the South Jersey region are faring, you need to read this piece by Matt Skoufalos of NJ Pen. Skoufalos attended a gathering of the Garden State Craft Brewers’ Guild in Oaklyn earlier this week and covered the growing trade organization’s bid to push back against some of the state’s red tape. while growing a community that will “play nice” with other special interest groups and providing a support network to its members. Also, there’s the inside scoop on a new nanobrewery planned for downtown Haddonfield that could help bring some new visitors into the town. Bail Changes
You might have heard a lot of talk about bail reform since it went into effect on Jan.

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Icahn & The Taj, Pedestrians and Brown Park Revisted – Tuesday’s Roundup

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Icahn & The Taj
Icahn said he will sell the Taj Mahal after Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have prevented Icahn and others from sitting on a casino license for a shuttered property. Christie said the bill was a “transparent attempt to punish the owner of the Taj Mahal casino,” and Icahn said “I believe other large investors will similarly have no interest in investing significant amounts in Atlantic City or New Jersey as long as Sweeney is in control of the Senate.” Sweeney retorted that the veto “will allow Icahn to exploit and manipulate bankruptcy laws and casino licensing regulations in ways that would enrich himself at the expense of regular casino workers and the families who depend on them.” So there you have it, via Reuters. The big men got shouty and Atlantic County is still down a casino.

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Wawa Competition, AC Magnate in HBO Doc, Cardinal Bistro – Monday’s Roundup

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Wawa Competition
Wawa is getting some new competition from Maryland-based Royal Farms, who are building new convenience stores in South Jersey this year. The first one is in Magnolia, Camden County, but another will be opening in Marlton and two more locations will be built by the end of the year, NJ.com reports. AC Magnate in HBO Doc
Atlantic City’s Sara Spencer Washington, a beauty-product manufacturer and hair-salon owner who was one of the first black millionaires in New Jersey, will be the focus of a HBO short documentary premiering this month. “Not only was she an entrepreneur, she was a social activist,” says Royston Scott, the film’s director and Washington’s great-grandnephew. “She refused to be held back by white society.”

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Lawsuits, Underground Railroad – Friday’s Roundup

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Lawsuits
Many predicted that efforts to solve Atlantic City’s financial crisis would ultimately go to the courts and we seem to be entering that phase. On Thursday, Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez moved to block the state from taking unilateral action that would have cut 100 firefighters from the city and made other changes to the remaining workers’ union contract. The case has now been moved to federal court, which will probably increase the costs considerably. The Press of Atlantic City has all the details. So far, the only people winning from the takeover are the lawyers and accountants.

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Baltimore Grill, ReStore At The Shore, Activism – Thursday’s Roundup

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Baltimore Grill
Route 40’s Bill Sprouse brings you news on an Atlantic City icon, plus a nostalgic look at what the Baltimore Grill means to him. (For those who don’t know him, the answer is EVERYTHING, from the white plastic canisters to missing teeth, so you should just go ahead and read it.)

ReStore At The Shore
Habitat for Humanity’s new furniture store is now open in Egg Harbor Township. They are selling great furniture (some of has come from local hotel renovations and they have nearly-new stuff too) – and, if you’re a hoarder looking to offload some clutter, they will come and pick up your unwanted furniture. The Current has all the details. Activism
The Press of Atlantic City has a brief story here about growing activist movements in South Jersey including four in Egg Harbor Township, Absecon, Atlantic City and Margate.

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How Would You Spend $1.56 mln on Atlantic City?

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New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs (DCA) paid the accounting firm Ernst & Young $1.56 million through September last year to “analyze” Atlantic City’s finances, according to some sleuthing by The Press of Atlantic City’s Christian Hetrick. We are sure that a lot of people in and around Atlantic City have better ideas for how they could use that money. Tell us what you would do with it! We will compile thoughtful suggestions into a post and send it to the DCA. Loading…

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