Vikings Basketball
Lynda Cohen has an insightful link to an interview with Ray Bethea Sr. (whose son was a star player at Atlantic High) and who is at the center of the basketball program controversy over Gene Allen.
Bethea said Allen was too hard on the kids and, citing a specific text where Allen says the kids want “shit we didn’t really earn.”
If that’s the most profane thing Allen said, it seems surprising to me that’s why he’s lost his job. But I’ve been around some coaches whose language would take the paint off your car.
Lynda also quotes Elijah Langford (Allen’s temporary replacement) calling Allen a mentor and saying he didn’t ask for the job.
Mike McGarry at the Press says Allen’s considering hiring a lawyer or seeking assistance from the teachers union.
Mayor Fight
The Atlantic City Dems are holding an emergency meeting tonight to address the ongoing mess around Mayor Gilliam and Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy after the mayor was seen on video throwing punches outside Haven Nightclub November 11. Three employees signed complaints.
Incident at Mad Horse Creek
Bill Gallo has an update on rural marsh cabins down in Salem County that are in the crosshairs of regulators, who had been given the ok to demolish them.
Am I unduly cynical or does “Mad Horse Creek” sound like the kind of name the PR wizards behind “Duck Dynasty” would create? Maybe “Lead Glass Holding Pond” had already been registered. Anyway, it is catchy.
Climate Change
The Federal Government released another dire climate catastrophe document Friday, while the nation was devouring its own Walmarts, and the valuable Spotlight has a region-specific precis.
“Rising sea levels and storm surge could result in up to $30 billion in property losses for coastal New Jersey and Delaware by 2100, according to some projections in the report.”
That’s actually one of the more optimistic projections.
Marijuana
They have been talking about it for months, but marijuana reform bill has finally been released by state legislators. Votes are imminent.
You could read the bill here or a summary here.
For more feats of journalism…
Fun aplenty at Margate’s Small Business Saturday–MARGATE – There was lots of fun to be had at Bocca Coal Fired Bistro on Saturday, Nov. 24 as the city business community celebrated Small Business Saturday. www.downbeach.com
THE LIST: TOP TEN HIGHEST-PAID PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES IN NEW JERSEY–The Garden State’s governor has a salary of $175,000. Almost 400 public school employees earned more last year, some of them a lot more www.njspotlight.com
Redistricting plan would strip power from state Democratic chairman and Republicans–Democratic legislative leaders are preparing to diminish the power of their state party chairman as well as Republicans — if they can get New Jersey voters to go along with them. www.politico.com