Tired Taj
“The building is tired,” Jim Allen, Hard Rock International chairman told the East Coast Gaming Conference yesterday. He was talking about the Taj Mahal, which is going to need some $400 million (more than previously estimated) to become a Hard Rock Casino. Turning white elephants into giant guitars doesn’t come cheap. The Press of Atlantic City has the details.Speaking at the same event, Jeff Gural, owner of the Meadowlands racetrack, said he can wait six years to build a casino in North Jersey.
Brigantine, via @connie_pyatt_photography
Plan Stan
Assemblyman Chris Brown wants to know what, exactly, the state officials in charge of Atlantic City are planning on doing with Bader Field. That’s the vacant former airstrip that is one of the resort town’s few remaining assets. Who knows whether the assemblyman will get any more answers than the rest of us who are trying to figure out the state’s plan.
Coy Roy
Meanwhile, Colin Bell, Brown’s rival for the state senate seat, issued a press release saying Brown’s comments at yesterday’s gaming conference show he flipped his position on North Jersey casinos. This election race is just getting started, people.
Nineteen teams had registered for the first annual “Past, Present and Future” flag-football tournament and fundraiser for longtime Holy Spirit High School football coach Bill Walsh Saturday—213 players, according to the organizers. It was an unseasonably cold May morning, though the wind (excessive) was pretty standard for May in South Jersey. The fundraiser was held to raise money to cover medical expenses and general life expenses for Walsh, who was recently diagnosed with ALS. Read Bill Sprouse on Walshy’s Warriors.
In the rest of the news from the last 24 hours, after the false alarm, people are realizing they wouldn’t know what to do if there were an incident at one of South Jersey’s nuclear plants, flounder season is underway, Brigantine could start requiring beach tags at the Cove, officials expect a busy hurricane season, and ratings agency Moody’s says the state still needs to raise taxes. All that and more below:
Push for Emergency Responders to Report Data in New Statewide System–In an effort to improve patient care and better monitor public health — including the ongoing opiate epidemic — New Jersey could implement a new statewide system to collect, track, and analyze patient data collected from hundreds of thousands of local ambulance runs. A bipartisan trio of state lawmakers introduced legislation on Thursday that would require emergency medical service providers to report to the state detailed information about where and when they respond to patients, and their condition, as well as any treatments administered and the corresponding results. www.njspotlight.com
The Hottest Seats in the House: Guide to NJ’s Most-Contested Primaries–Yes, District 2 is featured. www.njspotlight.com
ACIT Debuts Interactive Veteran Memorial Project–The Atlantic County Institute of Technology (ACIT) held a Memorial Day ceremony on Thursday, May 25th, to honor local members of the military. www.snjtoday.com
Vietnam Vet Gets Belated Medal for Heroism–U.S. Marine Corps vet John Hunsinger of Franklin Twp. received Bronze Star with Valor earlier this month at a ceremony at American Legion Post 372 in Cherry Hill. Courier-Post
N.J. Memorial Day Weekend Weather Forecast Has Ups and Downs–The 2017 holiday weekend could be wet at times, but expect some periods of sunshine in the Garden State. NJ.com
10 Wineries to Check Out in South Jersey–With summer right around the corner, why not appreciate the wineries in South Jersey that produce the most amazing, soul-healing drink that our hearts yearn for. Cat Country 107.3
South Jersey Industries’ General Counsel Named Finalist in NJBIZ Awards–South Jersey Industries' Gina Merritt-Epps was named a finalist in the 2017 NJBIZ General Counsel of the Year Awards at its ceremony at the Palace in Somerset Park on May 19. The program recognized standout legal executives in New Jersey and the critical roles those executives play in the success of their companies. NJ.com