Atlantic City Weekly

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The United States of America will celebrate its 234th birthday on Sunday, July 4. It is a time for celebration for all of its citizens and visitors.

We have the good fortune of living in a great nation that offers so much to so many. Without a doubt, it is the most diverse country in the world, and we have benefited from this diversity. Just think what Americans have discovered and invented to make this world a better place in which to live. We’ve had our problems and unfortunately will continue to have problems. However, in most instances we seek to resolve our problems, and for those that continue to plague us, we will eventually find a solution.

Too many of us take for granted the way we live. Look around at the rest of the world and see how fortunate we are. I thank my dear departed parents every day for having the fortitude to escape a pogrom in Lithuania and coming to the United States where they gave birth to my brother Tevis and me.

The common ground for the celebration of this joyous occasion is in family picnics and fireworks displays. Over the past several years there have been various fireworks displays in Atlantic City and its surrounding communities. We have enjoyed all of them, but the ones fired from the beach with the background of the ocean were the most exciting. Unfortunately, sparks from a firework once fell onto a child on the Boardwalk. This curtailed fireworks on the Atlantic City beach.

It was then decided to put them on barges that were pulled out into the ocean. This lasted a few years until a barge was set on fire by some errant fireworks. For the next several years there were fireworks displays, but nothing like we had seen in previous years. The Borgata decided to become the presenter of an exciting fireworks display from their roof. Just a couple years later, Harrah’s Resort became a co-sponsor for this marvelous annual display.

This year, there will be two 25-minute mammoth fireworks displays. Don Marrandino, who earlier this year became the Eastern Division president of the Harrah’s properties, questioned why there were no fireworks displays on the Boardwalk front. He was told of the previous experiences and said, “That was then and this is now.” Marrandino went to work and called several business people and casino operators throughout the community to raise the necessary funds to once again have a fireworks display from a barge in the ocean. It was decided to hold this display on Friday, July 2, at 9:30pm. The Borgata and Harrah’s will present their fireworks display on Sunday, July 4 at 9:30pm from Borgata’s roof. Thus, Atlantic City will have two wonderful displays of fireworks to celebrate this nation’s anniversary. It will be a gala weekend. (See p. 74 for details)

There will also be fireworks displays on July 4 in several other communities throughout South Jersey (See p. 74). Wherever you are you’ll be within a short distance of enjoying the way America celebrates its birthday. While you are doing it, take a moment, look up to the heavens and thank the good Lord for overseeing the development of this country that we revere so much.

Boardwalk Billboard Update

A few weeks ago we told you that the Boardwalk Committee was concerned about the blank billboards around the city. One, at Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and the Boardwalk, was particularly disturbing and its owners, Pinnacle Entertainment and Abe and Bob Shiff, agreed to permit the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority (ACCVA) to put two public-announcement vinyls on those signs. Upon investigation, it was determined that they were in disrepair and unfit for the men that would put up the signs.

To show their determination to improve unsightly billboards, the Schiff brothers made available the large billboard on Central Pier. They also stated they would pay for putting the signs up on that board. This was a magnanimous gesture on their part. If you look at that billboard today, you will see one vinyl promoting people having a good time in A.C. and one informing them of the fireworks displays coming up this weekend. The fireworks vinyl will be taken down next week and replaced with a new vinyl denoting forthcoming events in A.C. Hopefully there will be other billboard owners who’ll make their boards available when they are not rented for a long period of time. Our thanks and congratulations to Pinnacle, the Shiff Brothers and the ACCVA for getting involved in helping to improve the look of Atlantic City.

Notes of Interest

The former post office building on Pacific Avenue has been demolished and its remains are being removed. Here is an excellent suggestion made by a listener of my radio show. He recommended the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), the current owners of that site, make a cut-in for a jitney stop on the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Pacific Avenue. At one time, when Jim Kennedy was the executive director of the CRDA, it was determined there should be cut-ins along Pacific Avenue for the jitneys to allow for traffic to continue in the right lane while they pulled in for their patrons to disembark. There are currently two cut-ins — one at Caesars and one at the Tropicana. When the jitneys use them, traffic continues to move. It’s once again time to look at adding more cut-ins, as Pacific Avenue is going to remain two-way for the foreseeable future.

Our congratulations to the Atlantic City Solstice Committee for their parade on the Boardwalk this past Saturday. It was put together within a three-month period. Hopefully next year, with more time, they will put on another outstanding parade and continue each year to celebrate the beginning of the summer season. The participants had fun and are looking forward to doing it again next year.

Pinky’s Corner airs Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm on News Talk WOND-AM 1400. His TV show, WMGM Presents Pinky, airs Saturday at 7:30pm on TV40. Pinky’s e-mail address is: pinky@acweekly.com.