Taimak Guarriello Comes to Atlantic City Wednesday, Dec 2 2009 

Angela Crockett of Save Our Seed, Inc. sent me the following release:

Elevating the Standards of Excellence
SAVE OUR SEED, INC.
S.O.S. 
    
 
S.O.S is a not for profit organization that partners with high profile individuals and organization in an effort to empower our youth to reach their full potential through the arts. 
 
OUR GUEST:  Martial Arts Expert and Actor Taimak Guarriello teams up with local charitable organization, Save Our Seed (S.O.S) to bring educational equality to our youth. 
 
WHAT: Wednesday, December 9th, actor Taimak Guarriello, star of The Last Dragon, will visit our students, grades 4 – 12, to bring his Unfolding Dream Program to the classroom.  During a one day school wide assembly educational presentation, Taimak will present to students from:
Sovereign Avenue Elementary School ( Atlantic City ) 9:15 am – 10:00 am
Atlantic City High School 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Washington Avenue Elementary (Pleasantville) – 1:15pm – 2:00 pm
 
WHY:  Taimak’s Unfolding Dream Program is designed to encourage students to get in touch with their heart and to create their future from their personal inspiration, not from educational inequality. Through Taimak’s program, our students will be encouraged to embrace the possibility of the future and begin shaping their dreams NOW!
 
PRESS INTERVIEWS:  Taimak Gaurriello interview Tuesday, December 8th, at Cape Bank, 1501 Pacific & New York Avenue, Atlantic City at 6:30-700 pm EST.
 
About Taimak Guarriello’s Dream Program: Taimak’s Unfolding Dream, Inc. is about giving young people an opportunity to see their dream NOW!  And in doing so, with our help, they become their dream. Taimak’s Dream Program is a freeing yet disciplined practice and it works for everyone regardless of age, religion, culture, monetary status or gender. 
 
About Save Our Seed (S.O.S.) Inc: Established in 2007 by Angela Crockett, S.O.S. is a not for profit organization that provides a support network to encourage open dialogue on issues related to societal distress.  We partner with a myriad of organizations and individuals that are in a posture to charge head-on in an effort to reverse the staggering statistics that plague our communities, families, and children.  We fervently believe in engaging celebrities who are social visionaries and have the ability to influence their audience.
 
S.O.S. Driven,
Angela Crockett
Chief Visionary & Save Our Seed Pioneer
 
PO Box 152
Atlantic City, N.J. 08404
P: 609.385.0123 * F: 609.385.0135
info@saveourseedfoundation.org
www.saveourseedfoundation.org

I encourage you to support S.O.S.   They do great work to heal our culture in Atlantic City.

Here is a biography of Taimak Guarriello.

I Am Back! Wednesday, Dec 2 2009 

After a long hiatus, I am back!   It is good to be back in the blogging saddle.   A lot has happened since my last post.

The main reason I took a break from blogging was my Mayoral campaign.   That campaign was a great experience.   I look forward to sharing things from the campaign with you in the days to come.  

I will begin a weekly talk radio show on WIBG 1020 AM Saturdays from 2p - 4p beginning this Saturday, 5 December, MMVIIII.   You can listen online, http://www.wibg.com/listen5.html .   Please both listen and call-in to the show, 609.398.1020.   There are still advertising opportunities for you on the show.   E-mail me for more information, jesseokurtz@gmail.com .

Please consider subscribing to this blog and recommending it to your friends, family, and associates for all things Atlantic City.

(Image Source – http://www.thefinancialblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/i-am-back-261×300.jpg)

Thank You AC Weekly! Wednesday, Jul 29 2009 

AC Weekly called out the Baltimore Sun for that newspaper’s horrendous coverage of Atlantic City.   Pinky Kravitz also deplored the Baltimore Sun’s poor coverage of Atlantic City during an episode of his Pinky’s Cornerradio program.   Mr. Kravitz also mused that a possible reason for the lack of fact checking is the ever-shrinking news staff at most newspapers.foundation_baltsun

While their newspaper business is not in the best health, a few Google searches and phone calls would have clarified the mis-information in the Baltimore Sun’s Atlantic City story.

Here is the post from AC Weekly.

Any Fact Checking Going on at ‘Sun’?

An AC Weekly reader sent us an e-mail about a recent Baltimore Sun story on Atlantic City, which appeared on the paper’s Web site. It had a few major errors in it.

Now we’re not in the business of finding fault or errors at other publications, but 14 casinos in Atlantic City? Where did the reporter get that number? And the Chelsea, which is referred to as the Holiday Inn in the article, have they heard about that place? See how many factual errors you can find.

Source – http://blog.acweekly.com/2009/07/24/any-fact-checking-going-on-at-sun/

Photo credit – http://www.foundationforbcpl.org/foundation_baltsunlogo.color.gif

The UAW’s Luxury Golf Course Wednesday, Jul 29 2009 

   The United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union, who have been organizing and agitating casino dealers, owns a luxury golf course.   Black Lake Golf Course loses five million a year, according to Red State.   It would not be workers’ dues that pay to keep the golf course afloat, would it?

   The UAW has played an active role in rendering Detroit auto manufactures unable to compete with automobile plants in other areas of the country.   Will UAW play an active role in rendering Atlantic City unable to compete with surrounding casinos?

   The government does not and should not bail out failing Atlantic City businesses.   Yet the UAW lobbies Congress and our President to take our money to pay for UAW’s benefits and amenities, which are not feasible in our current economic climate.

   It is heartening to see Harrah’s Entertainment fight back against the UAW.   Check out their web-site countering the lies from the UAW.

anti uaw
Photo credit – http://media.photobucket.com/image/anti-uaw/f5fstop/antiuaw.jpg

Adding Allure to The Boardwalk Tuesday, Jun 16 2009 

Russ Eisle and Donna Marie are bringing back the charm of the Atlantic City Boardwalk.   Steven Lemongello writes about Mr. Eisle and his wife’s Haunted Tales:

“My wife and I went down to the Boardwalk, and we were looking at the same stores over and over,” Eisle said. “There was nothing for families on the Boardwalk.”

[...]

To give Haunted Tales a local flavor, he and his wife incorporated area folklore into the storyline. Lucy Johannson Leeds – or at least her ghost – is heard telling her tale of becoming the mother of an accursed 13th child, the Jersey Devil. Later, a local pirate, Capt. Beaumont, is heard weaving his tale of buried treasure.

Be sure to take a stroll on the famed wooden way and watch the show at Haunted Tales.

haunted tales i  
(Photo credit – http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3664/3403947465_dc2ff293cf.jpg?v=0)

It is important to financially reward those who take a risk to improve the quality of Atlantic City.

Blessed Mother Statue at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, A Drama of Authority and Popular Devotion Monday, Jun 8 2009 

There is a statue of the Blessed Mother which sits adjacent Our Lady Star of the Sea Church.   The statue, like many items of religious devotion, had been neglected over the years.   Christina Thomasello began to take an interest in the Marian shrine, as thanksgiving to Mary for the Blessed Mother’s intercession in her personal conversion to the Faith.

marian grotto ac
(Photo credit – http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/5/8c/1d8/58c1d89c-3de4-11de-9a0a-001cc4c03286.preview-300.jpg)

Ms. Thomasello vigilantly removed trash and encouraged other people to do the same.   Slowly and surely the trash lessened and interest grew.   One person brought flowers, another a candle, so on and so forth.   Before long, the statue became a place of vibrant devotion.

Things were well and good, until Ms. Thomasello announced her desire to re-establish the shrine as a dedication to Our Lady of Lourdes.   Rev. Joseph Pham, OLSS’s Pastor disagreed gently, pointing out that the parish is dedicated to Our Lady Star of the Sea, not Our Lady Lourdes.   Ms. Thomasello maintained her position that the grotto had always been dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.   The disagreement between Pastor and parishioner remained subdued, until Ms. Thomasello ordered a statue to be shipped to the parish of St. Bernadette, who is the young girl to whom the Blessed Mother appeared at Lourdes, France.

Father Pham refused to give the statue to Ms. Thomasello.   He argued pastorally that the addition of St. Bernadette would confuse the faithful.   The argument is rooted in Marianology (the study of the Blessed Mother).   The Pastor’s position is that the parish grounds ought to focus on explaining the apparition of Mary known as Our Lady Star of the Sea, not Our Lady of Lourdes.   Father Pham further argues, and the Diocese of Camden agrees, that legally the statue belongs to the parish, because it was sent to Our Lady Star of the Sea Church.   All parish property ultimately falls under the authority of the Pastor.

OLSS Dads Logo

The dispute over the dedication of the grotto is a local instance of the drama between popular devotion and authority within the Catholic Church.    Juliet Fletcher writes in today’s Press of Atlantic City features a story about some historical evidence supporting the argument that popular devotion has previously recognized the Marian grotto as a place for devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes.

The story is intriguing and illustrates the intricacies of both the Catholic Faith and the difficulties of being a Pastor.   Catholics encourage fellow Catholics to grow in their faith and to find ways to spread the Faith to others.   We also pray for our Pastors and must be obedient to their God-given authority, which is bestowed through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.   It is oft times difficult to ascertain the right course of action, yet Catholic and non-Catholic alike can enjoy the intrigue of the parish drama unfolding between Father Pham and Ms. Thomasello, authority and popular devotion.

Absentee Ballot Update Thursday, Jun 4 2009 

Yesterday, we reported a court hearing on what turned out to be 117 late arriving absentee ballots.  

Also on Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Valerie Armstrong ruled that 117 absentee ballots delivered 54 seconds after Tuesday’s 8 p.m. deadline would not be counted. The four members of the Board of Elections, who are scheduled to appear before the grand jury on June 10, were split on a decision to count the late ballots. Armstrong is required to break any tie.

 It is believed that those ballots were brought in by Councilman Marty Small’s campaign, according to reports Tuesday night.

The absentee and messenger ballots could influence the City Council At-Large Democrat Party nominations.   It is possible, but unlikely, that absentee ballots could snatch the nomination away from Moisse Delgado, Frank Gilliam, or George Tibbitt.

Harry Hurley opines:

HarryHurley.com
 
BREAKING NEWS
 
June 3, 2009
1:00 P.M.
 
Atlantic City Councilman George Tibbitt
has taken the lead in the race for City Council at Large.
 
Tibbitt leads by more than 200 votes at this hour.
 
Mo Delgado and Frank Gilliam will finish 2nd and 3rd for the three seats.
 
About 600 more absentee ballots are continuing to be counted.
 
Developing. 

There is still a slim chance that Ernest Coursey could break in to the top three, but he will have to appear in most, if not all, of the remaining absentee ballots.

Free Internet in Atlantic City Thursday, Jun 4 2009 

Amy Baratta reports:

TRUE to the city’s marketing tagline, “Always Turned On,” the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority teamed up with FreeFi Networks, a Los Angeles-based company that offers content and advertiser-supported Public Internet WiFi access, to create one the largest free wireless hotspots on the East Coast.

The free, public-access network covers nearly the entire footprint of the Atlantic City Convention Center, including all five exhibit halls and pre-function areas, as well as the adjacent rail station and Boardwalk Hall, the city’s special events venue located on the Boardwalk.

Breaking News – Court Hearing on New Messenger Ballots Wednesday, Jun 3 2009 

The Atlantic County Board of Elections is participating in a 3pm court hearing on some newly discovered messenger ballots, in Courtroom 3A.   A representative of the Kurtz Team will be attending this hearing to bring you the results of what transpires.

Steve Lonegan Coming to Atlantic City Saturday, May 30 2009 

Steve Lonegan will be in Atlantic City today (Saturday, May 30). medium_loneganheadpicMr. Lonegan is visiting all 21 counties on a Victory Lap of New Jersey. The Atlantic County stop is at the Irish Pub in Atlantic City, on St. James Place, at the foot of the Boardwalk, from 7pm – 9pm. The event is free and you are invited to attend. You are also free to make a contribution to “Lonegan for Governor,” if you are so inclined.

Steve Lonegan will be joined by Derek Brown, who is running for Atlantic County Freeholder At-Large, Joe Nickels and Sue Sandman, who are running for Republican State Committeemen, Myself, an Atlantic City Mayoral candidate, and my team of City Council At-Large candidates Lan Dang, Sharon Zappia, and Bob Willman.

Steve Lonegan will point out how New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been the fastest growing government agency in the country over the last decade.   The DEP has mandated Atlantic City’s sand dune height, ruining the view of the Ocean from the Boardwalk.

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