John Palmieri, CRDA

 
                                                                     


                                                            

 My "letter to the editor" as published in the Press of Atlantic City and my "letter to the editor" as submitted.  Plus an update on Cassanda Shober.

Posted: Sunday, April 8, 2012 12:01 am

Use racetrack, not Bader

as A.C. concert venue

Regarding the March 27 story, "Bader to Boardwalk, Atlantic City changes on way," and the March 29 story, "'Do AC!' chosen as new resort slogan":

The plan to turn Bader Field into a retail and housing complex and the Atlantic City Alliance's God-awful new slogan drive many of us mad. Go any day of the week to the PressofAtlanticCity.com online comments, and you'll see regular folks ridiculing these so-called experts and giving better ideas.

Here, in essence, is what I wrote a while back concerning Bader Field and the Sandcastle Stadium: Fix the stadium and use it as a rotating venue for South Jersey high school baseball. Open it up to local softball teams on the weekend. Install lots of security cameras. Use it for weekend seafood festivals. Keep the surrounding neighborhood quiet and residential. Keep traffic on the Black Horse Pike moving.

In other words, keep it simple.

Look at the traffic circle near Atlantic City International Airport, ruined by an attempt to fix what wasn't broken. As tempting as Bader Field may be as a venue for big music extravaganzas, it's another potential traffic nightmare. It's also too close to residential neighborhoods.

I also suggested using Atlantic City Race Course near Hamilton Mall as an Atlantic City concert venue instead of Bader. There could be many more concerts that way - a continual summer weekend lineup featuring major headliners performing at the casinos and second tier acts at the racetrack. There's plenty of room for vendors in the parking area.

GARY STEIN

Mullica Township

Gary Stein is a candidate in the June primary for the Democratic congressional nomination in the 2nd District.

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as submitted to Press of ac

Stories like last weeks article- CRDA’s John Palmieri plan to “ Turn Bader Field into Retail, Housing Complex”  and one a few days later about the god awful new slogan, "Do A.C.!" drive many of us regular folks mad, they really do.  Go any day of the week to the Atlantic City Press on-line blog and you’ll see regular folks ridiculing these so called experts and giving better, much more common sense ideas.  Here essentially is what I wrote last year concerning Bader and the Sand Castle Stadium.  Minimally fix the stadium and use it as a rotating venue for South Jersey High School baseball.  Open it up to local softball teams on the weekend.  Given the local history, install lots of security cameras.  Bader, that should be for weekend Seafood festivals, late Spring, Summer and Fall.  Keep the neighborhood surrounding Bader quiet and residential; keep the traffic on the Black Horse Pike moving.  What I’m suggesting is called "light commercial" use.

To Mr. Palmieri, and the rest, there’s this sage advice to fall back on KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID or KISS.  As example, look to the traffic circle at the airport, ruined by, eh, attempting to fix what wasn’t broken.  And as tempting a venue Bader field is for big rock extravaganzas, it’s also another potential traffic nightmare.  It’s also too close to residential neighborhoods.

I suggested way back yonder, using Atlantic City Racetrack at Hamilton Mall as an Atlantic City concert venue instead of Bader.  There could be many more concerts that way; a continual summer weekend lineup with major headliners performing at the casinos, 2nd tier acts, some local, some Philly over at the Racetrack.  There's mega room for vendors in the race track parking area as well. Go with the Racetrack, not Bader. That's a winner; good for up and coming bands, good for the Mall, good for vendors, good for the casinos, especially good for, I’d think, the re-named Atlantic Club Casino,  which now depends almost exclusively on locals, and local's use the Black Horse Pike as the most direct route into Atlantic City.

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 Conclusions?  Don't know, but my mention of Atlantic Club (the old Hilton) was certainly left out.  What's the Atlantic Club?  See below

                    philly.com
             Chief Operating Officer Michael Frawley stands in front of
             the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel, which is now offering gourmet
         restaurant experiences at diner prices. Photo: Associated Press

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             Femme Fatale, The Velvet Underground


update on Cassandra Shober.  April 9th, still not one word........not one word from the Shober campaign about absolutely anything.  However, there is this fb page ......... http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cassandra-Shober-for-the-United-States-Congress/195005657281740 ........ with this information "No information has been provided... yet."  and one "like" by Creed Poque.