Fishermen's Energy is coming to Atlantic City and will more than likely have employees and offices in Gardner's Basin. This is the company that will develop six wind turbines 2.8 miles off the coast of Atlantic City as a demonstration project.
It will be the first offshore wind farm in the United States and is located in safe waters. The project will provide enough electricity for 10,000 homes. The line carrying the electricity from the wind farm would come ashore at Tennessee Avenue and go 9 feet underground to Huron Avenue, where it will enter a substation and be carried onto the grid.
If all goes as anticipated, there will be a full-fledged wind farm with 100 turbines between three and 16 miles offshore between 2014 and 2016. There are two other companies that have permits to establish wind farms of approximately 100 turbines each. One would be located off Ocean City, and the other off Sea Isle City.
One of Fishermen's Energy's investors has a catamaran that will be used to take 150 people for sightseeing trips while also being used by the developers for their project. There are a variety of different sea vessels that will be used as well.
On October 5 to 7, the North American Offshore Wind Conference will conduct its annual meeting in Atlantic City. It is anticipated it will draw more than 1,000 people interested in this fascinating program. Two years ago, the first meeting had fewer than 500 in attendance. It shows how fast the interest in offshore wind farms developed.
Gov. Chris Christie has been invited to be the keynote speaker.
Atlantic City Airshow
The first air show in Atlantic City was held July 4 to 12, 1910. The 100th anniversary of that air show in Atlantic City will be celebrated with the Eighth Annual Atlantic City Air Show, Thunder Over The Boardwalk, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25.
The show will begin with a member of the U.S. Army's Golden Knights parachute team gliding down to the beach carrying an American flag that will be planted on the beach.
That will be followed by the singing of the National Anthem. Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford and the Golden Knights parachutist will blow out a candle on a cake that is shaped like an airplane to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Atlantic City's air shows. This will be followed by everyone singing "Happy Birthday Atlantic City's Air Shows" led by Ms. Senior America New Jersey 2010 Becky Orsatti.
There is good news for one and all: the Atlantic City Air Show, which takes place over the ocean, beach and boardwalk of our resort, is FREE. You are invited to bring your own beach chairs, towels or anything else to sit on, as well as any food and beverages, excluding alcohol, you desire. I urge you to come early to make sure you get a spot as it is anticipated that beach will be very crowded.
Thanks to the fine staff at the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority's marketing department, headed by Maureen Siman, for another celebration during the air show.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Monopoly, the famous board game based on the streets of Atlantic City. To celebrate the occasion, the rotund Mr. Monopoly will parachute onto the beach during the Atlantic City Air Show. That's right: Mr. Monopoly will parachute onto the beach with top hat, cane and all.
Hasbro is celebrating this occasion with a series of Monopoly-themed events around the world and online on Aug. 25. From Atlantic City to the streets of Sydney, Australia, a variety of activities will entertain fans of the classic game. But there will be only one Mr. Monopoly parachuting, and he will be in Atlantic City.
For those of you who are driving into Atlantic City for this momentous occasion, Bader Field and the parking lot of the Sandcastle Stadium will be available for parking for $10, which will include jitney transportation to and from Albany Avenue and the Boardwalk. Do not forget to bring your radio and tune into WOND 1400-AM for a description of what is taking place in the air and what will be coming up next.
Notes of interest
Atlantic City is considering creating bike lanes, similar to what they have in Margate, along the Atlantic Avenue between Jackson Avenue and Roosevelt Place. This will provide a safe passage way for bicyclists caught on the Boardwalk after 10 a.m. and need to get back to the downbeach communities. Unfortunately, due to heavy traffic, they cannot put bike lanes going farther into Atlantic City.
Work will soon begin on removing the boards on the Boardwalk between New Jersey and Rhode Island avenues. New boards are being delivered daily to replace the old ones. While the boards are up, the foundation for the Boardwalk will be examined to make sure there are no problems. If there are problems, replacements will be put in where necessary.
Atlantic City's Boardwalk Division will do the work on this project. There will be a walkway put in place for people desiring to go to the Florence Miller Art Museum or the Atlantic City Historical Museum, on Garden Pier. Bike riders will no longer be able to continue on the Boardwalk past New Jersey Avenue. They will have to go down New Jersey Avenue to Pacific Avenue and then ride up to New Hampshire Avenue, where they will turn left to go to Gardner's Basin. Revel Entertainment is responsible for financing the $1.6 million needed for this project.
The Special Improvement District's people counter, located in their office on the Boardwalk side of the Boardwalk Hall, noted that as of the beginning of August, 2.7 million more people have been on the Boardwalk since the beginning of the year compared to last year. They're also happy to let you know that they are experimenting with flower boxes in the uptown portion of the Boardwalk. They are quite attractive and, if they hold up, next summer there will be flower boxes along the Boardwalk.
On Tuesday, a committee of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority met with architects to discuss the concept of lighting up the Pacific Avenue side of Boardwalk Hall. This column had noted to you that consideration was being given to use the small lights to outline Boardwalk Hall. This would be the same kind of lightning that was used to outline the former Playboy Hotel and Casino, which became the Atlantis Hotel and Casino and then became Trump World's Fair. It was quite effective as seen from a distance.
(Pinky's Corner airs 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays on WOND-AM 1400. His TV show, "WMGM Presents Pinky," airs 7:30 p.m. Saturdays NBC TV40.) Pinky's e-mail address is: pinky@pressofac.com.)
