Gambling in the Meadowlands?
Discussions continue to heat up over the possibility of bringing gambling to the Meadowlands.
Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Essex) has been pushing for New Jersey to look into expanding casino gambling beyond Atlantic City into other localities. At a regional gambling conference in Atlantic City on May 20, he said that the state could recapture lost money by bringing casino gambling to the Meadowlands.
Politicians from the Atlantic City area strongly object to the idea. They cite a package of incentives put in place three years ago by Gov. Chris Christie to assist a struggling Atlantic City. As part of that package, the governor gave Atlantic City five years to show improvement before he would consider asking voters to approve casinos elsewhere in the state.
The package included creating a tourism district in Atlantic City and providing casinos with relief from certain costly regulations.
Sen. Jeff Van Drew from Cape May County, just south of Atlantic City, said that gambling in the Meadowlands would “cannibalize the industry” and further damage Atlantic City.
New Jersey Meadowlands Commission announces Summer Senior Programs
The season kicks off with a DeKorte Park Plant Walk on Sunday, June 8, at 10 a.m. The two-hour walk will be led by botanist Edith Wallace and Bergen County Audubon Society (BCAS) President Don Torino. The walk is also open to the general public.
Residents can also enjoy Meadowlands District parks and natural areas on foot by joining one of the NJMC’s twice-monthly guided nature and bird walks. The two-hour walks, and a bonus birding boat tour, begin at 10 a.m. at the following dates and locations:
June 1: DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst (followed by a noon reception for the Flyway Gallery show, “The Nature of the Meadowlands,” featuring images from the NJMC’s acclaimed coffee-table book).
June 17: Laurel Hill Park, Secaucus.
Visitors can enjoy an entire summer of stargazing at the NJMC’s William D. McDowell Observatory. The observatory is open to the public every Monday and Wednesday night year-long, weather permitting and excluding holidays. The observatory features a research-grade telescope housed within a six-meter retractable dome. Observatory staff ensure that you get the best views and explain all you need to know about what you’re seeing. Summer hours are 9 to 10:30 p.m. in June and July, and 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. in August. The observatory also hosts “Let’s Talk Astronomy” learning sessions on most Tuesday nights at 7:30 p.m. The sessions are $5; MEC members free. Visitors must be able to climb 25 steps to reach the observatory.