B8 Sunday, March 23, 2014
FEATURE
NJ says tourism up in ’13 despite Sandy woes
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Tourism promoters, business owners and even members of the Christie administration have been saying for months that tourism was down last year as a result of Superstorm Sandy. But 2013 was actually a banner year for New Jersey, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno said Thursday at the state’s annual tourism conference in Atlantic City. She said tourism accounted for $40.4 billion in economic activity last year, topping the previous record of nearly $40 billion set in 2012. Her claim contradicts statements made last month by Michele Brown, the state economic development chief, at hearings on Sandy relief aid. Brown said 2013’s tourism numbers were slightly below the 2012 figure. “I read it like five times and I asked the people, ‘Are you sure about these numbers?”’ Guadagno said at the conference in the Golden Nugget Atlantic City. “That’s the first summer after Sandy.” Virginia Pellerin, a spokeswoman for the Economic Development Authority, said the report Guadagno cited Thursday contains new data that was not available earlier in the year. She also said the tourism data Brown referenced included only the four shore counties, not the entire state. The overall tourism statistics came from a report compiled for the state by Tourism Economics, a subsidiary of the U.K.-based Oxford Economics firm. It said visitor spending increased by 1.3 percent in 2013, and total visitation to New Jersey increased by nearly 6 percent to 87.2 million. Guadagno also said construction of and investment in tourism facilities was up 24 percent last year — not surprising given the amount of damage that needed to be repaired after Sandy and from a devastating boardwalk fire in Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. An informal Associated Press survey of beachfront business owners in Monmouth
and Ocean counties just before Labor Day found many reporting sales had fallen by 30 percent in the summer of 2013. Gov. Chris Christie spent the first week in August at the shore with his family, sitting on the beach, playing miniature golf, strolling boardwalks and dining out every night. “We knew that this summer was not going to be like the summer of 2012; I said that right from the beginning,” he said shortly before Labor Day. “There’s no doubt that business was going to be down all over the Jersey shore because a lot of people, having seen the extraordinary devastation, didn’t believe we’d be able to be up and running in time for summer. They turned out to be wrong, and I think we’ll get them back next year.” Tourism promoters also told a legislative hearing in December that the state’s “Stronger than the Storm” campaign came too late to save the first post-Sandy summer. The report also asserted that tourism: • Is New Jersey’s 5th largest industry. • Generated $35.9 billion of New Jersey’s gross domestic product in 2013, or 7 percent of the entire state economy. If New Jersey tourism were a company, its sales would rank No. 70 on the Fortune 500 list — bigger than Sears, DuPont and Hess. • Directly or indirectly supports 511,000 jobs in New Jersey, about 1 out of every 10 jobs in the state. • Generated $4.6 billion in state and local taxes, and $5.2 billion in federal taxes last year. The state plans to launch its new summer tourism campaign, “Going Strong,” later this month. It hopes to use $5 million in federal Sandy recovery funds to pay for it. The report also predicted that visitation to New Jersey will increase by 2 percent or more a year in each of the next four years, and that tourism spending will increase by more than 4 percent annually over that same period.
‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ eyes North America return
NEW YORK (AP) — The dinosaurs are ready to roar across America again — but they’re sporting a new look. “Walking with Dinosaurs, the Arena Spectacular” is coming back to the U.S. and Canada — its first visit to North America since its inaugural 2007 tour — and many of its lifelike puppets will be wearing downy feathers. “We’ve decided to bring them up to date,” said the show’s self-described “resident dino geek” Philip Millar. “I’ve been going on about feathers for some years now. And now we’ve finally taken the leap and we’re applying the feathers to the dinosaurs we’re fairly confident had feathers.” Recent discoveries by paleontologist point to the possibility that a large number of non-avian dinosaurs had feathers or something similar — paleontologists call it “dinofuzz” — as part of their body covering, blurring the distinction between dinosaurlike birds and birdlike dinosaurs. The show, based on an award-winning BBC Television series, travels 200 million years from Triassic to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, features 20 life-size dinosaurs from 10 species, including a mother Tyrannosaurus Rex and her baby, both of which will now have feathers. Miller said the new feathered creatures may be a shock to some in the audience. He notes that the ferocious T-rex is more closely related in time and anatomy to a sparrow than a Stegosaurs. “People’s popular ideas tend not to keep up with the science, so you’ll find some people tend to draw T -Rexes at a 45-degree angle or they talk about Brontosaurs in a swamp and things like that. The science has moved on.” The new tour kicks off in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena from July 913, then hits The Barclay’s Center in New York City
from July 16-20 and then The Prudential Center in New Jersey from July 2327. Other stops are planned for Los Angeles, Kansas City, Montreal, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Milwaukee, Wis. The largest dinosaur in the show is the 36-foot tall, 56-foot long Brachiosaurus. It takes three people to operate the biggest puppets and each large one weighs 1.6 tons, the weight of a standard family car. A team of 50 costume designers and engineers have been working since last year to re-create the ancient creatures, The animatronic dinosaurs bat their reptilian eyelids and gnash their teeth with a startling ferocity. The show is produced by Global Creatures, the Australian company behind the new musical “King
Kong,” ‘’War Horse” and “How To Train Your Dragon.” Worldwide, more than 8 million people have seen the dinosaur show in 243 cities. Miller is a little tickled that the show will land in America in 2014, where debate continues to rage over both evolution and climate change. “Dinosaurs are deeply charismatic. They are very deeply appealing to children. And so I think it’s important that the curriculum around that is fact-based and the way evolution works and the way the history of the planet works” he said. “I mean, climate change killed the dinosaurs. It wasn’t just a meteor. The meteor precipitated making climate change which led to the extinction. So there’s some fairly important lessons from these creatures.”
S E EK I NG H OM E H EA L TH / HO S P IC E RN $7 50 0 SI GN ON FO R FT RN
The Presbyterian PRMC Home Health/Hospice team has an outstanding opportunity for a full-time RN. The ideal candidate will have a solid background in clinical assessment, a compassionate spirit, and preferably at least one year of experience in Home Health or Hospice. A Presbyterian PRMC Home Health/Hospice RN is responsible for providing direct in-home patient care by assessing, implementing, evaluating, and documenting individual patient needs. Must be willing to take weekend and night call on a rotating schedule and must have a clean driving record. A background containing Med./Surg. experience and familiarity with electronic charting would be helpful. To demonstrate Presbyterian’s commitment to the provision of the best quality of care for the surrounding community, we are offering a sign-on bonus to the exceptional candidate that accepts this position. In addition to this incentive, the candidate will enjoy a competitive compensation and benefits package, a supportive working environment, and a stable employer who is dedicated to providing the support and resources critical to giving the highest quality of care. Please review qualifications and full job description at www.phs.jobs. (Requisition #45166) Questions? Call 575-769-7166. PHS is committed to ensuring a drug-free workplace. AA/EOE F/M/V/D (Female, Minorities, Veterans, Disability Status).
Roswell Daily Record
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Paddy Irish Whiskey or Tuaca Liqueur, 750 ml.
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99 Bananas Liqueur or Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, 750 ml.
Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey or Sauza Hornitos Tequila, 750 ml.
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Jagermeister Liqueur or Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, 750 ml.
Skinnygirl Vodka or Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, 750 ml.
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Crown Royal Canadian Whisky or Bombay Sapphire Gin, 750 ml.
1.75-Liter Coulsons Vodka or Gin
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Menage A Trois or Clos Du Bois Wine, 750 ml.
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4-Liter Carlo Rossi or 5-Liter Franzia Wine
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18-Pack Bud Light, Budweiser, Miller Lite or Coors Light, 12 oz. cans. Select varieties.
12-Pack Bud Light Lime Rita Family, 8 oz. cans.
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30-Pack Busch or Pabst Blue Ribbon, 12 oz. cans.
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6-Pack Guinness,
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Sale Sun., Mar. 23 thru Sat., Mar. 29, 2014 Prices may vary by state. Alcoholic beverages available at select Walgreens locations. Plus deposit or CRV where required. Sale merchandise may not be available at all stores and only while supplies last. Loyalty card required for sale pricing. Sale prices are not available at RxPress Pharmacies and pharmacy-only locations. Sale prices may also be limited to your local newspaper distribution. Rain checks are not available at stores that do not carry the advertised item. Sales prices offered for the dates listed unless otherwise specified in the ad or on the coupon. Right reserved to limit all quantities on all items. Coupons must be presented at the time of purchase. Regular prices quoted may vary by store. Items may not be exactly as pictured. Availability at Walgreens.com may differ. Items advertised with Register Rewards or rebates are subject to conditions and limits established by the mfr. See coupon or rebate form for details. Call 800-WALGREENS (800-925-4733) toll free or visit Walgreens.com/FindAStore for the location nearest you. ©2014 Walgreen Co. All rights reserved.