Thursday, September 24, 2009

Constructing and Erecting an Osprey Platform

The Southern NJ watershed organization Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and Its Tributaries, Inc. has been instrumental in the recovery of osprey in the Maurice River Watershed. The Osprey's numbers plummeted in the 60s and 70s due to the chemical use of DDT to kill mosquitoes. Since the mid 1980's volunteers have been erecting and monitoring nesting platforms. When the project began about 3 chicks fledged on the Maurice River, today (2009) as many as 74 chicks take flight on the Maurice. Citizens United has constructed over 100 nests for groups all over NJ. Seen here are volunteers constructing and erecting an osprey nesting platform. For more information about the natural history of osprey and detailed plans for constructing and erecting nests go to their website http://www.cumauriceriver.org/pages/osprey.html Be sure to check out their nature slide shows as well.
This Osprey Platform was built on September 20th 2009. You can see it while walking the City of Millville's Riverwalk.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

An Early Morning Ride

Well, I had left my wallet on the bus yesterday and had called NJ Transit right away and they found it. I now had to retreive it. I had to leave the house at 5:45am and drive to rt42 in Washington TWP NJ to the South Jersey Garage where the lost & Found was located. I then needed to go back to Millville by 715am so I could catch the 7:29 bus to get to Philly by 9:in30am. Well, I did get back to Millville in time for the bus. The bus ride was interesting to say the least. First off a woman came on really high on Xanax, Herion, or something elese. She wobbled on the bus and later was confused on when to get off the bus. Nearby a woman was just looking out the window in a dismissive manner. I must say I took a few nice artistic photos of her looking though the window.
I am now working creating a move from 12 or so 30 second clips. I will remove the batch I put on YouTube at www.youtube.com/mkrull1 and have 2 movies that should be about 5 to 7 minutes long.

MDC Awards 2009

I decided to drop by this event when prompted by a friend. It was a star-studded evening..Millville style. It was held at the RRCA.It was fun yet a bit odd to be there. A good friend of mine encouraged me to show up and that I did. Good to see folks again. The last time I went to this was 2 years ago. My how things do change. There were deserving winners and others who did not make the cut. A cool evening and I go to talk with folks I do not get to see much of and that for me was the best part of going out.

Monday, September 21, 2009

September 20th: A real weekend day :)


Well, yesterday Sunday Sept 20th was quite the busy day. I started off the cool sunny day playing 3 hr of tennis at 8am. After that I was invited by Jan Geletto of the Citizens United to take photos and videotape putting up an Osprey Nest Stand in the Maurice River near the city-built riverwalk. I went to her house to watch and take videos of the construction of this stand. Jane would narriate what was happening in a step-by-step precess. I then walked in the waist-high water to film the stand being raised and put into the bottom of the river. Man that bottom is quite mucky!
Next, I joined others at Bogarts with their monthly Poetry on High. I missed Carolyne reading a poem but I got Steve Testa and some others playing and reading their poems. Both men women and others were represented. We were then invited out to dinner at the Newport house in Newport NJ. The food was good but the waitresses had this habit of barging in and interrupted us when it was obvious we were engaged and did not need help.
Today I will miss a meeting and Dottie's walk since I can not get home by 6pm most days. Tomorrow I may go to a MDC awards event at 6pm and promote our gallery and socialize.


Friday, September 18, 2009

What This Freeholder Race is all about

This was taken from www.magazzuwatch.com and it should be read.
Jane Christy says it all.
Please help out the Independent Candidates win in November!!!!
September 18, 2009
On Friday, Sept. 11, I was told that one of my county freeholder campaign opponents has threatened to “bury” me. When someone in the funeral business hears a threat like that, it can mean only one thing, and, believe me, it is not taken lightly.
Remembering 9/ll last Friday, and what happened when the terrorists attacked the United States, gave me a solemn, almost numbing feeling.
People are vulnerable in ways other than attacks to human life — economic downturns, natural disasters, accidents, illnesses, unemployment and cuts in benefits, and mortgage foreclosures are a few. Loses can threaten and affect us in many ways.
The threat to me was that someone said he wanted to bury me. What should I do after hearing something like that?
I’m not the only one who has been threatened by this same individual candidate. In fact, this is the second time he has threatened me. The first time was during a public freeholder meeting when I was told he would destroy our family business, the Christy Funeral Home.
Others,who have gone up against this freeholder candidate, or have gotten in his way, or who have written negative articles about him have become victims and been told he would cause them to either lose their homes, their jobs, and/or their businesses. There have been several.
It’s critical for the voters of Cumberland County to realize the awful vindictive and vicious management style of government that is taking place here.
It is frightening to think that an individual like this could have anything to do with Cumberland County government. This particular candidate is mean-spirited and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, which is complete control. His arrogance goes beyond measure.
Like all people of his kind, he can threaten to crush us, but he cannot destroy our value. Nothing that happens can diminish our worth. The funeral business has taught me that when family and friends say their last goodbyes, they know the value of the departed lives on. It has to do with love, which is God’s greatest gift. Our love for the deceased lives on and never dies. We merely have to look to Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, and other noted, worthy people of history to know this is true.
I’m asking my friends to vote this most disruptive person out of office on Tuesday, Nov. 3. I’d like to be around to watch it happen.
jane Y. ChristyIndependent Leader Candidate for FreeholderMillville

Big Media=Big Money

Do you remember School House Rock?? Here is one you will NEVER see today. Why you ask cause the media is controled by seveal LARGE companies. I bet that some hack from NBC/GE will find a way to ban this. A friend of mine found this
Enjoy
Media opoly

I saw the Cobert Report as well and he weighs in on the pending Supreme Court decision that would deregulate campaign finance. . Yup Scalia, Aleto and Thomas let corporations buy the political process. Well, go to go to work soon. Enjoy your 3rd Friday and stop by the Fithian House Gallery

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Updates September 17

Well its almost third friday in Millville and I have have recovered from the vacation. The politics are heating up since October is right around the corner. The Levoy has one more step before renovations can begin. I will write more on this on annother post. The weather has cooled very nicly now. I will have driven in to work 3 times this week for Dr apts and the like. Carolyne and Steve made major changes to the gallery that I think folks will like. I must say its nice to change things up every so often. I hope folks will come out and see and buy what we have to offer. The weather promises to be a-ok as well. Well, the Phillies won and the best news is that Cole Hamels fanned 10 batters in a 4-2 win over the Nationals. Have a good night and stay tuned.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Article in the Atlantic City Press

A well-written article by Ed Van Embden
Tale of two art districts: Millville, Paducah
N.J. couple visits small-town Kentucky for hints on improving Glasstown area

EDWARD VAN EMBDEN, Staff Writer, 856-649-2072 Posted: Monday, September 14, 2009

MILLVILLE - The owners of the Fithian House Gallery, Carolyne and Mark Krull, recently took a 1,400-mile road trip to visit another arts district with a history similar to Millville's: LowerTown Arts District, all the way in Paducah, Ky.

Now, back from Kentucky and ready for this week's upcoming Third Friday, the Krulls want to share what they found - including the many similarities between the two arts districts - and what they think can help make the Glasstown Arts District a better place.

"We immediately felt the energy building in this arts district four blocks from the Ohio River," Carolyne Krull wrote in an e-mail of driving into LowerTown.

Millville's art district was formed around the same time as Paducah's.

Like Paducah, the goal has been revitalization. Both cities long ago featured thriving downtowns that, by the late 1990s, had nearly become ghost towns. But, with the support of local government entities, Krull wrote, both cities have shown signs of growth since creating arts districts.

Financial incentives have also helped both areas attract artists to produce art and create an arts culture.

Much has been done in Paducah, thanks to programs that let artists create mixed-use properties and buy homes, sometimes for just a dollar. But Paducah, like Millville, still needs work, Krull said in a telephone interview from the road back from Kentucky on Friday.

"The architectural styles here are amazingly diverse, ranging from simple shotgun houses to grand mansions," Krull wrote. "Some of the buildings are immaculate and preserved, others are in progress and some are looking for brave souls to come in and fix them up."

The Krulls also noticed the city's signage: Every place they went, Krull said, banners and signs helped point the way. Millville has been developing its own signage program, too.

Krull said people are more likely to walk around LowerTown. They make use of a trolley that runs daily and stops not only at attractions but at locations such as the courthouse.

The Krulls are interested in creating an artist community, and the Fithian features artists both established and relatively new to the business. It is the community that helps arts districts thrive, Krull said.

Millville's regularly scheduled events have also helped draw large crowds to the arts district. Festivals held by the Millville Development Corp., such as Summer Fest, routinely draw about 10,000 people each year.

Third Fridays, such as the one approaching this week, have seen crowds as large as 2,000 on occasion. Typically, crowds of 500 to 1,000 people flock to Millville's downtown to visit the galleries, shops and restaurants on Third Friday.

Millville's success has inspired other municipalities, too.

Vineland officials have looked to Millville as a model for the revitalization of Landis Avenue. Vineland has also developed a feature day, Second Friday, in hopes of attracting crowds similar to those seen in Millville's Glasstown Arts District.

Every Thursday night, businesses in downtown Hammonton stay open later than usual and offer discounts in an attempt to draw more patrons to their shops. And this summer, a new open-air farmer's market in Hammonton attracted crowds to the downtown every Friday evening with local goods and live entertainment.

But Millville, so far, has been the biggest hit.

Since the Fithian opened in March, the gallery has featured the work of many regional artists, hosted performing bands, held cookouts, and even featured pirate music and costumes during a themed Third Friday.

Krull said she is trying to develop ideas that will draw even more attention downtown. While the details have not been finalized, Krull said she is working on a kind of art-exchange program between Millville and Paducah, where regional artists can mail art and have show in galleries several states away.

The Fithian House Gallery on Friday will feature the work of Millville's Steve Testa and Jimmy Miller, who both work in a surreal art. Lauren Lopez, of Philadelphia, will show her poster art.

More photos of our trip can be seen here at Picasa.

Other Third Friday events

www.millvillestitchers.com www.merrittsmusicservice.com

Monday, September 14, 2009

2nd Annual Antiques, Arts & Music Festival

The Millville Arts, Antiques and Music Festival was held Sunday, September 13, 2009 on High Street in Millville starting at 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. High Street was be closed for 5 blocks from Main to Broad Street for the 7,000 folks who showed up on a nice sunny day. The Festival featuredthe wares of local antiques dealers, fine artists from Millville's Arts District, artisans & craftspeople as well as free performances by great local musicians. Our area was across Bogart's Books and near the dollar store. This the only area I saw and there was alot going on. Our Gallery, Fithian House Gallery had a booth and more foot traffic came by then any other day in a long time. Here are just a few of the photos.

End of Vacation

Well, dispite the mishaps in our car, we had nice short vacation. Lots of driving caused quite a blowout of my right rear tire. I then found out that all the tires had dry rot and could blow.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Nashville Sunrise

Well we are here and having a nice time. The rain has held off for the most part. Here is a photo of a sunrise near Nashville Tennessee. We should be home by Thursday night 9am.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Driving to Paducah KY Saturday Sept 5th

Carolyne and I headed to Paducah Ky Saturday 6:30pm. The sunset as we drove though Elmer, then though Delaware. West Virginia was full of S-Turns so it was dangerous to hit the speed limit at times. In most of West Virgina and all Kentucky had a 70mph limit. We arrived in KY and saw an intense fog roll in. We arrived in Paducah at 10:30 am with no sleep but were in good spirits. More on this after I sleep....

Saturday, September 05, 2009

1st Friday Art Exhibit in Bridgeton at Energy Plus

Last night I attended the opening reception "A Moment of Transcendence: Crossroads of Energy", at Energy Center Plus on Sept 4, 1st Fri, 6-9pm, 32 E. Commerce Street, Bridgeton. Participating artists are Carl Johnson, Carolyne Krull, Peter Kinney, Rita Lynn Lyman, Sandra Morrissey, Liz Nicklus, Steve Testa, Robin M. Viola, and Jeff Waring.
The studio at the Energy Plus is excellent and a nice crowd came out to check it out. You can see more photos my Picasa page. Carolyne teaches classes here as Ostara Yoga Saturday morning 10:30 am and Monday nights at 5:30pm. Come out and enjoy!

Thursday, September 03, 2009

I Visit the Maraposa Coop in West Philly




Yesterday I went to the Maraposa Coop to do some one-time shopping. I was a member for about 5 years till 2004. Since that time the membership has gone from less then 200 members to about 600 or more members.
I did notice that the store was cleaner and more organized then I remember 6 years ago and that along with the influx of new wealther residents and the funky atmosphere has helped this coop. They now plan to move to a larger space up the street at a former bank building that is current a baptist church. The prices are still pretty high and one should stick to bulk items since some pre-package items are at 50% mark up. They do tell the customer the markup amount behind the counter which pretty cool.
Near the Coop are 2 large murals. They dipict life in this area of West Philly. Yes, they are idealized but they are very well done. You can see them on Baltimore Ave between 46th and 47th street. They are a vast improvement over the one's that were there 6 years ago when I used to frequent the area.
I am off to work after a visit to the dentest.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Waning Summer 2009

It's been awhile since I last said anything here. Believe it or not, sometimes I am not in the mood. Life has been a bit strange. The weather for instance turned from hot and muggy to crisp cool Fall in a day last week. The welfare office could be a sitcom you know. I mean, they made a show about goofy Nazis in Hogan's Hero's so anything is possible. I mean if I have to hear WDAS (glorified Top 40 pop station) play that crooner Maxwell sing about "Pretty Wings" again, I will have to take a long road trip and take a few days off in Kentucky..darn it

Today was a cure for my disinterest. I had an interesting day. I had jury duty at 12:30pm so I just slept in today till 9:30 and it felt pretty good.
I have been waking up at 5am to take the bus to philly to save some $$ etc. I was there ONLY 2 hours, I was chosen to sit in seat number 1 where 3 others had been excused from the jury. I said my occupation, where I lived, and told them of Carolyne's being a yoga instructor and running the Fithian House Gallery. I did mention that I served in a jury 2x one being a murder trial. The defense attorney booted me off and I was pleased.
I got my hair cut talked with Jim Penlin for a bit about the woman who painted the mural at the Levoy theatre. We looked up info on Paduicah We are planning to take a Labor Day road trip Sat, Sun and Monday. I love road trips. Check this out
It should make for an interesting weekend no matter what transpires in these waning days of Summer 2009.




Tuesday, September 01, 2009

City Comission Meeting Sept 1st 2009


I went to the City Commission meeting on this fine September 1st. It was packed to the max with folks concerned with the Route 55/49 project. State officials from the Department of Transportation came out and stated that the project will be scaled back and the The 220-year-old oak tree near the corner of Wade Boulevard and Route 49 will not be affected. Rt 49 will not be widened. The heavy hitters of the local political scene were out. Lou Magazzu, Jeff Van Drew, Matt Millim and Nelson Albano. I did get a chance to let Sen Van Drew know how important the Levoy is to the future of the Arts District in Millville. He reacted positively to this. We shall see very soon if the Senator puts his back-slapping to good use. At the meeting the Commission approved the city buying a property at the corner of Buck and Pine Streets. I walk my dogs by there everyday and I for one am glad the city will buy it. I really like the suggestion that Mayor Shannon made to tear it down. Commissioner Vanaman wants the city to consider being a landlord. This is a silly idea. If anyone looks at the property, they will see it needs work. The city will need the land to further the develop the riverfront area. This property is next to the library and make the area whole for future development. This is smart of the city.
I then had to leave the meeting at 7:45pm. I missed Commissioner Vanaman vote NO for an extra $325, 000 of UEZ funds to assist in the Levoy. He did express support for Pete Peirce's dream and the project. I guess he felt the need to save money or to show his bonafides to the Millville First contingent in the audience. I do not know.. After the meeting a friend asked Lou Magazzu a few questions. No video but great reporting.