Warm
weather, the blooming of colorful flowers and the smell of freshly cut
grass bring many enjoyable feelings to the senses. To many, the changing
temperatures and longer, sunnier days bring to mind the American pastime,
baseball and in Atlantic City, the Surf.
The Surf returned for their fifth season in the Atlantic League of Professional
Baseball when they opened the 2002 season on Friday, May 3, against
the Newark Bears at Sandcastle Stadium. Champions of the Atlantic League
in its inaugural 1998 season, the Surf will participate in 126 games,
71 of those at home, during this 5th anniversary season. The Surf will
continue to offer a family friendly atmosphere with many promotions
throughout the season, including nearly a dozen fireworks displays during
post-game ceremonies on selected evenings.
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball consists of eight franchises,
the Surf, Bridgeport Bluefish, Camden Riversharks, Long Island Ducks,
Pennsylvania Road Warriors, Nashua Pride, Newark Bears and the defending
league champion Somerset Patriots. Tickets range from $4-$12 and are
available by calling 609-344-SURF or by logging on to www.acsurf.com.
Shiloh
Baptist Church, which originally organized on March 10, 1898, on the corner
of Ohio and Arctic avenues, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new
Shiloh Baptist Church and Community Life Center on Thursday, May 16, 2002.
Led by the Rev. James
Washington, Shiloh's patrons, guests and dignitaries gathered on the site
of the new home, which will sit between New Jersey and Delaware avenues
on Atlantic Avenue in front of AC Linen Supply.
"This new home will allow us to train our citizens to continue taking Atlantic City upward and forward, thus improving the quality of life for all Atlantic City citizens," Rev. Washington said in a captivating oration.
Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford, Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson, Pleasantville Mayor Ralph Peterson, the Rev. Collins A. Days, Sr. and New Jersey Secretary of State Regena Thomas were some of the dignitaries on hand.
Shiloh's new home
will become the first new house of worship to be constructed in Atlantic
City in nearly 30 years. The old church, which was originally purchased
for the nominal sum of only $9,000, will be torn down to make way for
the Cordish Company's The Walk shopping and entertainment complex.