WORLD'S FIRST PET TERMINAL COMING TO NY
Topic: REEALY?

WORLD’S FIRST PET TERMINAL COMING TO NY

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

 

The world's first ever pet terminal will be built at JFK Airport next year. Named "The Ark", the state-of-the-art facility will cater for the overseas travel of everything from household pets to farmyard animals.

 

ARK Development, LLC, an affiliate of real estate company Racebrook Capital, announced this week that it has signed a 30-year lease with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to develop the mammoth facility. Spanning 178,000 square feet, the terminal will include direct access to the runway for animals, as well a 24-hour veterinary hospital and a 24-hour quarantine facility for the import and export of horses, pets, birds and livestock.

"The animal terminal will set new international airport standards for comprehensive veterinary, kenneling and quarantine services," said Founder John J.Cuticelli, Jr.

Indeed, the site is the first of its kind in the world. For those who are worries that air travel is about to go to the dogs, though, the project is also expected to give some puppy love to the economy. The $48 million development will create more than 180 jobs and generate revenues for the Port Authority of
New York and New Jersey estimated at $108 million over the span of the project’s 30-year lease.

"The ARK at JFK posed a unique design challenge for us: to create a place that could ease and simplify the sometimes complex process of transporting animals by plane," said Cliff Bollmann, Senior Associate of Gensler, the architect firm hired to design the facility.

 

"For the animals who pass through The Ark, as well as the people who own them, air travel can be stressful and confusing. Aligning the needs of quarantine with kenneling and elevating the experience for animals and their owners, our design team sought to create a comfortable, healthy environment for them all."

Animals travelling through The ARK will be treated to a large departure lounge - including stalls, food and water for horses - and an arrival area complete with cattle handling facility. The site also includes an aviary and a veterinarian, plus Paradise 4 Paws - a 24-hour pet resort with overnight accommodations for cats and dogs, plus grooming, training, and airport parking.

The ARK is estimated to handle at least 70,000 animal passengers every year. There is no confirmation yet on whether they will have to travel two-by-two.

Is There Crime or Not?
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

Is There Crime Or Not?

 

By Tammy Duffy 

 

Last week Hamilton Township, NJ (Mercer County) released the following annoucement see link: ( http://www.hamiltonnj.com/controls/NewsFeed.aspx?FeedID=1177)  "Crime is the lowest it has been since 1977."

The FBI collects the data in the USA and makes it public to citizens. (http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr-publications#Crime) So, one can go to the site and see how Hamilton, NJ (Mercer County)  or any town is doing at any time. Attached is a chart (you can go to the site and verify this data) of data back to 2005. In 2004, and years prior to that, the data was collected differently so you cannot compare apples to apples. (however one can see the data back to 1995 on the site)

Upon review of the data one can clearly see that there is not a decrease in crime as stated in the release by the town. Actually a rapid increase in violent crime, property crime,motor vehicle theft and larceny in Hamilton. There was also an arson case as well in 2013.

This latest report from the leadership of Hamilton gives the town a false sense of security and an invitation to thieves and criminals that what they are doing is okay with the town. Over the past two weeks during the hours of 9pm and later I have had random people coming to my door (sometimes there is a car in in site, many times not) asking for directions to places. One guy last week at 9pm came to my door, pounding on it non stop. When I got to the door (never opened it but peered through my wreath on the door, he asked for directions to the GW Bridge. I said," Never heard of it." NEVER open your door. Do not give them directions. Do not open the door. Have cameras installed so that you can see who is at the door so you do not have to go to the door if there is a stranger there.  If I did not invite you and you randomly show up, you are not coming for a visit. 

The only person that can really protect your home and yourself is...yourself.  You have to think like a criminal. What would they do? There are zero cameras installed anywhere in the township to analyze crime (except for a few at Veteran's Park in the children's playground and those installed by businesses on their own). This is an issue for the town.  

There are many ways criminals can access homes inside gated and guarded communities or your home. They do not mind climbing over short walls or crawling underneath through drainages to access your home. Trusting and loving neighbors will save your home and keep you safe.  Criminals commit crimes where they feel undetected, unobserved and at no or low risk for being reported to law enforcement.

 

One of the many things during the first 120 days of the new administration with Mayor Eric Jackson (Trenton, NJ Mayor), he has been focused on building strong relationships. One of the things they have done is to create relationships with the editors if the local newspapers to hopefully create fair, responsible and accurate reporting.  Suburbia seems to be protected by the press and cities get negative press more quickly in the area. A recent stabbing at a Subway sandwich shop during lunch hour in Hamilton, NJ, Mercer County ended up on page twelve of the newspaper, a town with a rise in violent crime. If this same crime happened in Trenton, it would have been front page news. The news has to be reported, crime happens, but it does not have to be front page news every day for the inner city. The positive things in the community need to be highlighted more often. This kind of information can then be shared with the business community to help them understand the positive strides the city is making.

In the first 100 days of Trenton, NJ.  Mayor Jackson’s administration, violent crimes and homicides have decreased by 75% from the prior year. The overall crime rate has been decreased by 25% from the prior year as well. They attribute this to leadership, engaging the community, clergy, non profits, academia to be a part of the process to work through crime. They also have put more boots on the ground. “They are going to get you. If someone thinks and wants to commit a crime. The town is actively engaged. They will be prosecuted swiftly,” says Mayor Jackson. They are leveraging their relationships with the county sheriff’s office, the governor’s office, Attorney General Hoffman and others, to turn things around. People confidently feel safe and comfortable. They recently received a $1.5 Million grant to get 24 new police officers in Trenton. The strong relationship they are building with the governor and others is helping them build a partnership for the city. 

 

Home security cameras can capture great leads for an investigation and home alarm systems might deter the crooks for good, keeping your castle unscathed. Creating your own personal Fort Knox will ensure you and your families are kept safe. 

 

Top reminders  for people who live in gated communities: Kathy Perkins, who is a Metropolitian crime prevention specialist,works to point out a home's vulnerabilities. Here are some of her thoughts below

• 1. Un-manned gated entrances limit some vehicle traffic, but not all. It is difficult to prevent all "follow-ins" and it is impossible to ensure that entrance codes are not given out in a way that creates risk. Too many individuals/service providers have access codes. Pedestrian traffic is not deterred by an entrance gate as walking in when the gate is opened is very easy. Also, pedestrian access gates, if present, need to be secured at all times.
• 2. A manned entrance gate allows for more control as to the vehicles entering due to the security person making a visual and verbal contact with those entering. Maintaining a log of those entering by name and vehicle license info is helpful but all companies have a process for personnel assigned entrance gates. Know what process is in place for your community if applicable. Some communities have dated passes or passes that indicate the reason the service provider is inside and what address they are there for.
• 3. Manned entrance gate personnel only have awareness of what takes place at the entrance gate. They are not neighborhood eyes and ears. And, distractions can occur and busy times can get hectic. Do your part to help make their job easier when expecting guests.
• 4. All neighborhoods have multiple entry points. Undesirable people will hop a wall or fence, find pathways or other weak points with the neighborhood perimeter with which to take advantage of. Any entrance gate, manned or not, is not a deterrent to a determined individual – they are simple an obstacle to overcome.
• 5. Residents may develop a false sense of security if they assume entrance gates will keep out undesirables. Residents typically take fewer safety or home security precautions because they feel "protected" by the gate.
• 6. Residents are often inclined to pay less attention to activity in the neighborhood because they feel that if someone is inside the neighborhood they must have been let it or are supposed to be there. Residents are usually less observant and less inclined to pay attention to people and vehicles when they have a false sense of security.
• 7. Criminals commit crimes where they feel undetected, unobserved and at no or low risk for being reported to law enforcement. An entrance gate makes no difference to most criminals and does not serve as a deterrent as much as residents might think.
• 8. Criminals are deterred by effective home security practices, observant neighbors, and the fear of being arrested. Effective home and neighborhood security has more to do with awareness, participation, and consistent safety practices. Neighbors working with neighbors will help to create a sense of community and oversight. Crime can happen anywhere but there is prevention behavior that can make a difference. Always observe and report.

It is also interesting to note in the FBI reports that there has been a decrease in population in Hamilton since 2005 from year to year as well. Could it be due to the crime increase and the every rising property taxes? You decide. 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” at MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre

 

 

 

 

Lies, love unrequited, and poisonous greed combine for a night of high intensity drama in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” coming to Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC) Kelsey Theatre. Theatre to Go and Pierrot Productions present this Tennessee Williams classic on Fridays, Feb. 6 and 13 at 8 p.m.; Saturdays, Feb. 7 and 14 at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, Feb. 8 and 15 at 2 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is conveniently located on the college's West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on Feb. 6.

The web of deceit holding a wealthy Southern family together is about to come apart. The clan’s Big Daddy is unwell and his family has gathered in support. Over the course of one sultry Mississippi evening, family members let loose about long-simmering jealousies, suspicions of greed, unspoken sexual desires, and some profound and damning lies. Big Daddy and Big Momma, sons Brick and Gooper, and their wives, Maggie and Mae, are in for a very long night. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Williams' self-proclaimed favorite, forces the audience and the characters alike to determine what is true, what is a lie, and which lies have become truths.

 

The cast includes Robert Lanchester as Big Daddy, who is featured by special arrangement with Actors' Equity Association. Mariel Rosati of Ivyland, Pa., is Maggie; Ray Fallon of Westmont is Brick; Lori Fabian of Hightstown is Big Mama; Tim Anderson of Princeton is Gooper; and Jackie Wasneski of Hightstown is Mae. Also featured are William Walters of Columbus as Rev. Tooker, Kevin Hallam of Hamilton as Dr. Baugh, and Mariah King of Jersey City as Sookey. Joining the cast in the roles of the children are Maya Gunaseelan of Plainsboro, William Alena of Princeton, Ruth Learn of New Brunswick, Michaela Meyer of Plainsboro, and Makenna Katz of West Windsor.

 

The show is directed by Ruth Markoe, who established Theater To Go (T2G) in 1992 and has acted and directed regularly for T2G and Pierrot Productions ever since. Pierrot Productions’ Pete Labriola is the show’s producer. Other crew members include Hannah Knight (stage manager), Jon Cintron (assistant stage manager), Jim Petro (set design), Kitty Getlik (lighting design), Amy Bessellieu (props) and Ruth Rittmann/Ritzzy Productions (costumes).

Markoe notes that the excitement among cast members is building.  “Rehearsals are in full swing and we are excited about what we believe will be an amazing production of this classic play,” she said.

Tickets for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $14 for students and children.  Free parking is available next to the theater.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333.  For a complete listing of adult and children's events, visit the Kelsey webpage or call the box office for a brochure.

World’s Fastest Talking Female
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

World’s Fastest Talking Female

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

When Guinness Book of World Record holders get together, each of them will look at each other and say, “Wow, you did that?”   They are all amazed by each others accomplishments and deeply respectful of each other. We all have something in our lives that we have done that is fantastic. Guinness Book record holders take this to another dimension.

 

I recently got to interview Fran Capo, a true renaissance woman. Fran is an adventurer, an author, a Guinness Book record holder for being the fastest talking female in the world, a comedian, a motivational speaker and a writer. Her list does not stop there.

 

I asked Fran, “How does one become the fastest talking female in the world?  How did this come about?”  Her response was riveting! 

 

Capo was raised by a mother that helped her understand that nothing is impossible. Her mother signed her yearbook, P.M.A. (positive mental attitude) Her father always taught her to find the humor in life.  These two philosophies created her.  Anytime Fran did something in life if it worked out well it then became a part of her motivational speaking. If it did not work out well it became a part of her standup comedy act.  It is a win-win situation for Capo. She is a go getter and nothing is impossible in life. She once walked into a library and said to herself, “If all these people can write books, so can I.” She has now written more than 18 books.  Fran lives by the phrase, “There is light at the end of the tunnel. Fran says, ‘Forget that, bring your own flashlight.”

 

 

Capo was working at WBLS FM; she was a stand up comic already at this point, where she was writing stand up comedy for them. One day kidding around she said,’ I can do a really cool Mae West impression, but she called the character June East,  Mae West’s long lost sister.”   At that moment the producer gave her the weather and traffic copy to read. She had never done weather and traffic before, so she just did it, all the while doing this character June East. In the 30 seconds that she did this copy a woman from the Daily News called the station to speak with Capo. The Daily News person asked Capo how long she had been doing weather and traffic. Capo did not want to tell her it was her first time so she elaborated on her expertise. She was then asked what the next gig on her horizon was.  At that moment Capo did not have a next, but she knew that she had to think of something because she had someone from the Daily News on the phone.  Capo then blurted out, “I want going to break a world record.”  Excited, the woman from the Daily News said,” For what?” At that moment Capo did not have the what so she said,”I can’t tell you because it would jinx it.”  So the Daily News person said to her,” My article has to be submitted by 6pm today, if you decide you want to tell me call me and I will include it in my article.”

 

Capo then scurried to a bookstore to obtain a Guinness book and began flipping through it. Should she do pogo sticking….what could she do? Then she saw fast talking. Everyone always told her she talked fast. She never thought about breaking a record but now she thought what the heck.  I will give this a try.

 

A phone call was made to the Daily News by Capo at 5:55pm.  She then said she would break the fast talking record. At the time, in the book, the record was 552 words a minute. The Daily News reporter asked Capo where she was as compared to the record. Capo replied,” 550.”  This gets printed in the paper. The very next day the team from Larry King Live show called Capo to have her break the record on his show.  At that point Capo did not know who Larry King was. She heard the words cable and knew she had her chance in the spotlight and she was taking it.

 

A call was made to Guinness to learn what she had to do to break the record.  They told her she had to read something from Shakespeare or the Bible.  Capo did not care for Shakespeare but there were bible passages that her mother had taught her in the past, so she went with that.

 

She practiced for hours and hours and then went on the show. The next day she went onto the Larry King Live show (she only had three days to prepare from the initial interaction with the gal from the Daily News to break this record) and she broke the record. She spoke 585 words in one minute.  This was on March 5, 1986.  She broke the record a second time on June 5, 1990 at the Guinness book museum in Las Vegas. She spoke 603.3 words in 54.2 seconds. One may wonder how Guinness ensures the number of words per minute spoken. They bring have an Olympic timer; they use a lexicon compression technique and a professional speech analyst to calculate the words per minute.

 

http://francapo.com/frans-fractured-fairy-tale-little-red-riding-hood/

 

Click on this  link above to hear Fran Capo reading Little Red Riding Hood

 

 

This Renaissance woman is always on the go. She holds 6 other records with Ripley Believe it or Not as well. They include a book signing at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro (it was a cash only event), she just did 12 shows in 17 days in South Korea, she visited the Titanic and became an ordained minister to say the first prayer next to the Titanic, and she did a book signing next to the Titanic as well and much more.

 

Capo began her days as a stand up comic while she was studying accounting and philosophy. She was approached by people who asked her if she ever thought about being a stand up comic. So Capo asked God,” If I am supposed to be a stand up comic, send me a sing.”  She believes in signs, they always have guided her way in life. After attending a card show where they had a hand writing analysis stand she was told that she has a great sense of humor, that she should use it to make money. Sign one.  She was in line at Great Adventure speaking with her friend and a man tapped her on the back and said,” I was just at the Improv last night and you are funnier than the comic who was on stage.” 

Sign two. She then was taking an acting class and she was reading a scene and a fellow comic was in the class and said to her, “I will give you my slot on stage just so you can have the chance to perform.”  Sign three.  She continued to pray to see if stand up was going to be a gig for her.  Then sign four happened quite conveniently.  She walks into Queens College, into the door that she normally would go through to take her philosophy class and the door is closed. She had to go around to the side door due to construction. There was a giant sign on the door that read,” Stand up comedy auditions today only.”  The time for the auditions was 5 minutes from the moment she saw the poster.  So she went. The auditions were in a broom closet. She got the gig. The rest is history.

 

 

Her newest book, Hopeville, The City of Light is a story that came to her in a dream. A voice came to her in a dream and told her this story that the book would have a message for the world. The voice was relentless. The voice kept telling her it would become a best seller.  She drove to get her car fixed and would work on her Adrenalin Adventures book. She had complete writers block.  She was frozen in time. So she started writing the book, Hopeville, The City of Light. For the next three hours she was glued to her computer writing. She did not stop for three hours. The mechanics did not interrupt her. She typed,” The End” and the mechanics came up to her to tell her that her car was ready. She did not look at the book for two weeks.  She read the story. It is a wonderful book filled with hope and promise for a town. A town gets transformed by hope.  There are 44 lessons at the end of the book that are delightful.  She went to her publisher (who was Staples at that time) and printed 50 books. All 50 sold immediately in 2004. She never did anything more with it.  She has now launched this book as an eBook on amazon.com.  She is currently working on making this new book an audio book as well. Any active or inactive member of the military can get her book for free.

 

 

 

 

The mindset of world record holders and successful people is that they never give up.  The difference with world record holders is that they look at things in different ways.  They take things a step further than the normal person would.  Make it bigger!

 

What’s next for Capo? She believes that one stays young by keeping inspired and focusing on the next great thing. Capo also has a new show that will be shown on Launch TV entitled, Radio Housewives. They just shot the pilot. Launch TV is a channel dedicated to launching new films, TV series, music projects, product lines, fashion lines and businesses. Some of the shows on Launch TV, like the show, Living in Exile, get 3 million viewers per episode.  This show will launch soon on Launch TV.

 

Capo also has a dream to go down to the hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean.  Initially the thought was no life could exist down there. However, clearly there are species living there. There are millions of albino creatures living in these hydrothermal vents. In 700 degree F water, the animals are thriving. There are only 4 submersibles that can handle the pressure. Today, there is no physical way for civilians go get down there. Her plans are endless to continue her adventures, her writing, her comedy, and her quest for spiritual positivity.  

 

Visit Fran Capo’s website at www.francapo.com to see learn more about this amazing trailblazer! 

 

Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

FREE INTERNET FOR ALL

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

 

In the future will the internet become a monopoly or will it be free for the world?

 

In 2012 only 35% of humanity had internet access. This equates to 4.2 billion people who sit in internet darkness.  Now, imagine a library in every village. A library in every pocket.  Every person in humanity contributing to the world’s educational system. What would that world look like?  What would people read about if their governments no longer had the ability to deprive them of free information? How many dark periods of humanities history could have been avoided if we must knew more?  How many could we avoid in the future and what would that world look like? How many politicians would be exposed of their cheating ways if journalist did not feel threatened by harassment and harm by said politicians?

 

There are inflection points that change the course of humanity.  Access to the internet is an example of one such event.  A new device, called the LANTERN, manufactured by a NY based company, Outernet, has the potential to change the world.  Their device has the ability to continuously receive radio waves broadcasted by outernets in space and turn them into digital files.  When you want to get onto the internet, one would just turn on your LANTERN and enable your wifi enabled device. It is that easy.  It works like an offline version of the internet that updates constantly. You can also charge your phone with your LANTERN.  When power is not available the LANTERN can charge itself with its built in solar panels.

 

Outernet takes the best of the web and broadcasts it from space for every human on Earth. The content that they broadcast is determined by anyone who chooses to vote on the most important things to share with humanity. Outernet repurposes broadcast satellite TV equipment and we offer instructions on how to build a DIY-receiver. Once a receiver is configured, Outernet’s content can be accessed by any WiFi-enabled device.

 

This new device, the Lantern, will allow us to response faster and more efficiently during the next natural or man made disaster. When cell towers go down and cell towers are compromised, you will not longer be compromised. You will be able to get your news anywhere in the world, even the countries with strong censorship rules. You will never have a huge cell phone bill again during your oversea travels, use your Lantern.

 

The world will be able to create their own digital library. Parents can control what their kids see. The Outernet will have courses available to build literacy in parts of the world where literacy is compromised. This makes education and learning truly universal.

 

Outernet is working with IREX in Namibia and the World Bank in Sudan to turn on Lanterns in those countries. This is just the beginning. Lantern is broadcasting from space, so if you have a government that says you can’t watch this or see that, Lantern lights the path to override this censorship.  Everything a user consumes is anonymous. 

 

Everyone on Earth can use the Lantern. You will be able to use the Lantern to download news, weather, books, videos and audio for FREE. You will have access to information, freedom from censorship and consume Internet content anonymously. You will even be able to charge your phone with Lantern. 

 

 

Access to news, civic information, commodity prices, weather, and construction plans for open source farm machinery...anything. Outernet eradicates information poverty and censorship everywhere on Earth. Since Lantern is so small, it can be used discreetly. If your country refuses Lanterns to be imported, no problem, outernet will send you the plans to build your own.  

 

There are projects with similar goals, like Project Loon from Google and Internet.org from Facebook.   These are very different from Outernet’s Lantern.  Both of these alternatives will only provide two-way Internet to everyone. That is a commendable goal, but it will also be a fee-based service. Facebook’s (internet.org) is a partnership between social networking service company FACEBOOK and six mobile phone companies: Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera Software, and Qualcomm) that aims to bring affordable Internet access to everybody by increasing affordability, increasing efficiency, and facilitating the development of new business models around the provision of Internet access. 

 

Google’s Project Loon is a research and developmentproject.  Its mission is to provide Internet acesss to rural and remote areas. The project uses high-altitude balloons placed in the stratosphere at an altitude of about 32 km to create an aerial wireless network with up to3G-like speeds. The balloons are maneuvered by adjusting their altitude to float to a wind layer after identifying the wind layer with the desired speed and direction using wind data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Users of the service connect to the balloon network using a special Internet antenna attached to their building. The signal travels through the balloon network from balloon to balloon, then to a ground-based station connected to an Internet service provider, then onto the global Internet. This balloon project I suspect will deflate quickly, although a cool concept.

 

Outernet's signal is free to receive. There are no balloons or slick corporate maneuvers involved. There are also sovereign air space issues with Internet devices, like balloons and drones, inside the atmosphere. Breaking censorship will be difficult in places where a free Internet is unwanted this these approaches. You also encounter enormous spectrum regulation when the user device goes from being a receiver to a transmitter (it talks back). So you can see they are not competing services, as we are solving a problem for a different segment of the market. 

 

Outernet is directly hooking into the satellite operator’s infrastructure. Their uplink bandwidth is really not measured. Their download speeds, however, range from 100 kbps to 25 Mbps. Technically, they are able to burst to download speeds of 80 Mbps, but they prefer to make content available to small-sized antenna, so we will likely limit download speeds to 25 Mbps. A 25 Mbps downlink can deliver 10 GB of data over the course of an hour

 

Is this a new era, no censorship? Outernet works so that if one frequency is jammed, they simply move to an alternative--and can do this across 5 difference channels (or more). Since Outernet is a broadcast solution, the monitoring stations are actually irrelevant, since the reception of broadcast content ensures the anonymity of consumption. Since they use existing spectrum licenses, their anti-censorship plan is all perfectly legal and abides by all restrictions of local jurisdictions. But since they are broadcasting data in a multi-channel, multi-speed, and super duplicated manner, it just makes it hard to selectively censor specific works that we distribute. Of course, a government is always able to continuously jam all of our frequencies (this is a little more difficult for certain bands), but which government wants to be the one that is publicly known for disrupting humanity's public library?

 

Outernet currently resides on two satellites, Galaxy 19 and the Hotbird in space.  This covers NE, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.  Outernet plans on broadcasting from 5 additional satellites in the near future.  They will be able to broadcast to the entire world, for free once this implementation takes effect.

World’s Fastest Talking Female
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

World’s Fastest Talking Female

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

When Guinness Book of World Record holders get together, each of them will look at each other and say, “Wow, you did that?”   They are all amazed by each others accomplishments and deeply respectful of each other. We all have something in our lives that we have done that is fantastic. Guinness Book record holders take this to another dimension.

 

I recently got to interview Fran Capo, a true renaissance woman. Fran is an adventurer, an author, a Guinness Book record holder for being the fastest talking female in the world, a comedian, a motivational speaker and a writer. Her list does not stop there.

 

I asked Fran, “How does one become the fastest talking female in the world?  How did this come about?”  Her response was riveting! 

 

Capo was raised by a mother that helped her understand that nothing is impossible. Her mother signed her yearbook, P.M.A. (positive mental attitude) Her father always taught her to find the humor in life.  These two philosophies created her.  Anytime Fran did something in life if it worked out well it then became a part of her motivational speaking. If it did not work out well it became a part of her standup comedy act.  It is a win-win situation for Capo. She is a go getter and nothing is impossible in life. She once walked into a library and said to herself, “If all these people can write books, so can I.” She has now written more than 18 books.  Fran lives by the phrase, “There is light at the end of the tunnel. Fran says, ‘Forget that, bring your own flashlight.”

 

 

Capo was working at WBLS FM; she was a stand up comic already at this point, where she was writing stand up comedy for them. One day kidding around she said,’ I can do a really cool Mae West impression, but she called the character June East,  Mae West’s long lost sister.”   At that moment the producer gave her the weather and traffic copy to read. She had never done weather and traffic before, so she just did it, all the while doing this character June East. In the 30 seconds that she did this copy a woman from the Daily News called the station to speak with Capo. The Daily News person asked Capo how long she had been doing weather and traffic. Capo did not want to tell her it was her first time so she elaborated on her expertise. She was then asked what the next gig on her horizon was.  At that moment Capo did not have a next, but she knew that she had to think of something because she had someone from the Daily News on the phone.  Capo then blurted out, “I want going to break a world record.”  Excited, the woman from the Daily News said,” For what?” At that moment Capo did not have the what so she said,”I can’t tell you because it would jinx it.”  So the Daily News person said to her,” My article has to be submitted by 6pm today, if you decide you want to tell me call me and I will include it in my article.”

 

Capo then scurried to a bookstore to obtain a Guinness book and began flipping through it. Should she do pogo sticking….what could she do? Then she saw fast talking. Everyone always told her she talked fast. She never thought about breaking a record but now she thought what the heck.  I will give this a try.

 

A phone call was made to the Daily News by Capo at 5:55pm.  She then said she would break the fast talking record. At the time, in the book, the record was 552 words a minute. The Daily News reporter asked Capo where she was as compared to the record. Capo replied,” 550.”  This gets printed in the paper. The very next day the team from Larry King Live show called Capo to have her break the record on his show.  At that point Capo did not know who Larry King was. She heard the words cable and knew she had her chance in the spotlight and she was taking it.

 

A call was made to Guinness to learn what she had to do to break the record.  They told her she had to read something from Shakespeare or the Bible.  Capo did not care for Shakespeare but there were bible passages that her mother had taught her in the past, so she went with that.

 

She practiced for hours and hours and then went on the show. The next day she went onto the Larry King Live show (she only had three days to prepare from the initial interaction with the gal from the Daily News to break this record) and she broke the record. She spoke 585 words in one minute.  This was on March 5, 1986.  She broke the record a second time on June 5, 1990 at the Guinness book museum in Las Vegas. She spoke 603.3 words in 54.2 seconds. One may wonder how Guinness ensures the number of words per minute spoken. They bring have an Olympic timer; they use a lexicon compression technique and a professional speech analyst to calculate the words per minute.

 

http://francapo.com/frans-fractured-fairy-tale-little-red-riding-hood/

 

Click on this  link above to hear Fran Capo reading Little Red Riding Hood

 

 

This Renaissance woman is always on the go. She holds 6 other records with Ripley Believe it or Not as well. They include a book signing at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro (it was a cash only event), she just did 12 shows in 17 days in South Korea, she visited the Titanic and became an ordained minister to say the first prayer next to the Titanic, and she did a book signing next to the Titanic as well and much more.

 

Capo began her days as a stand up comic while she was studying accounting and philosophy. She was approached by people who asked her if she ever thought about being a stand up comic. So Capo asked God,” If I am supposed to be a stand up comic, send me a sing.”  She believes in signs, they always have guided her way in life. After attending a card show where they had a hand writing analysis stand she was told that she has a great sense of humor, that she should use it to make money. Sign one.  She was in line at Great Adventure speaking with her friend and a man tapped her on the back and said,” I was just at the Improv last night and you are funnier than the comic who was on stage.” 

Sign two. She then was taking an acting class and she was reading a scene and a fellow comic was in the class and said to her, “I will give you my slot on stage just so you can have the chance to perform.”  Sign three.  She continued to pray to see if stand up was going to be a gig for her.  Then sign four happened quite conveniently.  She walks into Queens College, into the door that she normally would go through to take her philosophy class and the door is closed. She had to go around to the side door due to construction. There was a giant sign on the door that read,” Stand up comedy auditions today only.”  The time for the auditions was 5 minutes from the moment she saw the poster.  So she went. The auditions were in a broom closet. She got the gig. The rest is history.

 

 

Her newest book, Hopeville, The City of Light is a story that came to her in a dream. A voice came to her in a dream and told her this story that the book would have a message for the world. The voice was relentless. The voice kept telling her it would become a best seller.  She drove to get her car fixed and would work on her Adrenalin Adventures book. She had complete writers block.  She was frozen in time. So she started writing the book, Hopeville, The City of Light. For the next three hours she was glued to her computer writing. She did not stop for three hours. The mechanics did not interrupt her. She typed,” The End” and the mechanics came up to her to tell her that her car was ready. She did not look at the book for two weeks.  She read the story. It is a wonderful book filled with hope and promise for a town. A town gets transformed by hope.  There are 44 lessons at the end of the book that are delightful.  She went to her publisher (who was Staples at that time) and printed 50 books. All 50 sold immediately in 2004. She never did anything more with it.  She has now launched this book as an eBook on amazon.com.  She is currently working on making this new book an audio book as well. Any active or inactive member of the military can get her book for free.

 

 

 

 

The mindset of world record holders and successful people is that they never give up.  The difference with world record holders is that they look at things in different ways.  They take things a step further than the normal person would.  Make it bigger!

 

What’s next for Capo? She believes that one stays young by keeping inspired and focusing on the next great thing. Capo also has a new show that will be shown on Launch TV entitled, Radio Housewives. They just shot the pilot. Launch TV is a channel dedicated to launching new films, TV series, music projects, product lines, fashion lines and businesses. Some of the shows on Launch TV, like the show, Living in Exile, get 3 million viewers per episode.  This show will launch soon on Launch TV.

 

Capo also has a dream to go down to the hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean.  Initially the thought was no life could exist down there. However, clearly there are species living there. There are millions of albino creatures living in these hydrothermal vents. In 700 degree F water, the animals are thriving. There are only 4 submersibles that can handle the pressure. Today, there is no physical way for civilians go get down there. Her plans are endless to continue her adventures, her writing, her comedy, and her quest for spiritual positivity.  

 

Visit Fran Capo’s website at www.francapo.com to see learn more about this amazing trailblazer! 

 

EL Diablo: NEW LOOP RIDE AT GREAT ADVENTURE
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 El Diablo: New Loop Ride at Great Adventure

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

 

 

 

The devil is in the details for Six Flags Great Adventure's new looping coaster, set to open this spring. Originally announced in the fall of 2014 as "Looping Dragon," with an Asian-inspired moniker and location in the Golden Kingdom section, the park's 13th coaster was re-imagined by park management who opted for a more “devilish” theme – El Diablo.

 

"The Jersey devil has deep roots in our state's history, and inspired the new theme for our upcoming thrill ride," said Park President John Fitzgerald. 

 

 Click this link to watch a video clip of the new ride

 

https://sixflags.app.box.com/s/9us76li16jjlpjky7d1j/1/2732227056/24941729205/1

 

 

The giant, fiery red El Diablo looping coaster will make its home next to the world's top-rated wooden coaster, El Toro, in the Mexican-themed Plaza del Carnaval section. It features riders sitting in “face-off” seats rocketing forward and backward pendulum style until the train gains enough momentum to complete a full revolution seven stories in the air. The coaster then kicks into high gear, completing full revolutions until it stops momentarily with riders suspended upside down, and then reverses direction for even more thrills.

 

"El Diablo is the perfect addition to Plaza del Carnaval, as it appeals to both thrill seekers and families alike. Rides like El Toro and Tango attract a wide audience to this area, which also provides ample opportunities for dining, shopping and relaxation from the excitement of the world’s largest theme park," Fitzgerald added.

 

El Diablo is set to open this spring, and will have a 48 inch height requirement to ride.

Sing Along to Disney's "FROZEN" at MCCC's Kelsey Theatre Jan. 24
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

 

Back by popular demand, Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre presents "Disney's FROZEN Movie Sing-A-Long" on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Kelsey Theatre is conveniently located on the college's West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.  Children will delight in the chance to sing along to the inspiring score of the Academy Award-nominated film, which has become a sensation for the younger generation.

Based on the classic fairy tale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, it's a story filled with bravery, optimism and love. A fearless princess sets off on an epic journey alongside a rugged mountain man Olaf, his loyal pet reindeer, and a hapless snowman. Their mission is to find Anna's estranged sister, Elsa, whose icy powers have unintentionally trapped the kingdom in eternal winter. What can Anna do to save her kingdom – and her sister?

This spirited adventure is led by the talented cast members of Theater To Go, who appear as characters from the movie and lead the audience in a costume contest and trivia contest. Audience members receive a gift bag of activities that accompany the action in the movie.

Tickets for the “FROZEN Sing-A-Long" are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $14 for students and children.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333.  Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking available next to the theater.

For a complete listing of adult and children's events for the 2014-15 season, visit the Kelsey webpage or call the box office for a brochure.

Northlandz: A Train Amazement
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

Northlandz: A Train Amazement

 By Tammy Duffy 

Guinness Book of World Record Series

 

 

 

 

A recent Google search in quest for a museum that I have not visited brought me to Northlandz. This is a 52,000 square foot concrete building located at 495 Route 22 in Flemington, New Jersey. 

 

I am fascinated with anybody who puts their passion into a hobby, sport or craft and makes it not only into a world record, but a livelihood as well.  Bruce Williams Zaccagnino, the owner and creator of the 16 acre train museum has done this with Northlandz.

 

Zaccagnino is not just some retired guy tinkering with a hobby. He was also a concert musician, successful entrepreneur, and multi-award winning computer software game developer and publisher of Perfect General and Solitaire’s Journey.

I should have visited Northlandz sooner. Tucked into this vast gray building in Flemington is, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was awarded in its time, the world's largest model train exhibit. A one-mile tour invites visitors to follow the progress of 125 trains as they traverse the countryside, zip through tunnels, scale mountains, cut through canyons, and soar over suspension bridges.  There is eight miles of track in all.

 

A quote that Zaccagnino lives by is,” If you can develop and maintain enthusiasm, you can do anything.”  His life long generosity in the creation of this museum started way back. As a child he always had trains around the Christmas tree. In 1973, when he and his wife built their first home they decided to dedicate the entire basement to trains and model railroading.  As the model railroad progressed, friends and visitors encouraged him to make it available to the public.

 

 

 

This accelerated five new additions to their home to support this initiative over the years. The final addition was built to install newly acquired theater organs in 1984.  They obtained a variance to allow for public tours that would take place two weekends a year.  Local charities benefited from the ticket sales of these events.  At this point, they had built the world’s largest model railroad.

 

In 1990, the Zaccagnino’s purchased land on Route 22 in Flemington, N.J. and built Northlandz.  The construction and installation of the model railroad was completed in 1996.  Upon completion the railroad grew in size by 15 times what it was in their home. The result is a landscape as powerful as any depicted by an artist.  It's part reality, part fantasy, part commentary on a vast, changing land.

 

As visitors enter, you are greeted by the creator, Zaccagnino. When people enter they do not know this, he is the man behind the counter who sells the tickets and tells you about the museum. There is an audiotape recording describing the high mountains, scorching deserts, great cities, vast valleys, a mountaintop monastery, and the world's only toothpick farm and bridges.

 

It takes one any where between two and three hours to go through the exhibit.  There is a great amount of railroad history in this exhibition. Your first stop is in Delbert’s Cove, one of the Great American Railways.  You see a huge gorge and detail in the buildings that leaves one awestruck.  In 1825, when England’s George Stephenson built the first railroad, he based the distance between the tracks on wagon axles of the time.  That same measurement is still used today (4 feet 8.5 inches) in standard United States railroads. 

As you walk through this exhibit you will see Bavarian castles, Swiss villages, ghost towns, factory towns, quarry digs, Civil War battle scenes, Gothic cathedrals, Pennsylvania railroads, Grand Canyon, miniature miniature golf courses, rain forests, junkyards, roadside carnivals, and tombs of unknown hobos. It's a seemingly endless work of tireless imagination.  There is even the town of Dunmore, where Zaccagnino lived until he was four. As you near the corner where you see this skyscraper down your jaw will just drop.

 

 

 

Another special part of the exhibition is Grandma’s pit. More than 27 years ago at the Flat rock quarry, a woman refused to sell her home to make room for the quarry. The quarry company proceeded to build around her property and actually made a bridge for the woman to access on and off her “rock island”.

 

Northlandz is impossible to describe. People think they know what they're going to see, but you get there and you will love it passionately. The level of creativity, workmanship and passion to maintain this exhibit is unlike anything I have ever seen.

There is a wall of the dining car-styled snack bar which is covered with graffiti, signatures of those who've passed through. Patricia Arquette was supposedly there. So, inexplicably, was Rod Stewart. There is even a painting of the two of them in the art exhibits that are throughout the museum as well. Other names of those who visited but didn't sign are nevertheless also scrawled on the wall, presumably by Mr. Zaccagnino. They include Joe Piscopo, Pee Wee Herman (there is a signed Pee Wee doll in the doll exhibition that is also in the museum), Senator Bill Bradley, the late Gene Rayburn, local radio personalities, and the singer Neil Young.

 

 

 

 

There is also a 250-seat theater with showpiece organ, artwork by local artists displayed incongruously in any spare space. Zaccagnino on a daily basis plays the organs, a glorious sound and performance.

 

The exhibition leaves you breathless.  As a visitor I was not bored. There are a series of walkways and ramps (like you have at the Guggenheim) that force visitors to interact with the topography, coaxing them over, around, looking at all vantage points. He is a true artist to force people to do this. One climbs a high ramp only to peer into a canyon. There goes a train, but oh -- what's this? -- A tiny village perched on a ledge beside a river. Crane your neck for a better look, and mountains block your way.  You stoop down to see what else you can see. What are the people doing? When will the next train come out of the next tunnel? There are over 400 tunnels in the exhibition.  This is a landscape that is actually static, except for those marvelous trains that remarkably make it more dynamic.

 

The movie the African Queen is forever playing at the Bijou, cities showing history appear and seem spectacular but somehow stopped in time. His factories and work sites are studies in geometry and gesture; he breathes life into the tiniest dilapidated building with nothing more than paint, board, and an X-Acto knife. The terrain is intriguing.  He manages to make the ugliest utility shed look beautiful simply by taking pains to mimic it precisely.

 

A pair of suspension bridges, for example, are so large and so exquisitely rendered that they're liable to make visitors wonder why they never paid much attention to the real thing. They are made of toothpicks and balsa wood.

 

 

The fun does not end at the museum. There is a 10 minute train ride that one can take on the grounds. It is well worth its $2.75 cost. Northlandz, 495 Route 202 South (just North of the Flemington Circle), Flemington. (908) 782-4022. Open weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: Adults (age 13 and older), $13.75; children (ages 2 to 12), $9.75; seniors (age 62 and over), $12.50. All major credit cards are accepted. An optional train ride on the grounds is also available; you are required to purchase tickets to both attractions and use them the same day. Northlandz is handicapped accessible. You can visit them on the Web at: www.northlandz.com.

 

 

 

 Mr. Zaccagnino was also bestowed with the highest honor that is given by the Hindu faith, the "Maan Patra". This honorarium was presented to Mr. Zaccagnino in recognition of his years of dedication to the creation of Northlandz. It was awarded to him by Swami Jagadishswarandandji at the Geeta Temple of Queens, NY in June, 1996 with thousands of worshipers of the Hindu faith in attendance.” This is what we do" says Zaccagnino, who along with his wife (Jean passed away 8 years ago) steadfast support has worked 365 days a year in pursuit of this accomplishment. 

STARR TAKES ALL EVENTS OVERS AT GFS

Stephen Starr Takes Over at GFS

 By Tammy Duffy

 

In 2009, Stephen Starr took over Rat's Restaurant in Hamilton Township, N.J. It was a management deal, much like his Steak 954 in Fort Lauderdale. Today, Stephen Starr event planners confirmed that they have now taken over the entire event planning at Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton, N. J. as well.  Starr’s group is also in the process of obtaining the liquor license that the Grounds For Sculpture currently holds as well, according to Starr Event Planning.

 

What does this really mean for the Grounds For Sculpture? The event planning staff at the GFS was let go recently as well.  One of the employees resigned after learning the team was dissolved. The employee had no team left to plan events, so the employee resigned.  These were people on the event team who worked at GFS for many years. They received no notice other than a call into an office stating, that Starr was taking over and there job is no longer in existence. There was no offer from the Starr organization to have these employees blended into the new Starr event planning at GFS. One can only wonder what an event will cost now that Starr’s group have taken over. This sudden change took a lot of jobs away from people in the local community. 

 

If you are planning an event at the GFS in the future, you no longer have any choice for caterers. This also means that all the caterers who used to be on “the list” for potential clients to pick from while planning events at GFS, have also been removed from the picture.The list of caterers that will no longer be offered on new events include: Main Street Caterers, Chez Alice caterers, Provence caterers, Max Hensen’s  and Merri-Makers. The vendors have been notified; however it was a very sudden announcement according to representatives at Chez Alice.

 

Stephen Starr will have a fixed menu that they will offer for their events.  The events that will continue to take place will be weddings, parties and corporate events. There will be an expansion to the Van Gogh Café’s hours and Starr will be the exclusive planner for the Epicurean Palette as well at GFS. They are also taking over the Peacock Café at GFS. The Van Gogh Café is now closed for renovations.  

 

At this time, there are no Corporate or Private Event requests listed on the GFS volunteer sign up calendar. GFS volunteers can only assist GFS, not Stephen Starr Catering. The volunteers at GFS were an integral part of the success of the events. Therefore, it is possible that GFS may host an event in the future where volunteer assistance will be needed and appropriate. In essence, volunteers can assist the non-profit but cannot assist the for-profit catering company.

 

There is a migration happening at  GFS that is in full swing. Mr. Seward Johnson is no longer financially supporting GFS as of Jan 1, 2015. The Grounds For Sculpture, the Atlantic Foundation, The John Art and Educational Foundation, The Johnson Atelier, and the Sculpture Foundation are migrating together to form one entity and making GFS self sufficient.  How will this evolution of self sufficiency unfold?  Only time will demonstrate what happens next. The first step to self suffiiciency has hurt numerous people in the community. Hopefully, this will not continue to be the trend.