The former NJN is located at 25 Stockton St., and Ernie Kovacs Place. It was once a lighted area, with many colorful studio lights showing through the big glass windows all over the building.
“It is a beautiful building and when it is lit up with all the neon signs in the windows; it kind of brings life back to that corner across from City Hall, and it complements the City,” said Councilwoman, Marge Caldwell-Wilson.
Gregory Tift, a New Jersey State employee and a Communications Workers of America Local 1039 leader, also thinks that the governor needs to address concerns about the vacant NJN building.
Tift talks about the special election that the governor is planning to hold this fall to fill the seat of the recently deceased, New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg. He believes the governor priorities are a bit “misplaced,” because this unnecessary election will cost millions of dollars at a time when he closed NJN to save the state money.
The Old Mill Hill Society, (OMHS), a group that plans Trenton’s historic Mill Hill District annual Garden Tour, hopes to raise money from the garden tours to help fund the OMHS Grant Program.
This program “helps residents keep their homes up to historic standards,” said Kari Brookhouse, president of OMHS.
The 22nd annual Mill Hill Garden Tour is scheduled for June 8, 2013 from noon to 5 p.m. Residents of Mill Hill volunteer to have their gardens open so that visitors can see them. This year’s garden tour theme is “Urban Farming.” Therefore, visitors will see a variety of gardens that will include vegetables and flowers.
“It is a very fun event, brings the community together, promotes the City and the neighborhood and raises money for the grant program,” said Brookhouse.
A recent survey shows that New Jersey Public Television, (NJTV) and other U.S. public television stations continue to need funding from the government, foundations, and from individuals. Survey by Michelle Dryden A recent survey posted on www.themediapub.com, shows that none of the respondents supports their local public television station financially.
Although public television stations such as NJTV have several sources for funding, they also rely on individual financial support. However, the survey of six respondents shows that individuals do not support their local public television stations.
One of the questions on a recent survey about U.S. public television stations and NJTV, asks, “Do you financially support your local public television station?” All the respondents answered “no.”
In a recent interview with John Servidio, general manager of NJTV, he said that the television station is doing well, but it needs money. According to Servidio, the current budget was not enough, but because of NJTV’s strategy for gathering news and doing other operational functions, the stations manages to do well. Photo by Michelle Dryden John Servidio recently said that NJTV is doing well, but it needs money to continue to operate as an improved public television station in New Jersey.
The publication that was posted in week two of March shows that public television across the country continue to fight for funding, especially government funding. NJTV operates as an independent public television station and receives most of its funding from Public Broadcasting Service, (PBS), and Corporation for Public Broadcasting, (CPB), as well as from individuals. Photo by Michelle Dryden New Jersey Public Television, (NJTV), operates at its new location on the campus of Montclair State University, Montclair, N.J.
But public television has to work on getting more interesting programs. The survey shows that on a scale of 1 to 4, 3.75 percent of respondents think most of the programs on public television are boring, but they are watching.
The survey also shows that more females, 42 and older are watching public television. They are interested in arts and culture programs. Actually, 66.67 percent of females compared to 33.33 percent of males in New Jersey watch public television once or twice each day.
However, 60 percent of New Jerseyans who were surveyed do not know that NJTV is the new public television station in New Jersey. Therefore, NJTV will have to work on getting the word out and attracting more viewers in order to get more funding from individuals.
The survey below is to solicit feedback about the status of U.S. public television and New Jersey Public Television, (NJTV), as they face funding issues. Public television has a specific role in journalism as it seeks to localize programs and provide safe content for families and other viewers.
NJTV features various local programs on its broadcast schedule that include: Public Broadcasting Service, (PBS), series such as Charlie Rose, American Masters, Nature and BBC World News America. The station also airs various local or state-centric news such as Reporter’s Roundtable with Michael Aron, and NJToday with Mike Schneider. These newscasts show stories from around New Jersey, the Garden State.
However, public television stations are usually in jeopardy whenever Federal and State governments are facing budget crises. Thus, public television stations have to try to pick programs that will earn syndication revenues and also try to generate some back-end revenues from the sale of books, videos, toys or clothing.
NJTV replaced New Jersey Network, (NJN), when it emerged July 1, 2011, after the governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, determined that the State would no longer fund NJN. Several public broadcasting stations in the United States face similar fates.
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.
Recently, PBS and National Public Radio, (NPR), had a campaign called 170 Million Americans For Public Broadcasting, where they sought to save federal funding for Corporation for Public Broadcasting, (CPB).
The House, Labor Health and Human Services, (LHHS), Appropriations Subcommittee wanted to gradually phase out and eliminate all federal funding for public broadcasting in America. Public broadcasting has been negotiating and soliciting support to remain on the air and carry out its mission that includes entertaining and educating.
Most media companies are losing funding because of changes to the industry such as the internet that is shrinking journalism newsrooms. Public television is directly affected by media changes. So, as journalism switches over to the internet, becoming increasingly mobile and personalized, it loses traditional media and threatens public television. Public television has to prove its role in journalism to remain relevant in the industry. So far, public television claims to be very local and to give viewers the type of educational, instructional and community-based programming that they are interested in.
The industry is in convergence and all media have some form of internet presence. As a result, most media companies are losing funding. As public television tries to carve an essential role for itself, it also has to acquire necessary funding inorder to remain a crucial asset to the industry.
PRINCETON, N.J. – Mobile devices, such as tablets, laptops, netbooks and cell phones, make big sales, but at Best Buy in Princeton, “netbooks are phasing out,” and tablets are replacing them. Photo by Michelle Dryden At Best Buy store in Princeton, tablets are currently replacing netbooks as laptops remain good buys.
According to a Best Buy Sales Associate, Wolff Traversiere, “The netbooks pretty much phased out since the tablets came in.”
A Best Buy Mobile Sales Consultant, who wishes to remain anonymous, added that, “The netbooks phased out because the tablets have touchscreen, more battery life and are more portable.”
Even though mobile devices are very popular, Traversiere also said there are now all-in-one desktop computers and people are buying them because they save space and have more power.
The Best Buy Mobile Sales Consultant said the new all-in-one desktop computers are somewhat preferred to the older desktops because owners can also use them as flat screen televisions if they have the right adaptors.
But he also said that, “generally older people are still buying the older, traditional desktop computers because they don’t like change. They stick with what they know.” He added, “And, they think everything is too fast.”
Although people are not buying netbooks as much, college students and parents are still buying the laptops for themselves and their school children, said Traversiere.
In her study from 2010, Audrey Watters writes that, 98 per cent of students own computers. However, “desktop ownership has declined by more than 25 per cent…”
She writes that laptop usage has increased accordingly, with 89 per cent of students saying they own a laptop or netbook.
Infographic by Michelle Dryden
But some still prefer desktops for some of their tasks, like video editing, said the Best Buy Mobile Sales Consultant. He said desktops tend to have more power than laptops.
Lisa Brand concludes that laptops are chosen more when one has to move about from place to place. She writes that the features are almost the same nowadays, so it is up to the user to make the choice. However, she said for longer performance and long hours of multitasking use, most people still choose a desktop.
Netbooks came on the market in smaller sizes than laptops to offer more convenience and portability. However, according to Mark Kyrnin, they also come with more sacrifices in processor, keyboard size, screen size, hard-drive, disc drive and operating system. They are lacking in these areas. Therefore, people are buying laptops and tablets instead of buying netbooks
Tablets compare in price and performance to netbooks. The tablets do the same as netbooks, except word processing, but they are more popular, writes Adroit Alien in his report.
Best Buy still has the Samsung and the ASUS netbooks for sale. The Samsung screen size is 13.3 inches while the ASUS screen size is 11.6 inches. Most tablets are smaller with screen sizes of seven to 10 inches.
According to Traversiere people buy the tablets for gaming, luxury, business, checking e-mails, surfing the web and for pleasure.
Princeton Chevrolet car dealership is the new home for Superior Chevrolet since last October. The dealership, located at 200 Renaissance Blvd., Lawrenceville, N.J. promises to do everything possible to be a long-term member of the community. Princeton Chevrolet Director of Sales and E-Commerce, Tony Blazier, said he wants to offer more in terms of vehicle selection, service and charity to the Princeton area. He said he wants this new Chevrolet dealership to do much better than its predecessor.
MORRISVILLE, PA. – The Actors’ Net of Bucks County revived an old terror as they brought “Dracula”, the play, to The Heritage Center last night.
“Expect a lot of blood,” said Glen Schulkin of Chesterfield, N.J. His wife, Debbie, said they came from 15 minutes away to see her friend, John Pinto, who is an actor in the play. She also said, “I’m expecting it to be somewhat scary.” Photo by Michelle Dryden
The character, Lucy, speaks to audience members after the showing of ‘Dracula,’ Saturday night.
The play depicts good and evil, humans and vampires; friendships and deception, hell and heaven, the living and the dead, great ambitions and superstitions, male dominance, female submission, and tragedies. The characters brought it all to life.
Husband and wife, Joe and Cheryl Doyle, proprietors of The Heritage Center, have been bringing classical plays to the theater for 17 years now.
Mr. Doyle, co-founder, general manager, playwright and in-residence, said last night’s show “is G-rated and is a relatively new adaptation of Dracula.” He said, “We believe it is the most faithful to the Bram Stoker novel. That’s why we chose it.”
The audience packed the 77-seat theater to see the Steven Dietz adaptation of Dracula. The play was in its third week last night. Most Actors’ Net plays last four weeks at The Heritage Center.
Photo by Michelle Dryden The seats inside the Heritage Center are empty at intermission, as the audience breaks for snacks.
The audience’s reaction to Dracula, last night, was basically the same. Some people there were seeing the play for the first time. Others said they have read the books or seen the movie.
An audience member, Kip Cherry of Princeton, N.J., said, “It is very sexual, sensual and suggestive, but it’s not too overt.” She continues, “It makes it mysterious and exciting.”
Most of the audience commented that they enjoyed the play. Those who have read the book or seen the movie believe that the play is a true version of the original.
The cast members come from various backgrounds. Most of them are long-time actors who belong to The Actors’ Net of Bucks County. “Actors come from the Tri-State area: Bucks and Mercer counties and Philly,” said Mr. Doyle. “We have about 50 that come faithfully,” he said.
The play was very believable. The characters were emotional, honest and real. According to a cast member, Cat Miller of Bristol, Pa., who played Lucy, “We have to believe in what we are doing 100 per cent.”
DeLarme Landes, who played Dracula, said, “Dracula is hungry and thirsty. He craves an intensity of human experience. It’s really fun to play someone who’s so over the top vicious.” Landes also said that in order to get into character, he had to try to identify with real human desires and needs. Photo by Michelle Dryden
The cast of “Dracula” takes a bow after the play ended Saturday night at The Heritage Center in Morrisville, Pa.
Another dominant character was Professor VanHelsing, played by John Pinto. Pinto said he has read the book, Dracula, and is a big fan. He said, “I had to be very convincing. The professor rises above his real fear to triumph.”
Mary Alice Rubins-Topoleski who played Mina said she wanted the audience to take away a sense of empowerment from the play. She said even though the play showed male dominance it was a woman who killed Dracula.
The Actors’ Net of Bucks County will be bringing other plays to The Heritage Center in the upcoming months. According to Mr. Doyle, “We have done everything from Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon and the classics. We have also done a couple of Austin Pendleton.” He said Pendleton visited The Heritage Center during the showing of one of his plays.
With the biking season about to start in March, Kevin O. Jones, president of One Love Road Racing, is concerned about acquiring sponsors.
Jones said that he does not have the experience in finding sponsors. However, he said recently he researched the “how to” on the web and has made up packages with letters that he sent out to potential sponsors.
“I just have to see how it goes,” he said. While he waits to see if he will gain additional sponsors, he is getting the bikes in gear as he does mechanic work and paints them. Jones biggest wish is to get his team members to the American Motorcycle Association (AMA), level.
He is currently a member of that level, but most of the other members belong to the Championship Cup Series level, (CCS). Jones is actively working on having future successes.
