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March 14, 2010

After fighting the idea of getting a Facebook.com page for a long time, I finally decided to get an account and start posting some pictures. My experience has been wonderful! I've reconnected with skydiver friends from 35 yeas ago. How wonderful! For some reason, I don't seem to relate well to people who don't jump out of airplanes.

After only about three months I decided to cancel FB.

Simple reason: too intrusive on my privacy and it will only be getting worse.

I'm starting a new page dedicated to having the Downe Township Inconvenience Center moved. I'll be listing all the pictures, maps, links and argument regarding this repulsive facility. I've threatened to do this over the last few years I'm finally in the position to litigation dollars where my mouth is...so to speak.

The continual illegal activity at the facility is rather astounding. The CCIA and Health Department won't act. I wonder why that is. We will be finding out soon.

March 10, 2010

My last regular pilot was the woman who flew the famed Pepsi skywriting airplane I write about below.

My first regular pilot was the woman you see in this picture.

Marsha Ivins is a NASA Atronaut. She was my first jump pilot when I opened my school in Woodbine, NJ.

Marsha holds a multi-engine Airline Transport Pilot License with Gulfstream-1 type rating, single engine airplane, land, sea, and glider commercial licenses, and airplane, instrument, and glider flight instructor ratings. She has logged over 7000 hours in civilian and NASA aircraft.

Marsha's first paying flying job was with me flying jumpers.

A veteran of five space flights, Marsha has logged over 1,318 hours in space.

She logged a few hundred hours flying skydivers for me before earning a degree in Aerospace Engineering and joining the NASA astronaut program.

She sent the autographed picture to my daughter, Rebecca.

March 9, 2010

My birthday article about Bill and Terry making a birthday jump out of Cessna 69BS jogged my memory into thinking about the pilot for that jump.

The young lady sitting on the Pepsi-cola biplane wheel is Peggy Davies. Peggy was the pilot who flew the nude birthday jump in 69BS. Peggy at Reading, early 1970s

She is seen here on the day I visited her at the Reading Air Show in Reading, PA. After flying for me, Peggy went on to fly the Pepsi-cola Skywriter where she wrote "PEPSI" a few thousand times.

The Travel Air D4D Pepsi Skywriter that Peggy is sitting on was retired in 2000. The plane is now hanging in the National Air & Space Museum in Washington. The Smithsonian website says this:

Pepsi-Cola acquired the airplane in 1973 and used it for air show and advertising duty until retiring it in 2000. Peggy Davies and Suzanne Oliver, the world's only active female skywriters since 1977, performed in it. LINK HERE

Peggy retired from Pepsico after being Chief Pilot as well as Head of Aviation. She was a flight instructor who flew aerobatic aircraft and jets equally well.

For all her accomplishments, experience, flying hours and fame, Peggy Davies was a very down-to-earth person who loved staying at the Green Door in Fortescue, NJ.

March 7, 2010

An old guys airplane

Happy Birthday to me.

I don't know about you but getting old isn't fun. Maybe if you are 20 you can't wait to be 21 so you can drink.

Or maybe, like my daughter, who just turned 17 on March 2nd, you'll be looking forward to getting a driver's license like she did.

But turning sixty-nine is a real shocker. I never expected to make it this far considering all of the crazy stuff I've done in my life.

Forty years ago when I owned a skydiving school my airplane "N" number was N69BS. The above picture was taken of my Chief Instructor, Terry Zeller and a good friend and employee Bill Blankfield when they made a birthday suit jump.

I thought you'd get a grin from seeing the number on the plane and how it coincides with my initials...AND my age.

March 5, 2010

Have you heard about the derrick that was used to find natural gas deposits in the Turkey Point section of Downe Township?

<< Here it is.

Isn't that fascinating?

In Downe Township, the township with more than 70% of its land being tax exempt.

Read more about this amazing story by clicking HERE.

Stop back soon. I'll be updating things.

March 4, 2010

My court date has been postponed... AGAIN!

For reasons that my attorney and I don't know at the moment, my hearing date for the dumbest charges ever filed in the State of New Jersey has been postponed.

We do know that the hearing will be in the Bridgeton Municipal Court. It was most recently scheduled for March 17th.

The original charges were made in July!

If you came to read about the Oracle of Fortescue and the crazy charges against me--for exercising my civil and constitutional rights Click HERE.

More on the debacle and injustice very soon.

On Monday, March 1st, I had the pleasure of listening to one of the most dynamic politicians I've ever met: Assemblywoman Celeste Riley.

What a refresing change from some of the politicians who have come to speak at Downe Township Committee meetings.

Assemblywoman Riley is very smart, very knowledgeable, extremely witty and quite able to convey the important things. I was very impressed by her.

It would be wonderful if I continue to be.

She spoke of her concern for a Corps of Army Engineers project to drege the Delaware Bay. She is very much against the current plan.

Read about Assemblywoman Celeste Riley by clicking HERE. It would be nice to see an up-to-date blog page from her.

Ms. Riley represents what I've been saying for over 25 years:

"The world needs more women in government."

Downe Mayor, Renee Blizzard, and Deputy Mayor, Lisa Garrison, are two more examples of how it should be done.

Our women are doing a fantastic job! Thank you.

It didn't take long for Bob Campbell to be in office as a committeeman before he showed his true colors and his true alligence.

At the February meeting the tower on Natural Lands Trust owned property at Turkey Point was discussed as well as a number of piles of dirt piled next to it.

At the March meeting he was thanked for directing the road crew to spread the dirt on behalf of the Natural Lands Trust.

It appears that Mr. Campbell directed the Downe road department employees to spread the dirt using township equipment.

What's with that, Mayor Blizzard? No discussion, no vote. Township equipment being used on private, none tax paying land, for the benefit of that organization?!

That's worse than Commercial Township mayor, George Garrison, plowing his driveway using their township equipment after the last snow storm.

At least he pays taxes and had a good reason for doing the plowing.

If you are new to Downe--or curious as to why I would bother to mention a few piles of dirt--consider that the NLT has been receiving special treatment from Downe Township for at least 20 years. We are 70% tax exempt and the NLT is one of the owners of thousands of acres of land on which no taxes are being paid.

No documents written by a committee person addressing the issue of our tax situation has ever been made public.

The Natural Lands Trust has never had an application for tax exempt status denied. Can you imagine that?!

Imagine: 70% of Downe land is not generating tax revenue.

And...the non-taxpaying entities keep buying more.

Come to the meetings. Ask why. Listen. Speak up.

This issue needs a full, in-depth, newspaper story. [Dan Walsh, where are you? Are you available?]

Since I've mentioned Mr. Campbell, maybe we should take a look at his land holdings in the township and the fact the he hasn't paid taxes on those holdings for 10 years.

Who voted for this character, anyway?

More soon. Stop back.

Get informed.

312th CyberForces

The Death of Jim O'Brien

Oracle of Fortescue

Thrill Seeking Gene

Pictures are Hyperlinks