Amanda Blumenherst looks over a putt.

Shanshan Feng was part of a pack of players at 2-under  after the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic. She was so far under the radar that when she shot a 4-under par 67 in windy conditions in Saturday’s round, she was in the clubhouse with the lead before the broadcast of the Classic on the Golf Channel even began.

With Michelle Wie (-3), defending champ Stacy Lewis (-4) and surprise co-leaders Amanda Blumenherst and 18-year-old rookie Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand (-6) just beginning their rounds, Feng figured to lose her grip on the lead but it never happened. The wind off the bay was creating havoc with the golfers and when the day ended, Feng (-6) had a three stroke lead over Haeji Kang and Jutanugarn (-3).

Lewis in particular had a nightmare round, starting off with two double bogeys and two bogeys on the front nine and two double bogeys on the back nine for a nine-over round of 80.

Others golfers still in the hunt for the ShopRite title Sunday  include Chie Arimura and Anna Nordqvist (-2), and five players at one under, Wie (who hasn’t won a tournament since 2010), Karrie Webb, Karine Icher, Hee Young Park and Blumenherst.

UPDATE: Thursday, May 23, 9:05PM: The location for the debut show in this series has been switched to Ocean City. The FOX 29 show will not be broadcasting live from Ocean City instead of Atlantic City on Friday morning, May 24, with segments between the hours of  7-10am.

Atlantic City was born in the minds of Philadelphia dreamers, including Jonathan Pitney, in the late 1800s. And while the resort has had its share of ups and downs over the past 160 years or so — like any city has — 2012 was a rough one to say the least.

Sandy was one of the biggest blows to the Atlantic City and entire Jersey Shore region ever, but there was also the economy dragging its feet at a snail’s pace to recover from the last five years of economic gloom, new outside gaming competition, Revel filing for bankruptcy, blah, blah blah.

Well, Philadelphia’s 19th century pet project — as well as other Jersey Shore towns — is getting a helping hand from the City of Brotherly Love in an effort to get the word out that the Jersey Shore and Atlantic City are open for business this long Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the summer season down here.

And it’s not only Philly.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie made his way down from Trenton to Atlantic City’s newest attraction — Margaritaville, at Resorts (pictured) — on Thursday afternoon to discuss, among other things, the “Jersey Comeback” that he keeps referring to.

(Watch out for video from the Guv’s A.C. appearance at acweekly.com soon.)

Meanwhile, New Jersey Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will host a ribbon cutting ceremony in Sea Isle City on Friday (7-9am), part of a coordinated effort by Jersey shore towns up and down the coast — dubbed Stronger Than The Storm —  to usher in the upcoming season, the first since Sandy struck.

Christie will take part in a ceremony in Seaside Heights.

Other local towns joining the Stronger Than the Storm Party are: Brigantine (on the beach), Avalon (30th St. beach), Stone Harbor (95th St. beach), Ocean City (Boardwalk at 8th St.) and Wildwood (behind Convention Center at noon).

Also, starting on Friday and continuing every Friday through Labor Day, FOX-29’s Good Day Philadelphia show will be presenting a series called “The Comeback Down the Shore.” The series will highlight areas along the Jersey Shore that have rebuilt after the tragic Sandy hurricane struck last fall and are ready for the summer.

This Friday, May 24, FOX 29 will be in Atlantic City to feature the White House Sub Shop, Teplitzky’s at The Chelsea, Girasole, The Knife & Fork and Tony Boloney’s.

The show airs from 7-10am.

This summer, if you want to DO AC, do it a few times — there is a lot to do in the historic seaside resort. Come down and you’ll find out. Trust us.

RELATED: WHERE TO PARTY IN ATLANTIC CITY OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, SOUTH JERSEY NIGHTLIFE AT ITS BEST!

(Photo: Craig Billow)

Ray Manzarek, one of the founding members of The Doors, died at the age of 74 on Monday.

Only hardcore Doors fans probably know that his real name was spelled differently and that he was a junior: Raymond Daniel Manczarek Jr. was his birth name.

Manzarek’s keyboard playing influenced a whole genre of music and helped to make the organ sound popular in rock music during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He also was responsible for founding one of the most popular classic rock bands of all time with the late (?) Jim Morrison.

“Just for the hell of it, man,” Manzarek told this writer during a 2005 interview when asked about bringing the music of The Doors back to life in the early ’00s, in different incarnations of groups with original Doors guitarist Robbie Kreiger. “We’re going to play some music before we hang it up. We thought the 21st century would be a good time to bring back the Doors songs and play the Doors songs live for the audience for a few more years and then quit.”

The quotes above come from an interview conducted over the phone in the summer of 2005, just before Manzarek was due in Atlantic City for a Doors tribute concert, the first to be taped for a VH1 TV series Decade Rock Live, being filmed at the Trump Taj Mahal.

Manzarek and Krieger, along with former singer of the U.K. band the Cult, Ian Astbury, standing in for Jim Morrison, performed as D21C (Doors of the 21st Century) at the show. Ty Dennis joined them on drums and Joel Chen on bass. (The Doors’ original drummer John Densmore had won a permanent injunction in July 2005 prohibiting Manzarek and Krieger from using the band’s old name).

Also appearing at the show were John Sebastian, Vanilla Fudge, Macy Gray and Perry Farrell.

Manzarek died of bile duct cancer at a clinic in Germany, according to reports. His haunting organ riffs, however, and the songs he helped create with The Doors, will fill the world forever.

After learning of his long-time friend’s death, former bandmate Kreiger released the following statement: “I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today. I’m just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life, and I will always miss him.”

Ride on … through the storm, Raymond. — Jeff Schwachter

Photo: Christine Steiner

Danielle Gomes, daughter of the late Resorts CEO Dennis Gomes — who passed away suddenly at the age of 68 in February 2012 — would have made her father proud last Friday (May 10).

Danielle was the center of attention at Cuba Libre inside the Quarter at Tropicana in Atlantic City — a venue Dennis Gomes had much to do with during his time at Tropicana, just one of many jobs he held around the country during his prolific career in the gaming industry — as she signed her new book Hit Me!, based on interviews she conducted with her father in relation to his life and specifically how he fought the mob in Las Vegas as Gaming Control Board division chief, a story partially told in the Nick Pileggi book and Martin Scorsese film Casino.

Hundreds, including family, friends and long-time associates of the Gomes family, came out for the book signing, which was also a fundraiser for a local charity. Danielle said hopes to do a second one in Las Vegas.

Danielle was gracious enough to give Atlantic City Weekly an on-camera interview just moments before the event began. In the video below, she is interviewed by Atlantic City Weekly’s Jeff Schwachter about her new book, co-written with Jay Bonansinga.

One of the most famous sculptures on Sarasota, Florida's waterfront sculpture walk and park.

The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA), now under the umbrella of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) and the Atlantic City Alliance (ACA), released a statement on Friday afternoon that a Monday press conference will be held at Harrah’s Resort with regard to a new non-gaming attraction coming to town.

The Atlantic City waterfront is getting its own Sculpture Walk/Park,  thanks to a partnership between the ACA, CRDA and the Noyes Museum of Art of Richard Stockton College.

“The AC Waterfront Sculpture Walk, the newest addition to the burgeoning art program in Atlantic City,  will be located along the existing illuminated trail along the bay in the Marina District of Atlantic City, linking the Golden Nugget Atlantic City with Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa,” reads the statement.

“Located within the Tourism District, this new, eco-friendly, non-gaming attraction will encompass the procurement of 40 sculptures over the next four years, with the first installation scheduled for July, 2013.”

This summer! Fantastic news. And with 40 sculptures planned the project will definitely change the look and feel of Atlantic City’s Marina District.

One of the sculptures on the Sarasota, Fla., sculpture walk along its watefront.

According to a report by the Associated Press, a 38-year-old former COO of the U.S. Travel Association will become the new head of the American Gaming Association (AGA) it was announced in Las Vegas last week.

The new head of the U.S. casino lobby is Geoff Freeman. He will replace the AGA’s only other president (since 1995), 73-year-old Frank Fahrenkopf, in July.

Freeman, according to the report, “will seek consensus on Internet gambling,” and will be faced with the major task of ” navigating the burgeoning online gambling industry,” states a report.

“Casinos no longer are just about gambling, and its lobbyists must also understand the travel and hospitality industries,” Freeman is quoted as saying.

“Gaming is really taking on a broader image, and that’s the image of entertainment. It includes restaurants, shows, hospitality and lodging, and gaming,” he added.

Freeman not only has connections to the travel industry, but to Washington as well, where he will remain based. He will however meet with casino executives around the country, according to the report.

“I’m going to be ears open to just about anything that anyone has to say,” he said.

Internet gaming has been a hot topic over the past year, especially in Atlantic City. Earlier this year the “Internet Gaming Bill” passed in the state of New Jersey. Many say it will help Atlantic City’s struggling casinos in terms of gaming revenue when it goes into effect.

Meanwhile, it’s been reported that Caesars Entertainment, which owns four casinos in Atlantic City, is planning to how to cash in on Internet wagering.

Over the past several months it’s been reported that the parent company of the popular online gaming site PokerStars is hoping to purchase the Atlantic Club Casino in Atlantic City.

Garland's winning shot.

If it weren’t for St. Patrick’s Day and NCAA Men’s Basketball, March would be my most hated month of the year. Despite the April showers bring May flowers myth, around the southern New Jersey region March not only brings high winds, it brings terrible weather and tons of rain and/or snow. And since it also represents the beginning of spring, it really annoys us that the weather is so damn lousy this time of year. October is a much nicer month despite the fact that it is supposed to represent the return of colder weather.

However, back to the good stuff. If you’re a fan of college hoops and in particular, Philadelphia’s Big Five, you had to be thrilled by yesterday’s incredible performance by LaSalle. The team won a third game in the NCAA tournament defeating Mississippi 76-74. In basketball speed kills, and dynamic guard play by LaSalle’s Ramon Galloway and Tyrone Garland did the deed. A No. 13 seed, La Salle, won three times in five days to advance to a West Regional semifinal Thursday in Los Angeles against ninth-seeded Wichita State (28-8).

Garland banked home a scooping layup with 2 seconds left Sunday for a win over the Rebels making this La Salle’s deepest run in the tournament since they advanced to the championship game of a 24-team field in 1955.

Rants and raves about burning topics that have caught my attention midweek, be it greedy corporate shenanigans, frustration or joy in regards to the Philly sports teams, a movie, show or DVD that has fired up my imagination, an intriguing personality, or what’s happening in the region. — Lori Hoffman, Associate Editor, Atlantic City Weekly.

While I was bummed out last weekend watching the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament on TV rather than in person at Boardwalk Hall (the event moved from Atlantic City to Brooklyn this year), I’m still excited about the return of the frenzied hoops action that constitutes March Madness.

The Madness began last night with the play-in games, which were a nice warm-up for the real deal. Matter of fact, last night the hottest hoops action was in the NIT, the National Invitational Tournament, which grabs up all the excellent teams that didn’t make the NCAA field of 68.

That NIT field included the Kentucky Wildcats, the defending NCAA champions, who lost five of their players to the professional ranks and never fully recovered. They also didn’t recover from the slap of not being in the NCAA Tournament.

An inspired Robert Morris team took full advantage of having the game on their home court because the Wildcat court was to be used for NCAA action. So Kentucky, a number one seed playing a number eight seed on that team’s home court in the consolation tournament, let the disappointment get to them. But let’s give plenty of credit to Robert Morris, a good team from a much smaller program, backed by its frenzied fans, playing an inspired game in beating the Wildcats, 59-57. This is the kind of upset that makes post-season college basketball the best sport on the planet.

Of course sometimes that upset is against your team. Last night one of four Philly teams in the post-season, St. Joseph’s, a fourth seed in the NIT, lost by a buzzer-beater, 63-61, to fifth seed St John’s in a game St. Joe’s controlled most of the way.

Tonight La Salle, in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992, plays Boise State for the privilege of taking on powerhouse Kansas St. in the next round. Temple takes on North Carolina State as a ninth seed vs. an eighth seed, Friday afternoon. Villanova is in the same boat, a ninth seed taking on an ACC team, eighth seeded North Carolina, Friday evening.

I’m having fun with my brackets since the tournament is so wide open with more parity than ever. That said, Louisville has to be the team to beat.

ATLANTIC CITY — The Sword Swallowers Association (yes, there is such a thing) and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! will be paying homage to the art of sword swallowing with a free show at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium, located at 1441 Boardwalk (near Central Pier and Resorts casino) on Saturday, Feb. 23.

More than 20 sword swallowers will be “dropping swords” at Ripley’s locations worldwide in celebration of the sixth annual World Sword Swallowers Day. All totaled, about 125 feet of solid steel will be going down the hatch (hopefully) without a scratch.

In Atlantic City, sword swallower David Peyre-Ferry will perform a free show outside Ripley’s starting 2pm, with the official “swallow” taking place exactly at 2:23:13pm (Get it? Coinciding with the 2/23/13 date).

“We established World Sword Swallower’s Day to honor this ancient art, and recognize the few people in the world who can do this,” says Dan Meyer, a sword swallower whose incredible feats have been chronicled by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! “We also raise awareness of the contributions sword swallowers have made to the fields of medicine and science in raising money for esophageal cancer research.”

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has a long history of highlighting the death-defying achievements of sword swallowers — going back 80 years.

“Sword swallowers were a big part of the very first Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933,” says Tim O’Brien, vice president of communications for Ripley Entertainment Inc. “There [at the World’s Fair] three performers, two of whom were women, mesmerized the huge crowds. Ripley’s has been home to sword swallowers around the world ever since.”

Current A.C. Ripley’s Odditorium hours are Monday through Friday, 11am-6pm; Saturday 10am-8pm; and Sunday 10am-6pm. Call (609) 347-2001, e-mail ripacac@aol.com  or visit ripleys.com/atlanticcity for more.

ATLANTIC CITY — If your home or business sustained damage by Superstorm Sandy, you may be eligible for a low-interest loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). New Jersey homeowners, renters and business owners have until Friday, March 1, to complete and return SBA disaster loan applications.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela

Disaster loan information may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov <http://www.sba.gov> . Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Completed loan applications for physical damages must be returned to SBA no later than March 1, 2013

“So far the SBA has approved over $300 million in disaster loans to over 4,300 homeowners, renters and business owners throughout New Jersey,” says SBA New Jersey district director Al Titone on the SBA Web site. “Clearly our work is not done, and I encourage anyone who has been affected by Hurricane Sandy to apply for assistance through the SBA and FEMA as soon as possible.”
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