A DINNER WITH MRS. VEGASCOMMUNITYONLINE.COM  

I love doing this column, but this week I must have writers’ block, or something. Maybe because I’m in rehearsals, having business meetings, online, reading emails, responding to cell calls, etc. and it is all I can handle. I heard about writers’ block and I’m at a loss. Then, the phone rings and it is Marleen Marino, who is the woman behind publishing the vegascommunityonline.com website. Marleen suggests dinner and it could not have come at a more opportune time. Maybe a good meal can cure writers’ block, you know? 

Now, keep in mind, over the last 7 months since I started writing the “This And That” column, Marleen and I have talked/emailed but we had not met yet. We decided right then, right there to remedy it. We had a great dinner at the Red Rock Resort and Casino restaurant – Terra Rossa. The food was terrific, man. I love eating at a good restaurant and you can bet I will be back soon. And guess what? I didn’t even think about, you know “the block” – the food was that good. 

Talking to Marleen, her husband Frank, my wife Linda was really a stimulating dinner conversation at its best. We talked about everything but in particular we talked about education and how it is failing our students. I’ll get into that subject in one of my upcoming columns. Stay tuned on that one, you know what I mean? My writers’ block seems to be breaking up – thank you, thank you. 

Back to dinner: Marleen first approached me about doing a specific celebrity-oriented column and now more than 28 columns later, we finally meet. I told Marleen that I was going to write about our dinner. This broke up my “writer’s block” completely. Yes. 

It’s odd, in this business you meet lots of people but some of them, change your life. Marleen was so thoughtful to contact me about doing this column. I don’t know ‘bout you guys but this is good therapy for me. Call me pragmatic but I like to see things when they are “in print” – like signed contracts. This column is the best medicine and a vehicle for me to speak out. I’m a transported New Yorker who now loves it here in Vegas – this is my home. Thanks to vegascommunityonline.com I can say with conviction, “home is really where the heart is”.  

In closing, I have to compliment Marleen and her staff for the amazing graphics that grace the column each and every week. In some cases, the videos they added were so immediately interactive that I marvel at their work. I don’t think a week goes by where I haven’t been beyond-belief-impressed by the column’s graphics. I’ll let you in on something, I don’t get to see the graphics in advance – I write copy. I love going online Friday and seeing what Marleen did to make “This And That” come alive.

SMOKEY AND HIS RHYTHM & SOUL AWARD 

As you’ll recall, Smokey Robinson inducted us into the Rock HOF but what you don’t know is Smokey was sick with the flu. He was out touring and flew into Cleveland just to present us with our awards. It was such a memorable night. I can still hear Smokey, our longtime friend, saying we are his brothers in his induction speech. Smokey was really sick but he showed up for me and the guys. Does that tell you a little something about Smokey Robinson? It should. 

Smokey Robinson will be honored with the Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award from ASCAP. The prize is awarded to an ASCAP member who has had a major impact on the legacy of rhythm & blues and soul music. The presentation will take place on Friday, June 26 at the 22^nd annual Rhythm & Soul Awards in LA.  

I’m glad that they are honoring my friend Smokey this way. When you look at the past honorees, like Earth, Wind & Fire, Bill Withers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis you see that maybe they were working their way up the ladder. Smokey’s top rung and what he did to further the music we call R&B and Soul is immense.  
 

DOESN’T ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE GAME? 

As you might have figured out by now is I am an avid and devout Mets fan. Unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever comes first, The Mets were moving along so swimmingly and then, the bottom fell out of the pool. We won are first 3 games out of 4 with San Francisco Giants and onto LA. We go up against the Dodgers and lose 2 games in a row. I don’t know what I’m gonna do with them. 

I’ve been a Met fan since day one and the last couple of years have been a mis-adventure. We need help and like the old Five Royals used to sing – “help me somebody”. That song has a new meaning to me now thanks to our beloved Mets. What are Mets fans to do? I’m starting to feel like a Cub and that’s not good.  

I don’t proclaim to be a TV bullpen reviewer but you gotta ask at some point, doesn’t anybody know how to play the game? “You Gotta Have Heart” so the song says – sure.

I still love The Mets and I’m waitin’ for it to happen. They have the team makings but you need wins no matter what league you’re in. 
 

GOODBYE TIMES SQUARE AND HERALD, YOU’RE NEXT 

This Sunday, May 24th in New York City they will begin the process which will change the area we all know and love as Time Square. It is about to become pedestrian and over the summer, Times Square and Herald Square will be traffic free – cars prohibited. This is the end of the road and I’m sorry to see it go. Is this good for the city or bad for the city? There are mixed feelings and I feel if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. 

Let me see if I get his straight. The Great White Way is going to be a fairway that you can’t play through. I know it’s a golf analogy but it works pretty well here. So this Sunday, cars will be barred from Times Square and Herald Square and this is the kick-off for what will then become pedestrian-only. This Sunday there will be a food fest, an outdoor yoga studio and a kickball arena. I’m under-whelmed – sorry. 

All traffic will be diverted off Broadway. Between 42^nd – 47^th Streets, all traffic will have to find another way – get out your GPS devices. Same holds true for 33^rd – 35^th Streets which means drivers will have to head for Seventh or Ninth Avenues to get downtown. The City of New York is spending an estimated $1.5 million on this plan. It sure sounds like a loser to me and all those ways I knew around Broadway Times Square are now re-routed history.

Construction on the transformation of Times and Herald Square is supposed to be finished by the end of August. They will then be referred to as “plazas” and I understand that some business owners on Seventh Avenue side are not pleased the city is going through with their plaza plan. I see their point - they’re on the bad side of the street.  

I’ll miss the car, emergency services, taxi and bus traffic that always was a part of Times Square. I don’t think I will miss the Herald Square traffic all that much. What used to be a “New York by-way” will become a vehicle “no way” at all. 

Man, times have changed. Just think, 40 years ago, at Woodstock they closed the New York State Thruway. That was culture then, and now, we take the name “Broadway” and change it into “The Great White Walkway”. Something isn’t right. Closing The Thruway is once in a generation headline and it’s cleared in days. Turning Times Square into a plaza is more or less, a street with no name. They are turning Broadway into an open-air mall and maybe that is a sign of the times. 

MY CONDOLENCES  

My family, The Imperials and I want to pass along our heartfelt condolences to my assistant Pastor Andy Vesser. He lost his mother last week. My wife Linda and I attend the Word of Life Church regularly and everyone there calls him “Pastor Andy” lovingly. It’s tough when a family member dies no matter what the relation but when your mom dies – or your dad – it is such a rite of passage. “Pastor Andy” we love you.

FATHER’S DAY SALUTE 

Before I forget, I want to wish all the good fathers in the world “Happy Father’s Day 2009” early. Some dads leave their kids behind and in many instances mom becomes the one who keeps the family together. I try to pay attention to all my kids and my grandkids. They are so important in the scheme of things. It’s something we should remember to keep in mind. -“Happy Father’s Day” then has real meaning.