ANN-MARGRET TURNING 70

Happy Birthday to legendary icon Ann-Margret.
It was Ann-Margret's 3rd movie in the Spring of 1963. Bye Bye Birdie hit Radio City Music Hall and the rest is history . Ann- Margret has starred in nearly 70 films co-starring with John Forsythe, Elvis Presley,John Wayne, Walter Matthau, Elton John ,Jack Lemmon,Tony Franciosa, Bette Davis,Hope Lange,Dean Martin,Pat Boone , Jack Nicholson and Fred Flintstone just to name a few.  On televison she was immortalized as Ann-Margrock  in the Flintstones and has starred in a dozen Musical Specials for every major network. Later, Ann-Margret became the Queen of the Television mini-series and became a favorite of Director  John Erman  earning her many Golden Globe awards and countlessEmmy nominations. Ann-Marget's most memorable performances on T..V. were "Who Will Love My Children", "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles", "Streetcar Named Desire","Seduced by Madness, "The Diane Borshaerd Story", "Life of The Party" The Pamela Harriman Story and "The Happy Face Murders".

     Ann-Margret Finally received her first Emmy Award after over 6 nominations for her role in SVU . She also made a very impressive impact in the drama CSI with the character Squeegle. Her most memorable Films for the big screen were  of course 'Bye Bye Birdie',"Viva Las Vegas","Carnal Knowledge" (earning her first Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress) ,"Tommy" (Earning her 2nd Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress), "Grumpy Old Men" and "Grumpier Old Men" with the greatest co-stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.


    Ann-Margret has been a superstar on the Las Vegas strip for nearly 40 years. Her shows have always received rave reviews and earning her Entertainer of the year on many occasions .In 1972, she fell 20 feet off the stage nearly ending her life and career and 12 weeks later made a dramatic return to the stage in Vegas to the amazement of Hollywood and the world. Her television special "When your Smiling"  was her comeback show filmed on the Las Vegas Stage.

   In the late 70's, Ann-Margret returned to the recording studio during the end of the disco era.. Rock n Roll Producer Paul Sabu caught her essence in 4 chart topping disco hits. On the Billboard Dance Charts and Cashbox.. In the top 10 Ann-Margret's , "Love Rush", Midnight Message", Everybody Needs Somebody Sometimes" and"  Hold Me Squeeze Me". She was again nominated as best new artist by Billboard. She was a Nominee for best new artist in the 1960's for the Grammys.

Recently, Ann-Margret had been Nominated for Grammy and Dove awards for her recordings of the Gospel sessions  having Elvis Presley's back up singers , The Jordinaires on board and produce by Art Grenhaw who also had produced Ann-Margret's Christmas Carol Collection.


Ann-Margret's credentials go on forever. She has achieved superstar status in her heyday and has survived  many obstacles  . She has won numerous humanitarian awards and is a spokesperson for Myasthena Gravis and Aids awareness.

    The vision of Ann-Margret running across the screen  in Bye Bye Birdie in a yellow dress with a blue backdrop and her flaming red hair was put in a time capsule in the 60's and the day before her 70 th Birthday,. Ann-Margret was in Los Angeles at a sold out performance of a completely remastered classic cult film" Bye Bye Birdie" with co-star Bobby Rydell.

   Ann-Margret was a regular on the Bob Hope Viet Nam tours giving joy to millions of our soldiers serving this great country . She was discovered by George Burns and Jack Benny. She was friends with the famous Rat Pack on the Vegas Strip. Has had a lifelong friendship and early relationship with Elvis Presley. Ann-Margret has conquered nearly every venue in the entertainment business. Even singing with legendary opera singer Beverly Sills.

    Barbara Stanwyke, Upon winning her Best Actress award for Thorn Birds Acknowledged Ann-Margret's incredible performance in "Who will Love My Children".

For the past 50 years, Ann-Margret has recorded records, starred in Comedy, Drama and Musical roles on the Big Screen and Televison. She has done it all and done it well. Happy Birthday Ann-Margret . Thank you for all you have done for our Country, For the Arts and Entertainment and for your Humanitarian Efforts. Happy 70th and may you have many more.


Steven Auerbach

BRIDGEPORT CONNECTICUT STEELEPOINTE

The City Of Bridgeport, Connecticut, has so much potential. With the right leadership, an individual with vision, charisma and the ability to excite developers, Bridgeport has the ability to outshine its major competitors Norwalk and Stamford, Connecticut. All three urban centers are located in Fairfield county, the wealthiest county in the United States.

During the best of times, while Norwalk and Stamford have been focused on economic development, Bridgeport was content to be the dumping ground of all social ills, leaving the burden of support on the taxpayers of the city while businesses were quick to relocate. While Stamford proceeds full speed ahead with its Harborpointe development (ironically a name once used by Bridgeport's project now known as Steelepointe), Bridgeport still has dreams of getting that first shovel in the ground to start the touted 1 billion dollar project, Steelepointe.

While time moves on as it stops for no one, Bridgeport still hopes to become a major destination. Mayors and business leadership continue to pat themselves on the back as though the project, expected to take 20 years to complete, has already been started. Not even a simple investment of a billboard touting the biggest development the city of Bridgeport has ever known.  Perhaps the most important element in making Bridgeport's dream of Steelepointe a reality is an improvement of  colossal proportions to the education in the Bridgeport Public Schools. Improved schools will be an incentive for young families to move here. Now it just becomes another burden on the overtaxed resident to send their children to a private school to get the education that they need to succeed in life.

The arts and entertainment are yet another key component to attract developers. The long vacant Poli Majestic theaters in the downtown area remain a constant memory to what Bridgeport's glorious past used to be. In the past 40 years there have been hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on study after study to see if it was viable to rehabilitate the theaters.  So there they stand vacant, dark and dilapidated as one enters a downtown that has been seeing an upswing in development (most notable being the Bijou Square Project).

Last week in Waterbury, Connecticut, a city once seen as inferior to Bridgeport, I was amazed at the exquisite beauty of the Palace Theater. The rehabilitation of the theater was not only a miracle and now a great asset to Waterbury helping spur other projects, but remains a reminder that Bridgeport just seems incapable of seeing a project through to fruition. For any city resident that is curious in taking a tour of the downtown theaters, usually given by Charles Brilivitch (an amazing city historian), they must go see a show at the Waterbury Palace Theater. These two theaters were built by the same architect.

Finally, one must remain optimistic in the future of Bridgeport, the largest city in Connecticut and the wealthiest county in the United States. The question is who will lead us into the future, reduce the taxes and create a quality of life for the working middle class and create the incentive to want to live here, work here and play here.