Punto! Central Luzon -
February 17, 2012
CLARK FREEPORT – The ambitious plan to reclaim some 45 hectares of a gambling and entertainment center at the Manila Bay will put in place some 3,000 modern slot machines…but displace at least 100,000 small fishing families.This was the highlight of a letter sent by the fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) to the Japanese gambling giant Tiger Resorts, Leisure and Entertainment Inc. (TRLE) which is investing $ 2 billion in a Las Vegas-type in the reclamation area in Pasay City.“The rise of this $2 billion Las Vegas type gambling center is a virtual death certificate for all fishing activities in Manila Bay,” Pamalakaya said.Pamalakaya noted that gambling resorts “are not the kind of development the small fisherfolk and the Filipino people want from Pres. Aquino.”“We have no future in a republic of gamblers. We don’t want to be replaced or displaced by slot machines, gambling tables, poker chips and game cards,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap.He lamented that “Pres. Aquino and officials of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and their Japanese client want to replace the fisherfolk of Manila Bay with slot machines.”Pamalakaya said no less 100,000 families of small fishermen at the bay, including those in Cavite would be affected by the casino project.“Imagine a world where 100,000 fishing families or 600,000 people will be dislodged by 500 gaming tables, 150 high-end stores and 3,000 slot machines in the name of Aquino’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program. We ask the Tiger group to leave the Philippines and Manila Bay and respect the fisherfolk’s rights to livelihood and their right to live in fishing communities,” Hicap said.The Las Vegas gambling center project will involve the development of two luxury casino hotels with 450 and 650 rooms each, respectively.Tiger Resorts, Leisure and Entertainment Inc. is one of the four major investors in the Pagcor project that include Bloombury Investments of ports tycoon Enrique Razon, Belle Corporation in partnership with SM group and the Resorts World group of Andrew Tan controlled Alliance Global Inc.Pamalakaya said the 45-hectare casino project in Manila Bay is a precursor to another ambitious project being planned by the Philippine Reclamation Authority. The group said the PRA is planning to reclaim some 615 hectares of foreshore areas in Manila Bay, excluding the 175-hectare mangrove and marine sanctuary in Las Pinas and Paranaque.
Gamesys: Online Slots Player Wins Big On Jackpotjoy! (08. Februar 2012, 15:39 Uhr)
February 16, 2012
LONDON, February 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –
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Gamesys: Online Slots Player Wins Big On Jackpotjoy! (08. Februar 2012, 15:39 Uhr)
‘American Pickers’ coming to Kentucky
February 15, 2012
They will be in Richmond this March, looking for items to buy.Here are some of the items they are looking for:-Motor scooters-Vespas, Lambretta, Cushman-Old advertising signage-Motorcycles-Bicycles (Pre 60′s to turn of thecentury)-Unusual radios: transistor /Tabletop-Old toys: tin, wind-up, cast iron-Pre 50′s vending machines-Pinball and slot machines-Old Movie Posters-Antique casino/gaming machines-Vintage movie memorabilia-Vintage advertising Items-Taxidermy-Vintage concert posters & T-shirts-Early Boy Scout items-Pre 60′s vintage diner collectibles-Pre 60′s TV merchandise-Pre 50′s western/equestrian Gear-Classic motorcycle memorabilia-Old rodeo items-Airline collectibles-Pan-Am, TWA, Etc.-Late 70′s & earlier military Items-Extraordinary mobster memorabilia-Vintage police officer collectibles-Firefighter collectibles-Pre 40′s telephones-Folk art-Vintage BB Guns/ Cap Guns-Early Halloween items-Pre 40′s Christmas items-Hawaiiana/ Tiki Collectibles-Vintage sports collectibles-Vintage election Memorabilia-Musical instruments-Civil War antiques-Vintage gas pumps-Pre 70′s old neon signs-Strange woodcarvings-Vintage collegiate
They are not looking for farming/agriculture items, tools, glassware, appliances, tractors, crocks, stoves, or country primitives.
Email your name, number, town, state and the items along with pictures you think the show will be interested in at or call and leave a message at 646.493.2184
‘American Pickers’ coming to Kentucky
January Revenue Numbers Sag Again For AC Casinos
February 14, 2012
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. —
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) Warm weather in January was offset by a cold streak at the gambling tables for Atlantic City’s casinos, whose revenue fell 7.2 percent last month.
The decrease dashed hopes that a surprising increase the month before might be the start of a hot streak for the nation’s second-largest gambling market.
Statistics released Friday afternoon by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement show the casinos took in $236.9 million in January. Slot machine revenue was virtually unchanged at $164.7 million, but table games revenue plunged 20.2 percent, to $72.2 million compared with a year ago.
Lisa Spengler, a spokeswoman for the gaming enforcement division, said the decrease can be chalked up to “primarily bad luck.” The casinos hold percentage at table games was 14.8 percent last month, compared with 16.6 percent in January 2011. Slot machine winnings, she noted, were down only 0.1 percent for the month.
The calendar hurt somewhat; there was one more Saturday in January 2011 than there was this year. But unseasonably mild weather this January (temperatures averaged 10 degrees warmer than normal) spurred hopes the casinos might have had a better month.
The resort has been fighting fierce competition from casinos in neighboring states, and the lingering effects of an uncertain economy.
Only two of the 11 casinos showed increases in revenue last month: The Golden Nugget Atlantic City, up 3.4 percent to $9.6 million; and Resorts Casino Hotel, up 3.2 percent to just over $10 million.
Resorts co-owner Dennis Gomes said after owning the casino for a full year, he has been able to build a customer database and tailor comp offers of rooms, meals and free gambling play more closely to each customer.
“We’re able to start refining our offers to our customers to make sure what we’re giving our players is consistent with what they’re giving us back,” he said.
Gomes said it was particularly gratifying to have an up month during the winter, which is the slowest period for Atlantic City casinos. Business over the first 10 days in February has been encouraging as well, he said.
The biggest decline was at ACH, which is changing its name next month to The Atlantic Club. Its revenues fell 20.6 percent in January, to $7.8 million, the lowest total in the city.
Trump Plaza, which has been struggling for years and is up for sale, was down 14.3 percent to $8.2 million. The Tropicana Casino and Resort was down 13.1 percent, to $18.7 million, and the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort was down 12.1 percent to $24.4 million.
Bally’s Atlantic City, which earlier this month closed down some of its gambling areas in the former Claridge Casino Hotel as part of a renovation, was down 10 percent to $24.9 million. The Showboat Casino Hotel was down 7.2 percent to $16.8 million, and Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City was down 6.8 percent to $34.4 million.
Caesars Atlantic City was down 5.1 percent to $29.9 million, and the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa was down 2,4 percent to $51.7 million, by far the highest total in the city.
Revel, which will become the city’s 12th casino when it opens its doors on April 2, is being counted on to help jump-start Atlantic City by attracting new customers curious to check out the newest product in the market.
Some non-gambling tourism indicators pointed to a decent month in January, including more than 6,000 visitors stopping at the city’s information centers for maps, general information, and room and restaurant reservations, a 25.9 percent increase over January 2011. Visits to the resort’s official tourism website, atlanticcitynj.com, totaled 342,971, up 30 percent from a year ago.
Traffic figures from the South Jersey Transportation Authority show 1,540,882 cars passed through the Atlantic City Expressway’s Pleasantville toll plaza leading into Atlantic City, up 7.6 percent over January 2011.
Wayne Parry can be reached at twitter.com/WayneParryAC
January Revenue Numbers Sag Again For AC Casinos
Giving Slot Players a Choice – RGT Online
February 7, 2012
Giving Slot Players a Choice 17 January 2012 By John Grochowski
When it comes to game design, I’m always on board with giving players choices. Whether we’re talking the strategy options inherent in video poker, the choice of bonus event packages that come with the decision to defend or attack earth in WMS Gaming’s Attack From Mars/Revenge From Mars slots or the chance to choose volatility in games such as Incredible Technology’s Magic Touch line, letting the players have it their way enhances the casino experience.
That volatility choice is on its way toward becoming a mini-trend as video slots continue to evolve even after they’ve taken over the largest floor space in modern casinos. Incredible Technologies, a newcomer to the casino industry, has been the innovator, and established companies have been following suit.
One slotmaker trying to put its own stamp on volatility choice games is Spielo International, which has stepped outside the newly constructed box with its Goldify slot machine.
Incredible Technologies games, such as Money and Fish Store, let the player choose “win big,” “win steady” or “win often.” International Game Technology words it differently on The Twilight Zone, offering a choice of high, medium or low volatility. Either way, they’re asking players whether they want the best chance at a big win, with the tradeoff of fewer small wins and the possibility of rapid losses, whether they’d rather have a game that keeps them at the machine with more small wins but a reduced chance of the big one, or something in between.
Goldify goes about the volatility choice in its own way. It has a classical Greek theme, with symbols including Spartan helmets, Pegasus and lyres. The winning combinations for each symbol are going to show up with the same frequency regardless of your volatility choice.
What changes isn’t the frequency of wins, it’s the value of wins. You can touch a symbol on the screen to quintuple its value. Goldify the helmet, and any helmet wins pay five times their normal value. Goldify Pegasus instead, and the helmet goes back to normal pays while the supernatural steed’s value soars.
“There are a lot of choose-your-volatility games out there, and we feel like we have a version where it is the simplest, most fun and most intuitive one to play,” product marketing manager Mike Brennan said. “The Spartan hat usually pays 10 credits; touch him he pays 50.
“If the players want the kind of an experience where their small wins are going to be bulked up and they’re going to be chugging along, they’re going to Goldify a lower symbol. If they’re thinking ‘I know she doesn’t hit a lot, but when she hits she’s going to pay,’ they’re going to Goldify a higher-paying symbol and have a really volatile game.”
There are nine symbols overall, and players can choose any of eight. The ninth is a wild symbol that can’t be Goldified.
Spielo International, formerly known as Spielo/Atronic, isn’t as big a force as slot giants IGT, WMS, Bally or Aristocrat, but has had a number of player favorites under the Atronic brand. Sphinx has drawn strong play in several incarnations, and the Deal or No Deal slot line has been a big success for the company.
The new three-tiered progressive video slot Cash Eruption, which plays “Hot, Hot, Hot” while the volcano blows in a bonus event, figures to draw attention, too.
BONUS VOLATILITY: While Incredible Technolgies, IGT and Atronic let players choose volatility on the main games, others are easing into the option by putting the choice on bonus events.
Aruze’s Amazon Fishing is one. In a fishing contest bonus event played out on a giant screen overhead, you can choose to use a worm and go for lots of small fish — low volatility — or use a lure to try to land the big ones — high volatility.
The volatility bonus is a path Bally had taken a little earlier with its U-Spin game, Hot Pick. There are six levels of volatility available for trips to a bonus wheel. Those levels are represented by reel symbols. You can touch a single bar for the lowest volatility, with the most frequent bonus events and the lowest totals on the wheel. Touch a Wild symbol instead, and watch the numbers on the wheel change as the game shifts into the highest volatility level. Of you can choose 5-bar or various 7 symbols to pick a level in between.
And two years before going all in on volatility choice with The Twilight Zone, IGT got its feet wet on a bonus event in the reel-spinning game Jolly Roger. Players choose how many free games they want and how much their bonus is multiplied. When I tried it out, I was offered five free games that multiplied winnings by 10, 10 games multiplied by five, 15 by three, or 20 by 2. Many chances at a low multiplier meant low volatility. Fewer chances at a bigger multiplier increased volatility — a chance at a really big hit, but also a greater chance of coming up empty.
This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network, John Robison managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network.
Giving Slot Players a Choice – RGT Online
Star Trek Online MMORPG Officially Goes F2P
February 4, 2012
Gamers who have been too cheap to pay a monthly fee for Star Trek Online can now play for free.
PC gamers who wanted to check out Cryptic Studio’s Star Trek Online MMORPG — but didn’t want to shell out the monthly fee — can now play for free without a retail copy or subscription.
The game, which saw an off-and-on development cycle since 2004, originally launched nearly two years ago, published and sold by Atari. But once Perfect World Entertainment acquired Cryptic Studios in 2011, the company said it would eventually launch a F2P model as it has with its other MMOGs.
“We couldn’t be more excited,” said Jack Emmert, CEO, Cryptic Studios, Inc. “Updating Star Trek Online to the popular free-to-play model removes those barriers of entry that previously kept fans and casual gamers away. Anyone can download and play Star Trek Online at no cost. There’s no better way to see how sitting in the captain’s chair feels.”
For Trekkies looking to get into a little virtual The Next Generation-based action, you’ll need to meet the following minimum hardware specs:
- OS: Windows XP SP2/ Windows Vista/Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)- CPU: Intel dual-core 1.8 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 + 3800- Memory: 1 GB RAM or Better- Video: ATI Radeon X1800 or Nvidia GeForce 7950 or better- Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard- DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher- HDD: 10 GB Free Disk Space- Network: Broadband Required
Starting Tuesday, Star Trek Online will offer two models: Silver (free) and Gold ($14.99 monthly). Naturally the free account has limitations like the number of character slots, the amount of inventory space, limited customer service and more. However players have the ability to access additional optional features through a virtual store. Cryptic has even provided a chart detailing the differences right here.
For fans who miss the TNG universe, Star Trek Online continues the Picard/Sisco/Janeway timeline, allowing players to visit the Starfleet Academy, Deep Space Nine, The First City of Qo’noS and many other iconic locations and notable worlds around 30 years after the events in Star Trek: Nemesis.
“Experience new weekly episodes that feature story-based gameplay and put your captain’s ability to command to the ultimate test, Cryptic said. “Create and build brand new missions and stories to share with the entire Star Trek Online community. Use the specialized toolset to create missions in space or on the ground. Create custom missions, or design an entire series of episodes from the ground up.”
To get started on your free trek through Gene Roddenberry’s Prime timeline, head here. After downloading the installer, the initial download weighs in at a beefy 3.66 GB, so don’t expect to jump into your starship immediately.
Star Trek Online MMORPG Officially Goes F2P
NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Naples, FloridaCounty votes to put slot machines on Nov. ballot
February 3, 2012
Lee County Commissioners are moving forward with plans to give residents a say when it comes to allowing slot machines at the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound track.
State legislators just put new wording into the slot machine bill that requires counties to vote by Tuesday as to whether or not the issue will go to a referendum in November.
If they don't, they can't go back and do it, even though lawmakers in Tallahassee haven't even approved the bill.
The race has started toward a decision on November 6th, allowing slot machines at the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track. But instead of the dogs, it's politicians who are trying to beat each other out.
“We protected Lee County's right to have this election based on what the board here wants to do, not what Tallahassee wants to do. So it really was a home issue as well as the issue of allowing the people to vote,” says Bonita Springs City Manager Carl Schwing.
A three to two vote by commissioners gave the rights to the people, but legislators in Tallahassee will have the final say.
“I think the county is getting way ahead of itself in dealing with the issue when the legislature, who has the final authority on what's going to happen here, has not even passed a bill authorizing the county to have the referendum we're talking about,” says Commissioner Frank Mann.
Even if it's approved, Attorney General Pam Bondi has already said distributing the slot machine licenses is unconstitutional.
“The attorney general gave her opinion and we are not going to issue those licenses. We're going to follow her opinion,' says Florida Governor Rick Scott.
“There is at least one court ruling indicating that this is constitutional so we're not so concerned with the legal issue as much as just allowing the voters to have a say,” says Schwing.
That say is just one step toward seeing slot machines at the facility in the future.
“There are plenty of hurdles and steps we still have to take. We're working with the county and the public, but hopefully by the time November 6th rolls around, Lee County will have realized that this is a beneficial thing for the community,” said Izzy Havenick, Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track VP of Political Affairs.
The county will still hold a public hearing before voting on the wording of the slot machine ordinance. No date has been set.
Duluth mayor threatens to close casino over money spat
February 1, 2012
by Dan Kraker, Minnesota Public Radio January 5, 2012
Duluth, Minn. — The city of Duluth laid out its strategy Thursday in an increasingly fractious dispute with the Fond du Lac Ojibwe Band.
For the past two years, Duluth and the band have been fighting over revenue generated at the downtown Fond du Luth casino.
A federal judge ruled last month the Band is no longer obligated to share slot machine earnings with the city. If upheld, that would cost the city about $6 million a year.
The city has appealed. If the ruling stands, Duluth may have another option. Mayor Don Ness said the original contract would then allow the city to close the casino.
"We become the leaseholder, and no gaming can take place on that site without the written consent of the city," Ness said. "That is the protection that we have, and we need to be ready to exercise those rights."
Fond du Lac Chairwoman Karen Diver disagrees with that assessment, and said Duluth has not reached out to the Band to try to resolve their differences.
"I’m a little dismayed that the mayor continues to keep this issue in the public eye," Diver said. "It really seems that he is trying to cultivate some racial intolerance against the Band and its members."
The mayor said he’s never made the dispute into a racial issue. Rather, he said, it’s simply a very public contractual disagreement.
Duluth mayor threatens to close casino over money spat
Washington County set to decide on Ebro slots
January 31, 2012
EBRO — When they go to the polls Tuesday, Washington County voters will be asked to decide if they support allowing slot machines at Ebro Greyhound Park, but those on both sides say the decision will mean more than the addition of electronic machines.
Proponents of the measure say a yes vote will mean more jobs and more funding for local governments. Opponents say a yes vote will mean increased crime, increased addiction and a potential reduction in government spending.
With voter approval, owners of the park intend to apply for a license that would allow for the installation of up to 2,000 slot machines at the facility near the Washington County and Bay County line.
The park now includes 36 acres, of which 18 are occupied. The facility includes greyhound racing, which has been in place since 1955, and a poker room that opened in 1997.
Plans call for more than just additional gaming. It’s part of a proposed expansion into a $300 million resort hotel and entertainment center that would include 300 to 500 hotel rooms, retail, restaurants and an entertainment venue, said Stockton Hess, owner of the park, and his son, Mark Hess.
Initially, a temporary expansion would allow for the installation of slot machines, and they projected the first phase of construction would create 400 to 500 jobs. They estimate the first phase of construction could be completed within a year and at the end of full build out in three to five years 1,200 to 1,500 jobs could be created.
Washington County’s unemployment rate is 10.4 percent, compared to 9.9 percent for the state.
The city of Ebro has endorsed the referendum; Washington County and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce have decided to take a neutral position.
State’s stance
There’s a chance Tuesday’s vote won’t matter.
Even with voter approval, it’s not likely the state’s Department of Business and Professional Regulations Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering will issue a license to Ebro.
Earlier this month Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an opinion that the department cannot issue a slot machine license to a pari-mutuel facility in a county in which a countywide referendum is held without first obtaining approval through action by the Legislature or a constitutional amendment.
Though not legally binding, Ken Lawson, secretary of the division, said he intends to follow Bondi’s guidance.
If voters show their support and the license is denied, Mark Hess said they plan to legally challenge it. Something similar would likely happen in Gadsden County, where voters are deciding whether to allow slot machines at a facility near Gretna.
Opponents
Despite the uncertainty, those in favor of the slot machines and those opposed are still campaigning.
Among those who oppose the addition of slot machines is Citizens for Positive Development of Washington County. The organization is known for their campaign against a recent movement to relax liquor laws in the county.
During a meeting Tuesday at the Sunny Hills Community Center, Alan English, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, said he believes the potential growth comes at too high a cost.
“Unless you’re from another planet, you know that Washington County is full of addicts,” he said. “They’re addicted to meth, marijuana, prescription drugs, and gaming would be just another addition for use to deal with.
“If I love my neighbor as I love myself, then how can I allow this to come into my county? I want to see Washington County grow as much as anyone who loves our county, but I believe they’ve erred in the method,” he said.
English said studies have indicated that slot machines are more addictive than other forms of gambling.
Mark Hess said he doesn’t think the addition of slots will have a dire effect.
“Gaming already exists. We’re simply adding another product at the track,” he said.
Stockton Hess pointed to the number of lottery kiosks as evidence that someone who wants to gamble will be able to find a way, whether there are slot machines at Ebro or not.
“This gives us a chance to change the face of Washington County,” Mark Hess said.
That’s one of the concerns of Tim Lanham, pastor of Live Oak Baptist Church. While Mark Hess believes the change will be for the better, during the meeting Lanham said he was concerned about a change for the worse.
“Any time I’ve heard that someone has a great deal but you got to act fast, it’s always ended in disaster,” he said. “I’m quite familiar with casinos and places of gambling in our various trips and vacations and fund that the majority of people who play on a regular basis live within a 50-mile radius. That’s our friends, family and neighbors, and I cannot in good conscience allow that to happen to the people I care about.”
‘Twisted half-truth’
The vote also has received attention from outside Washington County.
“Our opposition in Tallahassee is trying to confuse the voters,” Mark Hess said.
He said mailers sent out state that tax money generated from slot machines at Ebro would go to the state government and not to local governments.
While that’s true, Stockton Hess called it a “twisted half-truth.”
The state levies a 35 percent tax on win money or taxable revenue, which is equal to the amount of money put into a slot machine minus the money paid out.
That money would go to the state, but the Hesses plan to contribute an additional amount to local governments.
Signed letters of intent that Stockton Hess said are “legally and morally binding” that offer to share 2-3 percent of win money with Washington County, the city of Ebro and the Washington County School District have been signed. Mark Hess said the exact percent will be based on projected revenue, and he anticipates it would result in a combined $2 million contribution to the local governments.
The letters of intent have been signed, but a formal agreement would not be made until after Tuesday’s vote.
A number of voters already have made their decisions.
When early voting ended Saturday, the Supervisor of Elections Office reported 1,395 people had participated in early voting, and 968 had returned mail in ballots. Combined, they represent about 17 percent of registered voters.
Though the referendum coincides with the Republican presidential primary, it is open to all voters.
Florida Freedom Newspapers Writer Cecilia Spears contributed to this report.
Washington County set to decide on Ebro slots
Area man’s collections displayed in town setting
January 30, 2012
BLOOMSBURG – It’s an understatement to say Bill Morris collects antique and classic motorcycles.
He collects everything.
From 300 European carousel horses, toys and hand-carved slot machines, to cameras, car emblems and movie memorabilia, history fills his 40,000-square-foot Bill’s Old Bike Barn. He even has a 1948 Rolls Royce pickup that he restored; only seven of them were ever built.
Morris’ bike barn, along Route 11 in South Centre Township between Bloomsburg and Berwick, is adjacent to Bill’s Custom Cycles, a vintage motorcycle shop where Morris sells parts for old motorcycles, including Harley-Davidsons.
Bill’s does a big mail order business and much of its parts business is done through eBay, Morris said.
“We have bought out 28 Harley-Davidson and custom shops over the years,” he said about a key source of old parts. He also obtains parts through estate purchases and on buying trips to Europe.
Hang out at ‘Billville’
Morris, 72, has operated his Columbia County parts shop for 42 years; he built the Bike Barn about 13 years ago to house his massive collection, which includes 175 motorcycles. He has been collecting seriously since 1970, 10 years after he got out of the Army.
His motorcycles include classic Harley-Davidsons, Triumphs, BSAs, BMWs, Indians, Hondas and Moto Guzzis, among others. He also has a Moto Guzzi pickup truck, which looks like a three-wheeled truck until you open the cab door and discover it’s a motorcycle.
Instead of presenting everything in a standard museum setting, Morris built “Billville,” a replica town with a gas station, post office, smoke shop, camera store, mayor’s office and banquet room that includes the bar from the Hotel Berwick. It also houses Morris’ vast 1939 World’s Fair collection, which includes a bar from one of the fair pavilions.
“It’s my best hang out,” Morris said of the barroom.
It does have a touch of the 21st century: a large flat-screen television where he can relax and have a drink among his historic pieces.
Also along the streets of Billville is a player guitar from the 1930s. Showing a reporter around, Morris dropped a quarter in and the machine began plucking away.
“I wouldn’t have it if it didn’t work,” Morris said.
Of course, vintage motorcycles line the streets of Billville. It’s as if a visitor could ride off on a 1914 Triumph, owner’s manual included.
Morris notes that he doesn’t rope off the displays, allowing close inspection by visitors, including fellow restoration buffs.
“Some of the bike builders will come and take pictures of the bikes,” he said. “They can come and look at mine and see how it is done.”
Billville will be expanding in the near future. Morris is working on adding a fire house, general store, police station and cobbler shop. He hopes to have it done by November.
“I like when someone comes and sees it for the first time,” he said, noting there’s a lot to soak in. “You ought to see people from Europe when they come and see this.”
Morris still rides a motorcycle and, as one would expect, it is of the vintage variety: a 1930 Harley-Davidson VL with a side car. But the side car is for extra oil and tools, because, as Morris jokes, the VL stands for very leaky.
“You mark your spot wherever you go with them,” he said.
Bill’s Old Bike Barn is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Visit the website at billsbikebarn.com or call 570-797-7030. Admission is $6. Bill’s also does group tour groups; call to schedule.
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