Trenton Eyes $avings at Cape’s Expense

Shoaling by Sea,

Reluctance by State Fought by local Gov’t

tee ought to seriously consider seceding from the state,"

AVALON - An emergency gatherng of five leading area government officials here last Wednesday, has resulted in a bi-partisan pledge to seek total or. at the least, threequarters state funding for the dredging of Hereford and Townsend fnlets before the 1980 boating season gets underway in earnest. The "meeting of dire concern" was called by local Mayor Ellsworth Armscost to discuss with officials of nearby resorts and the county what he termed the state’s refusal to pay for the inlet dredging. JOINING Mr. ARMACOST in the hour-long meeting were Stone Harbor Mayor James Wood. Sea Isle City Mayor Domic Raffa. acting North Wildwood Mayor Tim

O’Leary and county Freeholder Ralph Evans. Several members of the Avalon Borough Council were also on hand. It was noted during the meeting that a state official had told Avalon Council President Stewart Gray recently the state would pay 50 per cent of the dredging costs, with the remainder to be picked up by the municipalities. The four mayors indicated this was totally unacceptable. Moreover, the officials see the state's proposal as unfair and unjustified in light of the fact, they say. that New Jersey has done "absolutely nothing" to rectify a serious situation in more than two years. THEIR VIEW is that dredging of the two inlets, which lay about midway along the Jersey Cape

INLET DREDGING is discussed by. from left: N. Wildwood Acting Mayor Tim O'Leary. Sea Isle City Mayor I>ominic Raffa. Avalon Mayor Ellsworth Armacost. County Freeholder Ralph Evans, and Stone Harbor Mayor James Wood.

oceanfront. is imperative from a safety standpoint the shallow inlets having been the scene of numerous groundings. Also important is the need to conserve marine fuel, with the two inlets virtually closed to all but the smallest of boats, vessels are forced to traverse the backbays and the Inland Waterway (itself in need of dredging) all the way down to Cold Spring Inlet for safe passage between sheltered

'JH

fsasasaara?

Tt

harbor and ocean. Noting that Avalon and Stone Harbor had both funded $10,000 each two years ago when the dredging cost was estimated to be only $80,000, Mayor Armacost suggested, "I think we ought to seriously consider seceding from the state." CONTINUING that dredging costs with today's inflation would be $600,000, Mr Armacost pointed out that Stone Harbor is

spending half a million to dredge the backbays and that that expenditure will be for naught if boaters can't get out of the channel to the inlets. "We all feel we send enough money to Trenton in taxes. Let’s get some of It back here where It’s needed." the Avalon mayor said. Added Sea Isle City Mayor Dominic Raffa: "All of us here want that dredging and we want it

done by May 31." MR. RAFFA. a Democrat and more privy to the Democrat governor's ear than most Republican office-holders on the Jersey Cape, was appointed to act as liaison between the four municipalities and

Trenton

While Freeholder Evans pledged the support of the county governing body in the effort to spring funds from Trenton, he was quick (Page 3 PJea.se i

Vow Fight in Proposed School Transit Aid Cut

TRENTON — Assemblymen James Hfrley and Joseph Chinnici <R. CapeCumbcrland) say that Gov. Brendan , Byrne's proposed reductions in the state budget include cuts of almost $900,000 in state aid for pupil transportation in school districts within their area. And. they say they will fight the governor's plan According to Mr. Hurley, the governor's annual budget message recommended a change in the method of calculating the transportation aid and that as a result, it would be based on 90 per cent of t{ie 1978-79 transportation costs instead of 1979-80

costs. *

■•THIS IS OBVIOUSLY unfair and unrealistic.” Mr. Hurley said in a new release, “Since gasoline at the pumps was about 70 cents a gallon against $1 15 now. and with prices rising. The governor has again struck hardest at fhe school districts in our part of the state where bus transportation is an absolute necessity. We want to reverse this trend." According to statistics supplied by Mr. Hurley, school distric^ in Cape May

County would lose almost $380,000 in State traasportation aid under the governor's proposal The loss would be over $611,000 in Cumberland he said. Mr Hurley's Cape May County allocation figures show that of the 17 school districts, four would gain a total of $37,556 under the governor’s proposed calculation change, while fourteen would lose a total of $417,214. AMONG THE BIG gainers would be tfee Dennis Township School District where aid would increase over $18,700 and the Avalon School District where aid would go up by over $16,000. The biggest losers under the governor's proposal, according to Assemblyman Hurley, would be Middle Township School District, which would lose over $153,000: Lower Cape May Regional wheh> the aid decrease would be over $66,000; the Ocean City School District, a decrease of almosl $62,000; and Upper Township School District, down by over $54,500 Here are the actual allocations, and the decreases or increases, provided by Mr Hurley:

DANGEROUS PASTIME, walking on Ice-covered salt water can be deadly. Actually, this youngster is testing the Ice at the edge of the Cape May Canal. Rut a few feet to the left, and a break in the shifting ice could pitch him into frigid water over his head.

School District

Expected

Proposed

Difference (Increoie in parent)

Avalon, Cop* AAoy City

$35,280

$51 300

($16,020)

5 234

1.449

f 3.705

Cap** May Point.

4.995

6 055

(1.160)

Danntt Twp

132 595

151.300

(18 705)

lowar Twp .

219 749

201.600

10.149

lowar Regional

230 500

171.635

66 865

Middle Twp.

525 309

372 150

153 239

N Wildwood

. 13 568

14.459

(091)

Ocean City .

157 003

95 098

61 985

Sea tile City.

45.113

30.225

14.000

Stone Harbor

19 350-

10 709

641

Upper Twp

212 667

157 960

54,707

W Cope May

4 938

4 050

886

W Wildwood

7 903

2.318

5,585

Wildwood

35 351

17.332

10 019

Wildwood Cre«t

8 221

4 590

3 631

Woodbine

59 159

44 327 .

If 832