30

Cold Spring April 19*1

TV dandelion, as far as I'm concerned, has received a bad shake Aa weed* go. il doesn't seem to have any worse traits than others Sure it s ubiquitous, but what weed doesn't seem to be everywhere it's not supposed to be* And yes, it’s difficult to get rid of and keep away But then, weeds are by their very

nature determined

No. I think the reason dandelions are in such disfavor isn't because they mess up a nice green lawn It's 'simply a matter of relativity Now. where the green lawn devotees may disagree with my assess ment. we cannot let ourselves be thrown off the track by those fanatics who insist on having a lawn in which every blade of grass is the kind they themselves planted or ias is usually the case) paid good money to

have seeded or sodded

AcTUAI.LY. IK 1 may digress for a minute. I suppose I'm really a bit jealous of those guys with the manicured lawns But I

really do think I’m philosophically against perfection; sort of believing that the perfect state to only something to be strived for at all times but never achieved except, perhaps, momentarily in our thoughts or dreams While

because despite its aUtely beauty, which even ardent green-lawn proponents must admit, it reallyfras no chance with the other flowers of early spring. While the dandelion is bright yellow and very attractive in its natural set-

.opimpn

Herald * Lantern » April OT

Country Note

I consider myself a perfectionist, it's in the vein of the striving, not the achieving Hence one of my favorite quotations "There is beau-

ty in imperfection ''

' Back to' the dandelion. First of all. something with a name which means tooth of the lion (because of its yellow, mane-like flower with its spiny, tooth-shaped leaves) cannot possibly be entirely distasteful. Hahha. you say. that argument can be shot down by considering an attractive plant like the liverwort. To which I respond with the bit about a rose and any other name. AT ANY BATE, my theory why the dandelion is in such low repute is

ting (Which certainly includes' my lawn). It very quickly wilts and has little If any aroma. It can by no means hold a candle to the forsklhia. which will ac tuany turn from winter dead to spring color in a vase. Or the lilac, whose fragrance man has attempted to copy for years. Or even the wisteria whose exquisite amma more than compensates for its weedlike tenacity outside but its low holding power once cut for inside. No. I am convinced that the dandelion has been done in by the competition - at least in man’s eye - unable to stand up to the other blooms of nature

which bedazzle our t

coming out of winter’s hibernation. And the com: petition is unrelenting as spring turns into summer

— mock orange to roses. PERHAPS TOO It Is

because of its numbers. The dandeflon is so prevalent it has no one to protect it and few, like myself, to stand up for it. Were but the dandelion on the Endangered Species List it would command more respect. WereLiPnot so plentiful. perhaW like the thistle its formijould

emboss an encyclopedia. Perhaps some day its

repute as an ingredient in salad and wine will spread , or maybe it will replace the alligator as a decoration on fine shirts and sweaters. But even now I. for one. saline the lowly dandelion for ranging in there and for

being - yes. - beautiful. MY SIDEYARD. full of

bright little yellow flowers gives 'me great pleasure when I gaze out the window. Down thqre in between the bare spots and the turf taken by other weeds.

the dandelions in my lawn give our country home a true rural setting. Besides. I have been beaten in past attempts to

eradicate this weed thru natural means (pulling and digging up). I have met the enemy, and it is beautiful. — John A.

U1T

Development—Who Is Responsible?

. - t i J ,VaioVt ViqC

(•'I don't see that the MUA should be involved Wontrolling density,” said the chairman of the Lower Township Municipal Utilities Authority. His views were reiterated by the MUA executive director (and former mayor of the township!: "Our duty is to provide! service for those who need it; not to control growth. Just whose reponsibility is growth control in Cape May County’s fastest growing municipality—an area of the Jersey Cape in which the population over the past decade has Increased by over 68 per cent and now leads On county hands down with more than 17,000 P ?flE TOWNSHIP MUA’S STAND on pooulaUon control sounds something like that of husband or wife arguing that neither is responsible for the size of the family. The MUA does, indeed- have a responsibility to provide service t(Tits users. At the same time, it cannot deny that in providing a pipeline for water or sewerage from point A to point C which may need the facilities, it may also be opening up point B. which doesn't currently have a need for increased deyelopment. The MUA cannot deny it is and shall continue to play a crucial role in the development of the township. Still, something else the MUA chief and former township mayor (and former chairman of the township Planning Board) said a couple of weeks ago rings true too; The township Planning Board is the key regulator of growth. .... IT IS THE PLANNING BOARD which has the legal authority to come up with the means by which land use and planning is implemented in any municipality. To a very g reat degree, the Lower Township Planning oard is responsible for the massive growth that has occurred in the township. And while there is still plenty of room left for develop-

ment, it appears the Planning Board hasn’t

learned from past mistakes.

Development continues to be permitted in areas which were formerly ru**l <> r agricultural and not adjacent to bum up areas. Instead of controlling growth and keeping it confined to specific areas, the Planning Board is allowing it to spread like an amoeba, engulfing once pristine areas until they become part of it; losing their unique identity as they help to nurture the growing organism. and THE DEVELOPMENT THAT is permitted is often wasteful of the land and the landscape and the resources (free, and natural, and tax-supported and man-required). Instead of clustering development so that sewer lines and water mams can be shorter and within confined areas, the spreading, engulfing developments (residential and commercial) literally and figuratively cover more and more ground, posing the potential of requiring "city” water and sewerage someday and right now, today, putting motor vehicle traffic and storm water runoff is areas that may not be well suited for

much pockets of development

How many times, for example, has the township Planning Board gone against the professional advice of the county Planning

Board which has advised against particular kinds of development in specific areas because of potential adverse effects on the en-

vironment and people?

BUT IS IT FAIR TO HANG everything on the local Planning Board? There must be a reason why they continue to be bogged down with gauging the present instead of planning for the future. What about the Township Committee who comes up with the people who are appointed to the various boards and agencies charged with looking out for the township and all of the people (present and future), instead of individuals or groups who stand to gain

from increased development?

And what about the citizenry, the people themselves; are we, as citizens, supposed to sit back and let a handful of elected and appointed officials plan our futures for us

without our input?

ONE OF THE MOST HEARTENING aspects of recent Planning Board meetings in Lower Township has been the appearance of citizens without a vested interested in particular development but seemingly with a concern for the entire community. Perhaps if these people and their neighbors had come forth earlier, there would have been fewer

Page 31 Please

British Seagull 387 The Klan Birds

'iT CAPT. MAY COUWTV

Published Every Weduevday By

1W **•••*» CvryruU—

John II. Andrus II William J. Adams

Bonnie Reina Darrell Kopp

Editor Advertising Director General Monager Publisher

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DEADLINES News & Photo* Thursday Advertising Friday - 3 p.m. qBaiifled Advertialng. Monday-Noon [ M7-33I2 For hlews Or AdvarUahig ltifom»«Uonl •MMbvT partIet*aU»I •IdvvrtHer* aar Use ■■bHiiWT* af the HER ALT) AND I ANTTHN be retpanslble ar Uap far mktetarmmUjn. n» Mr tills upngraphkal mw», rU, la pay b«pr. TV editor reserve* the rigid la edh o«y letter or ankle* tabmlUed for pablka-

Lomer

Townthip

LANTERN

Pa bit* bed Ever* Wedaeaday By ■me *ea»»vr < orparatka

V.* 4 P o Box m Cold Sprit*, N J OOM

By Ima Byrd Once upon a time there were three bird* who lived in South Jersey. These birds had a certain distinction, they were intellectually disoriented and morally conipt. But they did have one thing in common. They had boundless energy to hate any bird that was different from them. It seemed these birds had been born on one flight pattern and nothing would change them or make them have some compassion for others. They just couldn’t see it. These birds weren’t gallant or hodorable, but they were all armed and these birds were so ashamed of what they did, that they did it in secrecy. Even their closest friends and members of their immediate families didn’t know what they were doing. THEN LATE ONE NIGHT as they were planning to knock off a new baby bird whose feathers weren’tthe right color, the Midnight gull, a most extraordinary fellow, happened on their meeting. There they were plotting and conniving to kill these babies, laughing and making fun of other birds, yet all the time tiding to convince themselves they were just and humble men; men of good conscience? The Midnight gull crept up to the meeting place outside a smaU bar in the southern end of the country. He looked at the birds in disbelieve. They were his FRIENDS! Then he watched as they wiggled their feathers into tiny white '^TONIGHT WE STRIKE!" said one bird gleefully. The Midnight gull grew angry as he listened to their plan to kill some newly hatched birds. Then he could stand it no longer. "Wait, wait!" he yelled. "You can’t kill innocent children — you can’t!" The three birds looked at him and quickly pulled the sheets over their shady beaks. "We can and we kiU. Kill.

Kill!" cried the big bird. "But you’ll only cause division among ALL of us," Midnight cried. "Don’t you care about that? You’ll destroy our country, our principles, the Constitution, the Dedaration of Independence. You’ll destroy our freedom! These things don’t just apply to humans, they’re our creed too! ” he added. "You are not only committing murder, but you are destroying all of us. When a basic right is denied to any one of us, then all of us are affected.” MIDNIGHT GULL GOT SO ANGRY that he moved without thinking. In one quick motion he tore off the white sheets exposing the birds. He gathered up the cloth and headed out across the ocean throwing the three sheets to the wind. Then he let out an agonizing warning cry — a cry of danger, of sadness, of concern. All the birds within hearing distance heeded the call and filled the beaches with their numbers. Midnight told them what happened and the other birds were shocked. "Humans are full of hate, ignorance and greed, but birds have always been able to fly above that," he said. THE BIRDS LISTENED AS Midnight inspired them to thinking. Then they gathered around the three Klan birds, their beaks curled in anger, their eyes showing great hurt. "We cannot allow this hatred to continue," they shouted. The Klan birds grew frightened, they no longer had their sheets to protect them. They backed off and flew out over the water. "How can we stop this hatred?" asked one little bird sadly as she watched the Klan birds fly away. The other birds looked at her in silence. "How can we get people to Jove one another?" she persisted...

Next week: A CASE FOR MYRT,