T

34

opinion

Hvratd ft Unt#rn 6 May >1

The Christmas Parade1965*1980

• If It'i true that all good things must come to an end, then surely such Is the case with the West Cape May Community Christmas Parade. After 16 years, the Parade Lady, Charlotte Dally, is calling It quite (see Reader's Forum). It Is also truly a shame that the parade has to go out on such a sad note. The Parade Lady mentions "a multitude of politically moUvated problems," and "lack of volunteers” leading to the parade’s demise after 16 years. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, you can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but not all'Of the people all of the time. After more than a decade and a half of pleasing thousands of parade-goers from thruout the county and beyond, it appears Mrs. Daily and her parade has been done in by internal squabbling in a borough beset by growing pains. Since Mrs. Daily Is also borough clerk, it is probable that

rr.vler \ torum

Imttmrt »• th» •dltor

The Christmas

Parade Bids Farewell By Charlotte F. Dally After 16 year* of writing Christman Parade Greetings it now grieves me to be writing a Christmas Parade Farewell Last year Dot, Jeanette and I encountered a multitude of politically motivated problems while organizing the parade. This year "The sword of Damocles" was placed oear our heads, and we will not be a party to the priMaal degradation of the Christmas spirit (if even by • Imp). Tension was everywhere that night and we Mtftfcnbw what would happen next Pftrat on the list was the attempted "Boycott." We ddat know if we would have any fire company participation up until the day of the parade That is why Septa rode on the Cunard Family Fire Truck. Needless to say the "Boycott” failed since despite subtle threats, many firemen ignored it. SECOND. THERE WAS AN ORDINANCE proposed controlling parades in the Borough. Third, there was harassment and innuendos by a certain few that implied 1 shouldn’t work on the parade during Borough hours. Fourth, we received a lot of static with our method for selecting a Queen. One ladlvldual felt that all West Cape May Sixth Grade Students should ride on the Queens Float. Contributing to our final decision was lack of volunteers to help collect money, stuff envelopes, type letters, file, make phone calls, decorate, line up the parade and other Important jobs such as these. Those who cried the loudest on the parade’s shortcomings showed the least support. - The parade was one of the few outstanding points of pride the Borough had to offer. It truly has put us on the map and has done good things for thcrcommunity, such as Broadway's street lighting and our cheery Christmas lights WITH THE ABOVE IN MIND and in the hopes of understanding an already difficult situation, we want all of you to know - WE DO NOT PLAN A CHRISTMAS (Page 35 Please)

. cArr mav COilWTV

PaMtahH F.*»r> WHnnrfiv By P.O. ttn t TW S—Av*l«*i. NJ M1M John I?. Andrus It Editor William J. Adams Advertising Director Bennie Relna General Manager Darrell Kopp Publisher

CIWI CO'P All rlftitl All property righto for Ihp onllro urtoonto of ihto publnofleo iholl bo *ho proporry of fro loowavo Corp Mo pprf hot oof ropy bo topretfutod wuhovl prior Aril ton ronton' .DEADLINE* News & Photo* Thursday Advertising Fridav - 3 p.m. Classified Advertlaliig. ■■■■■■.■■.,,,. Monday-Neon f >S7-33i2Ter News Or Advertising Information 1 NSSr pprUrlpolIng odvrrttorrt nor ibo ppMloboro of thr MKHAI.I) AND LANTKHN will bo rotponolMr or llaMr for ml« In for motion, mfoprinu. typo*rophkol rryorV Mr.. In any tea nr. TV ntllor rowan tV rlitbt to oSM any lot tor or arllctoo lobmlllo* far poblkt

LANTERN

PaMMwtl Every WoWwoSny By Hw an* wave OwpwatWw

v-.‘ P O Boa t*t Cold Spring. NJ.MBMi

her duties and retponilbilities as municipal taskmaster along with those of parademasier may have resulted in a schism, brought about by those who for one reason or another feared Mrs. Daily or saw her as a threat or ajtumbling block to. their own power or authority. (Jber the past few years, we have heaml a few people in the borough employ grumble (out of jealousy, it always appeared to ua) that "she runs the borough I” AS THE SENIOR MEMBER of the fulltime municipal family, Mrs^Daily does, as any municipal clerk should, Vield a lot of power. This is even more the case because Mrs. Daily was really the first borough clerk to have a fulltime office in borough hall. Before her position operated largely out of someone’s home in the days when thiHgs seemed to be a lot less formal and federal 'and state guidelines and regulations weren’t as prevalent. In many ways, government in the borough has changed, for better or worse, from the days when decisions were made face to face in a tiny backroom office of the old

IN HAPPIER TIMES, Charlotte DiUy, the Perede Udy. and her friend and parade aisoclate Dot Burton a* they prepared for the 13th parade.

British Seagull 387 A Case for

by Ima Byrd It will be time for the turtles to cron the highways again to seek higher ground to lay their little egglings. Turtles are really magnificent creatures and there’s something mighty appealing about their slowpess. Man would do well to observe some of their hsbits and slow down a little too. There seems to be very little that can be done to put a clamp on those huge motorized contraptions that humans seem to find better suited for living than the great outdoors. There seems to be some kind of vise that holds them into a locked pattern and shoots them off like rtfkets down the highways of strife. Pltty poor Myrtle. Just the other day a couple of birds and I were talking with her about the hazardous yearly crossings. "I TELL YOU SEAGULLE. you’re lucky you can fly. Why we just about get across and some rotten human will zoom off course just to trylo run us down. I don’t understand them," Myrtle said sadly. "What I can’t figure out is where they’re all going and why they’re going so fast. Last year I Saw a yourig girl travelling along about 70 mph down Stone Harbor Boulevard. Aunt Jezebel was almost across to the other side when all of a sudden that girl swerved and squashed poor Jezebel to the highway. It was obvious the girl meant to do it. Then I peered out of what was left of the tall grass (after those dam mowers scrape and shorten the life out of everything) when I saw the car stop. The girl and her companions got out and ran back to what was left of Jezebel. How they laughed at her remains! I can’t tell you how angry I got Then before I could move or make a face at them, they got back in thf lr car, backed up over Jezebel again and sped off into the morning. It was awful. I WAS FEELING SO BAD and so scared that I didn’t know what to do. I started hating all humans, and I was trying to figure out a way to get back at them. Just then another car stops and a young girl gets out. I tell you seagulls, that little gal turned my heart aound. She stood

borough hall to the days when, by law, every action and reaction seems so conspicuous and clinics under the bright fluorescent lights of the new borough municipal complex. During this transition period from old ways and old building to more modern methods and facilities, Mrs. Daily has had to cope with changing times, see to it that the day to day affairs of the borough were taken care of while at the same time worrying about paving off the previous year’s parade bills and linina up fund raising, participants, trophies and all the other accoutrements that go into a large parade. f PERHAPS THE TWIN responsibilities of running the day to day affairs of the borough and arranging for successful parades year after year became too much for anyone to handle satisfactorily. Whatever the case and whatever the matter, all we and thousands of others know is that over the past 16 years, Mrs. Daily (and her right hand person, Dot Burton) have given us yearly joy, have brought the true spirit of the holiday season to the hearts of many. Charlotte Daily summed it up herself in the fall of 1979 when, commenting on the eve of the 15th annual parade, she said: There have been many years when things didn't go as well as I wanted and years when they went better than we ever expected. Years we didn't have enough money to pay bills and others when we had to mahe up for previous years. The years have come and gone and each parade does get bigger and better. 1 don't know how we do it, but we do/ My once a year effort for my friends brings me the greatest joy imaginable. In a small way, I feel I.am doing God’s worh. I promise you, f will never allow religion to be left out of the parade, and by'the same tohen — what other media can blend Jesus and Santa Claus so v^j." •WE ARE SOMEWHAT RELIEVED to know that Mrs. Daily has the spiritual resole to roll with the punches, but knowing that she will survive this latest blow does not diminish the fact that the West Cape May Community Christmas Parade is going out on a sour note. To The Parade Lady, Charlotte Daily, we cannot offer enough Thank Yous for 16 Christmas Parades. For all of those whose actions or inactions are precluding the 17th, we say Bah Humbug I The Herald & Lantern

Myrtle there looking at poor Jezebel, then as silent as you please she reached down and scooped up that squished little body and put it In a little bag. Then that girl goes off to the side of the road...exactly to the spot where Jezebel used to lay her eggs, and digs a little hole. "There I am standing behind what's left of the tall grass (after those darn mowers scrape and shorten the life out of everything) watching the whole thing. I couldn't keep back the tears as she covered poor Jezebel over with the soft dirt and patted her into the earth. Well, that wasn’t all. That little girl took out a sign of a turtle with a red cross over it and stuck it in the ground just to the right of where Jezebel breathed her last. Then she got back In her cir and drove off — slowly ; she seemed to be looking for more victims." THE SEAGULLS WIPED their eyes with their wings. They saw it happen year after year in spite of the signs put up by the boroughs, in spite of the "slow down" reminders. People just didn't seem to care about anything as insignificant as turtles, and their bodies littered the highways. Year after year the battle continued and soon the turtles, like everything else in man’s way, would disappear. The gulls looked at Myrtle and wondered if she’d survive another year. She was a smart old turtle but even the oldtimers were no match for the deliberate run downs by thoughtless, ignorant people. ‘‘WHAT’S NEEDED." SAH) MYRTLE. "Is rigid speed limits during the turtles prime time of life. That might help," she said. "Or a fine for every dead turtle on the roed," she added hopefully. The seagulls shook their heads. I shook mine too. There was no way to set it right. The turtles seemed doomed. It was just a matter of time. The thing that was needed was compassion and that didn’t seem to be around anymore. Next week: Arm* Race Hite Home.