CG Ch ided On Marine Protection WASHINGTON, D. C. - Congressman Bill tiughes has told Coast Guard officials that marine environment protection efforts musn't be allowed to slip — despite budget restraints and staffing problems. According to the Ocean City Democrat, public concern for protecting the nation's coastal resources continues to remain strong, and the public won’t tolerate lax oil pollution or ocean dumping enforcement

policies.

Speaking before a recent hearing of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Navigation. Hughes told Administration officials that We is particularly distressed over what he characterized as footdragging by the Coast Guard in developing its oil spill response capability. "DESPITE THE fact that it has been five years since the Liberian tanker Argo Merchant ran aground off Nantucket Island (Mass)., we still lack the capability to control oil spills in the high seas, or during periods of adverse weather conditions which frequently occur during the winter months," HUghes stated. "In many ways, we are not much further advanced than we were five years ago with regard to our oil spill response capability." Coincidentally, the South Jersey lawmaker’s remarks came just days before exploratory oil drilling began in the bountiful waters of Georges Bank off New England where an estimated 10 per cent of the nation’s fisheries occur. Hughes also expressed concern over the Coast Guard's cutback in ocean dumping and oil pollution surveillance activities. He also urged Coast Guard officials to take a more active role in overseeing compliance with federal ocean dumping guidelines "THE SUCCESS of our ocean dumping laws depends upon a comprehensive monitoring and surveillance effort by the Coast Guard," he said, “ff these slutkecarrying barges are permitted to dump their cargoes before they reach the designated disposal areas, it undermined the whole purpose of this program." The second District Congressman urged Coast Guard administrators to take a closer look into the ownership of foreign vessels entering U.S. ports, In many instances, he^aid. the Coast Guard has no idea who owns many of the problem vessels which have been responsible for a large number of spills in U.S. coastal

watere.

Cable TV Firm By Paul Artherton NORTH WILDWOOD - Teleprompter Corporation listened to a torrent of criticism July 21 at city hall as council members attacked the company for wideranging inefficiency and poor service. Councilors told a high-power delegation from the Teleprompter Company that they had been receiving a constant flow of complaints from disgruntled citizens. The citizens complaints included * long delays in turn on; • objections to the six-month payment period; • poor signal oh occasions; • lengthy waits to pay bills at theTeleprompter accounts desk. "IT’S JUST NOT fair to the people." said councilman Lewis Vinci. "People had gotten no satisfaction from the company so they had brought their complaints to the city." The most common complaint received was the delay in turning on the signal,

f WILDWOOD - The Tall Cedars of Lebanon are coming here for their regional convention in 19B3. Convention Hall Director Earl Ostrander announced last week. And there is a strong possibility thattwo other groups — tjie state Masdnic Lodge and the Mid-Atlantic Shrine - will also be coming to the city. The Tall Cedars convention will run

Hit on Service while many people told the city they objected to having to pay for a six-month period when they were only here for two or three months. PETER BERKOWITZ Teleprompters Wildwood division manager, said they had problems because they had lost five employees recently, But, Berkowitz said, they had reduced the backlog to seven days. Of the criticism on the six-month payment period, he asserted, "Our records show people arc here for more like four months rather than hyo or three months." "Your records are wrong," retorted Councilman Bob ScuUy. \ Berkowitz said TeleprompU* hid a nt?w site in upper Township starting operation in November which would cbt down the distance the signal travel and consequently improve station quality.

gest convention ever heldiin Wildwood Ostrander, making the announcement at the City Commissioner meeting, said the visit by the Tall Cedars is expected to generate at least $5 million for the city He said probably 12,000 members will attend the convention and perhaps another IQ.oOo connected visitors, requiring a minimum of 5,000 hotel rooms.

from May 19-21, 1983 and will be the bigOthers Near Plkn Max.

Biggest Convention Signed

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Change in Electric Rates Ordered NEWARK — Because of the gaming industry’s effect on grqwth and the need for increased electrical services in casinos, its related industries and housing — Atlantic Electric Co; has been ordered by the state to revamp the rates it chafrgps customers. : The ruling by the Board of Public Utilities calls for the new fates to be submitted by mid-August and. generally, “would mean lower biHsTor residential consumers and average commercial accounts and higher rates for big industry , and casionos. While the BPU is still considering special ra*fes for casino hotels, which sup posedly are less expensive to Serve than smaller users,its ruling was based on lengthy hearing testimony over the past several months which indicated that by the mid-80s, about one-fifth of nevy elec trie service demand will be casiilo^ndustry related. Underlying the Ruling is the belief that utilities,’'not just Atlantic, should bill customers on the basis of both normal and peak demand, not just the higher demand. Pkwy. Strike Ends WOODBINE - Toll Collectors and maintenance employees of the N J. Highway Authority ended their 22-day - strike on the Garden State Pkwy Thursday after accepting a mediated settle ment. The accord, tentatively accepted by the Authority and Local 1% of the International Feoeratiori of Professional andy Technical Engineers, provides for an Increase of some 18 per cent oyer two years, beginning with an immediate hourly hike of 75 cents. Parkway employees went oifl seeking parity with their counterparts on the N.J Turnpike Earlier they had rejpcte’da $1.40 wage increase over two years. 10 cents less than the final figured agreed upon The rjew rates will bring collector’s salaries up to $9.50 an hour on the average by the end of the second year Miss County ’82 OCEAN ilTY Sheila Handley. 19. of Tuckahoe wbs crowned Miss Cape May County 1982 at the annual scholarship pageant on the Music Pier lost Saturday Selected from a field of 14 contestants, she will represent the county in the Miss New Jersey Pageant later this summer Other finalists included first runner up Terry Swain*of Cape May; second runner-up Linda Peppelman of Ocean City; third runner-up Darlene Deeley, of North Cape May and fourth runner-up Connie Sirrimerman of Dennisville The contestants selectee/ Nancy Veto of Ocean City as Miss Congeniality Opposes O’Connor WASHINGTON. D C Fundamen talist minister Dr. Carl Mcjntire has join (Page 14 Please >

by Bob Shiles ( COURT HOUSE - Although several of ' Cape May County’s 16 municipalities — including Lower Township, Ocean City, Wildwood, Stone Harbor and Avalon — are nearing the maximum number of dwelling units permitted under the county’s comprehensive master plan, only Lower Township has exceeded recommended' density requirements. And while the new zoning ordinance adopted in Lower June 22 has reduced the township’s overall growth potential significantly, it hasn’t reduced it enough to bring it completely into compliance with the county’s long-range goals as spelled out in both the 1976 and revised 1978 master plans. AS SPECIFIED IN the county mastci plan, Lower Township’s density isn’t to exceed 11,451, dwelling units. Based upon the I960 census report the number has already • reached 10,500, an additional 1,000 units are committed to be built.

The question of the county Planning Board granting the approval to a subdivision lying within a community that is Already at the maximum density recommended in the master plan was raised aj last week's County,Planning Board kession by board member Frederick A. Long of Cold Spring. He noted that Lower’s proposed 275-unit Holly Lake development is currently before the board for subdivision review. MR. LONG SAID that board’s respOn sibility as specified in the comprehensive plan is to review a subdivision and find it either in conformance or non-conformance with requirements of the master plan. If it doesn’t meet a standard, such as density the board cannot find the subdivision in conformance and it should therefore be denied. According to Planning Board director Elwood Jarmer, however, the county board doesn’t have the authority to deny a subdivision based on the characteristic of

its density. "We are not the final approval authority for density," he said. "The municipalities are the final approval authority in these cases." BASED UPON THE master plan, the county board can deny a subdivision for' drainage problems and problems centring around the county road system. Regarding improper density, it can only note that the subdivision doesn't conform with county requirements and request that the municipal planning authority refrain from approving the project. In light, of the large amount of growth now taking place in Lower and the rest of the county in general, the planning director informed the board that a review of the deasity goals stated in the master plan will have to be conducted "FROM A PRACTICAL standpoint, the projections might not be appropriate," he said. "We can't say to Lower Township you can’t have anymore housing units." . Although growing pains arc most evi-

dent in the‘county’s largest municipality, the impact of development is also creating Sbme problems in Ocean City and Wildwood. WE’VE BEEN URGING them to make zoning changes to reduce their density." Jarmer said He noted that the 1980 census figures set the number of dwelling units in Ocean City at 19,000 - only 2.ooo units below the master plan’s maximum permitted depsity of 21,000 units Stone Harbor and Avalon are also ap proaching their maximum density goals are listed in the county's master plan As aft example. Avalon now has 4,350dwelling units — the comprehensive county plan calls for a maximum density of 4,800 units. But according to, the county planning director, both of these communities are on the v6rge of reaching their flensity limita tiorts. as specified in local ordinances When obtained, they will virtually halt all additional growth