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Anthony T. ( atanoso , Thr dfan of elected officeholders in Cape May County, "Tony Catarioso has been mayor of North Wildwood for 23 yeafa and u county freeholder for 18 years He has been drteclni of the Board of Freeholders since 1972. In/bis freeholder post, he is director of administration, the <!<>untyairport, and county public affairs He also directs the county Industrial Commission "Mv only business now is the City of North Wildwood and tl^County of Cape May." says the former motel owner and businessman He and his wife Phyllis live on 12th Avc., North .Wildwood They have one'daughter, Patty Sparks i whose husband Jack Sparks is former mayor of Lower Townshipi, and three grandchildren. Mr Catahoso who will celebrate his 65th birthday Dec. 23. was interviewed Friday morning , ' (From Page l > • I ' • W^al/las been the/ederal ,rof> in the courtly? Are you saying-il rratly haqn't been (hoi great over the last few years? ‘ CATANOSO: H has t>een. but we haven’t felt any effect ,of it (thetederal cutbacks) yet becuase Idoa’t think much of it has really got back to the county yet. •-So at thi/i point there is no way of tellinRiwhat the e/ fret will — '^ L . CATANOSO: No, I wouldn’t think there’d by any change or any real effect may for another year or so • • In addition to being a lonftime officrtioldcr on the county level who. f* 'seeking ^-election, you ’re also simultaneously-running /or another term as mayor of North WHdwitod, a seat you've held for 23 years. It is ob vious you have hern able to function in two public offices, despite criticism- of dual officeholding from detractors and opponents Are there benefits Jo the public in having one person serving in more than one elected position? *V * CATANOSO: I feel by holding both offices I have better contacts with the state government, federal government There's a-lot of. knowledge you can use for both of-fices.-both jobs And. I feel, that if anyone is capable to hold both jobs, that they should be able to .do it And J always felt that it was capable and I was able to do a good job in both offices The fact that I'm freeholder has not taken away any of my time away fmm Nprth Wildwood And the fact that I'm the Mayor is not taking any of my time away from the county Both of my jobs have been done well hnd I don’t think either one of them has been neglected one way or another • We hud.heat'd some time ago that you were goingjo retire, from public l(fb. Was that a false rumor or have you changed your mmd? Also, while you are not a spellbinder, your long record of success at the polls bespeaks of a ’ Catanoso chonsmu What is the secret to your .success as a politician and an.officeholder?, ( AtANOSO: I've often talked that I might retire I’m going on 65 years old But politics arid being-a public official has lieon the greatest part (jf thy life And you just don't shake that off as easy as you might think you Want to sometimes There's times when you/eel-discouraged and things are just not going right or you're overworked and you fwl like you want to bow out of the picture But it's, just not that easy because it’s so much of y6Ur life I always felt that the fact that I’ve been so successful ’ with politics is that I have never turned, my. back to anyone I've never denied anyone the chance to talk to me My office has always been open to everyone I’ve never picked my friends by religion, or color, creed, or politics I’ve always felt that everyone's my friend And, I jhink the most important fact is that I talk to people and I always have an open door to people, that they can come in and explain their problems to me • The county freeholders nine years ago created the County Municipal Utilities Authority, which is yan autonymous body, the county's only direct involvement being the appointment of MUA commissioners Are you sOtisified with the way the MUA is functioning, generally? And what ihfluence do you have with the>Authority or its members? > ' s » CATANOSO: In the first place, the county was forced to (Page 21 Please)

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Herald & Lantern 14 October 81

ie Freeholder Race

.Gerald M. Thprnton A resident of the Cape May Beach section (southern Villas) of Lower Township, "Jerry” Thornton, 41, is an 11-year resident of Cape May County. He is vice director of the county governing body and is currently completing his first.full three-year term on the Board of Freeholders after first being appointed to an unexpired term (Bernard*Berk) in 1976 and elected tq ( complete the term the following year. During more than 10 years active doty in the Air Force, he worked as an air traffic controller and with the space program. He is now in the'wholesale wine

business.

He was graduated from Northeast Catholk and Ascension of Our Ixird School in Philadelphia, anfyattended Western Michigan Univ. ; ' w His children live With their mother in California. Mr Thornton was interviewed Thursday dioming.

mg.

little im\

(From Page l)

ministrative procedures And it will have very little im* pact on those services now that are being provided under

Title XX funding.

If you’re asking about the federal cuts, the new federal regulations regarding the food stamps and qualifications for welfare benefits, and aid to dependent children benefits — those thingsWe really have no control over in the county. They're regulatiohs and laws that come down by the federal government. All we do is just go according

to the law.

That is going to impact directly on about 224 families in the county that will be eliminated from the welfare rolls because of mostly income; their income is too high under the new federal regulations to qualify for welfare. They can come back and try to be re-certified. And I think when that happens, we’ll probably maybe completely eliminate between 190 and 200 families from the welfare rolls. * •What, by the way, is Title XX? THOiyNTON: Title XX, interestingly enough, is nionies that come ouf of the Social Security Fund that wert dedicated to human service/social service programs. And that’s one of the reasons, I feel, that Social Security is in almost bankruptcy now. What has happened is that they took a viable fund in the 1960s — the Johnson Administration with the War on Poverty, and the Congress at that time decidcd that they were going to fight the War on Poverty with the Social Security Fund, rather than take an unpopular position and increase the Income Tax... And that’s one of the reasons today the Social Security Fund is in trouble, Titljt'XX funxkng being one of those programs that comesaut of Social Security. *Y •Speaking of healtli services, what is your ||p.<iit{on on the erstwhile County Arthritis Clinic? Amid allegations - that It wasn’t, fully publicized and that certain doctors Avrrp deliberately not making referrals, the former clinic folded because of insufficient patient visits. Is a low-cost clinic for the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis needed, where should it be located, and who should administer it? THORNTON: First of all, I thinlc it should be recognized that I was the creator of that clinic I was in favajr of the Arthritis Clinic. I'm still in favor of the Arthritis Clinic. I created the program on a rq|ommendation by Joe Ward (a health care consumer activist from West Cap® May) — I’m sure you've talked to him; that’s where your informa tion is coming from. I’ve responded, and we've tried to save the clinic. In fact I called Mr. (Louis) Lamanna (the county's Public Health Coordinator) when he came to me and said I think we've some subtle resistance he« by the County Medical Society to our Arthritis Clinic. We even kept the clinic open for a couple months even tho physicians in the county were not referring to the clinic. I am in favor of an arthritis clinic. I created the clinic. I went and found the funding for the clinicXhru the Office on Aging so we could have the clinic there. 1 personally went and had Ixm Lamanna go and recruit Dr. (Edward) Hoffman. a specialist in arthritic and rheumatoid diseases to come down (from Atlantic City) and operate the clinic in the county I've always been in favor of it (Page 21 Please)

Michael Vistenzo Born in North Wildwood at the Old Margaret Mace Hospital, Mike Vistenzo has lived in Cape May Court House all his life. He is 05. A general contractor for 30 years, upon retiring he became construction official for Middle Township, a position he has held for nine years. He is a member of the Class of '45 of Middle Township High Schqol, is past president of the £ourt House Fire Co. tfnd Kiwahis Club, and a 55-year member of the Middle Towriship Planning Board (serving as president for 20 years). He and his wife Kathleen live on Stone Harbor Blvd. -They have n6 children Mr. Vistenzo was inferviewed Thursday evening. * . • (From Pagei) throw-off vote would help me very much. The other thing would be the fact that in this case with two of them running and just one of/me; that ifThave enough friends that would just votefor moand not either one of them, it would almost be like givingme two votes. So I think it very thuch so enhances my chances — not that I’m making any predictions. • And basically, why are your seeking election? VISTENZO: I’ve always aspired tt> run for freeholder. In this particular case, I would say that we just need a balance on that Board of Freeholders. I realize I would be a minority, but I still think the people need a voice and someone to watch out for them • During your campaign you have been talking about the County MUA and how costly regionalized waste treatment will be. If elected freeholder, what effect could you have on an autonymous utilities authority, and what would, you attempt to do? VISTENZO: I couldn’t do anything, it’s an autonymous board, you’re right. I would have to dwell on my colleagues to do something to curtail what they're (MUA) doing — you know, in other words, take it back; slow it down. Slow it back and take a look at what's going on because the simple truth of thfc matter is this: Everybody’s preaching cut backs, cutbacks; let's take a look-see. They (MUA) haven't stripped one iota, and the funding's been cut 100 per cent. There is no funding now, not on the grant money. None wliatsoeyer. Therefore whatever they have conjmitments for/, o’kay, they would go ahead with it. But if they go.ahead with their plans as they’ve previously put doJw\. it means they're going to have to float an awful large bond issue. And everybody in Cape May County’s going to be affected by that bond issue; we’re all going to be obliged. They’ll use the bonding power ,of the county, so that makes every taxpayer in CapejMay County, you know, more or less responsible for it. \ • Vou have also been talking about the County Health Dept.; about an alleged morale problem there. Would you elaborate, and would you explain why this is an issue during a political campaign? ' VISTENZO: As you know, my job with thi township has been for the last nine years with the Zoning and Planning Dept, as the Construction official or building inspector, whatever you want to call it. And in those nine years, that’s the ope department in the county that I’ve probably worked'lhe next closest to other than the County Planning Board. And I know that department (health) well. I know their personnel. 1 know what kidn of a job they do. And to come along and take a department, which is probably the best department in the county, and to take the man that’s been the head of it — and I’m speaking of Mr. (Ray) Chadwick who happens to be well respected throughout the state, the people he works for — and this man was then demoted^* nd a young person was put in his place who didn’t really have the qualifications; which caused the other people anguish. And they eventually pared the department down and got rid of two people. This, I was told, was because of economic reasons. And I can understand that; you know these things do happen. But then after all of this Mr. Chadwick brought a suit against the Board of Freeholders. And thru th# administrative law judge or wljatever he is called, the case came, and Mr. Chadwick won. Now I can't give you (Page 21 Please)