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The Assembly Race

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HENRY RICCI Henry K. Ricci (pronounced Re che/of Deerfield Township was horn and raised in Vineland where his family still resides. At.47 he is deputy director of the Cumberland County Board of Freehol^Frs', and curator of the Cohansick Zoo in Bridgeton Mr. Ricci has a varied and unusual background If* is owner of a large children's summer riding camp; and .owns; trains, shows and breeds Lipizzaner stallions on his farm. He works in.cooperation with the federal Dept oHnterior on studying amkcounting rpamals including mountain lions, has worked with the Defenders of Wildlife, and has lectured throughout the nation In 1965 he received the state's^ highest award for 15 years of outstanding service in helping to raise the standards of lifeguarding and recreation in New Jersey. He has taught such nationally known groups as the New.Christy Minstrels, is director of music for the City of Vineland, directs the Singing Ambassadors and is also in charge-of music at St Augustine's Preparatory School in Richland and'Our Lady of Mercy Academy in.Newfield. Mr. Ricci was interviewed last Wednes day momingi upon his return from a week's honeymoon outside the country, , (From Page 28) . the same, obviously •O'huy Now,i one part of (he thrust of that question Wos that here are two can didatei both or) the .CUmberldnd County Board o/ Frerholders Now,-you will continue to serve on the Board of Freeholders? RICCI: This is a question If I^m elected I would have to really weight all the aspects of that. I happen to be in a position where I have time to do that. Thert are two theories, I guess, to that question There are about seven Freeholders that serve as Assemblymen, I believe, present-

while protecting the envlronement? Can the two bf compatible and. even more, mutually advantageous to the other? RICCI: Working with wildlife the way I Rave - and it’s be^n tbe ^reater part of my life for 25 yebrs. And I’ve seen great developments — and I've been all over this country And I have watched big business work side by side. Tve seen nuclear plants go up. and have wildlife preserves right alongside of the nuclear plant. I’ve seen development of large oil industries in areas where.wildlife is so compatible that it is unbelievable. I think in our own .two counties, Cumberland and Cape May, I think the development process hereVould have no effect or minimal effect. Gettjrtg into the Pinelands is a big question (issue] I’m a believer - and I've stated publicly and the Board of Freeholders has passed resolutions in regard to — keeping the Core Area, but definitely not to stop development. I am not a fanatic as far as wildlife gqps. or those particular things. However. I'm ' very involved in it but I do think there are organizations that get too carried away. Just as Rusinesses get foo carried away to the right and forgetting life altogether, f think that there are organizations that just get a little extreme when it comes to devleopment in areas. So, I don’t see a problem with, being, as I say. really, in both areas. We certainly haven't had any here. In the City of Bridgeton, we are rebuilding, in a 1,200-acre park one of the only free zoos left in the whole United States.\Ve pass 150,000 people thru this zoo ‘ a year, and we’ve gotten national recogni.^tion all over from it. And cooperation. -Businesses are our biggest supporters. We have . apd Adopt an Animal Program, where people can help feed an animal for a year And I would say that probably a half erf those are large businesses. So, I think there is a tremendous amount of cooperation. If both sides want to cooperate. I think the problem with economic development and wildlife is that you get — I don’t like to use the Mford fanatic. But both sides get carried awfly a little bit. I think there is a line'Jhat can be drawn, a happy medium, where it can be dealt vyith with no problem at all. r i • What about that issue in Cumberland County, d sand plant site where there were some nesting eagles?... RICCI: O’kay, that was where they were cutting wood. There was a bald efigle in an area where timber was being taken out. is ,what it was . I'm somewhat familiar with it It was brought to the Board of Freeholders. Because they knew I was a Freeholder, an organization (I can't think of theirnamol. But anyway, they were in defense of the eagles. What I did was contact the individual, and they stopped the cutting. And there’s been no problem slnTe. They did not cut in that particular area.; and tjjp development right around that area stopped. The state (Fish & Game I drew a happy medium with the owner orthe land, and there’s been no problem since. •So that indeed, is an illustration that the two can be compatible?. .

“/ think that our opponent* have been in office for nereral year* and have been very ineffective for both countie*."

ly Now. there are several Mayors and so forth and so on I think that it could help ■ the District But I want to be the best , Assemblyman My first step of importance vtould be to be the best Assemblyman I could possibly be And if I think I could represent the people of Cumberland and Cape May better by serving both (as a Freeholder and as an Assemblyman), that's something I wolild have to decide later If not, then I would just give up being the Freeholder •O'fcav, but that fs a decision you would make after having- been in the office lof Asiemblymanj? - RICCI:-Oh. yes •As U Cumberland County Freeholder, you are also past chairman of (he Economic Development Commission At the same time, you are also curator of (he Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton Also, you work in cooperation with (he l/.S Dept of Interior'on counting and studying mam ■ mals. and have been working with the Defenders of Wildlife to protect endangered species With such a diverse background, you sound like the perfect candidate to ask-this'question How should an-elected official, regardless of office, go about weighing the seemingly opposite goat* of fostering economic development

RICCI: Oh yeah, I think so. Heck, we just had one recently where Durand Glass in Millville had a pair of (pause, but can’t •recall exact species/ hawks in a tree right in the middle of where they had to build a building. They Titld the building off for over two months! I mean, til the hawks hatched the babies and they flew away. So, I think — these seem like little things — but I think people in industry are willing to cooperate if you speak with them properly and you don’t get carried away, as I say, to the left or the right or whatever. •Whal is the most pressing problem facing the First Legislative District; is It a problem as pressing for the entire state? And what would be your recommendation to solve it? RICCI: Well. I think one of the most pressing problems is not just for our District but it’s obviously — I mean, It's the same old answer, I guess, from politicians — it's unemployment. Our economic situation is very poor. My own opinion, if interest rates stay where they are and they don’t come down, how can we possibly have economic development? I mean, who can build homes And industry can'tifRrrow money to build properly, and spnorth ^nd so on. / (Page 3 8 Please)

(From Page 28)

months out of the year wheH* I am not committed to any great extent to anything else other than what I'm doing right here

(being a city official)...

• About how much time do you spend on .your Wildwood/City Hall business? Mttzlani: I’m here everyday from 10 o’clock in the morning, and I’m here every day til 5 or 6 o'clock at night. During the summertime, I’m hrfre everyday from approximately 10 o'clodc in the morning to 3 or 4 o’clock in (he afternoon. Now, I’m not saying I am here because there’s always something to do. It’s always something. If you're involved, and I happen- to possibly like it that much to be hers... •'O-kay, what you’re saying is that if you're elected to the Assembly, your only real division of time will be between your Mayoral and your State Assembly1>fflce... Muziani: Now let ine tell you what happened there. You know, when I first announced... They asked me a question about giving up being the MayOf- to bee r Assemblyman. At that timecj said Yes, thatjiprobablyi would be the thmg to do. Wall now*., the fact is that someone came to me ahd said, You krfow, I'm in the Wildwoods and I talk to a lot of business people andfo lot of them aren't going to vote for yoiUpcJhe Assembly (so that/ you would stay'here as the mayor. I said,

’•Well, that’s foolish.”

And anywhere, somiewhere along the line if-.lt took me/two weeks to make the determination, or a month or two months, that in any way, I cannot be as effective as I’m expected to be as an Assemblyman because of commitments as mayor, you know — then as far as I’m concerned, I would say: The mayor’s responsibility, I gotta give up. I got a commitment and I’ve got to fulfill that commitment. Afterall, you know, I'm now representing a District with people that have interests other than what I’m accustomed to as far as the

Wildwoods are concerned...

• O'kay, next question. Regardless of who wins or loses in dither First District Legislative race. Cape May's home county

representation in the Legislature will shifts from the Senate to-the Assembly. Will this create any disadvantages' for the Jersey Cape; and, from the legislator's standpoint, any greater demands on the home

county Assemblyman?

Munlani: Let me see if I understand that question. You say something shifting?... • In Other words, right now, Jimmy

Cafiero represents...

Muziani: O'kay. So, you're saying that now we’ve got the Senator which is, of course, the mote powerful office... • No. not necessarily. We’re saying that

GUY MUZIANI Guy IF. Muziani, 56, is in his tenth year as mayor of Wildwood, having first been elected to a four-year term in May 197?. An accountant and auditor by profession, his private vocation Is businessman, havin£ Interests tTTtwo restaurants. Currently director of the N.J. Conference of Mayors, Mr. Muziani is a past president of the Burdette Tomlin Hospital Board of Governors, past president of the Greater Wildwood Chiinber of Commerce. past president of'the Greater Wildwood Jaycees, past president of the Young Republicans of Cape May County and past chairman of the Cape May County Committee for a State College. Among his mahy accomplishments, one was achieved even before election to office, as Mr. Muziani Was a moving force in getting the North and South-bound exits on the Garden State Pkwy. established at Rlo>Grande Blvd. He is a World War II veteran and received the Purple Heart after being wounded during the Battle of the Bulge, when he was 19. Mr. Muziani was interviewed Thursday afternoon. to be greater. There’s no doubt about that. And it’ll certainly be a tremendous challenge for whomever. Whether it.be (Bill) Woods or myself... ^ There have been allegations that Anbqtic City casinos have hurt the resort business in Wildwood. Please put this issue in perspective for us from your position as

“If I hdvr anything going for me that people unrler*tahd and accept...they know I'm honest. ”

regardless ofwho wins this election, \the Senator is going to be from Cumberldnd County. So. part of the question is: Wifi (his creole any disadvantages for Cape May County? And, from the Assemblyman’s standpoint, will this mean any greater den\and on the home-county Assemblyman? Muziani: O’kay, fine. Well, I'll tell you this. Certainly, I am hopeful that this county will not be in any way denied representation in the Legislature. That’s why, of course, I hm hopeful I can get myself elected, because we’ve got to have somebody here representing the county... The fttet is we’ll end up with one Senator coming from Cumberland. And we rfiuld end up with two Assemblymen coming from Cumberland, as well as one and one (from each county), you know. Now, personally I think that whomever gets elected as the Senator, certainly understands...that. their responsibilities are to Republicans, Democrats, Independents alike. And that when you are elected that you represent all these people. So that you don’t draw a boundary line between two empties. You understand the impact of wha^our responsibilities are and you understand the needs that are certainly not the same; they’re not really that similar in both counties. But you have to understand that. Now. if we get to the point where we have a Senator from Cumberland County and one Assemblyman from Cumberland County and one Assemblyman from down here, that's going to put, certainly, more of a burden of responsibility, I would think, on that one individual because he's going to be called on more times. Because he’s going to be the one that's readily available in this county — and the only one available in this county. So, the demands are going

a Wildwod businessman and as a Wildwood officeholder. Also, will you tell us, as a legislator, would you generally favor legislation or actions that would foster gambling beyond Xtlaptic City, or ways in which the present resort industry outside Atlantic City can become more compatible with the gambling industry inside Atlantic City. And, specifically, are you in favor of legalized gambling in the Wildwoods? Muziani: Well I’ll tell you something. I’m glad you asked me that question. I really am. O’kay, l^t’s start off from the beginning. First of all. as far as gambling is concerned in Atlantic City — has it affected Wildwood? Yes. Negatively, yes! Why? Very simply. Now, I campaigned five years ago. I was not against the principle of gambling. That’s anyone's prerogative, if they so desire to gamble. The fact is, five years ago when I campaigned and I debated Senator YSteve] Perskie —. I debated an Episcopalian priest! That’s right, an Episcopalian priest up there at Cherry Hill Chamber of Commerce. He was speaking in favor of it. I was against it. I talked about the same things then that I talk about now as concerning the situation with gambling in Atlantic City. I said the day is going to come when we will not be able to compete. The day’s going to come when they’re going.to be able to do things that we can’t do because they got that much more money going behind them. The day's going to come when the economy in Wildwood — and eventually it could affect the market values here in Wildwood, affected to a point where you start realizing that this gambling situation is not what they had proposed it to be to begin with. (Page 38 Please)