Why Four Towns May Soon Be Considering One School District

by John Andrus It’s a matter of equality. And reciprocity. Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood want a voice in the education of their children at Wildwood High School. Wildwood^wants a broader tax base — and to have elementary school students on one track instead of three even before they reach the high school. In a few weeks, the four separate boards of education in the Greater Wildwood area (West Wildwood has a school bqilrd but no school) will be presented with a study on

regionalizing the four districts’ into one — probably on a kindergarten thru 12th grade basis. If the school boards of Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and West Wildwood agree and, subsequently, voters in all four districts approve it at referendum — Cape May County would get its second regional high school in 20 years and New Jersey only the 70 regional school district out of more than 600 districts. PROBABLY BECAUSE IT is a Home Rule state, there are within the 21 counties**

of the Garden State no fewer than 611 school districts. Some/ like Cape May Point ,and West Wildwood, are without schools yet with school boards whose elected members oversee budgets of tens of thousands of dollars. One state education official refers to some of these nonoperating districts as “tax havens" in which students get the benefit — in another school district —* of full educational facilities without having to pay their "fair share" of the costs of providing that education.

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Vol. 17 N* 10 Saowovs Cgrp. 1*n All ngfctt March 10, 1982

AMONG FIRST PLACE WINNERS In this year’s Science Fair at Deanis Twp. Elementary School were, from left: Jim Racz, Michael Donovan, Chuck McCarty, Diane Carey, Chrissy Fitz-

patrick and Monica Lyons. They’re huddled over a couple of the more than 400 entries, which kept a team of 20 judges hopping last Wednesday evening.

Over Building Heights

They’ve Had It Up to Here!

By Bob Shlles VILLAS — By a non-binding vote here Thursday, Lower Township Planning Board members — obviously frustrated and disagreeing among themselves over how to regulate fire prevention measures thru the zoning ordinance — recommend to the Township Committee that the entire Diamond Beach area be given to Wildwood Crest. The vote came following the board’s

meeting with representatives from two of •the township’s three fire districts, the Wildwood Crest fire company’s chief and assistant chief, and the Township Committee. The session had been convened to discuss concerns the firemen have over provisions in the township zoning ordinance permitting buildings as high as 85 ft. to be constructed in the Diamond BeAch area. ERMA FIRE CHIEF Bruce Townsend

told the board local fire fighters would like to see buildings kept at 65 ft. or 5 Stories, noting that his company, which is responsible for providing 1 fire protection in Diamond Beach doesn't have the necessary equipment to fight blazes in high-risers He also requested an active fireman be named to the Planning Board. "Any higher (than 65 ft), we feel we can’t give adequate protection," he ex(Page 32 Please)

inside

$60,000 Study Stymied

NAf’L SYMBOL gets own year 200 years later...P. 31 SHELTON COLLEGE, a small School raising big questions... P. 30

SWAINTON — A proposal to spend $60,000 to study the upgrading of the present wastewater treatment plants in the Seven Mile Beach/Middle Township Region as an alternative to building one regional facility on the mainland failed to gain approval Wednesday on a tie vote by the members of the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority. The study, — which had been requested by representatives of Avalon and Sea Isle City late last year and recommended at Wednesday’s meeting by George Marinakis, Cape May County Municipal

Utilities Authority Executive Director — was supported by Chairman John Vinci and Commissioner Roy Gillian. Vice Chairrhan Robert Anzalone and Commis sioner Charles B y Hathaway voted against it. Commissioner Joakim Joanides wasn’t in attendance According to Vinctf the item will be on the agenda again tor the March 17 meeting. THE SEVEN-WEEK phase I study would consider only the capital costs in volved in upgrading the present facilities (Page 16 Please)

In. Cape May County there are even more school districts than municipalities There are 16 munibipal governments and'' 17 school districts! because each tow^fias its owh school district (even if nq^hool) and there is also one regionaf district Sinbe there are only Tom- public high schools, there is a lot of overlapping going on in Jersey Cape educational circles — a picture repeated on a much larger frame across the sutfe. (F^age 14 Please) News--^— _ « , Week's UlgeSI Top Stories , STEP Right Up COURT HOUSE — The organization STEP (Stop the Electric Punch) announced last week it will seek formal intervenor status in Atlantic Electric’s move to obtain approval of a $172 million rate increase from the state Board of Public Utilities. If the request is granted by the BPU, STEP will be an active participant in the case. STEP officials met last week with Diana Johnston of the Public Advocate's office to find out if her office would ^ represent STEP’S interest in the case It was decided at the session that STEP should become involved in the case as a separate party. Save the Rails OCEAN CITY - Slate Dept, of Transportajion commissioner'Anne Canby and NJ Transit executive director Jerome Premo were told at a non-binding town meeting here March 2 that the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line must be improved rather than terfninated. More than 125 attended the session, calling for the PRSL to be upgraded,.promoted and expanded. NJ Transit wants to eliminate rail service-— which includes terminals in Ocean City, Cape May, Atlanta City and Lindenwolit — because it i!s unprofitable Last fall, service was suspended and replaced by busing because of needed track repair Land Sale Eyed The State Commission of Investigation has reportedly subpoenaed Wildwood businessman Gilbert Ramagosa.and some of his corporate records in connection with Its reported investigation into the operations of the county Municipal Utilities Authority. The SCI is reported looking into transactions involving Ramagosa, the Houston firm of Zapata Haynie and the MUA in the sale of the old menhaden plant on Rio Grande Blvd. According to publish accounts ( Ramagosa bought more than 800 acres from Zapata Haynie for $750,000 and resold 80 of the acres to the MUA for $1.4 million, settlement on both sales taking place on the same day in Ma'y 1961. Disability Cutoff WILDWOOD — City Commissioners introduced an ordinance last week that will limit to six months the time city workers injured on the job can collect 100 per cent of their salary and benefits. The measure is being opposed by the city workers’ union. Under the ordinance, if a disabled worker unable to return to work after six months, would be entitled to unemployment compensation, workmen’s compensation or state disability, but no municipal benefits Substation Open RIO GRANDE - A police substation here that hopefully will help deter crime in the southern sections of Middle Township, was formally dedicated Sun- ' day. /

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