Herald & Lantern 17 March '82

The Corrections System '•y 8*«w B« <;hN . Fo ,

The Sheriff & Jail Go Way Back

31

A GIFT OF LOVE

The county’s first Sheriff was Tirrlothy iJpliPPH Rj-andereth, whn began his service in 1§93, Jg^K- ^ even before there were chosen freeholders. And the first real prison was huilt in 1705 “upon The Queen's Highway, v 1 eastward of Gravelly Run." according to ImS J Lewis Townsend Stevens' History of Capr ■ May County (1897). Ix>cal historian Paul ■ Scull of Cape May Court House, a former FAx sheriff himself; and William Kalbach of , the county engineer's off ice,.estimate this • location to be the vicinity of the Wildwood Golf Club. The Garden State Parkway, probably nbw covers the actual site. Stevens describes this first structure as being 13 feet wide and 7 feet high with stocks and a whipping post. By 1763 the County had created a Boat'd of Freeholders and they petitioned the State Assembly for a new jailhouse, as thfe 17te building was "too small and out of repair." The site chosen was on the Daniel Hand plantation — the pHeAent Court House now occupies this location. . This new jailhouse served until 1894 when a three-story brick building was constructed. LivingKjuarters were pro- , vided for the sheriff and his wife r-*she did the cooking and supervised any female prisoners who might * be "in

residence,"

OUR ONLY RECORDED PRISONER EXECUTION took olace this same year on Juty 13 in a fenced-in yard near the new jail. Richard Pierce of Goshen was hanged ^for killing his common-law wife. The supervising Sheriff was Robert E. Hand. . In 1926 in order to clear space for a growing community, the jailhouse Was moved 100 yards west, back off. Main Street. Mr. Scull especially recalls this event as the con- ’ tractor scoured the area for large amounts of brown soap which was used as a lubricant on the heavy timbers used to move the house. It was a project of three or four mon-

St/BM/TA TRADE Wm OUR COUPON IT'S FREE! SEE JERSEY CAPE TRADER

British Seagull 387 Moffie Breakell, Where Are You? by Ima Byrd Last week when we were coming home from our beach pitrol, we suddenly remembered the tiny little gas masks we had packed away in a nearby hickory tree. We flew over to the tree and sure enough there they were. "We're going to need these." said Scout. "If all that stuff the chemical companies dumped up in North‘Jersey find their way to our shores then we'd better be prepared." Scout adjusted one of the tiny masks to his feathered face. It just fit.*Then he flew off in search of more pollution. The rest of us looked at those masks and shook our heads. If it wasn't for a lady named Moffie Breakell over in Wildwood, we never would have gotten them. "WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO HER?" asked Bluetail as he ruffled his feathers in the morning sunshine. "Well." I said, “The last time I talked to her they were taking her show off local television. She really did a service for the people," I said, "I know there were lots of people, teenagers and senior citizens that got work through her show It wasn't just a swap and shop thjng/ it was a community of concern, a way for people to reach out." . Moffie was always concerned about the poor people, those who needed help. It probably didn't seem like much to the big wigs who run the station, but she had an impact on society that was positive Maybe getting a hospital bed for someone in need or helping someone who was terminally ill doesn’t seem like big enough fish for the statioh people, but Moffie did something more than help people, she got people to help each other "IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE," said Bluetail as he wrapped up the masks and put them away in our hiding place. "If ever the wch-ld needed Moffie. it’s now. what with the crime rate soaring and people out of work." The other birds and I flew off to our separate destina tions. I watched the world below as I skirted over Cape May Point The Sunken Ship was still there and gave me a kind of comforting feeling to know that something old remained on ihe horizon. I decided it would be fun to sit on the big old thing again as I hadn't landed there in more than a month. ' It was low tide and the Big ugly hulk made a nice perch The beaches were empty except for a couple who were silting off to the side watching me PEOPLE ARE IMPORTANT even to birds, I thought as the old couple threw some crumbs of break in my direction. The food was too much needetf to resist and I gathered some up in m^beak and thanked them with my raucous call It was a simple communication between man and bird but it established a kind of sacred communion that was hard to find these days. Moffie did that. She established a kind of down home caring, a genuine feeling for the people She was like a

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ths. With an addition In 1927, this relocated building served the county until May^of 1977, Vhen the present Crest Haven facility was completed. The 86-yeaiVold jail was demolisKed in 1980. Sevewil years prior to the 1977 move to Crest Havsq, the county’s correctional operations had become extremely difficult; original facilities had long since become obsolete and seriously overcrowded. The list of problems anddeficiences which plagued operations at the old jail included overcrowding, inadequate kitchen, undersized exercise ared, and lark of facility for disciplinary segregation. Perhaps fven more important was the lack of space for vital support services, such as medical attention, interviewing, family visitations, identification processing, work release scheduling, study or vocational programs and the essential staff administration areas. It was a ’totally inefficieat and frustrating operation. TODAY’S MODERNIZED SYSTEM can accommodate up to 115 adult prisoners — juveniles-are sent to special centers unless the court orders local detention. This complex also includes the required operational support areas so vital to a secure an<j well-run system. Spending money for jails is seldom a popular proposal, and, of course, that is why so many become antiquated long before they are replaced. Our original plans were for a 150-bpd institution which would have allowed for inevitable gi*owth — but due to insufficient funds at a crucial time, we had to compromise. During the mid-70s The Board of Freeholders along with the Sheriff’s Administration did, however, have the courage to pursue this unpopular expenditure. The resulting facility at Crest Haven should serve our citizens satisfaetdrily for many years. This continuing aeries by the five-term sheriff has beer\ condensed, but Mr. Fox (s available for elaboration on group discussion on the topics addressed briefly here. v| ' . ‘ ", . ' / V • The State We're In

vidopt A Pet

THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF OCEAN CITY INC. at 1 Shelter Rd. of Tennesse« Ave, in Ocqan City has the pet below for adoptioh as well as many otHer canines and felines. Shots are administered before adoption. The Society is run by volunteers and donations are appreciated! They're open between 1 and 4 p.m and can 1 be reached at 399-2018.

!■' V'

THIS DACHSHUND Is good-natured 2-yi^ar-old female THE ANIMAL WELFARE SOCHvTY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY INC. is a non profit volunteer organization. -Besides the animal above, they also have numerous other pels for adoption. In addition, they offer a neutering and spaying program and provide a lost and found service. All ahimals have shots before adoption. Call 465-4563 between 9a.m. and 4 p.m. for details. Donations are welcomed

What Good's A Swanip?

by David F. Moore Ever wonder what goes on in a swamp? This knowledge is admittedly of minor interest to the average individual — unless he or she happens to be a tadpole, fish, fungus or some other swamp denizen. But there is a real need to know exactly that, and we at the New Jersey Conservation Foundation will help find out this summer. The swamp is the Great Swamp of Morris County, some 7,000 acres of federal wildlife refuge and Morris and Somerset county natural areas. It’s under scrutiny because the impacts of surrounding urbanization are feared to be endangering it, but until science knows more about the quantity and kinds of interrelated life forms in a swamp, no one will be able to establish the bottom-line information against^which to measure the results of urbanization. Taking it a step further, there is widespread agreement that human deneity can get too heavy for the survival of a swamp’s complex ecosystem, but nobody can prove what the maximum allowable density can be, or if it’s already been reached. WE DO KNOW THAT THE WATERSHED from which water flows downhill into the swamp measures about 30 square miles. It had some 40 dwellings in 1868 and now containp an estimated 5,000-plus, not to mention all manner of schools, industries, offices and other structures: Somebody has calculated that this sprawl generates upwards of 200 million toilet flushes per year*, with most of the effluent passing through two sewage treatment plante and thence into the swamp. Treated sewage contains nutrients which are bound to have impacts on an ecosystem like thfe Great Swamp's. That's in addition to all kinds of automotive byproducts, fertilizers, pesticides and other stuff applied to the landscape accidentally or on purpose, which then are classified as "nonpoint source pollution" as rainfall washes them into the swamp. Why all this fuss about a swamp? Aside from its interest for naturalists and hikers, who cares? The answer to that one comes complete with large dollar signs. THE GREAT SWAMP 18 A GIANT SPONGE which simultaneously absorbs excess rainfall, slowing its master cook who got all the good ingredients'of a society together and then watched as they cooked things up bet ween them. So knany people were helped by her, so many people reachediout to help those Irs& fortunate Now it was gone I remembered \yith sadness something Moffie had said the last time Ijsaw her. What good is it if you can‘1 do . something good for people who nerd it . I guess television ppople don't understand that kind of philosophy ! ^ — Ballet Co. In Benefit OCEAN CITY — The New Jersey Ballet Company will be in residence this Spring for four days in April. The company will visit area schools to give lecture demonstrations. The highlight of their visit will be a performance on the Music Pier, 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, as a benefit for The Ocean City Arts Center. The company will present a -Master Class on the Pier 7:30 p.m. Mbnday, April 5. There will be an open rehearsal at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, also on The Music Pier. Tickets for the benefit performance Wednesday evening are available at The Arts Center, 409 Wesley Ave

progress down the Passaic River so as to tame floods, and regulates the flow of the river to assure equitable yearround allocation of.its water to those downstream. The swamp probably recharges underground water supplies, too. * . . / All of this is of vital interest to the Passaic Valley water Commission and the population of 600,000 whjen it furnishes with Water from the Passaic River. Of equal importance is the filtration action of the Great Swamp All those nutrients and other substances mentioned Earlier run into the swamp, but a king-sized portion of them are taken up by vegetation and other life forihs. This sends a cleaner Passaic River on its way, and eases the massive job of purification which the Water Commission still has to accomplish. The study this summer will be conducted by Drs. Harvey and Anne Katz of Basking Ridge, aided by three teams of volunteers provided by Earthwatch of Belmont, Mass. A lot of help is coming from many sectors, including the loan of instruments by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and by Fordham University, where Dr. Anne Katz is a faculty member. New Jersey Conservation Foundation is arranging for and coordinating financial sup^

port. ;

THE VOLUNTEERS WILL TAKE DAILY samples from water running into and through the swamp. They will make exhaustive tests for pollution.and will collect at least one example of every life form they can find, for a permanent research collection. When this mass of raw data is analyzed and studied, there will be a fund of knowledge which never before existed about the Great Swamp. This information promises to be adaptable to many other similar ecosystems around the country. It’s going to be a valuable tool in keeping priceless pieces of environment alive amid inevitable growth. By the way, if you’re over 18 and interested in working as an Earthwatch volunteer, you should contact the organization at 10 Juniper Rd., Cambridge, Mass. 02178. There are opportunities to work on scientific projects not only in the Great Swamp but in lota’of other places in this country and abroad. « David Moore is ■ executive/director of the N.J. Con-

servattn Foundation.

IN THE MIDST of weH-wlsbers and stodenU, Harry Rreslin, president of the Wildwood Board of EdncaUon, breaks groand last Monday for the long-awaited addition to the Glenwood Avenue School. To be completed within a year, the stinctare will provide classroom space for the elementary pupils currently going to school in the high school building.