Advice on Tourism:

Jersey Could Learn From Pennsylvania

by Bob Shlles SMITHVILLE — When It comes to knowing how to treat visitors and promote their state, those connected with the tourism industry in Pennsylvania really have their ‘‘act together.” That’s what Bruce P. Michaud, vice president of marketing for Michaud Trailways Tours — the 16th largest tour operator in the United States — told a crowd of more than 100 gathered here last week for the New Jersey Travel and Resort Assn.’s first Hospitality Seminar. Emphasizing that hospitality is the basis

for establishing any tourist industry, the Salem, Mass, based tour operator pointed to Lancaster County and the Pennsylvania Dutch as the perfect model of hospitality. "THOSE PEOPLE KNOW how to treat our clients,” he said, adding that their food and hospitality is always excellent. According to Mr. Michaud one of the key reasohs for the success of the Pennsylvania Dutch tourism industry is that people involved in the business work well together. "In Pennsylvania Dutch country you come out not just to our place. You come to an area,” he said.

The New England tour operator was one of several speakers at the day-long event who emphasized the importance of hospitality as the'basis of any sound tourist industry. HOSPITALITY IS LIKE basics in football and baseball," seminar chairman and Ocean City public relations director Mark Soifer said. “Each year teams go thru training. The ones that win are those that review the basics." "Honesty, caring, commitment," is what builds a strong tourist industry, Mr. Michaud stressed. "Hospitality has to be

CAPE MAY COUNTY

Vol.17 No.18 S*owo»«Cofp. All right* r«««rv«d.

May 5,1982

Primary Contests Are Few

There will be only three contested primaries in Cape May County on June 8; only voters in Lower, Middle and Upper/ townships will be deciding the candidates for local government to run in the November General Election. There will be no primary battles on the countywide ballot this year. Last Thursday was the primary filing deadline. No matter what form of government a municipality is under (and several are non-partisan, meaning there are no primaries for municipal office), all 16 municipalities have primaries — to decide who the parties’ ^choices will be on the countywide ballot and^r the Republican and Democrat local district committees. IN SEVEN OF the 16, voters will vote on candidates to run for municipal office come November. But only in the three townships will voters in one of the two parties have a choice of more than one candidate. In Lower, the battle will be in the GOP. (Page 19 Please)

Non-Partisan Race Tues. In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY — The 9,063 registered voters here will have the opportunity next Tuesday, May 11, to elect a mayor and three councilmen-at-large in a contested election. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those running for mayor in the nonpartisan election include the current council president Nicholas Trofa, former mayor B. Thomas Waldman, and county freeholder Jack Bittner. The winner will serve as the city’s chief rxecutive officer for the next four years. There are five candid ites in the contest for the three councilmcn-at-large seats on the seven-member governing body. Vying for the four-year terms are incumbents Herbert Brownlee, Henry Knight, and Jeanne Clunn, plus newcomers Mary Ann Brown and James Kilpatrick. BOTH MR. BROWNLEE and Mr. Knight are currently councilmen-at-large while Ms. Clunn is the 2nd Ward coun(Page 19 Please)

It’s Apple Blossom Time on the Jersey Cape

honest. If it isn’t yoa won’t get repeat business." If the new administration of Gov. Tom Kean has its way, tourism — seen as the state's number one industry — will be provided with some $3.6 million in this year’s state budget for promotion. In previous years tourism funding hasn't been as generous — ond of the reasons why the local tourism industry hasn’t advertised as much as other states. GOOD ADVERTISING IS vital to a strong tourist industry, and as most (Page 19 Please) , Week's DlgeSt Top Stories Fee Vole OK’d (see related story inside) WILDWOOD CREST - Unless borough officials decide to take the issue before the state Supreme Court, the special election to determine if there will be beach fees here this summer will be held as scheduled May 25. A three-judge Superior Court panel decided Friday not to grant the borough’s request to stay in the election until after its appeal of a previous court ruling declaring voters have the right to decide the issue. Officials here contend that the municipality’s six-day-a-week trash collections for commercial establishments, beach cleaning and lifeguard services wll hay#!o be curtailed if voters deny them the right to collect the anticipated $360,000 in beach fees.

t

Tax Law Passed LOWER TWP. — In an attempt to increase its collection rate of delinquent taxes, the Township Committee here last week passed what solicitor John Callinan believes is probably the most extensive ordinance of its kind in the state. Under thejiew regulations, no mercantile license, liquor license, contractor license or building permit will be issued or renewed by the township unless all taxes on the business or property requiring the permit are paid up. Officials hope the new law will put an end to what they believe is the practice of many businesses of paying their taxes a year late because penalties on delinquent taxes are, cheaper than interest rates on a bank loan.

For Development

Funding Denial Ominous Hall Repairs Eyed

STONE HARBOR - The state has denied the borough's request for state funding to reconstruct the damaged 127th St. bulkhead — a decision which likely will have adverse impact on development plans for the "Stone Harbor Point" area south of 122nd St. David N. Kinsey, director of the state Div. of Coastal Resources, advised Mayor Arden Hand last month that analysis of the borough’s proposed shore protection project to repair and shore up the damaged bulkhead "fails to comply with six of the required seven criteria" under the Dept, of Environmental Protection policies. "Further expenditure of limited state shore protection funds for the undeveloped, 127th St. area of Stone Harbor is not warranted,” Mr. Kinsey advised the mayor in a fivepage letter dated April 15. IT IS THE penultimate paragraph in the lengthy letter which probably contains the most devastating news for anyone — private citizen or public official — eying development behind the beach between 122nd and 127th Sts. "You should note that this funding decision may affect the review by this Division under CAFRA of any proposed infrastructure (H- residential construction south of 122nd St.,” Kinsey's letter advises. "I believe it is only fair for me to advise you that any submitted CAFRA permit application is likely to be rejected by the Division, since it would viwrte the Dunes’ Endangered or Threatened Wildlife Habitat, and Critical Wildlife Habitat policies of DEP’s rules on Coastal Resource and Development Policies..." MR. KINSEY FURTHER informed the mayor that unless there is a major revision in its Coastal Policies, the state

doesn’t consider “further investment of scarce state shore protection funds to maintain through reconstruction the existing battered terminal structure at 127th St. to be sound investment." The last paragraph of Mr. Kinsey’s letter acknowledges that protection of existing properties at 121st St. and of proposed development at 122nd St. could be threatened if erosion extends northward and continues to weaften the damaged bulkhead. Kinsey advised the mayor that while the (Page 19 Please) ANALYSIS Your Fortune: More Rate Hike Bids WILDWOOD - While Atlantic Electric officials are out on the public hearing circuit attempting to justify their $172 million rate hike request before a hostile public, and the state Board of Public Utility examiners, other utility executives are back at company headquarters planning .|or future requests for increased rates. And while the company's highly touted New Direction conservation plan is beirtg publicized as an example of unusual corporate concern to hold down electric use, company officers are nevertheless realistically looking ahead to even greater demand for their product and the multi(Page 18 Please)

The first phase of rehabilitating the 50-year-old Ocean City Music Pier — including strengthening cracking concrete beams, girders and pilings - will begin soon after bids for the estimated $400,000 work are received. Like its counterpart in Cape May, Cape May Convention Hall, engineers are concefned about the plex’s structural safety. In Cape May.- engineers are currently looking into the hall’s ability to continue bearing the stress of wind, tide and erosion. The building here has been a controversy ever since it was first constructed in the mid-1960s. SPCA Cleared COLD SPRINQ - The County SPCA here was cleared of cruelty charges in \yildwood municipal court here last

week.

Municipal Court Judge Joseph Visalli (Page 18Please) , ^ inside —\ 'GO’S MUSIC still has a big following, and Charles Lamey reviews some re-issues in his 'Sounds' column ...Page27 A POPULAR Sidewalk Sale get another look following a big turnout of merchants & residents... Page 31 i IF YOU WEREN’T aboard the QE2, you'll want to read correspondent M’Ejlen Rowland’s account of the historic trip... Page 17