18

Herald A lantern 5 May *82

Newspaper Blasted 5 Teachers by Bob Millet ERMA - After meeting behind closed door** for almost two hours with representatives of. the local teachers association last Thursday, the Lower Cape May Regional School Board officially announced the elifoination of five teaching position* — a move that will reduce the number of course offerings available to students in social studies, fine arts, industrial arts and physical education Some 60 staff members sat quietly as the board voted -- without elaboration — to deny employment to the teachers because of "declining enrollment " THOSE NOT BEINC. rehired are Deborah Binsberger. a tenured art teacher at the Teitelman School; Louis Hemingway, industrial arts; William Hennessey. physical education; Richard Haughton, sbcial studies; and Rosellen Coleman, reading teacher. Board president Pabl Lu.ndholm previously stated that aU the teachers the district is losing are "excellent." He indicated the necessary changes in personnel and course offerings were based upon the state of the current economy, the decline in the district's student enroll-

Losing Jobs ment, and an apparent change in the trend of student course selections. According to Mr. Lundholm, it seems students are going more for home economics and business related courses than courses such as arts and crafts. BUT ONE TEACHER, high school Fine Arts chairman Mary Louise Walter, alleged recently that what appears a new trend in student course selections might actually be the result of inducements by the school guidance personnel counseling the

students.

Such allegations were strongly denied Thursday by guidance directorP^TPtrq. who blasted news stories in this/newspaper, that reported Walter’s allegations and a subsequent editoral questioning whether students were being subtly distoufaged from taking specific courses by guidance counselors. Piro said allegations were "totally untrue.” "Never has a counselor in this district counseled students away from one department or teacher to another," he asserted. "Never has the administration or board of education influenced the counseling techniques or methods employed by counselors. Guidance counselors do not

put undue pressure to bear on students in choosing their elective courses." CONTINUING FROM A prepared statement, the director emphasized shifts in enrollment occur frequently in schools, and it is common practice for the number of sections taught in any course to go up and down with the enrollment. "We are not eliminating the Arts," Mr. Piro said. "We are reducing the sections based on student selection, and we are increasing other areas according to student enrollment," » While apparent teaching positions would have to be eliminated because funds are not available under the $5.2 million budget approved last month by voters, both board members and Superintendent Ephraim Keller had earlier indicated that probably only two teachers would actually have no job in the district beginning next fall. The other reductions, they said, would probably be met thru resignations and transfers of current staff members. BUT ACCORDING TO the superintendent, this apparently isn't going to happen. Rate (From Pagel) million dollar machinery to produce it. THE FIRST HEARING in Cape May County on the company's $172.4 million rate hike request is scheduled to get underway 7:30 p.m. Monday in Wildwood High School auditorium, Pacific and Montgomery Aves. The hearings began earlier this week in Cumberland County. The rate hike is the largest in the company's history and takes into account the fact the utility hasn’t had a rate hike "fix” since September 1980. "Considering the effects of inflation, rise in interest rates and the continued growth of our customers' demands, that’s a long time to go without a base rate increae," company president John Feehan has noted. WHILE THERE WAS a dip in electric use by consumers in the immediate past (less than one per cent decrease between 1980 and '81) — a drop that corresponded to decreased usage experienced by other electric utilities in the region — the Atlantic Electric is mindful that it will have to build for increased use as the population in South Jersey grows. From the company’s standpoint, the New Direction program basically means holding off on major capital construction projects until interest rates come down. It’s major goal in this direction was to cut projected construction expenditures from $970 million down to $608 million during the 1982-86 time frame. This was primarily accomplished by putting on hold a new coalfired generator in Cumberland County. Previously projected to go on line in 1988, it is now seen becoming operational in 1991. In the meantime, the company faced costly upgrading of some of its older facilities — and the addition of other facilities to service the casino industry . "DUE TO THE magnitude and density of the new loads, our company has found it necessary to install new systems for distributing the electricity on Absecon Island which are more like the systems employed for many years in larger cities," one company official explained, "to meet the demands of casino loads, we have had to reinforce that part of our system which connects Absecon Island with the rest of our territory...As a result, we were involved in large expenditures to accommodate Digest (From Pagel) ruled April 27 that the Associated Humane Societies failed to prove during a 44-hour hearing last month that the local SPCA intended to be cruel to animals when it had them put to sleep in a gas chamber that failed to meet state standards. According to reports, the AHS - which contends the chamber burned the animals lungs before they died because it wasn't equipped with proper cooling and filtrating devices — intends to appeal the ruling in Superior Court. Police Suspension WILDWOOD — Mayor Guy Muziani said last week that several local police officers will be suspended in (connection with the) recent disappearance of some $2,400 in evidence money. The money turned up missing when various items of physicl evidence were being made ready for shipping to the County Prosecutor’s

office.

Reportedly the mayor has reviewed

He said last Friday this will be the first year that changes in programs and teaching positions will leave any current teacher without a job in the district beginning in September. "If any openings arise, those teachers not rehired will have first shot at the positions," Mr, Keller added. As a result of the board’s recent action, three high school teachers will be transferred to positions at the Teitelman School; Mary Louise Walter, art; John Wilsey, phys ed.; and Arthur Goodwin, industrial arts. . f ■

the casino load demands," noted Joseph Kelly Jr., Asst, vice president, in a company publication. Company president Feehan sees this as the crucial year, noting that "1982 will see the highest construction budget we’ve ever had... 1982 is a problem year. It will be a real strain to keep our financial parameters up till i/e get some more rate relief...Things will 16ok better once we get through ’82." While Atlantic Electric's $160 million construction budget for 1982 is considered the hurdle to get over, subsequent years will not come cheap. Indeed, by 1986 estimated construction is seen at 85 jjer cent of this year’s history-making capital construction effort. ^ THAT A COSTLY furture for the consumer — one requiring more rate hikes — lies ahead was spelled out for shareholder’s in this year’s annual proxy statement, which points out that "substantial construction expenditures will be necessary" in the years beyond 1986. Notes the statement: "It is expected that during the years 1982-86 funds generated [thru retained • earnings and internal money management techniques] will provide about 45 per cent of the company's cash construction requirements. Such expectation is based in part upon the receipt of future rate increases..." Note the plural — increases. ATLANTIC ELECTRIC’S 1981 Annual Report to stockholders bears a similar message: "...We face a major challenge or reducing projected major cash construction requirements beyond (the next five years) into the 1990s.’’ With the installation since 1980 of pollution control, transmission, distribution and other facilities responsible for 37 per cent of the current $172 million rate hike request — the reality of needed increases when even bigger construction becomes necessary appears obvious. And since this percentage figure doesn’t include the cost of money increases over the past two years — which are responsible for 42 per cent of the current request — one can see the handwriting on the wall. It appears quite large. John Andrus

Police Chief Harp' Breslin’s report on the incident and is certain proper procedures of handling evidence weren’t followed. Board to Appeal UPPER TWP. - The school board here voted 6 to 3 last week to appeal to the state commissioner of education the Township Committee's proposal that more than $200,000 be cut from the district's $4.8 million 1982-83 budget. Voters rejected the budget at the polls early last month. According to reports, the Committee at its meeting last week gave the board an additional $350,000 from gross receipts and franchise taxes. It also recommended that $50,000 in capital outlay — to be used for repairing the elementary school roof — be out, teacher aides and one teaching position be eliminated, and the purchase of a new bus be postponed. Reportedly, even if the budget is restored, the school tax rate this year will remain pt 28 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Next year, however, a restored budget will reflect an increase in the municipal budget.

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