Hits Plan To Close( Permanently)Rail Line To Cape

, OCEAN CITY - Con gressman Bill Hughes (D • N J > has sharply criticized a proposal by the New Jersey Transit Corporation to terminate rail

passenger service along the Cape May and Ocean City branches of the Pennsylvania-Rea c(ing Seashore Line (PRSL). Testifying at a public

hearing by NJ Transit, Hughes pointed out that the PRSL is the only rail passenger line in South Jersey. 'If anything, he said, the state should be

This Plan Worked At Fires

CAPE MAY - Plans have been announced for the formation of a human chain that will transfer more than 20,000 library books from the old Cape May City Library to the new library, Saturday May 22 City Librarian Emma Elwell said efforts are being made tokolicit the help of thousands of area residents and vacationers to form a "Book Brigade", not unlike the fireman’s bucket brigade of days past thpt will pass the library boods, hand to hand, from the present library In the baseta\nl of City hall on Washington St. to the new library on Ocean St. The unusual library 'rtwwe is scheduled to begin at O'a.m. and extend into the afternoon •RARELY WILL William Shakespeare and Sinclair Lewis have passed through so many hands in such a short period of time," said Mrs. Elwell, library director for 20 years and a leader in the campaign to obtain a new library The "Book Brigade" is exppefed to be a community-wide affair with practically every organisation in the city pai4i»ipating. Volunteers have already come forward to aid the library move. The early volunteers include the Cape May

, Kiwanis Club, the Key Club, Community /Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Rotary, students from Star of the Sea School and many local Elementary and High

schools.

MRS. ELWELL noted

that the list is expected to ■grow considerably In the next week. Individuals and organizations willing to volunteer for the "Book Brigade" are asked to register at the library dur-

ing its regular hours. In the event of rain the

"Book Brigade" will take

place Monday, May 24. The movement of the

books to the new library brings to fruition a 10-year campaign to replace the 63-year-old outmoded and overcrowded library, There are currently over 26,000 volumes on shelves\ ■ and makeshift shelves in ) I the basement of City Hall. • For lack of space, many of the books are piled on the

floors.

THE MOVE TO the new library building will in* , volve some interesting activity co-ordination. When possible, as the books are emptied Trom a shelf in the old library, the shelf will be moved to the new libray just ahead of the arriving books. In this manner, many of the books will go directly back on the proper shelf in their new home. The new library will be located in a building

formerly owned by the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, on Ocean St. It is located just a block and a half from the Atlantic Ocean and is equally as close to Cape May’s Washington Mall, both of which are npajor tourist at-

tractions.

THE NEW BUILDING will comfortably accommodate ^the present volumes overflowing the existing library. As soon as additional library shelving is installed^hlFTTlynin' will be able to expand to fMotal

of 40,000 vblumes.

"And," Mrs. EMell said, "no one wilrhaVe to stumble over Charles Dickens or

James Michener."

moving to upgrade the PRSL, instead of leaving the fastest growing area of the state without any viable rail options for the years ahead. WHAT’S MORE, he said, closing of the PRSL would do little to relieve NJ Transit’s financial difficulties. At the present time, just 2 percent of NJ Transit’s rail . services budget goes into the PRSL, while the remaining 98 percent goes into rail lines in Central and North Jersey. "South Jersey is the fastest growing area of the state, and tourism is the second largest industry in New Jersey," Hughes told the hearing. "It wduld seem logical for the state to try to take advantage of our region’s tremendous ridership potential, by upgrading service along the PRSL. "THE PHILADELPHIA to Atlantic City rail corridor.is widely recognized as the second most promis-

ing rail corridor in-tKe.en-tire country," he continued. "I doubt that any rail line in New Jersey comes close to the profitmaking potential of the PRSL. And yet, NJ Transit can’t seem to move fast enough tb close down the

PRSL.”

Hughes flatly dismissed NJ Transit’s contention that the PRSL is inefficient because it carries less than one percent of the state’s rail passengers. "To say the least, that is an extremely misleading claim,” Hughes said. "Ridership is not low on the PRSL because of a lack of interest. Rather, it is low because NJ Transit has made the PRSL the slowest, dirtiest, least reliable, poorest, managed and worst promoted rail line in the state. "THE PRSL IS without a doubt the best-kept secret in New Jersey. Unfortunately, most people don’t . even know that the traiii

exists, and those that do are often afraid to tike a chance on riding it. NJ Transit has no one to blame but itself for allowing service to deteriorate over the past decade to such an atrocious level,’" he declared. Hughes also criticized NJ Transit for seeking to close the Cape May County branches of the PRSL, while making a special effort to attract private investors for the Atlantic City branch. "That proposal is unacceptable to me,” he stated. "The Cape May and Ocean City lines are every bit as promising in the long-term and important as the Atlantic City line. The PRSL itself is an entity. It serves a common community of interests in South Jersey. I cannot support a piecemeal dismantling of the PRSL, starting in Cape May County, tiny more than I could support its entire abandonment."

K’garten Signups

<*«

94 STUDENTS at St. Ann's School. Wildwood raised over 92,355 during the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Read-a-thon. Among top participants were, from left: Michelle Moore, Colleen Kane (whoread 67 books), Tricia Ricco (who raised over |509), Elana Libofsky, and

Rosemary Hewitt.

CAPE MAY - Enrollment for 1982-83 pre-first grade (kindergarten) classes will take place at the City Elementary School 9-11 a.m. Thursday and Friday, May 13-14. Dr. Drake will be present .for physical examinations May 13 - A to L; May 14- M to Z. Parents are asked to bring child’s birth certificate and immunization records from a doctor. Ms. Groon will screen for school readiness, and Ms. Martin will provide speech and language screening. Enrollment forms can be

completed at the time of registration. Those wishing to complete forms prior to registration may pick them up at the school office. The requirements must be Completed prior to a child’s k entering school.

Dellas Stores

KNOWN FOR VALUE Home of IMame Brand Merchandise Sale Starts Thurs. 5-13 to Sun. 5-16

JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER/ FASHIONS — FASHIONS |

LADIES FASHIONS * Aileen* White Stag •Catafina Jantzen • Russ • Queen Casual KO-KO Knits • Devon • Trissi Wrangler • Levi Bend Overs • etc.

CHILDREN

DOTS

Quilte* •Thomas

Wrangler

•Wrangler • Sasson

Robert Bruce

•Chevron • Hang Ten •Cinderella Choozie

Izod

MEN’S FASHIONS Farah* Robert Bruce Thane • Avron • Career Club ♦Wrangler •Levi

SYNTHETIC LEATHER SOCCER CALL Size 4-5 #SL49 Official size.and weight waterproof

Reg. $10.85

2 QUART PICNIC JUG

Reg. $2.98

N. CAPE MAY BAYSHORE-FERRY RD. 886-2889 Daily 9-6, Friday 9-9, Sun. 10-3

Dellas Stores

CAPE MAY-WASHINGTON MALL AT DECATUR STREET 884-4568 Daily 9-6, Fri. 9-9, Sun. 11 -4