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■ , * " Dorli Ward FOR THE FIRST time in 20 years, a Jersey Cape cltiien heads the N.J. State League of Municipalities. Wildwood Crest Comm. Charles Guhr is also the first official of that resort community to ever lead the statewide group. Story inside.

News—^ Dippct Weeks Trading Badge for Gavel MIDDLE TOWNSHIP - Committeeman Michael Voll will become Mayor Michael Voll in January. He was assured of that position last week when / Committeeman-elect Charles I^isner announced he would cast his votAor Voll who has resigned his position's a member of the Wildwood Police Dept, in anticipation of his new position. Committeewoman Pat Peterson, the senior member of the board, had been the other candidate for mayor.

Philanthropist Dies

CAPE MAY — Thomas Vi. Harris Jr., whose contributions and concerns helped to maintain several institutions here, died Saturday at Burdette Tomlin Hospital. He was 91. The native Philadelphian was the director of purchasing for the Du Pont Co. in Wilmington before retiring here in the 1960s. As a major benefactor, he was instrumental in establishing or maintaining the historic community center, tennis club, cottagers' beach club, former Green Mill Club, and the new city library.

Hawk Watching Funded CAPE MAY POINT - A *25,000 loundation grant to establish hawk watching programs in about 15 New Jersey high schools has been awarded the Cape May Bird Observatory, the New Jersey Audubon Society has announced. The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation of Morristown awarded the grant. Further information may be obtained by^ontacting Peter Dunne, observatory naturalist, at 884-2736.

OK Cocktails- in Church

WILDWOOD — Site plan approval for a (Page 8 Please)

l^ew incfustr^To^Iount^

by Bob Shiles. ERMA — The Lower Township Committee will meet tonight (Dec. 1, at 6) to discuss whether to apply for a $300,000 . Small Cities Community Development Block Grant to provide low-interest loans for a glass company wishing to locate at the Cape May County Airport here. Donald Kelly, director 6f the county Economic Development Commission told township committee members last week at least 100 new jobs would be generated by the project, 35 per cent of them going to TVj). residents. But according to Kelly, before the com? pany can locate at the airport, the Township will have to obtain the $300,000 from the state to provide low interest loans. .West Cape May is also applying for 'some $300,000 thru the federal Small Cities programs, which this year is being ad- ' ministered by the state. Mr. Kelly emphasized that 25 per cent of the new jobs to be created will be for residents of the neighboring borough. KELLY GUARANTEED the committee

that if financing can be arranged, there is a commitment from the glass company that it will locate in the airport’s newly remodeled Building 12. The building hoUsed the Snow Products fish canning factory anti! the company moved out several years ago. The EDC executive director added that the newly formed glass company will be applying for a $500,000 state Economic Development Administration loan. Because, he said revealing the name of the company could jeopardize its plaas to locate in the county, Kelly declined to . publicly release the company's name, principals, or exact type of facility. We've been working on this for six months. It’s not something that came up over night," Kelly said. "Every year at election time we hear we need light, clean industry," he went on.. "We now have the opportunity to bring light industry into the county. We need the^township's help." Committee member Peggie Bieberbach said, "My feeling is that this should be at the top of our list of priorities, we need the

employment," According to the Committeewoman, the local governing body is behind the idea "100 per cent " AS PROPOSED, the $300,000 grant would be loaned to the company at a low interest rate. It would be paid back in equal increments of $20,000 over a 15-year period. "This would be a revolving business loan,” Kelly explained, noting that the money the company pays back to the township could be lent out to other local businesses that need financial assistance. The idea of applying for the $300,000 grant was first brought to the committee’s attention last Monday at'a public hearing scheduled to discuss the municipality’^ plans to apply for a $10,000 Technical Assistance Grant thru the ijUnall Cities pro gram. It isn’t possible, however, to apply for both the grant and technical assistance. Assistance funds would hive been used to conduct a study to determine what projects the municipality should in elude in its 'grant appheation (Page8Plea.se)

CilfU S*owov» Corp Ail r***rv«d

December 1,1982

Pl/BllSHf D I VM** WtONISOAV

ION N ) 0170?

RITA Lynne WILLIS of Rio Grande is crowned 19*3 Junior Mias of Gape May County by last year's winner, Donna Norbury. on tbe right. Competition was held Saturday night at

Lower Cape May Regional High School..

She Wins Again ^ County’s Junior Miss

RIO GRANDE — The toast of Cape May County this week is a 17-year-old girl who studied in England, has won nine talent contests, writei poetry and can dance up a

storm.

Rita Lynne Willis, a 5-7 brunette, added to her laurels Saturday night by taking the

title of the 1983 Cape May County Junior Miss competition at Lower Cape May Regional High School. She now will compete in the state finals in Cherry Hill in January. A win there would project her into the national finals in Mobile, Ala. in I (Page 8 Please)

Developer Fees Help Stabilize Utility Kates

Although the proposed 1983 budget for the Lower Township Municipal Utilities Authority is up $64,015, from this year's figure, the new budget adopted by the lauthority last month, shows no increase in water or sewer rates for the coming year The authority Nov. 10 unanimously adopted a total $866,51,5 budget for 1983 that becomes effective today. Dec 1 According to MUA chairman Leo Jordan, there is no anticipated rate increase largely because of the increased revenue being collected from fees developers must pay to reserve sewer commitments He noted that until 1981, developers didn’t have to pay anything for sewer commitments until flow started. Now they Ynust pay up to 58 per cent of the cost of the commitment one year after receiving preliminary site plan approval from the township planning board or two years after the MUA has agreed to reserve flow for their particular development. IN 1981, SOME $1,887 was collected in these fees, while in 1982 the collection rate jumped to more than $49,230. The chairman also pointed to the fact that more customers are coming on line as a significant reason for the rate holding steady. Between Oct. 1981 and Oct. 1982, there were 113 new sewer accounts and 21 additional water accounts from which to collect revenue.

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It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

By Jacob Schaad Jr. And Now Christmas. The Thanksgiving turkey has hardly been digested, (depending upon how voracious your appetite) and now the Christmas season has suddenly descended upon Cape May County without an intermission between the holiday acts. Actually, the holiday season began this year BEFORE Thanksgiving, earlier than usual, and merchandisers throughoutthe nation attribute this to the state of the economy. Many stores, they point out, ate trying to get an early start so they can stretch out their Christmas business ovefc a longer period and perhaps capture the ear-

ly shopper first. In Cape May County, many innovative Christmas programs are planned, some by businesses and others by organizations whose sole purpose is to celebrate the spirit of the holiday. All of them are starting early. STONE HARBOR has its tree lighting ceremony on Monday, December 6, in the . middle of 96th Street. A choir recital in the elementary school will begin at 7 p.m. and an hour later the childremand guests will carry lighted candles up Third Avenue from the school at 93rd Street to the tree. Earlier, on Saturday, December 4, West (Page 8 Please)