Talks Fail; Expose Threatened

By JOE ZELNIK Contract negotiations between the Cape May County Board of Freeholders and its employes union have broken down and a state factfinder has been requested. In the meantime, the union has threatened to go public with charges of "frivolous expenses." waste and corruption to force the Freeholders to settle. •Til become the busiest one-man watchdog agency this county has even seen,” said Sam Kelly, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades, AFL-CIO. "I’m going to expose every waste, every political hack collecting $25,000 a year for a no-show job. 1 will give the county an interest in settling this contract.” ‘ That's his prerogative," replied Freeholder William E. Sturm Jr. who

By BOB SMILES ERMA — South Jersey Christian Academy has abandoned plans to construct and operate a nursery school at the Cape May County Airport because of "endless delays" by the county, according to Jack Elliott of the academy. Sources said a legal "reinterpretation” by county counsel Albert M Ash is responsible and also has postponed the negotiated lease with the new Container Decorating Co. slated for the airport complex Ash foiled to return repeated phone calls from the Herald and Lantern.

Mother Nature dumped another inch and„ a half of rain on saturated Cape May County Sunday, pushing the March total to nearly double the normal rainfall "It’s wet as the devil,” said senior County Agent John MacLeod. "We’re floating." He warned that wet ground is delaying farm planting of early spring crops such as onions and white potatoes "They can’t plow,” he said. "It’s like mud A tractor would get stuck It’s brought field work to a halt MacLeod, who measures rainfall at- his home, two miles west of Woodbine, has recorded 8.11 inches through Monday He

directs county finances. KELLY SAID his union, prohibited by law from striking, also will engage in "informational picketing at any type of freeholders’ meeting." Finally, Kelly said, if that doesn't work, he will "turn to boycotts with telegrams to every AFL-CIO official who would ever vacation here.”' A tourist boycott was called in July of 1981, Kelly said, and resulted in an immediate settlement "These negotiations are very sensitive,” said Sturm. "There is nothing to gain by either side making inflammatory statements." THE UNION, which bargains jointly for two contracts covering 575 general county employes and 60 court employes, gave up on talks last Wednesday, Kelly said, and

The academy's seven-memoer board of directors voted unanimously last week to cancel the school after the Board of Freeholders on March 22 tabled the resolu tion granting the school a 20-year lease of one acre at $1,800 a year "THEY HAVEN'T told us why the lease wasn’t granted,” said Elliott, president of the directors. "We were only told it had something to do with the legality of a long term lease.” Donald M. Kelly, executive director of the county Industrial and Economic Development Commission, said the lease

said the March average there is about 4 WAYNE HOOP, cooperative weather observer for the National Weather Service, has recorded 6.23 inches in Cold Spring compared to a normal March of 3.76 "My yard’s like a sponge,” he said. The Cape May Plant Materials Center of the US. Soil Conservation Service in Swainton reported 7.13 inches of rain through Monday, but had no previous figures available for comparison. The county's sogginess was illustrated in Stone Harbor where maintenance crews • Page 30 Please)

asked the state mediator to file for factfinding Factfinding normally takes several months. Although both sides reportedly have agreed on a factfinder, all three have to pick a convenient time for several days of hearings. This is followed by a written report in which the factfinder makes his recommendations for settlement He does not make his report public, but either side can. He is paid $250 a day, which is shared by the two sides Factfinding is technically the last step under the law to bring about settlement Kelly asked the county to accept the factfinder’s recommendations as binding It refused, he said. Sturm said the freeholders will discuss that with Pepper "probably this week ''

problem is based on Ash's ruling that state law restricts the county from a lease of more than one year. This has not been an issue in the past Everlon Fabrics Corp. at the airport com plex reportedly has a 25-year lease with the county, and Tomwar Corp at the complex has a 20-year lease. "We're trying to get State Sen. James R Hurley to introduce legislation that will change the law,Kelly ftaid He said that could be accomplished in 3-4 weeks. Timing could be a factor since a longterm lease is a prerequisite for some of the Container Decorating Co. financing It had set April as "day one” to be in building No. 12, paying rent of $4,450 a month. County and Container representatives are slated to meet tomorrow morning to discuss the problem. Freeholder Gerald M Thornton, in charge of industrial and economic development, has just returned from vacation and said he knew nothing about the issue. Freeholder William E. Sturm Jr said the board tabled the academy lease because Ash said it "wasiT’t in the proper legal format. ” Sturm said lie did not know the specific legal problem Kelly said three businesses planning to locate at the airport complex by summer are arranging for one-year leases with op (Page 30 Please)

"I DON’T KNOW very many employes in the public sector willing to make the factfinder's report binding.” said Pepper My experience is that they feel they have been elected to make the decisions regarding the expenditure of funds and they dislike giving away that authority " The talks broke off at noon last Wednesday and at a general membership meeting that evening Kelly asked members to "bring me examples of waste, operating expenses as well as management level." He said this would include misconduct by "coworkers who are there because of political ties ” "Ninety percent of my people are dedicated, well-credenlialed and hardworking,” he said ALTHOUGH KELLY said he would begin his attack "immediately, because I i Page 30 Please > Special School

Jammed CREST HAVEN — Enrollment at Cape May County's 2 , v-year-old Special Services School for severely handicapped children is growing so fast that it may have to add a second floor within two years The school, built at a cost of $4' v million, opened to accommodate 243 pupils, has 271 now and estimates 285 next school year When enrollment reaches 300, which is anticipated for the 1983-84 school year, "we will be forced to look for classrooms outside of our present building." according to George E Bailey, schools superintendent "WE ARE NOT requesting action." said Bailey "This is an alert We want to con sider plans for the future We would like to appoint an architect to do a schematic drawing on the feasibility of coastructing a second floor " Bailey said the building was designed for a second floor and has a three-inch concrete roof and reinforcements in place The school almost leased space in other quarters this year, he said. For next year, he said, it plans to "rearrange schedules, change programs and consolidate office personnel into smaller spaces " Although in one building, the school < Page 30 Please > News—ill Digest Cs!:-. More Testimony WILDWOOD — More than 200 honored Police Chief Harry Breslin at a $25 a plate testimonial dinner at Enrico's Restaurant last Saturday The chief agreed to retire June 30 after the County dropped charges of covering up police brutality Let There Be Light UPPER TOWNSHIP - Residents will continue to pay no municipal purpose tax under the township's proposed $5.9-million operating budget Although officials expect the overall tax rate to jump at least three cents, a municipal purpose tax is unnecessary because of the anticipated gross receipts and fran chise taxes to be collected from Atlantic Electric's B L. England generating sta tion in Beesleys Point Meter Madness CAPE MAY — Bowing to public pressure & constructive criticism city council Monday night rescinded an ordinance doubling parking meter fees to 50« an hour It substituted a $10 increase in the permit fee for charter bases and extension of the meter hours from 10 p m to midnight and the meter season to include May and October Those were Chamber of Comnferce suggestions (Page 30 Please >

CLOSE CALL — Subcontractor Dave Kemenash Inc of Milmay, Cumberland County, is back at work on a condo at the northeast corner of 109th Street and 3rd Avenue in Stone Harbor, but Donna’s Place, next door, owned by William W Haury, pictured, will be out of business for awhile Winds March 13 toppled the north wall of the condo, sending hundreds of concrete blocks crashing on the building Donna s, which includes a bakery, pizza, take-out. bike rental and two apartments, won't be ready for its planned mid-April opening, Haury said The condo is being built by W J. Leahy Construction of Avalon. Haury's upstairs tenant. Mrs. Elizabeth Sibert, fortunately wasn't home at the time and his daughter. Elizabeth, came out the front door of Jhe bakery 30 minutes before the mishap.

New Industry Also Affected County Delays Derail School

Drenching Slows Planting