30

Herald A Lantern 30 March '83

- 4 . Dorh Ward POOH, Bt'T HAPPY — LooklnK qilllr conlrnl ns hobos al thr (iracr (iosprl Church's “Hobo IMnnrr *ln Hlo (irandc arr Mr. and Mrs. Howard Carlson of Wildwood Crest and daughter, JHirian. IN, who attends the Pilgrim Academy In Kgg Harbor.

Special Schools —— '(From Page 1) district Includes Ocean Academy for children ages 5-14 and the Alternative School for ages 14-21 It also has a pre school program for children 3-5 and an "early intervention program" wdlh one classroom of 21 pupils « months to 3 years old. THE STATE currently mandates educa tion for handicapped children ages Bdfi Thai mandate will Ik* expanded to ages 3-21 in September, but the Special Services school has been offering it all along Current enrollment includes 51 in pre school. ION at Ocean Academy and 91 at the Alternative School One plan is to create a middle school group" for children ages 12-14 and switch theip from the more crowded Ocean Academy to the Alternative School Bailey said the increased enrollment results from the county's population growth and more effective "local child study teams looking at the needs of the

County Delays School «From Page I > lions to get multiple year agreements ifand when the new law goes into effect A series of delays cropped up since the academy began planning the pre school nursery about a year ago In December, according to Elliot, a lease was signed with the county for the acre tract and an $1,800 foe paid. In March, the money was sent back and the property ordered rebid Again, the explanation was legal technicalities Originally the academy hoped to open the school located off Breakwater Hoad between Kersage and Intrepid roads by June I. The l/iwcr Township Planning Board earlier this month had approved the; proposed site plan and a use variance had been granted in December "A nursery school is very compatible with the industrial complex." Kelly said, noting that the proposed site was far enough away from the airfield to prevent danger to the children The director added that the site was "ideal" for mothers with small children working at the airport

complex

According to Elliot, to continue the pro ject with "uncertainty" still surrounding the leasing of property would be bad business Almost $12,000 had been spent to hire architects and engineers, have plans drawn and obtain various permits, he said Of this amount, the academy hopes to recoup all but about $1,500. "We're not blaming anyone, but there's tod much uncertainty for us to continue at this time." Elliot said "We haven't given up the idea of the school, but the next time it’s going to be planned for our own land Designed to meet state standards, the

children and knowing we have programs that will help them " He said some people have moved into Capo May ftounty specifically because of the special services school. He cited some Coast Guard personnel who transferred to the Cape May Center for that reason. THE SCHOOL SERVES all county school districts It transports preschoolers and those on modified schedules The districts transport the others The district’s 1983-84 budget totals almost $2 7 million with the state paying 67 5 percent, the county 17.5 percent, and local school districts 15 percent That's a 24 percent increase over last year’s $2 1-million budget The county's share, for the calendar year 1983, is $383,908, a 29 percent increase over last year’s $297,028 Bailey said the increase was caused by a $165,000 reduction in federal funds plus higher costs for higher enrollment The district expects to hire another 10 people lor the next school year, bringing its staff to 118 They will include a psychologist, a learning disabilities teacher, four classroom teachers, two reading teachers and two bus drivers, he said The county began offering special scr vices education oui of Shelton'College in Cape May in 1974 with an enrollment of 25. Bailey said

school would hove housed 60 students The cost of the 32 feet by 72 feet prefabricated Agway structure was estimated at about

$50,000

South Jersey Christian Academy, which is nonderiominational. currently operates out of the Tabernacle Methodist Church in Erma Established four years ago. the school Has an enrollment of 103 kindergarten to eighth-grade students Most come from Lower Township. Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. ^ According to school administrator Chuck Woods, the academy offers students an alternative to the humanistic philosophy taught today in the public

schools.

"There's a national movement today towards Christian schools." Woods said "There arc one to three starting up everyday " Drenching (From Page D last week abandoned efforts to place new street signs Workmen kept hitting water MACLEOD SAID the problem was "Not critical, but it could be if it continued through April." Tomato crops are planted the end of April and early May. he said, and late tomatoes receive a much lower price than early He said farmers now are holding off on plowing until fields drain which, "with our light, sandy soil, will happen earlier than further north in Cumberland or Salem " Farn\ers also have had to delay normal fertilizing of strawberry and small grain i rops. Macl^eod said.

News Digest* From Page 1 > lawyers’ Bonanza / OCEAN CITY - Officials said it could cost the city between $50,000 and $120,000 in legal fees to defend itself against Mayor Jack Bittner's suit attempting to overturn parts of the administrative code and management contracts. Bittner's trying to halt pay raises of $62,000. He's also asked the court to make the city pay for his attorney

Test Tubes? UPPER TOWNSHIP - Officials are still pt sea over what method to use to repair Strathmeie's dunes, badly eroded by a Feb 11 snowstorm and subsequent high tides The early favorite, "longard tubes" made of plastic, pumped full of water and sand, and drained to compact the sand, are now estimated to cost $150,000 to $200,000 instead of $100,000 The Department of Environmental Pro lection is expected to pay 75 percent and the county and township would split the remainder.

HUD After Leaks WILDWOOD - A $1.5-million project to remedy leaks and prevent heat loss is expected to be underway a* the Sandman Towers senior citizen complex by midsummer Funds for the high-rise's overhaul are coming from the Depailment of Housing and Urban Development. the some agency that financed the building's original construction in the mld-1970's. Leaks have plagued the structure since it was first occupied in 1977

Still Creeping MIDDLE TOWNSHIP - Part of Wildwood's landfill along Post (’reek will remain in Middle Township until after Wildwood’s City Council election May 10. Talks Fail (From Page 1) want the public to be more educated," he came up with no specific ciiarges. He did call county counsel Albert M. Ash of Ocean City, "a major concern" because of his $69,000-o-year salary "In my mind, that should be a full-time job,” said Kelly "He puts in whatever time is required by the demands of the Job,” said Sturm "His salary includes all the various duties he performs From it. he pays his own secretarial support and office expenses." Ash. who works out of his private law firm office in Ocean City, did not return phone calls from the Herald and Lantern KELLY REPORTED, and Stqrm con firmed that thefy met privately at the union office in Cape May Court House last Wednesday night to discuss the county budget, which Sturm prepared "I like Sturm," said Kelly "He says the money's not there. It’s their priorities I disagree with." Current three-year contracts covering the 635 employes expired Dec 31. Kelly said negotiations began in late November and both sides agreed they were at impasse and jointly filed for a state mediator on Feb. 10. Thomas Hartigan, mediator with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) had met with them three times, on Feb. 16, March 4. and March 23, Kelly said KELLY SAID the union has reduced its requests three times, but the county has stayed with its original 5 per cent wage hike offer. Pepper said it was "inappropriate to comment on specific contract proposals." but Sturm said that. "Generally, that's correct." "I disagree with not negotiating in the press." said Kelly "The taxpayers will ultimately pay the bill and should be aware of what both sides are bargaining for " Kelly said the union first asked for a twoyear contract with a 10 percent pay increase each year and an additional "step” each of those years His second request, he said, was for 5 percent a year plus a step each year The step, he said, amounts to about 3.3 percent, making the package an 8.8 percent increase. AFTER THE MEDIATOR was ap^ pointed, Kelly said, the union asked for a complicated formula that translated to 13.25 percent over two years

<1 A A A* Township officials say they will work with the new administration on the boundry change, emphasizing they want to know the value of any land involved iri the deal before action is taken. The municipalities have been discussing changing the original boundary that followed the eastern high tide line along Post Creek. Oyer the years Wildwood’s landfill has crept across the boundary into Middle Township, resulting in both municipalities becoming partially responsible for the site.

Hughes Pro-(iroins WASHINGTON — Congressman William Hughes urged lawmakers to appropriate $1 35 million for beach restora lion in Cape May. Not included in Presi dent Reagan's proposed 1984 budget. $350,000 of the funding would go towards engineering the design work while the remaining $1 million would be used for the installation of new groins at Trenton and Baltimore Avenues. Construction of groins in 1984 would make way for the actual placing of beachfill in 1985 Crowded Field WILDWOOD — Voters will have 18 candidates, two mayoral and 16 council, to choose from May 10 when they elect the city’s first mayor-council administration. For mayor the choice is between incumbent, and state assemblyman. Guy F Muziani and Convention Hall Director Earl Ostrander Council hopefuls include: Edward Herman, Victor DiSylvester. Richard Williams, George Young, Nazareno Regalbuto and Rev William L McGurkin, councilmen-at-large; Karen Dougherty, Anthony J Salomone, Thomas C. Karter. Steven Perkins and Larry Snyder, first ward. Emma Jackson, Walter J Cottman Jr and Angeline Adgie, second ward; and Charles Kuski, Louis Supa and Frank Bunks, third ward.

He said Pepper refused to go higher than 5 percent a year. "He rewrapped the 5 percent in a halfdozen different packages," said Kelly, "but it still came out 5 percent." Kelly said Pepper's last offer was a 7 percent pay hike, but not retroactive to Jan. I, which still would have meant 5 percent. "I refused to open that can of worms," saW Kelly Kelly said "damn few" of the issues in the union's 26-page contract proposal have been settled. One is the provision for a labor management relations council from PERC which would attempt to mediate grievances before going to arbitration "We.'re litigation-broke," said Kelly "This local is penniless b 'Cause it spends every dollar on litigation MOST OF EIGHT outstanding issues, he said, are economic Besides pay, they include benefits, hours and overtime, and holidays, he said. He said the county saved $125,000 in 1982 by switching the hospitalization and major medical coverage from Pacific Mutual to Blue Cross-Blue Shield. But, he said, "our members sustained losses I gave the county permission; I hung myself out to dry." So, he said, the union has redesigned the health package including, he said, a prescription plan that is $3 a month less expensive than the current one. He said the union also is asking an end to split shifts such as are worked by library employes and that something be done about buildings and grounds workers whose shifts have been changed from 6 a m. to 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to midnight. KELLY SAID the union is requesting "a standard policy of time-and-a-half for overtime or compensatory time, at the employes' discretion. He said the contract currently requires overtime, but individual departments make "under the table arrangements.” The union also proposed additional administrative days off based on years of service: one more for 6-10 years, two more for 11-15 years, and three more for 16-20 years Employes currently receive 14 holidays and three administrative days, he said. It also proposed 30 days of vacation after 2n years of service compared to 20 after 20 years and 25 after 25. "They’d have a whole lot of time off with nothing to go anywhere with," he said.