News—^— Digest Clones l\etc Government

WILDWOOD - Earl B. Ostrander officially took office as mayor Friday Councilmen-at-large Victor DiSylvester and Edward Herman were named council president and vice president, respectively. and were sworn in with Councilmen Larry E. Synder, first ward; Walter J. Cottman Jr, second ward; and Charles Kuski, third ward.

Suspicious Deaths VILLAS — Dennis Miller. 35, of Matthews Avenue and Debbie Grillo, 27. of Bayshore Road, died of broken necks and did not drown in the bay where their bodies were found floating last week. Originally listed as "accidental." the deaths are being investigated as "suspicious.” Toxic Dumping No. 1 SWA INTON - Former Sea Isle City businessman Francis Block, 35, was sentenced last week to pay a $1,000 fine and perform 200-hours of community service for dumping more than 200 drums of toxic chemicals along Siegtown Road bet ween August. 1978 and January, 1979.

Toxic Dumping No. 2 SWAINTON — As part of a plea agree ment on toxic waste dumping charges. Francis Block. 35. of Williamstown, told a state grand jury that Wheaton Industries was the source of the chemical wastes he dumped here 44 years ago Wheaton, however, has not been charged in connection with the case

Unchecked Cargo WASHINGTON — Only one percent of the sludge and 87 percent of hazardous waste loads dumped off the New Jersey (Page 37 Please >

Pay Hikes For Sheriff s Top Positions Three top administrators of the Cape May County Jail have received 1983 pay hikes ranging from seven to almost 14 percent The increases, awarded by county freeholders last week and retroactive to Jan 1, keep two of the men at higher pay than two undershcriffs who. in effect, supervise them Sheriff Beech Fox said he fell his undersheriffs should be getting higher pay, but “the freeholders hold the purse strings ' Sheriff Fox himself got a 19 percent pay hike Jan 1. going from $27,324 to $32,500 and his undersheriffs — William J. Hunter and Louis C Fiocca — got 21 percent increases, going from $20,098 to $24,375 The sheriff's pay hike was $5,176; the undersheriffs $4,277 Last week's pay increases to jail authorities: •Warden William Fisher received the smallest raise, a $1,872 hike from $26,104 to $27,976, equal to seven percent He's been with the county since December, 1969 and his total includes four percent longevity pay •Capt William Perry got the biggest raise, a $2,912 increase from $22,984 to $25,896, equal to 12.7 percent He’s been with the county since November, 1970 and his total includes four percent longevity pay •Lt Leonard Clark received the highest percentage increase. 13.9 percent His pay went from $20,910 to $23,816. He s been with the county since November, 1973 and receives two percent longevity pay FREEHOLDER JAMES KILPATRICK, who negotiated the raises with the jail officials. said it came at this time rather than earlier because the county was waiting for conclusion of negotiations with (Page 16 Pleasei

Bayfront Written Off

Protection Cost Higher Than Economic Value

By E. J. DUFFY KIMBLES BEACH - George "Buck' Kurtz, 72. has lived along Martha Louise Avenue in this small Middle Township community since 1938. * When he moved from Barrington with his wife and two daughters, the bayshore village of three houses lacked paved roads, mail or trash service, but boasted a fishing pier, boat ramp, hotdog stand and a wide, clean beach Kurtz had paid $12 m taxes that year for his isolated property Reached from Route 47 over Kimbles Beach Road, the village now consists of 13 year-'round and summer homes nestled between the tall grass of salt meadows Kimbles Beach Road has been hardened with oil and stone, hut remains unpaved the length of its two-mile course through overgrown fields and oak woods Residents now have mail delivered and trash collected Kurtz now pays $360 a year in taxes The pier, ramp and hotdog stand are gone. A 400-foot bulkhead-baardwalk. which the Kimbles Beach villagers built with their own money, is gone too The pier was destroyed in an ice storm, the bulkhead by the nor caster of 62 Worst of all. the beach is gone "I’d say we lost at least 125 feel, easy," says Kurtz, recalling how wide the beach

"You've got waves six-foot high coming in here m a nor'easter," says Kurtz "If that breaks through there you might as well put a dock right out here, adds Perry, thumbing toward his front lawn on Kimbles Beach Road Several years ago, the slate had a jetty constructed near Reeds Beach, just nor thwest of Kimble’s Beach, under pressure from former Middle Township Mayor Samuel S. DeVico, Perry recalls Although that jetty is sinking at the bay end. it still offers some protection from erosion for the four or five permanent Reeds Beach families Perry wants similar protection for the 13 families of Kimbles Beach Although the township has cooperated With residents' request for road and beach work, the villagers still feel short-changed for their tax dollars. Perry says They want their homes safeguarded and the beach restored "It's been a problem for the last five years." Perry notes "It was gorgeous out there It's not like there were just four houses and some chicken coops This was an active beach out there " "Yeah," says Kurtz, walking along the littered beach, "thdre used to be not a rock out there " "At least they try," Perry says of township officials "They bnng dirt down when it gets really bad "

‘Kimltles Beach — who the hell are you?'

Dori. Word GEORGE BUCK' KURTZ We Lost At Least 125 Feet'

From the Sky: ‘Don’t Drink And Drive’

Fourth of July weekend vacationers got a different message from airplane banner advertising this year In addition to promotions for "happy hours" and rock groups, planes from Paramount Air Service of Rio Grande towed a banner reading. "Survive — Don't Drink and Drive " The message came from the Cape May County chapter of MADD. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers Paramount flew one pass over the beaches from Cape May to Atlantic City between 1 and 2 p rm Saturday. Sunday and Monday n Phyllis Dodd, MADD vice president, said Paramount gave a special, reduced public service message rate for the adver tismg, which, she said, usually costs about $250 a trip Otton Real Estate of Stone Harbor donated two of the flights and MADD's own budget, funded by donations, paid for the third, Dodd said

had been when his daughters played in the sand as children, how wide it was 15 yearn ago when he tested out a new rod and reel one Easter Sunday afternoon AT HIGH TIDE, the beach is only a few feet wide and littered with the remains of failed efforts to save it tree stumps, old tires, concrete slabs and rusted drums Kimbles Beach residents like Kurtz and his neighbor. Chuck Perry, worry about what could happen to their homes if a storm strikes and the waves breach the short embankment that protects their houses and the surrounding meadows from the flood

THE TOWNSHIP has tried to prevent further beach erosion with truck loads of fill, but the beach is really the slate s responsibility and that of the U S Army Corps of Engineers "There's nothing going to happen down here." Perry complains, arguing that the handfuls of gravel and rubble aren't really going to hold back the tides and the hand ful of Kimbtes Beach residents lack the political clot to gel their beach properly protected "See. you’ve gotta remember." the retired contractor adds, "the only people , t Page 16 Pleasei

Catanoso Regains Econ. Development

By JOE ZELNIK Cape May County economic development is back in the hands of Freeholder Director Anthony T Catanoso after a sixmonth hiatus Catanoso had headed the Economic Development Commission since he became a freeholder 12 years ago The

An Analysis

freeholders in January "reorganized" it from Catanoso to Gerald M Thornton because Catanoso and Donald M Kelly, executive director of the commission, couldn't get along But Kelly resigned his $31,190-3-year joh June 12 after having been suspended for 90 days on May 27 The freeholders unanimously reassigned the department back to Catanoso last week

THE LATEST MOVE puts Catanoso back in control of both the airport and the key ingredient of the county's economic development efforts, the airport industrial park Both arc without directors The airport 's $l-a-year manager. Robert A Laws, was forced to resign by the freeholders in January That was by a 3-1 vote. Catanoso opposed , Sources indicated hard feelings between Kelly and Laws, who also had been chair man of the Economic Development Com mission, had to do with that controversy The county now intends to have one per son in charge of the airport and economic development That's the way it was, with Kelly in command from about 1970 to about 1979 COUNTY SOURCES said Catanoso had interviewed two persons for the combined position, one from Pennsylvania, one from (Page 16 Please)

'^liOPWENT COMMISSIOR 15 fcrtf, •ft ^ 1

Dorii Word DATED — This door at the county airport terminal building needs two changes. Thornton turned over the reins to Anthony T. Catanoso. and Kelly's out. with a replacement yet to be named.