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Week's Top. Stories

COURT HOUSE - Only three of the 12 candidates seeking the governor’s appointment as the county’s third Superior Court judge are considered qualified for that post by the county bar association Judicial Selection Committee. The Herald and Lantern reported that correctly in its headlines last week, but not in the lead paragraph of the story. . Ridiculous WILDWOOD — Mayor Earl Ostrander has refused to sign a city councilapproved requisition for a'new councilchambers air conditioner. One councilman said his colleagues don’t need the mayor’s approval to buy a new unit toreplace the one Ostrander had removed from chambers last week. The mayor said he did not take the air conditioner out of spite, but merely to replace faulty units elsewhere. He termed the dispute ridiculous. , ; * ’ Judge Overruled WOODBINE — Rejecting the advice of Administrative Law Judge Norman D. Smith, the state Pinelands'Commission voted 8-2 Friday to stand by a waiver it granted the county Municipal Utilities Authority allowing it to operate a new county landfill within 2,500 feet of private properties here'. Smith told the commission that the waiver was improperly granted because the MU A , had the option of buying the properties. Passing the Buck COURT HOUSE - Middle Township police are investigating the alleged theft last week of $31,000 from the Jamesway Department Store, Chief Edward Hansen confirmed Monday. Calling the incident “an internal thing,” another police spokesman referred further questions to Jamesway officials who declined comment and referred further questions to the police department. * :

Aucfion Today ^ ERMA — T. J. Sullins will conduct the county's second annual auction at 10:30 - a.m. today at the county airport. On the block will be dump and pick-up trucks, vans, a bus, tractors, mopeds, road sweepers, chain saws, weed wackers, push and riding lawn mowers, typewriters, metal cabinets and a bag of silver including uncirculated coins, proof sets and bars. -1 ' . Sobering Thought TRENTON — Convicted drunk drivers may soon see their violations printed in local newspapers and pay for the cost of Ji

Vol.19 No.37

CAPE MAY COUNTY

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September 14,1983

Where the Battleground Is... '

Shelton: Cape May’s Fundamentalist Oasis

.Shelton ^ COLLEGE

TRAINING CHRISTIAN WARRIORS^ -—Since 1907—. ^

By BARBARA METZLER CAPE MAY — As college students indulge in the last hours of vacation revelry, the bars and taverns along Beach Drive simmer with theY^good times” atmosphere of rock music, heated dancing, and heavy drinking. Less than a dozen blocks east, behind the imposing facade of the Christian Admiral, a different scene takes place. Forty Students from all over the world are beginning classes at a college where not only drinking is forbidden, but also commercial moyies^bancmg, tobacco, and rock and* rolL Shelton College, at Baltimore and New Jersey avenues, is a small, fundamentalist oasis in the midst of this shore-towirfaca-tion fervor. , - . • STARTED IN 1907 by Don Shelton as a New York City Bible Institute charged to

evangelize the city,. Shelton College has moved several times in the course of its

fiery 76-year-history.

The National Bible Institute became Shelton College, a four-year liberal arts school, in 19M, and was moved to Ring wood, >N.J., according to college^* president. Dr. Dennis Brown, until the estate it was located on was declared an historical landmark. The college then moved to Cape May. The school was moved to Cape Canaveral, Fla., in the wake of a court decision suspending its degree granting license in 1971. The Cape ,May campus was reopened when the college reapplied for that right in 1979. Shelton has seen more than its share of court battles. Currently, Carl Mclntire, the administrative head of Shelton and the Christian Admiral Bible Conference, which ‘ provides dorms for the college students, is doing battle with the New * ,

But High School Penalties Seen

7

Jersey legislature in an attempt to free the college from state regulated licensing, f** AS OF $OW, WHEN this school year ends, Shelton College will no longer be able to grant/legrees unless such a state license ' is obtained. College authorities, refu$<rlo bend tb the state regulations, feeling that" they hamper the religious freedoms of the college. ' • . .. Not only that, said Dr. Brown, but the education boards themselves have been found inept by the Reagan commission on education. “The government agencies have done such an appalling job in education,” he said, “then they want us to turn our work over to them and let them ball that up too.” The state’s claim of protixting the value of the college degree is “ludicrous,” he said, in the., face of the Washington criticism. ? .• <Page 16 Please)

Elementary Graduations Okayed

(Page 16 Please)

/ By JOE ZELNIK • Ten Cape May County elementary schools will not .be penalized by the state Department of Education for holding “graduation” ceremonies before the last day^of school this year, according to department pubUc information officer Edward D. Ramsey. The schools, along with three of the county’s four high schools, were cited in July by state Education Commissioner Saul Cooperman for allegedly failing to comply with the state mandate for a minimum of 180 days of instruction. They were among 35 districts, statewide. The districts had to file responses to show cause orders which were reviewed by state Attorney General Irwin Kimmelman. | Ramsey said the commissioner was convinced that the elementary “schools “really didn't have graduation* per se. They had events or programs, and the klds^robably came back to school]" THAT WAS THE pOINT most of the

elementary schools made. They called their year-end ceremonies “promotion exercises,” “recognition days,” etc. \ The high schools, however, are “being treated individually,” Ramsey said. Some will be penalized by withheld state aid, he said. But be declined to identify them until they receive official notice from Cooper- % man, which should come this week. The high schools include Lower Cape May Regional, Wildwood and Ocean City. § STATE AID withheld from them ably would be a token amount tate aid is based on number of in attendance per year. Only graduating classes were affected and graduations were held only a day or two earlier than the end of the school year. In addition, many districts receive a relatively small amount of state aid because they are considered “wealthy” on the basis of high assessed valuations, officials pointed out. The elementary schools cited, and now exonerated, include Avalon, Cape May,

^hip, Lower Township, MidUpper Township, North . "Sea-Isle City and Wildwood

Wildwood Boardwalk Stars

‘Touched’ Premiers Tomorrow

By CHARLES V. MATHIS WILDWOOD — The suspense over which local scenes and faces survived the cutting room will be ended at 8 p.m. tomorrow when ‘Touched,” a movie filmed here in 1981, opens at Hunt’s .Shore Twin One in a premier benefitting the Cape May County chapter of the American Cancer Society. The film opens to the public on Friday. Besides^such stars as “Dynasty”' regular Kathleen Seller, “Angie” co-star Robert Haves, veteran screen and televi-. sion star Ned Beatty and Lyle Kessler, this story of two former psychiatric patients trying to be, in a new life includes a cumber of local celebrities in cameo roles.» County Treasurer and GOP chairman Philip A. Matalucci, for example, was filmed at Kohn’s Custard stand on the Boardwalk with resort housewife Zelda Wapner and Helen Pulaski, executive director of the Society’s local chapter. SOCIETY COORDINATORS Irv and Ginny Poeternock of Wildwood Crest also . were filmed along with their grandchildren, Susan and David, Pulaski said, and local entertainers Bobbie Kaye and

Mickey Shaughnessey. The “Touched” premier includes a wind* and cheese tasting party in Hunt’s at 7 p.m. Because of the celebrities expected, seating will be limited.. Advance tickets were on sale ($10) at the society headquarters in the county Social Services Building, Rio Grande", and at the Posternock’s insurance office on Cardinal Road,

Wildwood Crest.

Originally titled “Some Sunny Day,” “Touched,” told against the colorful and hectic background of a carnival-like boardwalk, offers scenes famiiar to local residents and summertime visitors. One nude scene, filmed in an Ottens Harbor cottage, with Beiler and Hayes, will be excluded from the PG-rated footage to be shown at Hunt’s though. The Boardwalk, Morey’s Pier, Pompeo’s restaurant and Hunt’s Strand theater can be seen in the film. The Strand was converted into a burlesque theater as a set for the movie. EXPECTED UNDER thecrlsswoesing kleig lights totnorrW night are Robert Mitchum and Natasshia Kindis, who are

filming' “Maria’s Lovers” in Pennsylvania. Lorn Anderson and Christopher Reeves, two of Hayes’ recent co-stars, have also been invited to the premier. Mitchum spent a month in Wildwood and Cape May several years ago with Brenda Vacarro and Jan Michael Vincent while

MGM filmed “Going Home."

« Rumors have it that two more films may be made here soon^ including one about Mario Lanza, who started his singing career at Russo’s restaurant, and another, featuring Shelly Winters in a movie about

a sightseeing boat disaster.

Each new motion picture production is really a light industry employing local residents as extras and businesses, like Neil’s Steak and Oyster House, Wildwood, for catering and other services. ‘Touched,” for example, contributed $3-5 million directly and indirectly to the resort

economy, according to estimates.

Because of the economic shot in the arm, Wildwood’s new administration reportedly is going all out to accommodate the movie industry here. . ■ / .

Dennis Tffl

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Wildwo^,, Crest. 4 i

The county's own Special Services School also was cited, putting county Supt. of Schools Robert G. Bongart in an unusual

position.

As county superintendent, he works for the state and enforces its rules. But he also serves on the Special Services school board. Special Services had a graduation on June 8 although classes continued through June^7. ‘ BONGART “DECLINED to comment on his dilemma other than to point out that he authored a letter to all school ad ministrators on Feb. 16, f982, pointing out , that “it is our position that graduation ex ercises should not be scheduled in advance jfA the completion of 180 days.” v The, letter concluded: “ ... future graduation exercises are not to be schedul- ' ed in advance of the 180th day.” In an interview prior to this weekstate decision, Bongart said that local schools which went ahead and scheduled graduation ceremonies in advance of-lath days “certainly didn’t do it in the sense of-open

defiance.

“THERE IS GREAT PRIDE in local in- • dependence,” he said. “There is a tradition, when the kids leave their* loca| district to go on to a middle school or high J school, to recognize the youngsters with a culminating activity.” Bongart also pointed out that* some parents have children graduating from elementary and high school, making it necessary to have elementary school pro- * (Page 16 Please)

Kathleen Belief