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Our Readers Write B-T ‘Control’

Just Seniority

To The Editor Several of Dr Russell Down’s statements in reference to the Dr Sekeiu Nanavati quarrel with Burdette Tomlin Hospital (Aug 31 letter to the editor) raise questions. He claims that we who donated $10 each to qualify for voting in the Board of Governors election are "the seduced, the coerced." On what is he basing this deduction? Has he made a survey? If not, bow can be make a blanket statement classifying us as weak-minded simply because we welcomed the opportunity to do our little bit in resolving>the Nanavati issue? Dr. Down goes on to say that the donated money should be alloted equally-to the two staff factions involved in this controversy." He should understand that the people who donated are in favor of one faction or the other, not both, and would resent equal apportionment WE ADMIT WE speak as laymen, not as members of the physician staff, but we do speak as citizens who did not see what Dr. Down saw as a junior intern in 1958. He should, however, be realistic when be interprets his inside observation as "control of Burdette, now as always, being held by the native bom, long-term staff surgeons " Perhaps this situation has existed, although it has no doubt been ,fai from the serious problem he speaks of. Could he be a bit thin-skinned, perhaps resenting being corrected by older, more experienced doctors? Again let’s be realistic. If this situation has existed, has it been peculiar only to Burdette? We do not condone such a situation, no matter where it exists, but many professions businesses harbor the same practice It seems to go along with the territory where new members of the group, young and enthu^SStfiT are anxious to implement their freshly learned techniques Those wh® are wise enough to weather the challenge eventually find harmony and rapport. Talk with teachers, office personnel, etc., and you will find that where thtte is a working group there is also '‘seniority" in one form or another DR. DOWN STATES that it is now the Asian's turn in the prejudice barrel. If this were true, the Burdette Board of Governors would not have hired Nanavati in the beginn-

opinion

ing, for they were certainly aware erf his nationality. Nor would they have admitted the other Indian doctors to the ■hospital staff, or the Puerto Ricans, or the Blacks, or the Filipinos, etc. So let’s forget about the nationality question. Which leaves the disruptive personality problem as the issue. For the sake of harmony, the sonner Burdette is rid of this individual whose attitude affects too many, directly or indirect!^, the better.

LILLIAM FOX MAYER - Del Haven Do you have an opinion on this subject? Write a letter to the editor. Herald and Lantern, P.O. Box 430, Cape May Court House. N.J. 08210

Letters Welcome The Herald and Lantern welcome letters to the editor on matters of public interest. Originals, not copies, are requested. Writers should sign name, address and phone number.

Herald & Lantern 21 September '83

Lookin' and Listenin' Please Pass The Seaweed

By DOROTHY D. FREAS Looking along the beach, few people who observe the seaweed in windows where the tide and breezes tossed it ever realize that it is a common ingredient of many foods that we eat. Let’s see other ways it is used also. Seaweed seems to be a misnomer to anyone who has dug weeds from his garden and felt the resistance of most weeds’ strong roots. Surprisingly, seaweed has no roots. In fact, it has no leaves or flowers, or fruit. Fronds, often only one cel! in depth, form the green leaflike portion. Most marine plants grow near the surface of the water, and filtered sunlight creates chlorophyll. But a storm will bring in huge quantities of rust-colored, brown and black seaweed from deeper water, as well as the usual green varieties. Rocky shores often produce fronds 150 feet long. THE USES of seaweed are many. The extraction of iodine from it is a major commercial practice, niis product, plus agar-agar and Irish Moss, are the United States' most important extractions, the latter two from red seaweed. When certain kinds erf seaweed are dried and burned, the ash is largely iodine, but it requires a ton of dry seaweed to produce one pound of iodine. Alginate, extracted from kelp, the brown seaweed, is an ingredient of sizing used in cloth making. Agar, still another variety, is used in laboratories as a medium for cultivation of bacteria, for experimental purposes. Irish Moss, on the other hand, is a powder formed after several washings with sea water, alternating with complete drying. This powder thickens puddings and some ice creams, as over 50 parent of it is gelatin. ASIA FINDS more uses for seaweed — glue, soup stock, candy, tea and even a base for an alcoholic beverage. Some European countries use dried seaweed for stuffing mattresses, and even as a substitute for chewing tobacco. Versatile, it can be an ingredient in shoe-polish, shaving soap or laxatives. This “weed" which arrives on our beaches or is easily harvested has so many uses. Shouldn’t we look at it with great respect?

Porch Swing Near to Heaven

By CLARE CAMPBELL Columnist Joe Zelnik last week expressed a wish for a porch That set me to dreaming of porches I’ve.enjoyed and wish 1 owned — all of them! Now a patio is fine and a gazebo I can take or leave, but k porch — ah, there’s one of the grandest things ever designed by man There arq certain attractions every porch must have: rocking chairs, a little table for lemonade glasses, the daily (or weekly) paper, a bunch of flowers and the fly swatter. Now matter how weH the porch is screened nor how tightly the screen door fits, a fly will come in, and it’s a bother going all the way to the kitchen for the swatter ONE PORCH I especially loved had a swing! You know — those nice long ones sporting a gaily-covered mattress where an afternoon nap on a sweltering day was as near to heaven as I ever wanted to get. 1 remember where our swing came from, too. There was a mail order company called "Larkins" and if one sold enough soap and perfume and other stuff, the prize Vas a swing. Well, I earned one and it was the pride of my I was just a kid when. I got it, but years later when I began to "keep company," my swing was the perfect place to glide gently to and fro as we held hands. AND WHATEVER happened to my swing? What hap-

pened to a lot of things I used to have and adore? Where is that yellow chiffon dress with the black baby ribbon bows at the waist Where are my black patent leather slippers.with those big silver colonial buckles? Where is my brother, Milton’s chainless bicycle that I inherited when he' bought a Model T? Where is Mother’s Gone-With-The-Wind lamp with its pink roses on the globes? Where is my picture of the Campbell's Soup Kids that JJyron Young drew for me and presented on Class Day in 1920? You see what remembering porches did? It brought back a bushel of other long-gone delights. And it’s been fun. He's Really Big - in Ohio

By JOE ZELNIK I have a cousin — second cousin, actually — who was driven from the stage of an outdoor rock concert by a barrage of pickles. I forgot to ask whether they were dill or sweet. I do know that Eric Gnezda — that’s his name — was earning his bread and butter at the time. He’s Columbus. Ohio's version of George Carlin. At this particular performance last month, he was sandwiched between rock groups, the audience was a little young for social satire, it was a hot afternoon with lots of beer consumed, and there had been a Dickie-eating con test prior to Eric's act. The results seemed inevitable to me, but apparently did serious damage to Eric's psyche. AS HE TELLS IT, he was struck on the left side of the bead when he was introduced, on the right side of the bead after he began to play (be accompanies himself on the piano), and then “I cut my act in half." Before he himself got cut in half, I suppose. What does this have to do with us? you ask. Not much. For one thing, it made me realize how lucky I am to be writing a column instead of delivering my thoughts in person. None of you can hit me with a pickle. You can't even cancel your subscription. My other reason for telling you about Eric is that be is coming to Cape May County this weekend from Worthington, Ohio, to recuperate from his distressing experience. Worthington is a snooty suburb of Columbus, sort of Avalon without the ocean. ERIC AND I HAVE an arrangement. He laughs at my columns and I laugh at his songs. The difference between us is that be gets a couple hundred dollars for an hour of his wit and is on the radio in Columbus, Geveland and

Our Readers Write Holiday for Franklin To The Editor: Regarding your columsn on a national holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Winston Churchill was asked to name an American who had done most for the U.S.A. Churchill replied, “Not only for the USA, but the entire world, Benjamin Franklin,” printer-publisher, statesman, diplomat, inventor, big contributor to the Declaration of Independence, which he signed. Remember the “kite and key.” Imagine a world today without electricity. Franklin would be my first choice. JOHN J. ORR Cape May Point

Cincinnati. I make a couple hundred bucks a week and I’m really big in Nummy, Potato Island, Interchange No. 4 of the Garden State Parkway, and the Vegas Diner. Eric’s topics have included Richard Simmons, baby Prince William, Congressional pages, Reagan’s naps and Interior Secretary Watts. You can see that he has to have a beckuva sense of humor to find anything funny with that bunch. He even did a spoof on Miss Americas resoling to plastic surgery. I've advised him to bring a body guard to New Jersey and stay out of Atlantic City. ERIC HAS one major problem — women. Although approaching 27, be has a disgusting weakness for girls who wear jackets with high school sports letters. This will fade, by necessity, as soon as he becomes bald, which he shows signs of doing. Eric was here a few months ago, but he and I didn’t have much in common. He’s obsessed with women and sex. I’ve given up both. My appheation to Holy AposUes College is pending. Having little to talk about, I took him to Hehny’s in Stone Harbor. He found Fred’s Tavern. He lost seven pounds that night running back and forth between Henny’s and Fred’s in a search for “the perfect woman." Actually, she was probably down the street at the Windrift, but I didn't tell him for fear I’d have to walk home If you see Eric this weekend, fall all over him. His ego needs it. If you’ve ever had a pickle thrown at you, you’d understand. You’ll know him because he’s "just under” six-feet tall, skinny, curly hair, glasses, and wears a white dress shirt with a narrow tie that’s been out of style for years. You'll also know him because he’ll be tallung very loud about what a star be is. That comes from the Italian half of his ancestry. The Yugoslav half is modest, like me.

: MAY il 1 f X. " truralli

Josi-ph H. Zelnik Bonnie Reina ' Gary L. Rudy John Dunuoody Darrell Kopp

Editor General Manager Advertising Director Special Promotions Director Publisher

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Let’s Hear It for Eric Gnezda