20

Herald & Lantern 9 November '83

Dune Drive: From Nightmare to Dream?—

NewsDigest Hospital will offer free flu inoculations at the Joseph Millman Civic Center on Bayshore Road from 12 noon to 4 p m next Monday The elderly are the target group, but all county residents are eligible If all the serum is not used, other locations and dates will be announced B-T suggested recipients might want to ask family physicians if the shots are appropriate.

The Heal Goes On STONE HARBOR — The elementary school's private instrumental music program is in its third week despite a letter from county Schools Supt Robert G Bongart. advising the district to "either not charge for the program or drop it.” The issue is likely to be discussed at the school board meeting next Wednesday night. Avalon, which backed off after objections from the New Jersey Education Association, is "researching other avenues."

Solid Ground? DIAMOND BEACH - U.S. District Court Judge John F. Gerry issued a temporary restraining order last week, prohibiting developer Robert Ciampitti from filling sections of his property that the federal government regards as wetlands. Ciampitti, who plans a , $150-million resort here, argues that his 1907 state land conveyance allows him to fill the sections that weren't "wet” until ditches were dug there in the '60s.

Helmsman Sad WILDWOOD - After four months of bickering with Mayor Earl Ostrander, city council unanimously adopted an administrative code last week that was due a month after the new officials took office. July 1. Introduced in August, the code was approved on first reading then tabled aft«U)strander suggested 47 changes Stnl fighting for more appointment power, the disappointed mayor said, howevet, he was steering away from a possible veto

Seaside Dominos SEA ISLE CITY - Resart commissioners will review plans for lowprofile groins at 83rd, 87th and 93rd street beachfronts during today's meeting. The city asked the state last week to consider building the groins to slow erosion between 79th and 81st streets beaches where the pilings under two shorefront homes were exposed after recent rains. The state built four groins here last winter. one at 78th Street, some suspect, might have caused the erosion farther south

Nervous Clattering STRATHMERE — Fifty-five watery 'acres near Corson's Inlet and another 264 acres in P*k s Bay off-Ocean City were reopened for winter clamming after a 20-year condemnation last week Gammers with $25 commercial licenses can haul in unlimited numbers of hard shell clams until May l while recreational clammers with $7.50 licenses are limited to a 150 clam daily catch Most of the clam beds were closed in the early '60s because of pollution

Last-Ditch Effort WOODBINE - Eight borough homeowners, whose properties adjoin the county landfill site, filed suit against the county Municipal Utilities Authority, borough council, the PineUinds Commission and 13 other defendants in federal court last week, seeking to overturn the MUA's landfill site selection, bar construction of the landfill here and collect punitive damages Construction of the landfill is slated to begin in the winter and completed by Memorial Day.

New Treasurer

OCEAN CITY — Donald Hart, acting finance director and senior city accountant, was selected from 16 applicants last week as the new city treasurer. For $31,500 a year. Hart replaces former finance director. Jack Hadge, who resigned his $40,960 post in early September. Appointed senior accountant in May last year, Hart served as accounting manager for Kontes Glass Co , Vineland. His salary will increase to $34,000 after a year on the new job.

Unanimous Decision COURT HOUSE — Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital's board of governors unanimously voted to dismiss Dr. Suketu Nanavati for a second time during its October meeting. Superior Court Judge L. Anthony Gibson ordered the board to rehear its case against the cardiologist that lead to the earlier dismissal. Gibson also Mocked Nanavati's ousting until he reviews the case. Gibson’s decision is expected Nov. 22 — the day the governors are hosting a hospital open house.

Not Linked CAPE MAY — Jon Dunkley Jr., 25, of Rio Grande was being held last week in lieu of $25,000 bail for the June 9 sexual assault of an 18-year-old local woman at the Grant Street beach. Dunkley, however, has not been linked to a rash of sexual assaults that began here in July, according to police. A $1,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of that assailant.

Wells Tested SWAINTON — Test results from eight wells, sampled Friday for toxic chemicals, will be available next month, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Some 200 drums of hazardous wastes were illegally dumped along Siegtown Road four years ago. Hie DEP estimated that a toxic plume is moving northeastward through the underground water supply at a foot a day, but didn't plan well testing in the affected a'-ea until after a public outcry. The U.S. government expects to clean up the site in-i987

Mother Lode CAPE MAY — Four foreign seamen are being held in lieu of bail for allegedly attempting to smuggle ll tons of hashish, valued at $246 million, into the U.S. last week Captain D C Dickinson. 31, of New Zealand and three crewmen aboard the 150-foot British freighter, "Hetty," were arrested Thursday after armed Coast Guardsmen boarded the suspicious vessel 80 miles offshore and allegedly found the illegal cargo under a load of mahogany.

Nothing New Here OCEAN CITY - Solicitor Gerald Corcoran was expected to give an opinion shortly on whether Mayor Jack Bittner can legitimately assume control of six municipal departments The mayor relieved City Administrator Joseph Kane of the departments' control last week so Kane could concentrate on labor negotiations and budget preparation. Bittner said

Revolting Loans TRENTON — Some 236 new fisheries jobs will be created in Cape May County over the next five years as the result of a $500,000 Small Cities Block Grant awarded to the county last week, according to county planner James Smith. In four to six months, the grant money will be available in low-interest loans for joMcreating ventures by commercial fishing firms. When repaid, the loan money will finance other industry businesses, Smith noted

(From Page 1) FRUSTRATED by the headache Dune Drive presets them, Avalon business people have been seeking relief for more than a decade. Last year, they backed the borough planning board's decision to hire as consultant for $16,000 who would study the problem and offer solutions. ‘The Chamber of Commerce has been trying to do this for 15 years,” Keen noted, “but we could never get the borough to put up the money...” John S. Sabatino Associates has presented a $2.5-million plan which calls for Dune Drive to be narrowed to two traffic lanes within the 14-block business district. Inside lanes would be converted into diagonal parking spaces and bicycle lanes. Several traffic signals would be installed to slow traffic and turning lanes would be carved into the mediar stipe to reduce traffic congestion, according to the Sabatino plan. Borough planners will review Sabatino’s concept during tonight 8 p.m. meeting in council chambers at borough hall. “From here on, it’s up to the planning board and borough council,” said Keen. SEVERAL PUBLIC HEARINGS have been held on the Dune Drive plA, he noted. . “Everybody seems to agree, something should be done," Keen added. “(But) everybody has their own particular hangup.” ~ One of those hang-ups. he continued, has been the contention that Sabatino's design will only increaap traffic congestion during the summer. “That's one of the complaints: ‘Oh my God, look at all the traffic on Dune Drive; now you want to cut it down to two lanes,’” Keen said, paraphrasing the critics. “But that’s one of the objectives — to slow down the traffic.” Although Dune Drive has a low speed limit, few traffic signals and no stop signs . slow traffic along the north-south roadway or on Ocean Drive, which runs parallel to Dune Drive, along the bayfront The two streets offer through traffic fairly uninhibited travel between Stone Harbor and Sea Isle Gty, but many of the motorists who use the routes are

(From Page 1) attrition. The county’s study was coordinated by John Salvesen of the state Office of Management and Budget and Carmine Capone of the Division of Local Government Services of the state Department of Community Affairs. Salvesen, of North Cape May. headed the county’s Department of Fare Free Transportation until July 1982 when Gov. Thomas Kean named him to the state post. SALVESEN SAID the study was “a major initiative of significance to the whole state of Nejv Jersey. It hopefully will be replica ted'from one end of the state to the other." He declined to discuss its recommendations. “The governor himself said T don’t want one word of this out.’ ” Salvesen said. “I demanded this thing be kept under wraps until we have a product we can stand behind." Salvesen indicated Democratic attacks on the state government study were one reason for keeping Cape May County's conclusions private at this time. “No one wants to call this politically inspired,” he said. CAPONE. FORMER MAYOR of Orange, said that the management team of county department heads interviewed county employes and “user agencies ” “NoUbdy spoke to anybody in his own department.” Capone added. He said a questionnaire was used and the management team amounted to “clerical people assisting us.” The management team included: A. H. (Rick) Quids, new executive director of county Industrial & Economic Development; county Engineer Neil O Clarke; county Planning Director Elwood Jarroer; county Buildings and Grounds Superintendent Harry E. Kehr; and Robert Pastoria. administrator of the Crest Haven nursing home. Kathryn A. Willis, clerk of the Board of Freeholders, was team director Capone said he and Salvesen interviewed “people in administrative positions” such as the freeholders and judges “He said the report was “written by Jack (Salvesen), myself, and the consultant ”

uninhibited in traveling the officially slow corridors. AVALON’S MERCHANTS don’t want Dune Drive used for through traffic but as a safe street for shoppers. Sabatino's design of traffic signals, turning lanes and one-way side streets will discourage through traffic while encouraging shopping by the combination of diagonal parking, bicycle lanes and traffic pattern improvements, Keen argued. “It already meets all the requirements of the (state) Department of Transportation," he confirmed, adding that a DOT official attended public hearings on the plan. The plan’s seven-digit price tag is another hang-up, Kenn said, but the project could be financed through a number of possible sources or combination of sources — the borough, the state Department of Community Affairs, state-administered Green Acres funds and Main Street money from the National Trust, Keen observed. “Our concern is with traffic, beautification and boundaries," he continued, referring to the local chamber. “It’s (the business district) all spread out and it needs some boundaries to it.” If the Sabatino plan is approved and money found to implement it, the next step in the chamber’s scheme for long-range business district improvement will be to interest merchants in facelifting their businesses. Keen said. THE AVALON HOME and Landowners’ Association has played a major role in overseeing borough development but its most recent president, TTiomas J. McKittrick, said he couldn't comment on the Sabatino plan Monday. McKittrick was appointed to the borough planning board Thursday by Mayor Rachel H. Sloan and resigned his association post. A new president is expected to be selected Saturday, he said. Sloan could not be reached for comment on the Sabatino proposal Monday. According to the review and approval process, the planning board will make its recommendation on the plan to borough council. Keen want to see the plan approved before the end of the year so whatever borough appropriations are authorized can be included in the 1984 municipal budget.

A STEERING COMMITTEE of mayors and local business people “listened to the management team and reviewed its recommendations,” Capone said. The steering committee was to have included five mayors and five business people, but three of the latter never became involved, according to Wildwood Crest Mayor John Pantalone who was its chairman. Each freeholder nominated one business representative, “individually and independently,” as Freeholder James S. Kilpatrick Jr. put it. Kilpatrick nominated Ocean City funeral director Herbert Godfrey. He said he was not notified and never attended a meeting Freeholder Ralph W. Evans nominated William Diller Jr. of Diller & Fisher Real Estate of Stone Harbor. He said he was asked to serve, but did not remember getting an agenda and never attended Freeholder William E. Sturm Jr. nominated Gene DeGenoa Jr., owner of the Bellevue Tavern in Court House. He said he was unable to serve TWO BUSINESS PEOPLE did attend the group's several meetings: George Betz, owner of Tuckahoe Turf Farms, nominated by Freeholder Director Anthony T. Catanoso; and Stewart Millard, owner of the Villas Market, nominated by Gerald M. Thornton, the freeholder in charge of the project. In discussing the project last August, Thornton had said its business experts would come from such firms as Johnson & Johnson, ATAT, etc. The five mayors were picked by the county League of Municipalities and included chairman Pantalone. Jack Bittner of Ocean City, Frank L Murphy of Dennis Township, Dominic C. Raffa of Sea Isle Gty, and Rachel Sloan of Avalon. She replaced Cape May Mayor Arthur Blomkvest who declined to serve Braxton Associates was represented by Jeffrey T. Rbodin and George Bennett. Rbodin said he was “not at liberty to discuss ” the study nor the amount the firm was paid Also involved was Joseph Valenti of the state Department of Community Affairs

County Evaluation Completed-