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A Really Good Citizen

Herald & Lantern 30 November '83

Friday's Leo Sterenberg Day

By E. j;DUFFY • DEL HAVEN - “When the war broke out. the Public Health Service had very few engineers wirt) experience in bacteriology." Leo Sterenberg explained, "so I joined the Public Health Service." It was about 40 years ago that the.U.S. Public Health Service corhmissioned the young New Yorker and oropred him to Cape May County “to prevent insect-borne diseases." he recalled, particufl^rly at the former U.S. Naval Base in El After World War II. Sterenberg to the Cape. Since then, he has writ _ record of civic achievements that mark him as the latest recipient of the Lower Township Chamber of Commerce “Jimmy Augustine Outstanding Citizen Award.” Sterenberg. 71, of Geneva Avenue, will’ receive that award and other honors at the chamber’s installation dinner Friday in the Carriage Lamp restaurant, Villas, v Born May 28.1912, in Vienna, Austria, he was brought to the United States a year later by his parents, Solomon and Klara Sterenberg. The couple raised three daughters and two sons in Brooklyn, N.Y. LEO. THE ELDEST SON. went to elementary school there and worked in a bookbinding factory while attending Thomas Jefferson High School at night. He passed a Civil Service examination and accepted a job with the NYC Health Department during the administration of Mayor Jimmy Walker. At night, he attended Brooklyn College, majoring in biology and concentrating his studies in bacteriology. The president of the college Biology Club, who played an undefeated season with its soccer team, he was graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree It was at Brooklyn College that Sterenberg met his future wife, then Lillian Zamore "I really miss her," Sterenberg said of his wife, a Middle Township educator, who died last December. "If I did anything good in this world, it was because of her.” While serving in the city health department, Sterenberg took graduate courses at City University of New York in sanitary engineering and epidemiology. That combination made him a valuable official to the U.S. Public Health Service and Cape May County during the Second World War. "We had a lot of the fellows who were overseas in the Pacific Theater ... and, inevitably, they came home with malaria ...," Sterenberg recalled. "My assignment » was to make sure no cases of malaria were transmitted here to the civilian population." Most Cape residents didn't know it then, but malaria-carrying mosquitos were breeding in local wetlands at that time. Sterenberg’s job was to drain the breeding pools: more than 200 German prisoners of war. then being held at Reeds Beach, were used to complete the task. IN IM2. a severe storm hit the Cape and Sterenberg went to work, trying to prevent a possible epidemic that could have spread because of water and sanitary sewer line breaks in Cape May. When he arrived in the county, the U.S. Navy maintained bases in Lowery Township, and most of the housing nearby was filled with servicemen. Joseph Millman, founder of Villas, "found a spot for me” on Geneva Avenue, Del Haven, in an apartment vacated by Millman’s daughter. "So that’s how I met Millman,' Sterenberg noted. His association with his wartime landlord, blossomed into a friendship that brought Sternenberg back to the Cape as Millman’s right-hand man after the war. “He was after me to come back and work for him," said Sterenberg who resigned his commission in the Public Health Service and moved to a home near his wartime apartment on Geneva Avenue. He has lived there ever since. “I was almost like a member of the (Millman) family,” he added. “I was doing all the surveying — laying out and planning the housing project " nten, Millman was still building the community of bungalows he started in 1929 as "Wildwood Villas,” a bayside refuge for the city-worn. That name was changed. Sterenberg noted, because of its confusion with Wildwood. BOYD TYLER, assistant vice president of Marine Bank and the 1982 recipient of the "Jimmy Augustine Outstanding Citizen Award,” remembers Sterenberg

from Tyler's days with his family’s lumber business. Sternenberg had also served as Millman’s buyer and Tyler delivered lumber to Sterenberg for the developer s housing projwts. “We’ve been friends since then,” me banker added. While MiUhian went on to develop Del Haven. Mtemi Beach and North Cape May. Sterenberg in the early 1950s, opened Pestfree Exterminating Co. on Bates A venue/Villas, with his brother, Albert. There.he looked after St. Barnabas by the Ba>’ Episcopal Church "when the pastor was not around, he said modestly. But the local chamber credits Sterenberg with helping “the growth of St. Barnabas Church through volunteer time and contributions." "Jimmy Augustine worked for me when I started Bayside Realty," Sterenberg said of his friendship with the man for whom the chamber’s outstanding citizen award * was named. "He more or less ran the thing," Sterenberg added, referring to the late Augustine Bayside Realty which also opened in the '50s. Although the chamber also credits Sterenberg. Augustine and John Hutchinson with "getting St. Raymond’s Church started,” Sterenberg said there’s "nothing much to” the story of how the new Catholic church was built in Villas. "We saw a need for a church,” Sterenberg continued. “The (old) one on Hudson Avenue was very much crowded.” THE LOCAL MEN contacted the Diocese of Camden and eventually convinced diocesan officials that a new St. Raymond’s should be built. "He did a lot of good throughout the area," said Tyler. “Leo is just one of those kind of guys. He’s been a really good citizen.” According to the resume of Sterenberg’s accomplishments, released by the Lower Township Chamber of Commerce, he organized the Boy Scouts in Lower, started a Little League there and, with Millman, saw a ball field dedicated. When Wildwood Catholic High School was without a physics teacher, Sterenberg served without pay for several months to fill the gap. "By the way, my wife got me that job," he said, adding that, as president of the county PTA, his late wife found out about the vacancy and asked him to see what he could do. "But, anyway, I was glad to do it,” Sterenberg added. “I spent about two hours each night just preparing for a 45-minute class.” A membfer of the board of directors of Judah Temple, Wildwood, Sterenberg is also a life member of the Royal Society of England, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Public Health Association and the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce board of directors. "I guess, right now, I'm the oldest member of the county Chamber of Commerce," Sterenberg, a former vice president, said wryly. '' HE SERVED FIVE TERMS as president of the Lower chamber and currently serves on the county and local chambers' legislative affairs' committees. Sterenberg is cited in the local chamber’s resume for having "kept politics out of the county chamber and Lower Township chamber, which has since become part of both chambers' by-laws.” "I made it a policy to stay out of politics," he explained. “Whatever I did, I did without compensation.” As president of the Cape May County Realtors’ Association, Sterenberg established the multiple listing service. Robert C. Patterson, executive director of the county chamber, regards him as "one of the primary builders and developers of the Villas area. "He’s been chairman of our environmental affairs committee for a number of years,” Patterson noted, adding that Sterenberg has represented the county chamber before the Pinelands Commission, on Wetlands and Municipal Utilities Authority matters. He also advises the chamber of the latest developments regarding a possible deep water port in Delaware Bay, the chamber president said "Leo is very knowlegeable on all this because he’s an engineer," Patterson added. An original member of the county MUA board of directors, Sterenberg was first

chairman of the county Mosquito Control Commission and, as chairman of the County Health Council, he was instrumental in seeing a county health officer appointed while organizing a seven-county health council. It dispenses federal and state money in southern New Jersey. ACTIVE IN FUND-RAISING for the Joseph Millman Center of Lower Township and Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital, Sterenberg and his late wife (a. reading specialist with a graduate degree from Glassboro College) were responsible for the creation of Middle Township High School and pastfefforts to open a community college in the Cape. Sterenberg is retired from Pestfree Exterminating Co., Bayside Realty and most of his other business interests now. When not working on his chamber projects and civic commitments, he visits his daughters, Karla and Elizabeth, and their families in Florida and California. With his dry, self-effacing wit,

Sterenberg passes credit for most of his accomplishments to those who worked with him in achieving them. The Lower chamber, the Lower Township Committee and the county freeholders have set aside Friday as the day they officially recognize what Leo Sterenberg has done for those who worked with him and the countless thousands who have benefited from those deeds

News Notes from-

Seven Mile Beach M'Ellen Rowland 368-2294

Fasten your seat belts! The Christmas parties are almost upon us. Stone Harbor Chamber of Commerce will beholding its at the Whitebrier Inn, 20th St. off Ocean Drive, Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. Guests are requested to bring wrapped Christmas gifts, labeled "adult, child, inale or female” to be relayed to Cape Human Resources. Reservations should be made by, calling membership chairman Pat Fitzpatrick at 368-1792. The American Legion will be holding its party Dec. 3rd at the Ludla'm Post 331, 117th St. and 2nd Ave., 5:30 p.m. All guests are asked to bring a covered dish for six. Main entree and liquid refreshments will be provided and no gifts are requested at this special bash. Reservations should be made by calling 368-1318. STONE HARBOR Seniors are planning their Christmas celebration Wednesday Dec. 7th, at the Stone Harbor Elementary School at 8 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by the music department of Middle Twp. High School. Guests should bring wrapped gifts to be delivered to the Woodbine School for men and boys, and designated for which age level there would be an interest. Refreshments will be served following the entertainment by a special group, headed this evening by Matt Wool cry. New V. P. Scott Daniels has contacted all former members and enlisted new residents — the membership of the organization now numbers 112, but reservations are not required and all visitors are invited. Should be a bang-up affair! The S.H. Garden Club’s meeting Dec. 14 will be another fun occasion. Titled "Make Your Own Christmas'’, it will be held at the Fire House at 10 a.m. All members are expected to make "something Christmasy” to be auctioned off for the benefit of the Fire Dept. Following the auction (we know the auctioneer and it should be

hilariously conducted) punch and cookies will be served. This just may be the most spirited morning of the season! • • • NOVEMBER 21 at Henny's restaurant was the date and site of the S.H. Chamber of Commerce’s monthly dinner-meeting. Principal speaker was William Garrett, son of one of the inventors of Seascape, the man-made seaweed developed by the duPont Co. as a deterrent to beach erosion. Two thousand feet has recently been implanted at 127th St., in five parallel rows, 8 to 10 feet apart, four feet below the surface, because while impervious to salt or fresh water it can still be impaired by ultra-violet rays. The object, of course, is to save Stone Harbor Point. Garrett answered all questions fully and cadidly. The total cost, uninstalled, was $96,650 — paid for 75 percent by the state and 25 percent by the borough. Its success at Cape Hatteras has been sensational. After losing 1,400 feet of sand protecting the historic lighthouse^ the implementation of Seascape reversed the trend and replaced 345 feet of beach in a remarkably short time. Asked if it would work here, Garrett replied, "We don’t promise, and I don’t think we can, that it will work in every situation but we’re extremely hopeful that it will work in this site because it is very similar to Cape Hatteras....’” When asked if it had ever been used unsuccessfully Garrett said its use in the Chesapeake had not worked out due to the lack of wave action and the fact that there they were dealing with mud rather than sand. His talk was received with great enthusiasm and optimism. Maybe working with nature than rather against it will be the answer to a lot of our prayers. Following the talk and film showing on Seascape the incumboit officers of the chamber were rejected to serve another term: President, Jim Fisher. 1st

V.P. Bob Hafele, 2nd V.P. Jerry Rowland and Treasurer Jim Berger. • • • WE HOPE YOU were tuned into Channel 6 Saturday, Nov. 12, to "Prime Time” at 7:30 p.m. It was an infinitely fascinating program featuring our own Police Chief William B. Donohue and noted and hightly successful author Tom Brown Jr., whose two books The Tracker and The Search are obtainable everywhere. Brown also has several schools known as Tracking, Nature, Wilderness Schools which are famous nationwide. Chief Donohue who has an inquiring mind, took these has several schools known as Tracking, Nature, Wilderness Schools which are famous nationwide. Chief Donohue who has inquiring mind, took the mandatory course in survival in As bury Park in order to pursue the rest of many courses, the second of which was Advanced Tracking and Nature Awareness, held in the Pine Barrens. As a youngster Tom Brown’s best friend was a lad named Rick whose grandfather was a full-blooded Apache Indian who felt that the education gained by American Indians should not be lost, and passed it along to this grand-son, Rick, and his friend Tom Brown. Brown spent 10 years roaming the wilderness in all parts of the country and then went into the Pine Barrens, naked, but carrying a knife only. He emerged 13 months later having gained weight. He then wrote his books and started his course on survival in the wilderness. Chief Donohue describes his week in the Pine Barrens thusly: "Like dropping off the world for a week.” Our always dapper, looking more physically fit than Tom Selleck, Bill Donohue went, into the Barrens wearing jeans and sneaks. They took with them: no radios, no cars, no Coleman lanterns or lights except one or two flashlights. They were taught all the (Page 27 Please)