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opinion

Herald & Lantern 30 November '83

Beautify Avalon: Fine Realtors

To The Editor: IrVyour Nov. 9 issue there appeared an article regarding Avaflon's Dune Drive in which my very good friend W. Dainel Keen was quoted as being very much in favor of a number of improvements for that thoroughfare; also for a more compact business district such as the borough of Stone Harbor now has. The street would, according to some plans, I hear, include a median strip planted with grass, flowers and shrubbery as well as a mid-town park. All of these improvements would, of course, be (betated by a planner, armed with a degree to prove his ability. However, with all respect to my friend Danny Keen, I cannot go along with him on this project as presented to the Chamber of Commerce, for I regard it as a needless extravegence for the taxpayers of our town, entailing as it Vo-Tech Academic?] To The Editor: /■ Thanks to Cape May County Vo-Tech Supt. Wilbyr J. Kistler Jr. for seeing the'great need for a combined vocational-technical and academic school. I graduated from MurrellXpobbins Technical High School in Philadelphia in the latests, which wayjust such a school. Required subjects weregTVen aloKg with our shop training. Because there was no traveling time, shop was three hours a day. In the long run, it would save money. It would give this community more skilled workers that we can be proud of, but, most of all, the students will have more pride in themselves. I'm a firm believer that there are more ways than one to reach one's goals in life. Passing all required collegebound courses does not always mean a success. Please do not give up on this idea. It can work. It will

work.

LINDA MERRILL

Villas

does in the long run, not only the work involved, but maintainance in years to come. What is more, centralization of existing businesses from Avalon Supply Companyto Sullivan’s Department Store, would suffer needlessly. I CAN ENVJSION in my mind's eye, just what “improvements" might consist of; sidewalk cafes, brightcolored awnings to be ripped by nor’easters and, perhaps, a rather smaller Eiffel Tower built of plastic. As to beautification, I believe we need a building code that works, fewer condos, laws that would discourage group rentals, stiff fines to realtors who reht^to summer vandals and make summer in Avalon a season a time of trial. And is it not rather ridiculous that Avalon should have a main thoroughfare called Dune Drive when former borough Administrations permitted the sand from the dunes we once had that protected our borough from depridations by the sea to be trucked away and used as land-filled to raise the level of marshland, this creating more and more building lots in Avalon? Perhaps the former mayor who named the street did so in memory of the dunes long since destroyed, bulldozed and trucked away. As a result, Avalon has more building lots, but nothing to protect them from the sea. Let us, therefore, put our efforts into the checking of erosion and lei Dune Drive go its erratic way. W.WALLACE SMITH ^ Avalon

Leghold Barbaric To The Editor: -a Assembly Bill 3207 (Senate Bill 1575) is now pending in the New Jersey Senate. This bill would ban the use in New Jersey of the barbaric steel-jaw leghold trap. This trap has already been banned in 63 countries and in 11 New Jersey counties. We concur with Dr. Ashley Montagu’s statement on leghold trapping that "The personality of children cannot help but be damaged by such activities, and rendered cruel and unfeeling Hot only toward animals, but also toward human beings.” Therefore, we urge your readers, out of respect for all life, to contact their senator and Senate President Carmen Orechio (800 Bloomfield Ave., Nutley, NJ 07110) in support of this Bill. NINA AUSTEN’BERG The Humane Society of the United States Law Mandates Lights To The Editor: To acquaint motorists with the new law on lights on vehicles at dusk or dawn, snow, fog, rainy weather, etc. New Jersey mandatory law signed in July, which many motorists ignore, ponders a fine for not doing it. I think it’s time police cracked down on same and gave tickets in the interest of safety. VINCENT MC MAHON Villas

Zelnick Bitter, Humorless

Vietnam to Grenada Negative Reporting Although 1 was only four or five years old then, I remember looking through Life magazine’s coverage of W.W. II. There were pictures of blood and guts, there were pictures of dog-tired G.I.s, there were pictures of war atrocities and pictures of all the other evils of war, but there was also pictures of heroes, and my Dad explained the written accounts of heroic deeds performed by our soldiers if the picture only showed a face. War brings out the worst and best in man, and the coverage of all previous wars showed this to be true, but that was not the case with the Vietnam War. Every night we were blasted with the worst part of war, but no heroics. Our soldiers were continually shown in the worst circumstances, but never the best. Where were the moments of tenderness? Where were the moments that made us glad to be humans? They were there, but the reporters chose not to cover this type of news. They were too involved in flagellation to bother with heroes. The reporters of all previous wars met their responsibilities. The reporters in Vietnam did not. They grossly abused the privilege by one-sided and purely negative reporting. Since these same reporters are still in power, President Reagan would have been stupid to let these same people start the same thing all over again in Grenada. Mr. Reagan, I’m with you. Keep these propaganda arr lists out of our wars, and hope the next generation of reporters knows how to'report a war. — Donald L. Engel of Oklahoma in a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal.

To The Eiditor: R& Joe Zelnik’s Nov. 16 column, "Reprimands Suddenly Popular": Since Mr. Zelnik ap^parently enjoys reprimands, here’s one for

him.

It's really a shame that he's been wanted to use the word "oxymoran” for months. His talenTfor spelling, it would seem, is also wanting. The correct spelling of the word is "oxymoron.” Since he enjoys oxymorons, I would like to share some of my favorites, like “objective journalist,” and “principled journalist."

Please note that when I refer to Zelnik, I use the term "journalist” loosely. I wish I could say I enjoy his columns, but I’ve never been a good liar. But I dm~ enjoy that one, because it illustrates very clearly my earlier impressions of Zelnik: a bitter, humorless and narrow-minded individual. HE IS A SORRY EXCUSE for a journalist. Even the most narrowminded, opinionated people recognize the countess good Jim Hurley has-done for Cape May County. Unfortunately, Zelnik ap-

parently is unable to appreciate this fact. Of course, as a man of principle, I’m sure he has never done anything which might have created a question in someone's mind about his ethical standards. Luckily for those of us who do appreciate the strong and honest leadership we’ve had from Jim Hurley for 16 years, our senator will be working for us for yet another term. I’d wager a bet that Jim Hurley has done more for his constituents in the past week than Zelnik has done for anyone (other than himself) in a lifetime.

He must, not know Mr. Hurley, because his remarks could not have been made by someone who has ever had even the slightest contact with him. For Zelnik’s sake I do hope he one day has the privilege of meeting this truly good man. Thanks for your attention (ED. NOTE: The Herald and Lantern temporarily rescinded its policy of not publishing unsigned letters because it was felt important that readers learn the correct spelling of oxymoron.)

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Townuhip

LANTERN

Cape Mat Court House. N J 08210

Anyone Need a Bowling Ball?

By JOE ZELNIK I’ve moved again. I was born at home, and have been moving ever since. I feel like a sandpiper, scurrying here and there without apparent purpose. I sat down on a carton filled with old college textbooks last week and figured out that I’ve moved 22 times, four of them in the last 18 months. And I’m not even in the Coast Guard. I’ve moved so much lately that the average sized envelope doesn’t have room for aU those little yellow address tags the post office uses to forward mail. Journalists move a lot because it’s easier for them. Most people have to go to liquor stores to get empty boxes. Journalists just go to fellow journalists. MANY HAVE ASKED why I left Cape May, which I loved. Four reasons: 1. My furniture — 1956 Marriage — dashed hopelessly with the more formal Victorian style. 2. Island living is the wily justification for residing in Cape May County. Imagine my surprise to learn that Cape May is a peninsula, not an island. 3. Seeking peace ariETquiet, I’d been told Cape May bad a little hustle and bustle for about three months. But local entrepreneurs have extended its season to 12 months. People keep pouring in, dogging restaurants, riding trolleys, taking pictures. It’s like living at the base of the Statue of Liberty. INCIDENTALLY, the extended season is having serious psychological effects on some local people. At a restaurant the other night, the hostess acted like she was either rehearsing for a role as commandant in a Nazi prison camp, or had just learned she had gum disease. When i commented to the waitress, she explained that many of the employes were “burned out" because they were working past their normal September lay-off. I can sympathize with people forced to work more than four months a year. Employers should take heed. If their (ED NOTE: A picture of Elvis Presley inadvertently appeared in a collection of photos of columnist Zelnik in this space last week. This newspaper regrets the error, which occurred because of Zelnik’s startling resemblance to the young Presley.)

workers are disgruntled, a move toward unionization is not far behind. If I were an employer. I’d either close or offer combat pay. 4. Last, but not least, my landlord did not renew my lease. Moving presents problems, especially for people like me who accumulate things. For example, this is the 10th time I’ve moved my father’s old bowling ball, which'he gave me in 1970 when he quit bowling. It doesn't even fit my fingers. This is the eighth time I’ve moved a $4.95 tennis racket I bought at K-Mart in 1973. I’ve never used it and I never intend to. I was getting divorced at the time and read someplace that tennis courts are great places to meet beautiful women. Actually, they’re great places to meet beautiful men. DON’T THINK I move everything. I callously discarded 387 grocery shopping bags from SuperFresh, Shop Rite and Shop n Bag. I had been cramming them under the kitchen sink — I forget why - and had enough to wallpaper a 40-unit motel. The number of bags indicated I went to the grocery store eight times a week during the last 50 weeks. That’s a lot of shopping for a guy who doesn't cook. I keep moving some strange things I’ve picked up through the years. For example, I have a small overnight bag fUled with tiny bars of Dial soap that I borrowed from motels. I hate Dial soap. It makes me itch. But I can’t bear to throw it away. Psychologists suggest this comes from growing up during the Great Depression, which wasn’t so great. These same psychologists point out that moving is right up there on the tension scale with death, divorce and losing a job. Understandably so. It’s depressing to have to look at the paucity of things one's coUected in a lifetime. It’s sad not to establish roots and make lifelong friends. It does make for short Christmas card lists, though. WHEN YOU SAY ’ HOME." you probably mean the pUce you ve lived for the last 20 years. When I say home it means one of several places, often the one in which I was born. And I have no idea where I’ll be buried. Experts say the frauma of moving can be alleviated by looking on your new home as a challenge. I try. For example, I always hang my pictures from the nails left by the preceding tenants. What am I going to put three feet above the kitchen floor?