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Herald & Lantern 11 January '84

Doris Ward

PROUD FAMILY — Barbara Mflke of Villas shows Melissa Marie, first baby born at Burdette Tomlin this^ear, to husband. Glenn, and son Shawn, 4. Baby was born at 8:51 p.m. Jan. 1. Milke, employed at the Avalon Post Office, assisted at the birth.

News Digest (From Page 11 Aren berg council president during their reorganization meeting last week Kenneth J. Hawk was sworn in to his first elected (three-year) term. He and incumbent Councilman Louis C. Clelland ran unopposed in November Short Timers VILLAS — Peggie Bieberbach was reappointed mayor and Committeeman Robert Fothergill deputy mayor last week during Lower Township's reorganization meeting. Bieberbach, who won reelecllon to her third three-year term on township committee Nov. 2, will only serve until July, however. Committee members will be replaced then by five councilmembers who will be elected in May under the new councilmanager government approved by voters in November.

Arsons Probed SOUTH DENNIS — Arson experts are investigating four suspicious fires here in the last three months. The latest last week destroyed a wooden shed adjoinipg a two-story frame home on S. §eaville Road Its owner, Florence J. Sheets. 55, escaped the pre-dawn blaze without injury. It was set by someone who poured gasoline over a-pile of rags on the shed floor. ^ y Caught Holding NEWARK - C^pt. Donald C. Dickinson, 31, oLAuckland, New island, and three crewmen from the British freighter, "Hetty," pleaded guilty in federal court here last week to conspiracy to smuggle 15 tons of hashish into the U.S. on Nov. 3. Coast Guardsmen escorted the "Hetty" into Cape May when the $100 million cargo was discovered.

Green Light for Woodbine Racing-

(From Page f) cand the anticipated tax rate of $1.76 per $100 of assessed valuation, the annual tax bill would be about $21,000. Motqrsport also agreed in the lease to give "priority employment consideration" to qualified residents of Woodbine, followed by residents Of the county. Initially, there would be 36 part-time employes whose payroll would total from $125,000 to $300,000 a year. Full-time people wotfld include a general manager, promotions director, advertising/sales direc1or, food service manager, public relations director, press assistant, executive secretary, secretary-receptionist, director of maintenance, and two full-time maintenance persons. LABOUNTY S IDEA surfaced almost a ■year and a half ago and has undergone numerous changes since then. The track was increased from two miles to two and one-half, he said, to qualify for additional races. At two miles, he said, it could have handled 42 cars at one time. At two and one-half, he said, it will accommodate 62. He s&id there are 80 classes of cars in the World-International Class racing for which the track is intended. And Motorspqrt will begin giving free seminars to acquaint sports writers with dll these within 90 days, he said. There will be a small grandstand, he said, but most "seating" will be in the grass around the circumference of the track. Box seats, he said, "could be five years away." La Bounty said there wik be space to park 15,000 spectator vehicles and he expects 25,000 to 35,000 spectators at each event. He said there would be 42 weekends of “activities" at the track. He said there are 35 million people in a 300-mile radiqs of the county and only three similar tracks: Pocono Motors Speedway, Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Lime Rock (Conn.) Park, the latter described as "smack in the middle of town" and with no Sunday racing. He said the track will bring almost $8 million a year into the county economy. That’s $3 5 million less than La Bounty estimated a year ago when he first took the

proposal to Woodbine. LABOUNTY S OTHER- plans for the facility include everything from police and racing driver training to flea markets to concerts, with ‘‘rock" specifically excluded. At the authority’s insistence, he deleted boat storage frojn one of the potential uses, and limited trailer and motbr home storage to members of racing associations. Both changes were in response to authority members' concerns about being “in competition with private enterprise.” The authority, although created by borough council, is an autonomous agency and -the rents and 1 percent of gross revenue would go to it, not the borough Authority (and borough) Solicitor James Waldron said the project would “promote ratables, employment and business for the *area." Borough sources said there already has been preliminary discussion about a restaurant on Route 55 at the entranoe to the airport. LABOUNTY SAID the road into' the airport would be expanded to four lanes to handle the anticipated traffic. It would be one-way exiting the track after races, he said, and Motors port would be responsible for traffic control. LaBounty is ^president, and chief operating officer’ of Motorsport. Vice President is James P. Briody of Cherry * Hill and treasurer is his -vife, Patricia, both account executives with PrudentialBache Securities of Cherry Hill. The firm has nothing to do it with the financing of the facility, they said. Secretary of the corporation is Wildwood attorney James S. Cafiero. Board members include Jack Nagle, Marlton; Bud Kruger, Ridgewood; Josephine Johnson, Newark, Del.; Fay Teal, Aston, Pa.; Gerry Kuhn, Berlin; and Lowry Massie. Landenburg, Pa. All reportedly are involved with sports car clubs. Authority members include Gail Kessler, chairman; Mayor Ernest Materio; Council Pesident Theodore DeSantis; Raymond Lewis and Victor Polise. Borough tax collector Frances Pettit is secretary to the authority.

First Babies At BT, Shore

Daniel Paul Prop was apparently the first baby born to a Cape May County coupl^in 1984 Daniel weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces, at 2:02 a.m. Jan. 1 at Shore Memorial Hospital in Sommers Point. His parents are Barbara (Sanders) and David Pron of Goshen. Sandere is owner of Dave’s Trash in

Lower Township. Paternal grandparents are Andrew and Phyllis Pron of Erma. Maternal grandparents are Jim and JoanSanders of Rockaway. First baby born at Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital in Cape May Court House was .Melissa Milke. She arrived at 8:51 p.m. Jan. 1 and weighed seven

pounds, 12 ounces. Her parents are Glenn and Barbara (Welsh) of Villas. Milke, who assisted at the birth, is employed at the Avalon Post Office. Maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Charles Welsh of Philadelphia. Paternal grandparents are Mrs. Marie Mawson ami Charles Milke, also of Philadelphia.

Suit Would

Bar Authority

By E. J. DUFFY VILLAS — GOP township council candidate Samuel Stubbs vowed Monday night to ask Superior Court to block a municipal Incinerator Authority if the township committee created one. Hiat’s exactly what the committee did after a public hearing on tne question. By a 2-0 bipartisan vote, with Mayor Peggie Bieberbach absent, Committeemens. Robert Fothergill and 'Diomas Clydesdale adopted Ordinance 83-40, establishing a five-member authority. Debi de la Cretaz, a member of Stubbs' steering committee, said after t^e hearing that she intended to contact her attorney, Louis Homs tine, on Tuesday morning to prepare an injunction request for Superior Court. De la Cretaz, a Lower Township school board member, was the first to speak during the hearing which drew more than 100 spectators. Holding a copy of a townshipcommissioned study on the feasibility of incineration, she told the committee she questioned the Sanborn-Wilenga \ Associates’ report even before she opened . it. Noting that the public hearing was limited to discussions on creating the authority, Fothergill told her, “I’m not prepared io answer any questions out of that study” or about its authors. ONCE THE AUTHORITY was created, it would field questions about the study and related issues, he added. But, de la Cretaz objected that questions should be answered about the study before an authority is created. GOP committeewoman Phyllis Genovese asked Democrat Fothergill if Lower residents would be able to vote on the matter and the possible purchase of Harbison-Walker Refractories — proposed site of a township incinerator-powered industrial complex. “Wfcy is this not being handled on the county level J" she asked. That question was followed by laughter from the audience. "I’m not prepared to do battle on it with you tonight," Fothergill told Genovese. He said the authority would decide if voters would have a say in the matter. “This is a legal entity,” complained Stubbs, noting that the ordinance gives the Incinerator Authority power to levy and collect fees, condemn property etc. When Township Solicitor Bruce Gorman confirmed Stubbs’ observations, the council candidate added, "It seems we’re, rushing pretty fast Into this. "I’m against this authority," he continued, noting that "the final authority" on an incinerator plant in Lower rests “with . the county.’* “We can form our own authority,” replied Fothergill “They (county officials) have nothing to do with it. I think we can handle it (trash disposal) a heck of a lot better than they can." His remarks were greeted by applause but — calling the Sanborn-Wilenga incinerator study nothing more than a "college term paper" - Stubbs told the committee: "If you persist with the township authority ... I will request an injunction to block the authority ...” Cat calls from the audience, Stubbs regarded as "Indicative of how these meetings are run. It’s impossible," he said, of the township incineration concept. Fothergill told the audience to “take note” of Stubbs’ remark when the authority holds an informational bearing on the issue of incineration in a few weeks.

“Impossible," Stubbs repeated and sat down. Builder Jack Bowman of Sunset Boulevard told the committee that Incinerator Authority members "will probably be prejudiced toward an incinerator" if by nothing else than the name of their group. He asked that the proposed ordinance be “reconsidered” so options other than incineration might be reviewed with equal weight. Later, Julius Raul of Cape May Point said that, if the true purpose of the agency is to evaluate alternatives, an advisory committee would be more appropriate than a legally-vested authority.. The committee could form an advisory committee and the authority, Gorman told both speakers, but one of the major reasons for creating an authority was “not clearly stated,” he explained. By establishing a legally-constituted agency — charged with overseeing treatment of ' refuse -- Gorman said,-the committee intends “to pre-empt the field..’’ "IF WE RE FIRST,” he added, referring to creation of an authority, “it gives us a stronger legal position.” That position would be important, he implied, if the county Municipal Utilities Authority — which has jurisdiction over county trash but has made no move to treat (incinerate) it — attempts to pull rank on the township. Despite its name, Gorman told Bowman, the authority intends “to look at ail other options." Its title is required by law, Gorman said, as is the number of its members. “I beseech you," Bowman said earlier, “when you appoint this authority, not to look in one direction.” Other speakers called on Fothergill to appoint at least one authority member from the South Cape May vicinity nearest the Harbison-Walker plant. “I can’t obligate the seats," the committeeman replied, noting the mayor's and Clydesdale's say on the pending appointments. “Anyone who wants to sit will be considered.” Stubbs and de la Cretaz had asked to be considered for appointments to the Incinerator Authority but expressed “sefcond thoughts” after buying copies of the Sanborn-Wilenga study. IN SUMMARY, that study favors an incinerator plant at the 123-acre HarbisonWalker property which could be expanded into a trash-powered industrial complex owned by the township. While'the countyy MUA completes a feasibility study of incineration at the plant, the township continues to negotiate with Harbison-Waiker officials toward the possible purchase of the tract, Fothergill confirmed lak month. According to George Marinakis, MUA executive director, anv township conversion of the plant into an incinerator complex would have to fit into the MUA’s overall solid waste management plans. Gorman conceded that point Monday: “If we don’t fit in regionally, we’re not going to get MUA approval." It would be “virtually impossible" for the Incinerator Authority to acquire the Harbison-Walker tract within the six months before a township council replaces the existing township committee, be added. Hie new government could abolish the authority if it disapproves of the incinerator concept, Gorman.noted. Fothergill said after the Monday night hearing that the authority is tentatively scheduled to hold an informational session on the incineration concept Jan. 23. Authority appointments, be concluded will be announced before then.