Private Funding Required Fish Grant Jobs Goal Reduced

By JOE ZELMK Tbe new goal has been cut and the private funding requirement increased in proposed guidelines for Cape May County’s commercial fishing industry loan . program. The county’s Economic Development Commission (EDC), which will administer the 1500,000 grant; has dropped its firstyear new. jote goal from 50 to a “more realistic" 35. Linked to that is a target of 50 cents in private investment for every dollar loaned, or $250,060 total. The county’s original proposal specified no private leveraging dollars, but talked about the value of ships, equipment and maintenance as “private leveraging.”

THE GRANT COMES from the federally-funded Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program administered by the state Department of Community Affairs. It will establish a revolving loan fund with the primary goal of creating jobs for low- and moderate-in come persons. The county hopes for state approval of its guidelines within a month and expects to begin accepting loan applications in April. Money couldbe flowing by late May The EDC and county Planning Department worked together on preparing the new proposals, which now set a 7 percent interest rate for successful applicants. James J. Smith, principal planner with the department, said the 7 percent was "in line with Ocean County (which received a

similar grant more than a year ago), sufficient for the program, yet reasonable for the fishing industry . ” He said 7 percent “will cover all costs and • replenish the program so it will be ^THECOMMITTEE will include EDC executive director A. H. (Rick) Childs, EDC board members G. John Schreiner Jr. and Robert A. Laws, county Manne Extension Agent Stewart Tweed, two members to be named from an 18-member Marine Advisory Council Tweed is forming, and a representative of a financial institution, presumably the “prime bank" that will handle the money. The proposal to the state does two things to ensure that loan applicants also will br(Page 19 Please)

News—^— Digest Kones

Incumbents Sweep

CREST HAVEN — All seven incumbent Burdette Tomlin Hospital board members won election in balloting at the Cape May County Vo-Tech School last night. Seven hundred and fifty nine persons voted; 48 voters were challenged and not included. The incumbents all received votes in the middle 400s, defeating their closest challenger, doctor Suketu Nanazati, by about 150 votes. That was without counting 780 proxy votes for the incumbent board members.

Judge Sandman? TRENTON —Gov Thomas Kean told , the state Senate that he will nominate former Republican congressman Charles W. Sandman to the new position of Judge of the Family Division of Superior Court in Cape May County. The-state Bar Association'has been reported opposed to Sandman on the basis of his lack of trial experience. Sandman went to Congress in 1966, strongly defending President Nixon in the 1973 Watergate impeachment hearings, and lost his seat the following year.

Hearing Avoided VILLAS — Lower Township Mayor Peggie Bieberbach announced Monday that owners of the liquor license of the Whale House Tavern on Bay Shore Road have pleaded guilty to township charges of “lewd and/or immoral activity.” The tavern has had a fire and a change in the ownership of its liquor license since the charges were filed.

Sexual Assault 1 NORTH WILWOOD - A 23-year-old-woman walking in the 2500 block of Central Avenue was grabbed from behind, (Page 19 Please) » '' inside ...

UNDA BROWN, left and Lucy Walker have something in common. Page 29 HIGBK BEACH: Two groups keep fighting Page * .. MUA PRINCIPALS arraigned. Page 9

‘Incredible’ or ‘Junk’?

Water Quality Reported

Health Sets

Salt Tests CREST HAVEN — The Cape May County Health Department will conduct a oneshot test of sodium (salt) levels in drinking water in Cape May, Wildwood Crest, North Wildwood, Stone Harbor,. Avalon and Ocean City this week. County Health Officer Louis J. Lamanna said the testing — 40 or 50 samples at municipal wells and individual homes — is being done “to confirm our chloride testing program and be included in our position paper." The Health Department has promised a report on salt water intrusion in a few weeks. Salt is sodium chloride. The county has been testing for chloride and using a conversion formula “to give us an idea" of sodium levels. -~ But the Herald and Lantern reported two weeks ago that some sodium testing being done by municipalities showed high levels, regardless of the chloride testing results. “WE UNDERSTAND there is a level of inconsistency," said Lamanna. “We don’t ‘ know what the margin of error is. We’ll have results in a week and then be in a better position to take a position.” Data released by the county Planning Department last week showed especially high sodium levels in Cape May City water (see related story). The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) sets 50 mg/1 (milligrams per liter) as the highest safe sodium measure, but the doctor-re-commended low sodium diet allows only 20 mg/1. In five tests last year at each of two wells Cape May is currently using, sodium tested at 67.8 mg/1 and 45, or an average, if blended, of 56.4. THE DATA FROM the Planning Department also showed Avalon wells testing in a range of from 20.2 to 52.9 and averaging 32.3. The report had no data from Ocean City, Sea Isle City, or Stone Harbor, and four tests from Wildwood. ■Hie Wildwoods are thought to have few sodium problems since most of their water comes from wells on the mainland. Data from Ocean City reportedly has been difficult to get. (Page 19 Please)

Cape May Concedes

Problem CAPE MAY - Drinking water here is well above the maximum contaminant level in sodium (salt), according to data from the Cape May County municipal well monitoring program. The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says anything higher than 50 mg/1 (milligrams per liter) should be reported to local health authorities who, in turn, can inform physicians, hospitals, health care facilities, etc. Persons on low-salt diets are allowed only 20 mg/1 of sodium in their water. Those are people with heart, kidney or circulatory ailments, or complications of pregnancy. The former problems are more common to the elderly. More than 1,400 of Cape May’s 4,900 year-round residents are 60 or over. Cape May’s No. 2 well, theprimary well for the city according to City Manager Fred Coldren, was tested five times between May and December 1*3 and had sodium levels of 63,65,75,75, and 61.3. far an average of St A. Apparently no one was alerted. COLDREN SAID the city pumps almost 500 million gallons of water a year and serves Cape May, the Coast Guard base, West Cape May, Cape May Point and por(Page 19 Please)

Data Fails To Satisfy By JOE ZELNIK t » COURT HOUSE - The Cape May County Planning Board last week received from Planning Director Elwood Jarmer what was idenUfied as a “Water Quality Monitoring Report." It amounted to 12 pages of computer printout on fecal coliform levels in the ocean bathing and back bay recreation watrrs, and four pages of. sodium and chloride readings identified as from the county’s municipal well monitoring program. "These are incredible,” said board member Frederick A. Long Jr. “This report is junk," said board member John MacLeod The fecal coliform (bacteria from human waste) data did not appear to be high. Some of the sodium counts were (see related stories). •TM THE GUY that proposed this study,” said MacLeod. I took a lot of flak. It’s been a year since we kicked it up. This is a list of test results. That’s not a report. And there’s no pesticide data. I’m very disturbed." "I wish I could lave more lor you." said Elwood Jarmer. county plannina direettt. ‘Tm not happy with what I have here -either. I don't have complete control over the situation." Jarmer said most at (he data resulted Irnn samples taken by the county Health Department. Some came from Planning, he said. All went to the Health Department for analysis, then back to the Planning Department computer. County Health Officer Louis J. Lamanna said he saw the data "last week for the first time. I don’t know where all that information came from." THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT has been trying to collect data from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). and from local municipalities “We realise it's been hit or miss over the yean,'' said Lamanna. "My environmental staff is collecting that data If the municipalities don't have it. we have tried to find out where the samples were tested and go directly to the labs. Some don’t (Page 19 Please)